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.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

The Rivertown label

Jimmy Evans and Jimmy Ray "Luke" Paulman- They began playing music
together in the 1950s at Sun Records. They played with Conway Twitty and
Ronnie Hawkins during the 1950s and 1960s. They also composed sevaral
songs together.





One of the many short-lived record companies in Memphis, Rivertown Records popped up in the 1970s during the Rockabilly Revival, when many of the original 1950s performers returned to their career - or to recording on and off, at least.

The label was probably too small for own distribution. This task was transmitted to other, larger, companies such as Memphis Records and Glolite. The first release was Rivertown #RTR-101 by Jimmy Evans (1938-2011), featuring "Between Midnight and Dawn" b/w "Turn Out the Lights, Pull Down the Blinds." It was recorded in 1972 at Jace Recording Studio in San Antonio, Texas (surprisingly not Memphis). The line-up consisted of Evans on vocals and probably guitar, Gerald "Jerry" Brennan on steel guitar, plus other members of Johnny Bush's band.

From 1972 up to 1979, more sessions took place at different Texas recording studios. On July 9, 1972, Evans was back in San Antonia at Texas Sound Studio in order to lay down his second Rivertown disc. In 1974, he recorded at the same location a string of songs that remained unreleased and finally went to Oakridge Recording Studio (Fort Worth, Texas) for his third Rivertown record. Released under the name of "Lattie Lane," it comprised "Nashville Woman" b/w "Untill."

In 1983, Evans used the Rivertown imprint one last time for his release of "Memphis 1955" b/w "If It's Love." It was recorded that year at American Sound Studio (827 Thomas Str. - Memphis, Tennessee) with Evans on vocals and lead guitar, C.W. Gatlin on lead guitar, Glen Rice on steel guitar, Jim Allen on piano, Byron Snyder on bass, and Tommy Gatlin on drums. "Memphis 1955" was one of those songs remembering the good ol' days back in 1955, when "the Memphis sound was comin' to life." It was written by Evans and Jimmy Ray "Luke" Paulman, with whom Evans had worked in the 1950s and early 1960s a lot.

Since all four Rivertown releases were by Jimmy Evans, I  suppose this was his own label. Read more on Jimmy Evans here.

Discography

RTR-101: Jimmy G. Evans - Between Midnight and Dawn / Turn Out the Lights, Pull Down the Blinds
RTR-102: Jimmy Evans - Mr. Blues / Top Ten Chart of Lonely Hearts
RTR-103: Lattie Lane - Nashville Woman / Untill
RTR-1028: Jimmy Dale Evans - Memphis 1955 / If It's Love

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