#839 (5/23/15 - 6/5/15)

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"Goodnight Mother"/"Let's Put Our Cards On The Table"
by The Cap-Tans
on DC 8064 A/B
released in 1949

Above: A 1950 photo of The Cap-Tans consisting of (L-R) Alfred Slaughter (tenor), Floyd Bennett (tenor), Harmon Bethea (tenor, baritone, bass), Sherman Buckner (tenor), and Lester Fountain (baritone, guitar).

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

Above: The Progressive Four consisting of (Top-Bottom) Harmon Bethea, Lindsay Wilson, Oliver Armstead, Hartwell Mouton, Wilburt Griffin, and (Right) Tom Singletary (with guitar). The group recorded for DC Records (1947-48), encompassing both gospel and secular music. In late 1948, they changed their name to Corinthian Singers, followed by several gospel releases on DC Records (1948-50). Under both names, they had two gospel releases on Savoy Records (1949-50), the masters obtained from DC Records.

Here is Windows Media Player audio for one record: Listen to "My Mother's Eyes" - Jerry Strong With The Progressive Four - Paragon 8047 A - 1948. Listen to "Basin Street Blues" - Jerry Strong With The Progressive Four - Paragon 8047 B - 1948. This same record was originally released on DC 8047 earlier in 1948. Jerry Strong was a disk jockey in the Washington, DC area.

EXTRA AUDIO - PART ONE (Windows Media Player):
[The three records below provided by Dave Saviet.]

DC Records was heavy into gospel music, especially in the years 1948-1950. The label, located in Washington, DC, was formed in late 1946 by Lillian Claiborne, with financial backing by Haskell Davis. Mae Gooch and her Gospel Stars had four releases on DC Records. The ones featured here are their first three. The label for DC 8059 (see above) shows the Gospel Stars' members as "Mae Gooch, Lois Russell, James Gooch, Arthurine Strothers, and Leroy Waldo, piano." The flip of this record shows "Featuring Mae Gooch and Leroy Waldo, Fannie Tappin - Piano." (Far Left) Lillian Claiborne clipping from The Billboard 12/18/48. Excerpt is from a column that Nick Kenny wrote in the New York Daily Mirror. (Near Left) Picture from 1950 of Mae Gooch, lead singer of The Gospel Stars. Listen to "Jesus Gave Me Water" - Gospel Stars - DC 8056 A - 1948. Listen to "Do Not Pass Me By" - Gospel Stars - DC 8056 B - 1948. Listen to "In That Beautiful Land" - Gospel Stars - DC 8058 A - 1949. Listen to "Don't Worry About Me" - Gospel Stars - DC 8058 B - 1949. Listen to "Thank God, Amen" - Gospel Stars - DC 8059 A - 1949. Listen to "Jesus Is Listening" - Gospel Stars - DC 8059 B - 1949.

EXTRA AUDIO - PART TWO (Windows Media Player):

Listen to "My, My, My, Ain't She Pretty" - The Cap Tans - Gotham G-233-A - 1950. This is their first of two on the Gotham label (1950-51). Gotham was owned by Ballen Record Company, who was the distributer for DC Records.

[The above record provided by Joe Marchesani.]

Above: Label image of DC 8064 B. The flip side (8064 A) label shows a matrix number of "8064 B," which is also engraved in the "dead wax" on that side. Ballen Record Company was the distributer for DC Records and, as indicated on the label, also the manufacturer of this record. Harmon Bethea is the lead singer on both sides.

Listen to this week's selections by The Cap-Tans on DC 8064 A/B from 1949:
[Audio restoration of all the songs on this webpage by Dave Saviet.]

A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...             1. Goodnight Mother           2. Let's Put Our Cards On The Table             BOTH played in sequence      B. Download RealAudio...             1. Goodnight Mother           2. Let's Put Our Cards On The Table      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             1. Goodnight Mother           2. Let's Put Our Cards On The Table

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

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