Hobart, OK : the HU-SE-CO label (1956-1958)

Jan 29, 2014 | Record labels

Hu-se-co was founded by Odell Johnson in Hobart, Oklahoma. The label apparently lasted from late 1956 to early 1958, and the main issues were issued in 1957. No label listing does exist, so I don’t know if my presentation is complete, as Hu-se-co was a pretty small label for the time being.

First record was cut in Autumn 1956 by DERAL CLOUR and Charley Drake and coupled the very fine primitive Hillbilly bopper/Rockabilly « Sundown (boogie) » with the ballad « Winter (in my heart) ». Clour has said in an interview published by the RockaBilly HOF that the record was cut at Gene Sullivan’s studio on Capitol Hill in Hobart. Deral Clour was to appear at Ernest Tubb’s in Nashville in 1959.

Deral Clour & Charley Drake

Deral Clour and Charley Drake “Sundown (boogie)”

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Deral Clour and Charley Drake, “Winter (in my heart)”

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Then in 1957, three singles of equal musical value. Most important is the rollicking/jumping//western sides by DOYLE MADDEN, backed by Merl Lindsay‘s Oklahoma Nightriders, « Gonna learn to rock » and « Tonights the night for love » (1-757), both written by Lindsay and one Vonnie Mack. The latter (rn Yvonne deVaney) was at one time Yvonne O’Day on Capitol, then in 1956 Vonnie Mack in 1956 on Columbia, where she turned more or less pop. Later she fronted vocally Merl Lindsay’s band.
Doyle Madden “Gonna learn to rock“

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Doyle Madden, “Tonights the night for love”

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Second record backed by Merl Lindsay’s Oklahoma Night Riders is by JIM RAY: average ’50s country/honky tonk, main instruments being fiddles and steel. « A little too late » and « My heart belong to you » are on (# A-557).
Jim Ray, “My heart belongs to you”

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Jim Ray, “A little too late”

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The third 1957 issue (if the « 57 » sequence has some sense) is a very nice country rocker by FLOYD ANDREWS, « Buy myself a rubber doll » (3-757), with strong guitar and steel to the fore. Floyd Andrews, “Buy myself a rubber doll”

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One issue by COWBOY (Charlie) HUFF escaped to my antennas, « Swingin’ alone tonite/Tulsa town waltz » (757). It’s the same man who had records in the Starday custom serie (»No two timin’ me »).

Cowboy Huff “No two timing’ me”

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And we nearly reached to the end of label with the 1958 issue by BILL & BINK ( with drummer Dwight), whose two-sided « Bed bug boogie/Do and don’t blues » (1358) could be described as primitive bluesy hillbilly/rockabilly.

Bill & Bink, “Bed bug boogie”

download “Do and don’t blues”

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The indefatigable and faithful DRUNKENHOBO has found three more HU-SE-CO records! Thanks Dean.

A Bluegrass rockabilly flavored “If you’re after my heart” by the group RAMBLIN RASCALS on Hu-se-co. Flipside unheard “We both love the same girl”.
Ramblin Rascals “If you’re after my heart”

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Then WESLEY (Sleepy) MOORE and “Old mother Nature” (Hu-se-co 1257)(flip side “If you’d say you care”.
Wesley Moore “Old mother Nature“

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Dean finally mentions a third disc by HURSHUL CLOTHIER, which proves untraceable. Clothier was an Oklahoma ace fiddler, backed by the Oklhahoma Travelers (founded 1953), who had “Will you please” on Hu-se-co 2-757.