Friday, February 3, 2017

Fran Owens, waxmate of the month

Fran Owens was born in the small town of Bingham, Maine. She was on stage at the age of four.   She continued doing variety shows in the state of Maine until the age of 12.  She studied classical piano, tap dancing, twirled batons, sang and got parts in school plays, all the way through high school.

At the age of 15, started singing with a 5 piece band at proms and Lakewood theater, in Lakewood, Maine.   After high school, she married and started a family. She moved to Portsmouth, NH and sang at Jimmy Cante's" Fisherman's Pier". She got a contract in Nashua, NH and moved there for 8 years. She then moved to Salem, NH where her girls graduated high school.

She has traveled extensively, and has performed in Las Vegas, Reno, Laughlin, NV, Lake Tahoe, CA, Branson, MO, Nashville, TN at the Grand Ole' Opry, South Florida, New York, Boston, South America, the Caribbean, Barbados, Canada, New Orleans, LA, and Atlantic City, NJ.

"Many Sides Of Fran Owens" is presumably her only vinyl album. It was recorded in the seventies for Fleetwood Records (BMC 5101), with Charles Beckler on piano, Jim Snow on drums and arranger Ronnie Des Marais, on guitar.  The back cover included praise from critics, among them Ken Mayer, Boston Herald-Traveler :

"This gal packs a throaty sound in a well curv'd container, and with proper spotting, could make it big.  She screams sex. "  ...
Today, a Miss Senior America pageant, Fran is still performing today and has dedicated her singing career to nursing homes, adult day cares, assisted livings and senior centers.  She performs in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts

Fran Owens website


Tuesday, January 24, 2017

I'm Wondering


Mike Haskins
with The Valeneers

I'm Wondering

Shadow Records #105
1963

 
Group rocker on the Shadow label out of Bristol, Tennessee owned by Joe Morrell.   The Valeneers were also featured on the following Shadow release, backing Sam Thomas (Bowling Twist/ Trust in me)
The flip, in the doo wop vein, can be found indeed on YT  



Saturday, January 21, 2017

Angie Monaco



 
On White Top Recording (1962-1963)  he was Angie Monaco, on Kable (1963-1964) and Mickay's (196x) he was Mel Anton.  His real name is Angelo Stocchi from Michigan, vocalist with The Checkers (1964-1965) who played locally in Detroit, Michigan in the mid-sixties.  File under "teener", I guess.


1 -Angie and the Monoco's-True Love-White Top        
2 -Angie and the Monoco's-Sad As I Can Be-White Top  
3 -Angie Monaco-Confess-White Top                    
4 -Angie Monaco-Hey Love-A Love-A-White Top          
5 -Angie Monaco-Heart Breaker-White Top              
6 -Mel Anton-Third House Second Block-Kable          
7 -Mel Anton-Don t Treat Me This Way-Mickay's        
8 -Mel Anton-Love Is Born-Mickay's