The Duals. Stick Shift / Cruising

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  • Regular price $45.00


This is a 1961 release by The Duals on Sue label

The Duals featured the partnership of Henry Bellinger playing lead guitar and Johnny Lageman a rhythm guitar player, the two were friends from the same neighborhood in Los Angeles.  The boys approached H.B. Barnum with hopes the record producer would give them a record deal, well he had little interest in their sound but recommended them to Ron Barrett who was at the time an up and comer in the recording industry, Barrett had his own label, Star Revue. After extensive time rehearsing he recorded Stick Shift and Cruising. Barrett wanted more from Stick Shift so he mixed car noises and police sirens into the record.

Sensing potential in "Stick Shift", Barrett took the single to Sonny Bono who helped the record gain extensive airplay in California. Sue Records bought the master tapes and distributed the single to wider audiences late in 1961. The single, the first instrumental hot rod recording to chart nationally, influenced the popularity of car songs as it reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The 45 rpm record is in excellent condition and rare.