WESN Show #39 - Jan. 16, 2020

Belleville, East St. Louis, Granite City (1958-1963)

An entire show dedicated to the the small Metro East record labels of the late 1950's and early 60's.  Stevens Records was owned and operated by Fred and Bill Stevens (father & son) out of their paint store in Granite City.  Their label helped capture the R&B sounds of East St. Louis in 1959 including a young Ike Turner who recorded as "Icky Renrut" because he was still under contract with Memphis' Sun Records at the time.  In Belleville, radio disc jockey Ron "Uncle Buck" Lipe ran Ron-Mar Records from 1958-1959 out of his home at 10 Marlo Drive.   In 1960, Lipe changed the name of his label to Marlo Records where he continued to record artists from both sides of the river.

ARTIST	TRACK	LABEL	YEAR
Icky Renrut (vocal by Jimmy Thomas)	Jack Rabbit	Stevens	1959
J.C. Gent & The Keynotes	Bad Gal Blues	Marlo	1960
Little Cooper & The Drifters	Moving Slow	Stevens	1959
Johnny Wright	Look At That Chick	Stevens	1959
Icky Renrut (vocal by Jimmy Thomas)	In Your Eyes, Baby	Stevens	1959
Little Bobby Foster with the Premiers	I Woke Up One Morning	Stevens	1959
Uncle Buck Lite	Mr. Ducktail	Ron-Mar	1958
Bobby Foster	Star Above	Stevens	1959
Icky Renrut (vocal by Jimmy Thomas)	Hey Hey	Stevens	1959
Little Aaron and His Band	East St. Louis	Marlo	1961
Sammy Grimes Band	I Don't Want To Lose Your Love	Stevens*	1959
Timothy Cooper	Lovin Man (Take 1)	Stevens*	1959
Johnny Wright	Gotta Have You For Myself	Stevens	1959
Chuck Wheeler	Feelin' Kinda Lonesome	Marlo	1961
Icky Renrut (vocal by Tommy Hodge)	Tell Me Why	Stevens*	1959
The Tri-Gerians	This Is Love	Marlo	1963
The Fidelitones	Playboy	Marlo	1961
Patey Bros. (Eddie & Lee)	Hey Doll Baby	Ron-Mar	1959
Jack and the Jumpin' Jacks	Thumpin' The Blues	Kay	1959
Ron Ricky & The Semi-Tones	My Babe	Semi Tone	1960
Jim Westerfield	Addition	Marlo	1962

* Recorded for Stevens but unissued at the time