On February 28, 1966, blue humorist extraordinaire, Ruth Wallis, recorded four songs at Cincinnati’s King Studios, two of which — “I’m the Sexiest Gal in Town” b/w “I’d Rather Be Abroad” — would get released as King 6024, while the other two tracks (“C’est La Vie” and “Thru With Marriage”) remain locked away in the King vaults:
“I’m The Sexiest Gal in Town”
Ruth Wallis (1966)
This single, however, would not be the comedian’s first brush with Syd Nathan — Wallis, in fact, had enjoyed at least six 78 releases that go back to the late 1940s:
1947 = “Johnny Had a Yo-Yo” b/w “Your Daddy Was a Soldier“
1947 = “An Oil Man From Texas” b/w “Too Many Men In My Life“
1947 = “Senorita What’s Her Name” b/w “Jose Is Living the Life of Reilly“
1947 = “Down in the Indies” b/w “Pull Down the Shade, Marie“
1947 = “Have a Baby” b/w “What’s a Shmoe“
1948 = “The Dinghy Song” b/w “Tonight You Sleep in the Bathtub“
These songs would be reissued in the early-to-mid 1950s in the form of one EP (1953’s Rhumba Party), one LP (1956’s House Party), and three 4-song 45s (House Party volumes 1-3).
Canadian cover
Ruppli’s 2-volume King Labels recording session discography – unusually – devotes two entire pages to nothing but Ruth Wallis recordings. The first page lists the entire song titles for four Ruth Wallis King LPs numbered in sequential order:
Includes “Hawaiian Lei Song”
(King 986)
Includes “Stay Out of My Pantry”
(King 987)
Includes “Johnny’s Little Yo Yo”
(King 988)
Includes “Hopalong Chastity”
(King 989)
The next page lists four more LPs that continue this number sequence:
Includes “Play the Field” and “Queer Things”
(King 990)
Includes “The Pistol Song”
(King 991)
Includes “Swingin’ Derriers”
(King 992)
Includes “Fishing Pole Song”
(King 993)
Also worth noting King LP 904 — Saucy Hit Parade — an album produced and edited by Kermit “King of the Bloopers” Schaffer (year of release unknown).
King History Primer:
De Luxe Records
As Ruppli explains in the introduction to Volume 1 of The King Labels:
Just after the Queen era [c. August, 1947], Nathan purchased a large part of De Luxe label, which had been formed in 1944 by the Braun family. This label was operated in Linden, New Jersey and had also many sessions recorded in New Orleans. King had control over all De Luxe material and many De Luxe titles were reissued on King records and albums. From 1947 to 1949, the De Luxe label was operated by the Braun brothers under King control, up to the point when the Brauns formed another recording company called Regal. In the fifties, the De Luxe label was revived by King on new master and release series.
As we learned from the Albert Washington history piece, Lin Broadcasting – as new owners of the combined Starday-King catalog upon Syd Nathan’s passing – would revive the De Luxe imprint yet again in the late 1960s.
