Rhythm Rockets

A belated Christmas gift! By the way: there's an original copy of their "Lucky Day" / "My Shadow" on ebay!

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The Memphis label

Memphis Records was launched by Jody Chastain and Buford Cody. Chastain, a familiar figure in the Memphis music scene, was born December 21, 1933 in Ennid, Texas, as Joe Dan Chastain. He worked with Eddie Bond in the early 1950s, then with Fuller Todd for some time and became a member of Charlie Feathers' band afterwards. He first was the group's steel guitarist but when Feathers changed it to a rockabilly outfit, Chastain switched to bass. Most of the recorded material was written by Feathers, Chastain, and Jerry Huffman, the third member. Chastain also composed songs with other artists (including Fuller Todd).

Charlie Feathers with Jody
Chastain (left) and Jerry
Huffman (right)

Chastain stayed with the Musical Warriors until 1960, recording for Sun, Meteor, King, Kay, and Walmay. In late 1959, the band had recorded "Dinky John" and "South of Chicago" at Hi Studios in Memphis, two Johnny Horton soundalike folk songs that were released in July 1960 on the Nashville based Walmay label, credited to "Charlie Morgan" (Walmay #101). This was the troup's last release, from that point on, the trio went separate ways (at least musically).

Already in 1959, Chastain and Buford Cody joint forces and formed the aptly named Memphis record label. Cody later also operated the Co & Wi label in Memphis with Gene Williams, which was in business only from 1961 to 1962. Cody and Williams would also produce the Cotton Town Jubilee show on KWAM in the early 1960s. The Memphis label was located on 773 Union Avenue in Memphis but had probably no own recording studio. Chastains contribution to the label was limited and by the end of 1960, he had dropped out. Now under the sole direction of Cody, the initial release on the label was given to Ramon Maupin ("Hey Rena" / "Tomorrow We'll Know", Memphis #101, 1961). Maupin was a country singer who sang with Slim Wallace's band and had recorded two discs for Wallace's Fernwood Records in 1957. In fact, the Memphis label was launched first and foremost to record Maupin, who ironically had only this one release on the label. Maupin was befriended with Charlie Feathers and performed with him for about 15 years on and off. It is also interesting to know that Conway Twitty covered "Tomorrow We'll Know" for MGM but it remained unissued for some reasons.

Ramon Maupin

Although they no longer performed together, Feathers recorded a couple of track that were subsequently released on Cody and Chastain's label. He held a session on September 20, 1960, at Stan Kesler's studio and, which produced "Today and Tomorrow," "Wild Wild Party," the unusual "Love Don't Treat Me Right" as well as "Crazy." The first two songs were released on Memphis #103 in 1961, while the other two remained unreleased.

Memphis Records, now under the sole direction of Cody, remained in business until 1965 and issued discs by such well-known Memphis performers as Eddie Bond and Lloyd Arnold. Buford Cody met Lloyd Arnold at the Cotton Town Jubilee, where Arnold would perform regularly. After Cody took over Arnold's management in 1962, he brought him onto the Memphis label and produced his sessions for the label. Arnold and Cody also held a session Nashville to produce two songs that were released on Memphis under the pseudonym "The Long Hairs," inspired by the Beatles' hair cuts. In 1964 or 1965, Cody gave up managing Arnold, who continued to record for a variety of other local labels.

Memphis Records promotion picture of
Lloyd Arnold and his Rockin' Drifters

The last two Eddie Bond records, Memphis #114 and Memphis #115, show the adress as 706 Union Avenue, where Sam Phillips' old Sun Studio is located. Both records were recorded in Nashville, though. At that time, Bond was bankrupt and was up to his neck in debt. He had bought a night club along with Baxter Turnage, who died and left Bond paying the whole debt. A Billboard article on February 20, 1965, "Things Look Rosier for Eddie Bond," stated that Bond had "high hopes in a single he just made will help solve his problems." This single was "Cold Dark Waters" / "Raunchy" (Memphis #114).

Probably in 1965, Cody discontinued the label's 100 series and started a new short-lived 300 series. Along with this innovation, the label moved into 625 Chelsea Avenue, a building that also housed Marshall Ellis' Erwin Records and later Bill Glore's Glo-Lite studio. Nevertheless, the Memphis label came to an end in 1965. Jody Chastain died July 28, 1999, in Sugar Tree, Tennessee.

Discography

Memphis 101

Ramon Maupin 

Hey Rena (Fuller Todd) / Tomorrow We'll Know ()

MR132PP / MRIPP

1961 (BB)

Billboard C&W review on Feb. 27, 1961

Memphis 102

Memphis 103

Charlie Feathers

Today and Tomorrow (Charlie Feathers) / Wild Wild Party (Charlie Feathers; Jerry Hoffman)

103-A / 103-B

1961 (BB)

Billboard pop review on Oct. 30, 1961

Memphis 104

Lloyd Arnold

Tennessee Twist (Arnold; Helms) / I Couldn't Make My Heart Beleve My Eyes (Arnold; Helms)

121962 A / 121962 B

1962

Memphis 105

Eddie Bond

Tomorrow I Will Be Gone (Tommy Tucker) / (Let's) Make the Parting Sweet ()

131962 A / 131962 B

1962

Memphis 106

Lloyd Arnold

School Days (Chuck Berry) / Take These Chains from My Heart (Fred Rose; Hy Heath)

NO8W-2590 / NO8W-2591 (RCA)

1963 (BB)

Billboard C&W review on Feb. 16, 1963

Memphis 107

Rebel Rousers

Thunder (Richard Harrison) / Night Surfing (Richard Harrison)

1964 (BB)

Billboard pop review on March 7, 1964

Memphis 108

Lloyd Arnold

Sugaree (Marty Robbins) / I Hope You Mean What You Say (Lloyd Arnold)

PK4M-1283 / PK4M-1284 (RCA)

1964

Memphis 109

Lloyd Arnold

Lonesome Finds Me (Don McHan) / Next to Me (Johnny Colmus)

R4KM-2302 / R4KM-2303 (RCA)

1964 (BB)

Billboard C&W review on April 7, 1964

Memphis 110

The Long Hairs 

Eight to Five (Johnny Colmus) / Go-Go-Go (Chuck Berry)

R4KM-2304 / R4KM-2305 (RCA)

1964

Memphis 111

Memphis 112

Lloyd Arnold
I Can't Wait () / Little Boy Blue ()
1964

Memphis 715C-490
Jim Shaw & the Swing Masters
? / Wishing on a Star ()
? / R4KM-8491 (RCA)
1964

Memphis 113

Rebel Rousers

You Don't Know What to Do (Johnny Walker) / The Zombie Walks (Rebel Rousers)

SoN 13171 / SoN 13172 (Sound of Nashville)

1965

Memphis 114

Eddie Bond

Cold Dark Waters (Don Owens) / Raunchy (Bill Justis; Wilburn)

SoN 15601 / SoN 15602 (Sound of Nashville)

1965

"Produced by Teddy Wilburn"

Memphis 115

Eddie Bond with Jordanaires

Someday I'll Sober Up (J. Russell) / Here Comes the Train (Stan Kessler; Eddie Bond)

SoN 18481 / SoN 18482 (Sound of Nashville)

1965

Memphis 116
Lee Adkins
Together Again (Buck Owens) / Don't You Believe It (Walker)
SoN 19191 / SoN 19192 (Sound of Nashville)
1965
"Dist. by Sound of Nashville, Inc. 160 2nd Ave., S. Nashville, Tenn."

Memphis M-328

Windy Rivers

Turn Around Turn Around (And Go Home) (P. Winchester; Marshall Ellis) / Maybe I'll For Get the Way I Feel (C. Goodman)

M-328 / M-329

"Arranged by Bobby Wood"

Memphis M-329

Jim Cannon

Highway Fever (Jim Cannon) / Stagger-Stumble-Crawl (Jim Cannon)

M-1000 / M-1001

Mike Shaw on Regal

  Mike Shaw - O Bee O By O Baby O (Regal 7507), ca. 1958
I assume this is the same Mike Shaw that recorded for Harold Doane's Perfect label in Miami. Mainly because this Regal record has the Sherlyn-Pent Publ. on it, which was owned by Miami recording studio owner and producer Henry Stone.

Sherlyn published many compositions of local artists like Buck Trail, Don "Red" Roberts, Chuck Darty, among many others. It appeared as "Sherlyn Publ." and as "Sherlyn-Pent Publ." Sherlyn-Pent songs included those by Tracy Pendarvis (Scott #1203), The Fireballs with Billy Eldridge, Pat Richmond, and Doug Dickens (all Vulco recordings), Jimmie Tennant (Thunder #45-1000), Jimmy Voytek (Caper #1551), and others. From my observation, it was active under the name of "Sherlyn" before 1958 and changed its name to "Sherlyn-Pent" at some point in 1958.

Mike Shaw was a member of "Happy Harold" Thaxton's band around the release of his Perfect record ("Long Gone Baby" / "Frankie and Johnny", Perfect #45-C-111, 1956). This Regal disc was approximately released in late 1958. Shaw also had a release on the Chariot label ("Coal Mine" / "Show Me the Way to Your Heart", Chariot #110, 1960) that saw also release on Gone #5098 in 1961.

Both the Regal and Gone labels were operated by George Goldner from New York City. Goldner was a very influential figure in the music business and an important distributor. Henry Stone, a big name in the Miami music scene in his own right, would place several of his productions with Goldner's labels. Billboard reported in an article titled "Boom Over Miami: DJ's, Distribs, Artists Turn Out Disks, Masters" on June 2, 1958, that "Local hotel owner Stanley Kahan, who wrote 'Girl with the Golden Braids,' recently purchased a piece of George Goldner's new label, Regal Records. Kahan plans to hold some local sessions, with Miami talent - including the Coralaires - in the near future." It seems this was the case with Mike Shaw and his "O Bee O By O Baby O." I assume it was recorded at Stone's own studio. Later, this also seemed to happen with Shaw's Chariot single, though I could not spot any hint that Chariot was connected with Stone or Kahan.

Derrell Felts - Texas Rock & Roll

Another re-upload of this Texas based rockabilly artist. The demo tapes Felts and his band laid down for Jack Rhodes are incredible good and fine examples of raw, sheer rockabilly. I hope everyone had some nice Christmas days and enjoys this compilation.

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Marlon Grisham on Blake

  Marlon Grisham - Queen of the City (Blake 2-222), 1968
Both the label and the artist have covered on this blog before. Blake Records was owned by John Cook. This record by Marlon Grisham is from 1968 but I didn't even know it exists until recently, when I purchased it. Grisham is most famous for his 1959 Cover recording "Ain't That a Dilly" but also recorded a fair amount of other songs on Memphis labels. He passed away in 2004.

Read more:

• Blake Records story

• Marlon Grisham on Cover

Ray Harris - Greenback Dollar

This one's by request. My first selfmade compilation... Thanks Matt, you know why!
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Big Jim Edwards

Big Jim Edwards (Clearpool 102), prob. 1965   "So Undecided"    "Long Line of Sorrow"
Here are two neat little country outings by Big Jim Edwards, judging from his voice an elder singer already back then. You can read more about the Clearpool label here. I assume the componist of "So Undecided," Evelyn Edwards, was Jim's wife. I couldn't find anything on the writer of the other side except that his full name was H. Curtis Marshall.

Big Jim Edwards sings in a nasal country style here, similar to Billy Wallace. Before hearing the disc, I guessed he was the same Big Jim Edwards that was a DJ on several pop radio statios across the US, including in Memphis for some time. I have changed my mind by now - but who knows?

The same Big Jim Edwards? Probably not!

Clearpool

Clearpool Records Inc.

Clearpool Records Inc. was most likely owned by Memphis bassist Bill Black and located in Memphis, Tennessee. Clearpool was named after a popular night spot in the city, the "Clearpool" restaurant, an entertainment complex that also included a swimming pool. The released recordings were published through Black's Lyn-Lou Publishing company.

Bill Black

The label was set up in the first half of 1965. During the previous six years, Black had been very successful nationally with his "Bill Black Combo" and toured with the Beatles in 1964. The founding of Clearpool was possibly one of his last activities in the music business; Black was diagnosed with cerebral tumor and died on October 21, 1965, in Memphis.

Due to Black's passing in 1965, the label was only a short-lived affair. Memphis music vetetan Marlon Grisham had the initial release on the label (#101), it was his last rock'n'roll record. Clearpool #102 was by Big Jim Edwards, "So Undecided" b/w "Long Line of Sorrow," two country performances. I first suspected this to be the same Big Jim Edwards, who was a popular DJ on different stations, including CKLW, but this one was more of a 1960s pop and rock lover. The Edwards on Clearpool sounds more like an older country artist. Also on the label were Billy and the Fabulous Echoes as well as Dennis Turner, who sang with Bill Black's Combo at that time.

You can find more info on Clearpool #103 at DeadWax.

Discography
101: Marlon Grisham - Why Did She Go / Jungle Love (1965)
102: Big Jim Edwards - So Undecided / Long Line of Sorrow
103: Billy and the Fabulous Echoes - Just Love Me Right / Jump and Shout
4002: Dennis Turner - Roll On / Confused

Thanks to DrunkenHobo

More Willie Gregg...

  Willie Gregg - Rebel (Bridge-Way 1003), 1968
I presented a superb version of Merle Haggard's "If You Want to Be My Woman" by Gregg here. Today's disc is more of a teen record with a slight country feel, which is more promiment on the flip "A Heart Afraid to Break." As it turns out, I'm still not able to come up with some assured information on him. My assumption is that he was a local artist, active in the Orange-Port Arthur area in Texas. I have evidence he recorded in the 1960s for four different labels at least, three of them of Texan origin. Here a short overview:

Kay-Bar Dane KBD-044: Willie Gregg and the Velvetones - You Fool / I'll Find You (1966/67) 
Ringo 2001: Willie Gregg - You Fool / How Long (poss. ca. 1968)
Bridge-Way 1003: Willie Gregg - Rebel / A Heart Afraid to Break (1968)
Waterflow 702: Willie Gregg and the Country Kings - She's No Good / If You Want to Be My Woman (1969)

The Kay-Bar Dane label was based in Orange, Texas, near the Texas-Louisiana state border. Waterflow was run by Tee Bruce in Port Arthur, which is located less than 20 miles southwest of Orange. I have no info on the Bridge-Way label except for the fact it was pressed by Houston Recorders, just as the Waterflow and Kay-Bar Dane discs were.

There is a fourth single on the Crowley, Lousiana, based Ringo label, which features a slightly different take of "You Fool." Crowley is located about 111 miles east of Gregg's usual stomping ground Port Arthur, so I have no explanation how he ended up in Crowley.

BMI lists Willie Gregg with seven different compositions, two of them as Willie Clyde Gregg. The majority of these songs were published by Tabitha Publ. of Livingston, Texas. There was a Willie Gregg from Groves, Texas, who was born on February 20, 1940, and died on September 10, 2005. Groves is located in the Port Arthur/Nederland/Port Neches area. Probably our man?

George Hamilton IV on ABC-Paramount

  George Hamilton IV - If You Don't Know (ABC-Paramount 45-9765), 1956
Although I have to admit that I am neither an expert on his life nor on his recordings, I always considered George Hamilton IV a great artist. His "Abilene" hit recording is one of the best from that period but he was also versant with the rockabilly sound, as "If You Don't Know" as well as his other great rocker "Everybody's Body" testifiy. 

Born on July 19, 1937, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as George Hege Hamilton IV, he came - in contrast to the majority of country singers of his era - from a relatively worthy family. Hamilton's father was vice president and manager of a company in Winston-Salem. Growing up in a city, Hamilton enjoyed many of the advantages of urban life a country boy could not. One of those was going to the cinema, where he would see the movies of the singing cowboys. His love for country music was stimulated by his grandfather, a railroader, who had many of the old Jimmie Rodgers records. Hamilton would also listen to the Grand Ole Opry out of Nashville every Saturday evening.

Hamilton learned to play guitar and formed a band while at high school. The outfit performed at local gatherings, civic events and social meetings. By 1955, he attended the University of North Carolina and then the American University in Washington, D.C., which enabled him to perform on the Jimmy Dean TV Show.

In the summer of 1956 came his first big break. Hamilton knew Orville Campbell, who owned Colonial Records in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He persuaded Campbell to sign him to a recording contract and recorded a first session for the label in March 1956 at the WUNC Swain Hall at the University of North Carolina that produced "I've Got a Secret" and "Sam." On that date, Hamilton was backed by Joseph Tanner on electric lead guitar and Henry Heitman on bass. Though, those titles were reserved initially.

When John D. Loudermilk, at that time also a young and unknown songwriter, pitched a song entitled "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" to Campbell, Hamilton was given the chance to record it. In return to recording Loudermilk's teen ballad, Hamilton was also allowed to cut one of his originals, the rockabilly tune "If You Don't Know." Campbell set up a second session again at WUNC Swain Hall on June 18, 1956, which resulted in recording both songs that day. In addition to Hamilton, Tanner, and Heitman, drummer Dennis Beams and a vocal group called "The Blue Notes" were added for the recording of "A Rose and a Baby Ruth." On "If You Don't Know" however, the trio turned into a great rockabilly performance with a strong rhythm guitar by Hamilton, a sophisticated lead guitar by Tanner, and a deep, slapping bass by Heitman.

Billboard review on September 1, 1956

Billboard review on October 20, 1956

It was released in late summer 1956 on  Colonial #420 credited to "George Hamilton IV and the Country Gentlemen", followed by a national release through the ABC-Paramount label (ABC-Paramount #45-9765). It was "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" that caught on and eventually peaked at #6 on Billboard's Hot 100. The record became a million-selling hit and catapulted Hamilton into stardom. He was transferred to the ABC-Paramount label and recorded more teen pop material, similar to "A Rose and a Baby Ruth." His only other pure rocker, "Everybody's Body," again showed his love for a solid rockabilly sound.

In 1959, Hamilton moved his family to Nashville, in order to establish himself as a country singer. In 1960, he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and singed with RCA-Victor. Country hits followed, including the No.1 "Abilene," written by Loudermilk and Bob Gibson. The hits faded in the early 1970s but Hamilton remained active, especially as a live act. He undertook wide tours around the world, which earned him the nickname "The International Ambassador of Country Music." George Hamilton IV died September 17, 2014, in Nashville.