Reasons to Love youTube No.9 - Elvis in Tupelo, 1956

Even by youTube's high standard, this video clip is stunning. Historically it's significance is impossible to describe. 13 mintues of Elvis footage, vintage 1956. To top it all, it's the legendary Tupelo Homecoming show. It's probably the most momentous show of the pre-Army Elvis legend, with the three Presley's returning to their hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. By this time Elvis had pretty much conquered the world and had become the biggest star on the planet.

This video gives us a glimpse of what an early Elvis show must have been like. I'd love to buy a shirt like the one he wears, I hear Frank Skinner has one similar for sale!

Rockin' Song of the Week No.102 - Elvis Presley

Rockin' Song of the Week No.102 - Elvis Presley - Hard Knocks
Roustabout Soundtrack

The Elvis Presley career is always classified as three main areas, the rockin' 50's, the Hollywood 60's and the Vegas 70's. The middle period gets dismissed by all and sundry as a wasted decade of crap films and rubbish songs. To a large degree that's right, but there are some wonderful songs dotted about, it's just a case of wading through it to find the gems. By 1964 proper rock 'n' roll was hard to come by, with the exceptions standing out like lighthouses in a storm. Big Al Downing and Jack Scott spring to mind but the pickings were slim. That's what I find fascinating about tracks like Elvis' Hard Knocks. For the time and in the backdrop of the time, this was a spirited stab at hard rockin'.

The song was written by either one of a husband/wife team. Joy Byers was a songwriter who was married to Bob Johnson (Johnny Cash/Bob Dylan ) who claims that he wrote a lot of the Elvis stuff as Joe Byers, even penning the wonderful, It Hurts Me with Charlie Daniels. Whoever wrote it, it's a solid piece of rock 'n' roll for 1964. The lyrics aren't bad for an Elvis movie tune, a far cry Do The Clam. "I walked a million miles I bet, Tired and hungry and cold and wet, I’ve heard that lonesome whistle blow, From New York City down to Mexico, Some kids born fancy free, Nobody never gave nothing to me".

The song was recorded on March 2nd, 1964 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, in a pretty productive session for the forthcoming Roustabout movie, that also spawned Little Egypt, Poison Ivy League and It's A Wonderful World. To my ears, that's a good quartet. The King was still using the crème de la crème of musicians at this time, with the likes of the Jordannaires, Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, Bob Moore, Boots Randolph, Buddy Harman, Billy Strange and Barney Kessel.

The song might not be as good as the primetime 50's rockers and the film clip might not have the magnetism of the Loving You live scene, but it's still good. Don't just write this period off - there's some good rock 'n' roll to be had. Spinout, anyone?

Kingcats – In The Mood

Kingcats – In The Mood
Foot Tapping FT091

Tracklisting: 1.PROMISED LAND; 2.LONESOME LIFE FOR ME; 3.TREAT ME NICE; 4.LOSING SIDE OF ME; 5.PERFECT WORLD; 6.IN THE MOOD BOOGIE; 7.DONT' LEAVE ME NOW; 8.TIME OF MY LIFE; 9.WALK ON BY; 10.WASH MACHINE BOOGIE.

I’ve raved over these guys before, both on record and on stage. Their latest Foot Tapping offering doesn’t disappoint and maintains the high standard they’ve set for themselves. Again the format is a short album full of well chosen covers and reminds me of the type of albums you used to get in the late 70’s.

As with their earlier Back On Track CD, there’s a trio of Elvis covers. Treat Me Nice and Don’t Leave Me Now showcase the quality of Bill Crittenden’s voice but add little to the original. The CD opener is something else though – they romp through Promised Land. I love the way the Kingcats turn the 70’s Elvis songs into 50’s rockabilly, a further example being Crittenden’s cover Hurt for an album he did with The Sweet Georgia Boys – check it out.

Again the covers on this album are well chosen. Jerry Lee’s In The Mood Boogie is a fine band workout that differs little from the Killer’s and the cover of the old nutmeg Washing Machine Boogie is superb. Crittenden is similar in style to James Intveld, so their cover of his Perfect World was always going to be good. Perfect voice, perfect song, perfect world indeed. Lonesome Life For Me and Time Of My Life are very Elvisy and the Mavericks Losing Side Of Me is tailor made.

The best song though, and one that I haven’t been able to stop playing is Leroy Van Dyke’s Walk On By. It’s a brilliant version and even manages to surplus Leroy’s original. The vocals on this are superb. On my review of Back On Track I finished by saying that BC was the Paul Ansell. If he keeps this up he’ll be the new Elvis. Bill Crittenden take a bow.

On holiday - back in a week

Gonna be relaxing in Somerset. Back next week.

Elvis Is Back - 50th Anniversary

50 years ago this week, Elvis Presley was in Nashville recorded some of his most amazing work. With a voice that was even better than when he went into the army (if that was possible), and a crack band of Nashville's finest, the material formed either hit singles, or the contents of his best ever album.

Everything about Elvis Is Back is perfect, from the music to the album cover. Even the title was spot - Elvis Was Back - and with one hell of a bang. You must all have it, so chuck it on and groover to the wonders of Such A Night, the beauty of I Will Be Home Again or the blues classic, Reconsider Baby.

April 3-5, 1960
RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee

Fever, Like a Baby, It's Now or Never, The Girl of My Best Friend, Dirty, Dirty Feeling, Thrill of Your Love, I Gotta Know, Such a Night, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, The Girl Next Door Went Awalking, I Will Be Home Again, Reconsider Baby.

Rock 'n' Roll Art No. 3

I don't know anything about Tommervik other than he's a 31 year old male from the States. He might be Tom Mervik or he might be Vick Tommers. What I do know is that he does some wonderful interpretions of Pee Wee Herman and SPock among others in a range of "modern" styles such as cubism.

He does a handful of Elvis paintings, all of which you can see at tommervik.com.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Lonely Weekends - youTube

The blurb on the youTube page says "Jerry Lee performs an intense version of Charlie Rich's Sun Records hit "Lonely Weekends" on the Midnight Special in 1973".

What it doen't say is that the piano solo is as whacky as the suit. Whatever, it's a magical version with a brass section that says Memphis soul and a yodel at the end that says Nashville country. The Killer fused the two like his enemy/friend down the road.

Marshall Grant - I Was There When It Happened: My Life with Johnny Cash

I’m reading Marshall Grant’s book, I Was There When It Happened: My Life with Johnny Cash, at the moment. Published by Cumberland House in 2006, I must own up to borrowing it from Phil, but having got half way through I recommend it to anyone with an interest in JC, Sun Records or country music in general.

Marshall Grant was with Johnny Cash from the very beginning, being a founder member of the Tennessee Two with Luther Perkins. What I love about the book is the stories of life on the road and the pranks they pulled to alleviate the boredom.

He tells of a time in West Texas when JC and the T2 where touring with Elvis and Warren Smith. At a truck stop in Amarillo in the early hours of the morning, Grant put a pile of shaving cream onto a pumpkin pie, leaving Elvis and Johnny doubled up with laughter. They waited in vain for ages for someone to order the pie. In the end they had to leave but Elvis stayed another couple of hours just waiting, dying to see the face of some unsuspecting trucker order the pie. I just love the thought of these two future icons of America, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, sat in this truck stop, two young guys, howling at such a childish prank. The innocence of youth.

Get the book and enjoy other fun stories, but beware. The picture he paints of the pill-popping papa isn't so golden. Depending on whether he was strungout or straight, JC was too very different men.

Elvis 75th Anniversary

Happy birthday Elvis.

As John Lennon said, before you there was nothing. You changed it all, and now every self respecting fan has their own home-made Elvis mosaic hanging on the garden wall. Here's mine.

Elvis songwriter Aaron Schroeder dies

Aaron Schroeder, who wrote no fewer than 17 songs for Elvis Presley died earlier this week in Englewood, New Jersey aged 83, following a long battle against a rare Alzheimer's-like form of dementia. He was a composer, lyricist and/or producer for more close to 2,000 songs.

Born in Brooklyn, New York his first success came in the late 1940s when Rosemary Clooney scored with "At a Sidewalk Penny Arcade". Others to record his songs included Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Pat Boone, Sammy Davis, Jr., Nat King Cole, Roy Orbison, Dionne Warwick, Art Garfunkel, Arlo Guthrie and The Beatles.

As a producer, he helped launch the careers of Randy Newman, Jimi Hendrix, Al Cooper, Barry White and Gene Pitney. He also worked for Hanna-Barbera, where he provided the music for The Banana Splits and also had the honour of writing the children’s classic, "Scooby Doo Where Are You?"

But it’s as a songsmith for Elvis that he made his biggest impact. He provided the King with five numbers 1’s, including the massive worldwide hit, "It's Now or Never". Their work together each side of Elvis’s stint in the army are just mind blowing.

Despite co-writing Rubber Ball for Bobby Vee he will still be remembered as a great songwriter.

Have a look at this least and drool. Don’t just read it quick, look at the title, think about the song and how great it is and then the full impact of the magnitude of his songwriting should hit home. This is what legendary really means.

For Elvis:
Stuck on You
Good Luck Charm
A Big Hunk O'Love
I Got Stung
Don’t Leave Me Now
Anyway You Want Me
First In Line
Got A Lot Of Livin’ To Do
I Was The One
In Your Arms
Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me
Shoppin’ Around
Young And Beautiful
Young Dreams

For some other rockers
Apron Strings (Cliff)
Because They’re Young (Duane Eddy)
Grizzly Bear (Jack Scott)
Halfway to Heaven (Conway Twitty)
Make Me Know You’re Mine (Conway Twitty)
My Boy Elvis (Janis Martin)
Today’s Teardrops (Roy Orbison)
Wild Cat (Gene Vincent),

Don Gibson

Can white men sing da blooze, can Nashville sing da blooze?
I like artist you can`t pigeonhole, Jerry Lee rocks but he honky tonks with panache too, Charlie Rich went from jazzy infelcted rockin blues to countrypolitan and then there's his Nashville equivalent Don Gibson, an awesome song writer who penned classic after classic and with Chet and the A team cut some of the finest of the fine in RCA studio B off Broadway in music city. Here's a few clips of the great man in action with some of his best songs, there's some cool later clips on the tube of you with a duet with ole Chet, a Porter Wagoner show with Don doing the Jimmie Skinner classic Doin My Time (so beloved by Mr Cash).

I first heard Don doing Sea Of Heartbreak (no live clips one here , sob!) on Radio Lux and I thought it was a new Elvis 45, it`s the one countryish song I wish El had covered in that golden 60 -62 period where he did everything from Neopolitan opera thru Chuck Wills and Lowell Fulsom. Later I got some Don on the old Country Guitar VA series of eps that RCA put out in the UK and eventually a Best Of Don Gibson lp which had 12 stone cut gems on it, and in those days there would be weeks if not months between pocket money purchases and it got played to death in Casa Flip, even my dad who didn't dig the beat grew fond of the Donster by persistent osmosis from my lil ole red n cream Dansette and I was even allowed to play it on the family Radiogram in the living room, moving mam n dad`s Frankie Laine and Doris day back to the dark n dusty cupboard underneath.

Watch out for the equally great (and equally tragis) Hank Garland in his prime.

Flip

Don Gibson (and Gene Sloan)- Lonesome Number One

Don Gibson (and Hank Garland)- Its Been A Blue Blue Day

Don Gibson - Oh Lonesome Me

Popular Tunes Memphis - Better News

Obviously the power of the rockabillyville blog has shamed the Memphian authorities into possibly preventing another slice of music history vanishing like Stax etc

The penis mightier than the sword er hang on that should read....

Flip

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis Convention and Visitor's Bureau is trying to preserve the memory of a record store, put on the map by the king of rock and roll, by giving Pop Tunes an official place in history.

Inside the building at 308 Poplar, records can still be seen but none of them are for sale.

Outside is an iconic neon sign and store front that's been at the corner of Danny Thomas and Poplar for years.

Kevin Kane says, "This is where Elvis bought records and this was Memphis' premier record shop for decades."

But the record store that's become a historic symbol of music sold in Memphis, simply known as Pop Tunes, is gone.

Cora Pitt says, "It's disappointing because it's another local business going out of business."

Kevin Kane with the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau says it's a sign of the times. "It was a business decision, of course we hate it for the community, hate it for the historic standpoint, but not totally surprised."

With Generation X downloading music at an exponential pace rather than buying CD's or even vinyl records, Pop Tunes, though once a music selling giant that sold records to a young Elvis Presley, has become obsolete in a changing technology-based world.

Word of the closures came weeks ago after the stores parent company, Music City Record Distributors, closed both Memphis locations.

Some Memphians say they just heard about the closures, and that it's just one more piece of historic Memphis that's in the process of being lost.

Kane says even though the records aren't being sold here anymore, he and the Rock and Soul Museum are working right now to make sure the name and the neon live on.

Kane says, "We think that would be a fitting place from a historical standpoint and obviously it will preserve its memory for future generations."

But as Memphians ponder the thought of a city without Pop Tunes; the future of Memphis, they say, is one that's losing parts of what made it Memphis in the first place. "It's a sign to see how far we still need to go… we have to preserve our city's history."

Battle of the Song No.5 - Flip Flop & Fly

I love this song, even helped give me my nickname, first heard it on JLL`s mid 60s Smash lp Return Of Rock and he did a cool live version on his later live in Vegas album, then I got the BIG Joe Turner original on Atlantic, brilliant stuff like most of his uptempo Atlantic gems, backbeat heaven with intermitent honkin,she`s so small she can mambo in a telephone booth, here too we have a live in Germany version by the great man from the mid 60s, more of a jazzy swining version, Otis Rush is on there and he`s introduced by piano legend Roosevelt Sykes.

In the 70s I saw grainy betamax tapes of Elvis on the Dorsey Bro tv shows which knocked all his 60s movies into Col parker`s big headed stetson in one fell swoop, he did Big Joe`s Shake Rattle N Roll (which he cut for RCA Victor of course ) but showing he`s collest of da kool he slips in a chorus of Flip towards the end, later RCA issued this live cut on the Golden Celebration lp box ( better quality than the dodgy ole boots from Taiwan).

The 70s rockabilly revival reissues brought Johnny Bell's frantic 59 version on Brunswick, mmmm, large Joseph n rockabilly go hand in glove, awesome.

Then from that JLL tv pilot series mentioned in earlier posts we get primo Killerfest of raw roadhouse boogie,mmmmm.

Which is best, pays yer money takes yer choice,think my nod goes to the original 45/78,but it`s agreat song as testified by these cool covers.

Flip


Big Joe Turner Atlantic 78

Big Joe Turner -Flip Flop & Fly (live 66)

Killer - Flip Flop & Fly

Johnny Bell - Flip Flop & Fly ( Brunswick)

The King - Shake Rattle N Roll/Flip Flop & Fly

Flip`s Instro gems #5 - Bill Black`s Combo – Do It - Rat Now

Flip`s Instro gems #5 - Bill Black`s Combo – Do It - Rat Now

Bet ole Sarge Presley was tickled pink n black (not) when he saw Smokie,Pt 2 and White Silver Sands by his old compadre Bill Black climbing both the pop and r n b charts in 1960, the auld slapper had been reduced to session work and working in an appliance store before his Hi records started selling like hot cakes, very popular in all the jukebox markets, appearances on Dick Clark, a teen movie slot (Teenage Millionaire) and another Ed Sullivan show all quickly followed. Before the formula became lick by numbers the Combo cut some shit hot boppers like Movin` and a slinky Don`t Be Cruel, later Little Queenie became a northern soul dance floor fav in the Uk (off the great BBC plays Chuck lp) and the touring version of the Combo even opened for the Beatles on their first major US tour. Perhaps that`s why that Bill`s original slap bass now resides in casa McCartney (a birthday gift from his late wife Linda apparently,sadly not a penny went to the Black`s as the bass and many other momentos vanished from the studio after Bill`s early death from a brain tumour in 65)

Anyhow this little quirky cracker is one of my favs mainly because I bought the sheet music for it back in my piano lesson days and later I found out that the author of Do It - Rat Now and keyboard man is non other than Jerry Lee`s cousin Carl McVoy. Now according to JLL`s oldest sis Frankie Jean older cousin Carl was the most talented of all the cousins. Carl recorded briefly for Sun, HI and a few small labels but his greatest success came with this track and his time with the combo of Black. He still worked in construction and Bobby Emmons would cover for him when he couldn`t get time off work

Despite several big pop hits, top selling albums and tours, Bill did not live long enough to enjoy the fruits of his Hi success (Joe Coughi had even given him a good royalty deal and a publishing deal, Lyn Lou named after his daughter Nancy`s nickname of Linda Lou, he also had a small label named Louis after his son and the great song Lover Please penned by young Billy Swan appeared on it by Denis Turner,later covered by Clyde Macphatter no less)

On one of my Memphis trips I visited Bill`s grave to pay my respects, it was during Elvis week and by evidence not many other El fans had bothered to go and see it, perhaps if Elvis and Gladys graves had stayed in their original spots then some fans would`ve searched Bill`s out. I love Elvis to bits but I always reckoned both Bill, Scotty and to a lesser extent DJ deserved more financial reward for their important part of the greatest story ever told

This band should be in the hall of fame

Rockin' Song of the Week No.82 - Link Wray

Link Wray - Good Rockin' Tonight
Swan S-4201 (1965)

Link Wray's Swan period in the early 60's produced some of the hardest rock 'n' roll you'll ever hear. His playing was sensational and whether he was doing originals or covering famous hits he pretty much blew the amps and made the songs his own. None more so than Good Rockin' Tonight which was no mean feat when you consider the versions by Elvis and Roy Brown to name but two.

Link's version is what we call a mother-humpin' road house stomp. He plays the ass of it and his voice is something else. He growls along before squeeling like a pig, showing why he made his name as an instro man. While the voice might have it's limitations and a career in a sweet-singing doo-wop band was never in the cards, the energy and enthusiasm put him up there in the Esquerita bracket.

The band play their part as well with the drummer making Wild Bob Burgos sound like Pat Boone's best friend. And if you're going to have hand claps in a song, use them like Link does here. They sound like an Alabama church revival - full blooded and hip to the beat. Everything in this song is on the money and right up-front. Roll over Wynonie and tell Roy Brown the news - Link is picking his guitar and there will be good rockin' tonight.

Recommended downloads: From the Swan period I love Ace of Spades, Jack the Ripper, Black Widow and what about the great version of Please Please Me which shows what a Beatles record should sound like.

Flip's Clips No.7 - Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis - Turn On Your Lovelight

Now Shaun and I have several things in common, we are Welsh, we love cats, we support Spurs and Wales, but most importantly of all we just lurveeeeeeeeeeeeee Mr Jerry Lee Lewis. I`ve been a fan since seeing his famed 64 Granada TV show in the mid 60s and Shaun has been a fan for ten minutes or so (;-)) and we`ve seen him in Wales, Scotland, England and Memphis (and the Lewis ranch).

Now Shaun also digs rockabilly bass boppers, Elvis, Shaky, Stray Cats etc and I dig Eddie Cochran, Fats, Dave Edmunds, Chuck n Elvis but when it comes to da Killah it`s a different kettle of fish, he simply is THE man, on record, onstage and in life, totally unique and the greatest of the greats in our humble opinion.

So I thought I better put some Lewis clip up before we get disbarred from the First Assembly Of Lewis church (Ferriday and Wales branch), back when ole El was doing his tv and stage comeback and ole Johhny C and the Everlys had their own great tv shows the legendary Jack Good`s sidekick Rita Gillespie (who workd on Oh Boy, Shindig and the legendary Catch My Soul stage show) came up with some great tv pilots featuring JLL, family and musical friends but sadly as great as they are ( I mean JLL doing Ubangi Stomp fer gawd`s sake) they were not taken up for national syndication, fortunately the tapes survived and the long gone US cable channel Outlaw Music showed them in the 90s, this is one of my fav clips as it features JLL singing Bobby Bland`s classic r&b gem Turn On Your Lovelight whilst playing the drums, yes drums, watch and wonder without further ado!

Battle of the Song No.4 - A Legend In My Time

A Legend In My Time - As peformed by;
Don Gibson, Ricky Nelson, Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash

Don Gibson was one hell of a songwriter with a portfolio that included no less than Oh Lonesome Me, Blue Blue Day, Sea of Heartbreak and I Can’t Stop Loving You. I read once, I think in Now Dig This that he considered himself more of a songwriter who sang than a singer who wrote. And that’s probably fair, because although his voice was good, his songs were brilliant. I was surprised during my research to learn that the only version to reach the country charts was by Ronnie Milsap in 1975.

Country music is built on it’s lyrics, and the saying goes, the sadder the better. Throw in a big hunk of pity and you’re starting to get here. No song plays the pity card any better than A Legend In My Time. “If loneliness meant world acclaim / Everyone would know my name / I'd be a legend in my time”. The upshot though is that they don’t, “But they don't give awards / And there's no praise or fame / For a heart that's been broken / Over love that's in vain”.

When Gibson was interviewed about the song in Nashville on 7th September 1973 he said, “This song was written on the road to Knoxville, Tennessee, in a car with Mel Foree. I was reading an article in a magazine I had picked up about an entertainer. He was talking about show business and his career and how he would like to be a legend in his time. I told Mel that that would be a good title for a song, so I started humming.” The guy was a genius with the pen, but how does his version stack up against the others?

Don’s original is pure Nashville circa 1960. The sympathetic backing courtesy of the A Team had the right amounts of backing vocals, piano and guitar to allow Don’s voice to portray the pity in the message.

The Ricky Nelson version from his 1963 long player, “Sings For You” is a really good cover. The backing is very similar with James Burton adding a few extra embellishments. Ricky’s vocal performance is strong and belied his teeny bopper image.

Roy Orbison’s version was probably the first time I’d heard the song. My mate, the much missed Alan Galbraith, used to play it all the time. It was on the earth-shatteringly great Lonely & Blue album which included no lesser gems than Only The Lonely and Blue Angel. The Big O’s version of Legend is quite different to Gibson’s. The session from mid September 1960 was held at Nashville RCA studios, with his usual producer and engineer, Fred Foster and Bill Porter, using string arrangements to augment the same, without ever threatening to drown out the Bob Moore led country pickers. The haunting, atmospheric sax solo gives the words an extra dimension. On top of that, Roy plays with the lyrics for all they’re worth. A stunning masterpiece where the singer, the musicians and the material, bond in perfect harmony. He recorded the song again in 67 for the "Sings Don Gibson" album and that's great, but the first version is the best.

I love the Everly Brothers and think they are the tightest unit in rock history, but there’s something not quite there with their version of Legend. There’s just something missing that I can’t put my finger on. Their vocal performance actually reminds me of the style they were to employ in their 80’s comeback albums, EB84 and Born Yesterday.

Johnny Cash cut the song sometime between 2002 and 2003 just prior to his death. It was released late in 2004 as American V, and as with most of the American series it’s a dark, acoustic version. His worn, tired vocals gave most of the American recordings a hard edge that gave the mainly death and religious material an added effect. His take on Legend is no different and it was an inspired choice of song for that final period in his life.

The two that missed the boat with this song are my two main heroes. I would absolutely have loved to hear Jerry Lee do it at the London Sessions. When he did No Headstone On My Grave he had the upstart British musicians eating out of his hand and he knew it. His ego grew even more and he told them he didn’t want a headstone he wanted a damn monument. You can just imagine him doing this and shouting out that he’s already a legend in his time. Obviously the other guy who should have covered this was Elvis. In the early 60’s he’d have slayed it. Take a listen to Suspicion or Fame and Fortune and tell me that this wasn’t the perfect voice. With the Nashville band giving him the same backing as Don Gibson’s original, it would be phenomenal, and it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to know that this would be the perfect version.

I know there’s been loads of other versions, including Hank Snow but I have got a life and the five above will have to do. To be honest the handful I’ve looked at are the cream of the crop. As it is, the winner of today’s battle of the song is Roy Orbison. Beautifully sung, totally convincingly sung by the king of pain.

If heartaches brought fame in love's crazy game,
I'd be a legend in my time.
If they gave gold statuettes for tears and regrets,
I'd be a legend in my time.
But they don't give awards, and there's no praise or fame
For a broken heart that's been broken over love that's in vain.
If loneliness meant world acclaim,
Then everyone would know my name --
I'd be a legend in my time.

Rockin' Song of the Week No.77 - Ray Doggett - It Hurts The One Who Loves You

Ray Doggett - It Hurts The One Who Loves You
Spade 1932

Ray Doggett was a middle sized rockabilly from the town called Sweetwater, Texas. That don’t mean he was 5 foot 9, it means he was a bigger artist than your one record wonder, but not quite a household name in the rockabilly world we live in. He was one of only a handful of singers to have a release on Bennie Hess’ little Spade label. Hess musta dug him (ooh, that’s corny) because he had two singles with him.
It Hurts The One Who Loves You was the second release and made enough impact in the small circle that Hess circulated in that the 45 was picked up by Decca Records. Unfortunately the bigger label didn’t net a hit record, something that was to hound Doggett (even cornier!).

It Hurts is so Elvisy’, with vocals that are the Memphis Flash to a tee. The only thing that says Texas not Tennessee to me is the backing vocal group. It sounds more like the Crickets or the Roses/Picks than say the Jordannaires. The musicians lay down a gentle rockin’ beat that was like the sort of rockaballad’s that adorned Elvis pre-Army catalogue. You can pick it up on Bear Family’s That’ll Flat Git It Vol. 9 – Decca release, the Best of Space CD or on some of those We Wanna Sound Like Elvis type CD’s. Sadly, Ray Doggett died of a heartattack in Nashville, TN in March 2002.

Recommended downloads: His first single, Go Go Heart is a hot rocker. No Doubt About It is a strong rocker with good backing vocals and a neat guitar solo. Whirlpool of Love is a bit poppier but definitely worth a listen. If you can get hold of it, Hydra Records’ LP, Doggone It Doggett will give you the lot. (BLK7709).

Flip`s clips No.2 - Dave Dudley

If Chuck Berry had lusted over a big semi instead of Caddies then he coulda written and recorded this, the greatest trucking song of all time. Ladies 'n gentlemens I give you Mr Dave Dudley doing 6 Days On The Road on his debut Opry appearance in 1966 in absolutely magnificent retro-colour.

Dig the guitar, the Presley-Cash-ish slurring on the end of lines. Didn't the censors spot the Little White pills line, all this fuss bout Jagger/Morrison breaking the rules on Sullivan (hell Bo n Elvis did that in 55-57). This is the bible belt temple of American values here in Nashville and he gits away with that line, white line fever in deed.

There's only one decent Dudley CD and I think that is now deleted. So why have BF ignored the consistently great albums he did for Mercury in the 60s/70s, go figure ( I mean they`ve even done Pat Boone and that`s without a rope n feathers ----;-))).

Rockin' Song of the Week No. 76 - Jay B. Loyd – I’m So Lonely

Jay B. Loyd – I’m So Lonely
Hi 2017

Here’s an artist that I can’t believe didn’t see more action in either the charts or in the ensuing revival years. I’m not even sure why he only had three singles issued, and they were spread out between 1958 and 1961. He looked great as well, and what he lacked in prolific ness he more than made up for in quiff height. He looked the rockabilly singer and he had the voice to match it.

Rockin’ was in his blood as he was born in 1937 in Tupelo, Mississippi, the home of Jimmy Wages, Gene Simmons, Ray Harris and that other guy with the quiff! It was whilst singing at one of that guy’s parties in 1957 that he landed a deal with ABC-Paramount. His only single for them came out in 1958, but he had to wait a full twelve months for a follow-up, this time on the emerging Memphis label, Hi Records.

Bill Black was on the label following his departure from the Blue Moon Boys and it was his combo that provided the groovy backing being Jay B. The session from 1959 was produced by Jack Clement and engineered by former Sun artist Ray Harris and was so Memphis you can still feel the muddy Mississippi river roll by as you listen to it 50 years later. The opening lick was later used by Polecats on John I’m Only Dancing. The vocals remind me a bit of Teddy Reidel or Carl Mann. It’s such a damn good record and did well enough for Hi Records to be picked up by London Records for national distribution, which they did until 1977. The flip was I’ll Be Alright, a bluesy, moody ballad in the Ral Donner/Jack Scott mould.

He moved on to writing country songs and also worked as an engineer for the City of Memphis. Jay B. Loyd died in Collierville, Tennessee on 7th September, 2003 at the age of 66.

Recommended downloads: The very Elvisy ABC Paramount 45, Cross My Heart and You’re Just My Kind from no lessor tunesmiths than Clyde Otis and Otis Blackwell. His version of Apron Strings is also worth a listen if you can find the great Zu-Zazz album, Memphis Saturday Night. Thanks to Terry Gordon for the label shot.