Robbk

I agree. He doesn't use a uniform process for from where the recordings and label photos are taken, and doesn't seem to know as much about each record as he would IF he had possession of the original records (e.g. he's also taking information about the various records from various sources (sometimes not having access to a sharp, readable scan of the original record label). If they were all in his collection, he'd either be taking them all from a uniform quality digital copy he'd made earlier, or directly recording them off playing them on a turntable, and then digitising those recordings.

My first bootleg purchases were the 3 Flamingos' issues on Parrot Records from 1953-54, made during the early 1960s(1961-2?), with the only difference from the originals being the word "Bronzeville" (Chicago neighbourhood) being misspelled to "Bronxville" (reflecting that the boots were pressed in New York, rather than Chicago, and so the boot could be distinguished from the original, as otherwise, it was really difficult to recognise the difference from the originals). My second set of boots were 3 1952-53 Flamingos, and 2 Moonglows issues on Chance Records, also pressed by an East Coast R&B collector/record dealer, around the time during the early1960s(1963?), as the Parrot records were booted.

Thanks Dave, I always thought they were one in the same. So ARDCO had a pressing plant, and the small record companies who got their records pressed there, also got ARDCO to distribute them both regionally, and IF they hit big in California, ARDCO would also distribute them nationally. Speaking of ARDCO, I always wondered if they and CIRCA (Consolidated International Record Company of America) were related (they both distributed many of the small small Indie record labels , mostly located in L.A. Metro Area, and S.F. Bay Area, and San Diego (e.g. California), sand both used the same Blue Ribbon Icon. Here's what I found when Googling that question: "CIRCA and ARDCO were related in the context of the music industry, specifically in record distribution. ARDCO (Allied Record Distributing Company) was a distribution company established by Allied Record Manufacturing Company in 1958. It focused on distributing independent labels and offered services that covered the entire manufacturer-distribution relationship. CIRCA (Consolidated International Record Company of America) was founded by Mike Elliot, who was formerly the general manager of ARDCO. When Allied and ARDCO were sold to PRI in 1961, Elliot left to create CIRCA. Successor Relationship: CIRCA adopted a business model very similar to the one previously used by ARDCO, and Billboard magazine reportedly presented ARDCO as CIRCA's predecessor. Essentially, CIRCA grew out of ARDCO, building upon a similar business model for independent record distribution. "

I'm sure I saw a scan Monarch's official pressing totals from their start through the 1970s, and it had a split between vinyl and styrene. I've also read that they had vinyl pressing capability, and that they pressed those on special projects. Chalky must have seen some of the source material I have, or he wouldn't have made the statement above. Unfortunately, I can't remember the source. I don't keep track of such information because I don't write articles for a living. But that data was on a website that had a lot of other US pressing plant data. I seem to remember also reading that Shelley, in Long Island, New York, which pressed mostly on styrene, also had vinyl capability, and pressed some records on vinyl. I guess that there were always some clients that insisted upon getting their recordings pressed on vinyl, and pressing plants wanted to please certain large clients, so despite the cost savings of pressing on styrene, plant owners that wanted to take advantage of that in large volumes, still wanted to have capability for both. Also related to L.A. pressing plants....... AnoraksCorner.com lists Allied Record Co. as having a pressing plant in Los Angeles. I assume that that plant sometimes got confused with AlCo (Allied Steel Co.), also in L.A. And, I wonder if ARDCO (Allied Record Distributing Co.) - (secondary level L.A. record distributor) had a connection to Allied Record Co. Can anyone here answer that?

But, I don't think ALL the vinyl records that were pressed by AlCo (Allied Steel) were stamped with the Alco stamp. I have several small L.A.(Hollywood-based) label records, which I think were pressed at AlCo, that don't have the stamp.

Yes. The statistical breakdown of styrene and vinyl pressing by Monarch didn't include Alco Steel pressing figures. As Chalky stated, they had their own vinyl pressing operation.

Yes, it must be a boot. I saw hundreds of copies of it when it was out. ALL the copies I saw had dark, uniform, solid, black print. This was definitely taken from a photograph. Also, in the beginning rung of the trail, all my copies have" MM 1006 -1 RE - 1 no Monarch triangle. I've seen just " MM " crossed out with double lines, and some with an extra RE -1 along with the MM, with both crossed out. But " MM 1006- RE-1" in the remaining accepted markings.

I've had "Bar-B-Que" from Monarch on both styrene, and vinyl.

I saw the overall historical breakdown figures for Monarch between styrene and vinyl. It was about 90-92 % on styrene and 8-10% on vinyl. I've seen many vinyl records that had been pressed there. They were concentrated in a much narrower range of labels. So, I suspect that they were many pressed on vinyl on special projects. So, it may be that Monarch always had some (albeit a relatively small amount) of vinyl stock in-house. Unfortunately, I can't recall which labels were the main ones for which I found vinyl pressings.

WOW!!! "I Couldn't Nobody Pray" was a Gospel song, and The Womack Brothers decided to take it secular, for their secular singing group (same group members (or different?), The Valentinos. So, they took the same exact tune, and just changed the words to "Lookin' For A Love", and got a several regions hit!

Detroit's Ravins were a Garage group. I imagine that one or two of their songs might have been played on The Northern Soul scene, just as Motown's Underdogs and Headliners may have been, as well. There were a LOT of Garage bands in Detroit during The 1960s, whose recordings have a touch of Detroit Soul sound in them, because they used some of the same background musicians, arrangers, recording engineers, and some even had Pop producers who also produced Soul music productions. I haven't been following what's being played on The Northern Scene since our Airwave Records closed down in 1985, and I started working as a cartoonist. So, I can't help with this thread, other than pointing out what is " '60s Garage Music, and what is not (e.g. "Blue-Eyed Soul" and "Pop", "Punk" and "Hard Rock").

Listen to the guitar solo in the break on this Garage classic! Here's the most famous Garage song - they really butchered Richard Berry's great song:

Now you've got it! This is "Garage". It even has a "Guitar Solo" in the break, albeit a VERY, VERY short one.

Here's are rare one:

Here's a Surf-influenced "Garage Band" song:

Yes, it's a pure Soul cut . Sounds like East Coast (New York or DC/Baltimore?) 1964 or '65. Nothing at all to do with "Garage Music".

THIS is "Garage". Most of you seem to think "Blue-Eyed Soul" is "Garage" but it is not. - almost NOTHING like it. The vocals of classic Garage are screaming like Punk style. Just guitars drums, maybe organ. -no fancy mixes with lots of different instruments. These were teenage boys playing guitars in their fathers' garages. I just looked up "classic rare, little-known Garage Bands" to find these rare gems. I don't like this kind of "Music" at all. To me it's just a LOT of noise.

THIS is "Garage", with a bit of Pop mixed in.

Again, this is "Blue-eyed Soul". I like it much. I don't like almost any "Garage Music. This is absolutely NOTHING like "Garage Music". Listen to "The Witch" by The Sonics.

The Sonics are a classic "Garage Band". "The Witch" is a classic "Garage" song. Great guitar solo break, lots of screaming, some fuzz tone, prominent guitars, simple instrumental. This is not to say I like this in the slightest. I just knew it existed. My best friend dragged me to a Sonics concert in Seedro Wooley Washington State High School Gymnasium in 1965, while on our way to Vancouver, B.C. on a Trans Canada/Trans USA record buying trip. It was bloody awful.A bunch of noice. Garbage speakers. I probably lost 1/3 of my hearing, permanently.

The Underdogs were a "Garage Band". Their "Love's Gone Bad" was "Garage". Chris Clark's version was "Soul/Motown Sound".

This is NOT a pure '60s "Garage" song. It's like a hybrid Blue-eyed Soul song with a semi-Garage/Punk vocal. No guitar can even be heard through that heavy bass and organ. Again, I say, '60s "Garage Band" music has, by FAR, most emphasis on lead guitar and a big solo, plus 2nd and 3rd guitars, with drums and organ, or keyboard in the background. Simple tunes, simple mixes. Often screaming, rebel-style vocals.

True. It's definitely NOT "Garage". It's Blue-Eyed Soul/Pop crossover. It's a very nice tune that would sound a lot better if the lead singer were more prominent in the mix, and he had a stronger voice with more range. A well-written song.