Albums and All That, Starting with the letter G as in Golf, Part 4

Vinyl-O-Matic

Elton John [00:32]
"Honky Cat"
Greatest Hits
MCA Records MCA-3007 1974 (1980 reissue)
Funky feline fun!

Loretta Lynn [05:46]
"Wine Women and Song"
Greatest Hits
MCA Records MCA-1 1968 (1973 reissue)
Loretta's 3rd top ten single on Decca, reaching number 3 on the country charts in 1964.

Dawn [07:48]
"Candida"
Greatest Hits
Arista AL-4045 1975
This first outing from Tony Orlando and Dawn reached number 3 on the Hot 100 in 1970.

Webb Pierce [10:53]
"I Ain't Never"
Greatest Hits
MCA Records MCA-120 1968
Legend has it that Mel Tillis traded crediting Webb as a co-writer on this number for a pair of boots that Pierce was wearing at the time. Webb's 1959 version made it to number 2 on the country charts. In 1972, Tillis' version made it to number 1.

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Diana Ross [14:32]
"Upside Down"
All the Greatest Hits
Motown M13-960C2 1981
A great tune penned for Ms. Ross by Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. Made it to number 1 on the charts of course. I dig the guitar work on the outro.

Sly & the Family Stone [18:38]
"Sing a Simple Song"
Greatest Hits
Epic KE 30325 1970
The b-side from the all killer no filler 1968 Sly single "Everyday People".

War [22:35]
"The Cisco Kid"
Greatest Hits
United Artists Records UA-LA648-G 1976
One of my favorite songs when I was a kid, and I still love it. Definitely an irresistable hook. Made it all the way up to number 2 on the Hot 100, but was held out of the number one spot by... Tony Orlando & Dawn's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree".

Willie Nelson [26:20]
"Good Hearted Woman"
Greatest Hits (& Some that Will Be)
Columbia KC2 37542 1981
Waylon Jennings wrote this inspired by a newspaper piece about Tina Turner's relationship with Ike. Purportedly written by Jennings and Nelson over a poker game. Jenning's version is quite excellent.

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Petula Clark [30:37]
"Call Me"
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Warner Bros - Seven Arts Records WS1765 1968
Pretty snappy for what would become an Easy Listening standard.

ABBA [33:24]
"The Name of the Game"
Greatest Hits, Vol 2
Atlantic SD 16009 1979
Not sure why I like the more dramatic ABBA songs like this and "Knowing Me, Knowing You", but I do. This one made it to number 12 on the Hot 100. The bass intro was inspired Stevie Wonder's "I Wish".

Conway Twitty [38:13]
"Hello Darlin'"
Greatest Hits Vol. I
MCA Records MCA-52 1972 (1973 reissue)
Long associated with Conway Twitty, this single stayed at the top of the country charts for four weeks in the summer of 1970.

Bob Dylan [40:38]
"Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You"
Greatest Hits Volume II
Columbia KG 31120 1971
The third single released from his 1969 album Nashville Skyline. Some pretty hot guitar licks.

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Elton John [45:57]
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
Greatest Hits Volume II
MCA Records MCA-3027 1977
Released in 1974 and topping the pop charts in January of 1975, this Beatles cover features John Lennon himself joining in on guitar and backing vox under the pseudonym Winston O'Boogie. I am pretty sure was the first version I heard as a kid, thanks to pop radio. Definitely recall the Univibe guitar opening and the synth lead in the middle, and the odd but awesome reggae break.

Marty Robbins [51:47]
"El Paso"
The Greatest Hits
Columbia C2X-3
Please enjoy this Dudley (aka H.B. Barnum) spoof of this 1959 song.

Johnny Cash [56:27]
"It Ain't Me, Babe"
Greatest Hits Volume 1
Columbia CL 2678 1967
Great admirers of each other, Cash recorded this Dylan song for his 1965 Orange Blossom Special with June Carter helping out on vocals. Their single made it to number 4 in the country charts.

Trini Lopez [59:29]
"La Bamba"
Greatest Hits!
Reprise Records R 6226 1966
A live version from 1963 of this traditional Mexican folk song, non-traditionally credited to Lopez which would normally be credited as traditional. Perhaps it's due to Lopez's Beatles-esque break in the middle of the arrangement.

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Music behind the DJ: "Theme from a Summer Place" by Percy Faith & his Orchestra