Crown Records- Golden Record Award Album Volume 1- Stereo Sound-A-Like Cover Versions of 1958 Hits

In the world of budget record collecting, stumbling upon a rare gem is always a thrilling experience. Today, we'll dive into one of Crown Records' lesser-known releases: a stereo compilation of their Top-12 series from the late 1950s. This particular album cataloged as CST-112, is unique for its time, offering fake (sound-a-like cover-versions) hits in stereo.

What sets this compilation apart is its scarcity, unlike the slightly more common mono Top-12 albums. The album features a diverse array of popular hits from the era, including songs made famous by The Coasters, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Connie Francis, among others who were making hits in 1958.

However, it's important to note that the original artists do not perform the recordings on this compilation. Instead, they were recreated by anonymous studio musicians hired by Crown Records. This practice was common among budget labels of the time, allowing them to capitalize on the popularity of hit songs without securing licensing rights from the original artists or labels.

Behind the scenes of Crown Records were the notorious Bihari brothers. These individuals built a budget vinyl record empire, starting with the semi-reputable R&B label Modern Records. However, their business practices were often questionable. They would exploit musicians by listing themselves as co-writers on copyrighted material, allowing them to claim a larger share of the royalties. This enabled the Bihari brothers to profit at the expense of the artists featured on their records.

Despite the less-than-savory practices of its creators, this rare Crown Records stereo Top-12 compilation remains a fascinating piece of music history. Its relative scarcity and unique blend of popular hits from the late 1950s make it a worthwhile addition to any budget record collector's library. Just remember, as you listen to these tracks, that the performers you hear are not the original artists but rather a testament to the ingenuity and cost-cutting measures employed by budget labels of the past.

The tracklisting is as follows:
A1 The Coasters Hit Song– Yakety Yak [Trimmed out because Content-ID outright blocked the first attempt to upload this album and refused to allow me to use the automated trimming or muting tools to get it unblocked. Listen to this track here: Crown Records- Gold Record Award Vol ...]
A2 Jerry Lee Lewis Hit Song–High School Confidential
A3 The Four Preps Hit Song– Big Man
A4 Bobby Freeman Hit Song– Do You Want To Dance
A5 Sheb Wooley Hit Song– The Purple People Eater
A6 Jimmie Rodgers Hit Song – Secretly
B1 The Pets Hit Song– Cha Hua Hua
B2 Pat Boone Hit Song– Sugar Moon
B3 Jan & Arnie (a one-hit wonder group) Hit Song– Jeannie Lee
B4 Connie Francis Hit Song– Who's Sorry Now
B5 Laurie London Hit Song– He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
B6 Paul Anka Hit Song– Let The Bells Keep Ringing

One interesting tidbit about this compilation is that the lacquer master was cut at Olmsted Sound Studios. While not directly related to the album's content, it's worth mentioning that this same studio would later work with legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix in the late 1960s, just a decade after this Top-12 compilation was produced.

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