Mid-Century Sounds: Deep Cuts From the Desert

Mid-Century Sounds: Deep Cuts From the Desert profiles the career of the late music entrepreneur Floyd Ramsey (March 22, 1926 – April 16, 2008)[2] The album features songs from the Phoenix, Arizona music scene from 1957-1973. During this time, Ramsey was instrumental in launching the careers of artists including Sanford Clark, Duane Eddy, Lee Hazlewood, Waylon Jennings, Wayne Newton, and Donna Fargo.[3] Sanford Clark, Waylon Jennings, and a young Wayne Newton are featured on the album.[4][5]

All songs on this compilation have direct ties to one of Floyd Ramsey's many music enterprises.[6] He was the owner of Audio Recorders of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona where most of the songs were recorded. He was the founder of several record labels including Liberty Bell Records,[7] REV Records, Ramco Records,[8] and ARA Records and he later acquired MCI Records, a label which had released many singles recorded at his studio. Most of the songs on this album were originally released by one of these record labels.[9] Ramsey also owned publishing on most songs through his companies Renda Music,[10] BMI, and Desert Palms Music,[11] BMI. Floyd Ramsey was inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2005 for his many accomplishments.[12][13]

Several songs on this LP charted in Billboard including "Plaything" by Ted Newman (Side A) which appeared on the Billboard Top 100 Chart from September 30, 1957 – December 2, 1957, peaking at #45.[14][15] "Cookin" by the Al Casey Combo (Side B) peaked at #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.[16] The record also includes many lesser known songs and a previously unreleased cover song by Donnie Owens entitled "Boo Hoo" (Side C).

The 1968 recording "Blending Soul" by the Soul Blenders (Side D) was featured as the "Ad of the Day" on September 11, 2017 in Adweek Magazine.[17][18]

Side A (1957–59)

1. “Never With Your Heart” — Ralph Smith w/ Bob Taylor’s Western Aces
2. “I Got the Blues” — Glen Morris
3. “Two Time Loser” — Joe Montgomery
4. “She is My Dream” — The Tads
5. “Four in the Morning” — Dave Moore
6. “A Better Man Than Me” — Gary Trexler
7. “Start at the Bottom” — The Newton Brothers
8. “Plaything” — Ted Newman[19]

Side B (1960–64)

1. “How Many Times” — Patti Lasalle
2. “Night Creatures” — The Gigolo's
3. “You’ll Never Wear a Halo” — Nick Landers
4. “Do It Twist” — Ritchie Hart and His Hartbeats
5. “Drifting Heart” — Roosevelt Nettles
6. “Old Enough to Have a Broken Heart” — Judy Lunn
7. “Cookin” — Al Casey Combo

Side C (1964–67)

1. “My World” — Waylon Jennings
2. “I’m Glad I Knew You” — P-Nut Butter
3. “What’s Happening” — Phil & The Frantics
4. “Boo Hoo” — Donnie Owens
5. “One More Time” — Tommy Strange
6. “Once Upon a Time” — Sanford Clark
7. “So Goes My Dream” — Nadine Jansen

Side D (1968–73)

1. “Happy Just to Be Alive” — Christopher Blue
2. “Too Good To Be True” — Lon Rogers & The Soul Blenders
3. “Get Up” — The Harvey Truitt & Jack Miller Project
4. “One Afternoon” — Motion
5. "The Soul Blenders” — Blending Soul
6. “Ain’t No Time for Stopping’” — Fat City
7. “Loaded Back” — Michael Liggins & The Supersouls