Sunday, June 08, 2008
Jim Lancaster,Ronels,Hugh Barrett,Terry Noland,Johnny Flamingo
I love Christmas records. Especially from the rock and roll era of the 1950's into the early 1960's. I often branch out a little and even run across novelty records that I just can't live without. It seems to be something about the time of the season, and the creative ways people celebrate the season. Christmas commercials are also darn interesting to me. Whether it's a car wash, a department store, or my latest - yes, even in June I am looking for these - "Jim Lancaster as Santa Claus on Fable 1000. It's red plastic and 1:12 minutes long on a one sided record. Produced in Los Angeles for the Chevrolet show rooms scattered around the state of Indiana, it ultimately was asking for everyone to come stop by their local showroom to look at the 1959 Chevrolet's. Fun stuff!
Also just recently making a new home in mine, is one of my top ten Christmas songs of all time. The Hepsters had a tune in December of 1955 called "Rockin' N' Rollin' With Santa Claus", on the Ronel label out of Chicago. They had one additional release in 1956 called "I Gotta Sing The Blues"/"This A Way". I know of just 5 or 6 issues for the label, and I only have this one by the Hepsters. You have to love the line "Little Boy Blue come blow your horn, rhythm and blues gonna make you warm". Anyway, the records on Ronel were fairly limited in their releases, but I can speak for the sound of the Hepsters, and it was great.
You may have heard the song called "There Was A Fungus Among Us". Hugh Barrrett and the Victors had a version on the Madison label from 1961, and I have owned that record for quite a while. It's a good version of the song and a nice two sider with "Got The Bull By The Horns" on the flip. The original version appears to have been written by and released by Terry Noland on Brunswick 55092, in 1958. That was the version I recall hearing on the Dr. Demento show a billion years ago. It is also a great two sided disc, with the Sonny Curtis penned "Sugar Drop" on the other side. I now have that 45, and also discovered that it was issued again in 1961 on the Coral label. Maybe in response to the previously mentioned High Barrett waxing? Great! Another record I need to buy!
I just added a page for Johnny Flamingo to my web site. I have been meaning to do that for quite a while, but just now finished it. And to be clear, it's not finished! I have several records that are missing and have included a few sides by Jeanette Baker, but the most important thing is that he (and Jeanette Baker) are recognized, even if I don't have all the discs.
Also just recently making a new home in mine, is one of my top ten Christmas songs of all time. The Hepsters had a tune in December of 1955 called "Rockin' N' Rollin' With Santa Claus", on the Ronel label out of Chicago. They had one additional release in 1956 called "I Gotta Sing The Blues"/"This A Way". I know of just 5 or 6 issues for the label, and I only have this one by the Hepsters. You have to love the line "Little Boy Blue come blow your horn, rhythm and blues gonna make you warm". Anyway, the records on Ronel were fairly limited in their releases, but I can speak for the sound of the Hepsters, and it was great.You may have heard the song called "There Was A Fungus Among Us". Hugh Barrrett and the Victors had a version on the Madison label from 1961, and I have owned that record for quite a while. It's a good version of the song and a nice two sider with "Got The Bull By The Horns" on the flip. The original version appears to have been written by and released by Terry Noland on Brunswick 55092, in 1958. That was the version I recall hearing on the Dr. Demento show a billion years ago. It is also a great two sided disc, with the Sonny Curtis penned "Sugar Drop" on the other side. I now have that 45, and also discovered that it was issued again in 1961 on the Coral label. Maybe in response to the previously mentioned High Barrett waxing? Great! Another record I need to buy!
I just added a page for Johnny Flamingo to my web site. I have been meaning to do that for quite a while, but just now finished it. And to be clear, it's not finished! I have several records that are missing and have included a few sides by Jeanette Baker, but the most important thing is that he (and Jeanette Baker) are recognized, even if I don't have all the discs.
