When It's Time

Mike Rogers
Nashville Jamband

JOiFU 149

When It's Time
wr. joi dibrango - fu wilson

Oddity from 1975.  Who were Joyce Di Brango and Frank Wilson, sole owners of JOiFU Records, located at 102 Hobart Street, in Utica, N.Y.? I can't find much info about them. 

Joi (Joyce Lauraine DiBrango) was born in 1944.  A 1959 newspaper tells us that she was a member of The Utica Grammar School Girls Basketball League team that wins a city “sports day” tournament  and that she was from Roosevelt School.

Even more mysterious is Fu aka Frank Edward Wilson, born in 1912.

JOiFU Records was active in the seventies and released two "Broadway Musical Show" albums and several singles recorded by 

Mike Rogers, 
Gene Marshall, 

Gene Marshall & The Clicking Flicks, 

Jim Fraser, 

Big Jim Biji (Jim Fraser?) And The Biji Roks, 

Connie Heywey And The Biji Roks

Connie Wayne and the Winchester Beegees.

Text (mixing upper and lower case) found on the back of their second album cover is a complete nonsense :

Excerpt:

This is the 2nd Broadway Musical Project by ASCAP writers/publishers and record label owners Joyce Lauraine Dibrango "joi" and Frank Edward Wilson "fu" from Utica New York. They are experienced veteran professional all music artists, Jazrok is their paramount style and Frank's stint with the Utica Civic Orchestra brought the USA National Title to that Group in the 1950's.  

"Rocking with Barbara" song 5 explains "Queen Barbara" is the real USA all Music Queen. She is Real. You may see her any day at her executive office desk. Her 1970-1980 The greatest in all time USA history. That gigantic.

 More later, hopefully...

Frank "Fu" Wilson
Broadwady ASCAP

Oh Well-A-Watcha-Gonna Do

Gerry Granahan

Oh Well-A-Watcha-Gonna Do

Mark Records

1958

This is perhaps his best rocker. Written by Jack Hammer, the song was previously recorded by Harry Douglass and the Deep River Boys (RCA 47-7195, Billboard March 24, 1958). You can hear the RCA version HERE.

The Granahan story is told by various websites. I've tried to resume his story but the various sources are showing a lot of discrepancies. there is no mention of his (first?) record on Eldorado Records in 1956, a label owned by Buchanan and Goodman. The Eldorado record is only mentionned by Terry Gordon on his Rockin' Country Style, but no flipside is shown and no label scan found.

When the Mark record was released (April or May 58), Gerry Granahan had already records out on Atco Records (as Jerry Grant) and, as a member of Dicky Doo and the Don'ts, on Swan Records, one of the first release on the label.




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"Yaba Da Ba Do"

"Yaba Da Ba Do"

Andy and the Classics

The band began it's rock life as the Premiers in 1959. Performing at many local nightspots and high school and college concerts. The Premiers soon changed it's name to Andy and the Classics.

During the early 1960s the band frequently played before large audiences at DiCastro's in Sylvan Beach a club that during those days, was one of the "hottest" of local establishments.

The group comprised of Andy Cittadino (sax, vocals), Mike Carletta (guitar, vocals), Joe DePalma (drums, vocals) and Tim Maggiolino (bass, vocals).

Source : Stephen Roberts


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