Vanity of Vanities - The Special Edition Label (1962-1990)

Vanity of Vanities - The Special Edition Label (1962-1990)


I would imagine most Texas music specialists have never heard of the Special Edition label out of Houston. This is not surprising. Although it lasted 28 years -- a staggering amount of time by local label standards -- and had at least 118 releases in all formats, very little of what they produced is of interest to collectors today. Special Edition was in fact a vanity record operation run by ACA Studios, used by musicians and bands who recorded there and then paid ACA to press a small quantity of vinyl for them. Predictably, hotel lounge singers, high school bands, and church choirs were the label's main clientele, but vanity labels have a way of surprising you, and lingering in the background are some appealing and now-rare R&B, black gospel, funk, country, zydeco, and punk rock sounds.

It's tempting the say that ACA went into steep decline starting in the late sixties, with its last 20 years producing almost nothing in the way of enduring music. But this would probably misstate things. ACA never intended to be a haven for country, rock, R&B, or soul musicians and labels, and the fact that they recorded so many great singles in those genres in the 1950s and early '60s can be attributable to the climate of those times rather than any perceived direction by the studio. The people making singles like crazy in the '50s were driven by dreams of stardom -- at least locally -- through radio airplay, but by the early '70s, radio had become completely corporatized, and those dreams were largely dead. The days of Macy Lela Henry enthusiastically ushering in local talent to record at ACA week after week were never to be repeated.

Bill Holford began mastering records in 1948 with the number 1000. Forty-two years and 6,000 masters later, Holford turned off the lathe one last time after master #7039, side two of a gospel LP by Kurt Thompson on Special Edition. The date was May 30, 1990. It was a quiet end to an operation that had once loomed large on the Texas scene.



SPECIAL EDITION DISCOGRAPHY

The ACA master files (since 2011, publicly available in their entirety at the University of Houston Archives) are the primary source for this discography. Where possible, I have supplemented this research with other sources. It should be noted that although the files have columns for mastering date and label, these spaces are sometimes blank. Nor is the data always matched by the record. Some masters listed in the files show "Special Edition" for the label, but reportedly came out on other labels. It's also probable that some masters listed without a label were released on Special Edition. I've listed the mastering date wherever known; the session date is also listed in some examples. In most cases, the master numbers serve as the label's catalog number.

The files do not list individual song titles for LPs.



Artie Golden (mastered May 17, 1962)
ACA 5727 Dear Mary
ACA 5728 The Night is Young

NB: Doowop. Golden also had efforts on Dart, Dodge, Sunshine, Bunky, among others. 

Piano Slim (mastered October 24, 1964) (recorded July 23, 1964)
ACA 5799 Purple Onion
ACA 5800 Teardrops of Love

NB: No copies known to exist. This is the same Piano Slim aka Willard Burton who had such singles as "Lot of Shaking, Lot of Jiving" (C and P) and "Whammy in the Gizmo" (Dart).  The Purple Onion was a local club in Houston that featured such talent as Piano Slim, Bongo Joe, and others. 

Peppermint Harris (Special Edition 1966)
ACA 5893 Twenty-Four Hours
ACA 5894 I Had a Dream

NB: Recorded January 19, 1965. A strong effort in the Duke-Peacock vein with a tight band. No mastering date listed. 

Jay Meadors (no date - 1966)
ACA 6236 Nina
ACA 6237 Woodchopper's Ball

Merely Daily (no date - 1967)
ACA 6262 LP Side 1
ACA 6263 LP Side 2

Mary Dee (no date - 1967)
ACA 6276 "On a Clear Day" LP Side 1
ACA 6277 LP Side 2

Patty and Charles Gribble (mastered March 11, 1969)
ACA 6332 EP Side 1
ACA 6333 EP Side 2

Kay Holford (mastered November 26, 1973)
ACA 6496 LP Side 1
ACA 6497 LP Side 2


Mrs. Harry D. Wilson (recorded February 6, 1974)
ACA 6507 "A Party with Mrs. Harry D. Wilson (Olivet Toadvin Wilson)" LP Side 1
ACA 6508 LP Side 2

NB: Home session from 94 year-old pianist. Mrs. Wilson was the mother of Cajun chef and TV personality Justin Wilson. Wilson had some of his albums mastered by ACA. A true vanity release, only intended to be given away to family and friends. 

Heard here.

Mike Wiggins (mastered October 17, 1974)
ACA 6538 Rain
ACA 6539 We All Create Our Own Kind of Hell

NB: Country artist from Linden, TX. 
Tony Gorody (mastered October 29, 1974)
ACA 6542 "Tony Gorody Plays and Sings the Warwick Favorites" LP Side 1
ACA 6543 LP Side 2

Raymond Green (mastered January 16, 1975)
ACA 6552 I'm Glad About It
ACA 6553 Fill My Cup

The Mitchell Chorus (recorded April 10, 1975)
ACA 6557 EP Side 1
ACA 6558 EP Side 2

St. Philip Presbyterian Church Choice Choir (mastered June 12, 1975)
ACA 6563 LP Side 1
ACA 6564 LP Side 2

Westbury High School Stage Band (mastered June 23, 1975)
ACA 6565 LP Side 1
ACA 6566 LP Side 2

Southern Travelers (mastered July 18, 1975)
ACA 6567 Something Came Over Me
ACA 6568 Jesus Remember

Barnes Spiritual Five (mastered August 18, 1975)
ACA 6571 LP Side 1
ACA 6572 LP Side 2

The Mountain Vagabonds (Die Bergvagabunden) (mastered September 19, 1975)
ACA 6575 LP Side 1
ACA 6576 LP Side 2

The Good Hope Celestial Choir (recorded November 22, 1975)
ACA 6597 "Take Me Back" LP Side 1
ACA 6598 LP Side 2

Unknown artist (mastered April 8, 1976)

Carolyn Rae (mastered October 13, 1981)
ACA 6862 Starting to Feel Like a Woman Again
ACA 6863 Second Time Around

Frank Bettencourt and Orchestra (mastered October 13, 1981)
ACA 6864 "At the Warwick" LP Side 1
ACA 6865 LP Side 2

Doug Driesel (mastered December 22, 1981)
ACA 6870 'Til I Get Drunk Again
ACA 6871 Ready, Willing, and Stable

St. James (mastered March 12, 1982)
ACA 6874 I Miss You
ACA 6875 Mr. Bass

The Gospel Assembly Band (mastered June 7, 1982)
ACA 6878 LP Side 1
ACA 6879 LP Side 2

Winston Brooks (mastered June 10, 1982)
ACA 6882-R God Trusted Us
ACA 6883-R God Trusted Us (Part 2?)

W. E. Tyler / William Arnt (mastered July 12, 1982)
ACA 6884 The Tennessee Waltz
ACA 6885 Texas Women Turn Me On

Bob Stewart (mastered July 27, 1982)
ACA 6890 Rainbow Road
ACA 6891 Tennessee Woman (You're Driving Me Crazy)

Charlie Shaffer Group (mastered September 29, 1982)
ACA 6898 "Warwick Hotel" LP Side 1
ACA 6899 LP Side 2

St. Mary's Catholic Church Choir (mastered October 21, 1982)
ACA 6904 LP Side 1
ACA 6905 LP Side 2

Joe Hughes (mastered December 1, 1982)
ACA 6908 I Know You Like That
ACA 6909 Boogie Down

NB: This is Joe "Guitar" Hughes. 

The Scarecrows (mastered February 1, 1983)
ACA 6914 (I Don't Wanna Be) No Dust in the Corner/Too Late Blues EP
ACA 6915 Joe's Problem/Bellboy

NB: Punk rock. ACA lists artist as "David McKinsey."

Madam Cosby and the Excelsiors (mastered February 7, 1983)
ACA 6916 Touch Me, Oh Lord
ACA 6917 Leanin' and Dependin'

Rick Hickman (recorded November 8, 1982)
ACA 6918 Time is Long
ACA 6919 Closer to Me

New Born (mastered March 21, 1983)
ACA 6924 "Are You Ready" LP Side 1
ACA 6925 LP Side 2

Charlie Shaffer (mastered July 20, 1983)
ACA 6934 "Charlie Shaffer at the Warwick" LP Side 1
ACA 6935 LP Side 2

Memorial Drive United Methodist Church (mastered July 20, 1983)
ACA 6936 LP Side 1
ACA 6937 LP Side 2

St. John the Divine Choir (mastered August 29, 1983)
ACA 6938 LP Side 1
ACA 6939 LP Side 2

Bob Hart (mastered September 19, 1983)
ACA 6946 In Cold Blood
ACA 6947 In Cold Blood (Part 2?)

Burk
ACA 6950 Blinded by Love
ACA 6951 Long Long Live Rock 'n Roll (sic)

South Main Baptist Church Choir (recorded April 19, 1984)
ACA 6952 LP Side 1
ACA 6953 LP Side 2

Stellar Unit (mastered July 12, 1984)
ACA 6954 LP Side 1
ACA 6955 LP Side 2

Texas Southern University Chorus (mastered July 12, 1984)
ACA 6956 "In Memorium - Ruthabel Rollins" LP Side 1
ACA 6957 LP Side 2

Warwick Hotel 20th Anniversary (recorded August 8, 1984)
ACA 6962 LP Side 1
ACA 6963 LP Side 2

Burk (mastered July 28, 1984)
ACA 6966 Feelin' the Heat
ACA 6967 Rock and Roll Fever

Dusk (mastered September 14, 1984)
ACA 6968 Hearts to You
ACA 6969 Tell Me About Love

South Main Baptist Church Choir (mastered October 30, 1984)
ACA 6973 LP Side 1
ACA 6974 LP Side 2

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Choir (mastered November 12, 1984)
ACA 6979 LP Side 1
ACA 6980 LP Side 2

Roy Mullins (mastered January 5, 1985)
ACA 6983 Casey Ridge Rag
ACA 6984 Dirty Dawg Blues

Gospel Soul Vibrators (mastered January 14, 1985)
ACA 6985 Where He Leads Me
ACA 6986 Do You Know Him



LC Donatto and the Slippers - Zoddico Band (mastered May 13, 1985)
ACA 6991 Don't Tell Me About Your Worries
ACA 6992 The Pop Special

NB: Recorded April 20, 1985. Donatto had been a mainstay on the Houston zydeco scene for years. This may be his first recording. 

Terry Inscore (mastered May 10, 1985)
ACA 6993 Lookin' Back Over Our Lives
ACA 6994 Rattlesnake Blues

St. Cyril Singers (mastered June 15, 1985)
ACA 6995 LP Side 1
ACA 6996 LP Side 2

Pat Babin (mastered July 9, 1985)
ACA 6997 If God is Dead
ACA 6998 US of A

The Potter and the Clay (mastered August 5, 1985)
ACA 6999 Nicodemus
ACA 6700 That Same God

Ricky Diaz (mastered August 8, 1985)
ACA 7003 "Warwick Hotel" LP Side 1
ACA 7004 LP Side 2

Cliff Luckey (?) (mastered August 9, 1985)
ACA 7005 It's Been Too Long
ACA 7006 Crystal Woman





Russell Jackson & His Band on the Strand (mastered November 6, 1985) picture sleeve
ACA 7015 My Galveston Gal
ACA 7016 Struttin' on the Strand

NB: A charming effort from this Houston jazz group (formed in 1953). "My Galveston Gal" is the 1933 Phil Harris song, which, according to the liner notes here, "was resurrected for the renewal of the Mardi Gras Festival in Galveston in 1985." The record came with an elaborate gatefold cardboard picture sleeve. No band members are named, but the names on their music stands ("Artie Pshaw,""Jack Beergarden") show that Jackson & company had a sense of humor. 

Mike Shrewsbury (mastered November 6, 1985)
ACA 7017 If Every Day Could be Like Christmas
ACA 7018 I'll be Home for Christmas

LC Donatto and the Slippers (mastered November 19, 1985)
ACA 7019 You're in Trouble
ACA 7020 Good Morning Virgie Mae

Terry Inscore (mastered February 5, 1987)
ACA 7030 Lolita from Lomita
ACA 7031 Rollin' Back Stranger

NB: Inscore also had a single on Odle.

Charles Rowland (Roland Smith) (mastered July 29, 1988)
ACA 7032 Shangrila
ACA 7033 I Believe

Charles Rowland (Roland Smith) (mastered April 10, 1989)
ACA 7034 Just a Closer Walk with Thee
ACA 7035 New York, New York

Rev. Kurt Thompson, Kenny Smith and Friends (mastered May 30, 1990)
ACA 7038 "You Never Gave Up on Me" LP Side 1
ACA 7039 LP Side 2

NB: 7039 is the final ACA master.