Hi there, let’s begin this second fortnight for 2018 with a Louisiana platter, that « I blowed my top » by PAUL MIMS on the Shell label (# 121) ; nice call-and-response format shuffler, and the steel guitar is well to the fore. Barry K. John doesn’t ignore this record, but adds nothing else (location, date..) than its price : $ 50-60.
Two selections do follow on the Debute label (# 0500) by DENNIS GOODRICH & the Music City Boys. Both were cut in Lorain, OH. They are two Bluegrass styled tunes, one medium, « All alone » where banjo and steel are battling each other. Second side is slowier, although equally good : « My love for you » (with a mandolin to the fore). The vocal here does remember Andy McRae on Ranger 823, and his song « Me and my love », published here in a fortnight dated…June 2011 !
More of a double-sider, by TOMMY MOONEY with Bob Mooney & his Automobile Babies on the Floto label (# 78002). Both « Bingo boogie » and « That’s my baby » are Hillbilly boogies from 1953: good guitar, and a real ‘hillbilly’ styled vocal. Bob Mooney was an artist in his own right, e.g. his « A sucker born everyday » on Kentucky 575. The band’s name came from Bob’s record, « Aubomobile baby » [sic] in 1953 on Cozy 317.
We remain in social games with « Bingo blues », which is a good medium Rockabilly by JIMMY WERT on the Skyline label (# 752), another Starday custom apparently cut in 1959 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
At last a rocking chick ! This is ROXIE WILLIAMS on the Flint, MI Lucky 11 label (# 1112) : « Fifteen seconds » is a good Rockabilly ; unobstrusive chorus, some echo, and a long guitar solo, cut in 1961, and valued $ 50-60. Roxie had another disc on Lucky 11. “Fifteen seconds”
Finally Thomas Johnson, aka The LONESOME DRIFTER. We finish with a Louisiana record, « Honey do you think of me » on Ram 1738. Great guitar by probably George Mercer, as on « Eager boy » on the ‘K’ label. Intense Rockabilly, lot of echo. Valued at $ 125-150.
As for the past, here are a good amount of boppers cut between 1947 and as recent as 1966.
Fiddler TEX GRIMSLEY was a Louisiana Hayride resident, and played his part on almost – if not all – Pacemaker sides of 1949-50. This label was co-owned by Horace Logan (boss of the Hayride) and Webb Pierce, and was constantly of high standard. Grimsley & his Showboys included guitar player Buddy Attaway [his story is somewhere told in this site], Shot Jackson on steel and the inevitable Tillman Franks on bass, while the vocal duties are taken by (supposed related) Cliff Grimsley, and the tune « Shuffle on down » (Pacemaker 1005) is really a lazy, shuffling call-and-response format bopping song. Shot Jackson produces really wild effects on his steel.
“Shufflin’ on down”
download Tex Grimsley had another disc in this style : « Walking the dog » (Pacemaker 1001, reissued by the big NYC concern Gotham # 408), as well as a fine double-sider out on Red Barn 1071 (« It’s all coming home to you/Sorry for you »), and probably did the fiddling part on the Shreveport Specialty sessions (1949-1954).
»One little teardrop too late » is a crazy-paced item issued as by PLAIN SLIM & the O’Dell Family on the Davis, WVA Cozy label (# 570) from as late as 1966. Two soli each by fiddle and lead guitar over a strong rhythm guitar. One can wonder how this type of record was launched in a world of current pop music, even commercial Country. The name itself sounds like a pseudonym.
From 1951 and by a veteran, PHIL HARRIS, for the fine « Tennessee hill-billy ghost » on a RCA EP-702. He’s been before during the Forties on Ara (« That’s what I like about me », certainly not the Terry Fell’s song) or Okeh.
Another mystery comes from WVA, that of KED KILLEN, and his superb Hillbilly boppers cut between 1966 and 1969 on his own Western Ranch label. Here are both sides of WR 119. Uptempo side is « Hey pretty mama » , while « Lonesome blues » is slower. Plaintive, wailing voice over a top notch accompaniment – a welcome echo too, and a fine guitar. Both sides could easily have been cut a good 10 to 15 years before.
DICK HART on the Texan label Cowtown Hoedown (# 778) delivers a very fine uptempo bluesy « Time out for the blues ». Solid rhythm, pounding guitar and a wild steel (June 1957). Who will get interest with this important and rich label, Cowtown Hoedown ? Its name was changed a short time later to just Cowtown.
From Texas to near Oklahoma with BILLY WEBB & his Seminoles for « Burdock road » on the Stardale label # 50611 ; label was located in Morris, OK. It’s a solid Hillbilly bopper with good fiddle solo and steel/piano over a shuffle rhythm. There were 3 Stardale labels around the same time.
To get to an end, here are two 4* custom issues on the Nugget label (# 190 and 191) by DUSTY TAYLOR and his Rainbow Valley Rangers. « My shining star » and « Down grade » are very fine Hillbillies. Taylor was also in 1947 on the West coast label Westernair (# 107B) with the great « Ranger boogie » : typical romping ’40s music, accordion to the fore, fiddle is well present. The record is billed “instrumental’ but Taylor has a great, swinging vocal in it. A very pleasant record !
I just found “Boogie blues“, apparently issued on Westernair (untraced label), and on a French compilation, “Country Boogie”. And it’s a romper too!
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”
arkansas 45s