Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
#780 (2/2/13 - 2/15/13)

SPOTLIGHT ON THE JAY-DEE LABEL

"Don't Play Around With Love!"/"You'll Never Be Mine Again"
by The Blenders
on Jay-Dee 780
released in 1953


[The above photo courtesy of Marv Goldberg.]

Above: The Blenders, who in this photo from 1953, are (L-R) James DeLoach (bass), Abel DeCosta (tenor), Napoleon "Snaggs" Allen (baritone and guitar), and Ollie Jones (lead tenor).

Click HERE for an article about The Blenders by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)


Joe Davis to Launch Jay-Dee Label
NEW YORK, June 6, 1953—Joe Davis, who for the past year has been supervising the recording and merchandising of r.&b. disks for M-G-M Records, will sever his relations with the diskery in July, and start his own r.&b. label. The new label will be called Jay-Dee and will feature those artists who have been waxing under Davis for the M-G-M r.&b. line. The parting of the ways between Davis and M-G-M is a friendly one and has been in the works for some time.

Davis, who heads Beacon Music and is an old-timer in the r.&b. field, started to handle r.&b. platters for M-G-M last September, and he has cut all of the waxings released by the label in this market since last December. In addition to his a.&r. duties, Davis has coralled all of the r.&b. talent for the label and has merchandised this part of the line for the diskery, even going out on the road to visit distribbers to have them get behind the line.

Since Davis has begun working with M-G-M, he has come up with a hit r.&b. waxing, "You’re Mine” by the Crickets, which sold well over 50,000 platters. It’s now riding with another upcoming Crickets etching, “For You I Have Eyes.”

Among the talent that Davis will take to his new label are the Crickets, the Blenders, Paula Watson, Beulah Bryant, Gabriel Brown, Lem Johnson, Irene Redfield, Basil Spears, Tommy Brown, Teddy Williams, Leslie Uggams Crayne, Al King and Nat Foster. All of these artists are under a waxing pact to Davis.

According to Davis’ pact with M-G-M, all masters sliced by him for the label will revert to him if they are not released by the diskery in a certain amount of` time. Indications are that M-G-M will release one more group of r.&b. platters cut by Davis in July. Davis will start out on his own about July 15 and is expected to release his first wax in August.



Above Left: Column from The Billboard dated 3/27/54.

Above Right: Column from The Billboard dated 11/20/54. The Crickets' "Be Faithful" (recorded in 1953) was released in November 1954 as Beacon 104.

Additional Reference Links: Savannah Churchill ; The Five Red Caps.



Above: Label image of Jay-Dee 780 recorded on 3/27/53 and released in August 1953. It was The Blenders' only release on Jay-Dee. They also had records on National (1949), Decca (1950-52) and M-G-M (1953). The two M-G-M's were purchased from Joe Davis. This same Jay-Dee group had one release as "The Millionaires" on Davis in 1955 (but recorded in 1953).

The Jay-Dee label released a total of 34 records, starting with #777 by The Crickets in July 1953 and ending with #810 by The Scale-Tones in February 1956. The Davis label was started in September 1955 (#441 The Millionaires) and had 26 records released, the last in March 1959 (#466 The Continentals).

The Billboard Review (9/19/53):

THE BLENDERS - JAY-DEE 780
You'll Never Be Mine Again
(76) Slow and attractive weeper ballad is sung convincingly by the group. A good side. Should pull many spins.
Don't Play Around With Love! (72) The Blenders tackle this cute ditty with infectious spirit.

(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 as "good.")

Trade Magazine Article (JANUARY 1953): ....New talent signed by Joe Davis of Beacon Music for the M-G-M r.&b. department includes Millie Bosman, Boote Green, Teddy Williams, The Crickets, Al King, Paula Watson and Beulah Bryant....

Trade Magazine Article (APRIL 1953): ....The Blenders have been signed by Joe Davis for M-G-M r.&b. waxings. First releases will be rushed out in two weeks....

Trade Magazine: R.&B. Label Signs Vocal Group
NEW YORK, Sept. 26—Joe Davis adds to his already impressive stable of vocal groups with the addition of the Sparrows. Davis currently has two top-flight groups in the Crickets and the Blenders. Davis is currently high on the Crickets and their disking of “I’m Not the One You Love” on his Jay-Dee label. At the same time, Davis announced the signing of Otis Blackwell and nine year-old Irene Treadwell, who will wax a couple of Christmas items shortly.


Listen to this week's selections by The Blenders on Jay-Dee 780 from 1953:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
          1. Don't Play Around With Love!
          2. You'll Never Be Mine Again
 
          BOTH played in sequence

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          1. Don't Play Around With Love!
          2. You'll Never Be Mine Again

     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          1. Don't Play Around With Love!
          2. You'll Never Be Mine Again


     [To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]


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