"SPOTLIGHT ON THE ABBEY LABEL - PART ONE
"Tell Me Now"/"How Can I Help It"
by The Cabineers
on Abbey 3001
released in 1949
Above: Article about Abbey Records from the New York Age newspaper dated 6/10/50. It has a very favorable promotional slant, as if submitted by Abbey Records themselves. In fairness, the label was doing quite well at the time.Abbey Records existed from late 1948 to late 1952. Peter Doraine was the founder, owner and president. Per an article in The Billboard dated 5/6/50: "....Camarata, who recently left a sales and promotion post with London Records, has bought into Abbey Records. Camarata will serve as vee-pee in charge of sales and promotion.... Abbey (is) under the helm of Pete Doraine...."
From The Billboard dated 11/4/50: "Abbey Diskery in Throes of Switch—Abbey Records, Inc., was reorganized this week with Peter Doraine and Gene Novello buying out partner C.C. (Kelly) Camarata. Doraine replaced Camarata as president, while Novello, who hasn't taken active part in the firm previously, is assuming artists-repertoire chores. Doraine is handling sales and promotion...."
From The Billboard dated 11/18/50: "Kelly Camarata, who recently sold out his interest in Abbey Records, has joined MGM...."
Doraine was also owner of the Pee Dee (1954) label and was involved with the Banner (1949), Allen (1953), and Pennant/G.G./Vulcan (1955) labels. Pennant, G.G. and Vulcan were affiliated labels. Relating to vocal groups, The Five Willows recorded for both Pee Dee and Allen and The Five Owls recorded for Vulcan.
More information obtained from The Billboard:
- Gus Grant [aka Gus Statiras] is Abbey Records artists-repertoire chief in October 1949 and leaves them in April 1950.
- Gus Grant, formerly with Abbey Records, has joined Savoy-Regent in April 1950.
- Ted McRae, Abbey Records' artists-repertoire manager leaves in January 1950.
(NOTE: Ted McRae is composer of The Masterkeys' "Mr. Blues." The Bill McRae [possibly related?] Trio provide instrumental backing for The Cabineers on Abbey 3001 and 3003.)- Rudy Toombs is head of artists-repertoire for Abbey Records in May 1950.
- Peter Doraine and Gene Novello are Abbey Chiefs in May 1950. [Novello was composer and treasurer for Abbey Records at this time]
- In December 1950, Abbey Records names Pinky Herman as "exploitation and promotion director."
Click HERE for an article about The Cabineers by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)
Above Left: Picture from an August 1946 edition of the New York Post newspaper. Caption includes.... "Peter Doraine, Music Publishing Business, Forest Hills, Queens."Above Right: Clipping from The Billboard dated 1/29/49. The first release on Abbey was #50 in late 1948, a popular offering by the Jim Arlen Trio.
Above: Clipping from The Billboard dated 8/27/49.
Above: Clipping from The Billboard dated 10/1/49. At this point, Abbey had separated its catalog, and numbering system, into Rhythm And Blues, Jazz, Spiritual, and Calypso series. Country and western ("hill billy") releases came in after the numbering system changed over to the 15000 series.
Above: Clipping from The Billboard dated 9/17/49 with label image for Abbey 3003 (a reissue of Abbey 72 from earlier in 1949). You won't miss hearing this record if you click on "You're Just A..." and "Whirlpool" or BOTH for streaming RealAudio.Note the label design change compared to #3001. An "abbey" inside a circle instead of a spoked circle.
Above: Clipping from the Rochester Daily Record dated 3/16/45 for "The Five Cabineers" appearing at Al & Brownies in Rochester, NY. Any appearance by The Cabineers on "screen" could not be found or verified. They did have their own radio shows on WINS and WOR, both in NYC, in the early 1940s.
Above: Clipping from the Binghamton Press dated 12/2/47 for "The 3 Cabineers" appearing at Kennedy's Inn in Binghamton, NY. Shown in the picture are (L-R) Bill Westbrook, Maggie Furman and Count Cablo.
Above: Label image of Abbey 3001 released in September 1949. The Cabineers consisted of Bill Westbrook (tenor), Maggie Furman (alto), Count Cablo (baritone) and Matt McKinney (bass). Westbrook and Furman share leads on both sides of this record. The group had two records on Abbey (1949), two on Decca (1941) and three on Prestige (1951-52).Listen to this week's selections by The Cabineers on Abbey 3001 from 1949:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
1. Tell Me Now
2. How Can I Help It
BOTH played in sequenceB. Download RealAudio...
1. Tell Me Now
2. How Can I Help ItC. Stream/Download Media Player...
1. Tell Me Now
2. How Can I Help It
[To download audio files, right-click on link
and then click "Save (Link) Target As..."]
(Buffalo Courier Express 6/3/45)
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