Shamus M'Cool 80's project

[saintfan]

This is in response to those for the thread 80's project:

The 80's project everyone's talking about has been done by Phil Dauterman on MP3 it includes every HOT 100 chart song that made the HOT 100 in the 80s. This includes songs that spent their entire life in 1979 but their last week, on 1/5/80, or debuted the last chart of 1989. However my copy doesn't have "Ready For Love" by Silverado on it. It thinks it does but it doesn't. It has "Ready For Love" by Dan Peek by mistake. Silverado debuted on 7/4/81. A bad date for collectors as that is the same week as Shamus M'Cool.

In regards to Shamus M'Cool, that song is on there due to Joel Whitburn putting it on cassette for a guy who then MP3 sent it to Phil. It's the only way you'll get it unless Shamus M'Cool's family find his box of 45s and sell them. (He passed away).

I have every single that made the HOT 100 in the 80's. (Actually from Decmber 1975 through January 1995, when I quit). Except Shamus M'Cool, but believe me it wasn't from a lack of trying.

My story: I started looking for the Shamus M'Cool in July 1981 when it debuted. It fell off and I didn't have it yet. Knowing it was on a small label I begin searching (long before the internet, mind you). Billboard had some ads in the magazine for the record with a picture of Shamus and a PO Box, I sent a money order for it, and never got it. I tried it again about in September, never got it.

By January of 1982, I spoke to Joel on the phone, and he said it was the hardest record he ever got. How did he get it? Someone at Billboard heard he was looking for it, knew where Shamus lived (Van Nuys, CA), litearlly knocked on his apt door and got it, much to a dismayed Shamus M'Cool who wasn't too happy to part with it, rambling about trying to have a hit record etc.

Joel said he was a little wacky. Anyway he recorded the song for me on cassette back in January 1982, with a photo copy of the record. Ahhh! this photo copy had a phone # on it. The search was on again. I called, got an answering service, left a message, was asked if they could call collect.

About two hours later the phone rang, it was the operator with a collect phone call from Perspective Records. The guy on the other line was animent about weather I'd accept the charges, and would barely let the operator speak.

I said "You better believe I'll accept this call". Who was it but Shamus M'Cool himself. Yes he was a little wacko and going on about getting jipped out of a hit record because programmers went on vacation, added the song to a playlist but never played it.

I explained how I'd sent money orders out, and was asked why, in which I replied "To get the RECORD". He apparently never seen it. When I told him I tracked it down through Joel, he was rambling about that. Anyhow I told him I tried and tried to get this 45, buttered him up on how good the song was etc. He said he'd have his manager send one out.

It never came.

So I've came as close as anyone c ould come, and still couldn't get it. In hindsight, I wish I would've kept calling him until I got it .

I hope this gives some insight to this weird record.

[tacomalo]

Fascinating story. I'm sure that somewhere out there, there is a 45 sitting in dusty bin in the attic of someone who worked for the label or is related to the artist!

But it is this kind of challenge that makes it so great when we do track down that elusive title!

Do you have any good stories of songs that you did manage to track down?

[saintfan]

I really don't think there was an actual label. The address in the BB ad was a PO Box, and when Shamus called and the operator asked who the collect call was from, he said Perspective records. Then it turned out to be him.

By the way this is no relation to the Perspective records that gave us acts like Mint Condition.

Here's a weird story that had a success to it anyway. The record was "Dear Mr. Jesus" by Powersource. Of course it came out around Christmas when stores were bogged down from their regular routine. When it debuted on the chart it didn't even have a catalog #.

Anyhow stores were flooded with requests for it, so at least I had that going for me. One store was taking reserves for it, so they could order from the label (which they found in an ad in BB). After they reserved quite a few and I thought the search was done, they then welched out and said their company couldn't do it because they had to get them by COD.

After losing about two week time, I called the # in the ad (This is in early January of 1988 now), they said sure how many do you want, I thought I'd order ten just to make it worth my while, and the COD charge. Lo and behold I received them a few days later. The only one in Des Moines, IA with it.

Well I talked to the manager of the Record Shop and he wanted to get copies but couldn't because of the red tape. So I made him this proposal, How about I get eight records that I was going to get anyhow from you, and just exchange them for eight of these? (This was before soundscan, so all they had to do it ring up a 45, it didn't matter what the title was.) I said just put them up by the register with a sign identifying it, and it'll sell fast as an impulse sale. You did it, and sold them all that night.

I suggested the same idea to a Musicland manager when they finally received their own in around the beginning of February, instead of just burying it back with all the other 45s. He wouldn't do it, and they said no one was asking for it anymore.

I had to argue with him and said "Of course they aren't asking for it anymore, when they've been told by everyone they can't get it". "Why would you keep asking"? However if you put it up by the counter where people happen to see it. They'll say, wow they did get it in after all, and buy it. But you're not going to look for it with the rest of the 45s when you've been told no, you just might stumble on it by accident.

Anyhow that's that story of record hunting.

Here's a few other titles that were a pain in the butt (bu received):

1. Dancin' In My Sleep-Secret Ties
2. I Know I'm Losing You-Oaktown
3. Beg Borrow and Steal-Hughes/Thrall

Just to name a few.

Anyone else have any stories?

[mstgator]

Interesting story about the Powersource record... I had never noticed it until you mentioned it, but looking back at the old charts now, Billboard showed only the label (no number) during its entire seven week run.

saintfan said:

2. I Know I'm Losing You-Oaktown

If you mean by Uptown (on Oak Lawn Records), I was lucky that that song got a lot of airplay in Orlando, so it wasn't as hard to find for me as it might have been elsewhere. Of course, I didn't care much for the short single edit, so I ended up skipping over the 7" and bought the 12" vinyl instead (in hindsight, I wish I had bought both... I wasn't as "collector" minded back then as I am now).

[Karstens]

I remember the Powersource story as well. I couldn't find it in the record store. However, I caught a TV ad with a phone number to call to buy the record. You had a choice of the 45 or cassette or both. I picked both. If it was easier to find at record stores, its chart peak could have been higher.

[spt72]

Im interested in this... but I want to know... with a song that seemingly no one had (because its not ebayed and such or GEMMed)... and with a song very few people have or know, how did it go national? Ive seen HUGE local hits that seemingly everyone in that local market has that dont even go national.

And if someone/anyone does have it... and they dont intend on selling... why wouldnt someone just upload it somewhere public for the taking?

Also, Sanintsfan, someday - if you want to d a supplemental disc or two - we could ask guys on here or elsewhere to send in local hits to one central location for a compilation. I have a few great songs that were big in southern Illinois and actually outsold major national hits at our local music stores. Im sure every region has stories like that. Id love to hear those local hits that never cracked the national Hot 100. I bet there is some great stuff out there. Of course, a lot of them will be novelty songs regarding local sports teams, colleges, pro teams, etc... Im thinking of things like "Lets Go Mets" or "Go Cubs Go." But there should also be some "regular" music thats worth listening to also. W could all compile some of those... along with using the Bubbling Under Whitburn book to get some of the other almost-hits.

Just an idea.

[saintfan]

spt72,

I think I can answer your question a little on how Shamus M'Cool charted national. From what I heard from him and Joel back then, a bunch of L.A. and surrounding area stations agreed to play "American Memories" back in 1981 around the 4th of July, and added it to their playlists, thus got reported to BB. However weather the song actually got played is another story. They both told me that PD's etc were going on vacation and such so the song slipped through the cracks. Remember that a chart dated 7/18/81 (American Memories last week) was compiled on 7/8 which would've reflected what was played from 6-30 to 7-7.

Thus when it debuted on the 4th of July chart that would reflectecd playlists from 6-16 to 6-22, just in time for the 4th) Sorta like a Christmas record and wht Christmas records reach their peaks in January.

Hope this answers it.

[Matt Cameron]

Good ol’ Shamus (Richard Doyle) released three 45s, each at least seven years apart from the previous:
“Santa’s Little Helper Dingo”, 1973
“American Memories”, 1981
“Tuesday Nite In Texas”, 1988
All three were on his Perspective label, and all three are very rare. I’ve managed to acquire the first and third (and their sleeves), but I’m sure I’ll never see a copy of “Memories”, but I’ll keep looking. It’s why we record collectors keep chasing the cheese.