James Prince (Z 3)

James Prince

Z 3

Rite account # 985
11007 - Christmas Time
11008 - Too Late For Christmas

James Prince's previous release on the same label was Z 1 (probably the first release on the label) : Charriot Ride/Milky Way, a pair of guitar instrumentals. His guitar playing has been compared to Merle Travis and Scotty Moore. Charriot Ride was compiled in 1996 on Collector CLCD 2852 Boppin' Tonight, Vol. 2.



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Four Reputation on Millage

Four Reputation
Millage 105 [1967]
Detroit, MI. & Pittsburgh, PA.
20691 – Sorry
20692 – Call On Me

Very rare label owned by Odell Bailey. Much sought-after by the northern soul records collectors, this obscure label had about nine releases.

Millage label discography
101 - Kazia - I Say Please/ What Is My Last Heartache
101 - Tawney Vonne - I Say Please/ ?
101 - The Grant St.Exit - That's Why I Love You / I Got Soul
102 - The Captions - Hit It / Don't Take Your Love Away From Me
104 - The Contrails - Feel So Fine / Make Me Love You
105 - Kelley St.Clair - You Took My Heart (Make You Cry) /Funny
105 - The Four Reputation - Call On Me/Sorry
1042 - Kelly St.Clair - Darkness On Your Mind / Don't Look Over Your Shoulder
? Kelly St.Clair – Waitin On The Bus/ I’ll Give You The World

The strangest thing about this label is the stickers and rubber stamp that I've found on various copies :

Usually these stickers are found on complimentary copies sent by the label, by the producer or by the song's publisher to influent personnalities in the show-business (DJ for instance).
-- Then, was it some sort of association between the funeral home and the label? It's doubtful, I think.
--Or Sirloin & Leonard were given away records to their best customers?? Even more doubtful.
--Or some employee (or even the boss) of the mortuary has choose to mark his ownership on the records this way??? Perhaps.

The life is full of mysteries.

Update 2/2/2016 : On Millage Records see http://www.soul-source.co.uk

Reverend F.A. & Mary Roberts on Heaven's

Reverend F.A. & Mary Roberts
32867 - Heaven Was There / Without Him
32868 - Let The Spirit Descend / I'm Building A Bridge
Heaven's no #
Produced by Clarence Jackson's Ent., Moncks Corner, South Carolina.

Back in 1951, Clarence Jackson and his Carolina Wranglers were entertaining fans over radio station WJAY in Mullins, South Carolina. Clarence was known as "Carolina's King of the Steel Guitar". Clarence was appearing on WJAY in two different shows. He had a disc jockey show called "The Old Tobacco Barn" that was on from 5:00am to 9:00am each morning.

Later, the late Clarence "Hound Dog" Jackson had a daily radio show in the 1960s on WBER-AM in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, on which he occasionally played with a backup band including William "Hot Wire" Smith on steel guitar.

Clarence "Hound Dog" Jackson

In 1995, he privately published his autobiography titled "Ole Buttermilk and Green Onions : The Good and Bad Times"




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Emperor EM-F-3-61

Buddy Durham
CP-5005 –Miss McClouds Reel/Bill Cheatum
CP-5006 - Rancho Grandy/Twinkle Little Star
Emperor EM-F-3-61

The third release on the label in the year 1961. Square dance by old-timer Buddy Durham.

Buddy Durham

The Clifton Sisters on Delta

The Clifton Sisters
Delta Records No #
34289 - Precious Lord
34290 - Better Place To Live

I can't tell you much about this gospel recording by The Clifton Sisters but I can share some details of it's production. On January 28, 1975, James Thomas of the Soul Shack in Raleigh, North Carolina placed his production order with RITE Records for this recording. On April 18, 1975, the order was completed and his records were delivered. Two to six months was typical for production and delivery of RITE pressings during this time. RITE's Master Logs indicate that Mr. Thomas was a very good customer and ordered many records pressed by RITE during the 1970's.

View 1975 RITE Master Log Page for record above

Art Flow 3906

Delong's
15435 - I Want Your Love

Walter Warren Delong’s
15436 - You’re Never Too Young

Art Flow 3906

On the same Odell Bailey-owned label that issued the Four Townsmen, only much less sought-after. A third record on the same label is Art Flow 115 - Pete Martini : Would You Care/Goodbye on which I have no information.

The Cathedral Qt.
"Right On", LP, Eternal
30679/30680

From 1964 through 1999, a group many believe was the best Southern Gospel group ever toured the nation and the world. A tribute site maintained by Daniel J. Mount, editor of SouthernGospelBlog.com, can be found here.

Single B 112

Lorraine Jackson
Single B 112 (1971)
28215 – Game of Life
28216 – Take it Where You Found it
Detroit, Michigan
Arranged and conducted by Telldell productions

Northern soul on a label owned by Odell Bailey.

The Jim Johnson Trio

The Jim Johnson Trio
With A Bag Full Of Great Ones (LP) 1966
Mus-I-Col HR 1080
18265/18266

Easy listening album on a Columbus, Ohio label founded (as was the studio) in 1966 by John Hull still active today. (See a Columbus Dispatch article published in March 2008.

Mr. John Hull

Adco 713 (EP)

Jack Adkins
Adco 713 - EP
Cincinnati - Ohio
16329 - What You Will / Have Mercy on the USA
16330 - Say They Buried my Heart / They’ll Be Watching

Adco label discography
Jack Adkins biography

The Bridgeport Junior High School Band

The Bridgeport Junior High School Band
Mrs Marjorie McNalley, Director
Olympic Enterprises, Saginaw, Michigan EP
CP-3831 -Stars & Stripes Forever/Rock Around the Clock
CP-3832 - ?/?

Mo-Do 115

The Five Great Wonders
Mo-Do 115
Recorded April 26, 1970
26199 - I've Got To Make The Journey
26200 - Wipe Away Our Tears

R. Berry (the lead of the Five Great Wonders) had release(s) on the Monticello label.

Mo-Do discography and overview

Original "Housebreakers"

Original "Housebreakers"
No label name
Rite account : 935
8789 - Freddie's Blues
8790 - Corn Bread

I've found almost nothing on this record except that both songs were also issued on Bolo but as by Don Wright & the Housebreakers. Possibly from Michigan?

Emperor M-63-G-S-1

George Adams & Skinney Clark with Joe Tippie
Emperor M-63-G-S-1 (63)
10979 – Fairytale
10980 – Mister Heartache

George Adams first recorded in 1956. It was two of his own self-penned tunes, "Reckless Heart" and "I Gave My Love To Someone New" that they were released by James M. Black's Black Crest Records in 1956.

In 1958, George Adams was asked by long-time star of the WWVA Jamboree, Ramblin' Roy Scott to join his Country Harmony Boys band and become a part of that legendary Saturday night show.

George played the bass guitar in Ramblin’ Roy Scott's band, the Country Harmony Boys. He formed a bit of a duet team with another menber of the band, the lead guitarist, Skinney Clark. That gave some variety to the show. The two of them worked so well together that eventually the Jamboree gave them their own spot on the show in 1963.

From 1963 to 1971, George and Skinney developed into one of the most popular acts on the famed WWVA Jamboree. Their appearances took them across the Eastern United States and into Canada, going as far north as Nova Scotia.

The two of them recorded for several labels and would record songs that George had written. In 1967, they recorded a tune in Columbia's Nashville studios called "The Hurtin' Game" that was released on the Great Records label. It got them national airplay and appeared on many Top 40 charts.

Earl R. `Skinney' Clark later formed his own band, The Country Caravan, with John Carroll, Bill Thomas and Nancy King. He died in 2001.

Joe Tippie, a steel guitarist, played later with Tommy Wills and Jimmie Crane.

The Emperor label was founded in 1955 by Hardrock Gunter and Buddy Durham.

Emperor label discography
George Adams biography
Earl R. `Skinney' Clark obit

Cha-Tok 1002 - The Sterophonics

Cha-Tok 1002
The Sterophonics
11769 - Run On Little Girl
11770 - I Want To Shout


Detroit label. One of the labels managed by Ron Holmes and Charles Stokes from their Master Recording Studio, a very small studio located at 8325 on Joy Rd. near Grand River.
Other labels were : Mas-Tok, Master, Mas-Ter, Mag and (possibly) Mag-Oll.
Years: 1963-1966

Here is a (probably incomplete) discography of these labels :

Master 1020- Combinations : About You/Pretty boy (produced by Andy Martin)
Master 1030- Tridettes : So Strange/I know what you’re doing (prod. by Eli Fountain)
Master 3001/2- 4 Hollidays : Deep Down I My Heart / He Can’t Love You - 2/1964
Mag-Oll :- Ollie Lafayette & Ladies of Harmony:One Way To Heaven/Lord You Brought Me Out
Cha-Tok 1001 - - Dwight (Spider) Turner : You're Alone/Happy Story
Cha-Tok 1002 - The Sterophonics - Run On Little Girl - I Want To Shout 64
Mas-Ter 65-1 - Spider Turner - Calling Girls - Part.2. - 65
Mas-Tok 65-3 - The Ster-Phonics - Don't Leave Me - You Know I Love You 65
Mas-Ter 65-5 - Don Heart : Soul In The Back Yard - Bring Back The Love
Mas-Ter 66 - The Channels - Yo Yo/ same (instr)
Mag 4061 - Margaret Glover : This Will Never Do/Before We Part
Mag 4063/4064 - The Chanels : Dance Your Troubles Away/Four Walls (And A Radio)

The first four records listed were pressed by Stereo Sound in Chicago. Others pressings details are unknown except for Mag 4063/4, which is a Rite pressing :


Acknowlegments : Soulful Detroit website, a mine of information

Fred Cook and the Country Chord-inators

Fred Cook and the Country Chord-inators
32319 - Folsom Prison Blues

Van  and the Country Chord-inators
32320- Blue Star

See https://www.discogs.com/release/15904477-Fred-Cook-5-Van-13-And-The-Country-Chord-Inators-Folsom-Prison-Blues-Blue-Star

Joe Franklin And The Hi-Liters (Renown 114)

Joe Franklin And The Hi-Liters
Renown 114
Durham, North Carolina

CP-3789 - Swanee River Rock
CP-3780 - The Belle Of Tennessee

Swanee River Rock

The Belle Of Tennessee

Acknowledgments : whopfrog (You Tube), butchrvd (e-bay seller, Johnson City, Tennessee)




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The D.C. Christian Harmonizers of Washington D.C

The D.C. Christian Harmonizers of Washington D.C
Fink [1968]
2732 Beachmont Avenue, Norfolk Virginia 23504
produced by Bill Johnson and Earl Long

28197 - This World is in a confusion (wr George Tompkins, Dora Music BMI)
28198 - ?

Gospel groups The Southern Hummingbirds of Suffolk, Va and The Gospel Kings Of Portsmouth,Va. had releases on the same label.

Fran Porter on American Artists

Fran Porter
American Artists AA 667 [1968]
201 Essex Drive, Chesapeake, VA.

21441 – Dear Mrs. Jones
21442 – I’ve Got To Have A Man

Female Country in the style of Jeannie C Riley produced by Wayne”Bones” Butler.
Ernie Bivens wrote most of the songs recorded on this Virginia label, for which he recorded himself at least two singles.

Ernie Bivens picture on the sleeve of American Artists #672

Rev. C.E. Quick and the East Stonewall A.M.E. Zion Choir [1962]
7205 – the Blood
7206 – He’ll Make A Way

No information about the good Reverend. But the Church is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Amen.

Arlingon 106

The Harmony Four
CP-3739 – I Heard Him Knocking
CP-3740 - When I Join That Jubilee

White Gospel on a Birmingham, Alabama label owned by Homer Milam (he owned also Reed Records).


Arlington label [partial] discography :

Arlington 101
Norris Mims And His Band
Cp-1986 –?
Cp-1987 - Sweet Sweet Baby

Arlington 102
Chuck Wesley & The Highland Travelers 59/07
Cp-1990 ~ Ring Of Gold
Cp-1991 ~ Baby Baby Baby

Arlington 106
The Harmony Four
Cp-3739 – I Heard Him Knocking
Cp-3740 - When I Join That Jubilee

Arlington 108
John Henry & Steel Drivers 60/07
Cp-3987 ~ Sweet And Neat
Cp-3988 ~ I'm Gonna Tell On You

Arlington 109
David Hiser 60/09
4079 - ?
4080 - On Strike

Arlington 112
The Mann Sisters
?-One Moment
?-Just A Week Ago

Arlington 119/120
Sue Golden & The Illusions
7539 -I Ain’t Gonna Be Your Baby But One Time
7540 - Lonesome.

Perry McKinley and the Country Guildmen

Perry McKinley and the Country Guildmen
Label : Kingdom
Mansfield, Ohio
year: 1971
27401 – I’ll Hold You In My Heart ‘Till I Can Hold You In My Arms
27402 - These Blues Have Got Me Crying Again

Perry McKinley's recent picture

[Today] Mr. Perry McKinley, neighbor and friend of fiddler-player Krista Solars and her family, plays accompaniment acoustic guitar on all of Krista's CDs. When Krista performs live, Perry is always there to accompany her (and the show is never complete without a few of his jokes, either). A Free Mason, he also hand-makes guitars, mandolins, mandolas, and banjos in a workshop at his home. The guitar he currently plays on is of his own make, as well as one of the fiddles Krista plays on. [http://www.alittlefiddle.com/index.html]

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Johnny Putman (Silver Star)

Johnny Putman
32663 - Tioga County (God Gave It All To You )
32664 - Looking Down From The Mountain On Williamsport, PA.

Friends : How Long Has It Been

Friends : How Long Has It Been
[unknown numbers]

12" Vinyl Album : Rite Record Productions, Cincinnati, Ohio
Acoustic folk band from Kentucky. The band members are: Rita Simon, Father Bob Abel, Dave Blake, Denny Nash, Kevin Kelley and Jim Harzbarpher. Recorded at Falk Recording Service in Jeffersontown, Kentucky.

Tracklist:
1. Run Myria Run
2. How Long Has It Been
3. I Have Called You By Name - words adapted from Chapter 43 of Isaiah
4. Truchas, N.M.
5. Squaw-Man
6. Back Home Blues
7. A Love Song
8. Lights Of The City - Traditional
9. Cry Not In The Morning
10. Messin' Around

Dapper 1025

Dapper 1025
31185 - Get Out Of Bed
31186 - Visions Of Mind

Side 1 is a song penned by Livingston Taylor, brother of singer James Taylor ( Rangle is the name of the credited artist on this side) .
Side 2 is penned by V.Rangle (or Victor Rangel as the name appears in the BMI database). Recorded in Youngstown, Ohio, at the Peppermint Studios which was owned by Gary Rhamy..
The record has "Ellwood City, Pa." as address, probably the address of Victor Rangel/Rangle.

Vic Rangel recorded with the Bell Boys on Jamar Records (1968)


Peppermint records discography
Peppermint label discography
Gary Rhamy

Gospel soloist Felix Lark

Gospel soloist Felix Lark
Felix Lark
29753 – Steal Away
29754 – Cant’ Hide From God

Likely from Ohio, as Felix Lark (with the Jack Hart Trio) had a single on Pixie, a Dayton label in 1967 and also one side of a split 45 on Bim in 1961.

Inner Soul - Cherrie 2390

Inner Soul
Cherrie 2390 (1976)
36827 – Little Jack Horner
36828 – Put The Hurt On You


D.Whitlock & M.Davis - Lead vocals
M.Major - gtr, voc.
D.Hicks - bass, voc.
O.Franklin - voc., dms
S.Williams - keyboard

Soul music out of Daly City, California on a label owned by Cleveland White, best known as School Boy Cleve (1925-2008). Born in Louisiana, he was most noticed for playing the blues harmonica. His first big break came. in 1954-55 when he recorded with Lightnin' Slim in Crowley, Louisiana. He moved to LA in the 1960s, and then to the SF Bay area around 1970 and performed in many of the little clubs in the Bay area, sporadically.




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Ruth Fairchild and the All-American Quartet

Ruth Fairchild and the All-American Quartet, Vocal Ruth Fairchild
Paul Revere 45-001/002 - '64
1818-19th St., N.W., Washington D.C.

13319 - Politics
13320 - Dont Tread on Me (A Warning to Communism)

Donna Lynn on Trynorr

Donna Lynn
Trynorr T-0002 - (1963)
11405 - Till the End of Time
11406 - Lovin' is His Middle Name (wr. C.Matthews, Tell Dell Music BMI)
Rite client account number : 1089
Acknowledgments : E-bay seller soulmancandy (Bronx, NY)

I believe that is the first record of the same young singer [born in 1950] who recorded the following year for Capitol the novelty song "My Boyfriend Got A Beatle Haircut". She had also a pair of 45s on Epic and one single on Palmer, a Detroit label.

It is also safe to assume that Trynorr was just another of these one-off labels produced by Odell Bailey, considering his involvment in the other records with the same Rite client account and the name of the publisher (Tell-Dell). Among his one-off labels also pressed by Rite : Art-Flow (The Four Townsmen), Reuben (The Contrails), Del-la (Grant Street Exit).

Odell Bailey (1923-2004) was one of the first black pioneers to ever have a record store out of Pittsburgh. He later moved to Detroit. He helped George Benson get his career started and he helped Patti LaBelle get her career started. He owned Varbee Records (in Pittbsurgh) and Millage Records (in Detroit).




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Shell Hicks and the Ramblers

Shell Hicks and the Ramblers
Key (1965)
14219 – I need company
14220 – World I Lived before

Country/bluegrass

The Gospel Tones Quartet - Key 500 (EP)

The Gospel Tones Quartet
Key 500 (EP)
Kalamazoo, Michigan

11785 - Our Debts Will Be Paid / I Don't Mind
11786 - My Last Move / I've Been to Calvary

Acknowlegments : E-bay seller stuck-in-the-50s-and-60S, Dayton, Ohio; US $8.00

Clyde Reed and organ combo

Clyde Reed and organ combo
Tamper no #; 1963

9839 – Blue Skies
9840 – Tippin’

Instrumentals

Acknowledgments : rocksteady (e-bay seller, Cincinnati, Ohio) Item number: 400007343655, US $ 5, ending Nov-16-08.

Sky-Hi 1306/1307 (Cara Stewart)

Cara Stewart
Lee Hudson Orch.
Sky-Hi 1306/1307 - Huntington Station, New York- '62
8833 - The Day Jesus Was Born
8834 - Santa Claus Will be Here (wr Lou Jetter, Jetter Music, BMI)

Acknowledgments : E-Bay seller: riddlesburger, Havertown, Pennsylvania -and the Phil Milstein's American Song-Poem Music Archives

Ron Stewart: At the Red Dog

30841/30842...
Ron Stewart: At the Red Dog LP (1973), Roncar Records
Comedy

Real name Ronald Phillip Gratsch.

Born in 1932, Mr. Gratsch grew up in Mount Auburn and attended Roger Bacon High School. He was the class clown and learned to play piano by ear from his mother.

When he was 17, he joined the Army to fight in Korea. He was a flight radio operator in the artillery during the 1950-53 war. Although not fluent, he learned to speak and write Korean.

In the early 60s, he began his entertainment career as a piano player at La Normandy downtown and later teamed with local musicians Dave Baney and Red Ash at the downtown Holiday Inn.

He later added a comedy routine to his performances and moved up to nightly gigs and standing-room-only crowds at the Red Dog Saloon in Sharonville. When he finished at the Red Dog, he took his act next door to the Santa Fe. He also worked at The Tropics in Dayton and the Ramada Inn on Pfeiffer Road.

He died in 2003. Read his obituary.

Robert Zehm - Z 2

Robert Zehm with James Prince electric guitar - '62
Z 2; Poplar Bluff, Missouri
9235 - Has America Forgotten
9236 - Satan's Suitcase

Acknowledgments : The Pack Rat Store, Titusville, PA


As Bobby Zehm :
Z 11451/2
He Is My Dad
Sowing Rice


As Bobby Zehm :
Great 1270
Sitar Pickin' Man
Blow Me Down A Rat Hole Backwards

Vokes 114

Clint Felker & the Common People

Vokes 114 - '74 - New Kensington, PA
33801 - Battalion boots
33802 - Sunday memories

Howard Vokes owned the label.