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 folks, welcome to new listerners, howdy to returners !
This is the late March 2018 fortnight’s favorites selection, and it will include only 3 artists.
First is TAYLOR PORTER for 4 sides. First two were issued February 1958 (60 years ago..) on Starday # 694. « No more lovin’ you » is a fluid uptempo bopper ; the steel solo is common. The overall impression however is great. The flipside « It’s over now » is more of an uptempo shuffler. Fiddle and steel solos. It bears something lazy. Now it’s not that sure this Taylor Porter was the same as in the following tunes.
The old Hank Snow (as « Hank, the Singing Ranger » who cut this song in 1944) song « Sunny side of the mountain » by (another?) TAYLOR PORTER on the Salem, IN Radio Ridge label # 85. It’s a fast bluegrass (banjo) bopper ; fiddle solo dueling with banjo, from 1956. He had another issue on the same label, « Sweetheart, you were wrong », and on Excellent 225.
Then in 1961 on the Manchester, KY Janet (which was Zeke Clements’ – the latter’s story is on the line) label (# 25-60), he has « Away out there », a fast unclassable country tune. We finally find him for a sacred 6 songs EP on Ark 312 in 1964.
Next track is an instrumental, rare in bopping (I prefer voices!). DINK EMBRY [And – strangely – The Kentucky Lads] is probably a Memphian. Is he who pounds the ivories on this « Mason Dixon boogie », issued on Dot 1039 (early 1951) ? In any case, the tune is medium lowdown danceable one with guitar, piano and steel (plus bass of course).
The next four tracks are all done by JAKE THOMAS and all issued between September 1962 and March 1965 on the Dixie label. Wonder if this is really the Starday custom famous label. All tracks were apparently recorded in Arkansas.
Both first tracks, as Jake Thomas and Bluegrass Band, issued on Dixie 987, are medium paced, and have a fine dobro backing over a great vocal, plus bass and rhythm : « What’ll I do » and « If you keep doing what you do to me » are very good examples of 60’s Hillbilly bop.
arkansas 45s