Knight Records discography:
1046 – Bob Haydon – “Suzanne” / “Gonna Go (Gonna Leave Ya)” (both written by Bob Haydon; July 1, 1964)
1047 – Abby Anderson – “(We Were) Sittin’ in the Balcony” (Lewis Lindsey) / “My Love”
1048 – Lewis Lindsey – “Girls Always Break My Heart” / T”he Promise” (written and arranged by L. Lindsey)
1049 – Jimmy Rabbit with Ron and Dea – “Pushover” / “Wait and See”
1050 – The Knights – “Stay” / “I Know It Now” (both by B. Kissell)
1051 – ?
1052 – Jimmy Rabbit – “Wishy-Washy Woman” / “My Girl” (both by Ron Price, arranged by Bob Rambo)
4121-31 – The Knights – “Only You Hold the Answer” (Dick and Bob Kisslle [sic]) / “Walkin’ The Streets” (Bob Kisslle [sic]) published by Pinent Music, BMI and recorded at Dayson Studio in East Syracuse, NY
Any help with additions or corrections to this discography would be appreciated.
Bob Sanders ran the Knight and Spectra labels, among others, during the mid-’60s in Dallas, Texas. The two Jimmy Rabbit singles are probably the best, though I haven’t heard the Abby Anderson 45, described as doo wop.
See the earlier articles on this site for more on Jimmy Rabbit, the Mystics (on Spectra) and the Knights.
Bob Haydon had the first 45 that I know of on Knight, released in mid-1964. “Suzanne” never made much impression on me, but “Gonna Go (Gonna Leave Ya)” has an easy mix of country and pop sounds.
Lewis Lindsey was either co-owner or had some position with the label. Jimmy Rabbit called the Knight label’s studio “Sand-Lin”, though I haven’t seen that name cited by anyone else.
Lindsey co-wrote “Sittin’ in the Balcony” for Abby Anderson, and co-wrote both sides of the Jimmy Rabbit 45, as well as being in Rabbit’s band at the time. For his own Knight single Lindsey wrote and arranged “The Promise”, a pop number with big production. Lewis Lindsey had another release on Vandan VR-7742, “Wish It Could Be Me” / “Is It Love” that I haven’t heard.
All of the above except the second Knights 45 (4121-31) produced by Bob Sanders with publishing by Fieldcrest Music, BMI, often the credits say “An Empire Production”. I would assume the Knights “Only You Hold the Answer” was their own production back in New York, however the logo is exact and their names are misspelled on the song writing credits.
There’s no connection to the Tampa, Florida Knight label that released 45s by the Tropics, Mods and Outsiders or the Wilmington, Delaware label with a release by the Spectrums, “I’ll Never Fear” (D. Stewart) / “Wine, Wine, Wine” recorded at Ken-Del Studios, or the Schenectady, NY label.
Many thanks to Brian Kirschenbaum for alerting me to the Knights 45, and to Tommy “MrTeenSwe” for his help with the Lewis Lindsey 45 info.
Hi Chas! I’m Abby Anderson and my son recently made me aware of renewed interest in the single I recorded in Dallas called “Sittin in the Balcony”. I also see the Jimmy Rabbit records mentioned. I sang backup on those records. I’ve been a professional studio vocalist all my adult life and I am still! After recording “Balcony” I sang alot of commercials for Bob Hayden and Lewis Lindsey while still a teen, then finished jr. high and high school in the mid and late 60’s. I then began a career as a live performer and jingle singer. It’s been a wonderful and lucrative career and I’ll always appreciate Bob and Lewis for the wonderful training I got at such a young age. It’s really a kick that anyone still cares about the single and other little known fun tunes of that era. If anyone wants to know what happened to the lack of girl records immediately after that time it can be summed up in two words; The Beatles!
Thanks for helping it get heard again and good luck with the great work you are doing!
Abby Anderson (Holmes)
Hi Abby! I’m Don Petton. My brother married Donna Odom and they introduced us. You went to my school dance with me right after the record was released. I’m still around and have nice memories of you. You loved in Garland at the time and I was in Pleasant Grove. Kept your promo photo for years and still think of you. Glad you have had a nice life. I’m 67 now and living in League City Texas.
Hey Chas! The flipside of Lewis Lindsey’s 45 on KNIGHT is titled “Girls Always Break My Heart”
Before his release on KNIGHT he had recorded a couple of 45’s for other Tx. labels. Such as MANCO and MUSIC OF AMERICA.
Additional info on Bob Haydon can be found at http://www.haydonrf.com.
It’s quite interesting to note how life takes different turns…
Regards, Mike
I absolutely love Bob’s two songs [“Suzanne”, “Gonna Go”] on the Knight label (45). Any chance someone can steer me toward acquiring a copy for myself?
Frank Kramer in Mentor, Ohio
fortyfivesfrank@aol.com
Hey Abby, my brother Troy Stevenson was in the 9th grade with you at Sam Houston Jr. High and my brother Billy in the grade below you. I was much younger and never heard of you til tonight sitting around talking about old times. My bro Troy spent all of his adult life serving as a music minister in the Baptist Church.
I just came across a copy of the Abby Anderson single. If anyone here would like a copy, get in touch.
I graduated from South Garland High School with Abby in 1968 but met her in junior high school. Oddly enough, I don’t have this record. How can I get a copy?
I have a Knight Records 45 by Harley Malone, which is
Ballad of a Ten Dollar Bill, and
I Cry.
Record 393
Country