Category Archives: AAA Recording Studios (Boston)

Categories: AAA Recording Studios (Boston), Massachusetts, Musicor, Rhode Island, Unknown

The Grand Jury on Musicor’s New Talent Series

Leave a comment

Grand Jury Musicor 45 Rollin'The Grand Jury made one single, “Lovely Lady” / “Rollin” on Musicor Records’s New Talent Series NTS 417. The New Talent Series is an interesting set of records, including some experimental singles that I haven’t covered before, like the Lemon and Lime.

The Grand Jury single is not as adventurous, but both are original songs by Moore and Spitrini. Of the two, I prefer the B-side, “Rollin'”. Like others in the series, it is a styrene 45 that is easily worn.

I can’t find any information on where the group is from or who the members were. I am guessing Rhode Island only because Spitrini is an unusual surname, but is found in Rhode Island.

Joe Saia owned AAA Recording Studio and Parsay Pub. Co. Parsay appears on many New Talent Series 45s like the Lemon and Lime, the Lost Souls, and LSD, as well as other AAA productions like the Collage’s “Best Friend” / “Girl Don’t Tell Me”.

However, most of these songs do not appear in BMI’s database, or in the Library of Congress list of registrations.

I’d appreciate any further info on the Grand Jury or other acts that recorded at AAA.

Categories: AAA Recording Studios (Boston), Connecticut, New London, Norwich, Subtown, Unknown

The Collage “Best Friend” on Coliseum and “Mystery Woman” / “Closing in on Me” on Subtown

8 Comments

Collage Coliseum 45 Best FriendThe Collage are a mystery to me. They cut two singles, the first (as Mike pointed out in his comment below) was “Best Friend”, an original by band member John Phillips, published by Parsay Pub BMI. The flip is a charming cover of Brian Wilson’s “Girl Don’t Tell Me”.

The Collage recorded at AAA at 835 Dorchester Ave. in Dorchester, MA. Released in 1967 as Coliseum Record Productions 201,468/9, the 201 prefix to the release number indicates this was a Decca custom pressing.

Collage Subtown 45 Mystery WomanTheir second single on Subtown may be the best on the label.

John Doran wrote “Mystery Woman”, a good song with an arrangement that blends the groups’ harmonies with tasteful instrumentation.

John Phillps wrote the flip, “Closing In On Me”, with its opening line “As I look around and all I can see, my own shadow overshadowing me”. The band turns in an exciting performance, with some frenetic drumming. I love the song but the bright blasts of trumpet bother me after repeated listens and wish they’d left the horns off.

Neither song writer name appears on other Subtown releases.

Released on Subtown ST-101/2, with publishing by Echo, BMI but I can find no trace in BMI’s repertoire.

The label was part of Subtown Record Sales located at 169 Bank St. in New London, Connecticut. Subtown had other good releases by the Apple Corps and Davey And The Dolphins, among others.

Collage Subtown 45 Closing In On Me

Categories: AAA Recording Studios (Boston), Boston, Decca custom 200,000 series, Massachusetts, Tiger Productions, Unknown

Wild-Ones on Tiger Productions

3 Comments

There were plenty of bands called the Wild Ones in the ’60s, but this group doesn’t seem to be related to any of them. A Massachusetts location is possible. The “200,608” number on the label refers to a Decca custom pressing, usually, but not always used by bands in New England. There was a group called the Wild Ones from Shrewsbury/Worchester MA with the single “Number One Girl” / “Surfin’ Time Again” on Camsul.

Mike Markesich wrote: “September, 1965 release. They are not related to the NYC discotheque performing group on United Artists & the Sears label, even tho I’ve seen that mentioned somewhere before. Nothing in copyright matches the titles, songwriters or producer name.”

The highlight is the A-side’s “Please”, a sharp rocker with a desperate singer and a very simple guitar break. “Just Me” is faster, with an even simpler, but effective guitar solo. Good, spare production with a booming sounds to the drums and clearly audible descending bass lines.

Both songs were written by Pratt and Scheurer, and produced by M.A. LaGrotte for the Tiger Productions label.

Info on the Camsul release from Till the Stroke of Dawn by Aram Heller. Thanks to Mike Markesich for the info and label scans, and to Davie Gordon for pointing out the connection to AAA in his comment below. Thanks also to the Eggman for bringing this subject up!

Categories: AAA Recording Studios (Boston), Astor, Fleetwood Recording Studio (Revere), Marlboro, Massachusetts, Polaris

The Bugs “Pretty Girl” and “Slide” on Polaris

7 Comments

The Bugs had a reputation as jokers, but are solid professionals on their excellent first single. “Pretty Girl” is a fine British-influenced pop number that apparently hit the charts of local radio stations from Maine to Chicago to Florida. The flip is the raucous “Slide”, supposedly written in the studio but the band sounds too rehearsed for it to be a spontaneous performance. It must have been a staple of their live sets.

Both songs were written by Eddie and Rose McGee. I believe the drummer of the group was James McGee, another family member. This 45 was engineered by Ray Fournier.

From Erik Lindgren’s notes to The Polaris Story:

The Bugs were a quartet from Marlboro, MA that cut two singles for Astor records (Pretty Girl/Slide was also issued as Polaris 001) along with one unreleased track, ‘Gonna Find Me a Girl’. They were a ‘wacky’ group that included a female bass player by the name of Rose, who was in her early 40’s and married to guitarist Ed McGee. Polaris booked them throughout greater Boston and Rhode Island, including an appearance on Channel 12 in Providence.

‘Strangler in the Night’, originally credited to Albert De Salvo [the Boston Strangler], was actually written by a ghost writer, James Vaughn, who got drafted three weeks after the making of the single. The narration for ‘Strangler’ was done by Dick Leviatan, a well-known radio personality from New York City.

‘Pretty Girl’ and ‘Slide’ were recorded at Fleetwood Studios in Revere, MA., while ‘Strangler’, ‘Albert’ and ‘Gonna Find Me a Girl’ were recorded at Triple A [AAA Recording Studios] in Dorchester. The organ on the tracks done at the Triple A session was played by the engineer, whose name remains lost for posterity [actually it was Ray Fournier].

Producer Joe Melino dropped the Polaris label in the aftermath of the under-attended state-wide 1966 Battle of the Bands competition. The Astor label was named after the Astor Motor Inn, where Joe and his new partner had their office.

“Strangler in the Night” failed to get the hoped-for notoriety in the press. The single’s failure led to the end of a great run of 45s on the Polaris and Astor labels. Hear both sides of that novelty as well as the Bugs’ excellent unreleased track “Gonna Find Me a Girl” on The Polaris Story CD.