Betty Menear on Process 1002

Betty Menear
Process 1002
Rite account #802
14799 – Summer Love
14800 – Just In Time

Betty Menear is Betty E. Tosh, born in 1926, resides today in Latrobe, PA and she is still active in the music as a songwriter.

The Intrepids (Nite Beat)

The Intrepids
Nite Beat 1000
26847 – It’s Just A Picture
26848 – To Make You Love Me
Both songs written by Norman Keith, James Boy Music, BMI
Produced by B. Johnson and R. Simone
Arranged by C. Washington Jr. & N. Keith

Soul/funk also issued on the bigger Cotillion label (# 44094).

Norman Keith [aka Norman Thomas Keith, aka Tommy Keith], possibly a member of The Intrepids, earned his spurs singing with a number of vocal groups – the Delites, Brothers Of Love and Marlboro Men and worked behind the scenes songwriting and producing [The Moments on Stang, The Whatnauts, etc.].
The Marlboro Men had the second issue on the Nite Beat label.

The label was possibly based in Philadelphia, PA.

It’s Just A Picture

Donna, Jean and Irene

Donna, Jean and Irene
Label : Songs of the Redeemed
Music by H. Coleman, A. Anderson, J. Tabor
12961 – Make My Life A Blessing (Hazel Trubee)
12962 - ?

Ralph Trotto on Link 707 EP

Ralph Trotto

Link Records 707 EP, Cincinnati, OH 45215

RITE Account #1480

14257 - My Feet Sometimes Stumble / Satisfied (sacred)

14258 - So Trust The Lord / Lord's Prayer (sacred / guitar solo inst.)

Ralph Trotto must have been very talented because this is an amazing record. Ralph's pleasant and soulful vocal, backed with a chorus, conveys a powerful message with deep feelings. "Satisfied" is an uptempo country gospel bopper that really delivers a punch. The real gold, however is "The Lord's Prayer" on the flip side of the record. Ralph performs this song as a guitar solo that is powerful and breathtaking. Do yourself a favor and find a copy of this record!

A slogan on the left side of the label says it's "An ADCO Sound" so I presume it was produced in conjunction with local Cincinnatian, "Hobo" Jack Adkins, owner of the Adco label which was very active at this time (1965) and also used RITE to press many of his releases.

As an interesting sidenote, in Lonnie Mack's biography, Lonnie mentions "blind guitarist, gospel singer, Ralph Trotto as his earliest musical mentor/ blues guitar influence." Although this must have occured many years earlier, this recording is a testament to the likelihood of that infulence.

The Singing Preacher Rev. Russell E. Ford

The Singing Preacher Rev. Russell E. Ford
EP [no label name] -- 1962
Box 1111, Indianapolis, Ind.
7289 - How Great Thou Art/When We See Christ
7290 - It Took a Miracle/A Shelter in the Time of Storm

Excel Dorsett on River

Excel Dorsett
CP-2979 –The Way To Excel
CP-2980 – Oh Little Girl
River 100
Biloxi, Miss.
A Carpenter and Maddux production

A teen record. One of the earliest (the first?) release on the label owned by Marion Carpenter. Maddux, who co-produced the record, is Pee Wee Maddux (died in 1993).




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Count Baltes & The Egors on Raven B-2723

Count Baltes & The Egors
Raven B-2723
Rite Account # 5691
30989 - The Monster Walk (Novelty Rock & Roll Instrumental)
30990 - Opening The Coffin (Novelty Rock & Roll)

One of two releases that I'm aware of on this label, Count Baltes delivers a very entertaining novelty tune with "Opening The Coffin" done to the tune of Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel." The chorus is made up exclusively of mouth noises - the kind where you squeeze air out of the sides of your mouth to make a motorboat noise. Very creative!

"The Monster Walk" is a mid to up-tempo rock & roll instrumental that seems to feature a sitar (or a tortured cat). Count Baltes' brief intro announces that the record you are about to hear was recorded in the catacombs of your mind ...

Of all the Rite pressing info that has been shared with me by many collectors, this one is not on anybody's list. Anybody else got a copy?


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Sonny Hines on Esta 790/791

Sonny Hines with (Tommy Wills) Orchestra

ESTA 790/791 - 1958

CP-1553 - I'm Glad You're Jealous Of Me (R & B)

CP-1554 - This Morning (Uptempo Blues)

Great tunes by a very young Sonny Hines (possible his first recording) on Estelle (Eve) Dodds very collectible ESTA label. The ESTA label was located in Hamilton, Ohio - just up the road from Cincinnati and was one of the earliest to use RITE's custom pressing service. Sonny later recorded for Tommy Wills' Airtown, Terry and Gregory labels and has some desirable soul recordings.

Please Click here for an extensive discography of the ESTA label.

Jim Weatherly and the Mozark Music Makers

Jim Weatherly and the Mozark Music Makers
Mozark 100 - [1963]
Springfield, Missouri
9513 - The Girls In My Home Town
9514- If They Knew You

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 - ?/?