Happy XMas

That's how John and Yoko wished "Happy XMas" to the people of America.  

Depressing, no ?

Christmas 1971

If you wish, Wikipedia has the details

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The Buddy Holly second death ?

 "Portrait Of Buddy Holly Series" #3

picture sleeve

"In the 1980s the British division of MCA issued a limited-edition 10-record 45RPM set of Buddy's greatest hits, They called it the "Portrait Of Buddy Holly Series" because of the beautiful, high-gloss picture sleeves that were created exclusively for each single."

I don't known who was the "artist" who executed the sleeves.

File under "unsolved murders cases"

Rugged Ralph The Rapid Rabbit Runner

Rugged Ralph The Rapid Rabbit Runner

wr G. Shelton

first issue by Raunchy Ron & His Ravishing Ruckus Rompers

Greenlake presents 45-GL-109-A

Publ. : Sabra Music (BMI)

second issue by Ralph, on Candix 321 (1961)

Dixsil Music/ Sabra Music (BMI )

★

Who was Raunchy Ron/Ralph ?  

I've spent a  part ( immoderate, some will say ) of my time trying to find the answer.  The only sure thing I can say after many hours of research is that he's definitely NOT Gary Shelton a.k.a. Troy Shondell, as it's rumored.   The confusion was made first, I believe, by re-issue company Dunhill Records in their Troy Shondell compilation called "The Trance" probably based on the songwriter credit featured on the A-side of this record, G. Shelton.

No other releases on Greenlake are known.  Greenlake (or Green and Lake?)  doesn't ring a bell.  Sabra Music, the publishing company, doesn't have published other songs that I'm aware of.   But I did found a Greenlake Music (ASCAP),  in a music directory book published in 1972,  located at 106 South Flores, Los Angeles, Calif. 90048.

★

Several records were issued by Gil Shelton, who may be the author of the A-side and also the Ralph/Raunchy Ron real name  :

• 56  Trinity 106 : Lullaby At Midnight / Thought I Heard Your Voice  (both Greenwald, BMI, Austin, Texas)   
• 60  Lute 6004 : Penny In The Wishing Well  / Shirley, My Love  (charted Jan. 1961 on KTSA San Antonio, TX) 
• 65  Valiant 6062  : Not Now / Your Heart Wasn't In It
• ??  Emmett :  You Don't Love Me  / On The Road Again  "great growley garage mod fuzz," arr & cond. by Gil Shelton & Marvin Montgomery   (Dallas?)
• ??  Gilly-Boy 101 : You Don't Love Me/ ?

★

The most intriguing observation is related to the master identification allocated by Candix Records (and printed on the label)  :

Matrix of Candix 321 and Candix 325 are both identified by the letters PM, which means some kind of relation between the two releases :

Candix 321 - Ralph

PM-1  Rugged Ralph The Rapid Rabbit Runner

PM-2  I’ve Got It 

Candix 325 - The Kelly Four (also issued as by Big Daddy Deerfield and The Kelly Four)

PM-3C Sweet Angelina

PM-4C Annie Had A Party
note : letter C = Capehart, the producer ?

★

List (not exhaustive) of masters letters found of Candix labels  :

 F  Frogmen

SW Sonny Wilson

MC Marc Cavell

TJ The Jackaels (Jay Jackson and)

BL Bill Lyons

TS The Beach Boys aka The Surfers

GA Gene Anderson

MG Moongooners

SS Skip Soder Band

CB Curtis Byrd

DB David Box
DB Dean Beard

It's quite clear that ALL letters above are initials of the recording artists or groups.  Is it also the case for PM ? If so, like it's probable, who is PM ?

★

'Annie Has A Party' was first issued on Silver Records in 1960.  A speeded-up version of 'Annie Has A Party' was also released on Crest 1088 in 1961 by the Gee Cees.   'Annie Had A Party' (normal speed) was released on Candix 325 by The Kelly Four in 1962.  The three versions were all produced by Eddie Cochran's manager, Jerry Capehart, who recorded a novelty song with a rabbit theme as Jerry Neal  (Dot 15810, 1958).

Was Jerry Capehart involved in the production of the Raunchy Ron single ? 

Was Raunchy Ron the actual artist on Silver,  The Kelly Four taking credit for the recordings ?

 Or perhaps Raunchy Ron was a member of the Kelly Four ?

Breaking In A New Heart

Bennie Dixon And The Rebels

Breaking In A New Heart  

Bennie Dixon, Celann BMI

Soma 1455

 

Bennie/Benny Dixon

(from the cover of his album on Studio 5)

Benny Dixon on YouTube :

 I'm So Afraid Of Losing You Again

Mr.Blue
 

It’s My Heart

Raymond's Beat(s)

 

Ray McArthurs Hill Stoppers

Vocal Hayward Norred

Raymond's Beat

Norred - Dixon - Thompson

Flag Music Pub. BMI

Flag 116

1958

Ray McArthur and the Generals

Raymond's Beat #2

Ray McArthur-Haywood Norred

Flag Music Pub. BMI

Mac Arthur Records 101M

1962

Sax player Ray McArthur was one of The Escorts on Judd Records (#1014 : My First Year / Clap Happy, 1959).   Afterwards The Escorts backed guitarist Wade Cagle on Sun Records (4 songs recorded in 1960 in Memphis, two released in 1961 on Sun 360).  It is said that the Escorts were from Pensacola, Florida.

In 1961, there was a much obscure release on Q-T Records as by Ray McArthur and His Generals, pressed by Rite Records :  Come Back Baby / Irish Rock,  possibly a second issue or unissued Flag recordings from 1959 ?

In 1962, Ray McArthur launched his own Mac Arthur label ( "We Shall Return" says the label).  Second release on the label was Conner Cagle with the Generals.( see the Calico Wall )

The Mac Arthur label was probably out of Georgia,  based of the initials HG printed on label.  Master identification letters HG stands for the mysterious Harry Gorlin,  owner of the Druid publishing company (BMI) and almost certainly also owner of Trumpet Records  (P.O. Box 62, Atlanta, Georgia).  His initials, probably indicating the ownership of the masters, are found on a number of tiny Georgia labels such Lyon, Lenox, Shane, Young and also indeed on Trumpet.

Perhaps, I wonder,  Mr Gorlin was the theater agent who posted the following ad from the same P.O. Box 62 in Atlanta in 1953  :

GIRL TO WORK WITH A LARGE, SAFE  snake in act in theaters. Experienced or not experienced.  Salary and expenses. Tour starts March.  Send photograph and particulars. 
Billboard, March 7, 1953

Rockin' Guitar

Jimmy McBride

Rockin' Guitar

(J. Brandon, Monument Music BMI)

Madison Records

1958

The initial release on the label.   

Nothing is known of Jimmy McBride.  

The song is from the pen of Brit Johnny Brandon, aka (in the UK) as The King of Zing who, in the early 1950s pre-rock ’n roll days, was the British heart-throb with countless radio, television and personal appearances across the country.  Apart from singing Johnny also composed songs for the likes of Jessie Matthews and Vera Lynn.   He starred in hit West End musical “Love from Judy” and made the Top Ten charts with his self-penned “Tomorrow”.

Wanting to achieve more, Johnny emigrated to New York in the mid-1950s with his life-long partner Robert Richardson.   In the States, he slowed down his singing career and got involved in record production and wrote musicals.  Notable off-Broadway successes include “Billy No-Name” and “Cindy”.
 

Madison Records owner,   Larry Uttal, owned and operated several record labels (Bell, Amy, Mala, Private Stock) in the sixties and seventies.  He folded Private Stock in 1978, moved to London and entered the film business. On his return to New York, he entered the travel business.  Mr. Uttal was active in the Gay Men's Health Crisis and the National Gay and Lesbian Caucus.   He died of AIDS in November 1993.   He was 71.

At The Hop

Richard Maltby and his Orchestra

At the Hop

A. Singer - D. White - J. Madera

Sea-Lark Music Enterprises & Singular Music Pub. BMI

Big band instrumental version of the Danny and the Juniors hit

Richard Eldridge Maltby, Sr. (1914 – 1991) was an American musician, conductor, arranger and bandleader, most notable for his 1956 recording (Themes From) The Man With the Golden Arm".

After studying briefly at Northwestern University's music school, he left college to become a full time musician. He played trumpet with several big bands, including those of Little Jack Little, Roger Pryor, Bob Strong and Henry Busse, as well as also doing some arranging.   In 1940, he took a job as an arranger for the orchestra of the Chicago-based radio station, WBBM, before moving to New York in 1945 to become an arranger-conductor on network radio, where he worked with Paul Whiteman.   In 1942, Benny Goodman recorded his composition "Six Flats Unfurnished."

During the post-war years, he made several recordings for subsidiary labels of RCA Victor, and in 1954, finally scored a Top 40 hit with "St. Louis Blues Mambo".    In 1955, he began leading his own dance band, with which he had his Top 20 hit, "(Themes From) The Man With the Golden Arm," in the spring of the following year.   He left RCA for Columbia Records in 1959, then moved to Roulette Records a year later.   He stopped recording on his own during the mid-1960s.

A heart condition in his later years forced him into retirement, and he underwent several operations prior to his death. He died in 1991, aged 77.        

source: Wikipedia

The Bop

 Niki Stevens

Jack Stern and his Orchestra feat.

Buddy Cole -piano & organ; 

Alvino Rey - guitar; 

Nick Fatool - drums; 

Clint Neagley - sax & clarinet; 

Don Whitaker - bass; 

Jack Stern - trumpet

The Bop

Flint & Stern, Ridgeway BMI

Ridgeway Records

1956

The Ridgeway label was a short-lived offshoot of Ridgeway Music, a publishing company affiliated with BMI and owned by Charlie Adams and Pee Wee King.    Maestro Jan Garber was their partner in the Ridgeway label.

Niki Stevens

After completing high school in her home town of San Francisco Niki Stevens made her professional singing debut at the Royal Hawaiian Club in Palo Alto, California.   She returned to San Francisco and joined a singing group locally known as the Doubledealers.   Then she was invited to join a well known vocal group, The Cheerleaders.   With this group she toured the country, appeared in the motion picture "Starlift"  and recorded on the Decca and Capitol labels.   She left the group to tour as soloist with the Chuck Foster Orch.  

This record is her first solo recording. 

She recorded again, in 1958, for Rip Records  ( "Johnny Blue"/"Roses Without Thorns" )  another Hollywood label, owned by Rochester, NY entrepreneur Dick Puccio.

I have no trace of further recordings made by her.