#967 (4/5/25)

THE LAMPLIGHTERS

Above: Photo of The Lamplighters, (L-R) Willie Ray Rockwell, Thurston Harris, Al Frazier, and Matthew Nelson. The Lamplighters had twelve records released on the Federal label (1953-1956). In addition, they had two records backing Lil Greenwood (1953-1954) and two records backing Jimmy Witherspoon (1953-1954) on Federal (none of these with credit on the label). And a temporary name change to "The Tenderfoots" produced four more releases on Federal (1955).

Above Left: Label image of Federal 12149, recorded on July 30, 1953 and released in August 1953. Above Right: Label image of Federal 12152, recorded on September 3, 1953 and and released in November 1953. The composer of "Give Me", Dwight Davis, also wrote the flip-side of the above left record, "Turn Me Loose". He also composed "Give Thanks" by The Platters on Federal and "Especially" by Tony Allen And The Chimes on Specialty. The flip-side, "Be-Bop Wino", record label gives sole composing credit to Willie Ray Rockwell, a member of The Lamplighters, but somehow Ralph Bass had his name added at BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated). CASH BOX, September 19, 1953: ....A1 Sherman and Ralph Bass of King and Federal Records took time out from unpacking their new line of Kings' Portable Phonographs to state that they have just cut four great new sides with the Lamplighters which will be released soon.... (NOTE: Al Sherman was King/Federal's marketing representative.) ....And here, eleven months later: CASH BOX, August 28, 1954: KING INTRODUCES NEW PORTABLE PHONOGRAPH CINCINNATI—King Records is introducing a portable phonograph in eight color combinations of authentic school colors such as blue and gold for Notre Dame, green and white for Michigan State, orange and white for Texas, [etc.] ....These same color combinations will fit hundreds of other universities, colleges, and high schools. The dealer will attach a decal of the preferred school, fraternity, or sorority emblem to the inside or outside of the player as the buyer designates. The specifications of the phonograph are three-speed player with tone control and the new permanent 45-center, which feature eliminates the removable 45 attachment. The complete job retails for $19.95, except on the West Coast, where U/L Approval is required, and there the price will be $21.95. Shipments have already gone forth to all King distribution points.... CASH BOX, September 26, 1953: ..... Ralph Bass, A & R for Federal Records, says: "Tell friend, Bill Gersh, that the new sensational, colossal, gigantic, whooper-dooperoo disk that he referred to is none other than the Lamplighters' version of "Turn Me Loose" which is causing lots of noise all over." He stated further, "If he ain't heard nothin' yet, tell him to perk up his ears cause they've just cut another super-dooperoo that he's willing to wager his career away on again." (NOTE: Could this have been The Lamplighter's "Be Bop Wino"/"Give Me", recorded on September 3? "Bill Gersh" was the publisher of Cash Box magazine.) Cash Box Review (8/29/53): THE LAMPLIGHTERS - FEDERAL 12149.... Turn Me Loose (B) The Lamplighters sock out a rocking quick beat wildie complete with screams and handclaps. Exciting and should catch its share of loot. Part Of Me (B) A slow romantic blues ballad for a change of pace as the boys blend smoothly. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good".) The Billboard Review (9/5/53): THE LAMPLIGHTERS - FEDERAL 12149.... Turn Me Loose (75) This bright handclapper is shouted strongly by the lead chanter, as the rest of the group provides exciting backing. Should collect some juke coin. Part Of Me (71) The group does well on this romantic pleader. Good contrast to flip. (NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered as "good".) The Billboard Review (11/14/53): THE LAMPLIGHTERS - FEDERAL 12152.... Be-Bop Wino (79) Wild handclapper is given a rousing group rendition. There are enough gimmicks included to make this a potent record. Watch it. Give Me (78) This is reminiscent of a spiritual in its melodic structure and in the performance handed it. Lead carries it all the way, with the group's humming in the background. A good disk.

THURSTON HARRIS, THE LAMPLIGHTERS' LEAD SINGER. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Part Of Me" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12149 - 1953. 2. "Turn Me Loose" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12149 - 1953. 3. "Give Me" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12152 - 1953. 4. "Be-Bop Wino" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12152 - 1953. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Tell Me You Care" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12176 - 1954. 2. "I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12176 - 1954. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

At Left: LOUISVILLE DEFENDER, April 23,1953 . NOTE: Photos... (L-R) Thurston Harris (singer), Caldonia (tap dancer). This engagement would have been just a few weeks or months before he became lead singer of The Lamplighters. Above: Label image of Federal 12176, recorded on January 29, 1954 and and released in April 1954. The top-side was composed by Thurston Harris, but, again, Ralph Bass snuck his name into BMI's credits. The flip-side, "I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy", was composed by prolific rhythm and blues songwriter "Rudolph Toombs". Cash Box Review (4/10/54): THE LAMPLIGHTERS - FEDERAL 12176.... I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy (B) The Lamplighters sing a rhythmic ditty in good style. Lead tells of how he used to beg for mercy when she had another on the string, but now he's asking mercy no longer. Good group but material weak through repetition. Tell Me You Care (B+) The group runs through a slow blues dramatically and tenderly. Lead beseeches his love to tell him she cares. Treatment is strong and side could happen. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".)

Above Left: Label image of Federal 12212, recorded on December 10, 1954 and released in February 1955. The flip-sides of both above records were composed by Thurston Harris. Above Right: Label image of Federal 12242, recorded in September 1955 and and released in October 1955. Cash Box Review (3/19/55): THE LAMPLIGHTERS - FEDERAL 12212.... Roll On (B+) The Lamplighters jump in zestful fashion as they wax the middle beat ditty. Tune very much in the vein of a current r & b biggie. Group puts it over well and lead handles his chores in excellent fashion. Love, Rock And Thrill (B) A middle tempo bouncer that'll never get past the censors at radio stations. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".) The "current r & b biggie", mentioned in the above review, seems to be "The Wallflower", aka "Roll With Me Henry", which was released in December 1954. On the Federal 12212 labels, both sides show Phyllis Otis, Johnny Otis' wife, as composer or co-composer. Or could it have been Johnny using his wife's name as an alias? (Continued at right...)

Regarding "The Wallflower", BMI gives composer credit to Hank Ballard, Etta James, and Johnny Otis. BMI lists over 1000 "Roll On" song titles, but none crediting either Phyllis or Johnny Otis. By the way, BMI credits Johnny Otis with 448 songs, including nine "BMI Award Winning Songs". Phyllis Otis is credited with just 24 songs. Cash Box Review (12/10/55): THE LAMPLIGHTERS - FEDERAL 12242.... Hug A Little, Kiss A Little (B) The Lamplighters swing gently as they fashion a pretty melodic bounce. Group dishes the romantic tune with a pleasing vocal blend. Don't Make It So Good (B+) The Lamplighters turn in an emotional reading of a slow blues with a spiritual flavor. Moving deck that is the stronger of two good sides. Have you noticed that for all the records shown in the entire The Lamplighter's section, Cash Box gave ratings of "B" or "B+"? LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Roll On" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12212 - 1955. 2. "Love, Rock And Thrill" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12212 - 1955. 3. "Hug A Little, Kiss A Little" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12242 - 1955. 4. "Don't Make It So Good" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12242 - 1955. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

EXTRA RECORD — THE TENDERFOOTS When Thurston Harris left The Lamplighters in early 1955, Al Frazier and Matthew Nelson decided to reorganize the group. It was a surprise to them when their first record was released as "The Tenderfoots". To me, the name, assigned by Federal, seems derogatory, as it describes someone who is a "novice". The Tenderfoots, in the Federal recording sessions, consisted of Frazier, Nelson, Carl White, Harold Lewis, and John "Sonny" Harris. At Right: (L-R) Carl White and Al Frazier when they were with The Sharps. It was Thurston Harris And The Sharps who had their big hit, "Little Bitty Pretty One", in 1957 on the Aladdin label. Later, White and Frazier were members of The Crenshaws (early 1960s) and The Rivingtons (1960s). Both of these groups were named after streets. After ten records by The Lamplighters (1953-1955), Federal released four records by The Tenderfoots (1955). This was followed by three more records by The Lamplighters (1955-1956). It's unclear to me who the members were on these last three records, as Thurston Harris had already left the group. "Sindy" was the fourth and last record by The Tenderfoots.

At Left: Label image of Federal 12228, recorded on May 26, 1955 and released in June 1955. This song was originally released by The Squires on the Mambo label. The flip-side, "Sugar Ways", was composed by Hank Ballard and Ralph Bass per BMI.com. Somehow, the "Otis" name was included on the record label. Ballard, of course, was a member of The Royals/Midnighters vocal group that recorded for Federal Records. He is the composer of "The Twist", a song made famous by Chubby Checker. Cash Box Review (7/2/55): THE TENDERFOOTS — FEDERAL 12228.... Sugar Ways (B) The Tenderfoots bounce through a well worn melody, tho still effective, and come up with an ok side of a driving tune. Sindy (B) Slow romantic pretty well chanted by the group. Cover of a tune starting to kick up a fuss. The better side commercially and in performance. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good".) The Billboard Review (7/2/55): THE TENDERFOOTS — FEDERAL 12228.... Sindy (78) Chant to the beautiful Sindy is sung feelingly. The group has a mighty good side here, on a number that's showing life. Sugar Ways (76) Another good side by the boys, this staked to a pounding beat which the ork sells strongly. This could do okay business on the jukes. (NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered as "good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Sindy" - The Tenderfoots - Federal 12228 - 1955. 2. "Sugar Ways" - The Tenderfoots - Federal 12228 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

EXTRA RECORDS — CINDY BY THE SQUIRES AND THE COBRAS The following is taken from a previous article and is condensed here. The full version is available in the Modern Records - Part Five article.

Above Left: Label image for Mambo 105, released in April 1955. As you can see, a lot of thought went into the design of this label...not! Lee Goudeau sings lead. No composer credits are shown on the label. BMI.com gives The Squires (misspelled as "The Squiees") as composers. The labels for The Cobras' and Tenderfoots' versions show "Squires" as composers. This is the only release on Mambo by The Squires, but they followed with three more on Mambo's parent label, Vita (1955-56). They also had one release on Kicks (1954).

Above Right: Photo of The Squires from 1955. (L-R) Dewey Terry (falsetto), Bobby Armstrong (baritone), Chester Pipkin (tenor and guitar), Lee Goudeau (lead tenor), Don Bowman (second tenor and piano), and Leon Washington (bass). Terry and Bowman later became a duet, Don And Dewey, recording for the Specialty label. Click HERE for an article about THE SQUIRES by Marv Goldberg. (Will open in a separate window)

Above: Both are from CASH BOX, July 23, 1955.

(Thank you to Joe Marchesani for providing this record.)

Above: Label images for both sides of Modern 964 by The Cobras, released in August 1955. This "Cindy" cover of The Squires' Mambo label record didn't get much publicity by Modern Records. What went even more unnoticed at the time is the excellent flip-side, "I Will Return", which has been included here. This record, per Disco-File, was also pressed with the title "Sindy". All three of the vocal groups had records as "Sindy" and two also as "Cindy". So which was intended?

LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Cindy" - The Cobras - Modern 964 - 1955. 2. "I Will Return" - The Cobras - Modern 964 - 1955. 3. "Cindy" - The Squires - Mambo 105 - 1955. ALL THREE SONGS played in sequence.

JIMMY WITHERSPOON

[The above photo provided by Paul Ressler. Restoration by Tony Fournier.]

Photo of Jimmy Witherspoon, who was a blues singer, bandleader, and composer. He first recorded for Philo Records (the precurser of Aladdin Records) in 1945, then moved to the Mercury label and next to Supreme Records, where he had his big hit, "Ain't Nobody's Business", in 1948. Several of his Supreme releases were reissued on Down Beat/Swing Time in 1948-1950. Then came Modern Records followed by the Federal and Checker labels in the 1950s. On Federal, two of his records were backed vocally by The Lamplighters and released in 1953 and 1954. Cash Box Review (9/27/52): JIMMY WITHERSPOON — FEDERAL 12099.... Lucille (C+) Jimmy Witherspoon comes up with a low down delivery of a slow blues against an easy string backing. Blues In Trouble (B) Another slow beat item with romantic lyrics is given a solid vocal spin by the talented chanter. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B as "very good".) The Billboard Review (9/27/52): JIMMY WITHERSPOON — FEDERAL 12099.... Lucille (77) Chanter sings of losing his gal and being in bad shape all around. Witherspoon hands the weeper a persuasive performance to appropriate backing by the ork. Blues In Trouble (70) A routine blues is chanted strongly by Witherspoon. (NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered as "good".)

DAILY NEWS (New York City), February 18, 1993: WITHERSPOON STILL GIVES US THE BUSINESS (By Dave Hinckley) (Obituary) Jimmy Witherspoon, at age 7, was singing with a church choir in Arkansas. During World War II, in the merchant marine, he was singing with a big band in Calcutta. Next he joined Jay McShann's band and in 1949 that combination turned Witherspoon's "Ain't Nobody's Business" into a classic. Next he went solo, recording dozens of records for the army of independent labels that sprang up after the war to cash in on America's exploding appetite for black blues, jazz, and R&B.... THE GAZETTE (Montreal, Canada), September 22, 1997: JIMMY WITHERSPOON BRIDGED BLUES, JAZZ WORLDS NEW YORK—(Obituary) Jimmy Witherspoon was born in 1923 in Gurdon, Arkansas, where he grew up singing in the choir of the First Baptist Church. He ran away from home in the mid-1930s to work in Los Angeles, and from 1941 to 1943 was in the merchant marine. His first break came during that time, sitting in with Teddy Weatherford's jazz band on the Armed Forces Radio broadcast from Calcutta, India. Returning in 1944 to San Francisco, where his mother lived, he replaced Walter Brown in Jay McShann's band.... He toured and recorded with McShann for four years.... But he was not widely known until his first hit record under his own name, a version of "Ain't Nobody's Business", made in 1949, with McShann playing piano. It became a No. 1 hit on the rhythm and blues charts for 34 weeks....

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12099, recorded on June 30, 1952 and released in 1952. Jimmy and Maxwell Davis are composers of the top side, Jimmy alone on the flip-side. Maxwell plays tenor saxophone on both sides. Above Right: Label image for Federal 12138, recorded on June 4, 1953 and released in 1953. Johnny Otis, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller are the songwriters as confirmed by BMI. Jerry and Mike get the credit for the flip-side. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Lucille" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Federal 12099 - 1952. 2. "Blues In Trouble" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Federal 12099 - 1952. 3. "The Last Mile" - Jimmie Witherspoon (Vocal Backup By Band) - Federal 12138 - 1953 4. "Back Door Blues*" - Jimmie Witherspoon (Vocal Backup By Band) - Federal 12138 - 1953. *This side was previously included in the "King Records - Part Eight" article. It's repeated here for completeness. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

Jimmy had seven recording sessions for Federal (1952-1953), resulting in twelve records released on the label. CASH BOX, July 10, 1954: CHECKER RECORDS SIGNS JIMMY WITHERSPOON CHICAGO—Leonard Chess, President, Checker and Chess Records, this city, announced this past week that Jimmy Witherspoon has just been signed to an exclusive recording contract for the Checker label. Some of Witherspoon's past hits, Chess recalled, included "Ain't Nobody's Business But My Own", "BigFine Girl", and "Blow Wind, Blow". He formerly recorded for Federal Records. "We've just cut Jimmy's first session," Len reported, "and we look forward to a long and mutually pleasant and profitable association," he concluded.

JIMMY WITHERSPOON (WITH THE LAMPLIGHTERS)

Above: Photo of Jimmy Witherspoon.

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12156, recorded on October 5, 1953 and released in 1953. The "quartet" backing Jimmy is The Lamplighters. Above Right: Label image for Federal 12173, recorded in the same session, but not released until 1954. The ending of this song sounds like it was faded out intentionly to keep it short. Again, The Lamplighters are backing Jimmy vocally. The song, "Sad Life", is similar to "24 Sad Hours". Both were composed by Grover McDaniel. Dwight Davis wrote both flip-sides of the above records. As stated further above, Dwight had composed some songs for The Lamplighters and The Platters. In this session, saxophone is by Bill Gaither, piano by Devonia Williams, guitar by Harold Grant, drums by Albert Bartee, and bass fiddle by our composer friend, Mario Delagarde. CASH BOX, July 12, 1952: ....Federal A & R head Ralph Bass busy cutting a first session with Jimmy Witherspoon, whom he'd just signed.... CASH BOX, December 5, 1953: ....Jimmie Witherspoon has taken over the reins of the Lloyd Price band while Lloyd is in the Army.... The Billboard Review (11/21/53): JIMMY WITHERSPOON — FEDERAL 12156.... Move Me Baby (72) Nicely paced disk with a good beat has chorus and ork backing Witherspoon effectively. Sad Life (68) This is about as funeral as a disk can be - a real dirge. Witherspoon recounts all his troubles and man he's had them. Ork and choral backing is in keeping. (NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered as "good" and 40-69 as "satisfactory".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Sad Life" - Jimmy Witherspoon And Quartet (The Lamplighters) - Federal 12156 - 1953. 2. "Move Me Baby" - Jimmy Witherspoon And Quartet (The Lamplighters) - Federal 12156 - 1953. 3. "24 Sad Hours" - Jimmy Witherspoon (And The Lamplighters) - Federal 12173 - 1954. 4. "Just For You" - Jimmy Witherspoon (And The Lamplighters) - Federal 12173 - 1954. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

EXTRA RECORDS — JIMMY WITHERSPOON

Above: Photo from 1949: (L-R) Kansas City Pianist Jay McShann, Jimmy Witherspoon, trumpeter Benny Bailey, bassist Addison Farmer, and Jay's cousin, drummer Pete McShann. LOS ANGELES TRIBUNE, November 11, 1950: ....Witherspoon relates that he was discovered in 1945 by bandleader Jay McShann while the band was playing a one nighter in Vallejo. He toured with McShann for three years and then joined Roy Milton... (NOTE: Witherspoon did tour extensively with Roy Milton in 1950.)

At Left: Label image for Supreme 1500-A, recorded on October 18, 1947 and released in 1947. BMI credits "James J. Witherspoon" as the sole composer of both sides of this record. He's not mentioned as a composer on either side's label. Supreme Records had a 100 series and a 1500 series. Both sides of this record had been released in the 100 series (#106 & #105, sides A & B, respectively). The "A.P." on the label is Alan Patrick, owner and president of Supreme Records. The Los Angeles company was in business from 1947 to 1950. Someone should have informed the label designer that there will be a hole in the center. Supreme had an excellent stable of artists, including Paula Watson, Jay McShann Orchestra, Buddy Tate Orchestra, Eddie Williams And His Brown Buddies, Dusty Brooks And The Four Tones, Percy Mayfield, and Louis Speiginer Orchestra. CALIFORNIA EAGLE, November 20, 1941: LOUIS SPEIGINER is without any doubt the finest guitarist of color in Southern California and from the opinion of many music critics, Louis can be rated among the top guitarists of the country. He is from St. Louis, Missourri, where he was featured with many of the famous bands in that locality, as well as many of the ace bands throughout the Southeast. Louis came to Los Angeles about three years ago and since has been the ace guitarist with many of the bands here. He also has been featured on the stage, radio, and screen.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Cain River Blues" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Supreme 1500-A - 1947. 2. "Wandering Gal" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Supreme 1500-B - 1947. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX — SEPTEMBER 4, 1948.

Above: Label images for both sides of Supreme 1533-A, released in 1949. The "A" side was recorded on November 20, 1947 and the "B" side, "Six-Foot-Two Blues", on December 28, 1947. The sides had been released on Supreme 113 & 126, respectively. "In The Evening" is the same song as "When The Sun Goes Down", composed by Leroy Carr and released by him on Bluebird Records in 1935. BMI lists two "Six Foot Two Blues" titles, crediting "Buddy Tate" as composer of one and "James J Witherspoon" composer of the other. Wonder how in the world these other names got on the label!

The labels conveniently list the musicians on the recording. Above left has Jay McShann playing piano, quite noticeably here, and Pete McShann on the drums. Above right has Bill Doggett (misspelled on the label) playing piano. He had the 1956 hit record, "Honky Tonk - Parts 1 & 2", playing the Hammond organ. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "In The Evening" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Supreme 1533-A - 1949. 2. "Six-Foot-Two Blues" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Supreme 1533-B - 1949. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX AWARD O' THE WEEK — SEPTEMBER 24, 1949.

Above Left: Photo of Jay McShann from 1946. Above Right: Photo of Buddy Tate from 1955.

At Left: THE BILLBOARD, September 24, 1949. Above: CALIFORNIA EAGLE, May 5, 1949: BLUES AT ITS BEST — Jimmy Witherspoon is shown here being congratulated by disc jockey Hunter Hancock for his latest record hit "Ain't Nobdy's Business". (NOTE: That's a shiney Supreme 78-rpm record that Jimmy's holding.) Information about Jimmy's "Ain't Nobody's Business - Parts 1 & 2", including audio, is available in the Modern Records - Part Three article.

THE ROYALS

Above: Photo of The Royals from 1953, (L-R) Alonzo Tucker, Charles Sutton, Hank Ballard (arms outstretched), Henry Booth, and Sonny Woods. The Royals had eleven releases on the Federal label (1952-54). Both their tenth record, "Work With Me Annie", and their eleventh were released by both The Royals and The Midnighters. Click HERE for an article about THE ROYALS by Marv Goldberg. (Will open in a separate window)

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12088, recorded on May 10, 1952 and released in July 1952. It was The Royals' third release on the Federal label. "Moonrise" was reissued in December 1954 on Federal 12205 as by The Midnighters. Disco-File gives the members on this record as Henry Booth, Charles Sutton, Alonzo Tucker, Sonny Woods, and Lawson Smith. Sutton sings lead on "Moonrise", and Booth has the honor on the flip-side, "Fifth Street Blues". Per the lyrics, written by The Royals, this Fifth Street is the one located in Cincinnati, the home of King-Federal-DeLuxe Records. Above Right: Label image for Federal 12160, released in December 1953. "Someone Like You" was recorded on August 15, 1952 and the flip-side, "That's It", on May 2, 1953. Hank Ballard is lead singer on "Someone Like You" and Charles Sutton on "That's It". Disco-File gives the same line-up as stated for the above left record, except replace Lawson Smith with Hank Ballard. BMI credits Carrie Woods with writing just this one title. Sutton and Tucker, members of The Royals, are the composers of "That's It". At Direct Right: THE BILLBOARD, August 9, 1952. CASH BOX, September 6, 1952: ....From King Records' Sy House comes word... about what he calls a "potential hit" in the rhythm and blues field, titled "Moonrise" by The Royals.... Cash Box Review (8/2/52): THE ROYALS — FEDERAL 12088.... Fifth Street Blues (B) The Royals beat out a fast bounce in driving style as they are backed with handclapping and background shouts. The instrumentation is torrid and the total effect is a wildish side. Moonrise (C+) The boys etch a change of pace in a haunting manner, as they chant the slow piece sincerely. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and C+ as "good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Moonrise" - The Royals - Federal 12088 - 1952. 2. "Fifth Street Blues" - The Royals - Federal 12088 - 1952. 3. "Someone Like You" - The Royals - Federal 12160 - 1953. 4. "That's It" - The Royals - Federal 12160 - 1953. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

Above: Photo of The Royals from 1952, (L-R) Alonzo Tucker, Sonny Woods, Charles Sutton (at bottom), Hank Ballard, and Henry Booth.

At Left: Label image of Federal 12177, released in April 1954. "That Woman" was recorded on August 14, 1953 and the flip-side, "Give It Up", on January 14, 1954. Disco-File has the singing members on this record as Hank Ballard, Henry Booth, Lawson Smith, and Sonny Woods. It shows this lineup for all The Midnighters' records on Federal. Booth sings lead on "That Woman" and Ballard has the lead on "Give It Up". The record was re-issued in August 1955 on Federal 12230 (by The Midnighters). As shown on the labels, "Henry Ballard" composed both sides of this record. BMI credits Hank with 172 titles, including four "BMI Award Winning Songs". These are "The Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry)" [With Etta James], "Work With Me Annie", "Sexy Ways", and "Get It" [With Alonzo Tucker]. By the way, was "Henry" Ballard the namesake of the famous "dancing Henry" songs? "Work With Me Annie" was a big hit for Hank Ballard and his group. It was first released as by The Royals, but soon after as by The Midnighters. It's included in the next section just below. It's interesting that the record after "Work With Me Annie", Federal 12177 (shown at left), was also released using both names. As it was issued just one month later, perhaps they had some "Royals" labels made early and decided to use them. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "That Woman" - The Royals - Federal 12177 - 1954. 2. "Give It Up" - The Royals - Federal 12177 - 1954. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

THE MIDNIGHTERS (FORMERLY THE ROYALS)

Above: Photo of The Midnighters from 1954, (Standing L-R) Charles Sutton, Sonny Woods, Lawson Smith, (Kneeling L-R) Arthur Porter (their guitarist), and Hank Ballard. The Midnighters had a mammoth twenty-seven releases on the Federal label (1954-1958). As "Hank Ballard And The Midnighters", they also had a super-mammoth amount of records on the King label (1958-1969), including the original version of "The Twist", composed by Hank Ballard. THE BILLBOARD, April 17, 1954: The Royals, Federal recording artists, are changing their name to the Midnighters to eliminate booking confusion with the Five Royales, who wax for Apollo. The group has been getting some attention with their latest disk on Federal, "Work With Me Annie". All new records released by Federal will carry the unit's new name. Good luck under the new moniker, Midnighters, and congratulations to Federal for clearing up a confusing situation. (NOTE: There was another "Royals" vocal group that had one record released using that name in October 1954... "Someday We'll Meet Again" on Venus 103.)

CASH BOX — DECEMBER 29, 1951.

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12169, recorded on January 14, 1954 and released in March 1954. "Henry Ballard" is the composer for both sides. Ballard sings lead on all four sides of the above two records. Some 45-rpm labels state "THE MIDNIGHTERS Formerly known as THE ROYALS". Above Right: Label image for Federal 12202, recorded on September 23, 1954 and released in November 1954. Sonny Woods, a member of the group, is the songwriter on the top side, while Ballard again gets composer credit on the other side. Cash Box Review (2/27/54): THE ROYALS — FEDERAL 12169.... Until I Die (B) The Royals tenderly read a slow dramatic love blues. Boys blend in potent manner. Work With Me Annie (B+) The Royals work over a fast moving bounce infectiously. A rocker with lots of appeal. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".) The Billboard Review (12/11/54): THE MIDNIGHTERS — FEDERAL 12202.... Stingy Little Thing (82) The group could have a sock disc with this one. They deliver a spirited reading of some intriguing material while the instrumental backing maintains a strong driving beat. Watch it. Tell Them (77) Strong effort on some fine ballad material. Lead singer takes the group thru a beat reading of a bluesy item which should get spins. ((NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered "good" and 80-89 "excellent.") THE CALL (Kansas City, Missouri), October 29, 1954: MIDNIGHTERS AT WICHITA, KANSAS WICHITA—One of the nation's top singing groups, The Midnighters, have been booked to appear at the Mambo Club on Otober 29. Music lovers will be thrilled by their rendition of "Work With Me Annie" and "Sexy Ways", made famous on the Federal label. The Midnighters have become favorites throughout the country and are now rated by critics as one of the most popular groups in the rhythm and blues field. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Work With Me Annie" - The Midnighters - Federal 12169 - 1954. 2. "Until I Die" - The Midnighters - Federal 12169 - 1954. 3. "Tell Them" - The Midnighters - Federal 12202 - 1954. 4. "Stingy Little Thing" - The Midnighters - Federal 12202 - 1954. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX, April 2, 1955: TWO TIME WINNERS NEW YORK——Bob Austin (left) The Cash Box, presents Syd Nathan (right) prexy of King, Federal, and DeLuxe Records and Henry Glover, A & R exec of King, with two trophies for their smash tune "Work With Me Annie", voted the best rhythm and blues record of 1954 in The Cash Box 9th Annual Juke Box Operator poll. One trophy is for the best record of 1954, recorded by the Midnighters on Federal, and the other trophy is for Lois Music BMI, publisher of the tune. Lois is King's publishing firm. (The name is derived from Lois Mann, the pseudonym Nathan used for claiming composing rights.)

Above Left: Photo of The Midnighters, from March 1955, with their trophy for Cash Box's "Best R&B Vocal Group Of 1954". (L-R) Henry Booth, Lawson Smith, Sonny Woods, Joel Turnero (in dark jacket), Cal Green (their guitarist), and Hank Ballard. Don't know why Turnero is in this photo or why it is he who holds the group's gold record from Federal for "Work With Me Annie". Perhaps he was the group's manager at the time, but have been unable to confirm that. Above Right: THE BILLBOARD, May 29, 1954. NOTE: The Checkers and The Strangers are included in the "KING RECORDS series of articles. (Check artist listings near the bottom of that link)

HANK BALLARD & SYDNEY NATHAN (OWNER OF KING/FEDERAL RECORDS) — 1954.

CASH BOX AWARD O' THE WEEK — DECEMBER 11, 1954.

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12210, recorded on January 7, 1955 and released in February 1955. (Thank you to Joe Marchesani for providing this record.) The shown side was composed by Charles Singleton and Rose Marie McCoy. You might say they were both prolfic songwriters. BMI credits Singleton with 905 song titles, including nine "BMI Award Winning Songs". McCoy is credited with 859 titles, including seven Award winners, three of these in conjunction with Singleton. The flip-side label ("Ring-A-Ling A-Ling") credits "King Richard" as composer... BMI shows his name as "Richard Ellis Jackson". Wonder why he used a pseudonym. This song was released by The Isley Brothers on RCA Victor in 1959. Above Right: Label image for Federal 12220, also recorded on January 7, 1955, but released in April 1955. Cal Green (misspelled "Greene" on the label), The Midnighters' guitarist, composed the beautiful "Why Are We Apart" (my favorite song by this group), while Hank Ballard wrote the flip-side, "Switchie Witchie Titchie". At Direct Right: Photo of The Midnighters from 1955. (Top L-R) Sonny Woods, Henry Booth, (Bottom L-R) Lawson Smith, Cal Green (with guitar), and Hank Ballard. THE BILLBOARD REVIEW SPOTLIGHT, April 9, 1955: WHY ARE WE APART— THE MIDNIGHTERS — FEDERAL 12220 The group has its strongest side in some time here. It's a ballad, with an especially penetrating job by the fine lead singer, and full group backing that keeps a strong pulse and never lets down. THE BILLBOARD BEST BUY, April 30, 1955: SWITCHIE WITCHIE TITCIIIE — THE MIDNIGHTERS — FEDERAL 12220 Because of the off-color lyrics, this disk has been bucking considerable deejay resistance. All this notwithstanding, it is shaping up as one of the group's strongest since the "Annie" series. Among the territories where the record is now strong are Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Atlanta, Durham and St. Louis. Cash Box Review (3/5/55): THE MIDNIGHTERS — FEDERAL 12210.... Ashamed Of Myself (B+) The Midnighters have a powerful piece of wax on this slow beat bouncer. They sing it with feeling and a quality vocal. Could take off big. Ring-A-Ling A-Ling (B+) The Midnighters rock through a middle tempo jump with loads of bounce and appeal. Good coupler, although the buying impetus will come from "Ashamed". (NOTE: A rating of B+ was considered as "excellent".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Ashamed Of Myself" - The Midnighters - Federal 12210 - 1955. 2. "Ring-A-Ling A-Ling" - The Midnighters - Federal 12210 - 1955. 3. "Why Are We Apart" - The Midnighters - Federal 12220 - 1955. 4. "Switchie Witchie Titchie" - The Midnighters - Federal 12220 - 1955. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

Above Left: CASH BOX AWARD O' THE WEEK, April 16, 1955. NOTE: The clipping shows an outdated picture. Charles Sutten (upper left) was replaced by Henry Booth and the guitarist, Arthur Porter, was replaced by Cal Green. Above Right: Photo of The Midnighters, (Left) Sonny Woods, (Bottom To Top) Cal Green, Henry Booth, Hank Ballard, and Lawson Smith.

EXTRA RECORDS — LINDA HAYES

Above: Photo of Linda Hayes, the sister of The Platters' lead tenor, Tony Williams. She had a big hit in 1953 with "Yes, I Know" on the Recorded In Hollywood label. It was another "answer" record, this time for "I Don't Know", the Willie Mabon smash on Chess. (NOTE: The Linda Hayes version of "Yes I Know" can be seen, heard, and learned about in the Parrot Records - Part Two article.)

At Left: Label image of King 4752, released in October 1954. Linda is backed by The Platters on both sides. The "Orchestra" belongs to Los Angeles trumpeter Gerald Wilson. Typical for "answer" songs, the original composer gets no credit. "Work With Me Annie" was written by Hank Ballard. BMI shows Bertha Lulu Roberson and John N. Roberson as the only composers for "My Name Ain't Annie". The Billboard Review (10/23/54): LINDA HAYES — KING 4752.... My Name Ain't Annie (82) Linda Hayes comes thru with a sock reading of a swinging new effort, based on the "Annie" series, with the same backing as "Work With Me, Annie." Tune is fine, the beat is solid, and so is the performance, but the lyrics are dirty, and the disk is not recommended for deejay use. Let's Babalu (69) This is a poor side from performance, backing, and tune standpoint. The lyrics here, too, are mighty blue, (NOTE: A ratings range of 80-89 was considered as "excellent" and 40-69 as "satisfactory".) Cash Box Review (11/13/54): LINDA HAYES — KING 4752.... My Name Ain't Annie (B) Linda Hayes turns in a sultry performance for her first King etching. Lyrics might keep the thing off quite a few stations. Disk has a good beat that drives. Let's Babalu (B) Latin flavored romantic ditty delivered with relish by the talented thrush. However deck doesn't have the fire this type of ditty seems to call for. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "My Name Ain't Annie" - Linda Hayes (And The Platters) - King 4752 - 1954. 2. "Let's Babalu" - Linda Hayes (And The Platters) - King 4752 - 1954. BOTH SONGS played in sequence. THE BLACK DISPATCH, October 23, 1954: The Midnighters romped high, wide, and handsome with their "Work With Me Annie" and its sequel, "Annie Had A Baby" (both Federal), and because of the reception greeting these platters, another artist essays a version of the theme in an effort to make a hit. The formula might work, for the artist, Linda Hayes, changes little but the lyrics in following the Midnighters' pattern for her "My Name Ain't Annie". As we said, only the words have been changed—at least some of them, like the title line. Everything else is about the same. If you appreciated the earlier "Annies", you'll go for this one. The mate is a mambo'd item, "Let's Balau" [sic] (King).

Above Left: Label image for King 4773, recorded on January 14, 1955 and released in February 1955. This side has Linda Hayes and Tony Williams, with the other Platters's members backing them up. The flip-side, "Please Have Mercy", is by "Linda Hayes And The Platters". The Platters on this record are Tony Williams, Zola Taylor, Herbert Reed, David Lynch, and Paul Robi. Above Right: Photo of Tony Williams, who was the brother of Linda Hayes (born Bertha Williams). Tony was the great lead tenor of The Platters. Cash Box Review (2/19/55): LINDA HAYES - THE PLATTERS — KING 4773.... Please Have Mercy (B) Linda Hayes does a powerful vocal job on a slow tempo melodic weeper. The gal sings with feeling against a strong chorus backing by the Platters. Good wax. Oochi Pachi (B+) Linda Hayes has a really strong side here on one of those tunes figured to break two ways. Linda gets a solid support from Tony Williams. Don't overlook this side. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".) The Billboard Review (2/19/55): LINDA HAYES - THE PLATTERS — KING 4773.... Please Have Mercy (78) The thrush turns in a very impressive reading here of a very pretty new tune, helped out by the Platters on the backing. This could do well on boxes and over the counters. Oochi Pachi (76) The thrush does another fine Job with an intriguing rocker once again backed by the Platters and a big beat. The lyrics will stop it from getting plays on many stations. ((NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered as "good".) CASH BOX, March 12, 1955: ..... Looks like vocalovely Linda Hayes may have the hit of the year with her current King clicker, "Please Have Mercy". The tune is also being covered by the majors with Capitol and Label X in the lead. Capitol features Bunny Paul, while Label X is pushing the version by Roberta Lee. The number was written by Ralph Bass and Phyllis Otis, wife of the well-known bandleader and disc jock, Johnny Otis.... (NOTE: The song was also covered by The Mascots on M-G-M, Priscilla Wright on Unique, and Jimmy Wakeley on Coral. The label shows "Howard-Otis" as the songwriters, but BMI agrees with the columnist.) CASH BOX, October 29, 1955: .....Did you know that Tony Williams, first tenor of the group is the brother of Linda Hayes—and that Herb Reed, bass-baritone of the group, was the tenor of the "Wings Over Jordan" choir. His voice changed to the bass range while in the army....

LINDA HAYES

LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Oochi Pachi" - Linda Hayes And Tony Williams (Backed By The Platters) - King 4773 - 1955. 2. "Please Have Mercy" - Linda Hayes And The Platters - King 4773 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

THE BILLBOARD, May 26, 1956: ....The Pittsburgh Courier, sponsor of the biggest theatrical popularity poll in the r.&b. field, published its 1956 list of winners last week. Here are some of the titlists: Girl r.&b. singer - Linda Hayes; ....

THE PLATTERS

Above: Photo of The Platters, (L-R) Herb Reed (bass), Dave Lynch (tenor), Tony Williams (lead), Zola Taylor (contralto), and Paul Robi (baritone). They had seven records released on the Federal label (1953-1955), not counting reissues. The Platters moved to the Mercury label in March 1955. In between, they found some work at Modern Records, backing Joe Houston on one side. Click HERE for an article about THE PLATTERS by Marv Goldberg. (Will open in a separate window)

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12271, recorded on September 15, 1953 and released in June 1956. This is a reissue using one side each of The Platters' first two records, Federal 12153 (October 1953) and 12164 (January 1954). "I Need You All The Time" was also released a third time on Federal 12250 (December 1955). These reissues were probably due to The Platters' huge popularity when they moved to Mercury Records. For all four of the above sides, Disco-File shows the members are Tony Williams, Herb Reed, David Lynch, Alex Hodge, and Gaynel Hodge. Tony sings lead on both sides. Above Right: Label image for Federal 12188, recorded on March 16, 1954 and released in June 1954. "Tell The World" was reissued on Federal 12250 (December 1955). The shown side was composed by Buck Ram and Ande Rand, who also wrote The Platters' "Only You", a "BMI Award Winning Song". It's interesting and strange that "Ande Rand" is a pseudonym for Buck Ram! BMI credits both names. Personality Productions (see label) was Buck Ram's talent management and publishing company. The back side, "Love All Night", according to the label, was composed by "Jim Williams". BMI doesn't mention it. Tony Williams sings lead on "Tell The World", my favorite Federal side by them, and David Lynch does the honor on "Love All Night". CASH BOX, April 3, 1954: ....Ralph Bass, A & R head of Federal and King records, announced that his latest waxing by the Platters really rocks and should be a smash. Titles are "All Night Long" [sic] b/w "Tell The World".... (NOTE: The correct song title is "Love All Night".) The Billboard Review (11/21/53): THE PLATTERS — FEDERAL 12153 (first release).... Give Thanks (75) New group on label kicks off with a spiritual–flavored number that packs some appeal in today's market. It starts quietly and has a fine jump spot in the middle. ((NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered as "good".) The Billboard Review (6/26/54): THE PLATTERS — FEDERAL 12188 .... Love All Night (79) A wild rocker is sung with plenty of vitality and zip by the Platters. This one has a chance for juke loot. Watch it. Tell The World (73) This is a routine ballad, semi–pop in style. Flip is a stronger side, altho the group sings it pleasantly. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Give Thanks" - The Platters - Federal 12271 - 1956. 2. "I Need You All The Time" - The Platters - Federal 12271 - 1956. 3. "Tell The World" - The Platters - Federal 12188 - 1954. 4. "Love All Night" - The Platters - Federal 12188 - 1954. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

Above: THE PLATTERS — 1954 (Back L-R) Tony Williams, David Lynch, (Front L-R) Herb Reed, Zola Tayor, and Alex Hodge.

At Direct Left: Photo of Buck Ram, who became The Platters' manager, brought them to Mercury Records, and wrote songs for them, including "Only You". Other songs that he composed for them include "The Great Pretender", "That Magic Touch", "I'm Sorry", "Heaven On Earth", and "On My Word Of Honor" Above Left: Label image for Mercury 70633, recorded on April 26, 1955 and released in May 1955. This is the first record by The Platters on the Mercury label. The flip-side, "Bark, Battle And Ball", was composed by Buck Ram, using his "Jean Miles" pseudonym, and Zola Taylor, who is the lead singer on this one. For this version, Disco-File shows the members as Tony Williams, Zola Taylor, Herb Reed, David Lynch, and Paul Robi. (See photo at right.) Above Right: Label image for Federal 12244, recorded on May 20, 1954 and released in November 1955. Federal originally shelved this first version of "Only You" because Buck Ram was not happy with the result. However, after the Mercury version became a #1 hit for The Platters, Federal decided to release it. Disco-File gives the line-up for this record as Tony Williams, Zola Taylor, Herb Reed, David Lynch, and Alex Hodge. CASH BOX, May 21, 1955: ....Bobby Shad, Mercury and Emarcy, on his recent trip to the Coast signed The Platters. The group has already been in session and the results, "Only You" and "Bark, Battle and Ball," will be released in a week or two.... (NOTE: Bobby Shad was head of Mercury Records' rhythm & blues.) CASH BOX, June 11, 1955: ....The Platters opened at The Moulin Rouge in Las Vegas on May 28th for an extended engagement which will run until the middle of August. Their latest Mercury waxing of "Only You And You Alone" b/w "Bark, Battle And Ball" is showing strong signs in many areas.... THE BILLBOARD... WEEK'S BEST BUY, July 30, 1955: ONLY YOU - THE PLATTERS - MERURY 70633 While this record has been on the market for quite a while, it is only in the past weeks that it has made a surge for the big money. This week appearing on the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia charts, and also reported a good seller in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Nashville, this disk is now hitting in an impressive way. CASH BOX, November 12, 1955: ....The Platters, whose recording of "Only You" is among the best selling disks in the country, have just signed a deal to headline at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas for 16 weeks each year for the next 5 years.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Only You" - The Platters - Mercury 70633 - 1955. 2. "Bark, Battle And Ball" - The Platters - Mercury 70633 - 1955. 3. "Only You" - The Platters - Federal 12244 - 1955. 4. "You Made Me Cry" - The Platters - Federal 12244 - 1955. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence. WATCH the VIDEO of The Platters performing "Only You" in the 1956 Film "Rock Around The Clock" (MP4 format). (Will open in a new window)

Above: THE PLATTERS — CIRCA 1956 (Back L-R) Tony Williams, Paul Robi, (Front L-R) Zola Tayor, David Lynch, and Herb Reed. Above: THE PLATTERS — "ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK" STILL SHOT (L-R) Herb Reed, David Lynch, Tony Williams, Zola Taylor, and Paul Robi.

CASH BOX REVIEW — AUGUST 6, 1955.

EXTRA RECORD — JOE HOUSTON (WITH THE PLATTERS)

Above Left: Photo of Joe Houston, from Texas, who was a singer, saxophone player, and orchestra leader. He was known as the "Wild Man of the Tenor Sax". Joe moved to Los Angeles in the early 1950s. He had five records on the Modern label (1951-1953) and three on their subsidiary RPM label (1955). In the early 1950s, Joe also had records on the Freedom, Mercury, and Imperial labels. Additional records and much more about Joe Houston are included in the Modern Records - Part Six article. Above Right: Photo of The Platters, (L-R) Herb Reed, Tony Williams, Zola Taylor, Paul Robi, and David Lynch.

Above Left: Photo of Joe Houston. Above Right: Label image for RPM 426, released in 1955. "Shtiggy Boom" was written by deejay A1 Jarvis and harmonica wizzard Leo Diamond. Others with records of "Shtiggy Boom" in 1955 are Patti Anne (Aladdin), The Nuggetts (Capitol), Leo Diamond (RCA Victor), The Dooley Sisters (Tampa), and The Bill Johnson Quartet (Ronnex). CALIFORNIA EAGLE, September 15, 1955: JOE "SAX" HOUSTON ....Joe Houston is the "wild man of the tenor sax". His antics with his horn are recognized all over the Coast. He can probably blow a sax in more positions than any other man alive. Aside from his showmanship, however, Joe is a fine musician. Ask any of the boys in the know.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "Shtiggy Boom" - "The Fabulous" Joe Houston (With The Platters) - RPM 426 - 1955.

Shtiggy Boom - 'The Fabulous' Joe Houston (With The Platters) - RPM 426 - 1955

The Billboard Review (2-26-55): JOE HOUSTON — RPM 426 Shtiggy Boom (80) Swingy new rocker that has all the West Cast record firms excited is handed a driving reading by the Houston ork with the sidemen on the vocal. Houston turns in some solid work on sax, and the side builds all the way. This could happen. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 80-89 considered as "excellent".) Cash Box Review (3-5-55): JOE HOUSTON — RPM 426 Shtiggy Boom (B) Another version of what promises to be a big r&b and pop tune is given a wild reading by that wild man of the horn and a hard hitting ork. Lyrics are subordinated on this treatment. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good".)

JAMES BROWN AND THE FAMOUS FLAMES

Above: Photo of James Brown, The Famous Flames, And The James Brown Band. James is playing the piano. The Famous Flames are the three men standing in the back. The man at far left, wearing glasses, is unknown, but doubtful that he's Sydney Nathan (President of King/Federal/DeLuxe Records). James Brown, from Georgia, was King/Federal Records' most famous and most influential singer. He was a huge factor in the development of soul music. The Famous Flames, were with James from the group's inception in 1953 until the late 1960s. James and the Flames had nineteen records on Federal (1956-1960) and then moved over to the main King label resulting in twenty-three additional records (1960-1966).

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12258, recorded on February 4, 1956 and released in March 1956. This is James Brown And The Famous Flames' first record. Members of the group composed both sides, James Brown and Johnny Terry, for the top side and Bobby Byrd and Sylvester Keels for the flip-side. Above Right: Label image for Federal 12290, recorded on March 27, 1956 and released in October 1956. It's their fifth record. Again, Bobby Byrd and Sylvester Keels composed the top side. The flip-side label shows "Brown-Scott-Byrd-Smith" as the writers. Scott may have been Nafloyd Scott, the band's guitar player and Smith may have been Wilbert Smith, one of the band's tenor sax players. BMI.com does not list the song title. For both above records, Disco-File shows the singing members as James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Sylvester Keels, Nashville Knox, and Johnny Terry. Cash Box Review (3/3/56): JAMES BROWN — FEDERAL 12258.... Please, Please, Please (B) Brown sings with gusto selling a middle-beat blues potently. He sings with an intense emotion. Ok deck. Why Do You Do Me (B) James Brown sings a slow beat blues on the flip. It is done with warmth and Brown comes off with two good sides. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good".) Cash Box Review (11/3/56): JAMES BROWN — FEDERAL 12290.... I Won't Plead No More (B+) An unusual slow beat item with a powerful reading by Brown. This one should grab itself plenty of attention. It is different enough to assure its exposure. Watch it carefully. Chonie-Cho-Chon (B) James Brown shouts out a big rocker with a wild vocal effort. Deck jumps as Brown screams his joy at having a party. Should command attention. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown With The Famous Flames - Federal 12258 - 1956. 2. "Why Do You Do Me" - James Brown With The Famous Flames - Federal 12258 - 1956. 3. "I Won't Plead No More" - James Brown With The Famous Flames - Federal 12290 - 1956. 4. "Chonie-Cho-Chon" - James Brown - Federal 12290 - 1956. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

JAMES BROWN AND THE FAMOUS FLAMES.

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS — JAMES BROWN AND THE FAMOUS FLAMES

Above Left: MACON TELEGRAPH (Macon, Georgia), May 2, 1957. Above Middle: THE CALL (Kansas City, Missouri), October 18, 1957. Above Top Right: MACON NEWS (Macon, Georgia), June 11, 1957. Above Bottom Right: Fats Gonder, Orchestra Leader.

MACON TELEGRAPH — MARCH 11, 1956. (NOTE: All three of the above vocal groups were Federal label artists. The Dikes (misspelled in the clipping) were far from famous! More about them further down on this page.)

ADDENDUM — THE SHEIKS, THE DIKES, and THE FIVE CHANCES

THE SHEIKS...

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12237, recorded on June 23, 1955 and released in August 1955. It was reissued in 1959 on Federal 12335. The Sheiks on the Cat label were a different group. The shown side was composed by Maurie Lightman (not Lightner) and Johnny Otis. Doesn't it seem that Johnny got in the action just about everywhere on the West Coast? The flip-side, "So Fine", is a "BMI Award Winning Song" written by Johnny Otis alone. The Fiestas had a hit with it in 1959. Above Right: Photo of Jesse Belvin, the lead singer of The Sheiks, who was also a piano player and songwriter. His first records were for Imperial Records in 1951 as a solo artist and also backed by The Three Dots And A Dash. Next was Specialty Records in 1952 as a blues singer. His group, The Sheiks, had just the one record on the Federal label. Jesse joined Modern Records in 1956 resulting in six records for them through 1957. His first record on Modern was the hit "Goodnight My Love". LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Sentimental Heart" - The Sheiks - Federal 12237 - 1955. 2. "So Fine" - The Sheiks - Federal 12237 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

Disco-File gives the members on this record as Jesse Belvin, Eugene Church, Harold Lewis, and Mel Williams. Here is a list of many vocal groups that Jesse sang with in the 1950s: Three Dots And A Dash (Imperial 1951-1952), Sheiks (Federal 1955), Four Students (Groove 1955), Tangiers (Decca 1955-1956), Gassers (Cash, Encino 1956-1957), Dots (Caddy 1957), Sharptones (Aladdin 1958), Chargers (RCA Victor 1958), Turks (Keen 1958), Saxons (Contender, Tampa 1958), Hollywood Flames (Ebb 1958), Shields (Tender, Dot 1958-1959), and Capris (Tender 1959). Cash Box Review (9-10-55): THE SHEIKS — FEDERAL 12237 So Fine (B) The Sheiks rock a middle beat jump ditty with a subdued treatment. Ok wax that features a good beat, good melody and good delivery. Sentimental Heart (B+) The Sheiks back the jump with a slow, gliding ballad with a romantic lyric. A powerful reading of the pretty melody and deck could focus a good deal of attention on them. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".)

THE DIKES...

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12249, recorded on November 12, 1956 and released in December 1955. This is their only record. There were two other songs recorded in the same session, but not released. Lowell Spearan, a member of the group, composed the shown side song. Dan Welsh wrote the flip-side song "Light Me Up". BMI lists 378 "Light Me Up" song titles, but Dan is not one of them. Above Right: Photo of The Dikes ([courtesy of Jean-Christophe Piazza). Per Disco-File, they consisted of Lowell Spearman, Lucius Chosin, Rufus Chosin, Robert Fleming, and Johnny Leach. The 45-rpm Dee Jay "bio" record informs "While on a talent hunt through the South recently, Ralph Bass discovered The Dikes in Atlanta. This young vocal group had not sung professionally before and this recording marks their professional debut. All four [sic] boys are definitely comers in the music world because they possess a fine talent vocal-wise and are hard workers when they write material or arrange tunes for their act." LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Don't Leave Poor Me" - The Dikes - Federal 12249 - 1956. 2. "Light Me Up" - The Dikes - Federal 12249 - 1956. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

Cash Box Review (1-14-56): THE DIKES — FEDERAL 12249 Don't Leave Poor Me (B) The Dikes dish up a rocker for their first try and the results are good. The lads have a sound and create an excitement that augurs well for their record future. (Alas, they had no "record future".) Light Me Up (B) Another quick beat rocker, familiar melody, blended in good style by the group. Deck moves and the lads do well. Ok two sided debut. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good".) Next is another example of The Billboard giving ratings for black vocal groups much lower than Cash Box: The Billboard Review (1-14-56): THE DIKES — FEDERAL 12249 Don't Leave Poor Me (69) Routine blues, but it gets a good performance by the group. Light Me Up (67) Routine material and performance. (NOTE: "Routine blues"? Wonder if the reviewer actually listened to the record? Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 40-69 considered as "satisfactory".)

THE FIVE CHANCES...

Above Left: Label image for Federal 12303, recorded on July 5, 1957 and released in July 1957. BMI credits Jesse Stafford, a member of the group, as composer of "My Days Are Blue", his only listed song. The flip-side, "Tell Me Why", was composed by Howard Pitman, another member of the group. BMI agrees. Above Right: Photo of The Five Chances, from Chicago, (L-R) Reggie Smith, Ronald Johnson, Johnny Jones, Jesse Stafford, and Howard Pitman. It's the same line-up as on the above record. They had one record on Chance (1954), another on Blue Lake (1955), one more on States (1956), and one on Federal (1957). Lead singer Johnny "Chubby" Jones was on the latter three records, but not the Chance release. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "My Days Are Blue" - The Five Chances - Federal 12303 - 1957. 2. "Tell Me Why" - The Five Chances - Federal 12303 - 1957. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

Cash Box Review (7/27/57): THE FIVE CHANCES — Federal 12303 My Days Are Blue (B) The Five Chances turn in a swaying performance on a slow drifty beat ballad. Good sound on a fair tune. Lead rings out in strident tones. Ok side. Tell Me Why (B+) The lads team on another slow beat side and come up with an effective wax. Again the fellas establish a good and individualized sound. This wax comes off the better of the two. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".)

NOTE: Restoration of photos, clippings, record label images, and audio files is by Tony Fournier.

PART THREE CONCLUDES THIS SERIES OF "FEDERAL RECORDS" ARTICLES. THE LABEL IS KNOWN BY COLLECTORS MOSTLY FOR "THE DOMINOES", "LITTLE ESTHER", AND "THE FOUR JACKS". HOWEVER, FEDERAL DID FEATURE MANY VOCAL GROUPS. SOME NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SERIES OF ARTICLES ARE THE CALIFORNIANS, THE PYRAMIDS, THE CARPETS, LUTHER BOND AND THE EMERALDS, THE GARDENIAS, THE RAMBLERS, AND THE SWALLOWS. FEDERAL WAS A SUBSIDIARY OF KING RECORDS, WHOSE OWNER AND PRESIDENT WAS SYDNEY NATHAN. THERE IS A NINE-PART KING RECORDS SERIES OF ARTICLES AT THIS WEBSITE, WHICH STARTS WITH THE PART ONE ARTICLE. EACH PART HAS LINKS TO ALL THE OTHER PARTS.

FEDERAL RECORDS - PART ONE FEATURES THE DOMINOES, LEON RENÉ, THE CAPRIS, LITTLE ESTHER, GLADYS PALMER, VALAIDA SNOW, JIMMY GRISSOM, JOHN DOLPHIN, AND HERB KENNY AND THE COMETS/ROCKETS. ALSO INCLUDED IS AN INTRODUCTION TO FEDERAL RECORDS AND SPOTLIGHTS ON THE SONGS "WHEN THE SWALLOWS COME BACK FROM CAPISTRANO", "THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO ME", "DOUBLE CROSSING BLUES", AND "FOOL THAT I AM". FEDERAL RECORDS - PART TWO FEATURES THE FOUR INTERNES, THE FOUR JACKS, THE WINGMEN, THE BOMBERS, SHIRLEY HAVEN, CORA WILLIAMS, LIL GREENWOOD, AND LITTLE WILLIE LITTLEFIELD.

Listen to this article's audio selections using Windows Media Player:           1. "Part Of Me" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12149 - 1953.           2. "Turn Me Loose" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12149 - 1953.           3. "Give Me" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12152 - 1953.           4. "Be-Bop Wino" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12152 - 1953.           5. "Tell Me You Care" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12176 - 1954.           6. "I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12176 - 1954.           7. "Roll On" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12212 - 1955.           8. "Love, Rock And Thrill" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12149 - 1953.           9. "Hug A Little, Kiss A Little" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12242 - 1955.         10. "Don't Make It So Good" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12242 - 1955.         11. "Sindy" - The Tenderfoots - Federal 12228 - 1955.         12. "Sugar Ways" - The Tenderfoots - Federal 12228 - 1955.         13. "Cindy" - The Cobras - Modern 964 - 1955.         14. "I Will Return" - The Cobras - Modern 964 - 1955.         15. "Cindy" - The Squires - Mambo 105 - 1955.         16. "Lucille" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Federal 12099 - 1952.         17. "Blues In Trouble" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Federal 12099 - 1952.         18. "The Last Mile" - Jimmie Witherspoon (Vocal Backup By Band) - Federal 12138 - 1953.         19. "Back Door Blues*" - Jimmie Witherspoon (Vocal Backup By Band) - Federal 12138 - 1953.         20. "Sad Life" - Jimmy Witherspoon And Quartet (The Lamplighters) - Federal 12156 - 1953.         21. "Move Me Baby" - Jimmy Witherspoon And Quartet (The Lamplighters) - Federal 12156 - 1953.         22. "24 Sad Hours" - Jimmy Witherspoon (And The Lamplighters) - Federal 12173 - 1954.         23. "Just For You" - Jimmy Witherspoon (And The Lamplighters) - Federal 12173 - 1954.         24. "Cain River Blues" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Supreme 1500-A - 1947.         25. "Wandering Gal" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Supreme 1500-B - 1947.         26. "In The Evening" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Supreme 1533-A - 1949.         27. "Six-Foot-Two Blues" - Jimmy Witherspoon - Supreme 1533-B - 1949.         28. "Moonrise" - The Royals - Federal 12088 - 1952.         29. "Fifth Street Blues" - The Royals - Federal 12088 - 1952.         30. "Someone Like You" - The Royals - Federal 12160 - 1953.         31. "That's It" - The Royals - Federal 12160 - 1953.         32. "That Woman" - The Royals - Federal 12177 - 1954.         33. "Give It Up" - The Royals - Federal 12177 - 1954.         34. "Work With Me Annie" - The Midnighters - Federal 12169 - 1954.         35. "Until I Die" - The Midnighters - Federal 12169 - 1954.         36. "Tell Them" - The Midnighters - Federal 12202 - 1954.         37. "Stingy Little Thing" - The Midnighters - Federal 12202 - 1954.         38. "Ashamed Of Myself" - The Midnighters - Federal 12210 - 1955.         39. "Ring-A-Ling A-Ling" - The Midnighters - Federal 12210 - 1955.         40. "Why Are We Apart" - The Midnighters - Federal 12220 - 1955.         41. "Switchie Witchie Titchie" - The Midnighters - Federal 12220 - 1955.         42. "My Name Ain't Annie" - Linda Hayes (And The Platters) - King 4752 - 1954.         43. "Let's Babalu" - Linda Hayes (And The Platters) - King 4752 - 1954.         44. "Oochi Pachi" - Linda Hayes And Tony Williams (Backed By The Platters) - King 4773 - 1955.         45. "Please Have Mercy" - Linda Hayes And The Platters - King 4773 - 1955.         46. "Give Thanks" - The Platters - Federal 12271 - 1956.         47. "I Need You All The Time" - The Platters - Federal 12271 - 1956.         48. "Tell The World" - The Platters - Federal 12188 - 1954.         49. "Love All Night" - The Platters - Federal 12188 - 1954.         50. "Only You" - The Platters - Mercury 70633 - 1955.         51. "Bark, Battle And Ball" - The Platters - Mercury 70633 - 1955.         52. "Only You" - The Platters - Federal 12244 - 1955.         53. "You Made Me Cry" - The Platters - Federal 12244 - 1955         54. "Shtiggy Boom" - "The Fabulous" Joe Houston (With The Platters) - RPM 426 - 1955.         55. "Sentimental Heart" - The Sheiks - Federal 12237 - 1955.         56. "So Fine" - The Sheiks - Federal 12237 - 1955.         57. "Don't Leave Poor Me" - The Dikes - Federal 12249 - 1956.         58. "Light Me Up" - The Dikes - Federal 12249 - 1956.         59. "My Days Are Blue" - The Five Chances - Federal 12303 - 1957.         60. "Tell Me Why" - The Five Chances - Federal 12303 - 1957.         61. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown With The Famous Flames - Federal 12258 - 1956.         62. "Why Do You Do Me" - James Brown With The Famous Flames - Federal 12258 - 1956.         63. "I Won't Plead No More" - James Brown With The Famous Flames - Federal 12290 - 1956.         64. "Chonie-Cho-Chon" - James Brown - Federal 12290 - 1956.             ALL SIXTY-FOUR ABOVE SONGS played in sequence.           ALL FIFTY ABOVE FEDERAL LABEL SONGS played in sequence.

Above: CASH BOX, November 12 1955.

PREVIOUS ARTICLES! Back to Main Page Last Update: April 5, 2025 E-mail Me: