Saturday, December 31, 2016

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.”


Tuesday, December 27, 2016

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/

Monday, December 26, 2016

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. 



Wednesday, December 7, 2016

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 ...


Monday, December 5, 2016

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)



Sunday, December 4, 2016

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.



Thursday, December 1, 2016

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