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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

VINYL CLASSICS - THEE MIDNITERS - GIANTS






Thee Midniters fourth and final album for Whittier Records was GIANTS released in 1967. It was intended to be a greatest hits compilation but new tracks were included. It is my favorite Midniters album and I played the grooves out of it while I was a disc jockey at East Los Angeles College 1967-1969.

SIDE 1:





Side 1 opens with the East LA cruisin' classic "Whittier BLVD". Track 2 is "Goin' Out Of My Head" with new group member Al Anaya singing lead on this cover version. Track 3 is the band's cover version of the Cannibal & The Headhunters hit "Land Of 1000 Dances". Track 4 is an instrumental version of "Walk On By" Closing out Side 1 is the Eastside classic "Sad Girl".


SIDE 2:





Side 2 opens with the Solomon Burke classic "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love". Track 2 is the moody cover of jazz singer Oscar Brown Jr's "Brother Where Are You". Track 3 is a psych-pop tune "Breakfast On The Grass" Track 4 is a cover of Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night". Track 5 is the blue-eyes soul-horn-rock original 'Love Special Delivery". The closing track is the band's excellent cover of "That's All"


NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!!! SOLELY FOR HISTORICAL & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!!!

Monday, August 24, 2015

VINYL CLASSICS - THEE MIDNITERS - UNLIMITED




Thee Midniters third album was "UNLIMITED" released in 1967 on Eddie Torres' Whittier label. By this time the band had been writing more of their own material. Eight of the twelve tracks on the LP are originals. The album features some fine cover songs as well as jazz-soul, soul and Latin-jazz-soul tunes.

SIDE 1:



Side 1 of the LP opens with a cover of the Solomon Burke classic "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" Track 2, "Cheatin' Woman" is a band original credited to Willie Garcia, Danny Lamont and Jimmy Espinoza. Track 3, "Could It Be" was written by Roy Marquez and is a great soulful ballad. Track 4, "Thee Walking Song" is a band original. Track 5, "Dreaming Casually" is a true Eastside classic written by Willie G and Larry Rendon. The closing track on side 1 is "Never Knew I Had It So Bad", another band original.

SIDE 2:



Side 2 of the album opens with a cover of the Beatles' classic "Yesterday" Track 2 is a cover of the Mitch Ryder classic "Devil With A Blue Dress"/"Good Golly Miss Molly". Track 3 is another Willie Garcia-Larry Rendon penned tune, "Making Ends Meet" and is another true Eastside classic. Track 4, "Chili Con Soul" is a band original and is a jazz-Latin-soul instrumental. Track 5, 'Welcome Home Darling" is a fine ballad written by Danny Lamont & Willie Garcia. Side 2 closes with a superb version of the McKinley Mitchell classic "The Town I Live In"


NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!! SOLELY FOR HISTORICAL & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!!

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

VINYL CLASSICS - THEE MIDNITERS - LOVE SPECIAL DELIVERY





Thee Midniters second album, "Love Special Delivery" was released in 1966 on manager Eddie Torres' Whittier records label. Eddie had been urging the band to write their own material and this album includes four Jimmy Espinoza-William Garcia tracks. The other eight tracks are cover versions.

SIDE 1:


Side 1 starts with the Garcia-Espinoza original and title track "Love Special Delivery" This track is blue-eyed soul-horn-rock at it's finest. Next is a cover of the Holland-Dozier-Holland classic "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things" Tracks 3 thru 6 are also covers, "Do You Love Me", "Soul & Inspiration", "Good Lovin" and "When A Man Loves A Woman"

SIDE 2:


Side 2 opens with a nearly five minute version on Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night" followed by a powerful James Brown screaming-like version of Van Morrison & Them's "Gloria". Track 3 is a cover of Deon Jackson's  "Love Makes The World Go Round" Tracks 4-6 are all originals. "I Found A Peanut" with it's peculiar lyrics. "Are You Angry" is an Eastside classic and "Don't Go Away" is a solid sultry soulful ballad.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!!
SOLELY FOR HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!!