Artists – V

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LP from husband and wife gospel singing duo Arthur and Julia Vanderhoff, released on Crusade Records.

I believe the Vanderhoffs were in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at the time of this recording. As far as I can tell this was their only LP.

Credits on the LP include Raymond Sanders on keyboard/piano and Bill Casolari on 'other instruments. The LP was produced by Arthur and Julia Vanderhoff and engineered by Bill Casolari.

Late 60s/early 70s compilation LP of Indianapolis-area musicians put together by Leonard (Len) Smith, released on United Kombos Records.

According to the spoken-word intro, the compilation was put together to honor Austrian immigrant and "very pretty lady" Josie Markus. It seems that she was a friend/mentor to many of the artists performing on this LP. The LP runs the musical gamut from loose bluesy jams to wonky folk to echo-y rockabilly and lots of other stuff in between. I can't find any information online about Josie Markus or any of the other artists featured on the compilation.

United Kombos seems to have been Len Smith's own label, with at least one other release attributed to the label. 1966's "T.T. Termiter b/w Why Don't They Leave Us Alone" was put out by Satan's Sinners and features Len Smith on B Side vocals.

Len Smith passed away in 2020.

LP of hymns and field recordings presented by The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

Philadelphia's Hometown Album compilation put together by radio station WIZZARD 100 in Philadelphia, released in 1978.

This compilation LP was put together by WZZD Radio, Peaches Record Shops, and The Songwriters Association of Philadelphia. From the back of the LP jacket, the aim of the compilation was to "celebrate the musicianship of Delaware Valley residents poised at the brink of stardom".

As far as I can tell, only a few artists on this compilation had recording careers that spanned beyond their inclusion on this LP. Improvisational electronic musician and composer Charles Cohen is probably the most noteworthy, and he has a track titled "Rebel Chef And The Flying Sauces" included on this LP. He had many releases over the years and is considered a pioneer in electronic music and for his inventive use of synthesizers. Philadelphia singer-songwriter John Flynn also has a song included, "Gray Skies At Sunrise", and it seems that he is still active in the music community in Philadelphia to this day. Several others, including Daniel DeGennaro from Torpedoes and Ed Rhoades from Watertite are still active in the music scene as well.

1985 LP by gospel/soul singer Charles Vickers released on King of Kings L.A. International Records.

Charles Vickers is a native of Daytona Beach, Florida. He first started performing when he was six years old, and at the age of fourteen, Charles was chosen by a local radio station WORD to make demonstration records. By the time he turned twenty, Charles signed his first recording contract with King Records. Although Charles was trained in classical and gospel music, he insists that his talent is God given. Charles has also performed in many operettas.

He recorded for a variety of labels in his career, including King, Accent, Carellen Records, Tropical Records, Pyramid Records, among others. He was most active in the 1960s through the 1980s, but I can't tell if he had any releases into the 1990s and beyond.

Charles Vickers is also an author, releasing The Roots And Pilgrimage Of A Great Gospel Singer in 2011.

1980 LP of song poems composed by Eloise Riddle and sung by Matt Vincent and Linda Lane, released on Royal Masters Records.

The music on the LP is credited to Jim Ward and Alex Zanetis. Royal Masters seems to have released many song poem LPs in the 1970s and 1980s, often with the songs being sung by Matt Vincent and Linda Lane.

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Virgil Glenn and Bill Thornton's 1979 LP I'm Gonna Sing, released on Hi-Spot Records.

Virgil & Glenn were a musical duo from Pittsburg, Kansas. They performed on KOAM's Melody Matinee Show since the inception of the show in 1953.

The duo's is heavily influenced by The Louvin Brothers. They have included four Louvin songs on this LP. Also included are tracks by Hank Williams, Buck Owens, and Kris Kristofferson.

They are backed by the Danny Gilliand Band on this LP, consisting of Danny Gilliand on banjo, Mike Insmore on bass, Terry Brown on guitar, Shelby Eicher on fiddle and mandolin, Doyle Speer on drums, and Mike Bruce on pedal steel.

Virgil performed on the Melody Matinee until 1985 until the show went off the air. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 94.

There is some cool footage of Virgil and a short documentary about KOAM Melody Matinee on KOAM News Now's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObE6NSTVdyE