MOVIECRAFT RECORDS 604

ROD BURTON

Dec 56

45-604-A - Wedding Bells Are Ringing For The Bride

(No info)   (No info)

45-604-B - My New Sensation

(No info)   (No info)

MOVIECRAFT RECORDS 604

930 West 7th Place, Los Angeles, CA

Another musical blank. Missed a copy on a set sale list about 10 years ago and have seen sight nor sound of it since.

The label had moved by 1957 and was located at 6766 Hawthorn Ave, Los Angeles and any correspondence was care of Gerard Enterprises.

Confusingly, I have also seen listed another disc (Drake Morgan - My Heart Believes / Are You The One - Movie Craft 605) which may or may not be a Starday Custom, or perhaps 604 isn't one after all. Only actually seeing a copy is going to sort this one out. (MC)

Email me!

MOVIE CRAFT RECORDS 566

MOVIE CRAFT 566

930 West 7th Place, Los Angeles 17, CA

ROD BURTON - Moviecraft Orchestra
ROD BURTON and GWEN REYNOLDS - Moviecraft Orchestra

Jun 56

566-A - I'd Like To Be A Baby Sitter

(Morris-Gerard) (Golden State Songs BMI)

566-B - "I'm Dolling You Up For" Somebody Else

(Morris-Gerard) (Golden State Songs BMI)

The only info we had on this disc was a black acetate. No labels, no info, just the info in the dead wax. Now, after close to 20 years, here at last is the disc! I'm not going to pretend I know too much about the song-poem legacy of some artists, but Rod Burton's name crops up occasionally on obscure labels from God-Knows-Where. If there's anybody out there that can fill in some details on him, I'd be more than willing to add it. 


As for the music, I'm just waiting for the MP3s to arrive to compare them to the acetate (Just in case they're a little different) and I'll be able to tell you more. Well, probably not MUCH more, but just enough.


A huge thanks to Toms Sims who found a copy of the disc.
Feel free to Email me! with any other info on the label or artist.

Tom Sims

Tom Sims

COAST RECORDS 504

JACK HAMMONS

Apr 54 (BMI clearance on 4th May 1954)

504-A - Tomorrows Goodbyes    (Starrite BMI)

(Johnny Skiles / Jack Hammons)

504-B - Substitute For Love    (Starrite BMI)

(Johnny Skiles / Jack Hammons)

COAST RECORDS 504

Los Angeles, CA

The A side is a weepy hillbilly with fiddle and Steel gtr being the predominant instruments. B side is slightly faster. Jack Hammons hailed from Monroe, Louisiana and was heard singing by Col. Tom Parker as Elvis’ soon-to-be-manager drove through Monroe. Jack was singing a number of songs that were penned by himself and Johnny Skiles, who was his brother-in-law, and the Colonel quickly contacted Starday to arrange a recording session for him. (“Mr Cupid” / “That’s The Way To Fall In Love” - STARDAY 197). Johnny Skiles recorded for Honee-B and Corvette Records amongst others and probably moved up to the west coast sometime after these recordings. (See Corvette 672 later on.) As an aside, Skiles also recorded for Jimmie O’Neals’ Rural Rhythm Label (See Coast 500). (MC / Dick Grant / Al Turner).


Sad news, Jack passed away aged 83 on 24th October 2011. Apparently, Jack performed on a show in West Monroe that featured a young Elvis Presley! Oh how I'd love to have found out what Jack thought about this "New Kid On The Block"  (with thanks to Scott Walker)

Any info? malcychapman@mac.com

Label Shots: Phil Tricker

COAST RECORDS 500

COTTON HENRY and the Oklahoma Hillbillies (a)
JIMMIE O’NEAL and the Oklahoma Hillbillies (b)
Late 53

PD-500-A - Patent On My Gal   (Don Carlos BMI)

(J O'Neal)

PD-500-B - Streamliner Boogie   (Don Carlos BMI)

(J O'Neal)

COAST RECORDS 500

Los Angeles, CA

So, the first Starday Custom in this numbering series - although there may have been earlier custom pressings by Starday (some collectors say), just not part of this "famed" series.

Don Pierce had left 4-Star Records by this time and was unemployed, a husband and a new father. Working for McCall had been a good learning experience for Don, especially when it came to both publishing of songs and setting up a "Custom" record department - where artists would pay the company to put a record out for them. Don finally found work at Starday Records; becoming the Starday President (whilst Pappy Daily dealt with record production and Jack Starnes was the talent scout.) Don worked out of an office at Charley Washburn's COAST Record set up. The office space was free as long as the Coast pressing plant got to press any Starday releases. The other two stayed in Texas where the label was based.

Cotton Henry is a bit of a mystery. He may well have been from Oklahoma originally but was residing and playing in Los Angeles at the time. Henry went on to cut two sides for the main Starday label "Alibying Sweetheart" / "Eskimo Nell" - STARDAY 129 (1954) and "Two Times Two" / "Let's Be Sweethearts Tonite" - STARDAY 171 ((1955), plus "Devil On My Shoulder" / "Trusting You" on RURAL RHYTHM 552 (1962). Most of the songs were written by Jimmie O'Neal and Johnny Tyler.

There may also be a Johnny Tyler connection, as Tyler co-wrote Alibying Sweetie with Jimmie O'Neal (also in the Oklahoma Hillbillies) and Tyler's original group was called the "Original Hillbillies." It is also worth noting that in 1953, Tyler had moved to Atlanta and was appearing nightly at "Joe Cotton's Rhythm Ranch" down on Baker St. Joe Cotton's Rhythm Ranch was operated by Jimmy Smith, who fronted the band, Jimmy Smith and the Texans, which in 1953 included Johnny Tyler and Smith's wife... I don't know for sure, but I guess there is a possibilty that the Cotton Henry mystery is somehow tied up with Jimmy Smith and Johnny Tyler. 

Jimmie, on the other hand, was a tiny bit more famous. He eventually formed the Rural Rhythm label out of Arcadia, CA, which catered mainly in country and bluegrass music whilst also issuing some great rock-a-billy discs too.

Streamliner Boogie is a talking blues ditty with some nice guitar work - marred by poor sound quality on the disc. Henry's side is a relaxed hillbilly disc with fine accompaniment from the Oklahoma Hillbillies (who featured a stand out guitarist - sorry - don't know who this is.) The publishing is also a bit of a puzzle (at least to me) as I would have expected this to be published by Starrite or at least Golden State Songs. Don Carlos Music appears on quite a few releases on Wolf-Tex Records (Wolf City, TX)and also appears on the Big Bob Dougherty Cosmopolitan  Record release later in this series. (MC / Big Al Turner / Phil Tricker / Joe Watson / Nate Gibson)

Source: Phillip J Tricker

Youtube (Cotton Henry) = https://youtu.be/v5exTqHGN3w

Youtube (Jimmie O'Neal) = https://youtu.be/LgWEcniYAu0

If you know any further info on either artist, please contact me at the email address listed below.

Any info? malcychapman@mac.com