This Little Mama

 

 J.D. Brennan and Gold Fever

This Little Mama

Destiny DTY-8122S  (1982)

Destiny Records
31 Nassau Ave,
Wilmington, Mass. 01887

Massachusetts-based band led by guitarist and vocalist J. D. Brennan.
    Drums – Scott Esty
    Guitar – Bruce Esty
    Bass – Larry Feeney
    Piano – Joe Muise
    Saxophone – Whitney Lowe

From obit : James D. “Don” Brennan, formerly of Salem, passed away on February 25, 2012. In Hernando, FL,  He was 70 years old. Don was an avid musician who composed music and played guitar with his band, Gold Fever. He worked as an aircraft inspector for General Electric for over 25 years.

Discography (at Discogs)

Reform School Baby

 

The Ramblers  - a Massachusetts High School rock'n roll group - played from Sept 1958 til summer of 1961. They recorded several acetates, but none of their recordings have been released. The Ramblers were Ben Cobb of Newton Centre, pianist, Browne and Nichols student; Steve Berman of Newton Centre, guitarist and calypso singer, and Eddie Jones of Newton Highlands, drummer, both Newton High School students and Brehon Herlihy of Arlington, vocalist.

 
Reform School Baby

Endless Sleep 

 

Brehon Herlihy

According to a Boston Herald article from 2015 Brehon Herlihy played drums on Freddie Cannon's "Tallahassee Lassie"

January 1959, just shy of his 16th birthday Arlington-native Brehon Herlihy got tipped off by his pal Myles Connor, (yes, that Myles Connor, art thief extraordinaire), about an upcoming recording session at Ace Studios that required backing singers. Getting access to Ace studio meant connections to record hops and radio play much sought after by the aspiring young rock 'n' rollers. Connors had convinced Milton Yakus, Ace studio owner that his pal could sing both low and high (like the Alvin & the Chipmunks record that had just dropped).

Arriving at the studio they are disappointed to learn that the backing tracks will be "overdubbed" and their services won't be needed. The session is being cut by North Shore native Freddy Picariello who had made a name for himself fronting Freddy Karmon & the Hurricanes and had caught the eye of local DJ Jack McDermott. Originally titled "Rock & Roll Baby," Freddy's song had now morphed into an ode to a gal from Tallahassee who had a "hi-fi chassis."

After several takes the song seems to be going nowhere and the session drummer known as Carlos informs everyone he has a dentist appointment and has to split. Connor pipes up and says not a problem, Brehon is a great drummer and he can handle it.  Sensing the kids are taking over the guitarist too slips out and local kid Kenny Paulson who had been hanging around the studio looking for a break grabs a guitar and the magic happens.

Ava

AVA

This Ava Electris Cannie in all her glory, when she was still young and fresh. That was on Bosstown Records. From 1981 according to discog, but reviewed in Billboard in November 1982?. Title unknown, but you can see the picture sleeve (above)

Ava and the Tidal Wave Tour were:

Ava Electris Cannie - lead vocals
Jon Butcher - guitar
Jeff Linscott - guitar
Ben Kay - keyboards, backing vocals
Chris Martin - bass
Derek Blevins - drums
Jerry Martin - backing vocals

Alex Space, now a Tom Jones impersonator (no kidding), produced Ava Electris on the Ava and the Tidal Wave Tour. According to the press notes, Orbits keyboardist Alan Fiske helped her out, although he is not credited on the record itself.

Among other bad company, Ava later did some backing vocals for GG Allin.  Last news from her courtesy of Google:

Cannie, Ava Electris was born 26 July 1952, is female, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 12959 Hunt Club Rd N, Jacksonville, Florida 32224.

Ava, a female? I had no doubt. 

 

Pal Mal Rock

Velvet Voice 58 (EP, 1958) : Pal Mal Rock -Mal-3D's Starring Arnie Ginsburg in his first (and last) singing appearance / Arnie's Theme - 3D's / Ginger - Wayne Parker / Bonnie - Dal-Tones

Arnie W. "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg (1926-2020)

American Top 40 radio DJ known by his nickname, "Woo Woo" Ginsburg. Active from the 1950s through 1980s, popular for his zany on-air personality and use of sound-effects. Worked primarily in and around Boston, Massachusetts at stations WBOS, WMEX, WRKO and WBZ, among others; he was a member of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Baby Your A Jive Cat

Sheila Wilkerson
Baby Your A Jive Cat

rft records 3012

produced by Rik Tinory

Flip has been posted here (link updated)

Say It, Say It

Betty Jo Baxter

Say It, Say It

Freddy

(1959)


 

Betty Jo Baxter, born in 1930, performed regularly with the Freddy Guerra Orchestra and was also a regular on WBZ, a Boston, Mass. radio.  She was married to Jim Pansullo (a New England disc jockey) at the time of her first Vik single.

She also had records on Vik Records (1957-1958) and Brass Ring (1962)

I Get Shook

Dolly Gibson

I Get Shook

Circo/Arco SC 2133

1969

Boston Baby

Boston Baby

Russ Kendall (unissued)

I'll Go Crazy

Bob Hollicker, a six-year old young toddler threw a fit one day  Mother Charlotte decided to write song lyrics based on his actions. Father Joseph wrote the music. Their song (and dance)  titled "The Temper Tantrum" were introduced in May 1965 at the Forum, a Boston discotheque.   It received exposure on Boston radio and TV stations and in the local press. Alan Ross of Decca Records secured tape of music and film of the dance and sent it to New York. 

The next day the Boston press and radio-TV carried the message that this was the dance to do in Boston and the surrounding areas. “The Tonight Show” heard about the excitement generated by the dance and showed a film clip of the steps of the “tantrum” to a national viewing audience. At the same time it was brought to the attention of A&R staffer Dick Jacobs, who immediately flew to Boston to record “Temper Tantrum” with The Warlocks, the musical group that first introduced the dance.

The Decca record was cut, mastered and shipped all in the period of three days to keep pace with the national excitement being generated by the fad.  Charlotte Holicker made a guest appearance on “The Mike Douglas Show” to tell the story of the dance to the show’s vast syndicated audience. 

♬

I've not be able to found a video of the original dance.  However, a similar dance also called The Tantrum was featured in "The Cool Ones," a 1967 spoof movie of '60s teenage music TV shows like Shindig! and Hullabaloo.  You can watch it here

♬

At DeadWax, we are not going along with the crowd and we prefer the flip side, a cover of James Brown. The top side is available on YT anyway...

I'll Go Crazy

Kinsey's Book

Frank Wilson
The 4 Horsemen and the Wild Azeleas

Fenway 45-2000
1953

To conduct the groundbreaking sexology research, Kinsey and his colleagues interviewed more than 18,000 men and women. Their questions touched upon subjects like sadomasochism, extramarital relations, frequency of masturbation, and number of partners of the same or opposite sex. Once all the data had been gathered, Kinsey was able to break down sexual trends by age, socioeconomic status, and religion to assemble a portrait of human sexuality. The study demonstrated that some practices (like homosexuality, for example) that were considered socially unacceptable were actually quite common. Alfred Kinsey became a household name following the release of Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), two books that are together known as the Kinsey Reports.

. . . .

Despite his success (or perhaps because of it), Kinsey attracted more than his fair share of angry critics during the 1950s. Scandalized conservatives claimed he was supporting a communist agenda by eroding sexual morality and family values in America. The controversy surrounding his name hasn’t let up since Kinsey’s death in 1956. One area of research in particular, his findings on sexual behaviors in children, remains the subject of intense scrutiny today. He gathered the information used in these sections from interviews conducted with a serial child rapist. The man agreed to speak with Kinsey under the condition that he wouldn’t be turned in for his crimes. In a possible move to protect his subject’s identity, Kinsey credited his data on children to many sources instead of just one, undermining the integrity of his work in the eyes of many scientists.

Billboard article, 17 October 1953

Good old Phil Milstein has gathered in session 418 six Kinsey songs including one from Jamaica (Lord Lebby, Kalypso Records)

Kinsey's Book

Gonna Put You Down

Barry Wilson

and The Camelots

Gonna Put You Down

Dot 45-16462
March 1963

On this record, an article published by Billboard (in its April 20, 1963 issue) has the following details :

BUG ON WING IN N. ENGLAND

BOSTON - Out of a new dance known as the Bug has come a new record produced by the sales representative of highbrow music radio station WCRB, which will, of course, not air his record.

It grew out of a new twist dance popularized in this area by the trio of Barry Wilson, Bob Prunier and Mo Burnham.  Gene Kilham of WCRB produced the record, had it published by Famous Music Corporation, New York and sold to Dot.  "The Bug" is backed with "Gonna Put You Down."

The group was backed by four Framingham businessmen who were instrumental in getting the trio started on the dance in the Camelot Lounge in Framingham.  The dance is now spreading to other parts of the country and is popular in New England areas.

Barry Wilson led several local bands The Orchids, among others, and was the vocalist of The Lundon Fog (until 1973).

Can You Do It

Sheila Wilkerson
Accompanied by El Conjunto Azul  

Can You Do It

R. Tinory-S. Wilkerson

Hyannis Music BMI 
RTF 3012
Cohasset, Mass 02025

Produced by Rik Tinory

1968

One of the first production from Rik Tinory who established his recording studios in 1967 in Cohasset, Massachusetts.  The studios later hosted sessions by local artists Aerosmith and James Taylor, among others.

Sheila Wilkerson studied percussion with Don Alias, and with Don played in the “Los Muchachos” with Mark Levine on piano. She was their vocalist.   The group was the house band of a Boston nightclub called The Cave, on Boylston Alley, the venue was a hotbed of authentic Cuban music which attracted polished dancers to its floor. 

In 1969, she was in Hollywood with the Moacir Santos group.  Known to Brazilians as  ‘The Brazilian Duke Ellington’, Moacir Santos had his first US release on Blue Note Records in 1972, an album titled "Maestro".  You can listen to "Nana", from that LP, sung by Sheila Wilkerson on YouTube here

In 1972, Sheila was introduced to Stevie Wonder and she spent the week sitting on the piano bench with Stevie. Her vocal range was not right for the background singer’s slot Stevie was trying to fill, but later that year, he called her to record with him on two songs, “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” on the ‘Innervisions’ album, and “Big Brother” on the ‘Talking Book’ album. She was only credited on the ‘Innervisions’ album.

Sheila Wilkerson died unexpectedly in 2007.

More info, pictures and audio available HERE thanks to Paul Smith who dedicated a new website to Sheila, a woman he loved so much and who was his wife.

Justine

The Hi-Fi's

with The Reveleers

Justine

Harrington, Blue Hill Music Pub. ASCAP

AVR 5001
A production of Audio Visual Record Co. Hingham, Mass.
1960

Information below courtesy of Lennie Petze :

The HiFi's on AVR only recorded the one single. "Mr. Bee" and "Justine". 

The group consisted of three girls and a boy all in their young teens. They were Judi Harrington, Judy Harris, Carol Finch and Billy Mossman. The girls were all from North Weymouth but I'm not sure where Billy was from. During that time I had a band called The Rhythm Rockers and we would do record hops together and she introduced us to Lenny Collins who eventually joined my new band The Rondels.  

 Judi also married the lead guitar player in my group my cousin Jimmy Petze. Sadly Jim passed away in 1993. Judi lives on Cape Cod and we see each other frequently.  

Carol Finch tragically was killed in a car accident at 16 probably a year after the record  came out.

As far as The Reveleers, Len and Bobby Collins are doing well, Woody Cope became a Weymouth policeman now retired and I did hear that Jimmy Olsen had passed away.

The label was owned by Bud Winsloe (William E. Winsloe) who issued at least another 45 on the label by The Cymbols, also with the Reveleers backing (but Lennie Petze has no recollection of the Cymbols). Billboard magazine was rather pleased by the record which was reviewed in the Good Sales Potential section on April 25, 1960 :

THE CYMBOLS WITH THE REVELEERS ★★★  A False-Hearted Lover— AVR 5002 — Fresh-sound group does a folk-flavored piece of material. Lads have a good style here, with beat and zest. (Blue Hill, ASCAP)
★★  Springtime —  Fresh-sound vocal group does a ballad in legit style.  Group needs a more commercial arrangement, but has a pleasing effect nevertheless (Blue Hill, ASCAP)

More info about the Rhythm Rockers / Reveleers / Rondels here at their own website.

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).

Country Guitar Girl

Don West and Rose Lee
with the Sunset Playboys

Country Guitar Girl

Sioux Records

1966

<-- Country team of Don West and Rose Lee had a TV show in the mid-seventies on Channel Seven, Bangor, Maine.












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