Jun 16, 2013 | Fortnight's favorites
Howdy folks! Let’s begin in Ohio with a native (Portsmouth, 1919), HOWARD PERKINS, early in 1960 on the Shawnee label (# 102) for the fine fast, energetic “It’s A Cryin’ Shame” – nice rhythm, welcome short guitar & steel solos. Shawnee 101 was Lucky Boggs‘ “Drillin’ Rig Boogie“. Later in 1964, “It’s A Cryin’ Shame” reappeared (re-recorded with a lovely fiddle well to the fore – long guitar solo) on Bob Mooney’s Rem (# 346) Lexington, Ky. label. Finally PERKINS had another goodie with “Under control” on the Indianapolis Juke label (# 2012, 1969).
Now a real stomper perfectly sung and played: that’s how a real honky tonk should sound in 1956. WYNN STEWART, fronting the Skeets McDonald Orchestra with the solid “Slowly But Surely” (Capitol 3515).
Very near to Rock’n’Roll, the Rockabilly tinged “I won’t be able to make it” by GLENN CANYON on the Cincinnati Adco label (# 781) from 1965. Stinging guitar, haunting riff.
Back to early ’50s with JACKIE DOLL and the topical “When They Drop The Atomic Bomb“. A fast classic honky tonk: piano, guirar, steel, even a landolin solo. It’s on the Mercury label # 6322 (1952)
Now an excellent fast atmospheric Hillbilly Rockaballad “Courtin’ Under The Moon” by RONDELL BARKER (Excellent 804). Great steel & guitar.
Finally on Philly’s Arcade 163, “It’s Nobody’s Fault But Your Own” by REX ZARIO. A medium steady rhythm over a firm baritone vocal. Zario deserves to be researched.
P.S. Thanks Drunken Hobo for sending me the second version (Rem) of Howard Perkins’ “It’s A Cryin’ Shame”.
Jan 15, 2011 | Fortnight's favorites
Howdy, folks. And the hillbilly bop goes on, with 6 new favorites. This time I’d dig deeper in my archives, taken from excellent mid-’80s Tom Sims’ collector cassettes. The guy owned at the time ca. 50 or 60.000 singles! Some 25 years beyond I still discover little gems out of these cassettes, as the three debut choices.
Mark Foster and a loping piece of fast Hillbilly, “My Baby Doll” – I don’t even know the original label. It could be from ’56 or ’57. ** See NOTE down the page. Then Robbie Shawn, accompanied by Wynn Stewart (1958?) on the Linde-Jo label for “It’s Time For me To Go” – I suspect the presence of steel guitar virtuoso Ralph Mooney. Now on the Joplin label, and the unknown Sammie Lee, for the very nice mid-tempo “Oklahoma Blond Headed Gal“, complete with rural vocal, fiddle and steel.
Unto “regular” finds, for The Drifter on the Maid label, out of Columbia, Tennessee (vocal Tommy Moreland). These Tennessee Drifters are not to be confused with earlier ones on Dot (with Big Jeff or George Toon). I know Moreland had other records, but could not find more information, or didn’t care to take time to it. Very fine mid-tempo Rockabilly, heavy echoey lead guitar. 
The career of the Sons of the Pioneers goes back to early ’30s and they had big hits throughout until the ’60s, most well known being “Cool Water” (also done by Hank Williams). Here I’ve chosen their spirited rendition (April 1952) of the Billy Strange‘s original “Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves“. 
Finally, the prolific Mac Odell, a native from Alabama, and his “Penicillin” on King. Fast vocal, one wonders how he came to sing that fast without stuttering!
Mac Odell
NOTE about “Mark Foster” (first selection). A visitor whose great pseudonym “Drunken Hobo” from England hides a fine listener and connoisseur of Hillbilly Bop advises me the tracks “My Baby Doll” is actually by CLIFF WALDON & His Westernairs. Label: Mark 107. The label do come from Utica, NY. I finally found it: 
Waldon was apparently from Oklahoma and had “Indian Gal” twice, first on Stardale, second on Mark. Listen to this track: it has 5 solos! 2 by the steel player, 2 by the fiddler, and even the bass player has his own. No electric lead guitar audible. And a lovely happy voice by Waldon. Thanks again, Dean!
arkansas 45s