Updates

• Added info on Jimmy Ford, thanks to Volker Houghton. • Extended and corrected the post on Happy Harold Thaxton (long overdue), thanks to everyone who sent in memories and information! • Added information to the Jim Murray post, provided by Mike Doyle, Dennis Rogers, and Marty Scarbrough. • Expanded the information on Charlie Dial found in the Little Shoe post.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

The Poor Boy label

At the end of the 1950s, Wayne Raney decided to move his interests from performing and recording to record producing. He had been very successful with running his harmonica mail order business and worked both as a DJ and musician. Around 1958, he returned to WCKY in Covington, Kentucky, where he had worked earlier on.

Around the same time, he teamed up with Jimmie Zack and founded Poor Boy Records. The initial release was Raney's "We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus (and a Lot Less Rock and Roll)." Ironically, two of the label's later releases became some of Rockabilly music's most worthy original 45rpm records. Norman Witcher recorded "Somebody's Been Rocking My Boat" b/w "Wake Me Up" in 1958 for the label. An original copy sells today for 1000 up to 1500 USD. Another expensive record is "Servant of Love" by Lee and Arnold Van Winkle, "The Van Brothers," which reached up to 400 USD and more. In April 1959, Billboard reported that also a group called "The Gays" recorded for Poor Boy. They were also said to be regular performers on the Louisiana Hayride on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Based in Richmond, Indiana, near the Ohio-Indiana state border, Raney and Zack also set up another office in Muncie, Indiana, which was soon called "home office." Billboard noted in February 1959 that Poor Boy was located in Muncie, the debut release by Raney showed a Richmond adress, though. The Richmond office also housed Walton Records, another label affiliated with Poor Boy. Strangely, this label was owned by Norman Walton and not by Raney and Zack. Apart from a 1962 EP which featured four tracks by the Van Brothers, there were mostly Country/Gospel recordings on the label. Norman Walton wrote and co-wrote several songs that were recorded for Poor Boy/Walton ("Servant of Love," "Sweet Marie," "We've Got to Answer") and even is listed as an artist on the Walton EP.In 1964, Walton moved from Richmond to Cambridge City, Indiana.

By that time, Raney parted and became an independent producer. He sold his harmonica mail order business in 1961 and moved to Concord, Arkansas, where he bought a 180 acre farm and built his own pressing plant and recording studio. The Rimrock record label was launched in 1965.



Poor Boy discography

100: Wayne Raney - We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus (and a Lot Less Rock and Roll) / Don't You Think It's Time (1958)
101:
102: Norman Witcher - Somebody's Been Rocking My Boat / Wake Me Up (1958)
103:
104: Gays - Don't Rush Me / You're Never There
105: Les & Helen Tussey / Golden Hill Boys - They Went Around / Married to a Friend
106: Les & Helen Tussey / Golden Hill Boys - If Jesus Was in the Hearts / We've Got to Answer
107: Danny Brockman and the Golden Hill Boys - Stick Around / Don't You Know It's True
108: Connie Dycus - Same Old Thing / Hand Full of Ashes
109: Wayne Raney - Simply Wonderful / Everybody's Going Crazy (1960)
110: Originales - Bandstand Sound / Lend Me Your Ear
111: Van Brothers - Sweet Marie / Servant of Love  (1960)


Walton discography

EP-950: Winston Shelton and the Country Gospel Singers - From Bethlehem to Calvary / Stop and Think / I'm Not a Poor Man / On the Banks of Old Jordan
001: Richmond Friendly Four - Lord / I've Been a Hard Working Pilgrim / He Will Go / He Knows the Way / Someday They'll Be No Tomorrow
002:
003: Norman Walton & Van Brothers - Take That Lock from Your Heart / Too Many Women / Sweet Marie / Servant of Love (1962) 
004:
005: Gentry Brothers - My Wildwood Flower / Uncle Orie - Uncle Sam (1962)
007: Gil Richmond and Earl King - Doing Things / Let Me Talk It Over with My Heart
008: Betty Brown - Do You Remember / My Larry
009: Gil Richmond and Earl King - Stop, Slow Down / Your Faithful Fool
010: Jimmy Walls - What a Little Kiss Can Do / Stop Look and Listen
011: Flora C - Walk Away, Walk Away / A Dairy of Dreams
1500: Jimmy Walls - Hello Out There World / Look at Me Eyes (1966)
2500: Van Brothers - Uncle Jim Riggs Will / Lonesome Tonight for Tomorrow

6 comments:

Unknown said...

This is delightful! Great moments, excellent b&w conversion, and, beautiful children!
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Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I was wondering if you have any information on waymen overbay he recorded an album with a few songs from norman walton on a vinly called hootenanny roundup if you do could please email me back at Aaron.overbay@gmail.com thank you so much

Rocky Lane said...

Rockin' Country Style site says both Poor Boy 111 and Walton EP 003 are aurally identical. Jasmine 3640/1 says Walton tracks are re-recordings. What's the truth?

Mellow said...

Rocky, I don't know since I don't have the Walton EP (on my want list, for sure). Ask Al Turner, if I'm not mistaken he did the liner notes for Jasmine CD.

Doomed Productions said...

For the Walton Discography, the name is Betty Browning, not Betty Brown. And Flora C. is accompanied by The Technicians on that single Walton release.