Twang Club Radio Hour Episode 7 - Haul Check - PIttsburgh

This episode is made up of songs from records I bought on a recent trip to Pittsburgh following the Burning Ma’am music festival.

I finally made it to the legendary Jerry’s Music and to the also well known Attic Records.  Both shops had huge selections and despite spending hours in both shops I barely scratched the surface.  I spent almost the entire time in Jerry’s looking through the country shelves under the Misc. letters sections.  Then I did a quick sweep for my usual targets in the rock section and found a couple.

I snagged a couple really good deals on stuff I was looking for and a bunch of finds I didn’t know I wanted.  With most every record at Jerry’s being $5 I took quite a few gambles and all but a few paid off.

The Jimmy Dempsey and Jana Jae tunes used behind my read backs were both found there.  I had been looking for the Jana Jae and couldn’t resist a whole record of country disco instrumentals.

The first two sets are records that have been on my want list.  Dallas Frazier is most known as one of the greatest country songwriters ever but he put out some records of his own that are pretty interesting and really fun.  I had a couple singles from this album but had never found the LP before.  

I had the single of Lois Johnson’s “Girl Named Sam” which is an answer song to the Shel Silverstein tune Boy Named Sue so expected some sassy go go fun from this record and it didn’t disappoint.

The Homesteaders were a pickup band with a flexible lineup that was organized by Hank Williams’ fiddler Jerry Rivers. It’s unclear who plays on this record as 4 musicians are listed in the notes but there are 6 guys on the cover.  Aubrey Mayhew produced it so probably Lloyd Green is on steel.  It’s a fun record with a variety of tunes that covers a lot of ground.  I had never heard of this record but every album produced by Aubrey Mayhew and on Little Darlin’s is on my want list.

Connie Cato had a short career with a couple minor hits that I had on 45.  3 out of those 4 tunes are super fun sassy go go country.  I picked up 2 of her albums and didn’t expect them to be consistently good and they weren’t but each had a couple good tunes I didn’t have before.

Cherokee had a song featured on Country Funk Volume 1 which I don't own because its expensive and I'm determined to find all those songs in the wild before I die.  I don't know where I heard High Cotton but I would have bought it based on the cover anyway.

0:00 -           BG : Jimmy Dempsey - You Should Be Dancing - 1965

3:15 - Dallas Frazier - Hurtin’ From The Hunger of Your Love - 1952

5:22 - Lois Johnson - I’m Looking For A Man, Boy - 1975

8:16 - The Homesteaders - It’s A Woman - 1976

10:45 - Connie Cato - After Midnight - 1980

14:22 - Cherokee - Strange Ways - 1954

17:41 - High Cotton - Goin’ Up To Get Down - 1973

I've seen this Dee Mullins record before but not for $5.  I generally check out anything on the unfortunately named Plantation Records.  Shelby Singleton might have been a complicated dude but most records on this label are right in my wheelhouse.  With several exceptions.

I picked up Tom Pacheco's third record on a whim based on the album cover which followed one of my buying strategies: guy standing alone in a landscape wearing a hat other than a cowboy hat.  This one has less aliens but some cool songs.

The Randy Lee record is produced by Pete Drake and I'm on a mission to get every record he produced because they're all at least decent so far.

21:23 -           BG: Jana Jae - Don’t Rock The Bow - 1956

24:48 - Connie Cato - Somewhere South of Macon - 1961

27:51 - Dee Mullins - Beer - 1964

29:45 - Tom Pacheco - The Beer Song - 1964

32:35 - Randy Lee - Soakin’ With Tears - 1961

This set is made up entirely of albums that follow one of my other buying strategies which is guys with long hair in front of doors and windows.

I started noticing this pattern while digging and almost every record has had at least one good tune and some have had real funky tonk bangers.  These all had other things going for them too.

The Garland Frady record is produced by Michael Nesmith, features Red Rhodes on steel and Linda Hargrove on harmony vocals and rhythm guitar.

I've seen this Larry Murray record around for years but not for so cheap.  It features the song Bugler that was recorded by the Byrds soon after his original came out.

I knew the title song of the Jack Barlow record so I took a chance.  A few other good ones but not the best window and door record.  Same with Turley Richards.  A few good tunes but I've noticed that Troy Seals productions are pretty hit or miss for me.

Cooder Browne is not Ry Cooder and Jackson Browne but a short lived band from Austin from the late 70s.  I bought this because it was on Willie Nelson's record Lone Star. Lots of hot fiddle from Larry Franklin of Asleep at the Wheel fame and steel from Toy Caldwell of the Marshall Tucker Band.

I almost didn't buy the Tommy West record because it violated one of my buying rules which is to avoid album photos in soft focus.  But it was cheap and has a couple good songs.

35:31 -           BG: Al Petty - Steel Guitar Special - 1961

37:45 - Garland Frady - Silver Moon - 1949

41:11 - Larry Murray - Dakota - 1961

43:44 - Jack Barlow - Play It Again - 1969

46:13 - Turley Richards - Love Is On The Line - 1951

50:08 - Cooder Browne - Two Trains/Orange Blossom Special - 1964

57:24 - Tommy West - Nightingale - 1957

These were all nice surprises.  I didn't know the Jean Shepard and Ray Pillow record existed but it's as good as one would expect.  I bought the Llynn Stevens record because he looked like a Temu Dick Curless but it was better than expected.  As was the Mary Kay Place record.  I knew she had recorded some country records but this record has a great band.

The Larry Ballard record was maybe my favorite discovery of this trip.  It was produced by Pete Drake and features Pig Robbins, Jerry Shook, Jimmy Bryant, and Buddy Harmon.  His originals are fantastic as is the Linda Hargrove tune.  Hard to believe some of these tunes haven't been covered a bunch.

I bought the Jerry Jaye record because it was on Hi records and it's quite good.

1:00:49 -           BG: Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Love of The Common People - 1952

1:04:41 - Jean Shepard and Ray Pillow - I’ll Take The Dog - 1949

1:07:13 - Llynn Stevens - Picture of a Fool - 1953

1:10:00 - May Kay Place - You Can’t Get To Heaven Unless You Have A Good Time - 1952

1:11:45 - Larry Ballard - Honky Tonk Heaven - 1953

1:15:05 - Jerry Jaye - Hot and Still Heating - 1962

Bought the Randy Matthews mostly because Lloyd Green was on it.  It's a bit bibley for me but has some great stuff on it.

Joe Barry was produced by Huey Meaux and sounds like it.  Nice swamp pop with a little extra twang and a great selection of tunes.

Martha Sharp is on Monument which is enough reason to give it a shot.  I also look for records where folks who are normally just songwriters sing.  She wrote a couple hits for others but can also sing herself.

I'm always on the lookout for new songwriters especially women songwriters and I only knew Liz Meyer from bluegrass so this country record was a nice surprise.  I especially liked this song.

Carol Chase put out one of my favorite country disco tunes and this is the album its from.  That song is definitely the best one but there are some other good ones too.

Whisperin Bill or as I have come to call him based on this album Barry Extra White put out some of the sleaziest country disco ever with this maybe being the sleaziest.

Chuck Wagon and the Wheels are a borderline novelty band but they kinda rock and I dig em even if they hate disco.

This Wayne Parker was another guy in landscape with a hat on records and it's one of the better ones.

1:17:14 -           BG: Jimmy Dempsey - Disco Inferno - 1980

1:19:51 - Randy Matthews - Brown Eyed Woman - 1973

1:24:37 - Joe Barry - If You Really Want Me To I’ll Go - 1973

1:26:59 - Martha Sharp - Young Enough to Love A Hero - 1977

1:30:17 - Liz Myer - Someone You Can’t Love - 1962

1:34:38 - Carol Chase - Is She Taking The Love - 1961

1:37:05 - Bill Anderson - Trust Me - 1952

1:41:23 - Chuck Wagon and the Wheels - Disco Sucks Pt 1 and 2 - 1964

1:45:33 - Wayne Parker - I Can’t Stand Country Music - 1970

The closing track is not as I said in the read back the original recording of Drift Away but it was written by Mentor Williams.  Mentor released it after Dobie Gray’s version became a smash hit.  The first recording was an even more obscure one by Mike Berry.

1:49:20 -           BG: Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Bad Seed - 1964

1:53:52 - Mentor Williams - Drift Away - 1975