Talk:Jimmy Velvet

The period when the two worked together is not clear. Did Mullins ever use the Velvet spelling on a release? Which releases did they collaborate on? Mullins used the Velvit name from the start in 1960. Mullins' releases of "We Belong Together" can be recognized by "I'm Gonna Try" on the flip side - except for Velvet #201. On that one Tennant sang both the same songs. That may be where he started to take Mullins' place.

I don't see such a thing as listing references for the article. There is no definitive reference source, and presumably this can be it. How could I list things like LP covers, news articles, internet articles, letters from Velvet's associates etc? George Slivinsky 23:42, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

Tennant worked with Mullins at least thru June, 1962. That can be told via the promotional poster shown on the linked site. I have a feeling (theory) that Tennant was Mullins manager from the beginning, where Tennant assigned the "Jimmy Velvit" name to Mullins when he began working with him. Tennant himself had already recorded a few records under his own name, "Jimmie Tennant", for at least three known records beginning in January, 1959 at the latest. Tennant, as I see it, was primarily a promotor. The Velvet #201 record started out as the Velvit label (#201). Both issues used the Jimmy Velvit name. When seeking a larger label for national exposure, Cortland's Witch subsidiary was initially used (#115) in August, 1963. But at the time the deal was made, Tennant was unaware and was signing with ABC-Paramount. The Witch label was immediately withdrawn and all promotion of it was stopped. Note also that both the Velvet and Witch issues used the same master stampers (via Nashville Matrix) and even the same heavier plastic, so it's a good indication that those were pressed near the same time. The Velvit label issue was mastered by RCA, that label even noting the Jacksonville, Florida location on the label, something the Velvet issue didn't have.

Mullins DID use the Jimmy Velvet name for at least three releases of his own, one being in November 1967 on Bell Records while Tennant was clearly using it too for his own Velvet Tone label. Tennant, at the time, had some of those releases issued on other labels, including Philips, Cameo, and United Artists. FredClem (talk) 10:14, 23 April 2012 (UTC)

-- In furthering my research on Tennant, this according to Jimmy himself, it was his intention all along to be billed as Jimmy VELVET. But when his initial record was made in April, 1963, a copy of the Mullins release was used as a reference for information. That was where the Velvit confusion began. Only 1,000 copies were made then (in April), and most were destroyed because of the error. It was the intention to name the label after Jimmy as a selling point, and so on those early copies, the VELVIT record name was used. Copies were made again, just prior to the Witch Records release, in July, 1963, this time getting the intended label name correct (as VELVET), but still billing Jimmy using the Velvit spelling. But near that time, a deal was alredy in the works with Cortland to release the sides on their Witch subsidiary. This was also the time that Jimmy was signing with ABC Paramount, after he had made a deal with Felton Jarvis for the songs. ABC used "We Belong Together", but backed it with "The History Of Love" (another song from the April session) instead. At the time, he was unknowing of the Cortland deal, and after he found out, he claimed that Cortland had used the songs without his permission. It got complicated because Jimmy began the recording venture with a partner, Ray Curran, who put up the money to get the songs (4 altogether) recorded in the first place. It was a 50-50 split, where Curran's half was to put up the money ($2,000) while Jimmy's half was fulfilled by supplying the talant. Curran had eventually arranged for Topps Records (a record distributor, not a label) to handle selling the sides, whereas that's how Cortland Records came into the picture. A lawsuit was ultimately filed in early 1965, Curran and Topps versus Velvet and ABC, whereas Curran and Topps won. ABC was ordered to pay $15,000 in the settlement, as well as returning the recordings, unable to use any for any future release. By then, Velvet's release had run it's course. Also by then, Jimmy had started a new label of his own (by November, 1964), VELVET TONE.

Velvet had begun recording on his own, using his real name, as "Jimmie Tennant". His first release was on the Thunder label (out of Miami, Florida) in early 1958. From there, he went temporarily to California to record four songs, two on the Music City label, and two for the Challenge label. The Challenge label sides were credited to the FOUR TEENS. The Music City credits are presently unknown to me, though Jimmy speaks of these recordings in his book, INSIDE THE DREAM. Tennant next recorded a record for the AMP label out of Columbus, Indiana which was released in January, 1959. His next release was as a duet with a girl named Judy, whereas they were billed as "Kitt 'N' Kory". These sides were recorded for Warwick Records in late 1959, and the record was released by February, 1960. His next release was also on Warwick, this time as himself again, in April, 1960. It is likely after this that he became associated with Jimmy Mullins as a manager/ promoter, where they worked together at least thru June, 1962. It was in February, 1963 that he first met with Ray Curran, offering his talent as a substitute for a Show that Curran was doing in Jacksonville, Florida. All of the scheduled acts were delayed due to bad weather, and Jimmy offered to perform until they arrived (by plane). It was then that Jimmy performed as Jimmy Velvet. It was a few weeks later that he met with Curran again to make a deal with him to record the four songs (in April).

This information was gathered from my own research, using Billboard Magazine (on-line) as a reference, along with the actual records themselves, and Jimmy's book. The Curran info was gathered from the court documents found on-line (see the link on the "We Belong Together" song entry). I suppose little of this can be added to the Jimmy Velvet page since most of it is based on my own research. There is more...

FredClem (talk) 01:36, 3 December 2012 (UTC)

To expand on the latest edit (6-12-2013), I removed the Jimmy Velvet Five record from the Discography because that record did not feature Jimmy Velvet, despite the label credit. The Jimmy Velvet Five record was issued in 1968 on Velvet Tone #114 in early 1968, and then re-issued on United Artists Records (#50272) by March, 1968. Both sides were initially issued on Velvet Tone #104 in December, 1965 and credited to "Gene & Gare with the Velvet-Tones" (neither Gene nor Gare was Jimmy Velvet). Though Jimmy was likely singing in the background, he was not one of the primary vocalists featured. The intended focus of the Discography section is a listing of recordings where Jimmy Velvet is a featured vocalist, not as a background singer.

Fred Clemens — Preceding unsigned comment added by FredClem (talk • contribs) 23:38, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

Blue Velvet
Tennant recorded and released this song before Bobby Vinton, but I have no info on it. Should be researched. George Slivinsky (talk) 02:11, 19 June 2013 (UTC)