Let's face it, without instruments, country music is just a bunch of people bitching and moaning about life's troubles. So let's take a listen to it bare-bones.
This is a budget comp issued by Diplomat records sometime in the 60s. It reads on the back cover "Fine Records Need Not Be Expensive". True.
1. Boogie On Guitar - Eddie Eddings 2. Steel Guitar Stomp - Herbie Remington 3. Salty Dog Rag - Moon Mullican 4. I Want My Mama - Lonnie Glosson 5. Bluegrass Special - Lonesome Pine Fiddlers 6. Orange Blossom Fiddle - Chubby Wise 7. Cincinnati Rag - Hardrock Gunter 8. Flat Top Pickin' - Cowboy Copas 9. Lone Star Swing - Bill Boyd 10. Rubber Dolly - Ken Clark
A lot of people covered this song back in the 60s, but I think it was Hank Locklin who had the most success with it, and made it his own. I have nine cover versions by different artists. The Everly Brothers did it well too. I like the piano backing on this take.
My pillow is kinda nasty. Need to wash it before I'd send it to anyone.
The VFW in Minneapolis hosts a record show once every 8 weeks, which I try to attend. Just average people and dealers selling their collections, some of them bring portable turntables which is very convenient and adds to the atmosphere. It also sparks conversations. So I was going through a box of 45s and listening to the ones I thought might be good, and found one by Chuck Carson. I had never heard of him, but by the sound of the title, it sounded like country. So I put it on, and a woman standing behind me spoke up and said "hey, that's my dad!" Turns out Chuck was from Minnesota and she started relating some of his story to us. She had come to look for his records, wanting to eventually put out a cd of his songs. Who knows how she happened to be standing behind me at the exact moment I was listening to that record. I usually don't even listen to all of the song, so it is even more unlikely that it happened the way it did. I told her about this blog and that I would love to post the record, if she would allow it. So we exchanged emails and information and voila, here is the record for all to listen. She asked me not to post it for download, so I'm afraid all you can do is listen. But who's to stop you from listening a hundred times?!
The pictures she sent me, as you can tell, are fantastic. I was blown away by the picture with Elvis. Pretty cool to have a picture of your dad with Elvis. Not everyone has one of those in their family album. She also sent an article from a newsletter, about his life and times. In the newsletter, if you look closely you'll see on the side a picture of a bunch of singers on stage. One of them is Hurricane Barb Huber, who I posted about 3 months ago.
As you can see, the record was put out by the Gaity label, based out of Mpls. I'm told they're rare, but I got this one for 3 bucks.
Here's a link to image scans of the article (2 pages = 2 images) Page 1
A person going by the sobriquet of Mr. Meadowlark has sent me two full albums of Lee Moore. I thank him and post them here for all to download. There are 42 tracks.
Lee was an dj in Virginia, and a musician himself. He and his wife Juanita recorded about 20 songs for the new jersey based Cross Country label starting in 1953. Lee wrote the song The Cat Came Back, a cover version of which I posted a month or so ago. I am always looking for old (new to me) versions of Remember Me. This one adds to the 7 or 8 versions I posted earlier this year. Wish I had a better quality picture of the couple. Surprised noone has posted a compilation cd. This seems like perfect material for Uncle Gil or Johnny One-note.
This album was first issued in 1967 by Columbia, called "The Country Album". Then it was reissued by Harmony in 1970 as I Walk The Line, with three less songs. Wish I had the original pressing. Betcha never thought you'd hear Mother Maybelle sing "Boots are made for walkin'". Aside from that strange oddity, there a few good takes on here. I like the heartfelt intro to It'll Aggravate Your Soul.
Harmony HS 11392
1. I Couldn't Care Less 2. That'll Be The Day 3. While The World Goes Whizzing By 4. For Lovin' Me 5. I Walk The Line 6. These Boots Are Made For Walkin' 7. It'll Aggravate Your Soul 8. I'll Never Find Another You 9. Less Of Me
