VA - New York Graffiti (1619-1750 Broadway an Independent American Pop Story 1958-1968) 2019 @ Flac

Review by Mark Deming

Edward Kassner is not a familiar name to the average music fan, but they're aware of his work if they know it or not. Kassner had a long and successful career in the music business: he was active in songwriting and music publishing as well as starting a number of independent record labels, and he was associated in various ways with a number of classic tunes. Kassner wrote "How Lucky You Are" for Vera Lynn, owned the publishing to Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock," obtained the rights to standards like "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and "You Made Me Love You," was an early manager and publisher for the Kinks, and released '60s rock and pop hits like Marcie Blane's "Bobby's Girl" and Ernie Maresca's "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)." While Kassner was more successful than most, he was typical of a certain type of music biz player of the '50s and '60s who set up shop in New York City's Brill Building and was always on the lookout for the next trend and the next big single, conjuring his releases from the songwriting upwards. New York Graffiti 1619-1750 Broadway: An Independent American Pop Story 1958-1968 is a four-disc set that covers ten years in the career of Edward Kassner, encompassing the songs he wrote and/or published and the various small labels (most notably President Records) that brought the music into the marketplace. His empire was willing to dabble in a bit of everything, and the set is a dizzying ride through doo wop, girl group sounds, rhythm & blues, early rock, soul, commercial folk, garage rock, and even a bit of soft psychedelia. There are a lot more obscurities and "bubbling under" tracks here than familiar hits, but given the scattergun approach of many small labels of the era, where the philosophy seemed to be "throw it at the wall and see what sticks," this is certainly fitting. A large part of what makes this box so enjoyable is its celebration of the craft of record-making in the Brill Building era. This was a time when hit singles were put together from various component parts like cars, and most of what's featured here are the Cadillacs of the field, bold and flashy and with the right amount of polish. The late '60s would bring a greater autonomy to artists, but in the first rock & roll era, record men (and women) were honing an art form all their own. This set is a tribute to both the process and the result, and it's a whole lot of fun, too.

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CD 1 

 01. The Pyramids - Ankle Bracelet 

 02. The Jodimars featuring vocal by Marshall Lytle - Story Telling Baby 

 03. Judy And Joyce - Rock And Roll Kittens 

 04. The Gorman Sisters - Sock Hop 

 05. Russ Cassata - Lavender Coffin 

 06. Don Harper - Blue Flute 

 07. Richard Barrett And The Sevilles - I Am Yours 

 08. Ronnie Mitchell - But Are You Sure 

 09. Gregg Madden - The King 

 10. Wallie Hawkins - Feeling This Thing Called Love 

 11. Freddie Scott - Baby You're A Long Time Dead 

 12. Ronnie Mitchell - Boca Raton 

 13. The Five Fleets - Pitter Patter 

 14. Shirley Elliston - A Beautiful Love 

 15. Freddie Scott - Lost The Right (Take 9) 

 16. Wallie Hawkins - Don't Believe Them 

 17. Earl Wade - Feel So Bad 

 18. Kenny Dana - Hurricane 

 19. Earl Wade - You're Still My Baby 

 20. Starfires - Fools Fall In Love 

 21. The Imaginations - Hey You 

 22. Ernie Maresca - Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) 

 23. Little Joey & The Flips - It Was Like Heaven 

 24. Dean Christie - Heart Breaker 

 25. The Delacardos - Love Is The Greatest Thing 

 26. Jamie Horton - Oh Love (Stop Knockin' On My Door) 

 27. Charlie Gracie - Pretty Baby 

 28. Bellino - Bossa Rock 

CD 2

 01. Curtis Knight - When You've Got Love 

 02. Charlie Gracie - Night And Day, U.S.A. 

 03. Bill Roxy - Wheel And Deal 

 04. Joey & The Twisters - Do You Want To Dance 

 05. Mort Garson And His Orchestra - Early Sunday 

 06. The Hideaways - Lovin' Time 

 07. Jamie Horton - Go Shout It From A Mountain 

 08. Marcie Blane - Bobby's Girl 

 09. Millie Foster - Love Wheel 

 10. The Chelmars - Jigsaw Puzzle 

 11. Ricky Shaw - A Fool's Memory 

 12. Susan Lynne - Even Though 

 13. Sleepy King - Lovin' Time 

 14. Curtis Knight - You're Gonna Be Sorry 

 15. Millie Foster - Bitterness 

 16. Susan Lynne - There'll Be No Goodbyes 

 17. Neil & Jack - I'm Afraid 

 18. Neil & Jack - Till You've Tried Love 

 19. Hughie Garrity And The Hollywood Playboys - Bye Bye Travlin' Man 

 20. Al Tousan - Real Churchy 

 21. Bobby Wood - That's All I Need 

 22. The Frank Virtue Combo - Midnight Hassle 

 23. Michael Zara And The Compliments - Nobody Knows 

 24. Scotty Carrol - Tell Me More 

 25. James Gilreath - Little Band Of Gold 

 26. The Brandywine Singers - Summer's Come And Gone 

 27. The Glencoves - Hootenanny 

CD 3

 01. Millie Foster - Did I Think About You 

 02. Larry Banks - Will You Wait (Pt.1) 

 03. Millie Foster - What A Thrill 

 04. The Glencoves - Devil's Waitin' (On Bald Mountain) 

 05. Billy Duke - 6 0 9 

 06. The Allen Sisters - Larry 

 07. The Kittens - The Sweetest Boy 

 08. The Kampells - You've Got It Bad 

 09. Terry And The Tunisisans - The Street 

 10. Zeke Sheppard - Snow Surfin' 

 11. The Four Coins - Boys Cry 

 12. The Sillaways - Get Lost (Demo) 

 13. Joan Berry - Just Like My Baby 

 14. Little Gigi - I'm Hurt And So Is My Heart 

 15. Jimmy & Jack - Don't Deceive Me 

 16. Billy Lee - Just In The Nick Of time 

 17. The Pageboys - When I Meet A Girl Like You 

 18. The Barbarians - You've Got To Understand 

 19. Floyd Morris - Pompton Turnpike 

 20. The Taylor Brothers - People In Love 

 21. Little Gigi - Take The Bitter With The Sweet 

 22. Ludaway - Hello Lady 

 23. Billy Lee - I Don't Wanna Make Your Cry 

 24. The Twilights - Sha LA Lu Luma (Demo) 

 25. The Barbarians - Hey Little Bird 

 26. The Pageboys - I Have Love 

CD 4

 01. Billy Butterfield - The Dixatay 

 02. Billy Duke - Prisoner Of Love 

 03. Linda Cumbo - Did You Ever Lose Your Mind (Over A Boy) 

 04. Marcie Blane - The Hurtin' Kind 

 05. Ernie Maresca - It's Their World 

 06. Bobby Wood - Fool's Paradise 

 07. Scott Bedford - Now I'm At The top 

 08. Fish 'N' Chips - Four Times Faster 

 09. Scott Bedford Four - Last Exit To Brooklyn 

 10. The Druids - Girl Can't Take A Joke 

 11. Ray Emmett And The Superiors - She Belongs To Me 

 12. James Gilreath - Your Day Is Coming 

 13. Dick Roman - The Truth Hurts 

 14. Roger Pace - The Minute My Back Was Turned 

 15. Sonny Stiles And His Kings Men - Give A Little Bit 

 16. The Demetrons - You Copped My Soul 

 17. Sonny Stiles And His Kings Men - Here She Comes 

 18. Linda Cumbo - Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow 

 19. Pat Jarvis - The Soul Of My Man 

 20. Pat Hervey With The Tiaras - Can't Get You Out Of My Mind 

 21. Laura Lynn - It Took A Long Time Coming 

 22. Culver Street Playground - Alley Pond Park 

 23. The Raggamuffins - Hate To See A Good Thing Have To Go 

 24. Guardians Of The Rainbow - Cry Alone 

 25. The Raggamuffins - It Wasn't Happening At All 

 26. Doris Willingham - You Can't Do That 

Thanks to z112

Two parts !

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