Media Condition: VG+
Sleeve Condition: VG
Genre: Rock, Blues, Country
Notes: Gatefold cover, shows regular wear, left corner cut. Album plays clean.
If you like: country-tinged classic rock (the likes of Eagles), this is an album well worth hearing.
About: Former members of Al Kooper’s outfit, Frankie (Frank Ruby) on guitar and Johnny (John Paul Fetta) on bass create a delectable melding of country rock, blues, and boogie with a hard edge, in only a way New Yorkers can. Produced by Al Kooper, who also contributed some playing and vocals.
Why it’s worth your time: Summer is not summer until I’ve laid under the shade of a big tree and listened to some classic rock while a warm and sticky breeze rustles the leaves above, exposing kaleidescopic fragments of the blue sky. And this is exactly the type of album required for such a lazy activity. There’s not much more to say here, The Sweetheart Sampler is simply a solid exemplar of quality, 1970s-era rock. It’s a shame it’s so rare to find–“Mr. R.M.,” “Down the Line,” Kooper’s own “Life Line,” and “The Highway Song” are all songs I imagine would’ve been easily popular on the radio and later deemed classics.
A favorite track: The Highway Song
![The Sweetheart Sampler by Frankie & Johnny vinyl album cover](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5d9a86ff258a5bbd091ba2e2a0e62419719353f683dc741bcae640b01b897bb0/frankie-johnny-1.jpg)
![The Sweetheart Sampler by Frankie & Johnny vinyl album back cover](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5ab8a2af75462f3014d8473bdf51b9acfdb88504edeb40dc712f90da29fcff0d/frankie-johnny-2.jpg)
![rare find, The Sweetheart Sampler by Frankie & Johnny gatefold cover](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/266c9acfa1972054212aae5ddae1d588b85ecb33df355878c9e5b64dda6ecdd9/frankie-johnny-3.jpg)
![The Sweetheart Sampler by Frankie & Johnny vinyl label, produced by Al Kooper, Warner Bros. Records](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/528f7439e8a2f97d5879cdb165fe19636c56401a513bceea61264bb990c727da/frankie-johnny-4.jpg)