I’ll be selling records this Saturday and Sunday, October 29 & 30 at the WFMU Record Fairin Manhattan. I’ll be at table C-22, towards the back of the room. I’ll be peddling a few rare garage 45s, plenty of LPs, and even some 78s.Please come by and say hello, I’d like to meet any regular readers of the site. If you haven’t been before, please be advised it’s insanely crowded until late in the day.
I’m trying to clear up some of the confusion about the various Warrior labels that existed in Texas, Montana, Louisiana and California.
Let’s start with Chan Romero’s Warrior label from Billings, Montana:
I’ve read that Chan, a one-time Pueblo, Colorado resident best known for writing and recording “Hippy Hippy Shake” owned the Warrior label that released the great single “I Don’t Recall” by the Trolls (also from Pueblo). I was uncertain of this, as a notice in Billboard announcing the formation of Romero’s Warrior label in Billings, Montana came much later – 1971. However, Lisa Wheeler of Pueblo City Limits related that Chan told her he was indeed the owner of Warrior, starting it in Billings as early as 1962.
Billings, Montana. Chan Romero, owner, circa 1962-1966:
likely incomplete – any help with this would be appreciated
Warrior L-128 – Kostas – “Something We Call Love” (C. Romero) / “Jane” (Kostas Lazarides) ( Crooked Rock Music, BMI, 1962 or later)
Warrior L-140-1- The Wanderers – “Don’t Pity Me” / “Give Me All You Got”
Warrior L-173 – Trolls – “I Don’t Recall” (Richard Gonzales, Warrior Tunes BMI) / “Stupid Girl” (November 1966)
Warrior L-219 – Chan Romero – “Lost In Love” / “Billie” (can anyone provide a label scan?)
Warrior OV-105 – Stan Campbell – “Any Time” (Happy Lawson) / “Just One More Dance” (Stan Campbell) (date?)
Warrior WS-106 – Faith, Hope & Charity – “That’s What the People Said” / “Hey, Hey World” (1971),
Warrior WS-114 – Lonnie Bell and the Yellowstone Dudes “The Last Mile” / “Montana Song”
Warrior NRF-542 – Chan Romero – “The Best Thing I Ever Had” / “The Fire in My Light” (“recorded in Canada”)
For more info see also:
Chan Romero discography at WangDangDula.com.
Interview with Chan Romero at Rockabilly N Blues Records.
Other Warrior discographies:
Any help with these would be appreciated:
Pleasanton, Texas and San Antonio. E.J. Henke, owner, 1957-1959. Emil J. Henke would go on to own the Satin label also covered on this site.
Warrior WA 501 – Dayton Smith & the Roving Warriors – “What Will the Answer Be” / “Standing by a Seashore”
Warrior WA 502 – Red Hilburn – “Three Words” / “The Rambling Blues”
Warrior WA 503 – Opal Jean – “I’ll Never Forget My Kind of Boy” / “I Heard His Heart Break Last Night” (reviewed in Billboard Sept. 30, 1957)
Warrior WA 504 – Franklin Smith with Roving Warriors Band – “No Wonder I Wonder” / “A Golden Dream of You” (1957, blue ‘Chief’ label with Pleasanton address)
Warrior WA 505 – Jerry Smith – “I Don’t Care What They Say” / “I Couldn’t Win Your Love” (1958)
Warrior WA 506 – Al Dean & His All Stars – “Fragile Heart” / “Blue Sky Waltz”
Warrior WA 507 – Doug Sahm & the Pharoahs – “Crazy Daisy” / “If I Ever Need You”
Warrior WA 508 – Al Dean – “I Shot Billy” / ? (1959)
Hollywood, California, 1959:
Warrior W-1554 – Bobby Lee Trammell – “Open Up Your Heart” / “Woe Is Me” (May 1959)
Warrior W-1555 – Curtis Lee – “Pure Love” / “With All My Heart (I Love You)” (1959)
Warrior W-1556 – Joey Norman – “King of Fools” / “Heart of Mine”
Warrior W-1557 – ?
Warrior W-1558 – ?
Warrior W-1559 – ?
Warrior W-1560 – Frankie Knight – “Unchained Melody” / “Call Me”
North Hollywood, owned by Tom Sawyer, 1966
Only one release I know of:
Warrior W-166 – Our Gang – “Careless Love” (D. Duvall, Huckleberry Music, BMI) / Heartbeat (1966, prod. by Tom Sawyer)
Doesn’t seem to be connected to the earlier Warrior label from Hollywood. Tom Sawyer also had the Trident label. Our Gang were from Buena Park by Los Angeles (info from Mike Markesich). This band Our Gang is not the Colorado Springs group who cut “Rapunzel” / “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow”.
Another Warrior label from California
Warrior SM-1007/SM-1008 – Simon T. Stokes “Big City Blues” (Clifton) / “Pow! Zap! (I’m the Bat)” (Murray-Clifton) January 1966, produced by John Herring, Sawtell & Herring Music, ASCAP
Simon Stokes would record several different versions of “Big City Blues”. After the Warrior release, he would cut it for the HBR label (HBR 487) in July of ’66, with new flip “Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction” (Simon Stokes) and arrangement credited to Harold R. Battiste, Jr., and A&R by Larry Goldberg. He made a third version b/w “Cobwebs” on the In-Sound label in 1967, and also released it on MGM K14135 as by Simon Stokes and the Night Hawks, prod. by Michael Lloyd for Voodoo Prod. Stokes was also a member of the Perpetual Motion Workshop (“Infiltrate Your Mind” / “Won’t Come Down” on Rally), the Flower Children (“Mini Skirt Blues” on Castil and Allied) and recorded as Simon T. Stokes & the Nite Hawks on Elektra.
Louisiana:
1001 – Guy Spitale – “Who’s That Woman” (W-101) / “It’s Over Forever” (W-102)
1002 – Guy Spitale – “Returning Your Letters” (W-103 )/ “Scroungy” (W-104) (white label w/ red printing)
Unknown locations:
RFF 777 – Ivan X – “Edge of Night” / “Tell Tale Heart”
Special thanks to Westex of Lone Star Stomp, Drunkenhobo, Bob of Dead Wax, Collin Pruit of Inkmathematics, Dave Martens, Kurt Rokitta and Andy for their contributions to these discographies. Thank you to Dominic Welhouse for the Simon T. Stokes scans.
Check out Dave Marten’s page on Montana bands at Long Time Comin’ – Lost Sounds from the Treasure State.
Thank you also to Lisa Wheeler for scans, info and continued updates regarding Chan Romero.
Roland Allen – vocals
Jimmy Allen – vocals
Rodney Vineyard – lead guitar
Tommy Fonseca – rhythm guitar
Jerry Colwell – bass
Bill Walden – drums
The Kavemen came from the southeastern section of Dallas, Texas. Jerry Colwell had discussed the Kavemen in a longer interview about his career with Kit and the Outlaws and other bands:
Later joined the #1 Dallas band The Cavemen [sic] and played battle of the bands against Jimmy Vaughan and his band, and the Royals and others. In 1965 the Cavemen was the home band for a Night club “Surfers A Go Go” in Dallas, where we played with Chuck Berry, Roy Head, the original Drifters, Jimmy Velvet and Johnny Green and the Greenmen. We played at clubs all over Texas, my favorites were the “Bamboo Hut” in Galveston, and “Panther Hall” in Fort Worth, a televised event every week. We also played at Louanns many times.
As it turns out, they recorded four songs at Sumet Sound Studios which were never released. Carlene Fonseca sent me the songs from their unreleased acetate and passed along this info from her ex-husband Tommy Fonseca:
The band got together first as an instrumental group playing at Twilight Time Skating Rink, in Dallas, TX and playing for high school dances at H. Grady Spruce High School and E. B. Comstock Junior High. Jimmy and Roland Allen were singers and they went to Spruce Hi and heard the band and offered to sing for them.
The recording was done at Summit [Sumet] in Dallas. The recordings were not released. The jumps & skips are because of a defect in the master dub. Tommy said somebody dropped it and it was chipped at the spot where the 1st song was on the 1st side and the 1st song on the flip side.
Rodney Vineyard, the lead guitar, left the group to play with Sunny Satin and the Mysterians. The Kavemen couldn’t find another lead guitar so they broke up. When the studio was ready to release it they declined since the group was no longer together.
Tommy recently spoke to Roland Allen. He lives in Gun Barrel City and he told Tommy that Jimmy had passed away the just the week before. We cannot locate Bill. He was the drummer. Rodney lives in Balch Springs, TX and he still plays for VFW Posts occasionally.
Because of the chip in the lacquer, my favorite song “Can’t You See” suffers from skips and drop-outs for the first thirty seconds. Same with the first song on the second side, “Why”. The other two, “Without You”, and “I Feel the Same” are fine. I’m hoping to get a photo or scan of the acetate labels. Despite the flaws, these are fantastic examples of mid-60s Texas rock ‘n roll!
The Kavemen – Can’t You See
The Kavemen – Without You
The Kavemen – Why
The Kavemen – I Feel the Same
When updating the page on the State of Mind, I started compiling a list of Chavis releases, looking for more garage type singles.
As it turns out, the State of Mind’s two 45s and the Tree’s “No Good Woman” may have been the only rock singles put out by James Chavis on his Candi, Chavis and Barvis labels out of Wilmington, Delaware. The others listed here are gospel, r&b, doo wop or soul.
Since I haven’t seen a complete discography anywhere else, I’m including what I’ve compiled here:
Candi:
1020: Grand Prees – Jungle Fever (featuring Douglass Pettijohn) / Sit and Cry (featuring Bernice Marsh)
1021: Christian Harmonizers – The Day Has Passed and Gone / The Lord Will Make a Way
1022: Mighty Wonders – God Called Moses / All My Troubles Will Be Over
1023: Silas Phifer & the Mellow Fellows* – Gotta Find My Baby / Edwin Johnson & the Mellow Fellows – You Gave Me Love
1024: Santio’s Premiers and Nat. Miller – She’s Still My Baby / Doggin’ the Twine
1025: Vibra-Tones and George Johnson – I’m Begging You Baby / Willie’s Dream
1026: Empires – Love You So Bad / Come Home Girl (Candi)
1027: Evangelist Mattie Lewis & Travelling Gospelettes – The Lord Is My Shepherd / The Rest of My Days
1028: Eddie Johnson – Mis-Ter Night / I Lost My Linda
1029: Ruth White & the Continentals – Give Us Your Blessings / Dog Time
1030: Humble Gospel Singers – Long Way to the City / The Rest of My Days
1031: Maurice Williams & the Inspirations – The Day Has Come / Never Leave You Again
1032: ?
1033: Empires – You’re On Top Girl
* Mellow Fellows – I’ve read some speculation that this is the same group known as the Mello Souls behind the soul classic “We Can Make It” on the Mello label. Anyone have a scan of that?
Chavis:
1034: Matadors – Say Yes Baby / Carmen I Wish You Were Here
1035: Spidels – Like a Bee / You Know I Need You (1965)
1036: ?
1037: Mighty Wonders – Good News / He Heard Me Cry
1038: State of Mind – Move / If He Comes Back (1966) (CH-2076/7)
1039: ?
1040: ?
1041: State of Mind – Make You Cry / Goin’ Away (1967) (CH-2083)
709: Southern Gate Singers – Somebody’s Always Talking About Me / Laugh Laugh Laugh
710: Miller Family – He Cares for You / I Believe in Jesus (arr. Lee Miller) (CH-1420/1)
730: Mighty Kings of Harmony – I Know a Man / Better World (CH 1460)
7011: Rising Stars – You Need This
7012: Sensational Mighty Wonders – Live On High / A Friend in Jesus (CH 3506/7)
7013: Specializers – Rock of Ages / Oh How I Love Jesus
Barvis:
7010: The Tree – No Good Woman / Man From Nowhere (1967)
125: The Superiors Band and Their Soul Singers – Darling I Love You / Amateur Love
319: The Superiors Band and Their Soul Singers – The Lady Part 1 / The Lady Part 2
Most of the gospel releases were produced by Lee Skinner. James Chavis’ publishing was usually listed with Vandever Music, BMI. Though located in Delaware, Chavis seems to have had some connections in North Carolina, the home of some of his gospel acts, like the Mighty Wonders.