(Week of 12/6/03 - 12/12/03)

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"Hot Dog"
by The Ray-O-Vacs
on Regent 1039-B
released in 1951

[The above image provided by Paul Ressler.]

Above: Photo of The Ray-O-Vacs, named after a popular brand of battery. The original lead singer of this self-contained vocal/instrumental group was Harry "Lester Harris" Lester. He was replaced by Herbert Milliner in mid-1951.

Click HERE for a short article about The Ray-O-Vacs by J.C. Marion.

[The above image provided by Lucille Morton and made available to this web site by Pete Grendysa.]

Above: Photo Of The Ray-O-Vacs circa mid-1940's.

From Pete Grendysa: The Ray-O-Vacs on Coleman/Regent/Decca were Harry "Lester Harris" Lester, lead vocals, drums; Jackson "Flap" McQueen, bass violin; Joe Crump, piano; and possibly Leoparte "Chink" Kinney, sax. Herb Milliner replaced Lester Harris in June 1951 on Decca and Jubilee. Harris recorded solo for Decca in June 1951 and for RCA Victor in 1952. He died in February 1953.

[The above image provided by Jackson "Flap" McQueen and made available to this web site by Pete Grendysa.]

Above: Circa mid-1930's photo of Flap McQueen (center) with Fats Williams and Slim Purnell.

Above Left: Decca 1950 release showing vocal by "Lester Harris".

Above Right: Savoy 1948 Test Pressing Label of "I'll Always Be In Love With You" by The X-Rays.

From Pete Grendysa: The X-Rays on Savoy 681 were Milton "Tippy" Larkin, vocals; Willie Moore, trumpet; Alfred "Chippy" Outcalt, trombone; Hal Singer, tenor sax; George Rhodes, piano; Walter Page, bass violin; Bobby Donaldson, drums. Regarding the confusion between the two groups, Jackson McQueen had this to say... "Lubinsky cut our money in half by bringing in the X-Rays to record our number 'I'll Always Be In Love With You'. He bought the masters from the Coleman Brothers (who made the original) and got all the royalties. We coulda killed him."
(Note: Herman Lubinsky was owner of Savoy/Regent Records)

Above: Label image of Regent 1039-B, "Hot Dog", released in 1951. Regent was a subsidiary of Savoy Records. Note that the label shows vocal by "Harry Lester" (opposite from the Decca label credit). This song had previously been done by The Three Peppers in 1940.

Click on an option below to listen to "Hot Dog" by The Ray-O-Vacs using Windows Media Player.

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