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.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

ART Records

The ART record label 

Harold Doane's ART label out of Miami is mainly well-known for its Calypso/Goombay music releases during the 1950s. Mike Callahan has compiled an excellent overview of Art's complete longplay album output on "Both Sides Now Publications." What has been largely neglected by researchers is Art's 45rpm releases. 

Harold E. Doane set up his recording studio early in 1945  on 304 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach and called it "American Recording and Transcription Service, Inc." At first, Doane did not record music but weddings, funerals and parties for private use only. It was probably in the late 1940s, when Doane released his first 78rpm EP discs. Somtimes between 1949 and 1951, Doane moved his business to Miami on 2185 NW 79th Street. At some point in the 1950s, he again changed locations and settled on 1224 NW 119th Street in Miami. Also sometimes between 1952 and 1956, Doane renamed his company "Art Records, Inc." and eventually to "Art Records Manufacturing Company." In 1960, Doane changed locations one last time and moved his studio to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In 1951, Doane signed a contract with Charlie Freeman from the Royal Victoria Hotel in Nassau to record the local musicians that were appearing at the hotel. The first of those artists was Blind Blake Higgs, a black calypso musician that appeared regularly at the hotel. Two albums appeared in 1951 and 1952. In addition, Doane released "John B. Sails" by Blind Blake Higgs on a 78rpm single in 1952. Around 1955, Doane began releasing also 45rpm records from local groups and singers. Tommy Spurlin recorded his classic rockabilly sides in 1956 for Art, followed by Kent Westberry, Randy Luck, The Roxsters, and more. 

Doane also released discs for Panama's and Costa Rica's record markets. From the 1960s onwards until Art's close-down in 1979, Doane concentrated on recording local groups and releasing the results on LPs. A detailed view on Art's LP material can be seen on Both Sides Now Publications.

ART 45rpm (and 78 & 33 rpm) Discography

Art 2
Blind Blake and his Royal Victoria Calypsos
John B. Sails (n.c.) / ?

Art 500
Blind Blake Higgs
My Name is Asta (n.c.) / Those Good Ol' Asta Boys (n.c.)
Presented by the Nassauu Bahamas Development Board Convention May 3-7, 1956

Art AEP-3
Blind Blake and his Royal Victoria Calypsos
Run-Come-See, Jerusalem (n.c.) / Love Alone (n.c.)
2-A
Lord, Got Tomatoes (n.c.) / My Pigeon Gone Wild (n.c.)
2-B
"A Songs of the Islands Production, Nassau, Bahamas"

Art AEP-4
Blind Blake and his Royal Victoria Calypsos
Peas and Rice (n.c.) / Little Nassau 1891 (n.c.)
1-A
John B. Sail (Wreck of the John B.) (n.c.) / A Conch Ain't Got No Bone (n..c)
"A Songs of the Island Production, Nassau, Bahamas" 

Art AEP-4
 Blind Blake and his Royal Victoria Calypsos
Gin and Coconut Water (n.c.) / Sara Jane (n.c.)
2-A
Foolish Frog (n.c.) / Hold 'Im Joe-Jump in the Line-Wheel and Turn Me (n.c.)
2-B
"A Songs of the Islands Production, Nassau, Bahamas"   

Art AEP-14
George Symonette and his Calypso Sextette
Peas and Rice (n.c.) / Sponger Money (n.c.)
ART AEP 14 1-A

Delia Gone (n.c.) / Eight Babies (n.c.)
ART AEP 14 1-B
"A Bahama Records, Ltd. Production, Nassau, Bahamas"

Art AEP-26
Fifi Barton & Don Miller 
with the Sandpipers & the Three Thirds
Song of the Barefoot Mailman (Graff-Leach-Armentrout) / 100 Years from Today (Young-Washington-Young)
Why I Was Born () / Doodle Doo Doo ()    

Art LR-103
Frankie Anderson with Billy Cook's Calypsos
The Limbo Song (Rost)
ART LR-103-1
Harold (Digby) McNair with Billy Cook's Calypsos
Zombie Jamboree (Back-to-Back, Belly-to-Belly) (n.c.)
ART LR-103-2  

Art 45-C-109
Tommy Spurlin with the Southern Boys
Hang Loose () / One-Eyed Sam ()
1 / 2
1956
Note: Both songs were previously released on Perfect 45-C-109. The Art version feature overdubbed drums.

Art 45-C-157
Rudy Lewis and the Sputniks
Moonbeam (Rudasill) / Beer, Beer, and More Beer! (Rusasill)
1 / 2

Art 45-160
The Four Bits
Don't Call Me (I'll Call You) (Watson-Evans-Cary-Zadeh) / Trouble on the Cable To-Night (Watson-Evans-Cary-Zadeh)

Art 45-170
Randy Luck / Tommy Miles, Guitar
I Was a Teen-Age Cave Man (Luck) / Twelve O'Clock (Luck)
1 / 2
1958
Billboard pop review on June 9, 1958

Art 45-172
Kent Westberry and the Chaperones
My Baby Don't Rock Me (Westberry) / No Place to Park (Westberry)
1 / 2
1958
Note: Art 45-172 was re-released soon after on Trail A-103.

Art 45-174
Kent Westberry with the Chaperones
Turkish Doghouse Rock () / Popcorn and Candy Bars (Ruth Hardt)
1 / 2
1958

Art 175
The Roxsters
So Long (Ward-Johnson) / Goodbye Baby (Ward-Johnson)
1 / 2
1958

Art 178
The Short Cuts
Mi-Am-Mi Lonely for Miami (Smiley-McCord) / Muskrat Ramble (Gilbert-Ory)
178-1 / 178-2

Art 181
Sammy Walsh
The Lawyer (I Think He Tripped Me!) (Roberts-Fisher-Walsh) / I'm Breaking My Back for Beck ()
ART-181-1 / ART-181-2

Art 184
Rico Bertoni with the Dante Trio
Stay Here with Me (Modugno) / Ti Diró (Bracchi-D'Anzi)
ART 184-1 / ART 184-2

Art 191
The Danny Bridge Trio
All By Myself () / Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime ()

Art 198
The Echoes
Wild Mother (Makol-Lewis-Ahern) / Every Second of the Day (Kenny Ahern)
1 / 2

Art 200
Lucho Azcarraga y su Conjunto
La Bala (Arturo C. Hassan) / El Galope De Mi Caballo (L. Azcaragga)
200-1 / 200-2  

Art 210
 Bob Bellows
Chippewa Town (Sedaka-Greenfield)
1
Ronnie Kemper
The Doodle Bug Song (Kemper-Hillman)
2

Art 212
Bob Bellows
Stranger at the Fair () / Yes, You Can in Spokane ()
1974

Art 1003
Lucho Azcarrago y su Conjunto
Tengo Un Novio (Luis Séptimo Dominguez) / Guarare (Ricardo Fábrega)
Note: This was a Costa Rican release. 

Art 1004
Lucho Azcarrago y su Conjunto
Taboga (Ricardo Fábrega) / Dice Que Me Qiere (T. Plicet)
Note: This was a Costa Rican release. 

Art LLP-2009
Soroya
Miserlou (n.c.) / Is Kadara (n.c.)
Soroya's Dance (n.c.) 
"Arranged & Directed by: Mickey Farah"
 

7 comments:

Apesville said...

I have added a link to your excellent Art post on one here http://anorakrockabilly45rpm.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/art-fl-45rpm-rockabilly-rnr-teen.html

Joe said...

Hi there , Same message to two website / blogs ok....[ Dean / Alex ]..

I have in my collection a 7 inch acetate on the ART label imprint label .
Unissued in the 50s . but a killer rocker / cover version nonetheless..

Its by Buddy Main ..Thats all right mama [ superb hot version ] // we could.

great work guys..Keep it up
cheers..joe

Wayne said...

Some of the best early works in my collestion were Art Records 7 inch acatates
unissued from the late 50's (59) on ART label imprint label
They are by Russ Samuel and the Vanguards . . . "Goin' Steady" "A Letter To My Baby"
"You Win Again" "Fruit Boots"

I wish I knew what happened to them.

Wanda said...

I recorded at Art Records when I was a member of the Teacher's Pets way back in the early to mid 1960's.

Mellow said...

Thanks for the info Wanda. Sure would like to know more about the Teacher's Pets!

Wanda said...

Mellow,
I don't have a lot to tell, however I could send you a shot of our record label, one of the songs we recorded in Art's studio. Mr. Doane was such a good man, he treated
us like we were stars. Just let me know how to get it to you, if you're interested.

Mellow said...

Wanda,

sorry for responding so late (three years!). Do you're still out there?