Late November 2015 fortnight’s favorites
Not much info this time on artists or music I am afraid.
HAROLD MONTGOMERY has already been posted for his great 1969 bopper on Sun-Ray 139 “All them wives/Pardon me Jim“. This time I’m putting an equally good side with «How much do you miss me ». Wolf-Tex # 103 label, which emanates from Lancaster, KY. Solid backing by the Ray Johnson band over a hiccupy vocal. This record is sold between $ 300 and 400, maybe a lot more ! Montgomery had also “Thank you little girl” on Wolf-Tex 105, and “Gabriel doesn’t play a steel guitar” on Lemco (no #), both untraced.
“How much do you miss me”
The next artist was an itinerant D.J., who also carried from town to town his own record for sale. JOHNNY DAUME (Johnny Daume label # 1001) is an early ’50s double-sider with strong Western swing overtones : lazy vocal, a prominent fiddle and a discreet steel , all this reminds me of Texas bands of the mid to late ’40s. »Boogie woogie blond » and « Lookin’ fer a gal in Tennessee » are mouled in the same matrix, one slow, the other side more medium uptempo. A nice record.
“Lookin’ fer a gal from Tennessee”
“Boogie woogie blond”
From Johnson City, TN hails BILLY SIZEMORE. A fine country-rocker (heavy drums) over fiddle and steel for « My baby’s gone » (Edmac # 104). No other data available.
“My baby’s gone”
Marty Robbins had done « Mean mama blues » on Columbia in early 1956 – urgent vocal and fast rockabilly backing. Same song is revived 4 years later on Circle Dot # 1002 (Minneapolis, MN) by RONNIE RAY. This version is on a par with the original. Ray also had another issue on Demand 101 (« My heart has to make it (on it’s own) » (untraced).
Marty Robbins “Mean mama blues”
Ronnie Ray “Mean mama blues”
“I don’t care anymore”
“It’s rough”
LES & His Western Playboys comes next in 1961 on the B-W label (# Q-609). A prominent steel over a light country rocker. Maybe Les was named « Haven » : that’s the writer of « I don’t care anymore ». This outfit had another on the Wel Burn label (parent to B-W) # 103 with the good uptempo from 1962, “It’s rough“, cut in Wooster, OH and reviewed on May 5th, 1962 by Billboard. Nice steel throughout.
“Workingman’s blues”
Armoneer 1003 : RONNIE NEWTON and « Workingman’s blues ». A good 1959 record ; solid vocal and backing, fine boogie guitar and piano backing. Cut in Wynona Lake, Indiana.
Notes : all selections from the net or (Johnny Daume) from « Hillbilly Researcher » blogspot.
arkansas 45s