Felsted
Roger Ford
'Twas nearly midnight in the local cab office when in walk two pretty
young girls.
"Where you going ladies?" inquires the taxi controller.
"Felsted" says the first popsy.
So putting down my coffee off I go....driving them 35 miles home to
the picturesque little village of Felsted,Essex.
Felsted!
I guess most on here will remember the 1950's record label of that
name that released records on both sides of the Atlantic. But how many
will know that the record label was named after this very same quiet
very pretty little village in leafy rural Essex,England?
And all because its most famous 1950's resident was the head of the
giant Decca Record company in London---the elegant Sir Edward Lewis.
The UK Felsted label came first---a subsidary of the main Decca
company---and specializing in dance and jazz records. starting circa
1954.Then in late 1957 the Felsted label was launched in the USA by
London Records (itself wholly owned by UK Decca) of New York City. At
that time tho US London was doing quite well in the MOR albums market
(their then best selling artist was Mantovani) it was having a real
bad time with their singles sales. Nearly all their output at the time
was of UK origin and crappy UK origin at that. Hardly anybody in the
US was buying (The Rolling Stones were still six years away!) .
Therefore Felsted was started primarily to issue US domestic product
and almost immidiately hit paydirt with pop thrush Kathy Linden's
"Billy" (the biggest hit the label ever had) .Altho Kathy Linden's
records were'nt among them the label did have several decent releases
but sadly had very few real hits---the most memorable of which both
came in 1961---"Asia Minor" from Kokomo (actually Philly based pianist
Jimmy Wisner rocking up Greig's famous Piano Concerto---and a cheat
actually since the record wasn't recorded for Felsted but was a 1960
buy in from the Philly based Future label)---and my personal favorite
on the Felsted label,the terrific "Foot Stomping" from 1961 by The
Flares.
From 1958 onwards a good deal of the US Felsted output started
appearing on Felsted over here but we also got several singles that
were on US London-distributed labels of the time---including "Smokie"
by Bill Black's Combo (from Hi) as well as several Billy Grammer
records (from US Monument) that all appeared on Felsted here.
Unfortunately NOT ONE Felsted single ever made the UK chart and the
label was closed down in 1960 with all the US repertoire being
transferred to London label here for release. In the USA the Felsted
label struggled on until 1965 before it was terminated----just as much
of UK Decca's product (led by The Rolling Stones) started jumping up
the American charts.
Amazing the things that come out of a simple taxi journey :)
ROGER FORD
-----------------------
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Please delete same before responding.Thank you!
Sharx35
"Roger Ford" <mari...@bblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4b3905c1...@text.news.virginmedia.com...
Asia Minor by Kokomo was recorded on Felsted, you know.
DianeE
> The UK Felsted label came first---a subsidary of the main Decca
> company---and specializing in dance and jazz records. starting circa
> 1954.Then in late 1957 the Felsted label was launched in the USA by
> London Records (itself wholly owned by UK Decca) of New York City. At
> that time tho US London was doing quite well in the MOR albums market
> (their then best selling artist was Mantovani) it was having a real
> bad time with their singles sales. Nearly all their output at the time
> was of UK origin and crappy UK origin at that. Hardly anybody in the
> US was buying (The Rolling Stones were still six years away!) .
>
> Therefore Felsted was started primarily to issue US domestic product
> and almost immidiately hit paydirt with pop thrush Kathy Linden's
> "Billy" (the biggest hit the label ever had) .Altho Kathy Linden's
> records were'nt among them the label did have several decent releases
> but sadly had very few real hits---the most memorable of which both
> came in 1961---"Asia Minor" from Kokomo (actually Philly based pianist
> Jimmy Wisner rocking up Greig's famous Piano Concerto---and a cheat
> actually since the record wasn't recorded for Felsted but was a 1960
> buy in from the Philly based Future label)---and my personal favorite
> on the Felsted label,the terrific "Foot Stomping" from 1961 by The
> Flares.
Thanks for the background--nice story. I agree with you that most of the
Felsted stuff I've heard has been disappointing, but there is one R&B gem
buried in the heap: "I Been Crying" by The Five Fleets, a personal favorite
of mine.
DianeE
Roger Ford
Yes I like this Five Fleets release too and it's one of the US Felsted
issues that we got over here as well. I have it but on the US 45RPM
pressing. Never had the UK pressing nor I am ever likely to have it
anytime soon since it currently commands the UK equivalent of $500+ .
Their followup "Yo' Good Loving" is not to be sneezed at either.
Jim Colegrove
<Tired...@SorryFolks.com> wrote:
I discovered that on an MP3 about 9 years back. I like that one a lot
too.
Jim Colegrove
www.lostcountry.com
Roger Ford
wrote:
>Asia Minor by Kokomo was recorded on Felsted, you know.
>
No it wasn't!!
The record first appeared on the Future label in Philadelphia in 1960.
The original release can be seen here
Sharx35
"Roger Ford" <mari...@bblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4b3a5306...@text.news.virginmedia.com...
Before you make yourself like like a complete fool, see the following link.
MY copy, which I have in my hand WAS by Kokomo and is on FELSTAD. The link
to YouTUbe PROVES IT; I don't give a flying FUCK what the first label was,
all I said is that (at some point in time) Felsted released Asia Minor by
Kokomo, at least in SOME areas. LINK is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN31bUGatHs
50s
> "Roger Ford" <maria...@bblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> news:4b3a5306...@text.news.virginmedia.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:56:23 GMT, "Sharx35" <shar...@hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
>
> >>"Roger Ford" <maria...@bblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
Hey asshole, you said it was "recorded" on Felsted, so you're the one
who has made a complete fool of yourself.
It was "released" on Felsted after they purchased the master, but they
didn't "record" shit.
The first time that you ever tried to contribute a fact to the group
and of course, it's wrong....LOL
Sharx35
"50s" <Sav...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:aa1650ae-8d3f-4e84...@d20g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
Spare me your fucking doubletalk, asshole. *I* have a RECORD, Asia Minor by
Kokomo, ON THE FUCKING FELSTED label. That is all the reality necessary for
me to say that is was ALSO ON FELSTED. SO fuck off, faggot cocksucker.
BobbyM
news:PyU_m.59603$PH1.35737@edtnps82...
You've been making a big deal of this since the original post. If you'll
get your panties out of a bind & try to disregard your overt criticism of
everything Roger posts, you will notice that in his original post on this
subject, Roger wrote:
"...the label did have several decent releases but sadly had very few real
hits---the most memorable of which both came in 1961---"Asia Minor" from
Kokomo (actually Philly based pianist Jimmy Wisner rocking up Greig's famous
Piano Concerto---and a cheat actually since the record wasn't recorded for
Felsted but was a 1960 buy in from the Philly based Future label..."
Sharx35
"BobbyM" <massey...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:hhh8sd$rrk$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
I don't give a FLYING FUCK who it was supposed to be recorded for or who
else duped it--the FACT is that it WAS issued on Felsted. Period.
>
50s
> "BobbyM" <masseybNOS...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:hhh8sd$rrk$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Sharx35" <shar...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >news:PyU_m.59603$PH1.35737@edtnps82...
>
> >> "50s" <Savo...@aol.com> wrote in message
And nobody here gives a flying fuck about you or anything that you
post here. You're like a fucking annoying gnat flying around our
dinner.
I'm gonna call you HUPS from now on.
Huge
Useless
Pile of
Shit
BobbyM
You're simply trying to argue a point in which there is no disagreement. Is
senility starting to set in? In case you've forgotten, here is your first
reply in this thread: "Asia Minor by Kokomo was recorded on Felsted, you
know." If you had read the original post, instead of sitting on your
haunches waiting to attack, you'd have seen that info had already been
provided & you could have saved the grief and embarrassment that this thread
has apparently caused you.