PopBopRocktilUDrop | From the Land of Band Box Records

Back in 1966 a long-time established company, the Music Corporation of America (known as MCA) had quite a record portfolio under their umbrella of operations. MCA had been in business for about 50 years by 1962, the year they acquired Coral, Brunswick and also U.S. Decca.

Satisfied that they were solid when it came to pop labels (Coral and Brunswick) and happy with their R&B acquisition, Decca, they were now on the hunt for a label to feature rock music, and in particular, psychedelic bands and musicians.

And so enter Uni abbreviation for the Universal in Universal City Records. They set up shop in Hollywood, California of course.

The driving force behind Uni would be a fellow by the name of Russ Regan. Regan brought solid credentials with him including song writing, musician, and producer. Uni brought him on for his promotional talents. He had earlier worked for Motown Records as a very successful promoter.

Regan had composed so interesting songs which I feature in a separate post (his most noted being Cinamon Cinder which hit the pop charts by the Pastel Six in 1963). Regan also co-wrote The Happy Reindeer which was recorded in 1959 by Dancer, Prancer and Nervous (The Singing Reindeer) an attempt to jump on the recording success of Ross Bagdasarians Chipmunks.

Just before signing on with Uni, Regan gave us a song I liked by Freddy Cannon, The Dedication Song.

Regan is credited with discovering the Strawberry Alarm Clock by virtue of signing them to Uni but that is probably not accurate as the band had already recorded the song on All American Records which was released in April of 1967 and then a month later on Uni where it hit the number 1 spot in the nation.

(Although Wikipedia downplays the origin of the song, it was most definitely penned by two students from the University of Colorado, Tim Gilbert and John Carter the same duo which penned the Rainy Daze Acapulco Gold. Tim Gilbert was a member of that group which also would record on Uni Records).

Uni gave psychedelic rock & rock pop music the old college try with an interesting string of releases. Few made much of dent on the charts and so, in order to pay the bills, Uni would bring on Elton John and Neil Diamond. That did the trick. Both artists would stay with Uni right up to 1972 when MCA merged its labels including Uni along with Kapp to move forward as MCA. Both Elton John and Neil Diamond remained on board as recording artists.

Russ Regan departed to become president at 20th Century Records taking Barry White with him. He would go to Polygram Records in 1980 to become involved with the production of motion picture soundtracks which included Flashdance (1983), The Karate Kid (1984) and A Chorus Line (1985) among others.

Uni Records also distributed the Shamley record label which featured recordings by two Colorado bands, the Original Joplin Forte who performed out of Aspen, Colorado along with Denvers Moonrakers.

Like all record labels, Uni hung in in various incarnations with many parents and today is part of the Geffen catalog.

Collectors continue to seek out many of the early Uni releases, especially in long play format.

Following is a discography featuring several of those long plays focusing mainly on groups as opposed to solo releases.

This discography takes us to 1972 when Uni quit releasing long plays until 1988.

From the University of Colorado in Boulder

From New York City

(Sold for $760 in 2019)

Tim Hallinan, Michele Cochrane, Robb Royer and Stephen Cohn Also known as the Rainy Day People

Danny Ray from Savannah, Georgia Also with groups Build and Ark and the Randy Weston Sextet

Formerly Thee Sixpence formed out of Los Angeles, California

Christian was a Los Angeles DJ who co-wrote songs with Beach Boy Brian Wilson and composed many hot rod and surf oriented records for Jan and Dean, the Rip Chords, Dick Dale and more. A whole series of 45s were released on this theme one for each Zodiac sign.

Foundations were from the UK evolved from The Ramong Sound

Sold for $332 in 2012

They started off as the Bostwick Vines The formed in 1966 out of Houston, Texas

Sold for $105 in 2013

Buddy Sklar, Dennis Provisor, Bobby Arlin, Dale Loyola and Craig Boyd Arlin was also with the Hustlers and The Leaves Craig Boyd was the drummerr for the Regents from Los Angeles Provisor was a member of The Hits and also the Grassroots.

MacKay with Bob Jones, Mike Berns, Richard Adamson and Mike De Temple

Bonfire was Dennis Eugene McCrohan who had played with the pre-Steppenwolf band Sparrow

With David Bullock, Scott Fraser, Eddie Lively, and Phil White

Band included Larry Younger, Walter Slivinski, Harold Little formerly of the Fantabulous Jags and Tom Bethke. The Jags were out of Kansas but traveled to and based themselves out of Denver, Colorado.

Band out of Santa Barbara, California The band on the record was originally Dog Cox and Steve Waltner but once it was recorded members of Ernie & The Emperors took over. Waltner was also with Deuces Wild, and The Loves Me Petal with Cox and The Altecs.

The band was formerly The Sixpentz out of Houston, Texas

Members came from a band called The Warlocks from Dallas, Texas Members were Frank Beard along with Joe Michael Hill and Rocky Hill They would become ZZ Top.

From Torrance, California

Fields was Patrick Burke and Steven Lagana from the Preachers and the Parasites of the Western World, Richard Fortunato from The Vejtables

Group from Jamaica with Desmond Dekker (Desmond Dacres), Wilson James, Barry, Clive, Carl and Patrick Howard

This was a studio session band headed up by Walt Flannery from the Love Exchange

The band also came out of Houston, Texas and was formerly The Nomads Members were Earl Finn, Ed Beyer one in Canned Heat, John Orvis, Johnny Wilde, Phil Parker and Richard Floyd

The Cascades formed i 1960 calling themselves the Silver Sounds an instrumental group Next they became the Thundernotes This version of the band included Lance Wakely along with Tony Grasso, Gabe Lapano and Dave Wilson the only original member.

Group out of Oakland, California Holmes fronted several funk groups

Group of jazz musicians including Bobby Hutcherson, Vladimir Vassilieff, Al McKibbon, Carl Lott, Joe Roccisano, Lynn Blessing, Francisco Aquabella, Joe Pass, and Stan Gilbert.

The Mirettes were members of The Ikettes up until 1965 and also recorded as The Belles. They were Jessica Smith, Venetta Fields and Robbie Montgomery.

Flaming Youth was from the UK and included Phil Collins Other members were Brian Chatton who was with several bands including The Warriors, Hickory and Snafu Gordon Smith also with Kontinent, Nimbo and The Rockits Ronnie Caryl was also with Hickory as was Phil Collins who later went on with Genesis.

The band was out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and had formed clear back in 1956 John Fred was John Fred Gourrier.

The Lovelites were a female soul trio with Patti and Rozena Petty along with Barbara Peterman out of Chicago, Illinois

Mudd were out of Albuquerque, New Mexico with Tom Gonzales, Randy Castillo, Chuck Klingbeil, Vic Gabriele, Steve DCoda Miller and Arnold Bodmer.

The fallen comic, Bill Cosby, plays keyboards on this recording and he is Badfoot Brown Other musicians are session players.

Martin was a member of the famed Buffalo Springfield and earlier with Sir Raleigh & the Cupons The Medicine Ball included Pete Bradstreet, Bill Darnell, Buddy Emmons (Cherokee Cowboys and a session musician known at the Wrecking Crew), Randy Fuller (Blue Mountain Eagle, The Bobby Fuller Four), and Terry Gregg.

Ferris wheel was from the UK and included Dianne Ferraz, Dennis Elliott,(Foreigner), George Sweetnam, Michael Snow (Rockin Horse, The Checkmates, The Blue Aces and West Five), Jim Cregan (Bossom Toes, Farm Dogs, The Muldoons, The Rod Stewart Group and many more), and Linda Lewis (Electricity All Stars, and The Lewis Sisters)

Magic Sand was actually various groups not identified on the LP jacket other than Albuquerques Hooterville Trolley

This band was from Hawaii and included Don Gay, Terry Lucido, Bert Sagum, Stan Robertson, Roberto Nievera, Lil Albert (The Mob and The Rocky Fellers), Danny Ruvivar, and Tony Ruvivar Jr. They also recorded as The Fabulous Echoes.

David Brown (Eighteenth Edition and The New Mix), Denny Seiwell (Wings with Paul McCartney), Karl Jarvi (Eighteenth Edition) and Pat Walters (The Paragons and The Spongetones)

Rabon sang lead vocals for the Five Americans He composed Western Union and I See the Light

Warm Dust was from Sheffield, England Members Paul Carrack and Alan King would go on to form the group Ace

Rockin Foo was Les Brown Jr., Wayne Erwin (Lyme & Cybelle) and Michael Raccoon

John Herron (The Electric Prunes) and Rob McLerran

They also recorded in the 1960s as The Playboys of Edinburg with Val Curl, Michael Williams (The Tempest Band, The Younger Brothers), James Lewis Williams (The Younger Brothers), Don Faires and Jerry McCord

Lucifer was actually Mort Garson of The World Of Iz Z and The Lords of Percussion

Olsson was born in Wallasey, England Was a member of Uriah Heep, Warpipes and the Elton John Band

San Francisco band

Leader was John Hiatt of Little Village and The Guilty Dogs

Brothers Thomas and Richard Martin Both were with the Art Collection and the Newcastle Five

Andy Cahn, Bunk Gardner, Denny Walley, Jimmy Carl Black (The Grandmothers, The Mothers, The Magic Band and The Muffin Men) and Tjay Cantrelli

Burnett was T-Bone Burnett birth name Joseph Henry Burnett III

Gary Osborne (Chocolate Watch Band) and Paul Vigrass (Edison Lighthouse, Matchbox, Quasar, and Swampfox) British born musicians

From San Piedro, California Glodean James, Linda James and Diane Taylor (The Jelly Beans) The trio would follow Barry White and Russ Regan over to 20th Century Records

Pamela Tanner, Robert Townsend, Tony Roberts, Lester Johnson, John Jackson, Matthew Watson and Michael Woods

Categories: 1960's Pop, 1970's Pop, Do You Remember?, Garage Bands 1960's, Record Labels Tags: Music Corporation of America MCA, Russ Regan and Uni Records, Uni Recocrds Permalink

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PopBopRocktilUDrop | From the Land of Band Box Records