From: Ken Burroughs <rockinbee@...>
Subject: Re: [HitRecords] BBC Radio 2 - The Sound of Woolies
To: HitRecords@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, 3 January, 2009, 7:49 PM

Rockinbee here,  As far as I know the closest that the "Embassy" records got to the States, was in Canada where our friends at "Arc Records" used several of the "Embassy" via "Oriole Records" (who ended up with the rights for the "Embassy" records to be sent out of the UK).  Most of the "Arc" stuff used was marked "An Oriole of England Production".  It seems that "Arc Records" got "sound-a-likes" from any source they could.  As far as I can tell "Oriole" sent "Embassy" stuff to labels as far off as Austraulia, New Zealand, Holland, South Africa.  After "Oriole" was bought out by "Columbia", many of the "Embassy" mersey sound-a-likes, were made as LP's in South America.  I have lp's from Peru and Argentia.  I have to correct my earlier statement, because Columbia released a three LP set called "London Really Swings" which was all "Embassy" mersey sound-a-likes.  "20 Century Fox" also released a copy of the "Embassy" "Liverpool Beat" lp.   I hope this helps, any corrections are welcome.   KenBee/Rockinbee --- On Sat, 1/3/09, paulurbahns <paul.urbahns@ gmail.com> wrote: From: paulurbahns <paul.urbahns@ gmail.com> Subject: [HitRecords] BBC Radio 2 - The Sound of Woolies To: HitRecords@yahoogro ups.com Date: Saturday, January 3, 2009, 9:56 AM Our own Bob Lusty was interviewed briefly for a new BBC Radio 2 documentary on the custom labels available at Woolworth stores in the UK. Woolworth's chain ran their own sound-a-like labels in the UK and Canada but I am not familiar with these records ever being sold in the states. Hopefully Bob will correct me. I don't recall Woolworth's in America having a store brand during the 1960s. The program is well documented, lots of interviews with British singers that participated in the sessions, including Mike Redway. Redway is probably the only name known to Americans as the uncredited singer of the 1960s version of Casino Royale over the end credits. The show spends a lot of time on early labels which will sound very dated to modern audiences, but does a reasonable job on Embassy the rock and roll label of Woolies. Ken Barry is heard doing a very poor Roy Orbison version of "In Dreams". Hit had the opportunity to use many of Roy's own musicians and his studio but did very few Orbison songs, and I assume it is because they knew they could not reproduce his unique voice. The only 2 Hit releases was Oh Pretty Woman on Hit 142, and Goodnight on Hit 199. The show was broadcast on December 30th, and BBC Radio 2 programs are archived on the Internet for one week so you can listen to this show until Tuesday 6th January 2009 at the following link. http://www.bbc. co.uk/iplayer/ episode/b00g69g9 /The_Wonderful_ Sound_of_ Woolies/ If you are interested in record history it's well worth your time. Thanks to Bob Lusty for letting us know about the show. Paul Urbahns www.hitrecordsofnas hville.com