THE 4 TODAY aka THE UNIVERSALS - "I Lost Her Love" (L & F Recording Service — Acetate, 1964?)

by Achille Brunet

I acquired this unknown acetate four years ago. It was recorded by Port Arthur, Texas band The Universals. By carefully looking under the glued band name, it appears the band first recorded it as The 4 Today before changing name.

I found no trace of gig under either name. It seems to have been recorded by teens, most likely in the early/mid-sixties. The songs are at the junction of late rock'n'roll (especially for "Flame") and early garage rock (for the jangly "I Lost Her Love"). An address stamped on the A side gave the name of S. Fernandez.

Salvador Fernandez was born in 1929. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur, Texas in 1950 and served in the U. S. Army during the Korean War.

Being well in his 30s by the mid-sixties, I assume he was the band's manager, or at least a relative of someone in the band, rather than an actual member. I traced him thanks to the fact that he had lived all his life in the same house indicated on the acetate, unfortunately only to find he had passed away in 2016.

A song titled "I Lost Her Love" was copyrighted in March 1964, credited to Jerry L. Randolph. The songs sound like they might have been recorded in 1964 and people named Jerry L. Randolph lived in the area so that's always a possibility.

Three different songs called "Flame" were copyrighted around that date so it's harder to determine. 

(Thomas Jefferson High - 1950 Yearbook)

L & F Recording Service, located in Port Arthur, was operated by Lois Beadeaux and Floyd J. Beadeaux who was also a publicity chairman of the Junior Chamber of Commerce for the Miss Port Arthur contest and a Jaycees director.

The acetate's label shows it was recorded at L & F's second address on 1812 Procter Street, where it had moved in 1959 two years after its establishment in 1957. The studio was renamed in 1970 so the acetate was at least recorded between these two dates. During these years, the studio also recorded the singles by Curt Block And The Vibrations, and The Sons Of Barbee Doll.

 

Don't hesitate to drop me a line if you know more about the band.

(The Orange Leader — Nov 22, 1957)