Gracie Allen & Charlotte Barnes

Gracie Allen & Charlotte Barnes

Lark LR- 1111
Waynesboro, Virginia

26537 – Virginia’s Flood of ‘69

A tune about the powerful floods that soaked central Virginia in the aftermath of Hurricane Camille. Over 25 inches of rain hammered the area on August 20, 1969.

26538 - In Times Of Trial




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The Jeeps on Habana

Jeeps
Habana HA-111
May 28, 1960 stamped on label

Rite account number : 274 (Thanks Neil!)

3721 - The Crawdad Song
3722 - Bonito Diablo

"very primitive & hick version of the crawdad song backed with a great western sounding instrumental that has a gentry brothers - swanky - feel to it ."

Completely unknown label & band now offered on e-bay by No Hit Records of London. L. Baldwin is the arranger of the traditionnal "Crawdad Song". Possibly a member of the Jeeps?.

Acknowledgments : No Hit Records, Camden Town, London (UK)

Dennis Volk on Peek

Dennis Volk
Label : Peek
Norfolk, Nebraska

28309 – My Party Doll
28310 – Below The Bottom

Rite account number : 5284

Currently auctionned on e-bay (item #390022277408), this 45 has previously attracted the attention of some collectors : it was described as "rockabilly with piano". The auction ended on Nov.11 of the last year at 88.75 dollars. The current offer describes the record simply as "country". "My Party Doll" (no relation with the Buddy Knox hit) has been compiled on Rock And Roll With Piano, Vol. 10 [Collector CLCD 4494, 2006, Netherlands]. In my opinion, "uptempo country" would be a more realistic description.

Dennis Volk is an inductee of the Nebraska Music Hall Of Fame : his recordings, Dennis' Boogie and You Are The One, are considered two of the finest sides to come out of the midwest during the fifties.
They were issued on Fling Records, a New-York label, in the end of 1959. Dennis Volk died in 1991.

The name of Jim Hall, a familiar name to the Rite Records researcher, is printed all over the label : Jim Hall as the song publisher, Jim Hall as the producer, Jim Hall as the distributor. Jim Hall was previously involved in the same town in the Boney Records enterprise. See the Boney discography here. (ASPMA)

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Jack Atwell : LP on Maranatha

Jack Atwell
D. Michael Cagley, Accompanist.
LP "He Put A Song In My Heart"
Label : Maranatha

Rite #28787/28788

He Put A Song In My Heart
Ship Ahoy
He Looked Beyond My Fault
The Stranger Of Galilee
Holy, Holy Is What The Angels Sing
The Holy City

He Touched Me
Fill My Cup
It's Real
The Old Rugged Cross
For All My Sin
Down From His Glory

Ronnie Bell and the Contempos

Sound 191 [1968]
Detroit, Michigan

21621 - The Wandering One
21622 - More

Arranged by C. Snitchler
Produced by Bill Atkins

Easy listening

Jerry Wilson on Dusk & Dawn

Jerry Wilson

Dusk & Dawn 3303 [1978]
Adelphi, Maryland

39745 – I Like the music
39746 - Everybody Spread A Little Love

"Danville's own Jerry Wilson got his start as a vocalist for the integrated Soulmasters band in the mid 60's. The Soulmasters played the beaches of Virgina and the Carolinas, local Coke bottling plants, drive-ins, just about anywhere they could get a gig,..."

Norma Nelson

Norma Nelson

Brite

17323 - St. Louis Woman
17324 – Hazel Eyes


"Popish R&B with guitar"

Humble Mud

Humble Mud
Label : Mudwerx
Nr. : MW-10002
Savage, Minnesota
Rite account number : 5569

30415 - African Judy
30416 - Born Loser

"A pair of rock tunes - includes members of the Litter and the Strangeloves"


Thanks to oldsberg [Jordan, Minnesota]

Jack Arwood Show

Jack Arwood Show
Live At The Little Missouri Saloon
Sunrise Lp 103
Hamilton, Ohio

Rite # 22611/22612 (1968)

Mabelline [sic]
I’m Turning Off A Memory
Cab Driver
Hearts On Fire
Shake, Rattle & Roll

Long-Haired Country Boy
Darling, You Know I Wouldn’t Lie
Mind Your Own Business
(After Sweet Memories) Play Born To Lose Again
Y’all Come Back Saloon

Ralph Green - Five Rows Back

Ralph Green
LP “ Five Rows Back ”
40201/40202 ~ (1979)

Sheltered In The Arms Of God
The Lighthouse
God’s Wonderful People
My Tribute
Lead Me, Oh Lead Me
Something Beautiful

Raised On Lovin’ Jesus
Five Rows Back
Medley/Oh What A Price/I Should Have Been Crucified/This Could Be The Downing
Jesus Cares
The Cleansing Power

The Gloryland Singers

The Gloryland Singers
LP : "I'll Have A New Song"

Side One :

They Tore The Old Country Church Down
When It's Time
Through It All
How Great Thou Art Medley
He Kept On Loving Me
Power In The Blood

Side Two :

I'll Have A New Song
What Heaven Means To Me
Thanks For Loving Me
Jesus Is Mine
Ten Thousand Years
Something About That Name

The Flying Souls

The Flying Souls
Tomaria
Columbia, South Carolina

33039 - Robert Jackson And The Flying Souls : Back To The Old Time Way
33040 - Roosevelt Robinson And The Flying Souls :Oh Lord I'm Your Child

The Carolina Soul discography list this record and two others 45s (but not pressed by Rite).






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Roosevelt Johnson

Solid Gold 111

CP-6469 - Hey! Little Girl
CP-6470 - The One You Love

Roosevelt Johnson was born in Dundee, Miss., July 15, 1940.He later moved to Indiana where he graduated from Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis.Mr. Johnson made his home in Muncie where he was employed at Chevrolet/New Venture Gear for 39 years.

The singing groups, Roosevelt Johnson and the 7 C's and Heart, Body and Soul were formed by Mr. Johnson in his earlier years.

He passed away at Ball Memorial Hospital on Tuesday evening, April 23, 2002.

The Collegian Quartet "On Campus"

The Collegian Quartet
LP "On Campus"
Rite # 12163/12164

Emory and Henry College [Emory, Virginia] students folk quartet

[no details]

Another Kenneth Raymond Wright Associates product.

The Silver Heart Gospel Singers

The Silver Heart Gospel Singers
Lead : W. Starks
Arr. & Rights By Robert Turner
Label : Executive [ Indianapolis, Indiana], 1965

15615 – His Goodness To You
15616 - ?

Robert Turner singing at Anderson, Indiana's Gospel Revival in 2001

Formed in 1960 by Robert Turner, then 15 years old, the Silver Hearts have grown into an Indianapolis institution, singing at churches, church reunions and community gatherings and organizing an annual, citywide Gospel Extravaganza for the past 40 years.

Robert Turner sang his first solo, "Let God Abide," when he was 4, standing on a chair before the congregation of the Metropolitan Baptist Church. He joined the church’s traveling choir at age 10, and in 1958 he heard the Clara Ward Singers at the Bible Way Baptist Church, just around the corner from his home. Inspiration for the Silver Hearts was born on that night.

Turner recalls his reaction to the Clara Ward Singers: "Five ladies, fabulous gowns, the music was piano and organ instead of the quartet/guitar sound I’d been raised on, and it was like ... wow!"

Robert Turner died in 2005. You can read his obituary here.

Davy and the Badmen

Davy and the Badmen
LP "Wanted!" 1963
Gothic WA-63-054
Rite # 10087/10088

Side One :

Blue Moon
Slow Relt
Summertime
Torture
The Original
7 Come 11

Side Two :

Lullaby of the Leaves
Runaway
Image of a Girl
Beat Feet
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Can't Sit Down
A Quickie

Primitive instro rock covers leaning into garage r&b, one of the earliest eastcoast LPs in this direction, from prep kids at Lawrenceville School, New-Jersey. Davy and the Badmen were : Dave Hill, Andy Chilson, Pat Lynch, Dusty Stretch, Tad Davis.

Another product of Kenneth Raymond Wight & Associates, Princeton, New-Jersey. The Rite account number is 217. It means that the studio was a Rite Records' customer since 1959, four years before the pressing of the present LP.

The Torques

The Torqués
LP "Zoom", 1964
WA 64-010
Rite # 12045/12046
Kenneth Raymond Wight & Associates, Princeton New Jersey

Do You Wanna Dance
Torquay
You Can’t Sit Down
Out Of Limits
Chances Are
Miserlou
Nobody
On Broadway
The Bird
The Lonely Bull
Watermelon Man
It Ain’t Necessarily So
Pipeline

George W. Bush, like Kerry, attended prep school in New England. At Bush's alma mater, Phillips Academy Andover in Massachusetts, the top band was the Torques. There are several reports that he sometimes performed as a "clapper" with the Torques. It's unclear what rockin' roles Bush might have performed.

Most importantly, the LP has the Kenneth Raymond Wight & Associates imprint, which is, I'm sorry to say, absolutely unknown to me. I'll list here three more records - all LPs - produced or recorded by this Princeton studio, which were specialized, as it seems, by the recordings of various prep schools and college frat bands of the area.

The Bird was compiled on the LP The Big Itch [Mr. Manicotti MM 328] wrongly titled Surfin' Bird.

The Serenaders Quartet

The Serenaders Quartet

GBS 1403

CP-2155 - ?
CP-2156 – River Of Jordan


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Tommy Wills Early Releases

Tommy Wills and His Club Miami Band
Club Miami 501
CP-1004 - Let E'm Roll (blues)
CP-1005 - Horn Happy (inst.)

Tommy Wills and His Club Miami Band
Club Miami 502
CP-1022 - T. N. O. Mambo (inst.)
CP-1023 - B For Best (inst.)

Tommy Wills and His Club Miami Band
Club Miami 503
CP-1024 - Mambo Lil (inst.)
CP-1025 - I've Been Drinkin' (blues)

Tommy Wills was one of the earliest to use Rite's custom pressing (CP-) program in 1955. His three Club Miami releases from Hamilton, Ohio are some of the earliest known Rite pressings. Four of the six Club Miami sides are instrumentals featuring Tommy Wills on Sax but two are very entertaining R&B/Blues vocals by Tommy.

He next recorded on Estella Dodds Esta Label then started another new label which he named Big Bang.

Tommy Wills and His Tomcats
Big Bang 101
BBR-45-001 - Tuxedo Junction (inst.)
BBR-45-002 - Diane (inst.)
1st press, 1958 by King Records
King Account #591

Tommy Wills and His Tomcats
Big Bang 101
CP-1817 - Tuxedo Junction (inst.)
CP-1818 - Diane (inst.)
2nd press, 1959 by Rite

It's important to note that 1st pressings of Big Bang releases 101, 102 and 103 were pressed by King's Royal Plastics custom pressing division in Cincinnati. Rite repressed Big Bang 101 a year later and added their CP-number at that time.

Tommy next started the Terry label based out of nearby Middletown, Ohio. The Terry label had a pretty long run and featured a variety of musical styles by many artists. Some of the Terry releases are very sought after and command premium prices. Terry 106 is significant because of the confusing matrix information.

Tommy Wills and His Tomcats
Big Bang 102
BBR-45-003 - The 3rd Man Theme "Rock"
BBR-45-004 - Mr. Mov'in Is Groov'in
1st press, 1958, King Records, Account #591

Tommy Wills and His Tomcats
Terry 106
CP-4935 - Mr. Movin' Is Groovin'
CP-4936 - 3rd Man Theme "Rock"
2nd press, 1960, pressed by Rite Records
No Rite account # was used

Terry 106 was pressed by Rite using the same metalwork (mother's and stampers) that had been made for Big Bang 102 by King records. There is no Rite information in the deadwax of Terry 106 - only the original King matrix numbers and King account #591. The only Rite information is the CP- numbers printed on the labels. Tommy Wills' account number with Rite was #125. Also notice the titles were updated and the b-side of Big Bang 102 became the a-side for Terry 106.

In the 1960's and 70's, Tommy Wills formed at least five more labels - Airtown, Gregory, Juke, Terry-Gregory and Golden Moon but we'll save them for another day.

The Golden Harmonizers

The Golden Harmonizers
Dee-Jay

30697 - Somebody Is Talking About Me
30698 - Let Your Power Fall On Me

Black Gospel. A S.O.T. production, Cleveland, Ohio.

On the picture, the Golden Harmonizers are, from left to right, John Smith, unk., Eddie Rogers, Rev. Andrew Smith and William Durer.