Category Archives: Pla Me Records

The Standels on Pla-Me Records of Muskogee

Standels of Muskogee Photo
The Standels, from left: Tom Bradley, Blaine Trumbold (in back), Boyd Bogle (front), Ronny (surname?), Eddy Cortner, and Ron Cortner

Standels Pla-Me 45 Let's GoThe Standels “Let’s Go” turns the Animals’ “I’m Crying” into edgy, forbidding territory:

Well me and my baby go to a show
And we get there … (?)
And me and my baby leave the show,
And we go out on this dark road.

Well here comes someone down the road,
They’re comin’ up behind us, not too slow.
Oh go, I see a red light flashing.
Well I guess we’d better get out of here fast.

Let’s go

According to Teen Beat Mayhem, the Standels came from Catoosa, Oklahoma, just east of Tulsa. I knew nothing about the band, nor any of the members names, but Max Waller alerted me that according to an interview with Ron Cortner, the band was originally called the Roustabouts. By the time of the 45 the group consisted of:

Boyd Bogle – lead vocals
Tommy Bradley – lead guitar
Ron Cortner – rhythm guitar
Blaine Trumbold – bass guitar
Eddy Cortner – drums

The band’s members changed frequently, so please check Blackwell & Lake’s research for the full story.

Pla-Me Records was located at 903 Louisiana in Muskogee, 40 miles to the southeast.

The original A-side “Love Comes Once In a Lifetime” is a fine, slow ballad.

The T4KM-9713/4 RCA custom pressing code indicates a release date from the first half of 1966. The labels credit Bobby McBride and Curtis Long with A&R, both had their own singles on Pla-Me Record. Curtis Long ran the publishing for Vilena Pub. Co. BMI, but neither of these songs were registered with BMI or the Library of Congress.

Pla-Me Records of Muskogee is not related to the Ohio label Pla Me, though both were releasing records at the same time. The Muskogee label had a 666P prefix to its RCA custom pressings, while the Ohio label’s account was 804B.

Jim O’Bryan sent in the photo at top and wrote to me:

Their lead singer, Boyd Bogle, was my cousin. He also played drums. Boyd passed away a few years ago and is buried in the National Cemetery in Muskogee. Here is a photo of the band, recently posted by Boyd’s twin sister. No info yet on the one who signed as “Ronny.” I haven’t heard either song on the record since the last time Boyd played it for me in probably 1968 or ’69.

Thank you to Jim and to Boyd Bogle’s sister for providing the photo of the Standels.

Of course, this band is not the Standells of “Dirty Water” fame.

Standels Pla-Me 45 Love Comes Once In A Lifetime

The Oceans “She’s Gone” on Pla-Me Records

The Oceans on stage. Note the piano player and string quartet in the background ready to be next to perform!

The Oceans came from Athens, Ohio, releasing “She’s Gone” / “Abilene” on Pla Me Records in December 1966.

“She’s Gone” is a great, moody rock number with horns that actually help the arrangement. The singer snarls and yells out the lyrics, the guitar and rhythm is dense.

“She’s Gone” was written by the group. Publishing was by B-W Music, now Weldee Music in Wooster, OH.

The band must have used all their creative energy for “She’s Gone”, because the flip “Abilene” is a slow version of the 1963 country hit. Gary Rhamy produced both sides.

Richard Brown’s son Eric wrote to me with the photo above and some information on the band:

Mike Cunningham: vocals, also guitar and saxophone

Ed Lonas: guitar

Richard Brown: bass, also trumpet (on “She’s Gone”)

Jim Dean: drums

Oceans first, Cobras of Beverly second
They were from Athens, OH. The played mostly around the Athens & Belpre area in SE Ohio, from ’64 – ’67.

The picture is from a Battle of the Bands in either Charleston or Huntington, West Virginia. They won that competition, as noted in the newspaper clipping. Three of the four were students at Ohio University (in Athens), and Richard & Mike were childhood friends.

Thank you to Eric Brown for his help with this post.

Me and the Guys

Me and the Guys photo, Wooster, Ohio

Me and the Guys Pla Me 45 I Can't Take ItMe and the Guys were a band from Wooster, Ohio, southwest of Akron.

“I Can’t Take It” / “Why Can’t You Be True” is a double-sided winner from 1966, both sides written by Culp and Taylor.

My copy is autographed with the following names: Joel Culp, Tommy Taylor, Bill Ross and Steve Young.

Me and the Guys Pla Me 45 Why Can't You Be TrueSince posting this, I see Buckeye Beat has the full story on the group, including a couple additional photos from George’s collection.

The only other garage band I know of on the Ohio label Pla Me are the Oceans. This label doesn’t seem to be connected with the Pla-Me label located in Muskogee, Oklahoma, that released the Standels’ (not the Standells) ‘Let’s Go’ 45 as well as rockabilly 45s by Curtis Long, Walter Perkins, Jimmie Belden, and Gene Mooney & Joanie Hardesty.

Me and the Guys  promo sheet