Buried Treasure: Flavor - Sally Had A Party (1968)

Hey oldies fans! Did you ever wonder what a record would sound like if you took Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" and included a couple of bars stolen from Fantastic Johnny C's "Boogaloo Down Broadway?" If that combination sounds plausible to you then you've probably heard "Sally Had A Party" by Flavor, a one-hit wonder who hailed from the Washington D.C. area.

Information on how well the single performed is spotty. It did well on a top 50 survey from radio station KLMS in Lincoln, Nebraska where it placed at # 10 for the week of July 20, 1968. It was also in regular rotation on my local top 40 station, WFIL, Famous 56, in Philadelphia that summer so "Sally Had a Party" was much bigger in certain markets than it was nationally. According to Joel Whitburn's Record Research it debuted on the Hot 100 on August 3, 1968, climbing no higher than #95 in a five-week run.

As the song's title suggests "Sally" is the perfect 60s party record but it will probably sound dated to modern, music fans because the arrangement, production, and vocals are obviously of their time.

I still have the copy I purchased way back when and if I owned a jukebox it would become the permanent home to this fine piece of garage pop. The flip side is a rather lame version of The Miracles' "Shop Around" but the A-side couldn't be cooler.

Since Flavor was signed to Columbia, one of the major labels at the time, somebody must have believed the group was headed for the big time but, as we all know, stardom doesn't always happen.

There is very little information available on Flavor but it is known that the trio's guitar player, Demetri Callas, later became a member of The Four Seasons touring band.

SPECIAL NOTE: Thanks goes out to J. A. Bartlett of The Hits Just Keep On Comin' for his research assistance with this post.
________________________________________________

The ongoing Buried Treasure series unearths recordings that deserve a better fate and are no longer, or never were, part of the public's collective consciousness. Be sure to check in on a regular basis or you'll never know what long lost gems this blog's archaeologists will excavate from the dustbin of musical history.

Comments

Post a Comment

WHAT'S HOT THIS WEEK!

Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

Image
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequent
Read more

The Late Dickey Betts Discusses How Jimmy Carter's Friendship With The Allman Brothers Band Helped The Candidate Win The 1976 Presidential Election

Image
Below is a music related tribute I originally wrote for President Jimmy Carter over a year ago when he first entered hospice care in February 2023. I expected it would only be a short time until he passed. When he didn't, I decided to save it until October 1, 2024 to celebrate his 100th birthday should he make it to that milestone.  However, with today's unhappy news about the passing of Dickey Betts (1943 - 2024) I decided it is time to finally post the article because the great second guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band is quoted in it. Betts' most famous songs with the outstanding sextet are "Revival," "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," "Blue Sky," and of course,  "J essica," and  "Ramblin' Man." Because most blogs and websites will likely post more traditional news stories and tributes, I hope this essay serves as something a little different and as an homag
Read more

Buried Treasure: Richard Betts - Highway Call (1974)

Image
After Duane Allman died, it could be said that Forrest Richard (Dickey) Betts saved The Allman Brothers Band. He was responsible for four of the seven songs on Brothers and Sisters , their first album without brother Duane who passed away in a motorcycle accident before their previous album, Eat A Peach , was completed. Betts was the man who brought the country music influences to his famous outfit. He wrote and sang lead on "Ramblin' Man," the only Allman's single to ever crack the top 10. The smash hit soared to #2 and was only kept out of the top spot by Cher's "Half Breed." What is probably the band's second most famous song is also on Brothers and Sisters . It's the rollicking, seven-and-a-half-minute instrumental, "Jessica," also written by Betts who was listed at #58 on Rolling Stone 's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. With Betts performing at the top of his game he decided it wa
Read more

Why Do 45 RPM Records Have Big Holes?

Image
Today we're going to find out why 45 RPM records have much larger holes than 78s and 33s. Believe it or not I often wondered about this burning question when I was collecting hundreds of these little seven inch gems back the 1960s. According to several websites, including Answerbag , the reason for the large hole used by 45s was simple. It was difficult for the old 78s, with their smaller holes, to find their way onto jukebox spindles. The large hole effectively eliminated that problem. Strangely, seven inch 45s were often pressed with the smaller holes used for LPs in many countries outside the United States, especially in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Overseas the inserts (commonly know as spiders) were manufactured into the large holes at the factories but they could be punched out if desired. The Beatles' British single of "Love Me Do," pictured here, is a typical example. Why were the spiders built into English 45s? I was unable to fi
Read more

Buried Treasure: Gladstone - A Piece of Paper (1972)

Image
Without expressing my views on the subject here is a rerun of a post that is quite relevant today considering the surprise leak of the controversial - but not yet officially released - Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Originally published here on June 27, 2013, it has generated a higher number of comments than one of my posts usually receives. Have you ever heard of Mike Rabon? No? I didn't think so. He was the lead guitar player for The Five Americans, a band that charted five singles a long time ago. They reached the top twenty only once - in 1967 - with "Western Union," a song co-written by Rabon that is still played on oldies radio stations today. Eventually, The Five Americans went their separate ways and in the early 70s Rabon hooked up with another band, Gladstone ("From down home in Tyler, Texas U S A," their debut album cover said). From that LP the unknown group lifted "A Piece of Paper" as a single. It only got as high
Read more