Howdy folks ! This is early April 2019 fortnight’s favorites’ selection.
Lefty Nicks
We begin with a rarity, aimed at Rockabilly circles, and sold between $ 800 and 1000. On the Nicktone label (# 6020) LEFTY NICKS delivers a great « Model A Ford Blues ». An utempo half-sung vocal over great guitars and steel throughout tune.
Then a well-known figure, this of JOHN TALLEY with two different styles. First an uptempo straight Nashville style – steel and fiddle solos, guitar to the fore – for « Hillbilly Sweetheart » on Jamboree 509 from 1954. Then a « perfect » song on Mercury 70902 : « (I’ve Changed My) Wild Mind » is a classic Rockabilly, with great guitar and a lot of echo, from mid-1956. Talley had another good tune, « « Shine, Shave And Shower (It’s Saturday Night) » on Tennessee 752 from 1954.
On Mercury too, EDDIE BOND & his Stompers and two classic sides, « Boppin’ Bonnie » and « Baby, Baby, Baby » (Mercury 70941, issued August 1956). Bond was from Memphis, TN, and delivers great tunes on a par with what Sun was doing at the time. Lot of echo, uptempo song with drums.”Bopping’ Bonnie” was written by Jerry Huffman and Jody Chastain, the two sidemen of Charlie Feathers. The B-side is a bit slowier with a touch of blues.
From Shreveport, La., the 17-years old JAMES WILSON offer in 1957 on Ram Records (unknown #) the great « Wilson Blues N° 1 ». Of course a bluesy uptempo, a good atmospheric tune with drums. The record when located change hands for $ 600-700.
Two sides now by LUKE GORDON. Originating from Kentucky, he’d cut in 1958 (May, or November) on Vienna, Va. Blue Ridge label (# 502). « Dark Hollow » is the old Bill Browning song, done here with dobro and fiddle. Gordon’s voice is well fitted to this type of material.. The flipside « You May Be Someone (Where You Come From) » is in the same style : fiddle and dobro solos.
Finally SONNY BURNS, a largely underrated Starday artist. Here he is with a July (?) 1956 Eddie Noack tune, « If You See My Baby » : it’s an uptempo with fiddle (Ernie Hunter) and steel (Herbie Remington) solos. Classic Starday backing : tinkling piano of Doc Lewis, and Hal Harris on lead guitar.
Howdy folks ! This is the second 2017 fortnight, that of late January. It will cover very various styles, be it hillbilly boppers, country rockers or rockabillies, even one Bluegrass bopper, from 1955 to 1961.
First an uptempo atmospheric bluesy rockabilly from Bald Knob, AR, on the CKM label (# 1000) by BUDDY PHILLIPS with Rocking Ramblers, « River boat blues » from 1956 (valued at $ 100-125). I enclose for comparison the original version of the song by ALTON GUYON and his Boogie Blues Boys on the Judsonia, AR. Arkansas label (# 553), a Starday custom from 1956. This time the song is taken at a slow, lazy, bluesy pace – fine fiddle (valued at $ 150-200). Back to Buddy Phillips for the CKM flipside « Coffee baby » (written by Alton Guyon), less fast than the « River boat blues » side, but good and bluesy. Pity that Phillips disappeared afterwards.
Two issues on the Starday associated Dixie label from the late Fifties to the early Sixties. ELMER BRYANT on Dixie 906 from 1960 (value $ 75-100) delivers the cheerful bopper « Gertie’s carter broke », which has a Louisiana bouquet, with fine fiddle and steel. The medium-paced flipside « Will I be ashamed tomorrow », although very good and sincere, is more conventional country.
The other Dixie discussed is Dixie 1170 from 1961 by LITTLE CHUCK DANIELS : « I’ve got my brand on you » is a bit J. Cash-styled, an uptempo bass chords guitar opus with good effect on voice : honest Country rocker. I add by Daniels his issue on Dixie 1153, « Night shift », same style.
ROLLIE WEBBER from California was a part of the now well-known Bakersfield sound, and had issues on Pep and Virgelle among other labels. Here he offers « Painting the town » on the Tally label (#150), a fine bopper with prominent steel ( sounds like Ralph Mooney).
I found the story on RaB-HOF site. It’s not that often a relative to an artist offers such a complete and accurate story. It even goes back to the beginning of 20th century! So I decided to let its author speak by herself. Here it is:
LLOYD ARNOLD McCOLLOUGH STORY
by: Annette Wondergem (Lloyd’s niece)
with additions from Dave Travis, Al Turner, Terry Gordon & Bo Berglind
A raw December wind sent an icy chill through the tall, lean young man who stared longingly at the mandolin in the display window of the music store. Just a few more dollars saved from odd jobs and sacrificed lunches and that fine instrument would be his. He pulled his collar closer about his throat and turned wistfully homeward. The year was 1950, the place was Memphis, Tennessee and the young man was Lloyd Arnold McCollough. At this point Lloyd had a lifetime ahead of him and he could imagine the possibilities that a mandolin could bring. Twenty years later the pressure of a touring musician had begun to take it’s toll. But, let’s not go ahead of time, the story of Lloyd Arnold, who became a pioneer of early Memphis music, began many years earlier.
arkansas 45s