Paul Durham

14525 ~ Mean Woman Married Man Blues
14526 ~ Nobody Loves Me

Both Paul Durham, McDowell Music BMI

McDowell Records #507
828 So. Lawrence St.
Montgomery, Ala.

1965

15301 ~ The Way I Love You (sample)
15302 ~ She Lied

Both Paul Durham, Sandspur Music BMI

Sandspur Records
PO Box 192
Deatsville, Ala.

Division of Little Lou Records
1965

Sandspur Records was Paul Durham's own label.

Perhaps he was this Paul Durham (but his voice sounds not quite like the voice of a 37-yr old man?) :

Paul Durham was born on July 07, 1928 and died on February 03, 2004 at the age of 75 and the social security number (SSN): 423-32-5454. Paul last resided in Deatsville, Alabama in Elmore County.

There was a Paul Durham, disc jockey at KOGT, Orange, Texas in 1955.  According to Billboard, Paul Durham " is planning to open a record shop in the near future. Durham writes, "I have been plugging record sales for other shops for years, so I figured I might as well make something out of it myself.  It also gives me a chance to pick up interesting tidbits on the new platters and on personalities from the distributors."

Gary Hahn / The Vibrants on Delphia

 

Gary Hahn

20757 - Goodbye Girl

(Words & Music Gary Hahn)

The Vibrants
20858 - Something Else

Delphia 1
R.D. 1, Windsor, PA

1967

Jack Rains and His Melo Tone's on REM

Jack Rains and His Melo Tone's

CP-4045 - Your Heart 

(Jack Rains, Fayette Pub. BMI
Vocal Roland Hyatt and The Blazers Guitar Kenny Whalen

CP-4046 - Don't Go Away *

(R. Hyatt - J. Rains, Fayette Pub. BMI)

Vocal Roland Hyatt and Albert Blakley, Guitar Kenny Whalen

* hear on YouTube


Rem 301

1960

Note : this is the second use of #301 on the label (first is Tommy Baldwin) #302 not yet found. So...

Guitarist Kenny Whalen was born in Bourbon County and is a graduate of Bourbon County High School.  He began playing music in high school  and played with many bands after graduating from high school.  In 1967 Kenny recorded a song called " Stop the World" backed with an instrumental called "Wheels," (Buttila 925).   Another single on the same label was  "Green Back Dollar" / "Next Time I Fall In Love".   Some of Kenny's favorite guitar players are: Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Les Paul, to name a few.   Kenny still plays today with The Travelers, a band he formed in 1967.

Bandleader Jack Rains (Jack O'Rains, Jack O'Neal Rains) was born in 1931. His brother was country singer and disc-jockey Mack Rains.   In Lexington, Kentucky, he operated  the Rains label  from 1961 to 1963 and, later, in Winchester, Kentucky  (Rains Recording Co., 1092 Flanagan Sta. Rd.), a few other labels such as Buttilla, Nashville Allstar, Needle-Mate and Reka.

Geraldine Altmyer on Gerry

Geraldine Altmyer

23715 - Lonely And Blue
23716 - You Gotta Have Love

sample

Gerry 001

Route 2, Sewickley, PA

1969

Beautician grandmother records her first song 

"My, but I'm lonely tonight. I need you only tonight," sang Gerry Altmyer as she was working one evening in her beauty shop, Mount Nebo Road, Ohio Township.  But she stopped suddenly and said to herself, "Where did I get that tune from? Hummmm." She went to her organ, sat down and finished the song that she hadn't realized she even started! - "It was after the Christmas season last February, and I was feeling down and bored that night.   So, I unconsciously started singing what I felt. "And that was that. 

Now, Mrs. Paul Altmyer has made a record, on her own label (Gerry records). On one side is her first song, "Lonely and Blue" "On the flip side is a song I wrote when I was inspired by a sermon in church one day. It was the second song I wrote and it's sort of a jazzy tune, 'You Gotta Have Love.' Mrs. Altmyer says she has always liked music. "I always wanted to cut a record, but, " she laughs, "I got to be a grandmother before it happened."

Mrs. Altmyer has been a beautician since she was 18 and has owned her shop on Mount Nebo Road for 20 years. After she had written-her songs, Mrs. Altmyer had a friend transpose them onto music paper.   She then obtained a copyright, had background music arranged and went to the recording studio Dec. 17 and cut the record. "I wasn't really nervous. It's just such a thrill to hear yourself on a record, singing songs you wrote yourself."

The record should be released by mid-January. Mrs. Altmyer has three children, Mrs. Lee (Janet) Sazton, 1010 Homer St., Perrysville; Mrs. John (Betty) Corson, of Colorado, and William Klug, of California.  She is the grandmother of three. Of her musical accomplishments she claims, "My husband is proud, but he doesn't say much."  Will the singing beautician make other records after this one?    As her song goes, "You gotta have faith in your heart if you wanna succeed. You gotta be proud. You gotta believe."   from North Hills News Record 24 December 1968



Ohio Township grandma still singing

Whatever happened to Ohio Township's singing beautician? Three years ago. Mrs. Paul (Gerry.) .Altmyer. a grandmother, started to write down what she sang...

Today she's still singing -- and accepting royalties. Mrs Altmver. who has lived on Mount Nebo Road more than 20 years, said. "I'm still writing lyrics for new songs.  Mv latest record. 'Little Old Church.' and 'Hangup Blues.' is on local " jukeboxes as well as other sections of "the state " Mrs Altmyer said she's sent records to disc jockies all over the United States, Australia, Canada and England.  Her first songs. "Lonely and Blue" and "You Gotta Have Love." are also on jukeboxes   She has formed her own company "Gerry Music " '

Her records have been played on an Ambridge station, WTAE. KDKA and WPIT. "You Gotta Have Love" was picked by Brite-Star Promotions as a pick hit in Billboard Magazine Mrs. Altmver also sings in area restaurants and at club meetings.   from North Hills News Record,  May 5, 1971

Gerry 002 (1971 )

Note the same 23715 number as Gerry 001 on left, 

but this is not a Rite pressing

Singer on Gerry's second issue is Jim Lea, who had recorded few song-poem records :

RCI 3003: Mystery In Hanoi  / Death Valley

Tropical 138: World Without Love / I Better Go
Tropical 156: Just Pass Me By / other side by Country Church Singers
Tropical 164: You Can Light Another Candle / other side by Charles Vickers
Tropical 170: The Doing Of Our Thing   / 5 O'Clock Friday
Mickey :  You Don't Known (What I'm Missing, Baby) / ?

The Ithacas on Fee Bee

The Ithacas

 
22045 — If You Want My Love

(McConnell, Donnator Music BMI)

22046 — Gonna Fix You Good

(Teddy Randazzo-Victoria Pike, Vogue Music BMI)

Fee Bee 220

1968

McConnell, writer of the A-side, is possibly Robert McDowell, better known as Bob Mack.  B-side was first recorded by Little Anthony And The Imperials in 1966 (Veep Records)

Ron Kincade With The Kountry Kings

Ron Kincade

With The Kountry Kings

 

   23533 - Count Me Out 

Dewey Long, Autum Pub. BMI

 

23534 - Counterfeit Kisses

 

Big Sound Records

Box 546,  Richland, Wash. 99352

Country label possibly owned by Alden William "Shorty" Holloway (1925-2013). Anyway, he certainly owned Autum Publishing.

 

 

On Shorty Holloway, see :

• http://www.hillbilly-music.com/news/story/index.php?id=8990
• http://hillbillycountry.blogspot.fr/2013/02/alden-holloway-on-dixie.html

Big Sound label discography, see :

• http://www.45rpmrecords.com/ST/Big%20Sound.php  

The Cochran Family (Carpenter's Records)

Richard Cochran And The Cochran Family
31217 ~ Banjo Special 

Reno & Hobbs, Lois (BMI)

Little John & The Cochran Family
31218~ Maple Sugar

Carpenter's 2001/2

Recorded At Carpenter's Studio

Sutton, West Virginia

1973

The Cochran Family had also an album on the same label, the same year : The Little John And Cochran Family– Pick Memories Of Old Time Bluegrass.  Details HERE.

Label later address was in Cottle, West Virginia.   Partial label discography HERE

The Cochran Family (1976)

Hailing from Diana, W.Va.,  the Cochran Family consist of five children ranging in ages [1973] four through fifteen years of age under the leadership of their father, "Daddy Frank".  Little John, age 7, Lindo Jo 4, Richard Lee, 10; Bert Steven, 11 and James Franklin, 15.  Besides appearing regularly on Jamboree USA radio show heard on WWVA, the Cochran Family has toured for the West Virginia Department of Commerce and appeared at many of the fairs, parks and bluegrass festivals around the country.

Nervous Norvus on Neale

Nervous Norvus

12953 - Cowboy Soldier

(A.W. Crawford, Neale Music Ascap)

12954 - Wa-Hoo 

(A.W. Crawford, Neale Music Ascap)

Neale 45C-726-101/102

     

   1964

[ P.O. Box 3294, San Bernardino, Calif. ]

Unlisted Nervous Norvus song-poem record recently offered on ebay by donnchriss ("morbid novelties", winning bid $82,99)

As Jimmy Drake, Nervous Norvus has already sung the poetry of the same A.W. Crawford on Rally Records issued the previous year and also pressed by Rite Records. See Jimmy Drake on Rally

On Singing Jimmy Drake (Nervous Norvus) see :

http://www.songpoemmusic.com/drake/afterlife.htm
http://www.songpoemmusic.com/drake/
http://www.songpoemmusic.com/drake/discog.htm

★ 

Owner of Neale Records was Roy Neal Wrightman.  Born in 1889, Neal (or Neale) Wrightman has been involved with music since the early twenties.  He was a musician, a songwriter, a music publisher and record labels owner.  Before his (final?) establishment in San Bernardino, Calif., Neale Wrightman has used various addresses in Charles City, Iowa, in Chicago, in New-York, in Hollywood and San Francisco.

Labels he owned includes Wrightman ("Songs That Satisfy") and its subsidiary Robinet (1947-1952) and Wrimus ("A New Enjoyment in Recorded Music with the Ultimate in Sound", 1956-1961).  The last trace of the activity of Neale Music is a 1968 copyright for "Stand Up America", with mention of a Statue of Liberty sticker (?).  I have no idea of what is that (sheet music perhaps?)

Neale discography

http://www.songpoemmusic.com/labels/neale.htm 

http://www.45rpmrecords.com/ST/Neale.php 

Wrightman Records

The Hillbilly Researcher has posted a Wrightman Records discography HERE, and several audio files and labels shots as well.

Bill Parker on Showboat

Bill Parker

And Showboat Band

CP-4097 ~ Showboat (Bill Parker)
CP-4098 ~ Hard Times  No 2 (Paul Mitchell)

Showboat Records 501

 

1960

Willie Parker Guidry, Jr. (Legendary Bill Parker) was born in 1927 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.   He began in the music industry as a trumpet player but the "lip swelling" quickly directed him to another instrument.   He chose the playing of drums which proved to be to his liking.   

Bill Parker had a string of gimmicky releases with his Showboat Band. A Veteran of the Lake Charles scene, Parker worked with James Freeman and Clarence Garlow before oganizing his own popular band featuring vocalists Jesse "Blues" Palmer, Little Miss Peggy and Claude Shermack; guitarist Chester Randle later made soul records for Eddie Shuler's Anla label. 

Bill Parker himself eventually moved to  Oklahoma City  where he operated the Showboat label.

He later moved to the West Coast and formed his new band called"The Concrete Band," touring with Bobby Blue Bland and many others. He formed Optune Records and discovered Carol Shinnette.

 

He died March 11, 2003 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

 

Gene Carpenter / Ernst Joines on Dag Gone

Gene Carpenter / Ernst Joines

28649  — Roof Boltin' Daddy
28650 — They'll Never Land a Man on the Sun

Gene Carpenter/Grayson Music

Dag Gone Records

(Grayson County, Virginia)

1971

Gene Carpenter (1910-1999) was born in Allegeny County, North Carolina, and lived in Grayson County, Virginia.  He worked as a roof bolter in a West Virginia underground mine.

 

 Carpenter uses miner terminology and an unmasked dialect for he intended this to be heard in his own community among other miners..  This song (Roof Boltin' Daddy) originated close the song's subject matter, Carpenter really did bolt the roof in the mineshafts and had pride, a deep connection to his work.. His songs would have retained deep meaning within the camps and it was not expected to become popular within other demographics'

From "Lusty Air from Ailing Lungs : Coal Mining Songs in Appalachia"

The Digital Library of Appalachia has preserved several Gene Carpenter interviews (and singings). MP3 available HERE.

"Skip" Connors on Circo

"Skip" Connors

16643 ~ White Rose
16644 ~ Hearts Win You Lose

Circo Records 102

A Product Of Stereophonics Corp.
New Bedford, Mass.

1966

Stereophonics was owned and managed by W Edward Metcalf.  Sound engineer (and also acting as producer) was Carl German. From 1966 to 1966, some 50 singles were issued on Circo and Arco, two labels who shared the same numerical series.

In 1968, Stereophonics was renamed Metcalf Recording Studios with records issued unto the seventies on labels such Sadbird and Laurel.

Arco/Circo discography (45s only, but at least one LP was issued : "Fabulous New Organ Sounds of Dave ' Mr Talent'  Fredericks".

A Hodge-Podge Of Off-Beat Jazz

Music For Collectors
Presents
A Hodge-Podge Of Off-Beat Jazz

857 45th Avenue

San Francisco Calif 94121

Late 1969 or early 1970

Side 1 –  #25555

That's a plenty (Slim and his Hot Boys) --
St. Louis blues (Broadway Broadcasters) --
I'm wild about horns on automobiles (Billy Hays orchestra) --
Gut bucket shuffle (Harris Brothers Texans) --
Goin' back to Tennessee (Boyd Senter and his Senterpedes) --
The same old moon (Virginia Willrich and her Texas Rangers) --
Down where the blue bonnets grow (Phil Baxter orchestra) --
She's a gorgeous thing (Doc Daughertry orchestra) -

Side 2 –  #25556

Aristocratic stomp (Paul Tremaine orchestra) --
Wha'd ja do to me (Snooks and his Memphis Ramblers) --
Band box shuffle (Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra) --
In a corner (Cecil Scott and his Bright Boys) --
You need some lovin' (Johnny Dunn and his band) --
Variety stomp (Fess Williams and his Royal Flush Orchestra) --
Weary stomp (Curtis Mosley and his Dixieland Blue-Blowees) --
Washboard wiggles (Tiny Parham and his musicians).


1927-1931 jazz band recordings regrouped by San Francisco collector Stephen Prosper.  Further Stephen Foster compilations for collectors were re-issued on Alan Roberts' Sunbeam Records, a jazz re-issue label out of Van Nuys.

Stephen Prosper died sometimes in 1974 or 1975.


(Record found at Alexander Stewart's blog Collector Not Complelist

Alicia Karrol on Jon-Don

Alicia Karrol

14939 – You Excite Me

 

JD-105

E. Forest & P. Connelly, Sandra Music Publishing Co. BMI 

sample

14940 – Feeling Of Love

 JD-106

 

E. Forest & N. Meadows, Sandra Music Publishing Co. BMI

Arranged-engineered by Earl Forest

Jon-Don 2011

1965

 

Unknown torch singer Alicia Karrol, perhaps from Memphis.

 

For another record arranged and engineered the same year by drummer and singer Earl Forest, see http://thatsallritemama.blogspot.fr/2010/02/earl-forest-on-tuff-stuff.html

Joey Welz on Bat

Joey Welz And His Rock-A-Billy Piano

CP-2356 - Boppin' The Stroll

(Joey Welz, Gil Music Corp.)

CP-2357 - Shore Party

BAT 100

A Fly By Night Recording

BAT Records
2203 Maryland Ave.,Baltimore 18, MD.

[October 1959]

First issued record of the self-proclaimed “Boogie Woogie King of Rock n' Roll”. 

Joseph Wallace Welzant was born in 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland.  Welz has written over 1000 published songs, recorded over 35 vinyl albums, 75 singles and 60 CDs.   

Official website

Joey Welz, Louis Hinkle, Charles Shriner

Joey Welz: 

I first started the band business of making Baltimore our stomping ground for this new type of music. We were the first rock & roll band in Baltimore and actually our roots were rockabilly. The group was called the Jayrockers with Sam Cataldie on drums, and Jimmy Staggs on guitar, myself on piano and we had a bassplayer by the name of Greggard and later replaced by a slapping bassman by the name of Flirby. The Jayrockers made their first recordings in Baltimore in 1955 "The Jitterbug Rock", "I'm Lonesome" and "You're The One".  The way that this worked was that I figured if I could get a group togehter I could open for Bill Haley and get to know the band and consequently that's what happened.   

In 1957, Joey formed a new band known as the Rock-A-Billies. The line up featured: Lou Hinkle on drums, Charlie Shirner on lead guitar and Flurry (or Flirby?) on stand up bass. By this time, Joey was using the Monumental Studios in Baltimore, and got a more professional sound with Will Taylor at the controls as engineer.

Quite of interest is a recent post on the tapwrecks blog titled :  Boy With A Dream (and some scissors and glue) .... The Real Joey Welz (Baltimore 1950s-70s / Lancaster 1980s-present) . Excerpt :

For years, Joey has promoted his act out of his house and has his own rock'n'roll museum. He cuts and pastes his face into photos of famous musicians including the Comets and the Beatles for his press kits. Many of his original songs from the 50s and 60s have his more recent Roland keyboard and drum machine inexplicably overdubbed, so it's really hard to know what to make of the "Joey Welz Legend."

 

Danny Reeves on L.G. Gregg

Danny Reeves

9495 - Little Red Coat 

L.G. Gregg and Danny Reeves, L.G. Gregg Music Pub. Co. BM

9496 - Judgement Day

L.G. Gregg Records #1001/2
8414 Fulton, Houston, Texas

1963

This is certainly the same Danny Reeves who had recorded two rockin' singles.  The first was on Pappy Dailey's D Records ("I'm A Hobo", 1961). The second was on Troy Caldwell's San Records ("Spunky Monkey", 1962). Both are listed by Rockin' Country Style discography.  

 

On this one, Danny isn't really singing, he's just speaking on a music background.  Nothing more is known about him.  

L.G. Gregg is perhaps L.G. Gregg who was the founder and pastor of the Pilgrim Baptist Church of Houston.   And, more recently, a L. G. Gregg Ministries Company was based in Mesa, Arizona.

At the address printed on the label, there is no house today, just a empty lot.

The Vocalaries Of Newport News, Virginia

The Vocalaries Of Newport News, Virginia

29973 — Nobody Knows

(George Washington, Dora Music BMI)

Vocal George Washington

29974 — Rescue Me

 (Jerry Bond, Dora Music BMI) 

Vocal Daryl Harris

Spiritual Produced By Bill Johnson/Earl Long

Pinewood Records 

2732 Beachmont Ave.
Norfolk, Virginia 23534 

(Best On Wax)

1972 (August)

The Vocalaries had at least three singles on the same label before this one.  

Pinewood label discography

Pinewood owner, manager and engineer was Bill Johnson.

Chester Hooks And The Vibrants

Chester Hooks And The Vibrants

16173 ~ Long Route Home

(Chester Hooks, Georgianna Pub. BMI)

16174 ~ 60 Seconds
sample

 

Knoll 168

1966

Label owned by Doris Knoll. Address of Georgianna Music Publishers was 16004 Euclid Avenue, East Cleveland, Ohio.

Glenna Dean Case (Brite Star 767)

Glenna Dean Case 

With Ray Guyce And His Lonesome Valley Boys

CP-3333 ~ Thank You So Much (Ray Guyce)

CP-3334 ~ Broken Hearted (Marshall & Geraldine Page)

Both Starday Music BMI

Country Music

Vocal With String Accomp.

Brite Star 767

Mt. Vernon, Indiana

1960

(Billboard, Jan. 23, 1961, C&W)

Ray Guyce and Glenna Dene

(from http://www.hillbilly-music.com/index.php)

Glenna Dene was born in 1944 in Evansville, Indiana.  She also recorded on the Eunice record label in 1960-1961 (See Rockin' Country Style)

Ray Guyce discography (compiled by Dick Grant)

Writers of "Broken Hearted"  were from Grand Prairie, Texas.  Marshall Page was one of the Original Texas Wranglers, hillbilly group heard on KCLW radio in Hamilton, Texas in the early fifties. 

The Crusader on DIP

The Crusader

18839 – Wake Up, My People
18840 – We Need Wallace For President

   DIP

P.O. Box 96

Beech Grove, Indiana

1967

George Wallace, Conservative governor of Alabama, ran for President in the 1968 election as the American Independent Party candidate,

"George Wallace forged an alliance with many country singers, such as Autry Inman, Hank Snow, and the Wilburn Brothers, who participated often in his campaigns for the Alabama governorship and for the presidency.  Racism was certainly one factor which contributed to Wallace's popularity, but his southern rural/populist roots also made him appealing to many of the "good old boys and girls" who picked guitars and sang.  Wallace identified with country music, but he also spoke the same language, ate the same food, and responded to the same cultural traditions (both good and bad) that most country musicians understood.  He linked his southerness with their own, while also tapping vaguely understood, but often legitimate, feelings of alienation that many Americans everywhere felt.

The George Wallace-country music alliance was a major factor which contributed to the music's rediscovery by the media - the belief that at worst the music represented reactionary and racist politics, or that at best it spoke for alienated American working people."

 From "The Reinvigoration of Modern Country Music", in Country Music U.SA., by Bill C. Malone


Credit : Label and sound file are from "Here Comes Rock And Roll"  Collector CLCD4522. 

The Symphonics on Bock

The Symphonics

CP-5027 –  She's My Girl

CP-5028 –  Milliionair Hobo

Bock 5001

March 1961

Based on the Rite account (#446) found in dead wax, this has to be from Ohio, perhaps Cleveland.  The earliest known release from account 446 is Falcon #501 Milan Shepel, Rip It Up b/w Blueberry Hill.