Billy Brown

Ray Willis
(The Piccadilly Hillbilly)

Billy Brown

Pic 3019

1967?

Ray Willis had a long association with Atlanta's Pic Records, as all songs on this label, excepted the one by The Frantics, were written or co-written by him and all published by DeLong Pub. Co. owned by Pete DeLong, who was also probably the owner of the label.

Ray Willis was associated with RCA's Jerry Reed and managed his Vector Music publishing company during his big hits "Amos Moses" and "When You're Hot You're Hot".   He also wrote several songs with Ronnie Sessions. In 1974, he was V-P and general manager of World Music Corporation whose board of directors included Faron Young and Porter Wagoner.  

Probably not to be confused with the country singer and copper-miner who came from Colorado (LP on Alshire Records), nor with the rockabilly singer on Jan Records ("Whatta Ya Do", 1958), nor with the songwriter of "Beatnik's Wish" (Patsy Raye & The Beatniks, Roulette Records, 1959).  But who knows? 

Still, I can't find any explanation for the "Piccadilly Hillbilly" billing on label.  Did he came from London before moving to Georgia?

 
Pic Records

DeLong Pub co.
1112 DeKalb Ave., N.E. Atlanta
1199 Arbor Vista Dr. N. E.  Atlanta

62 —2069/70  Ray Valenti & The Queens Men
For You, My Love / Fire Beneath The Snow

64 —3001/2 Lee Duncan 
Millie Gets The Willies / Cargo Of Tears

65 —3005/6  The Frantics
Why /  (Do The) Jack-Knife

66 —3007/8  Charlie "Chuck" Waggon
So Near, Yet So Far Away / Gonna Stick To You

6x —3016 Charlie "Chuck" Waggon  
Wishy Washy Love / ?

6x —3019 Ray Willis (The Piccadilly Hillbilly)
Billy Brown / Mary, Oh Mary
     

Old Bob Harder (The Living Legend)

Lady Love Long
Old Bob Harder (The Living Legend)

Mary E Bates  W B Hendricks

Shmebb Records

1979




Mary Ellen Bates (1941-1983)
from Iuka, Mississippi,

wrote the song with William B. Hendricks

Baby Should I

Don Morse with the Characters
Baby Should I

Ann White, Jamige Music Co., BMI

GC Records 101

1515 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH
1957

Another obscurity on a label owned by Gene Carroll, who hosted his own TV show for years in Cleveland. The first on the label ?

GC Records discography

Old New Orleans

Johnny Jungletree

Old New Orleans
 

Arr. and cond. by Leroy Glover; Prod. by Laurence Weiss
Kapp 715

1965

This is John Leslie McFarland (1926-1971), an eccentric New York songwriter and pianist.  One of his first song he composed, "You Dyed Your Hair Chartreuse", was recorded by Louis Jordan in 1950. 

His numerous compositions have been recorded by Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, to name few.  He recorded himself four singles and one album, but there is possibly more pseudonymous records still to find, I guess.

Discography

1957  - Brunswick 55004  as Pumpkin, with chorus and orchestra dir. by Dan Fisher  (March 1957)
Boom-Boom / ½ Past 17 (¼ To 21)

1957 - Jupiter 45-3 as Johnny McFarland  (May 1957)
Please, Evelina  / Talihi

1959 - United Artists UAL 4053  (LP) John McFarland Sextet (Nov. 1959)
Provocatif - 9 exotic motifs

1960 - Top Rank 2060 as John McFarland, produced by Sonny Lester   (august 1960)
Pumpkin Juice Perfume / Oakey Doakey

1965 - Kapp 715 as Johnny Jungletree, arr. and cond. by Leroy Glover; Prod. by Laurence Weiss (Nov. 1965);
Old New Orleans / Why Me

Kind Words

Wendy Andrews
Kind Words

Bertha Druding, Therese Music ASCAP

D.V. Records 901

 

No info.  Hollywood label certainly.  No other known releases on D.V. Records.