(Week of 8/25/01 - 8/31/01)

---

WILLY & RUTH PART 1!

"Love Me"/"Cordelia"
by Willy & Ruth
on Spark 105
released in 1954

Above: Spark 105 Label. This is the second of two records by Willy & Ruth on Spark. The flip side is "Cordelia". Willy (who was Willie Headen) also had two other releases on Spark as lead singer of The Honey Bears. "Love Me" was recorded by Elvis Presley and released on RCA Victor EP/LP in 1956.

Listen to this week's selections:

A) Click on an option below to listen to Streaming Windows Media Player.

"Love Me" - Willy & Ruth - Spark - 1954
"Cordelia" - Willy & Ruth - Spark - 1954
"BOTH SONGS" NOT FUNCTIONAL!

B) Click on an option below to listen to Downloading Windows Media Player.

"Love Me" - Willy & Ruth - Spark - 1954 (file size=444KB)
"Cordelia" - Willy & Ruth - Spark - 1954 (file size=374KB)

Hollywood, Feb. 28, 1954 - Spark Records, a new label headed by A.L. Stoller, bowed recently with two releases in the rhythm and blues market. Label has set Gil Bernal, vet tenor man, and Willie and Ruth on their first sides. Lester Sill has been named national sales manager, with Jack levy repping the firm in the East. Songscribes Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who penned the click "Hound Dog" of last year, will handle the a.&r. work for the firm.

R.&B. Beat, March 1954 - ...Les Sill of Spark Records reports great action on the firm's two initial releases, "Come A Little Bit Closer" b/w "Farewell" by Willy and Ruth and "The Whip" b/w "Easyville" by Gil Bernal...

Click on an option to listen to Alan Freed playing Gil Bernal's "The Whip" on his 1954 Moondog Show on WJW in Cleveland:

Streaming Play
Download Play (file size=476KB)

Hollywood, Nov. 13, 1954 - ...To date, the Spark firm has released only eight sides since its organization in March of this year. A number of these sides have attracted national attention, such as "Riot In Cell Block No. 9" by The Robins. (Jerry) Leiber and (Mike) Stoller (see photo at left) are hailed as two of the most prolific young songwriters in the business, and have been responsible for many hits, including "Hound Dog" and "Bazoom"...

This site is non-commercial. All information displayed is provided to further the general public's knowledge of RnB vocal group harmony.