Wednesday 28 November 2012

FRANK (Andy) STARR

Franklin Delano Gulledge was born in Combs, Arkansas, in 1932. He lived his early years during the depression, and was never far from the edge of delinquency and very close to going over the edge (according to music scholar Wayne Russell) when he pulled a pistol on a teacher. At the age of 14 he had left school and was riding the rails and living life as a hobo.
He was 17 when the Korean War intensified and he signed up. An officer who knew of his musical ability assigned him to the special services rather than to a combat unit, where his fate might have been very different. He formed the Arkansas Plowboys from the ranks of fellow southerners and survived his two years in South Asia, coming out a little bit straighter in life than he'd gone in.
He drank, sometimes to excess, but he did try regular work in a factory in Kansas before moving to California. There, he and his brothers Bob and Clark formed a new group, also called the Arkansas Plowboys. Billing himself as Frank Starr, he played lead guitar in the band and soon realised that he was a better singer and musician than his soblings, but he was also more serious about making it big in the music business. So he packed up and for Texas, and in the early 1950's was scratching out a living around Denison for two dollars a night, working some of the roughest roadhouses and shanty-town clubs in the state, catering to military personnel and anyone else brave enough to enter. Undaunted by this he hung on and built a reputation for doing an exciting show and generating a hot rockin’ sound. In 1955 he got a spot on local radio into an audition for Joe M. Leonard Jr. of Lin and Kliff Records. Leonard was impressed enough with Frank to have him cut four sides, two of which, "Dig Them Squeaky Shoes" and "The Dirty Bird Song (You Can't Hardly Get Them No More)", become his debut single. Although neither his first nor his second singles were hits, Frank managed to get work on the same bills with the likes of Porter Wagoner and Grandpa Jones. He also occasionally wrote songs, including "Rockin' and Reelin' Country Style." Then, in 1956 Frank became Andy Starr as another singer was using the name Frank Starr in California.
Joe M. Leonard Jr. was unfazed by this, and was prepared to continue recording his most promising rock & roll act. He got Andy Starr placed with MGM Records, which resulted in the release of the classic ‘Rockin Rollin Stone’ b/w ‘I Wanna Go South’.  The record received popular local success. But his next release ‘Give Me a Woman’ failed to course even a ripple and this was probably the reason Frank left for Alaska for five years and this decision stalled whatever career momentum he might have built up at this time. He recorded as Frank Starr in Alaska and he seemed to have kept name he went to record a couple of tracks for Holiday Inn Records in Memphis Tennessee 1962.

‘Knees Shakin’ b/w ‘Evil Eye’ - Holiday Inn Records
The vinyl record 45 I own is a promotional copy and leans more to the strollin’ side of rock n roll than the hot rockabilly of his MGM recorded material.
Label scans and vinyl rips included in Download (4.33MB)


He spent the late 1960's and the early 1970's as a sawmill worker, living in Kingston, Idaho. He tried cutting some country music sides for his own Starr Records label, again without success. He also continued to perform locally and write songs, which he published through his old producer, Joe Leonard. By the 1970's, he'd developed other interests, including politics, he ran (unsuccessfully) for the Idaho legislature in 1974, and then for President of the United States, twice, in 1976 and 1992 but he never got anywhere near the Oval Office. Frank (Andy) Star died in September 2003 at age 70 of complications from pneumonia. He had lived long enough to see his complete 1955-63 sides issued on CD by Bear Family Records.

Thursday 15 November 2012

Monday 5 November 2012

TOM & JERRY

Tom & Jerry were formed in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit 'Hey, Schoolgirl' b/w 'Dancin' Wild', hitting No. 49 on the Billboard charts.
They performed 'Hey, Schoolgirl' on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, right after Jerry Lee Lewis performed 'Great Balls of Fire'. They were strongley inflenced by the Everly Brothers. They later found fame in the mid 1960's as Simon & Garfunkel

 

I can't remember where I came across this 45. But I do remember the record dealer telling me how much they (Tom & Jerry) sounded like the Everly Brothers. I was more intrigued by the songwriters on the vinyl being Simon & Garfunkel. 

Big Records 613 vinyl rip

HEY, SCHOOLGIRL - Tom & Jerry
DANCIN' WILD  - Tom & Jerry

I've added label scans in the download.

Download MP3 here...

Sunday 4 November 2012

FACES FROM THE PAST

I found the following pictures on a market stall in London Fields, Hackney.

 
Looking at the ladies dress style I'd would put a date on this photo
as late 1920's early 1930's.
The photographer was E.F BUCHAN of Worthington, Minnasota.


Photo by Bachna Studio, 4203 Clark Ave, Cleveland, Ohio. Date unknown.

 
I have a name for the lady in this photo. Heather Read at a party.
Photo by My Bonnie Studios LTD
58 Clevedon Road, Papakura (poss New Zealand).


Very formal 1940's photograph. No other information.

Friday 2 November 2012

The Jets - Live 1981

THE JETS - Live at Letchworth Football Club, Circa 1981 (from Cassette Tape)

Tape cassette recordings by Volker Houghton. Before 'Top of The Pops' and 'Pebble Mill at One' the Jets played places like Letchworth Football Club. This recording is their complete second set of that night, with the exception of the second half of the last song.

ROCK THE JOINT
TEENAGE CUTIE
DROWNING ALL MY SORROWS
SAG, DRAG AND FALL
LOVE BUG
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME
PRETTY BAD BLUES
STEADY WITH BETTY
MYSTERY TRAIN
YOUR BABY BLUE EYES
DANCE WITH A DOLLY
DRAGGIN'
PINK AND BLACK
UNKNOWN
SINGING THE BLUES
BABY LET'S PLAY HOUSE
ALLIGATOR COME ACROSS (INCOMPLETE) VOLKER'S TAPE RAN OUT!

GRAB IT HERE...
http://www.mediafire.com/file/ucwvwcpwoalxnsz/LIVE81.zip

If you would like to hear more of this kind of music Leave a comment or two. These sort of recordings are rare, if you like them let me know. We may post more.
A big thanks to Volk, The Professer of Rockin' Sounds. I'll talk more about him in later posts.

Thursday 1 November 2012

THE BLANCO SESSIONS - JANIS MARTIN



It seems unbelievable that four months after these excellent recordings were made Janis would be taken from us after being diagnosed with lung cancer. The songs are well sung with powerful vocals, energetic and strong, the voice of a seemingly well woman, add to that backing musicians of a high calibre and great song choices makes this an album that will be rated very highly amongst lovers of old and new rock ‘ n’ roll music for some time to come.
 
This is an album of songs that should have been a starting point to another stage in the excellent recording career of Janis Martin. Now it is a reminder of what a great talent Janis was and I am mighty pleased Rosie Flores had the strength to see the Blanco Sessions finally released.

The CD kicks off with two full on rockers, Ruth Brown’s ‘As Long As I’m Movin’ and the Ronnie Dawson inspired ‘Wham Bam Jam’. In between we get strollers in the shape of Dave Alvin’s ‘Long White Cadillac’ and Johnny O’Keefe’s ‘Wild One’, as well as Ballards. I could go on trying to describe this platter (Yes, you can get it in vinyl as well) in depth, but I suggest you just buy it and let the music do the talking.

Album is released on 18th September 2012 from Cow Island Music; you can check out song samples and pre-order at http://cowislandmusic.com/

Produced by Rosie Flores and Bobby Trimble Musicians Bobby Trimble – Drums Dave Biller – Guitars Beau Sample – Double Bass T Jarrod Bonta – Electric Piano (don’t panic the sound is OK)

Additional musicians; Sarah Brown (electric bass), Jonathan Doyle (tenor sax), Walter Daniels (harmonica) and Rosie Flores (rhythm guitar)

AS LONG AS I'M MOVING
WHAM BAM JAM
LONG WHITE CADILLAC
WILD ONE (REAL WILD CHILD)
IT'LL BE ME
SWEET DREAMS
FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING
I BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAID
ROLL AROUND ROCKIN'
OH LONESOME ME
WALK SOFTLY ON THIS HEART OF MINE

Vinyl Records To MP3's

 A few months ago I blew away the dust that had gathered on my old Dansette record player and pulled out of storage a few of my vinyl albums, extended play and singles I purchased back in my younger wild rockin’ days. After a few plays of several of these platters I realised how neglected these records had become. Some jumped as they played, but wiping them with a lightly damp cloth cured the problem. But a few were beyond repair. Sometimes I collected records that I used purely as wall decorations for my bedroom or record room at the time. I’m still trying to find ways (in my spare time) to bring some of them back to life using various editing programs.
I'm not here to post newly recorded CD's by current Rockin' bands or post CD rips. Occasionally a new band appears on the rock 'n' roll scene that I think sound vintage enough to grab my attention and with the bands knowledge and approval I'll post their demo recordings. So keep em' peeled.

Lonnie Irving was an ex truck driver from North Carolina.
He recorded for Starday records until 1959 when he was diagnosed with Leukaemia. He died in 1960 aged just 28.
Pinball Machine was the record that got Lonnie on the charts. It's a talking tune in the style of Luke the Drifter.
I prefer the B side 'I Got Blues on My Mind' it bops along nicely.
The excellent 'Gooseball Brown' was originally called 'Goofball Brown' but the radio stations at the time asked them to change the wording, as Goofball was a drug used by truck drivers as an aid to stay awake while driving.

Sound clips of the songs can be found here
http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artist.php?key=irvi2000


Starday 486 A Side Pinball Machine
Starday 486 B Side I Got Blues on My Mind
Starday 505 A Side Gooseball Brown
Starday 505 B Side An Old Fashioned Love
Starday 520 A Side Trucker's Vitus
Starday 520 B Side I Wish I Had My Heart Back

I’ll post some of the vinyl rips I have managed to save on this blog from time to time.