Howdy folks, hello to returning visitors ! This is the late February 2018 fortnight’s selection.
Let’s begin with a well-known artist, SKEETS McDONALD. At the peak of his career in March 1958, he recorded a full album of Honky Tonk for Capitol, which I chose the rollicking « You’re there » from : fine piano, guitar by Buck Owens, it’s the sort of bopping music you never get rid of. (Capitol T 1040)
Skeets McDonald, “You’re there”
The original was made a few years earlier by SHORTY BATES and His Texas Saddle Pals (vocal Tal Rowland) on the Mel-O-Tone label # 3600. It’s a good uptempo, with fine guitar, from Fort Worth, Tx.
Shorty Bates, “You’re there”
What an elusive artist is EARNEY VANDAGRIFF. He had between 1954 and 57 records on Specialty (700 serie – see the story in this site) and Starday. This time it’s the romping Rockabilly/Rocker « Be-bop Santa Claus » on California’s Rural Rhythm label (# 511). Fine piano.
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Be-bop Santa Claus”
SUNSHINE SUE teamed with Joe Maphis for “Barn dance boogie” (the latter’s earliest recorded known effort) on Astra 1215. It’s indeed a fast guitar tune over a male vocal. Astra was a Richmond, VA. label from about 1949 or 50.
“Barn dance boogie”
Now a Starday custom : Mid-West label 561 from 1956, out of Wichita, KS. « What am I going to do » by MONROE JOHNSON is a fiddle led shuffle good primitive bopper.
“What am I going to do”
From the small town of Florence, AL comes MOTT GILBERT on the Dixie Cleartone label # 175, from circa 1954. « Foot loose and fancy free » has a fiddle solo (Gilbert?), but uninventive steel solo and a short piano solo. The flipside « Loving mama blues » is a great piano led medium blues tune.
“Foot loose and fancy free”
“Loving mama blues”
JIMMY HINKLE on the Fayetteville (NY State) Fireside 28836 label does « Won’t cha marry me » from 1957. Fast steel, solo fiddle, extrovert vocal, but short tune (1 mn 48).
“Won’t cha marry me”
From 1948 come the next tracks by EVERETT LACKEY & the Lone Star Ramblers, from the Birmingham, AL Vulcan label # 3000A. « Longing for someone » is an uptempo – good guitar with Western swing overtones. The flipside « Sorrow and tears » a medium side with accordion.
“Longing for someone”
“Sorrow and tears”
Various sources as usual: Hillbilly Researcher archives; 78rpm site; 45worlds site;
arkansas 45s