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NEWSLETTER #137
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
Gene Autry ->
Speedy West
 

 

 

NEW DVDS

 
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted all DVDs offered are in NTSC format which means that they will not play on a European DVD players unless you have a multiple format player.
 
JOHNNY CASH/ JUNE CARTER/ ROSCOE HOLCOMB/ JEAN REDPATH Shanachie DVD 606 Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest ● DVD $16.98
Two more fine shows. The first features two songs from June Carter, five from Johnny Cash and three by Seeger. The second features four songs from the fabulous old time musician Roscoe Holcomb and three from Scottish singer Jean Redpath and a couple songs featuring all of them.

 
STEVE EARLE New West 8001 Live From Austin, Tx. ● DVD $17.98
18 songs, colour, 65 mins, essential
As good as Steve Earle is now the music he made in the mid 80s is unbeatable as this live performance from Austin City Limits from September 1986 clearly shows. Earle is an incredible songwriter with songs that often reflect life in the rural South with a simple directness and honesty that has been rarely heard since Hank Williams. Songs like Guitar Town/ Hillbilly Highway/ My Old Friend The Blues/ I Ain't Satisfied/ Nowhere Road and others are destined to become standards. Some songs, with their story/ song structure could be considered contemporary equivalents of the traditional ballad like Devil's Right Hand and The Week Of Living Dangerously. The music ranges from the hard rocking reworking of Springsteen's State Trooper to the sensitivity of the wistful Little Rock 'n' Roller - a song to his son from a musician who is constantly on the road. Most of the songs here are drawn from his first two MCA albums and with the exception of the Springsteen cover are written or co-written by Earle. His band The Dukes are superb - beautifully blending country and rock featuring great lead guitar from Mike MacAdam and steel guitar and electric guitar from Bucky Baxter. Performance is presented in superb 5.1. surround sound and is a real joy from beginning to end. (FS)

 
THE STANLEY BROTHERS/ COUSIN EMMY/ DOC WATSON Shanachie DVD 605 Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest ● DVD $16.98
Two hours, 36 performances, black & white, highly recommended Part of a series of TV shows from the mid 60s hosted by Pete Seeger featuring folk, country, old timey and bluegrass performers. Artists are presented in an informal, if somewhat sterile, setting with Pete doing a couple of numbers and joining his guests for others. The first show features five superb performances by the Stanleys with George Shuffler on guitar including some beautiful harmonies on the gospel number Jacob's Vision and a wonderful spine chilling solo by Carter on Single Girl. There are also several performances by novelty act Cousin Emmy. The second show features Doc Watson with his North Carolina neighbors Clint Howard on second guitar and Fred Price on fiddle and they do some fine numbers like Late Last Night When Willie Came Home/ Daniel Pray/ Sweet Heaven When I Die/ Cackling Hen/ Careless LOve and more. Doc does most of the vocals but Clint does a lovely version of Rude & Rambling Man. (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Bear Family 20033 Town Hall Party - April 18, 1959 ● DVD $31.98
28 live performances from Skeets McDonald, Gordon Terry, Billy Mize & Cliff Crofford, Diane Jewett, Charlie Williams, Jeannie Mack, Johnny O'Neill, Jeannie Sterling, Johnny Bond, Merle Lindsay & The Ozark Jubilee Boys and June Mosley & Jim Mooney
JOHNNY BOND: Broken Doll/ Out In The Cold Again/ DIANE JEWETT: Diane's Melody/ He Taught Me How To Yodel/ MERLE LINDSAY & THE OZARK JUBILEE BOYS: Got A Little Red Wagon/ New Jole Blon/ Stealin' Sugar/ You're Running Wild/ JEANNIE MACK: Holiday For Love/ My Babe/ SKEETS MCDONALD: Mountain Dew/ What A Lonesome Life It's Been/ BILLY MIZE & CLIFF CROFFORD: Billy Bayou/ Tell Him No/ BILLY MIZE & CLIFF CLIFFORD: Tom Dooley/ JUNE MOSELEY & JIM MOONEY: Faded Love/ Harbor Lights/ JOHNNY O'NEILL: The Big Movie Show In The Sky/ They Call The Wind Maria/ THE OZARK JUBILEE BOYS: I Cried A Tear/ Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/ JEANNIE STERLING: Angry/ The Man Upstairs/ GORDON TERRY: It Ain't Right/ Tennessee Wagoner/ The Saddest Day/ CHARLIE WILLIAMS: Lorena/ Mean Woman Blues

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Bear Family 20034 Town Hall Party - October 1958 & August 1959 ● DVD $31.98
Includes two songs by the great Lefty Frizzell plus performances by Johnny Bond, Joe & Rose Lee Maphis, The Collins Kids, Hank Snow, Tex Ritter and others.
JOHNNY BOND: When The Bloom Is On The Sage/ MARTHA CARSON: Cryin' Holy Unto The Lord/ LARRY COLLINS & JOE MAPHIS: Ramrod/ THE COLLINS KIDS: Bei Mir Bist Du Schön/ Great Balls Of Fire/ Kissin' Time/ Party/ CLIFF CROFFORD & BILLY MIZE: Just Before Dawn/ FIDDLIN' KATE & JOE MAPHIS: Kate Warren Breakdown/ LEFTY FRIZZELL: Ballad Of The Blue And Grey/ Cigarettes And Coffee Blues/ JOE & ROSE LEE MAPHIS: Paper Of Pins/ SKEETS MCDONALD: Tomorrow Never Comes/ BILLY MIZE & CLIFF CROFFORD: 'til I Kissed You/ Bird Dog/ Heartaches By The Number/ JOHNNY OND: Cimarron/ JIMMY PRUETT: 12th Street Rag/ Somebody Stole My Gal/ St. Louis Blues/ TEX RITTER: High Noon/ HANK SNOW: I'm Movin' On/ Medley (yellow Roses/let Me Go, Lover/i Don't Hurt Anymore)/ Tangled Mind/ CHARLIE WILLIAMS: Kansas City

 

NEW COMPACT DISCS

 
ELTON BRITT B.A.C.M. 109 Early Recordings, 1933-1937 ● CD $13.98
20 of the earliest recordings by this popular performer including sides from his first session in August 1933 with his brother Vern and others that were issued as by The Wenatchee Mountaineers, also includes duets with Ezra Ford issued as by Britt & Ford, tracks with Roy Smeck on steel guitar, tracks with Charlie "Ezra" Heatherington and Ted "Pappy " Bellow issued as Pappy, Ezra & Elton and more and, of course, a number of tracks feature Britt's fine yodeling.
ELTON BRITT: 1936 Tornado/ Alpine Milkman Yodel/ Blue Eyed Ellen/ Bring Your Roses To Your Mother/ By The Sleepy Rio Grande/ Dear Old Daddy/ Heart In The Heart Of Texas/ In A Little Inn Way Out In Indiana/ Listen To The Mocking Bird (instr.)/ My Best Friend/ My Southland/ New London Texas School Tragedy/ Swiss Yodel/ The Wrong Man & The Wrong Woman/ Wedding Bells Waltz (instr.)/ When I'm Four Times Twenty/ When It's Harvest Time/ When It's Harvest Time In Old New England/ When You Played The Old Church Organ/ Where The Rhododendron Grows

 
JAMES BURTON & RALPH MOONEY Sundazed 9009 Corn Pickin' And Slick Slidin' ● CD $12.98
12 tracks, 27 min., good
First U.S. release on CD. On the heels of their successful Bryant-West pairings, Capitol let sideman-legend James Burton and slide ace Ralph Mooney have a go at the instrumental market with this 1967 album. Unfortunately, the one-upsmanship that set fire to the Speedy and Jimmy albums is rarely found in this collection. Corn Pickin' has a few tricky breaks, and Mooney's Moonshine is a bouncy two-step with some neat solo trading, but even on these numbers it sounds like the two men are saving their strength for a moment that never arrives. Burton gets in some nice dobro licks on Columbus Stockade Blues/ Sneaky Strings, with Mooney answering with tasteful sideman's ease. Maybe they should have picked a little less corn for this session, and done away with the MOR snoozers My Elusive Dreams/ It's Such A Pretty World Today/ Spanish Eyes/ There Goes My Everything. (MB)

 
CARL & PEARL BUTLER/ JOHNNIE & JONIE MOSBY Koch 9839 A Family Affair ● CD $13.98
19 tracks - all of them top 100 country hits by these two fine honky tonk husband & wife duos. There are 14 tracks by The Butlers including Don't Let Me Cross Over/ My Tears Don't Show/ We'd Destroy Each OtherLittle Pedro, etc and five by The Mosbys - Don't Call Me From A Honky Tonk/ Who's Been Cheatin Who/ How The Other Half Lives, etc.

 
JOHNNY CASH Charly SNAP 174 The Sun Hits ● CD $13.98
28 tracks, recommended
Repackaging of Charly 8101 is digipack with picture label. This features all of Johnny's Sun recordings to hit the country charts between 1955 and 1970 including titles released after he signed with Columbia. All the early classics are here Folsom Prison Blues/ I Walk The Line/ Train Of Love/ Home Of The Blues/ Ballad Of A Teenage Queen/ Guess Things Happen That Way/ The Ways Of A Woman In Love/ Luther Played The Boogie and more. One slight anomaly is that they have used the undubbed version of I Love You Because rather than the hit version which featured a dubbed on vocal chorus - it's better this way but not actually the hit version. Includes 12 page booklet with notes by Adam Komorowski and full discographical details. A fine introduction of you don't already have this material. (FS)
JOHNNY CASH: Ballad Of A Teenage Queen/ Big River/ Come In Stranger/ Cry! Cry! Cry!/ Don't Make Me Go/ Down The Street To 301/ Folsom Prison Blues/ Get Rhythm/ Give My Love To Rose/ Goodbye Little Darlin'/ Guess Things Happen That Way/ Home Of The Blues/ I Love You Because/ I Walk The Line/ It's Just About Time/ Katy Too/ Luther Played The Boogie/ Mean Eyed Cat/ Next In Line/ Oh Lonesome Me/ Rock Island Line/ So Doggone Lonesome/ Straight A's In Love/ Thanks A Lot/ The Ways Of A Women In Love/ There You Go/ Train Of Love/ You're The Nearest Thing To Heaven

 
YODELING SLIM CLARK Jasmine 3567 Cowboy & Yodel Songs ● CD $11.98
First Cd release of this fine Western singer and yodeller including some of his dazzling "speed yodelling"! When You're Blue Just Yodel/ Rye Whiskey/ Sdadle In The Sky/ The Rocky Mountain Yodeler/ Remember Me/ Swiss Lover's Lullaby/ Yodel Train/ My Calgary Home/ Mockingbird Hill/ The Trail Rider's Call, etc.

 
TOMMY COLLINS Koch 9845 The Capitol Collection ● CD $13.98
18 tracks, essential
Amazingly, this is the first U.S. reissue of this great Bakersfield country pioneer and includes many of his best sides recorded for Capitol between 1953 and 1963 including all his hits from this period. Although heavily weighted with novelty items like You Better Not Do That/ It Tickles/ All The Monkeys Ain't In The Zoo and others, Collins was one of the most appealing singers of these kinds of songs. He was also a fantastic honky tonk ballad singer as can be hear on his own High On A Hilltop and How Do I Say Goodbye or Werly Fairburn's I Guess I'm Crazy. Sidemen on these sessions include Buck Owens, Roy Nichols, Ralph Mooney, "Fuzzy" Owen and others. On the beautiful ballad Don't Let Me Stand In His Footsteps he is joined on harmony vocal by his good friend Merle Haggard. Includes brief notes by Daniel Cooper and discographical info. (FS)
TOMMY COLLINS: All Of The Monkeys Ain’t In The Zoo/ Black Cat/ Don’t Let Me Stand In His Footsteps/ High On A Hilltop/ How Do I Say Goodbye/ I Guess I’m Crazy/ If I Could Just Go Back/ It Tickles(W/Wanda Collins)/ I’ll Never Let You Go/ Little June/ Oh, What A Dream/ Take Me Back To The Good Old Days/ Untied/ Whatcha Gonna Do Now/ You Better Not Do That/ You Gotta Have A License/ You Oughta See Pickles(W/Wanda Collins)/ You’re For Me

 
SHERRIF JOHNNY DENIS & THE RANCHERS B.A.C.M. 105 Copper Canyon ● CD $13.98
27 tracks recorded between 1943 and 1952 by one of the few British groups performing country music at the time.
SHERIFF JOHNNY DENIS & THE RANCHERS: A Gay Ranchero [las Altenitas]/ Be Honest With Me/ Copper Canyon/ Don't Eat Biscuits In Bed/ Don't Trade Your Love For Gold/ Down In Dreamy Valley/ Down Where The Rainbow Ends/ Featherhead/ Gaucho Serenade/ Goin' To The Barn Dance Tonight/ Kawliga/ Kentucky Waltz/ Mister And Mississippi/ Mountain Laurel/ No Help Wanted/ Old Pardner/ Old Square Dance Is Back Again/ Pony Express/ Quicksilver/ River Of Gold/ Satins And Lace/ Somebody Stole My Horse And Wagon/ Three Wheels On The Wagon/ Wait For The Wagon/ We're Happy Right Here/ Yellow Rose Of Texas/ You're Gonna Be Sorry

 
GOLDIE HILL B.A.C.M. 107 The Golden Hillbilly - I let The Stars Get In My Eyes ● CD $13.98
24 tracks recorded between 1952 and '54 by this fine female honky tonk singer including her #1 hit I Let The Stars Get In My Eyes - the anser song to Slim Willet's Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes. Goldie, who was the sister of songwriter and musician Tommy Hill, married Carl Smith in 1957 and virtually retired from recording touring. This set includes four duets with Ernest Tubb's son Justin including the hit Looking Back To See. Other songs include Liquor & Women/ Fickle Heart/ I Miss You So/ My Love Is Aflame/ I'm Yvonne Of The Bayou (an answer song to Hank Williams' Jambalaya)/ Young At Heart/ Why Don't You let Me Go and others.
GOLDIE HILL: Ain't Gonna Wash My Face For A Month/ Am I Still Your Baby/ Call Off The Wedding/ Cry, Cry, Darling/ Don't Send No More Roses/ Fickle Heart/ I Let The Stars Get In My Eyes/ I Miss You So/ I'm The Loneliest Gal In Town/ I'm Yesterday's Girl/ I'm Yvonne Of The Bayou/ Let Me Be The One/ Liquor & Women/ Looking Back To See/ Make Love To Me/ My Love Is Aflame/ Please Don't Betray Me/ Say Big Boy/ Sure Fire Kisses/ Treat Me Kind/ Waiting For A Letter/ Why Don't You Let Me Go/ Why Talk To My Heart/ Young At Heart

 
GEORGE JONES EMI Gold 82647 Country Standards ● CD $11.98
22 tracks, highly recommended
A great collection of sides recorded for United Artists in the 60s and early 70s by the greatest living honky tonk singer performing a couple of his own hits along with songs made famous by Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Roy Acuff, Johnny Cash and others. Includes She Thinks I Still Care/ You Win Again/ Time Changes Everything/ Blue Moon Of Kentucky (a great duet with Melba Montgomery)/ Yes, I Know Why/ They'll Never Take Her Love From Me/ It's A Sin/ Don't let The Stars Get In Your Eyes, etc. Few people can interpret these songs better than George. (FS)
GEORGE JONES: Beggar to a King/ Blue Moon of Kentucky/ Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes/ Faded Love/ Give My Love to Rose/ It's a Sin/ Little Bitty Tear/ Love's Gonna Live Here/ Mansion on the Hill/ Peace in the Valley/ Precious Jewel/ Race Is On/ San Antonio Rose/ She Thinks I Still Care/ Take Me Back to Tulsa/ Take These Chains from My Heart/ They'll Never Take Her Love from Me/ Time Changes Everything/ Wedding Bells/ Yes, I Know Why/ You Win Again/ Your Cheatin' Heart

 
MERL LINDSAY & HIS OKLAHOMA NITE RIDERS Krazy Kat 33 1946-1952 ● CD $16.98
28 tracks from this outstanding Oklahoma Western Swing band. Includes booklet with extensive notes by Kevin Coffey and full discographical info - Water Baby Blues/ Pink Champagne/ Don't Say Goodbye/ Steel Guitar rag/ Eager Beaver/ A Little Bit Old Fashioned/ One Sweet Letter From You/ Orange Colored Sky, etc.

 
FRANK LUTHER B.A.C.M. 103 An Old Man's Story & Other Classic Songs & Ballads ● CD $13.98
Complementing B.A.C.M. 007 this is another collection of songs by this popular and very prolific performer featuring 22 tracks recorded between 1928 and 1934 including Fate Of The Fleagle Gang/ Nobody To Love/ When The Bloom Is On The Sage/ Wanderer's Warning/ How To Make Love/ I Don't Work For A Living/ Lonesome Melody/ Climbing Up The Golden Stairs, etc.
FRANK LUTHER: A Mother's Plea/ An Old Man's Story/ Climbing Up The Golden Stairs/ Fate Of The Fleagle Gang/ Grandmother's Bible/ Hallelujah I'm A Bum/ He Was Once Some Mother's Boy/ Hello Young Lindy/ How To Make Love/ I Don't Work For A Living/ In The Baggage Coach Ahead/ Lonesome Melody/ Nobody To Love/ Oh Dem Golden Slippers/ Oh That Dumb Bell/ Popeye The Sailor Man/ Reformatory Blues/ Since My Mother's Gone/ Wanderer's Warning/ When The Bloom Is On The Sage/ When The White Azaleas Start Blooming/ Wonder Valley

 
THE MADDOX BROTHERS & ROSE Proper Intro 2075 That'll Learn Ya Durn Ya - A Proper Introduction ● CD $9.98
30 tracks, 74 mins, highly recommended
The self-described "Most Colorful Hillbilly Band in America," Maddox Brothers and Rose, quite literally were, thanks a certain sartorial boldness that mirrored perfectly their exuberant performances. Their records were slabs of wild, raw hillbilly honky-tonk that on more than one occasion anticipated rock and roll by several years. This introduction is as pleasing as it is easy on the wallet, drawing from songs recorded between 1947-53. All but the final four cuts are classic 4-Star Records sides, while the Cocquita Of Laredo, The Hiccough Song, No Help Wanted, and Kiss Me Quick And Go come from their Columbia days -- the last being a reworking of an earlier release. Not for those who already have the Arhoolie CDs -- or the Bear Family Box, for that matter -- but a fine one-disc set. Tracks include Hank Williams' Move It On Over, Mama Says It's Naughty, Wayne Raney's Why Don't You Haul Off And Love Me, New Mule Skinner Blues, Sugar Pie, Shimmy Shakin' Daddy, (Pay Me) Alimony, I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again, and more. (JC)
THE MADDOX BROTHERS & ROSE: (Pay Me) Alimony/ Choc'late Ice Cream Cone/ Cocquita Of Laredo/ Detour No. 2/ Eight Thirty Blues/ Gosh I Miss You All The Time/ Hangover Blues/ Honky Tonkin'/ I Couldn't Believe It Was True/ I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again/ It's Only Human Nature/ Kiss Me Quick And Go/ Mama Says It's Naughty/ Mean & Wicked Boogie/ Move It On Over/ New Mule Skinner Blues/ New Step It Up & Go/ No Help Wanted/ Oklahoma Sweetheart Sally Anne/ Philadelphia Lawyer/ Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down/ Shimmy Shakin' Daddy/ Small Town Mama/ Sugar Pie/ Texas Guitar Stomp/ That'll Learn Ya Durn Ya/ The Hiccough Song/ Whoa Sailor/ Why Don't You Haul Off And Love Me/ Why Not Confess

 
W. LEE "PAPPY" O'DANIEL Origin Jazz Library 1003 Western Swing Chronicles, Vol. 4 ● CD $13.98
This CD features two bands fronted by O'Daniel - The Light Crust Doughboys (recorded between 1933 and 35) and The Hillbilly Boys (1935-38). Groups feature western swing's first female vocalist "Texas Rose" plus vocalist Leon Huff, fiddlers Kenneth Pitts and Carroll Hubbard, steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe and others.

 
JOHNNY PAYCHECK Koch 9849 The Gospel Truth - The Complete Gospel Sessions ● CD $12.98
The first 15 tracks features the original "Gospeltime" LP issued in 1966 featuring some fine honky tonk gospel with the outlaw doing a mix of traditional and contemporary gospel songs accompanied by Lloyd Green, Pete Wade, Buddy Spicher and other Little Darlin' house musicians. The remaining eight tracks features eight of the same songs with strings added plus vocals by The Jordanaires that were issued in 1978. Includes I'm On My Way Home/ Every Minute I Want Jesus/ Almost Persuaded/ Just A Closer Walk With Thee/ Old Time Religion/ The Old Rugged Cross, etc.

 
THE RED FOX CHASERS B.A.C.M. 108 Classic Old Time Music From North Carolina ● CD $13.98
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

 
RED RIVER DAVE Jasmine 3559 The Yodelling Cowboy Songs ● CD $11.98
27 tracks by this popular and prolific performer who was particularly known for his topical ballads. Includes his rare original recording of Amelia Earhart's Last Flight plus Back In the Saddle Again/ Empty Saddles/ Ole Faithful/ Her Name Was Rosita/ She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain/ Little Red Caboose Behind The Train/ Teardrops In My Heart/ Two Sides Two Every Story/ I'm A Married Man, etc. Includes several track with a Western Swing style with Dave accompanied by his Texas Tophands.

 
DON RENO & RED SMILEY Bear Family BCD 16728 The Complete Dot Recordings, 1957-1964 ● CD $21.98
24 tracks featuring 12 sides recorded by Don Reno & Red Smiley for Dot in 1957 when they left King for a short while and 12 solo sides recorded by Reno shortly after he and Smiley split in 1964. The former sessions were produced by Mac Wiseman who encouraged them to move to Dot in the hope of reaching a wider audience but in spite of the fine sides recorded commercial success eluded them and they were back with King the following year. Reno's solo sides issued on the LP "Mr. Five String" were also very fine including some superb fiddle from Jimmy Buchanan and mandolin and baritone vocal from Reno's son Ronnie. Includes 48 page booklet with extensive notes by Eddie Stubbs, rare photos and discographical details.

 
THE ROUGH RIDERS B.A.C.M. 102 Moon Over The Trail ● CD $13.98
26 tracks, recommended
Fine collection of 26 Western songs from Standard Transcriptions made in 1939 and 1940 by excellent trio which originally featured Scotty Harrell, Jimmy Wakely and Johnny Bond and this line up is featured on the first 18 songs. Harrell left in 1940 to be replaced by Dick Reinhart who is featured on the last eight songs. The group subsequently became known as The Jimmy Wakely Trio. Songs here include Song Of The Sage/ Little Willie/ Rootin' Tootin' Cowboy/ Moon Over The Trail/ In A Little Country Town/ I Wanna Be A Lonely Cowboy/ Travelin'/ Lights Out, Prairie Moon/ Follow The Trail and others. Booklet includes informative notes by Kevin Coffey. (FS)
THE ROUGH RIDERS: Camping At The End Of The Trail/ Cowboy's Love Call/ Follow The Trail/ I Wanna Be A Lonely Cowboy/ I'm A Happy Cowboy/ I'm A Rolling Stone/ I'm Just A Range Rider/ In A Little Country Town/ It's A Long Old Road/ Keep A Light In Your Window Tonight/ Lay Your Little Head On My Shoulder/ Lights Out, Prairie Moon/ Little Willie/ Moon Over The Trail/ Old Ranger/ Old Wagon Train/ Old Western Wind/ One More Range/ Rootin' Tootin' Cowboy/ Song Of The Sage/ Strawberry Roan/ Take Me Back To The Prairie/ Travelin'/ Way Back In Oklahoma/ Way Out West/ Will You Be True To Me

 
THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS Proper BOX 87 My Saddle Pals & I ● CD $24.98
Four CD retrospective of the most popular of all cowboy groups featuring 100 tracks recorded between 1934 and 1951. Includes early sides with Leonard Slye (aka Roy Rogers) as a member of the group as well s later incarnations of the group. Almost all the sessions feature the superb fiddle and guitar work of Hugh & Karl Farr. Some of the later sessions feature large accompanying groups and there are tracks with steel guitarists Noel Boggs and Joaquin Murphy.
THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS: (there'll Never Be Another) Pecos Bill/ A Calico Apron And A Gingham Gown/ A Hundred And Sixty Acres/ A Little White Cross On The Hill/ A Melody From The Sky/ A Penny For Your Thoughts/ At The Rainbow's End/ Baby Doll/ Blue Prairie/ Blue Prairie/ Blue Shadows On The Trail/ Bue Bonnet Girl/ Cajun Stomp/ Chant Of The Wanderer/ Cigareetes, Whusky And Wild (wild) Women/ Cool Water (1)/ Cool Water (2)/ Cowboy Camp Meeting/ Cowboy Country/ Diesel Smoke/ Down Where The Rio Flows/ Echoes From The Hills/ Empty Saddles/ Forgive And Forget/ Gold Star Mother With Silvery Hair/ Grievin' My Heart Out For You/ Happy Birthday Polka/ Have I Told You Lately That I Love You/ Hills Of Old Wyoming/ Hold That Critter Down/ Home On The Range/ Home On The Range/ I Can't Go On This Way/ I Follow The Stream/ I Hang My Head And Cry/ I Wear Your Memory In My Heart/ I Wonder If She Waits For Me Tonight/ I'm An Old Cowhand/ Kilocycle Stomp/ Land Beyond The Sun/ Lead Me Home Gentle Father/ Let's Go West Again/ Let's Pretend/ Lie Low Little Doggies/ Little Gray Home In The West/ Montana/ My Best To You/ My Feet Takes Me Away/ My Saddle Pals And I/ No One To Cry To/ No Rodeo Dough/ Old Man Atom/ One More Ride/ One More River To Cross/ Out California Way/ Out In Pioneer Town/ Over The Santa Fe Trail/ Power In The Blood/ Private Buckaroo/ Red River Valley/ Ride Ranger Ride/ Riders In The Sky/ Rock Me To Sleep In My Saddle/ Room Full Of Roses/ Rounded Up In Glory/ Santa Fe New Mexico/ Sentimental Worried And Blue/ So Long To The Red River Valley/ Song Of The Bandit/ Song Of The Pioneers/ Song Of The Wagonmaster/ Stampede/ Stars And Stripes On Iwo Jima (isle)/ Teardrops In My Heart/ The Bar-none Ranch/ The Devil's Great Grandson/ The Everlasting Hills Of Oklahoma/ The Last Round-up/ The Lillies Grow High/ The Missouri Is A Devil Of A Woman/ The Old Rugged Cross/ The River Of No Return/ The Rovin' Cowboy/ The Whiffenpoof Song/ There's A Round-up In The Sky/ Timber Trail/ Too High Too Wide Too Low/ Tumbling Tumbleweed (1)/ Tumbling Tumbleweeds (2)/ Wagons West/ Way Out There/ When Our Old Age Pension Check Comes To Our Door/ When The Golden Train Comes In/ When The Moon Comes Over Sun Valley/ Where Are You/ Will There Be Sage Brush In Heaven/ You Don't Know What Lonesome Is/ You'll Be Sorry When I'm Gone/ You'll Never Miss The Water ’til The Well Runs Dry/ You're Getting Tired Of Me

 
CARL STORY Bear Family BCD 16689 Lonesome Hearted Blues ● CD $21.98
18 tracks, highly recommended
18 tracks recorded for Columbia by one of the great bluegrass performers recorded for Columbia between 1953 and 1955 including four previously unissued tracks. Though best known as the Father of Bluegrass Gospel this collection is mix of sacred and secular material. Carl is accompanied by his group The Rambling Mountaineers which here included Claude William Booner/ guitar, Ray Atkins/ dobro, Jerry Rivers or Dale Potter/ fiddle, "Red" Rector/ mandolin and Ernie Newton/ bass with Chet Atkins adding electric guitar on the last session. Includes Love And Wealth/ Lonesome Hearted Blues/ Action Speaks Louder Than Words/ Step It Up And Go/ It's A Lonesome Road/ The Other Shore/ Love Me Like You Used To Do/ You've Benn Tom Cattin' Around/ Don't You Hear Jerusalem Mourn/ It Won't Be Long, etc. Includes 16 page illustrated booklet with notes by Charles Wolfe and full discographical info. (FS)

 
MERLE TRAVIS & JOE MAPHIS Sundazed 9011 Country Music's Two Guitar Greats ● CD $12.98
12 tracks, 29 mins, essential
Country guitar of the highest order by two of the greatest and most influential performers. Merle & Joe had known each other for more than 20 years and had frequently worked together by the time they recorded this album for Capitol in 1964 and were intimately attuned to each others style. This is a true collaboration with no attempt at unneceasarry flash but, as Rich Kienzle points out in his notes, "the two buddies prodded, teased, challanged and dazzled" on a collection of originals and country standards including Corrine Corrina/ Bayou Baby/ Guitar Rag/ When It's Time For The Whippoorwills To Sing/ Mainstreet Breakdown/ Kentucky Waltz

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Acrobat 4033 Roots Of Rockabilly - Volume 1, 1950 ● CD $13.98
26 tracks, recommended
I'm not sure about the rockabilly connection but this is a fine collection of bluesy country, uptempo country and country boogie which certainly all contributed to rockabilly. Mostly familiar artists though not always their most familiar recordings so there's probably some stuff here you don't already have. Includes sides by The Delmore Brothers, T. Texas Tyler, Clyde Moody, The Maddox Brothers & Rose, Hank Snow, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, Red Foley, Moon Mullican, Tennessee Ernie Ford & Kay Starr, Skeets McDonald & Benny Walker (the raunchy Birthday Cake Boogie), Red Kirk, Arkie Shibley, Jimmy Dickens and more. Excellent sound and 12 page booklet has informative notes by Dave Penny. (FS)
EDDY ARNOLD: Cuddle Buggin' Baby/ COWBOY COPAS & GRANDPA JONES: Feudin' Boogie/ THE DELMORE BROTHERS: Blues Stay Away From Me/ LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS: Hillbilly Fever/ TOMMY DUNCAN'S ALL STARS: All Star Boogie/ RED FOLEY: Birmingham Bounce/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD & KAY STARR: Ain't Nobody's Business But My Own/ LEFTY FRIZZELL: If You've Got The Money, I've Got The Time/ HANK GARLAND: Sugarfoot Rag/ HARDROCK GUNTER & THE PEBBLES: Gonna Dance All Night/ RED KIRK: Lose Your Blues/ THE MADDOX BROTHERS & ROSE: Water Baby Blues/ SKEETS MCDONALD & BENNY WALKER: Birthday Cake Boogie/ CLYDE MOODY: Six White Horses/ MOON MULLICAN: Moon's Tune/ LEON PAYNE: I'm A Lone Wolf/ WEBB PIERCE: Groovy Boogie Woogie Boy/ ARKIE SHIBLEY & HIS MOUNTAIN DEW BOYS: Hot Rod Race/ JIMMIE SKINNER: You Don't Know My Mind/ HANK SNOW & HIS RAINBOW RANCH BOYS: I'm Movin' On/ HANK THOMPSON & HIS BRAZOS VALLEY BOYS: Humpty Dumpty Boogie/ MERLE TRAVIS: Dry Bread/ T. TEXAS TYLER: My Bucket's Got A Hole In It/ SPEEDY WEST: Bryant's Boogie/ BOB WILLS & HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS: Ida Red Likes The Boogie/ THE YORK BROTHERS: Motor City Boogie

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS B.A.C.M. 110 4 Star Roundup ● CD $13.98
26 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
Fine collection of 26 tracks recorded in the 40s and early 50s for Bill McCall's 4 Star label - an important West Coast independent that launched the careers of such well known country artists as Ferlin Husky, Webb Pierce, Patsy Cline others. Most of the artists here are fairly obscure though it does include a 1953 recording of Roy Clark and a fine bluegrass gospel side side by the Wilburn Family Band featuring brothers Teddy & Doyle who later had a career as The Wilburn Brothers. Also includes Texas Bill Strength, Smokey Reason, Long Tom Kiiiah (instrumental country swing with hot electric and steel guitar), Bill Carter, Pete Graves, Big Jim DeNoone (fine electric guitar instrumental), The Stewart Family (superb country gospel - they need a CD of their own), Cactus Pryor (an insane parody of Cry Of The Wild Goose called Cry Of A Dying Duck In A Thunderstorm), Doc Denning, Kenny Hardy & Jimmy Wiseman, Wally Fowler, The Miller Brothers, William Moore, Maddox Brothers & Rose and others. Excellent sound and a booklet with notes by Dave Penny. (FS)
THE ARMSTRONG TWINS (FLOYD & LLOYD): Beetle With The Boogie Beat/ BILL CARTER: A Story Book Affair/ ROY CLARK: Mysteries Of Life/ TINY COLBERT: Pretty Lady/ GENE CRABB: A Little Less/ GAIL DANIELS: Time Marches On/ DOC DENNING: Dusty Trail/ BIG JIM DENOONE: Wild Strings/ WALLY FOWLER & THE OAK RIDGE QUARTET: You Must Have That Pure Religion/ PETE GRAVES: Drowning My Sorrows/ KENNY HARDY & JIMMY WISEMAN: You Blacked My Blue Eyes Once Too Often/ LONG TOM KIZZIAH: Cotton Tail Stomp/ MADDOX BROTHERS & ROSE: Water Baby Blues/ THE MCQUAIG TWINS (GLENELL & JONELL): You Travel Your Way/ THE MILLER BROTHERS: Geronimo/ Tuning The Fiddle/ WILLIAM MOORE (VOCAL- JACK WHITE): I'll Leave All My Troubles This Side Of The Grave/ CACTUS PRYOR: Cry Of The Dying Duck In A Thunder Storm/ SMOKEY REASON: Hoot Owl Melody/ TOMMY SCOTT: Kiss And Run/ THE STEWART FAMILY: Little Community Church/ TEXAS BILL STRENGTH: I'm Doing A Peach Of A Job/ T. TEXAS TYLER: Hot Rod Roy/ THE WILBURN FAMILY: Forever Too Late/ SLIM WILLET: Shibuya/ WOODY WOODWARD: Blow Wind, Blow

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Jasmine 134 A Cowboy's Life Is Good Enough For Me ● CD $29.98
Four CD set featuring 100 Western and cowboy songs recorded between the 30s and early 50s (no actual dates are given) by a wide range of performers including artists from Canada and Australia and one from England! Includes many rare tracks making their first appearance on CD. Sound quality is excellent and set includes 32 page booklet with notes by Paul Hazell.
REX ALLEN: Arizona Waltz/ Cowpoke/ Who Shot The Hole In My Sombrero?/ ROSALIE ALLEN: Cowpuncher's Waltz/ Shoot Him High Paw/ Square Dance Polka/ GENE AUTRY: Blue Montana Skies/ Rhythm Of The Range/ Ride Tenderfoot Ride/ The Old Trail/ ELTON BRITT: Blue Texas Moonlight/ Over The Trail/ Patent Leather Boots/ Ridin' With My Gal/ Rogue River Valley/ The Rovin' Gambler/ BIG BILL CAMPBELL: I'm Rockin' To The Rockies/ The Strawberry Roan/ CLIFF CARLISLE & LITTLE TOMMY: Riding The Trail/ CLIFF CARLISLE & FRED KIRBY: The Cowboy's Dying Dream/ WILF CARTER: Beautiful Girl Of The Prairie/ Broken Down Cowboy/ I'm Hittin' The Trail/ West Of Rainbow Trail/ SLIM CLARK: Little Old Sod Shanty/ Trailrider's Moon/ LAURIE CROISETTE: The Cowboy/ STU DAVIS: Land, Sky And Water/ SMOKY DAWSON: Cowboy's Roundup Song/ The Range In The Western Sky/ Will I Meet Old Faithful Up Yonder?/ Texas Lil/ RAMBLING RED FOLEY: The Lone Cowboy/ THE HILLBILLIES: Moonlight On The Prairie/ Ranch In The Rockies/ JUNE HOLMS: Happy Yodelling Cowgirl/ FRANK IFIELD: A Mother's Faith/ There's A Love Knot In My Lariat/ EVAN KEMP & THE TRAIL RIDERS: Tonight In The Twilight/ WILLIE LAMOTHE: Je Suis Un Cowboy Canadien/ LEGARDE TWINS (TOM & TED): Before The Dawn/ THE LEGARDE TWINS: There's A Bridle Hanging On The Wall/ REG LINDSAY: Down By The Old Sliprail/ SHORTY LONG: Waltz Of Colorado/ FRANK LUTHER & CARSON ROBISON: Midnight On The Colorado/ Missouri Valley/ When The Bloom Is On The Sage/ MAC MAGUIRE & HARMONY RANGERS: Sundown Lullaby/ ZEKE MANNERS BAND (VCL: CURLY GRIBBS): Sioux City Sue/ JOSEF MARAIS: Covered-wagon Lullaby/ TIM MCNAMARA: Campfire Of Dreams/ Happy Cowboy/ TEX MORTON: The Oregon Trail/ The Story Of Parson Joe/ Teardrops In My Heart/ THE SINGING MOUNTAINEERS: Prairie Lullaby/ THE O’LEARY SISTERS: A Pair Of Silver Spurs/ JACK PATTON: Old Painted Desert/ EZRA PAULETTE: Old Arapahoe Trail/ When The Coyote Howls (at Twilight)/ PHIL PAVEY: Bronco Bustin' Blues/ BOB PRESSLEY: Hawaiian Cowboy/ DUSTY RANKIN: Going Back To My Little Western Home/ Going Back To Wyoming/ RED RIVER DAVE: Is The Range Still The Same Back Home?/ Red River Moon/ Sierra Sue/ GOEBEL REEVES: Cowboy's Dream/ Little Joe The Wrangler/ BUDDY REYNOLDS: Blue Canadian Rockies/ DONN REYNOLDS: The Stockman's Lullaby/ BUDDY REYNOLDS & THE RHYTHM PALS: Tundra/ TEX RITTER: Goodbye My Little Cherokee/ Old Chisholm Trail/ KENNY ROBERTS: Sweet Little Cherokee/ Wagon Wheels/ Beautiful Ohio/ TEXAS JIM ROBERTSON: I'm Gonna Throw My Lasso/ CARSON ROBISON: I'm An Old Cowhand/ JESSE ROGERS: Back In The Saddle Again/ Cattle Call/ Yellow Rose Of Texas/ ROY ROGERS: A Four Legged Friend/ Saddle Serenade/ JIMMIE & LEON SHORT: Alla En El Rancho Grande/ HANK SNOW: At The Rainbow's End/ I'll Ride Back To Lonesome Valley/ THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS: Land Beyond The Sun/ Red River Valley/ DICK THOMAS: Halfway To Montana/ Ridin' ’neath The Arizona Moon/ JIMMY WAKELY: Love Song Of The Waterfall/ Pale Moon/ BILLY WILLIAMS: Yippi Ki Aye/ BUDDY WILLIAMS: A Cowboy's Life Is Good Enough For Me/ Riding Down The Valley/ COLE WILSON: On The Plains Away Out There/ LES WILSON: Shadows On The Trail/ Prairie Rose/ COLE WILSON & THE TUMBLEWEEDS: The Outlaw

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Koch 9836 The Little Darlin' Sound Of Should Have Been Hits ● CD $12.98
20 tracks, 52 min., highly recommended
Culled from sides cut between 1960 and 1980-something, this country collection is aptly titled. The thumbnail biographical sketches of the artists frequently contain such career notes as, "gave up too soon," "did not have the the drive to compete," "never pursued a national career," and "came and went very quickly." And so the point is made that commercial success is sometimes just a matter of longevity, or what Woody Allen called "just showing up." No telling how much great music never gets released or even recorded. The music here is almost uniformly fine, some songs more derivative than others, but few of the artists are still in the biz. Jackie Frazier, it is written, now drives a truck. Joe Pains "was deceived by poor management." Every artist is another story lost, every song an unfulfilled promise of a long career. Real musician have day jobs. (JC)

 
SPEEDY WEST Jasmine 3537 Travelin' From Georgia To West Of Samoa ● CD $11.98
23 track compilation - most with Jimmy Bryant. Includes his hit Stratosphere Boogie plus Georgia Steel Guitar/ Red Headed Polka/ Hub Cap Roll/ Roadside Rag/ Serenade To A Frog/ Sunset/ Swinging On the Strings/ West Of Samoa, etc.

 
SPEEDY WEST Sundazed 9007 Steel Guitar ● CD $12.98
12 tracks, essential From the early to the mid-50's, the guitar/ steel team of Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West recorded some incredible instrumentals for Capitol in addition to working scores of country and pop dates. These 12 tunes, cut from 1951-1955 are among Speedy's finest. Even today, Speedy sounds futuristic, especially on numbers like Speedin' West (1953) and Stainless Steel (1954). For all the flash and wit, Speedy could also play with great subtlety on numbers like the 1954 West Of Samoa . He and Bryant create a synergy seldom heard on country instrumentals since. (AK)

 

 

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