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#970 (6/23/25)
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BY TONY FOURNIER
(DEDICATED TO THE LATE DAVE SAVIET) |
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RECAP: Regis, Manor, and Arco Records were located in Newark, New Jersey. Irving Berman was the owner and president/treasurer. Originally focusing on the spiritual music field, rhythm and blues was added soon after. |
SAVANNAH CHURCHILL AND THE FIVE KINGS (NOTE: Extensive coverage of Savannah Churchill's early career, her first records, her move to the Manor label, and her jump to stardom (when backed by The Four Tunes) are found in the Manor Records - Part Two article.)
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Above Left: Photo of The Five Kings on Manor Records. Orville "Baggy" Hardiman is at top-right. His real name is Orval Hardimon. He called himself "Orville Hardiman", probably just to keep it easy. His nickname is sometimes spelled "Baggy" and sometimes "Baggie" (the way he signed the above photo). Above Right: Photo of Savannah Churchill, circa 1951.
Click HERE for an article about THE FOUR KINGS AND A QUEEN / FIVE KINGS by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)Visit "SAVANNAH CHURCHILL DISCOGRAPHY" for a full listing of her recordings.
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Above Left: Label image of Manor 1061-A, released in March 1947. Manor used the celeste on many of their records, mostly for Savannah Churchill songs, but also The Brown Dots. The celeste, aka "celesta", is a piano-like instrument where metallic bars are struck to produce a chimes-like sound. The name celeste is derived from the French word for "heavenly". It was very effective for her big hit "I Want To Be Loved" and its flip-side, "Foolishly Yours". No different here for "I Can't Get Up The Nerve..." and "Sincerely Yours".
The top side was composed by Bennie Benjamin and George Weiss. This duo wrote many popular songs over their long careers.
Together, they composed "I Want To Thank Your Folks" (Ink Spots), "Wheel Of Fortune" (Cardinals), "Cross Over The Bridge" (Flamingos), "Rumors Are Flying" (Brown Dots), "I'll Never Be Free" (Savannah Churchill), and "Can Anyone Explain" (Savannah Churchill And Striders).
Benjamin also contributed to "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire" (Ink Spots) and "When The Lights Go On Again" (Herb Kenny And Comets).
Above Middle: CASH BOX, April 28, 1947.
Above Right: Label image of Manor 1066-A, released in July 1947.
"Sincerely Yours" was written by Will Jason and Sydney Robin. Manor's version was basically a "cover" of the popular song. In 1947, it was also done by Martha Tilton (Majestic), the Ink Spots (Decca), Dennis Day (RCA Victor), Freddie Stewart (Capitol), and Buddy Clark (Columbia). In Ink Spots' style, Savannah does a "talking" part during this song.
The flip-side, "I'm Too Shy", was composed by Leroy Lovett and Jake McKinney, who were each members of "The Five Kings" during some configuration of the group. As was normal, it's another original Manor song that was never registered at BMI.
At Direct Right: THE BILLBOARD, July 12, 1947.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "I Can't Get Up The Nerve To Kiss You" - Savannah Churchill And The Five Kings - Manor 1061-A - 1947.
2. "Let's Call A Spade A Spade" - Savannah Churchill And The Five Kings - Manor 1061-B - 1947.
3. "Sincerely Yours" - Savannah Churchill And The Five Kings - Manor 1066-A - 1947.
4. "I'm Too Shy" - Savannah Churchill And The Five Kings - Manor 1066-B - 1947.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
THE FIVE KINGS
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Above: Photo of The Five Kings. THE MESSENGER (Paterson, New Jersey) dated December 27, 1945 identifies the performers in the above photo as Baggy Hardimon, leader and guitar; Jake McKinnie [sic McKinney], MC, vocalist, and Hawaiian guitar; Danny Turner, alto sax; Leroy Lovett, piano and arranger, and Harry Clark, bass fiddle.
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Above: Label images of Manor 1062-A and the flip-side, Manor 1062-B, released in March 1947. In 1947, "Meet Me In No Special Place" was also done by the Count Basie Orchestra (RCA Victor), the Ray McKinley Orchestra (Majestic), and the King Cole Trio (Capitol).
The composer of "That's How Much I Love You" is Danny Turner, who was a member of The Five Kings at the time.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Meet Me At No Special Place" - The Five Kings - Manor 1062-A - 1947.
2. "That's How Much I Love You" - The Five Kings - Manor 1062-B - 1947.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
EXTRA RECORDS — FOUR KINGS AND A QUEEN
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Above Left: Photo of The Four Kings Of Jive, later to become "The Five Kings" on the Manor label. Both groups were led by Orville "Baggie" Hardiman (far left with guitar). Above Right: BALTIMORE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, January 24, 1948.
NOTE 1: The Five Kings' blurb — "One of the best attractions in the business. Aside from playing all the popular music, they also play Latin American numbers. Have been featured Coast to Coast. They were recently on the Lipton Tea Show with Arthur Godfrey over CBS."
NOTE 2: The Hall Sisters were (L-R) Ruth, Helen, and Winifred. They recorded for RCA Victor. Information about The Cabin Kids (and a record by The Hall Sisters) is in The Cabin Kids article.
NOTE 3: The 3 B's And A Honey are included in the Savoy Records - Part Two article.
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Above Left: Label image of Comet 1301A, released in May 1944. The flip-side, "Shoo Shoo Baby", written by Phil Moore, was a hit for the Andrew Sisters in 1944. Above Right: Label image of Comet 1304A, released in 1945. The flip-side, "Ration Blues", is the Louis Jordan hit song composed by Collenane Clark and Antonio Cosey. Comet 1304A was also released with 1302A, "King's Boogie", on the other side. That's an instrumental composed by Orval.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "All I Need Is A Lucky Break" - Four Kings & A Queen - Comet 1301A - 1944.
2. "Shoo Shoo Baby" - Four Kings & A Queen - Comet 1301B - 1944.
3. "One Of Those Dreams That Fell Thru" - Four Kings & A Queen - Comet 1304A - 1945.
4. "Ration Blues" - Four Kings & A Queen - Comet 1304B - 1945.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
Click HERE for an article about THE FOUR KINGS AND A QUEEN / FIVE KINGS by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)Marv Goldberg, in his article, deduces that the "Queen" in the group is Joann Jones on Comet 1301 and Jeannie Clark on Comet 1304.
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Above Left: "4 Kings With Baggy Hardiman" clipping, from October 1943. Above Right: Comedy Club clipping from June 11, 1949. The picture shows Baggy Hardiman's Five Kings group.
SAVANNAH CHURCHILL AND THE STRIDERS CASH BOX, February 19, 1949: MANOR RECORDS RENEW SAVANNAH CHURCHILL PACT
NEW YORK—Irving Berman, prexy of Manor Records, Inc., this past week disclosed that he had renewed the contract of singer Savannah Churchill. Miss Churchill inked a five-year pact, it was learned.Irving is the chirp's manager. She is currently touring the nation in a series of personal appearances.
In 1947 Miss Churchill was accorded The Cash Box Music Award for the "Best Race Record" of the year, "I Want To Be Loved". Her latest release on Manor Records, "Would You Hurt Me Now" and "All Of Me", is scheduled for immediate release.
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Above: Photo of Savannah Churchill And The Striders, (L-R) Ernest Griffin, Gene Strider, Savannah, James Strider, and Charles Strider.
Savannah had two records released with The Striders on Manor (1950), two on Regal (1951), and three on RCA Victor (1952). Out of these seven records, only one credited The Striders on the label, that being Regal 3309.
The Striders also backed Dolores Martin on Mystery (1949), Bette McLaurin on Derby (1952), and Maureen Cannon on Derby (1952). On their own, they had releases on Capitol (1948), Mystery (1949), Apollo (1950, 1955), and Derby (1954).
Click HERE for an article about THE STRIDERS by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)Visit "SAVANNAH CHURCHILL DISCOGRAPHY" for a full listing of her recordings.
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Above: Label images of Manor 1259-A and Manor 1259-B, released in 1950. The top-side is another excellent song by those ubiquitous songwriters Bennie Benjamin and George Weiss. Per BMI, "The Devil Sat Down And Cried" was composed by Ella Fitzgerald and Walter Bishop. Other artists that had records of "Can Anyone Explain?" in 1950 are Ray Anthony Orchestra (Capitol & Lang-Worth), Coleman Hawkins Orchestra (Royal Roost), Vic Damone (Mercury), Lil Green And The Honeydreamers (RCA Victor), Dick Haymes Orchestra (Decca), Dinah Shore (Columbia), Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (Decca), and The Ames Brothers (Coral).
The Soft Notes also did "Can Anyone Explain", released on Mercury in 1950. The Soft Notes were Bennie Benjamin and George Weiss, backed by a vocal group. More about this interesting duo, including audio of the Soft Notes' record, is available in the Rumors Are Flying article.
FOR JUKE BOXES ONLY:
This is the only Arco or Manor record that I've seen with a white label. Usually a white label indicates a "Dee Jay" record. Here it is "For Juke Boxes Only". In either case, I would suspect the record company is providing a superior material (such as vinyl versus shellac) or they don't want the record resold.However, all the Arco records were made with vinyl, which includes the black label version of this one. And juke box operators, for sure, would resell records regardless of what the label might require.
One last thought, the Arco records will bend, but not as much as expected for vinyl. Could they have been a vinyl and shellac mix? Remember that Irving Berman was involved in trying to find a replacement for shellac during World War One.
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The Cash Box Review (8/5/50): SAVANNAH CHURCHILL — ARCO 1259
Can Anyone Explain/The Devil Sat Down And Cried
Here is one of those extreme rarities among records—a disk that can do equally as well in a "jazz and blues" spot or in a "pop" location. Ops will find that this waxing is a money-in-the-bank selection for any juke box on their route."Can Anyone Explain" is going to be a smash hit and Savannah Churchill will capture her share of the loot with this excellent rendition. The reverse is a standard that gets an irresistible clap-hands arrangement and send off by the thrush and her group. Ops—this one is a must.
There is a good case to claim that "Can Anyone Explain?" is "greater" than her "I Want To Be Loved". Savannah and The Striders may have achieved a better overall performance with "Can Anyone Explain?". It's also notable that most of the lead singing is done by The Striders on this one.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Can Anyone Explain?" - Savannah Churchill And Her Group (The Striders) - Manor 1259-A - 1950.
2. "The Devil Sat Down And Cried" - Savannah Churchill And Her Group (The Striders) - Manor 1259-B - 1950.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
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Above Left: Label image of Arco 1263-A, released in 1950. Per BMI, the top side was composed by Pearl White and Davis Scott MacRae and the flip-side, "Changeable You", by Don Redman. Again, The Striders do a large part of the lead singing, this time on "Ain'tcha Glad I Love You". Savannah had eight "new" sides released on Arco Records (1949-1950). The other nine sides were reissues of "old" Manor songs.
Above Right: Photo of Savannah Churchill with The Striders, (L-R Front) Al Martin, Eugene Strider, Savannah, Charles Strider, and James Strider.
At Direct Right: Photo of Savannah with The Striders at her Brooklyn home at snack time. Second in from the right is her companion, Eula Mae Cassius. Notice the picture hanging on the wall. (Ref: Ebony Magazine, February 1953)
GULF INFORMER (Mobile, Alabama), January 13, 1951:
REGAL RECORDS INK SAVANNAH CHURCHILL
NEW YORK—Savannah Churchill, songstress, has been inked to an exclusive pact by Regal Records, Independent outfit in New York. Miss Churchill, who formerly worked for Manor Records, cut her first sides this week.(NOTE: The Striders, who were close friends with Savannah, moved along with her to Regal Records and backed her on her two records for the label, both released in 1951.)
AFRO-AMERICAN, April 16, 1949:
CHIRP'S MANAGER SPIKES RUMORS OF VICTOR DEAL
NEW YORK—Savannah Churchill will continue to record for Manor Records, according to her manager, Irving Berman, president of the diskery, who spiked previous reports the chirp had switched to RCA Victor, by stating that she was linked to Manor by a long-term pact.(NOTE: Savannah did join RCA VICTOR in 1951 after her short stint with Regal Records. Again The Striders joined her, this time in 1952, backing her on three of her RCA Victor releases that year.)
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Ain'tcha Glad I Love You" - Savannah Churchill And Her Group (The Striders) - Arco 1263-A - 1950.
2. "Changeable You" - Savannah Churchill And Her Group (The Striders) - Arco 1263-B - 1950.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
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Above: Photo of Savannah Churchill And The Striders (in white jackets), (L-R) Ernest Griffin, Savannah, Gene Strider, Charles Strider, and James Strider.
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Above: EBONY MAGAZINE, February 1953:
Savannah Churchill And The Striders practising at Savannah's Brooklyn home.
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Above: EBONY MAGAZINE, February 1953:
Savannah's companion, Eula Mae, waves goodbye to Savannah Churchill And The Striders as they leave Savannah's Brooklyn home for an out-of-town engagement. Savannah is driving the Chevrolet convertible.
SAVANNAH CHURCHILL WITH VOCAL GROUPS — CONCLUSION
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At Left: Label image of Manor 1236-A, released in February 1950. "Don't Cry Darling" was composed by William "Pat" Best" ...Irving Berman, owner and president of Manor/Arco had no part in writing it. As we have learned, it was Mr. Berman's practise to add his name to many Manor/Arco labels as co-composer. Pat Best was baritone, guitar player, and composer of The Four Tunes. However, who the vocal group might be on this record is unclear. The matrix numbers, N-1817 & N-1818, suggest a recording date after The Four Tunes had left Manor to join RCA Victor (March 1949). And The Striders seem to have come to Manor (circa June 1950) after the sides were recorded. Neither side of this record's labels indicate the presence of a vocal group. "Don't Cry Darling" was also released by The Mystery Quartette on Essex and The Masterkeys on Abbey, both in 1950. Coincidentally, Pat Best watched The Mystery Quartette perform at The Little Rathskeller, a club in South Philadelphia. He remembered them as "an excellent group with nice harmony. When they came on stage, it would be dark except for the guitar which was fluorescent!" The Four Tunes eventually recorded "Don't Cry Darling" for Jubilee Records, released in 1954. The flip-side of the Arco record, "Don't Take Your Love From Me", was composed by Henry Nemo, an ASCAP popular songwriter. THE BILLBOARD, April 2, 1949:
The new Victor contract gives the unit a minimum of 12 sides a year. each carrying an added percentage royalty tie, and runs for two years with options running to five years....
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LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Don't Cry, Darling" - Savannah Churchill (And Her Group) - Arco 1236-A - 1950.
2. "Don't Take Your Love From Me" - Savannah Churchill (And Her Group) - Arco 1236-B - 1950.
3. "Don't Cry Darling" - The Mystery Quartette - Essex 706 - 1950.
4. "Don't Cry, Darling" - The Masterkeys - Abbey 3017 - 1950.
5. "Don't Cry Darling" - The Four Tunes - Jubilee 5165 - 1954.ALL FIVE SONGS played in sequence.
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Above: Savannah Churchill and The King Odom Four. (L-R) David "Boots" Bowers (with bass fiddle), Isaiah Bing, David "King" Odom, Savannah Churchill, and Cleveland "Bill" Bing (with guitar). The King Odom Four also recorded as the King Odom Quartet.
NOTE: Any relationship between The King Odom Four and the Arco record discussed directly above it is "purely coincidental". However, Savannah Churchill went on tour with them during the first six months of 1949, including an appearance at The Apollo Theatre in New York City in June 1949.
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At Left... [sic King Odom 4] |
THE BROWN DOTS
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Above: Photo of Deek Watson And His Brown Dots, (L-R Top) Jimmy Gordon (bass), William "Pat" Best (baritone and guitarist), Joe King (tenor), and (Bottom) Ivory "Deek" Watson (tenor). This was the line-up for the group's first two records (Manor 1005 and 1009).
Deek, an original member of The Ink Spots, left them in 1944. He formed his own group, The Brown Dots, in early 1945.
Click HERE for an article about THE BROWN DOTS/FOUR TUNES by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)
Above: Photo of Deek Watson And His Brown Dots. (L-R) Pat Best (with guitar), Joe King, Deek Watson, and Jimmy Gordon (palms open). |
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AFRO-AMERICAN, June 30, 1945: HERE'S HOW "SUB" SONG WAS BORN
NEW YORK—When Deek Watson placed his car in a shop for repairs recently he boarded the subway, and, while rushing to make a rehearsal with his quartet, he began to hum a tune to himself.His next move was to jot down some words that came to him, like these: "The road is straight, the ride is great, and"—and, yes, he had it! The subway song was born, just like that.
Its title, "31 Miles For A Nickel", has become a popular phrase along the Main Stem. Deek and his Brown Dots have just recorded it for Manor Records and it has been pronounced a hit.
Above Left: Label image of Manor 1005 B, released in May 1945. Deek Watson is shown as the solo composer of the flip-side, "Let's Give Love Another Chance". Deek is the lead singer on both sides. Pat Best and his Four Tunes released "Let's Give Love Another Chance" on RCA Victor in 1952. That label credits "Deek Watson-William Best" as the composers. Above Right: Label image of Manor 1009 A, released in mid-1945. Joe King is lead singer on both sides of this record.
Pat Best, the Brown Dots' baritone singer and guitarist, composed both sides of this record. The labels incorrectly show the songwriters as "Watson-Best" on the front side and commit the atrocity of crediting "Watson" on the flip-side, "Sentimental Reasons".
Another error on this label is the matrix number. Notice that it's the same as on the Manor 1005 label. There is no matrix number shown in the dead wax, but it can be deduced that the correct number is "E-1266-E" because 1261 through 1265 are known.
These are The Brown Dots' first two records. For their next eleven records (1945-1947), Jimmie Nabbie (tenor) replaced Joe King. Audio for "For Sentimental Reasons", re-recorded with Nabbie as tenor lead and released as the "A" side of Manor 1041 in September 1946, is included below.
At Direct Left: THE BILLBOARD, March 17, 1945.
NOTE: (Top L-R) Deek Watson, Joe King, Jimmy Gordon, and (Bottom) Pat Best, with guitar.
The referenced song, "I'm Loving You For You", was not released until mid-1946 (Manor 1027), well after this advertisement was published.At Direct Right: THE BILLBOARD, June 2, 1945.
NOTE: The uncredited person in the picture at lower-right is Tiny Bradshaw, who did have releases on Regis and Manor Records.LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Thirty-One Miles For A Nickel" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1005 B - 1945.
2. "Let's Give Love Another Chance" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1005 A - 1945.
3. "You're Heaven Sent" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1009 A - 1945.
4. "Sentimental Reasons" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1009 B - 1945.
5. "For Sentimental Reasons" - The Brown Dots - Manor 1041-A - 1946.ALL FIVE SONGS played in sequence.
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Above Left: THE BILLBOARD, September 28, 1946.
NOTE: The second version of "Sentimental Reasons" has Jimmie Nabbie (at top in picture) singing the tenor lead.Above Right: Label image of Manor 1041-A , released in September 1946. The matrix number is similar to the first version of the song (I-1263-B and E-1263-E), even though it was recorded in a later session. This time Pat Best was added to the label as a co-composer.
Instead of using their bass singer, the recitation part was performed by Deek Watson on both versions. Audio is included further above.
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Above Left: Label image of Manor 1015 A, released in November 1945. This is the first Brown Dots' record where Jimmie Nabbie has replaced Joe King as tenor. Deek Watson and Pat Best share the lead on the top side, Jimmie and Pat on the flip. Seems that Irving Berman, president and owner of Manor Records, did not register composer information at BMI for either side. The top side song was composed by Harry Patterson, Melvin Bell, and Deek Watson The back-side, "You're A Heartache To Me", is a Pat Best composition.
Above Right: THE BILLBOARD, November 24, 1945.
NOTE: More distributors to handle orders throughout the U.S.A. are very definitely needed and soon!
THE BILLBOARD, December 8, 1945:
....The Brown Dots, Negro quartet, inked with ABC for Saturdays, 11:45-12:00. Deal handled by Moe Gale....LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Just In Case You Change Your Mind" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1015 A - 1945.
2. "You're A Heartache To Me" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1015 B - 1945.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
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Above Left: THE BILLBOARD, June 8, 1946. Above Right: Label image of Manor 1026-B, released in November 1945. Jimmie Nabbie demonstrates his excellent tenor ability on the flip, "Surrender".
"Satchelmouth Baby" (also known with the more affectionate name of "Pretty Eyed Baby") was composed by Mary Lou Williams (see her photo at direct right), as confirmed by ASCAP's database.
"The Saga Of Satchel Mouth Baby", which includes the Four Tones' and seven other versions of the song, is in the Four Tones - Part Two article.
ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) lists 3005 songs simply titled "Surrender" (NOT a typo!). But this one was composed by our old friends, Bennie Benjamin and George Weiss (see their photo at far right). Another song written by this duo and released by The Brown Dots is "Rumors Are Flying" (Manor 1040-A, released in September 1946, audio included below).
"Surrender" was also released in 1946 by Perry Como (RCA Victor), Phil Brito (Musicraft), Randy Brooks (Decca), Woody Herman (Columbia), George Olsen (Majestic), Tony Pastor (Cosmo), Jan Savitt (Ara), Bob Chester (Sonora), and Shep Fields (Manor).
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Satchelmouth Baby" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1026-B - 1946.
2. "Surrender" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1026-A - 1946.
3. "Rumors Are Flying" - The Brown Dots - Manor 1040-A - 1946.ALL THREE SONGS played in sequence.
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Above: Photo of Deek Watson And His Brown Dots on one of the sets from the 1947 movie "Boy! What A Girl". (L-R) Jimmie Nabbie (tenor), Pat Best (baritone and guitarist), Deek Watson (tenor), and Jimmy Gordon (bass). That is Pat's guitar that Deek has confiscated for the photo.
These are the same suits that they wore in the movie.
In this all-black cast film, they sing "Just In Case You Change Your Mind" and "Satchelmouth Baby".
VIDEOS — DEEK WATSON AND HIS BROWN DOTS
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Above Left: Label image of Manor 1017-B, released in February 1946. Another excellent song composed by Pat Best, who also sings lead on it! Matrix numbers indicate that "Is It Right" was recorded in the same session as "Just In Case You Change Your Mind" (included further above).
Above Right: Label image of Manor 1044-B, released in December 1946. Even though Deek Watson is still their main man and lead singer on this side, the label simply shows the group as "The Brown Dots".
Writer credits for "Long Legged Lizzie" are Herman Fairbanks and Harwood S. Watson (per ASCAP). Another side by The Brown Dots, "Shout, Brother, Shout" (Manor 1057, released in February 1947), shows the same composers. That song had been released by The Ink Spots in 1941 with Deek Watson on lead, but the composer then was Clarence Williams.
The flip-side, "How Can You Say I Don't Care", was written by Pat Best, even though the label shows "Best-Watson". Jimmie Nabbie sings lead on it. By the way, when the title of a song is a question, shouldn't there be a question mark at the end?
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Is It Right" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1017-B - 1946.
2. "Patience And Fortitude" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1017-A - 1946.
3. "Long Legged Lizzie" - The Brown Dots - Manor 1044-B - 1946.
4. "How Can You Say I Don't Care" - The Brown Dots - Manor 1044-A - 1946.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
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Above Left: THE BILLBOARD, December 7, 1946.
NOTE: In Picture (L-R Top) Deek Watson, Jimmy Gordon, (L-R Bottom) Pat best, and Jimmie Nabbie.Above Right: THE BILLBOARD, December 14, 1946.
MORE VIDEOS — DEEK WATSON AND HIS BROWN DOTS
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Above Left: Label image of Manor 1032-B, released in August 1946. Deek Watson sings the main lead on "Well Natch", while Jimmie Nabbie does the honor on the other side, "Please Give A Broken Heart A Break". BMI credits Moe Jaffe and Henry H. Tobias as ASCAP composers of "Well Natch". The flip-side, "Please Give A Broken Heart A Break", is not listed at either BMI or ASCAP. The label shows "Tobias-Reid" as the songwriters. Henry H. Tobias has 258 song titles listed at the ASCAP website.
Above Middle: THE BILLBOARD, February 15, 1947.
Above Right: Label image of Manor 1057-A, released in February 1947. Pat Best sings lead on the top side and Deek Watson, along with bass singer Jimmy Gordon, sings lead on the flip-side, "Shout, Brother, Shout".
At Direct Right: Deek shared the lead with Hoppy Jones on The Ink Spots' version of "Shout, Brother, Shout", released on Decca 4194 A in 1942. The other Ink Spots on this recording are Bill Kenny and Charlie Fuqua.
These same Ink Spots also perform the song in the 1942 movie, "Pardon My Sarong". Deek has a trumpet in this number, but is he really playing it?
The Manor and Decca labels agree on the composers as Herman Fairbanks and Harry Watson (no relation to Deek). However, the song title is not listed at either BMI or ASCAP.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Well Natch" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1032-B - 1946.
2. "Please Give A Broken Heart A Break" - Deek Watson And His Brown Dots - Manor 1032-A - 1946.
3. "I Don't Know From Nothin', Baby" - The Brown Dots - Manor 1057-A - 1947.
4. "Shout, Brother, Shout" - The Brown Dots - Manor 1057-B - 1947.
5. "Shout, Brother, Shout" - The Ink Spots - Decca 4194 A - 1942.ALL FIVE SONGS played in sequence.
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Above: Photo of Deek Watson as a Brown Dot. "Bow Wow Wow" was another of his often used expressions. Some others were "Home Cooking", "In The Bag", and "Cushfooty". In the inscription, Deek mentions "Just In Case You Change Your Mind", so the photo is probably circa 1945-1946.
As exhibited here, Deek was an excellent dresser and did not mind showing off the bling!
Pat Best, a member of Deek's Brown Dots, told this story:
Pat was there when The Brown Dots drove to an engagement to perform at the Policeman's Ball in New York City. Deek was driving the car. They were stuck in traffic at the Holland Tunnel, when Deek decided to smoke a reefer while waiting.A policeman happened to see him and came over to the car. Deek explained to him who they were and where they were headed, punctuating each sentence with a "Bow wow wow"!
The policeman allowed them to go on their way! Deek thanked him with a "Bow wow wow"!
At Direct Right: 1977 photo of Pat Best.
Three of the Brown Dots, along with a replacement for Deek Watson, became The Sentimentalists in late 1946. Their name was derived from the Pat Best song, "Sentimental Reasons". They consisted of Pat Best, Jimmie Nabbie, Jimmy Gordon, and Danny Owens. However, there already was a "Sentimentalists" vocal group who sang with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The Manor Records' group changed their name to The Four Tunes and, as they say, the rest is history.
The Sentimentalists/Four Tunes backing up Savannah Churchill (including some flip-sides by them) is covered in the Manor Records - Part Two article.
A closer look at their time at Manor Records (on their own) will be contained in the "Manor Records - Part Four" article.
DEEK WATSON'S SECOND BROWN DOTS GROUP
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Above Left: CASH BOX, February 19, 1949. Above Right: CASH BOX, March 26, 1949.
NOTE: It seems that Doris Day (Columbia) and Kay Starr (Capitol) had the hit versions of "If I Could Be With You" at the time. But there were at least five more versions making the rounds in 1949.CASH BOX, February 5, 1949:
MANOR SIGNS DEEK WATSON & BROWN DOTS TO 5 YR. PACT
NEW YORK—Irving Berman, prexy of Manor Records, Inc., this past week announced the signing of Deek Watson and The Brown Dots to a new five year contract.Watson, one of the original Ink Spots, toured the world with this group and, after an extended illness, left them and started his own group called The Brown Dots.
The Brown Dots are currently touring this country. Latest Manor release for them is "As Tho' You Don't Know".
REGARDING THE CASH BOX ARTICLE AT LEFT:
"As Tho' You Don't Know" paired with "Darktown Strutters Ball" was released on Manor 1166 in late January 1949. It was the first of four on Manor by Deek's newly formed second Brown Dots group.The next two are included below. The Brown Dots' final release for Berman is "My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean"/"You Better Think Twice" issued on Manor 1179 in May 1949. That record is on very bendable vinyl. The Billboard reviewer rated the sides as 33 (poor) and 48 (barely satisfactory), respectively.
So the "new five year contract" was good for just a few months! Deek carried on with one record each on Majestic (1948) and Castle (1949). Then two records on Varsity (1949) and one each on the Brown Dot (circa 1950) and Jubilee (1954) labels. The Castle record is the only one of these with a vocal group.
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Above Left: Label image of Manor 1170 B, released in February 1949. Interestingly, BMI credits only "Deek Watson" as composer of both "At Our Fireplace" and "Bow-Wow-Wow". Unknown to me who the people that are credited on the above label (along with Irving Berman) might be. The label for "Bow-Wow-Wow" gives writing credits to "Watson-Berman". Deek Watson sings lead on "At Our Fireplace" and the main lead on the flip-side, "Bow-Wow-Wow".
Above Right: Label image of Manor 1171 B, released in March 1949. Neither song is credited at BMI. The flip-side label shows "Creamer-Johnson" as the composers. ASCAP has a "If I Could Be With You" title composed by Lee Johnson, but no "Creamer" is listed.
The Billboard Review (3/5/49):
DEEK WATSON–THE BROWN DOTS — MANOR 1170....
Bow-Wow-Wow (83) Deek really gets it here with a rollicking performance of a zany nonsense novelty. Rhythmic baritone sax, handclapping, and bongoes make a leaping beat in back.
At Our Fireplace (73) Switch of mood here as Deek and group do a sentimental ballad with a gypsy-type melody.(NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered as "good" and 80-89 as "excellent".)
The Billboard Review (4/16/49):
GWENN BELL AND THE BROWN DOTS — MANOR 1171....
If I Could Be With You (72) Thrush does the standard simply and tastefully, with easy vocal-group backing by the Dots.
After Awhile (71) Things are more glissy [shiny] here as Miss Bell and the group get off some okay note-bending on an uptown-groove ballad.
THE BILLBOARD, March 12, 1949:
Bill Motta, former pianist-arranger with the Ted Streeter ork, has been named artists and repertoire director for Manor Records. He'll also handle musical arranging and disk jockey promotion for the diskery.Manor has signed Gwenn Bell, former Boyd Raeburn and Sam Donahue chirp, to a three-year recording pact....
NOTE: Gwenn Bell had three other sides released on Manor, all of those with the Teddy Napoleon Trio in 1949. Multi-year contracts with Manor Records usually did not work out well!
CASH BOX, September 3, 1949:
MANOR RECORDS TO NEW LARGE QUARTERS
NEWARK—Irving Berman and Sam Lehrer of Manor Records, New York, are moving their entire general offices, stock, display and shipping department to new and larger quarters in this city at the well known Mosque Theatre Building.Cosnat Distributing will continue to handle distribution of Manor Records in the New York area.
NOTE: Cosnat was owned by Jerry Blaine, president and owner of Jubilee Records.LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "At Our Fireplace" - Deek Watson And The Brown Dots - Manor 1170 B - 1949.
2. "Bow-Wow-Wow" - Deek Watson And The Brown Dots - Manor 1170 A - 1949.
3. "After Awhile" - Gwenn Bell With The Brown Dots - Manor 1171 B - 1949.
4. "If I Could Be With You" - Gwenn Bell With The Brown Dots - Manor 1171 A - 1949.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
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Above: CASH BOX DISK O' THE WEEK, February 26, 1949.
NOTE: (From Left Clockwise) Ricky Wells, Billy Wells, Unknown bass singer?, and Deek Watson.Can anyone identify the person in the upper right of the picture? He looks a lot like Lee Gaines (see photo from early 1940s at right), the bass singer of The Delta Rhythm Boys. Savannah Churchill and The Deltas performed on the same bill on September 28, 1948 in New York City. Irving Berman was Savannah's personal manager... Just saying.
Please don't take this thought-provoking comment too seriously, it's highly unlikely to be him.
EXTRA RECORD — THE FOUR DOTS FEATURING DEEK WATSON
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Above Left: 45-rpm label image of Castle CA-2006 A. It was released on 78-rpm format in 1949 and reissued on 45-rpm speed early in 1952. "Formerly of the Ink Spots" with no mention of "The Brown Dots". Deek does the "talking" part on the "A" and is the lead singer on the "B" side. If anyone knows the name of the "A" side tenor lead, please send an email message. For me, he sounds a lot like Lorenzo Conyers.
Above Right: Photo of Deek Watson when he was with The Ink Spots. As mentioned earlier, "Home Cooking" was one of his often used expressions.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Strange As It Seems" - Deek Watson & The 4 Dots - Castle CA-2006 A - 1949.
2. "Saturday Night Function" - Deek Watson & The 4 Dots - Castle CA-2006 B - 1949.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
NOTE: Restoration of photos, clippings, record label images, and some audio files is by Tony Fournier.
Many of the audio files used in this Manor Records' series of articles were restored by Dave Saviet.
MANOR RECORDS - PART ONE FEATURES IRVING BERMAN, PRESIDENT AND OWNER OF REGIS, MANOR, AND ARCO RECORDS. ALSO REGIS ARTISTS... GEORGIA PEACH AND SKYLIGHT SINGERS, SILVER ECHO QUARTETTE, COLEMAN BROTHERS, TINY BRADSHAW, GENE PHIPPS, TIMMIE ROGERS, TAB SMITH, TREVOR BACON, CATS AND THE FIDDLE, HAL MITCHELL, AND MAMIE MILLER. MANOR RECORDS - PART TWO FEATURES ERNESTINE WASHINGTON SINGING SOLO AND WITH THE DIXIE HUMINGBIRDS AND THE SOUTHERN SONS. ALSO EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF SAVANNAH CHURCHILL, HER FIRST RECORDS, SAVANNAH SOLO ON MANOR & ARCO RECORDS, AND SAVANNAH WITH THE FOUR TUNES ON MANOR. INCLUDED ARE THREE SAVANNAH CHURCHILL VIDEOS.
1. "I Can't Get Up The Nerve To Kiss You" - Savannah Churchill And The Five Kings - Manor 1061-A - 1947.
ALL THIRTY-FOUR ABOVE MANOR/ARCO LABEL SONGS played in sequence. At Right: THE BILLBOARD, May 12, 1945.
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Last Update: June 23, 2025
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