Late June 2019 bopping fortnight’s favorites (mid-50s to 1973..)
Howdy folks! Glad to meet you again. Just a note about the way I put in order those fortnight’s favorites selections. When a record out of my digital library appears to please me, be it Country boogie, Hillbilly hop or Rockabilly, I am hungry to find if the artist made another record in a similar style. Sometimes I am lucky, sometimes not: the disc was a one-off recording. Perhaps later, years later, I will put my hands on a second offering. At this stage the real research does begin: Internet is the main source for information on the record label, the artist, also books and magazines. Then I am doing the actual selection (7 to 10 records) and review every disc. This time you will be treated with 8 records.
Denny Turner
From Indiana between July and October 1955. Denny Turner cut “Deep Down In My Heart” on the Okie label (# 300). It’s a good uptempo bopper: steel solo, fiddle; an assured vocal. The reverse side of this record has a sacred vocal.
Deep Down In My Heart
Tommy Nelson
From Shawnee, OK, in 1961 came Tommy Nelson on the Dixie label (main serie). “Dangling On A String” (# 919) is not his best record: it’s a slow rocker with rinky dink piano, and an uninventive guitar. His best sides can be found on Dixie 814: “Hobo Bop” and its flipside “Honey Moon Blues”are superior Rockabillies, valued at $ 800-1000, if you can afford a copy. “Dangling On A String” is even sold for $ 125-150.
Dangling On A String
Jimmy Wert & The Four Squirts
“Please Believe Me” was issued on the Chambersburg, PA. Skyline label # 752 in 1959. Possibly another Starday custom. It’s slow bopper crossing Rockabilly. A bluesy fine guitar is embroidering the vocal. The flipped “Bingo Blues” was reviewed in late December 2017 fortnight’s favorites.
Please Believe Me
Margaret (Maggie) Owens
“No Hard Times”, issued in 1973.
A great rendition of the old Jimmie Rodgers classic. Very nice guitar, an energetic vocal performance – even some yodels. And this one was released as late as 1973 in Cincinnati on the Rams label # 305129.
No Hard Times
Billy Free
“I’ll Tear Your Playhouse Down” is a classic Hillbilly bopper (with a touch of Country rock: it dates from…1968!) by Billy Free on the Dianne label (# 407) out of Birmingham, AL. Great vocal, nice lead guitar (alas, a too short solo). This record is still affordable at $ 60-75.
I'll Tear Your Playhouse Down
Leon Stafford & his State Drifters
The recording location in not known for this record, neither the date of release; however aural evidence does place “Eight Ball” in the mid-’50s. A good ‘little’ bopper with nasal voice, a risky-dink piano, and a fiddle solo.
Eight Ball
Harold Smith with Slim Glisson & the Trail Riders & Danny Clark
A call-and-response format for this uptempo “Listen To Me Baby” to be found on the Rondo label, out of Savannah, Ga., a predictable Starday custom). It was issued in 1956 and does feature a romping piano (nice solo), plus fiddle and a good steel solo.
Listen To Me Baby
Lindburg Deavers
The last disc of this selection do come from Mobile, Al. on the Shane label (# 11050), a subsidiary to Sandy Records. It’s hard to date such a record, I’d say late ’50s. Lindburg Deavers releases a fine Rockabilly, “Miss Me Now”: a very nice piano and guitar. No one could give a price yet, that’s how this record is so rare.
Miss Me Now
Sources: my own digital archives; Allan Turner for Dianne and Rondo records; YouTube for Lindburg Deavers per example.
arkansas 45s