Tollie Records

[Mak]

Can someone tell me how many variations there are of the Tollie record label ?

Edited May 1, 2007 by MAK

[TheBigO]

Take it you mean label design? Well, as far as I am aware the labels were as follows:

1. LPs were purple with 'Tollie' in yellow and boxed in by a pink box surround; demos were white with both name and box in black. They also used a yellow label with just the Tollie name printed on it and no box surround in black. the reason for this being that Vee Jay, who owned the label, had their printing done all over the States and hence the different label designs.

2. The 50 or so 45s were the same with a number of different looks and printing styles ranging from 'Tollie' in a simple block print, to an arty one to labels that were plain white, black or yellow with a multitude of various colours. Later issues were multi-coloured labels.

My notes are a bit messed up right now but I think that there were at least 9 designs (but I would have to try and confirm that whe I find my notes)

Hope this helps you out a little

[Mak]

Take it you mean label design? Well, as far as I am aware the labels were as follows:

1. LPs were purple with 'Tollie' in yellow and boxed in by a pink box surround; demos were white with both name and box in black. They also used a yellow label with just the Tollie name printed on it and no box surround in black. the reason for this being that Vee Jay, who owned the label, had their printing done all over the States and hence the different label designs.

2. The 50 or so 45s were the same with a number of different looks and printing styles ranging from 'Tollie' in a simple block print, to an arty one to labels that were plain white, black or yellow with a multitude of various colours. Later issues were multi-coloured labels.

My notes are a bit messed up right now but I think that there were at least 9 designs (but I would have to try and confirm that whe I find my notes)

Hope this helps you out a little

Thank you , that is most helpful.

Tony

[TheBigO]

No problem mate I'm still trying to find the notes I have on the label buried in my mountain of crap that I pull out at times like these! As background info on the label itself: It was started in Feb of 1964, a subsidery of Vee Jay records, and lasted for one year, closing May 1965 having issued 2 lps and some 50 singles. (Idon't think the recent Cd label of the same name is connected to the 60s Tollie by the way - but could be wrong)

The label was started to feature more Pop material rather than the R&B that Vee Jay was famous for (strange considering the acts featured!). 1st 45 release was the Beatles 'Twist and Shout' (Tollie 9001); taken from the Vee Jay Beatles LP (LP-1062), they also released 'Love Me Do' (Tollie 9008.) As well as releases by the Beatles they also featured Canadian singer Terry Black (Tollie 9026) and the downright WEIRD and strange novelty 'I Want My Baby Back' by Jimmy Cross (Tollie 9039.) The roster also included Billy Joe Royal, The Big 3 (with Mamas and Papas Cass Elliot), Rick & The Keens, The Sensations, Barrett Strong, The Daylighters, Sam Fletcher (and the Jap Lp is worth hunting down that came out in the 90s for a superb alt. version of I'd Think It Over which was a massive Plinston spin for Fingers!)The Anglows, Them Other Brothers, Moses Davis, Gary Sommers, Sugar & the Spices, the Rhythm Kings, Johnnie Walker, Peggy Sams, the Prodigals, the Clinger Sisters, Judy Thomas, the Sunbeams, the BRATTS, Joey Paige, the Ragamuffins, Ray Godfrey, Eddie McDuff, Peanut Montgomery, Eddie Wilson, James Sturr, Jimmy Velvet, Twinkle, the Chips, Scott Douglas, and the Fallen Angels.

The label, as I said, was absorbed back into the Vee Jay llabel in May of 1965, but left us with, from a Northern Soul persepective,with some blinding Toons!!! *oh and the 2 Lp issued were: Don & Alleyne Cole and Alberto Cortez - This link may prove useful for label :

https://216.239.59.104/searchq=cache:2QDjHsZhrJUJ:www.dermon.com/beatles/Lbl_tollie.htm+tollie+records&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=14&ie=UTF-8

he Whiskey-A-Go-Go/TS-56001 - Live At The Whiskey A-Go-Go - Don And Alleyne Cole [1964]TS-56001 - Live At The Whiskey A-Go-Go - Don And Alleyne Cole [1964]/TS-56001 - Live At The Whiskey A-Go-Go - Don And Alleyne Cole [1964]

Edited May 2, 2007 by TheBigO

[Gene-r]

No problem mate I'm still trying to find the notes I have on the label buried in my mountain of crap that I pull out at times like these! As background info on the label itself: It was started in Feb of 1964, a subsidery of Vee Jay records, and lasted for one year, closing May 1965 having issued 2 lps and some 50 singles. o-Go - Don And Alleyne Cole [1964]

Neil, do you know if "Patience" by Rokk, released in 1975 on Tollie, was a standalone release, or were there a few more Tollie releases at the time? Any reason for the label being reactivated?

Edited May 2, 2007 by Gene-R

[TheBigO]

Ok, digging into the mass of notes and paper clippings etc we find..... The Tollie label was set-up, it seems, to compensate for the fact that Vee Jay were having so many hits and thus so much airplay with the Beatles material that radio stations were getting the arse that they had so many VJ releases in their charts! It seems also, having discovered some badly written notes on the back of a Stafford flyer!, that the label went out of business in the main due to a law suit with capitol and VJ over said Beatles rights.

The name Tollie came from proucer Calvin Carters son, it was his name, and the Rokk single was recorded in 1976 and intended to relaunch the label but Carter fell ill and label owner Betty Chiappetta shelved the intended and almost completed Lp (and she still has the said lp masters!)

So to answer the question, yes Rokk is a stand-alone, theres an LP out there for some label to swoop on but having never heard the tracks we can only pray that they are of the quality of the few promo 45s of 'patience' that surfaced. Betty intended to release more but as I said fate, as usual, got in the way.

Edited May 3, 2007 by TheBigO