Lummtone Records was established in Los Angeles in 1959 by Lummie Fowler, who came from the Crenshaw district in the South Central part of the city. He worked for the postal service but was also a trained pianist, who played on some of the eighteen singles that were issued by the label between 1959 and 1965. All the releases are by vocal harmony groups.
The company’s label was fairly plain, with a change of colour for each release, it appears. All eighteen singles make up a simple series running from 101 to 118.
At the beginning, Fowler focussed on pure Doo-Wop songs. It was a style that was popular locally, given a boost by Alan Freed’s programmes on radio KDAY, and Fowler set out to produce songs with complex harmonies and excellent reproduction. His musical training gave him an advantage over many other independent label owners.
The first releases, in 1959, are by George Powell and the Troopers and the Colognes, who sing in a style reminiscent of the Platters, with Fowler providing a piano backing. Then, in 1960, the Upfronts make their first appearance on the label. They went on to make six more singles up to 1964, which show some interesting musical developments. One of their songs was re-issued with a different B-side. The Elgins arrived next, with four singles issued between 1963 and 1964, and the Upnilons, with two singles (1964 and 1965). The Five Ramblers, the Prominents, and the Arrivals all made just one single each, during the label’s later years
The Upfronts were formed in Los Angeles in 1959, when leader David Johnson met Lummie Fowler. Johnson, who was originally from Chicago, had started out as a member of a Gospel group, the Northern Crusaders, while he was serving in the United States Air Force. On completion of his military service, he set up a secular group in San Diego, which was called the Ivory Tones. In 1955, he moved to Los Angeles and helped to form the Cubans, who recorded “Tell Me”/ “You’ve Been Gone So Long” for Charlie Reynolds’ Flash Records. Four years later, when the Cubans broke up, Johnson got together with Early Harris and Leroy Sanders (who were with him in the Cubans), Bobby Relf (from the Laurels) and Theotis, to form the Upfronts.
They recorded two singles, “It Took Time” and “Too Far to Turn Around”. Both are pure Doo-Wop ballads, released in 1960.
By the end of 1961, however, the group had undergone major personnel changes. David Johnson was tempted to seek a release from Lummtone by Bob Keene at Del Fi Records. When Lummie Fowler agreed, Johnson’s old friends Early Harris and Leroy Sanders followed suit. The trio then went to Del Fi to set up a new group, Little Caesar and the Romans, along with newcomers Johnny Simmons and Carl Burnett.
Lummie Fowler formed a new Upfronts group, including a young sixteen-year-old bass singer called Barry White. The 1961 Upfronts’ releases show a change of style. For “Little Girl” producer Lummie Fowler added more instruments and dialled down the soaring harmonies of the first two Upfronts’ singles.
The harmonies are simpler and more Pop-oriented. The second 1961 single, “Baby, For Your Love”, was issued twice. The first version has “Send Me Someone To Love Who Will Love Me” on the B-side, whilst the second has “I Stopped the Duke of Earl”, a reference to Gene Chandler! The change of style is maintained, as the group moved from pure Doo-Wop to a more up-tempo dance rhythm.
Their final releases are a re-working of “It Took Time” and “Baby, For Your Love”, issued in 1963, and “Most Of The Pretty Young Girls”, issued in 1964. The influence of Motown is very clear.
The Elgins are a vocal harmony quintet, who came to Lummtone in 1962. They are not the Elgins who recorded at Motown. The members were Jimmy Smith, Darryl Lewis, Kenny Sinclair, Oscar McDonald, and William Devase, who was replaced by Barbara Lewis for the first year. Jimmy and Oscar had met at high school in Beaumont, Texas; Darryl, Kenny, and William were all from Southern California.
A slightly different line-up had recorded “Lonely Hearts Club” for Titan Records in 1960, calling themselves the Elements. Then in 1961, with Oscar now the new fifth member, the group recorded “Uncle Sam’s Man” for Flip Records, as the Elgins. Their first Lummtone release came in 1962. “Finally” is a romantic ballad, sung in Doo-Wop style, with soaring harmonies and falsetto passages in the lead vocal. The B-side “A Winner Never Quits”, is an R&B dance track.
The backing vocals are not sung in Doo-Wop style; instead they add to the chugging beat. Both songs were written by lead singer Darryl Lewis, with Lummie Fowler in charge of production.
The follow-up is “You Got Your Magnet On Me Baby”, written by group member Kenny Sinclair, backed by “Johnny I’m Sorry”, another Darryl Lewis composition. It is another R&B foot-tapper, sung by Barbara Lewis.
“I Left My Heart In The Big City” from 1963 is in similar vein, moving the group’s sound nearer to Soul/Funk, although there is an echo of Doo-Wop on the B-side, with the group’s first recording “Finally” used again. The second single from 1963, “Finding A Sweetheart”, is also sung in Doo-Wop style. This single was also released on the Lantam Records label, with the Elgins credited as the Daniels.
For their final release on the Lummtone label, the group changed their name to the Arrivals and chose an R&B Pop song “The Granny Dress” written by Lummie Fowler. It is not a strong finale, as, for once on Lummtone recordings, the sound is rather muddy. With that, Lummtone was closed down, and the Elgins moved on to the Valiant label.
The strangely named Upnilons came to Lummtone in 1964 to record “He Fell For Me At First Sight”/ “Grow Up Young Romeo”. The A-side is a Lummie Fowler composition, with two lead singers, one male and one female. The group’s second release came a few months later in 1965. “You Don’t Have To”/ “Do The Movement” is similar in style, with lead vocalist Lester Smith returning to Doo-Wop for the A-side but then switching to R&B Northern Soul for the B-side.
The Five Ramblers made just one single in their career. The A-side “Want You To Know” has a muddled arrangement, but the B-side “Slide, Slide, Slide” is a good example of the R&B Pop songs that developed in Los Angeles from the earlier pure Doo-Wop style. There are still recognisable elements of Doo-Wop, but the up-tempo dance beat marks out the new territory that had evolved in 1963.
The Prominents also made just one single. “Just A Little”/ “You’re Gonna Lose Her” appeared in 1965. Both tracks confirm Lummie Fowler’s move towards Northern Soul.
Lummtone was obviously a tiny label with limited funding, with owner Lummie Fowler responsible for production and some keyboard backing for the artists. Several groups made only one or two singles before disappearing, but others made a more lasting impression. It was, however, thanks to Lummie Fowler that several talented performers got their break into the music industry.
