Jim Morrison on Curley Q

  Jim Morrison and Band - Bill Bailey (Curley Q C.Q.-002), 1963   "Curley Jim" Morrison may be best known to most of you for his energetic and frantic performance of "Rock and Roll Itch" from 1958. A country singer in the first place and rock'n'roll only second, Morrison made several other recordings during his career, most of them are forgotten today. As much as his recorded work has to be unearthed, his life and story is largely obscure as well.

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.

Sonny Williams on CTJ, Part 1

Sonny Williams - Foot Prints on the Floor (Cotton Town Jubilee 104)
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. 

Read more:

• Gene Williams on Cotton Town Jubile
• Cotton Town Jubilee discography

• Cotton Town Jubilee label story

Ben Showalter

A lot of unknown and obscure country music singers recorded from 1965 to 1974 for Wayne Raney's Rimrock label, probably the most prolific record label in Arkansas. One of those artists was Ben Showalter, who recorded just one single record during his entire career. Showalter made a living with music because health problems left him unable to do hard work. Tragedy struck once more in 1975, when Showalter died at the age of 37.

Publicity photo of Ben Showalter,
mid to late 1960s

Ben Showalter was born in 1938 in the small community of Trumann, Arkansas, which is mostly remembered by rock'n'roll record collectors for Arlen Vaden's Vaden Records. Raised in poverty as the son of sharecroppers in North-East Arkansas, he also had four brothers and two sisters. Showalter encountered several health problems during his lifetime. The first of those was his inborn cleft pallet, which caused significant speach impediment. This was corrected with a surgery during his teens.

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.

"Festus" - Showalter's comedy act

In 1965, Showalter moved back to Arkansas and settled in Batesville. For a short time, he joined forces with bass player and singer Virgil Hill and travelled with him to Nashville, Tennessee, a couple of times. In Nashville, Showalter was also able to land a guest spot on the famed Grand Ole Opry.

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.

My Son in Service

  Gene Williams - My Son in Service (Cotton Town Jubilee 95), 1965
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.

Read more on the Cotton Town Jubilee label

Gene Walton on Alley

  Gene Walton - Hello Josephine (Alley 1099), 1982
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..."

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.

The disc was pressed by Queen City Albums in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1982, judging from the matrix number:

206003XB

• 2: the year 1982
• 06: pressed in June that year

By that time, Alley had moved from East Monroe Street to 1851 So. Church Street. It's unknown to me if the studio moved also to that adress or if it remained on East Monroe Street.

Further reading:

• Alley Records story

• Alley Records discography

Thanks to Slim D

Jimmy Dean

Another bobsluckycat post presented by Mellow's Log Cabin

This is not meant to be a "be all know all" article about country music legend and Country Music Hall of Fame member Jimmy Dean (1928-2010), but a brief overview. I recommend his autobiography published in 2004 "30 Years Of Sausage, 50 Years Of Ham," which gives the full story in his own words for that.

Jimmy Dean was born outside of Plainview, Texas, in 1928 in abject poverty and struggled through the Great Depression. He was musical and always funny but at age 16, left home for the Merchant Marines towards the end of World War II, after that an enlistment in the U.S. Air Force took up his time for the most part but he spent some free time around the Washington, D.C., area, even then playing in local bands. He had a good smooth voice and he could play piano, accordion, guitar and even harmonica fairly well. After mustering out of the Air Force, Jimmy stayed in the Washington, D.C., area with his own band "The Texas Wildcats" and eventually caught on with country susic entrepreneur Connie B. Gay and his "Country Music Time" radio program on WARL-AM in Arlington, Virginia. Around the same time he signed a contract with an east coast associate producer of 4-Star Records in Pasadena, California. His first record was to become a country music standard over the years, "Bummin' Around." Jimmy's version was the label's local hit in the east (4-Star #1613). 4-Star - upon hearing the song - had T. Texas Tyler record a better sounding version and leased it to Decca Records which became the nationally known hit version. Jimmy's version died on the vine. Two other 4-Star records were released between 1952 and 1954 and went nowhere. Jimmy claimed that he made little or no money in royalties from these recordings, even though they were re-issued again and again on "budget LP's" after he was famous.

  Jimmy Dean - Bumming Around (4 Star 1613), 1954

In 1955, the radio show moved to television in Washington, D.C., on WMAL-TV in the afternoons. It was live, spontaneous and an immediate hit owing mostly to the wit and good humor of Jimmy Dean. Also in 1955, Jimmy signed a new recording contract with Mercury Records in Chicago. The first release being Mercury #70691 "False Pride" b/w "Big Blue Diamonds" which went nowhere. He released two more records on Mercury and then nothing for some time as recordings went.

In the mean time, he was on a regional TV hook-up live daily on Virginia and Maryland stations and a Saturday night live three hour TV show for Connie B. Gay called "Town and Country Time Jamboree." CBS picked up the daily show for 28 weeks into 1957 which was on WTOP-TV, and after a pilot was made, became the CBS Morning Show for 8 months into 1958. In September 1958 until June 1959, CBS had "The Jimmy Dean Show" live week days and at noon on Saturdays on the full network.

In the mean time, as to recordings, Jimmy had stalled out but was still under contract to Mercury in 1956 with no new recordings scheduled to be made, when and it get fuzzy here, depending on what I know and what other versions appear to be, Jimmy was called down to Nashville over a week-end to appear on the Grand Ole Opry and record enough recordings to fill out an album, which eventually became "Jimmy Dean's TV Favorites" (Mercury LP MG 20319) released in early 1957 which was a rehash of some old standards and a new version of "Bummin' Around" which was very "pop music" oriented with very sparse accompaniment, but still decidedly country. Also recorded was a ballad entitled "Losing Game" which had just enough of a pop and teen flavoring to be a hit record. The problem was the single was to be a "Mercury-Starday" release. Mercury and Starday merged around the time Jimmy made that recording session in Nashville and was only paid union scale for the session on "spec", according to him. Mercury and Starday had a short and acrimonius partnership, and by the time they settled who got what, Jimmy's "Loosing Game" had been released and the advance copies to DeeJays nationwide was getting a lot of air play. It was going to be a hit, but in the separation of the two companies, no more copies were pressed after the initial run and was "stillborn". The song appeared on the last Mercury-Starday LP 20358 as well. It wasn't a hit. Jimmy also told me that he never made a dime in royalties off on any of his Mercury recordings. They also had been re-issued countless times and in countless forms. He was adamant about this late in 1978/79 when I had the opportunity to question him about it. Compounding the problem, by his own admission, was the fact he signed a new long term recording contract with Columbia Records in mid-1957. Jimmy's first Columbia release went nowhere as did several more into 1959. His first album, the gospel LP Columbia CL-1025 "Hour Of Prayer" also did nothing when released.


Jimmy Dean - Losing Game (Mercury 71120X45), 1957
When his CBS television show was over, and since he was good especially "live" as most shows were, he hosted the "Tonight Show" from time to time, did game shows and others and toured promoting minor recordings. He was also a frequent guest on the Arthur Godfrey Radio Show over the CBS Radio Network out of New York.

Then in 1961, on his second Columbia LP and a single release, Jimmy struck gold with "Big Bad John", which went to the top of the charts in America, number 1 country and pop for many weeks in late 1961. He took home a Grammy for it as well and it became his signature song. This is the original undubbed version.#


Jimmy Dean - Big Bad John (Columbia 4-42175), 1961

This song brought ABC Television calling, wanting Jimmy Dean to host a new variety show which would be decidedly town and country with a full orchestra and a chorus of featured singers. This program lasted 3 seasons 1963 through 1966 and was almost always at the top of the ratings. Jimmy also took this show on the road pretty much intact and made millions. A lot of up and coming young country stars got their first national exposure on his show, notably Roger Miller and Charlie Rich to name two.

At the end of his Columbia Records contract, Columbia released Jimmy Dean's last big hit record and it also sold a million copies "The First Thing Every Morning" in 1965. I should note here that over the years two very maudlin and sweet readings, to me anyway, sold over a million copies each, "Too A Sleeping Beauty" and "I.O.U.". They are not included here if for no other reason their extreme length.


Jimmy Dean - The First Thing Ev'ry Morning (Columbia 4-43263), 1965
In 1966, Jimmy signed an RCA Victor recording contract and had some very minor hits over the next 7 years. His energies had drifted elsewhere. He was in films and television series and in Las Vegas and in 1969, as an investment to save his now considerable fortune, started The Jimmy Dean Meat Company with his brother Don in Plainview, Texas, which was an immediate success. The rest they say is history.

The Glendale label

Glendale Records

"The Sound of the Sixty's"

I assume that the Glendale label was somehow connected to Buck Trail because a lot of his compositions were recorded by bands for the label. Glendale was located in Orlando, Florida, and started approximately in 1960. The first known record was by the Little Boppers, featuring the two Trail songs "Chattanooga Drummer Man" and "Something Special to Me." Other records on the label were by Jerry & the Capri's and the Flying Tornadoes.

Trail also recorded for the label with another singer under the name of "Buck and Tommy." The result was "Lady Friend" b/w "Beneath Miami Skies" from 1960. Trail often pitched one song to several different artists. "Beneath Miami Skies," for example, was recorded by Trail on two different occasions, Gabriel Denes, Norm Mello, and possibly some others. 

Similiar to Trail's previous label Trail Records, Glendale was a relatively short-lived venture. The last known recording was pressed in 1961 by Rite in Cincinnati, by 1962 Trail was recording a young teenage singer called Pat Parker for the Heartland and Skyland labels.

Discography

1001: Little Boppers - Chattanooga Drummer Man / Something Special to Me (1960)

1002: Buck and Tommy - Lady Friend / Beneath Miami Skies (1960)

1003: Karmone Gale - You're the Cutest / ? (1960)

1004: Dorinda Duncan - It's Christmas Time / Happy Little Star (1960)

1005:

1006:

1007: Jerry & the Capri's - Dancing Dan / I Still Love You (1960)

1008:

1009:

1010:

1011: Dorinda Duncan - Caddy Daddy / You're Something Special (1961)

1012: The Flying Tornadoes - Chattanooga Drummer Man / Make Believe Love (1961)

Thanks to the DrunkenHobo

Helen Thomas on Trail

Helen Thomas / The Rhythm Heirs - Chattanooga Drummer Man (Trail A-102), 1958 

Helen Thomas, also promoted as "The Singing Sweetheart" by label owner Buck Trail (real name Ronald Killette), remains a mysterious figure in the Miami rock'n'roll scene. She recorded that one record for Trail and then slipped into obscurity again.

Thomas recorded "Chattanooga Drummer Man" b/w "Young Sweethearts" in 1958 for Killette's short-lived Trail Records, which lasted only about half a year. Killette, who was a local promoter and songwriter, performed under the name of Buck Trail and also released a couple of records, including his version of "Chattanooga Drummer Man" that same year.

"Chattanooga Drummer Man," a knock-off of Red Foley's "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" written by Killette, is a rather chaotic version of the song. Thomas sings four about a minute, then the band keeps on jamming away for the rest of the song with hollers and shouts thrown in. Thomas' version was solely reissued on the Collector CD "Savage Rockin' Girls" in 1999.

Marlon Grisham on Cover

Marlon Grisham - Man with No Heart (Cover 45-711)
Better known as a rockabilly singer, Marlon Grisham also recorded a couple of country songs during his career in the 1950s and 1960s. One of those pieces, the beautiful "Man with No Heart," is featured today.

Grisham was a local Memphis/East Arkansas singer. He probably first recorded for B.B. Cunningham's Cover record label in Memphis, releasing "Ain't That a Dilly" b/w "Sugarfoot" (Cover 5982, 1959), for which he is best known today. He followed up with another single on Cover ("Teenage Love" / "Now It's Your Time," Cover 4621, 1962). Probably between those two singles or even before his first, it is reported that Grisham also recorded a couple of tapes for Sun Records, including "Between Here and There" and "What a Beat."

Marlon Grisham

I'm not quite sure where today's featured disc by Grisham fits in, but I would date it around Late 1960s or early 1970s. "Man with No Heart" is a highly commercial tune with lots of pop influences, written by Jody Chastain (1933-1999). Chastain played with Eddie Bond early on and wrote "Boppin' Bonnie" for him, before performing with Fuller Todd and then Charlie Feathers from 1955 to 1960. Both Chastain and Todd composed songs recorded by Grisham, including "Ain't That a Dilly" (written by Chastain), "Sugarfoot" (co-written by Chastain and Todd), and "Teenage Love" (co-written by Grisham and Todd). The flipside of "Man with No Heart" was "Square Watermelon Seed," penned by W. A. Harris, who also wrote Grisham's "Jungle Love."

In 1964, one single by Grisham appeared on the Fernwood label. The aforementioned "Why Did She Go" b/w "Jungle Love" were released in 1965 on the Memphis based Clearpool label. Around the same time, Grisham was with Gene Williams' Country Junction Show ensemble on KAIT-TV in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and in addition, appeared on a various artists LP on Williams' Cotton Town Jubilee label. Three years later, Grisham recorded one record for John Cook's Blake label.

Discography

Cover 5982

Marlon Grisham

Ain't That a Dilly (Joe D. Chastain) / Sugarfoot (Joe D. Chastain; Fuller Todd)

863 / 864

1959

Billboard pop review on September 7, 1959

Cover 4621

Marlon Grisham

Now It's Your Time (Marlon Grisham) / Teenage Love (Marlon Grisham; Fuller Todd)

C-4621-1 / C-4621-2

1962

Billboard pop review on August 25, 1962

Fernwood 140

Marlon Grisham Combo
You Are My Sunshine (Davis & C. Mitchell) / Pins and Needles in My Heart (Floyd Jenkins)
F-256 / F-257
1964

Clearpool 101

Marlon Grisham

Why Did She Go (Marlon Grisham; Fuller; Brewer) / Jungle Love (Bill Harris)

101 A / 101 B

1965

Blake 2-222
Marlon Grisham
Queen of the City (M. Grisham) / You're the Rose for Me (M. Grisham)
2-222-A / 2-222-B
1968

Cover 45-711

Marlon Grisham

Man with No Heart (Joe D. Chastain) / Square Watermelon Seed (W. A. Harris)

1001 A / 1001 B

See also:
•  Fuller Todd on King
• Bill Harris
• Marlon Grisham on Blake
• Blake Records story
• Clearpool Records
• Cotton Town Jubilee label story

Sleepy LaBeef on Columbia

Sleepy LaBeef - Sure Beats the Heck Outta Settlin' Down (Columbia 4-44068), 1967
By 1964, Sleppy LaBeef had been in the music business for about ten years, recording numerous singles and playing shows all over Texas. But at that time, he had not recorded for a major label yet. Today's selection is one of LaBeef's Columbia singles recorded in the period 1965-1967.

1964 was a turning point in LaBeef's career. One day that year while being at the Wayside Inn (probably playing a show), he received a phone call from Don Law, Columbia executive. He signed LaBeef to a recording contract with the major label Columbia Records because Law probably thought, he had talent and the potential being a star. LaBeef moved to Nashville in 1965 and recorded his first session for Columbia on March 5, 1965. From that session, only "Completely Destroyed" was originally released, almost two years of its recording with the Mack Vickery/Merle Kilgore composition "Go Ahead on Baby."

The sound of LaBeef had changed from stonehard rock'n'roll to a more polished, urban country sound. Most of his repertoire at Columbia were country songs, with a couple of old rhythm and blues as well as some pop numbers thrown in. Organ, harmonica, and dobro were added to the usual line-up of guitar, bass, piano, and drums. LaBeef was now working with experienced Nashville session men, including Ray Edenton, Pig Robbins, Floyd Cramer, Charlie McCoy, Buddy Harmann, and others. 

"Sure Beats the Heck Outta Settlin' Down" was a song composed by W. Wyrick. LaBeef cut it on December 15, 1966, at Columbia Recording Studio in Nashville. He was backed by Grady Martin (guitar), Fred Carter (guitar), James Wilkerson (guitar), Pete Drake (steel guitar), Joseph Zinkan (bass), William Pursell (piano), and Buddy Harmann (drums). It was released with "Schneider" being the top side on April 3, 1967, but didn't reach the charts. It was not until his sixth and last single, "Every Day," which peaked at #73 on Billboard's C&W charts.

Columbia, though, wasn't satisfied with the results and didn't renew LaBeef's contract. This was not too tragic for him, since Shelby Singleton had faith in his talent and signed him to his Plantation label in 1969, where he would go on to reach the charts again with "Black Land Farmer" and then switching to the reactivated Sun Records.