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”
I picked up this great 45 by the Roosters on the Krishna label, not the Los Angeles group, but one from upstate New York. “The Rooster Song” has a fantastic crunching guitar sound, and shows they must have been a fun, tight live band. The flip is a ballad, “Lost and Found”, an original by Lotz-Barbour for Fat John Music Inc. BMI.
Peter Brohl sent in the photos seen here and wrote to me:
