Foeword : I'm well aware that the choosen title, The Skyway Records Story, may be a bit too ambitious, but what's the heck, how many labels compilations you bought which were not completely satisfactory? And mine is free.
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Skyway Records was probably owned (or partly owned) by Everett Lorne Whenham. Born in Canada in 1902, Everett Whenham came to California at an early age. In the thirties, he registered various inventions with the US Patent Office, such a patent for a shoe cabinet (United States Patent 2069635, 1937).
In 1943, Mr. Whenham was made American citizen. He was then a soldier at the army air base of St. Petersburg, Florida.
After the war, he became a songwriter (California Jack was his pseudonym) with a special interest for season's greetings. In 1944, one of his first songs being recorded was "Season's Greetings, A Cheerful Hello" by Yiddish jazz singers Claire and Merna Barry better known as The Barry Sisters. Copyrighted around the same time, several songs such as My Little Dog's Tail and Spring Fever Blues were later recycled on the Skyway label by The Duke And The Spacemen and by The Dream Dusters.
After the war, he became a songwriter (California Jack was his pseudonym) with a special interest for season's greetings. In 1944, one of his first songs being recorded was "Season's Greetings, A Cheerful Hello" by Yiddish jazz singers Claire and Merna Barry better known as The Barry Sisters. Copyrighted around the same time, several songs such as My Little Dog's Tail and Spring Fever Blues were later recycled on the Skyway label by The Duke And The Spacemen and by The Dream Dusters.
"Season's Greetings (A Cheerful Hello)," had also be used as a greeting card verse in Buzza-Cardozo's 1955 Christmas line. According to Billboard : "Skyway execs calculate that if 1,000,000 "Season's Greetins" cards are sold, their royalties will total $6,000. "
" Season's Greetings", if my count is right, has see five releases on Skyway, first by Pete Pontrelli (the first Skyway release in December 1953), also re-issued in December 1954 with a different flip, then by Gaylord Carter, another by George Cardini and finally by The Hatton Sisters.
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Closely associated with Skyway Records from mid-1959 was the mysterious Louise Lewis, later the main artist on the label. Her first appearance on the label was as the songwriter of the Curtis E. Williams single (Hula Hula Rock / A Star Behind A Cloud, Skyway #122 ). It seems, after the arrival of Miss Lewis, that Mr. Whenham was less and less involved.
Miss Lewis was still a songwriter for Skyway Records & Music Publications until the seventies, but I can't find evidence of releases, except Careful Hands / Mender Of Broken Hearts issued in 1974 on Skyway #145
The excentric Louise Lewis, aka Miss L.L., aka "Miss Matches U.S.A. was born in 1923. That's, unfortunately, the sum of my knowledge.
Miss Lewis was still a songwriter for Skyway Records & Music Publications until the seventies, but I can't find evidence of releases, except Careful Hands / Mender Of Broken Hearts issued in 1974 on Skyway #145
The excentric Louise Lewis, aka Miss L.L., aka "Miss Matches U.S.A. was born in 1923. That's, unfortunately, the sum of my knowledge.
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The Skyway Records Story
see comment for valuable info
103 - Playball - Jimmie Maddin
104 - I Like a Shuffle Beat - Jimmie Maddin
104 - I Stole De Wedding Bell - Jimmie Maddin
114 - Donkey Rock Elephant Roll - The Hatton Sisters
116 - Hassle It Jack - Bobby Hicks
117 - Boogie Man - The Dodgers And Johnny Angel
117 - Come On Pretty Baby - The Dodgers And Johnny Angel
119 - Big Mo - The Dodgers And Johnny Angel
119 - Poor Little Fool - The Dodgers And Johnny Angel
120 - My Little Dog's Tail - The Duke And The Spacemen
120 - The Big Green Door - Taldo Kenyon And The Spacemen
121 - Robin Hood Rock - Taldo Kenyon
127 - Is There Still A Chance - The Fanatic's
127 - Oogly Googly Eyes - The Fanatic's
128 - I Want Love - Jackie Gates & the Fanatics
128 - Teenage Rainbow - Jackie Gates & the Fanatics
129 - Barbie, Barbie - Fred Milton
129 - Midnight Ride - Fred Milton
134 - College Queen - Jim Ford
134 - Lazy Love - Jim Ford
135 - The Stranger And The Bomb - Louise Lewis
136 - Tumba Conga Cha - Vincent Romano & Miss L.L
140 - The Monster Miss - Miss L.L. Louise Lewis
140 - The Monster's Bride - Miss L.L. Louise Lewis
141 - Tiger Shake - Miss L.L. Louise Lewis
142 - The Astro-Mice (No Cheese On The Moon) - Miss L.L. Louise Lewis
143a -Wee Oo I Ll Let It Be You Babe - Karl Evans
144 - Wee Oo' Ill It Be You Babe - Miss L.L. Louise Lewis
145 - Careful Hands - Louise Lewis
