ART Records

The ART record label 

Harold Doane's ART label out of Miami is mainly well-known for its Calypso/Goombay music releases during the 1950s. Mike Callahan has compiled an excellent overview of Art's complete longplay album output on "Both Sides Now Publications." What has been largely neglected by researchers is Art's 45rpm releases. 

Harold E. Doane set up his recording studio early in 1945  on 304 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach and called it "American Recording and Transcription Service, Inc." At first, Doane did not record music but weddings, funerals and parties for private use only. It was probably in the late 1940s, when Doane released his first 78rpm EP discs. Somtimes between 1949 and 1951, Doane moved his business to Miami on 2185 NW 79th Street. At some point in the 1950s, he again changed locations and settled on 1224 NW 119th Street in Miami. Also sometimes between 1952 and 1956, Doane renamed his company "Art Records, Inc." and eventually to "Art Records Manufacturing Company." In 1960, Doane changed locations one last time and moved his studio to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In 1951, Doane signed a contract with Charlie Freeman from the Royal Victoria Hotel in Nassau to record the local musicians that were appearing at the hotel. The first of those artists was Blind Blake Higgs, a black calypso musician that appeared regularly at the hotel. Two albums appeared in 1951 and 1952. In addition, Doane released "John B. Sails" by Blind Blake Higgs on a 78rpm single in 1952. Around 1955, Doane began releasing also 45rpm records from local groups and singers. Tommy Spurlin recorded his classic rockabilly sides in 1956 for Art, followed by Kent Westberry, Randy Luck, The Roxsters, and more. 

Doane also released discs for Panama's and Costa Rica's record markets. From the 1960s onwards until Art's close-down in 1979, Doane concentrated on recording local groups and releasing the results on LPs. A detailed view on Art's LP material can be seen on Both Sides Now Publications.

ART 45rpm (and 78 & 33 rpm) Discography

Art 2

Blind Blake and his Royal Victoria Calypsos

John B. Sails (n.c.) / ?

Art 500

Blind Blake Higgs

My Name is Asta (n.c.) / Those Good Ol' Asta Boys (n.c.)
Presented by the Nassauu Bahamas Development Board Convention May 3-7, 1956

Art AEP-3
Blind Blake and his Royal Victoria Calypsos
Run-Come-See, Jerusalem (n.c.) / Love Alone (n.c.)
2-A
Lord, Got Tomatoes (n.c.) / My Pigeon Gone Wild (n.c.)
2-B
"A Songs of the Islands Production, Nassau, Bahamas"

Art AEP-4
Blind Blake and his Royal Victoria Calypsos
Peas and Rice (n.c.) / Little Nassau 1891 (n.c.)
1-A
John B. Sail (Wreck of the John B.) (n.c.) / A Conch Ain't Got No Bone (n..c)
"A Songs of the Island Production, Nassau, Bahamas" 

Art AEP-4
 Blind Blake and his Royal Victoria Calypsos
Gin and Coconut Water (n.c.) / Sara Jane (n.c.)
2-A
Foolish Frog (n.c.) / Hold 'Im Joe-Jump in the Line-Wheel and Turn Me (n.c.)
2-B
"A Songs of the Islands Production, Nassau, Bahamas"   

Art AEP-14
George Symonette and his Calypso Sextette
Peas and Rice (n.c.) / Sponger Money (n.c.)
ART AEP 14 1-A
Delia Gone (n.c.) / Eight Babies (n.c.)
ART AEP 14 1-B
"A Bahama Records, Ltd. Production, Nassau, Bahamas"

Art AEP-26
Fifi Barton & Don Miller 
with the Sandpipers & the Three Thirds
Song of the Barefoot Mailman (Graff-Leach-Armentrout) / 100 Years from Today (Young-Washington-Young)
Why I Was Born () / Doodle Doo Doo ()    

Art LR-103
Frankie Anderson with Billy Cook's Calypsos
The Limbo Song (Rost)
ART LR-103-1
Harold (Digby) McNair with Billy Cook's Calypsos
Zombie Jamboree (Back-to-Back, Belly-to-Belly) (n.c.)
ART LR-103-2  

Art 45-C-109

Tommy Spurlin with the Southern Boys

Hang Loose () / One-Eyed Sam ()

1 / 2

1956

Note: Both songs were previously released on Perfect 45-C-109. The Art version feature overdubbed drums.

Art 45-C-157

Rudy Lewis and the Sputniks

Moonbeam (Rudasill) / Beer, Beer, and More Beer! (Rusasill)

1 / 2

Art 45-160

The Four Bits

Don't Call Me (I'll Call You) (Watson-Evans-Cary-Zadeh) / Trouble on the Cable To-Night (Watson-Evans-Cary-Zadeh)

Art 45-170

Randy Luck / Tommy Miles, Guitar

I Was a Teen-Age Cave Man (Luck) / Twelve O'Clock (Luck)

1 / 2

1958

Billboard pop review on June 9, 1958

Art 45-172

Kent Westberry and the Chaperones

My Baby Don't Rock Me (Westberry) / No Place to Park (Westberry)

1 / 2

1958

Note: Art 45-172 was re-released soon after on Trail A-103.

Art 45-174

Kent Westberry with the Chaperones

Turkish Doghouse Rock () / Popcorn and Candy Bars (Ruth Hardt)

1 / 2

1958

Art 175

The Roxsters

So Long (Ward-Johnson) / Goodbye Baby (Ward-Johnson)

1 / 2

1958

Art 178
The Short Cuts
Mi-Am-Mi Lonely for Miami (Smiley-McCord) / Muskrat Ramble (Gilbert-Ory)
178-1 / 178-2

Art 181
Sammy Walsh
The Lawyer (I Think He Tripped Me!) (Roberts-Fisher-Walsh) / I'm Breaking My Back for Beck ()
ART-181-1 / ART-181-2

Art 184

Rico Bertoni with the Dante Trio

Stay Here with Me (Modugno) / Ti Diró (Bracchi-D'Anzi)

ART 184-1 / ART 184-2

Art 191

The Danny Bridge Trio

All By Myself () / Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime ()

Art 198
The Echoes
Wild Mother (Makol-Lewis-Ahern) / Every Second of the Day (Kenny Ahern)
1 / 2

Art 200
Lucho Azcarraga y su Conjunto
La Bala (Arturo C. Hassan) / El Galope De Mi Caballo (L. Azcaragga)
200-1 / 200-2  

Art 210

 Bob Bellows

Chippewa Town (Sedaka-Greenfield)

1

Ronnie Kemper

The Doodle Bug Song (Kemper-Hillman)

2

Art 212

Bob Bellows

Stranger at the Fair () / Yes, You Can in Spokane ()

1974

Art 1003

Lucho Azcarrago y su Conjunto

Tengo Un Novio (Luis Séptimo Dominguez) / Guarare (Ricardo Fábrega)

Note: This was a Costa Rican release. 

Art 1004

Lucho Azcarrago y su Conjunto

Taboga (Ricardo Fábrega) / Dice Que Me Qiere (T. Plicet)

Note: This was a Costa Rican release. 

Art LLP-2009
Soroya
Miserlou (n.c.) / Is Kadara (n.c.)
Soroya's Dance (n.c.) 
"Arranged & Directed by: Mickey Farah"