Category Archives: Unknown

Categories: New York, Unknown, Yorkshire

The Odyssey “Just to Be” on Yorkshire Records

April 14, 2020 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

Here is a truly unknown single by the Odyssey, “Just to Be” b/w “Sunday Time” on Yorkshire Records YO 154. I’m not sure of the pressing date, but Leonard Novarro registered “Sunday Time” with the Library of Congress in July, 1968.

I couldn’t find a Library of Congress registration for “Just to Be”, but BMI lists the song as “Just to Be the Way I Want to Be” with Warner-Tamerlane.

Leonard Novarro, Vincent Leary and Richard Nusser co-composed the song.

Richard Nusser may have been the columnist for the Village Voice.

Vincent Leary may be the same Vinny Leary who played guitar with the Fugs on their earliest albums, and again in the mid-80s. Vinny Leary was also an engineer at Variety Recording Studio. This was one of only two song-writing credits he has on BMI, the other being co-composer of “Virgin Forest” with Ted Berrigan and Lee Soren Crabtree; there is also a “Benson Leary” credited on the Fugs’ “Doin’ All Right”.

David Gornston’s name appears as publisher. Ten years prior Gornston published a number of Big Bob Dougherty’s songs on Golden Crest: including “Honky”, “Squeezer”, “Lover’s Love” and “Lorelei”.

Golden Crest was based in Huntington, NY. I’m not sure where Yorkshire Records was located, but the label produced other good singles by the Dolphins, from Larchmont, and the Saxons, from West Palm Beach.

Leonard A. Novarro registered many other copyrights. Although the Odyssey labels spell his name as L. Navarro, it seems Novarro is correct. So far I haven’t discovered if any of the following were recorded:

In August 1967, Novarro registered “Don’t Disturb the Artist” and “Gypsy Man”.

In January 1969, using the pseudonym Gideon, Novarro registered “Candy Buttons”, “Dusty Shoes”, The Homecoming”, “Lady Liar”, “Sweet-Talkin’ Child”.

In May of 1970, he registered “Baby’s Sleeping”, “Sunny Day Woman” and “Time Again”, and in August “Hear My Warning” and “Legend of a Love Child, Linda” (echoes of Donovan on this title).

Thank you to J.W. Honeycutt for alerting me to the Odyssey single. Some info on Vinny Leary came from Mr. Smith, the Sybarite Who Also Was a Teacher by Warren Allen Smith.

Categories: Unknown

Bonnie Lynd “Left with a Broken Heart” on Sheridan Records

March 31, 2020 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

Bonnie Lynd is a true mystery artist, as I haven’t found any clues as to who she was, or where this record came from.

“Left with a Broken Heart” has Bonnie’s pleading vocal over a garage band backing featuring organ and background vocals.

The flip “Since He Went Away” is a slow ballad. Bonnie Lynd and Jane Athens wrote both songs, published by Bon-Jo Music, but I cannot find copyright registrations for either.

Released on Sheridan Records S-201 in July 1966. There’s a simple C-105/106 code in the dead wax and on the labels, and the vinyl pressing is of mediocre quality.

A contributor to 45cat noted that copyright registrations from 1971 state that Bonnie Lynd is a pseudonym for Bonnie Polsky, but we don’t know if this is the same Bonnie Lynd.

Categories: Roanoke, Unknown, Virginia

The Tempests on Dominion “Midnight” and “Count Down”

March 5, 2020 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

The Tempests cut two great original instrumentals for the Dominion Records label of Salem, Virginia, just outside Roanoke.

Dewey Anderson wrote “Midnight” and Anderson – Gordon wrote “Count Down”. Other than the song writing credits, I can’t find any info on the group.

Released in 1961 on Dominion Records 1006 with SO 1064/5 and a Sheldon stamp in dead wax. Both songs published by Powhatan Music Company.

Any info on the group would be appreciated.

Categories: 20th Century Fox, Unknown

Cliff White and the Dovers cover the Zombies

February 11, 2020 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

This is an odd single, an unknown group named Cliff White and the Dovers doing two non-hit Zombies songs “I Don’t Want to Know” (written by Chris White), backed with Rod Argent’s “Women”.

The group do a decent job on both songs, though neither cut has the magic of the originals. There’s a question of whether this is an English recording only released in the U.S., or if this is a U.S. act. I think the latter, as I found the English accent on “I Don’t Want to Know” to be contrived. Also, the production credit, M.J.B. Prod. for R.P.M. Ent. Inc. may give one clue, as RPM Enterprises was Charles Calello’s production company for some Lou Christie MGM recordings.

Released on 20th Century Fox 631 in the first half of 1966, the Mainstay Publishing credit is correct for the Zombies songs.

There was a Cliff White from London who was in a beat or R&B group in 1966, but went on to be a writer and reissue producer, but I don’t know if this is his recording. A suggestion that this was the Dovers on Miramar is laughable.

Categories: California, Los Angeles, Not garage, Orfeon, Unknown

J.P. Company “Gozar Asi”

February 5, 2020 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

I didn’t expect this 45 by J.P. Company to be almost unknown, but it appears that way. “Gozar Asi” has many of the elements you might expect from early ’70s funky psych, including organ, wah wah rhythm, harmony vocals, a good guitar break and more. It’s a fine song, written by Jaymenoll Hernandez.

The flip is a more conventional ballad, “Fue” by Alfonso Ortiz.

Released on Orfeon 45-15056 in 1971, I thought this could have been a group from Mexico. I had a Los Locos del Ritmo single on the same Orfeon label with a Los Angeles address which turned out to be a reissue of two different sides originally issued in Mexico years before.

As it turns out, this J.P. Company release is an original Billy Cardenas Production out of Los Angeles. Cardenas was famous for his involvement with the ’60s Eastside Sound, including the Romancers, the Premiers, the Blendells, Cannibal & The Headhunters, Ronnie & The Pomona Casuals, Mark & The Escorts and many more. For Orfeon he would produce Jr. & the Preludes, La Tribu and others.

Billy Cardenas producing for Orfeon, Record World, November 20, 1971

A December 23, 1972 notice in Billboard notes Orfeon General Manager Oswaldo Benzor would be recording J.P. Company bilingually. If it happened, I haven’t heard or seen it. From the quality of “Gozar Asi”, this is a group that deserves more attention.

J.P. Company Orfeon Billboard, Dec. 23, 19721972 — Orfeon promoting J.P. Company as a bilingual act in Billboard, Dec. 23, 19721972

Categories: Detroit, Malibu Records, Michigan, Unknown

You and Me on Malibu Records “She’s One of a Kind” / “I’ll Find a Way”

January 24, 2020 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

You and Me seems to be a studio production from two song writers, Ken Phillips and Gordon Goodman. The songs on this single are innocent pop with some definite English influences: “She’s One of a Kind” is uptempo and catchy; “I’ll Find a Way” slower and moody.

The labels list arrangement by Ken Phillips and Gordon Goodman, and produced by Ken Phillips.

I found six songs registered with the Library of Congress: “You’re Gone”, “She’s Over There” and “I’d Feel Better With You Around” in 1965, “I’ll Find a Way” in February, 1966 and “Keep On With Me” in June of ’66, and “Anywhere” in 1967. All their compositions list Kenneth Phillips as writing words and music, and arrangement by Gordon Goodman.

I don’t have specific info on Phillips and Goodman, but this was released on the Detroit, Michigan label Malibu Records. The catalog number M-6801 suggests a 1968 release. This is on the same Malibu Records label as the crunching “Times Passed” by the Beaubiens from February, 1967. That record was a Joe Doll production with different arrangers, and likely no personnel in common with this single by You and Me. See my article on Tortoise Records for information on Joe Doll’s early production work.

I asked Joe Doll about this record and he responded:

I remember Ken Phllips. I engineered the recording of these two tunes in the same WCBN studio (at University of Michigan) where I recorded “Times Passed” by the Beaubiens and “Messin’ with the Kid” by the aftermath (they liked their name with no capitals.)
I believe Ken was a U of M student. He was hoping to find traction for “an old-fashioned love song” and thought this record might help. Ken lined up the musicians. I had the impression they were all U of M students within his circle of friends.
Malibu was my label. I considered it an upgrade from the earlier Tortoise label.

Categories: Unknown

The Mockers EP “Don’t Let Me Down” on Tyro Records

January 21, 2020 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

The Mockers made this very rare EP released on Tyro Records TR-1A.

I’d date it to late 1964 because of the added sounds of a crowd of screaming girls on all the tracks, and Ringo’s response to the “are you a mod or rocker” question in A Hard Day’s Night.

The group are completely unknown to me. Three songs are originals by Leary or Leary-Owens, plus there’s a version of “Tequila”.

“Don’t Let Me Down” is an exciting performance with a good guitar break. “Don’t You Know” by Leary and Owens and “If You Want Me” by Leary are both slow ballads.

Tee Pee Music Co, Inc. was a large publishing company owned by Teddy Powell, a former band leader who had been based in Newark, New Jersey. This may be a vague clue to the band’s location. Jat Music Inc was the publisher for “Tequila”.

The indentation near the center hole is somewhat similar to a Rite Press, but there’s no indication of Rite on the labels or in the dead wax.

Categories: California, San Francisco, Unknown

Levi Strauss & Co. Salesman’s Record 1968

December 1, 2019 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

The 1967 Levi Strauss & Co. Salesman’s Record is well-known for its tracks by the Jefferson Airplane, Sopwith Camel and West Coast Natural Gas. That was a 10″ LP, and certain of the Airplane’s tracks were also released in 7″ and 12″ formats. Levi Strauss & Co. was based in San Francisco so it made sense to use local bands for their ads.

In 1968 Levi Strauss released a 7″ Salesman’s record with five short songs, this time without any artist credits that I know of. It was released with an art sleeve of a pattern of horses & cowboys arranged in rings. I don’t know what was on the back of the sleeve as I do not own it.

The 1968 record has some good music, but the songs and ad concept are more generic in style than the 1967 record. Two of the songs sound to me like they were recorded by an actual rock band, not studio musicians. Each music track seems to have been recorded separately from the vocals, as each commercial is followed by 20 seconds or so of music tracks without the vocals, unfortunately at a lower level. Here excerpts from each side below.

I have on good authority that the backing track for “Levi Slim Fits (White Levi’s)” was the Family Stone without Sly, with Freddie Stone leading the band.

Side 1 excerpts
Side 2 excerpts

I’d be interested to know who played on this record. There could be some local artist connections as on the 1967 record. If you have any information or even an educated guess please comment or contact me. Also please contact if you have a good scan of the sleeve.

Categories: Nashville, Not garage, Tennessee, Unknown

Bobby and the Blue Denims “Stop and Go”

November 27, 2019 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

I can’t find any information on Bobby and the Blue Denims, who cut this single of sax-and-guitar instrumentals. “Stop and Go” is a good bluesy original by Robert B. Hardy. The flip is “Rail Road Rock” arranged by W. Pierce. Cedarwood published both songs.

Released on Statue SR-7637, the L8OW code indicates this was an RCA custom pressing from 1960.

Statue had an address of 146 7th Avenue, North Nashville, Tennessee, which was simply the address of Cedarwood Pub. at the time.

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

October 31, 2019 Chris Bishop 9 Comments

The 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.

Their 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.

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