The Epics

THE EPICS



Little information is to be had on the Epics, a vocal group from early '60s era Houston. They had seven releases between 1960 and 1963, most of them written, arranged, and released by Ray Doggett. The early releases on Lynn/Sabra have a male lead, Buddy Williams, but by late 1961 a girl named Jeannie (last name unknown) had taken over as the lead.

Lynn 510
ACA 4132/L-722 Girl by the Wayside (James Hickey) ACA master: Late 1960
ACA 4133/L-723 Ho-Hum-Deedle-Dum (Doggett) KNUZ #19 Dec 1, 1960

Lynn 513
ACA 4203 The Magic Kiss (Ray Doggett) ACA master c. Jan 1961
ACA 4204 (I’m Gonna Pay You Back With) The Very Same Coin (Ray Doggett)

Lynn 516
ACA 4283 Last Night I Dreamed (J. Gribble) ACA session: May 16, 1961
ACA 4284 Most of All (Harvey-Fuqua-Freed)

Sabra 516
ACA 4283 Last Night I Dreamed (J. Gribble) 1961?
The Magic Kiss

Eric 7001
ACA 4418/386 Grounded (Ray Doggett-Lelan Rogers) ACA session: Aug. 31, 1961
ACA 4419/387 Wishing You Were Mine (Bill and Faye Shackelford)

Dante 3004 The Epics Featuring Jeannie
D-205 I Want to Be Your Girl (Goldner-Barett) 1962
D-206 So Many Times (G. Smith-S. Jones)

Dante 3006 Jeannie and the Epics - A Doggett-Spreen Production
Mama Dear (Ken Grant-Joe Ashford) "10-62" written on label
Glad to be Free (Bill Shannon)

Eric Records: The Discography

Above: Big Sambo (James Young).


ERIC RECORDS: THE DISCOGRAPHY


While Eric Records may have been the brainchild of Ray Doggett, he may have only released 7001, by Jeannie and the Epics (who also had several singles on Dante), before selling or giving the label over to Huey P. Meaux and Chester Foy Lee. The label was based in Conroe, Tx., but seems to have done most of its sessions in New Orleans at Cosimo's Studio.

Eric was probably Meaux's most significant early label. Barbara Lynn made her debut on this label ("Dina & Patricia"). Joey Long recreated himself as a teen pop singer with several releases. Rockin' Dave Allen had a couple of early singles. Roy Perkins had a memorable stab at swamp pop ("Train to Nowhere"), and Cookie Roberts made one of the wildest rockers Meaux ever released ("Draggin' the Drive-Inns"). Presumably, a few of these were local hits along the Gulf Coast, but the only one I'm aware of is Big Sambo's "The Rains Came," a huge hit in Houston in 1962. Today, we're more likely to be wowed by the flipside, "At the Party," a '50s Little Richard style homage caught out of time.

Eric was discontinued in late 1964.



7001 THE EPICS
ACA 4418/386 Grounded (Ray Doggett-Lelan Rogers) ACA session: Aug. 31, 1961
ACA 4419/387 Wishing You Were Mine (Bill and Faye Shackelford)

7002 BUDDY LORTON
103-387 Makes No Never Mind (J. Bonvillian-P. Vidacovich) 1961
103-386 Time (Naomi Neville)

7003 BIG SAMBO AND THE HOUSE WRECKERS
The Rains Came (Meaux) 1961-62
At the Party (Meaux)

7004 BARBARA LYNN
Dina & Patricia (B.L. Ozen) 1962
Give Me a Break (B.L. Ozen)

7005 THE GIL BACA COMBO Featuring Vernon Drozd
75-472 Have You Ever Been Lonely (Peter DeRose-George Brown) 1962
75-473 Elmer’s Tune (Allrecht-Gallop-Jurgens)

7006 ROCKIN’ DAVE ALLEN
E-450 Irene (J. Miller-B. Jolivet) 1962
E-451 Forever Trying to Change My Ways (Kinghill)

7007 RUE JENNINGS
E-452 Blue Tears (Kerney Ravet) DJ wol: 7/2/62
E-453 Don’t Let It End (Kerney Ravet)

7008 BUDDY LORTON Houston Records invoice: June 18, 1962
E-454 A Fool I’ve Been (J. Bonvillian) 1962
E-455 Someday Some One (J. Bonvillian)

7009 COOKIE ROBERTS Houston Records invoice: Aug. 15, 1962
E-456 The Black House (B. Lewis-Jack Rhodes) 1962
E-457 Draggin’ the Drive-Inn’s (sic) (Jack Rhodes)

7010 MARY NELL Houston Records invoice: Sept. 21, 1962
E-458 Before You Go (Carter-Rhodes) 1962
E-459 Hello Mr. Lonely (Rhodes-Ebner)

7011 PORTER JORDAN AND THE DREAMERS Houston Records invoice: Sept. 29, 1962
Hanging Around the Corner 1962
Free Loader

7012 THE SHADOWS
E-463 Something Wild (Butch Palcher)
A Night at Smokey Joe’s

7013 JAMES YOUNG This is “Big Sambo’s” Real Name
E-645 Long Gone (Meaux) 1963
E-646 I Had to Cry (J. Scott-A. Matthias)

7014 ROCKIN’ DAVE ALLEN
E-466 Carol My Darling (Dave Stitch) 1963
E-467 Just to Hold My Hand (Perryman-Robey)

7015 JOEY LONG
I Cried 1963
Near You

7016 KEN HANA
HM-KH-1 Bird Dog (Jordan-Rhodes) 1963
HM-KH-2 False Love (Jordan-Rhodes)

7017 ROY PERKINS
Jole Blon 1963
Train to Nowhere



7018 JOEY LONG
HM-JL-1 If I Should Need You (Would You Say Yes) 1963
(Col. Tom Parker-Gabe Tucker)
HM-JL-2 You Can’t Give Back the Love (That I Gave To You)
(Porter Jordan-Jack Rhodes)

7019

7020 JOEY LONG
Teen Keen Baby
Lover’s Land

7021 MICKEY GILLEY
Whole Lotta Twistin’ Going On 1963
Fraulein

7022

7023 LI’L MARGIE CRANE
He Taught Me How 1964
Pretty Face, Cute Figure

7024 JOEY LONG
LH-1186 Bitter Cup of Sorrow (J. Longoria) Fall, 1964
LH-1187 Please Mr. Sandman (Let Me Sleep Tonight) (J. Longoria)

Cadette Records: The Discography

Above: C.L. and the Pictures, c. 1963. L to R: Charlie Broyles, Trent Poole, C. L. Weldon, Leroy Rodriguez, Bill Tillman, Harold Fulton.


CADETTE RECORDS: THE DISCOGRAPHY


Cadette was, along with Dante and Eric, one of Ray Doggett's early labels in Houston. There were only 10 known releases, with no known local hits, but Doggett apparently tried to corner the local market for teen sounds with early efforts from Gary Smith, C.L. and the Pictures, Vicky Vaughn, the Indigos, and others. Songwriters' credits show that Mickey Gilley, Y. Parker Wong, Clarence Garlow, Dale Gothia, Jerry Fowler, and Joe Ford (Ashford) were all involved as well. Steve Tyrell was on the scene but failed to obtain a release on Cadette, which was discontinued in early 1963.


8001 GARY AND SONNY
ACA 4486 It’s All Over ACA session: Dec. 19, 1961
ACA 4487 You’re Gonna Love Me

8002 VICKY VAUGHN
CA-8-1 Butterflies (Ray Doggett-Mickey Gilley) ACA session: Feb. 20, 1962
CA-8-2 Love Fever Ray Doggett-Mickey Gilley)

8003 THE INDIGOS
CA-8-3 My Dream Girl (John Hazelbarth) 1962
CA-8-4 Beyond Your Wildest Dreams (Y. Parker Wong)

8004 JAY RICHARD
75-523 Anymore (Robey-Washington) 1962
75-524 I’ve Got the Best (D. Gothia-J. Fowler)

8005 C.L. AND THE PICTURES
CA-9 Love Will Find a Way (Clarence Garlow) 1962
CA-10 Then You’ll Know (Ray Doggett)

8006 BERRY WILLIAMS
CA-11 Playmates (P.D.) 1962-63
CA-12 As Lovely As Me (E. Williams)

8007 GARY & SONNY
Kiss and Run 1962-63

8008 BUDDY WILLIAMS
Life, Love, and Devotion 1963
Marry Him

8009 GINGER LAWLER
CA-17 Reassure Me (Ray Doggett) 1963
CA-18 I’m Learning Very Fast (Ray Doggett-J. Ashford)

8010 THE DEL-FI’S
D-216 No More No More (Thomas Sherman) vocal by Jim Lynch 1963
D-217 Magic of Your Love (B. Brown, Jr.-J. Lynch)

Below: The Del-Fi's share the stage with the Raiders of "Stick Shift" fame at Mr. Lucky's, c. 1963.