Oodles of Doodles CVI

I think I was very lucky to find these doodles. They were printed on slips of paper used to protect the records in a 10-pack of singles by Perry Como (RCA Victor SPD-27, 1957). The very first insert, shown below, contains a note about how the inserts are to be thrown away after purchase, since they are of no use in further protecting the records. Well, thankfully for me, the original purchaser saved all of the inserts, and I am able to bring the doodles on them to you today, almost 50 years later. The doodles appeared in the corners of four different sheets, each advertising other records available on RCA at the time.

Atlantic Leads The Field

I found this 7" single sleeve today at a junk store, and thought it was worth sharing. It is from Atlantic Records, but the record inside was from Mercury. No matter, because I thought the sleeve stood on it's own. You can see the sketches of the Atlantic artists above, most of which aare pretty far off-model. I don't know who they had draw these, you'd have a hard time connecting the faces with the names if they weren't next to each other on the sleeve. For the sake of the search engines finding this post, the artists shown are Joe Turner, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter And The Drifters, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles and The Clovers. The flipside below has a handful of musicians that are almost worthy of my sharing out as doodles.

Oodles of Doodles CV

While we're on the subject of dancing, how about a doodle from Dance To The Bands! (Capitol TBO 727, 1956))? This double LP features then-new tracks from the bands of Stan Kenton, Les Brown, Harry James, Billy May, Woody Herman and Ray Anthony. Technically it's a various artists collection, but it looks as if all of the tracks were recorded specially for this release. I don't think any of the artists colaborate with each other, but there's a great cover shot of all those artists together around a piano. In fact, it's so cool, let me scan it in and share it with you...

I think these guys are in the same order I wrote above, which I copied from the bottom of the cover. Only one I recognize is Billy May, the guy in the center, and the only one wearing an off-color suit. Figures.

Oodles of Doodles CIV

The doodles are coming fast and furious today around here. How's about I teach you a couple of dance steps courtesy of Freddy Martin And His Orchestra-Shall We Dance? (RCA Victor LPM-1160, 1956). You get four lessons today, starting with three old, worn-out boring dances, and ending with one modern, cutting-edge bit of rug-cutting. These doodles obviously stem from an age when dancing meant something a little more formal than it does today.

Oodles of Doodles CIII

Here's a collegiate doodle for you. Fred Waring And The Pennsylvanians-College Memories (Decca DL8222, 1956) with special guest star Bing Crosby on The Whiffenpoof Song. They don't have any songs on here about UF, that's clearly not an F on the guys sweater, and I don't recognize those buildings in the back of the doodle, so I can't say as I'm overly excited by this LP. Oh, you previously saw Fred Waring here back during Christmas in July.

Oodles of Doodles CII

You don't see an awful lot of various artists collections around here, but here's the second one I've posted from Capitol. This scene is from The Gold Record (Capitol T830), and it features tracks from Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Les Paul and Mary Ford, Les Baxter, Dean Martin, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Nelson Riddle, Sonny James, Kay Starr and Pee Wee Hunt. I've posted a lot of these scenes that look a little like watercolors, only done in shades of grey. I think I prefer the simple pen-and-ink doodles, though, with their intricate line art. But I suppose beggers can't be choosers, eh?

Oodles of Doodles CI

How's this for a great doodle? I never thought I'd be able to combine my Coke bottle collection with my doodle posting, but here you go. This bottle is from an LP put out by Coca-Cola for a bottler sales promotion during the 75th anniversary of the company. The Grip Of Leadership they called it, and you can see the hand that has a tight grip on that classic hobbleskirt bottle. This record appears to be pretty rare, as are all corporate recordings of this nature. They were only given out to the company representatives who attended the show that was documented on the vinyl. This particular show was produced by The Jam Handy Organization, with original music and lyrics by Wilson Stone, Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Maurice Levine, and Orchestrations by Arthur Harris. The actual record was pressed by RCA Victor Custom Records, 1961. I'd love to record it and share it with you but I'm lazy. I did manage to scan the front and the back, and you can see both below. You can also see the rough shape of the sleeve (looks like someone spilled some Coke on it...figures), as well as the price sticker. Just for the sake of Google searches, the track titles are: Overture; American Heritage; Here And Now; Hot Seat; Packaging And Pricing; Keep Things Jumping; Cooperation; The Same In Any Language; Look To The Leader; I Hear America Singing; Finale. "Not For Broadcast Purposes"

Oodles of Doodles C

Here it is, the long awaited doodle number one hundred! And what better way to celebrate than with a sextet of doodles from The Three Suns. You've seen The Three Suns here once before, but I've been saving them up ever since then to bring you this giant pile of doodles. The first one is from Let's Dance With The Three Suns (RCA Victor LSP-1578, 1958). Pretty typical doodle, but they aren't going to stay dull here for long.

The second, and my favorite of the bunch, is this space ship from The Three Suns-Swingin' On A Star (RCA Victor LPM-1964, 1959). I really wish this one had a signature on it, but I can't locate one. This is one of the more imaginative doodles I've featured around here. And in case you're wondering why The Three Suns would have four people on their rocket to the stars, the fourth is special guest King Curtis who was brought in for some horn work on this LP.

Thirdly (is that a word?), we have The Three Suns-Love In The Afternoon (RCA Victor LPM-1669, 1959), featuring a charming picnic scene. And we finally get a recognizable signature, Jo Grey II. No hits on this name over at Google, but you have seen the name before here at Ernie (Not Bert).

What else have I got for you today? How about these dancing fellows from The Three Suns-On A Magic Carpet (RCA Victor LPM-2235, 1960)? You know you have to dance when you see something like this.

But wait, the hits keep on a'comin'. How's about this cauldron from Fever And Smoke-The Three Suns (RCA Victor LSP-2310, 1961)? The doodles are really starting to come to a rolling boil around here. Maybe it's time to cool things off just a bit.

Winding things down before we get out of control, here's the sixth and final doodle of the post from Fun In The Sun-The Three Suns (LPM/LSP-2437, 1961). What's not to like about the beach? As I type this, Tropical Storm Katrina is bearing down on me, so that may be something not to like. But worries like that are a million miles away from these two lovebirds. That concludes this 100th doodle post. I hope you enjoyed them all. (Oh yeah, many of these Three Suns LPs feature the taglines on the front advertising the tunes inside, such as "Exotic Percussion Sound" or "Perfect For Dancing". You can see these posted here.)

Oodles of Doodles XCIX

Here we are at doodle number 99, and I've got the biggest selection of doodles yet from a single artist, or, well, in this case, a pair of artists. All of the doodles in this post are from Louis Prima and/or Keely Smith. I've brought you one other doodle from this pair before (only the second doodle I ever posted!), but here's a set of 5 that will make you jump, jive and wail. The first illustration above is from The Wildest Show At Tahoe-Louis Prima & Keely Smith With Sam Butera And The Witnesses (Capitol T908). I don't know about some of those other animals, but the moose you see there is a popular Prima motif. You'll see the moose again in the doodle below, as well as on the cover of that LP. I love how Keely looks like Keely in this doodle. The artist has really captured her look. The only info I have on the artist are the initials FP (located between the legs of the trombonist, who is James "Little Red" Blount, by the way.)

This second illustration, again featuring a prominent moose, is from The Call Of The Wildest-Louis Prima & Keely Smith With Sam Butera and The Witnesses (Capitol T836, 1957), which I believe was Louis & gang's second LP for Capitol. I don't think this artist did as good a job of capturing the various players in the band. That's Louis and Keely on the moose, and the other folks are, top to bottom, Sam Butera, Jimmie "Little Red" Blount, Jack Marshall, Willie McCumber Jr, Amato Rodriguez and last but not least, Bobby Morris. The doodle is signed Don Kapp (down at the bottom near the drummer man).

The final three doodles are from Keely solo albums. I wish I had more group LPs to scan in and share, but these things are rare as hens teeth. As I find 'em, I'll post 'em, but you're gonna have to wait. This first solo doodle is from Keely Smith-Be My Love (Dot DLP 25241), with music by Billy Vaughn. It may just be me, but doesn't that bottle to the left of center look a lot like the one that Jeannie lived in on I Dream of Jeannie? And that owl on her head... Just ask yourself "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop?" See what I mean? Oh, and that angel on the cauldron is familiar, too, but I can't place it right now. Maybe another Keely LP...

Whew! I'm getting tired of typing on this post. Bear with me though, only two doodles to go. Keely Smith With Billy May And His Orchestra-Politely (Capitol T 1073) features a set of gentleman suitors who are trying to be polite to Ms. Smith. This doodle again features the initials FP that we saw on the first illustration above. Perhaps he worked with Louis & Keely exclusively, or maybe he was a Capitol staff artist. Somebody out there has to know, and hopefully they'll share that info someday.

Could this be the end of this mammoth post? I think so. And for the end, we have a small bouquet of roses courtesy of Keely Smith-I Wish You Love (Capitol T 914). The orchestra on this one was conducted by Nelson Riddle. They sure didn't spare the talent when it came to Keely's solo career. Too bad it never took off like similar female crooners of the late 50s/early 60s. I think this is the only Keely LP I have on CD, and it's OK. The best part of it is the bonus tracks that are from unreleased sessions with Nelson Riddle that make Keely come across more as an early rock-n-roll singer than a torch song singer. If you have the CD, you know what I mean.

Mothra-The Revenge

I came across this guy on the way back from lunch today. He was right by the front door at work, which is pretty much the same place as the one I showed you a couple months back. This fellow isn't as big or as colorful, but I thought you might want to see him anyway. I had him resting on the windowsill while I shot my pictures, to get a little more sunlight. I had to turn around for a moment, and when I looked around, he was gone. Now he's loose in my office somewhere...

I know what you're thinking, "You don't have a camera." And you're correct. But I do have my old camera, which doesn't take very good pictures, so I don't like to use it. But I thought this was cool enough to break it out and shoot...

How To Work Your Records

I found this little diagram on the inner sleeve of the Webley Edwards LP I doodlized below, Let's Sing With Hawaii Calls (Capitol KAO 1518). I love the fact that there was a time when people had to be shown how to do things that we wort of take for granted today. I suppose it worked with this record, though, because it survived to this day with the inner sleeve in place. Perhaps I shouldn't make fun of it...

Oodles of Doodles XCVIII

As the elusive 100th doodle gets closer and closer, I'm trying to cram more and more special stuff in here. So today, I present not one, not two, but three albums worth of doodles from my new favorite doodle-meister, Webley Edwards. You can read all about Webley over at Space Age Pop, but the short story is that Webley hosted a radio show from Hawaii that popularized the islands music and culture for many years, both before and after Hawaii became the fiftieth state. The first doodle above comes from Webley Edwards Presents Hawaiian Strings (Capitol SM-1152). Webley wasn't really a performer, these records only collect some of the music he helped to popularize. He did work with many of the artists and songwriters to be sure that the music said 'Hawaii'. These next two doodles come from Hawaii: The Island Of Dreams-Webley Edwards & His Hawaii Calls Orchestra (Pickwick SPC-3062). Again, I don't know that Webley had a whole lot of musical involvement in this, even though it's listed as his orchestra. The LP lists a whole plethora of artists, the last one of which is Webley. So maybe he did do something. The last two instruments listed as being played on the album are "Actual sounds of native birds, waves on Waikiki Beach". I don't think you can get those at the local music store...


And that leaves the rest of the doodles below, all of which come from the back cover and inner gatefold of Let's Sing With Hawaii Calls (Capitol KAO 1518). As far as doodle quantity goes, I really hit the jackpot with this one. The inside of this sleeve is littered with doodles surrounding all the lyrics to all the songs. And they're an odd brownish color. It's a little bit darker in real life than what you see on the scans, and I know the scans aren't even all the same, but this was as close as I could get. So have a look see at all the great images below, and imagine yourself on a spectacular beach covered in black volcanic sand with a drink in your hand. Ahhhhhhh........

Oodles of Doodles XCVII

Here's something you haven't seen previously at Oodles of Doodles. These two doodles hail from the back of kiddie records, the kind that were marketed towards children as playthings as much as recordings. Kids would take these records and play them over and over and over again until the grooves wore down to the far side. So I figured I was lucky to find a couple in decent shape, or at least good enough shape to scan in these doodles. The doodle above is from 30 Song Stories For Rainy Days (Twinkle Records TW-8), while the one below is from Party Time Dance & Game Songs (Twinkle Records TW-18). The first record has a credit of Burt Portnoy for liner art, but the second LP is anonymous. Turns out that Mr. Portnoy was previously mentioned here at Ernie (Not Bert) as the designer on a Christmas LP. It's a small world after all.

Moog To The Music

In honor of the passing of Robert Moog, I'm sharing (or here) (via YouSendIt) a couple of tracks from The Moog Machine-Switched-On Rock (Columbia CS 9921, 1969). I ripped these tracks this weekend for a Beatles covers CD I'm working on, but with the news of Dr. Moog's passing, I figured I'd share them out now. The sticker you see above is on my copy of this LP. Notice that it doesn't say the music is any good, just that it's sophisticated and complex. By the way, this is the 300th posting on my blog. Thanks to everyone out there for all your support. You know who you are. (A Moog Machine Christmas track is available over at FaLaLaLaLa. Get it while it's hot. Get it? Hot, Christmas, oh, nevermind...)

Oodles of Doodles XCVI

How's this for a creepy little doodle? Go ahead, count the fingers, I'll wait. Yep, there are 13, and that's a good thing, because otherwise this doodle wouldn't make any sense. The artist is Sir Julian and the LP is The Thirteen Fingers Of Sir Julian (RCA Victor LSP-2372, 1962). If you look close, just above the last two fingers on the left hand, you'll spot the initials JH. Or at least I think it's a JH. This LP was produced by the team of Hugo & Luigi, who we previously doodlized here. And if you care, below is the tagline from the front of this LP, "Dazzling Electronic Organ".

Next To The Last Week In August

Another week, another picture. This is a spot that pops up time and time again in my photographs. It's the breakwater on the Anna Maria Island side of Longboat Pass here in Florida, just off the coast of Bradenton. I'm standing up on the drawbridge over the pass. I've probably taken this picture a hundred times, but it still fascinates me for some reason. The whole spot is just beautiful.

Oodles of Doodles XCV

Here's another spectacular doodle from a long-lost age of innocence. This young man is probably about to get smacked by this young girl. Take a look at his left hand. It seems to be getting pretty close to her knee. You know that can only lead to trouble. This doodle comes from The Ames Brothers With Sid Ramin's Orchestra-Smoochin' Time (RCA Victor LSP-1855, 1958), and is signed with the initials RR. (You've seen the Ames Brothers before at Oodles of Doodles here.) I'm pretty sure I've seen those RR initials before, too, but I can't seem to find them. I'll keep hunting. Ah, here it is. (In case you're having trouble spotting the initials on this doodle, look at the front center of the couch. It's hidden in the carvings.) Did I mention the front cover of this LP? It's a little creepy, with the Ames Brothers standing in the bushes smiling for the camera while a couple makes out in the dark behind them. Weird...

Oodles of Doodles XCIV

Are you getting hungrey yet? How about some Italian food? A little wine, some meat, a guitar, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You get all that and more with Al Caiola-Guitar, Italian Style (Pickwick 33 SPC-3034). This doodle may be from a record on the budget label Pickwick, but I can't complain about it. I think the signature says Daniel, but I doubt if I'm going to be able to get any more info on a name like that.

Caution!

It is better to replace your needle than your record collection. This advice has never been truer. I found this on an inner sleeve from David McCallum-Music: A Bit More Of Me (Capitol T 2498, 1966). It just struck me as funny, especially the little picture of the bad needle carving away the grooves on your favorite LP.