Starday Custom Series

Wednesday, 5 June 2013

UNKNOWN LABEL 675

(UNKNOWN ARTIST)

Nov 57

45-675-A - (No info)

(No info) (No info)

45-675-B - (No info)

(No info) (No info)

UNKNOWN RECORD LABEL 675

Sadly we have a blank here. No information at all, apart from an approximate date. After 30 years of various collectors scouring the lands (well, mainly USA for obvious reasons), nobody seems to have found this release. But, perhaps once the box set arrives, somebody will go “Oh, I got a record that fits here” and we can all go home happy. If it turns up, we’ll include it in the next box set as an addition at the end.

The only notes I have is that it might be on TERRY Records - but no confirmation as to who the artist is - or indeed anything. I did add a large question mark to the info in my notebook which is my code for “..probably making it up just to look like he knows something I don’t”. There was a lot of that in the late 80’s.

STARDAY RECORDS 674

FRANK EVANS and his Top Notchers

Oct 57 (Billboard Review on 18th November 1957.)

45-674-A - I Got A Patent (On My Kind Of Love)

(Jimmy Dunklin) (Starrite BMI)

45-674-B - Lonesome Love

(Bonnie Burke) (Starrite BMI)

STARDAY RECORDS 674

(Artist based in Tampa, FL)

Source: Terry Gordon

More fabulous music from Frank and his boys. Recorded at WHBO Radio, Tampa, FL. There’s some nice twin guitar being played byArnold Newman (Gtr) and Colin Thomas (Stl) which really helps to set this recording above most of the mainstream music that was flying out of the studios at this time, although if this had been released even 5 years before it wouldn’t have been so much of a surprise.) Played locally over the radio station, it garnered him some fan mail and some gigs but didn’t get much more exposure other than locally.

STARDAY RECORDS 673

BILLIE and GORDON HAMRICK with Red Farrell

Oct 57 (Billboard Review on 23rd November 1957.)
(BMI Clearance on 27th December 1957.)

45-673-A - Cruel Jealous Heart

(Nell Palmer) (Starrite BMI)

45-673-B - Gypsy Waltz

(Nell Palmer) (Starrite BMI)
STARDAY RECORDS 673

B Side notation reads “ . . with Red Farrell with Smokey Joe Ellis and Frank Addis, twin fiddles”.

Gordon B. Hamrick born November 18, 1917 in Douglasville, GA, died December 30, 2001. He served in the U.S. Army in the Panama Canal Zone in the 1930s and continued military service in the Coast Guard through WWII on the USS Savage as a Chief. He also managed grocery stores in Jacksonville and performed gospel music with wife Billie in Charleston, SC on a television show called The Old Country Church in the 1950s and 60s. Billie and Gordon continued performing gospel music up until his retirement in 1998.

Source: Lars Lundgren

CORVETTE RECORDS 672

JOHNNY SKILES with the Harmony Ranch Hands

Oct 57 (BMI Clearance on 27th December 1957.)

45-672-A - The Twinkle In Your Eye

(Johnny Skiles) (Starrite BMI)

45-672-B - Ghost Of My Lonely Past

(Johnny Skiles) (Starrite BMI)

CORVETTE RECORDS 672

12407 E Raymond, Portland, OR.

Johnny was originally from Monroe, LA and his Brother-In-Law was Jack Hammons. After failing to make much headway with his writing pact with Southern-Peer, Johnny headed up to Oregon where he worked for the Post office.

Forming or at least fronting a band - The Harmony Ranch hands (feat Bob Hill on guitar), he cut two sides and promptly sent them off for pressing. Both are pretty much country with a bit of a beat, although the flip has a haunting melody - probably helped by the amount of echo on the recordings. Johnny’s vocals are not that exciting and has a low pitched, southern (not surprisingly) nasal quality to his singing, but on this material it really doesn’t matter. Soon after this record he was back in the studio, this time at Portland’s Ace Studios, recording for Jim O’Neal’s Rural Rhythm record label. Despite the annoying girl chorus, both “Is My baby Coming Back” / “Come Paddle Footin’ Down” (RR# 518) are helped by a much better recording facility and are pretty damn good. After that, there’s a few more recordings played in his usual relaxed style (He even fronted the Echomores on “What-Cha-Do-In (Rocket 1044)). But by the mid sixties he seems to vanish off the face of the earth.

Source: Phillip J Tricker

STARDUST RECORDS 671

LEE VOORHIES and his Ozark Country Boys

Oct 57 (BMI Clearance on 13th January 1958.)

45-671-A - Load Up My Blues

(Voorhies) (Starrite BMI)

45-671-B - Hand In Hand

(Voorhies) (Starrite BMI)

STARDUST RECORDS 671

Box 8044, Kansas City, MO

Born Dwain Lee Voorhies on 19th April 1926 and was from Greentop, MO. He enlisted into the Navy during WWII and once he left the service, relocated to Kansas City, where he found work as a truck driver. Singing locally whilst earning his living as a driver made Dwain (Now Lee Voorhies) decide to make a record. How he appears on the Stardust Label imprint is a bit of a puzzle. According the the excellent interview with Chandos McRill’s wife by Shaun Hughes, she could not recall Chandos ever mentioning or indeed meeting Lee and there’s a possibility that Don Pierce used the same label name and design for the release simply because of the similar location.

Anyhow, this artist also recorded as Lee Finn on Westport Records the following year and then drifted off of the music scene whilst operating a successful haulage company. When contacted by Ronnie Weiser or Rollin’ Rock Records, he allowed him to release some unissued Westport Recordings on an EP but seemed to have had no inclination in resuming a singing career. He passed away on 2nd May 1999.

Source: Phil Tricker