Secretly

Cara Stewart
with Combo

Secretly

Kenneth Roberts, Roy Schroeder

Cedarlane Music, BMI

Top Fifty Records TF-151
1962

Quote from Phil Milstein  :

Although his studio featured one of the classiest, most distinctive and most accomplished signature sounds in all of song-poemdom, the name of Lee Hudson is little-known today because he never had a label to call his own, instead placing the productions of his eponymous, Southern California-based studio with existing labels or for use as private demos. What attention the studio did receive was further diffused by Hudson's emphasis of the name of his lead singer, Cara Stewart, on labels and in ads, keeping his own name that much further in the background.

Not that he could be blamed, for Cara Stewart possessed the finest female voice in the entire song-poem field. Supported by Hudson's light guitar comping and a "5 piece ork" simulated on a Chamberlin, her sultry mezzo-soprano would have leveled cities-full of men, had any of them besides the respective songwriters ever heard her sing.   Stewart's torchy blues-pop style invokes comparisons to Julie London and Marilyn Monroe, only with a better instrument -- at least better vocal instrument -- at her disposal.

Rockin' Rhythm

Bernie Roberts and his Orchestra

Vocal by Blondie

Rockin' Rhythm
B. Roberts-J.Meyer

Pageant Records 710

Juneau, Wisconsin

1962

Photo credit : http://www.polkamart.com/Biographies/TheBernieRobertsStory.aspx

The Bernie Roberts Orchestra began in 1944 and their recording career began in 1949 when they hit it very big with their first recording of the Jolly Musicians Polka.

At the age of 15, Bernie started playing the accordion and soon was playing for house parties, birthday parties, and for anyone who would listen. At 19, he joined a four piece band from Beaver Dam called Shorty and the Rhythm Ramblers. After World War II started, two members of the band were drafted and the band broke up. For two years he played for other bands in the area, getting valuable experience. Then at age 22, Bernie and a bass playing friend, Norbert Neis, decided to start a new band with a new sound. The result was the Bernie Roberts Orchestra.   Two of his brothers and two of his sisters joined the band. In 1949, the band released its first recording with the Pfau Recording Company in Milwaukee; in 1952 with the Decca Recording Company; and two years later, Bernie became a member of the American Society of Composers,

On Oct. 31, 1999, Bernie and the band were elected to the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame. From 1972 to 1999, he was a harness horse trainer, owner and driver, racing at tracks in the Midwest, Colorado and California.   Bernie passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004 in Anaheim, Calif.  

(Source of info : alt.music.polka forum)

Blondie Roberts played first trumpet on all the recordings
of his brother besides being the featured vocalist

Walking After Midnight

Sally Massey And The Rhythm Pals

Walking After Midnight

Don Hecht and Alan Block, 4 Star Sales Co.

Vogue S-8159-AA
1957

"A very late cover of the hit tune by Patsy Cline.  A nice job by Miss Massey, but it arrives much too late"  Billboard 6 May 1957

In January 1957, Cline performed the song on an episode of the CBS television program, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. It garnered a strong response from viewers and was therefore rush-released as a single February 11, 1957. "Walkin' After Midnight" became Cline's first major hit single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard country music chart and No. 12 on its pop chart.

Born in 1922, Sally Massey in her younger days used to sing on local radio stations with her sister Alice .  Sally then played guitar in the Rem Wall Band before recording for her own Sa-Ma label. She had at least two 45s on the Otsego, Michigan Vogue label in 1956 and 1957. There was also a much later single on Sims Records in 1964.

She was once married to Gilbert Jennings, a fiddler and singer.  She died at an unknown date.

Sunny Side Of The Street

Ricky Dee

Sunny Side Of The Street

Jimmy McHugh-Dorothy Fields

Shapiro & Bernstein Music BMI

Trio-Tex Records 104

Div. of G-B Recordings
Line & Phila. Rd., Easton, Penna.
G-B De Case Production
Produced by Bob Seawood

Backed by a cover of "A Thousand Miles Away" (The Heartbeats, 1957).   "Sunny Side" is also a cover.  Composed in 1930, the song was a hit for Frankie Laine in 1950.  (see Wikipedia)

Certainly related to Ricky Dee and The Embers (on Newtown Records). Same producers? Same band?  But the true identity of the vocalist remain unknown.  Curiously enough THE RICKY DEE AND EMBERS was incorporated - a rare fact at the time? - as a company on 12/17/1962 by Richard Wise, 426 Clinton Terrace, Easton, Pa.  Since there is no mention of The Embers here, should we assume that this record was done at an earlier date ?

Let's Have A Party

Susy Rose

Let's Have A Party

Sur-Speed Records

1971?

Susy Rose was seven year-old at the time of her first record (this one).  Her picture above is from the cover of a later album from the mid-seventies.  She also recorded for Rosette, Starr and Rome Records.  Originally from Prospect, Ohio, she is possibly now Sue Michael of  Worthington, Ohio.