BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
MEETING THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH @ SOUND OF BIRMINGHAM RECORDING STUDIO 1PM
NEXT MEETING, OCTOBER 10TH.
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
Don Mosley, BRC Music Hall Of Fame member has invited us to have our September meeting at his recording studio, Sound Of Birmingham. For over forty years Sound Of Birmingham has been recording all types of music which includes Birmingham’s only gold record – Fredrick Knight’s ‘I’ve Been Lonely For So Long’. Don has recorded such artists such as Kenny Rogers, The Temptations, Roy Orbison, Candi Staton, and Rubben Studdard. The studio has a 16-track mixing board purchased in 1975 that was used in Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland studios. Don’t miss this opportunity to tour one of Birmingham’s finest and historic recording studios. The address is 3625 Fifth Avenue South, Birmingham 35222. The meeting will begin at 1:00 PM.
Beginning in October we are scheduled to return back to the Homewood library for our monthly meetings. When the covid virus hit, the library stopped the use of their meeting rooms but are ready to open them up once again. But things may change so the newsletter and the BRC website will be your best place to find out about future meetings. Also, moving back to the library in October will mean our starting time for meetings will return to 2:00.
CONDOLENCES
Our condolences go out to BRC member Don Campbell whose wife, Geraldine ‘Gerri’ passed away August 22, 2021. Don and Gerri were married 60 years.
THE 2021 BRC RECORD SHOW
Once again we had a very successful record show. Many positive comments came from dealers and customers. Thanks to everyone who helped put the show together. We have already set dates for next years’ show (August 19-21) and once again reserved the Gardendale Civic Center. Thanks also to our 2021 BRC Music Hall Of Fame inductee Paul Hornsby for being with us.
ALABAMA’S OWN
I recently came across an article put together by BRC member Johnny Powell that was printed in our March 2011 newsletter. Johnny loved to collect and learn the history of Alabama recorded music. Johnny’s passing in 2013 was a shock to all of us but we remember his passion for music and I thought I’d use this article once again to remember Johnny and to refresh your knowledge of one of Alabama’s own, Terry Fell. Here is the article as written by Johnny.
Back in the late 50’s I remember listening to Joe Rumore on WVOK as much as any other station even though his show didn’t play that much rock and roll. One of the songs that I always liked was ‘Fa-So-La’ by Terry Fell. I was always fascinated by the song – a catchy little tune with some great happy lyrics. More on this after I tell you about the artist. Little did I know, but Terry Fell was born right up the road from WVOK in Dora, AL. He was born on May 31, 1921 and passed away on April 4, 2007. Another Alabama native left his mark on American music history. In 1930 at 9 years old, he swapped his pet groundhog for a guitar, although it was to be three years before anyone showed him how to play it or the mandolin that he also acquired. At 16, he hitch-hiked his way to California, spending some time with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) earning a little cash. He eventually returned home, but he and his widowed mother finally relocated to the Los Angeles area. In 1943, while working for Tru-Flex Tires, he began to play bass with Merle Lindsey’s Nightriders. Around 1945, he joined Billy Hughes, made his first recordings for Fargo, and began to write songs for the American Music company. In 1954, after further recordings for Memo, Courtney and 4-Star, he joined RCA-Victor Records-making his first recordings on their subsidiary “X” label. His first release on “X” in 1954 was two songs that he had written. The A-side was ‘Don’t Drop It’ – which made it to #4 on the country charts – was later recorded by Wilbert Harrison on Savoy, Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun, Tommy Sands on RCA, Jimmy Bowen on Crest, Billy Grammar on Decca, Red Sovine on Starday, and about a dozen others. A few of these cover artists had fairly high-charting hits with it as it did have some rather ‘interesting’ lyrics. The B-side was ‘Truck Driving Man’ which did not chart. BUT, it went on to become a country standard – being charted by both George Hamilton IV and Red Stegall (as late as 1976!) and recorded by countless other artists including Buck Owens (who managed Terry early in his his career). In 1959, while in the U.S. Army in Germany, Fell co-authored 20 lines of a song titled ‘Mississippi River’ with Elvis Presley. The song was never finished or recorded but was sold at auction in 1996 for $30,000. In 1962, he relocated to Nashville where he wrote songs and worked for several publishing companies until he eventually retired. Another interesting bit of Alabama-related music trivia, Terry co-wrote ‘You’re The Reason’, a Top 10 hit for Bobby Edwards in 1961.
Now, back to ‘Fa-So-La’. The song is so-0nmed as it follows a long-ago-born American tradition of a certain-type of singing called ‘Fa-So-La’ singing or ‘sacred harp’ (named after the song book itself – which means ‘the human voice – the musical instrument you were given at birth’) singing or ‘shaped note’ singing (which comes from the simple musical notations used in the songbooks). The music is arranged by notes on a scale that rhythmically go ‘fa-so-la-me’ using four shapes to represent the notes: a triangle, ,oval, square and diamond. Early on, this style of singing was born from colonial ‘singing schools’ whose purpose was to teach beginners using this simple method to learn music-reading and singing. By the 20th century, shaped-note singing had migrated south and become a part of the non-mainstream Protestant church culture. Small rural churches have kept Sacred harp singing a uniquely American tradition – bringing communities together to sing four-part hymns and anthems. Even the way they arrange their chairs means something (that there are no leaders – all are equal). Shaped-note singers face each other in a square formation with one voice part on each side all facing inwards so they can see and hear each other – basses on one side, then trebles, then tenors, then altos. The group first sings out the notes (singing ‘Fa-So-La’ following the melody) and then sings the tune with the actual words. Obviously people who have powerful, wonderful voices are appreciated for their contribution but the person with the small, passive voice in the back that may hardly sing is also valued as it is not a singing competition. There are no soloists or leads. Perfect pitch is not needed and you can sing in any key. Beginners and newcomers are welcome, with no musical experience or religious affiliation required. Sacred Harp ‘singings’ are not performances – there are no rehearsals. They are not meant to be anything more than a ‘fulfillment’ to the participant. However, visitors are always welcome to sit anywhere in the room and participate as listeners. Though Sacred harp is not affiliated with any denomination, it is usually a deeply spiritual experience.
Now, as I listen to this song, not only will I recall my fond days of hearing it over the air on the Joe Rumore Show, I will also think of this fellow Alabamian from 20 miles away who made his mark in music history, a song he wrote that follows a deep American-born singing tradition, and of a new friend with a similar ‘common passion’ that I met while researching this article.
Johnny put together quite an article not only educating us on Terry Fell but the history of where the title ‘Fa-So-La’ came from. I had a grandfather who was a big-time singer of Fa-So-La and I always thought everybody knew the term and music and when I heard this song on WVOK myself it wasn’t new to me. But over the years I have met very few people who know about the Fa-So-La singing style. Good memories from an article put together over 10 years ago by someone who was everybody’s friend, Johnny Powell. I don’t know who Johnny’s ‘new friend with a similar common passion’ was that helped him with research that he mentioned at the end of the article – do you? Also, I have always been a fan of the song, ‘Don’t Drop It’ but the version I remember was the Wilbert Harrison one. My aunt gave me a copy of the Savoy 45 around 1958 and I liked it the minute I heard it. I didn’t know a guy from Alabama wrote it and never heard Terry Fell’s version until probably the late 1990’s.
FA-SO-LA
TERRY FELL
DON’T DROP IT
TERRY FELL
DON’T DROP IT
WILBERT HARRISON
(completely different sound from Terry Fell’s original)
BRC RADIO
Check out our latest shows at birminghamrecord.com. Click on ‘RADIO’ and listen to some long-lost music and even some new sounds. Be sure to check out our newest host, Tom Faison. Tom gives you a ‘vinyl experience’ with some great sounds. Check out all our shows.
See ya,
Charlie