Late November 2019 bopping fortnight’s favorites
Howdy, folks! Here is the more recent selection of fortnight’s favorites. Hope you will find something of interest here.
>The Tennessee Drifers
The TENNESSEE DRIFERS were a small outfit, whose main instrument was a piano. The vocalist was either George Toon, either Billy Hardison, and they released three nice fast tracks on Dot : « Mean Ole Boogie » ( # 1098, from 1951), and « Boogie Woogie Baby»/ »Drive Those Blues Away » (1953 on Dot 1166). Great hillbilly bopping piano. At times, Tommy Moreland (remember the great « The Drifter » n Maid 1000, released in November 2018 fortnight’s favorites) was among the members.At a very later date (1961), George Toon and the Tennessee Drifters released a pop-country effort, “Those Fairy Tales” (Unamic 4501). The track is posted only for comparison with their better early ’50s bopping sides!
Boogie Beat Rag
Rooster Swan
Internet is a a firm place to unearth some new music. Here’s a demo of « Honky Tonk Girl » by ROOSTER SWAN from 1957. A rhythm guitar then a lead for a short solo plus vocal of course. The song does last for less than a minute but is a pleasant bopper.
Honky Tonk Girl
Locked Up Again
Keith Anderson & the Ohio Valley Boys
KEITH ANDERSON is famous for his ’60s sides on Cozy, like « Hot Guitars » (Cozy 12/13). Here he is with an earlier side, « Locked Up Again » with Ohio Valley Boys, on a New Martinsville, WVa. Ran-Dell label # 934. It’s a sort of rocking ballad – good steel and extrovert vocal (1961).
Elva Carver with Pat Kingery & the Kentuckians
Out of Scottsville, Ky, the Goldenrod label issued several Rockabilly classics (remember Harold Shutters). Here’s ELVA CARVER with Pat Kingery & the Kentuckians for « Two-Toned Love » from 1956. Good fiddle and electrifying mandolin over a nice female vocal.
Two Toned Love
The Western Cherokees
The Western Cherokees backed in recording sessions and on stage Lefty Frizzell from 1950 to 1952. They were led by Robert Lawrence « BLACKIE » CRAWFORD, guitar player. They had in their own right sides cut on Coral then Starday. Here is « Jump Jack Jump » on Coral 64138. Great and fast hillbilly bopper out of Texas. A further side is an equally good, lowdown shuffler, « Baby Buggy Blues » (Coral 64118).
Jump Jack Jump
Baby Buggy Blues
Happy Wainwright
Then HAPPY WAINWRIGHT on a 1961 disc, « Nothing But Love » (Carma 505, out of Kenner, La.). It’s a belter – good steel throughout.
Nothing But Love
Sources: sometimes YouTube (Eva Carver, Keith Anderson, Rooster Swan); from Ohio River 45’s: Blackie Crawford : songs from HBR series; picture from Hillbilly.com. My own collection for Tennessee Drifters on Dot, “Boogie Beat Rag” comes from Karl-Heinz Focke – thanks to him.
arkansas 45s