Red West Debut Single --> A 1960 Novelty Record?

[drjohncarpenter]

This evening I stumbled across what appears to be Red West's debut single.

Who knew it came out in the summer of 1960, and was a cover of a novelty rocker?

(Well, Elvis and the guys probably knew).




Red West, "F.B.I. Story" (Jaro 77031, July 1960)
For a sample, click --> HERE

The flip side, a doo-wop ballad, was written by Red.




Red West, "What Must I Do" (Jaro 77031, July 1960)
For a sample, click --> HERE


The acquisition of Red West's master tape got some play in Billboard, which noted his "filming" work with Elvis Presley, and that it was produced by Gary "Flip" Paxton.




Billboard - July 4, 1960


The production and performance on the novelty single "Alley-Oop" would pay off with a #1 hit the very next week! Paxton enjoyed a very strange, yet successful, career:

Gary Paxton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Paxton

There must have been visions at Jaro Records of Red's single following suit, and becoming another #1 novelty hit like "Alley-Oop." It landed a modest review in Billboard magazine a week later.




Billboard - July 11, 1960


As noted, "F.B.I. Story" was a cover of rocker Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell's summer 1959 single.


..
Rudy Grayzell and his Thunderbirds, "F-B-I Story," (Award 129, July 1959)

Rudy's track sounds pretty cool!

Award was an Oakland, CA record label, although Grayzell also recorded at least one single, "Judy," for Sun Records in Memphis.




Elvis, Rudy Grayzell, backstage in October 1956
Photo: Kicks Magazine

"F-B-I Story" which he calls a "novelty tribute to J. Edgar Hoover with a rockabilly and R&B type kick". This wacky disc is peppered with machine gun sound effects and has a vocal group called the Scarlets doin' some crazy falsetto work behind his Coasters-type delivery, while Rudy's new combo the Thunderbirds pound out the rhythm. Considering how strangely unique and truly oddball the Award disc is, it's all the more wild that Elvis' right hand dingaling Red West ended up covering it on the Jaro label.

http://www.rockabillyhall.com/RudyGrayzell1.html

Rudy's earlier platter got an even better review than Red's in Billboard!




Billboard - July 20, 1959


But neither version dented the charts, and it remains a question whether Elvis contributed to the recording of either side of West's debut single. He was working a lot in Hollywood at the time.

If Red's friend did provide assistance, it had to be on the lowdown, lest RCA or Presley management blow a gasket.

Anyone know more?

[KHoots]

Really cool stuff, Doc. Thanks for posting. Wish I knew more about this material myself!

[Rtn 2 Sndr]

Very interesting, Doc.

Isn't Rudy Grayzell's "Judy" the same song Elvis recorded for "Something For Everybody"?

[Luuk]

Red West recorded for quite a few labels between 1960-1965 but never was succesfull

[drjohncarpenter]

Very interesting, Doc.

Isn't Rudy Grayzell's "Judy" the same song Elvis recorded for "Something For Everybody"?

No, it's a very good Billy Lee Riley-styled Sun rocker.


..
Rudy Grayzell, "Judy" (Sun 290, May 1958)

[Rtn 2 Sndr]

Very interesting, Doc.

Isn't Rudy Grayzell's "Judy" the same song Elvis recorded for "Something For Everybody"?

No, it's a very good Billy Lee Riley-styled Sun rocker.

Thanks, Doc!

[midnightx]

Red West recorded for quite a few labels between 1960-1965 but never was succesfull

If only Tom Parker could have managed him.

[Rtn 2 Sndr]

Red West recorded for quite a few labels between 1960-1965 but never was succesfull

If only Tom Parker could have managed him.

Then we could have had "Red--What Happened" and "Red In Concert". Parker would have been in the red.

[colonel snow]

Rudy Graysell recorded Hearts of stone with the name Rudy Gray on 31-08-54 (Capitol F 2946).



colonel snow

[drjohncarpenter]

Rudy Graysell recorded Hearts of stone with the name Rudy Gray on 31-08-54 (Capitol F 2946).

Neat. Do you have any Red West information to share?

---

Listening to Red's A-side, it sure sounds like the Jordanaires on backing vocals.

Where could the single have been cut? Probably Memphis, perhaps Los Angeles.

Anyone who knows more, please share!

[Luuk]

Red West recorded singles for:

- 1960: Jaro & Sonnet
- 1961: Dot
- 1963: Santo
- 1965: Loma

Some may be credited to Red West Combo.

Also listed is a Sonny West:

- 1950's: Nor-Va-Jak (#1956 "Rock-ola Ruby")
- 1958: Atlantic (#1174 "Rave on")

No idea if this is Elvis' employee.

source: Jerry Osborne's Rockin' records, buyers-sellers reference book and price guide

[merry77]

Red also wrote: "Let's give Adam and Eve another chance".
I believe it was even written around 1972.

LET'S GIVE ADAM AND EVE ANOTHER CHANCE
Gary Puckett & the Union Gap

He raised His hand & said "They'll need a place to stand"
& created what we now call the land
He raised His hand & said "They'll need a place to fly"
& created what we now call the sky
& then He gave life life to a man & a woman
& said "The rest is in your hands"

So many years have passed since these 2 people loved
3 billion represents the children of their love
Too many tears have fallen from the eyes of the people
But ooo, the sun is ice

CHORUS:
Let's give Adam & Eve another chance
To bring their children back together
Let's give Adam & Eve another chance
To show us how to love one another
(Got to learn to love one another)
Show us how to love one another
(Got to learn to love one another)

When He created all the beauty that we see
I know He had in mind a better life for you & me
But as we grow stronger, all people hunger
Just for the right to be free

(repeat chorus & fade)

[drjohncarpenter]

Very cool info -- thank you both.

The Sonny West from the 1950s is not a relation to Red's cousin Delbert. His version of "Rave On," however, is the original, pre-Buddy Holly recording, and it's not bad.

[Daryl]

Red West recorded singles for:

- 1960: Jaro & Sonnet
- 1961: Dot
- 1963: Santo
- 1965: Loma

Some may be credited to Red West Combo.

Also listed is a Sonny West:

- 1950's: Nor-Va-Jak (#1956 "Rock-ola Ruby")
- 1958: Atlantic (#1174 "Rave on")

No idea if this is Elvis' employee.

source: Jerry Osborne's Rockin' records, buyers-sellers reference book and price guide

I have the Jaro single "F.B.I. Story" / "What Must I Do" as well as the Dot single "Midnight Ride" / "Unforgiven," the Sonnet single "Ain't Nobody Gonna Take My Place" / "My Thanks To You," the Santo single "My Babe" / "Bossa Nova Momza" and the 1965 Brent single "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" / "Endless Days, Sleepless Nights." However I don't have any single by him on the Loma record label. A quick search using Google hasn't unearthed anything. Does anyone know about the purported 1965 Loma single that Luuk was referring to.

[ritchie valens]

Wonder where the master tapes are now?