West Michigan Label Releases
The undisputed heavyweight champion of West Michigan record labels was Fenton Records, which is said to have been responsible for over 100 releases. Below is a list of known releases on the Fenton label and its "subsidiaries."
A lot of songs recorded at the Fenton studios were released on other labels. This was a vanity label, so bands paid to get some studio time and a bunch of their records pressed. Legend has it that if the owner, Dave Kalmbach, didn't think the song was good enough, he'd put it out on one of the subs, such as 4 Count or Buyit. It is also said that the bands were allowed to choose whatever label name they wanted, such as Sound of the Sceen and Vark.
According to one collector, "A lot of the awareness about these labels is guessing on the part of collectors, based on the locations of the bands (Michigan) and the numbering system used. In some cases band members have also said that they cut the single at the Fenton studio but used their own label name (such as the Aardvarks, whose first single was on Vark, then their second was on Fenton)."
There were also some songs recorded at Fenton's Great Lakes Recording Studio in Sparta, Michigan, that were never released on any of the Fenton record labels. Please help me fill in the blanks and weed out the errors...
Dave and The Shadows | Faith | Fenton | 942 |
Dave and The Shadows | Playboy | Fenton | 942 |
J.D. and the Dynamics | Dragonfly | Fenton | 943 |
J.D. and the Dynamics | Mozart Mash (D. Kalmbach) | Fenton | 943 |
Rhythm Rockers | Three Strikes | Fenton | 944 |
Rhythm Rockers | Surf Around | Fenton | 944 |
Renegades IV | Greensleeves | Fenton | 945 |
Renegades IV | Autumn Night | Fenton | 945 |
Sue and the Dynamics | Go Tell It on the Mountain | Fenton | 948 |
Sue and the Dynamics | Loving Eyes | Fenton | 948 |
Sheffields | Nothing I Can Do | Fenton | 980 |
Sheffields | My Only Wish | Fenton | 980 |
Renegades V | Wine Wine Wine | Duboney | 982 |
Renegades V | Love And Fury | Duboney | 982 |
Barons | Try A Love With Me | Jafes | 985 |
Barons | Don't Come Back No More | Jafes | 985 |
Scavengers | Oasis | Fenton | 987 |
Scavengers | Curfew | Fenton | 987 |
Penetrators | What Went Wrong | Fenton | 992 |
Penetrators | Cross the River of Love | Fenton | 992 |
Pepettes | Rock | Fenton | 995 |
Pepettes | Flashing Lights | Fenton | 995 |
Lloids of Lon-Den | You Will Go | Fenton | 1000 |
Lloids of Lon-Den | Girls Can Really Dance | Fenton | 1000 |
Kick Litscher | Passing of the Backhouse | Fenton | 1002 |
Kick Litscher | Hermit of the Shark Tooth Shoals | Fenton | 1002 |
Ju Jus | You Treat Me Bad | Fenton | 1004 |
Ju Jus | Hey Little Girl | Fenton | 1004 |
Young-Uns | Walkin' Down the Line | Fenton | 2008 |
Young-Uns | Make Me a Grave | Fenton | 2008 |
Young-Uns | Let's Go A-Sailin' | Fenton | 2008 |
Young-Uns | Let Me Go | Fenton | 2008 |
Chevrons V | I Lost You Today | Nook | 2010 |
Chevrons V | Niat Pat Lavram | Nook | 2010 |
Ram Rods | You Know I Love You | Fenton | 2014 |
Ram Rods | I Remember | Fenton | 2014 |
Saharas | I'm Free | Fenton | 2016 |
Saharas | This Mornin' | Fenton | 2016 |
Plagues | Why Can't You Be True | Quarantined | 2020 |
Plagues | Through This World | Quarantined | 2020 |
Bennie Carew | Kansas City | Fenton | 2022 |
Bennie Carew | Bye Bye Blackbird | Fenton | 2022 |
Bobby Charles Quartet | Oh! Lonesome Me | Fenton | 2024 |
Bobby Charles Quartet | Saturday Night | Fenton | 2024 |
Quests | Scream Loud | Fenton | 2032 |
Quests | Psychic | Fenton | 2032 |
Lyn and the Invaders | Boy Is Gone | Fenton | 2040 |
Lyn and the Invaders | Secretly | Fenton | 2040 |
Peter and the Prophets | Johnny Of Dreams | Fenton | 2050 |
Peter and the Prophets | Don't Need Your Lovin' | Fenton | 2050 |
Jack Wood | Born To Wander | Lawrence | 2052 |
Jack Wood | So Sad | Lawrence | 2052 |
Aardvarks | I'm Higher Than I'm Down | Vark | 2058 |
Aardvarks | That's Your Way | Vark | 2058 |
Don Hanke and the Echo Men | Put a Tiger in My Tank | Fenton | 2064 |
Don Hanke and the Echo Men | You Are the One | Fenton | 2064 |
Chancellors | One In A Million | Fenton | 2066 |
Chancellors | Journey | Fenton | 2066 |
Plagues | I've Been Through It Before | Fenton | 2070 |
Plagues | Tears From My Eyes | Fenton | 2070 |
Chancellors | Dear John | Fenton | 2072 |
Chancellors | 5 Minus 3 | Fenton | 2072 |
Fugitives | I'll Hang Around | Fenton | 2075 |
Fugitives | You Can't Blame That On Me | Fenton | 2075 |
Me and Dem Guys | Black Cloud | Coral Gables | 2082 |
Me and Dem Guys | Come On Little Sweetheart | Coral Gables | 2082 |
Pentagons | Try And Find | Pent | 2084 |
Pentagons | Before I Go | Pent | 2084 |
Quests | Shadows In The Night | Fenton | 2086 |
Quests | I'm Tempted | Fenton | 2086 |
Tribe | Fickle Little Girl | Fenton | 2088 |
Tribe | Try Try | Fenton | 2088 |
Aardvarks | I Don't Believe | Fenton | 2090 |
Aardvarks | I Don't Need You | Fenton | 2090 |
Chevrons | What Everyone Wants | Fenton | 2092 |
Chevrons | Hey Little Teaser | Fenton | 2092 |
Pedestrians | Think Twice | Fenton | 2102 |
Pedestrians | Snyder's Swamp | Fenton | 2102 |
Pedestrians | It's Too Late | Fenton | 2116 |
Pedestrians | My Little Girl | Fenton | 2116 |
Sheffields | Blowin' In The Wind | Fenton | 2118 |
Sheffields | Fool Minus A Heart | Fenton | 2118 |
Chentelles | Time | Fenton | 2132 |
Chentelles | Be My Queen | Fenton | 2132 |
Jades | Confined Congregation | Fenton | 2134 |
Jades | Please Come Back | Fenton | 2134 |
9th Street Market | I'm A Baby | Fenton | 2136 |
9th Street Market | You're Gone | Fenton | 2136 |
David and the Diversified Sound | Little Boy Blue | Fenton | 2142 |
David and the Diversified Sound | I Dig | Fenton | 2142 |
Beaux Jens | She Was Mine | Sound of the Sceen | 2162 |
Beaux Jens | Trouble Baby | Sound of the Sceen | 2162 |
Quests | What Can I Do? | Fenton | 2174 |
Quests | Shadows In The Night | Fenton | 2174 |
Tonto and the Renegades | Anytime You Want Some Lovin' | Sound of the Sceen | 2178 |
Tonto and the Renegades | The Easy Way Out | Sound of the Sceen | 2178 |
Ray Hummel III | Fine Day | Fenton | 2188 |
Ray Hummel III | Gentle Rain | Fenton | 2188 |
Ken Rank | Twin City Saucer | Fenton | 2194 |
Ken Rank | Ken's Thing (By the Jades) | Fenton | 2194 |
Blues Company | Love Machine | Pear | 2203 |
Blues Company | B.C. Boogie | Pear | 2203 |
Jades | Surface World | Fenton | 2208 |
Jades | We've Got Something Going | Fenton | 2208 |
John Brown Trio | Walking Through the Night | Fenton | 2210 |
John Brown Trio | It's Not Unusual | Fenton | 2210 |
Tonto and the Renegades | I Knew This Thing Would Happen | Sound of the Sceen | 2212 |
Tonto and the Renegades | Little Boy Blue | Sound of the Sceen | 2212 |
Mussies | Louie Go Home | Fenton | 2216 |
Mussies | 12 O'clock July | Fenton | 2216 |
Counts of Coventry | Somewhere (Someone is Waiting) | 4 Count | 2222 |
Counts of Coventry | Happy Day | 4 Count | 2222 |
Assortment | First I Look at the Purse | Sound Spot | 2224 |
Assortment | Bless Our Hippy Home | Sound Spot | 2224 |
Pedestrians | You Aren't Going to Say You Know | Fenton | 2226 |
Pedestrians | The Unpredictable Miss Kinsey | Fenton | 2226 |
Cambridge | I'm Coming Back | Go-T | 2244 |
Cambridge | Lonely Lisa | Go-T | 2244 |
Pam Busscher | Why Is There War | Fenton | 2502 |
Pam Busscher | Why Can't He Love Me | Fenton | 2502 |
Black Watch | Left Behind | Fenton | 2508 |
Black Watch | I Wish I Had The Nerve | Fenton | 2508 |
Legends | I'm Just A Guy | Fenton | 2512 |
Legends | I'll Come Again | Fenton | 2512 |
Ones | You Haven't Seen My Love | Fenton | 2514 |
Ones | Happy Day | Fenton | 2514 |
Country Ramblers | Rambler's Bounce | Northland | 2516 |
Country Ramblers | A Million [...?] | Northland | 2516 |
Headhunters | Times We Share | Fenton | 2518 |
Headhunters | Think What You've Done | Fenton | 2518 |
4U and Him | Backdoor Man | Fenton | 2522 |
4U and Him | Travelin' Light | Fenton | 2522 |
Poor Boy's Pride | The Place | Swade | 2524 |
Poor Boy's Pride | Fall Of A Town | Swade | 2524 |
Fyrebirds | Can't Get No Ride | Great Lakes | 2528 |
Fyrebirds | I'm Alive | Great Lakes | 2528 |
Soulbenders | Hey Joe | Phantasm | 2530 |
Soulbenders | I Can't Believe In Love | Phantasm | 2530 |
New Era | Won't You Please Be My Friend | Great Lakes | 2532 |
New Era | We Ain't Got Time | Great Lakes | 2532 |
Blokes | All American Girl | Dante | 2545 |
Blokes | Slander's Child | Dante | 2545 |
Pedestrians | Think Twice | Buyit | 2556 |
Pedestrians | It's Too Late | Buyit | 2556 |
Soulbenders | Petals | Phantasm | 2568 |
Soulbenders | 7 And 7 Is | Phantasm | 2568 |
Bed of Roses | Quiet | Tea | 2577 |
Bed of Roses | I Gotta Fight | Tea | 2577 |
Blues Company | Experiment In Color | Great Lakes | 3002 |
Blues Company | She's Gone | Great Lakes | 3002 |
Merrie Motor Company | Walking Down This Road | Scott | 3050 |
Merrie Motor Company | Dream of You | Scott | 3050 |
Poor Boy Pride | But Yes Who Cares | Fenton | 3060 |
Poor Boy Pride | I'm Here | Fenton | 3060 |
Dick Rabbit | Love | Great Lakes | GL-103 |
Dick Rabbit | Trip | Great Lakes | GL-103 |
Deborah and Lee | Little Boxes | Fenton | GL942 |
Deborah and Lee | No Place To Go | Fenton | GL942 |
Our Generation | Baby Boy (written by Dick Wagner) | Fenton | GL970 |
Our Generation | Chicago Blues | Fenton | GL970 |
The following records were released by West Michigan bands or on West Michigan labels but do not follow the "Fenton" numbering system. Whether or not they were recorded at Fenton's Great Lakes studio is unknown. |
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Aardvarks | Cherrie, Can't You Tell | Forte | 2021 |
Aardvarks | Let's Move Together | Forte | 2021 |
Band-X | How Good the Rain | S.M.F. | 98096 |
Band-X | Come Back To Me | S.M.F. | 98096 |
The Beech Resorts | Springtime | Key | 18830 |
The Beech Resorts | Distortion Don't Know | Key | 18830 |
The Clouds | Tomorrow | Northland | 2042 |
The Clouds | Sandy Castles | Northland | 2042 |
Common People | ? | United | ? |
The Ethics | Crazy Horse | Phalanx | 1002 |
The Ethics | Hall Of Fame | Phalanx | 1002 |
Kalamazoo's Hitch-hikers | Makes Me Feel Good | Phalanx | 1000 |
Kalamazoo's Hitch-hikers | Someday Baby | Phalanx | 1000 |
Plagues | That'll Never Do | Quarantined | 41369 |
Plagues | Badlands | Quarantined | 41369 |
The Sheffields | Do You Still Love Me | Destination | 621 |
The Sheffields | Nothing I Can Do | Destination | 621 |
The Smoke | Half Past The End | Smoke | 1316 |
The Smoke | My Mama Smoke | Smoke | 1316 |