I'm looking to find out any information about two tracks by The Charmaines that I have on a King Recording Studios acetate and which I've just uploaded to YouTube.

 

Don't go getting too excited now. Both of these'll be way too early and too poppy to interest most on here.

 

My best guess is that the tracks come from 1963 and were recorded for the Fraternity label. The first one, "I saw a star fall last night" didn't get a release as far as I can tell. Perhaps someone can confirm one way or another?

 

 

The other song "I can't go on this way", is the same as the Fraternity release from 1966, except it lacks the bongo/rhythm track. This, I'm presuming, was laid on top of the arrangement to make it sound "new" at the time of its release, something like three years after being originally recorded.

 

 

Did this first version get issued at the time and can anyone provide any information on either track? All info appreciated.

Edited March 2, 201510 yr by Russell Gilbert

That's a great little find Russell. Yes they are Fraternity recordings but we don't have a tape of the "Star" one so I'll be PMing you! The other side was unreleased until 1966 but we made a mistake on our Ace CD and put the master tape out as was without folding it into mono so you're theory on the bongos is totally correct as it is on a separate track and comes out of the right speaker on its own and the left speaker is as your acetate, the original 1963 recording.

 

As you rightly surmised Fraternity used King's acetate cutting facilities hence the King label.

 

Another contribution to musical history; thanks for sharing.

For some reason we don't have the writers for the I Can't Go On This Way side, do you have them or a scan of the 45?

That's a great little find Russell. Yes they are Fraternity recordings but we don't have a tape of the "Star" one so I'll be PMing you! The other side was unreleased until 1966 but we made a mistake on our Ace CD and put the master tape out as was without folding it into mono so you're theory on the bongos is totally correct as it is on a separate track and comes out of the right speaker on its own and the left speaker is as your acetate, the original 1963 recording.

 

As you rightly surmised Fraternity used King's acetate cutting facilities hence the King label.

 

Another contribution to musical history; thanks for sharing.

 

 

For some reason we don't have the writers for the I Can't Go On This Way side, do you have them or a scan of the 45?

 

Great to know that at least some of the obscure things I post up to YouTube every now and then sometimes have an appreciative audience.   

 

The labels on both sides of the acetate are exactly as you see in the clips, so no writer/producer credits, I'm afraid. Will reply to your PM next...

Edited March 3, 201510 yr by Russell Gilbert

So when you mentioned the 1966 release of ICGOTW it was just from info on the net and the Ace info?

 

Has anyone got the record? Fraternity 970

So when you mentioned the 1966 release of ICGOTW it was just from info on the net and the Ace info?

 

 

The song's on YouTube, but that's taken from the CD. A bit of simple online detective work gave me what I've posted — I don't have that CD.

 

https://youtu.be/7jUebeoowmg