In 1969, there was “Dusty in Memphis.”

British pop singer Dusty Springfield, hoping to tweak her image and remain relevant, released an LP full of R&B songs. Though seven of its 11 songs were written by Randy Newman and Brill Building greats Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill, they were delivered soulfully by Springfield, who was backed by the Memphis Cats and the Sweet Inspirations. The LP had a smash single in “Son Of A Preacher Man,” which reached the Top 10 in early 1969. “Dusty in Memphis” became a classic.

A year later, Springfield tried the same formula, turning from Memphis to Philadelphia.

“A Brand New Me” was full of R&B songs written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. When this was recorded in Philly in the fall of 1969, Gamble and Huff were up-and-comers, still more than a year away from founding Philadelphia International Records.

Dusty in Philly wasn’t as popular as Dusty in Memphis. The title cut, “Brand New Me” was the big single, but it barely reached the Top 25 on the U.S. pop chart in early 1970. The LP reached No. 35 in the UK, but it didn’t even crack the Top 100 in the U.S. It turned out to be the last LP she recorded in the States to be released.

Still, there’s lots to like about “A Brand New Me.” You really can’t go wrong with this combination of Springfield’s soulful vocals and those smooth, sophisticated, upbeat Gamble and Huff songs.

“Brand New Me,” “Joe,” “Silly, Silly Fool,” “The Star Of My Show” and “Let’s Talk It Over,” Dusty Springfield, from “A Brand New Me,” 1970. It’s out of print but is available digitally. This is Side 2. It runs 12:12.

The men who wrote these songs became a who’s who of Philly soul.

Gamble co-wrote all five cuts, the last three with Huff. His co-writers on “Joe” were singer Jerry Butler and another up-and-coming Philly producer, Thom Bell. His co-writers on “Silly, Silly Fool” were songwriter Allan Felder and guitarist and arranger Norman Harris, both also early in careers that saw them collaborate on some of the greatest Philly soul hits of the ’70s.

Springfield recorded a second LP with Gamble and Huff, but it wasn’t released. Some of those songs finally saw the light as bonus cuts on CD re-releases in 1992 and 2002. They also are available digitally.

The Electric Indian was a group of Philadelphia studio musicians brought together in 1969 to lay down some funk and soul instrumentals, mostly covers. It recorded one LP, “Keem-O-Sabe,” and two modestly successful singles, the LP’s title cut and a cover of “Land of 1,000 Dances.”

The most thorough piece I can find about the group is this 2006 blog post from The Record Robot, which specialized in odd and quirky records. Most sources credit onetime Swan Records owner Bernie Binnick as the sole founder of The Electric Indian. However, the Record Robot post also says ’60s singer Len Barry was a co-founder. Both were Philly guys.

Barry, who produced the group, is said to have been fascinated by American Indian culture at the time. He and Binnick co-wrote the title cut and its 7-inch flip side “Broad Street,” with Barry taking the writer’s credit under his real name, Leonard Borisoff. Barry also co-wrote “Rain Dance,” another cut on the LP. The last cut on the record is a cover of Barry’s hit single “1-2-3.”

Wiki, which doesn’t mention Barry in connection with The Electric Indian, insists the group was “influenced by the popularity of American Indians in the media.” Listening to this record, it’s clear any such influence was superficial at best. At a time when the American Indian movement was gaining strength and respect, here is a record on which the hit single, “Keem-O-Sabe” samples the theme from “The Lone Ranger.” As always, you be the judge.

That said, The Electric Indian cranked out some mighty fine grooves. Its members, uncredited on the album jacket, included some now-familiar names. Two legendary Philly rhythm sections that followed soon after in the early ’70s –  MFSB and the Salsoul Orchestra — can trace part of their legacy to The Electric Indian.

Vince Montana Jr., who’d worked as a Philly session man for a decade, played vibes for The Electric Indian and arranged four of the LP’s 10 cuts. He also wrote its longest cut, the 5-minute “Geronimo.” He eventually joined MFSB, as did guitarist Bobby Eli. Montana went from MFSB to become the conductor of the Salsoul Orchestra. A young Daryl Hall, just getting started in music, was The Electric Indian’s keyboard player. Tim Moore, who became a well-regarded singer-songwriter in the ’70s, was another of the guitarists.

Hear, then, the music that led to MFSB and the Salsoul Orchestra.

“Keem-O-Sabe,” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” “Spinning Wheel,” “Storm Warning” and “Rain Dance,” The Electric Indian, from “Keem-O-Sabe,” 1969. It’s out of print. This is Side 1. It runs a brisk 12:42.

The first and last cuts are originals. You know “Grapevine,” the Motown classic, and “Spinning Wheel,” the smash for Blood, Sweat and Tears. “Storm Warning” is a Philly soul classic from 1965, written by Carl Fisher of the Vibrations and recorded by the Volcanos.

I don’t recall ever having seen a Chi Coltrane record before my friend Jim’s recent back yard tent sale. That day, I saw two. If you remember Chi Coltrane at all, it may be because of “Thunder And Lightning,” her hit single from the spring and summer of 1972.

For no apparent reason, I passed on those two records that day. Then I had second thoughts, mostly because you never see Chi Coltrane records in our corner of Wisconsin. So I went back the next day — an hour’s round trip — and picked them up.

Chi Coltrane is one of Wisconsin’s own, born in Racine. The daughter of a violinist, she started early, playing a piano recital at age 12. She was just 21 when she started playing professionally. A powerhouse pianist and a spirited singer, Coltrane started as part of Chicago Coltrane, a trio that played a mix of rock, funk, blues, gospel and jazz. She honed her craft in the clubs of Chicago.

Coltrane was signed by Columbia Records in 1972 after it heard her six-song demo. Later that year, Columbia released the record we have for you tonight. She wrote all 11 songs on the record.

“Thunder And Lightning,” “Goodbye John,” “You Were My Friend,” “Turn Me Around,” “Go Like Elijah” and “The Tree,” from “Chi Coltrane,” 1972. This is Side 1. It runs 22:42. The LP is out of print as such, but all of its songs are available on “Golden Classics,” a 1996 CD release.

“Thunder and Lightning” reached No. 17 on the U.S. charts. Another cut, the gospel-tinged “Go Like Elijah,” did well in Europe. The LP stayed in the U.S. charts for three months.

So what happened? Coltrane wasn’t into promoting herself or her records. Her deeply spiritual nature didn’t quite fit the music business. She recorded sporadically for the rest of the ’70s, then moved to Europe, where she had a more passionate following. She returned to the States in the early ’90s, working behind the scenes in the music business. Coltrane resumed performing two years ago, mostly in Europe, where she remains popular.

Here’s a hint of Chi Coltrane’s appeal. She does “I Will Not Dance,” a song from Side 2 of this record, on a German TV show in 1973.

Tonight on The Midnight Tracker, we have something else for the season as we again revive an old late-night FM radio show on which one side of a new or classic album was played.

Making its way through the blue haze of time and arriving in a most timely manner is “Tales of Mystery and Imagination.”

This is the debut album from the Alan Parsons Project. Recorded over seven months in late 1975 and early 1976, and released in the late spring of 1976, it sets to music the classic stories of Edgar Allan Poe. It has long been one of my favorites.

“The Fall Of The House Of Usher” and “To One In Paradise,” the Alan Parsons Project, from “Tales of Mystery and Imagination,” 1976. This is Side 2. It runs 19:07. It’s only two songs long because the first cut is a five-movement instrumental epic that runs almost 15 minutes.

You might want to call this a bit of click or treat, if you catch my drift.

“Live from the Birmingham Municipal Auditorium and the WVOK Shower of Stars, the one, the only, Jerry Lee Lewis!”

In a mere 15 minutes, the Killer rips through covers of tunes by Little Richard, Charlie Rich, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Ray Charles.

Jerry Lee wades in with “Jenny, Jenny,” strolls and swaggers through “Who Will The Next Fool Be,” then starts to pick up speed with “Memphis.”

The kids scream as he blows up “Hound Dog,” flipping out and abandoning the lyrics about halfway through. He starts chanting “They told me you was high class” over and over, then “Nothing but a hound dog, just an old hound dog” over and over.

The side ends with “I Got A Woman,” is mostly a wild instrumental rave-up, getting the kids jacked up for the rest of the show.

They recorded this on July 1, 1964. It was not the weekend. It was a Wednesday night. To hear this astonishing side, Jerry Lee Lewis clearly brought the greatest live show on Earth to town that night.

“Jenny, Jenny,” “Who Will The Next Fool Be,” “Memphis,” “Hound Dog” and “I Got A Woman,” Jerry Lee Lewis, from “The Greatest Live Show On Earth,” 1964. This is Side 1. It runs 14:58.

You’ll find it on “The Greatest Live Shows On Earth,” a 1994 CD that also includes Jerry Lee’s 1966 live record “Jerry Lee Lewis: By Request.”

Some months ago, a friend asked me to keep my eye out for a record by the French singer Francoise Hardy. He passed along the title of the LP. I had to Google the rest, just to get a sense of what I was seeking.

Last month, I came across a Francoise Hardy record while digging in my friend Jim’s basement. It didn’t match the title my friend gave me. Still, I had a hunch it might be the right record. Googling it a second time confirmed that.

Having spent several months digging through H records and female vocalist records — when I remembered to do so — damn right I was going to put it on the turntable and give it a listen before passing it along to my friend.

It was like listening to the Midnight Tracker back in the mid-’70s. Here was a record someone else liked, so why not give it a chance?

“Loving You,” “Hang On To A Dream,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “Lonesome Town,” “Who’ll Be The Next In Line” and “Never Learn To Cry,” Francoise Hardy, from “Loving,” 1969. This is Side 1. It runs 13:44.

Released on the Reprise label, this LP is said to be Hardy’s only major English-language release. It is out of print. (Also known as “En Anglais,” it was re-released in Japan in 1976, 1979 and 1990.)

The formula for “Loving” is a bit like that of Dusty Springfield’s “Dusty In Memphis,” which also came out in 1969.

Hardy’s soft, gentle folk-pop vocals grace a bunch of covers. Side 1′s first five songs are from Elvis Presley (written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), Tim Hardin, the Shirelles (Gerry Goffin and Carole King), Ricky Nelson (Baker Knight) and the Kinks (Ray Davies). Side 2 includes Phil Ochs’ “There But For Fortune” and Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be The Day.”

The Kinks cover is the best cut on the record.

Hardy was 25 when “Loving” was released. By then already a huge star in France and Europe,  she had set up a production company, Productions Asparagus. It gets the producer’s credit on this LP, so it seems that this is Hardy, in English, the way she wanted to do it.

Truth be told, this isn’t a record I’d buy for myself. But I am glad I heard it, and I’m delighted to be able to pass it along to my friend, to whom it really matters.

This week, one such record could be “Dennis Coffey,” the self-titled LP from Detroit funk and soul guitar legend Dennis Coffey. It came out earlier this week on Strut Records. He still can bring it.

Stoked though we are about this great new record, we deal in vintage vinyl here. Tonight, we proudly bring you another fine side from Dennis Coffey, whom we last featured a while back.

Coffey, a member of Motown’s great Funk Brothers rhythm section, burst onto the scene as a solo artist in 1971 with the scorching Top 5 instrumental single “Scorpio.” He followed it up the next year with “Taurus,” another sizzling instrumental that reached the Top 20. Tonight, we have that follow-up record.

“Taurus,” “Can You Feel It,” “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “Ride, Sally, Ride” and “Midnight Blue,” Dennis Coffey, from “Goin’ For Myself,” 1972. It’s out of print. This is Side 1. It runs 15:52.

“Taurus” kicks off a side full of Coffey originals, save for Coffey’s laid-back take on “Never Can Say Goodbye,” the Clifton Davis tune that the Jackson 5 made famous, and “Can You Feel It,” co-written with producer Mike Theodore.

“Taurus” and “Ride, Sally, Ride” clearly are crafted along the same lines as “Scorpio.” They’re credited to Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band, as is “Midnight Blue.” These cuts feature fellow Funk Brothers Bob Babbitt on bass, Andrew Smith on drums and Jack Ashford on percussion.

(On “Never Can Say Goodbye,” Coffey is backed by singers Telma Hopkins, Joyce Vincent and Pam Vincent. At the time, all three of them also were working with Tony Orlando as Tony Orlando and Dawn – Hopkins and Joyce Vincent in live shows and Pam Vincent in the studio.)

It was heard only after 10 p.m., when our local FM radio station dropped its Top 40 playlist and headed off into free-form album cuts. To have heard a record by jazz saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk in central Wisconsin in 1976 is all the more remarkable.

I’m not much of a jazz fan, but this is a record I have had forever, or at least since hearing it late at night in 1976.

The cut they played back then, the noirish “Theme For The Eulipions,” oozes cool over its 9-plus minutes.

Betty H. Neale sets the tone with a spoken-word intro that lasts almost 2 minutes. It casts Kirk as a mysterious busker.

“This is the first time, though, that I’ve seen him at an airport. I know he moves along the piers. Calls himself a ‘Journey Agent,’ a ‘Eulipion.’ Says his friends, the poets, the artists, the musicians are journey agents too.”

All that before you ever hear Kirk’s moody tenor sax. Which gives way to an extended piano/bass/drums jam. Which gives way to a Kirk solo. Which gives way to Maeretha Stewart’s lush vocals. Then it all circles back to Neale’s spoken-word outro.

On the liner notes, Kirk explains how it came to be:

“While I was sitting in an airport on my way to one of my ‘Earthlike’ gigs, I was in a state of meditation with my harmonica and, as usual, was just checking a lot of people out who were around us and this beautiful melody from Eulipia evolved.”

It’s a memorable piece — mind-blowing when you’re 19, as I was at the time — yet the only original among the album’s seven cuts. The rest are covers, a couple of jazz standards, a couple of show tunes and Minnie Riperton’s “Loving You.” The musicians are a who’s who of black jazz greats. Of course, I didn’t know this when I was 19.

My favorite cut follows “Theme For The Eulipions” and couldn’t be more different. It’s a rollicking cover of “Sweet Georgia Brown” with Hank Jones on piano and Milt Hinton on bass, done in a roadhouse style familiar to anyone who knows how the Harlem Globetrotters use the song as their theme.

Tonight on the Midnight Tracker, we have both of those cuts, plus a lovely cover of “I’ll Be Seeing You” with some sweet Hammond B-3 work by Trudy Pitts.

“Theme For The Eulipions,” “Sweet Georgia Brown” and “I’ll Be Seeing You,” Rahsaan Roland Kirk, from “The Return of the 5000 Lb. Man,” 1976. This is Side 1. It runs 19:52.

If there ever was a side to emerge from the haze of time, this is it.

Tonight’s record came out in the summer of 1979, when I had one foot in college and one foot in the real world, splitting my time between going to classes and working at the newspaper. I was living with Mike and Bob, a couple of older guys with whom I’d roomed before, in an old house Mike had bought in an older, working-class neighborhood in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Mike and Bob often were away at work, or with their girlfriends in the upstairs bedrooms, so they didn’t have any objection to hearing Dave Edmunds’ “Repeat When Necessary” played repeatedly that fall.

There are just two ways I could have learned about this record. One was by reading a review in Rolling Stone. The other was by hearing it at Truckers Union, one of our local record stores. (There also was Wax Museum.) More than 30 years on, I can’t say which for sure.

At any rate, I played it all the time. So when I pulled it out “Repeat When Necessary” to rip it all those years later … it repeated, all right. There were some skips in those old grooves. Though it pained me to replace the original, I had to get a second copy. It was worth it.

“Repeat When Necessary” is an upbeat, joyous collision of rock, country, pub rock and a small bit of what was becoming known as the New Wave. Side 1, which we have for you tonight, has covers of songs by Elvis Costello, Graham Parker (another of my faves from that time) and Cliff Richard.

Though Edmunds gets top billing, the Welsh guitar great is backed by the supergroup that became known as Rockpile: Billy Bremner on guitar, Nick Lowe on bass and Terry Williams on drums.

When I heard the great tunes on “Repeat When Necessary” in 1979, I immediately went off in search of Edmunds’ earlier records. “Get It” (from 1977) and “Tracks on Wax 4″ (from 1978) are pretty good, too, but “Repeat When Necessary” was and is still the best.

Give it a listen, and you’ll hear why.

“Girls Talk,” “Crawling From the Wreckage,” “The Creature From the Black Lagoon,” “Sweet Little Lisa” and “Dynamite,” Dave Edmunds, from “Repeat When Necessary,” 1979. This is Side 1. It runs 16:06.

The first cut is widely considered to be the best cover of this Elvis Costello tune, better even than Costello’s version on “Taking Liberties.” The second cut is the Graham Parker cover. The third cut was written by Bremner. (We’ll get to “Bash!” — his fine solo LP — some day.) The last cut is the Cliff Richard cover.

Please feel free to go back and discover previous sides from The Midnight Tracker. We take requests, too!

But before I was done, the clouds started to roll in. Cold again.

So tonight on The Midnight Tracker, something to get us heated up.

When I got back into crate digging four or five years ago, Morton Stevens’ original TV soundtrack for “Hawaii Five-O” was one of the first records I bought. I dug it out a while back, gave it a spin and immediately realized I’d been sleeping on something great.

You know the “Hawaii Five-O” theme, of course. It’s more than 40 years old but has not lost one bit of its cool.

What follows it on this record is a gorgeously funky blend of cool jazz and noirish rock, anything but TV soundtrack filler. It’s quite a revelation to find out what was swimming around just outside the mainstream in 1969, when this was released.

“Hawaii Five-O,” “Call To Danger,” “McGarrett’s Theme,” “Front Street,” “The Long Wait” and “Blues Trip,” Morton Stevens, from “Hawaii Five-O” original TV soundtrack, 1969. This is Side 1. It runs 14:01.

(The buy link is to a CD released last September. Until then long out of print, it had never been on CD.)

The third cut, “McGarrett’s Theme,” is reminiscent of “Red Roses For A Blue Lady.” McGarrett must have been hanging around one of those bars where you go when you don’t want to be seen.

Danger lurks nearby on the second and fourth cuts, “Call To Danger” and “Front Street.”

The fifth cut, “The Long Wait,” is just that, fraught with anticipation.

As for the final cut, “Blues Trip,” when did Five-O go to Memphis?

Ponder that as you enjoy The Midnight Tracker, which resurfaces at the end of every month. It emerges from the haze of time, reviving an old late-night FM radio show on which one side of a new or classic album was played.

For more on this great record, including how the Ventures were involved in making it, please check out Doug Payne’s fine post on his Sound Insights blog.