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Tell It Like It Was
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A Few Things about ’60s Rock Music
Introduction to “Tell It Like It Was”
Introduction to “Tell It Like It Was”
Excitations and good vibrations about the music of the ’60s
Neal Umphred
Jan 1, 2019
Introduction to “The Toppermost of the Poppermost”
Introduction to “The Toppermost of the Poppermost”
All about all of the articles about all of the #1 records of the ‘60s
Neal Umphred
Jan 1, 2019
“Save the Last Twist for Me”
“Save the Last Twist for Me”
Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1960 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
Neal Umphred
Jan 1, 2019
“Take Good Care of Runaround Sue”
“Take Good Care of Runaround Sue”
Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1961 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
Neal Umphred
Jan 15, 2019
“Big Girls Don’t Limbo Rock”
“Big Girls Don’t Limbo Rock”
Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1962 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
Neal Umphred
Feb 16, 2019
The Toppermost of the Poppermost’s Greatest Hits 1960–1969
The Toppermost of the Poppermost’s Greatest Hits 1960–1969
Looking at the #1 records of the ’60s with John Ross and Lew Shiner
Neal Umphred
Jan 1, 2019
How Many Gold Records Do the Grateful Dead Have?
How Many Gold Records Do the Grateful Dead Have?
The Dead have had 21 of their albums certified for Gold Record Awards from the RIAA
Neal Umphred
Jul 16
About Those Banned “Louie Louie” Lyrics
About Those Banned “Louie Louie” Lyrics
A look at the difference betwen Richard Berry’s original recoring from 1956 with that of the “banned” record by the Kingsmen from 1963
Neal Umphred
Sep 8, 2022
A Few Albums with Covers That Are More Collectible than the Records
A Few Albums with Covers That Are More Collectible than the Records
Are there many albums where the covers are worth more than the records? Hell, yes!
Neal Umphred
Apr 19, 2022
What’s the Craziest Way You Ever Saw Anyone Price a Used Record Album?
What’s the Craziest Way You Ever Saw Anyone Price a Used Record Album?
The meaning of “normal” for record collectors changed in the ’70s with the publication of the hobby’s first price guides.
Neal Umphred
Jan 4, 2022
Looking at the Covers of All Those Beach Boys Albums
Looking at the Covers of All Those Beach Boys Albums
A Complement to Malcolm Searles’ “Back Through the Opera Glass: The Stories Behind the Album Covers”
Neal Umphred
Dec 15, 2021
Bob Dylan’s BLONDE ON BLONDE as a Collectable Album
Bob Dylan’s BLONDE ON BLONDE as a Collectable Album
Distinguishing original copies of the ’60s from later pressings
Neal Umphred
Nov 24, 2019
The Mothers of Invention’s FREAK OUT! as a Collectable Album
The Mothers of Invention’s FREAK OUT! as a Collectable Album
Distinguishing original copies of the ’60s from later pressings
Neal Umphred
Nov 23, 2019
How I Made $2.61 in Only Four Days on Medium!
How I Made $2.61 in Only Four Days on Medium!
An Introduction to “Elvis: That’s The Way It Was,” a new Medium publication
Neal Umphred
Nov 18, 2019
“Grazing in the Grass with Mrs. Robinson”
“Grazing in the Grass with Mrs. Robinson”
Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1968 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
Neal Umphred
Sep 19, 2019
What Is a “Record Album” and When Did the Term Originate?
What Is a “Record Album” and When Did the Term Originate?
A few words about 78 rpm albums, 33⅓ rpm albums, the White Album, and so-called double-albums
Neal Umphred
Aug 29, 2019
So, Like, What Is the Best Beach Boys Album Ever?
So, Like, What Is the Best Beach Boys Album Ever?
That depends on what you mean by “Beach Boys album”
Neal Umphred
Aug 25, 2019
Hey, there Georgy Girl, Penny Lane, and Ruby Tuesday!
Hey, there Georgy Girl, Penny Lane, and Ruby Tuesday!
Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1967 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
Neal Umphred
Jul 27, 2019
“You Keep Me Hanging On on the Poor Side of Town”
“You Keep Me Hanging On on the Poor Side of Town”
Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1966 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
Neal Umphred
Jul 5, 2019
Gene Clark’s First Record Echoed Bob Dylan
Gene Clark’s First Record Echoed Bob Dylan
For his single “Echoes,” Gene Clark donned a Bob Dylan mask
Neal Umphred
Jul 4, 2019
Just When Was “Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers” Released?
Just When Was “Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers” Released?
Apparently not on the same day as the Byrds’ “Younger than Yesterday”
Neal Umphred
Jun 26, 2019
Why Isn’t Gene Clark in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Why Isn’t Gene Clark in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Byrds founder a pivotal influence on folk-rock, psychedelia, country-rock, singer-songwriter, and Americana
Neal Umphred
Jun 22, 2019
Is “Pet Sounds” the Best Bloody Album Ever Made?
Is “Pet Sounds” the Best Bloody Album Ever Made?
Answering the objectively unanswerable can be fun!
Neal Umphred
Jun 9, 2019
Let’s Hang On to Our Ticket to Ride
Let’s Hang On to Our Ticket to Ride
Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1965 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
Neal Umphred
Jun 2, 2019
Why Weren’t the Moody Blues in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Why Weren’t the Moody Blues in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
The band was inducted after waiting through nineteen years of eligibility (“Yippee!”)
Neal Umphred
May 17, 2019
“Wild in the Streets” as Prescient Sociopolitical Satire
“Wild in the Streets” as Prescient Sociopolitical Satire
Do you really want a man in his sixties running the country?
Neal Umphred
May 16, 2019
60 of the Cheesiest Album Covers of the ’60s
60 of the Cheesiest Album Covers of the ’60s
A look at the unauthorized “pirate” albums of Taiwan
Neal Umphred
Apr 30, 2019
Where Have All the Sex Kittens Gone, Long Time Passing?
Where Have All the Sex Kittens Gone, Long Time Passing?
Looking at Brigitte Bardot, Ann-Margret, and Eartha Kitt (who were sex kittens) and Diana Ross (who should have been)
Neal Umphred
Apr 18, 2019
“I Want to Hold Your Louie Louie”
“I Want to Hold Your Louie Louie”
Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 Records of 1964 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
Neal Umphred
Apr 14, 2019
I Know It’s Only Rock & Roll
I Know It’s Only Rock & Roll
Should a writer call it “rock & roll” or “rock and roll” or even “rock’n’roll”?
Neal Umphred
Mar 24, 2019
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