Hey Cat !

Hey Cat !

Thursday 14 May 2015

Starday Records !

Starday Records !



Sonny Burns - Starday Records # 114 - 1953
Side A - Tho, You're In My Arms.
Side B - Blue, Blue, Rain.

The great Sonny Burns with an another early country twin spin. What you'll get way before you play these tunes is pure slow/mid paced country songs. Both sides are sung in true country style and what you hear is what you get! ......pure Starday quality!








Sonny Burns 
Starday Records # 189 - 1955
You'll Look A Long Time / Six Feet Of Earth



Sonny Burns produces here some fine country Honkytonk with this lil' beauty, pure gold, superb Steel by Herb Remmington and Fiddle by Ernie Hunter. This is what Starday is all about to me, great vocals, great song (Written by Glenn Barber) and just lifts you up out of your chair with a smile !

  January 1955 Goldstar Recording Studio, 5628 Brock St., Houston, TX – Sonny Burns (Sonny Burns [vcl/gt], Hal Harris or Glenn Barber [gt], pro. Herb Remington [steel], ? [bass], Ernie Hunter [fiddle], Doc Lewis or Dewey Meadows [piano]. Producer: Pappy Daily) 
020 ST-2238 SIX FEET OF EARTH 78-189
021 ST-2239 YOU’LL LOOK A LONG TIME 78-189



Sonny Burns 
Starday Records # 118 - 1953
Too Hot To Handle / Powder And Paint.


Fantastic early Starday tune, more of a rustic hillbilly song that Sonny handles with great care, again sublime Steel work and again sung with utter brilliance by Mr Burns !

 In 1953 Burns cut some demos accompanied by Noack that first led to a regional release on HJA Records, and then a record deal with the Beaumont, Texas-based label Starday Records. Burns' second release for Starday, "Too Hot to Handle," 






Sonny Burns and the Western Cherokees - 1954.
Starday Record # 131.
Side A - A Place For Girls Like You.
Side B - Heart Like A Dollar Sign.

February 1954 Jack Starns home studio, 11325 Voth Road, Beaumont, TX - Sonny Burns and The Western Cherokees 


(Sonny Burns [vcl/gt] + The Western Cherokees:  Robert Larry “Blackie” Crawford [ld gt],  poss. George Jones [rh gt], poss Corlue Bordelon [steel], prob. Bob Heppler or Buck Crawford [bass], Olen “Big” Red” Hays [fiddle], Kenneth “Little” Red” Hays [fiddle], Milburn Annett [piano]. Producer: Jack Starns). 

Sonny Burns never lets you down with his Starday releases and # 131 also hits the high spot. Just superb delivery from Sonny and this along with beautiful fiddle, and top quality steel playing. Both songs are strong and proved that with just a little bit of luck and less drinking Sonny could have been a massive country star.














De Wayne Higdon & The Drifters 
Starday Records # 149 - June 1954.
Side A - Take Your Time (Cause Every Minute Counts)
Side B - Does Anybody Know.

De Wayne had what can only be described as the voice of an angel! and also had one helluva backing band including 18 year old Jay Dunnahoo on red hot fiddle!
The A side is just a magical country mid tempo bop, great lead guitar which just whisks this song along! but never forgetting Mr Higdon's beautiful vocal!
 B side is your typical, but above par country chugger which is also damn purty and sounds at times like it should have been a massive country hit !!! 
I tip my hat to you De Wayne!







Chuck Mayfield 
Starday Records # 161 - 1954.
Lucky Me / Helpless Hands.



This is one of my top Starday records of all time, 'Lucky Me' in my opinion should have been a million seller ! this is Country bop at it's finest, Chuck has such a tone to his voice that it could peel a banana at ten yards ! and when you have guys like Speedy West, Joe Maphis and Fiddlin' Kate behind you what you get is pure gold !

Chuck Mayfield was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1934. Around 1947 or so, the family moved to Eloy, Arizona. They said he was quite talented at an early age, having played and had been singing he was a young boy of twelve years old.
He kept at it but it wasn't until about 1952 or 1953 that he began singing professionally.
He signed a recording contract with Starday records in 1952 .



Benny Barnes 
Starday Records # 262 - 1956
Poor Man's Riches / Those Who Know.



Benny hits ya hard with this great echo laden country rockin' tune, the Piano is to the fore and with great Steel and Fiddle you get what can only be described a Starday heaven, Benny has such a rich pure tone to his voice that the whole song just glides along just fine !

American singer, songwriter and guitarist, born January 1, 1936 in Beaumont, Texas; died August 8, 1987 in Beaumont, Texas. Known for writing "Poor Man's Riches"





Jimmie Walton "The Tennessee Country Boy"
Starday Record # 125 - 1954
High As A Georgia Pine / Baby You're The One .







What you get here with Jimmie Walton is a great 2 sider, where as back in the day you would have your uptempo A side with your country weepie on the back ......not here folks, what you get are two blistering tunes the A side, written by Jimmie 'High As A Georgia Pine' hits the floor running, sumptuous Steel and Fiddle and some superb Guitar pickin' then on the flip you get a truly magical mid tempo song again written by Jimmie and is as catchy as flu in winter, this is one helluva record and very underrated in my opinion.





Jimmie Walton " The Tennessee Country Boy"
Starday Record # 144 - 1954
I'll Live That Name / What Will The Future Bring.




2nd outing on Starday for Jimmie, not as strong as the first (#125 above) but still a catchy Cajun sounding Hillbilly bopper co written by Billy Mize. Both my copies have been signed by Jimmie and I got these for a great price just this year.





Neal Merritt

Starday Records # 237 - 1956

Side A - You Had To Do Me Wrong

Side B - What's The Difference .





After his limited success at Sarg Records, Neal Merritt got a contract at Starday and this was his 1st release out of three on the label and this gives us a pleasing slice of Country blues with the usual steel and fiddle providing the Starday sound !

March 1956 poss. Gold 
Star Recording Studio, 5628 Brock St., Houston, TX- Neal Merritt

011 ST-2424 WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE Starday 45-237
012 ST-2425 NO ONE BUT YOU 45-260
013 ST-2426 SOMEDAY YOU‘LL PAY 45-260
014 ST-2427 YOU HAD TO DO ME WRONG 45-237

During his career, he has recorded for the Sarg record label, Starday and Manco Records. In 1964, he and his wife Alice took a trip to Nashville to try and land a recording contract. It only took two months before Central Songs signed him as an exclusive songwriter. He began to do demo recordings of his tunes so the publishing company could pitch them to various artists. One of those 'dubs' was heard by the A&R chief at Capitol Records, Ken Nelson. Reportedly, Ken didn't have to hear all of Neal's songs - he said, "Sign him up...he's money in the bank."






George Jones.

Starday Records # 202 - 1955.

Why Baby Why / Seasons Of My Heart.







The recording session for "Why Baby Why" took place in Houston, Texas's Gold Star Studios on August 27th 1955 and featured the house lineup of Glenn Barber on lead guitar, Herb Remington on pedal steel guitar, Tony Sepolio on fiddle, and Doc Lewis on piano. Jones recorded the backing vocal himself, with help from innovative techniques from engineer Bill Quinn, after a planned appearance by more established singer Sonny Burns did not materialize due to the latter's drinking. Jones himself was drinking throughout the prolonged session, sometimes forgetting chords or words; Sepolio resolved afterward never to work with Jones again.




CORKY CARPENTER 

Starday Records # 134 - 1955

A Side - My Heart Would Like To Know


B  Side - Chapel Of Memories.



A real catchy mid tempo number by Corky with some sterling guitar work and glorious fiddle . B side is the usual country weepie .



Jack Rhodes/ Freddie Franks 

Starday Record # 117 - 1953
.
Gypsy Heart / Al's Steel Guitar Wobble.





Real nice fiddle bop from the Jack Rhodes band with wonderful singing by Freddie Franks, plenty of fiddle, guitar and jaunty piano make this a stand out early Starday release.



Eddie Eddings & The Country Gentlemen.

Starday # 163 - 1954.

Smoochin' / Yearning (To Kiss You)

Smooth tunes by Eddie and his Country Gentlemen, both sides are good ol' fashioned Country songs, played well and with style. You get Piano & Steel on this slice of Starday .This record is often over looked by collectors but in my opinion .......this is a winner .





Eddie Noack 

Starday Records # 159 - 1954

Take It Away Lucky / Don't Trade 





Eddie Noack is just perfect at this mid-tempo swingin' Hillbilly, you always get perfection, great piano, fiddle and steel. Take it Away Lucky fits perfectly into Eddies niche and he strolls through this effort with ease.

Born De Armand Noack, Jnr., 29 April 1930, Houston, Texas/ Died 5 February 1978, Houston, Texas A.k.a. Tommy Wood.

Noack joined Starday in 1953 (beginning a long association with ‘Pappy’ Daily), where his immediate success came as a writer when several of his songs were recorded by top artists including Hank Snow 

ca. July 1954 Gold Star Recording Studio, 5628 Brock St., Houston, TX – Eddie Noack (Eddie Noack [vc/gt], Robert Lawrence “Blackie” Crawford [ld gtr], Joseph “Joe” Callahan [gt], Harold “Curley” Chalker [steel], Pee Wee Reid [bass], Olen “Big Red” Hays [fiddle], Kenneth “Little Red” Hays [fiddle], Gerald “Jerry” Desmoreaux [piano]. Producer: Pappy Daily)
029 ST-2176 TAKE IT AWAY LUCKY 45/78 -159

030 ST-2177 DON’T TRADE 45/78-159




Eddie Noack 

Starday Records # 169 - 1955

Left Over Lovin' / I'll Be So Good To 

You .




Fiddle starts off this tale of a cheatin' woman who don't love Eddie like she used to. Rasping Steel sweet fiddle and piano are all over this track and again was a good seller for Starday and Eddie always sold well .

October 1954 Gold Star Recording Studio, 5628 Brock St., Houston, TX – Eddie Noack (Eddie Noack [vcl/gt], poss. Joseph “Joe” Callahan [gt], Buddy Doyle or Frank Juricek [steel], prob. Pee Wee Reid [bass], poss. Ernie Hunter [fiddle],  Gerald “Jerry” Desmoreaux [piano]. Producer: Pappy Daily)
031 ST-2222/ST-3 LEFT OVER LOVIN‘ 45-169.

033 ST-2224/ST-5 I’LL BE SO GOOD TO YOU [RELIVING THE PAST] 45-169




Glenn Barber 
Starday # 166 - Nov 1954.
Ring Around The Moon / Ice Water.



This is the song that makes collecting records such a wonderful thing. I never thought I would own a copy on 45 let alone a 78 !!!!! but here we are, it's mine and without doubt a pseudo Rockabilly Hillbilly classic .
A brilliant slice of early Starday is handled by a young Glen(n) with such maturity that it mocks his nineteen years on the planet . 

Born 1935 in Hollis, Oklahoma, but raised in Pasadena, Texas. Died in 2008.

October 1954 Starday Studio, Jack Starnes House, Voth Road, Beaumont, TX – Glenn Barber ( ? [ld gt], ? [rh gt], Herby Remington [steel], ? [bass], Doc Lewis [piano]. Producer: Pappy Daily)
011 2998/ST 10 RING AROUND THE MOON 45-166

014 2999/ST 13 ICE WATER 45-166.



Meteor Records !

Meteor Records !

Charlie Feathers with Jody and Jerry 
Meteor Records # 5032 - 1956
Tongue Tied Jill / Get With It .







Charlie Feathers needs no indroduction really to any Rockabilly/Meteor record collector. When I got this off Ebay in 2014 for only $150 (it was not listed correctly) as you will all know what a steal that was !!! I was doing a cart wheel around my house for days after , lucky I most certainly was.

These two tracks are stuff of legend, hiccup vocals, pounding slap bass and a song about a girl with a speech impediment.......classic rockabilly !

On April 1, 1956 Feathers persuaded his band to go Meteor and re-recorded ''Corrina'' note-for-note, but with new words and title, ''Get With It''. The record came out on April 12, 1956. Chastain and Huffman wrote ''Tongue-Tied Jill'' for release on Sun Records, but as Feathers recalled: ''We made a demo of it and took it to Sam but he thought the song was mocking afflicted people. Lester Bihari asked me if he could issue the song, so I said 'Why not?'. After Sam didn't like it thought it might not be very good, but the Meteor disc broke real good here in Memphis''.



"Red" Hadley's Wranglers .
Meteor Records # 5017 - 1955.
Brother That's All / Ring Out Those Bells.

Brothers Red and Jay swing their way through this cracking lil' tune ! 
Memphis in 1955 was kicking out some awesome records and Meteor was no different, Sun had Elvis, Carl and Jerry Lee but Meteor had Charlie Feathers and Junior Thompson.......what a time and place to live and perform in the mid 50's in Memphis !

Recorded 1955 in the Meteor Studio, 1746 Chelsea Ave, Memphis Tn. 

G D 'Red' Hadley (vcl/pno); Junior 'Jay' Hadley (gtr); Ray Cooper (gtr); Harold Buskirk (b) 


............................................................................................................................



Bud Deckelman and The Daydreamers.
Meteor Record # 5014 - 1954.
Dayreamin' / Let's Not Pretend.

Let's face it, this is pure and simple Country music ! Bud is a guy with a true and pure voice, not Rockabilly just two great Country tunes.
Sam Phillips wanted the songs for a Sun release but he wanted changes ! Bud and the band thought it was fine as it was and took a ride through town to Lester Bihari's studio at Meteor. Les loved the songs and both were recorded straight away and released in Sept 1954.
These two songs are not wild slices of Rockabilly or a true reflection of what was happening in Memphis during this time period but you do get a classic disc of top notch quality country hillbilly bop ! 


1954 Meteor Studio, 1794 Chelsea Ave., Memphis, TN – Bud Deckelman and The Daydreamers (Bud Deckelman [vcl/rh gt], Dood Deckelman [ac gt], Quinton Claunch [rh gt], Eddie Emanus [steel], Dan Chambers [bass], Bill Cantrell [fiddle]. Producers: Bill Cantrell and Quinton Claunch)
001 MR-5018-1 LET’S NOT PRETEND Meteor 5014.

002 MR-5019-4 DAYDREAMIN’ Meteor 5014.







Haward Swords with The Blue Light Boys.
Meteor Records # 5019 - 1955
Side A - You Will Have To Pay.
Side B - I'm As Lonely As I Can Be.

Haward (NOT HOWARD) Swords with his Blue Light Boys hit Memphis record stores in mid 1955 with this pure Country two sider. Nothing wild about this platter but you sure do get some top class Country playing from a fine select Blue Light Boys and of course Haward has a top notch voice so the whole thing sounds just purfect!!!

Recorded 1955 in the Meteor Studio, 1746 Chelsea Ave, Memphis Tn.
Haward Swords (vcl/gtr); Reece Byram (gtr); Ed Rice (steel);
Dot Curtis (pno); Quinton Claunch (dms)