Mystic Records Part 1 (1968-1981)
Before I get into it, check my want list here and get in touch if you have any of these.
Growing up in Oxnard and being into record collecting since my teens, I’ve always had an interest in Mystic Records. All the big Nardcore bands from the 1980s had at least one song on the label. There were also plenty of rumors swirling about bands getting ripped off, unauthorized albums being released, and lore of the label being owned by a British dude who claimed to have recorded Led Zeppelin.
What was up with this thing?
The Super Seven Sampler #2 was one of the first records I bought at the now-closed Record Outlet location in Ventura. It was used and beat up, but it was on blue vinyl and had seven bands on it… six of which I hadn’t heard yet. These early records and the rabbit holes they lead us down are critical for us punk lifers, especially looking back decades later.
So at some point, I decided I wanted to collect and archive every Mystic-related record I could find.
If you have something I don’t, hook it up…you know, for the cause. Anyway, let’s get into it…
Mystic Sound was a recording studio located at 6277 Selma Avenue in Hollywood, CA. The studio was previously owned by Bob Keane, where he ran Del-Fi Records. Keane’s breakout star was a young singer/songwriter named Ritchie Valens whose tracks “Donna” and “La Bamba” were smashes in 1958. Valens tragically died in a plane crash in 1959.
In the mid-60s—following the death of their biggest star—Del-Fi was floundering. Keane eventually found success when he signed The Bobby Fuller Four and produced their hit “I Fought The Law” in 1965, releasing it on the Del-Fi subsidiary Mustang Records. This story didn’t have a happy ending either. Fuller was found dead in his car months later after “I Fought The Law” hit No. 9 on the charts, and Mustang Records folded the next year.
Doug Moody took over the studio in 1968 and changed the name to Mystic Sound Studio. Led Zeppelin recorded “The Lemon Song” there in 1969 and Jeff Simmons recorded two LPs there the same year. Moody ran a record label out of Mystic Sound in the late ‘60s called Solar Records. If anyone has any info on more releases that aren’t here or on Discogs, get at me. Here are a few Solar records from the 185 collection, including the wacky RFK record from 1969:
In 1970, Lord Sutch And Heavy Friends recorded their first LP at Mystic. Throughout the 1970s, a bunch of rock, folk, funk, and soul groups and singers were recorded at Mystic.
I bought an old recording studio and soon met a guy who worked for Ampex, this tape recorder manufacturer. They had just developed a new 16-track machine, and of course that would have been wonderful for my studio - I just didn't have the money for it. He said with my history it wouldn't be a problem to get a loan for it, so he got me one for $250,000 and I bought this machine and set up a brand new studio.
It was 1971 and I called it Mystic Sound Studio. It used to be called Mustang Records, and Ritchie Valens and BOBBY FULLER FOUR had recorded there - lots of big names. The studio went really well right away, I recorded a lot of basic tracks for Motown artists because they had given up their studio in Detroit and their new studio in Los Angeles sounded totally like plastic, they couldn't get a good sound there. I, on the other hand, had a wooden studio that they liked the sound of, so they worked with me.
So I had a lot to do, always getting orders from the majors. And then one day the punks came, the skateboarders... And I knew immediately, that's it, that's what I want to do. I stopped working for anyone else and started Mystic Records. That was 1979.
Doug Moody, Ox Fanzine #82
There are also a few other labels that show they were recorded at Mystic Sound and produced by Doug Moody circa 1979-1981:
LA Rocks “Cocaine” b/w “Reach Out” Rock Records, 1979
Los Ap’ostoles “El Brindis” b/w “Cuando Volveras” Sierra Mystic Records
I found a Youtube video of the song above that claims its from 1980 but I have no confirmation.
L. Washington “Be What You Are”/A.L. Mitchell “Send It On Down” Hooks & Mystic Records, 1979
Mystic Allstars feat. Keith Powe “You Crazy” b/w “I Love My Lady” Hip City Records, 1978
There are also a few records that came out on the Mystic Sound label. Here are the two I have in the 185 collection. One is on Discogs (Flesh) and one isn’t.
Flesh “No Regards” b/w “Break Free” Mystic Sound, 1980
Ink Spots “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” b/w “Christmas Medley” Mystic Sound, 1981
The first release under the Mystic Records label appears to be Eddie Lejay “Alpha and Omega/Our Lords Prayer” (M45100) which came out in 1978. Eddie Lejay had previously played with the Doo Wop vocal group The Fairlanes from Shreveport, LA in 1959 and then the soul group Sunlovers out of Los Angeles in the late 1960’s.
This is a gospel 7”:
More early, non-punk Mystic records:
Robert Sommer “Hot Lights” B/W “Super Star” Mystic Records, 1979
Orpheum “Disco Tiger” b/w “Rain Song” Mystic Records, 1978
Dennis Anthony with the Angels “Van Nuys Blvd.” Mystic Records, 1978
Ron McFarlin “Two More Bottles of Wine” b/w “Belle Of The Ball” Mystic Records, 1978
Gary Joe Wade “Hang Glide” b/w “Sailin” Mystic Records, 1979
Rise “Twitch City” b/w “Visions” Mystic Records, 1979
Sheiks of Shake “Bullets in My Gun” b/w “Heartbreak Hotel” Mystic Records, 1979
Sabroso “Freak-Out” b/w “No Es Para Ti” Mystic Records, 1979
John Meza “Dream Baby” b/w Cosmo “Valerie” Mystic Records, 1980
Dorine Fontaine “I Wanna Do It To You” b/w “The Hokey Pokey” Mystic Records, 1980
Debbie Stewart “My Life Is Yours” b/w “Tender Touch” Mystic Records, 1980
Mystic did a handful of shaped discs too, like the Ink Spots I listed previously. Here are two more from the 185 collection:
Scheherazade “Love Me Tonight” b/w “Call Me” Mystic Records, 1981
Rise “Rock and Roll Heart” b/w “Future Love” Mystic Records, 1980
In my opinion, the two coolest non-punk records to ever come out on Mystic are these slabs:
Los Bahos “Fernando De Sonora” b/w “Dodger Blue” Mystic Records, 1981
The Sharks “Kid Sister” v/w “Your Car or Mine” Mystic Records, 1980
Now to the punk…
In 1980, Doug Moody produced his first punk record: a 7” for a punk band called Hey Taxi that featured future Minutemen drummer George Hurley. This would mark the beginning of the Mystic Records that most people have been familiar with for the last 40+ years.
In 1981, he did a reggae 12” for U.X.A. singer De De Troit, who had just put out an LP on Posh Boy in 1980.
In 1982, he’d go further into punk.
To be continued…
- ZN
(Thanks to Pops for some editing and vocab help.)
Waiting for the next part!
Nice one Zack, look forward to part 2.