Totally unknown group, with little to go on, that's the challenge we love! "PJ" and The Gentry had a couple of 45's on the short-lived Beaver Records out of Hammond, Indiana.The Wounded Camel
Sing and Dance
This 45 has writer credits of Hebel - Farag. It also states a "James B. Hebel production". Their other 45 has writer credit to H. Farag III.
Nice song production, it may be as early as 1962, but I am just going by the matrix designation - SS2538-01a. Anyone have any idea on the members of this group?
In a letter I have from Henry Farag in 1980, he tells me that the Beaver label was started in 1962 or 1963, by a single man named Beavers who lived with his mother in Hammond and worked as an executive at some industrial outfit in Hammond or East Chicago. The guy would hold parties at local clubs for his artists, and give them framed copies of their records he was releasing, which was a morale booster. He also says that, unlike many small labels, Mr. Beavers actually paid the people who worked for his label, and Farag received a check from him in 1963 in the amount of $250 for a song he wrote for him. He said Beavers usually pressed about 500 copies of his singles, and that this was Farag's start in the music business. He has been in a NW Indiana doo-wop group called Stormy Weather for years. I had written to him because I assumed Henry was in the group, but he never actually said he was, and never mentioned any of the group members. So there is some background on the label, but unfortunately, not the group.
ReplyDeleteWow, some great start. I do have a couple of the Stormy Weather lp's. I really need to make a list of the names on the Indiana albums that I have. Sounds like you have done some research, do I know you?
ReplyDeleteNo; I did all my research 30-35 years ago. After I sold my collection in 1985, I lost interest in records for a long time. The internet has rekindled my interest some, though! And you do have a great website.
ReplyDeleteFor some strange reason, I was unable to email you (?). I was in a band in 1966, The Prudentials, of South Bend. We played the Mishiwaka area...sometimes at THE CAVE in Goshen....and one memorable night at Valpo U.
ReplyDeleteI like your site and wanted to see if you ever ran across our band....
Thanks. Dr.MAD
themaddoc2002@yahoo.com
SS-2538 dates to around July, 1964
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with the band at all. However, I was a weekend DJ in the early the 1970's at radio station WSTK in Woodstock, Illinois, while still a high school student. The DJ who came on right after my shift was James Bernard Hebel, who recounted stories about his days as a record producer for bands in Indiana. Jim is now the owner of radio station KCZQ in Cresco, Iowa. He is not much into computers and the internet, but he likes very much to talk about his past work and experiences. I happened to talk with him on the phone a couple weekends ago after many, many years.
ReplyDeleteJim may still be able to tell you about PJ and The Gentry and other bands you may be familiar with. His secretary at KCZQ is Debra and their phone number is (563) 547-1000.
A french version of "The Camel" has been recorded under the title "Il ne faut pas croire" (meaning : don't think that...) by chanteuse Sylviane Manack.
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