NEWSLETTER #128
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
Gene Autry -> Clarence White
| JOHNNY BOND |
Jasmine 3541 |
I Like My Chicken Fryin' Size |
● CD $11.98 |
| 23 track collection of sides from the late 40s and early 50s
by this popular performer including his hits Divorce Me C.O.D./ So Round,
So Firm, So Fully Packed/ The Daughter Of Jole Blon/ Oklahoma
Waltz and others
|
| THE CAROLINA TARHEELS |
Old Homestead 4113 |
Look Who's Coming! The Original Carolina
Tarheels |
● CD $17.98 |
24 tracks, 75 mins, highly recommended
The Carolina Tarheels
were a truly wonderful old time group active from around 1927 to 1932.
Though there was some change in personnel most of the tracks here feature
the trio of Dock Walsh/ banjo & vocal, Clarence Ashley/ guitar & vocal and
Garley Foster/ guitar, harmonica & vocal. They perform a selection of
traditional ballads, mountain songs, blues, religious, ragtime songs and
more. Their performances are incredibly melodic and infectious and you'll
find yourself singing along and tapping your toes and you're sure to
recognize some of the songs which have since become country standards.
Tracks include I Love My Mountain Home/ Farm Girl Blues/ There's A Man
Going Around Taking Names/ The Old Grey Goose/ Apron String Blues/
Somebody's Tall & handsome/ Rude & Rambling Boy and others. Like other
Old Homestead titles the remastering leaves a lot to be desired but until
something better comes along this is a must. (FS)
|
| THE CARTER FAMILY |
JSP 7708 |
Volume 2, 1935-194 |
● CD $28.98 |
The second volume by this great pioneering group features
five CDs with 130 tracks recorded between 1935 and 1941.
|
| THE COONHUNTERS |
B.A.C.M. 42 |
Featuring Merle Travis |
● CD $13.98 |
Delightful collection of 26 tracks from Capitol
transcriptions recorded in the mid 40s featuring Merel Travis/ guitar &
vocal, Wesley Tuttle/ guitar, Herman The Herman/ banjo, Charlie Lindville/
fiddle and possibly Cliffie Stone/ bass. Most of the songs are traditional
along with a few more recent compositions and although Travis hadn't
developed his famous guitar style yet he provides fine lead vocals on songs
like Little Darling I'm Sick Of You/ Footprint In The Snow/ Jim Crow
(a dance - not a comment on race)/ Midnight Special/ Nancy Till/ Oh Dem
Golden Slippers/ Bile That Possum/ I'll Remember You Love In My Prayers/
Coming Home From The Wake (sounds like an Irish music hall song!)/John
henry/ False Hearted Girl and others. There are also several fine
instrumental tracks.
THE COONHUNTERS: Bile That Possum/ Coming Home From The Wake/ De Glendy
Burke/ Detour/ False Hearted Girl/ Fisher‘s Hornpipe (instr.)/ Folly Waddle
Do/ Footprints In The Snow/ Grey Eagle (instr.)/ Higgins‘ Farewell (instr.)/
I‘ll Remember You Love In My Prayers/ I‘m Going Back To Dixie/ Jim Crack
Corn/ Jim Crow/ John Henry/ Little Darling I‘m Sick And Tired Of You/ Liza
Jane/ Methodist Pie/ Midnight Special/ Nancy Till/ Nellie Bly/ Off She Goes
(instr.)/ Oh Dem Golden Slippers/ Sourwood Mountain/ You Are My Sunshine/
You‘re The Apple Of My Eye
|
| RAYMOND FAIRCHILD |
Copper Creek 194 |
Plays The Classics |
● CD $14.98 |
Famed banjo player from North Carolina plays 13 bluegrass
standards accompanied by guitar, fiddle & bass on these recordings
originally issued on the Skyline label in the mid 80s. Includes Flint
Hill Special/ Turkey In The Store/ Roll On Buddy/ Foggy Mountain Special/
Daybreak In Dixie/ Katy Hill/ Under The Double Eagle and others.
|
|
SHUG FISHER
& HIS RANCHMEN TRIO |
B.A.C.M. 35 |
Cowboy Jubilee |
● CD $13.98 |
24 tracks, 61 mins, recommended
Excellent collection of
Western songs performed by singer/ bassist Shug Fisher who was a member of
the Sons Of The Pioneers in the 40s and 50s. These performances taken from
commercial recordings and radio transcriptions made in the late 40s and
early 50s features him with his own group The Ranchmen Trio and in addition
to fine harmony singing includes some splendid instrumental work on fiddle
and steel guitar by unidentified musicians. A couple of cuts feature the
distinctive electric guitar stylings of Merle Travis (these are also on the
Merle Travis box set on Bear Family). (FS)
SHUG FISHER & HIS RANCHMEN: Beautiful Texas/ Belle Of Cheyenne/ Bury Me Out
On The Prairie/ Cool Water/ Cowboy Jubilee/ Cowboy's Dream/ Fiddler Joe/
Forgive And Forget/ Gooseberry Pie/ Little Cabin In The Cascade Mountains/
Little Joe The Wrangler/ Lonesome Train Blues/ Moonlight On The Prairie/
Only A Message From Home Sweet Home/ Out On The Open Range/ Ridin' Down To
Santa Fe/ Spanish Cavalier/ Sweet Evalina/ Texas Plains/ The Convict And The
Rose/ We'll Rest At The End Of The Trail/ When The Bloom Is On The Sage/
Whoopee Ti Yi Yo Git Along Little Dogies/ Wonder Valley
|
| LESTER FLATT |
RCA 65142 |
Country Legends |
● CD $11.98 |
16 tracks, recommended
Lester Flatt and his long time
partner Earl Scruggs split in 1969 as Scruggs wanted to move in a more
contemporary direction and Flatt wanted to continue the traditional
bluegrass that was dear to his heart. He formed a new band Nashville Grass
which included some of the best performers in the traditional style - Josh
Graves, Roland White, Vic Jordan, Paul Warren, Marty Stuart and others who
did a fine job complemeting Lester's beautiful and soulful vocals. This
collection drawn from his albums and singles recorded for RCA between 1970
and 1974 includes old favorites and new songs including Roll In My Sweet
Baby's Arms/ Little Cabin Home On The Hill/ Everything We Had Goin Is Gone/
Pick Away/ Over The Hills To The Poorhouse/ Don't get Above Your Raisin/
Foggy Mountain Breakdown/ The Martha White Theme and others. (FS)
|
| LEFTY FRIZZELL |
Collectables 7532 |
Country Favorites/ Saginaw, Michigan |
● CD $13.98 |
Reissue of two albums from 60s by this great artist.
"Favorites" features songs from the 50s including a number of hits and
"Saginaw" features 60s sides including the big title hit - 22
songs in all.
LEFTY FRIZZELL: A King Without A Queen/ Bring Your Sweet Self Back/ Don't
Let Her See Me Cry/ From An Angel To A Devil/ Give Me More, More, More/
Hello To Him/ I Love You Mostly/ I Was Coming Home To You/ I'm Not The Man
I'm Supposed To Be/ James River/ Lonely Heart/ My Baby's Just Like Money/
Run 'em Off/ Saginaw, Michigan/ Stranger/ Sweet Lies/ There's No Food In
This House/ Through The Eyes Of A Fool/ Two Hearts Broken Now/ What Good Did
You Get/ When It Rains The Blues/ You're Just Mine
|
| ROSCOE HOLCOMB |
Smithsonian Folkways 40144 |
An Untamed Sense Of Control |
● CD $15.98 |
26 tracks, 74 mins, essential
Roscoe Holcomb is a wonder!
One of the greatest of all traditional singers his incredible high and
intense voice never fails to send shivers down my spine. He was also a
magnificent musician on the guitar and banjo and, as this collection shows,
he was also adept on fiddle and harmonica. This second collection of his
recordings (his first on Smithsonian Folkways 40104 is also essential) is
mostly drawn from his three Folkways albums issued between 1961 and 1972 but
also includes some unissued tracks including several from a 1973 live
concert. Roscoe's repertoire embraced old time songs, traditional ballads,
blues, Baptist hymns, popular songs and more - all performed with Roscoe's
"untamed sense of control" as Bob Dylan so aptly put it. Songs and tunes
include Swanno Mountain/ Graveyard Blues/ Born And Raised In Covington
(an incredible unaccompanied vocal) Barbara Allen Blues (an harmonica
instrumental)/Rock Island Prison/ Combs Hotel Burned Down/ The Hills Of
Mexico/ Mississippi Heavy Water Blues/ Train That Carried My Girl From Town/
Milk Cow Blues (a blues banjo instrumental!)/ Darling Corey/Sitting
On Top Of The World/ Foggy Mountain Top/ Fair Miss In The Garden and
more. 24 page booklet has beautiful photos and extensive and insightful
notes from Roscoe's discoverer John Cohen whose life was changed by Roscoe
and his music - it might very well ahve the same effect on you. (FS)
|
| HOMER & JETHRO |
B.A.C.M. 043 |
Ground Hog |
● CD $13.98 |
25 tracks, 71 tracks, highly recommended Great collection
featuring all but one of the tracks recorded by this fine comedic duo for
King in 1947. Featuring vocal and guitar from Henry "Homer" Haynes and vocal
and stunning mandolin playing from Kenneth "Jethro" Burns they perform
traditional songs (Boll Weevil/ Poor Little Liza Poor Girl/ Ground Hog,
etc), twisted version of Tin Pan Alley Songs (Margie/ Five Minutes More/
Night And Day/ I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now/ Glow Worm, etc) and a few
originals (I Brusied Her Somewhat/ Goodbye Old Booze/ All Night Long,
etc. Sound is generally excellent and there are brief notes by Brian Golbey.
(FS)
HOMER & JETHRO: All Night Long/ Always/ Bill Bailey Won‘t You Please Come
Home/ Blue Tailed Fly/ Boll Weevil/ Cielito Lindo/ Donkey Serenade/ Don‘t
Let Your Sweet Love Die/ Don‘t Telephone, Don‘t Telegraph/ Five Minutes
More/ Fly Birdie Fly/ Glow Worm/ Goodbye Old Booze/ Ground Hog/ I Feel Old
Age Creeping On/ I Wonder Who‘s Kissing Her Now/ It Bruised Her Somewhat/
I‘ll Close My Eyes/ I‘m Glad I Waited For You/ Margie/ Night And Day/ Poor
Little Liza Poor Girl/ Rye Whiskey/ Sympathy-symphony/ When It‘s Long Handle
Time In Tennessee
|
| JOHNNY HORTON |
TRG 505110 |
Somebody's Rockin' |
● CD $17.98 |
30 tracks, 72 min., recommended Available again. A solid look
at the early sides of country great Johnny Horton, with all selections
recorded between 1951 and 1953. The program opens with Candy Jones,
and then moves onto Happy Millionaire, Mean Mean Son of a Gun,
Plaid and Calico, Shadows of the Old Bayou, It's a Long
Rocky Road, Somebody's Rockin' My Broken Heart, First Train
Headin' South, The Devil Sent Me You, The Mansion You Stole,
and Two Red Lips and Warm Red Wine. Production niceties include solid
sound quality, several vintage advertisements with photos, and brief liner
notes. (DH)
|
| JERRY LEE LEWIS |
Raven 155 |
Another Place, Another Time/ She Even Woke
Me Up |
● CD $17.98 |
Excellent 28 track collection of Jerry Lee's country
recordings for Mercury/ Smash plus a few rockers featuring the two complete
LPs in the title plus six bonus tracks from the LP "She Still Comes Around".
Includes What Made Milwaukee Famous/ On The Back Row/ All Night Long/
Another Place Another Time/ Before The Next Teardrop Falls/ We Live In two
Different Worlds/ Workin' Man Blues/ Brown-Eyed Handsome Man/ Since I Met
You Baby/ Wine Me Up/ You Went Out Of Your Way/ She Still Comes Around/
There Stands The Glass/ Let's Talk About Us, etc.
|
| HANK LOCKLIN |
RCA 65143 |
Country Legends |
● CD $11.98 |
16 track compilation of this fine Texas honky tonk singer
focusing mostly on his hits along with a couple of album tracks. Includes
Why baby Why/ Livin' Alone/ Send Me The Pillow You Dream On/ Please help Me
I'm Falling/ From here To There To You/ Happy Journey/ Followed Closely By
My Teardrops/ Danny Boy and others. Includes informative notes by Rich
Kienzle and full discographical details.
|
| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS |
Tee-Vee TVCD 706 |
20 All-Time Greatest Hits |
● CD $11.98 |
Just what it says - 20 of the most popular songs of this
great brother duo at an inexpensive price - sound is
decent and there are brief notes.
THE LOUVIN BROTHERS: Broken Engagement/ Give This Message To Your Heart/
Hoping That You're Hoping/ How's The World Treating You/ I Don't Believe
You've Met My Baby/ I Love You Best Of All/ I've Known A Lady/ Kentucky/
Knoxville Girl/ Must You Throw Dirt In My Face/ My Baby's Gone/ Pitfall/
Searching For A Soldier's Grave/ She Didn't Even Know I Was Gone/ The Great
Speckled Bird/ The Precious Jewel/ Wabash Cannonball/ When I Stop Dreaming/
While You're Cheating On Me/ You're Running Wild
|
| WILLIE NELSON |
Proper Pairs 122 |
Broken Promises |
● CD $12.98 |
2 discs, 40 tracks, recommended
Where most Proper sets are
compilations of pre-'52 music that has fallen into public domain, this one's
different. This set has Willie's 60s demos, some done for Liberty, some for
RCA, some with full bands, some with overdubs, some with just guitar & bass,
all excellent. Includes such gems as Undo The Right, which was often
covered by Gram Parsons & The Flying Burrito Bros, Pride Wins Again/ End
Of Understanding/ What Can You Do To Me Now. There's no real discography
here as it's unknown to even Willie when some of this was done, but it's all
topnotch, with a 16 page booklet with full liner notes & rare pics. (GM)
|
|
GRAM
PARSONS/ FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS |
A&M (UK) 393190 |
Sleepless Nights |
● CD $13.98 |
Reissue of posthumous 1976 Warner Brothers featuring seven
cuts from a 1970 session featuring Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers
recorded shortly before he left the group and three tracks from the sessions
for "Grievous Angel" - his last solo album featuring him duetting with
Emmylou Harris. Most of the tracks are recent and older country hits and
includes Brand New Heartache/ Sing Me Back Home/ Crazy Arms/ Close Up The
Honky Tonks/ Honky Tonk Women/ Dim Lights and others.
|
| RILEY PUCKETT |
B.A.C.M. 40 |
There's A Hard Time Coming |
● CD $13.98 |
21 tracks recorded between 1925 and 1940 by this brilliant
blind singer and guitarist whose repertoire encompassed traditional ballads,
old time fiddle tunes, cowboy songs and Tin Pan Alley pop songs.Includes
sides with Ted Hawkins, Clayton McMichen, Bert Layne and others.
RILEY PUCKETT: Alabama Gal/ All Bound Down In Prison/ Altoona Freight Wreck/
Bring Me Back My Blue-eyed Boy/ Dear Old Dixieland/ Down In Arkansas/ Dream
Train/ Fire On The Mountain/ Frankie & Johnnie/ I Get The Blues When It
Rains/ It's A Sin To Tell A Lie/ Little Sir Echo/ Oh Susanna/ Red River
Valley (1)/ Red River Valley (2)/ Rock-a-bye Baby/ The Orphan Girl/ There's
A Hard Time Coming/ To Wed You In The Golden Summertime/ When I Grow Too Old
To Dream/ When You Wore A Tulip
|
|
JAMES REAMES
& WALTER HENSLEY |
Copper Creek 214 |
The Barons Of Bluegrass |
● CD $14.98 |
13 tracks, 36 mins, recommended
Fine set of traditional
style bluegrass featuring singer/ guitarist James Reams and obscure but
highly regarded bajo player Walter Hensley accompanied by a fine band.
Hensley's career dates back to the 50s when he worked with Earl Taylor & The
Stoney Mountain Boys and his hard driving and innovative but not flashy
banjo playing earned him a reputation as one of the best in the business. Reims is a younger performer with a fine voice a little akin to Lester
Flatt. He and Walt joined forces a few years ago. Their first album together
is a collection of traditional songs, a few originals by Reims and some well
chosen, unfamiliar, covers. (FS)
|
| THE SONS OF THE
PIONEERS |
Varese Vintage 66439 |
The Essential Collection |
● CD $19.98 |
Same as Soundies set issued about a year ago and now,
apparently, withdrawn. Two CD set featuring 42 tracks by this great group in
their prime in 1941 taken from radio transcriptions. Includes versions of
many of their most famous songs as well as lots of lesser known titles.
Includes When Payday Rolls Around/ Sagebrush Symphony/ Ridin' Home/ Cajon
Stomp/ There's A Rainow Over The Range/ Trail Herdin' Cowboy/ He's Gone,
He's Gone Up The Trail/ So Long To The Red River Valley/ The Howlin' Pup/
Blow, Wind, Blow/ Following The Sun All Star/ Happy Cowboy/ Tumbleweed
Trail/ Down Along The Sleepy Rio Grande and lots more.
|
|
SCOTTY STONEMAN & THE KENTUCKY COLONELS |
Rural Rhythm 1017 |
Live in L.A. |
● CD $15.98 |
14 tracks, highly recommended
Reissue of 1978 Sierra LP with
four bunus tracks. This live album is perhaps the single best example of the
awe inspiring fiddling of Scott Stoneman. Made from tapes of Kentucky
Colonels gigs at the Ash Grove and Cobblestone Club in 1965, the audience
reaction and audible foot stomping of Scott himself add to the ferocity and
intensity of his fiddle playing. The Colonels were fast becoming a legendary
band even as these tapes were being made, but on this record, the rest of
the band serves essentially as an exemplary backup to Stoneman's mad fiddle
forays, particularly on Instrumentals like Oklahoma Stomp, Down
Yonder, Sally Goodin, and a remarkable five minute Cherokee
Waltz . Vocals (also by Scott) include Once A Day/ Any Damn Thing / A
Wound Time Can't Erase, and others. The other Kentucky Colonels here are
Clarence and Roland White, Billy Ray Latham, and Roger Bush. (RP)
|
| MERLE TRAVIS |
Proper Pairs 123 |
Hot Pickin' |
● CD $12.98 |
2 discs, 50 tracks, essential. One of the best compilations
by this highly influential singer, guitarist & songwriter. There's not much
of his 40s King sides, though it does have a track by The Sheppard Bros.,
which was actually Merle with Grandpa Jones (the track, You'll Be
Lonesome Too is a bit scratchy, but is very rare & one of the 1st King
recordings) as well as a few by The Browns Ferry 4 - a gospel group with
Merle, Grandpa & The Delmore Bros. The rest are all from the Capitol label
'46-52 & has full band, acoustic duo, folk, boogie & novelty. This contains
the entire "Folk Songs Of The Hills" set, highly influential, which has his
original tunes like 16 Tons, That's All & Over By #9, as well
as introducing such traditional classics as I Am A Pilgrim & 9
Pound Hammer. Also includes such original hits as Three Times Seven/
Divorce Me COD, & So Round, So Firm So Fully Packed, as well as
such rockers as Merle's Boogie Woogie/ Guitar Rag/ Crazy Boogie/ Boogie
In Minor/ Lost John Boogie & a couple of duets with Tennessee Ernie Ford
including a great version of Blues Stay Away From Me. Includes a 16
page booklet with full discography, liner notes & rare pics. (GM)
MERLE TRAVIS: Blues Stay Away From Me/ Boogie In Minor/ Cane Bottom Chair/
Cannonball Rag/ Cincinnati Lou/ Crazy Boogie/ Dark As A Dungeon/ Deep South/
Divorce Me Cod/ Done Rovin/ Dry Bread/ Faithful Fool/ Fat Gal/ Guitar Rag/ I
Am A Pilgrim/ I Got A Mean Old Woman/ I Like My Chicken Fryin Size/ If We
Never Meet Again/ Ill See You In My Dreams/ Im A Natural Born Gambling Man/
Im Sick And Tired Of You Little Darling/ John Henry/ Kentucky Means
Paradise/ Kinfolks In Carolina/ Lawdy What A Gal/ Lost John Boogie/ Merles
Boogie Woogie/ Missouri/ Muskrat/ Nine Pound Hammer/ No Vacancy/ Over By
Number Nine/ Over In Gloryland/ Philosophy/ Rainy Day Feeling/ Sioux City
Sue/ Sixteen Tons/ So Round So Firm So Fully Packed/ Spoonin Moon/ Start
Even/ Steel Guitar Rag/ Sweet Temptation/ T For Texas/ Thats All/ Three
Times Seven/ Too Much Sugar For A Dime/ What A Shame/ When My Baby Double
Talks To Me/ Will The Circle Be Unbroken/ You'll Be Lonesome Too
|
| ERNEST TUBB |
Proper BOX 54 |
The Texas Troubadour |
● CD $24.98 |
4 discs,100 tracks, essential
Wonderful box set by the man
who introduced the electric guitar to country music & helped start Honky
Tonk. With 90 hits in 50 years, the man had staying power! This set contains
the majority of his recordings from 1940-52, all done for Decca, as well as
his '36 Bluebird recording The Last Thoughts Of Jimmie Rodgers.
Unlike most of the Proper Boxes, this isn't programmed chronologically. The
1st 2 discs are subtitled The Hits Vol 1 & 2, with 50 hits including
Walking The Floor Over You/ Filipino Baby/ Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have
You Ever Been Blue)/ Blue Christmas/ I Love You Because/ (Remember Me) I'm
The One Who Loves You, etc. The 3rd disc is subtitled Tubb The
Songwriter & includes such great tunes as I Know What It Means To Be
Lonely/ I'll Get Along Some How/ I'll Never Cry Over You. The final disc
is subtitled Writer's Galore & includes his versions of classics like The
Old Rugged Cross, Hank Thompson's A Lonely Heart Knows, T Texas
Tyler's You Were Only Teasing Me & Bill Monroe's Kentucky Waltz.
Then of course there's his hit duets with Red Foley incl Hillbilly Fever
& the #1 Irene Goodnight & even Don't Rob Another Man's Castle
with his Decca labelmates The Andrews Sisters. And from '46 on, backing is
by his Texas Troubadors which included such greats as Jerry Byrd, Grady
Martin & Zeke Turner. With fact & pic filled 48 page booklet. (GM)
ERNEST TUBB: (remember Me) Im The One Who Loves You/ A Lonely Heart Knows/
Answer To Walking The Floor Over You/ Are You Waiting Just For Me/ Blue
Christmas/ Blue Eyed Elaine/ Careless Darlin/ Daddy When Is Mommy Coming
Home/ Dont Be Ashamed Of Your Age/ Dont Brush Them On Me/ Dont Look Now (but
Your Broken Heart Is Showing)/ Dont Rob Another Mans Castle/ Dont Stay Too
Long/ Dont Trifle On Your Sweetheart/ Driftwood On The River/ Drivin Nails
In My Coffin/ Farther Along/ Filipino Baby/ First Year Blues/ Forever Is
Ending Today/ Fort Worth Jail/ Fortunes In Memories/ G I R L Spells Trouble/
Give Me A Little Old Fashioned Love/ Goodnight Irene/ Have You Ever Been
Lonely (have You Ever Been Blue)/ Headin Down The Wrong Highway/ Hey La La/
Hillbilly Fever No 2/ I Aint Goin Honky Tonkin Anymore/ I Know What It Means
To Be Lonely/ I Love You Because/ Ill Always Be Glad To Take You Back/ Ill
Get Along Somehow/ Ill Never Cry Over You/ Ill Step Aside/ Ill Take A Back
Seat For You/ Im Biting My Fingernails And Thinking Of You/ Im Free At Last/
Im Free From The Chain Gang Now/ Im Missing You/ Im With The Crowd But So
Alone/ Im Wondering How/ Its Been So Long Darling/ Ive Really Learned A Lot/
Keep My Memry In Your Heart/ Kentucky Waltz/ Lets Say Goodbye Like We Said
Hello/ Letters Have No Arms/ Mean Mama Blues/ Missing In Action/ My Baby And
My Wife/ My Filipino Rose/ My Mother Must Have Been A Girl Like You/ My
Tennessee Baby/ Our Babys Book/ Please Remember Me/ Rainbow At Midnight/
Seamans Blues/ Should I Come Back Home To You/ Slippin Around/ So Round So
Firm So Fully Packed/ Soldiers Last Letter/ Somebody Loves You/ Somebodys
Stolen My Honey/ Stand By Me/ Swell San Angelo/ Tennessee Border No 2/ Texas
Vs Kentucky/ That Wild And Wickedlook In Your Eye/ The Last Thoughts Of
Jimmie Rodgers/ The Lovebug Itch/ The Old Rugged Cross/ The Strange Little
Girl/ The Wonderful City/ Theres A Little Bit Of Everything In Texas/ Theres
Gonna Be Some Changes Made Around Here/ Theres Nothing On My Mind/ Throw
Your Love My Way/ Till The End Of The World/ Time After Time/ Tomorrow Never
Comes/ Too Old To Cut The Mustard/ Try Me One More Time/ Unfaithful One/
Waiting For A Train/ Walking The Floor Over You/ Warm Red Wine/ Wasting My
Life Away/ What A Friend We Have In Jesus/ When I Take My Vacation In The
Sky/ When The World Has Turned You Down/ White Christmas/ Wondering If Youre
Wondering Too/ Yesterdays Tears/ You Hit The Nail Right On The Head/ You
Nearly Lose Your Mind/ You Were Only Teasing Me/ Youll Want Me Back (but I
Wont Care)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
ASV CDAJA 5467 |
O Brothers! |
● CD $11.98 |
Collection of 27 old timey and bluegrass songs recorded
between 1928 and 1951 featuring family harmony - usually brothers. Mostly familiar material but there are a few harder to find tracks.
THE ANGLIN BROTHERS: Southern Whoopee Song/ THE BLUE SKY BOYS: Are You From
Dixie?/ Down On The Banks Of The Ohio/ Sunny Side Of Life/ Turn Your Radio
On/ THE CARLISLE BROTHERS: Broken Heart/ THE CARTER FAMILY: Keep On The
Sunny Side/ You Are My Flower/ THE COFER BROTHERS: Keno The Rent Man/ THE
COON CREEK GIRLS: Banjo Pickin' Girl/ THE DELMORE BROTHERS: Blue Railroad
Train/ Goin' Back To The Blue Ridge Mountains/ The Weary Lonesome Blues/ THE
DIXON BROTHERS: I Didn't Hear Anybody Pray/ Weaver's Life/ THE GIRLS OF THE
GOLDEN WEST: Roll Along, Prairie Moon/ THE LOUVIN BROTHERS: You'll Be
Rewarded Over There/ THE MADDOX BROTHERS & ROSE: Eight Thirty Blues/ WADE
MAINER & ZEKE MORRIS: Maple On The Hill/ Short Life And It's Trouble/ THE
MASTERS FAMILY: From 40 To 65/ That Little Old Country Church House/ THE
MONROE BROTHERS: Nine Pound Hammer Is Too Heavy/ Roll In My Sweet Baby's
Arms/ THE SHELTON BROTHERS: Just Because/ THE STANLEY BROTHERS: A Vision Of
Mother/ The Fields Have Turned Brown
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
AVI 5020 |
Sun Country, Vol. 2 - Drink Up And Go Home |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, 60 mins, highly recommended. We've turned up a few
more copies of this great collection. Another exceptional collection of fine
and idiosyncratic country songs from the studios of Sam Phillips. The title
song is the highlight here - a beautiful country weeper by Carl Perkins that
once again confirms that had he not got let himself get caught up in his
"rockabilly legend" status he could have been one of the truly great country
singers of the 50s. The recording is from a very rough demo but the music
shines through regardless. Another rockabilly legend Charlie Feathers is
also a country singer of note and his two perfomances here are beauties. The
disc also features the simple and beautiful gospel music of singer/
guitarist/ harmonica player Howard Serratt, the archaic Ripley Cotton
Choppers (the first country record on Sun in 1953), three cuts by the superb
Ernie Chaffin, Onie Wheeler's classic Jump Right Out Of This Jukebox,
the weird rock-country-bluegrass band The Dixieland Drifters featuring a 19
year old Norman Blake on dobro, The Rhythm Rockers (with Hardrock Gunter)
and lots more including one of Johnny Cash's more obscure cuts I Was
There When It Happened with backup vocals by Luther Perkins and Marshall
Grant. Great sound, good notes by Cub Koda - what more could you ask for?
(FS)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
B.A.C.M. 41 |
Memories Of Renfro Valley |
● CD $13.98 |
A fine collection of 20 sides featuring some of the artists
who appeared on the radio show "Renfro Valley Barndance" broadcast from
Renfro Valley, Kentucky. These are from commercial recordings not radio
transcriptions.
HUGH CROSS: No Business Of Mine/ THE CUMBERLAND RIDGE RUNNERS: Goofus
(instr.)/ Rounding Up The Yearlings (instr.)/ KARL DAVIS: My Blue Eyed Boy/
RED FOLEY: Echoes Of My Old Plantation Home/ Just One Little Kiss/ Going Out
West This Fall/ ANT’ IDY HARPER & THE COON CREEK GIRLS: Lulu Walls/ Poor
Naomi Wise/ The Old Apple Tree/ DOC HOPKINS: Wreck Between New Hope &
Gethsemane/ Wreck Of Old 31/ JOSIE (CUMBERLAND RIDGE RUNNERS): The Old Maid/
KARL & HARTY: I Didn‘t Hear Anyone Pray/ Little Sweetheart I‘m In Prison/
LILY MAY LEDFORD & THE COON CREEK GIRLS: Pretty Polly/ LINDA PARKER: I‘ll Be
All Smiles Tonight/ Lonesome Valley Sally/ My Ozark Mountain Home/ Take Me
Back To Renfro Valley
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 2864 |
Detroit In The 40s & 50s, Vol. 4 |
● CD $16.98 |
30 more fine sides of Detroit country recordings - this time
concentrating on sides from the early and mid 50s. Most of the tracks are
from the Fortune label along with tracks from tiny labels like Clix, Renown
and others. Among the artists featured are Hugh Friar, Roy Rector, Rufus
Shoffner & Joyce Songer, Bill Hicks, Jimmy Lee, Big Chief Redbird (the odd
Big Chief Yodel), Don Rader, Ray Taylor, Cherokee Chief, Bobby
Bernell, The Candy Mountain Boys, Loyd Howell, Victor Norwin, Herb & Joe and
others. Sound quality from these rare 78s is pretty rough at times but most
of it is listenable. Includes 16 page booklet with extensive notes and rare
photos.
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Magnet MRCD 021 |
Trad Country Music Makers, Vol 21 - Country
Gals |
● CD $19.98 |
The latest in this fine series is a collection of women
singers - mostly from the 40s and 50s with a few earlier. It includes
intriguing unissued cuts from Mattie, Marthie & Minnie who are actually
Martha Carson and her sisters with a fine old time number from 1951 or '52
and Jenny Lou Carson from 1944 doing her own song - the much recorded
Jealous Heart. Also includes Lulu Belle & Scoty, Rose Lee & Joe Maphis,
Patti & Marvin rainwater, Molly O'Day, Kitty Wells, The Carter Family, Wilma
Lee & Stoney Cooper, Betsy Green, Bonnie Lou, Jean Shepard (a great version
of A Satisfied Mind), Rose Maddox, Girls Of The Golden West and
others.
BETTY AMOS: Cheater, Cheater/ LOUISE & JIMMY BASS: False Hearted Woman/
BONNIE LOU: Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Empty Arms)/ JENNY LOU CARSON:
Jealous Heart/ THE CARTER FAMILY: I Have an Aged Mother/ WILMA LEE & STONEY
COOPER: Each Season Changes You/ Rachel’s Guitar/ GIRLS OF THE GOLDEN WEST
2:34: When Bees are in the Hive/ BETSY GREEN: Searching/ LULU BELLE &
SCOTTY: Ay-Round the Corner/ Have I Told You Lately that I Love You/ ROSE
MADDOX: Gambler’s Love/ Old Black Choo Choo/ What Makes Me Hang Around/ ROSE
LEE & JOE MAPHIS: Remember Me (I’m As Close As the Phone)/ MATTIE, MARTHIE &
MINNIE: Our Love is Gone/ JANET MCBRIDE & VERN: Not Worth the Paper/ THE
MILLER SISTERS: There’s No Right Way to Do Me Wrong/ PATSY MONTANA: Mama
Never Said a Word About Love/ MOLLY O’DAY: Travellin’ the Highway Home/
PATTI & MARVIN RAINWATER: Two Fools in Love/ JEAN SHEPARD: A Satisfied Mind/
TEXAS RUBY: Don’t Let that Man Get You Down/ KITTY WELLS: All the Time/
Amigo’s Guitar
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Yazoo 2200 |
Kentucky Mountain Music |
● CD $84.98 |
Seven CDs, 167 tracks, approx 8 hrs, 20 mins, essential
Wow!
This is, I believe, the first ever box set devoted to old time country music
and it's a killer. Seven beautifully remastered CDs featuring recordings
made in the 20s and 30s by musicians from Kentucky - a state that featured
perhaps the widest range of old time music styles - solo ballad singers,
fiddlers, banjo players, string bands and more. Many of the musicians and
songs featured here have had an indelible effect on American music. The
compilers of this collection have included both commercial recordings and
field recordings made for the Library Of Congress - the latter includes some
ballad singers that may not have been saleable enough for commercial record
companies and gives us a better picture of music in the state. Some artists
may be familiar to the casual fan like Burnett & Rutherford, Rutherford &
Foster, Buell Kazee, Doc Roberts, Pete Steele and Asa Martin but most of the
names are little known to all but the diehard collector and there are
wonderful performances from artists like Crockett's Family Mountaineers,
Jimmy Johnson's String Band, The Walter Family (a wonderful group with
fiddle, piano, banjo, guitar, washboard & jug), James Howard (a remarkable
ballad singer who accompanied himself on violin and is featured on the very
unusual ballad The Old Fish Song), J.W. Day, Jimmy Johnson's String
band, Green Bailey, The Kentucky String Ticklers, Walter Williams (a
stunning banjo player and fine ballad singer), Justis Begley, McVay &
Johnson (wonderful old time gospel with guitar, banjo & fiddle), Bill Stepp,
Rev. Sherwin Sizemore & Church Of The Ten Elders, Kentucky Mountain
Chrorusters, The Oaks Family, Kentucky Woodchoppers, Mangrum & Shriver,
Green Maggard, The Hatton Brothers, George Roark. Ted Chesnut and many more.
The sound quality on these 70 year old recordings is astounding with
cloarity and presence and a minimum of surface noise and crackle. The set
comes with a 32 page 5"x11" booklet and this brings me to my only criticism
of the set. The introductory notes by Rich Nevins and Charles Wolfe are
excellent and there are some wonderful vintage photos but the discographical
presentation is confusing with no dates or indications as to which are
commercial and which are field recordings. Some of this information is in
the introductory essays but it would be more useful to have it with the
track list for quick reference. Still, a minor quibble since it's the music
that really counts and that is incomparable. Once you've absorbed this set
you'll probably want to check out Yazoo's two single albums of Kentucky
music - Yazoo 2013 and 2014 ($15.98 each) (FS)
BOYD ASHER: Hickory Jack/ Old Christmas/ GREEN BAILEY: If I Die A Railroad
Man/ Shut Up In Coal Creek Mine/ The Fate Of Ellen Smith/ GREEN BAILY: Is
Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground/ HENRY L. BANDY: Five Up/ Going Across The
Sea/ Sail Away Ladies/ JUSTIS BEGLEY: Golden Willow Tree/ I've Been All
Around This World/ Run Banjo/ The Roving Boy/ BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINEERS: Old
Flannigan/ Old Voile/ MAYNARD BRITTON: I Came To This Country/ BILL BUNDY:
Poison In A Glass Of Wine/ BURNETT & RUTHERFORD: All Night Long Blues/ Billy
In The Low Ground/ Curley Headed Woman/ I'll Be With You When The Roses
Bloom Again/ Ladies On The Steamboat/ Little Stream Of Whiskey/ Lost John/
Pearl Bryan/ Rambling Rickless Hobo/ Willie Moore/ TED CHESTNUT: He's Only A
Miner Killed In The Ground/ The Rowan County Feud/ CROCKETT FAMILY
MOUNTAINEERS: Bile Dem Cabbage Down/ Buffalo Gals (medley)/ Little
Rabbitt/rabbitt Where's Your Mammy/ Medley Of Old Time Dance Tunes, Part 1/
Medley Of Old Time Dance Tunes, Part 2/ Sugar Hill/ Sugar In My Coffee
(medley)/ J.W. DAY: Forked Deer/ Grand Hornpipe/ Little Boy Working On The
Road/ The Wild Wagoner/ Way Up On Clinch Mountain/ ROBERT L. DAY: The Rowan
County Crew/ FORT THOMAS GROUP: The Red Hill Special/ TED GOSSETT'S BAND:
Bow Legged Irishman/ Eighth Of January/ Fire On The Mountain/ Fox Chase/
Going To Jail/ Rocky Mountain Goat/ GREEN'S STRING BAND: Pickaway/ CLIFFORD
GROSS: Leather Breeches/ Rocky Mountain Goat/ Run Them Coons In The Ground/
HACK'S STRING BAND: Kentucky Plowboy's March/ Wink The Other Eye/ HATTON
BROTHERS: Hook And Line/ Wish I Had My Time Again/ DAW HENSON: Lady Margaret
And Sweet William/ Swafford Branch Stills/ The Moonshiner/ Wallins Creek
Girls/ THEOPHILUS HOSKINS: Ellen Smith/ Hog Eyed Man/ JAMES HOWARD: My
Little Carpenter/ The Old Fish Song/ The Peddler And His Wife/ HOWARD &
PEAK: I Cannot Be Your Sweetheart/ Three Black Sheep/ JIMMY JOHNSON'S STRING
BAND: Ching Chow/ Drink More Cider/ Gate To Go Through/ Jenny Baker/ Old
Blind Dog/ Shipping Port/ Soap In The Washpan/ Washington Quadrille/ BUELL
KAZEE: I'm Rolling Along/ Short Life Of Trouble/ The Butcher's Boy (the
Railroad Boy)/ The Cowboy Trail/ The Dying Soldier/ The Orphan Girl/ The
Roving Cowboy/ The Sporting Bachelors/ KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN CHORUSTERS: The
Great Reaping Day/ We'll Understand It Better Bye And Bye/ KENTUCKY STRING
TICKLERS: Crooked John/ Leaving Here Blues/ Tipple Blues/ KENTUCKY
WOODCHOPPERS: New Harmony Waltz/ Pine Tree/ LONESOME LUKE & HIS FARM BOYS:
Dogs In The Ashcan/ Wild Hog In The Woods/ MADISONVILLE STRING BAND: B Flat
Rag/ My Pretty Snow Deer/ Next To Your Mother, Who Do You Love/ GREEN
MAGGARD: Come All Ye Fair And Handsome Girls/ Lord Daniel/ MANGRUM &
SHRIVER: Bacon And Cabbage/ Bill Cheatham/ ASA MARTIN: Gentle Annie/ My
Cabin Home Among The Hills/ MARTIN & HOBBS: I Must See My Mothers/ MARTIN &
ROBERTS: Hot Corn/ Lillie Dale/ MCVAY & JOHNSON: Ain't Going To Lay My Armor
Down/ I'l Be Ready When The Bridegroom Comes/ ED MORRISON: A Western Union
Telegram/ Blackberry Blossom/ We'll All Go To Heaven When The Devil Goes
Blind/ J.M. MULLINS: Working's Too Hard/ OAKS FAMILY: Wake Up You Drowsy
Sleepers/ Will It Pay/ You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone/ GEORGE ROARK: I Ain't A
Bit Drunk/ SHORTBUCKLE ROARKE & FAMILY: I Truly Understand You Love Another
Man/ My Mother's Hands/ DOC ROBERTS: And The Cat Came Back/ Deer Walk/
Martha Campbell/ New Money/ Rye Straw/ Waynesburgh/ Honeymoon Stomp/
RUTHERFORD, MOORE & BURNETT: Cumberland Gap/ RUTHERFORD & FOSTER: I'm As
Freee Little Birdie As Can Be/ Let Her Go, I'll Meet Her/ Richmond Blues/
RUTHERFORD, MOORE & BURNETT: She's A Flower From The Fields Of Alabama/
RUTHERFORD & FOSTER: Six Months Ain't Long/ Storms May Rule The Ocean/
Taylor's Quickstep (monroe County Quickstep)/ There's More Pretty Girls Than
One/ There's No One Like The Old Folks/ Two Faithful Lovers/ REV. SHERWIN
SIZEMORE & THE CHURCH OF THE TEN ELDERS: Jesus Walking Through The Land/
PETE STEELE: Johnny O Johnny/ Lack Fol Diddle I Day/ Little Birdie/ Payday
At Coal Creek/ Pretty Polly/ Rambling Hobo/ BILL STEPP & WALTER WILLIAMS:
Wild Horse/ TAYLOR'S KENTUCKY BOYS: Forked Deer/ Gray Eagle/ Maxwell Girl/
Soldier's Joy/ Sourwood Mountain/ The Dixie Cowboy/ TAYLOR, MOORE & BURNETT:
Grandma's Rag/ Knoxville Rag/ MARVIN THORNTON & FORT THOMAS GROUP: The
Soldier And The Lady/ MARION UNDERWOOD: Coal Creek March/ WALTER FAMILY:
Flying Cloud Waltz/ Shaker Ben/ That's My Rabbit, My Dog Caught It/ Walter
Family Waltz/ CLAY WALTERS: Come All You Roving Cowboys/ TOM WEST: The
Valentine/ WALTER WILLIAMS: (fragment)/ East Virginia/ John Hardy/
Mississippi Sawyer/ Pass Around The Bottle/ ALICE & MARTHA WILLIAMS &
ELIZABETH FLATT: The Last Appeal/ CHARLIE WILSON & HIS HILLBILLIES: Cuttin
At The Point/ Shelvin Rock
|
| JIMMY WAKELY |
ASV CDAJA 5446 |
The Melody Kid |
● CD $11.98 |
Fine collection of 28 tracks by this popular singer recorded
between 1940 and 1951 including many of his hits from this period. There are
eight duets with Margaret Whiting including their number one hit Slippin'
Around. Arrangements is mostly small country group with the occasional
orchestra. Includes Cimarron/ I'm Sending You Red Roses/ Song Of The
Sierras/ I Love You So Much It Hurts/ Mine, All MIne/ Too Bad, Little Girl/
I Wish I Had A Nickel/ Telling My Troubles To My Old Guitar/ 'Neath The
Purple Of The Hills/ I'll Be Faithful/ Beautiful Brown Eyes/ Dust/ My Heart
Cries For You and others. Sound is fine and there are brief notes by
Brian Golbey.
|
| JIMMY WAKELY |
Jasmine 3543 |
From Cowboy To Country |
● CD $11.98 |
24 track collection featuring Jimmy as both western singer
and mainstream country. Includes two duets with Margaret Whiting. Tracks
include Between The Lines/ Oklahoma Hills/ Walking The Sidewalks Of
Shame/ Wedding Bells/ I Love You So Much It Hurts/ Roll Along Kentucky Moon/
I Wish I Had A Nickel/ Cimarron (Roll On)/ I Wantta Ride That Gospel Train/
I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes/ Tenting Tonight On The Old Camp Ground,
etc.
|
| CLARENCE WHITE |
Big Beat 227 |
Tuff & Stringy: Sessions, 1966-1968 |
● CD $16.98 |
A collection of 26 rarities from this brilliant and
influential guitarist whose work has inspired musicians in both the country
and rok fields. This collections features his session work on country and
fol-rock recordings in the mid 60s and includes super rare singles, demos
and his first recordings as a soloist. It includes performances with Gary
Paxton, The Spencers, Wayne Moore and others and includes two recently
discovered demos of the Kentucky Colonels going electric that are probably
the earliest examples of Clarence playing electric.
RICHARD ARLEN: I'm Tied Down To You/ LEON COPELAND: Gotta Go See The World/
DARRELL COTTON: Don't Pity Me/ If We Could Read/ If We Could Read/ GIB &
JAN: She's Gone/ THE GREAT LOVE TRIP: Why Can't We Be/ JAN & CLARENCE:
Nature's Child/ THE KENTUCKY COLONELS: Everybody Has One But You/ Made Of
Stone/ WAYNE MOORE: Guitar Pickin' Man/ Hey Juliana/ Rocks In My Head/ GARY
PAXTON: Mother In Law/ DENNIS PAYNE: I'll Live Today/ JACK REEVES: Not
Enough Of Me To Go Round/ THE SANLAND BROTHERS: Vaccination For The Blues/
THE SPENCERS: Make Up Your Mind/ CLARENCE WHITE: Adam And Eve/ Buckaroo/
Grandma Funderbunks Music Box/ Hong Kong Hillbilly/ Last Date/ Riff Raff/
Tango For A Sad Mood/ Tuff And Stringy
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