Early August 2021 bopping fortnight’s favorites
It's hot outside, as the music included in this post. As usual, very various things for your own enjoyment.
As on early August I’ll be far from home (holidays), I post this fortnight with two days before the actual date.
On the Kentucky Acme label first, JESSE COATES does provide us with a fast fiddle-led ditty, his personal version of the old-timey « Columbus Stockade Blues » (# 1235A). He goes on, this time for both sides of his solitary Headine issue (# 101) in 1955 : the fast bopper « Nobody Can Take My Baby » and flip « You Gotta Be Good » : nice fiddle and steel. Barre, Vt.
Columbua Stockade Blues
Nobodty Can The My Baby
You Gotta Be Good
Next artist is not an unknown one. JACK CARDWELL (1927, Georgiana, Alabama – then Mobile) made many fine sides during the early ’50s for King. Here he is with one of my faves « You’re Looking For Something » # 1269 (rec. Dec. 2Nd, 1952, probably cut at WCAB radio in Shreveport or at a Mobile station). A nice steel throughout . 5 years later he was back on Starday # 310 for the medium uptempo bopper « Once Every Day », very nice to be heard. During his stay in Mobile he became good friends with Luke McDaniel and even had a television show.
You're Looking For Something
Once Every Day
en from Kentucky on the very small Dixiana concern, launched around 1953 and which seems to have disappeared within several months. Nevertheless the owners released some first class Hillbilly music by the likes of Cliff Gross, Odis Blanton or this JIMMY SMIH and his « It Ain’t No Fun To Say I Told You So » (Dixiana 107) : good steel, rinky dink piano and fiddle. A brutal ending, sorry..
It Ain't No Fun To Say I Told You So
Down in Florida with JIMMY KELLER and « Brush Pile Burn » on Trail 1777 (also seen as #288) from 1964. It changes hands for $ 400-500 and it’s a real piece of hard Rock’n’Roll ! Great vocal and urgent guitar.
Brush Pile Burn
Shangaï Rooster Yodel # 2
The never warysome CLIFF CARLISLE, who’d yodel, to quote Nick Tosches (« Unsung Heroes of Rock’n’Roll ») « the longest and the best» was also an acomplished lap-steel guitar player and produced very strange sounds, i.e. In « Shanghai Rooster Yodel # 2 » on Conqueror 8140 (don’t miss the sublime steel solo, alas too short near the end). Carlisle was also ahead of his time with the use of a wild slapping bass player in the classic « Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad » (Oriole 2860).
Going Down The Road Feeling Bad
A complete change now in Philly on the Arcade label (1957) and the TRAVELAIRES, « Chopped Liver (part 1). Not really spectacular : a tight combo (with sax) doing a strong dance rocker. For more Arcade, see the excellent «AnorakRokabilly – Small independant 45rpm labels », the blog of Dean C. Morris (Drunken Hobo)
Chopped Liver (part I)
From Illinois, the sax player/singer JIM GATLIN provided the Western tinged « The Way You’re Treating Me » on Mar-Vel 505. A fine, lazy swinging record.
The Way You're Treating Me
You Rescued Me
To sum it up, a recent (actually issued in 1985) fast Honky Tonker by DON HALL and his troupe for « You Rescued Me » (NSD) : a tour-de-force for a great rocking combo.
With thanks to Kent Heineman from Sweden, who sent the «NSD » label scan.
arkansas 45s