All posts by Chris Bishop

George Quarta Jr. “Get Loose” / “Don’t Move” and Bob Cribbie “Vow of Love” / “Rockabilly Yodel” on Cool Records

George Quarta, Jr. Cool 45 Get LooseToday I’m featuring two rockabilly artists, George Quarta Jr. and Bob Cribbie, who both grew up in Hudson, New York.

In 1959 they each released a 45 on the Cool Records label out of Harrison, New Jersey. George Quarta Jr. cut “Get Loose” / “Don’t Move”, and Bob Cribbie made “Vow of Love” / “Rockabilly Yodel”.

Cool Records attracted artists from Florida to Vermont. The Hudson connection might be coincidental. The records do not sound similar and may have been cut at different sessions or studios. What makes me think this could be more than coincidence is the 45s had successive release numbers: Bob Cribbie on Cool Records CJ-117, and George Quarta on Cool CJ-118.

George Quarta was born on December 21, 1931 and died on September 6, 2017. Quarta’s obituary states “He performed in the Hudson area including at the old Community Theatre where billboards of George lined the walls as the girls excitedly gathered to hear him sing and play his guitar.” The Community Theatre still stands, but has been disused for decades.

Bob Cribbie Cool 45 Rockabilly YodelBob Cribbie’s vocal on “Vow of Love” is straightforward, but his delivery on “Rockabilly Yodel” is very much “outsider” in nature; he certainly has an odd sense of timing! Bob became known as a idiosyncratic yodeler, appearing on radio and late night TV under his own name and then as Avalanche Bob.

Did George and Bob know each other? I have no idea. Nearly everyone involved in these records has passed away.

What was the connection that brought Hudson NY artists to record at Cool?

It was likely veteran talent scout Jim Small, of nearby Elizaville, NY.

Jim Small and Slim Whitman after WCOP’s Hayloft Jamboree, Cash Box May 16, 1953

Jim Small’s ten years of mentions in trade publications hints at the tough life of a record A&R man.

In 1953 and 1954, Jim received mentions in Cash Box as manager of WCOP, Boston, and business manager of New England’s “Dude Ranch Jamboree” out of WJAR-TV, in Providence, RI.

Billboard, Sept. 29, 1958:
Jim Small of Elizaville, N.Y. .. has accepted talent-scout duties with Johnny Dee’s Vitam Distribution Company, Harrison, N.J., and Johnny Ponz’s Ace Records, New York. Jim will cover Dee’s three labels, D, c.&w.; Vitam, pop, and Cool, rock ‘n’ roll. He’ll cover c.&w. and rock ‘n’ roll for the Pony label. Small, who was laid up most of last winter with pneumonia, says he’s good as new again.

Cash Box, October 11, 1958:

Jim Small … has been chosen by two record companies as a national talent scout. One is Vitam Distribs of Harrison, N.J., which has three labels: the strictly country “D” label, the pop Vitam, and the rock ‘n’ roll Cool label. Small will represent all three. The other outfit is Ace Records, New York, which will add country releases to its pop catalog.

(I am not familiar with a Harrison, NJ “D” label. It could be that it was not used because of Pappy Daly’s D label out of Houston which started earlier that year. I know of only one release on Vitam, Ray King and the Joe Derise Orchestra, “Can It Be Love” / “I’ll Always Love You.”)

Billboard, November 24, 1958 reported:

Visitors at the desk last Wednesday en route to the Nashville deejay festival, were promoter-manager Jim Small of Elizaville, N.Y. and a pair of his artists, Dick Sawyer of Stratford, N.Y. and Neil Swanson, who for the last four years has appeared on “Teen-Age Barn” TV show originating in Schenectady, N.Y … Sawyer’s initial release on Cool Records, “Sandy” b.w. “New Kind of Lovin’,” is due for early release.

The Glens Falls, NY Post-Star on August 6, 1959 mentions talent scout Jim Small in connection to Gerald Galusha, who made a record for Cool as Jerry Edwards, “Shedding Tears” / “Easy to Please” on Cool CJ-128.

Billboard August 3, 1959:

Jim Small, A&R man with Joe Flis’ Milo Recording Company, Harrison, NJ, has taken over the personal management of three Cool Records artists – Dave Osborn, Johnny White and Artie Davis. Small recently ushered Osborn to Wheeling, W.Va., for a guest shot on WJVA’s World’s Original Jamboree. White’s newest Cool release couples “Cryin’ Room” and “Rose in the Garden,” while Davis’ new one on that label is “Book of Love” b/w “Hawaiian Boogie.”

Billboard, April 4, 1960:

Jim Small, who has been associated with the c.&w. music field more than 25 years, has been named vice-president of Milo Recording Company, Harrison, N.J., by owner-manager Joe Flis. Jim has long served as talent scout for Milo and organized the firm’s c.&w. department with its Cool label. Small is presently in De Land, Fla., recuperating from an attack of ulcers which laid him low for several months. He is continuing with his scouting and auditioning during his Florida stay. With him is his right-hand man and assistant, Dave Osborn. Small’s home and office is in Elizaville, N.Y. [Dave Osborn came from nearby Hillsdale, NY, and made records on both Milo and Cool.]

Jim Small’s A-B-S Records label in March 1963: the artist pays $300 for 300 records … future royalties uncertain. George Quarta and Bob Cribbie probably made a similar deal with Cool Records

Billboard, July 25, 1960:

Jim Small, Veepee of Milo Recording Company and Cool Records, Harrison, N.J. is currently on a talent-scouting expedition thru Pennsylvania. Touring with him are his assistants Bud Bailey and Bob Weiss. Dave Osborn, who worked with Small out of the Cool branch in DeLand, Fla. the past winter, is spending the summer with his band in his native New York State. He will return to Florida with Small in the late fall. Jim reports that he is amazed at the amount of solid c.&w. talent that has been overlooked in Pennsylvania.

Billboard April 13, 1963:

Jim Small, president of A-B-S Records, Inc., Elizaville, N.Y., is back in action after spending most of the last 10 months in the hospital. Small has named Bud Bailey as general manger of A-B-S. Firm last week released a new one by Mickey Barnett and His Wranglers, “Just a Memory” b.w. “I’m Sorry I Cheated on You,” both penned by Mickey himself. A new A-B-S religious release spots “I’ve Been With Jesus” and “When I Move” as done by the Missionaires Quartet of Miami.

The Wilmington, Delaware News-Journal March 10, 1964:

Howard Rash, a songwriter and singer of country and western ballads, has purchased ABS Records from Jim Small of Elizaville, N.Y., and DeLand, Fla.

The Xployts

The Xployts at a high school Valentine’s Day dance in Riverside, 1965

Mike Butler sent in these photos and wrote to me about his band, the Xployts. Members included:

Berl Bartz – vocals
Mark Sherrill – guitar
Mike Butler – guitar
Ned Moore – bass
Warren Moore – drums

The Xployts played in the Inland Empire area of Southern California from 1965 through 1969. We started as a surf band then moved to a cover band for top forty songs, and ended up as a blues band.

We played local high school dances, proms, street dances, teenage night clubs, and a local concert venue named Swing Auditorium. Swing Auditorium was the first place The Rolling Stones played when they arrived in the United States in 1964. We played a couple of gigs with the Whatt Four and The Light.

The Xployts drumhead
The Xployts drumhead, photo courtesy of Warren Moore
I worked at Chauncey Romero’s House of Note in Redlands after graduating from Redlands High School. Chauncey is still a friend. 

We broke up in 1969 when three of us were drafted. The draft caught up with us before we could record.

I’m still in touch with our drummer Warren and our bass player Ned. Warren still has the drum head with our band’s name.

Mike Butler

The Xployts at Liers Music in San Bernardino, from left: Berl Bartz, Mark Sherrill, Mike Butler (sitting), Ned Moore, and Warren Moore
The Xployts at a high school Valentine’s Day dance in Riverside, 1965

The Sunday Funnies “Sunny Covington Avenue” / “It Won’t Happen to You” on Skoop

Photo card included with some copies of the Sunday Funnies 45 on Skoop. From left: John Rice, Luke Pride, Gary MacShara and Tom Sheffer.

The Sunday Funnies 45 on Skoop 1070 has two excellent original songs, “Sunny Covington Avenue” an uptempo rocker, and “It Won’t Happen to You”. The labels list Gary McShara (actually Gary MacShara) as the song writer on the labels, with publishing by Buna Music. I don’t own a copy of the 45, unfortunately.

A photo card included with some copies of the record has a photo that predates Pat Berry joining the group, and has the name of manager Wayne Watters crossed out.

Sunday Funnies profiled in the Evansville Press, March 30, 1967

I came across this profile of the group from March, 30, 1967, which would date the single to about April, 1967:

The group … has become known through various appearances at such Evansville places as the Community Center at the Coliseum and on local television.

The Messenger of Madisonville KY, Friday, Oct. 14, 1966
The Sunday Funnies combo also has performed throughout the Tri-State area, but is hoping to become still better known through its recording of ” soon to be released

The group’s drummer, Gary MacShara, an 18-year-old employee of Our Lady of Mercy Hospital at Morganfield, Ky., wrote both of the tunes. The recording, which will be the Sunday Funnies’ first, is expected to be released soon on the Skoop label from the Santa Claus, Ind. studios.

Also in the combo are John Rice, 17-year-old Union County High School senior from Morganfield, on lead guitar; Luke Pride, 14-year-old Pride, Ky., resident who is a freshman at Sturgis Junior High, the organist; and Tom Shaeffler [Tom Sheffer], 16-year-old junior at St. Vincent Academy near Waverly, Ky., on bass guitar.

Newest member of the group is the singer, Pat Berry, 21, of Morganfield. Richard Young, a disc jockey for a Morganfield radio station, is the group’s business manager.

The group has been together since last September performing “mostly as a hobby and something to do,” Rice explained.

None of the group’s members are now planning to make music a career, he said.

In their appearances, the group strives for a different sound. “We don’t try to get real loud because we don’t especially care for that, but at the same time we try to move away from the old surfing sound,” Rice said.

“Our’s is a straight, no beat, but melodious sound lacking the tangy guitar sound. We’re trying to develop the Utah sound Gary played with a musical group before moving from the western state to the Tri-State,” Rice explained.

The instrumentalists each previously played with other combos, he noted.

Dave and the Squires “The Girl of My Dreams” on Radex

Dave and the Squires Radex 45 The Girl of My DreamsDave and the Squires cut this moody original song “The Girl of My Dreams” in late 1965, released on Radex R65121. The flip is a slow version of “Ferry Cross the Merscy” [sic].

I know nothing about the group except one member’s name, Dave Lamoreux who wrote the A-side and sang lead on both sides.

Radex Recording Studio was in business in Freeport, Illinois into the 1980s. Its most notable production may be the Nomadds who cut an album there, Nomads Originals Plus. Owner Dexter Witt passed away in January 2023.

The Cannons “Day to Day” on Night Owl

from left: Peter Loeb, Jim Perkins, Mike Turk and Mike Keilhofer, with Lee Larsen kneeling in front.The Cannons came from Madison, Wisconsin, releasing singles in 1966 and 1967. Members were:

Lee Larsen – lead vocals
Mike Keilhofer – lead guitar
Peter Loeb – sax and rhythm guitar
Jim Perkins – bass
Mike Turk – drums

Gary E. Myers’ book Do You Hear That Beat has Jerry Cratzenberg on bass.

Their first single was “Sweet Georgia Brown” / “Lonesome” on Fan Jr. 5504, produced by Skip Nelson.

Cannons Night Owl 45 Day To DayIn January 1967 they made their masterpiece, “Day to Day”, backed with “‘Love,’ Little Girl”.

No writing credits are listed for either song on the Night Owl 45, or for “Lonesome” on the earlier Fan, Jr 45, but a Capital Times profile stated “‘Day to Day'” and “‘Love Girl'” … both songs were written by ‘The Cannons.'”

“Day to Day” was reissued on Highs in the Mid Sixties Vol. 15 retitled “Days Go By”, and wrongly listing the band’s origin as Milwaukee.

The Capital Times ran a profile of the group by Gary Rettgen on February 6, 1967:

‘The Cannons,’ Local Rock ‘n’ Roll Group, Discovered by Chicago Agency

A musical group of young Madison men has been “discovered” by Chicago’s Williard Alexander booking agency … but the “discoveries” already are well known to Madison rock ‘n’ roll fans.

The local Upstairs at the Gun Club, Cottage Grove Rd., bills them as “Madison’s Number One Band.” Recently the group were first place winners in the March of Dime benefit band contest at the Capitol Theatre.

Familiar, too, is the face of its long-haired, bearded leader, Peter Loeb, 21, who wields a “wicked” sax and wild second guitar … Peter will enter graduate school in social work after June graduation.

Mike Keilhofer, 20, on lead guitar is a student at the Wisconsin School of Electronics.

The bass player is 20-year-old Jim Perkins, who by day attends Madison Business College.

Mike Turk, 20, the drummer, is a U. of Wisconsin sophomore.

Singing with “The Cannons” is Lee Larsen, 19, a printer’s apprentice by day at Webcrafts. The only married man in the group, he has a daughter…

A young brother, Greg Loeb, 18, a U. of Wisconsin freshman, has formed a group of his own. Their name: “The Grapes of Wrath.”

The Varments with Bill Truett “Love Is a One Time Thing” on Varment

Varments Bill Truett Varment 45 Love Is a One Time Thing

The Varments cut two good original songs “Love Is a One Time Thing” / “I Want to Salute You Girl” for their only 45 on Varment JW 101/102. Bill Truett was the song writer and, given the prominent credit on the label, probably the lead vocalist. The other members are only listed by first names: John, Dave and Dennis.

There’s no identifying info on the label as to location. The dead wax simply repeats the JW 101/JW 102 code, with no other marks. I’m not sure what the JW refers to.

The B-side title is misprinted with Saulte instead of Salute.

Any further info on the Varments would be appreciated.

Varments Bill Truett Varment 45 I Want to Salute You Girl

Caravan of Sound “Walking High” on Victory Productions

Caravan of Sound Victory Productions 45 Walking HighThe Caravan of Sound made this cool instrumental 45 in 1969. “Walking High” starts out with the “Dirty Water” riff then turns into something the Bobby Fuller Four could have cut. It’s backed with the milder “Happy Caravan”. Both tracks are credited to R. Hudson, probably the very skilled lead guitarist on both sides.

Released on Victory Productions K 2179 in 1969, I have no idea where the group came from. There was a Caravan of Sound playing in New Hampshire and Maine in 1969-1970s, but they played country music. From the sound of the record, I expect this Caravan of Sound was a California group.

The RCA pressing codes X4KM-1074/X4KM-1074 date the pressing to 1969. Usually RCA pressings have a plant code in the dead wax: R, H or I, but this one lacks that, or it is so faint I cannot make it out. I do see a faint C etched after the stamped matrix, but no indication of regional pressing plant.

The Heard from Haverhill, MA

The Heard from Haverhill, MA, from left: Charles Buzzell, Jr., Robert Fountaine, Michael J. Moustafa, and Eric McFadden
The Heard, from left: Charles Buzzell, Jr., Robert Fountaine, Michael J. Moustafa, and Eric McFadden

The Heard came from Haverhill MA but I don’t believe they ever recorded. Dennis Villanucci, bassist with another local group, the Royals, sent me the photo and card seen here.

Heard Haverhill MA business cardMembers included:

Mike Moustafa – lead guitar
Chuck Buzzell – rhythm guitar and bass
Eric McFadden – organ
Bob Fontaine – drums

Dennis tells me Eric McFadden is still performing today.

The Modulation Corporation “What to Do” on Atom

Modulation Corporation Atom 45 What To Do

The Modulation Corporation made one 45 on Atom 1001 in November, 1967: the tough garage song “What to Do” b/w the bluesy “Worms”, both written by Francis W. Wilson II, and cut at Texas Sound Studios in San Antonio.

I don’t know the names of other members in the group. Francis Wilson seems to have been known as Billy Wilson. Covering the wedding of Jane Ellent Grant and William Eilers Jr. in Luling, TX, the Shiner Gazette on December 7, 1967 mentioned “An orchestra, Billy Wilson and the Modulation Corporation, provided music during the reception.”

The Modulation Corporation seem to have been together only during the fall of 1967. I’ve read the group was from San Marcos, about halfway between Austin and San Antonio, but most of the notices I’ve found are from two Austin venues, the Lake Austin Inn and the Pleasure Dome.

They had regular gigs at the Lake Austin Inn in September and October, 1967

On December 29-30, 1967 the Modulation Corporation played two nights with the South Canadian Overflow at the Pleasure Dome, and may have been included in the New Year’s Eve show with the Golden Dawn, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and the Afro-Caravan.

Anyone have a photo of the group?

The Pleasure Dome

Modulation Corporation Golden Dawn Pleasure Dome Austin American Statesman Friday, Dec. 29, 1967
The Pleasure Dome opened on December 15, 1967 with the Thingies and underground films like Scorpio Rising. It was located at 222 E. 6th Street in what had been the Yank Theater building. Bill Simonson managed the club, with lighting by an unnamed person who had done lighting at the Electric Circus and the Cheetah in New York City. In progress off the lobby was the Sacred Mushroom Bar.

From notices in the American-Statesmen, the Pleasure Dome seems to have lasted only one month.

The first week of January the Pleasure Dome had the Thingies and South Canadian Overflow on Friday, the Strawberry Shoemaker and the Golden Dawn on Saturday, and the Golden Dawn and the Thingies on Sunday.

The following week featured the Thingies, the Starvation Army Band and the Vines. I have found no further notices after that.

Modulation Corporation Golden Dawn Pleasure Dome Austin American Statesman Thurs, Dec. 28, 1967

Gossip “No One’s Standing in Your Way” / “Whispering Wind”

Gossip Gossip Records 45 No One's Standing in Your WayGossip made this one great two-sided 45 “No One’s Standing in Your Way” / “Whispering Wind” in October, 1968, released on Gossip Records ARA 102268.

The only name on the label is Monte Gagg, a senior at Scotsdale High School according to a April 5, 1969 Arizona Republic news item about a production of Our Town at the school.

The female vocalist is supposed to be Carolyn Thompson who had an album as Carrie Thompson on Rolling Bay Records in 1980, and three CDs as Carri Coltrane in the 1990s.

The band’s playing and vocals are very accomplished, heavy on “No One’s Standing in Your Way”, and with some psychedelic guitar on “Whispering Wind”. According to a youtube comment, the lead guitarist was Dennis Alexander, later engineer / owner of Pantheon Studios.

If anyone has more info on the group please contact me. I don’t believe they were mentioned in Edward Wincentsen’s Yes, Phoenix Had Music In The Sixties!
Gossip Gossip Records 45 Whispering Wind