Birdlegs Identified!

100 | 14 August 2023

We now have the real identities of Birdlegs, Pauline and The Versatility Birds and none of them were feathered.

We now have a new mystery to solve, though.

Who is the other lady in their photo?

Can anyone help please.

Wade Donald

101 | 25 August 2023

Wade Donald is understood to be Wade Donald Jnr, a soul singer based in New York who was active around 1963-1965 but no other information is currently available. His recording of “Loving you every day” was released in the UK on Sue LP ILP 943 “Dr. Soul” and was licensed from Empire City Records, USA, who only released two singles.

A poor quality clip taken from eBay is the only currently available video.

No photos located. Can anyone help with further information, please?

Chuck Flamingo

100 | 31 August 2023

No reliable information is currently available about Chuck Flamingo, who is credited on some of his singles as “Chuck Flamingo & The Kansas City Playboys”. “Rate your music” thinks Chuck Flamingo is none other than Chuck Jackson, but he doesn’t sound very much like Chuck Jackson to my ears. Can anyone provide further information, please? Thankyou.

His track “Little bit of this, little bit of that” appears on ILP 943 “Dr Soul”.

Preston Epps – Say yeah

101 | 29 August 2023

Preston Epps | National Association of Music Merchants | 16196su

Percussionist Preston Eugene Epps was born on Mangum, Oklahoma on July 19, 1930. A percussionist of note, his most famous recording is probably “Bongo Rock” (Original Sound Records, 1959). During the 1960s and 1970s Epps was frequently in demand as a session musician.

Preston Epps died on May 9, 2019 in Los Angeles from natural causes.

No information is available about Andre Franklin, can anyone help, please?

“Say yeah” by Preston Epps Trio featuring Andre Franklin was released on UK Sue LP ILP 943 “Dr Soul”. Did not chart.

Big Bob – Your line was busy

103 | 21 September 2023

Big Bob was Bob Kornegay, a bass singer who had recorded in the 1950s group The Du Droppers, who recorded for RCA. He was also known as “Texas Bob” and “Big Daddy”. This single had previously been issued on UK Top Rank JAR-185 (B side “What am I”) and was licenced by the music publisher to Ranks. The name “Clowney” on the composing credits may be David Cortez Clowney (Dave Baby Cortez). Does anyone have any biographical details for Mr Kornegay (pronounced Carnegie), please.

Chart position data not available.

Bob Kornegay (when he was in the Du Droppers) | Public domain | 15024

Effie Smith: Dial That Telephone

109 | 22 October 2023 | Non working external link deleted

Effie Smith | Uncle Marv/Billy Vera | 14652

Effie Bly (Effie Smith) was born in McAlester, Oklahoma on April 10, 1914. She is the mother of record producer Fred Smith. She was a singer and a comedienne and made a number of recordings for the World War Two effort before having her own career as a recording artiste. She sang with the orchestras of Lionel Hampton and Benny Carter She then went to work doing artistes and repertoire and promotion at Stax Records.

Effie Smith died of cancer in Los Angeles on February 11, 1977.

Effie recorded this song twice – in 1953 and in 1959 – and the Sue release on WI 4010 is thought to be the 1959 recording. Can anyone confirm, please?

Chart Position: (Version issued on the Duo Disc label) Billboard No. 36, 1965.

Joe Matthews: Sorry ain’t good enough/You better mend your ways

103 | 28 September 2023

We do not have much information about Joe Matthews, just that he was born in Juliet, Illinois. Can anyone help, please.

“Sorry ain’t good enough”, Thelma 107, November 1965. Released on UK Sue WI 4046 on 29 March 1968. Chart position data not available.

Birdlegs and Pauline (and the Versatility Birds) – Spring/In so many ways

108 | 27 December 2023 | External Link Checked

Sidney “Birdlegs” Banks and his wife Pauline of Rockford, Illinois recorded these tracks with a small label called Cuca who offered cheap recording facilities. The single was first issued on the Cuca label and made no. 18 on the R&B chart. The tracks were then picked up for national distribution by the Vee Jay label shortly before it failed. Cuca had also recorded an album on the pair. Brothers Mack and Floyd Murphy provided the backing and were billed as The Versatility Birds. The Banks later divorced and Pauline Shivers made some more recordings for small Chicago labels, but Sidney Banks never recorded again.

The mystery is: who is the second lady portrayed in the photo? Can anyone help please?

“Spring”, Vee Jay 510, 1963. UK Sue WI 4014, June 1966.

Chart Position: Billboard No. 94, July 1963

See The Veejay History website.

Dr Bob Jones/45 Cat

The Wallace Brothers, Precious Words/You’re mine

103 | 19 October 2023

The Wallace Brothers | Public Domain | 14494

What we know is: The Wallace Brothers weren’t brothers, they were cousins. The photo shows three young men but there were actually six in the group when this recording was made. Four of them were cousins John Simon and Ervin Wallace on lead vocals and also Cooky and Earnest (sic) Wallace. The identity of the remaining two is unknown at the time of writing. At the time of recording the band members were in their mid to late teens.

This was their second recording. It was issued in America on the SIMS label and was recorded at Fame Records, Muscle Shoals, in 1964 and released on UK Sue the same year. The Wallace Brothers recorded a few singles for SIMS and Chess.

Does anyone know the identities of the young men in the photo, please?

“Precious Words”, Sims 174, April 1964. Issued on UK Sue WI 334, October 1964.

Chart Position: Billboard No. 31, 1964.

Sir Shambling’s account of the Wallace Brothers

Billboard feature on the Wallace Brothers

Collection of Martin Whitell

The Jaybirds, Somebody help me/The right kind

109 | 27 December 2023

I have not been able to discover any information regarding the identity of this group. The name has been used by a number of rock groups over the years. Note the lack of information on the record label, not even the songwriter gets a credit (Jackie Edwards).

Released on Sue WI 4013.

Chart Position: Did not chart.