Monthly Archives: April 2015
Billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, the group reached number 1 on the Billboard chart with “Sugar Shack”, which remained at that position for five weeks in 1963.
“Sugar Shack” earned the group a Gold Record Award for “Top Song Of 1963”.
It was a privilege and honor to have George Tomsco of The Fireballs do this audio interview with us. When you say hello to George on the phone and ask him how he is, he will reply “One step above marvelous.” I think that best describes George. George Tomsco of the legendary Rock music group The Fireballs is “one step above marvelous.” ~ Music Charts Magazine®
FIREBALLS FACTS
The FIREBALLS of Raton, were the 1st rock & roll recording band from New Mexico :
(a) To become internationally known for their instrumental recordings of “Fireball” “Torquay” “Bulldog” “Vaquero” “Gunshot” “Quite A Party”…
(b) To have a #1 vocal song “Sugar Shack” in Billboard Magazine…
(c) To retain the #1 position for 5 weeks in a row…
(d) To have the largest selling single recording of all recordings released in the USA for a one year period, 1963, certified by RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America)…
‘For the record’, the Fireballs still hold the record !!
None of the above have been surpassed by any other rock & roll
recording band from New Mexico to date.
History of The Fireballs
Hailing from Raton, New Mexico in the late 50’s, The group was christened the FIREBALLS® after their standing ovation performance of “Great Balls of Fire” at the Raton High School PTA talent contest in New Mexico, USA…January 1958. By the year’s end they had auditioned for the late Norman Petty at his already internationally famous recording studio at 1313 W. 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico, where it stands today – a monumental contribution to the birth of early Southwest style Rock & Roll. |
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Arriving on a Sunday afternoon for their audition, Petty acknowledged his interest in their basic style, simplicity, and feel in which the group performed their original guitar instrumentals and vocals penned by members George Tomsco and Chuck Tharp.
Buddy Holly and the Crickets were scheduled for nightime recording sessions Monday and Tuesday, so Petty logged the first Fireballs session for Wednesday night.
January 1959 found their first record released on KAPP records. “Fireball“, a guitar instrumental; and “I Don’t Know“, a vocal by Chuck Tharp. “Fireball” was the Billboard ‘pick’ which resulted in the first airplay and sales.
Petty soon negotiated a contract for the group with a new aggressive British based label in the US, TOP RANK records. As a result more chart instrumental singles and albums followed: “Torquay“, “Bulldog“, and “Vaquero” which led to two appearances on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand shows. January 4, 1960 featured them performing “Bulldog”, and on June 23, 1961 they performed “Quite A Party”. They later appeared on Clark’s Saturday Night show, as well as various other national and regional shows.
WARWICK records released additional singles which included “Quite A Party“, and an album.
Little did the Fireballs know by now that their guitar instrumental music was one of the foundational influences of the Surf music culture that was starting to make big waves.
Coupled with a new vocalist, Jimmy Gilmer, the Fireballs savored success in a new dimension. “Sugar Shack” on DOT records was a #1 hit and the largest selling single of the year. More vocal singles and albums followed. It was a very unique transition in the music business for an ‘instrumental guitar band’ to become ‘vocal’ and retain prestige in both fields.
Besides their own recordings, Petty recruited the Fireballs as studio musicians for other recording artist projects. Among many, folk singer Carolyn Hester and Arthur Alexander. It was during this time that Petty orchestrated the group through the task of musically enhancing the Buddy Holly ‘apartment tapes’ which surfaced after Holly’s death.
The late 60’s found the Fireballs on ATCO records with more chart singles and albums. Gilmer’s gutsy lead vocal along with the backup vocals from the Fireballs sang their way to another top 10 tune with “Bottle Of Wine” followed closely by “Come On React“, of which albums were released under each of the titles.
Their Current recordings of traditional 50’s/60’s style guitar instrumentals, vocals, and their own brand of country-rock music reflect trace influences of Mexican and ‘western’ music dominant in the Southwest prior to the start of their recording career.
Fireballs recordings and songs are heard in the soundtracks of the following films: Forrest Gump , Mermaids , Congo , Dogfight , From Dusk Till Dawn , Box Of Moonlight , The Real Blonde, with others being negotiated for upcoming films.
Original members (1958) L-R George Tomsco; lead guitar, vocals, writer / Stan Lark; vocals, electric & acoustic bass Eric Budd; drums / Chuck Tharp; lead vocal, writer / Dan Trammell; rhythm guitar |
July 28, 1989 the Fireballs were inducted into the Norman Petty Studio Walk Of Fame by Vi Petty, and headlined the show that evening at the Petty’s Main Street Theatre in Clovis, New Mexico. Three original members performed : Chuck Tharp- vocal & guitar , Eric Budd – drums and George Tomsco – lead guitar . Standing in for original bass player (Stan Lark) was Fireball’s historian Jerry MacNeish on bass.
The Fireballs performed at the Nebraska Music Hall Of Fame induction ceremonies in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2000.
On August 29, 2001, The Fireballs were inducted into the West Texas Rock & Roll Walk Of Fame in Lubbock, TX. Members present were George Tomsco, Stan Lark, Eric Budd, Chuck Tharp & Jimmy Gilmer – all performed together at the Texas Tech Stadium that evening.
In recognition of their appearance on American Bandstand performance 45 years previous, The State Of New Mexico declared January 20, 2005 “The Fireballs Day“. |
With their well established track record, the Fireballs are a class act of the 50’s / 60’s music era into the year 2000 and beyond of entertainment.
More info on The Fireballs HERE: http://www.fireballs-original.com
The Fireballs, sometimes billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, were an American rock and roll group, particularly popular at the end of the 1950s and in the early 1960s. The original 1958 line-up was: George Tomsco (lead guitar), Chuck Tharp (vocals), Stan Lark (bass), Eric Budd (drums), and Dan Trammell (rhythm guitar).
The Fireballs were formed in Raton, New Mexico, and got their start as an instrumental group, featuring the very distinctive lead guitar of George Tomsco. They recorded at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico, where Buddy Holly had previously launched his career. According to group founders Tomsco and Lark, they took their name from Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Great Balls of Fire.” They reached the Top 40 with the singles “Torquay” (1959), “Bulldog” (1960) and “Quite a Party” (1961). “Quite a Party” peaked at #29 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1961. Tharp, Budd and Trammell left the group in the early 1960s, but the Fireballs added Doug Roberts on drums, plus Petty Studio singer/pianist Jimmy Gilmer (born September 15, 1940 in Chicago and raised in Amarillo, Texas) to the group.
Billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, the group reached number 1 on the Billboard chart with “Sugar Shack”, which remained at that position for five weeks in 1963. The single also reached number 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart for one week in November of that year, but its run on that chart was cut short because Billboard ceased publishing an R&B chart from November 30, 1963 to January 23, 1965. Nonetheless, “Sugar Shack” earned the group a Gold Record Award for “Top Song Of 1963”. In the UK the song peaked at #45. Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs then had another pop hit in 1964 with a similar sounding “Daisy Petal Pickin'”, which reached number 15 on the Hot 100.
During the run of “Daisy Petal Pickin'” on the charts, the British Invasion began with the first hits by the Beatles. The group had difficulty competing with the influx of British artists and did not reach the Top 40 again until 1968, with “Bottle of Wine”, which was written by Tom Paxton. The Fireballs took “Bottle of Wine” to number 9 on the Hot 100. Although Gilmer was still a member of the group, the band was billed simply as “The Fireballs” on that single. Gilmer left the group in 1969 to pursue artist management and record production in Nashville, Tennessee. Drummer Doug Roberts died in 1981.
All of the Fireballs’ material has been reissued on Ace Records (UK) and Sundazed record labels. The Fireballs continued performing with original members George Tomsco, Stan Lark and Chuck Tharp until Tharp died of cancer in 2006. Jimmy Gilmer returned as lead vocalist and this line-up continues to perform, as of 2014. George Tomsco has continued to release CDs of new material using the Fireballs name.
Read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fireballs
Copyright © 2012 – 2015 Music Charts Magazine, INC – All Rights Reserved. Contents of this site including text and media may not be reproduced without prior written consent. Audio and video elements of this site are property of their respective owners and are used with permission.
Music Charts Magazine® Presents – “NEW DISCOVERY” – “Kaitlyn Baker“- for the month of April 2015.
Looking for some “New” music to add to your player and can’t find anything that blows you away?
Check out this Music Charts Magazine® “NEW DISCOVERY” Interview with “Kaitlyn Baker” and be prepared to be excited knowing there is still 100% awesome music out there that you still have not heard.
After you listen to this great radio interview pasted below of “Kaitlyn Baker” we are sure you will be glad you found this “New Discovery” and her song “Burn” to add to your music playlist.
A small town girl and a big Country voice, Kaitlyn Baker leaves no disappointments when singing her new song “Burn”. When we listened to Kaitlyn’s songs it didn’t take us long to hook her up as our monthly NEW DISCOVERY feature at Music Charts Magazine®. We figured it won’t be long before this girl goes to the top of her game and soon we will instead be doing a Celebrity interview with her next. Some attain talent in music from years of hard work, some never make it, Miss Kaitlyn Baker falls in to category number three – “She was born with it”.
Ask your radio station to hear Kaitlyn Baker’s song “Burn”. We give it 7 out of 5 stars!
~ Music Charts Magazine®
Kaitlyn Baker was born and raised in Pound, Virginia, a small coal mining town (population 1,073) nestled in the heart of the Appalachia region with its profound and rugged beauty in its landscapes, culture, and people. At seven years old, Kaitlyn climbed on a stool in church and first sang her heart out. From that moment on, it was evident that she had a gift and was destined to sing.
By the time she had turned 14, she had completed two albums. As time went by Kaitlyn became involved in songwriting and was soon able to co-write with some of the best songwriters around, including professional songwriters in Nashville. Her songs took on a new sound and meaning, as she began to write the stories of her people, their culture and the place that held her heart. They were songs about the mountains of southwest Virginia, the dark depths of the coal mines, where her daddy and granddaddy had once worked, and spiritual songs that reflected her deep rooted belief in faith and family.
Kaitlyn was inspired at an early age to learn to play the mandolin and guitar by her grandfather, a musician who played multiple instruments. By age 15, she was making regular trips to Nashville to write, record and perform her songs. With every trip she made, she became more confident she was going to be able to accomplish her dream of becoming a performing artist. It didn’t take long for music industry professionals to take notice of her talent.
Now, at 19, Kaitlyn appears on the cusp of Country music success.
Some of the artists Kaitlyn has opened for are Billy Currington, Doug Stone, Sawyer Brown, Rhonda Vincent, Sammy Kershaw, Brett Eldredge, Josh Gracin, and the list goes on.
Whether she’s playing for local crowds at the state fair with her band, or the famous Tootsie’s in downtown Nashville, sassy, sweet and full of Southern grace, her voice captivates her audiences and she holds nothing back while performing.
For more information on Kaitlyn Baker visit –
www.KaitlynBaker.com
Radio interested in how to obtain this music please contact us on our contact page and we will be glad to get it to your radio station for radio play. Many thanks to those of you who have already played it.
To find out more about Kaitlyn Baker:
Music Charts Magazine® proudly presents NEW DISCOVERY for the month of April 2015 – “Kaitlyn Baker“– feature song – “Burn“
LISTEN to the “NEW DISCOVERY” Interview with Kaitlyn Baker – HERE:
Music Charts Magazine® Presents “New Discovery” Kaitlyn Baker featuring the song “Burn” – Interview by Award winning DJ Big Al Weekley
Music Charts Magazine® Presents April’s NEW DISCOVERY “Kaitlyn Baker” – Interview by Big Al Weekley
Copyright © 2012 – 2015 Music Charts Magazine, INC – All Rights Reserved. Contents of this site including text and media may not be reproduced without prior written consent. Audio and video elements of this site are property of their respective owners and are used with permission.
Music Charts Magazine® History
– Song for the month of April 2015:
The Happy Goodman Family – “I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now“
The Happy Goodman Family was a Southern Gospel group that was founded in the 1940s by Howard “Happy” Goodman and performed together for several decades. The Happy Goodmans achieved significant popularity in the 1960s. In 1968 they won the first Grammy awarded for a Gospel album by a Gospel group.
The Happy Goodman Family began to be known for their singing around 1950. During the 1940s and 1950s there were various combinations of all eight brothers and sisters, always including Howard. Sam served in the Air Force while Bobby worked as a truck driver and played some rock and roll bands. Rusty served in the armed forces as well as singing with The Plainsmen Quartet afterwards. Howard’s wife Vestal joined the group as well. After all the sisters married, Howard and Vestal became evangelists. Soon Sam joined again followed by Rusty in 1962 and Bobby on bass guitar not long afterwards.
The fame of the Happy Goodmans grew considerably in the early 1960s. Appearances at the National Quartet Convention got them in front of promoters who in turn booked them across the country. In 1964, they were asked to become one of the flagship groups for a new Southern Gospel program called The Gospel Singing Jubilee along with The Florida Boys, Dixie Echoes, and The Couriers Quartet. This program soon became one of the most popular gospel music programs and would run for over twenty years. The Goodmans would soon become one of the most popular groups on the program, and would remain so for ten years till they left to start their own TV program the Happy Goodman Family Hour. The Goodmans also had a short-lived program called “Down Home with The Happy Goodman Family”. The weekly TV exposure allowed The Happy Goodman Family to take the nation by storm. They quickly became America’s favorite singing family.
Their first full length recording was “I’m Too Near Home”, initially released in 1963 and later re-released on Canaan/Word Records in 1965. In 1968, they were honored with a Grammy Award for their 1967 album “The Happy Gospel of the Happy Goodmans”. Ten years later, they received another Grammy for “Refreshing”.
The Goodmans had a list of hit songs a mile wide. Many of the songs they introduced to gospel music are now considered classics. Songs such as “I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now”, “Who Am I?”, “God Walks The Dark Hills”, “Had It Not Been”, “What A Beautiful Day”, and many others will forever be part of gospel music and synonymous with the Happy Goodman Family.
The Goodmans broke new ground in gospel music during the 1960s and 1970s by implementing a live band and creating their own unique sound. It was during these years that they developed their now classic “grab a note and hang on” endings. Sam’s humorous emcee work, Howard’s showmanship at the piano, Rusty’s songwriting, and Vestal’s hairdos, white handkerchiefs, and powerful singing voice all rose to a new prominence. Tenor Johnny Cook joined the group for a while in 1974 and Rusty’s daughter Tanya was added in 1976.
Read more at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Goodman_Family
#1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
Wade Bowen |
Mike Ryan | Casey Donahew Band |
Cody Canada and the Departed |
Micky & the Motorcars |
New! Profiles of Texas Radio Reporters here
Copyright © 2015, the Texas Music Chart. Used with permission from Best In Texas Music Marketing LLC, Houston, TX
HOTDISC TOP 40 |
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To watch the video for each song (where available) click on the titles.
THE HOTDISC BRITISH & IRISH INDEPENDENT TOP 10
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The Hotdisc chart is compiled from DJs and industry professionals’ ratings of songs currently being promoted on the Rush Released CD. They are not airplay charts, as airplay charts cannot work in Europe because there are no terrestrial country stations. The hundreds of country programmes on air which we service are likely to play a particular song only twice at most in a three month period, therefore rendering airplay charts insignificant in Europe. It works well in America where there are plenty of non-stop country stations but it does not work here. Any Airplay Chart you may see claiming to provide this service is bogus and Hotdisc does not condone these charts at all. They are misleading at best for the reasons stated.
The Hotdisc charts are put together weekly using ratings supplied by DJs who give scores to every song on the last three months’ editions of Rush Released. The scores are averaged out per week to give an accurate guide to the songs which are being championed by the industry. The aim is to showcase the songs which the industry professionals are flagging up as quality songs. This is a very useful exercise as it is free of politics, hype and rigging and done solely on merit!
Copyright © 2015, Hotdisc, The Old Manse, Hallidays Park, Selkirk, TD7 4LA, Scotland. Used with permission from HotDisk.
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