Thursday, January 28, 2016

Kind Words


Wendy Andrews
Kind Words

Bertha Druding, Therese Music ASCAP

D.V. Records 901

 
No info.  Hollywood label certainly.  No other known releases on D.V. Records. 






Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Rock Ur Baby



Ted Forrest Quintet

Rock Ur Baby
 Kay Shubert, Norman Joyce, Oceanic Pub.

Norman 102
Delancey Street, Phila
1956

Ted Forrest, once a sideman with Charlie Barnett, has performed since at least the mid-forties.  Rita Konstance and Jean Harrison were among the female vocalists with his band.   He was still performing in 1964, when a local newspaper wrote about " the zany musical antics of Ted Forrest and his society revue in the Imperial room of the Thruway Motor Inn in Albany.  "
His bookings in 1956 were handled by the Jolly Joyce Agency, whose main artists were then Bill Haley, Alan Freed (for motion pictures and TV) and Steve Gibson and his Red Caps.

The short lived Norman label was probably owned by Norman M. Jacobs (aka Norman Joyce), son of Jolly Joyce :
Mr. Jacobs came from a theatrical family.  His mother's ancestors were cantors in Russia, and his father performed in vaudeville acts until the late 1920s, when he founded Jolly Joyce Theatrical Agency Ltd.

At age 13, Mr. Jacobs began helping out at the business owned by his father, who was known professionally as "Jolly Joyce." He would stop in after school every day, and by the time he graduated from Olney High School in 1949, Mr. Jacobs was working full time - and overtime.

With his father, Mr. Jacobs booked dozens of top acts of the 1950s, and the agency became the exclusive agent and manager for groups including the Comets and Boxtops.  

The only other release on Norman that I know of is Nan Williams' " Giddy-up Giddy-Up".    There is also a mention in 1956 of The Rocking Horses (another Jolly Joyce act) Two Girls & 3 Boys  Kings And Queens Of Rock 'N' Roll", but an actual release has yet to be confirmed.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Whole Lot of Shaking Going On



Roz Croney


From the LP "How Low Can You Go?"
Dauntless Records 6309
1963

Miss Croney, a native of Grenada (British West Indies) and Queen of the Limbo recorded this album at the Mastertone Studios on 42nd street between 6th and 7th ave, New York City.  Backing her on this were Sun Ra and some members of his Arkestra.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Bad Buc


Jumpin' Jay
Bad Buc
(Castor-Pruitt, Fairlane Music BMI)

 Come On Home
(O'Brown, Bailey, Washington; Turban Music BMI)

Produced by Frank Cari
Turban T-101
Turban Records, 255 W. 55th St., NYC
Distrib. by Ember Records
    1961

Obscure but not rare, presumably pressed in sizable quantity for expected good sales by Turban Records, owned by New York  songwriter and producer Frank Cari and one of several one-off labels he produced such as Black Dog (The Check-Mates), Tilden (Johnnie Shepherd) and Jive!! (The Accents).  Frank Cari's main labels were Sultan Records and Card Records.

"Bad Buc" is one of the earliest collaboration between Jimmy Castor (1947-2012) and Johnny Pruitt, a lifelong songwriting collaborator.

"Come on Home" was first recorded by Pittsburgher Bobby O'Brown & His Rockin' Blues Men for Varbee Records in late '61 (he is the Brown one of the three composers).    Here Turban Music has replaced Tulip Time Music, the original publisher.


Sunday, January 17, 2016

Never, Never, Never



Jimmy Littlejohn

Never, Never, Never

Meredith, Littlejohn
Fairway Music Co

Columbia 21417

1955

Onetime performer and songwriter born in 1924 in Texas, Jimmy Littlejohn recorded several sides for Columbia, produced by Don Law.  He also wrote and co-wrote a number of songs, the biggest of which was "Walking The Streets," recorded by Webb Pierce for Decca.   He also was a well-known portrait photographer. 

He died in 1972 after a number of years in poor health.




Jimmy Littlejohn in 1956



Saturday, January 16, 2016

Laundromat Blues


Rose Carico

Laundromat Blues
Johnny Carter Music Co., BMI
Regency Records R45-177 
Fairmount, Georgia,

 Arr. & prod by Johnny Carter
1969 or later

Regency Records was founded by Georgia record producer and TV/Radio syndicator Johnny Carter and North Georgia disc jockey Lamar Gravitt in 1965.  

Rose Carico had another single on MKB (Tobaccoville, N.C.) : I've Got Countryitis / Woman Fever, and that's the sum of my knowledge here.