BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS NEWSLETTER

BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
MONTHLY MEETING THIS SUNDAY, JULY 8TH, 2012
2:00 PM HOMEWOOD LIBRARY
Next Meeting - Sunday, August 12th - 2nd Sunday


HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT 4TH OF JULY


LAST MONTH'S MEETING

If you missed last month's meeting you missed some great and mostly unknown tunes that club member David Bryan shared with us.  Have ever heard of these.  'Sherry' by Jerry Cox & The Cavaliers, 'Til I Hear It From You' by the Monarchs, 'The Prayer' by Ray Scott, 'You're The One For Me' by Wanda Jackson, 'Little Island Girl' by The Golden Tones (Joe Simon), and then how about this one by Sally Haney, 'I'm In A Green M & M Mood'.  And so many more that made the meeting so much fun.  Thanks, David.

AT THIS MONTH'S MEETING

We send out over 2,000 postcards to previous visitors of our record show to remind them that the 28th annual show is coming up.  At this month's meeting we will be labeling and stamping them.  If you're free please come by and help with this big job.  And of course we will have some great music playing to pass the time along, sing to, or just enjoy listening to.

28TH ANNUAL BRC RECORD SHOW

Our annual record & CD show is fast approaching.  Saturday and Sunday, August 18th-19th.  Be sure to sign up to volunteer for one or more of the many opportunities there will be to help.  We will have over 90 tables this year so it will be the largest show BRC has ever had.  We will have quite a few new dealers so that means there will be a bunch of new items to browse through.

Our Hall Of Fame this year will be inducting singer, songwriter, musician, and promoter  Bunky Anderson and a band that has been performing since the 60's, The Ramblers.  More about these in next month's newsletter.

BAERLY SPEAKING
Howard Baer

In early December, 2011  a death notice appeared in the Birmingham News obituaries.  Other then family and friends, probably 98% of people reading it did not recognize him.  Some BRC members certainly would have.  He did not attend meeting but he was a (honorary) member and Ben Saxon had him as a guest at a meeting in the early 90's.

He was Dick Deason, better known to many as Pete Pride, his on air name, in the early 60's as a DJ with WYDE when they were a 'Top 40' station and were a close second to WSGN in popularity among teenagers and young adults in this area.

According to the obituary, Deason was a B'ham native whose entire career was in broadcasting.  He started with a little radio station that he put together totally himself on a supply ship off the coast of Korea during the Korean conflict.  When he came back to B'ham he worked for many different stations.  He was Broadcaster of the Year (1991?) and head of the Alabama Broadcasters Association for several years.  He ended his career at WBHM where he retired about 1995.

I have vague memories of him as Pete Pride at WYDE but my best memories of him are from about 1964 - 1969 when he worked at WBRC AM 960 and had a Saturday afternoon show in the fall during football season.  WBRC was the flagship station for the University of Alabama for the B'ham area.  You have to remember, coverage of sports was as different as night and day back then compared to now.  There was only one national game broadcast every week on television by ABC.  Just about everybody followed football on Saturdays on radio back then.  There was no instant coverage of other games on TV like there are now on the myriad of all sports stations.

But for all the mega-coverage we get today on Saturdays, Deason did something back then that no one does today even with about 8 local radio stations covering football  and all the satellite stations.  Deason had a scoreboard show on late Saturday afternoons and between taking calls from listeners wanting scores, he would play college football fight songs and marches, something you never hear today.  He would salute the biggest upset of the day by playing that team's fight song.  About '64 or '65 Army pulled a tremendous upset (possibly of Syracuse) and he played 'On Brave Old Army Team' and 'As The Caissons Go Rolling Along'.  My dad, who usually worked every Saturday in our small grocery store, was home sick that day and hearing those two songs made him feel better than anything.  Although not a West Point grad, he was a proud Army WW II vet (staff sergeant, field artillery, Fifth Armored Division) and he liked the Black Knights of the Hudson.

It's too bad you never hear college football fight songs and marches on radio anymore - one of the great traditions of the sport is disappearing.  I'd much rather hear them than the drunken fanatics rantings now on all the call-in shows.  Incidentally, now that Texas A&M is in the SEC, hopefully more people here will become familiar with the stirring A&M 'Aggie War hymn'.  It rivals the Notre dame "'Victory March', 'Michigan's 'Hail To The Victors' and Ohio State's 'On Ohio as one of the best fight songs ever.  Look for an article soon (maybe during football season - it starts way too early now though) on the history behind 'Yea Alabama' and 'War Eagle'.             HB

UPCOMING EVENTS

It's time to come "HANGOUT" with Larry and The Loafers. Join us for another second Friday night monthly show at The Cedars Club at 301 Green Springs Ave South, just follow the signs. Come early on July 13th starting at 6:00 with free dance lessons taught by Chris Bailey and Dance Instructors from Bailey Dance Studio. Chris will also provide music for Line Dancers when the Band takes breaks between play sets.  Followed at 7:30 with Good R & R music for your Dancing and Listening pleasure. Great (dance ready) Hardwood Floor, good food and reasonably priced Bar. Tickets on line $10.00 larryandtheloafers.eventbrite.com or at the door $12.00. Please look at larryandtheloafers.com to learn more about us. You have seen in person or heard about the fun everybody has at this show with Larry and The Loafers. Don't miss it, great new memories are made there. For additional Info call 205-261-8397.

The Ramblers and The Bassmen will be performing at Workplay on Saturday, August 18th starting at 7:00 PM.  For tickets go to http://www.workplay.com/calendar-event/ or stop by Workplay - 500 23rd St South.  205-879-4773.

UPCOMING RECORD SHOWS

Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Record Show.  Sunday, July 29.  Marriott Century Center, I-85 & Clairmont Rd.  Exit 91.   10AM - 4 PM (EST).  $3.  404-861-3496.

Birmingham, AL - BRC 28th Annual Record & CD Show.  Saturday & Sunday Aug 18 - 19.  Cedars Club.  301 Green Springs Ave South , Birmingham, AL 35205. 9 AM - 5 PM Saturday, 10 AM - 4 PM Sunday.  $3.

Allentown, PA - 27th semi-annual 45 & 78 RPM only show.  Saturday Oct 6.  Merchants Square Mall.  1901 S. 12th St.  Allentown PA, 18103.  10AM - 4PM.  $3.  610-530-7606.  8AM early admission, $10.  www.surroundsoundproductions.com

Allentown, PA - Lehigh Valley Music Expo.  Merchants Square Mall.  1901 S. 12th St.  Allentown, PA 18103.  9AM - 4PM.  $3.  610-530-7606.

Austin, TX - Fall 2012 Austin Record Convention.  Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Oct 26 - 28.  North Austin Event Center.  10601 N. Lamar (formerly Crockett Center).  10 AM - 6 PM Fri & Sat. 10 AM - 5 PM Sunday.  $5 admission. Friday is early admission only for $25 .  This covers everyday.  Saturday early admission begins at 8AM.  512-288-7288.

***New record shop in town.  Club members Ray Edwards and Jack Wilson are opening a record shop in Gardendale called Birmingham Records.  The Grand Opening is Monday, July 2.  The address is 1103 Main Street - Gardendale, AL 35071.  Open Monday - Saturday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.  205-837-0596.  Drop by and see the guys and see if they happen to have that hard to find record you have been looking for.  Good luck, guys.  http://www.birminghamrecordstore.com/



HEY!  HAVE YOU HEARD THIS ONE?
'PRETTY BABY'
The Vibes



See ya,

Charlie



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