OOP Vinyl Curiosities:
(Wooden Nickel Records)
Singer-Songwriter folk-rock
Mp3@320 kbps
Here is where I feature an underrated, relatively obscure out-of-print (OOP) vinyl-only release. Today, we have the third album from the wonderful singer-songwriter James Lee Stanley, released on Wooden Nickel Records in 1974.
Wooden Nickel Records was a small Chicago-based record label (distributed by RCA) that started in 1971 and featured mainly Chicago area artists. Their biggest name artist was the Chicago prog-rock band Styx, whose first 4 albums (1972-1974) were released on Wooden Nickel. Some of the other artists on Wooden Nickel were the Siegel-Schwall Band (blues-rock), Megan McDonough (folk singer), and singer-songwriter James Lee Stanley. The label folded not long after Styx left for A&M records in 1975.
James Lee Stanley was/is a very talented singer-songwriter-troubadour, whose first 3 albums were on Wooden Nickel. Stanley signed a 10-album (!) contract with Wooden Nickel, but after being frustrated with the lack of support and promotion from the label, left after his wonderful third album, Three's the Charm, in 1974. And that third album, should have been his breakthrough as a commercially viable and successful artist, receiving critical acclaim, but remaining unheard by the music-buying public. I first heard of James Lee Stanley around that time (1974-75), as he toured around college campuses and coffeehouses. He played at the college I was attending (Bradley University, Peoria, IL) a couple of times, and put on a great show. He has a very entertaining presence and stage show that is quite humorous as well as great musically. His songwriting and singing is top-notch, but he also tells many humorous stories and anecdotes about his songs and life. Pretty much anyone who has seen him perform becomes a fan. James has gone on to be a steady presence in the music and entertainment world, although never quite achieving stardom. Over the years he has released a total of 34 albums (most through his own Independent label, Beachwood Recordings), and has been an opening act for numerous more famous musicians and comedians, such as Bonnie Raitt, Nicolette Larson, Robin Williams, Steven Wright, and Bill Cosby, as well as released albums in conjunction with Peter Tork (Monkees) and John Batdorf (Batdorf and Rodney), among others. He has always toured regularly around the coffeehouse and club circuit and continues to tour occasionally to this day. So, the album featured here today is that third album from Wooden Nickel Records, Three's the Charm (1974), only released on vinyl in the day, and never reissued or released on CD. It is a genuinely great album, filled with great songs, great arrangements, great vocal performance, and top-notch production. James is backed by an All-Star lineup of quality session players, including Russ Kunkel (drums), Michael Omartian (keyboards), Jim Horn (sax), and Larry Carlton (guitar), as well as some lush string arrangements (by Jimmie Haskell). This album also features what is one of the first, and possibly the very first, appearance of the Chapman Stick on a commercial recording, and it is played here by the inventor of the instrument, Emmett Chapman, on the track 'Eclipse', where it can be heard most prominently soloing in the song's outro (The Chapman Stick instrument, which I've featured before (Kittyhawk album), was invented by Chapman around 1969, but the first commercially available model was not released until 1974, and this album was recorded in 1973). But, back to the album, which features a variety of songs from gentle acoustic crooning to catchy pop to folk and rock stylings, and some humor, including a latin-styled groove that uses terms from a medical dictionary as lyrics (because they are derived from 'latin'). A wonderful album and a fine showcase for his talents, and should have garnered him more success and acclaim, but he still managed to carve out a decent career in music over the years. Going back to this album, and re-listening for the first time in about 20 years was a delight, as I had forgotten just how good it is and what a talent he has. And now this early OOP album is still around and here for all to enjoy. Best Tracks: Windmill, Eclipse, The Round Round, Growing Panes, Plenty of Reason. Check it Out. If you are at all a fan of 70's singer-songwriter-type albums, this is a must listen. You can also check out more of his later music through his website (jamesleestanley.com) and on Youtube.
Note: This needle-drop recording was made directly from my nearly 50-year-old vinyl copy of the album (Wooden Nickel Records - BWL1-0430) using Audacity. Thus may contain various vinyl clicks and pops.
Tracklist:
1. Windmill
2. Eclipse
3. Plenty of Reason
4. Tale From a Blue Comet
5. Growing Panes
6. The Getaway
7. Caduceus Blues (Cortisone)
8. Every Reason
9. The Round Round
10. Come On In
11. Star
James Lee Stanley_Three's the Charm_1974_OOPvinyl.rar
