Wam (short for Words And Music) records was started in the early 1960s as a spinoff of the huge Dusi Music Center in Youngstown. Dusi partnered with Bill Warner and a WHOT radio DJ to finance the operation, located in a single story wooden building in Youngstown's near south side. Wam was the ultimate in vanity labels, recording everything from garage rock, Polkas, church choirs, and pop. Wam started in 1962 and ran until late 1967, when the name was changed to United Audio. Gary Rhamy was hired (fresh from Ohio University) as an engineer. In 1971, Rhamy bought out Bill Warner, the last remaining original owner, built a new facility on the outskirts of town, and changed the name to Peppermint Productions. Records recorded during the Wam and United Audio eras were always issued with the house labels, but the Peppermint recordings often used custom label names.
Bill Warner kept the rights to the WAM and United Audio name and released records on those labels into the 1980s. Warner’s operation was the United Media group. The majority of these were polka or other ethnic music, with some gospel. We’ve never found a later WAM/UA 45 that’s ‘popular’ music.
There were attempts at cohesive catalog numbering (2000, 5000) but many records were issued that were not in a series. For the Peppermint recordings, a catalog numbering staring at 1000 was used, and is still in use. Unfortunately, all the old studio logs were destroyed and we'll probably never know all the records released, but estimates of 75 or more during the 1960s seems resonable. Wam used several pressing plants including QCA, RCA, and RI. All the United Audio (and most of the Peppermint) records were pressed at QCA.
|
2002-1321 |
the
Sensational Clefftones |
Here
Am I / So Many Years I Lived In Sin |
||
|
2003 |
Johnny
Butchko Orch |
What
a Baby Polka, Little Eddie's Waltz / Rose Ann Polka, Patty Ann Polka (PS) |
||
|
2003 |
the
Generals |
Take
It Easy / Lazy Latin |
||
|
2004 |
Sister
Cecelia Stuart (soloist) with Ursuline Sisters
(chorus) |
Joey
the Christmas Choir Boy / I Want Christ Back in Christmas (PS) |
9/62 |
|
|
2005 |
the
Offbeats |
Red
Ants / Talking Crickets |
||
|
no
# |
Rip
Roberts |
By
These Things / Young and In Love |
||
|
no
# (RI 1440) |
Barney
Bean with Sherwood |
For
Kids For Fun (Pt. 1) / For Kids For Fun (Pt. 2) (PS) |
||
|
441 |
Ronnie
Lee Combo |
Thingamajig
/ High Stakes |
||
|
4001 |
Johnny
and the Uncalled Four |
Shortin' Bread / Day Dream |
||
|
No
# |
the
Vikings |
I
Need Your Lovin' / Such A Love |
1965 |
|
|
1006 |
the
Counts |
Night
of Misery / If I Look Back |
Oct
'65 |
|
|
5001 |
the
Capers |
You'll
Never Walk Alone / I'm Walking the Dog |
Dec
'65 |
|
|
5002 |
the
Capers |
Iced
Tea / No Peace of Mind |
Dec
'65 |
|
|
No
# |
the
Fortels |
She
/ Merry Go Round |
Dec
'65 |
|
|
26601 |
Gary
Kennedy with the Mahoning Valley Boys |
Pretty
Carol / Mountain Of Love |
Feb
'66 |
|
|
5948 |
the
Pied Pipers |
Hey
Joe / Hold On I'm Comin' |
late
'66 |
|
|
(LP)
5960 |
the
Happy Salvationists |
S/T |
April
'67 |
|
|
5980 |
the
Nomadz |
She
Ain't Lovin' You No More
/ Wait Till the Midnight Hour |
Jul
'67 |
|
|
5970 |
the
Kare Takers |
Have
You Seen My Baby? / My Jane |
Oct
'67 |
|
|
United
Audio starts below |
||||
|
5073 |
the
Montours |
The
World Can Pass You By / Going All the Way |
Dec
'67 |
|
|
No
# |
the
Next Of Kin |
A Lovely
Song / Mr. Soul |
Jan
'68 |
|
|
5981 |
Madam
Mary Elizabeth Austin |
If
It Wasn’t For Jesus / Didn’t He Say |
Jan
‘68 |
|
|
5982 |
the
Es Shades |
Anyday, Anywhere / Without My Love |
Jan
'68 |
|
|
5986 |
the
Daze Endz |
What
Can I Do? / Knock On Wood |
Jan
'68 |
|
|
5989 |
the
Shaddows |
Together
Again / Stormy Weather |
Feb
'68 |
|
|
5993 |
the
Crump Brothers |
On
the Right Road Now / I'm Willing |
May
'68 |
|
|
6001 |
the
Blues Inc. |
I
Can't Live With You / 7 and 7 Is |
Aug
'68 |
|
|
6003 |
the
Dimensions |
Hey
Little Woman / Summertime |
Aug
'68 |
|
|
6003 |
Seward's
Ice Box |
Your
Head Is Reeling / I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die |
Aug
'68 |
|
|
6006 |
East
Farmington Faith Singers |
Mama's
Teaching Angels ; Sometimes A Mountain / Inside the Gate ; There's Been a Change |
Aug
'68 |
|
|
6008 |
the
Shy Tones |
Dody / Summer's Gone |
Nov
'68 |
|
|
6010 |
Regis |
Gismo
/ Autumn Fog |
Nov
'68 |
|
|
6002 |
the
Glass Harp |
Where
Did My World Come From / She Told Me |
March
'69 |
|
|
6014 |
the
Insights |
That's
All / Love is a Game |
March
'69 |
|
|
6014 |
the
Sound Barrier |
Greasy
Heart / I Can't Explain (PS) |
Apr
'69 |
|
|
6015 |
the
Class of '69 Presents...the Groovy Sound of Fitch |
(side
1) / (side 2) (PS) |
the
Back Pages play - uncredited on label |
May
'69 |
|
6003 |
Mickey
Kalis and the Bakersfield Blues Band |
2:10
To Yuma / Got No Time |
Aug
'69 |
|
|
7010 |
Gary
Kennedy and the Mahoning Valley Boys |
It's
Hurtin' Me / The Day I Told Mary Goodbye (PS) |
March
'70 |
|
|
1974 |
Starlette Gospel Singers |
Pray
On My Child / I’ve Got A Feeling |
June
‘70 |
|
|
7054
(Soul Beat 1) |
the
Hustlers 1970 |
You
Can't Hide the Truth (Pt. 1) / You Can't Hide the Truth (Pt. 2) |
Sept
'70 |
|
|
7064
(LP) |
Fred
Harris and the N. G.'s |
Reach
Out and Touch |
Feb
'71 |
|
|
7067 |
Melvin
Catley with Fred Harris and the N. G.'s |
Why
Was America Born? / Still Waters Run Deep |
May
'71 |
|
|
7075 |
Ginny
Baker, the Country Rovers |
Columbus
Stockade Blues / I Wanna Be Cowboys Sweetheart |
March
’72 (United Media prod.) |
|
|
(Flush)
7068 |
Blue
Amber |
Good
Morning Tuesday / We Got Love |
May
'71 |
|
|
7111 |
Guy
Thomas |
I
Should Be A Rainbow / Sunshine |
||
|
PP1002 |
Grecian
Lads |
(LP) |
||
|
PP1003 |
Old
Friends and New Acquaintences |
Whiskey
Man / Wanting To Be Free (PS) |
R-28761/2
(11-8-71) |
|
|
(Quiggly) PP1004 |
Erving
Forbush |
The
Train / Sally Funky Monday |
R-29003/4 |
|
|
PP1005 |
Gospel
Flames of Warren, OH |
I
Love the Lord / Never Grow Old |
R-29001/2 |
|
|
PP1007 |
Left
End |
Sunshine
Girl / Someday (I Will See) |
R-29539/40 |
|
|
(Apollo)
PP1008 |
Gary
Kennedy and the Mahoning Valley Boys |
Sing
Me Back Home / White Lightnin' |
1971 |
|
|
(FBC)
PP1009 |
the
Braddock Hills FBC Chorale |
I
Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say / Wade In The Water |
1971
(R-29713/4) |
|
|
PP1015 |
Poobah |
Let
Me Out (LP) |
||
|
(Unity)
PP1016 |
Gospel
Flames of Warren, OH |
Dear
Jesus / Climbing Up To Heaven |
R-30741/2 |
|
|
PP1021 |
Chris
Michael Group |
The
Soldier / Carousel |
R-31007/8 |
|
|
PP1022 |
Brimstone |
Paper
Winged Dreams (LP) |
1973 |
|
|
(Dapper)
PP1025 |
No
artist (Credited as Rangle) |
Get
Out Of Bed / Visions of Mind |
||
|
PP1028 |
Fred
Koeberle |
Goodbye
My Love / I'm Just a Dreamer |
||
|
(Myth)
PP1031 |
Myth |
Stormy
Night / Till You Return For Me |
July
‘73 |
|
|
(EROS)
PP1032 |
Phantasies |
PH.D.
Or Speculations / Bring Back The Seasons |
July
'73, Issued with PS |
|
|
PP1034 |
Dieter |
Berlin,
Berlin / My Love Has Gone (Noch Immer
Alein) |
Aug
‘73 |
|
|
PP1035 |
Alias
Funk and Soul (vocals - Shades of Soul) |
Bells
/ Well Good |
Aug
'73 |
|
|
PP1036 |
New
Affair |
Rama-Lama
Ding Dong / Someone, Somewhere |
Oct
'73 |
|
|
(Big
Men) PP1053 |
Menagerie |
Ladies
On Liberty Street / Ukiah |
with
PS |
|
|
PP1057 |
the
Todd |
Mystifying
Me / Be My Lover Tonight |
||
|
(Ollie)
PP1068 |
the
Trick |
Free
As A Bird / Ninety Nine Pounds |
||
|
(T.O.L.)
PP1074 |
Taste
Of Love |
Love
Meditation / Cindy |
1975 |
|
|
(Parthenon)
PP1078 |
Icarus |
King
Pin / From The Start |
1975 |
|
|
PP1079 |
Kerry
B. Malcolm |
Didn’t
He / Little Girl |
Sept
‘75 |
|
|
(PAP
Productions) PP1103 |
Nothin' From Nothin' |
Love
Music / Never Had It So Good |
1976 |
|
|
PP1134 |
Arrie Mae Morton Trio |
Muddy
Water / Land Of Dreams |
Aug
1977 |
|
|
PP1135 |
Arrie Mae Morton Trio |
I
Can't Believe / Misty |
Aug
1977 |
|
|
PP1144 |
Ron
Corey and the Destinations |
Christmas
Tribute To Elvis – Blue Christmas / Lonesome Weekend |
Dec
30, 1977 |
|
|
PP1150 |
Dreamz |
You're
A Special Girl / The Flame In My Eyes |
March
1978 |
From #5073 (Montours) label is United Audio. The duplicate label numbers are not misprints - records listed in order of QCA date code