Judd Records - 1958-1960

Judd Records was launched in August of 1958 by Jud Phillips, brother of Sun Records founder Sam Phillips. Beginning with Judd 1016, the label was pressed and distributed by National Recording Corporation of Atlanta, Georgia. Quality Records, LTD. Of Canada released some of the product on the Reo label. Judd’s biggest hit was “Rockin’ Little Angel” by Ray Smith. Another Judd artist who found success on other labels was Tommy Roe.

Judd Records Discography (Incomplete at this time) 45 R.P.M.

1001 Bobby Denton Back To School/Sweet And Innocent

1002 Cookie & His Cupcakes Married Life/Matilda

1005 The Creels Do You Wanna’ Jump/See Me Once Again

1006 Mark Taylor Linda Lou/Promise Me Darling

1007 Carlo & The Cupids Crazy Rock/Teenage Blues

1012 Roland James Patriotic Guitar/Guitarville

1013 Bobby Denton I'll Always Be Yours/Lover's Plea (This guy later became a state senator!!!!)

1016 Ray Smith Rockin’ Little Angel/That’s Allright

1017 Ray Smith Maria Elena/Put Your Arms Around Me Honey

1018 Tommy Roe I Got a Girl/Caveman

1019 Ray Smith One Wonderful Love/Make Me Feel Good

1021 Ray Smith Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes, You Don’t Want Me

1022 Tommy Roe Sheila/Pretty Girl 1960

Albums

Judd JLPA-701 (M) Ray Smith - Travelin’ With Ray (1960)

Rockin’ Little Angel/Rebound/Baby Just Because/Put Your Arms Around Me Honey/Speak Low/Make Me Feel Good/One Wonderful Love/Blonde Hair Blue Eyes/I’ll Be Comin’ Home/Little Miss Blue/That’s All Right

Rita Records - 1960-61

This label was formed by Roland Janes and Billy Lee Riley in 1960. They had a huge hit on their third release with Harold Dorman’s “Mountain of Love” which reached #21 on the charts. Dorman’s composition was eventually covered by Johnny Rivers in 1964 which reached #9 and Ronnie Dove whose recording pegged out at #67 in 1968.

The actual recording for the label took place in the Hi Records studio in Memphis. Rita folded in 1961 and Janes eventually opened Sonic Sound on Madison Avenue in 1962.

Rita Records Discography-45 R.P.M.

Recorded in 1960

1001 Bill Hardy Funny Paper People/Rockin’ at the Zoo

1002 Willy Willis San Antonio Rock/Cattywampus

1003 Harold Dorman Mountain of Love/To Be With You

1004 Jimmy Van Eaton Foggy/Beatnik

1005 Lightnin’ Leon Repossession Blues/Dark Muddy Bottom

1006 The Catalinas Ring of Stars/Wooly Wooly Willy

1007 Roland Janes Down Yonder/Beautiful Dreamer

1008 Harold Dorman I’ll come Running/River of Tears

1009 Gloria Brady Five Minutes More/Play Fair With Me

1010 Don Hosea John Henry/Misery

1011 Jimmy Angel That’s Alright/Angel Tears

1012 Harold Dorman Moved to Kansas City/Take a Chance on Me

Recorded in 1961

1013 Billy Riley Too Much Woman for Me/That’s What I Want

1014 Tommy Hawk I Thought About Living/Chief Sitting Bull

1014 Tommy Hawk Rockin’At the Zoo/Chief Sitting Bull

1015 Don Hosea Misery/John Henry

The Phillips RELEASED

9001 Joe Hill Louis-Gotta Let You Go / Boogie In the Park Aug. 1950

9002

Note: Single had different numbers on A and B sides.

A small quantity of 78 R.P.M. records was pressed, possibly only 300.

Sam Phillips closed the label after this release.

Phillips International Memphis, Tennessee - 1957-1963

Sun Records owner Sam Phillips launched a second label, Phillips International, in 1957. Sam felt the Sun label was too closely identified with rock n’ roll and believed the new label would open doors to new distributors for a wider variety of musical styles. The label had a distinctly global appearance and the label’s stationary mentioned offices in New York, Hollywood, and Memphis.

Phillips International would start out strong with hits by Bill Justis, Carl Mann and Charlie Rich. Despite having an impressive roster of artists after this point the hits were elusive. Sam Phillips built and opened a new recording facility during this time at 639 Madison Avenue, closing the original studio at 706 Union.

Phillips International-Singles Discography

3516 Buddy Blake You Pass Me By / Please Convince Me

3517 Hayden Thompson Love My Baby / One Broken Heart

3518 Barbara Pittman Two Fools In Love / I’m Getting Better All The Time

3519 Bill Justis and His Orchestra Raunchy / Midnight Man

3520 Johnny Carroll That’s The Way I Love / I’ll Wait

3521 Cliff Thomas, Ed and Barbara Treat Me Right / I’m on the Way Home

3522 Bill Justis and His Orchestra College Man / The Stranger (Vocal by the Spinners)

3523 Wayne Powers My Love Song/Point of View

3524 Bill Pinky and the Turks After the Hop/Sally’s Got a Sister

3525 Bill Justis and His Orchestra Wild Rice/Scroungie

3526 Carl McVoy You Are My Sunshine/Tootsie

3527 Barbara Pittman Everlasting Love/Cold, Cold Heart

3528 Ernie Barton Stairway To Nowhere / Raining the Blues

3529 Bill Justis Orchestra Cattywampus/Summer Holiday

3530 Lee Mitchell-The The Frog / A Little Bird Told Me

Curley Money Trio

3531 Cliff Thomas, Ed and Barbara Sorry I Lied / Leave It To Me

3532 Charlie Rich Whirlwind / Philadelphia Baby

3533 Mickey Milan With the Somehow Without You (with the

Bill Justis Orchestra Montclairs)/The Picture (with Chorus)

3534 Ken Cook Crazy Baby / I Was A Fool

3535 Bill Justis and His Orchestra Bop Train / String of Pearls-Cha Hot Cha

3536 Clement Travelers The Minstrel Show / Three Little Travelers

3537 Jimmy Demopoulos Hopeless Love / If I Had My Way

3538 Cliff Thomas All Your Love / Tide Wind

3539 Carl Mann Mona Lisa / Foolish One

3540 Edwin Howard Forty ‘leven Times / More Pretty

3541 Ernie Barton Open The Door Richard / Shut Your Mouth

3542 Charlie Rich Rebound / Big Man

3543 Bobbie and the Boys To Tell The Truth / Silly Blues

3544 Bill Justis and His Orchestra Flea Circus / Cloud Nine

3545 Brad Suggs 706 Union / Low Outside

3546 Carl Mann Rockin’ Love / Pretend

3547 Memphis Bells The Midnite Whistle / Snow Job

3548 Mack Self Willie Brown / Mad At You

3549 Brad Suggs Orchestra and Chorus I Walk The Line / Oo-wee

3550 Carl Mann Some Enchanted Evening /I Can’t Forget

(and the Gene Lowery Chorus)

3551 Sonny Burgess A Kiss Goodnite / Sadie’s Back In Town

3552 Charlie Rich Lonely Weekends (The Gene Lowery Chorus)/Everything I Do Is Wrong

3553 Barbara Pittman With the The Eleventh Commandment/Handsome Man

Gene Lowery Singers

3554 Brad Suggs Cloudy / Partly Cloudy

3555 Carl Mann South of the Border (With the Gene Lowery Singers) / I’m Coming Home

3556 Don Hinton Jo-Ann (With the Gene Lowery Singers) Honey Bee

3557 Jeb Stuart With the Sunny Side of the Street / Take a Chance

Gene Lowery Singers

3558 Eddie Bush Baby I Don’t Care / Vanished

3559 The Hawk I Get The Blues When It Rains / In The Mood

3560 Charlie Rich With the Schooldays / Gonna Be Waiting

Gene Lowery Singers

3561 Danny Stewart Somewhere Along The Line /I’ll Change My Ways

3562 Charlie Rich On My Knees / Stay

3563 Brad Suggs My Gypsy / Sam’s Tune

3564 Carl Mann Wayward Wind /Born To Be Bad

3565 Jimmy Louis Gone and Left Me Blues / Your Fool

3566 Charlie Rich Who Will the Next Fool Be / Caught in the Middle

3567 Jeb Stuart Dream/Coming Down With The Blues

3568 Nelson Ray You’re Everything / You’ve Come Home

3569 Carl Mann If I Could Change You /I Ain’t Got No Home

3570 Jean Dee My Greatest Hurt / Nothing Down (99 Years to Pay)

3571 Brad Suggs Elephant Walk / Catching Up

3572 Charlie Rich Just a Little Bit Sweet / It’s Too Late

3573 Mikki Wilcox I Know What It Means / Willing and Waiting

3574 Freddie North Don’t Make Me Cry / Someday She’ll Come Along

3575 Jeb Stuart Betcha Gonna Like It / Little Miss Love

3576 Charlie Rich Easy Money / Midnight Blues

3577 Thomas Wayne I Got It Made / The Quiet Look

3578 Frank Frost Crawlback / Jelly Roll King

3579 Carl Mann When I Grow Too Old To Dream/Mountain Dew

3580 Jeb Stuart and I Ain’t Never / In Love Again

the Chippers

3581 David Wilkins Thanks A lo / There’s Something About You

3582 Charlie Rich Sittin’ and Thinkin’ / Finally Found Out

3583 David Houston Sherry’s Lips / Miss Brown

3584 Charlie Rich There’s Another Place I Can’t Go/I Need Your Love

3585 Jeanne Newman Thanks a Lot / The Boy I Met Today

3586 The Quintones Times Sho’ Gettin’ Ruff / Softie

Phillips International-Album Discography

1950 Bill Justis and His Orchestra Cloud Nine (Far out Tunes By……)

1955 Graham Forbes and the Trio The Martini Set

1960 Carl Mann Like Mann!

1965 Chuck Foster At Hotel Peabody Overlooking Old Man River

1970 Charlie Rich Lonely Weekends With …

1975 Frank Frost With Hey, Boss Man!

The Nighthawks

1980 Eddie Bond Sings Greatest Country Gospel Hits

1985 Frank Ballard With Rhythm Blues Party

	EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE RECORD CORP. MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 1019 CASH McCall The Ballad Of Billie Sol/Breaking Up Please contact us with any additional information concerning this label. www.tributetotheking.org

	GOLD DUST 639 Madison Memphis, Tennessee 300 The Rockin' Rebellions Would You Like To Go/Drums And Other Things 317 THE SMOKE RING No Not Much/When Marty Throws A Party The address on the label is the same as Sam Phillips Recording Service. Kesler is named as one of the producers on the B side, most likely Stan Kesler of Sun Records. Please contact us with more information concerning this label at www.tributetotheking.org.

Kay Records - 1958

Memphis, Tenn.

These four tracks were recorded at WHBQ radio Station in Memphis. Label owner Charlie Kahn evidently was not impressed with the results and subsequently didn’t release the singles until 1960. Jody Chastain was a member of Charlie Feather’s band who alternated between playing steel guitar and bass.

1001 Charlie Feathers Jungle Fever/Why Don’t You 1958

1002 Jody Chastain My, My/Jody’s Beat 1958

Flip Records - 1955

Sun records founder Sam Phillips launched Flip records in February, 1955. The label folded abruptly after threats of legal action were voiced by Ed Wells, owner of another Flip label in Los Angeles. Recording took place at Sun studio, 706 Union Avenue in Memphis. Flip records were also issued as Sun 227, etc.

Flip Singles

227 Rosco Gordon Just Love Me Baby/Weeping Blues 1955

228 Smokey Joe The Signifying Monkey/Listen to Me Baby

231 Charlie Feathers Defrost Your Heart/Wedding Gown of White

237 Rosco Gordon The Chicken/Love For You Baby

501 Carl Perkins Movie Magg/Turn Around

502 Bill Taylor-Clyde Leoppard’s Snearly Ranch Boys Lonely Sweetheart

Bill Taylor and Smokey Jo

Clyde Leoppard’s Snearly Ranch Boys Split Personality

503 Charlie Feathers I’ve Been Deceived/Peepin’ Eyes

504 The Miller Sisters Someday You Will Pay/You Didn’t Think I Would

Philwood Memphis, Tennessee 1968-?

Tom Phillips, brother of Sam Phillips operated the Select-o-hits Record Shop located at 605 Chelsea Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. The address listed on the Philwood label was Tom Phillips' home residence on Lookout Drive. The Select-o-hits warehouse was located behind the record shop and was loaded with unsold Sun Records.

Not much is known about this label at this time. It was owned by Tom Phillips at Lookout Drive in Memphis. Please contact us with further information.

Singles- (Incomplete)

204 Junior Kimbell Tramp / You Can’t Leave Me 1968

222 Jim Harshaw Both Sides Of Me (Island) / Jacqueline 1968

223 Charlie Feathers Tear It Up / Stutterin’ Cindy Oct. 1968

The Harps Of Melody Lord Bless The Weary Soldier In Vietnam 1969

Leroy Bogart & Bogart Bros. Funky Soul /

238 J. Allen Gann I Want You / Takin' A Lot

239   Don Rose Band              Whamboogie/Why Do Fools Fall In Love

241 Richard Givhan "Girl Huntin" Pt. 1/Pt.2

242 VMO Lofton Early One Morning Parts 1 &2(Instrumental)

247 Gospel Ensemble What To Be Saved/I Will Not Haste

248 Gospel Ensemble Straighten Up/Connection To God

249 Jay Johnson Instant Rock and Roll/Buy This Record

250 Noah's Ark After The Rain (We'll Be Singing In The Sunshine) / Headline News

Album listing

David Wingo & Tom Conner 1974

Fernwood Records 1957-1965

SINGLES

101 Ramon Maupin – Love Gone / No Chance May 1957

102 Buford Peak (With Jimmy Haggett’s Band) – Knock Down Drag Out / Wishing 7/57

103 Travis Wammack – Rock & Roll Blues / I’m Leaving Today 9/57

104 Eddie Collins – Patience Baby / Can’t Face Life Alone 9/57

105 Ramon Maupin – Rocking Rufus / What’s The Use 12/57

106 Thomas Wayne – This Time / You’re The One That Done It 3/58

*This record was also released on Mercury #71287 in 1958 and Mercury 71454 in 1959

107 Scotty Moore Trio – Have Guitar, Will Travel / Rest 6/58

108 Joe Lee (With Scotty and Bill) Joe’s Mix / Ethel Mae 8/58

109 Thomas Wayne (with The DeLons) – Tragedy / Saturday Date 10/58

110 Bill Rice – Have I Waited Too Long / Love Is Lost 1959

111 Thomas Wayne (with The DeLons) – Eternally / Scandalizing My Name 4/59

112 Joe Lee – Hang Out / White Satin 1959

113 Thomas Wayne – Gonna Be Waiting / Just Beyond 5/1959

114 O’Henry & Barbara – Why Do I Love You / Wanna Jean 9/1959

115 Dewey Phillips – It Had To Be You / Beg Your Pardon 11/1959

116 Kelly Sims – Girl In Love / Betrayed By Love 1960

117 Johnny Cannon (Ace Cannon) – Big Shot / Rest 1960

118 Nick Charles – Don’t Take Your Love From Me / Can’t Stop Cryin’ For You 1960

119 Bill Rice – All Alone / Let’s Give Love A Chance 1960

120 Thomas Wayne – Guilty Of Love / Pancho Villa March 1960

121 Bill Reeder – Where Were You Last Night? / You’re My Baby April 1960

122 Thomas Wayne – Because Of You / Girl Next Door May 1960

123 Jerry McDonald – Am I A Fool / True Love, Deep Love 1960

124 Alvin & Bill & The Invictors – Typing Jive / How Long August 1960

(A. Holland and Bill Rice)

125 Bill Rice – I’ll Run And Hide / I Asked Mr. Sun 1960

126 The Psychos – Mack The Knife / Tragedy 1960

127 Bill Rice – Let The Four Winds Blow / How Will We Ever Be Together 1960

128 Thomas Wayne – Tragedy / No More, No More March 1961

* This recording was also released on the Capehart label #5009 in 1961)

129 The Lyrics – Let’s Be Sweethearts Again / You And Your Fellow 1961

* This recording was also released as Fleetwood 233 in the same year.

130 Barbara Perry – Bobby Is A Bad Boy / White Satin 1961

131 The Tarantulas – Like Spellbound / Kaw-Liga 1962

132 Bill Rice – It’s All Your Fault / Why Can’t Teenage Love Last 1962

133 Jerry Foster – Let’s Never Mention Old Times Again / I’ll Be Alright 1963

134 Jimmy Climer – The Clown With A Broken Heart / Tall Mack, The Lumberjack 1963

(with The Tarantulas)

135 Ace Cannon – Summer Time / Hoe Down Rock 1963

136 Wayne Nelson & The Sharps Combo – Tears Of Things / Fink 1964

137 Ace Cannon – Big Shot / Tie Me To Your Apron Strings Again 1964

138 Eddie Carroll – Golden Door Night Club / I’ve Never Met An Angel Before 1964

139 Blanche Ballenger – Everywhere You Go / I Love A Sailor 1964

140 Marlon Grisham Combo – Pins And Needles In My Heart / You Are My Sunshine 1964

141 Darrell Tatum – My Darling Wears White Today / Best Man Always Wins 1964

142 Glenn Honeycutt – Campus Love / Tombigbee Queen August 1965

45-1 Willie Phelps – Jimmie Rodgers Will Never Die / D.J.’s Jamboree May 1959

45-2 Willie Phelps – Yes Siree, Yes Siree / Living In The Past March 1960

202 Jimmy Hufton – Cool Cats / Shiver And Shake 1959

METEOR RECORDS 1952-1957
1794 Chelsea Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Meteor Records opened in the latter part of 1952. The label was operated by Lester Bihari. The Bihari brothers had founded the Modern label in Los Angeles and would eventually own RPM Records, Flair and Kent. The focus for Meteor was to record local and regional talent in the Mid-South and to utilize recording and pressing facilities within the area. Buster Williams’ Plastic Products was on the same street and was utilized as a pressing plant.

Meteor’s first session was recorded in November of 1952 featuring Elmo (Elmore) James and the Broomdusters. The Broomdusters lineup included Odie Payne on drums, Johnny Jones on piano and J.T. (Big Boy) Brown on tenor saxophone. The first release, Meteor #5000 “I Believe” and “I Held My Baby Last Night” made the national R&B charts.

Naturally, many artists that recorded on Sun and other Memphis area labels also recorded on Meteor and vice-versa. Examples include Memphis radio personality and longtime R&B showman Rufus Thomas, Jr. who had Sun Records first hit #181 with “Bear Cat”. Thomas can be heard on Meteor #5039, “The Easy Living Plan” and “I’m Holding On”. Little Milton Campbell, Sun #194 and #200 had “Let’s Boogie Baby” and “Love At First Sight” on Meteor #5040.

Rock-A-Billy legend Charlie Feathers recorded “Tongue Tied Jill backed with “Get With It” during a period of discontent with the way his career was progressing at Sun. These tunes eventually became Rock-A-Billy classics even though the disc died on the vine at the time. Malcolm Yelvington recorded as Mac Sales and the Esquire Trio in 1955 to sidestep his contract with Sun and his Meteor record #5022 followed the path of the dinosaur. Harmonica Frank is said to have auditioned at Meteor to no avail and Joe Hill Louis can be heard playing guitar on several sessions as Chicago Sunny Boy. Brad Suggs who had limited success with the Phillips International label turned up on Meteor #5034 with “Charcoal Suit and Bop Baby Bop”. Billy Lee Riley played session guitar for Jess Hooper with The Daydreamers in 1956, Meteor #5025.

The label’s biggest payday was most likely “Saxony Boogie”/”Dumb Woman Blues” recorded by J.T. (Big Boy) Brown and his instrumental combo, Meteor #5016. The record label lists it as Sax Man Brown with Elmo James and his Broomdusters. “Saxony Boogie” got a huge promotional push from Alan “Moondog” Freed in New York which virtually ensured extensive airplay and sales outside of the Mid-South.

Due to the Rock N’ Roll craze it became apparent that teenagers were not spending their cash on Blues music and the Bihari’s decided to discontinue the venture. The final release was Meteor #5046 in 1957.

The original building which housed Meteor Records is still standing at 1974 Chelsea Avenue in Memphis. Please contact us with additional photographs and/or information concerning the label, sessions and artists.

METEOR RECORDS DISCOGRAPHY

5000 Elmore James I Believe/I Held My Baby Last Night 1952

5001 Hep Brown Orchestra Round House Boogie/Kickin’ The Blues Around

(A side is an instrumental, Blue and Yellow label)

5002 Carl “Mr. Broadway” Green My Best Friend/Four Years, Seven Days 1953

5003 Elmore James Baby, What’s Wrong/Sinful Woman

5004 Chicago Sunny Boy (Joe Hill Louis) Jackpot/Western Union Man

5005 Earl (Whoopin’ and Hollerin’) Forest I Wronged A Woman/I Can’t Forgive You

5006 Sunny Blair Please Send My Baby Back/Gonna Let You Go

5007 Jimmy Wright’s Rocking Band Scotch Mist/Porcupine

5008 Chicago Sunny Boy (Joe Hill Louis) I Love My Baby/On the Floor

5009 Carl “Mr. Broadway” Green Horizon/Boogie Freight

5010 Buster Smith & His Orchestra Crying In The Chapel/Leapin’ In Chicago

5011 Jimmy Wright & Orchestra I’m In The Mood To Be Loved/Slow Down, Daddy

5012 Leo Baxter Orchestra Heartaches/Can’t Depend On You

5013 Al Smith’s Progressive Jazz Beale Street Stomp/Sliding Home 1954

5014 Bud Deckelman & The Daydreamers Daydreaming/Let’s Not Pretend

5015 The Angel Voices Tell The Angels/Walkin’ And Talkin’ With Jesus

5016 Elmo James Broomdusters featuring J.T. Big Boy Brown Saxony Boogie/Dumb Woman Blues

5017 Red Hadley’s Wranglers Brother, That’s All/Ring Out Those Bells

5018 Woodrow Adams & the Boogie Blues Blasters Wine Head Woman/Baby You Just Don’t Know

5019 Howard Swords & The Blue Light Boys You Will Have To Pay/I’m As Lonely As I Can Be 1955

5020 James Anderson with The Anderson Harmoneers Let My Last Days Be My Best/Something Within Me

5021 Smokey Hogg I Declare/Dark Clouds

5022 Mac Sales & The Esquire Trio Yakety Yak/A Gal Named Joe (Malcolm Yelvington)

5023 Barney Burcham & The Daydreamers Much Too Young For Me/ Can’t Steal My Way Around

5024 Sax Man Brown with The Broomdusters Featuring Elmore James) Sax Symphonic Boogie/Flaming Blues

5025 Jess Hooper with The Daydreamers All Messed Up/Sleepy Time Blues 1956

5026 Al Smith’s Broomdusters Chop Chop Boogie/Hot Rod Special

5027 Buddy Bain, Kay Wayne, Merl “Red” Taylor with the Daydreamers Daydreams Come True/Can’t We Live It Down

5028 Mason Dixon with The Red Skins Don’t Worry ‘bout Nothin’/I’ll Never Fall Out Of Love With You

5029 Junior Thompson with The Meteors Raw Deal/Mama’s Little Baby

5030 Lendon Smith with The Jesters Women/Lost Love

5031 Mary Edwards with The Saxons Oh!Oh! Mama/Chilly Willy

5032 Charlie Feathers with Jody & Jerry Tongue Tied Jill/Get With It

5033 Bill Bowen with The Rockets Have Myself A Ball/Don’t Shoot Me Baby(I’m Not Ready To Die)

5034 Brad Suggs with The Swingsters Charcoal Suit/Bop, Baby Bop

5035 Wayne McGinnis with The Swing Teens Rock, Roll&Rhythm/Lonesome Rhythm Blues

5036 Minnie Thomas with Slim Waters’ Lagoons What Can The Matter Be? /I Know What You Need

5037 Walter Miller with The Barons My Last Mile/Standing On The Highway

5038 The Del Rios with Rufus Thomas’ Bearcats The Easy Livin’ Plan/I’m Steady Holdin’ On 1957

5039 Rufus “Bear Cat” Thomas with The Bearcats Alone On A Rainy Night/Lizzie

5040 Little Milton with His Playmates Of Rhythm Love At First Sight/Let’s Boogie Baby

5041 Fenton Robinson with The Dukes Tennessee Woman/Crying Out Loud

5042 The Velvetones with The Memphis Rhythm Boys Real Gone Baby/Feelin Kinda Lonely

5043 Jimmy Haggett with The Daydreamers Tell Her True/Gonna Shut You Off, Baby

5044 Jimmy Lamberth with The Saxons Latch On To Your Baby/Let’s Pretend

5045 Little Milton with His Playmates Of Rhythm Let My Baby Be/Oh, My Little Baby

5046 Steve Carl with The Jags Curfew/18 Year Old Blues

MOON RECORDS

3331 Scenic Highway, Memphis, Tennessee

Moon records began in 1956 in Memphis, Tennessee. Owner Cordell Jackson had previously recorded demos with Sam Phillips at Memphis Recording Service and Sun Studios. She is credited as the first woman to record, promote, engineer and produce music on her own independent record label and is revered as an early rock-a-billy/roots pioneer. Nashville producer and recording artist Chet Atkins provided advice to Jackson concerning the formation of her new label, Moon Records. Moon Records early stable of artists included Barney Burcham, Johnny Tate, Joe Wallace, Alan Page and Earl Patterson.

She was born Cordell Miller in Pontotoc, Mississippi on July 15, 1923.

Cordell received encouragement from her father who played fiddle in a string band called the Pontotoc Ridge Runners. She learned piano, stand-up bass and guitar and by her twelfth birthday had performed with her father’s band on a Tupelo, Mississippi radio show. Jackson also played mandolin, harmonica and banjo but is best known as an electric guitar player. In 1943 she married William Jackson and moved to Memphis. In 1947 Cordell purchased recording equipment from Kabakoff Radio and Appliance in Memphis and began writing and taping songs as well as jamming with other musicians.

Jackson began recording and releasing product in the late 70’s when she realized there was a demand for the early Moon singles. Her career received a boost from the rock-a-billy craze in Europe which brought her international attention. Tav Falco’s Panther Burns covered “She’s The One That’s Got It” and “Dateless Nights” and she began performing with the band between sets. An appearance in the movie “Great Balls of Fire”, Budweiser commercials, Late Night with David Letterman and Regis & Kathy Lee helped spread her image as the “rockin’ granny” twanging on her red Hagstrom electric guitar. Interviews with Billboard, Spin Magazines, MTV and Entertainment Tonight and others showcased her spitfire playing and personality. She marketed her own video singles through her label in the 1990’s, including Dan Roses’ production of “The Split”. Jackson is also featured in the film entitled Wayne County Ramblin’ by Dan Rose. Memorabilia and information concerning Cordell Jackson and Moon Records are included in the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum.

MOON RECORDS-SINGLES

9 Cordell Jackson Be-Bopper’s Christmas/Rock And Roll Christmas 1956

(This single was recorded in 1956 but probably wasn’t released until 1958)

37 The Crowns (Barney Burcham) I Fell/Chain Of Broken Hearts 1958

300 Johnny Tate with the Volunteer Quartet Kind And Gentle/Keeping Your Memories 1958

301 Allen Page & The Crowns with the Moonbeams Honeysuckle/High School Sweetheart 1958

302 Allen Page & The Deltones Dateless Night/I Wish You Were Wishing

303 Allen Page She’s The One That’s Got It/Sugar Tree

304 Joe Wallace & All Woody’s Owls Leopard Man/My Teenage Dream 1959

305 Earl Peterson with the Darts Nightmare Hop/Ready For Love 1959

306 The Big Four All Keyed Up/Outa Tune 1959

307 Allen Page and Sandy&Sue and the Big Four Oh! Baby/I Wish You Were Wishing 1959

308 Johnny Tate with the Volunteer Quartet - Bop With Me Baby/ 1959

MOON RECORDS PHASE II

LP-MR 3010 THE 50’S ROCK ON THE MOON OF MEMPHIS +AN ODDITY (1979)

EP-1001 MOON RECORDS OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

EP-309 RONNIE & VIRGINIA ARMSTRONG-STEP BY STEP Step By Step/Love Is Why/Not My Will/Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary

EP-311 Cordell Jackson and her Guitar Football Widow/I’m At Home Again (In The Memories Of My Mind) 1983

EP-312 CORDELL JACKSON-KNOCKIN’ SIXTY Jazz Fried/Memphis Moon Rock/The Blues Chaser/Knockin’Sixty (Guitar Instrumentals) 1983

333 CORDELL JACKSON- THE SPLIT The Split/Tied Up/Beale Street/Love Your Rock And Roll (Guitar Instrumentals)

CD-CORDELL JACKSON LIVE IN CHICAGO on Bughouse Records 1995

Sun Records

For scans of many of these Sun Records CLICK HERE

Singles

174 Jackie Boy and Little Walter-Blues in My Condition / Sellin’ My Whiskey

Dubs were circulated to several radio stations but feedback evidently was not positive.

This record was reportedly not issued.

175 Johnny London – Alto Wizard- Drivin’ Slow / Flat Tire April 1952

176 Walter Bradford and the Big City Four – Dreary Nights / Nothin’ But the Blues

177 Gay Garth/Handy Jackson – Got My Application Baby / Trouble (Will Bring You Down) Jan 1953
178 Joe Hill Louis - We All Gotta Go Sometime / She May Be Yours (But She Comes To Me Sometime)

179 Willie Nix (The Memphis Blues Boy) – Baker Shop Boogie / Seems Like A Million Years

180 Jimmy and Walter – Easy / Before Long March 1953

181 Rufus “Hound Dog” Thomas - Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) / Walkin’ In The Rain

182 Dusty Brooks and is Tones – Heaven or Fire / Tears and Wine

183 D.A Hunt – Lonesome Ol’ Jail / Greyhoun