BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION, AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
MONTHLY MEETING THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th, 2016
2:00 PM HOMEWOOD LIBRARY – 1721 OXMOOR ROAD 35209
NEXT MEETING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9th, 2016 THE SECOND SUNDAY
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
The September meeting will a review of our recent record show. Now that we completed the show we need some feedback so we can make any necessary changes, if any, and continue to provide our dealers and customers one of the best record shows in all America. Drop by and add to the continuing improvement of the 2nd largest record show in the US.
Next month is currently open but well fill it at the meeting this Sunday I’m sure. Maybe you have a presentation you’d like to share. Let our monthly meeting rep, John McGuirk know if you would like to fill in the October slot. I can pass the word on so just let me know.
Our November meeting will be an instrumental presentation by Max. Max is our local instrumental guru and has some great sounds to play for us. Be sure to mark your calendar for that one.
SNACKS: It’s Ray and Mickie’s turn to bring the snacks and refreshments. Next month it will be Charlie’s turn – Hey! That’s me. Remember, if you are the person scheduled to bring the goodies, you will be responsible for taking home any snacks and drinks at the meeting the month before. Thanks.
BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS 2016 RECORD AND CD SHOW
Once again we had another successful show. Our dealers and customers all enjoy the Gardendale venue. This year we added approximately 25 new members. Welcome to all these new members! We had buyers from Japan, England, Germany and France visit. And other countries could have been represented since I didn’t meet everyone. And we had some great food handled by Big Daddy’s Barbecue.
The attendance was probably our largest ever. We sold over 600 tickets. With the door admissions, new members, dealers and BRC members I would say we came very close to 700 in attendance this year.
Thanks to all who volunteered from the Friday set-up all the way to cleaning up on Sunday. We could not do it without you. See you at the 2017 show!
THAT THING YOU DO
If you like movies about coming of age set in the 50’s and 60’s I think you’ll like the movie, “That Thing You Do”. Tom Hanks stars as a A & R man for a record company and is managing a garage band that just cut their first song. One of the scenes shows the band members hearing their record being played on the radio for the first time and their reaction. Screaming, hugging, turning on radios all over a appliance store and running to find each other. There is a movie about the Beach Boys that has a similar scene when they hear “Surfin’” for the first time. It made me wonder how some of the guys locally who were in bands and people I have met who have recorded records may have reacted in a similar circumstance. Here is just a few of the guys I spoke to and what they remember.
Larry Parker (Larry & The Loafers) “Panama City Blues” – Larry remembers that before the record was actually pressed the station where he worked, WIXI was playing the tape of the song. He remembers how the people called the station and commented on the record. About 6 weeks later Larry drove down to the Birmingham bus depot and picked up the first boxes of the newly pressed records. He took a copy to a WIXI remote that DJ Happy Hal Burns was in charge of that day and he had Happy Hal play a 45 for the first time. Shortly after that he took some copies to DJ Duke Rumore at WSGN and it was played there. He remembers that a lady by the name of Margie was the lady at Newberry’s department store who first sold the record to the public. About 2 weeks later the 45 was available at Rumores Record rack. He felt fantastic that the 45 was being played over the air and that the response to it was very good. And on some national internet stations I can still hear it played today.
Henry Lovoy (Rockin’ Rebellions) “By My Side” – Henry remembers being in the car with band mate Donald Barbee. They were going towards Birmingham on 5th Ave North and if you are from this area you’ll know that you go through a short tunnel just before getting into town. Henry said the radio was on and as all AM radio stations would do in the 60’s, when you enter a tunnel you lose reception. As they were in the tunnel they could hear a song faintly playing and as they got towards the end of the tunnel there it was – their recording of ‘By My Side”. Henry said they got so excited they nearly wrecked.
Jon Adair (The Ramrods) “Firetower” – Jon remembers going to Holiday Beach located just outside the Birmingham area and while browsing through the records on the jukebox he saw ‘Firetower’. The people he was with immediately starting playing it, again and again. Just seeing the 45 made Jon very excited especially since it came as a total surprise that it was there. And of course one thing that all the guys in bands liked was how it impressed the girls.
Travis Wammack “Scratchy” – Travis was 16 years old but still remembers a black radio station in Memphis, WDIA playing “Scratchy”. He said it would freak him out to hear it. Another remembrance he has about hearing it was being in New York at the World’s Fair (more about that in a moment) and while in the hotel room the guys were channel surfing on the radio and suddenly he heard it playing in NEW YORK! Again, he was freaked out. Now, why was he in New York. A duo in England, Peter & Gordon had heard “Scratchy”, the 45 was getting more airplay in the UK at the time than in the states, and asked their manager to get Travis and his band to back them on a US tour. Travis had flow to New York to team up with Peter & Gordon and toured with them on their first US tour. Because of the airplay another moment in rock history would happen. A group called the Beatles also heard “Scratchy” and their lead guitarist, George Harrison called Travis to get pointers on how he got certain sounds from the guitar. And George was not the only one. Rick Derringer, of the McCoys at the time and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin also spoke with Travis about his style of play. One last comment about that, when Travis was backing Little Richard they were in England and Jimmy Page came up to a Travis’ son and when he asked Page if he would like to meet Little Richard he said no. He said “I want to meet your daddy”.
Larry Graves (The Premiers) – “Oogsy Moo” – Larry doesn’t recall exactly hearing “Oogsy Moo” on the radio for the first time but he remembers just the chance to be in a band and get a chance to record a song. He, like all members of a band thought this would give them the chance to make it big. They recorded the song at Boutwell Recording Studio here in Birmingham and local DJ, Duke Rumore promoted it. He did a good job but he didn’t have the ties to big time record companies needed to get it played nationally. Big Top records did put the 45 out but it lacked the promotion needed. But because of the record Larry remembers getting a chance to go to Memphis and perform on a local TV show similar to Bandstand. They were well received and the man who ran that show asked the group to play at his nightclub where it just so happened that the house band was Willie Mitchell’s. So one thing lead to the next and then Bo Diddley sees them and they get asked to back him. Great memories to have, Larry. And I have to add that their recording of “Oogsy Moo” is the best.
Johnny Robinson (The Ramblers) – “Hundred Miles Away” – Johnny was 15 years old and would like to say he was on a date and the song was played and the girl was very impressed by it all – but that was not the case. It was December, 1962 and Johnny was riding home from school with his mother who had picked him up – he did not have a drivers license. They were listening to, guess who, Duke Rumore on station WYDE. Duke played the 45 and Johnny wanted to be cool about it and tried to act like it was no big deal but he got goosebumps and started screaming with joy on the inside. “Wow, I really was cool. That was me playing drums on the radio”. When his mother smiled and said, “That’s my boy”, he could not have been more prouder. He remembers how hard they had worked on the song and then got a chance to record it at Ed Boutwell’s first English Village studio right outside of Birmingham. The record was played for many weeks and made the “850 AM Play List” along with other songs such as Elvis’ “Return To Sender”, Ricky Nelson’s “Its Up To You”, and Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine”. Their instrumental was on the list along side other instrumentals like “Telstar” and “The Lonely Bull”.
Thanks to the guys who shared these stories with us. I’m sure they all have fond memories of those days. There are many more of our members who recorded a record and may have a story to share. If you do, please contact me and let me share it in a future newsletter.
BRC RADIO – HEART AND SOUL OF ROCK AND ROLL
Don’t forget to check out the radio shows the club offers on our website. We now have over 80 shows with over 1400 different songs. Check it out at:
www.birminghamrecord.com/brc/category/radio
– Tell a friend!
HEY! HAVE YOU HEARD THIS ONE?
Lee Williams & The Moonrays
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD THIS HIT?
Brook Benton
1962 # 3 Pop Chart / # 2 R&B Chart
See ya,
Charlie