Sputnik

Cactus Pryor

Sputnik (pt I & II)
C. Pryor, Starrite BMI

Starday 45-340
1958

Richard “Cactus” Pryor, a longtime Austin radio and TV broadcaster, died in 2011 at the age of 88.

He was a longtime fixture on KLBJ-AM and also appeared on Austin TV station KTBC. 

In 2009, Pryor was interviewed by his wife Peggy for KUT’s StoryCorps Memory Project. You can hear that interview here.

“My real purpose of being in radio is I like to make people laugh, make them happy,” Pryor said in the interview. “That was just in my heart.”

Big Bowl Of Soul

The Huntsmen

Big Bowl Of Soul

Label : PAM (?)

Instrumental original. The flip is "Fever" comped on "Songs The Cramps Taught Us"  (it's on YouTube)

Date is generally given as 1961, but I am not quite sure and would rather say mid-sixties?

The Huntsmen came out of Millikan High School in Long Beach, and were friends with the Emperors and also likely the Royal Knights.  The Huntsmen had two singles on the Pam label in the early ’60s:

Pam 1001/1002: “Send Me Some Lovin'” / “Wishbone”
Pam 1003/1004: “Fever” / “Big Bowl of Soul”

“Wishbone” and “Big Bowl of Soul” are band originals.

Jim Bradshaw – lead guitar and lead vocals
Jerry Christensen – drums
Mick Lorito – rhythm guitar
Bill McKinney
Don Zabish  

Jim Bradshaw had a long career in music after the Huntsmen, including the Disciples of Soul, and stints with Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis, Eddie Vinson, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Junior Wells, and Henry Vestine of Canned Heat.  James Bradshaw, 55, bled to death one Saturday in 2003 after cutting himself while trying to enter his Eugene (Oregon) home through a window.

Acknowledgments : http://www.garagehangover.com/huntsmen/

You Caught Me Off Guard

Joanne Touchstone
You Caught Me Off Guard
Lichterman-Williams, Triumvirate Music BMI

Sound Stage 7 45-2543
1965

Joanne Touchstone recorded three singles for Sound Stage 7, a Monument Records subsidiary, all produced by Bill Justis in 1964-1965.   As Joanne Spain (her birth name) she recorded disco music for Casino/GRT Records in 1976.   She also wrote "Another Neon Night" that was recorded by Grand Ole Opry star Jean Shepard.

Joanne Spain (1938-2009)
From a Casino Records ad, 1976

Her obit (edited) from The Commercial Appeal, April 8, 2009:

JOANNE SPAIN, 70, of Memphis, Tennessee died on April 6, 2009 at Baptist Memorial Hospital. Surrounded by friends in life and death, she fought a courageous battle with cancer,

Joanne was born on May 8, 1938, in Jackson, Tennessee to Joseph Thomas and Louise Spain. She graduated from Northside High School in Jackson, Tennessee where she starred on the basketball team. She earned her Bachelor's Degree at Lambuth College and her Master's degree from Memphis State University. Joanne's sense of humor was her hallmark. . She was an avid golfer and contributed to the game by serving as president of the Women's Competitions Committee for the Tennessee Golf Association.

Joanne followed in her mother's footsteps and became a teacher. She taught both Vocal Music and English in Memphis City Schools at Colonial Junior High, Messick High School, Whitehaven High School, and East High School.

She produced many musical productions while a music teacher at Colonial Junior High School that had students expressing their gratitude for those experiences for years after they had graduated. She touched the lives of many students who have become successful adults because of, not only her skills in teaching, but also the lasting connections that she made. As stated in her teacher evaluation, "Love bounced off the walls in her classroom."

Joanne left her teaching career briefly to pursue her dream as a singer/ songwriter. She produced an album with two hit songs, Walk Softly and Elevator. She also wrote the hit song, Another Neon Night that was recorded by Grand Ole Opry star Jean Shepard. A loyal University of Memphis fan, she loved her dogs, golf and the beach. 

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

King Coleman

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler

Mills Music Inc. (ASCAP)

Vi-Tose Record Co.

(Tasty Records)

102

One of his most obscure and rarer, probably from 1963, right before his two Togo Records releases, unless it was right after them ?

 

Carlton Coleman (1932-2010), compere, singer, disc jockey and preacher. He first recorded with Hal Singer Orchestra (Savoy, 1952).  Many records followed later on Karen (1958), Dade (1959-1960), Symbol (1960), Columbia (1960), Kenco (1961), Dade (1961), Atlantic (1961), Togo (1963), Sylvia (1964), Dade again (1965), Port (1966), Fairmount (1966), King (1967), Big Apple (1967) and Brunswick (1967, as Rev. Carlton Coleman).  He also can be heard throughout the LP "Apollo Saturday Night) (Atco 33-159) a  various artists album  recorded live at the Apollo Theatre in New York, with King Coleman as Master of Ceremonies (1964)

 

In 1957 R&B station WMBM hired Coleman and gave him a morning show that was the place to break hits locally, according to Miami music mogul Henry Stone, who then ran both Tone Distributors and Dade Records. "I was a Veejay distributor," Stone recalls, "and they gave me a Jerry Butler record, 'For Your Precious Love.' I gave it to King and he must've played it every fifteen minutes. In between spins he announced the number of times he'd played it! That broke the record completely. I'll never forget it."

"He was so aggressive!" says Reid. "King had this voice that just made you pay attention. If he had something to say, he'd say it to your face. You never worried about him calling you a motherfucker behind your back, because he'd say anything to your face. That's why it meant something when he played a song three times in a row."

Read more ...

Frankie and Johnnie

Caller : Allie Morvent
Music by Eva Nichols and
Her Lone Star Ramblers

Frankie and Johnnie

Go Records 106

Produced by Alport, Inc.
Alexandria, Louisiana

1962

Cue sheet and lyrics

Allie Morvent

was born September 8, 1916 a native of Andrew, Louisiana. He started calling around 1964. He was the featured caller for the European Dancers Winter Jamboree in Mannheim, Germany Nov. 29, 30, Dec. 1, 1968.    Stopped calling around 1994. Wife Minnie Morvent. Six children 3 boys/3 girls - all of which called some Singing Calls at one time. Allie recorded on Go, Bogan, Longhorn and Rockin' A record labels. Allie died in November 2, 2002.   (From http://www.ceder.net/recorddb/artist_viewsingle.php?RecordId=482)

This Little Piggy

J.C. Wilson

This Little Piggy

Starjo Records 1711
StarJo Music distr.
108 Chicamauga Ave.
Rossville, Georgia

1972

The flip is a country weeper.

J. (Joe) C. Wilson was from Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is about five miles from Rossville, Georgia.
Other artists on the same label : Billy Starr, Aileen Starr and Eulle Simmons.

Let's Dance

Little Becky Cook

With the Mad Lads

Let's Dance

CBM Record Co. 45-504
59 Court St., Newark, N.J.
1961

CBM Records discography

45-313
Gene Granville With Delresse, Music By The Intruders

Horror Rockin Dance / Don't You Know 

words & music : Gene Granville &  Harry Jubin, Cape Ann Publishing Co, Nashville, Tenn
Arranger : Cliff Houston
Produced by Harry & Lisa Marlo
CMB Records

79 Willow Street , Carteret, N.J.
1964

45-314

Little Becky Cook And The Rag Mops, Music By The Intruders

The Itchy Scratch / God Bless This Moment ‎
Arranger : Cliff Houston
Produced by Harry & Lisa Marlo

1965

no cat. number

The Abstrack Sound
Your Gona Break My Heart / Judge Him If You Can
Publisher : Rambed Publ. Co., BMI
Arr. and produced by Catena & Monetti

1966

Possibly the same CBM label (unconfirmed) :

45-501

Tommy O'Tan 

Blue Moon / Sunset Rock

Hey Mrs. Jones

Jimmy Forrest : Hey Mrs. Jones (1952)

Compilation includes the original and nine other versions in various styles from 1952 to 1990


Track List

Bill Jennings.mp3                
Girl Trouble.mp3               
Jimmy Forrest.mp3      
Jimmy Witherspoon.mp3           
Long John Hunter.mp3              
Mr. Lee & Frank Andrade Five.mp3  
Ramsey Lewis (1).mp3              
Ramsey Lewis (2).mp3              
The Check Mates.mp3               
Tiny Tony & The Statics.mp3       

Hey Mrs. Jones

The Three Dukes
Sing And Play

Hey Mrs. Jones

Forrest & Reagan, Pamlee Music BMI

Triple A 2505
1953

Cleveland, Ohio young jazz trio "The Three Dukes" were one of the first groups to cover the Jimmy Forrest song recorded in 1952 for United Records. Members of The Three Dukes were Vincent Tancredi (drums), Ronnie Feskanin (piano) and John DiPalma (bass).  The Three Duke's recording of "Hey Mrs. Jones" was pressed for Jack Gale's Triple A Records.  The new release was Triple A's debut in R & B and was considered a "good version of the lively tune now riding high" according to Billboard reviewed somewhere in the Rhythm & Blues section between new records by Edna McGriff (Why, Oh Why on Jubilee Records) and Hadda Brooks (When I Leave the World Behind, Okeh Records) on February 28 1953.  The reviewer also noted that "Coverage platter is rather late and will have a difficult time catching much coin"

The trio broke up soon after.

More versions of the song in my next post

Ain't You Glad

The Welcome Voices

Ain't You Glad
T.L. Bannister

WIB Records 45-500
Flatwood, Kentucky
1958

Gospel quartet from Ashland, Kentucky.  They recorded at least four other singles on the same label, likely their own label.

No info but T.L. Bannister was likely a member of the quartet.

Oh Boy !

The Grasshoppers
with the Promenade Orch. & Chorus

Oh Boy !

Promenade Hit 24
1957

After a cover of "That'll Be The Day" (Promenade 14), here is again The Grasshoppers covering another Buddy Holly hit.   The versatile Grasshoppers can be found also on other subsidiaries of the Synthetics Plastics Company of Newark, New Jersey, such as Peter Pan (children subsid) and Diplomat (budget albums)

Sing along with the Grasshoppers : The Chipmunk Song

Sing the Beatles hits and other Liverpool sound

There Ain't Nothing To It

Michael D.
There Ain't Nothing To It

Perkins, Mecel Music BMI

Key 101

Eng. Hank Poole

1965

This is Michael D. Perkins, possibly the same Mike Perkins who was in The Doodlers

The Doodlers began in Longview Texas. They listened to many of the pop vocal groups and jazz ensembles of the day, and aspired to sound similar to them. Thanks to an innovative high school choir director, the Doodlers actually met in choir and then formed their own group. 

See http://www.colorradio.com/doodlers.html

Let's Have A Party

Joy McCoy

Let's Have A Party

(no label) RSS-4544

I finally found a picture of Joy McCoy here at Discogs where her album is described as "Folk, World, & Country".   I've never been able to find anything on this artist.  On the album cover, in the background behind pretty Joy, it seems to me that it's some snow, so she is probably living near the frontier of Canada and not near the Mexico frontier.  That's all folks ! If you known something please speak up and leave a comment...

Louie Louie

The Moongazers
vocalist Gino Wertz

Louie Louie

Millbrook School

mid-sixties

Buck ?  lead guitar - Ron Artinian, drums - Peter Hazzard, rhythm guitar - Charlie Ingersoll, bass guitar

Not the worst cover of this classic garage song.  The Moongazers were a school band from Millbrook School in the New York State, a private school located in Dutchess County, New York, (county seat is Poughkeepsie). Rufus Wainwright attended this school which was later the inspiration for one of his songs.

Pete Hazzard   wrote his first compositions, The Horses' Hooves, and Evening Song, for violin and piano at the age of eight. He played violin studying in New York with Arlie Furman, and was a member of the New York Young People’s Orchestra. He also played guitar, and piano in both orchestras and dance bands throughout his youth. After graduation from Millbrook School and two years of study at Boston University, Mr. Hazzard entered the Berklee College of Music in 1968, receiving his Bachelor of Music in Composition in 1971.

Millbrook School

Twistin' In Orbit

The Thunderbirds

vocal : The Valvederes

Twistin' In Orbit

Romasa Records
Early sixties

No hint on who were The Thunderbirds or The Valvederes.  Probably from the Maryland/Washington/Virginia area as indicated by the catalog number (RINC 1194). Recordings Incorporated was a very small studio in Baltimore, Maryland recording mainly radio and television commercials, but also some bands (early Ronnie Dove, The Chicanos, Joyce Carr, The Dynamics, Little Hooks, etc.)

Gatlin & Magid wrote the tune and RMCo. Music published it.  The flip is an instrumental titled Tomahawk of lesser interest.

These Thunderbirds ?

Band card found here

According to Baltimore Sounds, there was a band named The Thunderbirds, active between 1962 and 1964.

The Power Of A Prayer

Teena Magin

and The Bystanders
The Power Of A Prayer
 Joe Lubin - Hal Roberts
Denn Mus. Co.
Demon FF-1502
1958

Here you have the full Teena Magin discography, one song, just one song, on the new Demon Records, formed by Joe Greene, veteran songwriter and arranger, most recently with Liberty Records.
This is a Joe Lubin production from 1956 which was actually first issued on his own Debb Records.

The flip is credited to Ray Johnson and The Bystanders.

According to Bruce Eder:

Joe Lubin was one of the very few traditional songwriters to find a lucrative career in rock & roll, even as he continued to write for vocalists such as Doris Day. His career ran from the 1940s through the '70s, and into publishing as well as songwriting, across several genres, and also bridged two continents. He was born Joseph Lubinsky in London's East End, in the middle of a World War I air raid, and showed an interest in music and singing from an early age, which led him into songwriting. He joined the Royal Air Force after the outbreak of the Second World War, but an injury returned him to civilian life in 1941, and he spent most of the war as an air raid warden. One night during a bombing raid, he found himself on Denmark Street in London, a center of the music business, and met Noel Gay, the composer/publisher -- amid falling German bombs -- who signed him to a contract soon after. He saw some initial success with "I'm Sending My Blessings," recorded by Vera Lynn, and Anne Shelton's rendition of "Till Stars Forget to Shine" (both 1944). His 1948 composition, "The Shoemaker's Serenade," was recorded by a young Petula Clark as well as the Five Smith Brothers and the Radio Revellers.   ..more info...

But who is/was Teena Magin ?  Did she recorded just this song ?

Bye Bye Baby (Good-By)

Danny Holiday
Bye Bye Baby (Good-By)

Sin-A-Way #300
1966

The tiny Sin-A-Way label was started in Everett, Washington.   Later releases had a Seattle address.

Other Sin-A-Way releases includes :

301 The Bumps
302 The Revenuers
305 The Right Angle

Danny Holliday
Little Queenie

Chuck Berry cover on Nolta Records, a subsidiary to Seafair Records. The label was named as an acronym for a business concept the owners had for a talent brokerage firm: Northern Lights Talent Associates. Mid-sixties.

Daniel Prescott Thygesen

(1943-2012)

Danny Holiday was born Daniel Prescott Thygesen in March 23, 1943 in Everett, Washington. Dan began his career sweeping floors at KRKO at 8. Disc jockey at KPUG (Bellingham), KOL (Seattle), KBSG (Seattle) and KZOK (Seattle), where he hosted “The Rock N Roll Time Machine.” and worked for several years doing promotion for Columbia Records.

Oh Yeah Maybe Baby

Janice Lynn
If I Could Tell You
Oh Yeah Maybe Baby

Ran Bo Records

RCA custom pressing, 1966
Producer : Larry Lathwell

Another obscurity, probably from Ohio (?), that's my guess, only based on the fact that Larry Lathwell has two of his songs recorded by Lee Rand on Destiny Records, a Lorain, Ohio label in 1967.

If I Could Tell You, was written by Idabelle Firestone, wife of the industrialist Harvey Firestone. An accomplished songwriter, she composed "If I Could Tell You" as the opening theme for the radio, and later television, music program The Voice of Firestone. The show was sponsored by her husband's company, Firestone Tires.  "If I Could Tell You" became very popular and was recorded many times. It is most identified with the singers Richard Crooks and Eleanor Steber, who served as frequent hosts on the Firestone program in the 1940s and 1950s, respectively. [Wikipedia]

Oh Yeah Maybe Baby was the B-side to the Crystals 1961 US debut single composed by Spector and Hunter. (Philles 100, 1961)

The Little Puppet

Connie Caddell

The Little Puppet

Dee Moeller, Tree Pub. Co. BMI
Cuca J-1277
1966

Girl group sound. This would be her only recording ?  Flip side, That's When , can be heard on YT

Both sides written by Dee Moeller.

Singer/songwriter Dee Moeller has penned more than 300 songs, including "Slow Moving Outlaw" recorded by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.  [Her picture can be found here]

 

Rock N' Roll Blues

Diana & Pat
Rock N' Roll Blues

Diane Ryan, Desert Palms Pub. Co. (BMI)

Gay Records 627

1959

Diana (Diane) and Pat Ryan on a label owned by Carl Hightower, a teacher in special education department of Phoenix Union who wanted to get into the record business.

Gay Records
820 E-F Avenue Glendale, Arizona
Owner : Carl Hightower
-------------------------------------------

621 Carl Hightower
622
623 Hawk Gollihue
624 Al Marion
625 Hawk Gollihue
626 Joe Nichols
627 Diana and Pat
628 Les Chimes
629 LA Chords

Christmas In Frogville

Leappo (The Frog)

Christmas In Frogville

Look Before You Leap

Del-Ray Records DR 213
A Stayton-Lawrence Production
1963 or 1964?

Previous release on Del-Ray was "The Hep Old Frog" by Jimmy Stanton.   Del-Ray was a subsidiary of Blue Hen Records.

On Blue Hen Records see : Searching for Blue Hen Records

On Jimmy Stayton see RAB HoF

Gran'Ma Doing The Bird

Four Roses And A Thorn

Gran'Ma Doing The Bird (part 1)

Gran'Ma Doing The Bird (part 2)

O-Job-Co Records 001/002
1964

Composers are Oletha and Benny Curtis. The song was published by Titanic Music, a publishing company owned by Rudy Harvey, Los Angeles disk jockey (KGFJ and KDAY)

Born in Dover, Oklahoma in 1929, Oletha Jane House married Curtis B. Oliver in 1951. They came from Wichita, Kansas to Los Angeles in 1957 . She was a florist and was working as the secretary of the All American Youth Foundation of which she was co-founder.   She died in 1985.

Curtis B. Oliver, also known as Benjamin Curtis Oliver, recorded as Benny Curtis for Bridges, Soul Galore, Dynamite and Resist, and as Benny C. Oliver with The Mellow Men on his own Ojobco label.

Lead vocalist on this record is possibly Oletha.

Staten Island Baby

Don Roberts & The Islanders

Staten Island Baby
Roberts, Island Music BMI

Plaza Records 103
Distr by Island Music
1964

Don't expect exotic tropical rhythms from these Islanders.  These Islanders called home Staten Island, the New York City less populated borough. 

Leader was probably this Donald Roberts who died in 2008.

He was VP of Construction for Shearson Lehman Hutton and Macy's NYC, and was Director of Construction for Consentini Associates. He managed and oversaw construction for many Hi Tech buildings all over the world.

He was also a successful leader and musician in the Don Roberts Orchestra, where he sang and played guitar in many of the Metropolitan area establishments. Later, he played with his son, Willy, as the Continental Duo/Don & Willy.

Baby, Baby, Baby (You're Too Young For Me)

Floyd Wilson

Baby, Baby, Baby

(You're Too Young For Me)

RCA Victor 47-6188

1955

From his second recording session at RCA Victor Studio in Nashville, in March 1955.

Floyd Fisher Wilson was born in 1925.  Tennessee songwriter and performer whose name is mentioned in print between 1953 and 1956, and then nothing...

Floyd Wilson penned one of Darrell Glenn's best recordings,"I Think I'm Falling In Love With You" (Valley Publishers) and Carl Smith had a hit with his song "Go, Boy, Go".  Other well known artists such as Martha Carson, Cowboy Copas, Homer and Jethro recorded his songs.

I wonder if he also the same Floyd Wilson who later produced records in Nashville for Omar Records in the late sixties (recording artists : Bobby Parrish, Carroll Dyer, Linda Cassady)

A Floyd Wilson discography can be found here    Not listed by Praguefrank is a record issued as by Babs (Barbara Cross?) And Floyd on RCA in 1956. (Do You Love Me?)

My Little Girl

E.S. Saunders and The Spades

My Little Girl

E. Saunders, G. Gaertner
Field House Pub. Co. BMI

Echo RAM 45 64131
Produced by Austin Custom Record
Austin, Texas

It looks like Austin, Texas had a high concentration of bands named The Spades in those days.  You heard about The Spades renamed The Slades (Domino Records) or about The Spades on Zero (Roky Erickson's first group), but you may never heard of this one before.  Even more amazing, the three bands all recorded sometime or another at the Roy Poole recording studios !

Busy Bee Buzz Buzz Buzz

Ray Paul Trio
Finger Ride

b/w
Nilda Dale
Busy Bee Buzz, Buzz, Buzz

DES 45-301
1953

The mastermind behind this record was a Rhode Island songwriter named Louis Anthony Des Granges.   On the flip  Busy Bee Buzz Buzz Buzz (also known as Busy Bee Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz)  is sung by Nilda Dale, whose real name is Nilda Des Granges born in 1925 and still alive not so far ago and still living in Providence, Rhode Island, wife or sister of the composer, I reckon.

Louis A. Des Granges seems to have been a reasonably active composer since at least the end of the forties, using various pseudonyms, such as Lou Granges,  Des Louis or Lou Granger :

Deep In My Heart (1947); Love Alone (1949),  Jumpin ' Jack (1963) Mister And Missus (1964), Would You Mind (1968, recorded by Buddy Arden Dot Records), Cleo, The Funny Bunny (With The Funny Yellow Tail) (1969 and 1977)  and If I Should Ever (1970)

Surely, it may be only a coincidence, but I've found a charming " Cleo, The Funny Bunny" sung by Cathey Conte on the website of The Fabulous Gabriel "a self contained singer/song writer who has been performing his original songs for years throughout this country and abroad." 
The Fabulous Gabriel was born in 1948, he is a graduate with a masters degree in music and history from (incidentally) Rhode Island College.  The Fabulous Gabriel has recorded in 1988 "Somewhere Elvis Is Smiling" and wrote more recently "Marilyn Monroe The Lost Diary"   But that "Cleo, The Funny Bunny" surely it's a different song.

An Old Wolf Whistle

Jack Butler

An Old Wolf Whistle
Mel Butler, Butler Publications BMI

Decoy 7105
Decoy Records

600 Beaman St.
Clinton, N.C.
1958
Also on Sparton (Canada), 1959

Jack Butler had started out in music when he was seven years old.  In 1951, he won the $100 first prize in the North Carolina Annual HIllbilly Contest and even made a couple guest appearances over WLAC in Nashville, Tennessee. He was then 11.  Jackie Butler and his Playmates were heard each week on Saturdays and Sundays on WRRZ out of Clinton, South Carolina.  There was at least two records on the Decoy label in 1951-1953.  According to hillbilly.com,group members  in 1953 included  Jackie Butler, 13 years old, guitar, vocals, Wade Hargrove, age 12, steel guitar, Pam Luter, age 10, tenor guitar and ballads, "Snodgrass" Carter, age 12, washboard and comedy and Ciana Dawn, age 8, ukulele and novelty songs.

Owner of Decoy Records was Mel Butler, father of Jack/Jackie. Composer and publisher, Mel Butler had written songs with Shep Sessons (59 songs published in 1945!) before organizing a five-piece hillbilly outfit, the Mountaineerfuls in 1947.   

According to the Billboard issue dated November 3, 1958, Mel Butler re-activated the label with Bruce Earp as A&R man.  Jack Butler was (indeed) signed to the label, and Tony Valero and the Goshen Four as well.

Bruce Earp snagged the Canadian distributing rights to the Decoy record of "An Old Wolf Whistle" and also signed Larry Cotton to the label (Billboard Feb. 23, 1959). There was also a second release by Jack Butler on Decoy in 1959 (Sunshine Street b/w Make Believe Ballroom).  

Decoy, "The label that lures plenty of lucre" 1951

You Are My Sunshine

Les Travellers

You Are My Sunshine

Columbia (France) EP
1960

This is Ian and Jonathan Bennetts from Yorkshire, England, two buskers, or “street singers” as they call themselves.  They began playing on the streets of Paris, France in 1957.

There is an interesting (and amusing) interview of the two brothers by Country Dave found HERE

Excerpt :

Jonathan :

.... in the old town of Geneva for instance, (there) was a super five-star restaurant and I’d sing in there and I’d put like a twenty franc note on the silver collection tray, and I’d score around about $200 in one show, ‘cause they were very, very wealthy, and I spoke to them in French which helped a lot.   

There was a king called King Farouk, and he used to go into this place regularly. He lived in Geneva when he was in exile, and he was in there one night when I was singing, and he said “Do you know anything Arabic?”, he spoke in French, and I said ”Yeah.”    
There’s a song called Moustapha that was a very popular song by an Algerian singer, so I sang that, I figure he’s gonna give me at least fifty bucks, anyway (he) went up to the collection, and he pulls out a purse and he takes out a ten centieme piece, it’s like five cents, he clinked it on my tray. I picked it up, and looked at him and I said “Your Majesty, I understand you’re in exile, and things must be very hard for you, so I think you need this more than I do” (laughs), and I gave it back to him. He went berserk, so the owner of the place threw me out. He said “We’re terribly sorry, Your Majesty”, (then) threw me out, and he winked at me and he said “Come by tomorrow”.

So I walked back in there the next night, and all the waiters and the chef came out and applauded me, they said “Fantastic, Jonathan”, gave me a beautiful dinner, and they said “This bastard’s been stiffing us”, he’d get a bill for $1000, and he’d leave a $1 tip”. (laughs). So I was popular for a long time in that place.

Ian and Jonathan Bennetts in 2010

Hey Little School Girl

Artie Lewis

Hey Little School Girl

arranged and conducted by
Richard Wess

Atco 45-6169
1960

Probably the son of Artie Lewis, one of Miami Beach's affluent hotel men and cabana owners, Artie recorded this single in 1959 but for some reason it was issued only one year after its recording.

In 1958, Artie Lewis got his recording start on Oklahoma Records, a short-lived subsidiary of Hollis Music , a New York BMI publishing house run by Howard S. Richmond.   In 1959, around the same time as his Atlantic session, there was "Alone, All Alone / Why Don't They Believe Us" on Fling Records (a Fury Records subsidiary), songs also issued the following year on Kenco Records.

At the end of 1960,"16-year old  Artie Lewis of Drexel School," was in very low budget movie directed by Joe Rodero titled Bandstand Idol.   Also starring in the movie were Bill Wyler, Blanche Deveraux, George Florido, Candi Scott (aka Candi Casino)  and the South Florida band, The Flying Tornadoes.  There is VERY little information about this movie around the internet.

Later In the sixties, he was Arty Lewis on Hawk Records (Left Over Lovin' / What's A Fellow Gonna Do), Artie Lewis again on  Rust Records (Ain't that alright / I Wonder, 1964) and Loma Records (Falling (In Love With You) /Ain't No Good) in 1967.

For a picture of young and good looking Artie Lewis, see the picture sleeve of his Fling record HERE

Makin' Whoopee!

Joanie Sommers
with Neal Hefti and his orchestra

Makin Whoopee!
Kahn-Donaldson, Bregman, Vocco & Conn, Inc. ASCAP

Warner Bros 5507
1961

Joanie Sommers

(from the cover of her first WB LP)

In 1959, Joanie Sommers was put under contract by Warner Bros. records. She was put to work singing with Edd Byrnes (replacing Connie Stevens) of the TV series 77 Sunset Strip (1958) and guested on the show. Her first single with Byrnes was titled "Kookie's Love Song" and it was followed by her first solo album, 'Positively The Most', that same year. Critics embraced the jazz-influenced album and she was dubbed "the greatest singing discovery of the last 15 years". She was eighteen years old.

Joanie Sommers, sang Pepsi's jingles on radio and TV from 1961 through '67.  Here is one to the tune of "Makin' Whoopee"... for those who think young....

*

Witches Rock

George Vee
and
The Nephews

Witches Rock

Pink P-1011/1012
1959

Penned and arranged by Norman Helfant and Jerry Luongo (© Norman A. Helfant & Gerald J.Luongo)
One-off 1959 label from New Jersey.  Real name of artist is George Vishnesky.

Mr. Luongo later served as mayor of Washington Township since 1989.  He also served 13 months in jail (2002-2003) :

In April 2002, Luongo was sentenced to serve 13 months in jail for his role in misusing campaign and community program funds for personal use, which included rent and mortgage payments, car payments, credit card bills, vacations and restaurant celebrations.. He was ordered by U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to make restitution of nearly $15,000, along with fines in excess of $20,000, which in total equal the amount that Luongo misappropriated as stipulated in his plea agreement.

During his 11 months at Federal Prison Camp, Eglin, Luongo wrote the book Surviving Federal Prison Camp: An Informative and Helpful Guide for Prospective Inmates, which was published in February 2004

Surviving Federal Prison Camp: An Informative
and Helpful Guide for Prospective Inmates

Gonna Put You Down

Barry Wilson

and The Camelots

Gonna Put You Down

Dot 45-16462
March 1963

On this record, an article published by Billboard (in its April 20, 1963 issue) has the following details :

BUG ON WING IN N. ENGLAND

BOSTON - Out of a new dance known as the Bug has come a new record produced by the sales representative of highbrow music radio station WCRB, which will, of course, not air his record.

It grew out of a new twist dance popularized in this area by the trio of Barry Wilson, Bob Prunier and Mo Burnham.  Gene Kilham of WCRB produced the record, had it published by Famous Music Corporation, New York and sold to Dot.  "The Bug" is backed with "Gonna Put You Down."

The group was backed by four Framingham businessmen who were instrumental in getting the trio started on the dance in the Camelot Lounge in Framingham.  The dance is now spreading to other parts of the country and is popular in New England areas.

Barry Wilson led several local bands The Orchids, among others, and was the vocalist of The Lundon Fog (until 1973).

Let's Stay Home

Alan Dean

Let's Stay Home

Panama Artists, Inc.

1959

Alan Dean

Morris Levy was his personal manager since 1951

Billboard, December 29, 1951

Alan Dean, born in East Ham, London in 1924, was voted the UK's most popular male singer in the Melody Maker 1949-50 popularity poll and retained that position until 1952.

By mid-1951 Alan realised that he had achieved all he could possibly achieve in Britain. He had kept in touch with pianist George Shearing, a colleague from his days with Frank Weir's band, and whose career had taken a great leap forward in America. Shearing advised Alan to "come on over". Then Barry Ulanov, the eminent music critic and editor of Metronome magazine, met Alan in London, heard him sing and gave him the same advice.

Encouraged by his support, but remaining cautious, Alan decided to 'test the water' on a short holiday in New York, but so quick and positive was the reaction there that he was unable to return to London until 1957. 

In the USA, there was records on London, Roost, MGM (1952-1956), Rama (1956-1957), Roulette (1957) and Panama (1959). 

Composer of "Let's Stay Home" is Denise Norwood (or Dennise Haas Norwood).  Se wrote among others "Garden Of Eden" (Joe Valino, Vik Records, 1956), Teenage Blues (Roc LaRue With The Three Pals, Rama Records, 1957),   and House Of Heartache  (Cathy Carr,  Fraternity  Records, 1957).

Dennise Norwood recorded herself a single for Glory Records in 1959 (Bring On The Rain b/w House Of Heartache) and a concept album titled " In The Skin With Me"  "an audio-musical with scenes and action in sound selections and story line" issued in 1962 on Dennise Records.  She died in 1999 in Florida.

Brigitte

The Barrons

Brigitte

KRCO 101
1959

Quite probably a Beaumont, Texas group.  Composers of the songs, Byrun Portor (?) and Doyle Coody, were possibly members of The Barrons.

Vocal with a Bo Diddley rhythm. This is by far their best track for my taste.  All their other songs are in a doo-woopish vein.  The KRCo single was leased (or sold) to Westminster Records, a budget record company and issued later that year in 1959 on their Whitehall subsidiary.

Also probably part of the Westminster deal were four songs issued later on Guest Star,  another budget label. 

Guest Star 1481 track list

 

On the 10-tracks album, apart the two "4 Seasons" songs, The Barrons are credited on eight songs.

But only four tracks are really by "our" Barrons.  The four other Barrons tracks are actually by The Crescendos, the Nasco recording artists (track 2, 3, 4 and 6).

KRCo (Ken Ritter Company) was owned by the nephew of the cowboy star Tex Ritter.  During his stint in the military, Ken Ritter worked in Armed Forces Radio, and upon returning to Beaumont affiliated with Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI).   In 1956, he was granted the first music-publishing license here, and at the time it was among the earliest in the state.  In 1958, his first major success came when he co-produced the recording that took J.P. Big Bopper Richardson to national fame. With two novelty songs back to back, the Chantilly Lace side became a huge hit and sold in the millions.  He also discovered the talents of brothers Johnny and Edgar Winter of Beaumont and produced some of their early recordings.   Ken Ritter was elected mayor of Beaumont in 1970.