Alvie Self - Arizona born and raised musician who can not only sing and play guitar but also write and compose his own lyrics and music.
I first heard of Alvie way back in 1960. I was making one of my usual weekend visits from Toronto in Canada down to Buffalo, N.Y., on my search for new recordings.
I went into a record store on Main Street, near the Greyhound Bus Station. I liked this store as often they would have a live group playing in the store window.
I noticed a new release by an unfamiliar singer on the DON RAY label. It was 'Nancy' b/w 'Let's Go Wild'. Both sides were strong, the flip-side 'Let's Go Wild' was one of the best rocking songs I had heard. I wondered who this Alvie Self was and why the label was from 3,000 miles away in Arizona.
With some vacation time due (I worked for THE TORONTO STAR then) I took a three-day bus ride down old Route 66 to Arizona.
I met Alvie and heard his group playing at The PALACE HOTEL in Prescott.
I asked Alvie about his life and his first recording. He told me he had worked in rodeos and then on road construction driving the big 'Cat' machines. In 1960 he decided to go professional as a full-time musician.
He mentioned that his first recording was on the FORD label(FORD 1015) 'Rain Dance' a great guitar instrumental.
He said it got good air-play as far away as Oklahoma on KOMA Radio.
Alvie then was signed up by DON RAY RECORDS in Phoenix with his hit song 'Nancy' b/w 'Let's Go Wild'(DON RAY DR-5960)
Alvie made several records for the DON RAY label owned by DON RAY BENNETT in PHOENIX.
His second 'Hit' was 'Young Singer';(DON RAY DR-5963.(Although not intentional he had a Ricky Nelson sounding voice on this track with some interesting lead-guitar work)
In 1963 I took these records over to Europe to A&R Managers in London (at E.M.I. also Ritz Records) and then to Germany and Holland also got some 'air-play' on the British Forces Radio Station in Cologne.
Bunny Lewis at Ritz Records(London, England) said that 'Young Singer' sounded similar to Tommy Roe's 'Folk Singer' although Alvie's record was released a year earlier than Roe's. |
