Here’s an unknown group, the Four Counts, or the Counts Four, possibly from Reading, Pennsylvania. There’s a chance they could have evolved into the Counts who came from Valley View and cut “Last Train” / “I Will Lose My Mind” for the Kingston label in July of 1969, but from the small b&w photo I’ve seen of the Counts I’d say this is unlikely.
Any ideas?
I can’t find any info about M + M, other than the names on the two singles they released on Glass Records, M. Kane and M. Schools. I’ve tried other variations on their band name, M+M or M&M, without luck.
Although the songs feature a full group of guitar, bass, drums and even harmonica with one vocal, it’s possible this was a duo who overdubbed their parts to fill out the sound.
All four singles have “72” etched into the deadwax along with the Glass Records numbers, so I think that is likely the year of the recordings. Given that two of these are nearly four minutes long, a seventies date makes sense.
I have no idea where they came from, but lead vocals do have a southern sound to them. On the other hand, I bought these from someone in New Jersey and a different copy of the second 45 sold from a Brooklyn location.
I prefer the B-sides of each single. “She Shut Me Down” stands ouf among the four cuts for the melancholy feeling and tempo changes. “Where Is She” is the most upbeat of the four.
The Glass Records release numbers are:
F-201/2: “Your Turn to Cry” / “Where Is She”
F-203/4: “No More Crying” / “She Shut Me Down”
All songs written by M. Kane and M. Schools, no publishing listed.
The Secrets’ “Somethin Good For Me” / “Love” has as obscure an origin as any single out there. The band may have been from southern Illinois or eastern Missouri, but I don’t know anything definite yet. The only name I can associate with the group is Ivan White who wrote both songs.
“Somethin Good For Me” is lo-fi perfection, offering plenty of atmosphere over a chunky rhythm, a pleading vocal and a simple but apt lead guitar break.
“Love” slows it all down and substitutes accordion for the rhythm guitar. I’d put up a clip but my copy gets scratchy sounding on this side.
Released around 1967 on Raven 18569/70, with production credited to “Div – JLJ Enterprise”. This is a Rite release, as was the other Raven release I know of, Johnny Apollo “You’re Sixteen” / “Shake the Hand of a Fool” on Raven 17829/30 from a year or two earlier, with J. Hutcheson credited as director.
Rite 286 is found in the deadwax, an early Rite account number dating back to 1960. 286 was used for at least two other singles: the Harmony Echoes single “Wonderful Guest” / “Gospels Singers Heaven” on Echo CP-6759/60 from 1961, out of WFRX 1300 AM, West Frankfort, Illinois, featuring Joe Williams, Phyllis Williams, Rolla Martin and Don McCool.
Also for Amateur 11421/2, the Coachmen “Lonely Rider” / These Memories of You”, folk & pop from 1963 out of Maplewood, Missouri with J. Buchman credited on the label.
Maplewood is just west of St. Louis, and 115 miles northwest of West Frankfort. It seems possible the Secrets come from this area of southern Illinois or eastern Missouri.
Info on other Rite pressings from www.45rpmrecords.com
Something Obviously Borrowed are another mystery to me. Their only single is a good two-sider, released on the same J.R.P. label as the Shadow Casters.
“Tell the People” is upbeat, with typical lyrics of the time (“Now is the time to tell the people, all about love”). D. Geinosky and L. Carr wrote the song; they were probably members of the band.
“Joan” is laid-back rock, with a feel something like Loaded-era Velvet Underground, the singer intoning “please come on home, Joan”. Writer credit is to the producer, James Ruff, but members of the Shadow Casters noted he put his name on one of their compositions, “Going to the Moon”.
James Ruff Productions probably paid for recording time and pressing of the single on J.R.P. 004, sometime after April 1968. J.R.P. labels list an address in Aurora, Illinois. Sandpiper BMI published both songs but I don’t see a copyright listing for either. The code TM 2665/6 indicates Chess Records’ Ter-Mar studio in Chicago.
Something Obviously Borrowed seems to be the only other release on JRP besides the Shadow Casters, and also seems to be rarer than their singles.
One instrumental, three releases, three different titles.
Herman’s Hermits “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1965, so a Hollywood studio owner rushed out a parody, “Mrs. Schwartz You’ve Got An Ugly Daughter” with the artist listed as Marty & the Monks, released on Associated Artists AA-3066. This version is on youtube if you want to subject yourself to it.
The much worthier side is the instrumental on flip, cut by a group that seems to have been totally unrelated to the musicians on the A-side. “Mexican Party” is a rocking take-off on “Money” that sounds like it was actually recorded live in the studio. There are whoops, shouts, lots of string bending, a ridiculous horn blast. It has a lot in common with the Pacific Northwest sound like the Moguls “Avalanche”, the Jesters’ “Alki Point” or even Don & the Goodtimes version of “Money”.
Barry Wickham pointed out in his comment below that “Mexican Party” had actually been released the year before as the b-side of “Distortion” / “Distortion Part II”, by the Distorters on Clark Records 364. K. Young, G. Connor, and T. Reed have writer credits, which would remain when the song was retitled “Mexican Party” and “Psychedelic City”. The Kevgreg producer credit suggests Kevin Young and Greg Connor, both of whom were frequent songwriting collaborators, often with Dorsey Burnette.
Johnny Faire (aka Donnie Brooks) must have owned at least part of Faire Music. It had been a going concern since 1959, when it published “Pure Love” by Jesse Hodges and Johnny Burnette, the top side of a Sonny James single in June of that year. After that Faire Music shows up in a couple Cash Box directories and a smattering of releases by Bobby Lee Trammell, Frankie Knight, Curtis Lee, Billy Storm and others.
Jesse Hodges is credited as producer on the Associated Artists release. Hodges owned Hollywood Sound Recorders and I believe he owned the Associated Artists label, which released about twenty 45s, including a couple of Hodges’ own singles. Not having a b-side by Marty & the Monks, he must have simply reused the Distorters recording.
Kevin Young, Greg Connor and T. Reed’s names do not appear on other Associated Artists releases as far as I can tell.
“Mrs. Schwartz You’ve Got An Ugly Daughter” had another release on Era Records 5037. “Mexican Party” aka “Distortion part II” is on the flip, but this time the title is “Psychedelic City”.
Both the Associated Artists 45 and the Era release have ∆-57190 in the deadwax, which dates the stampers for both 45s to June of 1965. I assume the Associated Artists was the original release. I have no idea when this “Golden Era Series” came out but 1967 wouldn’t be a bad guess, given the new, topical title.
My fellow WGXC deejay Jillian found a possible source for the band name in the obscure Marty the Monk cartoons of the 1930s.
I can’t find much info on the Apaches, who had one single on Galena Records out of Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1966. One side is a pleasant original song, “Please Understand” by Burgess, Tousley. My copy is too scratchy to include a sound file, sorry.
The flip is a cover of “Heart of Stone”, which sounds like it features a different lead singer.
The Apaches was an RCA custom pressing, TK4M-4746/7, from late 1966, released as Galena G-131.
There was one other garage 45 on Galena Records, the Executives, who did a good original, “Why Make Me Cry” by T. Carter, Brock, Hoffman, G. Carter, Teaff, b/w “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better When You Are Gone”, also released in 1964.
Though the label for “Please Understand” lists Galena Music BMI, I can’t find copyright registration with the Library of Congress, or for the Executives song.
I find a number of registrations with Galena Music from 1964 and 1965, including: “Just Another Night”, “Gonna Find Me Someone” and “Moon Girl” by Roy L. Ferguson and Leroy Duncan, “Tear Drops” and “This Same Old Heart” by Sam Barrett, “Lonely Hours” by Roy Ferguson, Lercy Duncan and Autry Rutledge, “My Castle by the Sea” by David Vowell and Autry Rutledge, and “Back Up, Back Out” by Roy Ferguson, Leroy Duncan and Connie Rutledge, but these all seem to be country or pop music.
Paul & Emile were Paul Carrubba and Emile Daniel. Backed by the Brighter Side the duo cut a neat and very obscure single, “I Can’t Take It” b/w “My Love For You” on JnJ 501. I don’t know the date of release. I’ve read the group was from Indiana, but Mississippi seems possible to me from name searches.
The Brighter Side takes “I Can’t Take It” at a fast pace, with some nice guitar work and quick drum fills. Paul Carrubba wrote “I Can’t Take It”, while Emile Daniel wrote the drearier “My Love For You”.
The labels list “the Brighter Side conducted by B. Haik” and produced by J. Allen. I can find no copyright info on either song.
The Tangle recorded the very cool single “Any Time, Any Where” / “Our Side of Town” for Canary Records of Nashville, Tennessee in October 1966.
Alvin Holland and Nyman Furr came from Camden, Tennessee, about 50 miles west of Nashville, so that was possibly the base for the group.
Members included:
Alvin Holland – guitar and lead vocals (?)
Ronnie Waters – guitar
Nyman Furr – bass
(?) Hayes – drums
“Any Time, Any Where” has great riffing guitars and a relaxed Stones-like feel to the vocals and band.
When I can make out the lyrics to “Our Side of Town” they’re wild: something about munching her box…lunch.
According to the labels, Halland, Furr, Hayes, Waters wrote both songs. C.L. Womack produced the single and also published both songs through C.L. Womack Pub. Co. BMI but I can find no copyright listing in the Library of Congress indexes.
Halland is a typo for Holland and a site for the Tennessee River Crooks band featuring Ronnie Waters on guitar listed the members of the Tangle as Alvin Holland, Ronnie Waters and Nyman Furr.
Holland, Waters and Furr later played in versions of Maggie Lee & the Percussions.
Nyman Furr passed away on March 10, 2007, according to Wikipedia.
Thank you to Max Waller and Mario Aguayo for their help with finding info on this band.
Canary Records had at least seven releases, most seem to be country music. J.C. Rhoton, Jr. shows up a lot on the labels, possibly he owned the label. Howard Rhoton may be his son, his “I’ll Skip School” on Canary was advertised in Billboard on April 25, 1964.
Gower-Moore Studio seems to be connected to the Gower guitar makers in Nashville.
Canary had two Nashville addresses on its labels, 2906 Ironwood Drive and 2911 Harlin Drive.
Canary Records discography (any help with this would be appreciated)
Canary 1002 – Rhodes Boys – “Pretty Little Miss” (V. Rhodes, B. Rhodes, V. Rhodes) / “Got A One Way Ticket”, prod. by Curtis McPeake, Gower-Moore Studio Production.
Canary 1008 – Howard Rhoton – “Look Back” / “I’ll Skip School” (H. Rhoton, J. Rhoton), Gower-Moore Studio Production.
Canary 1010 – Bob Hayes – “Johnny Reb Was a Fighting Man” / “1862” (both by B. Hayes, C.L. Womack for Ironwood Music)
Canary 1012 – The Tangle – “Any Time, Any Where” / “Our Side of Town”
Canary 2001 – Barbara Dale – “Winner Take All” (Joe South) / “There Stands My World”, produced by J.C. Rhoton, Jr.
Canary 2002 – Charlie Rife & the Chordsmen – “Are You Sure” (C. Rife) / “Here’s the Key”, prod by J.C. Rhoton, Jr, for J.C. Rhoton Music BMI
Canary 2003 – Barbara Dale – “Missing You Again” (Baker Knight) / “Greatest Show on Earth” (Mike Cain)
The Sound Track are another unknown group, probably from the area around Kingsport, Tennessee, more than four hours east of Nashville.
Their first single has two cover songs, including one of the best versions of the Music Explosion’s “I See the Light” (E. Chiprut) b/w “Groovin’”. It came out on Trail Records TSRC-1706 in November 1967. It’s a Rite pressing, #20781/2, account #400.
Trail Records came from Kingsport, TN, and had many other releases, mostly gospel. Early releases such as the Grim Reapers “Under My Thumb” / “See See Rider” (Trail TSRC-1702) have a diamond logo and list Tri-State Recording Co. and 1767 Fort Henry Drive. Some later releases such as the Downbeats “Pain” / “Got To Get You Into My Life” (Trail SRC-1736) have a rustic logo with pine trees and “Trail” spelled out in wood logs.
Over a year later the Sound Track put out their second single, this time featuring two band originals. “Face the New Day” has distorted guitar riffs repeating throughout, and solid backing of organ, bass and drums. It sounds almost like an English freakbeat track. Ron Allgood and Jerry Melton wrote the song, they were probably members of the band.
The flip “People Say” is also good, and the composer credits give six names, probably most of the band: Ron Allgood, Jerry Melton, T. Melton, Layton Bentley, Kim Dillard and B. Richmond. Copyright records give B. Richmond’s full name as Randy Richmond. The release came on Action 101, with the codes WS 1000 and PRP 7731/2.
The Sound Track went to Nashville to make their Action single. It was produced by Hoss Linneman and Al Gore, two country musicians with many recording credits to their names. Washington Square Music, BMI published both songs. This was a very rare single until 15 or more copies turned up in August, 2016.
Like other groups on Dearborn Records or with Chetkay Music publishing, I can’t find much info on the Jammers. Jack Groendal and Gerry Snyder wrote both sides and were likely members of the group.
The keyboard and lead guitar blend to make a good hook for the peppy “You’re Gonna Love Me Too”. “I Didn’t Mean To Make You Cry” works well as a ballad.
The songs were released on Dearborn D-519, published by Chetkay Music BMI in July, 1965.
I wonder if Jack Groendal is any relation to Zocko Groendal who played with the Lansing, MI band the Woolies, famous for their version of “Who Do You Love” on Dunhill.
