METEOR RECORDS     1952-1957
1794 Chelsea Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Meteor Records opened in the latter part of 1952. The label was operated by Lester Bihari. The Bihari brothers had founded the Modern label in Los Angeles and would eventually own RPM Records, Flair and Kent. The focus for Meteor was to record local and regional talent in the Mid-South and to utilize recording and pressing facilities within the area. Buster Williams’ Plastic Products was on the same street and was utilized as a pressing plant.

Meteor’s first session was recorded in November of 1952 featuring Elmo (Elmore) James and the Broomdusters. The Broomdusters lineup included Odie Payne on drums, Johnny Jones on piano and J.T. (Big Boy) Brown on tenor saxophone. The first release, Meteor #5000 “I Believe” and “I Held My Baby Last Night” made the national R&B charts.

Naturally, many artists that recorded on Sun and other Memphis area labels also recorded on Meteor and vice-versa. Examples include Memphis radio personality and longtime R&B showman Rufus Thomas, Jr.  who had Sun Records first hit #181 with “Bear Cat”. Thomas can be heard on Meteor #5039, “The Easy Living Plan” and “I’m Holding On”. Little Milton Campbell, Sun #194 and #200 had “Let’s Boogie Baby” and “Love At First Sight” on Meteor #5040.

Rock-A-Billy legend Charlie Feathers recorded “Tongue Tied Jill backed with “Get With It” during a period of discontent with the way his career was progressing at Sun. These tunes eventually became Rock-A-Billy classics even though the disc died on the vine at the time. Malcolm Yelvington recorded as Mac Sales and the Esquire Trio in 1955 to sidestep his contract with Sun and his Meteor record #5022 followed the path of the dinosaur. Harmonica Frank is said to have auditioned at Meteor to no avail and Joe Hill Louis can be heard playing guitar on several sessions as Chicago Sunny Boy. Brad Suggs who had limited success with the Phillips International label turned up on Meteor #5034 with “Charcoal Suit and Bop Baby Bop”. Billy Lee Riley played session guitar for Jess Hooper with The Daydreamers in 1956, Meteor #5025.

The label’s biggest payday was most likely “Saxony Boogie”/”Dumb Woman Blues” recorded by J.T. (Big Boy) Brown and his instrumental combo, Meteor #5016. The record label lists it as Sax Man Brown with Elmo James and his Broomdusters. “Saxony Boogie” got a huge promotional push from Alan “Moondog” Freed in New York which virtually ensured extensive airplay and sales outside of the Mid-South.

Due to the Rock N’ Roll craze it became apparent that teenagers were not spending their cash on Blues music and the Bihari’s decided to discontinue the venture. The final release was Meteor #5046 in 1957.

The original building which housed Meteor Records is still standing at 1974 Chelsea Avenue in Memphis. Please contact us with additional photographs and/or information concerning the label, sessions and artists.

METEOR RECORDS DISCOGRAPHY

5000   Elmore James   I Believe/I Held My Baby Last Night 1952

5001   Hep Brown Orchestra       Round House Boogie/Kickin’ The Blues Around

                     (A side is an instrumental, Blue and Yellow label) 

5002   Carl “Mr. Broadway” Green   My Best Friend/Four Years, Seven Days   1953

5003   Elmore James            Baby, What’s Wrong/Sinful Woman

5004   Chicago Sunny Boy (Joe Hill Louis)      Jackpot/Western Union Man

5005   Earl (Whoopin’ and Hollerin’) Forest    I Wronged A Woman/I Can’t Forgive You

5006   Sunny Blair           Please Send My Baby Back/Gonna Let You Go

5007   Jimmy Wright’s Rocking Band                Scotch Mist/Porcupine

5008   Chicago Sunny Boy (Joe Hill Louis)            I Love My Baby/On the Floor

5009   Carl “Mr. Broadway” Green            Horizon/Boogie Freight

5010   Buster Smith & His Orchestra    Crying In The Chapel/Leapin’ In Chicago

5011   Jimmy Wright & Orchestra         I’m In The Mood To Be Loved/Slow Down, Daddy

5012   Leo Baxter Orchestra               Heartaches/Can’t Depend On You

5013   Al Smith’s Progressive Jazz          Beale Street Stomp/Sliding Home 1954

5014   Bud Deckelman & The Daydreamers         Daydreaming/Let’s Not Pretend

5015   The Angel Voices            Tell The Angels/Walkin’ And Talkin’ With Jesus

5016   Elmo James Broomdusters featuring J.T. Big Boy Brown   Saxony Boogie/Dumb Woman Blues

5017   Red Hadley’s Wranglers                Brother, That’s All/Ring Out Those Bells

5018   Woodrow Adams & the Boogie Blues Blasters   Wine Head Woman/Baby You Just Don’t Know

5019   Howard Swords & The Blue Light Boys  You Will Have To Pay/I’m As Lonely As I Can Be  1955

5020   James Anderson with The Anderson Harmoneers  Let My Last Days Be My Best/Something Within Me

5021   Smokey Hogg              I Declare/Dark Clouds

5022   Mac Sales & The Esquire Trio                   Yakety Yak/A Gal Named Joe      (Malcolm Yelvington)

5023   Barney Burcham & The Daydreamers             Much Too Young For Me/  Can’t Steal My Way Around

5024   Sax Man Brown with The Broomdusters Featuring Elmore James) Sax Symphonic Boogie/Flaming Blues

5025   Jess Hooper with The Daydreamers  All Messed Up/Sleepy Time Blues  1956

5026   Al Smith’s Broomdusters            Chop Chop Boogie/Hot Rod Special

5027   Buddy Bain, Kay Wayne, Merl “Red” Taylor with the Daydreamers          Daydreams Come True/Can’t We Live It Down

5028   Mason Dixon with The Red Skins  Don’t Worry ‘bout Nothin’/I’ll Never Fall Out Of Love With You 

5029   Junior Thompson with The Meteors                  Raw Deal/Mama’s Little Baby

5030   Lendon Smith with The Jesters                         Women/Lost Love

5031   Mary Edwards with The Saxons                         Oh!Oh! Mama/Chilly Willy

5032   Charlie Feathers with Jody & Jerry                    Tongue Tied Jill/Get With It

5033   Bill Bowen with The Rockets        Have Myself A Ball/Don’t Shoot Me       Baby(I’m Not Ready To Die)

5034   Brad Suggs with The Swingsters                      Charcoal Suit/Bop, Baby Bop

5035   Wayne McGinnis with The Swing Teens         Rock, Roll&Rhythm/Lonesome Rhythm Blues

5036   Minnie Thomas with Slim Waters’ Lagoons     What Can The Matter Be? /I Know What You Need

5037   Walter Miller with The Barons          My Last Mile/Standing On The Highway

5038   The Del Rios with Rufus Thomas’ Bearcats     The Easy Livin’ Plan/I’m Steady Holdin’ On        1957

5039   Rufus “Bear Cat” Thomas with The Bearcats  Alone On A Rainy Night/Lizzie

5040   Little Milton with His Playmates Of Rhythm             Love At First Sight/Let’s Boogie Baby

5041   Fenton Robinson with The Dukes            Tennessee Woman/Crying Out Loud

5042   The Velvetones with The Memphis Rhythm Boys         Real Gone Baby/Feelin Kinda Lonely

5043   Jimmy Haggett with The Daydreamers  Tell Her True/Gonna Shut You Off, Baby

5044   Jimmy Lamberth with The Saxons       Latch On To Your Baby/Let’s Pretend

5045   Little Milton with His Playmates Of Rhythm                Let My Baby Be/Oh, My Little Baby   

5046   Steve Carl with The Jags                                          Curfew/18 Year Old Blues