Love Is Strange, Caesar & Cleo (1964)The Everly Brothers did a ska version of Mickey & Sylvia’s 1956 hit?
No, that’s Caesar & Cleo, aka Salvatore Bono & Cheryl LaPiere (nee Cherilyn Sarkasian), aka Sonny & Cher. Their cover of Love Is Strange was re-released in 1965 after I Got You Babe made the charts.
Run, Don’t Walk, The Ventures (?), year unknown.That song title is not a typo, and I can’t find any info on the origin of the recording. One source claims it was unreleased, but that seems unlikely; it’s possibly the work of a tribute band. The Ventures had a huge hit with Walk, Don’t Run in 1960, but you knew that.
The Stars, The Ocapello’s (1966 & 1972)A rare recording – a 45rpm in mint condition might fetch you $100. Little can be found about the group with the stray apostrophe except that they came from East Orange, New Jersey, and evolved from two other local groups (The Crowns and The Cameos), and that the lead singer may or may not have been Bobby Kline who may or may not have been black.
Fatty Patty, Lee Pickett & The Screamers (1958)Lee Pickett (rhythm guitar and slap bass) joined up with Marvin Ross (lead guitar) and Paul Jennings (drums) and recorded Fatty Patty and She Left Me With The Blues in a Denver basement. Marvin recalled, “We only used ‘Lee Pickett & The Screamers’ for that one record & a few promotional bookings. Jolt Records picked the name for us, but by then we had taken the name of the Blue Rhythms.”
Don’t Look Back, Them (1965)Them, a garage-rock/blues band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in April 1964 and had major hits the following year. George Ivan “Van” Morrison went solo in 1966; the band scored more hits and continued to record and perform into the 1970s.
Hee Haw Breakdown, Nolan Cormier & The L.A. Aces (1971)From Lousiana Cajun Music Special, Swallow Records 1988: “Cut in 1971 at the first recording session of Swallow’s last recording studio, this Cajun ditty became an instant hit regionally, and then skipped over the Atlantic to become a popular Cajun hit in England as well.”
Stack O’ Lee Blues,Mississippi John Hurt (1928)The song was published in 1911 and first recorded in 1923 by Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians, but the origin predates both, as a song called Stack-A-Lee was mentioned in in the Kansas City Leavenworth Herald, in 1897 as being performed by “Prof. Charlie Lee, the piano thumper.”
The St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 28 December 1895 Shot in Curtis’s Place
William Lyons, 25, a levee hand, was shot in the abdomen yesterday evening at 10 o’clock in the saloon of Bill Curtis, at Eleventh and Morgan Streets, by Lee Sheldon, a carriage driver. Lyons and Sheldon were friends and were talking together. Both parties, it seems, had been drinking and were feeling in exuberant spirits. The discussion drifted to politics, and an argument was started, the conclusion of which was that Lyons snatched Sheldon’s hat from his head. The latter indignantly demanded its return. Lyons refused, and Sheldon withdrew his revolver and shot Lyons in the abdomen. When his victim fell to the floor Sheldon took his hat from the hand of the wounded man and coolly walked away. He was subsequently arrested and locked up at the Chestnut Street Station. Lyons was taken to the Dispensary, where his wounds were pronounced serious. Lee Sheldon is also known as ‘Stag’ Lee.
Too Experienced, The Bodysnatchers (1980) 2-Tone RecordsThe Bodysnatchers, an all-female rock steady group from the UK, had potential. This cover of the song written by Keith Anderson (aka Bob Andy) appeared on the B-side of their second single, fulfilling their contract with 2-Tone Records. The company folded soon after and The Bodysnatchers played their last gig in October of 1980, but morphed into The Belle Stars and signed on with Stiff Records.
Stop Overlooking Me, The Cairos (1966)Founded in 1964, folded in 1967, Shrine Records is considered the rarest of the soul labels. “Miss Ray, Barry Gordy‘s second wife, started Shrine Records with her new hubby after both bounced from Motown. Shrine (located in D.C.) issued the peppy “Stop Overlooking Me” b/w “Don’t Fight It” in 1966; it flopped just like the other 18 singles bearing the Shrine logo.”
Tacky Raccoons 