Category Archive

by Cousin Geoff

The Sun Messengers are one of my favorite local bands.  I’ve written about them a couple times, and cheered them on at Pistons games, where they serve up the funk as the resident house band.

So, I was excited to not only find a 45 by The Sun Messengers that I had never seen, but lo and behold it was another Tigers song to add to the collection.

There’s good parts to this song, like the opening, and the chorus, but the singing is really pretty bad.  The front says it’s The Sun Messengers w/ Tyrone Hamilton and the Bleature Creature Choir.  This Tyrone Hamilton is, I assume, the one singing and it sort of sounds like someone wrote a song about the Tigers and then performed it at a family reunion and the family is too nice not to tell him he can’t sing worth a lick.  I’m guessing that Tyrone Hamilton was one of The Sun Messenger’s friends, and they didn’t have the heart to get someone else to do lead vocals on this track. 

That being said, I really don’t care too much.  In fact, I sort of like it better that it’s kind of bad.  It’s still an awesome song.  The label alone is worth adding to my collection.

What’s that you say, I said the Tigers won again today!

Listen to Tiger Dynasty:

by Cousin Geoff: 

FINALLY! Monday is Opening Day for the Tigers.  How sweet are we going to be this year?  Will this be the most potent offense ever assembled?  Here are some Tigers songs from their championship years to fire you up even more!

I just found this one.  It’s from ‘84, set to the tune of Thriller, by Tom Paul.

listen to Tiger Thriller:

Another from ‘84, it’s Gino Danelli with the song Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now/Tigers.  Stay tuned for another great track by Gino coming up soon about Thomas Hearns.

listen to Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now/Tigers:

Here’s another one I just found, from ‘84, The Sun Messengers - Tiger Dynasty:

Also from ‘84 is the song Bless You Boys, I don’t have it but you can listen here.

Now we go back to ‘68 and the song Go Get ‘em Tigers by Artie Fields, off the Year of The Tiger album.

listen to Go Get ‘em Tigers:

From the Detroit sound label comes the York Mills Trio’s Sockit To ‘Em Tigers

And just for fun, check out 31 game winner and jazz organ hipster Denny McLain, doing the song For Me off his Denny McLain at the Organ LP.  Not bad - what can you play Verlander?

How excited am I?  Let me say that if the Tigers win the World Series this year, I’ll bring back my Todd Jones stache that I had last summer for an hour after I shaved my beard.  I’ll rock it for a week. 

You heard it here.  In fact, I wanted to post this right after I saw Kenny Rogers pitch the first two innings last night.  They squeaked out a win last night in the 11th and then won in the bottom of the ninth today against the White Sox.  Now they’re only 3 games back of the Yankees for the wild card with 20 some games to go. 

The Tigers WILL make the playoffs this year, and they will WIN the World Series.  That’s right.  They’re gonna do it.  They’re gonna get hot.  Kenny Rogers is going to will them to a championship and then retire.  Sheffield is going to come back and start knocking the ball all over the park again.  Inge is out of his slump.  Maggs has some magic left.  The starting pitching is back on track, and so is the bullpen.  Here they come - watch out Yankees!

For karma, listen to songs from their last two championships (both recorded before they won it).  And you better bet I’ll be drinking beer out my lucky blue Tigers pint glass from here on out.

1984’s Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now Tigers:

And 1968’s Go Get ‘Em Tigers:

I’ve told you about the ‘68 Tigers theme song, Go Get ‘Em Tigers.  Well, we made an exciting discovery a few days ago when we pulled this 45 out of a recent collection.

It’s Gino Danelli, singing to the tune of (McFadden & Whitehead & Cohen’s) Ain’t No Stopping Us Now, except it’s about the Tigers.  It was also made before the ‘84 championship year, the last time we won it all.  It blows “Bless You Boys”, another Tigers theme song, completely out of the water.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m fired up for the second half of the season.  C’mon Tigers, let’s do it now!  Here’s a blast from the past to revive the old championship spirit.  Let’s restore the roar of ‘84!  Cuz there Ain’t no stoppin’ us now…we’ve got the groove!  Detroit - Tigers!

(We also found the Detroit Lions song Another One Bites The Dust by Jimmy “Spiderman” Allen, but I’ll save that for September.  First the World Series, then the Super Bowl)

I’m going to post a new batch of soul, doo-wop, and funk 45s tomorrow around 5:00 US eastern time.

The highlight is Little John (The Houserocker) on Martay, a so called northern soul “monster.”  I’ll post the audio to that and some other Detroit ones, probably on Saturday.

Change of plans…….

Due to another recent collection we just purchased, we are preparing to put up our finest and most rare soul/doo-wop 45 batch ever.  It won’t go up until Monday night, probably in two parts: the first batch of around 100 will go up around 5:00 US Eastern time.  There’s some good stuff in there, but…..

The next 65-70 that will go up around 7 or 8 will be the most exciting group of northern soul and doo-wop 45s we’ve ever seen.  Included are lots of extremely rare Detroit soul.  This group will truly live up to our slogan: The Best Records From Detroit and Beyond.  A very, very exciting collection.  Later that week, we’ll get into rock, rockabilly, psych, pic sleeves, Beatles, Elvis and more.  It will be an explosion of 45s.  Stay tuned.

I’m organizing a pick-up softball game to be played once a week in Ypsilanti, somewhere on the east side or in Willow Run. Please spread the word you influencial Ypsi bloggers and get back to me.

I’m thinking it would be a fun way to get the blood flowing, meet some neighbors, and partake in an old school summer ritual. And an excuse to bbq and drink beer. Who else is down?

The crack of the bat, the smell of hot dogs. Yes, it’s baseball time in Detroit once again.  The Tigs are 16-11, and starting to click after a slow start.

We came so close last year to winning it all for the first time since 1984, and the second time since the ‘68 season, the Year of The Tiger.

We thought we’d do our part in getting the old karma coming our way to bring home another title in 2007. Here are the two LPs that were put out in ‘68:

Ernie Harwell recaps the season as we listen to highlights of his legendary calls of the post season and championship games. The Year Of The Tiger ‘68 also features the great Tigers fight song, Go Get ‘Em Tigers, composed by Artie Fields. The back cover talks about the worried nature of the citizens of Detroit, dealing with work strikes and racial tension. But the spirit of the people bonded for the common goal of rooting for the Tigers to win the pennant.

Listen:

Another LP put out in ‘68 was by Denny McLain, our star pitcher who went a record 31-6 that year. During the season, he showed off his Hammond X-77 skills in recording this swinging album on Capitol, Denny McLain at the Organ: The Detroit Tigers Superstar Swings with Today’s Hits.

From the back cover:

“I am proud of this album,” Denny says. And then, stomping on the gas pedal of his bright red Pontiac as he swings onto the freeway from the Livernois off-ramp, he makes another comment:

“When it’s all said and done some day in the future,” he muses, “I hope they will remember Denny McLain as an outstanding professional musician.” (Notes by Dave Dexter Jr.)

Of course, Denny will also be remembered for his well-publicized legal troubles. But we’re glad he has now turned his life around, and we’ll of course remember him best for what he did for the city of Detroit on the mound.

Listen:

So how about about one of these ‘07 Tigers putting out a record? I know Joel Zumaya loves playing Guitar Hero. And how about a modern day fight song? Jeff Daniels recorded Lifelong Tiger Fan Blues Revisited which is really good. I want a better one. Record your own and send it to us and we’ll play it here.

Cousins Vinyl’s official beer is Cousins’s Ale Creme, made by the Frog Island Brewing Company in Ypsilanti.

It’s a sweet, creamy ale that is high in alcohol content and mmm-mmm good.

The glass you see is my lucky Tigers glass.  Every time I drink out of it, the Tigers win.  I didn’t drink out of it in the World Series games they lost, and I’ve felt guilty ever since.  Cousins Vinyl actually gaurenteed a Word Series victory last July 21st, when there were haters and non-believers everywhere, and we almost did it.  I’ll say it now, the Tigers will win the World Series.  And you better believe I’ll be drinkin’ Cousin’s Ale out of my lucky Tigers glass to do my part.

What a Terrible performance that was!  You could see it happening from a mile away.  Why does John L always call plays like a scared little girl when he has a lead.  He knows that the defense is gonna give it up at crunch time.  The Spartans play good when they are attacking and throwing the ball.  Oh well the Lions should come out today and score at least 50.  It is stupid how close they were to up 100 last week.  The Tigers will probably clinch today though so we got that going for us, which is nice.  Go Tigers!

I have entertained thoughts of driving to Cleveland to see this movie tonight, but I do not think I can make it.  Hopefully it does well enough to go national.  The website for the movie has this sweet pinball game and you can play it here….

Try for the Homeruns! 

Post your High Scores!!!!!

Cousin Justin

And it made me sad, sad, sad… We were there right up to the end, but ’twas an error what kilt us.

ARRRRg.

Ahh well. I know we’re still the best, it’s just a shame when sloppy playing costs us the game.