Ooh-Eee! What You Do To Me?! - Various Artists
- johnaalex
- Jun 30
- 4 min read
Ooh-Eee! What You Do To Me?! - Stars, Inc. Rockers and Country Boppers from Atlanta, GA (LP, 10inch)
Bear Family Records
Released June 2025 (limited to just 500 copies)
Reviewed by Rockin Rebel 17th June 2025
Review
1950s label from Atlanta, Georgia. Is the easy way to describe the label. But it’s the story within that captures the true element of what this label gave us. Artist with such great talent making their debut in the recording industry. Chuck Atha, Ric Cartey with The Jiva-Tones, Kenny Lee and not forgetting Billy Brown. There are lots more names to add that cut their teeth on the Star inc label. In 1955 two new studios were opened by two great friends Bill Lowery & Boots Woodall. Fox records and Star records was formed and was funding each other from records made from local/ unknown artist. They released a single “My Babys Gone by Cleve Warnock (stars 502) a little interesting Fact, Cleve Warnock released the 1st track in 1955, and the last track released in 1957 “Boy and a Guitar” (Stars H8OW-2127/8) before the company was closed. This album goes into that studio (which was a local radio station WGST) were we get to hear some of the rarer sounds of country/ rockabilly gems. This 10inch release is just full of facts, pictures and recording information with its 8-page booklet that comes inside this release. The great team at Bear Family have once again excelled themselves with this compilation album.
Track by Track
01 Ooh-Eee (What You Do To Me) Chuck Atha
Record 506, Recorded in 1956, written by the Legend Jerry Reed. Reed was already writing and singing music, having learned to play the guitar as a child. At age 18, he was signed by publisher and record producer Bill Lowery to cut his first record, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise". This was a great track and rarely recorded since.
02 I'm Wise To You Now Judy Tolbert
Records 543 from the 11-year-old talent from Alabama. Such a great vocal from the young lady that she cut three tracks for the Star label between 1956/58. These were 1956, STARS 505
Springy (The Little Easter Bunny) / I'm Gonna Fly – 1957, STARS 543 - Come Back And Love Me / I'm Wise To You Now – 1958 STARS 556 No Tears Tonight / The One That I Love. The track was written by Claudette Tolbert. When you hear the young rockabilly star, you will automatically love her voice.
03 Rock Bottom #1 The Rockateers
04 Rock Bottom #2 The Rockateers
Record 544 for this double sided single. Released in 1957. Both sides written by Jerry Reed. Jerry was the Lead guitar of the Rocketeers and who were used as session musicians for the label. Rock bottom ½ are early rockabilly instrumentals.
05 You're My Baby The Night Hawks
Record 550 for this 1957 rocker. Written by Dan Welch Night hawks are best remembered for this track and I believe they only recorded one other song, this would be on the Sparton label some four years later in 1961.
06 Song of The Singing Wind Kenny Lee
Record 504 I have often heard that Ken was the singing shopper. It was in a local grocery store when he was first approached to sing and then record at Star. Kenny went on to record many songs and was well recognized in the Hillbilly scene. The track was once again written by Dan Welch. His full name Daniel James Welch Jr wrote many great hits for stars like Hank Snow, Gene Vincent and sonny james.
07 Oooh-Eee Ric Cartey with The Jiv-A-Tones
Record 539 Oooh-Eee Written-By Jerry Reed but Ric will always be the guy that co-wrote Young Love along with Carole Joyner. Ric uses a alias Whaley Thomas but never recorded under that name. its now considered one of the top rockabilly tracks, and still played across the air waves.
08 My Baby Is Gone Cleve Warnock
Record 502 Another artist that managed to record two singles for the star label. This release from 1955 and another in 1957 So Goes Life / Boy And A Guitar (H8OW-2127/8). Cleve was a country/rockabilly singer only starting his career one year previous in 1954. The writers were Barton/ wornock. Whom also wrote Ten Wheels.Barton of course is Billy Barton
09 Ten Wheels Billy Barton
Record 548 co-writing with Barton is Cleve Warnock and released in 1957. Bartons real name is John Grimes and began his career with Johnny Horton, who at this time had not made a success. 1962 we had a treat release from Laurie London with “Don’t Knock The Rock. Laurie was pseudonym used by Billy.
10 Riding Shotgun (In A Hot Rod Car) Danny Welch
Record 555. The mighty pen lyricist treats himself to this 1957 recording. Dan actually penned both the A & B side to this release. The flip side being “Snow Man. The single has become very collectable and can reach a very high price. But here you get to hear it much more cheaply
11 A Boy And A Guitar Cleve Warnock
Record H8OW-2127/8 The second release from Cleve but this track was the flip side to “so goes life” 1957. This would complete hie recording time at the Star Inc Label.
12 Did We Have A Party Billy Brown
Record 552 many believe that this was originally released on Columbia records. But it was first issued on Star in October of 1957.And just one month later, November he released it on Columbia. Billy recorded for Decca (55), Stars (57), Columbia (57-59) & Republic Records (60-61).
Summary
Its just sublime. The whole album is full of historic insight into one of the smallest labels going, yet started the careers of many a artist. sure, they didn’t make chart history or many gold records. But what they had is talent in waiting. Learning their craft before exploding onto other labels, some becoming household names. Hearing these tracks is just has important to me as the SUN records catalogue. Its pure raw rockabilly. The staff at Bear Family Records like Nico Feuerbach, Bill Dahl, Martin Hawkins and Sven T, Uhrmann who has put this brilliant collection together, a very big congratulations.
Links
video promo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxTPUKKEBh4
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