ep. 2 of twang club radio hour - harry’s records episode
May 16th would have been my dad's 85th birthday so I figured I would explore the box of 45s that he gave me when I was in junior high. They all day from between 1953 and 1961. So basically his teenage years and then a couple records from later which could have belonged to his younger brothers.
I grouped the songs in a way that made sense to me. It's a weird mix of honky tonk, pop country, pop r&b, novelty and everything between those things.
Smme of the records were in pretty rough shape so I did a little noise correction on them but just enough so they still retained the crackly vinyl charm.
The background music is from a compilation called Minnesota Rock-a-billy Rock which is full of awesome bands that my dad definitely wasn't cool enough to know about or listen to.
This set is pretty standard honky tonk. I don't remember this record from when my dad gave me these records but I discovered Onie on my own later on and it was cool to know he had listened to him back in the day.
BG Mike Waggoner and the Bops - Basher No. 5 - 1961
Onie Wheeler - Cut It Out - 1955
George Morgan - Ever So Often - 1955
Onie Wheeler - I’m Satisfied With My Dreams - 1955
Billy Gray and His Western Oakies - Pinup Girl - 1953
Lefty Frizzell - You Can Always Count On Me - 1954
Like myself at that age my dad was very into novelty records. For me it was Weird Al and Dr Demento but for him it was Homer & Jethro many other corny acts. I did not include some of the more painfully dated records with their casual racism and overt sexism.
My dad grew up in rural Minnesota which explains the Yogi Yogersson song. Yogi was a character of the entertainer and "musician" Harry Stewart who made many records under the name as well as other characters. One of his records a pretty racist version of "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" under the Japanese character Harry Kari is considered one of the worst songs ever recorded and you should definitely not listen to it. It was of course very popular at the time.
BG Ronnie Ray & The Playboys - The Vulture - 1959
Bob Sandy - You All Come - 1954
Homer & Jethro - Yaller Rose of Texas - 1955
Dinah Shore - Sweet Violets - 1950
Billy Gray and His Western Oakies - Who’ll Buy My Tacos? - 1953
Rusty Howard - Bimbo - 1954
Yogi Yogersson - The Ballad of Ole Swenson - 1955
More Honky tonk but a little bit sadder this time.
BG Jim Thaxter and the Travellers - Cyclon - 1960
Lefty Frizzell - King Without A Queen - 1954
George Morgan - Lonesome Record - 1955
Sonny James - You’re The Reason I’m In Love - 1956
Elvis Presley - Playing for Keeps - 1957
These songs aren't really country but they show a connection to pop and other styles. The Sarah Vaughan track was produced by Hal Mooney whose arrangements pushed the boundaries of jazz into pop and r&b.
The Jim Lowe track has been covered by lots of artists including Bill Haley and Crystal Gayle but most notably by The Cramps.
BG Ron Thompson & The Broughams - Switchblade - 1959
Sarah Vaughan - Hot and Cold Running Tears - 1956
Jim Lowe - The Green Door - 1956
Frankie Laine - Moonlight Gambler - 1956
Rusty Draper - Forty Two - 1956
Dinah Shore - Honkeytonk Heart - 1957
More novelty songs. This time all songs about animals.
BG Eddie Randall & The Downbeats - Downbeat Rock - 1959
Phil Maclean - Chicken - 1961
Homer & Jethro - Listen to the Gooney Bird - 1955
Sons of The Pioneers - The Grave Yard Filler of The West - 1955
Phil Maclean - Small Sad Sam - 1961
These songs are all basically pop versions of r&b aimed at a white suburban audience. Georgia Gibbs (a Worcester Mass native) in particular had a string of hits that were almost exact duplicates off popular r&b tunes at the time. Because she was a pretty blonde white lady her records were picked up by stations and stores who catered to a more affluent white audience. Her version of those songs then often out performed the original, superior versions by black artists. A practice unfortunately all too common in the 1950s.
I learned all this about Georgia from Andrew Hickey's awesome podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs if you'd like to learn more. I do think it's important to recognize that most singers did not have much say in their material so most if not all of the blame for this sleazy practice should probably be directed at the producers and label owners. It appears this is the first recording of this song unless it was based on one with a different name which is certainly possible.
BG Eddie Barkdall and the Corvets - Scramble -
Dinah Shore - If You Turn Me Down - 1950
Kay Thompson - Just One of Those Things - 1956
Pat Morrissey - Baby, It Must Be Love - 1953
The Mints - Night Air - 1957
Steve Lawrence - Party Doll - 1957
Georgia Gibbs - Rock Right - 1956
There are of course many more records in the box but these were the best of the ones that were playable. Don't worry my dad started listening to cooler music later in life, in no small part thanks to my mom. I do a similar episode of some of my mom's favorite music (minus the opera) when her birthday anniversary comes around.
This last set are all bands I saw when I went out to the Burning Ma'am music festival in Central Pennsylvania. Named for the band Ma'am who host the festival it's a really amazing festival in Amish country with a lineup of almost entirely off alt.country, garage, psych, and punk bands. So most of my favorite things. These are just some of the bands and the songs are loosely themed around driving and traveling west.
BG The Reveliers - Revel Rock -
Mandy Valentine - Goin’ West - https://mandyvalentine.bandcamp.com/
The Wilson Springs Hotel - Long Road - https://thewilsonspringshotel.bandcamp.com/
The Keystone Breakers - Ridge Roads - https://thekeystonebreakers.com/
Old Lady - Interstate Rain - https://oldladyofficial.bandcamp.com/
Ma’am - No Cadillac - https://maam-band.bandcamp.com/
Adam Amram - Streets are Calling - https://adamamram.bandcamp.com/
Abby Jeanne - Running’ From You - https://abbyjeanne.bandcamp.com/
The Out-Sect - The Drag - https://theoutsect.bandcamp.com/
Rose Maddox - Ole Slew Foot - 1962
