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.

My Dearest Prophecy

Richard Wilkinson And His Drifters

My Dearest Prophecy

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.

Jack The Ripper

The Valiants

Jack The Ripper

Jimmy Friis & "The Valiants"

Serpents & Spiders

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

Rock Pebbles Rock

Little Red and The Rocking Hoods

Rock Pebbles Rock

(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.  

more images

Wham Bam

 Jo Ann Miller

Wham Bam

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.