#952 (9/29/23)

Above: Unknown at piano with Al Benson. If anyone can identify the woman at the piano, please contact me. It's quite likely to be someone who recorded for Benson. Al Benson was a powerful deejay in Chicago's South Side. He was the owner of Parrot and Blue Lake Records through Parrot #822 and Blue Lake #118. At that point, the company was sold to John Burton, who released just two more records before shutting the operation down. THE ARTISTS WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE ORDER OF THEIR FIRST RELEASE ON THE BLUE LAKE LABEL.

LOU MAC

Above: Lou Mac (aka Lucille McClinton), from Chicago, was a blues singer, pianist, and songwriter. She had four records released on the Blue Lake label (1955-1956). That is more than anyone else on either Parrot or Blue Lake. It's clear that Al Benson was impressed with her talent. (The above photo provided by Lou Mac's daughter, Keywana McClinton.)

TRIBUTE TO LOU MAC BY HER DAUGHTER, KEYWANA "KEY" McCLINTON Lucille McClinton, Thank You. Thank God for choosing you to legally adopt me as your daughter at the age of two in 1977. In addition to loving your family, you loved music, specifically rhythm and blues, as well as jazz and country. I learned how to play 45s, putting the needle on the record at a young age. Billy Holiday, Glady's Knight, B.B. King, the Temptations, Ray Charles...too many to continue to name. You would smile and snap your fingers, feeling the music, feeling each word. I didn't understand a lot of the music, I felt the music and beats however. It is amazing how most of us listen but do not interpret the words. I love you and thank you for helping me find my passion and love for music through the clarinet. Forty years later, I still love the instrument. You invested in me and now I pray that others invest in learning and keep the history of rhythm & blues alive. You have eight songs recorded with Blue Lake Records which I honestly did not know about until your passing eight years ago. Thank you for leaving me your voice... a voice that I, my children, and their children can listen to for an eternity.

Above Left: Label image for Blue Lake 108, recorded in October 1954 and released in January 1955. Labels show "Lou Mac & Bob Call" as the composers. BMI.com concurs. Above Right: Label image for Blue Lake 114, recorded in May 1955 and released in June 1955. The Palms, from Chicago, are the uncredited vocal group backing Lou on "Slow Down". This group is included under "Extra Record" at the end of the Lou Mac section. "L. McClinton-B. Call" are shown as composers on labels for both sides. BMI.com concurs. Bob Call was a blues pianist who led a band at a recording session for Al Benson in May 1955. None of those tracks where released. At Direct Right: Label image for Blue Lake 117, recorded in December 1955 and released in January 1956. The flip-side, "Albert Is His Name", has extra interest as "Albert" was the first name of Lou's husband. "McClinton" is composer on both sides' labels. There is no listing for either song at BMI.com. There was one more record by Lou Mac on Blue Lake, recorded in May 1956 and released in June 1956. Blue Lake 119 "Take Your Trouble To A Friend"/"Move Me". It was to be the final Blue Lake issued. That record is included near the bottom of this webpage. Cash Box Review (1/15/55): LOU MAC — Blue Lake 108 Come Back Little Daddy (C+) Lou Mac sings a slow rhythmic blues pleading with her man to come back. Good story and ok presentation. Hard To Get Along With (C+) Lou Mac is still having male woes on this deck. A slow Southern blues done with fair effect. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good".) The Billboard Review (1/15/55): LOU MAC — Blue Lake 108 Come Back Little Daddy (78) - Thrush Lou Mac comes thru with a sock vocal on a blues rocker over a bright beat by the combo. The blue lyrics on this will prevent many stations from giving it air play. On box, however, it could get loot. Hard To Get Along With (75) Another strong vocal by the thrush, this time on a meditative type of blues about an unappreciative man. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) At Direct Right: CASH BOX, January 29, 1955. CASH BOX, June 11, 1955: ....Parrot Record’s artist, Lou Mac, is hitting the gold dust trail currently with her waxing of "Slow Down".... THE BILLBOARD, July 23, 1955: REVIEW SPOTLIGHT LOU MAC — Blue Lake 114, Slow Down/Baby Despite the barren material on both faces here, Lou Mac shapes up as a blues thrush with a future. Her voice is rich and lusty, in the great blues tradition, and she appears to have the musical personality to stand out. Given worthy material she could click on a grand scale. Cash Box Review (8/13/55): LOU MAC — Blue Lake 114 Slow Down (B) Lou Mac swings a middle beat jump ditty with good feeling. Tune is happy and the deck is good juke box material. Baby (C+) Lou Mac etches a slow blues here and in portions she stylizes like Eartha Kitt. Ok side, tho not as commercial as the upper deck. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B as "very good".) CASH BOX, June 16, 1956: ....Blue Lake Records releasing a pretty thing sung by Lou Mac entitled "Take Your Trouble To A Friend".... NOTE: This record, Blue Lake 119, is included near the end of this page. CASH BOX, June 30, 1956: ...."Take Your Trouble To A Friend" on Blue Lake starting to move.... CASH BOX, December 17, 1955: ....Parrot Records to cut wax on Lu Mac, Chicago gal.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Come Back Little Daddy" - Lou Mac - Blue Lake 108 - 1955. 2. "Hard To Get Along With" - Lou Mac - Blue Lake 108 - 1955. 3. "Slow Down" - Lou Mac (With The Palms) - Blue Lake 114 - 1955. 4. "Baby" - Lou Mac - Blue Lake 114 - 1955. 5. "I'll Never Let Him Know" - Lu Mac - Blue Lake 117 - 1955. 6. "Albert Is His Name" - Lu Mac - Blue Lake 117 - 1955. ALL SIX SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX — JANUARY 14, 1956

CASH BOX — JANUARY 28, 1956

EXTRA RECORD — ARTIE WILKINS AND THE PALMS

Above Left: Label image for States S-157, recorded in July 1956 and released in August 1956. States was a subsidiary of Chicago's United Records. The Palms are not on the flip-side of this record. This "Darling Patricia" song is not listed at BMI.com. The Palms, a Chicago vocal group, consisted of Murrie Eskridge (first tenor), O. C. Perkins (second tenor), M. C. Ward (bass), Wilbur Williams (lead), and Willie Young (tenor). They had two more records (one each on United and States) in 1957, the latter of these as "The Five Palms" [Reference: Disco-File]. Above Right: INDIANAPOLIS NEWS, October 23, 1956. AT THE TURF Singer Artie Wilkins is appearing nightly at the Turf Bar.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "Darling Patricia " - Artie Wilkins And The Palms - States S-157 - 1956.

WALTER SPRIGGS (AND THE FIVE ECHOES)

Above: Photo of The Five Echoes (L-R) Johnnie Taylor, Earl Lewis, Constant Sims, Jimmy Marshall, and Freddie Matthews. Mathews was not present on any recordings. The Five Echoes had two records on Chance's subsidiary label, Sabre 102 (1953) and 105 (1954). For Sabre 102, remove Johnnie Taylor, but add Tommy Hunt and Walter Spriggs to the group, making them a sixsome. For Sabre 105, Johnnie Taylor was present, but Hunt and Spriggs were not. Walter Spriggs was a singer and songwriter. In 1952, he had one record on Apollo, backed by am uncredited vocal group. He had just the one release on Blue Lake in 1955. Walter was lead singer of The Kansas City Tomcats with two records on Jubilee's subsidiary, Josie, in 1955/1956. Later in the 1950s, he had records on the Atco label (an Atlantic subsidiary) and the Antler label (as Ray Scott).

Above Left: Label image for Blue Lake 109, recorded in October 1954 and released in February 1955. Walter Spriggs is backed by The Five Echoes near the end of this side and also on the flip-side, "I'm Not Your Fool Any More". "Benson-Spriggs" are shown as composers on both sides' labels. BMI.com agrees with "Week End Man", but does not list the flip-side. While still with Blue Lake, The Five Echoes recorded for Chicago's Vee-Jay Records, also in October 1954. That resulted in two 1955 releases. The Vee-Jay labels show them as "The Five Echos", possibly due to contractual reasons. Above Right: Label image for Sabre 102, released in September 1953. Sabre was a subsidiary label of Chance Records in Chicago. Walter Spriggs is composer and lead singer on both sides. At Direct Left: CASH BOX, October 17, 1953: Cash Box Review (10/10/53): THE FIVE ECHOES — Sabre 102 Baby, Come Back To Me (C+) The Five Echoes with Fats Coles Band etch a quick tempo bounce. Lead sings sad romantic lyrics about being in love with a girl who is in love with his best friend. Lonely Mood (B) The boys workover a gimmicked blues that comes out the better side. On the wild side. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B as "very good".) CASH BOX, October 17, 1953: .....Art Sheridan came up with a new release which, he says, looks very promising. On the ‘Sabre’ label. Titled, "Lonely Mood" b/w "Baby, Come Back To Me". Sung by The Five Echoes. A new group from right here in Chicago cutting their first disk....

CASH BOX, February 6, 1954: .....McKee Fitzhugh sponsored "The Flamingo Concert" on Friday. Held at the Corpus Christi Auditorium, the show starred The Five Flamingo’s. And featured a total of eleven acts. Including the Five Echoes and Five Thrills. This was one of the most lavish concerts ever staged on Chicago’s South Side.... THE BILLBOARD, March 6, 1954: .....Chance, Art Sheridan's Chicago diskery, recently started a subsidiary firm, Sabre Records.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Week End Man" - Walter Spriggs (With The Five Echoes) - Blue Lake 109 - 1955. 2. "I'm Not Your Fool Any More" - Walter Spriggs (With The Five Echoes) - Blue Lake 109 - 1955. 3. "Lonely Mood" - The Five Echoes - Sabre SA-102 - 1953. 4. "Baby, Come Back To Me" - The Five Echoes - Sabre SA-102 - 1953. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

EXTRA RECORD — WALTER SPRIGGS (THE KANSAS CITY TOMCATS)

Above Left: CASH BOX, October 22, 1955: QUICK CONTRACT NEW YORK—These five strapping fellows marched into the office of Herb Dexter, Jubilee A & R head, recently, with the subtle request "We want a contract." Dexter was in a listening mood and allowed the boys to display their talents, and after a few numbers, they got the contract. That same night, they were recorded and their first record, "Nobody Knows" b/w "Meet Me, Meet Me Baby", is scheduled for release in the near future. The group is called the Kansas City Tomcats and includes Lucky Enois (leader, guitar), Eddy Saunders (sax), Brooks Lewis (bass), Jimmy Waters, (drums and vocals) and Walter Spriggs (lead singer). (NOTE: The above blurb does not credit any member as a piano player, yet there is clearly someone sitting at a piano in the picture.) Above Right: Label image for Josie 786, released in September 1953. Josie was a subsidiary of Jubilee Records, located in New York City. Cash Box had "Nobody Knows" as an R&B Best Bet in their November 5, 1955 edition. At Direct Right: CASH BOX, November 5, 1955. THE BILLBOARD, October 29, 1955: .....Jubilee Records has signed the Kansas City Tomcats, band now playing at the Mocambo, Montreal, and including Lucky Enois, Eddy Saunders, Brooks Lewis, Jimmy Waters, and Walter Spriggs.... Cash Box Review (11/5/55): KANSAS CITY TOMCATS — Josie 786 Nobody Knows (B+) The Kansas City Tomcats, a new group to the trade, makes an impressive debut with this middle beat rhythmic bouncer. Shouty lead, backed with a well organized group and good instrumental support, come up with an attention grabber on the first try. Meet Me, Meet Me Baby (B) The K. C. Tomcats back with another top quality product that just fails to meet the standard of "Nobody Knows". It is a middle beat jump fashioned with an adhesive performance that indicates this group has worked together for some time. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".) The Billboard Review (11/19/55): KANSAS CITY TOMCATS — Josie 786 Nobody Knows (73) The group wails appealingly on a driving rhythm tune with a pounding beat. Lyric concerns a gal who pets her sweetie in front of company, but treats him rough in private. Meet Me, Meet Me Baby (71) A catchy little rhythm tune wrapped up in a happy vocal and a catchy beat. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Nobody Knows" - The Kansas City Tomcats - Josie 786 - 1955. 2. "Meet Me, Meet Me Baby" - The Kansas City Tomcats - Josie 786 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

THE MAPLES

Above: Photo of The Maples, a Chicago vocal group. (Top) Reggie Smith, (Middle L-R) Harold Jones, Johnny Jones, Howard Pitman, (Bottom) Kenneth Childers (lead singer). This is actually four members of The Five Chances backing Kenneth Childers. Disco-File has this photo as the actual group members on the record. However, Robert Pruter, in his book, "Doowop The Chicago Scene", has Kenneth Childers (lead), Johnny Jones (The Five Chances), Albert Hunter (The Clouds), and Andrew Smith (The Fasinoles) as the recording members.

Above Left: Label image for Blue Lake 111, recorded in November 1954 and released in April 1955. Labels for both sides credit "Childers-Benson" as the composers. BMI.com does not have a listing for either song. It was to be Kenneth Childers' only record. It seems that "I Must Forget You" has been greatly underrated by collectors over the years. Childers certainly puts a lot of heart into it and the vocal group backing is excellent. (Aside: This record is one of my best purchases. At a record show in the early 1990s, someone there had a stack of new copies of the record and was selling them for $5 each.) Above Right: Von Freeman, from Chicago, was a saxophonist and bandleader. He did some backup work for Ping in 1956 and Vee-Jay in the late 1950s, both Chicago labels LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "I Must Forget You" - The Maples - Blue Lake 111 - 1955. 2. ""99" Guys" - The Maples - Blue Lake 111 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

THE FASCINATORS

Above: Photo of The Fascinators, a Detroit group, (L-R) Bob Rivers, Jerry Potter, Earl Richardson, and Donald Blackshear. Disco-File has the same line-up, except for the addition of Clarence Smith. This group's total output is one record on Blue Lake and two on Your Copy. They are a different group than The Fascinators on the Capitol label.

Above Left: Label image for Blue Lake 112, recorded in March 1955 and released in May 1955. Labels for both sides credit "Potter & Blackshear" as the composers. BMI.com does not have a listing for either song. "Don't Give Your Love Away" is the same song as their "Don't Give It Away" on Your Copy 1136-B, perhaps given a title that sounds less suggestive. Above Middle And Right: Label images for Your Copy 1135-B and Your Copy 1136-A, both released in 1954. Your Copy was a small, backroom Detroit label. The flip-sides of these two records show "D. Blackshear" as composer. Once again, BMI.com does not have an entry for any of the four songs. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Don't Give My Love Away" - The Fascinators - Blue Lake 112 - 1955. 2. "Can't Stop" - The Fascinators - Blue Lake 112 - 1955. 3. "Sweet Baby" - The Fascinators - Your Copy 1135-A - 1954. 4. "The Bells Of My Heart" - The Fascinators - Your Copy 1135-B - 1954. 5. "My Beauty, My Own" - The Fascinators - Your Copy 1136-A - 1954. 6. "Don't Give It Away" - The Fascinators - Your Copy 1136-B - 1954. ALL SIX SONGS played in sequence.

LITTLE WILLY FOSTER

Above Left: Photo of Little Willy Foster, who was a blues singer, harmonica player, and songwriter. He was another blues singer that migrated to Chicago in the early 1940s. His instrument was the harmonica. Little Willy had one record on Blue Lake in 1955 and one record on the Cobra label in 1957, for his total output. (This photo courtesy of Jim O'Neal, BluEsoterica Archives.) Above Right: Label image for Blue Lake 113, recorded in January 1955 and released in July 1955. On this record with Little Willy is Lazy Bill Lucus, Floyd Jones, and Eddie Taylor. Cash Box Review (7/23/55): "LITTLE" WILLY FOSTER — Blue Lake 113 Falling Rain Blues (C+) Little Willy Foster wails a slow country blues with a simple piano and harmonica backing. Vocalist doesn’t come up front. He battles the instrumentalists throughout. Four Day Blues (C+) A cornball fast beat instrumental with a weird sound. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Falling Rain Blues" - Little Willy Foster - Blue Lake 113 - 1955. 2. "Four Day Jump (Instrumental)" - Little Willy Foster - Blue Lake 113 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

THE FIVE CHANCES

Above: 1956 photo of The Five Chances (L-R) Reggie Smith, Ronald Johnson, Johnny Jones, Jesse Stafford, and Howard Pitman. The vocal group was from Chicago. They had one record on Chance (1954), another on Blue Lake (1955), one more on States (1956), and one on Federal (1957). Lead singer Johnny "Chubby" Jones was on the latter three records, but not the Chance release.

Above Left: Label image for Blue Lake BL-115, recorded in May 1955 and released in August 1955. This is the only Blue Lake record to include "BL-" on its labels. "All I Want" has always been a favorite of vocal group record collectors. Above Right: Label image for Chance Ch-1157, released in July 1954. Well, a vocal group named "The Five Chances" had to start out on the Chance label, right? "I May Be Small" was composed by MacKay Levi. He was also co-composer of The Flamingos' "When" on the Checker label. The Billboard Review (8/7/54): THE FIVE CHANCES — Chance 1157 Nagasaki (75) Good group reading of the oldie in a somewhat frantic style which catches coins. I May Be Small (75) More good stuff on this side. Here the boys deliver a sock reading to above-average material. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "All I Want" - The Five Chances - Blue Lake BL-115 - 1955. 2. "Shake-A-Link" - The Five Chances - Blue Lake BL-115 - 1955. 3. "I May Be Small" - The Five Chances - Chance CH-1157 - 1954. 4. "Nagasaki" - The Five Chances - Chance CH-1157 - 1954. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

EXTRA RECORDS — THE FIVE CHANCES

Above Left: Label image for States S-156, recorded in January 1956 and released in April 1956. BMI.com lists over 540 works under the name "Gloria". The flip-side, "Sugar Lips", was composed by Howard Pitman, a member of the vocal group. Above Middle: Label image for Federal 12303, recorded in July 1957 and released in July 1957. BMI.com credits Jesse Stafford, another member of the group, as composer of "My Days Are Blue", his only listed song. The flip-side, "Tell Me Why", was composed by Howard Pitman. BMI.com concurs. Above Right: Photo of The Five Chances. Lead singer Johnny Jones is at far left, Jesse Stafford is in the center, and Howard Pitman is second from right. The Billboard Review (5/5/56): THE FIVE CHANCES — States 156 Gloria (73) The boys sing effectively on a moving ballad. Lead singer puts plenty of pathos and heart into the lyric. Sugar Lips (71) A zestful rendition of a catchy rhythm ditty with a strong, bouncy beat. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) Cash Box Review (7/27/57): THE FIVE CHANCES — Federal 12303 My Days Are Blue (B) The Five Chances turn in a swaying performance on a slow drifty beat ballad. Good sound on a fair tune. Lead rings out in strident tones. Ok side. Tell Me Why (B+) The lads team on another slow beat side and come up with an effective wax. Again the fellas establish a good and individualized sound. This wax comes off the better of the two. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Gloria" - The Five Chances - States S-156 - 1956. 2. "Sugar Lips" - The Five Chances - States S-156 - 1956. 3. "My Days Are Blue" - The Five Chances - Federal 12303 - 1957. 4. "Tell Me Why" - The Five Chances - Federal 12303 - 1957. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

BLUE LAKE RECORDS — THE 1956 CONCLUSION Al Benson released three more Blue Lake records in January 1956, the last prior to selling the company. These are Blue Lake 116 (Little Papa Joe), Blue Lake 117 (Lu Mac, covered further up on this page), and Blue Lake 118 (Leon Tarver).

Above Left: CASH BOX, January 7, 1956. (Little Papa Joe) NOTE: The Lu Mac, Blue Lake 117, is included further up on this webpage. Above Middle: Label image for Blue Lake 116, recorded in December 1955 and released in January 1956. Little Papa Joe, real name Joseph Leon (Jody) Williams, was a blues singer, guitarist, and composer. Willie Dixon is the bass fiddle player on these sides. This is his only record on the Blue Lake label. He later recorded for Chess' subsidiary Argo label and Herald Records. Above Right: Label image for Blue Lake 118, recorded in December 1955 and released in February 1956. Leon Tarver was a rhythm and blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1952, Leon was with The Cardinals for one record on Atlantic, "The Bump"/"She Rocks". In 1954, he was the lead singer with The Chordones for one record on the Checker label, "I'm A Young Rooster"/"Ooo-Wee What's Wrong With Me?". He had only the one record on the Blue Lake label.

CASH BOX, January 7, 1956: ....Blue Lake, subsidiary of Parrot, will wax Johnny Angel in a few days. And Little Papa Joe has just finished cutting Blue Lake disk.... (NOTE: Apparently, the Johnny Angel waxing never happened.) CASH BOX, January 14, 1956: ....Little Papa Joe on Blue Lake with "Looking For My Baby" is expected to come along handsomely according to the Parrot subsidiary.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Easy Lovin'" - Little Papa Joe - Blue Lake 116 - 1956. 2. "Looking For My Baby" - Little Papa Joe - Blue Lake 116 - 1956. 3. "Somebody Help Me" - Leon Tarver - Blue Lake 118 - 1956. 4. "Oh Baby I'm Blue" - Leon Tarver - Blue Lake 118 - 1956. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

Above Left: Photo of Little Papa Joe (Jody Williams). Above Right: CASH BOX, March 3, 1956.

EXTRA RECORD — LEON D. TARVER AND THE CHORDONES

Above Left: Label image for Checker 791, recorded in January 1954 and released in February 1954. Checker was a subsidiary of Chess Records in Chicago. The label pictures a non-regulation checkerboard, 9+ X 12+ squares (rather than the standard 8 X 8). Members of The Chordones are unknown, or at least not shown in Disco-File, except the description "Black Male Group". This is their only record. Above Right: CASH BOX, March 27, 1954. NOTE: No mention of The Chordones here, just Leon Tarver. The Billboard Review (3/27/54): LEON D. TARVER — Checker 791 I'm A Young Rooster (73) Rhythm opus is handed a gleeful reading by the chanter. Might do okay on the boxes. Ooh-Wee What's Wrong With Me? (71) Tarver wails the question lustily, and the ork and vocal combo back him ably. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) Cash Box Review (4/3/54): LEON D. TARVER — Checker 791 Ooh-Wee What's Wrong With Me? (B) Leon Tarver sings a middle tempo bounce with a fine assist by his Chordones. Tarver shouts the story of his aching heart caused by his getting the brush from his baby. Gonna move to the city and have himself a ball. I'm A Young Rooster (B) The flip is a quick beat rhythmic ditty with a rocking beat. Teamwork by the Chordones is potent and appealing. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "I'm A Young Rooster" - Leon D. Tarver And The Chordones - Checker 791 - 1954. 2. "Ooh-Wee What's Wrong With Me?" - Leon D. Tarver And The Chordones - Checker 791 - 1954. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX, March 24, 1956: JOHN BURTON BUYS PARROT, BLUE LAKE CHICAGO—John Burton, music publisher and an attorney in this city, has taken over full ownership of the Parrot and Blue Lake labels. The Burton Ltd. publishing concern is seven years old. It has been associated with Chess and Checker.... Burton plans greater growth for Parrot and Blue Lake. More artists are to be signed. Heavier promotion is reported to be in the offing. ************************************************************************** John Burton's stated plans never materialized to any significant degree. With the company now controlled by him, it managed to produce just two more records.... St. Louis Jimmy on Parrot 823 (included in this article's Part Two) and Lou Mac on Blue Lake 119. The Parrot And Blue Lake Records articles, Parts Three and Four, have included all nineteen known records that were released on the Blue Lake label (#101-109), (#111-119), and (#1001). At Direct Right: Label image for Blue Lake 119, recorded in May 1956 and released in June 1956. CASH BOX, June 23, 1956: ....John Burton claims Blue Lake’s "Take Your Trouble To A Friend" being received with the same enthusiasm as his Parrot release, "Murder In The First Degree" [Parrot 823, St. Louis Jimmy].... Following Parrot/Blue Lake, John Burton was involved in three other record labels in 1956.... El-Bee (R&B), Sapphire (The Nobles), and Burtone (LPs). LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Take Your Trouble To A Friend" - Lou Mac - Blue Lake 119 - 1956. 2. "Move Me" - Lou Mac - Blue Lake 119 - 1956. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

This concludes the PARROT AND BLUE LAKE RECORDS articles. Chicago's Parrot and Blue Lake Records existed from late 1952 to mid-1956, resulting in the release of about 75 records in that time period. The labels were owned and operated by Al Benson, popular disc jockey in Chicago's South Side. Almost all the artists he recorded were solid performers. The session musicians used were the best in the Chicago area at the time. The Parrot and Blue Lake 78-rpm labels are among the most attractive designs ever. And, fortunate for vocal group aficionados, Benson took special interest in that idiom.

PARROT & BLUE LAKE ARTICLE'S INFORMATION SOURCES: Robert L. Campbell's Red Saunders Research Foundation Website. The Billboard and Cash Box Magazines. Ferdie Gonzalez' Disco-File. Newspapers.com. Robert Pruter's Book, "Doowop The Chicago Scene".

PARROT AND BLUE LAKE RECORDS - PART ONE FEATURES THE PARROTS, THE CHOCOLATEERS, CURTIS JONES, COLEMAN HAWKINS, LOWELL FULSON, THE ROCKETTES, THE PELICANS, THE VICTORETTES, PAUL BASCOMB-MANHATTAN PAUL, THE ORCHIDS, AND JOHN BRIM. ALSO INCLUDED IS A LARGE SECTION ON AL BENSON, CHICAGO DEEJAY AND OWNER OF PARROT/BLUE LAKE RECORDS. PARROT AND BLUE LAKE RECORDS - PART TWO FEATURES THE FIVE THRILLS, MABEL SCOTT, J. B. LENORE, THE FLAMINGOS, DUSTY BROWN, ST. LOUIS JIMMY, JO JO ADAMS, ERNEST LEWIS, ALBERT KING, AND WILLIE MABON. ALSO INCLUDED IS AL BENSON'S LAST RECORD, AL BENSON CLIPPINGS, AND AL BENSON TRIBUTE RECORDS. THE SPOTLIGHTED SONG IS "KO KO MO". PARROT AND BLUE LAKE RECORDS - PART THREE (BLUE LAKE RECORDS - PART ONE) FEATURES RED SAUNDERS, JOE WILLIAMS, ANN CARTER, KING FLEMING QUINTETTE, SUNNYLAND SLIM, THE VETERAN SINGERS, AND BABY BOY WARREN. ALSO INCLUDED IS "WHO IS AL BENSON" BIOGRAPHY PIECE AND THE SPOTLIGHTED SONG "WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN".

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