Ric Cartey RIP

The Old-Timey day has to wait til tomorrow. Got something more important to tell you folks. Ric Cartey, famous for "Scratchin' On My Screen", "Born to Love One Woman" or "Young Love", died on August 5, 2009. The rockabilly artist and songwriter was born on January 18, 1937, in Atlanta and recorded his first sides for Stars Records out of his hometown. He then switched to RCA Victor and recorded such songs as "Oooh-Eee", "Heart Throb" (written by Tommy Spurlin), "Born to Love One Woman" (written by Don Johnston) or "Mellow Down Easy". His song "Young Love" was recorded by Sonny James, Tab Hunter, the Crew Cuts, Nat Stuckey and many more.

Read here more.

Something about The Dixie Harmonairs

I bet nobody knows this group. I also know nothing about the group...

The Dixie Harmonaires were a Rockabilly group that recorded two songs for the small Dixie label out of Covington, Kentucky (which was not associated with Starday's Dixie Records). When you look at the labels of the 45s, you will see that the records were rudimentary manufactured. However, the Dixie Harmonaires had their first single out with "Hi Yo Silver" (the flip side as well as catalog number or release date of this single are unknown), which was the only recording re-issued later. A second release followed with "Honey Hush" b/w "Rock Around the Clock". You see that they recorded Rock & Roll classics; the "Hi Yo Silver" was indeed a remake of "Honey Hush" (heavily inspired by the Johnny Burnette version). The Rockabilly Hall of Fame page of "Rock Around the Clock" files the recording as late 1950s/early 1960s.

If anyone has more info on the Dixie Harmonaires, please pass it along. Go to Terry Gordon's RCS site for label shows, re-issue info and song samples.

Rockabilly Duos

Thought it is time for another selfmade comp... This was an idea I had long ago and on the weekend, I compiled the songs and made the covers. No liner notes this time, IMO it's not neccesary. Hope you like it.

Download

track list:
1. George and Earl - Done Gone
2. Jimmy and Johnny - Can't Find the Door Knob
3. Mike and Jim - Baby Don't Knock
4. Wade and Dick - Bob Bob Baby
5. Jimmy Lee and Wayne Walker - Love Me
6. Mike and Jim - Dungaree Cutie
7. George and Earl - Stop, Look and Listen
8. Farmer Boys - Cool Down Mame
9. Jimmy Lee - Look What Love Will Do
10. Tom Tall and Ruckus Tyler - Don't You Know
11. Jimmy and Johnny - Knock on Wood
12. Farm Boys - My Baby Done Left Me

Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning

Some awesome blues by guitarist Bob Heaton. I posted a recording of this three weeks ago. Check it out. The earliest recorded version goes as far back as to 1928 (to my knowlegde), when Blind Willie Johnson cut it for Columbia.

Big Bill Lister died

"Big" Bill Lister, the "tallest cowboy in radio", died on December 1, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. Lister was one of the more popular country music entertainers during the early 1950s.

He started his career in 1938 with appereances on local Texas radio and worked around San Antonio during the 1940s. In the early 1950s, Lister moved to Nashville, where he got a recording contract with Capitol, toured the country with Hank Williams (Lister was also a member of the Drifting Cowboys for some time), was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry and also played with other major country stars of that era. In the 1960s, Lister went out of the music business, but resumed his career in the 1980s.

Lister is often associated with the song "There's a Tear In My Beer", which he recorded for Capitol in the 1950s. The song was written by Hank Williams and ol' Hank gave Lister a demo of this song, before Lister recorded it. In the 1980s, Lister discovered the demo in his attic and was inspired by this to resume his career. It is the only known copy of this demo. The song was also recorded by Hank Williams, Jr, winning a Grammy with his version.

Carl Perkins set

June Carter, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins

Here are four songs by Carl Perkins. I have no accurate info on the recording date, but they surely come from the 1970s or 1980s. Apart from "Rock Island Line", all songs are covers of great Rock & Roll songs. I have some other recordings from that same session, including "Jailhouse Rock", "All Shook Up", "Matchbox" (covering himself!) and others. Have fun with 'em.

Download

track list:
1. I'm Walking
2. Maybellene
3. Rock Island Line
4. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

Down Yonder

Searching for something to post today, I found this one on youtube. At first, I was hunting for some fine Old-timey on youtube, but I think this is even better. It's Allen Dale performing "Down Yonder", which was made popular by Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers in 1934. In 1951, Del Wood also had a hit with this and it was covered various times and became a standard in ragtime piano playing as well as in Old-Time and Bluegrass.

Gene McKown story

Another of the KC rockers:

Gene McKown was a local Kansas City artist, who had at least four releases on two different labels, but there are more singles by him, for sure. McKown first appeared as a recording artist in the spring of 1958 with his release "Rock-a-Billy Rhythm" b/w "My Dream Girl" on the California based label Aggie. A second record followed on Aggie, but then, McKown disappeared for a while. He returned in 1964 on the radar cutting "Ghost Memories" b/w "Incidentally" for the KC label Brass. Both songs were re-issued that same year on Brass again (Brass 238) for unknown reasons. I have no other info on McKown after 1964.

Discography:

Aggie A-1001: Rock-a-Billy Rhythm / My Dream Gril (1958)
Aggie A-1003: Little Mary / You and I (1958-1960)
Brass 209: Ghost Memories / Incidentally (1964)
Brass 238: Ghost Memories / Incidentally (1964)

Riley Shepard RIP

Riley Shepard, long-time country musician and recording artist for various labels, died on November 6, 2009, in Portersville, California, at the age of 90. Shepard was married six times and had several children.

Shepard was born in 1918 in North Carolina and is maybe best remembered as a member of the Dixie Reelers, an old-time group that recorded for Bluebird in the mid-1930s. Other members included guitarist Daddy John Love, Ollie Bunn and Clarence Todd. Shepard also worked on several radio stations in NC during the decade. The 1940s saw him starting his solo career - during the next years, he recorded on many labels such as King, Majestics, Signature and others.

Miami Rockabilly, Volume 3

The last LP of this series. This one was dedicated to Jimmy Voytek (pictured), who died, one year before the release of this LP, in 1980. Also great songs on in, check it out. A great thanks again to Uncle Gil and Willie, without them I wouldn't be able to post this great record.

Download

1. Jimmy Voytek - Close Your Eyes
2. Buck Trail - Honky Tonk on Second Street
3. Bobby Gay - Let's Dance
4. Jimmy Voytek - Sweetest Gal in Town
5. Rhythm Rockets - Everybody's Gonna Do the Rock'n'Roll
6. Jimmy Gale's Imperials - Dandy Sandy
7. Wally Dean - Rockin' with Rosie
8. Jimmy Voytek - Don't Be a Square
9. Curley Jim Morrison - Rock'n'Roll Itch
10. Bobby Gay - You're Nice
11. Jimmy Voytek - Kitten
12. Roxsters - She's Mine
13. Jimmy Gale's Imperials - We're Gonna Rock All Night
14. Wally Dean - I'm Tellin' Ya Baby