Categories: California, Longview, Los Angeles, Modern, Oregon, Portland, Star-Bright, Washington

Star-Bright Records discography

March 12, 2016 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

I’d appreciate any help with this discography.

Star-Bright 3051 – The Wilde Knights – “Beaver Patrol” (Dey – Brown) / “Tossin’ and Turnin'”
Rich Brown, vocal on both songs. S-1-866/7

Star-Bright 3052 – The Wilde Knights – “Just Like Me” (Dey for Tinadele Pub. Co. BMI) / “I Don’t Care” (Dey-Brown) Rick Dey vocals on both songs, S-1-864/5

Star-Bright 3053 – Bruce (pseudonym for The Niteriders) – “I Got My Mojo Workin'” / “La-La-La”

Star-Bright 3054 – The Niteriders – “Satisfaction Guaranteed” (Doak) S-1-868 / “Whatever’s Right” (Johnson, Doak, Sells)

Star-Bright 3055 – The Niteriders – “With Friends Like You Who Needs Friends” (Doak) S-1-871 / “Just Call on Me”

Star-Bright 3056 – ??

Star-Bright 3057- Thornbush Ripple IV – “Room With a Crew” Part I / “Room With a Crew” Part II (Anonymous – McCoy for Tinadele Pub) S-1-874/5

Paul Johnson produced all the Star-Bright singles.

The Wilde Knights formed when the draft took Ray Kennedy, lead singer of the Furys, who had two fine r&b records on the Lavender label. Furys member Rich Brown ( lead vocals, guitar) and Roger Huycke (drums) added Rich Dey from the Vejtables as a second lead vocalist and Dean Adair and changed the band’s name to the Wilde Knights.

The Furys had originally been based out of Longview, Washington, but the band’s live circuit brought them up and down the west coast, so perhaps it’s not surprising the Wilde Knights cut their two singles in a studio in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles for release by a brand-new label based in a small coastal town in southern Oregon.

“Beaver Patrol” is an instant classic, featuring lead vocals by Rich Brown. Their second single on Star-Bright, also from 1965, features the original version of “Just Like Me” written and sung by Rich Dey. The story goes that Paul Revere heard the song and bought it from Dey for maybe $5,000. It became a monster hit for the Raiders in December 1965, while Dey seems to have died young, circa 1970. The full story of the Furys/Wilde Knights and their later incarnations is best told in Greg Shaw’s liner notes to the 1984 Voxx LP compiling their recordings.

The third release on Star-Bright is one I haven’t heard, an artist called Bruce doing “I Got My Mojo Workin'” / “La-La-La”. Bruce is supposed to be a pseudonym for members of the Niteriders, who would have the next two singles on Star-Bright in 1966. I know very little about the Niteriders but their two singles are fantastic. The group may have come from Portland, Oregon. “Satisfaction Guaranteed” b/w “Whatever’s Right” came out in early 1966 followed quickly by their second release “With Friends Like You Who Needs Friends” b/w “Just Call on Me”.

I can’t find any copyright registrations to Niteriders member Doak, whose name appears on the Niteriders song writing credits, but I have found a copyright registration from June of ’66 for “Satisfaction Guaranteed” by Donald Richard Keefer. Rick Keefer would produce singles by Genesis, the King Biscuit Entertainers, and American Cheese, all bands with roots in the Furys or Wilde Knights. He had a few early copyrights in 1965: ‘Hurt So Good”, “I Saw Sloopy” and “Soul Searchin'”. It’s conceivable he was a part of the Niteriders.

The Los Angeles label Modern Records released “With Friends Like You Who Needs Friends” under a pseudonym, the Composers, and also put out the Wilde Knights “Beaver Patrol”, supposedly without the band’s knowledge. The Modern releases, along with publishing by Tinadele Pub. BMI suggest a strong Los Angeles connecton for Star-Bright Records.

I haven’t found out what Star-Bright 3056 is, but Star-Bright 3057 (on a purple label) is the Thornbush Ripple IV “Room With a Crew” Part I / “Room With a Crew” Part II, a novelty release featuring a not very funny recitation of what’s supposed to be an asylum inmate, spoken over a bluesy guitar, piano and drums backing.

Star-Bright Records: six or seven releases, four of which are essential garage. Not a bad average!

Categories: France, Riviera, Unknown

Bob Lackman

March 11, 2016 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

Bob Lackman had only one release, an EP on the French label Riviera in 1966. “Laughing Boy” is the standout track but all four songs are worthwhile.

No one seems to know exactly where Bob came from or what happened to him. I’ve read he was an English singer who happened to get a release in France. But to my ears he sounds more American than English.

The singer shows familiarity with Los Angeles in the final song, “Sad Day for Doc Shades”:

The poor people of Clark Street,
Have trouble finding things to eat,
Back in Watts, they have one friend
Who never asked to be fed,
… (?) he’s afraid.
Doc Shades, bad days,
Sad days for Doc Shades.
The story is one, sad but good,
Practice on 5th Avenue and Hollywood,
Until that day that young girl passed away.
Because her folks, they were rich, there was trouble in store,
Doc Shades could work no more.
The agent grew thin,
Bad times had set in, for him.
Doc Shades, bad days,
Sad days for Doc Shades.
They no longer said his hands shook,
and his reflection in the bottle was a look,
Of paranoid indecision, conscience, better known as fear.
The time had come, sad days for Doc Shades had begun.
I said now baby let’s do it, I know it,
Poor Dark Shades though.
Doc Shades, bad days,
Sad days for Doc Shades.
Well I have no more license for any decrepit body,
The soul is good, he drinks wood alcohol.
Now he still treats the people on that street, Clark Street,
I lived there,
No Jaguars, no Japanese gardeners,
Lots of trash, it’s ain’t easy here babe,
No Frenchy food, or no Frency nothin’.

“Bad Day for Doc Shades” is the only song from the EP not audible on youtube, I’m sorry to say. “Town of Sorrow” seems to cover a similar emotional state but with abstract lyrics. “I Cry for You” has a tuneful pop sound.

“Laughing Boy” has more passion and vitriol, with the singer sucking in his breath between verses, turning from a gentle voice in one line to a harsh accusing tone in the next.

On the beaches far below,
I see the waves crashing on the rocky shore,
And I also see the sky with its clouds of pink and white,
and it makes me wonder why I shouldn’t fight.
See the laughing boy over there.
See the laughing boy.
I hear crowds of laughter, and of joy,
I see before me, a little boy,
He looks so happy, smiling boy,
But it is you that I dread.
See the laughing boy over there,
See the laughing boy.
This little boy, comes up to me,
He’s filled with joy, he’s so carefree,
But if he’d been through the same as me,
Then I don’t think he’d be ashamed,
To tell me what is wrong.
On the beaches far below,
I see the waves crashing, crashing on the rocky shore,
And I also see the sky with its clouds of pink and white,
Do you see them there?
See the laughing boy over there,
See the laughing boy.

Bob Lackman wrote “Laughing Boy” and collaborated with a writer named Pasternak on the other three songs. A commentator “Boursin” wrote below, “Pasternak is almost certainly the DJ Emperor Rosko (real name Mike Pasternak). In 1966 his French-language show, Minimax, was on Radio Luxembourg every weekday night, and was hugely popular in France.”

I contacted Emperor Rosko and he wrote back:

I found him singing in the [London] Underground. He came from a wealthy family. I produced those tracks. Everything disappeared, masters, label, and Bobby. Bobby disappeared back into New York. If you track him down give me a shout!

I asked Rosko about his co-writing credit as Pasternak and he replied, “I messed with it a bit.”

The cover lacks any credits except for song writing and photography by Drew Bond. I find the color/b&w art jarring because the sunburst on the guitar is blacked out on the right side and because his hand is turned into a lifeless gray color.

Categories: California, Oakland

The Outrage “Show Me” / “Light My Fire” on Soul City

March 10, 2016 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

My friend Derek Taylor sent in this cool promotional photo of a group called Outrage, with a logo that could come from some ’80s hardcore poster.

The group had one single as Allen Fierro and the Outrage: “Show Me” b/w “Light My Fire” on Music City 45-870. The label misspells Allen’s name, it should have been Alan Fierro. Pamela Fierro wrote to me that the group was known as simply The Outrage, but for some reason the single added Alan’s name in front of the group’s.

Alan and Pamela Fierro were from Oakland; two other members came from Fremont.

Joey D wrote me that “the logo was drawn by Don Ryder who did a lot of flyers/posters for Bill Quarry’s Teen ‘n Twenties.” These shows took place in Hayward and San Leandro at the Rollarena and other venues. More info on Bill Quarry’s promotions and many examples of Don Ryder’s poster art can be seen at Bill Quarry’s Teens N’ Twenties site.

Categories: Aegis, Buddha, Chadwick's Recording Studio, Kama, Krishna, New York, Upstate New York, Utica

Utica record labels: Kama, Aegis, Lewis, Buddha, Krishna, Hurd & Stentor

March 10, 2016 Chris Bishop 10 Comments

Andy And The Classics Kama PS Taba-Da-Ba-Do and Prehistoric Time — Andy And The Classics Kama PS

Utica, New York had a number of independent labels in the 1960s. At first I believed labels such as Kama, Krishna, Lewis and Aegis were related, but after a comment and more investigation, I’ve decided to cover a number of Utica labels that shared artists, distribution by Kama, or use of the Chadwicks Recording Studio.

Kenneth Hurd, a New Hartford shoe executive, owned the Hurd and Revere Records labels, as well as the Longmark Studio in Utica and the Chadwicks Recording Studio and pressing plant on Oneida St. in Chadwicks.

Any help with information about any of these labels would be appreciated!

Aegis Records

Aegis 1001 – The Bel Airs – “You Left Me (For Somebody New)” / “You’re the Greatest” (Aegis Records ARS 1001). Gates Initino, vocal. Other members were Guy Vivenzo, Dick Laurey, Jim Hanna and Jon Hynes). Distributed by Bason Agency, Utica.

Aegis 1003 – The Royals – “Shake It” / “Mix Up” (both written by Fran Migliaccio), W-194

Aegis 100? – The Royals feat Ralph Migliaccio “I Only Have Eyes For You/ Land Of A Thousand Dances”

Buddha Records

Buddha CO 1753 – The Roosters – “I Wanna Do It” / “You Don’t Need Any Reason”

See my post on the Roosters for more information about that band.

Hurd Records

Hurd 77 – Patti Miller & the Friends Trio – “Caveman Blues” / “Stone Age” (with PS)
Hurd 78 – Andy and the Classics – “Walk Walk Walk” / “Wilma” – band led by Andy Cittadino
Hurd 79 – Dee Dee Warwick – “I Can’t Go Back” / “I (Who Have Nothing At All)” (1966, prod. by H. Rudd and Bob Gallo)

Hurd 82 – Lloyd Price ’66 – “Misty” / Lloyd Price Orchestra – “Saturday Night”

Kama Records

Kama 33 – Gary Angel And The Halos – ?

Kama K-43 – The Ultimates “Lost Romance” (Foti-O’Donnell) / “Foreign Girl” (Dick Broderick – both songs Harbor Music ASCAP), unrelated label?).

Kama 501 – Gary Angel And The Halos – “Oh, Judy” / “Memories Of A Summer Day” (circa 1962)
Kama 502 – Maureen Fitzgerald – “Twinkle In His Eye” / “His Own Kind of Rhythm” (division of Kama Productions)

Kama L-106 – Ted Alexander and The Cordels – “Baby You Can Drive My Car” / “Please Go” (with picture sleeve)

Kama L-164 – Heaven’s Devils – “Lonely Girl” (Paul Sparaco) / “Out Of Your Life” (Frederick J. Catella), prod. by Gary J. Sparaco, Kama Music

Kama L-212 – Jerry Carr and the Travelers – “I Laugh When I Should Have Been Listenin’” / “Wondering If I Could Go On”

Kama L-269 – Susie Southworth – “My Heart Could Never Stand (to Be Broken by You)” (Dorothy Southworth) / “Once a Day”

Kama K-712 – JC and the Tears – “Then You’d Better Go Away” (J. Camilli, copyrighted as Jimmy Camilli in 1953) / “What’d I Say” (OV-102)

Kama 775 – Heavenly Flyers – “Mighty Long Time” / “Hallelujah to His Name” (W-167/W168)
Kama 776 – Lou Barile (John Mazzae At The Organ) – “He’ll Look Down” / “Prayer”
Kama 777 – Eric and the Chessmen – “You Don’t Want My Loving” / “Blue Skies”, L-99-1/2. The labels note “Recorded at Chadwicks Recording Studio”, in Chadwicks, NY, a small hamlet along Route 8 south of Utica, and a few miles east of Clinton, NY and Hamilton College.

Kama 780 – The Ally Kahns – “Gonkletwerp” (instrumental by Gary Brody, Dick Kenney and Charlie Caryl) / “Blue Moon” (W-321)

Kama K-780 – The Avengers – “Reflection” (C. Wheeler) / “Irresistable You” from April of 1967, also recorded at Chadwicks and produced by A. Polacelli.

Kama 786 – Andy & the Classics – “Yaba-da-ba-do” / “Prehistoric Time” (with PS, prod. by Bob Gallo)

Kama 1070 – Audrey De Lia and the Western Aces cut “Kansas City” b/w a version of Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough”

Kama 814 – Target – “Give Me One More Chance” / “Cleveland” (modern soul, early 1970s)
Kama 815 – Target – “Look at Me” / “You’re So Beautiful”

Kama OV-567 – Tiny Tim – “Howard Cosell (We Think You’re Swell)” / “The Bi-Centennial Song (I Believe in America)” – 1976

Kama 71310 – Sonja Bonness “I’m the Only Woman” / “Black Satin” (1977)

Krishna Records

Krishna TR 2690 – The Roosters – “The Rooster Song” / “Lost And Found”

Lewis Records

Lewis Records 525 – The Starfires “Vampire” (by James Palladino for Kajobe Music, BMI) / “Honky Tonk Twist”, mastering #s W-189 & W-190. The labels read “distributed by Kama Productions, Utica, NY.” “Vampire” also recorded by the Plaids on Stentor – see below.

Lewis 1000 – The Ponzi Bros. Lou & Zack – “Guitar Boogie Twist” / “Channel 98” (Lou Ponzi, Kama Music BMI) (K-71/72)
Lewis 107 – The Belairs – “All The Time” (Chuck Weiss, Eddie Mikenas) / “As You Go” (Eddie Mikenas), Kev-Tess Music BMI

Mark Records – extensive discography, see entry on Discogs for more info

Tino & the Revlons – “Black Burma-Mudas and Knee Socks” (R. Demart, B. Rezey; Kama Music Publ.) / “Story Of Our Love” (Mark M-154)
The Plaids – “Out To Lunch” (Carl Swanson aka: Mr. Sunshine) / ?, circa 1961 – need label scans for this one.

Stentor Records

Stentor RR 101 – The Plaids (aka the Bel Airs) – “Vampire” / “Creepin'” (Vivenzo) from Stentor Recording Co., Utica.
Stentor RB-165 – Brian Wilson & the Del Vues “Blue Skies” / “Blueberry Hill”
Stentor RM 101 – Bebo Singleton with Jeff & the Notes “The Shrine of the Echoes” / “Feeny Jones”

Categories: Chatham, Columbia County, New York, Ram, Rite Record Productions custom pressings

The Classics of Chatham, NY

March 5, 2016 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

The Classics came from Chatham, New York, a town about 30 miles southeast of Albany. I live not far from the village and my daughter goes to the local public school, so I’ve been very interested in learning more about this band. Donnie Mettauer was the only member’s name I knew of until a comment below noted Richie Muller played bass and Rich Fiero drums.

In March of 1966 the band released four songs on a Rite-pressed 7″ EP with the Ram Records label. I’ve heard all four songs and can attest to the veracity of the old G45 description:

The four songs cover a lot of ground stylistically from the cute pop-fantasy (not psych) of “Pink Cats” through sweet harmony pop (“I Don’t Wanna Be Around”), and a restrained, double-speed rendition of the “Bo Diddley” classic. However, it’s “Mean Woman” that we’re here to talk about…a chunky, chugging riff-driven garage mover further propelled by clean stuttering electric lead lines, rumbling toms and call-and-answer vocals. A stunning release, rare as hen’s teeth.

In June of 1966 the band traveled to Nola Recording Studios at 111 West 57th St. in Manhattan. Also known as Nola’s Penthouse Studio or “The Penthouse Sound Studios of V.J. Nola” on the early acetate labels, the studio was a capacious room that opened circa 1940 on the 17th floor of Steinway Hall. The studio was owned by Vincent Nola and his son Tommy Nola. It closed in February 2014 due to construction to extend the building’s height.

Almost no one has heard any of the four songs the Classics cut on two unreleased demos recorded at Nola. I’ve been fortunate to hear one, “The World Can’t Take Time” which was backed by a song called “Bright Orange Clown” on one of the discs. The second demo has “Little Bo Peep” / “Baby Baby”.

There has been talk of a re-release of all eight songs, but so far nothing has come through. It seems Don Mettauer has passed away.

There weren’t many bands in the Columbia County area in the 1960s. There were the Del-Tones led by David Osborn with members including Rick Piester, Jerry Porreca, John Frentino, John Rundell, Peter Post and Richard Leavitt, and the Fownds (or the Founds) from Hudson who had two releases on Reeb. Another notable single is by the Kynds, also partially based in Hudson. The Kynds recorded at a studio in Kinderhook run by Earl Kennett, but I have yet to find any other recordings from that studio.

I’d appreciate any more information about the Classics.

Categories: Dearborn, Detroit, Insite, Michigan, Unknown

John Does “One Kind Favor” on INsite

March 4, 2016 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

John Does is an appropriate name for this group because nothing was known about them until Ron Domilici sent in a scan of the promo sheet seen at top. The band does one of the very best versions of “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean”.

I don’t know where the John Does learned their version of the song, it was done by many artists in the early ’60s. The alternate title “One Kind Favor” was used by Peter, Paul and Mary on their live album in ’64, and this may have been their source.

On the flip is “I’ll Never Take You Back”, an original by Roy R. Fernandez. The instrumentation is the same, but it lacks the mood, production quality and intensity of “One Kind Favor”. Strangely this side has a much different RCA master number, T4KM 8798 comparted to T4KM 2383, though both seem to be from the second half of 1966.

The promo sheet lists the group name as The John Doe, and the members of the group as:

Roy Fernandez – guitar
Bill White – bass
John Farion – harmonica and organ
Ken Everts – drums

Ernie Statton – manager
Dave Fox – producer

It also lists the record label as Insight instead of INsite, and seems to suggest they recorded “Diddley Daddy”.

Publishing for both sides was through Davenbar Music BMI. Fernandez copyrighted this and one other original, “Leavin’ that Girl Behind” in July of 1966. Not a bad title for a song, but I can’t find a release with that title by any artist.

Released as Insite 45-1001, Insite Records a division of Metro Productions Inc. but I don’t know of any other releases on Insite. The label typography is cool, though the small “s” in Does may have caused more confusion than anything else.

This is an early credit for the engineer Milan Bogdan, who would soon engineer singles by the Rationals, the Scot Richard Case, SRC, the MC5, Funkadelic and many, many others. I’m not sure which studio the John Does.

Dave Fox produced the record. David Fox and Davenbar Music publishing coincide on one soul single from 1964, the Dynamics “And That’s a Natural Fact” / “I Wanna Know” on Big Top 516, both songs written by Joseph W. McArthur. and co-published with Noma Music.

Special thank you to Ron Domilici for sending in the promo flyer.

Garage Hangover

Monthly Archives: March 2016