Sunday, June 19, 2016

Comstock Records Various Artists 10th Anniversary Album 1988

Comstock Records Various Artists 10th Anniversary Album 1988 CAT# COM-986

If you dig through 45s in the KC area, you're almost guaranteed to come across one from Comstock Records listing a Shawnee address on the label. It would appear to be a regional country label focused on local talent. However, it's not. Comstock was and still is a small independent country label focusing on national talent.

The label's founders, Frank Fara and Patty Parker, are both from out west, Arizona and Neveda. Neither seem to have any ties to the Kansas City area, yet, for some time they put their Comstock Records home in Shawnee, KS. Other than having a central location, it's not really clear why they picked Kansas (now the label calls it's home Arizona).

They did scout and sign talent in the area. This 10th Anniversary compilation features three Kansas City area artists, Debbie Martin, Alla Dee Franklin, and the O'Roark Brothers. But, outside of a few locals and an address, Comstock releases are from artists all over. In fact, the label's biggest successes seemed to be finding Canadian country artists and getting them charted up North.


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