COSMOPOLITAN RECORDS 503

BIG BOB DOUGHERTY and his Orchestra

Mar 54

503-A - Whale   (Don Carlos Music)

(B Dougherty)

503-B - Okey Pretty Baby   (Don Carlos Music)

(L Dougherty)

COSMOPOLITAN RECORDS 503

458 4th Avenue, Leavensworth, KS

503-A is a tuff fast Rhythm and Blues tenor sax instrumental led by Dougherty and accompanied by piano, bass, drums and guitar. Nice drum solo near the end of side A. Slightly shaky Vocals on 503-B is by Lonnie Dougherty, who I presume is a brother of Bob. Note the dodgy spelling on the label (which makes me wonder if “Whale” was supposed to be “Wail”.) Regardless, it’s a nice tune with good piano, sax and guitar solos. It bring up an image in my mind of a tiny, dimly-lit stage in some smokey bar with all the customers sitting around very small tables.

Despite being quite a prolific recording artist, I haven’t as yet nailed down any kind of biography on Bob. He was based at the time of this recording around Leavensworth, KS but played and recorded across the Missouri river in Kansas City, MO. He recorded for Westport, KCM, Kay and Cardinal - all out of K City - and also recorded for Decca and the Long Island Shelley/Golden Crest label set-up. According to notes by John Broven on the Golden Crest Instrumental CD (ACE CDCHD 724), Bob’s band probably featured Elsie Carr (piano), Ted Williams (Gtr), Jackie Lewis (Bs) and Corky Jackson (dms) in 1959. 

Don Carlos Music appears on quite a few releases on Wolf-Tex Records (Wolf City, TX)

(MC / Mack Stevens / Ace CD 724).

Any info? malcychapman@mac.com

Source: Phillip J Tricker

GOSPEL RECORDS 502

CONWAY GOSPEL CHORUS

Feb 54 (BMI clearance 19th March 1954)

PD-502-A - Going Down The Hill   (Starrite BMI)

(No info)

PD-502-B - King Jesus Is My Captain   (Starrite BMI)

(No info)

GOSPEL RECORDS 502

(No known location)

I drew a blank on this group and the label. Not seen or heard the disc. A copy was sold on ebay in 2007 in a job lot but there was no label shot. (Plus, I missed the auction so I didn't even get to bid).

Any info? malcychapman@mac.com

COOSA RECORDS 501

HOYT SCOGGINS and the Kingsmen Quartet

Jan 54   (BMI Clearance on 16th Jan 1954)

PD-501-A - Jesus Still Heals  (Starrite BMI)

(H Scoggins)

PD-501-B - The Pathway Is Not Crowded   (Starrite BMI)

(H Scoggins / G Abernathy)

COOSA RECORDS 501

233 Stonewall St, Cartersville, GA

The A side is a fast piano led gospel number with Hoyt leading the Kingsman Quartet in what Billboard magazine might have described as an “exuberant reading”, had they reviewed it. The B side is a straight-ahead fast country gospel number with the Quartet dominating the song. Hoyt was born in 1927 and was at one point a DJ on WCGA in Calhoun, GA. “Jesus Still Heals” also appeared on Starday ep 106 (main series) as by Hoyt and Tyrone Scoggins with the Tune Twisters, but this maybe a different version of the song. He also owned his own Scoggins label. (See also Starday 542, 563, 606 and 659 - when I get around to listing them). (MC / “Spunky Onions” Blogspot).

Any info? malcychapman@mac.com

Source: Phillip J Tricker

Additional Info:

Hoyt Scoggins was born in Lafayette, Georgia. He began playing the guitar and mandolin at the age of twelve. That all began when he picked up his uncle’s guitar. His father, Murphy Scoggins, was always supportive and encouraged him with his musical efforts. At the age of seventeen, he was featured on a program in Summerville, Georgia on radio station WGTA. His show aired on Saturdays at noon and ran for 30 minutes. It was around this time that he also began composing and recording his own music.

We asked Hoyt who inspired him when he got interested in music. Hoyt indicates that Roy Acuff was his idol. He said that he loved to hear Roy sing more than anyone in the business. He originally patterned his style combin- ing hillbilly and gospel music, fun and frolic with a lot of comedy. He notes that he loved the sound of Roy Acuff’s band, The Smoky Mountain Boys. Another major influence in his musical life was his father, Murphy, who was also an entertainer.

He began performing live in 1952 on WROM (TV- channel 9) in Rome, Ga. Hoyt noted in a 2009 interview celebrating his induction into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame that the owner of the station hired him on the spot in 1951 because a record he had performed – “Born Of The Spirit” – was being aired two or three times a day for nearly a year in Calhoun. He continued the show for seven years as the band leader for The Saturday Night Jamboree until the owner sold the station. The station’s signal ranged to about 100 - 125 miles. Later, the station was sold to investors in Chattanooga, Tennessee and moved the studios from Rome to Chattanooga.

One of Hoyt’s favorite memories relates to Hank Williams. Hoyt and his wife, Jessie Mae, were special guests of Hank and Audrey Williams on a trip in the early 1950s to Nashville. They got to spend the day with Hank and Audrey at their home. Hoyt says it was one of the most enjoyable days of his life. They shared good food, fellowship, stories and of course a lot of music. Hank and Hoyt compared tunes and compositions along with singing a few. Hoyt recalls, “The Williams were the finest of hosts.” To further help date this visit, Hank, Jr. (Bocephus) had not been born at the time.

Hoyt and Jessie Mae were busy during that trip to Nashville. Carl Smith and his wife at the time, June Carter, invited them over to their place to visit. Carl took Hoyt and Jessie Mae on a automobile tour of Nashville and the surrounding area. He drove them by various points of interest including the homes of other entertainers. Hoyt notes that Carl was one of his best friends.

During the years he appeared on WROM-TV, Hoyt composed and recorded several hit songs. “Tennessee Rock” and another lesser hit, “Trudy,” were released on the STARDAY record label.

His recording career began in 1954 for the COOSA label. He composed and released several gospel songs on STARDAY’s custom press label. He also co-wrote songs with many others such as Walter Bailes, Jim Odom, George Abernathy, Hubert Stillwell, Bonnie Raines, E. Painter and others. Some examples of the tunes he co-wrote are in the following list.

Jesus Watches Over Me (Bonnie Raines; Hoyt Scoggins) • The Old Chain Gang (Hubert Stillwell; Hoyt Scoggins) • One Heart One Love (Lois L. Millsap; Hoyt Scoggins) • Pathway Is Not Crowded (George Abernathy; Hoyt Scoggins) • Walking In The Light (Hoyt Scoggins; Painter Scoggins) • What’s The Price To Set Me Free (James Rackley; Hoyt Scoggins)

He composed a number of gospel songs that were recorded by notable recording artists such as The Kingsmen Quartet, The Oakridge Boys, and The Lewis Family, along with many others.

Hoyt’s first hit was on the COOSA label with the Kingsmen in 1954 entitled, “The Pathway Is Not Crowded.” He also recorded “Born Of The Spirit” on STARDAY. It was later recorded by The Oak Ridge Quartet, The Lewis Family and many others.

In 1956, Hoyt told Folk And Country Songs magazine readers that he and his wife Jessie Mae had two children, Tyrone and Dolan. They also had another child later on (Phoebe). Two of his children are musicians. He told readers he had shows on both radio and television (WROM-TV, channel 9) for WCGA (900 on the AM dial) in Calhoun, Georgia.

His career was seemingly on track to gain him more exposure to audiences. Aunt Jemima offered him a national touring sponsorship. But, while making a final decision, he felt the Lord had a calling on his life. He yielded to the Lord and became a minister of the Gospel, an endeavor that continued for forty years before he finally retired.

It seemed his entertainment talents would also help him with his ministry. He focused on writing and singing gospel music almost from the very time he became interested in music in his childhood. It was a natural part of his character that he developed through bible study, church attendance and being among other believers. In the ministry, he recalls that he would include stories about how he was in- spired to write his gospel tunes. He regularly performed his compositions during his ministry. His wife, Jessie Mae and their three children provided background music for the worship services. Hoyt has penned a number of other songs that have not been published or recorded. However, he continues to sing those songs regularly.

We asked Hoyt to share some of his memories from that early musical career. The smallest crowd he ever appeared in front of was all of 25 people. But he notes, they still put on the same show, no matter the number of people that showed up. He gave them the entertainment they deserved for their admission price.

One of his most memorable performances was the night he appeared at the Civic Center Auditorium in Cartersville, Georgia. That night, he got a standing ovation and two encores for two tunes he did – “Courtin’ In The Rain” and “A Letter To The President.”

Hoyt continued to take us down his memory lane by recalling some of his other favorite moments in his career. He appeared with Smiley Burnette for a month long Telethon on WROM (Channel 9) Rome, Georgia. He was a guest on Nashville’s WSM (650 AM) on Tex Ritter’s radio program, helping promote “The Old Chain Gang” release on the STARDAY label. He once did a personal appearance with Roy Rogers. On a number of occasions, he was the opening act for an Eddy Arnold appearance. He was the guest of artists such as Porter Waggoner, Patsy Cline, Deacon Free- man, Curley Kimsey, Monroe Blaylock, Country Music Hall of Famers Bill Anderson and Brenda Lee, Archie Campbell and James and Martha Carson.

He and his late wife, Jessie Mae served as pastors for many churches during those four decades. Hoyt and Jessie Mae had three children, all who have their own musical talents. Two sons, Tyrone and Dolan are musicians. Their daughter is Phebe, who is a singer in her own right and plays the piano. She recorded several tunes with Hoyt; one of the more popular ones was their version of “Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man.” 

COAST RECORDS 500

COTTON HENRY and the Oklahoma Hillbillies (a)
JIMMIE O’NEAL and the Oklahoma Hillbillies (b)
Late 53

PD-500-A - Patent On My Gal   (Don Carlos BMI)

(J O'Neal)

PD-500-B - Streamliner Boogie   (Don Carlos BMI)

(J O'Neal)

COAST RECORDS 500

Los Angeles, CA

So, the first Starday Custom in this numbering series - although there may have been earlier custom pressings by Starday (some collectors say), just not part of this "famed" series.

Don Pierce had left 4-Star Records by this time and was unemployed, a husband and a new father. Working for McCall had been a good learning experience for Don, especially when it came to both publishing of songs and setting up a "Custom" record department - where artists would pay the company to put a record out for them. Don finally found work at Starday Records; becoming the Starday President (whilst Pappy Daily dealt with record production and Jack Starnes was the talent scout.) Don worked out of an office at Charley Washburn's COAST Record set up. The office space was free as long as the Coast pressing plant got to press any Starday releases. The other two stayed in Texas where the label was based.

Cotton Henry is a bit of a mystery. He may well have been from Oklahoma originally but was residing and playing in Los Angeles at the time. Henry went on to cut two sides for the main Starday label "Alibying Sweetheart" / "Eskimo Nell" - STARDAY 129 (1954) and "Two Times Two" / "Let's Be Sweethearts Tonite" - STARDAY 171 ((1955), plus "Devil On My Shoulder" / "Trusting You" on RURAL RHYTHM 552 (1962). Most of the songs were written by Jimmie O'Neal and Johnny Tyler.

There may also be a Johnny Tyler connection, as Tyler co-wrote Alibying Sweetie with Jimmie O'Neal (also in the Oklahoma Hillbillies) and Tyler's original group was called the "Original Hillbillies." It is also worth noting that in 1953, Tyler had moved to Atlanta and was appearing nightly at "Joe Cotton's Rhythm Ranch" down on Baker St. Joe Cotton's Rhythm Ranch was operated by Jimmy Smith, who fronted the band, Jimmy Smith and the Texans, which in 1953 included Johnny Tyler and Smith's wife... I don't know for sure, but I guess there is a possibilty that the Cotton Henry mystery is somehow tied up with Jimmy Smith and Johnny Tyler. 

Jimmie, on the other hand, was a tiny bit more famous. He eventually formed the Rural Rhythm label out of Arcadia, CA, which catered mainly in country and bluegrass music whilst also issuing some great rock-a-billy discs too.

Streamliner Boogie is a talking blues ditty with some nice guitar work - marred by poor sound quality on the disc. Henry's side is a relaxed hillbilly disc with fine accompaniment from the Oklahoma Hillbillies (who featured a stand out guitarist - sorry - don't know who this is.) The publishing is also a bit of a puzzle (at least to me) as I would have expected this to be published by Starrite or at least Golden State Songs. Don Carlos Music appears on quite a few releases on Wolf-Tex Records (Wolf City, TX)and also appears on the Big Bob Dougherty Cosmopolitan  Record release later in this series. (MC / Big Al Turner / Phil Tricker / Joe Watson / Nate Gibson)

Source: Phillip J Tricker

Youtube (Cotton Henry) = https://youtu.be/v5exTqHGN3w

Youtube (Jimmie O'Neal) = https://youtu.be/LgWEcniYAu0

If you know any further info on either artist, please contact me at the email address listed below.

Any info? malcychapman@mac.com

Starday Custom promotional letter.

Here's a standard form letter sent to artists, promoters, radio DJ's and record label owners. It gives insight into how the Starday Custom Division worked.

Source: Terry Gordon.

INTRODUCTION

STARDAY CUSTOM PRESSINGS

Contributors:- Malcolm Chapman / Pascal Perrault / Phillip Tricker / Al Turner / Dave Sax

Originally, this site was created on "I-Web, Apple Macs' own "Drag and Drop" web site creator, so most of the info has been pasted straight from there onto this site, with the odd bit of additional info.I always had a little trouble with keeping the label shots in one place and after numerous attempts in trying to hold them into place (and my own ineptitude I might add), I created this site instead. So, the history of Starday Custom Pressings is as follows:-

Although the STARDAY Record Company were not, by any means, the first to dabble with custom pressings, they became – almost fifty years later - one of the most famous and their vanity pressings are greatly sought after nowadays. What was originally a sideline to scrape a few bucks together, and add more songs to their growing music publishing portfolio, the “custom” or “vanity” business began to really flourish after 1956, when every Tom Crook, Lee Voorhies or Red Moore wanted to make a record of their own. The almost total lack of exposure left the vast majority of the releases dead in the water, but the artist could walk about, handing out his or her own record - a little like a vinyl business card.

Of course there were other companies competing for the custom-pressing dollar; RCA, COLUMBIA, and to a lesser extent CAPITOL, had extensive custom pressing services, even if sometimes the end product was marred by the use of recycled wax and an inferior sound quality. The Rite Pressing Co from Ohio were more prolific, but again the sound and the quality of the pressings was not always gonna help anybody get airplay. (although to be fair, the recordings were sent in to Rite for pressing, so it was the artists responsibility to ensure the recordings sounded clear). STARDAY on the other hand, had many releases that have great sound. Sure, there are a few “bedroom” recordings - Plez Gary Mann for example, and a few that appear to have been recorded in the "kitchen" (most notably the “Lo-Fi” Trice Garner release.) However, on the whole the sound and recording quality always seemed a lot clearer than the competition, thus making airplay an easier bet. Of course, most of the artists couldn’t afford the deals involved in the payola scandal so it didn’t make much difference.

Don Pierce, a stalwart of the 4-Star OP custom pressing operation in California, joined STARDAY and set up their custom series. At the outset the STARDAY custom series was run in partnership with the Coast Recording Company in Los Angeles. From the inception of the custom series, right through to the early seventies, STARDAY managed to release at least 700 different 45’s from artists all over the USA, as well as the odd one or two from Canada. The initial deal was that artists had to submit their own material (which then had to be assigned to STARDAY’s publishing company, Starrite) on either tape (at 7.5 or 15 ips) or onto acetates. For $115, the artist would receive 300 copies of their own record. STARDAY retained the right to re-issue the pressing on the STARDAY label if they felt any song showed “exceptional promise”, although it is not clear if this meant the record would be re-released in the main / regular series, or whether it meant that the disc would issued in the custom series on the STARDAY label. If the artist needed any more copies, they could be bought at 20 cents each, although you had to buy them in batches of 300.

The custom series kicked off with predominately Hillbilly releases, with the odd White Sacred offering, and some Black Gospel too. However, it was the advent of Rock-A-Billy and Rock and Roll which make the custom releases attractive to the collector these days, as almost every town had their own Elvis. Some presses were given as prizes in talent contests (David Lundy and Orangie Ray Hubbard - Dixie 662 is the best example). Later, as the series entered the 1960’s, more mainstream Country and Bluegrass releases became the norm, although some artists were still plugging away at RaB, stuck in some kind of time warp.

As noted previously some releases in the Custom Series were pressed with the STARDAY label. These releases were mainly from the Texas area, although not exclusively, as some were definitely from other parts of the USA. Later on, the company dropped this, replacing it with the DIXIE label, which became the main label that was used, unless of course the artist specified his or her own label name. It’s also possible that the FAITH label which released mainly gospel music from various eastern and southern locations may have been the gospel equivalent of the Dixie label. (True Vanity presses - like the Ralph Johnson label - were actually a rare occurrence). To be able to spot a custom pressing is a little like searching for life on Mars. It’s no good seeing a record on a list that seems to fit a gap in the listing. You have to physically see the record and read the dead wax for a better idea of what is and what can be discarded. Obviously any STARDAY record with the “old style” label in the 500 series and beyond is almost certainly a true custom. The first presses were made and shipped from the Coast Recording Company in Los Angeles and carry the prefix “PD” in the dead wax (and sometimes on the label). Later on, primarily due to busy pressing schedules, they used Rite Pressing Co from Cincinnati, Ohio, to press their custom releases, making each release both a STARDAY and a Rite pressing. These discs are identified by the prefix CP on each side. (STARDAY used Rite on at least two bulk occasions). They also used the KING pressing plant from Cincinnati too. These pressings have a customer log number in the run off - #634 was the number assigned by King ... Rite also used customer log or account numbers, they assigned both #595 and #166-c prefix’s to STARDAY custom pressings. Towards the end of the 60’s, even COLUMBIA was pressing STARDAY custom releases.

The publishing houses are also important, almost all the material was published by Starrite, Golden State, Starday Music, Tronic and, albeit for mainly Louisiana recordings, Bayou State. This information can also help to identify a Starday Custom Release, but note not every record which has the publishing assigned to Starrite, or any of the other publishing houses, is a STARDAY custom pressing.... you can find also these publishing houses credited on the regular series, because some of these songs were leased to other labels ... See Royce Porter on LOOK! - which is not part of this custom pressing package ... Also some labels started as customs but then developed into a self contained label in their own right, but sometimes they kept the original custom appearance. So, trying to work out what is a true custom or not after Peach 722 is gonna be a hard task, unless other customs turn up using the same numbers, especially if they continue to use the aforementioned publishing houses.

The main bulk of this listing was started by two UK collectors, Mike Smythe, who noticed that different records from different locations seem to have been pressed by the same pressing plant (and also noticed the prolification of records that had the CP prefix) and Big Al Turner, founder of the Hillbilly Researcher. Al was supported in his investigation by Phil Tricker, one of the UK’s leading record collectors. In the US, Terry Gordon’s research into these and other customs was also bearing fruit, especially with Billboard and BMI information. In Sept 1997, Al Turner decided to publish a book listing as many of the customs they could find up to issue 850. It’s thanks to Al and Terry Gordon’s initial research that this web site exists at all and for this we are truly grateful. Over the years many collectors have helped piece together the STARDAY custom listing and although there are still quite a few gaps, they are being filled now in regular intervals and it may not be too long when we can begin to see a complete series listed. Pascal Perrault was (as far as I know) the first to publish on the internet a listing of Starday Custom Pressings. Pascal’s research on some of the more obscure pressings has been both rewarding and most welcome.

This listing starts at #500 and eventually working their way up to the last known issue (#1186). All dates listed next to the record (red) are the approximated release dates. Any other dates (recorded dates / review dates etc) are listed at the end. The matrix numbers as they appear on the labels are in blue. If the info in the dead wax is different, I’ll list it separately at the end. Label addresses are listed as well. Where some labels have no address printed, the address is listed if known and the source of the info is also included. It is presumed that all Starday records are addressed out of Houston, TX but as custom presses on the Starday label, the location of the artist PAYING for the pressing could be anywhere from the US. In these instances, I have listed - where known - where the artist was based at the time of the release of the 45rpm. The same would apply for Dixie Records, although this was based in Madison, TN. Don Pierce stated that unless the artist / promoter assigned an issue number themselves, one was given to them - hence the numbering series 500 onwards (so that it would not clash with the main Starday numbering series). I’ll mention where these examples occur at the end of each record. All label shots are credited to the owner of the record, unless in the unlikely event that they wish to remain anonymous. Any info and comments about the record will be credited at the end to the author, usually by their initials. Any info, feedback or corrections can be e-mailed to me and added when I add any updates. I'd especially like to hear from any of these artists or any musicians who played on these records. You can contact me on malcychapman@mac.com

A huge thanks to the following people - without whom this listing would not have been possible:- Terry Gordon, Neil Scott, Mike Smythe, Ray Topping, Tapio Vaisanen, Derik Olsen.

Many thanks to the following contributors:

Kristoffer Andersson, Reg Bartlett, Boz Boorer, Andrew Brown, John Burton, Stephane Chatain, Kevin Coffey, Neil Davies, Dougy Dean, Dan DeClark, Mitch Drumm, Jack Dumery, Jim Fox, Dick Grant, Kent Heineman, Dave Howe, John Ingman, Kicks Magazine, Barney Koumis, Henri Laffont, Big Joe Louis, Lars Lundgren, Red Moore, Dean Craige Morris, Brian and Lindy Nevill, Ben Olins, Jean Louis Otin, Michael Proost, Ian Saddler, Sho-Me Blowout, Mack Stevens, Tom Sims, Bill Smoker, Bob Solly, Patti Terando, Ned Walters, Joe Watson.

Basically, I'll try to add a new Starday Custom record each week (time permitting), but as I've discovered before, time has a way of creeping up on you and maybe it'll be longer between postings.

If you're reading this and you got a copy of a record I have no label shots for, or you have some info or corrections, feel free to sent it in. (I'd need both sides of the disc if you do have the record as I'm going to eventually put both sides of the disc on this site.)

Email me at    malcychapman@mac.com