Treat Records
# Treat Records

Treat Records was an American record label founded in March 1955 by Murray Katz. It was based in New York City at 236 West 55th Street. Larry Newton, formerly of Derby Records, was the general manager. The label produced R&B and pop records. The label folded later in 1955, but all of its recordings have been re-released.

## Artists

Treat had 8 releases, each on both 45 and 78 rpm. The initial artists under contract with the label were:

| Artists | Notes |
| - | - |
| Terri Lee | Female vocalist |
| The Five Diamonds | |
| The Inspirators | The Inspirators on Treat Records and Old Town are the same group as The Five Stars: (i) Cleo Perry (1936–1993) (lead), (ii) William Massey (1st Tenor), (iii) Clifton Johnson (2nd Tenor), (iv) Barney Fields (baritone), and (v) Buster Boyce (bass); Over the years, the Inspirators recorded several other songs for Treat, none of which were ever released. In 1958, while still under contract to Newton, the Inspirators became part of a deal that Newton made with Hy Weiss, under which two songs were recorded for Old Town, "Starlight Tonight" and "Oh What a Feeling." Both were released June 1958. As was the case with their recordings with Treat, the two singles didn't amount to much in terms of sales. Around that time, the group began to disintegrate. "There were personal problems with drinking and women," according to Cleo Perry, and Perry decided to go out on his own |
| Sonny Benton | |
| Hen Gates Combo | The Hen Gates recordings were actually 1940s Freddie Mitchell (1922–1995) masters from the Derby label, and all the songs were renamed. There never was a "Hen Gates." The pseudonym was also used for Jimmy Foreman, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker. |
| Blind Boy Fuller | Pseudonym for Brownie McGhee (blues singer) |
| The Five Stars | A male quintet, that, essentially for Treat and Old Town, were The Inspirators; the members — all from the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn — were (i) Cleo Perry (1936–1993) (lead), (ii) William Massey (1st tenor), (iii) Clifton Johnson (2nd tenor), (iv) Barry Fields (baritone), and (v) Buster Boyce (bass); this group was not to be confused with The Five Stars of Detroit (mid-1958), which consisted of (a) Joseph Murphy, (b) John Raymond Dorsey, (c) Walter Gaines, (d) Crathman C.P. Spencer, and (e) Henry Jones |

## Extant discography

Original releases

* Treat (no catalog number) The Five Diamonds With the Hen Gates Orchestra T-9: "The Night" T-10: "My Love"

    (audio on YouTube)
    By L. Griffin & Lloyd
    BMI: Alan Music
    (audio on YouTube)
    L. Griffin (w&m)
    BMI: Alan Music
* Treat 501 Five Diamonds Released 1954 T-11: "The Ten Commandments of Love" "I Cried and Cried"

    (audio on YouTube)
    L. Griffin (w&m)
    BMI: Alan Music
    OCLC 80207669
    (audio on YouTube)
    By L. Griffin & Lloyd
    BMI: Alan Music
* Treat 502 The Inspirators With Orchestra Released April 1955 T-3: "Three Sixty" T-4: "If Loving You Is Wrong" (© 1955)

    (audio on YouTube)
    Alton Earl Collier (w&m)
    BMI: Allan Music
    (audio on YouTube)
    Alton Earl Collier (w&m)
    Barnhill Music Corp.
    BMI: Allan Music
    OCLC 84380325
* Treat 503 Hen Gates And Orchestra Released 1955 T-21: "Flash" T-13: "Loose"

    (audio on YouTube)
    By H. Gates
    BMI: Allan Music
* Treat 504 Terri Lee with the Reg Ashby Orchestra T-25: "My, My, My" (© 1955) T-26: "I'm No Good To You"

    (audio on YouTube)
    Willis Carroll (w&m)
    Carmen Taylor (w&m)
    Barnhill Music Corp.
    BMI: Allen Music
    (audio on YouTube)
    Willis Carroll (w&m)
    Carmen Taylor (w&m)
    BMI
* Treat 505 The Five Stars Released June 1955 T-1: "Let's Fall in Love" (© 1933; renewed 1961) T-2: "We Danced in the Moonlight"

    From the 1933 film Let's Fall in Love
    Ted Koehler (words)
    Harold Arlen (music)
    ASCAP: Bourne, Inc.
    By Alton Earl Collier
    Alan Music Co.
    BMI: Allan Music Co.
* Treat 506 Buddy Lowe T-27: "Goodbye Baby" T-28: "Run Fast, Don't Walk"

    (audio on YouTube)
    By Lowe & Grant
    BMI: Allen Music
    (audio on YouTube)
    Willis Carroll (w&m)
    Carmen Taylor (w&m)
    BMI: Marlyn Music
* Treat 507 Frankie Day Released July 1955 T-30: "When I Dream of Home" T-31: "Don't Forget"

    With the Ray Charles Singers
    ASCAP: Box & Cox
    OCLC 81245831
    BMI: Raleigh
    OCLC 84349063

Selected re-issues

    T-501: Re-released on Lost-Nite 198
    T-502: Re-released on Lost-Nite 143
