Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
(Week of 10/21/06 - 10/27/06)

SPOTLIGHT ON THE STRIDERS... PART TWO OF THREE

"My Heart Belongs To Only You"/
"I Won't Tell A Soul I Love You"
by Bette McLaurin With The Striders
on Derby 804
released in 1952


[Above center photo of Bette McLaurin provided by Paul Ressler.]
Above: Montage photo of Bette McLaurin With The Striders.

Click HERE for an article about the Bette McLaurin by J.C. Marion. (Will open in a separate window)

Click HERE for an article about the The Striders by Marv Goldberg. (Will open in a separate window)



Above: Label image for Derby 804 released in July 1952. Bette McLaurin had other records with vocal group backing on Derby (1952) and Coral (1953). The Striders also backed up Dolores Martin (1949), Savannah Churchill (1950-52), and Maureen Cannon (1952).

Billboard Clipping (March 1952): Derby Records prexy Larry Newton has named Eddie Wilcox to head pop a.&r. duties for the label. Wilcox was signed to a five-year deal and will share recording duties with a.&r. man Phil Rose.
 
Wilcox was responsible for the sock arrangement on the Sunny Gale disking of "Wheel of Fortune," on which he also provided the accompaniment. Most recently he arranged another Benjamin-Weiss tune, "I May Hate Myself in the Morning," for the diskery's Bette McLaurin. Miss McLaurin goes into the Rendezvous Room in Philadelphia on Mar. 17. She'll have as her guests Eddie Wilcox and the Benjamin-Weiss duo.

Billboard Clipping (November 1952): Derby Records, which had pop market successes with two of its previous releases in the past ten months, may have come up with another in Bette McLaurin's latest, titled "My Heart Belongs to Only You." Reports are that the disk is breaking pop in Philadelphia and St. Louis, and label head Larry Newton is leaving on a promotional tour to get it started in other areas.

Part One of this "Spotlight" featured The Striders' first record (Capitol Label - 1948).

Listen to this week's selection by the Bette McLaurin With The Striders:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
 
A) Click on the option below to listen using Streaming Windows Media Player in CD quality.
 
     My Heart Belongs To Only You - Derby 804 - 1952
     I Won't Tell A Soul I Love You - Derby 804 - 1952
     BOTH SONGS NOT FUNCTIONAL!

B) Click on the option below to listen using Downloading Windows Media Player in CD quality.
 
     My Heart Belongs To Only You - Derby 804 - 1952
     I Won't Tell A Soul I Love You - Derby 804 - 1952


[Photo at left of Eddie Wilcox, circa 1952, provided courtesy of Galen Gart.]


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