Monday, October 14, 2024

Repressed Hostility Blues

 

Katie Lee, The Grand Dame of Dam Busting, in 1957

 Katie Lee - Repressed Hostility Blues

From her album Katie Lee sings Songs Of Couch and Consultation issued by Commentary Records, a small company formed by Bud Freeman and his colllaborator Leon Pober in Hollywood .

Kathryn Louise Lee (1919–2017) was an American folk singer, actress, writer, photographer and environmental activist.

From the 1950s, Lee often sang about rivers and white water rafting. She was a vocal opponent of Glen Canyon Dam, which closed its gates in 1963, and called for the canyon to be returned to its natural state.
 

Allmusic:

Jazz saxophonist Bud Freeman came up with the idea for Songs of Couch & Consultation, a cult classic comedy album that pokes fun at psychoanalysis and psychiatric jargon. Freeman wrote a dozen songs' worth of lyrics, which Leon Pober set to music and Bob Thompson arranged. Katie Lee, an extraordinarily pretty folk singer who previously recorded an album for Specialty called Spicy Songs for Cool Knights, was brought in to sing and pose for the cheesecake album cover. The songs describe an assortment of neuroses and psychiatric conditions in a variety of musical styles, delivered with a heavy dose of hand-wringing self-scrutiny. There's ragtime, big-band blues, and even cowboy music as Lee coos her way through topics such as schizophrenia, repressed hostility, and maladjustment. "Hush Little Sibling" lampoons parenting manuals and the venerated Dr. Spock, and "The Will to Fail" identifies a drive Nietzsche missed. The irony is that the sophisticated humor targets an educated audience that is also the group most likely to embrace psychiatric jargon and theories. Reprise reissued the album with a less striking cover, so the original Commentary Records pressing is the one to find.

 

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Alligator Wine

 


The Dynamic Kapers

Alligator Wine
(Leiber & Stoller, Quintet Music, BMI)

JED International Records
[Jim E. Denny]

1964

 The Kapers on Bragg are probably the same band as the Bragg label was owned by Neil Wilburn who co-produced these JED sides.
 
Very little info about that band on internet. But I found this at nashvillescene.com 

Although many local bands at the time were based in, or at least played gigs around, West Nashville, groups popped up all over town. And, according to [Pat] Patrick, the sound changed depending on the area. For instance, south of town, in Franklin and Columbia, bands like the Fairlaines played straight rhythm and blues. Near Charlotte Avenue, Howard Hudgins formed a band with a bluesier, more harmonica-driven sound. Meanwhile, in East Nashville, combos like the Kapers blended the rawness of rock ’n’ roll with the horn-driven verve of R&B. The Fairlaines might play a James Brown song, Patrick explains, but the Kapers “would play a white version of an obscure James Brown song. So you wouldn’t know if it was their original, or if they pulled it off an R&B album and just whitened it up a little.”

Sturdivant, who eventually joined the Kapers after his stint in the Escorts, isn’t so sure that a combo’s sound was strictly defined by its home turf. Since all the bands were basically playing the same material, he explains, each one had to find its own sound. Nevertheless, there’s always been an undeniable split between East and West Nashville—and it isn’t just the Cumberland River.


John Edward Sturdivant. Age 66, of Madison, died Saturday, March 7, 2009 at his home. He was preceded in death by parents, Lathan and Elizabeth Sturdivant. Survived by wife, Sue Wright Sturdivant; sons, John, Jr., and David (Dianne); daughter, Stephanie; brothers, L.A. and Tom; grandchildren, Angeleah Rose, Daniel, Kristen, John Edward, III, Elijah Moon; devoted son-in-law to Johnnie Wright and Kitty Wells. Mr. Sturdivant was a retired music industry executive. He began his music career in high school playing baritone saxophone in Top 40 rock bands- The Monarchs, Charlie McCoy and the Escorts, The Kapers, and The Nocturnes. Served as Vice President/ Southeastern Manager of Record World magazine. Also held positions with; Gibson Guitar; Music City News; ASCAP; RUBOCA Records; Tree International. Involvements and board memberships included the Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, Nashville Chapter of NARAS and Past National Vice Chairman of NARAS,  [John Sturdivant obituary]


Monday, September 23, 2024

I'm Sticking With You

 


Donnie De & The Star Fires / Donnie Dee & The Starfires / Don DeFilippo from Poughkeepsie, Upstate New York. 

Elusive picture sleeve added today to 45cat

I'm Sticking With You



Saturday, September 14, 2024

Broken Guitar

 


Songwriter Max Davies, who set himself a particularly niche recording brief during the lockdown of 2020-2021: to record an entire nine-track instrumental album using nothing but broken guitars.

Arranged into “little sonic landscapes” called “inventions”, Inventions For Broken & Prepared Guitar was composed entirely from guitars that had a range of technical issues, such as warped and cracked bodies and necks, worn-out tuners that slipped out of tune, “impossibly high string action” and out-of-intonation saddles.

From Guitar World, read more here

 nothing but broken guitars.

Benny And Nola – Sacred Hymns

 

This is Nola Bee Hensley from Carlisle, Ohio and Benny Joe Amburgy from Lebanon, Ohio on Jewel Records LPS 675

Side 1 

Now I Have Everything
When Is He Coming Again
Oh, Those Tombs
He Really Cares For You
Come And Dine

Side 2 


I'm So Glad He Found Me
Who'll Pray For Me When Mama's Gone
I Love To Walk With Jesus
The Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn
I'll Meet You In The Morning


Sunday, June 23, 2024

The Little Monster

 


Russ (Big Daddy) Blackwell

The Little Monster

G. Norris, R. Blackwell, V. Chiarelli
Brandom Music Co. ASCAP
Arr. & cond. by Cliff Parman
Prod. by Bud Brandom

Vincent Records (VR-117)

Audio above is from Twisted Tales From The Vinyl Wastelands Vol. 8 Please Don't Go Topless Mother

You've had a long, bad day at work, after being stuck in a traffic jam, you finally get home. Your wife left you a note saying she will be home late because she has a tango class with your best friend. How she always hated to dance ! The dinner is cold, the beer hot. It's time to relax yourself listening to Russ Big Daddy Blackwell telling a little story titled "The Little Monster".

Back in 1937, on a cold, frosty morn,
in a little four room farmhouse, was a baby boy born.
Had his parents known the grief and shame this child would bring to them
they would have traded with a devil for a child to replace him.
But of course, they couldn't know what kind of monster was their child.
As a baby, he was normal, though his eyes were bleak and wild.
And until his 7th birthday, he'd done nothing really wrong.
Then he killed his little sister with a broken pitchfork prong.
And as his sister lay there dying in the awful crimson flood,
he noticed how his hands and arms were stained with drops of blood.
Well, he couldn't face his mother, couldn't tell her what he'd done.
So he crept into the house, got his father's old shotgun.
Now, the gun was always loaded with a heavy powder charge.
It was used to kill the vicious beast that roamed the hills at large.
When the boy's mother happened to step out the kitchen door,
he pressed down upon the trigger and his mother lived no more.
With the echo of the shotgun flash still ringing in his ears,
little killer watched his father find his mother and shed tears.
He crept up behind his father with a razor sharp,
just like Lizzie Borden gave his father 40 whacks.

 

Thursday, June 20, 2024

Homer (Scadillac) Taylor

Homer (Scadillac Taylor's second single on Ro-Al-Ta


 

Ro-Al-Ta Record Co.
P.O. Box 85, New York 39, N.Y.

1/2 Homer (Scadillac) Taylor
Fool’s Gold (w. Nick A. Kenny & Charles F. Kenny, Goldmine Music) 4May54
Wonderland Dance (w. & m. Homer H. Taylor, 22 July 1958)

3/4 Homer (Scadillac) Taylor
Boom Boom Boomerang Baby (w. Nick A. Kenny & Charles F. Kenny, Goldmine Music) 4May54
Relax Your Lips; w&m Homer H. Taylor. © Homer H. Taylor; 22jul58;

From Homer (Scadillac) Taylor, I have only two clips from his two singles issued on Ro-Al-Ta probably in 1958. These clips come from sales on ebay. 

1/2 : great sax rocker and..the flip is a great r&b, but kind of a bopper with yodelin' and a great sax, piano, guitar mixed break.. unlisted in my books

3/4 : great rare R&B rocker on thick heavy vinyl pressing,

I'm looking from all his tracks. Perhaps someone is willing to share them.

Homer Taylor (possibly born in 1923) copyrighted some songs in 1957-1959. Among these songs : The Cadillac Mobile Deal  & Those Reinstating Blues. But that's all I can find on this obscure artist.

Nick Kenny is mainly remembered today as the lyricist of the 1931 popular song standard, "Love Letters in the Sand", a 1957 gold record hit for Pat Boone. Kenny's next big success, "Gold Mine in the Sky," inspired the Gene Autry movie, Gold Mine in the Sky (1938) and enabled Kenny and his brother Charles to launch their own music firm, Gold Mine in the Sky Publishing Company. His songs included "Gone Fishin'" and "Scattered Toys" recorded by The Three Suns, which has lyrics somewhat similar to one of his "Patty Poems".

Nick was a syndicated entertainment columnist for The New York Daily Mirror and a poet and songwriter on the side. Bandleaders and singers often performed his songs in hopes of getting a column mention. Many of his songs were mediocre. Woody Allen managed to hit Nick Kenny's column several times.

Edit: 20 June 2024 : added both sides of Ro-Al-Ta 3/4 with thanks to Apesville

Learn To Speak Fluent Broken English

 

 

Does anyone have this record they could share?

Singing-instrumental duo, Laura & Bill Paer, appeared at the Steak Pit in Paramus, N.J in 1962 before recording this album, issued in 1963 or 1964 on their own Adjill Records. Bill Paer moved to Costa Rica in the seventies. Now Dr. William E. Paer Fairmont, he presents himself like this :

I'm a clinical psychologist, television personality, and author of several books. The most recent ones are We're Having Sex Right Now!, The Lollypop Factor and A Much Better Way (available as an audio book and in printed version). I have practiced in San Diego, California and am currently practicing in Costa Rica, Central America where I have been on television for the past 28 years.

I am passionately interested in communicating my findings based on more than 40 years of experience, and discussing with others who have read my books. At this time I'm intensely involved in getting my message out there. I feel it is most needed and unavailable in conventional circles.

Specialties: Psychotherapy, no nonsense psychology, author, guest speaker


Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Nashville Streaker

 


Deb Hyer
One Man Band


Nashville Streaker

From his eponymous Lemco Records album released in 1976.  

Cecil J. Jones started the Lemco label in 1962 and opened his own recording studio in 1965 at 2518 Southview Drive, Lexington, Kentucky where he recorded many of the premier bluegrass acts throughout the Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana region. Cecil Jones passed away in early December 1981.

Deb Hyer is not listed in The One Man Band Encyclopedia, a Roctober special issue (#34).

Obit : 

Delbert “Deb” Hyer, Jr., 78, of Flemingsburg, left this earth peacefully on Thursday, August 31, 2023.

Born in Chillicothe, Ohio on December 8, 1944, his parents were the late Delbert Sr. and the late Betty Hart Hyer.

Deb grew up in Chillicothe until his family moved to Flemingsburg in 1962. Deb began his career at U.S. Shoe in Flemingsburg in 1962 and retired in 1995. Deb’s musical career began in 1963. Deb started the band “The Debonairs”. A self taught musician who could play any instrument put in front of him, he had a voice and stage presence you could not forget. In 1967, Deb discovered he could play drums, guitar, saxophone, organ, as well as sing at the same time. This is when “The One Man Band” came to life.

Deb enjoyed performing and playing music more than anything. In minutes he could sit and write an entire song. Deb was an inventor and could make and fix anything. He was an artist, and loved to sit at the kitchen table and draw pictures, cartoons, and projects.

Deb is survived by the love of his life, Evelyn Sloas Hyer. They met at the water fountain inside U.S. Shoe in 1964 and it was love at first sight for them both. They had 58 wonderful years together.

See Discogs




Sunday, June 16, 2024

There's A Great Day Coming

 


 Chip Young

A: There's A Great Day Coming
B: Just As You Are
Both wr. Joe South, Joe South Music (BMI)

    Esco 200 CY
Sept. 1959

It seems that the Billboard reviewer sensed insufficient promotion from Esco for this Chip Young record ("could step out with plugs" and "could create interest with exposure").  And he was not wrong, at least regarding a national promotion. 

The Esco label (and its Escophonic sound proudly printed on all the labels) was the offshoot of Esco Artists, a local booking agency located at 112 Nathan Rd.,in Atlanta, recording members of its stable [except Joe South] to ensure a regional promotion. At  Esco, the star was Joe South, a NRC recording artist, who penned almost all the songs recorded by the label, which were all copyrighted by his own publishing company, Joe South Music (BMI). Still under contract with Bill Lowery as a recording artist, Joe South didn't have a record issued by Esco. Did he owned that booking agency ?

Guitarist and producer Chip Young died Dec. 20 2014 at the age of 76 in Nashville, Tenn., a month after undergoing triple bypass surgery at St. Thomas Hospital.

Young, a.k.a. Jerry Marvin Stembridge, was born in Atlanta, Ga., on May 19, 1938, and began his remarkable career in the 1950s, playing with guitarist Jerry Reed and singer-songwriter Joe South. In the '60s and '70s, Young lent his notable thumb-picking talents to Dolly Parton's hit 'Jolene,' Elvis Presley's 'Guitar Man,' Charley Pride's 'Kiss an Angel Good Morning' and many other fan-favorite songs.

He was a regular member of Presley's studio band from 1965 until the King's death in 1977. Young worked with other talented artists as well, including Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, Kris Kristofferson, Porter Wagoner, George Jones, Willie Nelson, the Oak Ridge Boys and Reba McEntire, among others.


 



 

Friday, June 14, 2024

Chloe Harris

 

Chloee Harris (1964)

Discography 


Frank
105 Lizzie / Grandpa  - 63
107 Love, She’s Wonderful / Saturday Night Slide  - 63

Hickory
45-1253 Little People / Mama, I'll Be Good – 04-64
45-1302 I'm Having A Party / My Daddy Said – 03-65

According to The Tennessean, a Nashville newspaper in its issue dated May, 24 1964 Chloee was a sixteen years old sophomore at Cohn High School |Nashville) where she was taking bookkeeping, biology, english and choir. English gives her the most trouble, she said. Her manager Jay Rainwater had big plans for her. But the person with the biggest plans was Chloee. Standing something under five feet tall, she was reaching for what she said she wanted. Reaching Up "I always wanted to sing but everybody said I couldn't, mainly because of my age," she said. "To me I wasn't too young. I wanted to do it.

I'm pretty sure her first records were done as Chloe Harris at the Nashville Globe recording studios, singing four songs penned by Frank Lyle Buck, amateur songwriter living in Copperstone, New York. Other known singers on the Frank Lyle Buck/Buck label are Sonny Marcel/Sammy Marshall and Mary Kaye, names well-known to the song-poem music collectors and singers who have never recorded elsewhere than in Nashville at that Globe Recording studios. That's why I'm pretty sure that Chloee Harris recorded her first records as Chloe Harris.

Edit (16/6:2024) : added Granpa soundfile, with thanks to Apesville

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Complications


  Bubba Jordan


Complications

Showboat 1503
1959

Bubba Jordan had previously recorded with The Red Counts at the Delta Records studios in Jackson, Mississippi. These tracks remained unissued until the publication by Bear Family of the CD "Diddy Wah Diddy ... Ain't A Town, Ain't A City (Rock 'N' Roll And Hot Country From Jackson, Mississippi).

At the time of the Showboat release, the label was still located in Nashville and still owned by Murray Nash and Ray Scrivener, before the latter took it over with him to Santa Claus, Indiana, where he bought the Santa Claus Castle, new headquarter of the label.

In 1962, Bubba Jordan was the vocalist on "Snake Eyed Woman" issued by The Sundowners and in 1963, there was a single on Buccaneer as by Bub Jordan (with The Del Solds on one side).

Fulton Anderson Jordan (1941-2024)

From his obit :
Fulton Anderson Jordan, known to many as "Bubba," passed away peacefully on April 4, 2024, in Jackson, Mississippi, at the age of 83. Born on March 25, 1941, in Jackson, Ms, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, and friend.

Fulton, a proud Air Force veteran, served his country with honor. Following his military service, he embarked on a successful career path. Starting at IBM, he later transitioned to Gainey and Associates, where he excelled in insurance sales. Eventually, he established his own agency, Jordan and Associates, serving as a general agent until his retirement in 2009.

His passion for music was evident throughout his life. Fulton was a talented musician and singer, having produced two records. He shared his musical gifts at First Baptist of Jackson, where he worshipped, sang in the choir, and devoted his time to teaching Sunday school to high school boys.







Monday, June 10, 2024

Orchid Records (1960-1962)


 Orchid Records was operated by Thomas J. Pingatore. Located in Bronx, NYC from 1960 to 1962, the label issued only 5 singles. 

For label listing see 45cat

 

Saturday, June 8, 2024

 

The Storey Sisters

Ann & Lillian Storey first recorded for Al Browne's Peak Records. Their single was picked up by Cameo (shortening the intro by the way on the "Bad Motorcycle" side.  Jimmy Spruill on guitar.

The sisters were probably from Brooklyn and not from Philadelphia as some sources claims.



Friday, June 7, 2024

Peek-A- Boo Lou

 


 Van Preston

(Preston John Vanicor, 1939-2007)

 

Goldband unissued from the Ace (UK) CD "Boogie In The Mud: Southern Swamp Guitar"). 

Born into a Cajun family in Lake Charles, Van Preston auditioned around 1959/1960 for J.D. Miller with his self-penned "Mama's Little Girl", but nothing came of it; later he would try out for Eddie Shuler, when once again the song was recorded and issued as the top-side of his first of three Goldband releases. No further information about his career.