Eddie Bond discography

 The following discography intends to list all of Memphis singer, radio and TV personality, producer and promoter Eddie Bond's original released 45rpm recordings. Numerous alternate takes, demos and other originally unreleased songs as well as albums could be the subject of a second part. Though, this will be a much larger project which would take months to work on and I am not sure at the moment, if I start it. Additions and corrections are highly appreciated.

Eddie Bond and his Western Swing Band, early 1950s.

Ekko 1015

Eddie Bond

Double Duty Lovin' (V. Claude) / Talking Off the Wall ()

A / AA

1955

Ekko 1016

Eddie Bond

Love Makes a Fool (Every Day) (Hews & Kuchie) / Your Eyes (Hews & Carver)

A / AA

1955

Mercury 70826X45

Eddie Bond and the Stompers

I've Got a Woman (Ray Charles) / Rockin' Daddy (Sonny Fisher)

YW12674 / YW12675

1956 (BB)

Billboard C&W review on March 17, 1956

Mercury 70882X45

Eddie Bond and his Stompers

Slip, Slip, Slippin'-In (R. Belyeu-C. Wright) / Flip, Flop Mama (C. Edens-E. Bond)

YW12700 / YW 12702

1956 (BB)

Billboard C&W review on June 9, 1956

Mercury 70941X45

Eddie Bond and the Stompers

Baby, Baby, Baby (What Am I Gonna Do) (Ralph Newton) / Boppin' Bonnie (Joe Chastain-Jerry Huffman)

YW12701 / YW12703

August 10, 1956 (on label)

Billboard C&W review on September 29, 1956

Mercury-Starday 71067X45

Eddie Bond and the Stompers

You're Part of Me () / They Say We're Too Young (Q. Claunch - B. Cantrell)

YW14714 / YW 14716

February 14, 1957 (on label)

Billboard C&W review on March 9, 1957

Mercury-Starday 71153X45

Eddie Bond

Lovin' You, Lovin' You () / Hershey Bar ()

YW14783 / YW14784

1957 (BB)

Billboard C&W review on July 22, 1957

Mercury-Starday 71237X45

Eddie Bond

Backslidin' (Q. Claunch-B. Cantrell) / Love, Love, Love ()

YW 14717 / YW 14782

November 14, 1957 (on label)

Billboard C&W review on December 2, 1957

D 1016

Eddie Bond and the Stompers

The Blues Got Me (Louise Moore) / Standing In Your Window (H. Johnson-J. Atkins)

1030 / 1031

1958 (BB)

Billboard C&W review on October 13, 1958

Stomper Time 1155

Eddie Bond

Can't Win for Losing (Q. Claunch - B. Cantrell) / When the Juke Box Plays (M. E. Ellis)

S-1604 / S-1605

1959

Stomper Time 1156

Eddie Bond

You'll Never Be a Stranger to Me (Hoyt Johnson & Jim Atkins) / Boo Bop Da Caa Caa (E. Bond & J. Clement)

S-2021 / S-2022

1959

Stomper Time 1162

Eddie Bond

It's Been So Long Darling (E. Tubb) / Your Old Standby ()

S-105 / ?

Coral 9-62200

Eddie Bond

The Little Black Book (Webb Pierce-Wayne Walker-Polly Harrison) / Is My Ring on Your Finger (Wayne Walker)

108,864 / 108,865+

1960 (BB)

Billboard pop review on May 2, 1960

Wildcat W0058

Eddie Bond

You'll Never Be a Stranger to Me (Hoyt Johnson - Jim Atkins) / Can't Win for Losing (Q. Claunch - B. Cantrell)

A / B

1960

SPA 25-1001

Eddie Bond

Only One Minute More (Sonny James & Richard Hollingsworth) / I Walk Alone (Herbert W. Wilson)

LO8W-3326 / LO8W-3327 (RCA)

1960

United Southern Artists 5-106

Eddie Bond

This Ole Heart of Mine (Clunch-Cantrell) / Second Chance ()

M8OW-8051 / M8OW-8052 (RCA)

1961 (BB)
Billboard C&W review on July 24, 1961

Memphis M-105

Eddie Bond

Tomorrow I Will Be Gone (Tommy Tucker) / (Let's) Make the Parting Sweet ()

131962 A / 131962 B

1962

Pen 114

Eddie Bond

I Guess I've Got the Blues (Bobby Wood) / As Long As I'll Forgive (Stan Kesler)

P-20 / P-21

1962

Billboard C&W review on October 6, 1962

"Produced by Stan Kesler"

Decca 31469

Eddie Bond

I Guess I've Got the Blues (Bobby Wood) / As Long As I'll Forgive (Stanley A. Kesler-Webb Pierce)

112,833 / 112,834*

1963
Billboard C&W review on March 16, 1963

SPA 25 1014

Eddie Bond and ? and her Dixie Drifters

Buffalo Trace (Dahwiss Meiszinger) / Nobody's Darling ()

P4KM-1159 / ? (RCA)

1963

Diplomat 660S-1502

Eddie Bond

Every Part of Me () / In From Stepping Out (Dan Trowbridge)

P4KM-1502 / P4KM-1503 (RCA)

1963

Tagg 6406
Eddie Bond with Pete Drake & his Talking Steel Guitar
Every Part of Me () / In From Stepping Out (Trowbridge)
1964
Note: This was a re-release of Diplomat 660S-1502.
"Produced by Teddy Wilburn"

Tagg 6408

Eddie Bond

Big Boss Man (Smith-Dixon) / Empire ()

R5KM-8517 / ? (RCA)

1964

Diplomat 645D-8566

Eddie Bond

Monkey and the Baboon (E. Bond S. Kesler S. Davidson) / Short Honeymoon (S. Kesler S. Davison)

R4KM-8566 / R4KM-8567 (RCA)

1964

Millionaire MC-108

Eddie Bond

I Just Found Out () / Back to Vietnam ()

S4KM-0934 / S4KM-0935 (RCA)

1965

Goldwax 107

Eddie Bond

I Can't Fight This Much Longer (Betty Sue Parry) / Now and Then (Betty Sue Parry)

srp 7019 / srp 7020

Memphis M-114

Eddie Bond

Cold Dark Waters (Don Owens) / Raunchy (Justis - Wilburn)

SoN 15601 / SoN 15602 (Sound of Nashville)
1965 (BB)

Erwin EG 2001
Eddie Bond and the Legend Makers
Someday I'll Sober Up (J. Russell) / Here Comes That Train (Kesler-Bond)
SoN-18481 / SoN-18482 (Sound of Nashville)
1965 
Note: There exists a second pressing without the band credit and a black label (pictured below).
"Produced by Teddy Wilburn"

Memphis M-115

Eddie Bond with Jordanaires

Someday I'll Sober Up (J. Russel) / Here Comes the Train (Kessler Bond)

SoN 18481 / SoN 18482 (Sound of Nashville)

1965

K-Ark 643

Eddie Bond with the Jordanaires

Someday I Will Sober Up (J. Russel) / Here Comes the Train (Kessler-Bond)

SoN-18481 / SoN 18482 (Sound of Nashville)

1965 (BB)

Millionaire 698B-3587

Chuck Comer - Jukebox Serenade (n.c.) / Doug Stone - She Moved to Kansas City (n.c.) / Buck Turner - What Will I Do (n.c.)

S4KB-3588 MC-109 (RCA)

Eddie Bond - Hey Joe (n.c.) / Jim Wells - Home in Shelby County (n.c.) / Jim Morgan - What's Gonna Happen to Me (n.c.)

S4KB-3588 MC-110 (RCA)

1965

Millionaire 698B-9721

Eddie Bond

Is My Ring on Your Finger (Wayne Walker) / The Little Black Book (Webb Pierce, Wayne Walker, Polly Harrison)

T4KM-9721 / T4KM-9722 (RCA)

1966

XL 360

Eddie Bond

Running Drunk (J. Russel) / We Live in Seperate Worlds (B. Perry)

356-A / 356-B

Villa No.#

Eddie Bond

Let the Good Times Roll () / You Don't Miss Your Water ()

Tab 003

Eddie Bond

Babby Sister () / Daddy's Drinking Up Our Future ()

1968

Tab 006

Eddie Bond

Buford Pusser (Bond - Climer) / In From Stepping Out (Don Trowbridge)

TS-1018-A / TS-1018-B

1968

Tab 670

Eddie Bond

Buford Pusser Goes Hunting with a Switch (Bond and Climer) / Second Chance (Webb Pierce-Teddy Wilburn)

XK3M-6766-A / XK3M-6766-B
1969

Note: "Prod. by Jack Clement" is printed on B side.

Tab 671
Eddie Bond
Dedicated to Dwanna Pusser ()
Xmas in Heaven () / Xmas Time ()
1970

Tab 671
Eddie Bond
Buford Pusser is Walking Tall () / Buford Pusser Goes Bear Hunting with a Switch ()
1970

Tab 671

Eddie Bond

Dedicated to Dwana Pusser - Christmas in Heaven (Eddie Bond)
A

Eddie Bond-Droopy Duck

Christmas Time (Eddie Bond)
B
1970

Tab 675

Eddie Bond with the Jordannaires

The Legend of Buford Pusser (Eddie Bond) / ?

A / ?
1971 

Tab 676
Eddie Bond and the Stompers
I Started Lovin' You Again (Merle Haggard) / Big Boys Don't Need Daddies (M. Singleton-L. Ashley)
A / B
"Produced by Big 'Jim' Whitby"

Tab 677

Eddie Bond

That Glass (Eddie Bond) / Rocking Daddy (Fisher)

A / B

1972

"Produced by Chuck Comer"

Tab 678
Eddie Bond
All We Ask for is a Little Sunshine () / Farmer's Prayer ()
1972

 Tab 699
Eddie Bond
Juke Joint Johnnie () / Winners Circle ()
1973

Enterprise ENA-9057

Eddie Bond

Caution (Venda Holliday Bobby Richmond) / Caution (Venda Holliday Bobby Richmond)

EM-01056-PL / ES-01958-PL

August 1972

"Arr. by: Quinton Claunch"

Note: This was a promotion release.

Enterprise ENA-9057

Eddie Bond

Is My Woman Just Another Traitor (Venda Holliday) / Caution ()

EM-01057-PL / ?

August 1972

"Produced & Arranged by: Quinton Claunch"

Enterprise ENA-9063

Eddie Bond

That Glass (Eddie Bond) / That Glass (Eddie Bond)

EM-01132

February 1973

"Produced by Quinton Claunch"

Note: This was a radio station promotion release.

Enterprise ENA-9063
Eddie Bond
That Glass () / Ben Bailey's Botton Farm ()
February 6, 1973

Enterprise ENA-9082

Eddie Bond

Buford Pusser Is Walking Tall (Eddie Bond - Jim Climer) / Buford Pusser Goes Bear Hunting with a Switch (Eddie Bond - Jim Climer)

ES-01302 /ES-1303

September 1973

Deccer B-1974/B-1974
Eddie Bond
Air Watch 79 / Law Enforcing Man ()
January 1975
Note: This is a reissue of Enterprise ENS-1038.
 

Advance 51572

Eddie Bond

Is My Woman Just Another Traitor (Kenedy-Chandler) / That Glass ()
1976
Note: Both songs were master tapes from Enterprise.

Advance 707/708
Eddie Bond
Whatever Makes You Happy () / The Love of My Life ()
February 1976
Note: Both songs were master tapes from Enterprise.
 
Advance RRSP 1
Eddie Bond
Bufford's Pattern of Numbers () / 12th August ()
1976 

 Note: Both songs were master tapes from Enterprise.

Compass WIG-C-7-004
Eddie Bond
Legacy of Buford Pusser () / Living Ain't Been Easy ()
1977

Three Stars 888/889

Eddie Bond
Buford Pattern of Numbers () / Candy Kisses (George Morgan)
888 / 889
1978
 
Deccer 52578
Eddie Bond
Rocking Daddy () / Big Boss Man ()
July 1978

Rock It RI-104

Eddie Bond

One Way Ticket (B. Crown) / Blue Suede Shoes ()
101A / ?
1979
"Produced by Bill Kilgore / Engineered by Stan Kesler" 

 High Court 580

Eddie Bond

Ballad of Ray Gardner () / ?
1980

Zone PA-85

Eddie Bond

The Way You Shake It ()

Ray Sanders

Just in Case You're Wondering ()

1985

American Image AIR-1001

Eddie Bond

Rambo Jack () / Invincible ()

1989

American Image EP No.#

Eddie Bond

Rambo Jack () / Invincible ()

Buyer Beware () / Goin' with Owens ()

1989

American Image AI-6001

Eddie Bond

You Will Never Be True () / I Love You Still ()

1990

American Image AI-6002

Eddie Bond

Misbehavin' Shies () / Why Should We Try Anymore ()

1990

Stargem SG-2485

Eddie Bond

The Man Behind the Man () / You'll Never Be a Stranger to Me ()

1991

Stargem SG-2526

Eddie Bond

High Steppin' Woman (Bobbi Barber) / Double Duty Lovin' ()

U-32265 / ? (United)

1991

"Produced by: Eddie Bond"

Grange 001

Eddie Bond

Jump About () / ?

Les Randall acetate

  Les Randall - There Is Someone Somewhere (Classic Recorders Ltd. acetate)
To be honest, I couldn't find a thing on Les Randall. Judging from the sound, this recording easily could be a 1960s cut but it is more probable that it dates back to the 1970s. I also have no info on Classic Recorders Ltd. except for the adress which is shown on the label and that the company was active in the 1970s. Flip side is called "Someone Always Gets Hurt."

UPDATE: VertigoJohn pointed me towards a YouTube video called "The Gates of Graceland," in which host Tom Brown and Graceland's archive director Angie Marchese find another acetate by Les Randall IN Graceland, entitled "You Take the House, the Dog, I'll Take My Heart." The other side was "Reflections of You," a Carl Nichols-Fred Kelley composition sung by Kris Arden.

Looks like Les managed to pitch some of his tunes to Elvis Presley. 

Thanks to VertigoJohn!

Hardrock Gunter RIP

Sidney Louie Gunter, better known as Hardrock Gunter, died March 15, 2013, at the age of 88. Gunter never became a national known singer but is famous in Rockabilly/Rock'n'Roll circles for his countless recordings during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. His songs, which became very popular during the Rockabilly Revival, include "Birmingham Bounce," "Whoo! I Mean Whee!," "Gonna Dance All Night," "Jukebox Help Me Find My Baby," and many, many others.

Read more here.

At the Detour Inn

At the Detour Inn: A song and its composer 

Paul Westmoreland 

  Paul Westmoreland - Hot Rod Rag (1954), 4 Star 45-1651
During the economic depression of the 1930s, many poor workers from the rural states of the Great Plains, especially from Oklahoma, moved away from their dusty home in order to seek their fortune on the west coast. They found work on the farms picking fruits in California. Although they brought not many things with them to the west, one thing for was for sure: their southern music came with them.

One of those young men who left Oklahoma for California was Paul Westmoreland, born on September 19, 1916, in Oklahoma. During the time of the “Dust Bowl,” he moved to California and began working on the fruit fields and in armories during the Second World War. Westmoreland went back to Oklahoma several times but always found himself in a hopeless situation there, so he finally settled down in California. Already back then, he played music in order to earn a little extra money. After the war, he settled down in Sacramento, where he started his professional career as a musician and composer.

In 1946, he had an own radio spot on a local station and was soon known as “Okie Paul.” “Okie” was a common insulting name for the many migrants from Oklahoma in those days but Westmoreland bore this nickname with pride. After every advertisement, he yelled out in the microphone “Tell ‘em, Okie Paul sends ya, heah!” That same year, Westmoreland composed his biggest success as a songwriter. “Detour (There’s a Muddy Road Ahead)” became one of the most successful country songs of the year and was recorded by countless artists. Elton Britt (RCA Victor) and Wesley Tuttle (Capitol) brought their version into the top 10 charts but the most popular version to this day was recorded by Spade Cooley and his Western Swing Orchestra. His rendition on OKeh sold even better than Britt’s and Tuttle’s version and it remained one of Cooley’s biggest hits. Patti Page covered it in 1951 and her version spent 16 weeks on the charts, peaking at #5.

Possibly from the royalty payments, Westmoreland set up his own record label, San Antonio Records. “Devoted exclusively to the finest American Folk Music” was printed on the labels of San Antonio records and in fact, it appears they were excellent pieces in the field of western swing. Frankie Marvin, who had been a solid entertainer and experienced recording artist from the 1920s onwards, cut a couple of songs for San Antonio as well as Larry Bryant. Westmoreland also released his own recorded work on San Antonio. Most of them were written by him and show similarities to “Detour.” “Headin’ Down the Wrong Highway,” penned by Ted Daffan, and “From Now On” had the same topic as Westmoreland’s hit composition, while “Oklahoma Bound” was clearly a biographical song.

By 1954, Westmoreland was recording for 4 Star out of Pasadena and laid down a solid pre-Rockabilly performance with his composition “Hot Rod Rag.” Recorded approximately in late 1953 or early 1954, it featured some hot licks by both lead and steel guitar. A poster from the 1950s announcing a “Rock’N’Roll Show starring Paul Westmoreland plus Max Houston’s Rocking Kings” suggests that he stuck with that style, at least for some time. He eventually would also record for K-Ark and Pride.

Paul Westmoreland and his band on February 28, 1973, at the Detour Inn during an "Oky-style session." Westmoreland is in front playing harmonica with (from left) Ernest McDaniel, Bob Carroll Pannini, and Griffie Lucac.

Westmoreland remained a fixture on the Sacramento musical scene but had no notable success during the second half of the 20th century. He led his own bar called the “Detour Inn,” located on Raley Boulevard in North Sacramento, where he would not only serve the drinks but also perform on stage. He and his family lived in a house right beside the bar. A regular guest at the bar tells us:

He was married to a very interesting lady by the name of Ola Louise who envisioned herself as the next Loretta Lynn. Paul idolized her and a rule was that every band that played at the Detour would let Ola sing a set with them.
I spent a lot of time in the Detour when I was stationed at McClellan AFB ... exactly one mile out the back gate to the bar. All of Paul's bartenders and bouncers at the time were from my squadron ... but don't let Ola catch you comping a drink to a friend!
Big thing you had to watch out for was when a biker would start a fight ... don't worry about the bikers ...Watch out for Ola Louise! She'd be the first one to hoist a bar stool and come out swinging ... quite a sight!

Eventually, the bar was renamed "Country Comfort" and closed its doors finally in 1992. The original building is still standing. Westmoreland's son Dave also became a musician. Paul Westmoreland died on June 21, 2005, in California.

Thanks to Twobadeyes

Ed Bruce on TV

Ed Bruce...what a talented singer and composer. Always liked his version of "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" better than Waylon's and Willie's. Here Mr. Bruce performs one of his gospel songs on Larry's Country Diner. You can watch him singing his signature song here.

Coral Rock'n'Roll Party

This is a re-up by request. Remember that all gratitude and glory goes to the one who provided this nice LP, bobsluckycat. Read what he had to say about the artist and their recordings here.

Download

track list:
1. Steve Lawrence - The Chicken and the Hawk
2. Alan Freed - I Don't Need Lottsa Money
3. Lawrence Welk - Rock'n'Roll Ruby
4. Georgie Auld - Plantation Boogie
5. Don Cornell - Teenage Meeting
6. George Cates - High and Dry
7. The McGuire Sisters - Rhythm 'n' Blues
8. Freddie Mitchell - Freddie's Boogie
9. The Goofers - Flip, Flop and Fly
10. Sarah McLawler - Blues for Rex
11. Johnny Burnette - Tear It Up
12. Bill Carey - Goin' to Chicago Blues
13. George Williams - The Rompin' Stomper
14. The Lancers - Little Fool

Beau Hannon & the Mint Juleps

Beau Hannon and the Mint Juleps
A Story About Young Lads from Arkansas and a Top Show Band from Niagara Falls

Covering behind the band name "Beau-Hannon and the Mint Juleps" initially were four young men from central Arkansas who found themselves doing their hobby in one minute and being on tour just the other. The Mint Juleps haven't been spotlighted yet - until now. However, the leader of the band, Jim Bohannon, went on to greater things and developed this band into one of Canada's and New England's top show bands of the 1960s and 1970s.

The band got together in May of 1961 and began to rehearse. The members were Jim Bohannon on vocals and rhythm guitar, Buddy Dodd on lead guitar, Larry Fite on bass, and Ken Martin on drums.

Jim Bohannon, the leader of the band, was born on January 9, 1938, in Sanford, Florida, to Johnnie Bohannon and his wife Ruby. Bohannon's family still suffered from the Great Depression but they made their way through the hard times. He was born into a musical family, as both his father and his brother played the guitar. With his brother and his sister, he performed in the local church. At that time, Bohannon was mainly influenced by country music, bluegrass, and gospel. By the time he became 14 years old, however, he started listening also to other music styles, including pop, opera, rhythm and blues, and later also rock'n'roll. At some point, Bohannon also took up the guitar. In 1956, when Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley were storming the charts with their rockabilly sound, Bohannon joined the Air Force and spent most of the time at Stewart Air Force Base in New York. Upon his discharge in January 1960, he started his way home to Florida but decided to take a break and visit New York City. He went to Greenwich Village and managed to get a gig in a coffee house there. "Didn't know what the hell I was doing, it lasted 3 nights. I was so embarrassed with myself, I just left without getting paid. (Laughs) What a disaster that was!"

After this embarassement, Bohannon continued his journey and stopped by in North Carolina, visiting an Air Force buddy. Although he had started to get back to Florida, he changed his mind in North Carolina and looked for an option to work. He took a job with a candy company, promoting their products all over the country. Bohannon recalls: "A week here, a week there. Two weeks, three weeks. Depending on the size of the town. [I] lived in motels playing my guitar and singing in my room." One day, he stopped by in Arkanas and met Edd Williams, who hailed from Bauxite, a small mining town near Little Rock. Williams was a great talker, the kind of used car salesman, and persuaded Bohannon to try his luck in the music business. They stayed with Williams' parents in Little Rock and started looking for musicians.

Not long after, they assembled a bunch of locals: Buddy Dodd, Larry Fite, and Ken Martin. Bohannon took the stage name of "Beau-Hannon" and they began to perform under the name of "Beau-Hannon and the Mint Juleps." After practicing for some months, they felt good enough to try their hand at recording. United Southern Artist Records, an uprising label from Hot Springs, Arkansas, contacted Bohannon and offered them the possibility of making a record, as the Mint Juleps had made themselves a name in the region. They went into Leo Castleberry's recording studio in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and there they cut the instrumental "Brainstorm." It was a Larry Fite composition which they had played previously a lot in the clubs around Hot Springs and Benton, where it was received well by the audience. Castleberry heard it and decided to put it on record together with another of the band's songs, "'It's All Over" (written by Bohannon).

The label released both songs in September 1961 (United Southern 5-108) and the band went out on the road that same month. Edd Williams became the manager of the band, as bassist Larry Fite remembers:

We struck out on the road in Sept of that year going to the east coast, having a manager travel with us, his name is Ed Williams. He was a great talker and talked clubs into taking us on by showing the record. We played in Mass., N. Hampshire and upper state New York whereby we were hired by 'The Black Orchid Club' in Montreal, Canada.

They remained with the Orchid for some months and while in Montreal, Bohannon and the Mint Juleps recorded another song called "The Bristol Stomp," which remained unreleased. The band intended it to be something like "The Peppermint Twist," a song that started a new dance craze.

We got to be known as the band that brought the twist to Canada. Bill Haley and the Comets were still playing in Montreal, Joey Dee and the Starlighters as well as others - the money was good in Canada.

But in the spring of 1962, Uncle Sam was calling for Fite and he went back home. He got married in May and the band broke up after only one year of existence. Fite joined the National Guard but lost contact to the other members. Today, Larry Fite lives in Perryville, Arkansas, performing sometimes in the local church. Ken Martin probably still lives in Youngstown, Ohio, while Buddy Dodd started preaching but unfortunately got killed in a car crash.

This was the end of the first chapter of the Mint Juleps. Bohannon left New England, as he was severe ill: "I came down with hepatitis from a dirty needle that I got from a Dr. in Canada for bronchitis. I was in hospital for three months, then six weeks rehab at a friend's place. Afterwards, I went back home to Jacksonville, Florida, to recuperate. After about six months of 'beach duty' (laughs), I went back to Arkansas and put together another group, and headed back to Canada." The new group soon started playing local gigs as Bohannon already had built up connections in the area. The names of the band members that formed the second incarnation of the Mint Juleps are lost to time, unfortuantely except for the bassist's name, Harvey Hockersmith. Beau Hannon recalls: "We were on a job, and one night, Harvey was drunk, couldn't stand up. This is crazy. So we took him to the back of the stage, close to the drummer, and stood him up against the back wall, strapped his bass on him, and he played. If you didn't see it, you wouldn't believe it. Never missed a beat. Unbelievable."

The group played in Rouyn, Quebec, when they broke up again. The second incarnation of the Mint Juleps had not lasted long either and in addition, the connection with Edd Williams broke up, too. Bohannon was on his own again. However, there was an all female group in the area and Beau Hannon started dating the band's bass player, Mimsie Pringle. They became a twosome (marrying eventually) and decided to join forces, putting together the third version of the Mint-Juleps in 1963. Within months, they had assembled a group that consisted of Bohannon on rhythm guitar, bass, and vocals, Billy Vincent on guitar and vocals, Mimsie Pringle on bass and vocals, and Ronnie Briggs on drums. Soon afterwards, they were booked at the Thunderbird Room in of the Fallsway Hotel in the Canadian part of the city Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The time frame afterwards is documented a bit hazy as I did not find any band members from this period. Mike Burnett, who later joined the Mint Juleps, remembers the names Billy Vincent (who was from Niagara Falls, New York) and Mel Coats on drums. However, members changed over the years and there were probably more musicians who performed with the Mint Juleps.

The 1960s saw the band recording a couple of 45 records. In late 1965, the band had a release on the Eksee label, comprising the powerful, shouting "You Stop Telling Lies About Me" and the soft ballad "Stop Me from Falling in Love." The songs were also released on the Canadian Barry label and eventually peaked at #28 of the Canadian RPM charts in March 1966. The single was also released in Belgium on the Frankie label and in Germany on Columbia Stateside. Another record came into existence in late 1967. "Rosie Rosie" b/w "Who's Got the Right of Way" appeared on the Dionysian label, which was California based, however, and I have no idea how the band ended up with this company.

In 1966, the Mint Juleps started playing the Thunderbird Room again, performing there for 78 consecutive weeks. The venue became the group's home base from now on. They would perform two to four weeks there, then heading out to tour Ontario or New England and returning to Niagara Falls.

In early 1968, guitarist Mike Burnette became acquainted with the group. Burnette, who was living in Galt, Ontario, at this time, had performed qith a four piece band previously but was on the verge of quitting the music business. However, his wife Joan was a waitress at a local venue where the Mint Juleps were playing and came in touch with the band's guitarist at the time, a guy called Steve from Niagara Falls. Burnett picks up the story: "[Steve] said he was leaving the band and they would be looking for a replacement. She spoke with Beau and I had an audition the next week in Welland, Ontario, and was hired to start the week after in St. Catharine’s, Ontario." By then, the Mint Juleps had gained a lot of popularity in Canada and New England as one of the best show bands in the area. They had abandoned the local rock'n'roll sound in favor of the top hits of the day for years by then and were playing to thousands of people in different venues in Canada and the United States. "[...] I had to have three new double breasted suits to go on stage. Beau fronted me the money to be taken weekly out of my pay. The suits came from the legendary Lou Miles in Toronto. So to join the group I was immediately $600.00 in debit. I also had to be able to do “steps” for some of the songs. Beau also fronted some money for a Fender Guitar amp, as he didn’t like my Trainor Power Guitar Amp," Mike recalls.

At that time, the band consisted of Bohannon (vocals/bass), his wife Mimsie (vocals/bass), Burnette (lead guitar), and Larry Petrie (drums). The band acquired an own lighting and sound system and eventually also a lighting and sound engineer, Dave Schiller, to take care of and run the equipment.

In 1969, the band started a successful tour in the Boston area that lasted for abour six to eight months, then returning to Canada for a short period only to hit the road again for extensive tours across Texas (mostly the Forth Worth-Dallas metroplex) and Oklahoma in 1970. The Boston tour became such a success that the Boston Globe called the band "the best Canadian import since Canadian VO Whiskey," not knowing that the group's front man actually came from the deep south of the United States.

The group still enjoyed great popularity and performed usually in packed halls. "The most memorable was when we came back after six months in Boston and before we went to Texas. The Fallsway had been putting 'teaser ads' in the local newspaper saying 'Beau is coming back, three weeks til they're back, two more weeks', etc. We opened on a Monday night and I went to the hotel early to tune the new strings I had put on my guitar that afternoon when we set up. When I pulled into the long driveway of the hotel, people were standing out in the parking lot. I could not figure what was going on. I pulled around to the back where we parked and went in thru the kitchen and walked into the lounge. The lounge was PACKED….every seat taken for a 9 pm start and it was about 8:15 pm. The people in the parking lot were waiting in line to get in and the line up continued until about 11 pm. Just crazy," recalls Mike.

In between the Boston and Texas/Oklahoma tours, the band recorded their only full-lenght album of songs that they regularly performed at the shows, entitled "Most Requested". The recording sessions took place in a Toronto studio, where Bohannon and the group spend one week to record the songs, usually late at night. Produced by Quality Records in Canada, it was released on the Birchmont label. "[...] When the album was released we were at the Fallsway and Beau decided we should pre-autograph some copies to sell that night. I think we did about 30. When the people bought the album, they took the protective cover off and threw it away, which is what we had autographed, so we had to do them all again," recalled Mike the release night of the album.

Shortly after the album release, the band dropped the name "Mint Juleps" and continued simply as "Beau Hannon" (although they had used the shortened name "Beau Hannon" already earlier sometimes). A year later, Bohannon and the group recorded another single at Act-Sound Studios in Buffalo, New York, which saw release on the Rainbeau label (likely Bohannon's own imprint) with "Beau Diddley" and "Yesterday". The latter was by a group called Abraham, Martin & John.

Shortly before Burnette left the band in 1972, they hired Tim Last on keyboards to round out the sound of the group. Afterwards, Burnett formed his own group, Mike Roberts and the Legend. Bohannon continued the band for another six years before the times were changing and the band "Beau Hannon" was laid to rest. Though, Bohannon continued to play music well into the 1980s. He retired from the music business in 1984. Burnette still makes his home in Niagara Falls and plays music with his wife Joan regularly at a tea dance party. While Mimsie Bohannon already passed away around 1995, Jim Bohannon is still alive living in a seniors home in Georgia.

See also
• The United Southern Artists label

Sources
• Discography on 45cat
• Spotlight on the Dionysian single
• Beau Hannon on Discogs
• Many thanks to Beau Hannon, Larry Fite, and Mike Burnett for contributing so much to this post and sharing their memories with me.

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