Sunday, March 29, 2015

The Cavemen (Capitol Star Artist)




The Cavemen


18285 ~ All About Love
 (Albert Cretacci, Jr., Red Pol Music Co. BMI)

18286 ~ Bo Diddley 
(R. McDaniels)

Capitol Star Artist
Rochester, New York
Produced by Fine Studios, Rochester, N.Y.

There was (originally) a sax player, Denny Puricelli, but he quit for whatever reason.   The group was formed in 1963 in Buffalo, New York. During that year other members came and went.
 
Jimmy Crouse and Joey Calato were the ones who started the band.   They  started out as The El Dorados, but one of the guys in the band wanted to change the name to Alley-Oop & The Cavemen after the song, ‘Alley-Oop’ by The Hollywood Argyles.   They  all thought it was kind of neat so they agreed.   After a while they dropped the name to just “The Cavemen” because macho man Al didn’t like being called Alley Oop.
 
The Cavemen primarily consisted of Joey Calato, drums; Jimmy Crouse, lead guitar; Ron Gorski, rhythm guitar; Harry (Skip) Miecheski, bass guitar; Al Cretacci, lead vocals; and Sammy Sparazza, keyboards.   Sam joined after the recording in 1966.   Ron Gorski passed away in a car accident in 1969. 
 
 
 
 
An Interview With Joey Calato and Jimmy Crouse can be found at 60sgarage Bands here

An alternate take of All About Love can be found here



Friday, March 27, 2015

Billy Bownds on Vamalco


Billy Bownds
and Gil Baca Orch.

CP-6439 - I Got A New Babe
CP-6440 - You’ll Cry A Little Bit
both wr. Billy Bownds
Moss-Rose Pub., Vamalco Pub. BMI
produced by GC & JHM

Vamalco V-507
1506 Truxillo, Houston, Texas
1961


GC, one of the producers, is possibly Gene Crawford, star of "Gold Coast Jubilee," which was beamed each Sunday over KTRK-TV, Houston.  Billy Bownds recorded for at least two other Houston diskeries, namely Ark Records and Bow and Arrow Records. 


The name Baca for more than a century has been a part of Texas history along with the famous “Baca Beat.”    Gil Baca was the third generation Czech musician.  He began his musical career at age 9.   Gil began playing the piano at the age of fourteen and Kermit his brother was nine when he started playing the drums.   In 1949 Gil and Kermit went on tour with Tennessee Ernie Ford and then went on to join Hank Thompson’s group that toured the USA and Canada.  In 1952 Kermit was drafted into the U.S. Army where he formed his own band while stationed in Alaska for two years.   Gil appeared on the Kate Smith Show and other top TV shows.   Later Gil and Kermit formed their own band. The played at various Houston clubs and made appearances on Channels 11 and 13.   Initially, they played popular tunes but that changed when Ray Baca, their father,  joined them.   They added polkas and waltzes to their repertoire. They recorded the famous Baca Waltz and Gil’s Polka.  In 1967, they cut an LP featuring Ray Baca on the dulcimer. 


 

Saturday, March 21, 2015

The Ohio Oil Company Chorus


The Ohio Oil Company Chorus  
 Richard M. Swisher, Director
LP Findlay Recording Co. FR-6101
 1961 (December)
 
Side One (CP-6927)
1  It's A Grand Night For Singing (Accom. By The Findlay Civic Concert Band)
2  All The Things Your Are
3  Oklahoma
4  Climb Every Mountain
5  He's Watching Over Israel
6  Battle Hymn Of The Republic, Robert Feller, Solist, Accomp. By Judith Crosser And Keith Miller

Side Two (CP-6828)
1 South Pacific Medley (Harold Smith And Keith Miller, Solists)
2 March Of Freedom    Accom. By Findlay Civic Concert Band
3 This Nation Under God  Robert Busick And Ivan Oge-Narrators (Acomp By Findlay Civic Concert Band)
Director Richard M. Swisher Accompanist Judith Crosser And The Findlay Civic Concert Band
Findlay Recording Co.  Box 105 ,Findlay, Ohio
 
*

Organized in May 1959 by a small group of employes in Ohio Oil's general offices, the chorus grew to more than a 90 voice group. Richard M. Swisher is director. The chorus presents a varied choral repertoire which includes religious hymns, spirituals, patriotic songs, show tunes and novelties.


Sunday, March 8, 2015

Ray Gambio and the Darkest Hour



Ray Gambio
and the Darkest Hour

25596  The Mountain

Tuff-Nuff

Full Bloom Music, BMI  
101 W. 55th St. New York, N.Y.
 
The Tuff Nuff label was created by a local business man Ritchie Martin, to promote Bob Hughes and his band. ( see GarangeHangover).  Artists on the label were from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.  

This Ray Gambio release (or more exactly the publisher, Full Bloom Music) has a New York City address.

Ray Gambio has previously recorded as a member of The Del Rays (recordings on Planet, a Rhode Island label, and Carousel).  See here




Elmer Jones & Viola Dickerson (Cozy)


Elmer Jones & Viola Dickerson

25594  - Lazy Man's Blues

 Cozy 580/581
(1970)






The Missionettes (Cabut LP)



The Missionettes


The King Is Coming


Side One [27663]
The King Is Coming
He Touched Me
Why Should I Worry Or Fret
Victory In Jesus
The Longer I Serve Him
His Name Is Wonderful

Side Two [27664]
How Big Is God
The Old Rugged Cross Made The Difference
I've Been With Jesus
Sweet Holy Spirit
Without Him
Lovest Thou Me

Cabut 2011
 
Cabut Recording Co.  
516 South Shore Drive 
Lima, Ohio 45804

Piano accompaniment - Mrs. Dennis L. Boss; 
organ background music - Mrs Fred C. Isch; 
photographer - Mr Keith Miller

The Missionettes have been singing together for two years. They all are members of the Shawnee Alliance Church,in Lima, Ohio. The accompanist, Mrs. Dennis Boss is the mother of Debbie and Denise.
 
The Missionettes are sisters Debbie (17) and Denise (14) Ross and Kay Forney (18)
 
1971




The Missionettes

Davie Lee with Emmett Carter Combo


Davie Lee
 with
 Emmett Carter Combo

CP-1323 - You Told Me
(Lee)
Jame-Earl-Isrel-Dave-Carter

St.Jude 3031
Subsidiary of Carter Records, St. Louis, Missouri
1957




Friday, March 6, 2015

Little Miss Darlene (Star-Light)



Little Miss Darlene
(America's Sweetheart)
Teen-Queen

CP-2301 - Huddle Me, Cuddle Me
CP-2302 - Daddy-O

Star-Light 83151
both wr. Casteel-Clarida, Eagle Pass Pub. Sesac
  full names : Esther Casteel and Orville Clarida
1959
(Copyright: July, 20 and August, 3)
  

Little Miss Darlene is the daughter of Esther Casteel.  She performed at early age in the early fifties on many programs from Los Angeles to Portland and recorded for the Western Ranch Music Record label which was owned by her mother.  She was known then as Baby Darlene.

Esther Casteel was a three-quarter Sioux Indian adopted at an early age and reared by an English father and an Irish mother who had migrated to her native mid-west state.  In 1940, she moved to California where she designed her own recording label - Western Ranch Music - in 1952 at Thornton.

Orville Clarida(1910-1990) C&W singer and sonwriter from Texas  Orville Clarida was a member of the Florida County Music Hall of Fame in 1972. He wrote and recorded "Mother's Understanding Heart"; "Along the Rio Grande"; "The Smile on Your Face"; "Divided"; "Angel Queen."


Eagle Pass Pub. SESAC was started in 1956 by Dallas Eugene Turner in Hollywood.

Dallas Eugene Turner (1927-2014)  aka Oregon's Favorite Yodeling Cowboy, The Roving Ranger, Yodeling Slim Dallas and Cowboy Dallas Turner. 

Dallas Turner, a native of Yakima, Washington  was considered the Pacific Northwest's most popular yodeling cowboy.   His colorful life was enhanced by his frienship with his idol, Mexican border radio's Cowboy Slim Rinehart (1911-1948). who put the young cowboy on Mexican border radio where he worked for over thirty years, learning the art of bilking listeners with worthless elixirs between yodel songs.   According to Dallas Turner :
 There were only three things that would sell on the border (radio) and that was health, sex and religion. We had the Happy Relief Toenail Adjuster - there wasn't any demand for anything like that. How many people have an ingrown toenail? Very, very few. But if a man is impotent, he will pay any price to find something that will work. Or if it's religion, (they want) peace or success. And everybody wants good health. But you've got to get something that really is different. If it's something that they can go into an ordinary store and buy, they won't buy it from ya.




***

Label picture and audio clip are from this ebay auction

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Buddy Paul on Murco

  
Buddy Paul

CP-3275 ~ This Old Town  (Is Such A Lonely Place) 
(Dick Martin, Cajun Pub. Co. (BMI)

CP-3276 ~ Foolish Me 
 (W.B. Sepaugh, Bla-Mar Music (BMI)

Murco 1018
1960


Buddy Paul


CP-4136 - Trust Me 
(Dick Martin,Ca-Se-Mar (BMI)  Bayou State (BMI)

CP-4135 - They Stuck To Their Guns
W.B. Sepaugh, Jr., Ca-Se-Mar (BMI) Bayou State (BMI)

Murco 1022
1960



Buddy Paul's real name was Buddy Sepaugh.  He previously recorded for Mira Smith's Ram Records as Endom Spires in 1957 and, as member of The Four B's, for D Records in 1958.  [1]
Buddy Paul co-produced with Mira  Smith her “Country Store Party” show to tie up with the records released by her artists on Ram Records.   The show was presented on Thursday night from The Venus Theatre, a 650 seat venue, located at 2426 Lakeshore Drive. The show was also performed at the Courtyard Theater Bldg located at 2400 Lakeshore Drive.   He was also c&w disc jockey and commercial manager at KCIJ, Shreveport,

[1]  The Four B's were a vocal group who worked on the Louisiana Hayride for four years from 1955.  All their first names began with B.  Brad Ingles was originally from Ohio but had been stationed in Louisiana.  Buddy Sepaugh was from Shreveport, Bob Mc Gee was from Longview, Texas and Ben Nordine was from Shreveport.  They had worked with Johnny Horton on his SESAC Repertory album and sang back-up on several Ram singles.  Their record on D  was their only single under their own name. (source : Colin Escott)


Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Donna and Eddie (Spartan Productions)

Donna and Eddie

30473 - - I'll Pay You Back
30474 -  Crying Over You
Spartan productions

Recorded at the studios of Rite Records
1972


Clips





Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Leebonny on Leebonny



Leebonny

38551 - Just A Fan
38552 - Let's Not Dream 

Both wr. Leebonny published by
Richie Publ. Co. BMI 
Box 335 Califon, N.J. 07830)

Produced by John Beavin 
Leebonny Records 
Box 385 / Glen Gardner, N.J. 08826

1977





 This is Bonny Lee Bakley (a.k.a. Bonnie Lee Bakley, a.k.a. Leebonny Bakley),

From Wikipedia:
Bonnie Lee Bakley (June 7, 1956 – May 4, 2001) was the wife of actor Robert Blake.  Bakley was fatally shot while sitting in Blake's parked car outside a Los Angeles-area restaurant in May 2001.

Bakley dropped out of high school at age 16 and decided to go to New York City to pursue a career in modeling and acting at the Barbizon School of Modeling. She was married at 21 to her first cousin Paul Gawron and had two children with him: Glenn and Holly. The couple divorced in 1982.
In an effort to support herself, Bakley began a mail-order business sending nude pictures of women, including herself, to men. She also ran "lonely hearts" ads in magazines advertising for a "male companion". After communicating with the men who answered her ads, she would ask for money for rent or travel expenses.  Bakley's business and scams eventually afforded her enough money to buy several houses in Memphis and a house outside of Los Angeles. She was unsuccessful, however, in her Hollywood career as a singer and actor under the stage name Leebonny.

From Murder In Hollywood: The Secret Life and Mysterious Death of Bonny Lee Bakley, by  Gary C. King
Bonny [...] befriended a would-be rocker in Palisades Park, New Jersey named Robert Stuhr.  He apparently had some peripheral connections in the movie industry.  Stuhr managed to get Bonny and his own daughter parts as extras in the 1985 movie, Turk 182, which starred Robert Urich and Timothy Hutton.  The part in the movie led nowhere, but Bonny persevered.  Her friend Sturh also ran a music company called Norway USA and she recorded some songs that were considered by many to be absolutely awful.  One of the songs was called "Rock-A-Billy Love," and another, recorded under the name of Leebonny Bakley, was called "Tribute to Elvis Presley" and contained a line in the lyrics that read, "Rock and roll will never be the same, Rock and roll Leebonny is my name."
[...] She recorded another song that was just as bad, if not worse.  The only difference was that the 1970s song, "Just a Fan," turned out to be somewhat prophetic if judged by the song's lyrics, "I am chasing a celebrity ... there's no future in it I can see."  (There was a recent attempt to auction an authentical copy of "Just a Fan" on eBay after her death, with a minium bid of $1,000/  However, after ten days the bidding was closed without a single bid having been recevived.)
  By 1990, Bonny found herself in Memphis, Tennessee, where she was determined to meet her idol, Jerry Lee Lewis.

One copy of this record is currently on eBay here

Monday, March 2, 2015

Sharon Scott on Miracle


Sharon Scott 
(Sterlings)

CP-2247 - Whisperin' 
(Bobby King)

Sharon Scott
CP-2249 -  Please Tell Me What To Do 
(Chuck Coffee)

Miracle 002
Arranger Chuck Coffey

1959


Clips



Another NRC related label.  Master number on a side is an error (should read 2248). Sterlings on a side is the name of the backing vocal group.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

The Checkmates on Northwest 1009

 
The Checkmates

12011 - West Side Whizz [Vocal]
12012 - West Side Whizz [Instrumental]

both wr. D. Jakary, Skintone Music Co. BMI

Northwest NSC-1009

Northwest Sound Company
14958 Ardmore
Detroit, MI
Full name of the songwriter is Daniel A. Jakary.
Skintone Music Co was owned by Julian G Skinner


Clip (vocal side)