Here's a quick one. This was the flip to Miller's cover of the Gene Krupa song "Boogie Blues," which was covered here on Mellow's Log Cabin.
A platform to present my ever growing record collection and publish research results on artists, labels, and shows from the American roots music field
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Chuck Miller - Lookout Mountain
Here's a quick one. This was the flip to Miller's cover of the Gene Krupa song "Boogie Blues," which was covered here on Mellow's Log Cabin.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Wilder Evangelistic Party
Sister E. Wilder does some country gospel here. The songs would sound better if Sister Wilder had a better singing voice, too nasal in my opinion. I couldn't find any information on neither Wilder nor on her Wilder Evangelistic Party from Little Rock. Pressed by Southern Plastics, this record was released in 1959.
Publisher on both sides was Singing River Publishing of Biloxi, Mississippi. The company was a defendant in a lawsuit about unpaid royalties of the song "Tell Him No," written by Travis Pritchett. Reported by Billboard on June 13, 1960: Artists Sue on Royalties
Monday, April 21, 2014
Sonny Williams on CTJ, Part 2
Another interesting offering by Sonny Williams on the Cotton Town Jubilee label. Both "Too Much Competition" as well as its flip side "Play Me a Country Song" were written by songwriter Melvin Endsley, most famous for penning "Singing the Blues."
Composer Melvin Endsley (1934-2004) hailed from Drasco, Arkansas, near Heber Springs. He suffered from polio as a child and was chained to a wheel chair all his life. While being at a Crippled Children's Hospital in Memphis, he learned to play guitar and after his return to Drasco, began performing on local radio. In 1954, he wrote "Singing the Blues" and held a first demo session in 1955 at the Hickory Studio, Nashville. Marty Robbins and Guy Mitchell had a big hit with "Singing the Blues" in 1956. In December of that year, he began recording for RCA-Victor, switched to MGM in 1959 and then to Hickory in 1960. He held one unissued session in 1960 for Eddie Bond's Stomper Time label and returned to Memphis for another session in 1965, this time for the Millionaire label (another Eddie Bond venture). From 1967 onwards, he recorded for his own Mel-Ark label. Listen to one of Endsley's RCA-Victor singles on Some Local Loser.
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Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Christie on Epic
Christie (Epic 5-10695), 1970
"San Bernadino"
"Here I Am"
Music journalist Bruce Eder once called Christie "England's answer to Creedence Clearwater Revival." Regarding their style and influences, this is certainly true but they lacked of success, unfortunately. Apart from two hit singles, their work is commonly unknown today.
The band Christie originally consisted of Jeff Christie on vocals and bass, Vic Elmes on lead guitar and vocals, and Mike Blakely on drums. Each one of them had played with other groups before. Christie started out in skiffle and rock'n'roll outfits, before recording some demos with the Tremeloes. That's where he met Blakely, whose brother Alan played guitar with the Tremeloes. Elmes performed with the Epics and the Acid Gallery before.
They were signed by the CBS label and released "Yellow River" as their debut single in 1970. However, this was actually Christie's and Elmes' vocals dubbed over an older instrumental track by the Tremeloes, recorded at Christie's first session with them. "Yellow River" soon proofed to be their first hit: it reached #1 in the UK and even #23 on the US charts, an enormous success for an unknown English group.
Their follow-up, "San Bernadino" / "Here I Am," showcased the band's different influences: pop, country, rock'n'roll. Both songs could have been recorded in almost the same manner by John Fogerty and his troop. While "San Bernadino" was more country flavored, "Here I Am" was a stone-hard rock'n'roll number that easily could have been recorded ten years earlier. It was the top side "San Bernadino" that reached #5 in Germany and #7 in the UK. It was released in the US on CBS' Epic label but failed to repeat the success of its precursor, reaching #92.
Christie's album "Yellow River" enjoyed moderate chart action but the band soon dropped out of the national music scenes. After numerous line-up changes, the group disbanded in 1971. Christie and Elmes pursued solo career in music and are still fronting their own bands.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Johnny Cash on Sun, Pt. I
Every aspect of Johnny Cash's long and colorful career has been document well enough. Nevertheless, I listen to him frequently and I think, nobdy can say anything against a Cash song here and there.
"It's Just About Time" was recorded during a period when Cash was still under contract with Sun but was desillusioned with the label. Attention was now given to Jerry Lee Lewis and in late 1957, Cash signed with Columbia. Sun's owner and producer Sam Phillips tried to gather as much Cash recordings as possible then because he planned to release new material during the next years. Cash's 1958 sessions produced a large amount of songs written by other Sun artists, such as Jack Clement, Bill Justis and Charlie Rich. It was Clement who produced those sessions and took the Cash sound into a pop oriented direction with most songs being overdubbed with vocal choruses. It were those overdubbs that ruined most of the recordings. Clement reportedly later admitted his mistake but the damage was already done. It was the true simplicity that made Cash's (and the Tennessee Two's) sound that unique.
During his last session at Sun on July 17, 1958, Cash and his band recorded Jack Clement's "It's Just About Time" and the Charlie Rich composition "I Just Thought You'd Like to Know", among other tunes as well. The line-up constisted of Cash on vocals and rhyhtm guitar, Luther Perkins on lead guitar, Charlie Rich on piano, Marshall Grant on bass, and an unknown drummer with an later overdubbed chorus. Both songs were released on Sun #309 on November 12, 1958. Although "I Just Thought You'd Like to Know" was the top side, it was the typical melodic Clement song that eventually reached C&W #30 and Pop #47.
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| Billboard November 24, 1958, pop review |
Friday, April 4, 2014
Jim Morrison on Curley Q
James "Curley Jim" Morrison was - according to music researcher Rob Finnis - active in the Miami music scene before 1958. Although no particular activies are documented, Morrison was said to perform country music during this time. By 1958, he switched to rock'n'roll for a couple of recordings. The first of those discs was "Rock and Roll Itch" b/w "Airforce Blues," released on the small Miami based Metro label in 1958 (Metro #100). Metro was run by two local country DJs but folded soon after the release due to a law suit with MGM Records. Morrison recorded new versions of both songs for Henry Stone's Mida label shortly afterwards, having the initial release on the label (Mida #100). Accompanied by the Billey Rocks on Meteor and Mida, it is unknown which recording location they utilized. At least for the Mida release, Henry Stone's recording studio seems to be a good bet.
In 1959, another rock'n'roll single with the Billey Rocks on Mida followed. "Sloppy, Sloppy Suzie" was mainly an instrumental with a verse sung by Morrison at the beginning and at the end of the recording. It was coupled with "Didn't I Tell You?" on Mida #108.Morrison disappeared for about two years and then surfaced in Glenwood, Illinois, where he set up his own label Curley Q. Morrison recorded for this outfit steadily during the 1960s. The first single appeared in the spring of 1963 and comprised "Ace in the Hole" and the old folk standard "Bill Baley." Although he slipped into country music again, a certain rock'n'roll influence was still present. Especially "Bill Bailey" was an interesting blend between country and rock'n'roll with an organ in the background and Morrison's outstanding vocal performance. Billboard reviewed the single in its April 13, 1963, issue but it was rated with only limited sales potential. Surprisingly, the magazine had reported two weeks earlier on March 30 that "Ace in the Hole" was a regional break-out in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Probably a follow-up to his first Curley Q disc was "Campfire" b/w "(You Just) Made Me Happy Again," both Morrison originals. In 1964, he released on Curley Q #5707 "My Old Standby" (a Jack Rhodes composition) and "The Used Car Blues," the latter being only a variation of his "Airforce Blues." There were two different pressings of this release with different matrix numbers (pressed by Sound of Nashville) and a slightly different artist credit. Though, the recordings were obviously the same. A single on Major Bill Smith's Texas based Maridene label featuring "Old Man Honest" (Maridene #103) adds to the confusion. This record was approximately issued in 1963-1964.
"Ace in the Hole" must have been a good seller for Morrison despite the bad Billboard review. In 1964, he re-released it with "Bill Bailey" on Curley Q #5708 with wider distribution through Sound of Nashville. Curley Q #5709 was another re-release of "Campfire" b/w "You Just Made Me Happy Again." Two more records followed: "He Gave Me You" / "My Three Friends and Me" (Curley Q #5712) and "Oh Lonesome Me" / "West Virginia Love In" (Curley Q #BP-219).
After the mid-1960s, Morrison disappeared from the music scene. Information on what he did after the above descriped time period seems to have not survived.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Sonny Williams on CTJ, Part 1
Following up on my post on Gene Williams' own Cotton Town Jubilee release, here's another offering from this interesting record company. Sonny Williams had the first release on the label but today's disc was his second outing from around 1962, "Foot Prints on the Floor" b/w "I'd Give It All to Be with You." He would go on to release two more singles on the label. The A side is an uptempo country song, written by Bob Forshee, whose compositions were recorded also by other Cotton Town Jubilee artists. The flip is a weeper from the pen of Chuck Comer, an Arkansas DJ and recording artist (Vaden, Cotton Town Jubilee, CMC).
There were several singers that performed as "Sonny Williams". This one was born James Kirby Williams in Memphis. He also performed on Gene Williams stage show "Cotton Town Jubilee" (KWAM, Memphis, Tenn.). He is not the same artist that recorded for Coin, Raynard, USA, and Country Sound.
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Monday, March 17, 2014
Ben Showalter
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| Publicity photo of Ben Showalter, mid to late 1960s |
Showalter learned to play guitar as a child on one of his brothers' instruments. It should be noted here that Showalter was left-handed and the guitar was constructed for right-handed musicians. While learning to play the guitar, he developed the amazing talent to play all chords upside down and backwards. Showalter was influenced by big country stars of the 1940s and 1950s, such as Hank Williams, Eddie Arnold, Marty Robbins, among others. His main idols, though, were Jim Reeves and Johnny Cash, who both rose to fame in the mid-1950s.
The Showalter family moved to California around 1950, hoping to find better work on the west coast. It was also in California, when Showalter had his first public performance. His son Jeff remembers:
One of the first performances was when he asked to borrow his brothers guitar because he had lined up a gig at a local bar in Riverside, California. His brother accompanied him to watch and when the show was over and Ben tried to return the guitar it was refused. His brother said the crowd was so entertained that the guitar belonged in his hands. That was the beginning.Tragedy struck in 1958, when Showalter was injured in a construction accident, which left him unable to do physical work. Several back surgeries followed but the only way to earn a living for Showalter was perfoming music. He kept on playing locally in bars and at community events. At that time, he performed solely solo on stage, just him and his guitar. His act included jokes, songs, and impersonations.
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| "Festus" - Showalter's comedy act |
While living in Batesville, he learned of Wayne Raney's Rimrock label in Concord, which is not far away from where Showalter lived. Raney operated the Rimrock label, studio, and pressing plant and recorded mostly country, bluegrass, and religious material. Showalter got the chance to record his one and only record during his entire career. "Hell in Vietnam" b/w "The Way I Am" (Rimrock #216) were both his own compositions, released in 1966. In contrast to his live performances, Showalter was backed by an unknown band on these two recordings.
In the early 1970s, Showalter moved to Harrison, near the Arkansas-Missouri state border. There, he made connection with an entrepreneur called Sam Jackson. Together with Jackson, Showalter put on a live stage show called "Ozark Country Music Theater" in a small Harrison theater. This was the first time that Showalter performed with a full band regularly. According to Showalter's son Jeff, the show was possibly carried over KHOZ one or two times, but not regularly. However, success eluded the show and it closed down in 1975. Showalter was also friends with Upton Horn (1924-1984), a DJ at KHOZ and local singer. Horn recorded at least two records for Hob Nob Records and Table Rock Records, both from the Harrison area.
After another back surgery was needed that same year, Showalter moved back to Batesville, where he died on July 25, 1975, at the age of 37.
Special thanks goes to Jeff Showalter for sharing his memories with me.
Monday, March 10, 2014
My Son in Service
Gene Williams and his Cotton Town Jubilee label were the subject of a post before. Today's selection is a short, spoken comment on the Vietnam war. Here's a little background information on Gene Williams, taken from my previous post.
Williams was born 1938 in Tyronza, Arkansas, and attended high school in Dyess, Arkansas. He started his career in the radio business in 1958 when he took a job as a DJ on KWAM in Memphis, Tennessee. Eventually he became also the station's sales manager and began promoting Grand Ole Opry acts such as Flatt & Scruggs. In 1962, he created a new Country music stage show he called "Cotton Town Jubilee," which debuted on January 27, 1962. It was a live show held at the Rosewood Theater in Memphis and broadcasted over KWAM every Saturday night, featuring local singers and musicians as well as guest stars from the Opry. James O'Gwynn was the first guest star to appear on the show.
Williams soon extended his activities by founding his own record company in the spring of 1962, the Cotton Town Jubilee label based in West Memphis, Arkansas. In addition, he also set up a music publishing company. The first record release was by Sonny Williams, a singer who was a regular cast member of the Cotton Town Jubilee show. Other Cotton Town Jubilee releases include discs by Cousin Jake & Uncle Josh, Sylvia Mobley, Chuck Comer, and others. On November 4, 1963, Williams debuted on KAIT-TV in Jonesboro, Arkansas with his new show, the "Gene Williams Country Junction Show," which eventually would run until his death in 2011.
Gene Williams' "My Son in Service" was the flip side to "Christmas Poem" by Kenny Owens. Released in 1965, both tunes were written by Norman Beal, who composed another Vietnam war related song in 1966 entitled "The War in Vietnam." The numbering of this disc is somehow a mystery. The label shows the number #95 as well as 723C-95. There was another record on the Cotton Town Jubilee label that fits into that numerical system. A disc by Charles Norris and the Magnolia Playboys has no number on the label but etched in the dead wax, showing #99. All other Cotton Town Jubilee records are numbered in a 100 onwards series.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Gene Walton on Alley
Here's a cool 1980s cover of the old Fats Domino song "Hello Josephine" by Gene Walton on the Alley record label. Domino recorded his original version of it in 1960 for Imperial (Imperial #5704) under the title of "My Girl Josephine," which reached #7 on Billboard's R&B charts and #14 on the Hot 100.
Alley Records was founded by a couple of entrepreneurs in 1962 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, including jazz musician and record producer Joe Lee. Their Variety Recording Studio was built on 213 East Monroe Street in Jonesboro, from which they also operated the label. The label's history began already in late 1961 when Bobby Lee Trammell recorded his local hit "Arkansas Twist" at Variety, even before the studio was completely furnished. Joe Lee eventually became the sole owner of it and released records well into the 1970s.
No info on Gene Walton it seems. It's a common name so it could be any Gene Walton appearing on the web. There was a Gene Walton who wrote such songs as "Love Is a Dream," "The Puppet Boogie," "Rocking Rhythm" and "These Are the Things," copyrighted in 1946. I doubt this is the same guy.
A side of this disc is "Ballad of Wayne Cryts." Farmer Wayne Cryts gained some public attraction first in 1979. The June 25, 1982, issue of the "Lakeland Ledger" included the following article about Wayne Cryts and this record:
Country song supports farmer in battle with U.S. over soybeans JONESBORO, Ark. - "There's a world of difference between law and justice, and sometimes doing wrong is right..."The disc was pressed by Queen City Albums in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1982, judging from the matrix number:
Those are a few of the words from the "Ballad of Wayne Cryts," a country tune about the Puxico, Mo., farmer who got into trouble with the law for removing soybeans from a grain elevator and refusing to tell a bankruptcy judge who helped him do it.
Jonesboro musicians Joe Lee and Gene Walton wrote the song and recorded it here a few weeks ago. Walton said the American Agricultural Movement, which is backing Cryts in his court battle, plans to help distribute the ballad to radio stations around the country.
206003XB
- 2: the year 1982
- 06: pressed in June that year
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