Jeannie Purretta released one single in the early ’60s on the Camsul label owned by Dick Campbell, who also wrote and produced both sides, and Artie Sullivan, who co-produced.
“If You See My Baby” is a catchy, fast number with an interesting guitar-led passage after the first verse. The recording quality is somewhat crude but helps to give the single a wall-of-sound quality, and deserves a reissue as it is currently an obscure recording.
Jeannie sings “He’s My Boy Friend” with almost a country twang.
Jeannie Purretta came from Worcester, Massachusetts, graduating from Commerce High School in 1952. The Beachcomber of August 12, 1959, published in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, has a photo and lists Jean Purretta as 1st place winner in a talent parade.
On April 27, 1960, Jean Purretta sang on three songs recorded in New York with a large group featuring Charlie Mariano, Vinnie Dean, Frank Soccolow, John Hafer, Pepper Adams, Curtis Fuller, Jerry Tyree, Burt Collins, Rick Kiefer, Chet Ferretti, Eddie Bert, Frank Rehak, Bill Elton, Mike Zwerin, Bill Barber, Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers, Charlie Persip, Sal Salvador.
Some of the session appeared on Tony Zano’s Balmore LP The Gathering Place but the vocals with Jean have never been issued to my knowledge. Tony Zano was a stage name for Anthony Ferrazzano.
Dick Campbell and Artie Sullivan started Camsul Records in Worcester in 1962. In 1965 they relocated to the midwest and started CineVista Records and Andrea Dawn Music, recording in Janesville WI (Leaf Records), Sauk City WI (Cuca Records) and Chicago, IL (Universal Studios).
I asked Artie about Jeannie’s single and he wrote to me:
Jeannie Purretta was singing in local clubs at the time and we heard her sing. She was our fourth release on Camsul Records while we were living in Shrewsbury MA. We recorded her in Worcester MA at North East Recording Studio (owner Fred Holovnia). Fred later moved to Shrewsbury MA. Last I checked she was living in Shrewsbury MA. We used the band the Scarlets to back her up and Dick & I sang background.
The Scarlets was a local college band from Worcester MA that Dick & Artie hooked up with and used to back up their recordings while living in Massachusetts. Dick joined the band about a year and half after they formed. The Scarlets consisted of Peter Damanis on drums, born in Queens NY attending Clark University Worcester MA, Gordon Schultz on lead guitar from Worcester MA also at Clark University Worcester MA and John Benson on bass from Worcester Ma attending Worcester Tech.
Thank you to Artie Sullivan for the information about Jeannie and the Scarlets.
Sources include : 45 Cat and JazzDiscography.com
