Howdy, folks ! Hello to returning visitors – welcome to new ones. This is the early April 2018 bopping fortnight’s selection (10 sides ranging from 1947 to 1965).
I would not call a minor artist, such one who released 4 records, and even had his own label. This is the case of TOMMY LITTLE & His Sunrise Rangers. Obviously based in Durham, N.C., he appeared on a N.Y. label Ollit (# 2001) for « Mean Mean Woman » : a 1947 country rocker (heavy drums and bass, plus a mandolin break) ; the flipside « One Time Too Often » is medium, a nice loping guitar. What a good start !
Finally he appeared on Colonial 116 (subsidiary of Hollywood’s Modern, not the N.C. Label of Johnny Dee) with « High Geared Daddy », a common macho theme of the era. Fast two guitars and vocal. Is this the same song as Webb Pierce‘s ? (see elsewhere in the site for it).
Next artist is a real unknown from 1958. Nevertheles his record is much sought after, and it attains $ 600-750 when sold. OTIS WHITE and the Hillrockers out of Vidalia, Ga. has the Rockabilly side (great guitar and slapping bass plus swooping piano) for « Shape Up » on the Gala label # 101. On Gala 102, White this time alone, delivers a very convincing Hillbilly rock (fiddle solo and heavy drums) with « A Losing Game » from 1958/59. The flipside « You been doing me wrong » escaped my researching antennas..
Way up North in Michigan on the Bart label (7G 25/26) for a two-sided Rock’n’Roll classic by LAFAYETTE YARBOROUGH No inferior side, both are of the highest standard : « Cool Cool Baby » and « Livin’ Doll » have a solid guitar and a high vocal. The Bart record is sold for $ 800 or 1000 and it deserves them well!
Finally from 1965 in Tampa, Florida : HEROLD WHITE & His Country Masters for « You’re Not Mine » : a fast wailing vocal and a great embroidering guitar are to be found on the Fuller label # 2522. “You’re Not Mine“
Born 3 February 1927, Ellisville, Mississippi. Died 27 June 1992, Mobile, Alabama.
Luke McDaniel, like many a good singer was born in the good ole southern state of Mississippi, in Ellisville on February 3, 1927. He started in music as a mandolin player, and was influenced by hillbilly singers like The Bailes Brothers. He formed his own band and turned professional in 1945. He opened for Hank Williams in New Orleans in the late 40’s and appears to have become hooked on the lonesome sound of Hank. In 1952 he recorded “Whoa, Boy” for Trumpet Records (# 184) in Jackson, Mississippi. It’s a hillbilly boogie belter (call-and-response format) : strong steel guitar and sawing fiddle over an insistant fast rhythm. The flip side « No more » is a good uptempo hillbilly weeper, nicely done. He also cut as a tribute single, “A Tribute To Hank Williams, My Buddy“, a forgettable morbid slow weeper. The Trumpet records were all high quality hillbilly, but as with many at the time, showed him at this stage as little more than a Hank Williams clone.
In 1953 he was introduced to King Records by fellow artist Jack Cardwell (The Death of Hank Williams/ Dear Joan). He joined King but failed to register any hits despite half a dozen fine singles. He cut them either in radio station KWAB in Mobile, AL ; either at KWKH in Shreveport, La.; either in Cincinnati King studio.
« The automobile song » (King 1336), a fast hillbilly bopper, is done in gaiety, “Money Bag Woman” (King 1380) was particularly strong, fusing his hillbilly with a rhumba beat.
« I can’t go » (King 1276) is also a strong, although ordinary bopper. The mid-paced « One more heart » (King 1426) is less interesting as the slowie forgettable « Let me be a souvenir » (# 1356) and « Honey, won’t you please come home ». « Crying my heart out for you » (# 1356) renews with the « Money bag woman » rhumba beat with a welcome mandolin (maybe played by himself?). « Drive on » (# 1287) is a strong although ‘quiet’ bopper in the Hank Williams vein.
When the King contract expired, he went back to New Orleans where he recorded for the Meladee label in 1955/56 under the alias Jeff Daniels at the legendary Cosimo’s Studio with the pick of the city’s black musicians. Only one single was released, the great frantic “Daddy-O-Rock” coupled with the quieter “Hey Woman” (# 117)
In 54 he joined the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport and became a part of the touring Hayride show. It was no doubt here that he saw Elvis Presley and started to move towards a more rocking sound. Around this time, McDaniel wrote “Midnight Shift” [a song about prostitution] under the pseudonym of Earl Lee, which Buddy Holly would later record on Decca.
In 1956 Elvis and Carl Perkins urged McDaniels to submit a demo to Sam Phillips. Sam was impressed and signed McDaniel to a contract with Sun Records. It’s unsure whether he cut two sessions or just one at Sun (either September 56 or/and January 57). Nothing was issued though, as Sam and Luke had a financial disagreement. The unissued Sun sides have now seen the light of day thanks to reissue labels like Charly Records (Ferrero/Barbat 600 serie reissues). “Uh Babe” (Sun 620) is seminal-Sun rockabilly with Jimmy Van Eaton on fine form behind the skinned boxes. “High high high” is more a good uptempo rocker and sounds like a cross between Hayden Thompson and Gene Simmons.
Later McDaniel went to pure rock’n’roll on Venus, Astro, Big Howdy or Big B, but never achieved the big time.
Some songs he published : “Out of a Honky Tonk” and “Six Pallbearers” – co-written with Bob Gallion; “Blue Mississippi” and “You’re Still On My Mind”; and finally, “Mister Clock”, co-written with Jimmie Rogers. Another song credited to “Earl Lee” – “Seven or Eleven”, co-written with Jimmie Rogers and someone named Ainsworth, perhaps Arlene Ainsworth.
Biography taken on « Youzeek.com » and « hillbilly-music.com ». Additions from bopping’s editor.
Howdy, friends ! This is the last selection of fortnight’s favorites for September 2017. I didn’t post a fortnight selection early this month, I was away from my Macintosch and could not but release the story of Freddie Frank, a Texan Hillbilly bopper – I hope you visiting friends and followers have just noticed the article…and liked it! I will be out once more during October, and don’t know how I will manage the blog. In the meantime here I am and well, and ready for this late September 2017 selection, which will last from the early ’50s until 1965.
Here we go with the earliest track, « Why not » on the B&C label # 500 by PAPA CAIRO (misspellt Cario on the label). Indeed he was a Louisianian. Real name Julius Lamperez. He was a steel guitar player and band leader during the early fifties (records on Feature and Colonial among others) and was long associated with the Cajun Chuck Guillory (« Grand Texas » on Modern 612). Here he delivers a decent uptempo ballad, a bit crooning, piano-led with fiddle and steel solo.
From Marshall, Missouri on the Jan label (# 6-58) two tracks by F. D. JOHNSONwith the Missouri Valley Boys. First « Be my baby » is a well-tempered (as you would say for Bach’s harpsichord – rock on, J.-S. !) rockabilly with vocal hiccups and a nice guitar solo. The flipsde is « Great big moon », and a good hillbilly weeper : vocal, fiddle solo. One little record to watch, and one wonders if he did something else.
On the Black side (or the man is White??? vocally he sounds at last) with WILBUR STEINBERG on the Memphis, TN, Hut label (# 4401) for a fast side, « Mop bop boogie », a mover with sax and screams, then a bluesy uptempo « Ramblin’ blues », which goes for the same comment. Two good sides !
Then on to Del Rio, Texas on the Hacienda label. Here he comes, SKEET WILLIAMS for a pleasant ballad (with chrorus and steel), « Lonesome rain » (# 0001). He’s backed by Bob Haltern’s Swing Kings, moreover a band unknown to me. The side was released in 1965 and coupled with « Mary, Mary, Mary Jane », a fast Rockabilly belter with chorus and loud drums. Thanks bebopcapitol !The record had apparently an early release on Royal Scot 102.
We are reaching the end with VON STEPHENS on the Karl label (London, OH) and « Huckleberry junction » : a decent Hillbilly bopper, steel is present, a short guitar solo. Clay Eager production : someday, I will search on the very interesting Clay Eager.
Notes by Phillip J. Tricker to the Collectables CD 5335 « Long gone daddy »(1990)
The name LOU GRAHAM (rn Lewis Lyerly) is best known for his superb rocker ‘Wee Willie Brown » cut for Coral (# 61931) in late 1957, but Lou had been active in a recording studio as early as the beginning of 1951.
He was born on July 15th, 1929 in the tiny community of Woodleaf (pop. 300) in North Carolina. One of ten children, he soon showed an interest in music and after three years of wearing Navy Blue in the services he got into radio as a singer and DJ. He spent 18 months at WPWA in Chester , Pa. where he met Bill Haley and the Saddlemen : it’s quite probable that Haley helped Lou secure a contract with Gotham (hence, Gotham 416). The second batch of recordings are certainly backed by the Saddlemen. The labels of Gotham 433 were ordered on July 9th, 1952, and at this time Lou was working in TV at WDEL in Wilmington, Delaware and as a DJ with his « Roundup time » program at radio station WTNJ in Trenton, NJ. During the mid-to-late fifties he was busy on a schedule of appearances at nightclubs and hillbilly parks asnwell as TV and radio, and playing on the « Big Western Jamboree » in Camden, NJ.
Notes by Bill Millar & Rob Finnis for BF 15733 « That’ll flat git it » (Decca) (1994)
When LOU GRAHAM dipped into rock’n’roll with Willie Brown in November 1957, he was already 28 and a veteran of local radio in Chester, Pennsylvania whose most famous resident, Bill Haley, became his mentor. One of ten children Graham was born Lewis Lyerly in Woodleaf, North Carolina in 1929. After serving in the US Navy, he worked as a country vocalist and broadcaster joining WPW, Chester in 1950. It was there that he befriended with Bill Haley, then jobbing on the local bar-room circuit with the Saddlemen while holding down the post of announcer at the station.
Graham signed with Philadelphia’s Gotham label in 1951, and made his recording debut accompanied by members of Haley’s band with whom he occasionally appeared on stage. By the time of his second Gotham release, Graham had moved to WTNJ in Trenton, New Jersey leaving Haley to pursue the musical career which would soon make him an international star.
Who’s Lou Graham?
Slap that bass!
By 1956, Haley, flush with riches, had assumed the role of benefactor, granting recording favours to a number of acolytes in an ill-fated attempt to create a music publishing and recording empire. Graham was signed to Haley’s Clymax label and he cut « Wee Willie Brown » backed by the Comets. The master was assigned directly to Coral when Haley’s enterprizes ran into financial difficulties.
LOU GRAHAM, a track-by-track appreciation (notes by bopping.org editor)
« Two timin’ blues » is an uptempo shuffler. A bit of yodel vocal. A good steel. Backing by a fine piano (+ solo). « Long gone daddy » is, of course, the Hank Williams’ song, and this is a good version. Morever I have the same comments than for « Two timin’ blues ». All in all, a successful 2-sider for a first recording (Gotham 416)
Now on to the 4-tracks second session. « I’m lonesome » has an inventive steel over an uptempo shuffle pace. The piano is well to the fore and Graham adopts a somewhat harsh vocal. « Please make up your fickle mind » is a nice shuffler too (Gotham 433, from 1953). « A sweet bunch of roses », as expected, is a sentimental, although agreeable song (Gotham 429). More of the same with the medium-paced « My heart tells me (I’m still in love with you) ».
Of course, the Coral sides from 4 years later are a complete contrast with the Gotham sides. « Wee Willie Brown » (Coral 61931) is a solid rocker : Bill Haley’s saxman Rudy Pompilli blows his fuse, and Franny Beecher excells on lead guitar as on the Comets’ better days. « You were mean baby », although noted as recorded at the same session, is very different : big band type rocker, male chorus ; it reminds me of the Johnny Burnette Trio‘s « Shattered dreams » cut in NYC, already for Coral too.
Howdy folks ! Over here in France, it’s the final run for Soccer’s Europ Cup – that’s not really Hillbilly !
First a mostly known artist for his Rock & roll and Pop records. He went with 2 aliases to pursue 2 careers at least. Originally from Canton, OH, DICK GLASSER first fronted for one record the Pee Wee King band in 1956, and sang on two tracks full of energy and dynamism (without noise, all is fluid and lowdown although uptempo) : « Catty town » and « Hoot scoot », to be found on the RCA-Victor 47-6584 label. A cross between Hillbilly bop and Western swing. Later Glasser renamed himself Dick Lory on the Liberty label.
Next four tracks were cut in 1959-60 and issued on the Demorest, GA.Country Jubilee label. The city is at the upper north limit of the State, very near of Virginia and Tennessee frontiers.
# 517 is done by BILL ALEX and the Dixie Drifters : « I‘m just a nobody » is a typical late ’50s medium uptempo country-rocker. It’s flipside, « I’ll remember you » was untraced by me, but issued along with the A-side on Top Rank EP 2055 in 1960.
BILL WATSON on # 525 has here two selections, « I’m dying darling » is a soft uptempo country-rocker, while the reverse side « You’re the onefor me» is a bit bluesy, with a sort of hypnotic guitar throughout.
Finally for the Country Jubilee label, we jump to # 539 by BILL LEATHERWOOD and « My foolish heart », a slow uptempo ; nothing exceptional, although the man has a sort of treble in his voice. Steel present. I’ve added as a bonus his « Hillbilly blues » issued by Peach (# 756), also in Georgia, well into 1961-62, a good country rocker with lotsa steel and a fiddle solo.
Last record I review this fortnight is done by MASON GAY on the Country Music label, from Forest, MS (# 501). Confident vocal for a country rocker (no drums), « I never have the blues », while the flipside is catchy (« The girl I met at the bar ») which is part-spoken. Has a Rite number, dating the record from 1960.
Little goes on on his seemingly own label, Tommy’s 1012 with « I don’t mind being blue » , a fast and happy vocal over an urgent backing..
“Shape Up“
arkansas 45s