Hello folks, back from Summer holidays ? En route for the late September 2020 bopping fortnight’s favorites’ selection.
Doug Poindexter
No She Cares No More
June 1954, exactly 18. A newcomer with his first recording. DOUG POINDEXTER came from Vendale, Arkansas. Several months ago, as he had went to Memphis, he had been noticed by a guitar player, Scotty Moore – surely the name rings a bell – and hired as front guitar man of his group, the Starlight Wranglers. His voice was very nasal, without doubt as imitation of his idol Hank Williams. On this day, he cut two sides, whose I retain « Now She Cares No More» under the producer Sam Phillips, hence Sun 202.
The record, albeit reviewed by the famous Cash Box magazine, went nowhere, and Poindexter earned his life later as a successful insurance man. « Now She Cares… » is pure hillbilly bop heaven. Fiddle and steel to the fore, and heavy bass (Bill Black). Less than 2 weeks later Black and Moore backed young Elvis. The rest is history.
Bobby Wayne
From the Washington State in 1963, here’s the very Johnny Cash styled BOBBY WAYNE. « Big Train » first on Jerden 709. During the flipside, « The Valley », the guitarist even adopts Luther Perkins (Cash’ guitarist) licks. Good vocal on both sides, and discrete chorus.
Big Train
The Valley
In the December 2016 fortnight I came with Californian Western swing artist EDDIE DEAN and his « Rock’n’Roll Cowboy » on Sage from 1957. Here is a quieter thing (Sage 188) : « Impatient Blues » as its name doesn’t imply is a bluesy thing, nice steel and a bit of crooning.
Eddie Dean
Impatient Blues
Eddie And Chuck
« The Louisiana Ramblers », EDDIE AND CHUCK came in 1954 with a bouncing thing, « Boogie The Blues » on the Chicago Chance label (# 3012). Weird and savage steel, great vocal and solid bass. How they were acquainted with an otherwise Blues/jazz label (1100 serie with already known artists like Wllie Nix – ex- Sun Records, or J.B. Hutto) is open to conjecture.
These sides were not unknown to Stan Lewis, owner of KWKH in Shreveport, La., who also acted as talent scout for Northern companies : Dale Hawkins and Sonny Boy Williamson came from his stable of artists and were recruited by Chess/Checker.Chance had apparently a 3000-C&W serie, but I never ever heard of any more record than this in this serie.
Boogie The Blues
Dottie Jones & Winston O’Neal
A real male/female duet now with DOTTIE JONES & WINSTON O’NEAL. A fast bopper , « I’ll Be Yours » has a prominent guitar – the solo comes a la Carl Perkins ! To be found on TNT 134 (San Antonio, Texas).
I'll Be Yours
From unknown source, I picked up on YouTube a nice slice of fast Hillbilly bop wih « Me And My Fiddle » by BENNY MARTIN, apparently in 1954-55. Martin cut records on Pioneer, Mercury and M-G-M. One one side he was backed with »Hilllous Butrum & his Tennessee Partners », ex-bass player for Hank Williams, and was of rural Tennessee extraction. Nevertheless a very fine Hillbilly bopper.
Cliff Waldon & his Westernaires
Not owning Boppin’ Hillbilly vol. 15, I can’t say nothing about CLIFF WALDON & His Westernaires. His « My Baby Doll », issued on Mark 107, has an agile fiddle (+ solo), a great steel, even a bass solo. Vocal is OK for this fast Bopper.
My Baby Doll
Cash Box Aug. 31, 1957
CashBox June 25, 1955
Is there any need of presenting the MADDOX BROS. & ROSE ? I chose two tracks from their mostly creative period (Columbia, 1952 onwards). « No More Time » is a fast opus, which is still near to their Four Star product. « I’ve Got Four Big Brothers (To Look After Me ) » has Rose on lead vocal, with funny lyrics, in a true Rockabilly : Columbia 21405 from June 1955.
Sources : YouTube for Benny Martin ; W. Agenant’s Columbia 20000 serie » for the Maddox tracks ; Eddie & Chuck from various good compilations ; Bobby Wayne from 45cat. Starlite Wranglers image from “706 Union Avenue” site. My own archives.S
arkansas 45s
This is the same as early September’s selections, no?