Eddy Arnold RIP 1918-2008

Farewell to the Tennessee Plowboy Thanks for all the Great Music!!

Here are few of the lesser known songs and his immortal version of the Cattle Call

A Part Of America Died
The Cattle Call
Mommy Please Stay Home With Me
Hep Cat Baby

Remember Eddy HERE

A Bowl of Red

Here's seven selections that caught my attention today.

Mel Street-Body Man

This is from his second LP Walk Softly On The Bridges Metromedia BML1-0281. The opening line about Lacquer Thinner and Women being his drug of choice & weakness is classic. Of course this is a pun cuz are ol friend Mel was a body man before becoming a country music star.

Lonnie Glosson-Gospel Snakes

I just cleaned and digitalized Lonnie's LP he recorded in the early seventies on the Rimrock label. This was the opening track and he leaves you know doubt that he was ready for business.

Sleepy LaBeef-Half A Boy And Half A Man

Sleepy paying tribute to Nick Lowe by covering Nick's song of, of,,,, well let's just say self indulgence.

Swanee Caldwell-Radar Blues Pt 1

One of Swanee's truck drivin tunes just for a tribute to those readers who sail the concrete seas.

Jimmy Hart-Tammy Whynott

Wrestling's own Jimmy Hart in a very obscure album from Memphis during his early days of the WWF. The Album cover was designed by Jerry "The King" Lawler.

Hayden Thompson-These Boots Are Made For Walking.

From the album from my previous post. Rock On Hayden!

Tommy Dee-Welfare Cadillac

Tommy's Bad, Bad cover of the Guy Drake Tune.

Here it tis

Here's Hayden Thompson

This is Hayden's Debut album on Kapp (KL-1507) from 1966. Vinyl Rip @ 192KBS Sorry No Covers


1. Life's Gone and Sliipped Away
2. You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry
3. I'll Kiss You Again
4. Tell Me That's The Way It Will Be
5. We Know
6. 16.88
7. Blue Blue Day
8. Waiting on Her
9. These Boots Are Made For Walking
10. Why
11. Look Who's Coming
12. And She Said

Here

All Alone In A Room By Myself

This week’s entry started out like most others to be the records that were next to the turntable that caught my attention or had just picked up at the ARCD this week. But like things generally are, I found that for several of these vinyl wonders it what was under the top layer that really surprised me.

Kenny Serratt-The Man Who Picked The Wildwood Flower

This tune when I first spun it struck me as very familiar. It was so familiar that I thought I was listening to Merle Haggard. Upon examination I found the song was written by Merle’s friend and country music legend Leonard (Tommy Collins) and when I looked at more of the fine print it was produced by Merle himself! No doubt these are the Strangers backing Kenny on this one.

Bill Woods-The Story Of Susie

Bill Woods was known as the Bakersfield Guitar man. In Fact Merle Haggard recorded a song by that title to pay tribute to Bill. Bill supposedly taught Buck Owens how to play and was instrumental (no pun) in developing the Bakersfield sound.

If you are into the unusual or dark side of country music, you have heard the story of Susie as it was performed by Billy Ray on the Titan label. It was also featured on the great compilation of dark country music “God Less America" which was released on vinyl in the 80’s and resurfaced a few years ago on CD. My question is: Is this the original or is Billy Ray’s? This one did not enjoy a wide distribution then neither did Billy’s but, Billy was on the larger label. A great point of trivia on this one is the producers Kim Fowley (Yes That Kim Fowley) and Gary Paxton (Yes that Gary Paxton). I like this version because it gives the campfire sing along feel to this twisted drug song.

Peter Sayers-Junkyards On The Moon

This is my entry for Earth Day/Earth Week. Peter was from across the pond trying to make it as country star I guess following in the footsteps of Leapy Lee because he was no Tom Jones. The MTA label was a Decca/MCA subsidiary and low and behold it was produced by our good friend Roy Drusky! I wonder if Roy would admit to that? Memo to Peter: Making statements that we are destroying the earth were as in vogue in the late sixties as it is now,, however, Pete my suggestion is don’t go round saying you believe in martians. I don’t know what happened to old Pete but I suspect he is is out in the desert near area 51 waiting to contact the mother ship while listening to Art Bell on the AM Radio.

Hank Barnes-Searching For My Mothers Grave

This is an Arkansas Record but I’m not sure from which part. It has Wayne Raney’s Oleta publishing concern listed as publisher and it looks like it has a Vaden mark on the inner groove. It is a little scratchy and had a press defect that caused a slight skip but still it leaves you no doubt that Hank wrote this one from a real life experience and the heart. I wonder if he ever found the grave?

Blondie Brooks with Cousin Wilbur-We’ll Make Out Together

Blondie and Cousin Zeb was a comedy duo that toured around the south back in the fifties and sixties and they put out a couple of albums full of ribald material. Somewhere along the way they put out a couple of 45’s of country music from the show. Here is one of them

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Harold Weakly-AX-2218

Don’t know a thing about this one, but it was a good caught ya cheatin’ B*&ch song.

Justin Tubb-Take A Letter Miss Gray

This was one of Justin’s biggest selling records that he recorded. I always thought this Groove label looked real cool spinning around on the turntable.

Here

See ya on the Radio Thursday 5:30-7:00 PM KABF FM 88.3 or the web at KABF883.com

Hello I'm A Jukebox!

Time for another installment of 45rpm records for the world to absorb,,,in case the world missed them the first time around.

First is Hello I'm a Jukebox by George Kent. Mercury released this at a time when they sported no less than the talents of Faron Young, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Bare Dave Dudley and the new writing/singing sensation named Tom T Hall. The recitation record was for the most part was dead and gone by the time George recorded this one but apparently he did not get the memo. This actually had some airplay in the south and made it onto a couple of those loss leader compilations but to my knowledge George never had an album release on Mercury.


Shall I Come by Bonnie Bond is another release on the late Wayne Raney's Rimrock Records from 1971. I wish I could say more about this disc but I have not discovered much more then the disc itself. Trivia: Did you know the final Stax records that were recorded before they went bankrupt were pressed by the Rimrock pressing plant?

The Great Silver Bridge by Jim Stout is about the infamous collapse of the bridge Christmas 1967 that crossed the Ohio river. Though I was still a lad at the time, I do remember when this happened. Jim's recorded history of the event should never be forgotten. if they removed the voice tracks in could have been a slow dance or a couples only skate. And it had a Picture Sleeve!



Johnny Russell's multi gold selling record In A Mansion Stands My Love. You say you don't remember it? That's because it was the flip to Jim Reeves He'll have To Go 45 that launched Jim's career into the stratosphere. Jim's version is a good one too but it always nice to here how it sounded originally. Johnny always was appreciative of Jim and Chet Atkins decision to put it as the B side. This version on Fabor Robinson's Radio Records is one of the loudest records I have ever heard. You can almost feel the vibrations coming off the record by just holding it.

Ok, So I am tired posting the 45 scans so here is the rest of this weeks contenders:

Dave Dudley-Last Years Heartaches- I just did not want Johnny's record to be the only hit quality tune in the batch. I have always thought this was a great record by Dave in a vein outside of his truck driving songs.

The Dirty 1/2 Dozen-My God How the Money Rolls In-When I got this as well as all the others posted here from the Arkansas Record CD Exchange this week I was hopeful of it being a shabbily produced record about welfare but I was surprised to find that it was more about bootleggin and prostitution.

Commode Huggin Drunk-Orville Allen- Somewhere someone is happy Orville recorded this.

Peggy Sue-Bob Allen-Another shinning example why Buddy Holly should have been the only person allowed to sing this song.

Rock And Roll Music-Happy Harris-Roll Over Beethoven tell Lenny Dee the news.

Mystery Of The Tallahatchie Bridge-Roger White- I knew there had to be an answer song to the Ode to Billy Joe somewhere but I did not think it would ever show up on Aubrey Mayhew's Little Darlin' subsidiary of Big A records.

Dave Burgess- A White Sport Coat-just another Tops record cover of the hit song.

Scatman Carothers-Party Doll-" """" """ "" "" "" "".

get em here!

Thanks again to Bill at the ARCD for the tunes. if your down this way he just got in about 1000 Old Stock country, rock and Soul 45's. nothing over $2.95 and a whole box full of dollar 45's that you will see 3 to 10 bucks everywhere else. I know it's a shameful plug but if we don't support the local music stores they all will be gone one day and a bunch of us are going to be whining like hell about it!

the Radio Round up is on KABF 88.3 Little Rock Thursday's 5:30-7:00 PM and on the web at KABF883.com

Gotcha Covered #1

Three Hits and Three covers to make it even.

Johnny Cash Hey Porter from the Country Style transcription recordings 1958
D J Chapman Hey Porter-D J wanted to be Johnny But lacked the Luther to do it.

Carl Butler Wonder Drug Fuzz Guitar and All!
Jack Reno Wonder Drug Jack does a rip snortin straight forward version

If You Ain't Lovin-Faron Young The Classic Hit
If You Ain't Lovin-Billy Martin A Hillbilly Bop version of sorts

Here

Glenn Barber 1935-2008

Sad News, I have just learned that Rockabilly/Country music legend Glenn Barber has passed away. Glenn had been struggling with Heart & Kidney Failure the last couple of years. Here are a few selections from Glenn's Starday.D. and Hickory recordings from the 50's & 60's. RIP and Thanks for all the great music!

Hello Walls

Hello Walls by Faron Young and the composer, Willie Nelson's release on Liberty records for Chrissy!

Chrissy shared with us a nice little site with a biography of Faron's Career "Live Fast Love Hard which you can read about and purchase at http://dianediekman.com/


Hello Walls

One Mint Julep

Dot Records using Mac Wiseman to tap into that all important R n B market by covering a Clovers classic in a somewhat Rock n Roll style.

Jim Single's song about broken hearts divorce children and an attorney.


They got this here recession goin.

Here

Burn Me Down

Three 45's to start off the week for your listening pleasure.

Burn Me Down-Glen Garrison

This is the original recording of the legendary songwriter Eddie Miller's composition that was a big hit for Marty Stuart. Marty showed little originality here and pretty well used Glen's version note for note.

Fun On The Free-Way-Harlan Howard

One of Harlan's earliest recordings and writing compositions on the Tally label out of Bakersfield. The label that put Merle Haggard on the map as well as the town that redefined the west coast country music sound.

Knock Kneed Suzy-Lonzo & Oscar

Lonzo and Oscar's 45 from their Decca days featuring Cousin Jody on the Dobro. This is one of the records I remember from my days as a wee lad watching the record spin around on my RCA EY-45 player that Dad bought me at the Salvation Army for a dollar back in 1963. I remember him plugging it into his old Silvertone reel to reel for me to play. Thanks Dad!

Here