Macy's Recordings

Macy's Recordings (Queen of Hits) was a Houston-based record label that released recordings of popular musicians around the southern United States. In April 1949, they famously recorded the Lester Williams song "Winter Time Blues" on their R&B series which became a hit. They would go on to record country and Cajun music as well.

History

The record label was started by husband and wife, Charles D. Henry and Macy Lela Henry, who worked alongside supervisor Steve Poncio. Poncio worked as general manager for Macy's in 1946 and then founded United Record Distributing Company in 1949. Macy ran a department store based in Houston, Texas (unrelated to the famous New York department store) and in 1948, they began distributing records for other labels, such as Modern Music, including their back catalog material. and even had an office in Dallas. In 1949, they decided to create their own label to sell and distribute from their store. They created the Macy's Record Distribution Company and they used Bill Holford's ACA Studios in Houston to record the music. The place was known for its high quality sound.

Their first recordings released were with Jim Reeves. However, they would make their mark on blues music in 1949 by recording Lester Williams' song "Winter Time Blues" and then in 1950, they would sign and record Clarence Garlow, releasing a version of his song "Bon Ton Rolla". The company would hire other dealers to distribute their music in Nashville, Atlanta and New Orleans.

These artists would go on to record other songs for Macy. Macy's didn't fare well in the marketplace despite the quality of their music. They were competing against other Houston brands such as Duke-Peacock, D Records, Starday, Freedom, Sittin' In With and Gold Star. By June 1951, many of their signature artists moved to Modern Records and Aladdin Records ending the Macy's label production. The catalog is currently owned by Fivepin Music based in Toronto.

Artists Jim Reeves, 1949 Clarence Garlow, 1949 Smokey Hogg, 1950 Hubert Robinson, 1950 Lester Williams, 1949 Harry Choates,

Discography

+ Macys 78sCatalog Artist A Side B Side100Woody Carter And His Hoedown BoysSlippin AroundSittin On The Doorstep101Woody Carter And His Hoedown BoysOnly YouWho's Gonna Chop My Baby's Firewood102Claudie Ham And His Radio PlayboysMoonlight Texas WaltzI'll Wait A Lifetime For You103Barney Vardeman And His Drifting TexansLet's Call It QuitsI Love Someone104Claudie Ham And His Radio PlayboysWe'll Say Goodbye TomorrowThat’s All I'm Through105Tommy Dover And His Texas Rhythm BoysI Love You BecauseI'll Keep My Memory Of You106Art Gunn And His Arizona PlayboysCornbread BoogieSt Augustine Waltz107Dusty PaytonThe Chains Of Love Are BrokenNo Room In My Heart108Tommy Dover And His Texas Rhythm BoysWeeping WillowBlue Over You109Smitty Smith And His Lone Star RangersBroken MemoriesA Heart Full Of Blues110Raley Bros And Woody CarterHoedown BreakdownMedley Of German Waltzes111Barney Vardeman And His Driftin TexansTill We Meet Again DarlingI'm Finding Me A New Heart112Bar X CowboysCold Shadows In My HeartFair Weather Friend113Dickie Jones And His Rhythm RangersI Wish I Knew Do YouNever Again For Me114Clint Small The Singing Bus DriverThree YearsSomeone Cares115Jim ReevesMy Hearts Like A Welcome MatTeardrops Of Regret116Ramblin Tommy ScottTennesseeRosebuds And You117Laverl Carrico And The Angelina PalsShe Tore Up My PictureToo Many Women Too Much Beer118Sonny Hall And His MoonshinersI'll Keep My Eyes On Your HeartJust A Little Bit More119Ray WelchLouisiana BluesCross My Heart120Smitty Smith And His Lone Star RangersIf Teardrops Were DiamondsYou Sent My Heart To Prison121Tommy DoverOnly You Hold The KeyI'll Be Moving Along122Art Gunn And His Arizona PlayboysBoogie Woogie BluesLast Tear123Curley Rash And His So Texas PlayboysWas It Just A Year AgoThe Battleship Texas124Harry (Jole Blon) ChoatesGra MamouCatn' Around125Cousin Bob RogersDriftinBlue Yodel No 1126Biff CollieI Want A Gal To Cook For MeIve Said It Before I'll Say It Again127Morris Mills And The RithumakersId Like To Slip Around With YouDon’T Play This Record128Morris Mills And The RithumakersCalendar GirlI Remember Do You129Bob Greene And His Filling Station SwingSomebody Stole My Rag MopYou Just Don’t Know130Ramblin Tommy ScottSmoky Mountain SunsetAint What She Used To Be131Dolores And The Bluebonnet BoysDessau SchottischeOne Woman Man132Jim ReevesChicken HeartedIve Never Been So Blue133Dub Poston And His Downtown PlayboysCant You BelieveI Can't Use You Anymore134Harry ChoatesLouisiana BoogieWhat's The Use135Yodeling Bob StottsOut Along The Colorado TrailI Guess I Learn A Lot Every Day136Bill Grady's Dixie CowboysRambling ManI'll Always Get Along137Ray WelchYou No Longer Carry My NameNo Use To Cry Over You138Sonny HallIve Been Lost Without YouTexas Waltz139Paul Brown And His Bar X CowboysWhere Texas Meets The SeaNow You're Mine At Last140Laverl Carrico And The Angelina PalsI Have Lost My Trust In YouMy Life's Story141Harry ChoatesKorea Here We ComeDo You Still Love Me142Morris Mills And The RithumakersSteppin On Feet For FunI Need Some Sunshine143Cousin Bob RogersLonesome Freight Train BluesCloud Corral144Vance BrosDraftboard BluesCan't Get You Out Of My Dreams145Curley Rash And His South Texas PlayboysHumble Road BoogieHave I Held You In My Arms Like This Before146Art Gunn And His Arizona PlayboysBarn Dance BoogieSleepy Time Out West147Harry ChoatesIve Quit My Cattin AroundFiddle Polka148Ramblin Tommy ScottWhen A Man Gets The BluesBeen Gone A Long Time149Clint Small With The Corral WranglersTexas RagLearn To Be Blue150Dolores And The Bluebonnet BoysI Don’t CareA Broken Heart151Morris Mills And The RithumakersOh Baby DoI Try So Hard152Cousin Bob RodgersSecret LoveTrail In The Sun153Vance BrosIll Always Call You DarlingYou're Just An Angel155Tommy Dover And His Texas Rhythm BoysI Can't Get You Out Of My HeartBrakeman's Blues156Dolores And The Bluebonnet BoysFiesta WaltzPickin157Dean SmithSweetheart HillSunset Valley158Harry ChoatesHarry's BluesShe's Sweet Sweet159Harry ChoatesMy Pretty BrunetteCorpus Christe Waltz1000Buddy Ryland and Orchestra Wild CherryI Ain't Mad At You1001Macy And Her Ole Time Bar Band Shine On Harvest MoonDill Pickle Rag1002Macy And Her Ole Time Bar Band Boogie Woogie PianoWho's Sorry Now5000Lester WilliamsI'm So Happy I Could Jump And ShoutWintertime Blues5001Clarence GarlowShe's So FineBlues As You Like It5002Clarence GarlowBon Ton RoulaIn A Boogie Mood5003Smoky HoggYou Gotta GoLeaving You Baby5004Lester WilliamsAll I Need Is YouI Know That Chick5005Hubert RobinsonWhere Were You Pretty BabyBoogie The Joint5006Lester WilliamsDowling Street HopDon't Treat Me So Low Down5007Hubert RobinsonAnswer To Wintertime BluesOld Woman Boogie5008Smoky HoggBaby BabyChange Your Ways5009Lester WilliamsMary LouTexas Town5010Hubert RobinsonRoom And Board BoogieBad Luck And Trouble5011Cab Mcmillan And His Fade AwaysI'm Young And AbleThree Woman Blues5012Clarence GarlowBound To Lose My MindJumpin' For Joy5013Wilson-Watson SingersOld Ship of ZionThrow Out The Life Line5014Joe HoustonCornbread And Cabbage GreensPretty Dad-Dee5015Hubert RobinsonI Love You BabyHigh Class Woman5016Lester WilliamsHey JackThe Folks Around The Corner

Compilations Cat N Around (#875512 KrazyKat/Interstate, 1997) Texas Hillbilly: The Best of Macy's Hillbilly Recordings (ACRCD125 Acrobat, 2006) Queen Of Hits: The Macy's Recordings Story (ACRCD228 Acrobat, 2011)

References