WESN Show #35 - Nov. 21, 2019

You Keep Me Hangin' On

Inmates, morticians, night owls and rockers unite!   A collection of 1960's rock, pop and a little bit o' soul from downstate Illinois.  Plenty of covers in this show:  Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and others.   

Plus we hear a "Sloopy" song from Decatur that came out six months before the McCoys' bubblegum smash hit "Hang On Sloopy."

ARTIST	TRACK	LABEL	YEAR	TOWN / CITY
Freddie Tieken & The Rockers	Little Latin Lupe Lou	IT	1965	Quincy
The Inmates	Around and Around (live at ISU's Wright Hall)	Reaction	1966	Bloomington-Normal
The Intruders	The World You've Created (In Your Mind)	Claremont	1966	Rockford
The Nite-Owls	Come On Back	Rembrandt	1966	Carbondale
Bobby Lee	Everyday	Decca	1961	Peoria
Bill Keen & The Tradewinds	Don't Call Me	Lesley	1961	Bloomington-Normal
Paul Bearer & The Morticians	Barbara	- no label -	1965	Paw Paw
The Holidays	I Want To Do It	Dixie	1966	Springfield
The War Lords	I've Got It Bad	Thor	1966	Bloomington-Normal
The Vanguards	Roll Over Beethoven	- no label -	1966	Mendota
Jim Friis & The Valiants	Bop A Lena	Allstar	1963	Rockford
John Mark	Tribute To Tobin	Big J	1962	DePue
The Staccato's	Moondog	Kandy Kane	1964	Peoria
Dean Carter Sound	Mary Sue	Tell	1967	Danville
Lee Rust	Did You Ever Kinda Wonder	Rofran	1965	Bloomington / Springfield
Dave Scherer & The Castels	Sloopy Can Penguin	Loki	1965	Decatur
The Kokays	Talken Girl	Milam	1965	Peoria
The Changing Times	You Keep Me Hangin' On	Thunder	1967	Bartonville
The Other Side	Lawdy Miss Clawdy	Motion	1969	Peoria
Willie Guitar Taylor & The Dark Cloud Band	Forty Going North	M.S.R.	1968 / 1971	Decatur

Extras

 

WESN Show #34 - Nov. 14, 2019

STARDAY-DIXIE-NASHVILLE : Downstate "Custom Series" Singles 1957-1967

A selection of 45s by downstate Illinois musicians released by Starday Records as part of their custom pressing series.   

Starting in the mid-1950's any group or singer could send Starday their recordings.  In exchange for $115 and the publishing rights, the record company would provide the artist with 300 copies of their own single to send out to radio stations or to sell.  On the early releases, artists often used their own label names.  Later on Dixie and eventually Nashville were used for these vanity pressings.

ARTIST	TRACK	LABEL	YEAR	TOWN / CITY
Bobby Mack	Waiting For You To Call	B-Mac	1958	Peoria
Art Buchanan w/ The Pioneers	Queen From Bowling Green	Dixie	1960	Wayne City
Bill & Ben and the Arkansas Travelers	The Sun Shines Brighter	Traveler	1958	Champaign-Urbana
Carl Trantham w/ The Rhythm All Stars	Deedle Deedle Dum	Starday	1958	Peoria
The Beck Brothers	Just Like You	Mid West	1960	Colchester
Carl Trantham w/ The Rythm All Stars	Where There's A Will (There's A Way)	Lincoln	1957	Peoria
Bobby Mack	Who Put The Blues In Your Heart	Dixie	1959	Peoria
Art Ontario	It Must Be Me	Dixie	1959	Wayne City
Lyle Keefer	A Fool Doesn't Know	Lincoln	1959	Elmwood
The Beck Brothers	Screamin' Mamie	Mid West	1959	Colchester
Howard Mayberry w/ The Sangamon Boys	This Just Can't Be Puppy Love	Dixie	1961	Decatur
Ray King	I'm An Old Pipe Liner	Nashville	1963	Pekin
Junior Garner w/ The Sangamon Boys	Blind Date	Dixie	1961	Decatur
Jim Durdel	Bright Lights Uptown	Nashville	1962	Arthur
Bill & Ben & The Arkansas Travelers	My One Mistake	Nashville	1961	Champaign-Urbana
The Casuals	It's Gonna Work Out Right	Nashville	1964	Decatur
The Holidays	Concussion	Dixie	1964	Springfield
Bobby Mack	Tell You What I'm Gonna Do	Nashville	1967	Peoria
Jim Wheeler & The Country Playboys	Hughes Ramble	Gen-Nell	1964	Danville
Gene Pierson	Engineer Mountain	Nashville	1963	Springfield
Marguerite Sanders	Second Fiddle To An Old Guitar	Star	1967	Sullivan
Junior Garner	Go On And Live With The Devil	Nashville	1963	Decatur

Extras

Art Buchanan (aka Art Ontario)

Jim Durdel

Ray King