Stringbean on Cullman 6416

Stringbean

CP-2386 - Barn Yard Banjo Picking

CP-2387 - Train Special 500

Cullman 6416
1959

Cullman Records and Gaylord Music Co. were owned by James Harrell "Hal" Smith (1923-2008), Nashville musician, artist manager and television producer.

David Akeman (1916-1973), better known as Stringbean (or String Bean), was one of the Opry's major stars in the 1950s.

From Wikipedia :

Akeman was modest and unassuming, and he enjoyed hunting and fishing. Accustomed to the hard times of the Great Depression, Akeman and his wife Estelle lived frugally in a tiny cabin near Ridgetop, Tennessee. Their only indulgence was a Cadillac. Depression-era bank failures caused Akeman not to trust banks with his money. Gossip around Nashville was that Akeman kept large amounts of cash on hand, even though he was by no means wealthy by entertainment industry standards.

On Saturday night, November 10, 1973, Akeman and his wife returned home after he performed at the Grand Ole Opry. Both were shot dead shortly after their arrival. The killers had waited for hours. The bodies were discovered the following morning by their neighbor, Grandpa Jones.

Chewing Chewing Gum 

Rev. Archie Clatterbuck

Rev. Archie Clatterbuck

33679 - I'll Fly Away

(A.E. Brumley, SESAC)

33680 - Sweet By And By

(Starday-York BMI)

1974

This is Archie E Clatterbuck (1916-1997) from Rappahannock County, Virginia.  A pentecostal pastor, he was heard with his Gospel Singers on Big K Radio (WKCW, Warrenton Virginia)

Prayer Meeting Time for Archie Clatterbuck

The 2 / 3RDS on April

The 2/3RDS

19063 ~ All Cried Out

19064 ~ 2/3 Baby 

(Gene McCormick, Alison Music ASCAP

April Record Co. 101

223 S. Carolina, Daytona Beach

1967 (April?)

 

From Daytona Beach, the 2/3rds recorded this one 45 at Quimby’s studio in nearby Ormond Beach, and released it on the April label in early 1967. At the time of this recording, the band included Gene McCormick on vocals and tenor sax and organ, Phil (PJ) Jones on drums, Ralph Citrullo bass and Allen Dresser lead guitar.

“2/3 Baby” is a moody complaint with a fine chorus, written by McCormick. It was backed with a bluesy ballad, “All Cried Out” written by Pete Carr. Members of the band eventually became the Third Condition, releasing two 45s on the Sundi label in 1970, one of which got some airplay, “Monday in May” about the Kent State tragedy. (The song was bounced off the airwaves by CSN&Y’s “Ohio”).

After Gene left the band to join Jam Factory in New York, the band moved to Tallahassee to attend FSU. Later members included several who had been in another Daytona group, the Hungri I’s: Neil Haney vocals, as well as Max Eason on drums from Tallahassee. The band was named Rock Garden for a brief time (Neil Haney, Allen Dresser, Ralph Citrullo, Max Easom and Chris Drake) then became Duck (Chris Drake, Allen Dresser, Rick Levy and Max Easom – later Benny Jones replaced Rick Levy and Don Langston replaced Max Easom).

Info above from garagehangover here

Audio clip from Florida Rocks Again! every Saturday night on Surf 97.3 FM, streaming at flaglerbeachradio.com.

Little Rock My Home Town

CP-6447 -Little Rock My Home Town
CP-6448 - Little Rock My Home Town (instr.)

KVLC

1961

Don Cochran (Pig Pen Boogie, Big K)

Don Cochran

40063 - The Arkansas Line

Donald J. Brundridge MOMU Pub.  BMI

 

40064 - Pig Pen Boogie

Harold Hassler, Shelter BMI

Special effects Bill Johnson

Producer : C.Kellogg - D. Cochran

Big K Records
11517 No. Oak, Kansas City, Missouri 64155

1979

Don Cochran's previous record on Big K was the intriguing "What do you charge to haunt houses". No further info.

The Reliables on Anderson

 

The Reliables

 

22531 ~ Uglist Guy In Town
22532 ~ Dreams That We Once Knew

 

wr. both W.J. Chafin

 

Anderson Records

1968

Anderson Records discography here

No further info

Joe Williams and the Staccatos

Joe Williams and the Staccatos

vocal by Cornelius Grant / Count James
CP-6753 - The Mother Hubbard
Williams-Gurley-Grant, Eddings Mus. Pub. BMI

instrumental
CP-6754 - No Harm Done
 Williams-Gurley-Grant, Eddings Mus. Pub. BMI

Carrie

1961

Detroit, Michigan

An early release on the James Hendrix label.

Composers are Cornelius Grant, James M. Gurley, Joseph T. Williams.

Cornelius Grant (b. 1943) guitarist, composer, and band leader. He served as the musical director, guitar player, and live show arranger for Motown vocal group The Temptations from 1964 until 1982.

James M. Gurley : possibly the one who moved to San Francisco and became "the father of psychedelic guitar" (Big Brother and the Holding Company)

Eddings Music Co. was owned by William Summers,  first black to manage and own a radio station (in Louisville, Kentucky)

Mattie Allen And The Lonesome Drifters

Mattie Allen And The Lonesome Drifters

26179 ~ Ride Around
26180 ~ Just The Same Old Girl
(M. Smithers, Jaclyn BMI)

Dayton Records #351
1806 Brown St. Dayton, Ohio 45409

In the Jalyn Records numerical series.  The name Dayton was also used for a Gene Higgins & Dave release (#345).  Mattie Allen Smithers was probably the name of the artist. No further info.

Label & audio from YouTube (CheesebrewWaxArchive)

  

Buddy Livingston and the Versatones

Buddy LIVINGSTON

and the Versatones

CP-2402 - The Russians Were A-Rushin'

CP-2403 - Fumbling
 

Buddy Livingston-Billy Brown,  Lowery Music Co. Inc

Scottie 1313

November 1959

"Buddy Livingston and the Versatones" played almost every night at a club called "The Bamboo Ranch" in Savannah, Georgia and even had their own 30-minute television show on WTOC for a while.. Buddy played bass guitar and was the lead man for the band which once included Billy Joe Royal, Joe South and Ray Stevens.

On the vocal side here, the (not credited) singer is possibly Billy Brown (a Versatone for a while?)  : his Columbia contract was not renewed in 1959 and he moved on to Gene Autry's Republic label, on which he had two singles released in 1960-61.

Lee Long And The Four Fifths on Reed

Lee Long  And The Four Fifths

CP-2567  -- Samanthy

Brooks-Ewing-Patrick, Brooks Publ. Co.

CP-2568 -- The Drifter

Ewing-Brooks, Brooks Publ. Co.

Reed 1036

1959

What can I say about Lee Long which was not said before ?  She penned both songs of the Bill Perry release on Reed 1029 (Go Fly A Kite b/w You Hit The Nail On The Head).

Songwriters Brooks and Ewing later composed "Senior Prom" which was sung by Violet Ray on Gladatone 101, a label out of Moss Point, Miss. owned by Ramblin' Frank Cunningham.

Kalamazoo, My Home Town (PAMS)

Terry And The Melody Laners

vocalist Terry Lea
8365 - Kalamazoo, My Home Town

The Melody Laners
8366 - Kalamazoo, My Home Town

produced for the people of Kalamazoo by
WKMI
1360 Melody Lane

Lyrics: Howard D. Steere

Lyrics copyrighted 1962 Steere Broadcasting

Musical rights publications Meeks Publications

Recorded by PAMS of Dallas

Arranger-composer : Euel Box

For air use on Radio Station WKMI (Dial 1360)

July 1962

Bill Meeks started the PAMS Advertising Agency in the mid-fifties.

While the concept of using catchy tunes to promote a product was nothing new, the idea of using a full length song to promote a radio station was. In 1960, Meeks came up with the idea of creating a standard 1:30 music bed, entitled “My Home Town” (in the “Sound of the City” – Series 16 jingle package). The song bed, written by Euel Box, was pitched to radio stations from Abilene to Winston-Salem. Localized lyrics would be penned by the jocks, or other staffers. However, more often than not, the amateur songwriters would cram as many words as they could into the canned music bed. 

It’s estimated that there are over 100 different versions of “My Home Town.”
 

While Terry was consistently the main voice on  the "My Home Town" PAMS jingles series, her name credit on the singles is anything but. Variations on her name have included “Terry Lea," "Terry Lee,” “Terry Lea Jenkins," and "Terry Lee Jenkins."
 

For as long as Marie Therese Leahy could remember, she was always performing.

“I first sang at the Capitol Theatre, in Austin, on the kiddie show,” she said. “If you were asked to perform, you got in free to the movie that day, and got two passes for later in the week. America was in the middle of a depression so I went to the kiddie show every Saturday and got on, and got my tickets.”

By 1941, she would find herself entertaining on another stage – in front of the troops, at one of the several bases around Austin. “Mr. John Peninger, who was a friend of my dad’s, was head of the USO in Austin and asked if I could be on the USO shows – I was only 14 at the time,” she said. Terry, as she was starting to be called at the time, would find herself singing before thousands of soldiers at Camp Swift in Bastrop, or at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin. “I would perform on a flat bed truck, driven out into a field, and there would be five thousand young men waiting to be entertained.” She would later be crowned Queen of Melody of Camp Swift. “What a treat that was, but I well chaperoned as my dad was quite strict.”
 

 read more :

http://www.jinglenews.com/articles/the-voice-of-my-home-town-terry-jenkins/

Eric and the Vikings on Zip

Eric and the Vikings

20563 ~ Chinese Soul

20564 ~ Vikings Theme

Zip presents

W.S.M. 102167

Zip Music Co.

Scranton, Pa.
October 1967

A-side is is actually "Ling Ting Tong" which was done by The Five Keys for Capitol Records in 1955.  B-side is an instrumental.

Unless some family relatives of Eric or of The Vikings band come to me with info (and please don't say just "Hi, that's my dad!"), Eric and the Vikings will be doomed to perpetual internet darkness.

***

The Modern Age on Hellam

The Modern Age

35723 – The Bullfrog Rock
35724 - Glenda Cheryl

Glenn D. Hake, ASCAP
Produced by Glenn D. Hake

Hellam
1975

Note : date of copyright 1957 on label is obviously wrong. The two songs were copyrighted on October 11, 1975.

From Hellam, a suburb of York, Pennsylvania.  'The Bullfrog Rock' has been re-issued in 2003 on "Rockin' And Stompin'" (Collector 4479) credited to Glenn D. Hake.

Glenn Daniel Hake was born in 1933 in Martinsville, Pennsylvania. His father died when he was a 3 year-old and his mother had to support the family.   Truck driver, free-lance photographer and country music singer, he operated Hellam Records and Majestic Air Photo in Hellam. 

In 1965 he was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to seven charges, • including cheating by false pretense. Authorities said Hake failed to deliver on promises to have aerial photographs he took of various properties painted in oil after he received $450 from property owners.

 

 In 1978, Glenn Hake found a 2-year pit bull terrier in the streets of dowtown Harrisburg and went home with the dog.  One time when Hake was playing the old piano that he bought at a yard sale, Boopie jumped on a stool by the instrument and began tapping the keyboard with one paw.  "A light went on in my head. I thought it was a great thing, a dog playing the piano," Hake recalled.  So, he went about teaching Boopie to play the piano. At first Boopie would only use his left paw, but two weeks and many doggie treats later, Boopie was tickling the ivories with both paws. "With his talent, I could use him to make a profit. I decided I'd rather make it non-profit.  I'd like to use his talents to help poor people," Hake said.   So he decided to found Man's Best Friend Charities Inc., with the purpose of raising money during charity events where Boopie will be the star performer.

Glenn Hake died in 1993, but The Modern Age 'sans' Glenn Hake still performed as recently as two years ago at Hellam Fire Company  pic :

After dinner, couples may take to the dance floor to dance the night away to the tunes of local band The Modern Age. “The event is meant (to give people the opportunity) to dance, attending couples are not required to dance.   However, even people who are not planning to dance may change their minds when they hear The Modern Age, which has been performing an assortment of country rock from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, on and off locally since 1970.   The band currently consists of Jim Haugh of Hellam on rhythm guitar and vocals, Bill Dunlap of Yorkana on bass guitar and vocals,  Jeff Winter of Wrightsville on drums and vocals, Mike Hubler of Wrightsville on lead guitar and vocals, and special guest Logan Kinard of Craley on guitar and vocals.

Gene Ray (Cowtown EP 702)

 

Gene Ray

 

CP-1557 - Oklahoma Waltz
               A Picture Of You

CP-1558 - Indigo Blue
              Learning The Mambo

Cowtown EP-702
P.O. Box 192, Avery, TX

Gene Ray's name can be found on three other Cowtown releases between 1957 and 1960.  I can't add much to that.

 

The four songs were penned by one D. E. Winstead who was quite probably Dr Dabney Edgar "D.E." Winstead (1889-1963) whose obituary report  :

Long-time doctor in Graham, Texas practicing since 1921. He graduated from Baylor Medical School in Dallas. He enjoyed a good practice in his profession.

In 1930, Dr. Winstead published a science fiction article, "Earthworms of Karma" in the pulp magazine "Weird Tales" in the July-September 1930 issue. With this issue, Dr. Winstead began his successful journey as a science fiction author. Dr. Winstead used a pen name "Lon Dexter" in all of his science fiction publications.

Among other songs he penned are "I Need Vitamin You", "Mambo is Going to School" and "My Rock 'n' Roll Baby And Me".

Uncle Clyde on Bryte

Uncle Clyde

15089 — Mother Went A-Walking
15090 — Dear Ivan  

Pro-Per P.
with Tony Richards

Bryte Records
Brite-Star Prod.

Newbury, Ohio

1965

"Cold War themed recitation". 

Uncle Clyde, M.C., dee jay and comic, was  a regular member of the Southern Jamboree on WSLR in Akron, Ohio at the time of this release.  He recorded four sides for Tex Clark's Bryte Records.  Next he had a gospel music show at WWIZ (Lorain, Ohio) and was later with Roy Rogers, Jr. at WBKC (Chardon, Ohio).  His real name was Harry Fay. He died in 2011.

Obit  :

Harrison B. “Uncle Clyde” Fay, 77, of Canton, died unexpectedly Saturday afternoon, July 16, 2011 in the Mercy Medical Center, Canton, Ohio. He was born July 3, 1934 in Norwalk and was a 1952 graduate of Monroeville High School. Harry was employed at the Stark County Jobs and Family Services, for 15 years, retiring in 1996. Prior to this, he had worked at Spector Freight Company and the Norwalk Truck Line. He was a member of the Friendship Community Church, Canton, North Canton Playhouse, was one of the original Shoestring Players, lifetime member of the Ohio Country Music Association, where he is a member of their Hall of Fame. Harry was a country music comedian, known as “Uncle Clyde”. He was on the Roy Rogers Jr. T.V. show, and on “A Little Country” T.V. show, and had performed on many other stages.

Uncle Clyde here with Roma Leah

late 1960s or early '70s picture

 

 

The Beech Resorts

THE BEECH RESORTS

18829 - Springtime (T.Resor)
18830 - Distortion Don't Know (D.Williams)

 

Key Records

Produced by Raebet's Productions

1609 Miles Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI

1967

Beech Resorts don't known,  Raebet's don't known much either despite hours of research.   Raebet's produced all the records issued on Key Records and on Grace Note Records (a religious label) as well.

I think possible that the Rev. Reinhold A. Barth and his wife Helen McAlerney Barth may have been involved in some way.  Research still in progress...

Key Records discography

Calvin "Hound Dog" Ruffin, Billy Stewart, the Michael Graham Crackers

Calvin "Hound Dog" Ruffin And the Michael Graham Crackers
CP- 2010  Tell It Like Tee I Tis (Calvin C. Ruffin)

Billy Stewart And the Michael Graham Crackers

CP-2011  I Want a Sweet Little Girl  (Michael A. Graham)

Mag Music record no. 103

(BALE 103 in dead wax)

 

 address label of label owner

"2 nice little-known '59 D.C. R&B tracks" currently on ebay HERE.   Or rather unknown, I would say,  There is no mention of this record anywhere on the internet. 

 

 This record was perhaps intended to be issued on Bale Records, a tiny Washington label owned by Bea Tibbitts (Betsy B. Tibbs).  It showcases two artists probably managed at the time by Michael Graham, artists who had already recorded several singles (on Chess/Argo and Okeh for Billy Stewart,  on Josie (as Frank Motley band vocalist) and Golden Crest for Calvin Ruffin).

A native of Savannah, Ga., Michael Angelo Graham (picture on left is from 1946) started as an entertainer and was" nationally known in theatrical circles" as "Georgia's Glamour Boy".  He came to the nation's capital in the late 1940s, working in night clubs and also touring with his Washingtonians and then with his Graham Crackers.   Both groups featured blues and scat singer Nudie Williams who recorded for Wheeler Records, a New York label, in the early fifties.

 

Michael Graham worked with various singers and doowop groups and helped launch the careers of Van Allen McCoy, Marvin Gaye, the Clovers, Johnny Hartman, Don Covay, and Billy Stewart.  

Master of ceremonies at the old Howard Theater, he also promoted a number of musicals and a variety of shows in Washington (Graham Crackers and Oldies But Goodies, a TV program that featured The Clovers, The Jewels, and Sonny Till and The Orioles).   

Graham joined The New Observer, Washington D.C.'s oldest Black-owned community newspapers in 1956, worked his way up from a reporter to editor-in-chief. 

 

He died in 1985, aged 72.

Al Blevins, Cousin Frank and the Silver Sands

Al Blevins, Cousin Frank and the Silver Sands

20955 - Kennedy The Great (Al Blevins)
20956 -  Red River Jump (Al Blevins)

Silver Streak Records

2016 7th St.
Portsmouth, Ohio

1967

sample (both sides)

 

Bobby Lawson played with Al and Cuz Blevins in West Virginia and Ohio in the fifties  :

When he returned home in West Virginia after serving his tour in the Army, Bobby and Junior Lawson played with Al and Cuz Blevins. "We would all load up in a car and drive around looking for nite clubs and roadside bars where we could play. We would just go in, get permission to set up and start playing. We used a tip box (usually a cigar box taped shut with a slit in it) for folks to drop in their money."

"At this time I began singing Rockabilly (Jerry Lee, Elvis, and Perkins) and people liked it. So we decided to look for other places to play. Ohio here we come! We got work as soon as we got to Portsmouth. We were now getting a salary plus tips. WOW! This was great. "
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/BobbyLawson.html

 William Hobbs (Middle), Grandpa? (Left), Chuck? (Right)

West Virginia Hot Shots; abt. 1961

Original caption of a picture posted by Marilyn at Mundia.com

 

 

Someone at ancestry.com  is "looking for AL HOBBS aka: AL or WILLIAM BLEVINS - Played in a Bluegrass band in the early to mid 60's called THE WEST VIRGINIA HOT SHOTS in the Portsmouth, Ohio and surrounding areas. Believed to originally come from Pennsylvania, probable but not likely. Other members of the band was "Chuck" ??? perhaps HOBBS."

"A special thanks to Al Blevins wherever you are". are the last words on the Bobby Lawson''s page at Rockabilly Hall of Fame.   Nobody seems to known what happened to Al and the Blevins, including members of their own family.

Gene Nitz And The W. Va. Ramblers on Rhododendron

Gene Nitz And The W. Va. Ramblers

19401 - I Don't Know What I'm Looking For

sample

 You Broke My Heart in Tennessee

19402 - How Much Longer

Kentucky Sweetheart

Directed By Yolanda Owens
Produced  By Gene Nitz

Rhododendron EP

1966

Detroit country

 

Gene Nitz and his West Virginia Ramblers played at Ray Taylor-owned country bar at the corner of Milwaukee and Brush in the 70's.  (Ray Taylor of "Hamtramck Baby" fame on Clix).

"Running From The Law" b/w "Bail Bondsman" were recorded in 1969 for the Country Caravan label, a subsidiary of Mutt Records, owned by Nate Dore, a bail bondsman who had a small studio in the back of his office. These sides are on YouTube.

And there was also a single on Rich-R-Tone ‎#2026 (Blue Shoes / My Kentucky Sweetheart) recorded at Champ Studio in Nashville, Tennesse and issued as by Eugene Nitz (date unknown).

Probably Eugene R Nitz (1928-1994)

Sonny Flaharty and his Young Americans on Falcon

Sonny Flaharty and his Young Americans

 

9593 — Hurricane

9594  — Joann

both A.L. Webster - S. Flaharty, Glenway Music Co. BMI  

A Young American Production

Falcon 1000

3029 Springboro
Dayton, OH

1963

Glenway Music was a subsidiary of Pam Enterprises formed in 1960 by Geno Abbatiello, president of the Electro-Sew-Vac Corporation in Cincinnati and former ESV and Flame Records prexy, and Ed Labunski, head of Labunski Productions, producer of jingles and independant sessions.

 

After a first single on Spangle Records in 1958, Sonny Flaharty was signed by Pam Enterprises Inc. of Cincinnati in 1960.   Under the guidance of Ed Labunski Sonny cut a session in Nashville. The resulting masters were leased to Epic Records.  

 

Sonny Flaharty discography