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.

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Buddy Keele on Eugenia

Jack & Buddy Keele & Ozark Melody Boys - Memories of You (Eugenia 1002), 1964

This record comes from a batch of Style Wooten 45s that I bought recently from Bruce Watson, the man who opened his massive Designer Records collection for Big Legal Mess that in turn released an amazing 4CD reissue set of Memphis gospel recordings a couple of years back.

Finally, this gem and milestone of Style Wooten legacy is in my possession. This is not like Slim Dortch's "Big Boy Rock", the holy grail of Eugenia Records, but I won't lie when I tell you that Buddy Keele's Eugenia record was on my want list, too. The music is nothing special, though I like it very much. Both "Time After Time" and "Memories of You" are relaxed country music and the recordings have a rural charme, comparable to Buck Trail's "Young Sweethears". This is one of Style Wooten's earliest productions from 1964 and the music sounds quite out of date for mid 1960s Memphis but there were still artists that performed this kind of music and people who enjoyed listening to it.

I have compiled the info I found Jack & Buddy Keele in another post about them. Actually, "Mailing My Last Letter" from Slim Dortch's Eugenia record as well as his "A Long Time" and "Broad Tennessee" from Dortch's Lightning Ball single have that same rural sound and I wonder if the Ozark Melody Boys were backing him up on that number.

See also:
The Ballad of Big Style Wooten
Eugenia Records discography
Buddy & Jack Keele on Eugenia

7 comments:

Apesville said...

Big Thanks Mellow for sharing so many great records still to found. Looking forward to the Style Wooten Box set your getting together. Well one can hope. I guess Style Wooten deserves his own blog. Dean

Classic Rock Covers said...

Hello, we have the blogs www.Classic-Rock-Covers.com and ChilloutSounds.blogspot.com/ If you want put our links to your Blog List. We already put your blog to our Blog's Blog List. Thank you! :)

Mellow said...

@Apesville Thanks for the nice comment. There are no definitive plans for a Style Wooten box set, though it has been a thought of mine for some years now.

Anonymous said...

Jack “Carvin” Keele was my maternal grandfather and Buddy is my uncle.

Mellow said...

Thank you for your comment! Can we learn more about your grandfather's career?

Laura Keele said...

Hello, Buddy is my father, Jack my grandfather. My Dad had an amazing career in St.Louis as a musician. The Buddy Keele Band( was also Buddy Keele and the swingers). He played in St.Louis at the same club for over 15 years 6 nights a week; before him and my mom bought their own club. In 2003 he (semi) retired and moved back home. I say semi because he He did karaoke for a while over in Van Buren. He recently turned 80 fully retired and living in Indiana with my brother since moms passing.
I had an amazing upbringing, he also made an album. Thank you for sharing.
A

Mellow said...

Hello Laura! Thank you for your comment and the insight you provided into Buddy Keele's career. Would you mind answering more questions about your father's and grandfather's career?

Thank you!