The Swan Records Story

 

and album listing by Mike Callahan and
 David Edwards

About the company…

Swan Records was founded in 1957 in Philadelphia, and remained in business for about ten years.  In 1967 the label ceased to be active although a few reissues appeared as late as 1968, mostly from old stampers.  In 1988 many of these, along with the original master tapes, were acquired  by Rollercoaster Records in England. Rollercoaster has been issuing a series of high-quality CDs over the past few years, both on their own label and in conjunction with Ace Records (UK).

The label was owned by Bernie Binnick and Tony Mamarella, and featured the production talents of Frank Slay and Bob Crewe, along with other luminaries as Walter Gates and Richard Barrett.  Slay and Crewe had been doing production work on hits like “Silhouettes” by the Rays and other artists at Cameo-Parkway, who for a while shared offices and release schedules with Swan. Both Slay and Crewe were also songwriters of some note, Slay writing many of Freddy Cannon’s hits and Crewe penning many of the Four Seasons’ hits. Slay had his own minor hit, “Flying Circle” in late 1961 [Swan 4085], which was an adaptation of the Jewish standard “Hava Nagila.” His publishing company, Claridge Music, was also the name of the record label he founded after he left Swan and relocated to Los Angeles. Bob Crewe, upon leaving Swan (ca. 1962-3), became well-known as co-writer of most of the Four Seasons hits and as the head of the Bob Crewe Generation, a conglomeration of musicians who hit the top-15 in 1967 with “Music to Watch Girls By” [DynoVoice 229], which also was used in a Pepsi Cola commercial.

The original address was 1405 Locust Street in Philadelphia, where they were located until the early 1960s. For a while an association with TV deejay Dick Clark helped them along with promotion for many Swan acts, but by the time the payola scandal hit, Clark?s involvement had to be terminated and Binnick and Mammarella (a Clark employee) continued the partnership.  By 1962 Swan had moved to 1703 Jackson Street, and by 1963 were in their last offices at “The Northwest Corner of 8th and Fitzwater Streets.”

About the talent and the hits..

 

The earliest artists for Swan were Dicky Doo and the Don’ts and Billy and Lillie, who both scored hits in early 1958, starting the label off on a successful footing. “Dicky Doo” was the nickname of Dick Clark’s young son, and singer Gerry Granahan used it as the basis for the group name. They scored a top-30 single with “Click Clack” (Swan 4001), but several follow-up singles could only muster mid-chart placement (40s-60s at best). Their second record (Swan 4006) paired the silly “Nee Nee Na Na Na Nu Nu” with the strange “Flip Top Box,” and this record alone would have been enough to kill off any thoughts the public may have been harboring that this was a serious group. The next outing, “Leave Me Alone (Let Me Cry” (Swan 4014) was based on “The Battle Hymn of the Republic!” After a fourth single, “Teardrops Will Fall” (Swan 4025), again based on another song, this time a collegiate ditty, the buying public had had enough, and the group was history. In addition to Granahan, the band consisted of Ray Gangi on guitar, Harvey Davis on bass, Al Ways on sax, and ex-Rhythm Orchids drummer Dave Alldred.

Billy Ford and Lillie Bryant were a vocal duo backed by Ford’s band, the Thunderbirds. Both were originally from the New York-New Jersey area. Their first single on Swan, “La Dee Dah” (Swan 4002) made top 10, and during the next two years they placed three more singles on the charts, the most popular of which was “Lucky Ladybug” (Swan 4020), which made the top15.

Other than Dicky Doo and Billy and Lillie, Swan had little chart success during their first full year, 1958. They placed two other groups on the top-100. The Upbeats had a minor summer hit with “Just Like in the Movies” (Swan 4010), and the Quaker City Boys eked into the top-40 with “Teasin'” (Swan 4023) near the end of the year. Both proved to be “one-hit wonders”, and as 1958 closed, few could see that Swan would escape the fate of so many small labels: a few hits then gone. But few knew about a regular hit machine that was about to come on the scene with a “boom”: Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon.

Freddy Cannon was born Frederick Picariello in Massachusetts, and by the age of 19 when he signed with Swan, he was already a veteran performer. He had fronted his own band, Freddy Kannon & the Hurricanes, and had played lead guitar on the 1956 hit “Ka-Ding Dong” by the G-Clefs (Pilgrim 715). In early 1959, he worked with arranger Frank Slay of Swan to record a rock and roll version of a song his mother had written, “Tallahassee Lassie” (Swan 4031). The 45 version featured a prominent kick drum sound which gave Cannon the nickname “Boom Boom,” and the device was used to good advantage on subsequent recordings. His followup single “Okefenokee” (Swan 4038), predictably keeping with the Florida theme, just missed the top-40. But his third single, a remake of the old standard “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” (Swan 4043) went to #3 and established him as a rock and roll star.

It was about this time that Swan decided to cut an album with Freddy. Swan’s first album (Treasure Chest of Hits, LP 501), had been a collection of singles from the first two years of the Swan label and some records from Philadelphia’s Cameo label (Slay-Crewe’s former employers), but this time (The Explosive! Freddy Cannon, LP 502) they went all out, including recording the album in stereo. Except for this album, Swan was not the label for stereo releases. This was consistent with the general opinion of Philadelphia record labels and studios of the time (e.g., Cameo, Parkway, Jamie, Reco-Art), who by and large avoided stereo, especially for hit singles (some album tracks on these labels did appear in stereo, but only sporadically). Frank Slay told Mike Callahan in an unpublished 1975 interview, “We did one album, the first Freddy Cannon album, in stereo. But we all thought it sounded odd, so we did the rest in mono only.” That lone early stereo Swan album today is an almost impossible-to-find prize. It has one chart record, “Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy,” in true stereo. Two other charters are rechanneled, and “Tallahassee Lassie” is a different version from the 45 hit, a big band treatment (perhaps more what his mother had in mind?), although it is stereo. it was years later [1964] before Swan attempted another stereo album.

Swan’s success in 1959 and 1960 was largely due to Freddy Cannon’s talents. In addition to “Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy” (Swan 4050), he released five other sides in 1960 which he placed on the charts: “Jump Over”/”The Urge” (Swan 4053), “Happy Shades of Blue” (Swan 4057), “Humdinger” (Swan 4061), and “Muskrat Ramble” (Swan 4066). The only other chart record for Swan in 1959, besides the Freddy Cannon and Billy and Lillie charters, was an organ instrumental by keyboardist Jackie Lee, “Happy Vacation” (Swan 4034), which barely managed to make the top-100.

It was also in 1960 that Swan signed Danny & the Juniors, a group which had had a couple of big hits for ABC-Paramount a few years earlier. Fronted by Danny Rapp, they were essentially a four-part vocal harmony group. Rapp sang lead, with David White as first tenor, Frank Maffei as second tenor, and Joe Terranova as baritone. After their #1 hit “At the Hop” (Singular 711/ABC-Paramount 9871) in early 1958, and their top-20 followup “Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay” (ABC-Paramount 9888), and the barely-top-40 “Dottie” (ABC-Paramount 9926), they slipped off the charts by summer, 1958, not to be heard from again for nearly two years. When they signed with Swan, their first offering was “Twistin’ U.S.A.” (Swan 4060), which hit top-30. For the next two years, the group managed to put five more sides on the charts, but none reached higher than #60.

In 1960, Freddy Cannon and Danny & the Juniors were Swan’s only chart artists, although there were interesting offerings by former hitmakers Georgie Young and Lee Andrews. In addition, Ronnie Dawson’s “Hazel” (Swan 4047) garnered a good deal of airplay, especially on the east coast.

1961 brought several more chart records from Freddy Cannon and Danny and the Juniors, along with a surprise hit by producer Frank Slay’s Orchestra, a reworking of the Jewish standard “Hava Nagilah” titled “Flying Circle” (Swan 4085). Swan also released singles by Al Alberts, former lead singer for the Four Aces, and future hitmaker Eddie Rambeau, although neither was successful for Swan. Future guitar legend Roy Buchanan also released a forgotten single on Swan 4088 in 1961, and the Little Jimmy and the Tops single “Puppy Love” (Swan 4091) was played on the radio on the east coast.

By early 1962, Freddy Cannon’s and Danny and the Juniors’ singles were running out of gas on the charts, barely climbing into the top 100, but Cannon came back with a summer classic, “Palisades Park” (Swan 4106), which hit #3 and revived his career. In early summer, a new group, Teddy & the Twilights (shown at right) scored a medium hit with “Woman Is a Man’s Best Friend” (Swan 4102), and in the fall Gabriel & the Angels hit with “That’s Life (That’s Tough)” (Swan 4118), but neither was able to follow up with additional hits

In the fall of 1962, Swan got a surprise top-30 hit from Mark Valentino (pictured at left) with “The Push and Kick” (Swan 4121), which did so well Swan issued an album to go along with it (LP 508). Near the end of the year, Swan again had a top-10 record, this time with Buffalo’s Rockin’ Rebels’ “Wild Weekend” (Swan 4125).

1963 was not a very good year for the label. Most of their singles did not even reach the middle rungs of the charts. They signed Link Wray, fresh from a frustrating stint at Cadence who let him go because he was regarded as a bad influence on America?s youth thanks to his hit single, ?Rumble? and Epic where he tired of their attempts to turn him into a clean-cut Duane Eddy clone. Link provided a moderate hit with “Jack the Ripper” (Swan 4137), but the only new success was the Sapphires’ “Who Do You Love” (Swan 4162), which reached #25.

On September 16, 1963, Swan released a leased master of “She Loves You” (Swan 4152) by a then little-known British group, the Beatles. Before this release, the Beatles had had two poor-selling singles on Vee-Jay (the latest one, “From Me to You” in summer, 1963, was easily outdistanced in the US by a Del Shannon cover version!). Initial issues of the record were on Swan’s white label, with red print. Shortly after this record was released, Swan changed the colors of their label to black with silver print for both the 45s and the LPs. When Beatlemania hit the US in January, 1964, Swan reissued the single, but on the black and silver label, leaving the white/red label version as somewhat of a rarity.

 

 

“She Loves You? was the biggest hit the label ever had, making #1. It sustained the label for at least four more years, when the hits were few and far between. From “She Loves You” in early 1964 until Swan threw in the towel in mid-1967, they had only one more top-40 hit, “Shaggy Dog” (Swan 4183) by Mickey Lee Lane in 1964, and that only made #38. It was not particularly for lack of talent. They had the Three Degrees, Jerry Jaye, and the Strangeloves, all of whom would go on to have big hits with other labels later, as well as former hitmakers the Royal Teens and the Dovells. But it was obvious that Swan’s season was over.

The masters, including many that had never been released, were eventually purchased by Rollercoaster Records in England after languishing in a warehouse for years.  John Beecher of Rollercoaster recently alerted us to the following: “We hope to have a release of some Link Wray material that was recorded for an unissued Swan LP – in stereo. These have been mixed for us by Tom Moulton from the original 4-track tapes. It’s a mystery why Swan never released these tracks at the time of Jack The Ripper but chose instead to issue the (inferior) LP 510. The unissued album was to be numbered 506, then 509.”   Swan certainly tried hard with Link, allowing him to record independently and leasing the masters as they were finished for a limited period ? an almost revolutionary approach in those days and one that gave Link and his producer brother Vernon the freedom they needed to make records their way.

By 1967, many small labels were in trouble and were failing to keep up with current trends.  Swan continued to buy in masters from talented producers and artists and could have continued had they been supported by their distributors; but the business was getting tougher and there was little room for gentlemen like Bernie Binnick in a rogue’s game.  Among the last records to be issued on Swan was Tony Galla’s “In Love”, a track that has become a Northern Soul hit in the UK in recent years.  Tony remembers the last days of Swan, and his hopes for a hit disc:

“Joey Reynolds was my manager and we recorded “In Love” at Frank Virtue’s studio in Philadelphia in the summer of 1967. His studio was famous for recording hit after hit. I remember meeting Bernie and Tony briefly after we recorded the two songs and they were very excited because they really believed that they had a hit record with “In Love”. In fact the song got to about 30 on Billboard and was still moving when they went under and the label folded. As soon as it did “In Love” just died. I believe my record was the last release or close to it.

In 1967 Swan?s Bernie Binnick became disillusioned with the record business, although even after he retired to Florida he dabbled from time to time with single releases.  But the glory days were over and his last venture seems to have been an unlikely project with Joy Division, who cut an album with his assistance before they hit big ? it was never released officially.  Binnick was admired by many as a ?saint? in a sinner?s business that was generally cut-throat and unconcerned with artists reputations and personal lives.  He became a friend to the singers and instrumentalists who recorded for Swan, many speak of him with admiration and affection. Some industry folk feel that this personal involvement led to his downfall along with the plague of the US record business – the ever-powerful distributors.  These companies, with no interest in anything other than a quick buck, would order heavy when things were hot, then when they found they didn?t need his next release they failed to pay for the records.  Meanwhile Bernie had to pay his bills and finally when he was unable to do so, was forced to liquidate the label. The last word on this honourable and inspiring man goes to his biggest star, Freddy Cannon ?

?Bernie Binnick was like a Dad to me, he heard and saw something in me that other record people didn?t.

He always had me doing promotion – he taught me a lot, always coming up with ideas to promote records and my career. To this day i still promote his way with radio stations. He was the best!?

About the manufacturing and distribution…

Swan was distributed by Cameo/Parkway Records. The printing of album sleeves and most of the LP pressing was done by Crown Album Corporation of Philadelphia.
Generally, the Swan numbering prefix was just “LP,” but on some issues the prefix was “SLP” or even “S-LP”. The “S”, of course, stood for “Swan” and not stereo, as all later issues were mono only. The SLP designation was generally used for the matrix number of the albums dating back to the earliest issue, LP 501. Later albums also used the SW for mono and SWS for stereo prefixes.

The original Swan label had dark red lettering on a matte (not glossy) white label. There was a S-curving checkerboard pattern running across the label from the left of, and above, the center hole, but on some issues the pattern goes through the center hole. “Swan” was in italic letters at the top. The first album, LP 501, had the title of the record below the center hole, but subsequent albums, starting with LP 502, had the album title (and artist name, where applicable) above the checkerboard pattern. The stereo issue of LP-502 had “STEREO” above the label name.

 

The second Swan label was almost identical to the first, but the label was printed on glossy stock and the red color was much less dark. The second label was used starting with LP 507 and until SLP-510. The third label, which started with some late issues of 510, had the same graphics, but was silver print on a black background, printed on matte paper stock. This label was used until the last album. The late stereo issues used the same black/silver colors and graphics with “STEREO” under the label name.

This brief history of Swan Records was prepared by Mike Callahan and David Edwards, for the Both Sides Now Publications website.  Go to www.bsnpubs.com for further information and discographies on many American labels.  Additional notes were provided by John Beecher.  Thanks to Mike and David for allowing us to use their work, which remains copyright 2003 by Mike Callahan. 

SWAN ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY

Number – Title – Artist – [Release Date] (Chart) Contents

	LP 501 – Treasure Chest of Hits, Vol. 1 – Various Artists [1959] Issued in mono only. Silhouettes – Rays/La Dee Dah – Billy & Lillie/Mexican Hat Rock – Applejacks/Click Clack-Dicky Doo & Don’ts/Teenage Prayer – Gloria Mann/Tallahassee Lassie – Freddy Cannon (45 version)//Butterfly – Charlie Gracie/Lucky Ladybug – Billy & Lillie/Rocka-Conga – Applejacks/Back To School Again – Timmie Rogers/You’re The Greatest – Billy Scott/Teasin’ – Quaker City Boys
	LP 502 (mono)/LP 502 Stereo (stereo) – The Explosive! Freddy Cannon – Freddy Cannon [1959] Boston (My Home Town) (S)/Kansas City (S)/Sweet Georgia Brown (S)/Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (E)/St. Louis Blues (S)/Indiana (S)//Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy (S)/Deep In The Heart Of Texas (S)/California Here I Come (S)/Okefenokee (E)/Carolina In The Morning (S)/Tallahassee Lassie [alternate version with big band sound] (S)
	LP 503 – Poems for John – Jackie Kannon [1960] Also issued in Canada as Quality V 1658. Poems For John/Sick/Family/Nursery/Inspiration//Sex/History/Potpourri
	LP 504 – Freddy Cannon Sings Happy Shades of Blue – Freddy Cannon [1960] Issued in mono only. My Blue Heaven/Five Foot Two Eyes Of Blue/Blue Suede Shoes/Blue Skies/Lavender Blue/Blue Plate Special//Bye Bye Blues/Alice Blue Gown/House Of Blue Lights/The Old Piano Roll Blues/The Blacksmith Blues/Happy Shades Of Blue
	LP 505 – Freddy Cannon’s Solid Gold Hits – Freddy Cannon [9/61] Issued in mono only. Tallahassee Lassie/Jump Over/Cuernavaca Choo Choo/Humdinger/You Know/The Urge/Muskrat Ramble/Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy/Boston (My Home Town)/Happy Shades Of Blue/Two Thousand-88/Okefenokee/Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It/Opportunity/Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
	LP 506 – Twistin’ All Night Long – Various Artists [1962] Issued in mono only. Twistin’ All Night Long – Danny & Juniors/Italian Twist – Unique Echoes/For Me And My Gal – Freddy Cannon/Wild Party – Dicky Doo & Don’ts/Back To The Hop – Danny & Juniors/When The Saints Go Twistin’ In – Danny & Juniors//Twistin’ USA – Danny & Juniors/Transistor Sister – Freddy Cannon/Tallahassee Lassie – Danny & Juniors/Medley: Twist-Mothers’ Club Twist-Peppermint Twist – Danny & Juniors & Freddy Cannon
	LP 507 – Palisades Park – Freddy Cannon [1962] (#101, 9/62) Issued in mono only. Palisades Park/Transistor Sister/Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It/The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down/Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polkadot Bikini/Medley: Meet Me In St. Louis-Take Me Out To The Ball Game-In The Good Old Summer Time//Forever True/For Me And My Gal/Teen Queen Of The Week/Summer’s Comin’/Splish Splash/June July And August
	LP 508 – Mark Valentino – Mark Valentino [1963] Issued in mono only. This Little World/Earth Angel/Walking Alone/Silhouettes/Fabulous Night/The Push And Kick//Penny For Your Thoughts/Sixteen Candles/Mystery Girl/That’s It/Personality/You Send Me
	SLP-509 – Wild Weekend – Rockin’ Rebels [#53, 3/63] Issued in mono only. Rockin’ Crickets/Tequila/The Stripper/Ram-Bunk-Shush/Honky Tonk/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On//Wild Rebel/Telstar/Hully Gully Rock/Sweet Little Sixteen/Rumble/Wild Weekend
	S-LP 510 – Jack the Ripper – Link Wray & His Ray Men [1963] Issued in mono only. Mr. Guitar/My Beth/Deacon Jones/Steel Trap/Cross Ties/Jack The Ripper//Fat Back/Run Chicken Run/Dinosaur/Big Ben/Mash Potato Party/Rumble [Swan version]
At this point, the label changes from white and red to black and silver. First issues of S-LP 510 had the white label, while later issues had the black label.
	SLP-511 – Freddy Cannon Steps Out – Freddy Cannon [1963] Issued in mono only. That’s The Way Girls Are/Patty Baby/If You Were A Rock And Roll Record/Broadway/All I Wanna Be Is Your Boom Forever/Do What The Hippies Do//The Slide/Betty Jean/What A Party/What’s Gonna Happen When Summer’s Done/Come On And Love Me/Everybody Monkey
	LP-512 – Hits I Forgot to Buy – Various Artists [1963] Issued in mono only. Palisades Park – Freddy Cannon/La Dee Dah – Billy & Lillie/That’s Life – Gabriel & The Angels/ Transistor Sister – Freddy Cannon/Rumble [Swan version] – Link Wray/Wild Weekend – Rockin’ Rebels//A Woman Is A Man’s Best Friend – Teddy & The Twilights/Let’s Stomp – Bobby Comstock/Ne Ne Na Na Nu Nu – Dicky Doo & Don’ts/Lucky Ladybug – Billy & Lillie/Pony Express – Danny & Juniors/Flying Circle – Frank Slay & His Orchestra
	LP-513 – Who Do You Love – Sapphires [1964] Issued in mono only. I Found Out Too Late/Come On And Love Me/Gotta Be More Than Friends/You True Love/Good Nite Kiss/Why Do You Love Me//I’ve Got Mine You Better Get Yours/Wild Child/Where Is Johnny Now/Oh So Soon/Forever And Ever/Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)
	LP-514 – It’s a Beatle (Coo Coo) World – Al Fisher & Lou Marks [1964] Issued in mono only. Title on the label and jacket back is “It’s a Beatle World,” while title on the spine is “It’s a Coo-Coo World.” Title on the jacket front is “It’s a Beatle World” with “Coo Coo” pasted over the “Beatle”. Who knows what the title of this album really is? Instant Beatle/On The Plane/At The Concert (We Love Rock ‘N Roll)/The Fifth “Coo Coo”/Paul George John and Ringo (All The Way To The Bank)/Bella ‘N Boris-Does She Love Me//Ringo Ringo Little Star/Mr. President & Mr. Minister/Sunday At 8:00/Are You Putting Me On?/Scotland From The Yard/The Real Fisher And Marks-Smile
	SW-515 (mono)/SWS-515 (stereo) – My Man – Walter Gates [1964] Some Of These Days/Am I Blue/I Ain’t Got Nobody/Makin’ Whoopee/A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody/Ace In The Hole//Red Top/Second Hand Rose/Look For The Silver Lining/Never Before/I Can’t Get Started/My Man
	SW-516 – John, Paul and All That Jazz – Roger Webb and His Trio [1964] Issued in mono only. She Loves You/I Want To Hold Your Hand/Please Please Me/From Me To You/I Wanna Be Your Man/This Boy/Can’t Buy Me Love/All My Loving/World Without Love/Bad To Me/I’ll Keep You Satisfied/Do You Want To Know A Secret?
	Rollercoaster (UK) RCCD 3005 – Back to the Hop: the Swan Recordings – Danny & Juniors [1992] Amazing. I never thought I’d hear the Swan material from session tapes, but here it is. Back To The Hop (M)/Twistin’ England (M)/Pony Express (with studio talk) (M)/Let’s Stomp Again (M)/Doin’ The Continental Walk (M)/Twistin’ USA (M, slightly noisy)/Tallahassee Lassie (M)/A Thousand Miles Away (M)/Your Hair’s Too Long (M)/Funny (M)/Some Kind Of Nut (M)/Daydreamer (M)/Down I Go (M)/Oh Holy Night (M)/Candycane Sugary Plum (M)/Cha Cha Go Go (M)/Cathedral Bells (M)/Twistin’ Germany (M)/Twistin’ Italy (M)/Back To The Hop (M, alternate take)/Doin’ The Continental Walk (M, alternate take)/Do The Mashed Potatoes (M)/Just Because (M)/Medley: The Twist-Mother’s Club Twist (M, with studio talk)/When The Saints Go Twistin’ In (M)/Twistin’ All Night Long (M, with studio talk)/Together You And I (S)
	Kent (UK) CDKEND 120 – Swan’s Soul Sides: Swan Records – Various Artists [1992?] Run Run – Persianettes/You’re Everything – Showmen/Misery – Edie Carlton/Never Too Young (To Fall In Love) – Modern Redcaps/In Love – Tony Galla & Rising Sons/Trying To Find My Baby – Troy Dodds/I’m Just Your Clown – Teddy & Twilights/Two Steps Ahead – Herb Johnson/No Sign Of You – Modern Redcaps/Put Yourself In My Place – Azie Mortimer/And In Return – Sheila Ferguson/Have Faith In Me – Sugar & Spices/Handsome Boy – Ladybirds/Hey-Sah-Lo-Nay – Mickey Lee Lane/No Good – Richard Anthony & Blue Notes/Our Love Will Grow – Showmen/Hot Shot – Buena Vistas/You Got To Tell Me – Bob Meyer & Rivieras/Who Do You Love – Sapphires/Gotta Draw The Line – Three Degrees/Heartbroken Memories – Sheila Ferguson/I Do Love You – Styles/Put That Woman Down – John Leach/It Will Be Done – Eddie Carlton/Everybody Crossfire – Sammy Sevens
	Sequel (UK) NEM CD 631 – The Complete Swan Recordings – Three Degrees [1992] Track 17, which is supposed to be “And In Return,” turns out to be 2:31 of dead silence (this has been corrected on later pressings). Gee Baby (I’m Sorry) (M, muffled, surface noise)/Do What You’re Supposed To Do (M, muffled, surface noise)/Let’s Shindig [The In Crowd] (M)/You’re Gonna Miss Me [The In Crowd] (M, with countoff)/How Did That Happen [Sheila Ferguson] (M)/Little Red Riding Hood [Sheila Ferguson] (M)/I’m Gonna Need You (M, surface noise)/Just Right For Love (M, surface noise)/I’ll Weep For You [Sheila Ferguson] (E, dropouts)/Don’t (Leave Me Lover) [Sheila Ferguson] (E)/Someone [Sheila Ferguson] (M, surface noise)/Bongo’s On The Beach (M)/Close Your Eyes (E, surface noise)/Gotta Draw The Line (M, muffled)/Mine All Mine (M)/Are You Satisfied [Sheila Ferguson] (M)/And In Return [Sheila Ferguson] (no song; 2:31 of silence)/Heartbroken Memories [Sheila Ferguson] (M)/Signs Of Love [Sheila Ferguson] (M)/Look In My Eyes (M)/Drivin’ Me Mad (M, surface noise)/Maybe (E)/Yours (M)/Tales Are True (M)/I Wanna Be Your Baby (M)/Love Of My Life (M, with countoff, dropouts)
	Ace/Swan (UK) CDCHD 426 – Tom Shannon Presents the Rockin’ Rebels – Rockin’ Rebels [1994] Tom Shannon Show Logo [Angels’ “Wow Wow Wee”] (M)/Wild Weekend (M)/Rockin’ Crickets [Hot Toddys] (M)/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (M)/Another Wild Weekend (S)/Rumble (M)/Hully Gully Rock (M)/Flibbity Jibbit (Boss Action) (M)/Honky Tonk (M)/Happy Popcorn (S, alternate take)/Monday Morning (M)/Sweet Little Sixteen (M)/Buffalo Blues (M)/Tequila (M)/Wild Rebel (M)/The Third Man Theme (S)/Wild Weekend Cha Cha (M)/Ram-Bunk-Shush (M)/Telstar (M)/Donkey Walk (M)/The Stripper (M)/Coconuts (S)/Loaded Dice [aka Another Wild Weekend] (M)/Happy Popcorn (M)/Anyway You Want Me (M, surface noise)/Theme From “The Rebel” (M, surface noise, distortion)/Wild Weekend Theme (M, surface noise)
	Sequel NEM CD 676 – The Best of the Sapphires – Sapphires [1994] All tracks mono. Where Is Johnny Now/Your True Love/Who Do You Love (dropout)/Oh So Soon/I Found Out Too Late/I’ve Got Mine You Better Get Yours/Where Is Your Heart/Gotta Be More Than Friends/Wild Child/Come On And Love Me/Baby You’ve Got Me/Hearts Are Made To Be Broken (surface noise)/Let’s Break Up For A While/Our Love Is Everywhere/Thank You For Loving Me/Gotta Have Your Love/Gee I’m Sorry Baby (surface noise)/Evil One/How Could I Say Goodbye/Gonna Be A Big Thing/You’ll Never Stop Me From Loving You/Slow Fizz
	Essential Gold (UK) PWKS 4274 – Dance Crazee – Various Artists [1995] Twistin’ USA – Danny & Juniors (M)/The Hucklebuck – Jackie Lee (M)/5-10-15-20 (Can Your Monkey Do The Dog) – Link & Vernon Wray (M)/The James Brown – Henchmen (M)/The Granny Twist – Billy & Casuals (M)/Bimini Bimbo – Teddy & Twilights (M)/Wild Weekend Cha-Cha – Rockin’ Rebels (M)/The Zoo – Mickey Lee Lane (M)/Do It! – Mark Valentino (M)/Twistin’ All Night Long – Danny & Juniors & Freddy Cannon (M)/That American Dance – Belmonts (M)/The Chicken Back – Bobby Comstock (M)/The Italian Twist – Unique Echoes (M)/Twistin’ Around The World – Ray Coleman (S)/Let’s Shindig – In Crowd (M)/The Push & Kick – Mark Valentino (M)/Twist & Freeze – Billt Huhn (M)/Let’s Stomp – Bobby Comstock (M)/Now Let’s Popeye – Eddie Bo (M)/Limbo Rock – Teddy & Twilights (M)/Ladies Choice – Patty Saturday (M)/The Boston Monkey – Richard Anthony & Blue Notes (M)/Dead Man’s Stroll – Revels (M)/Medley: The Twist-Mother’s Club Twist – Danny & Juniors (M)
	Rollercoaster (UK) RCCD 3011 – The Swan Singles Collection – Link Wray & His Ray Men [1997] All Swan singles, A sides and B sides in chronological order, even the previously unissued and withdrawn single “Please, Please Me”/”Rumble ’65”. Jack The Ripper/The Black Widow/Week-End/Turnpike USA/The Sweeper/Run, Chicken, Run/The Shadow Knows/My Alberta/Deuces Wild/Summer Dream/Good Rockin’ Tonight/I’ll Do Anything For You/Branded/Hang On/Please, Please Me/Rumble ’65/Girl From The North Country/You Hurt Me So/The Fuzz/Ace Of Spades/Batman Theme/Alone/Ace Of Spades/Hidden Charms/Let The Good Times Roll/Soul Train
	Rollercoaster (UK) RCCD 3014 – Rockin’ On … and Beyond – Mickey Lee Lane [1997] (I Wanna) Rock The Bop Intro/The Senior Class/Shaggy Dog/OO-OO/(I Wanna) Rock The Bop/Tears Uncried/She Cried To Me/The Zoo/Little Girl (I Was Wrong)/She Don’t Want To/(That’s How You’ll Know) When You’re In Love/Of Yesterday/Theme From Yesterday/Baby What You Want Me To Do/I’m Not Sure … I Still Want You/Bo Doofus/At The Sound Of The Gong/WMIC Radio Theme/Where It’s Rockin’/The Zoo/Morley Trucks Commercial/ Move It Up/Put On Your Leather Weather Baby/Coffee And Toast/One And One Is Two/In Love With Love/Frank The Frog/Hey Sah-Lo-Ney/Tutti Frutti/Kum Ba Yah/Night Cap/Something To Live On/Recording Silence
	Varè³¥ Sarabande/Varè³¥ Vintage 302 066 111 2 – Palisades Park: The Very Best of Freddy Cannon, The Swan Years 1959-1963 – Freddy Cannon [2000] All tracks mono. Palisades Park/Transistor Sister/Okefenokee/Teen Queen Of The Week/Tallahassee Lassie/If You Were A Rock And Roll Record/The Urge/Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It/Way Down Yonder In New Orleans/Opportunity/Twistin’ All Night Long [with Danny & Juniors]/What’s Gonna Happen When Summer’s Done?/For Me And My Gal/Happy Shades Of Blue/Muskrat Ramble/Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy/Humdinger/Everybody Monkey/Patty Baby/Jump Over

 

Thanks to Mike Callahan and David Edwards, John Beecher, Eric D. Sweenor, Gary R. Del Carlo, Jorgen Bergfors, and John Grecco.

All Enquiries:
John@SwanRecords.com


Most of the recordings made by Swan and Lawn Records are available for license –
with a few notable exceptions, for example Swan 4152 and 4182!   Please address licensing enquiries to
Licensing@SwanRecords.com
or fax +1 5059057935
and all other enquiries to
John@SwanRecords.com

Click Image For Discography