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.

Friday, April 8, 2011

The Poor Boy label




Norman Witcher - Somebody's Been Rocking My Boat (Poor Boy 45-102)
 

Poor Boy Records from Muncie, Indiana, was harmonica legend Wayne Raney's attempt to get into the record bussines as an entrepreneur. He had been a recording artist since the 1930s and had waxed numerous sessions for King with the Delmore Brothers as well as operating a mail order business to sell harmonicas and instruction books. But in the late 1950s, his popularity as a musician faded and he began to work as a DJ on WCKY again (a station he had already appeared on in the early 1940s) and founded the Poor Boy label along with Jimmie Zack in 1958.

The first record release was by Raney himself, comprising "We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus (and a Lot Less Rock and Roll)" b/w "Don't You Think It's Time." Especially the A side brought Raney to the attention of the young folk music scene. Poor Boy was active until around 1960, when Raney closed down his harmonica mail order business and moved to Concord, Arkansas, where he built up a big record business, including a recording studio, his label Rimrock Records, and a pressing plant. Most of the song material was written by Raney and Zack, published by Oletta Publishing, later associated with a lot of Rimrock material.

Discography
100: Wayne Raney - We Leed a Whole Lot More of Jesus (and a Lot Less Rock and Roll) / Don't You Think It's Time (1958)
101: Acorn Sisters - ? / ? (1958)
102: Norman Witcher - Somebody's Been Rocking My Boat / Wake Me Up (1958)
103: Gay Brothers - Did You Know / ? (1959)
104: The Gays - Don't Rush Me / You're Never There (ca. 1959)
105: Les & Helen Tussey and the Golden Hill Boys - They Went Around / Married to a Friend
106: Les & Helen Tussey - We've Got to Answer / ? (1959)
107: Danny Brockman and the Golden Hill Boys - Stick Around / Don't You Know It's True (1959)
108: Connie Dycus - Same Old Thing / Hand Full of Ashes (1960)
109: Wayne Raney - Everybody's Going Crazy / Simply Wonderful (1960)
110: Originales - Bandstand Sound / Lend Me Your Ear (1960)
111: Van Brothers - Servant of Love / Sweet Marie (1960)
112:
113:
114: Sonny Parker - Ragged Kingdom / ?


Sources: Rockin' Country Style, Indiana45s.com, various Billboard issues, thanks to the DrunkenHobo

5 comments:

Apesville said...

101= acorn sisters (1958
103 Gay Brothers - Dis you Know (1959)
106Les & Helen Tussey - We've Got to answer (1959)

Apesville said...

114 Sonny Parker - Ragged Kingdom (May notbe same poor boy label?

Mellow said...

Thanks for the additions. I have incorporated them into the listing. Do you also know the flip sides?

Apesville said...

No info taken from B.J.'s Country & Rock & Roll 45 Rpm Collectors Guide Book. A must for any 45rpm collector. But only list one side. Published by Oregon Lithoprint Inc www.orengonlitho.com Author Barry K John been out a while but good record dealer should have one

Derik said...

I contacted Oregon Lithoprint. They don't have copies of the book and don't know how to get in touch with the author.

Sounds like this book needs to be scanned into a pdf by someone (me!), if anyone can get a copy of it.

-Derik