BEHIND THE RECORD - THEE MIDNITERS - THE BLACK LABEL WHITTIER 45RPM RECORDS

 Just what is behind the black label Whittier 45s by Thee Midniters. I really don't know. I am hoping someone reading this blog and posta comment if they know.

These records do not show up on any Midniters discography nor on any music and record internet sites like Discogs or 45Cat. There is no information in any book or record guide that I have been able to locate. Therefore I can only speculate. Are they reissues? Are they bootlegs?

Eddie Torres who owned Whittier records did reissue some of the original Whittier 45s but with different labels.You can find my list and scans on my blog. On some he used ablum tracks as the A or B side so that collectors could get new songs that they didn't have on 45. 

But when and why? I know that some labels, Dottie for instance reissued 45s in the late 1960's so if these are legit Eddie Torres reissues I would put them as being issued in the 1968-1970 range after the band had broken up. I could very easily be wrong and I hope that someoue out there can correct me.

I have seven such records and I hope that there are more. If anyone has any that are not on this post I would love to have scans of such records. Please leave any and all comments on this post.

WHITTIER 500XX "Love Special Delivery" b/w "Don't Go Away"

WHITTIER 501XX "It'll Never Be Over For Me" b/w "Thee Midnite Feeling"

WHITTIER 674 "Sad Girl" b/w "Heat Wave"

WHITTIER 693 "Empty Heart" b/w "I Need Someone"

WHITTIER 694 "That's All" b/w "It's Not Unusual"

WHITTIER 695 "Brother, Where Are You" b/w "Heat Wave"

WHITTIER 706 "I Found A Peanut" b/w "Are You Angry"

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!! SOLELY FOR HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!!

BEHIND THE RECORD - EVERGREEN BLUES - "MIDNIGHT CONFESSIONS"

In June 1968 ABC/Dunhill records would release "Midnight Confessions" The record would become a national hit and reach the Top 5 on both the U.S. and Canadian pop charts. It would not appear on any of the group's albums until a compilation album, "Golden Grass" was released in later that year.

Going behind the record, the original recording was by the Evergreen Blues whose manager Lou Josie wrote the song. Their record contained a horn section and caught the ear of record producer/engineer Steve Barri, who was looking to produce a song for the Grass Roots that was a West Coast version of a Motown-style production. The song's backing track was recorded by the Wrecking Crew and the horn section was arranged by Jimmie Haskell.

The Evergreen Blues single was release by Mercury Records seven months earlier in November, 1967.

This clipping appeared in the November 25, 1967 issue of Billboard's $200,000 promotion of the single and the group.

A 15-city tour via charted aircraft, introductions to 50 radio station dee jays and 18 television shows later the single never charted on Billboard's Hot 100.

The record did become a hit in Florida as seen on the back of the picture sleeve noting Sharon Wilson as president of their fan club.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!!

SOLELY FOR HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!!

THEE MIDNITERS - THE REISSUES BOOTLEGS & MORE

        THEE MIDNITERS - THE RE-ISSUES. BOOTLEGS & MORE

The Beatles are are one of the most widely re-issued and bootlegged recording acts of all time. Since Thee Midniters are The Beatles of Chicano Soul and the Eastside Sound it is no wonder that the number of re-issues is large & difficult to document. In this post I will list as many as I have or have been able to track down.

Record label owners and producers of the day tried to make as much money as they could from their recording acts. Eddie Torres, like Eddie Davis is one such owner and producer.

Since there is no definitive Thee Midniters discography this post is based on information I have been able to find and a lot of speculation of my part.

REISSUES:

In 1966, manager Eddie Torres decided to start re-issuing some of the Chattahoochie singles but with album tracks as B sides. I have not been able to find a complete discography of these re-issues but they rare & collectible because of their B sides. The re-issue series would later be bootlegged.

WHITTIER CAR LABEL:


"Sad Girl"/"Come Back Baby" (Whittier 200) 1966.

"That's All"/"To Be With You" (Whittier 201) 1966.

"I Need Someone"/"Strangers In The Night" (Whittier 202) 1967.

"Are You Angry"/"Giving Up On Love" (Whittier 203) 1967.

"Whittier Boulevard"/"It'll Never Be Over For Me" 1967. (Whittier 204)

"Chicano Power"/"Could It Be" (Whittier 205) 1968.

"It'll Never Be Over For Me"/"Thee Midnite Feeling" (Whittier 501)

"Everybody Needs Somebody To Love"/Never Knew I Had It So Bad" (Whittier 504)

"Breakfast On The Grass"/"Dreaming Casually (Whittier 509)

"That's All"/"It's Not Unusual" (Whittier 694)

Also in 1968 Eddie Torres would again reissue "Sad Girl" and "Heat Wave" (Whittier 674)

In 1969 Eddie would reissue "It's Not Unusual" and "That's All" (Whittier 694)

BOOTLEGS???

The most interesting and highly collectible unofficial Midniters record appears on the ELA label. "The Original Are You Angry" and "Hey Little Girl" do not appear on any Thee Midniters discographies but continue to pop up on record auctions.

A great name for a record label, East LA Oldie released "Are You Angry" and "Don't Go Away"

"Sad Girl"/"Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things" (East LA Oldie 17)

"That's All"/"Making Ends Meet" (East LA Oldie 18)

Here is a favorite of mine released on the Loreli label. It marks the first appearance of "The Town I Live In" on a 45RPM record & is backed with the classic "Dreaming Casually"

REISSUES?? BOOTLEGS?? - WHITTIER BLOCK LETTERS

Whittier 200

Whittier 201

Whittier 202 

Whittier 203

Whittier 204 

WHITTIER SCRIPT LETTERING

Whittier 201

Whittier 203

Whittier 204 

Norton Records reissued three Thee Midniters singles and a compilation album entitled

"In Thee Midnite Hour"

Norton Records released three jukebox 45's in 2006:

"Everybody Needs Somebody To Love"/"Never Knew I Had It So Bad" (Norton 873)

"Jump, Jive And Harmonize"/"Thee Midnite Feeling" (Norton 874)

"I Found A Peanut"/"Love Special Delivery" (Norton 875)

Norton Sleeve:

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!!!!

For Historical & Educational Purposes Only And For Listening Pleasure.