Billy Lee Riley - Two Albums

Another Bobsluckycat post presented by Mellow's Log Cabin!

A lot of this is going to be speculative based on my knowledge of the way things were in 1963 - 1966 at Mercury Records. The Two Albums presented here are the first and third LP's that were released on Mercury Records  between  mid-1964 and early 1965.

Billy Lee Riley was at this time doing session work on the West Coast and the three albums were produced by leading Capitol Records producer Nick Venet, who also did some outside producing on spec and placed those on various labels.

Mercury signed Jerry Lee Lewis to their Smash label in 1963 and Bill Justis as well, Charlie Rich also in 1965. Shelby Singleton was a major producer at Mercury and an executive with the label who more than likely influenced the pick up of the Billy Lee Riley sides for Mercury. Singleton, as you know, later bought Sun Records and carried forth with their catalog and newer recordings for many years and mined it for all it's worth.

The first Riley LP was an intriguing set of instrumentals mixing oldies and a few new cuts as well. The stereo versions were strange, but the mono versions had a superior mix down that was in effect a wall of sound and the results are a mixed bag.

"Page One Funk" in my opinion the best cut on the LP. The second LP a cover of the Beatles early hits was also a wall of sound but at the time everyone was also covering the Beatles from Bluegrass to whomever. I no longer own this LP as I sold it for major money several years ago. The third LP and the best of the three, hands down, was "Live At The Whisky A' Go- Go". It showcases a much more subdued but excellent version of Billy Lee's talents.

At this time, both Trini Lopez and Johnny Rivers were producing hit singles and large selling Lp's for Reprise and Imperial Records respectively to great success. Billy Lee's effort to cash in on this trend failed miserably.

Only two singles in support of these LP's were released by Mercury to complete apathy on the part of the D.J.s of the time, with no support.

The Sun era had passed a few years previous to this and except for Johnny Cash, Roy Orbision and Elvis, himself, the Sun roster couldn't give away a record. It was five full years before Mercury could get things right with Jerry Lee Lewis on Smash. His first five LP's all went into the cut-out bins with a year of release with short pressings at that.

That brings me to the point about Billy Lee Riley. All three of his LP's were released in fairly rapid succession of each other and did not sell enough to warrant a second pressing. Indeed, by 1966-67 all the three were in the cut-out bins at Woolworth-Woolco, all drilled and cheap. Why they are now so scarse is due to the fact that the practice was that all unsold vinyl was melted down and recycled at that time.

So this fills in a piece of the puzzle. Enjoy. Bobsluckycat

Download: Billy Lee Riley's Big Harmonica Special

Download: Whisky a Go Go presents Billy Lee Riley live!

See "Billy Lee Riley - No Name Girl" and "The Spitfires on Jaro Int." for further reading on Billy Lee Riley.

Sylvia Mobley discography

Sylvia Mobley 45rpm and 33 ½ Records Discography

 The following discography is an attempt to list all of Sylvia Mobley's released 45rpm records. A protégé of Jimmy Haggett at one time, Mobley recorded for numerous small Arkansas and Tennessee labels. Corrections and additions are highly appreciated.

Santo 502
Sylvia Mobley
 If I Had You Again (Glenn Honeycutt) / All By Myself (Ronald Wallace)
S-104 / S-105
1962

Cotton Town Jubilee 113

Sylvia Mobley

Are You Sorry (O'Neal - Williams) / Worried Over You (M. Grisham)

A /  B

Big Style 102

Sylvia Mobley

Every Time I See You (Sylvia Mobley) / Tell Me Clouds (Sylvia Mobley)

A / B
1964

"Produced by Chuck Comer & Bozy Moore & J.C. Wooten / Dist. Nationally by Cotton Town Jubilee Records"

 
Cotton Town Jubilee 115
Sylvia Mobley
I'm Not Alone Anymore (Chuck Comer) / Every Time I See You (Sylvia Mobley)
S4KM-1791 / S4KM-1792 (RCA)
1965

Millionaire 660S-0885

Sylvia Mobley

Hearts Have a Language (G. Williams) / In and Out of Love (M. Endsley)

SK4M-0885 / SK4M-0886 (RCA)

1965

Jeopardy JS-100

Sylvia Mobley

Take Care of Me () / Summer Rose (Leland Davis)

1968 (BB)

Jeopardy JS 101

Sylvia Mobley

One Careless Moment () / Tinsel Dreams (Glenn Honeycutt)

"Allen Hunt - Guitar"
1968 (BB)

Starday 45-876

Sylvia Mobley

Treating You Cool (Sylvia Mobley) / Swapped for the Bottle (Sylvia Mobley)

634-45-9046 / ?

"Produced by Louie Innis"

1969

Villa V-2908
Sylvia Mobley
Poison Love (Laird) / Under Your Spell Again (Buck Owens; Dusty Rhodes)
MS-391 / MS-392
1972
"Produced by: Tom Livingston"

Villa 2909/2910

Sylvia Mobley

Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes (Slim Wilet) / Searching (Murphy Maddox)

October 1972 (on label)

"Produced by Tom Livingston / Arranged by Big Jim Whitby"

Villa VR-1001

Sylvia Mobley

I Need a Body (Bill Robinson) / The Hurt Finally Came Home ()

UR-338-A / ?

Note: "Jan 10 1974" stamped on label.

Phoenix PXR-124

Sylvia Mobley

I Give In, Till I Give Out (Now I Give Up) (Sylvia Mobley) / Let Me In (Sylvia Mobley)
1975 (on label)

"Produced by Scotty Moore"

Belle Meade BM 1615

Sylvia Mobley

Silent Love (Sylvia Mobley) / If I Only Knew (Sylvia Mobley)

BM 16103 / BM 16104
1975 (on label)
"Producer: Scotty Moore"

Belle Meade LP 1003 "My Needs Are You"

Sylvia Mobley

My Needs Are You / I Give In, Till I Give Out / If I Only Knew / I Think of Love / Searching / Don't Let the Stars (Get in Your Eyes) / Poison Love / Let Me In / Silent Love / Under Your Spell Again

1975

Rays Gold RG-22784 "Songs for Ma Ma"

Sylvia Mobley

Ma Ma / Can't You Remember / Life's Railway To Heaven / Keep On Keepin' On / Will the Circle Be Unbroken / Satisfied / One Day at a Time / His Name is Jesus / Song Of Praise / If I Could Hear Mother Pray Again

1984

Slim Whitman / Tom Tall RIP

Country music crooner Slim Whitman died June 19, 2013, at the age of 90 years in Orange Park, Florida. Whitman started his music career in the late 1940s and found success in the 1950s with several hits, including "Indian Love Call." During his career, he cut more than 500 songs and 100 albums. His song "Rose Marie" was a No.1 hit in the UK in the 1970s. Read more here.

Tom Tall, Country music one-hit wonder, passed away already on June 14, 2013, at the age of 75. He was famous for having the #2 C&W hit "Are You Mine" with Ginny Wright. Read more here.

Billy Riley - No Name Girl

  Billy Riley - No Name Girl (1959), Sun 313
Undoubtly, Billy Lee Riley was one of Sun's most colourful artists and a legend since the Rockabilly Revival of the 1970s. Playing everything between Country and Blues, Rock'n'Roll and Pop, his 1997 album "Hot Damn!" was even nominated for the Grammy award. Though today's featured song is probably not as sophisticated as this LP, "No Name Girl" is nevertheless a much more elaborated approach than his early raw Rockabilly sides for Sun.

Born October 5, 1933, in Pocahontas, Arkansas, Riley grew up in poverty. He spent his childhood on the cotton fields around Osceola and Forrest City. Being one of eight children, his ancestors were both of Irish and Indian origins. At the age of seven, young Riley learned to play harmonica and later followed up with guitar while in his teens. Working on the fields, it is needless to say that Blues music was probably the greatest influence on him, as he remembers:

Blues is the music I grew up hearing on the plantation. There were black and white families all living together. We were poor, and playing music was our main form of entertainment.

After leaving the Army in 1953, he first moved to Jonesboro, where he played in C.D. Tennyson's Happy Valley Boys, before moving across the border to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1955. He got to know Jack Clement and soon joined Slim Wallace's Dixie Ramblers band. Playing bars and clubs at night, Wallace founded his own record label in 1956, named Fernwood Records. Riley was the first to record for this label but after a demo session, Clement took him to Sun and owner Sam Phillips signed Riley instantly to his label. The first session took place in early 1956 at WMPS studio in Memphis and produced the classic but back then unsuccessful "Rock with Me Baby" b/w "Trouble Bound." This recording also introduced guitarist Roland Janes and drummer Jimmy Van Eaton to Sun, who became the backbone of Sun's house band.

During the next two years, Riley recorded numerous sessions that produced wild and raw Rockabilly classics such as "Flying Saucer Rock'n'Roll," "Pearly Lee," "Red Hot" and many others. Unfortunately, Sam Phillips focused on other artists like Jerry Lee Lewis. This led to the tragic decision to push Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" instead of Riley's "Red Hot," which just had begun to do well in the south.

Today's selection, "No Name Girl," was recorded around December 1958 at the Sun Studio with Riley on vocals and guitar, Martin Willis on sax, either Charlie Rich or Jimmy Wilson on piano, Pat O'Neill on bass, and Jimmy Van Eaton on drums. On that same day, Riley also recorded Rock'n'Roll versions of two old standards, "Down by the Riverside" and "Swanee River Rock." Released on Sun 313 in early 1959 with "Down by the Riverside" on the flip, the record only stimulated low sales. Billboard, however, gave a promising review on February 9, 1959. It was even "A Billboard Pick" of the week.

Review from Billboard, February 9, 1959, issue

Due to low sales and Riley's frustration with Sun, he left and began producing his own records on an independent base. During the early 1960s several discs by him appeared on small labels, none of which caught on. He eventually became a session musician while living in California, before returning to the south in 1966. He kept on performing and recording and was "discovered" by a younger audience in the 1970s. Since then, he recorded albums and performed regularly in Europe. Riley died in 2009. 

Read about Riley's first single after his depature from Sun: The Spitfires on Jaro Int.

Marshall Lytle RIP

Famous bassist Marshall Lytle passed away on May 25, 2013, at the age of 79, in Port Richey, Florida. Born 1933 in North Carolina, Lytle joined Bill Haley's Saddlemen in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1951. He stayed with Haley and the band throught the first part of the 1950s and can be heard on Haley's most well-known song "Rock Around the Clock" among many others. He left in the mid-1950s and founded the Jodimars then.

Read more here.

The Mark Four

Hangin' Out with the Mark Four

Special thanks to Jim Patton

A lot of bands during the 1950s and 1960s were called the Mark Four. Some achieved moderate success with their records, other remained obscure acts. Today's Mark Four were a group from California whose two singles for Pacific Challenger became two minor classics in Surf/Garage music.

Four young boys founded the Mark Four in the fall of 1963. The line-up consisted of Rick Whittington on lead guitar, Jerry Ainsworth on rhythm guitar, and David O'Brien on drums. Jim Patton on vocals and sax joined the group soon after. Their manager became Whittington's father, who possibly got them a recording contract later on. Since all of boys were 16 or 17 years old, the band didn't play any clubs but appeared at a lot of sock hops and dances all over southern California. They regularly played the Retail Clerks Union Hall, the Rolldrome, and of course many high schools.

Mark Four promo picture, 1964. From left to right: Jerry Ainsworth,
Dave O'Brien, Rick Whittington, Jim Patton

Already in 1963, the band got aquainted with producer Bob Mahoney, who signed the boys to his Pacific Challenger record label. The band held two sessions for Mahoney, the first one took place in 1964 at Western Recorders in Los Angeles and produced the single "Just My Dream" b/w "Swingin' Hangout" (Pacific Challenger 1002), two Jim Patton originals. Patton remembers the record sold about 5000 copies but never saw any money from it. A second disc was recorded later that year at Mahoney's Pacific Challenger studio in Hacienda Heights, California. The result was "Go Away Now Little Girl" coupled with "Forget It Baby" released on Pacific Challenger 1004.

Mahoney had some business connection with Murray Wilson, manager of the Beach Boys (and father of three of them: Dennis, Carl, and Brian). Through Murray's help, the Mark Four opened a Beach Boys concert on February 7, 1964, at the Pavilon Ballroom in Huntington Beach.

The Mark Four lasted for abour one and a half years, disbanding around the end of 1964. Jim Patton went to college and remained friends with Dave O'Brien but lost track of Ainsworth and Whittington. Patton and O'Brien still make some music together and recently produced a demo CD with a selection of their songs.

Discography

Pacific Challenger P.C. 1002

Just My Dream (J. Patton Jr.) / Swingin' Hangout (J. Patton Jr.)

A / B

1964

"Produced by: Bob Mahoney"

Pacific Challenger PC 1004

Go Away Now Little Girl () / Forget It Baby (J. Patton, Jr.)

A / B

1964

"Produced by Bob Mahoney"

Slow Boogie Rockin' with Lloyd Harp

While "Slow Boogie Rock" is not a Rockabilly classic (yet), the original 45rpm record is hard to come by and worth 300$ if you can believe collectors. Though, the band behind this recording remained in obscurity since the record's release in 1960. Neither references in specialized books, magazines or booklets nor an internet search turns up a snippet of information. I am very thankful to Lloyd Harp's son Lloyd, Jr., who now shared some memories about his father with me. I am glad to present you details on Harp and the Hoosier Rhythm Boys for the first time.

From left to right: Lloyd Harp, Blackie's wife, "Blackie" (last name unknown)

Lloyd G. Harp was born in 1919 in Sidney, Ohio, but later moved to Indiana. Not much is known about his early life. Like so many other young singers back then, Harp's favorite Country music star was Hank Williams, Sr. Other influences on him included Chet Atkins, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Hank Snow.

By the late 1950s, Harp had organized a little band called "The Hoosier Rhythm Boys" with Harp on vocals and rhythm guitar, Les Sexton on lead guitar, and Bob Frame on bass. They played some taverns around Indianapolis and somehow managed to get the chance to record for a small local label called Yolk Records. Yolk was one of the labels owned by Jerry (Lee) Williams along with Stan Cox and Earl Brooks. Williams was a guitarist and played a lot with many local artists such as Aubrey Cagle, Tennessee Thompson, Lattie Moore, and others, around Indiana. He also ran the Nabor and Solid Gold labels. 

Likely recorded in a tiny studio in Indianapolis, "Slow Boogie Rock" was much more in the vein of mid-1950s rural Rockabilly than 1960s popular Rock'n'Roll. Coupled with "I'll Always Love You," it was released in the summer of 1960 (Yolk YR 102) but had no chance to enter the national charts due to lack of distribution and its out-of-fashion style. Billboard reviewed it in its August 29 issue but did not bother to write a review; the magazine rated Harp's single only as "one star."

Lloyd Harp and band: Lloyd Harp on far right, the others are unknown

Harp and the Hoosier Rhythm Boys kept on playing local venues around town up until the mid-1960s, when the band broke up. He settled down on the east side of Indianapolis, performed rarely after that but always found time to play his guitar once in a while, according to his son: 

Dad would pick up his big Gibson acoustic guitar and play every once and awhile... always would bring a smile to his face...

Lloyd Harp died in 1980 at the age of 61 years.

From left to right: Lloyd Harp, unknown, Lex Sexton, unknown

Special thanks to Lloyd Harp, Jr., for providing me with some details about his father's career in music.

Wade & Dick at Sun

Wade & Dick - Story of the College Kids

  Wade & Dick the College Kids - Bop Bop Baby (Sun 269), 1957  
Following the success of Roy Orbison's recording "Ooby Dooby," Sam Phillips gave composers Wade Moore and Dick Penner a songwriting and recording contract. He was probably impressed by the two young talented Texas boys and thought he could turn them into chart topping teen acts. However, the duo's affiliation with the recording business was short and produced only a handful of recordings.

Wade Lee Moore was born 1933 in Amarillo, Texas, and Allen Richard "Dick" Penner 1936 in Chicago but shortly afterwards, his family moved to Texas. Penner began performing with another young musician called Dave Young in 1953. Together they played some local venues and even appeared on the Big D Jamboree out of Dallas. By 1955, Penner had enrolled at the North Texas State University in Denton, Texas, where he met another student, Wade Moore.

They began to perform together in Texas and Arkansas and soon also joined the Big D Jamboree. Both Moore and Penner were also talented songwriters, so joined forces and "Ooby Dooby" was the result. Reportedly, it was written in 15 minutes on the roof of the frat house. The duo pitched the song to young Texan Rock'n'Roller Roy Orbison, who recorded a demo version of it with his Teen Kings in 1955. Coupled with "Hey Miss Fanny," they sent the tape to Columbia Records executive Don Law. Instead of signing Orbison, Law gave the tape to Sid King & the Five Strings, who recorded it in March 1956 for Columbia.

Orbison and the Teen Kings caught the attention of Country singer and label owner Weldon Rogers, who set up a session for the group. They recorded "Ooby Dooby" / "Go! Go! Go!" for Rogers' Jewel label in late 1955 - released on March 19, 1956. Things went its way and Sam Phillips signed Orbison to a legal contract and re-released the songs on Sun. The record eventually reached #59 on Billboard's Top 100. In addition, this led to a contract for Wade and Dick.

Wade and Dick with band in 1956

Moore and Penner held their first session on December 16, 1956, at the Sun Studio, backed by Bob Izer on lead guitar, Don Hicky on bass, and Roger Berkley on drums. This session produced the infamous "Bob Bob Baby," which was used a couple of years ago in the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line." Coupled with the interesting and innovative "Don't Need Your Lovin Baby," it was released in April 1957. Billboard selected the record to be one of their "Review Spotlight - C&W Records" in its May 27, 1957, issue.

Billboard May 27, 1957, review - "C&W Records Spotlight on..."

From the same session were an alternate version of "Bop Bop Baby" as well as a song Wade and Dick often performed on stage entitled "Wild Woman." Penner also recorded a solo session in 1957 and had one release under his own name that same year on Sun. He appeared on the Louisiana Hayride but decided to quit music. The duo broke up and Penner joined the US Army before finishing the University. He became a professor at the University of Tennessee and is still alive and well.

San Antonio Records

July 6, 1946, Billboard ad for San Antonio records by distributor
Runyon Sales Company from New York City.

Following my post on laber owner Paul Westmoreland, here's now the discography of San Antonio Records. If there are more recordings which are not listed here, please do not hesitate and passt it along. San Antonio Records was bases in Los Angeles on 9160 Hollywood Boulevard, although Westmoreland was active in the Sacramento area.

San Antonio 101
 Paul Westmoreland and his Pecos River Boys
Can't Win, Can't Place, Can't Lose / Trouble Keeps Hanging 'Round My Door 
(1946)

San Antonio 102
Paul Westmoreland and his Pecos River Boy
Wrong Side of the Track / Headin' Down the Wrong Highway 
1946

San Antonio 103:
 Frankie Marvin -
 Guitar Polka / It's a Sin (What You're Doin' to Me) 
(1946)

San Antonio 104
Frankie Marvin
Honey Do You Think It's Wrong / Popcorn Poppin' Mama 
1946

San Antonio 105
Larry Bryant 
I'll Be Lonely / My Blue Eyes
 1946

San Antonio 106
Paul Westmoreland and his Pecos River Boys
Texas Steel Guitar / Oklahoma Bound 
1946

San Antonio 107
Frankie Marvin
Wine, Women, and Song / Baby That Won't Get It 
1946

San Antonio 108
Paul Westmoreland and his Pecos River Boys
 One Way Street / From Now On 
1946

San Antonio 109

Frankie Marvin's Boogie Billies

 Honey Could Be / Have I Been Mean to You

 1946

George Jones RIP

Country music superstar George Jones died April 26, 2013, at the age of 81, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Jones, also called "The Possum" or "No-Show Jones," was one of Country music's must successful and influential singers during the second half of 20th century. Some of his hits include "She Thinks I Still Care," "He Stopped Loving Her Today" among others. To Rockabilly collectors, he is mostly known for his 1950s rockin' sides such as "How Come It," "Rock It," "White Lightning," "Who Shot Sam," and many more.

Read more here.