Friday, June 15, 2012

Warming Trend


The Warming Trend
Photo courtesy of George Krieger
 
Man, I really wish I could get more info on this one.  Located who I think is a member of this recording, but she won't return my e-mails.  Also located the producer (Dugg Duggan)...and nope, not a word.

Private issue breezy femme folk on the TWT label.  


 


Photo courtesy of George Krieger
Listen to a sample
 
Flip side is a hootenanny style tribute to Colorado,written by David B. Allen and Paul Coldwell (Up With People).

I found another reference to a second Warming Trend single, "Never Ending Rain!" / "It Wasn't Very Long Ago," on the Klass label (6943). The lead singer is Mark Klass. No clue if this was released before, or after the record posted above. As noted in the autographed record sleeve below, there isn't a Mark.

Found a very small reference to the group in a 1968 Billboard.

Billboard - April 27, 1968

That same year, Warming Trend appeared with the group Action Brass, at McEwen Music Company (8460 W. Colfax) for some "Magnavox celebration."
Photo courtesy of George Krieger
 
The only other hint is an alternative picture sleeve cover, which just happens to be autographed (and also shows six group members, instead of five on the other one - note the names: Dave, Lin, Scott, Bobby and Brandy).

Friday, June 1, 2012

Flamingo Plus

I took five semesters of Spanish throughout high school and college, and have retained enough for me to cause an international incident. That said, there's something about Tejano, Tex-Mex, norteƱo, mariachi, or ranchera music that I've always enjoyed--even though I don't understand any of the lyrics.

Ah, the joy of being oblivious.

Much like religious vinyl, I find quite a few Hispanic records when I go digging in the dollar bins. Here lately I buy pretty much everything with a Colorado address on the label, as they tend to be passed over by folks looking to score the next big eBay sale.

That's good for me.

That said, last year a most generous fellow Colorado record collector mailed me a batch of state Hispanic singles he had no interest in.

Among the singles were three by the group Flamingo Plus.

As is most always the case, the vinyl had few clues to go on. The label was blank, however it credited James Vigil on saxophone, as well as Nick and Jane Herrera. A quick Google search discovered that a Jane Herrera, who had been married to a Nick Herrera, in Denver, passed away last year, at the age of 75. I couldn't find any other additional information (Correction - comment below says they were brother and sister).

I had two copies of "Tu Destino," however one copy had a flip of "Llorando, Llorando" (both credited to Crystal Sound Recording in Denver), while the other had a b-side saxophone instrumental, "El Carpintero Colorado," and no notation of where it was recorded. Nothing really standing out here on either recording.





However, a third single, from what appeared to be the same group, sounded nothing like the other two. While "Solamenta Una Vez" is your standard bolero issue, the flip, the bilingual "Te Queiro" was heavy on organ vibes, and rocked out.

Sweet.



EDIT 7/3/12: Recently discovered another Flamingo Plus record, which was offered to me from a wonderful overseas seller.

Another cool rocker...


"Scream" / "Teach Me"
CFS 832 (no label name)

Velma Stapleton


Velma Stapleton interviewed March 2012.

 

Side One:
Here We Are
Love Grew Where the Blood Fell
Mercy Rewrote My Life
It Made News in Heaven
A Vessel of Honor For God

Side Two:
There is a River
He's Ever Interceding
I Have to Worry
Spirit Song
I Love Him Too Much

Velma Stapleton loved country music. In fact, her dream had always been to be a country performer, and record an album. She would eventually record an album – but it wasn’t country.

 “Back in my day it was all I wanted to do – sing country,” she said. “But I realized the words were not positive, so I discovered gospel music.”

Velma’s move from secular to spiritual music wasn’t an overnight switch. She had already been singing Christian songs at an early age, growing up in Lamar (she graduated Lamar High School in 1971). When she married, her family, which included her boys Michael and Steven, would take to the road to perform in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

“Wherever I could perform, I did. My husband ran the sound.”

In 1983, at the urging of her pastor, she recorded her one and only album.

“My pastor foot the bill for me to record,” she said. “I recorded it in Denver. I think it took about two hours to make.”

She said her back-up musicians were actually pre-recorded songs, of which she simply sang to in the studio. “I think we pressed 500 copies of the record.”

Standard issue gospel here, but Velma gets to use her country chops on at least one song, "It Made News in Heaven."

The picture on the front cover of what was to be titled Mercy, Love and Praise, was taken at her church.

"The picture on the back was done in a studio,” she said.

Velma gave up singing to care for her husband, who has been ill for the past 12 years. She currently resides in Pueblo. “It was always on my bucket list to record an album,” she said. “And I did.”