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NEWSLETTER #147
BRITISH ARCHIVE OF COUNTRY MUSIC
Clyde Moody ->
The Rice Brothers Gang

 

 

COMPACT DISCS

 

CLYDE MOODY B.A.C.M. 052 Six White Horses ● CD $14.98
23 tracks, 65 mins, recommended
23 tracks recorded for King between 1947 and 1952 by this fine and versatile singer who over the years recorded bluegrass (he started with Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys), mainstream country and western swing. This set includes his 1948 hit Carolina Waltz which he followed up with several other waltzes with regional titles earning him the nickname "Hillbilly Waltz King". The title song is a fine bluesy bluegrass tune given a honky tonk treatment. He also does a nice version of Fred Rose's Waltz Of the Wind with mandolin - a song later recorded by Hank Williams, a cover of bluesman James Wayne's Tend To Your Business and others. Decent sound and brief, informative notes. (FS)
CLYDE MOODY: Blues Came Pouring Down/ Carolina Waltz/ Cherokee Waltz/ Forgive Me/ I Know What It Is To Be Lonesome/ I Love You Dear Forever/ I Won‘t Care A Hundred Years From Now/ If You Only Knew/ Ivy/ I‘ve Only Myself To Blame/ Landslide Of Love/ Next Sunday Darling Is My Birthday/ Shenandoah Waltz/ Six White Horses/ Tend To Your Business/ That Little Log Cabin Of Mine/ Waltz Of The Wind/ West Virginia Waltz/ What Can

 
THE MORRIS BROTHERS B.A.C.M. 220 Salty Dog Blues ● CD $14.98
24 tracks, recommended
24 tracks recorded between 1938 and 1945 by this fine brother duo (Zeke & Wiley Morris) from North Carolina. Unlike other brothers there was not a whole lot of close harmony - the emphasis was mostly on the solemn lead vocals of younger brother Wiley who also played guitar - Zeke provided occasional harmony vocal plus guitar and mandolin accompaniment and three tracks feature added fiddle. One track features lead vocal by "Little Eunice" - presumably a young child and is pretty terrible. Their material is a mix of ballads, sentimental songs, old time songs and blues and includes two version of their most popular song Salty Dog Blues. Also includes I Love The Silver In Your Hair/ Wabash Cannonball/ Telephone To Glory/ Farewell Kentucky/ Answer To Blue Eyes/ The Tragic Romance/ He'll Set Your Fields On Fire/ Gabrial's Trumpet and more. (FS)
THE MORRIS BROTHERS: Answer To Blue Eyes/ Blessed Jesus Hold My Hand/ Darling Think Of What You Have Done/ Does Jesus Care/ Don't Say Goodbye If You Love Me/ Farewell Kentucky/ Gabriel's Trumpet/ Great Speckled Bird/ He'll Set Your Fields On Fire/ I Love The Silver In Your Hair/ I Will Meet My Precious Mother/ If You Love Your Mother/ It's Blues/ Just How Pretty You Smile/ Let Me Be Your Salty Dog/ Little Nellie/ Old Covered Bridge/ Riding To See The Sun Go Down/ Salty Dog Blues/ Somebody Loves You Darlin'/ Telephone To Glory/ The Story Of Charlie Lawson/ The Tragic Romance/ Wabash Cannon Ball

 
TEX MORTON B.A.C.M. 101 Across The Great Divide ● CD $14.98
22 tracks recorded between 1936 and 1943 by one of the great pioneers of country music in Australia and New Zealand. Originally performing American and American influenced songs he started incorporating more original songs about Australia into his repertoire and helped develop the bush-ballad genre of Australian country music. Most of the tracks here feature Tex accompanied only by his own guitar with occasional added fiddle and bass and many tracks feature some fine yodeling. Includes Story Of Parson Joe/ Good Old Droving Days/ Freight Train Yodel/ Ned Kelly Song/ When The Cactus Is In Bloom/ Wyomin' Willie/ Oregon Trail/Rocky Ned The Outlaw, etc. Interesting notes by Paul Hazell mention that for a period of time in the 50s and early 60s Morton traveled the world with a hypnosis and mind-reading act as "The Great Morton!"
TEX MORTON: Across The Great Divide/ All Set And Saddled/ At The End Of A Hobo's Trail/ Black Sheep/ Crime Does Not Pay/ Drover's Wife/ Freight Train Yodel/ Good Old Droving Days/ I Left My Heart In Red River Valley/ Move Along Baldy/ Ned Kelly Song/ Old Man Duff/ Old Pal Of My Boyhood Days/ On The Gundagai Line/ Oregon Trail/ Rocky Ned The Outlaw/ She Came Rolling Down The Mountain/ Story Of Parson Joe/ Texas In The Spring/ The Martins And The Coys/ When The Cactus Is In Bloom/ Wyomin' Willie

 
DOYE O'DELL B.A.C.M. 172 If Tears Were Gold ● CD $14.98
27 tracks, 67 minutes, highly recommended
A Texas native whose primary audience was rural central and southern Californians, Doye O'Dell was essentially a West Coast Red Foley. His recording career spanning the late '40s into the mid-'50s, O'Dell sang in a peppy, upbeat style that was well suited for radio and the era's juke boxes. As on the best West Coast country records, the vocals were bracketed with hot fiddle, steel and guitar leads. None of the musicians are identified, but fiddler Harold Hensley is a likely participant. Sharp-eared listeners can probably spot Jack Rivers, Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West on some tracks. This B.A.C.M collection complements an earlier Cattle anthology, emphasizing O'Dell's '50s material, including ten tracks from an elusive 1956 dime-store LP. Seven cuts are from O'Dell's 1947-48 Exclusive 78s, three come from Mercury and the remaining seven are Intro sides from 1951-53. Sound is above average for B.A.C.M. Bryan Chalker's notes read like an essay question on an ill-prepared history student's exam, but so what? The music smokes, and that's what matters. (DS)
Also available Cattle CCD 250 Bath Tub Blues CD $18.98 A solid anthology of Doye O'Dell's 1947-49 Exclusive output, including the title track, Dear Okie/ Lookin' Poor But Feelin' Rich/ Tennessee and twenty-three others. Despite what revisionists would make you believe, O'Dell's regional hit waxing of Rudy Sooter's Dear Okie spoke to more displaced Dust Bowl refugees than Woody Guthrie's celebrated 1940 ballads ever did. Great backing from Speedy West, Jimmy Bryant, Jerry Byrd, Jack Rivers and others. No duplication with the B.A.C.M. set above.
DOYE O'DELL: According To The Evidence/ Bow Your Head And Pray/ Candy Man/ Diesel Smoke/ Horses Women And Wine/ I Signed On The Dotted Line/ I Want More Mustard On My Hot Dog/ If Tears Were Gold/ It Makes No Difference Now/ It Won't Be Texas To You/ Left My Gal In The Mountains/ Mabel, Mabel/ Man Behind The Throttle/ My Little Red Wagon/ Oklahoma Hills/ Old Boy/ Old Shep/ Ole Tex Kringle/ Peekin' Peekin' Peekin'/ Pretty Woman For The Boss/ Red River Valley/ San Antonio Rose/ That's Just My Hand You're Holding Not My Heart/ There's A Shamrock Growing In Texas/ Two Eyes Two Lips But No Heart/ When My Sunshine Goes Walking In The Rain/ You're The Only Star In My Blue Heaven

 
THE OKLAHOMA WRANGLERS B.A.C.M. 190 Hillbilly Rhythm ● CD $14.98
24 tracks, 64 mins, recommended
Complementing Cattle 290 (The Golden Age Of The Willis Brothers - $18.98) this is another fine and varied collection of western swing, blues, straight country and novelty songs the brothers Willis - Guy (guitar & vocals), Skeeter (fiddle and vocals) and Vic (accordion, piano & vocals) with various added musicians. The group originally started performing in the 30s as The Oklahoma Wranglers and changed their name to The Willis Brothers around 1950. The group continued through the mid 70s and didn't have their first hits until the mid 60s! It features two sides from their first session for Sterling Records in 1946 where they also accompanied Hank Williams on his first session. The tracks here are from the late 40s and early 50s and includes Who Pptt Tobacky On Tessie's Wedding Gown/ Eat A Little More/ Country Kisses/ Poor Boy/ Look What Thoughts Will Do/ Flop eared MuleI Didn't Mean To Tell You/ I May Be Lonesome, etc. (FS)
THE OKLAHOMA WRANGLERS: Back Up And Push (Instr.)/ Country Kisses/ Darling Please Forget And Forgive/ Drive My Blues Away/ Eat A Little More/ Farther And Farther Apart/ Flop Eared Mule (instr.)/ Flying Saucer Baby/ Hillbilly Rhythm/ I Didn't Mean To Tell You/ I Know You'll Never Change/ I May Be Lonesome/ I'm Sorry If That's The Way You Feel/ If You Want The Rainbow You've Gotta Have The Rain/ Lonesome Polecat/ Long Gone/ Look What Thoughts Will Do/ Monogehela Valley/ Poor Boy/ Shine Shave Shower/ Slow Horses Fast Women/ Soldier's Joy (Instr.)/ Who Pptt Tobacky On Tessie's Wedding Gown/ You're The Worm That Used To Be The Apple Of My Eye

 
THE ORIGINAL BEVERLY HILL BILLIES B.A.C.M. 022 The Original Beverly Hill Billies ● CD $14.98
24 tracks recorded between 1930 and '37 by this smooth Western flavored group from California. This group's style is very syrupy and bland and although they were a reputed influence on the Sons Of The Pioneers the Sons sound like wild men in comparison.
THE ORIGINAL BEVERLY HILLBILLIES: At The End Of The Lane/ Back In The Hills Of Colorado/ Back In The Old Sunday School/ Big Corral/ Git Along Little Dogies/ Lonesome Valley/ Mellow Mountain Moon/ My Little Cow Pony And I/ My Old Iowa Home/ My Pretty Quadroon/ On The Texas Prairie/ Peek A Boo/ Prairie Skies/ Ridge Runnin' Roan/ Rosalie/ She Sleeps Beneath The Daisies/ Singing My Hillbilly Song/ Strawberry Roan/ The Old Arapahoe Trail/ When I Was A Boy From The Mountains/ When It's Harvest Time/ When The Bloom Is On The Sage/ When The Wild Flowers Are In Bloom/ Wonder Valley

 
JIMMIE OSBORNE B.A.C.M. 054 Hills Of Roan County ● CD $14.98
25 tracks recorded between 1947 and 1953 by this popular singer from Kentucky who committed suicide in 1957. He had a few hits including the tragic Death Of Little Kathy Fiscus based on a true story. It includes one of his other hits My Heart Echoes (1948) plus Forever And A Day/ God Has Taken My Flower/ Helpless Heart/ Hills Of Roan County/ I hate To Be Jealous/ I'm Gonna Strut My Stuff/ I'm Scared To Go Home, etc.
JIMMIE OSBORNE: Door To My Heart Is Wide Open/ Forever And A Day/ Give Back My Ring And Picture/ God Has Taken My Flower/ Helpless Heart/ He‘ll Come Like A Thief In The Night/ Hills Of Roan County/ How My Hearts Can You Break/ I Hate To Be Jealous/ I‘m Gonna Strut My Stuff/ I‘m Just A Habit With You/ I‘m Scared To Go Home/ I‘ve Just Placed A Vacant Sign Upon Your Heart/ Mama Don‘t Agree/ Moon Is Weeping Over You/ My Heart Echoes/ My Main Trial Is Yet To Come/ Nag Nag Nag/ No Bitter Tears/ Tears Of St Anne/ The Death Of Little Kathy Fiscus/ This Evil Life Don‘t Pay/ We Can‘t Take It With Us To Our Grave/ What A Price To Pay For Love/ You Get The Roses I Get The Thorns

 
JIMMIE OSBORNE B.A.C.M. 128 Vol. 2 ● CD $14.98
25 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
Second Collection of sides by this superb but little known honky tonk singer whose career ended with his suicide in 1958. Jimmie had a fine twangy vocal style and was accompanied by excellent musicians with fine fiddle and steel guitar and occasional mandolin. These sides were recorded between 1947 and 1954 and include a number of interesting topical songs - a number of which were hits. Among the topical items his the grim My Saddest Mistake about a man who lets his young child play with a loaded gun with disasterous consequences. (FS)
JIMMIE OSBORNE: A Million People Have Died/ A Tennessee Ocean/ An Empty Old Cottage/ Blue Days & Lonely Nights/ Don‘t Slam The Door/ Forever Far Apart/ God Please Protect America/ I Did & I Does & I Do/ I Just Received Word Mom Is Dying Tonight/ It Just Tears Me All To Pieces/ It‘s Just A Habit With You/ It‘s Me Who Has To Suffer/ It‘s So Hard To Smile/ Love Me Or Leave Me/ Missing In Action/ My Saddest Mistake/ My Tissue Paper Heart/ Not Unloved Nor Unclaimed/ Old Family Bible/ Son Please Meet Me In Heaven/ Tell Me Daddy If You Know/ You All Come/ Your Lies Have Broken My Heart/ Your Lovin‘ & Huggin‘/ You‘re The Only Angel

 
THE OVERSTAKE SISTERS B.A.C.M. 098 Volume 1 - I'm Riding On A Rainbow ● CD $14.98
28 tracks from mid 40s radio transcriptions by Evelyn, Lucille and Eva Overstake originally known as "The Three Little Maids" and later, when they recorded these transcriptions, as "The Little Country Girls". Eva married Red Foley and adopted the name Judy Martin, Lucille recorded some risque material with The Sweet Violet Boys (The Prairie Ramblers) as Lucille Lee and later changed her name to Jenny Lou Carson and became a succesful songwriter. They perform a collection of popular country songs with sweet harmonies accompanied by guitar, accordion, fiddle and bass.
THE OVERSTAKE SISTERS: Don't Let Me Know/ Down By The River/ Empty Mail Box Blues/ Hold On/ I Am Lonely Too/ I Dreamed Of Mother Last Night/ I Wish I'd Never Learned To Love You/ I'm Headin' For The Rockies/ I'm Riding On A Rainbow/ In My Dreams There's An Old Fashioned Garden/ It's Never Too Late/ Just Tell Them That You Saw Me/ Let Me Sleep Beneath A Rose/ Little Cowboy/ Little Darlin' Let Me Pin A Rose On You/ Little Old Hillbilly Town/ Little Shoes Laid Away/ Lonesome Road/ Long, Long Ago/ Mission Bells Are Calling Me/ My Old Kentucky Home In The Sky/ Silver Stars, Silver Spurs/ Someday You'll Be Sorry/ Underneath The Willow On The Hill/ What Will Cheer My Weary Soul/ When It's Springtime In The Hills/ You Tell Me Your Dream & I'll Tell You Mine/ Your Picture In The Sky

 
THE OVERSTAKE SISTERS B.A.C.M. 099 Volume 2 - End Of The Trail ● CD $14.98
28 more sides from radio transcriptions
THE OVERSTAKE SISTERS: Answer To Prisoner's Dream/ Birmingham Jail/ Convict's Dream/ Dear God Watch Over Joe/ End Of The Trail/ Girl Of The Hills/ Goodbye To Old Mexico/ Gosh, I Miss You All The Time/ Hold On Little Dogies, Hold On/ I Found My Straight Shootin' Cowboy/ I Hate To Say Goodbye To The Prairie/ I Left My Heart In Texas/ I Never Wanted A Sweetheart/ I'd Love A Home In The Mountains/ Last Letter/ Little Old Locket Of Gold/ Lullaby Lady In Slumbertime Town/ Music Mountain/ My Daddy Was A Cowboy/ Old Wooden Rocker/ Red River Valley/ Roundup In Cheyenne/ Someday, Somewhere Sweetheart/ That Dear Little Sister Of Mine/ Ti Yippi Ty Ee/ When The Sun Goes Down In Laredo/ When The Tumbleweeds Come Tumbling Down Again/ Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet

 
ANDY PARKER & THE PLAINSMEN B.A.C.M. 036 Texas Belle ● CD $14.98
27 tracks - mostly drawn from radio transcriptions from this cowboy harmony group that included Charlie Morgan on lead guitar, George Bamby on accordion and Joaquin Murphey on steel. Mostly fairly familiar songs along with a couple of originals like the title song.
ANDY PARKER & THE PLAINSMEN: A Calico Apron And A Gingham Gown/ A Dollar Down (and A Dollar A Day)/ Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie/ Call Of The Rollin' Plains/ Colorado Blues/ Cowboy's Meditation/ Deep In The Heart Of Texas/ Dude Cowboy/ Goodbye Old Paint/ I Ride An Old Paint (i Lead An Old Dan)/ I Was Born Ten Thousand Years Ago/ I Wish I Was Single Again/ I'm An Old Cowhand/ Little Ah Sid/ Me And My Burro/ Night Herding Song/ Press Along To The Big Corral/ Red Ruby Lip/ Roamin' In Wyoming/ Rooty Toot Galoot/ Take Me Back To Renfro Valley/ Texas Belle/ The Dreary Black Hills/ The Old Chisholm Trail/ The Santa Fe Trail/ There's A Blue Sky Over The Hill/ Yellow Rose Of Texas

 
LEON PAYNE B.A.C.M. 225 Lost Highway ● CD $14.98

 
THE PICKARD FAMILY B.A.C.M. 084 Walking In The Parlour - Old Time Playing And Singing ● CD $14.98
Delightful collection of 21 tracks by this family who are little known today but were among the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry. Led by multi instrumentalist Obed Pickard who played fiddle, guitar, banjo, harmonica and Jews harp he was usually joined by his wife Leila May on piano, daughter Ruth on accordion and sons Bubb & Charlie on guitars. A varied collection recorded between 1927 and 1930 it includes traditional and vaudeville songs performed with skill and enthusiasm including Behind The Parlour Door/ Get Away From That Window/ Kitty Wells (the song that inspired Muriel Deason to change her name to Kitty Wells)/ The Old Grey Horse (a solo Jews harp piece)/ On The Dummy Line/ She Never Came Back/ She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain/ Buffalo Gals/ The Blind Boys Lament, etc.
THE PICKARD FAMILY: Behind The Parlour Door/ Birmingham Jail/ Buffalo Gals/ Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie/ Down In Arkansas/ Get Away From That Window/ Goodbye My Honey/ I’ll Meet Her When The Sun Goes Down/ Kitty Wells/ Life’s Railroad To Heaven/ My Old Boarding House/ On The Dummy Line/ Rabbit In The Pea Patch/ She Never Came Back/ She’ll Be Comin’ Round The Mountain/ The Blind Boy’s Lament/ The Little Red Caboose Behind The Train/ The Old Gray Goose Is Dead/ The Old Grey Horse/ The Picture On The Wall/ Walking In The Parlour

 
FIDDLING JACK PIERCE & THE OKLAHOMA COWBOYS B.A.C.M. 132 Also Featuring The Smyth County Ramblers & Tenneva Ramblers ● CD $14.98
Entertaining and varied collection featuring the obscure but fine Virginia fiddler Jack Pierce. The first five tracks features fine old time string band from two groups that Jack was a member of - The Tenneva Ramblers and The Smyth County Ramblers. He didn't surface again until 1936 when he recorded the remaining 17 tracks - first as Jack Pierce & His Boys and later as Jack Pierce & The Oklahoma Cowboys. These latter groups perform a mix of western, novelty and western swing oriented material.
FIDDLIN’ JACK PIERCE & THE OKLAHOMA COWBOYS: Darling, Where Have You Been So Long?/ Has Anybody Seen My Gal/ Hillbilly Shack In The Valley/ If I Had My Way/ If You Don‘t Believe I‘m Leavin‘/ In The Golden West With You/ I‘m Going To Georgia/ Keep On Shining Colorado Moon/ Lookin‘ For A Hillbilly Bride/ Miss ’liza, Poor Gal/ Monday Morning Blues/ Mountain Rhythm/ My Home On The Western Plains/ My Name Is Ticklish Reuben/ Oklahoma Blues/ South Of The Mason Dixon Line/ Spoonin‘ Neath A Western Sky/ Sweet Georgia Brown/ The Blue Ridge Home I Love/ Wabash Blues/ Way Down In Alabama/ Where The Western Horizon Begins

 
THE PINE RIDGE BOYS B.A.C.M. 216 Mississippi River Blues ● CD $14.98
The Pine Ridge Boys (Doug Spivey & Marvin Taylor) were one of the many male country vocal duets to arise in the 30s. Taylor was from Georgia and Spivey from Tennessee. They recorded three sessions for Victor between 1939 and 1941 accompanying themselves on guitar and mostly recorded covers of other artists' songs. Unlike some of their contemporaries they were a pretty drab duo but do have the distinction of being the first to record one of the most popular country of all time You Are My Sunshine (includes here).
THE PINE RIDGE BOYS: Answer To You Are My Sunshine/ Crooning Bachelor/ Farther Along/ I Won't Care/ Just Tell Me That You Love Me Yet/ Little Darling I'll Be Yours/ Lonesome For You Annabelle/ Mississippi River Blues/ No Matter What Happens/ Old Shep/ Put Your Arms Around Me Honey/ Railroad Boomer/ The Clouds Will Soon Roll By/ The Convict And The Rose/ There's A Mother Always Waiting You At Home/ This Means Our Last Goodbye/ When Mother Prayed For Me/ When You Have No One To Love You/ Where The Old Red River Flows/ Whitehouse Blues/ Wind/ You Are My Sunshine/ You'll Be Sorry Dear You'll Pay

 
THE PRAIRIE RAMBLERS B.A.C.M. 048 The Oregon Trail ● CD $14.98
21 tracks, recommended
Fine collection of sides recorded between 1935 and 1952 by this fine, long lived and versatile string band which usually featured Tex Atchison or Alan Crockett/ fiddle, Chick Hurt/ mandolin & tenor banjo, Salty Holmes or Bernie Smith/ lead guitar, Jack Taylor/ bass and others with vocals by various of the band members. The material is a mixture of swinging tunes, sentimental tunes, risqué songs (issued under the name of The Sweet Violet Boys), western swing and novelty pieces with some hot instrumental work. (FS)
THE PRAIRIE RAMBLERS: All I Ever Do Is Wait/ Answer To I’ll Be Back In A Year/ Darling Do You Love Another/ Deed We Do/ Easy On The Eye/ Ghost In The Graveyard/ Have A Heart Taft-Hartley/ I Love My Fruit/ I’ll Be Back In A Year Little Darling/ I’ll Love You Till I Die/ I’m A Married Man/ I’m Looking For The Bully Of The Town/ Nellie’s Not The Same Nell Now/ Old Mississippi Moon/ The Girl At The End Of The Bar/ The Oregon Trail/ There’s A Man That Comes To Our House/ Will I Ride The Range In Heaven/ Yip Yip Yowie, I’m An Eagle/ You Were Right And I Was Wrong/ You’re The Fly In My Ointment

 
THE PRAIRIE RAMBLERS B.A.C.M. 149 Back To My Mountain Home ● CD $14.98
The third volume of sides on B.A.C.M by this fine string band from Kentucky. This volume focuses on the group's early years from 1935 to 1938 when the group was basically Chick Hurt on mandolin & tenor banjo, Tex Atchison/ fiddle, Salty Holmes/ guitar and Jack Taylor/ bass with other musicians occasionally substituting for Atchison and Holmes and various other musicians added from time to time.

 
RILEY PUCKETT B.A.C.M. 040 There's A Hard Time Coming ● CD $14.98
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

 
RILEY PUCKETT B.A.C.M. 115 Gonna Raise A Ruckus Tonight ● CD $14.98
22 tracks, 64 minutes, completists only
One of prewar country music's most prolific recording artists, Riley Puckett was featured on a half-dozen superb LP compilations during the '60s and '70s. Outside of his work with the Skillet Lickers and sideman efforts with various Atlanta-based fiddlers, Puckett's music has largely eluded reissue on compact disc. As with B.A.C.M's first Puckett anthology, this set largely avoids duplication with the tracks on those now highly collectable LPs. For collectors, this is a plus. But it's disadvantageous to anyone seeking a decent sampler of this blind singer/guitarist's finest moments on record. Many tracks here amplify the guitarist's sporadic weaknesses, breaking meter and playing wrong chords. Not surprisingly, this compilation's best cuts have been reissued before; the magnificent Rodgeresque Waiting for the Evening Mail was the title track for County's Puckett LP. Other previously reissued tracks feature Puckett backing Skillet Lickers fiddlers Clayton McMichen and Lowe Stokes. Puckett's vocal duets with McMichen are absolutely painful; Stan and Ollie have nothing to fear from their The Trail of the Lonesome Pine. When Maple Leaves Are Falling with its McMichen lead vocal could well be the worst record in Columbia's 15000-D series. Sound is generally good, though B.A.C.M. failed to correct dragging speeds on the earliest sessions. Brian Golbey provides a brief appreciation. (DS)
RILEY PUCKETT: Billy In The Low Ground/ Black Eyed Susie/ Burglar Man/ Gonna Raise A Ruckus Tonight/ I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again/ I Wish I Was Single Again/ I'm Drifting Back To Dreamland/ Ida Red/ It's Simple To Flirt/ Jesse James/ Long Tongued Woman/ Sally Gooden/ Sleep Baby Sleep/ Somebody's Waiting For You/ Swanee River/ Tell Me/ The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine/ Waiting For The Evening Mail/ We'll Sow Righteous Seed For The Reaper/ When The Maple Leaves Are Falling/ Won't You Come Over To My House/ You'll Never Miss Your Mother Til She's Gone

 
MARVIN RAINWATER B.A.C.M. 162 Tennessee Houn' Dog Yodel ● CD $14.98
Fascinating collection of 27 sides by this fine and idiosyncratic country singer. 15 of the tracks are demos recorded in 1953/54 featuring Marvin on a wide range of material - mostly self composed including the great rockabilly flavored Gotta Go Get My Baby that Marvin recorded commercially some years later. The remaining sides are commercial recordings made in 1955/56 including the title song plus Albino Pink Eyed Stallion/ Dem Low Down Blues/ Where Do We Go From her/ Hot And Cold and others.
MARVIN RAINWATER: Albino Pink Eyed Stallion/ Boy And The Engineer/ Daddy's Glad You Came Home/ Dem Low Down Blues/ Do You Want To Know/ Don't Tell My Boy I'm In Prison/ Don't Try To Change Your Little Woman/ Engineer's Song/ Freight Train Blues/ Get Off The Stool/ Hot And Cold/ I Gotta Go Get My Baby/ Key/ Korea's Mountain Northland/ Moments Of Love/ Mr Blues/ Sometimes I Feel Like Leaving Town/ Tainted Gold/ Tea Bag Romeo/ Teardrops/ Tennessee Houn' Dog Yodel/ Wanderer In Me/ What Am I Supposed To Do/ What You Got You Don't Want/ Where Do We Go From Here/ Why Did You Have To Go And Leave Me Lonesome Blues/ Would Your Mother Be Proud Of You/ You Just Can't Keep A Secret

 
THE RANCH BOYS B.A.C.M. 012 Songs Of The Plains ● CD $14.98
20 tracks from the late 30s by this trio of Western vocalists (Shorty Carson, Jack Ross & Curley Bradley) with guitar plus occasional fiddle accompaniment. The group is pleasant though relatively undistinguished.
THE RANCH BOYS: Beautiful Ohio/ Big Corrall/ Buffalo Gals/ Bury Me Out On The Prairie/ Carry Me Back To The Lone Prairie/ Clementine/ Cowboy Jack/ Cowboy's High Tone Dance/ Cowboy's Lament/ Goodbye Old Paint/ Home On The Range/ Lights Out/ Little Ah Sid/ Little Joe The Wrangler/ Little OId Sod Shanty/ Missouri Waltz/ Ole Faithful/ Ragtime Cowboy Joe/ Red River Valley/ Springtime In The Rockies/ Sweet Betsy From Pike/ The Chisholm Trail/ The Last Roundup/ The Old Corrall/ Wagon Wheels/ Whoopie Ti Yi Yo/ Yellow Rose Of Texas/ You're Just A Flower From An Old Bouquet

 
WADE RAY B.A.C.M. 209 Things I Might Have Been ● CD $14.98
26 tracks, recommended
Fine collection of sides recorded between 1951 and 1955 by this fine jazzy vocalist and brilliant fiddler whose fiddling showed the influence of the great jazz fiddler Joe Venuti. Ray's vocal style influenced Willie Nelson (Ray subsequently played bass in Willie's band). A number of the earlier sides feature the great western swing steel guitarist Noel Boggs and other fine musicians like Chet Atkins, Joaquin Murphey, Lee Gillette and Bob Morgan. Although Ray never had any hits his recordings were very popular particularly the title song and the great Idaho Red. There are two fine instrumental tracks that show Ray's considerable fiddle prowess. (FS)
WADE RAY: A Penny For Your Thoughts/ Albino Stallion/ Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home/ Burned Fingers/ Call Me Up/ Did I Do Wrong/ Dipsy Doodle (Instr.)/ Don't Wait To Baby Your Baby/ Echo Of Your Voice/ Excuse Me/ First Last And Always/ Heart Of A Clown/ I Couldn't Be So Happy/ Idaho Red/ If They Should Ask/ It's All Your Fault/ Let Me Go Devil/ Letters Have No Arms/ No Mama No Papa/ Rosetta/ Saturday Night/ Sentimental Journey (instr.)/ That Love Makin' Melody/ There's No Fool Like A Young Fool/ Things I Might Have Been/ Too Late To

 
THE RED FOX CHASERS B.A.C.M. 108 Classic Old Time Music From North Carolina ● CD $14.98
21 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
Superb string band from North Carolina who were only together for a few years but produced some very fine music as can be heard. The group featured Paul Miles/ vocal & banjo, Guy Brooks/ vocal & fiddle, Bob Cranford/ vocal & harmonica and A.P. Thompson/ vocal and guitar and the performances features solo, duet and group vocals as well instrumental tracks. A number of the tracks feature only Cranford & Thompson. The material includes traditional songs and tunes, original songs and tunes and covers of songs made famous by The Carter Family and others. Splendid singing and playing, decent sound and informative notes by Brian Golbey. (FS)
THE RED FOX CHASERS: Devilish Mary/ Did You Ever See The Devil, Uncle Joe/ Good Bye Little Bonnie/ Henry Clay Beattie/ Honeysuckle Time/ Jim & Me/ Katy Cline/ Little Sweetheart Pal Of Mine/ Lula Wall/ Mississippi Sawyer/ Murder Of The Lawson Family/ Naomi Wise/ Otto Wood/ Pretty Polly/ Stolen Love/ Sweet Fern/ The Blind Man & His Child/ Two Babes In The Wood/ Under The Double Eagle/ Virginia Bootleggers/ Wreck On The Mountain

 
DICK REINHART B.A.C.M. 124 A Broken Heart For A Souvenir ● CD $14.98
24 tracks covering Reinhart's entire career from 1929 to 1947. Includes solo guitar accompanied vocals, trcks with The Wanderers, The Light Crust Doughboys, his Universal Cowboys, his Lone Star Boys and others.
DICK REINHART: A Broken Heart For A Souvenir/ Aloha Means Goodbye/ Always Marry Your Lover/ Cross My Heart/ Don’t Ever Say Adieu/ Don’t You Remember Me/ Emmaline/ I Trusted You Once Too Often (1)/ I Trusted You Once Too Often (2)/ If I Don’t Love You/ It Won’t Do You No Good/ I’ll Take Her Back/ I’m Satisfied In Loving You/ Little Brown Eyed Girl/ Midnight Patrol/ My Mother And Dad/ No One To Say Goodnight/ Oh Marie, Oh Marie/ Rambling Lover/ Ruck Tuckin’ Baby/ Until We Meet Again/ Utah Trail/ Why Should I Worry Over You

 
DON RENO & RED SMILEY B.A.C.M. 205 Tree Of Life ● CD $14.98
25 tracks, highly recommended
Superb collection of sides recorded between 1951 and 1957 by this outstanding bluegrass duo featuring the magnificent banjo and high harmony vocals of Don Reno and the lead vocals and guitar of Red Smiley. The earlier sides feature them with studio musiciansbut by 1954 theyr were using their own group The Tennessee Cutups including fiddler Mack Magaha and bassist John Palmer. Their approach was not as intense as their contemporaries Bill Monroe, The Stanleys or Flatt & Scruggs depending more on the easy-going baritone lead vocals and and the jazz banjo style of Reno to set the group's sound apart. Reno was also responsible for much of the group's material. The group also excellent on four-part gospel harmonies which can be heard here on songs like Hear Jerusalem Moan/ The LOrd's Last Supper Springtime In Heaven and others. Their dazzling instrumental prowess can be heard on instrumentals like Tennessee Breakdown/ Dixie Breakdown/ Mack's Hoedown and others. If you mised out on Starday 7001 which included all the group's work from 1951 to 1959 and is now out of print this is an ideal introduction to this outstanding group. (FS)
DON RENO & RED SMILEY: Banjo Riff/ Cotton Eyed Joe/ Cumberland Gap/ Dixie Breakdown/ Family Alter/ Forgotten Men/ Hear Jerusalem Moan/ Hen Scratchin' Stomp/ How I Miss My Darling Mother/ I'm Building A Mansion In Heaven/ I'm So Happy/ Jesus Is Waiting/ Let In The Guiding Light/ Mack's Hoedown/ Mountain Church/ My Shepherd Is God/ Please Don't Feel Sorry For Me/ Remington Ride/ Reno Ride/ Springtime In Heaven/ Tennessee Breakdown/ The Lord's Last Supper/ There's A Highway To Heaven/ Tree Of Life/ Where Did Our Young Years Go

 
JIMMY REVARD & THE OKLAHOMA PLAYBOYS B.A.C.M. 100 Naughty, Naughty ● CD $14.98
Collection of 24 tracks recorded between 1936 and 1940 by this excellent and popular Texas Western Swing band led by singer/ bassist Jimmie Revard and that included, at various times during this period, Adolph Hofner/ guitar & vocal, Emil "Bash" Hofner/steel guitar, Joe Malloy/ guitar & vocal, Ben McKay/ fiddle & vical, Leon Seago/ fiddle and others. Includes informative notes by Texas music expert Kevin Coffey.
JIMMIE REVARD & HIS OKLAHOMA PLAYBOYS: A Bundle Of Old Southern Sunshine/ Am I Blue/ Cats Are Bad Luck/ Come Up And See Me Some Day/ Don't Waste Your Tears Over Me, Little Girl/ Fox And The Hounds (instr.)/ Gee! But It's Great Walking Back Home/ Hill Billy Swing/ I'll Take Her Back/ I'm Waitin' Mabel/ It's All So Sweet/ Just A Good Time Gal/ Let Me Live And Love You/ My Ozark Mountain Home/ Naughty Naughty/ Old Waterfall/ Playboy's Breakdown (instr.)/ Smiles/ There's A Picture In My Heart/ There's A Picture In My Heart/ Tulsa Waltz (instr.)/ Under The Moon/ You're As Pretty As A Picture/ You're Mean To Me

 
THE RICE BROTHERS GANG B.A.C.M. 117 King Cotton Stomp ● CD $14.98
25 tracks, 70 minutes, highly recommended
During the 1920s, Atlanta's fertile old-time music community was divided into two camps. At one end: the older, tradition-minded John Carson and the Tanner Brothers. At the other: Clayton McMichen, Lowe Stokes and Hoke Rice, who could play the old tunes but were more captivated by blues, jazz and popular music. Veteran country record producers initially ignored the younger musicians' progressive repertoire, though the mid-'30s juke box revolution changed all that. The opening tracks by Hoke Rice's Hoky-Poky Boys from 1930 sound like a black hokum ensemble. In 1937 Hoke and his younger brother Paul formed The Rice Brothers Gang, a versatile showband with outstanding musicianship. Like the Hoosier Hot Shots, Rice Brothers Gang weren't really country nor jazz. Unlike that popular Midwestern act, they eschewed novelties and were definitely Southern. Hoke played electric guitar (one of the earliest in country music), with Clinton Collins on swing fiddle, Warren Sykes on hot harmonica and Ted Lewis/Johnny Hodges disciple Johnny Gorman on reeds. The personnel shifted during the next five years, but its sound remained consistent until the end; fiddler Cliff Bruner sat in on one 1941 date. Highly recommended to hot string band aficionados. (DS)
THE RICE BROTHERS GANG: Brown Mule Slide/ Down Yonder (instr.)/ Georgia Jubilee/ Girl Of My Dreams/ I Won‘t Have Any Troubles Anymore/ I‘ll Always Love You/ King Cotton Stomp (instr.)/ Linda May Polka/ Little Girl I‘m So Blue Without You/ Lovelight In The Starlight/ Mary Lou/ Nagasaki (instr.)/ Oh Susannah/ On The Sunny Side Of The Street/ Please Don‘t Stay Away/ Ridin‘ Down The Canyon/ Sally Do You Love Me/ Sugar Blues/ Sweet Someone/ Sweetheart Wait For Me/ They Cut Down The Old Pine Tree/ When It‘s Blossom Time In Old Caroline/ You Don‘t Love Me Anymore (little Darlin‘)/ You‘ve Got That Thing/ You‘ve Gotta See Your Daddy Every Night

 

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