Rubys Fontana Records

Discussion about Ruby Murray.
will
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:08 pm

Rubys Fontana Records

Post by will »

Hi all im new to the form,but ive visited the site many times,I think its excellent all credit to Gerald and everyone else who helps him with it. As im sure you all know from the excellent song list on the site there are 8 songs of Ruby all recorded by Fontana which have never been issued on CD.One of them Ballyshannon is thankfully in the MP3 library.Which leaves 7 which are not available anywhere in digital form.They are as followes, The 6 mile song and Boys from the County Aramagh from LP the Spinning Wheel .Rathfriland on the Hill from LP This is Ireland, and 2 singles I Cant get you out of my Heart / Paper Mansions. And Going Home / Sooner or later. As a lot of people nowadays don't have a turntable or any means to play vinyl records,I was wondering if any of you out there might consider putting any or all of the 7 in the MP3 library.
The chances of Philip's or who ever owns them releasing them in the near future or in anyones lifetime seems very slim.
Heres hoping
All the best
Will

Bernie Burgess
Posts: 1051
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:45 am
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by Bernie Burgess »

Hello Will, a big welcome to Ruby's wonderful website,

I think the best person to deal with your query would be Gerald, he is the technical whizz. I have alerted him to your post and although he appears to have his hands rather full right now, I feel quite sure he will come back you soon. Incidentally, I have been looking for a clean 'take' on Ruby's recording of 'Sooner or Later', I've worn my copy out.

Please stay around and do some delving/

Adios Amigo. Bernie

Gerald Lawrence
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 2:48 am
Location: Kenilworth, UK

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by Gerald Lawrence »

Welcome, Will - it seems the Registration process went successfully! Thank you for your kind words about this website. Do let us know a bit about how you came to be a Ruby Murray fan, and if you ever met her. This website only succeeds on little anecdotes from fans.

Regarding your song enquiry, you are correct that out of the entire collection of Ruby's recordings there are only 8 songs that have never been issued on CD. When Bernie was successful in getting EMI to do a four CD boxed set, he asked me as representing the fans what I would like to have, and I chose to include all the well known songs so as to attract the casual buyer, but also made a point of including every EMI recording that was not available on CD. We also got the bonus of four songs that had never been previously issued! About the same time, the President label without any pressure from us, issued their CD with all the songs from their label on it.

So then Bernie and I turned our attention to the Philips/Fontana songs and we made strenuous attempts to find out what had happened to the master tapes, with a view to getting them all re-issued on CD. However, the trail led us via Decca to Universal Music where it went cold, even after we consulted with a couple of music experts on a 50s music forum called Whirligig. In the meantime, I had set myself the challenge of obtaining a copy of every one of Ruby's recordings, and this I achieved with the help of Bernie, and other fans that I was in contact with. I used these to create for myself a CD collection of the entire set, and so the 8 songs are amongst them. I used some software to remove clicks, hum and hiss from the recordings, and have them all stored on my PC.

I think you make a good point about the chances of them ever appearing again being very slim, and so I don't see a problem in putting them in our Library here. I am currently in the middle of a big job creating a website for my brother, but when I get a moment I will upload the mp3 full versions to the library.
Gerald

will
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:08 pm

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by will »

Hi ALL
Thanks Bernie for your kind welcome,and Gerald for offering to put the tracks in the library.I was also looking at Philip's/Universal and as far as I can make out all or part of that company, at least the Fontana branch is now owned by INgrooves its owned by a 37 year old guy called Robb McDaniel's based in San Francisco.As far as I can make out they specialize in dance music which they sell to i tunes and other similar digital outlets.This info I picked up on line so don't know how accurate it is,but they don't seem like the sort of company that would be in a hurry to issue 1960s ballades.Im from Dundalk in Ireland,Ruby sang there a number of times,its also where Brendan ODowda came from,alas I never saw Ruby wish I had.
I saw Brendan a few times including his last appearance there when he would have been I guess in his early 70s,his voice was as good as ever,he sounded just like the records he made 40 years earlier. He seemed to have taken good care of himself.Thanks again boys.
All the best
Will

Bernie Burgess
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Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:45 am
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by Bernie Burgess »

Will.

The information you have given us might be quite useful, I will discuss it with Gerald. When Gerald and I were searching for the masters of Ruby's Fontana recordings we ended up going around in circles.

Stay with us Will.

Adios Amigo. Bernie.

LMUK

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by LMUK »

Here's some great news for Ruby Murray fans! Lynx Music UK who produced 2 Glen Mason CDs a few years ago are in final negotiations to release a single or double CD of Ruby Murray's Fontana recordings along with 2 Decca recordings.

The master recordings have been found and will be released for the first time as a complete collection of all her Fontana Recordings, so the quality will be straight from the master tapes.

Track Listing to include both of Ruby's 2 LPs from the late 1960's: The Spinning Wheel and This Is Ireland plus bonus tracks....All in Stereo except for 25-30 in Mono, but checking at the moment.

The Title of the set has not been given a name, so it's your chance for suggestions please! Please either reply to the forum thread or email mail@lmuk.net

A release date will be around July this year.

1 The Spinning Wheel
2 The Irish Rover
3. Bonny Boy
4 Come Back Paddy Reilly
5 The Six Mile Song
6 Killarney, Killarney
7 Lovely Derry on the Banks of the Foyle
8. The Boys from County Armagh
9. Goodbye Johnny
10 Wee Cup of Tay
11 If We Only Had Old Ireland Over Here
12 When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
13 Paddy McGinty's Goat
14 The Old Bog Road
15 Lovely Leitrim
16 Rathfriland on the Hill
17 The Boys of Coleraine
18 Irish Summer '63
19 50 Years Ago
20 Among the Wicklow Hills
21 The Boys from Co. Mayo
22 McCarthy's Party
23 Slieve Gallon Braes
24 Ballyshannon
25 I Can't Get You Out Of My Heart
26 Paper Mansions
27 Sooner Or Later
28 Going Home To My Love
29 The Little Pine Tree
30 Silent Night

I think that this CD release will excite many fans.

We look forward to your replies!

Chris Adams
Lynx Music UK

Gerald Lawrence
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Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 2:48 am
Location: Kenilworth, UK

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by Gerald Lawrence »

:D Wow, what can I say. These tracks will be great to have after all these years, so congratulations to finding out where the master tapes are. This is something that I have failed to do after many hours of trying! If the CD does get released, let us hope that it will be two discs so that nothing gets left out this time (thinking about the fact that the Philips CD omitted some tracks from the LPs presumably to get it to fit onto one disc.

I will be happy to do what I did when the EMI Golden Anniversary collection and the President Change Your Mind CD were released - I will put an advert on the Home Page to remind people that is available.

Welcome to the website forum, Chris, it seems that your Registration process completed satisfactorily :)
Gerald

Gerald Lawrence
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Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 2:48 am
Location: Kenilworth, UK

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by Gerald Lawrence »

In relation to a title for the CD collection, then it seems the choice will lie between a title which is an emotive one, such as the one Bernie has suggested on Whirligig (a variant of My Precious Gem) or a This Is Ireland type, and one which describes what you are getting, such as "The Complete Fontana Recordings", "The Fontana Recordings", "The Essential Fontana Collection".

I will give it further thought.
Gerald

Bernie Burgess
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Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:45 am
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by Bernie Burgess »

This is all very exciting. I have spent many hours scanning photos of Ruby - throughout the years - to send to Chris for use in his C.D. project. He asked me for suggestions for a title and I have sent a few to him. Her are just some of my suggestions

Suggested titles for the C.D. of Ruby's Fontana Tracks : -

'RUBY, A REAL GEM'
*************************
(Bearing in mind the predominance of Irish songs)

'Ruby, the Irish Gem.
************************
'Ruby, A Gem from the Emerald Isle'
*****************************************
Ruby, "Come Into the Parlour"
**********************************
Ruby ‘Steals Your Heart Away’. (THIS WOULD BE MY FAVOURITE)

***********************************

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Jk
Posts: 402
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 2:22 am
Location: Wigan

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by Jk »

My Suggestion would be.
RUBY MURRAY
I Know I'm Home.
Regards
John.

will
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:08 pm

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by will »

Excellent news, and great thats its coming out so soon ,in July.

Suggested title, Ruby Murray, Forever Irish, The complete Fontana recordings.

Will buy it as soon as it comes out.
Will

MARTIN FOSTER
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Location: MANCHESTER, UK
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Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by MARTIN FOSTER »

Hi Chris, if you are reading this thread, I do wish you would reconsider releasing this cd. I am sure there are many fans out there that would be interested in adding these Irish tracks to their collections, especially older Irish people without turntables or access to itunes etc and also older Irish emigrants in Irish communities in the UK. It is also worthwhile noting that next year is the 60th anniversary or Ruby's prominence in the hit parade so maybe the release could be tied in with publicity of this and also of Ruby's world record.

HI Will and welcome to our website. I am sure you will enjoy reading all of the posts and if there is anything you need please post a message and we will be happy to help any way we can, especially Gerald our resident whizz-kid who I remember was very helpful to me when I first joined. I am also a fan of Brendan O'Dowda, amongst others. My favourite LP of his is "The glory of Ireland". Have you heard it?

Bernie, my preferred title would be "Ruby, a gem from the emerald isle"

will
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:08 pm

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by will »

Hi All
Sorry to read that Chris does not appear to be going ahead with the CD of Ruby's Fontana records ,any chance Gerald you might now put the 7 tracks in the library. It wont affect the CD if it does come out, well all buy it anyway to get the recordings in the best possible sound.
Will

Gerald Lawrence
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Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 2:48 am
Location: Kenilworth, UK

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by Gerald Lawrence »

I would be happy to do that, Will, as soon as I get back from a short holiday, but there is currently a problem with the Library and I am now currently unable to upload anything to it.

The fault has been reported to Timmer, our website founder, and we are awaiting the news from him that he has found a fix.
Gerald

Bernie Burgess
Posts: 1051
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:45 am
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Re: Rubys Fontana Records

Post by Bernie Burgess »

Friends I am more than disappointed that Chris Adams has gone AWOL and is not responding to all my messages and 'phone calls. I have placed several posts on the Whirligig website, where he was quite active, but all to no avail. Finally I placed the following message on Whirligig,

Message for Chris Adams

It's a pity that you appear not to take note of the postings and the telephone calls that I have made in connection with your proposed project. It is now clear that you will not be proceeding, in which case will you be kind enough to please return the data that I dispatched to you, in good faith, as it is quite apparent that you have no use for everything I dispatched to you. This is very important because amongst them is some personal data that I would not like to be used elsewhere. As far as the Ruby Murray website is concerned I'm quite sure that you will agree that an explanation as to why you chose not to go ahead, (thereby dashing the hopes of all of Ruby's fans), would be very much appreciated.

Adios Amigo. Bernie

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