Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

The Vandergrift Bros @ King Records

I really like the relaxed country boppin’ sound of “Who Needs Your Cold Cold Love” by The Vandergrift Brothers — a King 45 from 1962:

“Who Needs Your Cold Cold Love”

The Vandergrift Brothers (1962)

Good ol’ PragueFrank – along with help from Michel Ruppli, et al. – seems to be the only source of information about the (please note the spelling variant) Vandergriff Brothers.

Vandergrift Bros 45-aaVandergrift Bros 45-bb

Amusing to note that this vocal trio from Fairmont, West Virginia — Don, Ronnie & Darrell — released a 45 in 1966 on Wheeling’s Emperor label, “Honky Tonk Woman,” a song title that recently inspired a playful sequence of pieces:  1, 2, and 3.

Neither Discogs nor 45Cat, surprisingly, have *catalog records for the group’s first King 45 release “The Corner of My Eye” b/w “Tomorrow Never Comes” — recorded June 26, 1961 [*Discogs has since added this entry, while 45Cat has also gotten on board].  The following entry in Ruppli’s discography for The Vandergrift Brothers is one lonely “leased” composition entitled “You’re Gone Too Far” that remains unissued to this day, while the third and final entry is the group’s other King 45, “Who Needs Your Cold, Cold Love” b/w “Hello Again Sweet Lips” from 1962 — both songs co-written by Shorty Long and published by (Syd Nathan-affiliated) Lois Music.

Publicity photo

Courtesy of Hillbilly Researcher

Vandergrift Brothers

Significant to note that two other songs from the final February, 1962 King recording session — “In Trouble With the Law” and “Please Don’t Run Away” — remain in Moe Lytle’s vault, wondering what on earth they ever did to deserve such treatment.

“Trouble With the Law” would live to see another day, fortunately, on the tiny and mysterious, Santa Fe label:

Trouble With the Law

The Vandergrift Brothers (196?)

The Vandergrift Brothers were among the top acts who helped The Wheeling Jamboree celebrate its 30th anniversary, as reported in Billboard’s April 27, 1963 edition, along with Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper and the Clinch Mountain Clan, Big Slim, Crazy Elmer & Buddy Durham [a.k.a., Hardrock Gunter, according to RCS — not so, says PragueFrank].  Just four months later, however, WWVA disc jockey, Lee Moore, had informed Billboard that “the ‘World Original Jamboree’ has adopted the policy of importing country music acts from Nashville to augment the ‘Jamboree’ regulars like Doc Williams, Big Slim, and the Vandergrift Brothers”!

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2 Responses

  1. The Vandergrift Brothers we’re from Fairmont WV. where Ronnie and Darrell still live. Don passed away. They were on the anniversary show mentioned. Darrell has a recording studio in Fairmont, and he and Ronnie continue to play music in WV and PA. Darrell has all of their recordings displayed in his studio.

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