Will the real Gin Gillette please stand up?

 

"Train To Satanville" by Gin Gillette is a song that had intrigued a lot of people, wondering who she was. There was some speculation about Gin Gillette being actually Robie Lester, owner of the Musikon label, but, as we'll see and hear, it's not the case.

Born Virginia Boyle in 1931 at her father's ranch just outside Gillette, Wyoming. By the time she was nine years old she was riding in rodeos throughout Wyoming and Montana. By now people were stopping to listen to the voice of the little rodeo queen. In 1952 she joined the Special Service Unit of the 7th Army and toured Germany where she met and married in 1955 Kenneth "Thumbs" Carllile (Carlisle), a guitarist from Missouri who performed in the same Special Services division. Together, they appeared later on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee in Springfield, Missouri from 1956–57, both as a soloist and with Bill Wimberley's Country Rhythm Boys with whom Virginia recorded on the Morton Levand's Tex label. In the late 50s, Virginia and "Thumbs" performed in Billings, Montana and appeared on KOOK-TV.

For Musikon Records of 3456 Floyd Terrace, Los Angeles, she only recorded two tracks as Gin Gillette in 1961. The conductor listed on the label was Jessie Sales, who at first known as that great Dixieland drummer from Denver, and when in California, he became an essential part of the recording scene for blues and R&B on the West Coast. Sailes has been described by studio bassist Carol Kaye as being a bit more of an outsider on the L.A. studio scene,  Sailes' greatest and most personalized appearance on a rock record would have to be on the single that many fans consider one of the great classic rock hits of all time, "Let's Dance" by Chicano rocker Chris Montez.

 In 1961, her husband Thumbs Carllile met guitarist Les Paul. Impressed by Carllile's skill and his wife's songwriting, Les Paul recorded  the duet at his home studio in Mahwah, New Jersey (Les Paul on bass, Mary Ford on rhythm guitar, and Gene Paul on drums) The record, issued on Epic Records as by Thumbs Carlyle and Ginny O'Boyle, was advertised in a Billboard full page in June 1962 (Les Paul and Mary Ford proudly present their sensational new discoveries)  

Please read this interesting story from 2018 here by Gabriel Owens "Meet Virginia, a Kroger employee with a country music past"

Gin/Ginny/Virginia Carllile/O'Boyle/Gillette discography:

Virginia Carllile -  Where Are You (Tex, 1955)
Virginia Carllile - Tired Of Your Honky-Tonk Love (Tex, 1955)
Gin Gillette - She'll Never Let Him Go (Musikon, 1961)
Gin Gillette - Train To Satanville (Musikon, 1961)
Thumbs Carlyle & Ginny O'Boyle - Indian Girl, Indian Boy (Epic, 1962)
Thumbs Carlyle & Ginny O'Boyle - Now that you're leavin' me (Epic, 1962)

Hear Virginia, Gin & Ginny
(the keyword is satanville)

Ginny in 2018

 

Rip It Up

Little Linda Lou
Rip It Up
1964

Linda Lou Andrews (circa 1959)
Photo credit : Jacksonville State College

Born in Alabama, Linda Lou Andrews, after graduating from Jacksonville High School, Alabama,  entered Jacksonville State College, where she again became a favorite of her classmates. She started singing at the age of 10 with a number of bands while in college, among them the C-Notes, a well known local group.(above ad from 1962).   Little Linda Lou  joined the Frankie Brent Revue in the early part of 1963 and, with Frankie Brent, recorded just one single for Epic Records. The flip of Rip It Up is Summertime sung with Frankie.

Next, she worked in revues on the east coast and toured the country as a single for three years before joining forces with Lyle Thurman, an organ major from the University of Oklahoma and they began performing as a duo - mostly in night clubs in and around Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1971 they expanded their sound with Rick Cope, a drummer and a few short months later with Kenny Mills, a guitarist. In 1972, there was an album recorded at the Derrick Recording Studios. Linda Lou died shortly afterwards.

Linda Lou and The Three For All (1972)

Mrs. Linda Lou Andrews Kotzin, 31, of Tulsa, Okla., in Biloxi, Miss., after a short illness. At the time of her death, Mrs. Kotzin was manager and entertainer at the Tradewinds Motel in Biloxi.

My Dog Loves Your Dog

Little Murph & his All Stars





My Dog Loves Your Dog



Little Murph Walks

Cleveland, Ohio recordings first sliced under other banner according to an article published by Billboard ('Bought Masters' Building As Big Factor in Industry, Billboard Jan. 13, 1957 issue) were bought by Epic Records.  Both sides written by Harmon Jones.

"My Dog Likes Your Dog" has been covered by The Cupids (Decca), Homer & Jethro (RCA) and The Diamonds (Mercury).  On each of these covers, the song is as well credited to the mysterious Victor Loyd Bevel and this is his only song appearing in the BMI online database.

Harmon Jones, if he wasn't Little Murph himself, is probably the vocalist on the top side. Harmon, as "Hump" Jones, Harmon "Hump" Jones or Hamp Jones had further releases on Vision and East West. Also, he was the credited vocalist of The Jolly Jax on their Monticello release.

Hamp Jones picture
From an East West Records ad
Billboard, 13 Jan. 1958