Fervor Records

•Lost Boston Soul Great Gets His Due•
Herschel Dwellingham, also known as “Boston’s Number One Soul Man,” was an unstoppable force in the Boston soul scene. As bandleader and musical director at The Sugar Shack, Herschel worked with everyone from Stevie Wonder, Jackie Wilson, and Sam & Dave to Ray Charles, Al Green, and James Brown.

In 1967, he founded the label My Record with his wife, Alva, and DJ Skippy White. In 1971, they released the single “What I Got I Got (And Ain't Gonna Lose)” by Maurice, a charismatic performer and staple on the scene. The gritty, driving funk tune showcases Maurice’s impassioned vocals and Herschel’s unmistakable production and drum grooves. Unfortunately, the record never blew up past the regional scene.

In 2019, Herschel partnered with Fervor Records to breathe new life into his back catalog. It’s been a great ride, “What I Got I Got (And Ain't Gonna Lose)” alone has landed in 8 TV shows, 1 film, and an ad campaign. The latest win is Episode 105 of the MGM+ series “The Westies.” Stream “The Westies” on MGM+, and discover Maurice at your favorite music destination!

•Andy Gonzales Y Sus Amigos in AMC Premiere•
Andy Gonzales has been entertaining crowds in Arizona for decades. The prolific songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and bandleader also has a string of releases on Fervor Records with his ensemble, Andy Gonzales Y Sus Amigos. The group’s infectious Salsa number, “Ahora A Ti Te Toca,” appears in the Season 3 Premiere of "The Walking Dead: Dead City." The song is from their 2020 Fervor Records release, Cosita Caliente. Stream The Walking Dead: Dead City on AMC+, and discover Andy Gonzales Y Sus Amigos at your favorite music destination!

•Ray Zeiner’s 1971 Soul Ballad Featured in Sugar•

Ray Zeiner rose to fame as a keyboardist/vocalist with the 1960s quintet The Wildweeds. Working alongside frontman Al Anderson, the group cut several demos at Syncron Sound Studios in Wallingford, CT. The songs sat in the studio’s tape vault until local dentist “Doc” Cavalier purchased the facility. Doc discovered "No Good to Cry” in the archives, and under his stewardship, the tune became a breakout regional hit, was picked up for national distribution, and landed on the Billboard Hot 100.

The original Wildweeds lineup broke up in 1969. Anderson joined the celebrated quartet NRBQ, and Zeiner went on to record solo material for Cavalier’s Poison Ring Records. In 1971, they released the beautifully orchestrated, yearning soul ballad “I Had a Girl”. Decades later, under Fervor Records' stewardship, the song has taken on a new life in hit TV shows including This Is Us, Will Trent, and now Episode 206 of the Apple TV+ series “Sugar.”

Enjoy Ray Zeiner at your favorite music destination and stream “Sugar” on Apple TV+!

•1960s Teen Heartthrob’s Lost Master Gains New Life•
Frank Fafara’s rise to regional teen idol stardom began in Phoenix, AZ, in the late 1950s. The handsome heartthrob quickly caught the attention of Connie Conway’s MCI Records, which issued his first two singles in 1960. Frank then signed with Phoenix music impresario Jack Curtis’s Mascot Records for a string of releases, earning regional chart-toppers that landed him on stages with national acts like the Everly Brothers, Brenda Lee, and Del Shannon.

In 1964, Frank recorded his tune “One Kiss to Remember,” but the song never found a release. Forty-two years later, Frank finally issued the song on his 2006 retrospective CD, "Only in My Dreams," via Comstock Records. Today, Frank’s amazing back catalog resides at Fervor Records, where it has taken on a vibrant new life. His classics have been featured in hit shows like American Horror Story, The Boys, and Homeland. We can now chalk up another win for Frank: “One Kiss to Remember” appears in Season 1, Episode 2 of the MGM+ crime drama, The Westies.

• The Expressions 1965 Exhumed Rarity Soars in The Hawk •
In 1958, Bob Kelly scored his first hit song when Gene Vincent covered his rockabilly classic “Git It.” Kelly went on to form the group The Expressions with fellow Texas native Jay Ramsey. From 1963 to 1965, the group had releases on Smash, Spectra, and Reprise Records. Prolific songwriters and musicians with serious studio chops, they created an incredible archive of master-quality recordings.

Their song “Gotta Keep Movin’” was recorded for Frankie Valli. However, Valli passed on the song. It sat idle in Bob and Jay’s archives for decades. Fervor Records caught wind of the team’s long-forgotten works and inked their tremendous back catalog in 2009. Their “lost” masters have taken on a new life ever since. The most recent success is the inclusion of this 1965 gem in Netflix's new Will Ferrell series, “The Hawk.” You can hear “Gotta Keep Movin’” in Season 1, Episode 107, or on the Fervor Records release, “Jay Ramsey Anthology Vol. 1,” which chronicles more of Bob and Jay’s incredible creative output.

• A Rare Lost Master & H***y Tonk Classic Get Lucky •
Two Hall of Fame greats, Red Johnson (Minnesota Rock and Country Hall of Fame, National Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame) and Chuck Bene (Rockabilly Hall of Fame), are making a well-deserved comeback in the new Apple TV+ series Lucky.

Red Johnson was a staple of the upper Midwest country music scene for decades. A prolific songwriter, he landed a staff gig for Sony-Tree Publishing in Nashville. Red also teamed with Bud Auge to continue to build Hep Records, an influential independent country music label based in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1964, Capitol Records picked up Red’s Hep single, "There's a Grand Ole Opry Show Playing Somewhere,” for national distribution.
Chuck Bene got his start in the late 1950s with Johnny Dentz's Hillrockers. In addition to his solo career and a 10-year run with the Bobby Lane Trio, Bene wrote music for superstar Ricky Nelson and the hugely popular Hullabaloo TV show.

Now, thanks to Fervor Records, their classic sounds are heading to premium streaming. Red’s 1964 Hep Records honky-tonk single “I’d Rain All Over You” and a rare, lost master of Chuck Bene’s 1964 country lament, ”Let's Get Together Again,” will both feature in Episode 102 of the new crime thriller, Lucky. Discover Red Johnson on “Big Brave Me” on your favorite music destination, and be on the lookout for the lost master of Chuck Bene from Fervor Records!

• Lost 70’s Psych Treasure Finds New Life in The Westies •
A lost 1970s biracial psych band from Ohio has found its way into the series premiere of the new AMC Plus Irish Mafia drama, “The Westies.” Formed in 1970, the band ERIC quickly gained traction locally with its 1971 self-titled LP. The group was led by Willie Creagh (who later changed his moniker to Willie Phoenix) on vocals and lead guitar, alongside Melvin McGary (piano, organ, vocals), James Cummings (bass), and Paul McKinnis (drums).

ERIC soon caught the attention of CEI Records. CEI brought in producer Tom Terry to record the band’s debut full-length LP at the label’s Fremont, Ohio, studios. Their distinctive psych sound then caught the attention of Capitol Records, which planned to record two songs and send ERIC to England to support the single. Sadly, the deal fell through.

Decades later, the band's moody, organ-laden psych track "Waiting" has been resurrected in "The Westies" premiere. Willie went on to sign with A&M Records in the early 1980s and forge an impressive career. Fervor Records proudly preserves ERIC’s sole album, allowing "Waiting" to resonate with a brand new generation of fans.

• TONIGHT! UK’s Scanners Land on HBO •
London, England alt rock band Scanners rose to international attention after catching the eye of label owner and world-renowned DJ Steve Aoki, who signed them to his influential indie label, Dim Mak Records. The band churned out three albums for Dim Mak and toured extensively across the US, UK, and Europe, sharing stages with the likes of Devo, Silversun Pickups, and The Presidents of the United States of America, to name a few. Prolific songwriters, who practically lived in the recording studio, Scanners amassed an impressive back catalog outside of their Dim Mak releases. In 2022, Fervor Records officially acquired the band’s extensive archives. Now, 22 years after recording the lost tune “Mirrorball,” it appears in the series premiere of the HBO Max docu-series "The Man Will Burn". The new series traces the evolution of the Burning Man Project. Discover Scanners on the Fervor Records release “From The Hive” at your favorite music destination.