From a basement in New Jersey, Tommy Falcone remade himself into a DIY Phil Spector. From 1962 to 1970, he founded and ran Cleopatra Records, discovered and mentored young Garden State talent, wrote songs and produced wild studio effects, and quit his day job to promote it all himself. Trained as an accordionist, Falcone had a whirlwind imagination and an omnivorous approach to genre, expressed through acts like the Centuries, the Tabbys, Johnny Silvio, the Inmates, Bernadette Carroll, the Hallmarks, Vickie & the Van Dykes, the Shandillons, Eugene Viscione, the Shoestring, and more. Cleopatra became a time-capsule of every 1960s pop style imaginable—garage rock, psychedelia, surf, girl groups, soul, novelties, exotica, even a crooner—a kaleidoscope of sound in search of the ever-elusive hit record.

Side A
01 Bernadette Carroll Heavenly
02 The Tabb ys Hong Kong Baby
03 Dick Thunder Gee But I’m Lonesome
04 Vickie & The Van Dykes Outcast
05 The Hallmarks Paper Sky
06 The Centuries Beach Umbrella World

Side B
01 The Inmates It’s So Very Hard
02 Jimmy Davis Mister Wind
03 Johnny Silvio Julie Anne
04 The Hallmarks Distant Rain
05 Bernadette Carroll When We’re Older
06 The Centuries Outer Limits
07 The Hallmarks Baby We Can Make It Together

Side C
01 The Centuries Anniversary Hop
02 The Ovations Kiss Me Bye Bye
03 The Inmates Crystal Ball
04 Vickie & The Van Dykes True Love
05 The Reminiscents For Your Love
06 The Hallmarks Miss Judith Finch
07 Bernadette Carroll Care A Little

Side D
01 The Shandillons Shoop De Hoop Twine
02 The Inmates You Tell Lies
03 The Hallmarks Soul Shakin’ Psychedelic Sally
04 The Shoestring Candy Andy
05 Tommy Manno Conceited
06 Eugene Viscione Parting Kiss