Freddie Tieken, Jack Inghram and IT Records (Quincy)

In 1958, Freddie Tieken and the Rockers from Quincy, Illinois recorded two singles backing Byron "Wild Child" Gipson for Hit Records. 

     Despite Chicago, Illinois being listed on the label, Hit Records was based out of Peoria, Illinois.

By 1963, the Rockers had gone through several personnel changes.  Tieken remained but Wild Child had been replaced by Vernie Robbins on vocals and keyboards with Forrest Moore on bass and Jim Vandament on drums.   The newest member of the group was a high school student name Jack Inghram who joined Tieken on sax.

Despite his young age, Inghram also happened to own some recording equipment which the group used to record its first album By Popular Demand in the Fellowship Hall of the First Union Congregational Church in Quincy. 

"The Jinx" from By Popular Demand

The album was enough of success that Inghram and Tieken decided to move the recording equipment into Tieken's basement and start IT Studios as well as a companion record label:

Between 1963 and 1968, IT Studios produced approximately 20 singles and LPs released mostly on IT Records (*exceptions noted below) from artists and performers originating from Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.

IT Discography

IT 2301 Freddie Tieken and the Rockers  By Popular Demand  LP (1963)
IT 2302 Freddie Tieken and the Rockers - Humpty Jump / Bit By A Bug (1965)
IT 2303 ?
IT 2304 Freddie Tieken and the Rockers  Live! LP (1965)
IT 2305 Wild Child Gipson & the Katz & Jammers - Sweet Roll'n Stone / My Kinduva Blues (Sep 1965)
IT 2306 The Lancers - The Girl I Never Met / Gore (Sep 1965)
IT 2307 The Gallows - Come To The Party / Slow Death (Oct 1965)
IT 2308 Bunny Brown Reads Christmas Children Stories
IT 2309 Russ Ramsey - Deep In The Heart Of Texas / That's All (Jan 1966)
IT 2310 Johnny McCollum - See How A Poor Boy Has To Pay / Life Ain't Worth A Penny Without You (1966)
IT 2311 ?
IT 2312 The Intruders - Now That You Know / She's Mine (Sep 1966)
IT 2313 Plato and the Philosophers - I Don't Mind / C.M. I Love You (1966)
IT 2314 Johnny McCollum - Rockin' In The Rockies / Beauty's Skin Deep (1966)
IT 2315 The Gallows - Too Many Fish In The Sea / Remember Mary? (1966 * Maintain Records)
IT 2316 Gonn - Come With Me (To The Stars) / You're Lookin' Fine  (Sep 1967 * Merry Jaine Records)
IT 2317 ?
IT 2318 The Aquinos The Aquinos St. Thomas Seminary Hannibal, Missouri LP (1967)
IT 2319 ?
IT 2320 The State Of Confusion - My Fellow Americans / Buckwalter's Blues
This discography is a work in progress. Last updated on 7/16/19.

For more info about Freddie Tieken's life in music: http://freddietieken.com/

WESN Show #27 - Jun 27, 2019

Concert Series:  Incident At Kickapoo Creek 

Outdoor Rock Concert - Heyworth, Illinois
Memorial Day Weekend 1970

* Opening remarks by State Representative Robert E. Mann

* Amboy Dukes - “Kickapoo Jam” (aka “Ted’s Fittest Licks”)

* B.B. King - “The Thrill Is Gone”

* The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - “Born Under A Bad Sign”

* Announcements

* Canned Heat - “Reefer Blues”

* Canned Heat - “Future Blues”

* Canned Heat - “So Sad”

RESERVE YOUR PLACE WITH THE SUN NOW

There is a limit even to the best of things... even to the 300 acres of wood and meadowland along the Kickapoo, where all blithe spirits will gather in the green glow of spring's full bloom.  Things will run smooth if we both know... you, no way to miss this heady scene; us, with proper viands for body and soul.  The electronic miracles and the human sounds of the soul meet to get acquainted Friday 29.  Their love affair begins full song on Memorial Day.  The road leads to Kickapoo Creek.  See you there.

The Recordings

Photo of Ron Lipe and son with recording equipment taken at the Kickapoo Creek concert.

Lipe (aka Prince Knight), a disc jockey on St. Louis' KSHE, had a makeshift recording studio set up in the back of a pickup truck that he backed up to the soundboard.   Legend has it that he recorded 30-40 reels of tape over the course of the weekend.  As the story goes, most of the tapes were stolen.   However, a handful of the recordings were pressed onto vinyl by Lipe as bootlegs (most of which we heard on tonight's show).   The two records that contain material from Kickapoo were titled "Woodstock Nation - Vol. One" and "Canned Heat - The Real Future Blues."
__

THE RECORD ALBUM THAT YOU ARE NOW HOLDING IN YOUR HAND MAY (AND WE HOPE) BE A PLEASANT FLASH-BACK.   IF IT ISN'T CALL YOUR LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE BOY SCOUTS OR ACID RESCUE.  THE FLASH-BACK THAT I'M REFERING TO IS THAT "HIGH---AND-WONDERFUL" WEEKEND YOU SPENT BEING A PART OF ONE OF MANY "ROCK FESTIVALS" THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN AMERIKA.  RETURN WITH US NOW TO THOSE THRILLING DAYS OF YESTER YEAR.   ENJOY... ALL THE MUSIC FOR ALL THE PEOPLE...

IF YOU DON'T ENJOY THE SOUND OF OUR GOLD RECORD, GRIND IT UP AND SMOKE IT!
 

WESN Show #26 - Jun 20, 2019

The Music of Delmar Brown

An hour dedicated to the music of the Bloomington native that went on to play keyboards with Gil Evans, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius and Sting to name just a few.

ARTIST	TRACK	ALBUM	LABEL	YEAR
Pat Martino	Pyramidal Vision	Joyous Lake	Warner Bros.	1976
Bushrock	Wide Receiver	State Of Mind	R & W	1985
Delmar Brown w/ Gil Evans Orchestra	Sometimes	Recorded live in Perugia, Italy during Umbria Jazz Festival '87	-	1987
Delmar Brown	Be A Friend	Fully Loaded	Sonic Vista	1996
Chico Freeman & Brainstorm	Read The Signs	Sweet Explosion	In + Out	1990
Delmar Brown	Land Of Plenty	Inner Spirit	Ponderosa	2008
Delmar Brown w/ Sting	Promise Land	Recorded live in Los Angeles, CA 7/27/1988	-	1988

All compositions by Delmar Brown except "Land Of Plenty" by Leonard Cohen.
All vocals by Delmar Brown.

Extras

Two bands that Delmar played with in Bloomington-Normal while still in high school:

BAND X:  Dave Smith, James Gaston, Steve Jackson, Ron Klawitter, Steve Chestney, Scott Nelson, Michael Schwartzentruber, Delmar Brown and Don Sheirs (circa 1970).

ANTELOPE FREEWAY:  Tom Fatten, Steve Vandersteeg, Chuck Tripp, Delmar Brown, Dave Kotowski, Scott Krager and Brian Sanders (1972).
___

Photos of Antelope Freeway courtesy of the McLean County Museum of History.

WESN Show #25 - May 16, 2019

R&B, Doo-Wop and Teen Ballads of the 50's & 60's

ARTIST	TRACK	LABEL	YEAR	TOWN / CITY
Herb Price & The Darts	Shimmy Shimmy (Cha Cha Cha)	Tempus	1958	Quad Cities / Peoria
Wild Child Gipson w/ Freddie Tieken & The Rockers	Sittin' Here Cryin'	HIT	1958	Quincy
Bobby Lee	Just Beginning	Decca	1961	Peoria
Mike Brewer b/w The Galaxies	Hey! Pretty Baby	Gail	1964	Champaign
Jim Easter & The Artistics	Bonnie My Baby	Cha Cha	1962	Mattoon
Kookie and Satalites	Boy Meets Girl	GMA	196?	Danville
Artie Dillon	Blue	Kandy Kane	1964	Peoria
The Beck Brothers	Screamin' Mamie	Mid West	1959	Colchester
The Hustlers	Susie	Reno	1966	Peoria
The Lancers	The Girl I Never Met	IT	1965	Quincy
Eddie Snow	Ain't That Right	Sun	1955	Springfield
Preston Jackson & The Rhythm Aces	Be Mine	Vee Jay	1961	Decatur
Ron Volz & The Rockin' R's	I'm Still In Love With You	Tempus	1959	Metamora
The Three Twins	All My Dreams	Banana	1958	Bloomington
Angelo's Angels	Which One Is To Blame	Fredlo	1961	Tonica
Little Bobby Foster w/ The Premiers	Shirley Can't You See	Stevens	1959	Granite City
Ron Ricky and The Semi-Tones	There's A Girl In My Heart	Semi-Tone	1965	Centralia
Warner Brothers	Guitar Blue	Everest	1965	Peoria
Junior Garner w/ The Sangamon Boys	Blind Date	Dixie	1961	Decatur

Extras

Herb Price & The Darts

Artie Dillon

Bobby Foster

WESN Show #24 - May 9, 2019

Downstate Rockers & Country Boppers Pt. 3

ARTIST	TRACK	LABEL	YEAR	TOWN / CITY
The Brooks Twins	I Ain't Gonna Letcha	Blue Ribbon	1958	Staunton
Bill Chambers & The Hillsiders	She's Treatin' Me Bad	Sun-Nel	1958	East St. Louis
Jimmie Dawson	It Took An Older Woman	Rustic	1957	Rockford
Jonnie & The Cyclones	Twisted Fender	McCady	1959	Springfield
Jack & The Contrasts	Thumpin' The Blues	Precise	1963	Alton
Fred Cuna	Serious Thinking	KB	196?	Centralia
Howard Mayberry w/ The Sangamon Boys	This Just Can't Be Puppy Love	Dixie	1961	Decatur
The Harmony Brothers	Baby, Tonight	Bobbin	1959	Springfield
Mississippi Valley Boys	Looking For My Baby	DHW	1967	Moline
Mike Brewer b/w The Galaxies	I'm All Through With You	Gail	1964	Champaign
The Lancers	Gore	IT	1965	Quincy
Lee Rust	Scramble	Rofran	196?	Bloomington / Springfield
Art Buchanan	Time Will Tell	Flame	1959	Wayne City
Fred & Jesse, the Cuno Brothers and the Dixie Rockers	Mine All Mine	Kay	1960	East St. Louis
Jack & Jumpin Jacks	More More	Kay	1959	East St. Louis
Marveluss Mickey	I Feel So Good	Marlo	1965	Belleville
Rockin' R's	Nameless	Tempus	1959	Metamora
Bill & Ben and the Arkansas Travelers	The Sun Shines Brighter	Traveler	1958	Champaign
Wes Holly and His Rhythm Ranchers	Hop Rock	Wes Holly	1958	Dixon
Jimmy Jeffers and His Jokers	Teardrops From My Eyes	Fraternity	1959	Nothern Illinois
Lew Ammons, Charlie Heavrin and Band	Cab Driver's Blues	Royce	1964	Oblong
Lucky Leroy and the Rhythm Ramblers	Now Get Goin'	Go-Lish	1955	Harrisburg

Extras

HARMONY BROTHERS

WES HOLLY

JIMMIE DAWSON (aka Tommy Latham, Jeffrey Parnell, Dave

Farley, Jimmy Jeffers, Old Jeff Latham and the Dixie Drifter)

JONNIE & THE CYCLONES