Hi ! To everybody visiting this website. This is the last fortnight’s favorites selection of 2016, and I hope you will find something of interest in this serie. Not much inspired (and not enough researches) this time, I’ll add very few comments on each record.
The SEVEN ROWE BROTHERS were 7 brothers (and a younger sister) who came originaly from Oklahoma, but settled in California after WWII. They did cut first on Pioneer 607 a fine romping instrumental, an hybrid Western swing/hillbilly boogie in « Spring boogie blues », piano led with solos by steel (Guy Rowe)l and fiddle.
On Pioneer 608, Jack Rowe takes the vocal duty for this good Billy Hughes‘ classic « Birthday cake » : twin fiddles are in the hands of Earl and D.L. Later on the song was revived first by Skeets McDonald on Fortune, then by Jimmy Ballard on Kentucky.
The third disc by the Rowes was issued in 1952 under the name of JACK ROWE & the Wichita Mountain Boys, and again « Bomb bosh boogie »(# 46398) is a nice shuffler.
A fast Hillbilly boogie now with BUSTER PACK on the Campbellville, KY. Rich-R’-Tone label (# 1051). « Indian boogie » came in 1952. He had previously recorded in vintage Bluegrass style with “Better late than never” (# 1050).
from 1959-61. «Please forgive me » is piano led and has a short guitar solo. This record is not listed in Les Fancourt’s « Blues discography ».
Sources : Youtube ; Praguefrank ; my own archives. Next articles about SPECK & DOYLE, DUB DICKERSON and “PECK” TOUCHTON. Information needed for future features on FRED CRAWFORD and WALTER “Tex” DIXON.
Howdy, folks! Here we go first with a romper, the fast BILLY SCOTT “You’re Braggin, Boy” on a Tee-Vee, OP 4 Star label (#225). Great steel and piano, and call-and-response format. Then in Nashville for the Marty Robbins’ owned Robbins label (# 1005) by the typical hillbilly duet of TOMMY & JOHNNY. They do “I’ll Go On” (#1004), tinkling piano, sawing fiddle and steel -all have their solos, but nothing exceptional!
Nashville on the Bullet label. I couldn’t find any picture of the label (# 706) of “Walking Up Stairs“, by Texan PAUL BLUNT, which, according to Kevin Coffey, could well be the the forerunner of the young Eddie Cochran for “Twenty Flight Rock” six years later. Steel and piano (Blunt was at ease with both) for this fine bopper. Blunt was a renowned session player (Lefty Frizzell, Bill Boyd) since the ’40s and had records on Columbia and Imperial too. Thanks go to Michel Ruppli! Thanks to DrunkenHobo, a faithful visitor, here is the label!
Paul Blunt
Ohio based AL WINKLER on his own Winkler label (# 45-88) for this “Show Boat Boogie“, along with the Warren County Band. It’s a belter (call-and-response), two guitars, it rolls.
From California and a Tom Sims’ cassette (I found a label scan), for a Bluegrass wildie: The GOLDEN STATE BOYS on the Shamrock label (# 717) . Powerful banjo and mandolin. Chorus, then urgent vocal on “Always Dreaming“. The Golden State consisted of Hal Poindexter (guitar/writer), Vern & Rex Gordin, plus virtuoso young Chris Hillman on mandolin. Disc from 1962.
Finally the one and only BUFFALO JOHNSON. The name can seem not that familiar. He had a long string of releases on Mercury, Gateway (“T’ain’t Big Enough“, # 520, with Jimmie Ballard on vocal) among others in the late 40s/early 50S. Here he offers a good guitar picking bopper. I still do research on him.
A visitor, Mr. Jason Odd, gave me the following details (September 30th) on the GOLDEN STATE BOYS:””Always Dreaming” — Herb Rice is playing mandolin and singing high harmony. Hal Poindexter is singing lead. Although not issued until as late as August of 1962 (this date may be wrong) the Golden State Boys debut 45 single ‘Always dreaming’ b/w ‘Wicked woman’ (Shamrock 717) was recorded in early 1962.
The Golden State Boys at the time were Don Parmley (banjo), Herb Rice (mandolin, vocals), Leon Poindexter (vocals, dobro, guitar), Harry Kniss (bass, vocals), and Hal Poindexter (vocals, guitar).
Hal actually quit the band for part of 1962, but rejoined a radically different line-up later that same year. Hal and Don Parmley were the real constants in the group after that, although by late 1963 they were down to a quartet with Don, Hal and the Gosdin Brothers Rex and Vern. With a disagreement over management [Bob Flowers] Parmley and the Gosdins went out on their own as the Golden State Boys with Chris Hillman taking over on mandolin, while Vern Gosdin switched from mandolin to guitar. That group briefly worked as the Golden State Boys until Hal Poindexter and Bob Flowers took control of the name and rebuilt the group.
The Gosdin-Hillman-Parmley combo became known as the Blue Diamond Boys and as that group cut the album that was later credited to the Hillmen when released in 1969.” Thanks Jason!
Howdy, folks! We do embark for a new musical journey into Bluegrass, old-time Hillbilly, and border Rockabilly Hillbilly bop.
First from North Wilkesboro, Western North Carolina, do come the CHURCH BROTHERS. Three brothers, Ralph, Bill and Edwin (each’s instrument unknown) and a fourth partner, Ward Eller, provided on the Jim Stanton’s Rich-R-Tone label, later on Drusilla Adams’ Blue Ridge label, a nice serie of enthusiastic tunes between 1951 and 1953, before they were disbanded by the mid-’50s. The elder Bill was playing (certainly guitar) with Roy Hall & his Blue Ridge Entertainers before the WWII, and was joined later by younger brothers. Alas, they were reluctant to travel very far, and, being modest and straightforward country boys, they were less and less involved in music – and more and more tied in their farms and families. Here you can hear the fabulous banjo-led “I Don’t Know What To Do“, which I don’t even know the original issue number of, having picked it from an old Tom Sims’ cassette. This track escaped to Rounder LP 1020, a shame because in my mind it’s by far their best track ever. Final note: the Church Brothers backed Jim Eanes on his regional hit “Missing In Action” (1952).
GRANDPA JONES (Born Louis Jones, 1913 – died 1998) was a banjo player, comedian, and long-time associate with Grand Ole Opry. He had adopted the name ‘Grandpa’ at 22,because he sounded old on the radio. He recorded with Merle Travis and the Delmore Brothers as Brown’s Ferry Four for King (religious sides). Here you can hear his hilarious and stomping “Grandpa’s Boogie” (King 822) from 1948.
CHARLIE MONROE along with famous brother Bill was at the very beginnig of Bluegrass music, but he deliver also some very good Hillbilly, as here with “Down In Caroline” from the ’40s (RCA 48-0391B ). Note the boogie guitar for a song much covered afterwards, e.g. the Church Brothers.
From Texas and a bit later. The first issue on the Gainesville Lin label (Buck Griffin…) by a rather unknown WAYNE JETTON and “A Crazy Mind Plus A Foolish Heart” (Lin 1000). A good average uptempo ballad. Then, on the San Antonio TNT label, a bordering Hillbilly bop/Rockabilly bop, “Be Bopping Baby” (TNT 9009) by RANDY KING, from 1956. Good topical lyrics, and fine backing.
Finally a belter from 1956 by a R&B lady (unusual on Bopping!), “Alabama Rock’n’Roll” by MABEL KING on the Rama (# 200) New York label. Enjoy the selections! ’till then, bye-bye!
swing/hillbilly boogie in « Spring boogie blues », piano led with solos by steel (Guy Rowe)l and fiddle. 
arkansas 45s