late May 2014 fortnight favorites
This time we focus on 3 artists only. First DARNELL MILLER, who has enjoyed a comfortable Country music career for 5 decades in W. Va (a long-time affiliate to the famous WVA Jamboree), is present here with three of his early records. On the Dale label (a Starday custom) # 630 from Bluefield, W.Va, in May 1957, he released a very honest medium-paced hillbilly (fiddle present) with « Gettin’ out of the woods« . Two years later, he was to have two nice Country-rockers on the main Starday serie (in the meantime, he had been presented to Don Pierce, boss of the label, in Nashville). He delivers the energetic « Royal flush » (Starday 422) as well, several months later, the equally nice (where he seems to double his voice over) « Back to you » (Starday 459). Later on, he cut many, many records until his retirement early in the 2000s.
Darnell Miller, ’90s
Darnell Miller « Gettin’ out of the woods » download
Darnell Miller « Royal flush » download
Darnell Miller « Back to you » download
The second artist presented here has no biographical data. BILL DUDLEY had cut in Nashville a good amount of records from 1953 to 1972 (in Canada) then disappeared from Dick Grant’s antennas. I’ve chosen the nice hillbilly released in November 1953 by Capitol (# 2662) « If I cry« . All in all, he recorded between 1953 and 1954 thirteen tracks for this label, which issued 4 singles. The next track by him is the fine Country-rocker « Oh please Mr. Conductor » on the Todd label (# 1046) from 1959. This tiny label issued several good disks during this period by Lee Bonds, Jimmie Fletcher or Jericho Jones, to name the most well-known in the Hillbilly bop/Country-rock field.
Bill Dudley « If I cry » download
Bill Dudley « Oh please Mr. Conductor » download
Down in Louisiana, I will dwell on JOEY GILLS upon. A protégé of Jay D. Miller, and né Joseph Guillot, he hailed from Thibodeaux vicinity, La. where he was born on a farm in 1929 (died 2013).A relative to Cajun superstar Johnnie Allan, during the early ’50s, he often gigged with Rusty & Doug, and he sounded so much as Hank Williams that J. D. Miller often used him to test new songs. Here it is his first record from 1953-54 « Hey Meon » (Feature 2002), cut in Crowley, La (J. D. Miller studio): Gills is backed by Lonnie Jones (later known as « Lazy Lester« ) on washboard, Johnny on steel (Miller can’t remember his full name) and Wiley Barkdull on piano for a very good waltz-paced ditty, partly sung in French. In February or March 1956, he cut 4 tracks for Mercury, either in Crowley, or in Nashville, which included the great medium boppers « (I am) Like a dog without a bone », « My name is Joe » and « Consolation prize« . From then on, Gills had his own radio show in Thibodeaux on KTIB, but recorded only this song (found on Youtube).
Joey Gills: « Hey Meon » download
Joey Gills « Like a dog without a bone » download
Joey Gills « My name is Joe » ref= »http://www.bopping.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/06-My-Name-Is-Joe-Joey-Gills.mp3″ target= »_blank »>download
Joey Gills « Consolation prize » download
Joey Gills « Baby, leave your troubles at home » download
arkansas 45s