THE STONE SISTERS - Between Ten And Twenty b/w Te Amo Hawaii, Te Amo ( Top Records TLT-504)
Oddball TNT custom pressing here.
The Stone Sisters are youngish sounding pop gals backed by what sounds like a straight hillbilly band which happened to have a fine sounding steel player. Based on the label's location perhaps a Lubbock group, though I would have no idea who. LoneStarStomp reader Robin Brown suggests that the guitar player may be Lubbock guitarist Clyde Hankins with other players possibly coming from the Bernie Howe Trio. Robin further suggested that the recording had been done in one of the local radio stations.
Despite being one of the largest cities in the region, the closest professional recording studio in the 1950s was Norman Petty's operation up the road in Clovis. I don't suspect this to have been a Clovis venture as that would have surely been established by this point in time. Though it is a possibility that the Stone Sisters could have traveled to San Antonio to record (the backing group doesn't strike me as a familar Lubbock area group) it is more likely for the group to have sent the recordings in to TNT to be pressed. Based on what is heard in the grooves TNT received a master that was recorded just a bit in the red. Add to that the the TNT touch and you get the usual no-fi experience so often associated with Tanner N' Texas.
TLT-501 wasn't the only TOP Records Release. Lisa Wheeler (of the excellent Pueblo City Limits blog) noted a blurb in Billboard Magazine (March 14, 1960) that referred to Vance Zuin of Top Records recording at RCA's Nashville Studios. It is likely that Billboard is actually referring to the 'gospel giant' Vance Zinn who released a 45 on Lubbock's DEB, a label best known for two Jim Solley 45s. The Zinn 45, which carries the number TLT-101, is a 1960 RCA Custom pressing. Aside from the TLT matrix both sides also carry the same songwriting credits as what is found on the Stone Sisters 45. The songwriting is partially credited to a Grussendorf which would seem like an easy lead, but the influx of German farmers to the western part of the state renders the name kinda sorta semi-common.
I doubt the Stone Sisters would have given the either the Davis Sisters or Abilene's own Starlight Sisters a run for their money, but as far as local kiddie combos go they're not too terribly bad. They were probably the cat's meow at the area country jamborees and probably performed at their share of supermarket openings. I actually get a small kick outta their TexMex'd take on hula rhythms with "Te Amo Hawaii." I think it's cute.
3 comments:
The fact that TNT pressed it doesn't mean that it was recorded at TNT Studios. In fact if the group was based in Lubbock it was probably recorded in the area.
There's a reference in an old Billboard magazine (1961) referencing "Top Records of Lubbock brought in artist Vance Ziun for a session at RCA Victor Studio - Nashville." Wonder if that's where the little ladies recorded, as well?
Just searching for any music anywhere from the late great Vance Zinn and ran across these comments. Vance went to church at and was a member of First Baptist in Decatur for quite a few years. I graduated with his daughter Cathy. This was in the 70's. I would love any music of his if it is available. My email address is cbrandon60@gmailcom
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