Buddy Knight on Fine Art

 

Buddy Knight

CP-4095  - Why Cry (C.L. Blair, Dorris Dubois)
CP-4096  -  Please Come Back (Joe McClain)
Fine Art 217  

Eddie Russ (Jazz Masters LP)

Eddie Russ

"Fresh Out"

33511
The Lope Song   
All But Blind
Shamading
    
33512
Hill Where The Lord Hides   
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life   
Watergate Blues

Jazz Masters JMLP 1004

(1974)

 

All songs except Watergate Blues available here
Watergate Blues available here

Ralston (Bowles) on Sound

Ralston

27643 - Thankful
27644 - Realization
Sound
SCR 114
Sound Associates
Grand Rapids, Michigan
1971

 

Born in 1952, Ralston Bowles is today often referred to as the godfather of West Michigan's acoustic music scene. His songwriting has been lauded and awarded. He has opened for Shawn Colvin, T Bone Burnett, Arlo Guthrie and for Bob Dylan at the Rothbury music festival.

 

Links

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralston_Bowles

https://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/2009/08/profile_musician_and_songwrite.html

Tall Tonio And The Mello-Dee's

 


Tall Tonio And The Mello-Dee's

CP-2199 - Ten-Reasons
W. Stevenson, F. Brown, T. Clark        

CP-2200 - Hot-Rod-Car    
W. Stevenson, F. Brown, T. Clark, Stebro Pub. Co. (BMI)

Stepp 235x45
1959
Rite numbers are in the dead wax


Tony Clarke Chess promo picture

Tall Tonio is Tony Clarke. His first record on the tiny Stepp label owned by Mickey Stevenson

https://mentalitch.com/the-short-life-and-career-of-tony-clarke/

Bob Rayford (Bango Records)

Bob Rayford
Landis Brady & His Tel-Stars

9601 ~ I’m Going To Pay You Back Baby
9602 ~ I’ve A Got A Notion Blues

Bango 504

1963

 

Thanks to : http://45rpmrecords.com/,  Fonsoul Bcn (YouTube)

The Voice and Harp of Harvi Griffin

The Voice and Harp of Harvi Griffin
(no label, 1971)

Side 1  [27039]

Lara's Theme

Jean
Greensleeves
The Shadow Of Your Smile

Satin Doll   

Side 2  [27040]

Misty
Watch What Happens    
Traces    
Never On Sunday    
A Time For Us

Harvi Griffin, a pioneer in electric harp, grew up in Detroit and at age 14, he was playing the piano and stringed and wind instruments. He first became interested in harp under the instruction of Velma Froude.  While continuing his private instruction with Froude, Griffin earned a degree in arts and drama from Michigan State University.  He died in 2005.

Harvi Griffin's picture is from the Coalition of Harpists of African Descent website

The Tremolo's on Thunderbolt

The Tremolo's

9913 ~ Weird Pickin'  

R. Chabane, I. Horvath, J. Horvath

9914 ~ Side-Stepin'
E. Horvath, R. Cerato, R. Chabane

Thunderbolt TR 45-100

A pair of instrumentals from Michigan
1963

Mike Tate (Bill Lamb Productions)

Mike Tate
TNT & Friends

37277 - B-U-I-C-K
37278 - Cadillac Cowboy

Recorded at Bill Lamb Productions
Flint, Michigan
1976

Mike Tate was a Fisher Body #1 employee who had a country western band that played weekends at the Old Silver Rail Saloon in Flint.  He was also heard on the early morning Buick Factory Whistle Radio Show. Song tells about his job building Buicks.  Mike died in 1976.

Bill Lamb who hosted the "Buick Factory Whistle" radio show on Country WKM/FLINT, MI, which dubbed itself "the Country music capital of the north," for 26 years, and owned the BILL LAMB RECORDS store on Harrison Street in downtown Flint, passed away in 2015.

One copy is for sale here

Charlie Rash Strides Again

Charlie Rash Strides Again

(Piano Solos)

C. K. Records

(1979)

Side 1 - 39987

1. Casa Loma Stomp    
2. Dina    
3. Satin Doll    
4. Doin' The Racoon    
5. 12th Street Rag    

Side 2 - 39988

1. Prince Of Wails    
2. Toot Toot Tootsie    
3. Ida    
4. Back To The Jungle    
5. Ain't Misbehavin'    

Recording: John Teachout
Idiom Recording Co.
March 28, 1978

C.K. Records
1000 S. 7th Street
Ann Arbour, Michigan

Charlie Andrew Rasch (1937-2011) was a well-known Jazz/Ragtime pianist in the Detroit area of Michigan. He was featured in about a dozen albums. He was born in Detroit and began formal piano schooling at age six. Margaret Anderson was his teacher. Under her guidance he was one of the winners of an all City of Detroit classical contest, age fourteen group.

Charlie's initial interest in jazz came from listening to his father's record collection. In the early sixties he joined up with Kate Ross, under the management of Warren Ross, to recreate ragtime and traditional jazz music.

Charlie was a graduate from the University of Michigan with an M.A. in fine arts. Upon completion of his college degrees he enlisted in the U.S. Army, served three years, returned home, and began playing piano professionally around the Ann Arbour, Detroit, Toledo area.

On December 16, 2003, a minor planet was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey and named for him: 90397 Rasch (2003 YW4).

Acknowledgements : Charlie Rasch page at Discogs

Note : one of of his albums can be heard in full at YT here

The Prodigal-Jerome Meriwether

The Prodigal-Jerome Meriwether

RR-42245-A - Sinner's prayer
(J.Meriwether-V. Vaughn)

RR-42245-B -Someone is Going to Meet Me
(J.Meriwther)

Supernatural Productions
19401 W. McNichols
Detroit, Michigan 48219

Producer : Jerome Meriwether
Assistant : Jerry Kyser
Composer : Jerome Meriwether
Music director : T. Thomas

1982

Co-writer of the top side is Viola Vaughn, who later moved with her husband, jazz musician Sam Sanders, to Senegal, Africa,  Jerome Meriwether wrote several songs with her.  See BMI database

One 2001 article describe him as a griot and tour leader at the Motown Historical Museum :

"Motown was the heartbeat of young America," said Jerome Meriwether, griot and a tour leader at the Motown Historical Museum. "But these cats were the heartbeat of Motown."
guide

Though they get 33,000 visitors a year -- many from Europe -- there are likely to be only four or five other guests when you arrive to join a tour led by -- if you're lucky -- Jerome Meriwether.

Meriwether, it must be said, is the kind of guy who somehow manages to get away with wearing sunglasses on a dark and stormy day.

He calls the old musicians who once hit gold in these rooms "cats.".  It also doesn't hurt that he went to school with Smokey Robinson and that his neighbors were "all the cats that were playing over here." He'll show you photos of Detroit-bred stars like Mary Wells ("My Guy"), the Supremes, the Contours and the Miracles, a display case with three pink sequined dresses worn by the Supremes, and five bright green sequined jackets from the Temptations.

John Brown Trio (Northway Records)

John Brown Trio
12785 ~ It's My Lovin' Baby
Salyers-Harris  Northway Music BM

12786 ~ Love Is A Wonderful Thing
J. Brown Northway Music  BMI

Northway 1001

Produced By Sandy Salyers 

PO Box 18
Ionia, Michigan

1964

Pat Sage (Drums, vocals) John Brown (Guitar, vocals) Big Al Vandetti (Bass, vocals)

Velma Cross on Fine Art

Velma Cross, vocal

piano : Etta Jean Brazil
guitar : Leroy Collins

CP-3277 - He's A Terrible Blow
CP-3278 - Darling, I'm Hoping

Fine Art 214

Velma Cross
And Her High Steppers
James Cohen, Piano
Count Monty, Sax
Leo Johnson, Drums

CP-5481 -I'll Be Oh So Good
CP-5482 - He's My Daddy

Fine Art 222

Velma Cross was born in 1915, it is believed, in South Bend, Indiana.   No further records as Velma Cross are known.

The Airs of Harmony (Key Records)

The Airs of Harmony
Lead J.B. Wells


14875 – When I Was A Sinner
14876 - Searching For My Mother

Key Records

Raebet's Productions
1965

The Airs Of Harmony, a male group that included William Seldon, J. T. Pearson, Roy Ozier, C. Edwards, J.B. Wells and others. In 1959 they had a session for Gotham but nothing was released. In 1961 they tried again, this time for the Choice label from Newark, NJ. A single was released and two more tracks appeared on Choice LP 504.

Members of this group formed the Michigan Nightingales in 1972

Juanita Stewart Miles (Tieway Records)

Juanita Stewart Miles
Accompanied By The Joy Singers of Detroit

Tieway 847
1974

 

Side A — 33393

1. Give Me Wings (Trad., Arr. J. Miles)
2. Have You Tried Jesus 
3. How Big Od Is
4. I Saw The World Shining A Hope For Me

Side B  —33394

1. Lord Make Perfect And Whole
2. God Is Everywhere
3. O Lord You Consider Me
4. I Got That Feeling

Joy Singers

Mildred Hoard - 1st soprano
Delsi Adams - 2nd soprano
Barnetta Norwood - 1st alto
Charles Tompkins - Tenor
Frank White - organist
Milton Pullen - piano
Bass & tambourine - Dave Hamilton

Produced by Dave Hamilton & Juanita S. Miles
La Frieda Miles - Album cover
Engineer Dave Hamilton

All songs written by Juanita S. Miles and published by Tieway Music, BMI  with the exception of "Give Me Wings"
 

Mrs. Miles started singing at an early age of ten. She studied music at the Robert Nolan School of Music and the Art Center School of Music at an early age in Detroit, Michigan.

Juanita Stewart Miles

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)

Joe Shultz, evangelist and ventriloquist

Joe Shultz
Joe and Jake

"Joyfully Yours"

28681 -  "Oh, I Know It" / ABC
28682 -  "He Took My Sins Away"
 

SCR 121

Sound Associates
Box M Grand Rapids, Michigan

1971

Joe Shultz was a multi talented evangelist who used humor as well as music to convey his message. He composed over 30 published songs and produced three albums.

Joseph Harmon Shultz, born Feb 13, 1931 in Wichita Kansas, began his preaching ministry in Canton, Kansas when he was 18 years of age and was officially ordained into the ministry at the age of 21, while a student in Bible College. For twelve years he directed Youth for Christ in McPherson, Kansas and Canton, Ohio.

 

Joe Shultz was a gospel magician, ventriloquist, and speaker who worked with youth in school and church programs.  He was the founder of Kings Valley Ranch and Boys Home in Southern Ohio that provided many safe summers for countless children. He was also a member of the North American Assoc. of Ventriloquists and the American Assoc. of Foster Parents. 

 

Joe has spoken in over 3,000 public high school assembly programs and over 1,000 churches in 45 states, 5 Canadian provinces and joined in frequent missionary trips to Mexico, Panama, the Marshall Islands, Guatemala, Honduras and Brazil.

He died in 2005.

This 45 is currently offered for sale here (sound clips are provided)

Bob Harris and the Kings Four

Bob Harris and the Kings Four

CP- 7141 - Bertha Lou 

Marascalco

Robin Hood Music Co. BMI

CP- 7142 – Marty’s Place

Thrush

EAI PS-101 (Pop Series)
Entertainement associates inc.

Saginaw, Michigan
1962

 ★ 

Entertainement associates inc. was operated by David W. Oppermann, a Michigan and Midwest jazz, sports and show promoter and also a fireworkds distributor. 

Bob Harris formed the Kings Four in 1960. They later recorded an album on Kent Records (band picture above is from its back cover). At that time, members comprised Bob Harris, Lyle & Clayton Trush and Dave Nikaido. 

"Play Nice and Easy" was the album title. Their takes on standards such as "Misty", "Tenderly" and "Desafinado" among others, featured Dave Nikaido on lead vocals.

Among the appearances for the band was an engagement at the 1963 Inaugural Ball of Michigan for Gov. George Romney.  The band played all types music including the then current fads the twist, bossa nova, limbo and others.  

 ★  

"Bertha Lou" was written (and then sold to Marascalco) by Dorsey Burnette who recorded it as well as Johnny Faire for Surf Records in 1957 .  Some radio stations banned "Bertha Lou", because of the line "I wanna conjugate with you".  See Bertha Lou story

Bertha Lou, Bertha Lou
Let me slip around with you
If I could raise some sand
I'd be a mighty-mighty man
'Cause you're so ooooh, Bertha Lou
Bertha Lou, Bertha Lou
Gotta get a date with you
If I could hear you moan
On Mr. Bell's telephone
Ain't no tellin' what I'd do, Bertha Lou

You wear your hair in a poodle cut
You're walkin' down the street like a semi-truck
And everybody knows that you're so sweet
You tickle me from head to my athlete's feet

Hey-hey, Bertha Lou
I wanna conjugate with you
You know my blood is running wild
And I know you ain't no child
When you do what you do, Bertha Lou
(Rock! Rock! Rock! - Instrumental break)

You wear your hair in a poodle cut
You're walkin' down the street like a semi-truck
And everybody knows that you're so sweet
You tickle me from head to my athlete's feet

Hey-hey, Bertha Lou
I wanna conjugate with you
You know my blood is running wild
And I know you ain't no child
When you do what you do, Bertha Lou

Bertha Lou, Bertha Lou, Bertha Lou.

(Transcribed from the Dorsey Burnette version)

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)

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/

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