I can only find half a dozen releases to list for the Rally Records label. In the notes from the Bacchus Archives CD Let’s Talk About Girls! Music from Tucson Manny Freiser of the Grodes recalls John Fisher as a disc promotion man who owned the Rally and Current Records labels. Current was definitely Fisher’s, but I can’t find Fisher’s name on any of Rally’s labels, but he did produce the Grodes on Current.
Rally Records labels show other producers: Bob Todd, George Motola, Joe Saraceno, Tony Butala and Dan Gates.
Billy Quarles’ “Bringing Up What I’ve Done Wrong” was picked up by Columbia (as “Quit Bringing Up What I’ve Done Wrong”. The flip is listed as by Billy & the Ar-Kets and is an excellent r&b popcorn number.
Hillary Hokum’s 45 is very pop. I have confirmation that this is Suzi Jane Hokum (it does sound like her).
The Agents were an obscure band from somewhere in the Los Angeles area. I don’t know who was in the group. I had a post on them up for years that received no comments, so maybe the name is a front for another band or studio group. “Gotta Help Me” is a stomping couple minutes of garage pop. The flip is a ballad, “Calling An Angel”.
Each side has its own set of producers and are very different in sound, I could doubt it’s the same group of musicians. “Gotta Help Me” was written by Richards, Todd, Markey and Shay, and produced by Markey and Todd. “Calling An Angel” was written by Johnny MacRae and Bob Todd, and produced by Todd and Tony Butala.
The Grodes’ “Love Is A Sad Song” / “I’ve Lost My Way” comes about mid-way in their discography. The flip is one of my favorite slower-tempo garage songs.
The Perpetual Motion Workshop single comes over a year after the previous Rally release, and possibly represents a different label altogether. In any case, it’s a great single.
Rally Records 45 discography
possibly incomplete – any help would be appreciated
Rally 501- Billy Quarles “Bringing Up What I’ve Done Wrong” (Lanny and Robert Duncan, Wrist Music BMI) / Billy & the Ar-Kets “Little Archie” (prod. by Joe Saraceno, arr. by Rene Hall) Δ 56140 / Δ 56140-X in the deadwax indicates March of 1965 pressing date.
Rally 502 – Beverly Noble “Better Off Without You” (George Motola – Ricky Page, Wrist-Rickland Music BMI)) / “Love of My Life” (G. Motola) – produced by Motola & Saraceno, arranged by Don Ralke. Δ 56866 / Δ 56866-X indicates May, 1965.
Rally 503 – Hillary Hokom (aka Suzi Jane Hokum) “Can’t Let You Go” / “Tears of Joy” (Lanny Duncan, R. Duncan, Tonto Music, BMI) Prod. by Tony Butala and Bob Todd. Δ 58838 / Δ 58838-X indicates September 1965.
Rally 504 – The Agents “Gotta Help Me” / “Calling An Angel”. Δ 59279 / Δ 59279-X indicates October 1965.
Rally 505 – Grodes “Love Is a Sad Song” (M. Freiser, Lightswitch BMI) / “I’ve Lost My Way” (M. Freiser, Ramhorn Music BMI) (prod. by Dan Gates, May, 1966)
Rally 507 – The Senate – “Slippin’ And Slidin'” / “Mary-Go-Round” (prod. Bob Todd & Bob Duncan)
Rally 66506/7 – Perpetual Motion Workshop “Infiltrate Your Mind” (Simon Stokes, Fifth Avenue Music BMI) / “Won’t Come Down” (Dave Briggs, Cannon Music ASCAP) Prod. & arr. by Dave Briggs and Simon T. Stokes, Sept. ’67)
Likely an unrelated label:
Rally R-1601 – Rico & the Ravens – “Don’t You Know” (J. Foust, R. Martin) / “In My Heart”
Thank you to Max Waller for his continuing contributions to this discography, and to Tony Butala for correcting some misspellings.
My name is Tony Butala and I think you have a great idea and a wonderful undertaking with your Garagehangover. I founded the vocal group The Lettermen in 1957 but we didn’t have a commercial record released until 1960 on Warner Brothers records “The Magic Sound” bw “Two Hearts”. We had a second release on Warner Brothers that same year “Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring” bw “When”. In 1961 we signed what was to be an almost twenty year unbroken recording contract with Capitol Records and a string of hit singles starting with our first release “The Way You Look Tonight” which became a top ten hit record. We had 26 top 100 singles, 16 in the top twenty and 32 consecutive Billboard top forty albums.
While I was with The Lettermen on Capitol, I met a songwriter Bob Todd and we started a publishing/production company Tonto Music. We would discover new young talent, write songs for them, produce and release them on our own record company Goliath Records. We were the first to discover and record Lanny and Robert Duncan, Hillary (Suzi Jane) Hokom and Johnny Macrae.
We also did joint ventures with Barry Richards, Joe Saraceno, and George Motola, and that is how Rally Records came about.
If I can help you in any way with more information just email me. Sincerely, Tony Butala
Dear Tony Butala
Thank you very much for your story. It unveils a lot of things;
You have recorded on your Goliath label a duo (mostly instrumental) Garry & Larry (Garlic bread b/w Come on), an excellent but still mysterious 45. Could you remember who Larry and Garry were, what they played? Thank you for your answer
We visited my mother’s parents who lived at 1048 W Kensington Rd almost every summer when I was a child. My aunt and uncle Helen & Dean Morrow lived a little down the hill from them, with their house overlooking Echo Park. My aunt gave me several records of recordings by Lanny Duncan & said he lived in the neighborhood. She asked me to give them to radio stations in West Texas to play. Hold Me Thrill Me, Kiss Me was recorded on one side, & I can’t remember the other. My aunt said the other song was promoted but she thought Hold Me…was the better song. The 45 I had left was lost over years of going off to college, moving, . Is there a recording of it anywhere? Did he write it? It was made popular by Simone else, but I thought Lady’s recording was better
Last sentence should read–was recorded & made famous by someone else, but I liked Lanny’s better. He died at 54. Can you tell me how he died, & was he able to make a living in the music industry?