“Cindy, Oh Cindy” was a 1956 Top 40 hit for folk & rock pioneer Vince Martin; it was his initial breakthrough onto the national music scene. In the 1960s he released a well-known, considered “seminal”, album of folk-rock called Tear Down These Walls with a band that included John Sebastian of The Lovin’ Spoonful.
“Cindy, Oh Cindy” is a calypso-tinged arrangement of the Barron & Long penned song which features the backing band The Tarriers, which itself features a young Alan Arkin, the legendary actor, director and screenwriter, playing guitar and singing vocal harmony. Vince Martin sings in his beautiful tenor a lyric about a sailor at sea longing for a love he left behind when he joined the Navy…
This was released on the small 1950s label Glory out of New York city which specialized in pop, r&b and folk, and which recorded many less-known, but incredible, vocal groups. These singles, especially on 78rpm, are much sought after by collectors.
I can’t find any information whatsoever about this duo, Jack and Betty, who seem to be lost to history at this point. And it also seems like this is their only record: TEEN 107A, “Satisfied Mind” and 107B, “This Is My Story”.
From 1955, “Satisfied Mind” made a moderate-sized splash as a popular jukebox rendition of this Red Hayes & Jack Rhodes C+W classic which has been covered many times since it was first recorded that same year. Even Jeff Buckley, the 1990s NYC songbird who tragically died way too young at 30yrs old, did a cover of this tune, which is really amazing, and it is available on the Columbia Records release “Live at Sin-E” (Legacy Edition.) This, however, is my favorite take of this beautiful secular hymn. Jack plays the rhythm guitar and Betty plays the organ, and they sing in harmony virtually the whole time. There is also an unknown electric guitar player plucking some great sounding lead lines, wish I knew who that was… The simplicity of the arrangement, the passion in the playing and the singing, and just one hell of a lyric, make for a powerful, haunting piece of Americana.
A legendary side man saxophonist for the likes of Aretha Franklin, Freddie Hubbard, Carl Perkins and Gladys Knights and the Pips, Jimmy Coe already had a previous recording career in the 40s and 50s and got his start playing in Jay McShann’s band sharing seats with the everlasting Charlie “Bird” Parker.
“The Jet,” on the small mid-50s Chicago label States Recording Company, is a great little groovy B3 Hammond organ and saxophone jammy-jam, and a relentless 2-and-a-half-minute flight of fancy. This virtually unknown number makes its way into many of my 78s set out in the wilds of nighttime party gigs and clubs.
Time Travel at 78rpms 