Updates

• Added info on Jimmy Ford, thanks to Volker Houghton. • Extended and corrected the post on Happy Harold Thaxton (long overdue), thanks to everyone who sent in memories and information! • Added information to the Jim Murray post, provided by Mike Doyle, Dennis Rogers, and Marty Scarbrough. • Expanded the information on Charlie Dial found in the Little Shoe post.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Bill Logsdon & the Royal Notes

The Royal Notes were probably an Ohio based band led by William Carlos "Bill" Logsdon. The first single by this group was released around 1959/1960 on Jon Ryan's Lorain, Ohio, based Athena label with "Come to My House Rock" / "Spitfire". While "Come To My House Rock" is an primitive rock & roll outing, the flip is a typical late 1950s instrumental by Logsdon and the Royal Notes. It appears that probably not Bill Logsdon was the vocalist on the first side but Pat Logsdon, who seems to be a relative to Bill (maybe his brother?).

The single seems to have made some action around Ohio, for the Destiny label, owned by Bob Sellers also from Lorain, picked it up and issued it again. It was released as "Come-To-My-House-Rock" / "Spitfire" under the name of "The Royal Notes featuring Pat Logsdon" (the first side) or "The Royal Notes" (the flip). The Destiny release was reviewed in Billboard on November 21, 1960, but was only rated as "limited sales potential". It were the same masters as on Athena, but the Destiny version of "Come to My House Rock" features a short guitar intro that was cut off in the Athena version.



In 1964, another record of the Royal Notes appeared on Athena, comprising "Shall We Dance" backed with the instrumental "Cool It". No mention of Bill Logsdon again but Pat Logsdon is credited as the vocalist of the first side. There was also one single as by "Bill Logsdon and his Royal Notes" on Queensgate called "Turning Back the Pages" / "Big Black Train". I don't know from which year this one is.

I have no photo of Bill Logsdon or the Royal Notes and it is also not known to me, when the group disbanded.
Bill Logsdon later played with the Bear Mountain Boys in Red Lick, Kentucky. He died on May 20, 1994.

Discography
Athena 729: Come to My House Rock / Spitfire
Destiny 501: Come-to-My-House-Rock / Spitfire (1960)
Athena ARCO201: Come Dance with Me / Cool It (1964)
Queensgate no#: Turning Back the Pages / Big Black Train

Download

track list:
1. Come to My House Rock (Athena version)
2. Spitfire
3. Come Dance with Me
4. Come-to-My-House-Rock (Destiny version)

If anyone is able to provide "Cool It" or the Queensgate release, please contact me!


Sources: Ohio Sounds blog, Rockin' Country Style, Uncle Gil

7 comments:

MrTeenSwe said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MrTeenSwe said...

Pat Logsdon was from what i heard (from reliable sources) a female.

It's really hard to tell with his/her voice.

But really, it's great rocker :P

Anonymous said...

I have the Queensgate label 45. Please call me at 727-564-6024. Bob. Thanks.

carloslogsdon said...

hello bill logsdon was my father ,pat logsdon was his first wife .he died on june 20th 1994 .he also played with the gospel echos in late 70s early 80s then bear mountain express witch was a bluegrass gospel band in the early 90s then restarted the royal notes in 1993 .he was a great man and could play any instrument he picked up from fiddle to banjo,harmonica ,electric guitar .thanks for adding this he would have been proud....carlos logsdon

Mellow said...

Carlos,

thanks for the comment. Do you have an e-mail adress for further correspondance? I have some more question about your father's career! :)

MrTeenSwe said...

Have you gotten any more info Mellow ? I told you Pat was a lady ;) ;) Btw do you have facebook. E-mail me on rockincountrystyle@hotmail.com

/Tommy "MrTeenSwe"

Melinda Fern (Logsdon) said...

Yes, her name is Patricia and she was my grandma. She passed away on may 14th 1996