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On August 4,1963 the Beatles appear on the U.S. Charts for the first time when “From Me to You” debuts at # 116 on Billboard. A copy on Vee Jay Records with a black label with a rainbow circle and oval logo is worth up to $700.00. A copy on Vee Jay Records with a black label with rainbow circle and brackets logo can sell for $900.00. A white label promo copy is up to $2,000.00 today.

Hank Ballard was a pioneer and founding father in Rock N Roll and Rhythm and Blues with early ‘50s risqué records like “Work with me Annie” and “Annie Had a Baby.” With his backup group, the Midnighters, he had success in the ‘60s with “Finger Poppin Time” and “Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go.” He also wrote and first recorded “The Twist,” later a giant smash for Chubby Checker. Hank’s version is worth up to $30.00. In 1961, King Records released “Sing Along” by Hank Ballad & the Midnighters. A copy can sell for $100.00 today.

The Coasters tore up the charts in the 50’s with hits like “Charlie Brown” and “Yakety Yak.” But before they were the Coasters, they were the Robins, scoring hits like “Smokey Joe’s Café” and “Riot in Cell Block No. 9.” The 45 of “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” on Spark Records is worth up to $200.00. As the Robins they had just one album, “Rock N Roll with the Robins.” The cover pictures a rock and a roll rather than the actual words. An original copy, released on Whipple Records in 1958, can get you $400.00 today.

The last Disney film before the death of Walt Disney was “The Sword in the Stone” from 1963. The animated movie is based on the legend of Arthur, the twelve-year-old boy who alone could remove the sword from the stone to gain the throne as King of England. The film used three different actors to do the voice-overs for Arthur, all done with an out-of-place Brooklyn accent. The soundtrack album, released on Disneyland records, can get you $150.00 today. “The Sword in the Stone” is just one of the 10,000 soundtracks listed on our Soundtracks Guide in Microsoft word, covering movies, TV shows, and Broadway shows. It’s available in the left hand column.

In 1967, Strawberry Alarm Clock hit # 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Incense and Peppermint.” It stayed on the charts for 4 months. The band went through continuous changes in sound and personnel and in 1971 they released the appropriately titled album, “Changes,” on Vocalion Records. The cover is a painted version of their picture on their “Incense and Peppermint” album. Both are shown here for comparison. Each can get you over $150.00 today.

“Let It Be” is the final studio album released by the Beatles. The title single was released on Apple Records in 1969 featuring Paul McCartney singing lead and playing bass and the maracas. He had written the song in memory of his mother, Mary. The album is worth no more than $30.00 but the “Let It Be” single as seen here with picture sleeve can sell for $100.00 today.

Fans of the TV western, “Rawhide,” know Sheb Wooley as Pete Nolan who starred along with Clint Eastwood and Eric Fleming. Eastwood also gave Sheb Wooley a roll in his 1976 movie, “The Outlaw Josey Wales.” But the Rock N Roll audience knows him best for his 1958 novelty classic, “The Purple People Eater.” The 45, released on M-G-M, is no more than $20.00 but the 78 rpm version is worth up to $100.00 today. Both are shown here.

On July 28, 1956, Capitol Records’ version of Elvis Presley makes his first appearance on national TV on the Perry Como Show. His name is Gene Vincent. He sings “Be-Bop-A-Lula.” The flip side of the single is called “Woman Love” and it might have hurt sales (or maybe helped) as it reportedly contains the “F” word.  But the hit side is a true rock and roll classic. The 45 can fetch $40.00. The 78 version can sell over $100.00 and a white label promo copy of the 45 is worth up to $350.00.

In the early days of Motown, the company wanted to promote 12-year-old Stevie Wonder as the next Ray Charles. His first single was “I Call It Pretty Music but the Old People Call It the Blues.” The record isn’t a Blues record at all but putting the word in the lyrics was meant to further the Ray Charles connection. The picture sleeve shows Stevie looking and posing like Ray. The 45 on the Tamla label can get you $125.00 today with that Ray Charles-looking picture sleeve.

When it comes to the blues you won’t have them if you find some of those old Blues 78’s. In 1930, Columbia Records released “Big Rock Jail” by Barefoot Bill. A copy is now worth up to $2,000.00. In 1928, Blind Willie McTell recorded “Loving Talking Blues” for Victor Records. A copy can get you $3,500.00 today.