Updates

• Added info on Jimmy Ford, thanks to Volker Houghton. • Extended and corrected the post on Happy Harold Thaxton (long overdue), thanks to everyone who sent in memories and information! • Added information to the Jim Murray post, provided by Mike Doyle, Dennis Rogers, and Marty Scarbrough. • Expanded the information on Charlie Dial found in the Little Shoe post.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Johnny Waleen on Coulee

 
Johnny Waleen - Mystery Train (Coulee C45-102), 1964
 
This flashy sparse rockabilly version of "Mystery Train" was recorded by Johnny Waleen in 1964 on the local Coulee label. It has been reissued many times since 1978 and the original record is now 300 USD or more worth.


Johnny Waleen, whose real name is Johnny Wallin, was born in 1940 in Cumberland, Wisconsin. His first record was released in 1959 on the Minneapolis, Minnesota, based Soma label, featuring "The Road to Heartaches" and "Mandy." In 1964, Waleen cut his version of "Mystery Train" coupled with "Now Is the Hour" for Coulee Records out of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Waleen is still alive and performing.


3 comments:

Carlo said...

This is a monster! Almost sounds like a surf version (ooo-wee! that guitar! is that double picking or what?), but Waleen's vocals top Elvis!
Thanks for pointing that incredible record out to me. A pity he didn't record anything else in that style, or did he?
BTW, kudos to your blog and the work you put into it. You should get more comments!

Apesville said...

had a elvis sound alike ballad on Soma (MN) 45 - 1120 (1959) "Road of Heartaches " as Johnny Wallin

Mellow said...

That was the one I was speaking of, thanks DrunkenHobo.