Sunday, March 30, 2014

Hey Mr. Heartache



Larry Nolen And The Bandits

 Hey Mr. Heartache

    Metro Politan Music Co.

Radio Records Inc.
427 Gettysburg San Antonio, TX
1959


Also issued on Renner Records in 1961.


In 1946, when he was barely 13 years old, Larry Nolen began his professional music career. He was asked to play rhythm guitar with The Mountain Rhythm Band which featured Boy and Gene, the Jacoby Brothers. Smiley Whitley, leader of one of the most famous western swing bands in Texas, recognized a star on the rise and invited Larry to play with his band, Smiley Whitley and the Texans. They performed most Saturday nights at Bandera’s famous Cabaret Dancehall and also hosted a radio show at San Antonio’s KONO / KMAC radio station five days a week. Larry delivered his first solo radio performance one day when he was the only band member who was able to travel to the station during a severe ice storm in San Antonio.     http://www.songridersstudio.com/larry-nolen.html

Larry Nolen discography

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Emanuel Lelie on Madinina


Emanuel Lelie
Arr. and cond. by Sammy Fields
Charles Trenet
C. LeTang - E. L'Elie
Enregistre a la Guadeloupe

Madinina 1001
(1960)
Billboard, 25 April 1960
Madinina ("Island of Flowers") is one of the first name of the Martinique, which is, like Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France.  

Billboard had all wrong when this record was described as sung in Spanish.  One side is sung in Creole and the other in French.

"I Wish You Love" is the popular song penned and recorded by french singer Charles Trenet in 1942.  See Wikipedia for lyrics translation.

Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?

Ce soir le vent qui frappe à ma porte
Me parle des amours mortes
Devant le feu qui s'éteint
Ce soir c'est une chanson d'automne
Dans la maison qui frissonne
Et je pense aux jours lointains

{Refrain:}
Que reste-t-il de nos amours
Que reste-t-il de ces beaux jours
Une photo, vieille photo
De ma jeunesse
Que reste-t-il des billets doux
Des mois d'avril, des rendez-vous
Un souvenir qui me poursuit
Sans cesse

Bonheur fané, cheveux au vent
Baisers volés, rêves mouvants
Que reste-t-il de tout cela
Dites-le-moi

Un petit village, un vieux clocher
Un paysage si bien caché
Et dans un nuage le cher visage
De mon passé

Les mots les mots tendres qu'on murmure
Les caresses les plus pures
Les serments au fond des bois
Les fleurs qu'on retrouve dans un livre
Dont le parfum vous enivre
Se sont envolés pourquoi?


Friday, March 28, 2014

Famous Quotes Illustrated

Found HERE
Credit : Jenny Zhang


Thursday, March 27, 2014

I Want A Dog For Christmas


Vocal by Jeanne Tanzy
The Esquire Band


 I Want A Dog For Christmas

Lenora Carpenter, Lindsay McPhail, Walt Michels & Clate Hazelwood
 Lindsay McPhail Music Pub. Co. 
Indian Lake ASCAP, N.Y. 1965

Lindwood Records #101

A second version by Jeanne Tanzy was later issued on Lindwood 105.  Hear this 2nd version at The Lord of The Boot Sale blog HERE


The Billy Mayo Quintet (vcls: George Kent and Wed Howard) recorded the song as early as 1947 for the Texas' Lone Star Records (it's on YouTube HERE)


The Lindwood release has an additional composer credit in the person of Clate Hazelwood, who may have been, with Lindsay McPhail, owner of the Lindwood Records (LIN=Lindsay, WOOD=Hazelwood ?).  Address ot the label (from Lindwood #105) was 649 Mellsway, Medford, Mass.

Born September 17, 1903, E. Clayton Hazelwood ended his formal education in the fifth grade.  After a long illness and much therapy, he settled into an introspective and sedentary way of life.  Despite his handicap, he was determined to achieve success in this chosen fields of endeavor, his published poetry and articles became known.  By 1934 he was writing for a chain of New York papers.  Directing radio programs for children in Syracuse, Boston and New York City followed shortly after.  By 1938 he had authored three books of poetry and had written the lycics for many recorded songs.

Part of his radio program on WSYR in Syracuse, N.Y. was devoted to an Uncle Clate's Club for children ages 5 to 13.  His aim was to teach children, particulary crippled children, how to handle their problems, and he would take time on each program to answer their questions.

From Syracuse he went to Boston with radio programs for two furniture chains and managed the University Theatre at Harvard Square across from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he continued to write lyrics for numerous recorded songs but never neglected the poetry that he considered his first interest.

Lindsay McPhail 

Matthew Lindsay McPhail, Jr (1895-1965) was a composer and pianist.  His only major song, “San” (subtitled “Oriental Fox-Trot,” was first recorded in 1921 and has been since interpreted by dozen of artists (see discogs.com).    Lindsay McPhail was once married to Addie McPhail, a former Hollywood actress who became the third and last wife of scandal-plagued silent-film comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle.

 Jeanne Tanzy

Born Jeanne Tanzillo, she is the daughter of FiFi Tanzy, a New York City talent agent.  Jeanne was a child actress on Broadway and worked in TV, films and radio.  More recently, she has been a personal manager for many years having represented actors and several musical groups including the 'Backstreet Boys'. More info HERE  (Note : Jan Tanzy on Columbia Records is her older sister).


Monday, March 24, 2014

Let The Good Times Roll

       
Little Joe And The Latinaires


Valmon 022
Austin, Texas
October, 1963


Little Joe (Hernandez) would play his first musical performance in Cameron, Texas in 1955 for $5.00 at a high school Sock Hop.  He was so excited, he realized that picking guitars beat cotton picking and he could actually get paid for it.

In 1958,Joe would make his recording debut as a guitarist for Terro Records in Corpus Christi, Texas, an instrumental single "Safari part 1 and 2" which was composed by all members of the Latinaires.

In the 60's, Joe would sign with Texas based independent record companies, starting with his 1st record deal, Corona Records in San Antonio, next Valmon records in Austin and later El Zarape Records in Dallas.  Joe ventured into his own independent label"Buena Suerte Records" for spanish recordings and "Good Luck Records" for his english records.  Also to follow would be Leona Records, a label also owned by Joe and a distribution deal with Freddy Records in Corpus Christi,Texas which would keep Joe independent through the 70's and 80's.


Further reading :
Little Joe is living history, by Naughty Mickie

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Valley Of Despair


Ned Costner

Low-Wolpert
 Nickel 501
 1961

"Valley of Despair", penned by James N. Low and Art Wolpert, was published by Red River Songs, a company owned by Johnny Bond, a popular and prolific country recording artist. 
Ned Costner had previously recorded for Hamilton Records a song  (probably better known by Jean Shepard, Capitol Records, 1959), called "Jeopardy", which is available on a Buffalo Bop compilation.  No further info.


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Don't Let Me Go



Jimmy Haggett
 
 
Morris - Pitts- Haggett
Arva Music BMI
Vaden Records #116


1959

The top side "Today's Reality" can be heard here.
 
 
 
Haggett (right) with John Mays (left)
Dee jays contest day at KBOA (apparently Mays was the winner)


Jimmy Haggett, country and rockabilly singer hailed from Illinois.  He played with several bands before forming the Ozark Mountain Boys.  He also worked as a disc jockey for KBOA in Kenneth, Missouri, and WWYN and KLCN in Arkansas.  Haggett cut records on several labels, including Sun Records (1956), Meteor (57), Caprock, Vaden (1959) and K-Ark (1960).
More info about Jimmy Haggett is found at the excellent 706 Union Avenue Sessions website powered by John Klompenhouwer.


Jackie and Arlen Vaden

Vaden Records, based in Trumann (Poinsett County), started as a mail-order company featuring gospel music. It soon grew into a regional studio that released music by such blues and early rock and roll artists as Bobby Brown, Teddy Riedell, Larry Donn, and many others who went on to regional and national fame. 

In the early 1950s, husband and wife Arlen and Jackie Vaden of Trumann were singing gospel music all over northeastern Arkansas in a group called the Southern Gospel Singers. They also started singing on local radio stations in Osceola (Mississippi County) and Blytheville (Mississippi County) and soon branched out to stations in other states, such as XREF in Del Rio, Texas, and XEG Radio in Fort Worth, Texas; XREF and XEG broadcast out of Mexico and were much more powerful than U.S. stations. The Vadens taped their shows in Trumann each week and mailed them to radio stations. On the shows, they would offer records of their music for sale, as well as those of other gospel singers featured on the show. The mail-order company that became Vaden Records was a big business for the post office in Trumann, receiving orders every day.

With the advent of rock and roll, Arlen Vaden decided to branch out and release some other types of music.

Monday, March 17, 2014

I Gotta Know


Lonnie Nye

I Gotta Know
Lonnie D.Knie
Sage Brush Music Bmi

Lo-Lon LO-45-101
P.O. Box 972 Yakima, Wash.
1959

Elvisy effort.  The next releases on Lonnie Nye's own label gives location as Arcadia, Calif. (#102) and Caldwell, Idaho (#103).

Is he the happy winner of a scratch game found here ?  Probably.


Sunday, March 16, 2014

My Dearest Prophecy


Richard Wilkinson And His Drifters

Wilkinson-Smitherman
Queen-ette BMI

Tone TO-1126
Cameron, Texas
1956

Probably Richard Wilkinson  b.1935 who died June 1, 2011 in Celina, TX,  He worked as maintenance supervisor for Texas Utilities.  No further info about this local Cameron band.

Song co-writer Smitherman is probably Gene Smitherman, long-time owner and polka DJ for KMIL-AM in Cameron.     Gene had been a co-owner since 1958 and had presided over the popular  Polka Party Time weekdays from 1-2 for many, many years. 

This record was likely produced by Wink Lewis.  Wink Lewis got his start in the Texas/Louisiana area and in the mid 50s, moved to West Texas where he teamed up with Hoyle Nix. This year, 1956, Wink Lewis was doing a daily two-hour record show over KMIL, Cameron, Tex.  Like so many back then,  Wink was not only a deejay, but also did some recording. While at Cameron, he and some local musicians formed Tone Records.  One of the records Wink recorded was ‘Zzztt, Zzztt, Zzztt” on Tone.



Saturday, March 15, 2014

Jack The Ripper



The Valiants
Jimmy Friis & "The Valiants"

Ridge Records
Park Ridge (Illinois)

1964


Jim Friis also recorded as vocalist of The Jacemen (Larson Records) and on Allstar Records with the Valiants.   This Ridge 45 was also issued on Allstar.



A recent photo of Jim Friis holding up the "Serpents And Spiders" record (Allstar)
Picture credit : MusicMaster Oldies


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Rock Pebbles Rock


Little Red and The Rocking Hoods

(McGee)

Richland Recording
Columbia, South Carolina
1967
 
The Rocking Hoods, 1967

Family combo led by the dad who actually built a sort of recording studio next to their house, which was just across Pinebelt from Keenan HS, on Upland Drive in Columbia, South Carolina.

For a few years you couldn't go to many public events [around their home town, I assume] without seeing them play.  



Saturday, March 1, 2014

Wham Bam


 Jo Ann Miller


Carroll-Griggs
JaMar Publishing Co. 6562 Patrick Dr. Dallas, Texas/ M.L. Griggs BMI
Jag 250

1965

A pallid interpretation sure to please to the song-poems aficionados.

"Wham Bam" originally issued as 'Hot Damn',  was a very risqué record for the times, especially with a girl saying it, whose lyrics in part go :  A new stud / I happened to meet / He's a real sharp bone / He's real neat / Now should I act just like a lamb / Or should I say hot damn? // On the day that / He hit this town / All of the chicks / Began to gather around / Now did I act just like a lamb / Or did I say hot damn?  

The not sanitized version is available on "Great Rockin' Girls" (Collector Records (CD 4409)

Mary Lois Griggs, a former singer and guitarist from Griffith Switch, a Texas whistle stop near Alvarado, Texas, began writing lyrics in the early sixties.  Now a physical education teacher she recruited some local singers, arrangers and musicians and started her own publishing company and record label, Jag Records.  

Jag Records issued about ten singles and one album, all songs penned by M.L. Griggs.    Sharon Leibow And The Jag Singers, Jerry Hitt, Tony Harrison, B.J. Wright and Jo Ann Miller were the vocalists who delivered the words of the enterprising teacher..   Several of her songs were put in music by Billy Winston Baker whose name appears on the first Andy Starr rockabilly release on Lin Records (Dig Them Squeaky Shoes, Lin #1009, 1955)


Jo Ann Miller was raised in Arp, Texas (pop. 850).  A graduate of Texas State College for Women, she spent four years in college as a vocalist for the school orchestra. She also captured the much sought after, title of "Princess of the Red Bud Festival," one of the highest honors presented to the loveliest girl in the school.   In 1953, she was the featured singer with Blue Barron and his orchestra.

She was working on her master's degree in archeology at Columbia (New York) when Tommy Dorsey heard her sing in summer stock and hired her.   She recorded a full album for Audio Fidelity Records ("Unrestrained", AFPL 1864).   

She may be also the Jo Ann Miller who recorded for Tally with Bonnie Owens as The Kern County Sweethearts (1956) and for Scope Records ("Talk To Me" / A Brand New Man", but it's not confirmed.