BILL ‘ZEKIE’ BROWING (not to be confused with Bill Browning, who had great records on Cincinnati’s Island and Starday labels), cut early in 1958 the proud Country-Rocker (because of the drums) « Bad Case Of The Blues » on Lucky 0005. Great steel and fiddle solos, also good piano. (with a $ 200-250 tag). On Lucky 0001 ha also had issued « I’ll Pay You Back ».
Taylor Porter
TAYLOR PORTER next – first on Starday Custom 694. The artist was out of Kentucky. « It’s Over Now » has an heavy bass for an uptempo and a lot of echo on the vocal. A battling between fiddle and guitar. A very effective side. The B-side « No More Loving You » has the same characteristics, very melodic.
We found the same Porter on 1960 Janet 26-60 and « Way Out There » : a Rockabilly guitar, a fiddle, even a bit of yodeling. The B-side remains untraced (« I Can See It In Your Eyes »).
Another artist from Kentucky, RONNIE BURTON has, on the Tam label # 101 a nice slowie, « Keeper Of My Heart », then the very fast, rollicking « Somebody’s Been Babyen My Baby » (Tam 102), with a steel solo.
On the West coast now with DOYE O’DELL who cut on Intro many a fine sides (i.e. « Diesel Smoke »). Here on the Radio label (# 115, from 1958) he delivers « Bring A Hammer And A Needle », a good Folk influenced bopper (12s strings guitar solo)
Another Intro label artist : EDDIE HAZLEWOOD, who had a long array of boppers. I chose his personal hillbilly version of « Hound Dog » (issued March 1953, shortly after the Big Mama one, but a large 3 years before Elvis). A lovely shuffler with steel and good spirited vocal.. Hazelwood was killed, along with Jimmie Widener, by an armed robberer in Nashville (1973).
From Houston the very unknown RED MANSEL who offers a moderate-paced « Changing Heart », a very nice vocal (1958).(All Star 7165)
The final track is a bopping rocker from 1956. BUCK GRIFFIN released on Lin 1015 the rocker « Ballin’ And Squallin’ ». The guitar is ‘chanting’, we have a steel and a piano solo over a strong rhythm. Griffin made a lot of this material and deserves a complete feature in bopping.org.
Sources : YouTube (Porter Taylor on Janet), Internet for Ronnie Burton. My own archives for the rest.
Hello, this is a full Summer 2017 (early August) fortnight favorites’ selection, with 10 tunes. The first two are by an unknown artist on a famous label. HARRY CARROLL on the Starday label # 277 (issued December 1956). A waltz tempo for « Checkerboard lover », a mid-paced sentimental « Two-timin’ » for the flipside. Typical Starday atmosphere, but nothing exceptional. Carroll seemingly co-wrote « The trail of the lonesome pine » for Jimmy Donley (Decca 30392), and that was over. “Checkerboard lover”
GLENN & JODY, the Singing Buddies were backed by Larry Nolen & the Bandits for this fine WS flavored bopper « I’m even with you » on the San Antonio label Eagle # 3772. It’s for you, Bill S. Larry Nolen was a veteran of the S.-A. scene, having records issued on Sarg as early as 1954 (« Hillbilly love affair »), Starday in 1956-57 (« Lucky lady », « King of the ducktail cats »), then later on Eagle (apparently his own label, or one he was involved in – backed by Herby Remington on steel) or Renner in 1961.
A solid Hillbilly boogie now with « Dog house boogie » on King 720 (from July 1948) by a young HAWKSHAW HAWKINS. A strong boogie guitar (agile solo), a fine steel solo done by Herman « Jiggs » Lemley.
RED MANSEL had previously cut for Starday custom # 523 (« I’ve crossed you off my list ») in July 1955, and was the first to appear on Dan Mechura’s new label, All Star # 7165, with a fine medium paced ballad, « Changing heart ». Very great vocal.
KEN GABBARD & The Hilltop Ramblers cut in 1965 on the Trenton, OH Harp label (no #) the very nice « Thing’s can’t be as they were » (sic). Uptempo ballad, and typical early ’60s hillbilly sounds.
Helen Hunt is leading vocally THENITE OWLS with a bluesy « Married man blues » on Vocalion 03987 from November 1938. The steel well to the fore is played by Bob Symons.
A good female mid-paced bopper follows on the Stardale label (# A 006) from Morris, OK by GALE SOUTHERN and « « Trusting heart « in 1956. Nice piano throughout.
Finally GENE STACKS on the Pine Bluff, AR Cooper label (no #) , « I know (my baby loves me) ». It’s perhaps the fastest of all the tracks here and a very fine Rockabilly bopper.
RED LEWIS on the Kasko label (# 1643), from 1965. « I’ll move along » sounds well 7 or 8 years earlier. Great slapping bass, guitar all along. A discrete steel takes a fine solo.
From Michigan and 1963 on a Starday custom Dixie label (#1056) comes FRANK ZOLTON and « Cats eyes ». A medium ditty with an unusual for the era accordion solo.
REX ZARIO even had a full album on Arcade. Here he delivers the fine « It’s nobody’s fault but your own » from 1959-60 (# 163). Indeed in 1956 he had had « Go man gone ».
Finally a wonderful rural duet by the VANDERGRIFT BROS. On the Cozy label from W.Va., « Sitting here a-crying » (# 447). Vandergrift Bros. “Sitting here a-crying”
Warning: I am experimenting html language, so to set the audio podcasts up beside their texts. This language isn’t that easy. Sorry for inconveniences!
Dan Mechura
Allstar Record Co. 1953: 3116 Garrow St., Houston TX 1958-1959: 2106 Orean Street, Houston 17, Texas 1960: Allstar Music Enterprises, 8029 Gulf Freeway, Houston 17, Texas 1961-1966: 1110 Washington, South Houston, Texas also: Allstar Distributors Allstar Records, a quasi-song-poem label with a slightly more plausible claim to legitimacy than most its song-sharking peers, was the brainchild of Houston country musician/”singer” Daniel James Mechura. The ambitious Mechura started out as the frontman of a local outfit, the Sun Valley Playboys, enjoying one release on the Starday label (which they paid for themselves) in 1955. By that time, Dan had discovered the seedy underworld of songwriter’s clubs and, sensing an opportunity ripe for exploitation, soon began doing business as president of “The Folk Writers Co-Operative Association,” generously offering “every songwriter the help which is necessary to succeed in this competitive field,” as stated in one sales pitch. A record label of their own was the logical outgrowth of this “co-op.”
The story of Frank Rice and Ernest W. Stokes goes back to 1933, when they were known as “Mustard and Gravy“. They came from Virginia, and discovered by Smiley Burnette, doing minstrel-shows. In 1950, they cut for Gotham the fine “Be Bop Boogie“, accompanied by a trombone! The song found its way several years later in a Calypso style by Don Hager on the Oak label.
Nothing is known on Les Willard, surely a Nashville singer, here backed by Hank Williams’ Drifting Cowboys, for the romper “Double Up And Catch Up” in 1955.
Red Mansel was from Texas, and had a contract with Dan Mechura‘s Allstar label ca. 1958 for the equally fine “ Johnny On The Spot“. He had already cut for Starday Custom (# 523) in 1955, the piano-led medium tempo “Broken Fickle Heart” (see elsewehere in this site for “Starday Custom serie (# 500-525).
From Texas came also on the T.N.T. (“Tanner’n’Texas”) label the duet The Jacoby Brothers (George, the uncle and Boy, the nephew), respectively on mandolin and guitar. They offer here the very fast “Bicycle Wreck“, with a fantastic mandolin solo.
Red Woodward and his Red Hawks were familiar in the period 1945-1950 on WBAP radio from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I’ve chosen his “Cowboy Boogie” from 1947, on Signature label. Relaxed vocal, fine backing, and a guitar solo which seems being acoustic one!
Finally a R&B Rocker from 1954 by the great Lightning Hopkins. Hope you enjoy the selections. Don’t forget to have a look at my “contact Me” section, for records and books for sale from my collection. You could be amazed! Bye
arkansas 45s