New Oldies – You’re My Girl by Jimmy And The Spartans

Most pressings of this rare Teener have a typo on the label, spelling the title as “Your’re My Girl.” I don’t know much about Jimmy And The Spartans. The lead singer sounds too young to even be in high school! They were probably from somewhere near Memphis, Tennessee. I believe that’s the case because they recorded on the Satellite record label which was founded in a Memphis garage in 1957 by Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton. They moved the studios into an old movie theater, where the sloping floor contributed to their unique sound. In 1961, very shortly after this record was released, Satellite Records became Stax Records, and music history was about to change in a very big way. Although Jim and Estelle were both white, Stax Records helped launch the Southern Soul and Memphis Soul sounds.

Estelle and Jim

The house band was none other than Booker T And The MG’s. This became the home of soul superstars like Otis Redding, Sam And Dave, Wilson Picket, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Albert King, and behind-the-scenes legends like Steve Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn. They created a subsidiary label called Volt Records. Atlantic Records had first publishing rights to anything recorded on Satellite, then Stax. The Blues Brothers movie is basically a tribute to Stax Records and the sweet soul music they brought to life. The Stax sound was really born with the very NEXT record they released AFTER this one, Last Night by the Mar-Keys.

Here is You’re My Girl by Jimmy And The Spartans on Satellite 106 from 1961:

 

If you know anything more about these kids, please let me know. In the meantime, there’s an incredible archive of Teeners and Soul music waiting for you on MusicMaster Oldies. Enjoy!

Leave a Reply