Swan Album Discography
 by Mike Callahan and David Edwards
 Last update: October 22, 2005





About the company...

Swan Records was founded in 1957 in Philadelphia, and lasted until about 1967, when they were still known to have been reissuing 45s. The tapes were more recently bought 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 talent of Frank Slay and Bob Crewe, who had been doing production on hits like "Silhouettes" by the Rays. 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. By 1962 they were located at 1703 Jackson Street, and by 1963, were situated at "The Northwest Corner of 8th and Fitzwater Streets."

About the talent and the hits...

Dicky Doo & the Don'ts The earliest artists for Swan were Dicky Doo and the Don'ts and Billy and Lillie, who both scored hits in early 1958 to start 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 followup 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 & Lillie 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 top-15.

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 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.

Stereo cover for Swan LP 502. 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, at least it wasn't until long after Swan's heyday. 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 success. 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.

Danny & the Juniors 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 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.

Teddy & the Twilights By early 1962, Freddy Cannon's and Danny and the Juniors' singles were running out of gas on the charts, barely climing 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.

Mark Valentino 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).

Link Wray 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 perennial label-hopper Link Wray (pictured at right), and he 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 little-known British group (at least in the US they were little known...), the Beatles. Before this release, the Beatles had had two poorly-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.

1963 issue1964 reissue









"She Loves You," obviously, 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 by 1967, it was obvious that Swan's season was over, and they folded up shop.

The masters were eventually purchased by Rollercoaster Records in England. John Beecher of Rollercoaster recently alerted us to the following: "We 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 506, then 509."

About the manufacturing and distribution...

Swan was distributed by Cameo/Parkway Records. The printing and pressing, from start to finish, 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." 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/SWS- prefixes for mono/stereo issues.














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 script 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. Promotional or deejay copies had the same graphics, but were white with black print, with "PROMOTION COPY" just under the checkerboard pattern.














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.

We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with Swan Records, which is currently owned by Rollercoaster Records. Should you want to contact Rollercoaster, their website is www.rollercoasterrecords.com. Should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and Follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005 by Mike Callahan.

SWAN ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY

Cover


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] Possibly issued in mono and stereo. 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?


RELATED ALBUMS:


Warner Bros. WS 1628 - Freddie Cannon's Greatest Hits - Freddie Cannon [1965] Reissue of Swan material along with a couple of Warner Brothers' hits. Way Down Yonder In New orleans (E)/Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It (E)/Jump Over (E)/Palisades Park (E)/Muskrat Ramble (E)/Action (S)//Tallahassee Lassie (E, 45 version)/Okefenokee (E)/Transistor Sister (E)/Beachwood City (S)/Happy Shades Of Blue (E)/Abigail Beecher (S)
Swan SLP-509 - Wild Weekend - Rockin' Rebels [1980s?] European bootleg based on the Rockin' Rebels album. White label, red writing, red and white checkered banner. Album shows two pictures of the group, one with four individuals, the other with five individuals. Issued in mono only. Wild Week-End/The Martian Band/Buffalo Blues/Tequila/Ram-Bunk-Shush/Honky Tonk/The Stripper/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/Happy Popcorn/Rockin' Crickets/Donkey Walk/Burn Baby Burn/Swamp Water Rock//Shakin' And Stompin'/Another Wild Weekend/Shut-Ups/Wild Rebel/Telstar/Hully Gully Rock/Sweet Little Sixteen/Rumble/Wild Weekend Rock/Donkey Twine/Bongo Blue Beat/Rockin' Rebel/Crawlin'




RELATED COMPACT DISCS:


MCA MCAD-31060 - Rockin' with Danny & the Juniors - Danny & Juniors [1987] This has the Singular and Dot label material. Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay (M, dropouts, slight hiss)/Dottie (M, dropouts)/Schoolboy Romance (M, dropouts)/Playing Hard To Get (M, surface noise)/Crazy Cave (M, surface noise)/At The Hop (M, dropouts)/In The Meantime (M)/Sassy Fran (M, surface noise)/I Feel So Lonely (M, surface noise)/Somehow I Can't Forget (S, with countoff, false start)



 Critique/BMG 5402-2-CR - His Latest and Greatest - Freddy Cannon [1990] The last two tracks are recent recordings; the others are Swan and Warner Brothers hits. Palisades Park (E)/Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (E)/Tallahassee Lassie (E, very slight hiss)/Where The Action Is (S)/Abigail Beecher (S)/Transistor Sister (E)/Buzz Buzz A Diddle It (E)/Jump Over (E)/Dedication Song (M)/Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy (M)/Humdinger (mild E)/For Me & My Gal (M)/Everybody Monkey (mild E)/Okefenokee (mild E)/Let Me Show You Where It's At (S)/Opportunity (mild E)/Hanky Panky (S, funky)/The Boom Boom Man (S)


 TNT Laser (Holland) CD 502/504 - Volume 1: The Explosive! Freddy Cannon/Freddy Cannon Sings Happy Shades of Blue - Freddy Cannon [1991] The cover of this disc says stereo, but all tracks are mono. Boston (My Home Town)/Kansas City/Sweet Georgia Brown/Way Down Yonder In New Orleans/St. Louis Blues/Indiana/Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy (some noise)/Deep In The Heart Of Texas/California Here I Come/Okefenokee/Carolina In The Morning/Tallahassee Lassie [LP version]/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/The House Of Blue Lights/The Old Piano Roll Blues/The Blacksmith Blues/Happy Shades Of Blue


 TNT Laser (Holland) CD 507/511 - Volume 2: Palisades Park/Freddy Cannon Steps Out - Freddy Cannon [1992] All mono, although the disc says "stereo." Palisades Park/Transistor Sister/Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It/The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down/Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini/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/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 Hippies Do/The Slide/Betty Jean/What A Party/What's Gonna Happen When Summer's Gone/Come On And Love Me/Everybody Monkey


 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 may have 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)


 Collectables COL CD 5007 - Who Do You Love - Sapphires [8/30/94] Who Do You Love/Gee I'm Sorry Baby/Thank You For Loving Me/Oh So Soon/Gotta Be More Than Friends/Slow Fizz/Gotta Have Your Love/Gonna Be A Big Thing/Where Is Johnny Now/Evil One/I Found Out Too Late/How Could I Say Goodbye


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


 Forevermore FVR-5002 - Jack the Ripper - Link Wray & His Ray Men [1994] Reissue of the 1963 LP Jack The Ripper [Swan 510] with eight bonus tracks. All tracks mono, but some two-channel anomalies due to playing the record with a stereo cartridge. Mr. Guitar/My Beth/ Deacon Jones/Steel Trap/Cross Ties/Jack The Ripper/Fat Back/Run Chicken Run/Dinosaur/Big Ben/ Mashed Potato Party/Rumble (rerecording)/Black Widow (record crack)/Good Rockin' Tonight/I'll Do Anything For You/Batman Theme/Turnpike USA/ Ace Of Spades / Hidden Charms/ The Shadow Knows


 Forevermore FVRCD 5006 - Fraternity Row: Jukebox Classics - Various Artists [1994] Let's Stomp - Bobby Comstock (E)/Hey Sah-Lo-Ney - Mickey Lee Lane (E)/I'll Love You - Royal Teens (E)/La La (Hey Baby) - Cobras (M)/Together - Nu-Trends (E, turntable rumble)/Amazons & Coyotes - Dreamlovers (M)/The Hump - Invictas (M)/Goodbye To Love - Teddy & Twilights (M)/La Dee Dah - Billy & Lillie (M)/I've Got Mine You Better Get Yours - Sapphires (E)/That's Life (That's Tough) - Gabriel & Angels (E)/Apple Cider - Doc Starkes & His Nite Riders (E)/Another Wild Weekend - Rockin' Rebels (M)/Don't Cry No More - Wilmer & Dukes (M)/Think Twice Before You Speak - Al King (E)/Ballad Of A Boy & Girl (E)/A Night Like This - Lee Andrews & Hearts (M)/Close Your Eyes - Three Degrees (M, echoey)/Our Love Will Grow - Showmen (M)/Oh Gloria - Frank Grier Quartet (M)/Puppy Love - Little Jimmy Rivers (M)/Show Her You Care - Panics (E)/Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu - Dicky Doo & Don'ts (E)/I'm On Fire - Strangeloves (M)/Tragedy - Thomas Wayne (S, rerecording)/Together - Dreamlovers (E)


 Point (Sweden) CD 16280 - Rockin' with Danny & the Juniors - Danny & the Juniors [1994] Includes Swan and other material. At The Hop (M)/Sometimes (M, surface noise)/Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay (M)/School Boy Romance (M)/In The Meantime (M)/Dottie (M)/ Crazy Cave (M, surface noise)/Sassy Fran (M, surface noise)/I Feel So Lonely (M, distortion)/Somehow I Can't Forget (S)/Playing Hard To Get (M)/ Twistin' USA (M)/A Thousand Miles Away (M)/Oh Holy Night (M)/Pony Express (E, distorted)/Daydreamer (M)/Cha Cha Go Go (M)/Back To The Hop (M)/Twistin' All Night Long [with Freddy Cannon] (M)/Some Kind Of Nut (M)/Doin' The Continental Walk (M)/Do The Mashed Potatoes (M)/Funny (M, surface noise)/Just Because (M)/Your Hair Is Too Long (M)/Tallahassee Lassie (M)/When The Saints Go Marching In (M)/Candy Cane Sugary Plum (M)/ Charleston Fish (M, demo) / Mister Whisper (E, demo, surface noise)


 Rhino R2 72210 - Big Blast from Boston: the Best of Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon - Freeddy Cannon [1995] Cha Cha Doo [Spindrifts] (M, surface noise)/Tallahassee Lassie (M)/You Know (M, surface noise)/Okefenokee (M)/Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (M)/Chatanooga Shoe Shine Boy (M)/Boston "My Home Town" (M)/Jump Over (M)/Humdinger (M)/Muskrat Ramble (M)/Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It (M)/Transistor Sister (M)/Teen Queen Of The Week (M)/Palisades Park (M)/If You Were A Rock And Roll Record (M)/Patty Baby (M)/Abigail Beecher (M)/Action (S)/Beachwood City (S)/The Dedication Song (M)


 Forevermore FVRCD 5008 - Oldies I Forgot to Buy - Various Artists [1995] A collection of singles from the Swan, Lawn, Sahara, Thunderbird, Neil, and Seven Arts labels. Nag - Halos (M)/Rockin' Robin - Henchmen (M)/I Want To Do It - Bobby Comstock (M)/Driveway Blues - Roy Milton (M, slightly noisy)/Your True Love - Sapphires (M, slightly noisy)/Love Stranger - Denotations (M, slightly noisy)/Shaggy Dog - Mickey Lee Lane (M)/The Push And Kick - Mark Valentino (M)/Blue Bell Bounce - Blue Echoes (M, slightly noisy)/So Young - Little Guy & Giants (M, slightly noisy)/Pretty Little Girl - Monarchs (M)/In Love - Tony Galla & Rising Sons (M, slightly hissy)/Lonesome For You - Frankie Grier Quartet (M, slight dropouts)/Someone To Love - Billy Quad & Ravens (M)/Pony Express - Danny & Juniors (E)/Mr. Cupid - Vespers (M, slightly noisy, no high end)/I Miss You So - Lee Andrews (M)/What's Your Name - Don Barber & Dukes (M)/Click Clack - Dickey Doo & Don'ts (M, slight hiss)/Lucky Ladybug - Billy & Lillie (M, slightly noisy)/My Heart Belongs To Only You - Mary Swan (M)/You're Never Gonna Find Another Love - Sir Men (M)

 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


 B&L 4002 - La Dee Dah: 31 Fabulous Hits - Billy & Lillie [1997] All tracks mono. La Dee Dah/Lucky Ladybug/Happiness/Bells Bells Bells (The Bell Song)/The Monster (Rock And Roll)/Draggin'/Over The Mountain Across The Sea/I Promise You/Love Me Sincerely/Nothing Moves Without A Push/Ain't Coming Back To You/Honeymoonin'/Creepin' Crawlin' Cryin'/You Made Me Love You/Till Death Do Us Part/Hangin' On To You/Aloysius Horatio Thomas The Cat/Smokey Grey Eyes/Good Good Morning Baby/Why I Love Billy/Bananas/Swampy'/Terrific Together/The Ins And Outs Of Love/The Greasy Spoon/The Gambler/That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles/Free For All/I'll Never Be Free/Tumbled Down/The Two Of Us (surface noise)



 Collectables COL CD 5786 - Gee Baby I'm Sorry: The Best Of Swan - Three Degrees [11/18/97] Gee Baby, I'm Sorry/Drivin' Me Mad/Yours/Gotta Draw The Line/I'm Gonna Need You/Maybe/Close Your Eyes/Just Right For Love/Do What You Supposed To Do/Look In My Eyes/You Gonna Miss Me/I Wanna Be Your Baby/Love Of My Life/Mine All Mine/Takes Are True


Swan CD 5001 - Lost Masters: Records from the Vaults, Volume 1 - Various Artists [1998] Good to excellent sound, but the mastering/engineering is pathetically ham-handed. Some songs get chopped off at the start, and those that don't, have needle drops onto noisy vinyl. There's also the matter of 5-7 seconds of "dead air" at the end of certain tracks. The music part seems to have been cleaned up, though, as there is not much obvious surface noise. The music sound quality rates okay, but with all the engineering screw-ups, you take your chances if you buy this one. Blue Plate Special - Freddy Cannon (M, clipped at start)/Teasin' - Quaker City Boys (M, clipped at start)/Baby Baby - Heartbreakers (M, clipped at start)/Mister Whisper - Danny & Juniors (M, with needle drop at start, some surface noise)/Those Golden Oldies - Marcy Jo & Eddie Rambeau (M, with break-ins from other records, which have more surface noise than the main record)/Teardrops Will Fall - Dicky Doo & Don'ts (M)/I've Got A Right To Cry - Lee Andrews (M)/Woman Is A Man's Best Friend - Teddy & Twilights (M)/Don't Wanna Twist No More - Gabriel & Angels (M)/Wild Party - Dicky Doo & Don'ts (M, with needle drop)/Cuernavaca Choo-Choo - Freddy Cannon (M, clipped at start)/I'll Love You - Royal Teens (E, alternate take, noisy)/Let's Stomp - Bobby Comstock (M, alternate take)/Walking Alone - Mark Valentino (M, demo, surface noise)/Let's Popeye - Eddie Bo (M, needle drop)/Come With Us - Dicky Doo & Don'ts (M)/Happy Shades Of Blue - Freddy Cannon (M, clipped at start)/Nag - Halos (M, alternate take)/Ballad Of A Boy And Girl - Graduates (M)/A Thousand Miles Away - Danny & Juniors (S, alternate take)/A Place In Your Heart - Encounters (M)/He's Mine - Swans (M)/The Drums Of Richard A. Doo - Dicky Doo & Don'ts (M, needle drop)


 Varèse Sarabande/Varèse 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


 Rollercoaster (UK) RCCD 3027 - The Swan Story Volume 1 - Various Artists [2001?] Reissue of original 45s and unissued tracks.


Thanks to John Beecher, Eric D. Sweenor, Gary R. Del Carlo, Jorgen Bergfors, Ernie Mabrey, and John Grecco.


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