MERRY CHRISTMAS

We are going to spend time with the family over the holiday's, "The Good Lord Willing And The Creeks Don't Rise" we will be back on January 2nd when we shall return to the BLUE RIBBON label.

BLUE RIBBON #9

BLUE RIBBON 7.G / 8.H
MACK AND JEANIE SANDERS with BOB BARRY (Accordionist)
BUDDY MORRIS (Fiddle)
Can I Take My Pony To Heaven? (7.G)
(Chaw Mank - Foreman Bill, Disc Jockey – KYA) (BMI)
Don’t Tell A Soul (I Love You) (8.H)
(Mank – Ayers – Clark) (BMI)

BLUE RIBBON #8

BLUE RIBBON A - No 1/ A - No 2
RAY ANDERSON AND HIS TENNESSEE
MOUNTAINEERS (Station WHTN)
No Good At Lyin’ (A - No 1)
(Shurtz – Mank – Anderson) (Blue Ribbon Music.BMI)
It’s A Doggone Dirty Shame (A – No 2)
(Ray Anderson – Chaw Mank) (Blue Ribbon Music.BMI)

AUDIO CLIPS ARE NOISY

BLUE RIBBON #7

BLUE RIBBON 1.A / 1.B
(No Information - presumably by Tiny Skaggs)

BLUE RIBBON 1.C / 1.D
TINY SKAGGS AND HIS BAND
Can I Take My Pony To Heaven (Vocal – Tiny Skaggs) (1.C)
(Foreman Bill, Disc Jockey – KMA – Chaw Mank) (BMI)
You’re So Easy To Remember (Vocal – Tiny Skaggs) (1.D)
(Chaw Mank – Tiny Skaggs) (BMI)




BLUE RIBBON 1.E / 1.F
TINY SKAGGS AND HIS BAND
Patching My Heart With Kisses
(Vocal – Tiny Skaggs & Twig Austin) (1.E)
(Zurick – Skaggs – Mank) (BMI)
The Girl In The Sandwich Shop (Vocal – Tiny Skaggs) (1.F)
(Byerline –Breuker – Mank) (BMI)

BLUE RIBBON #6

And now to the odd BLUE RIBBON releases, not odd musically (although some are very odd, The "Flivver Song" featured here could most certainly be described as a little unusual, typical British understatement there); Odd in so much that Chaw Mank seemingly picked a number at random out of the air and assigned that number to the next release on his label, all will become apparent in due course!


BLUE RIBBON No 1 / No 2
JIM HALL WITH JIM HALL’S RADIO RANGERS (Radio Station WFNS)
Flivver Song (No 1) (E1-KB-1588)
(Jim Hall – Chaw Mank) (BMI)
Waiting In Ole Caroline (No 2) (E1-KB-1589)
(Jim Hall – Chaw Mank) (BMI)

BLUE RIBBON #5

BLUE RIBBON 1923
THE KAROLL SISTERS WITH BUD WILLIAMS
AND HIS SMILING BUDDIES
You Forgot All About Me (1923.A) (No 5)
(Golding – Bisko – Mank – Morris) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. ASCAP)
Hillbilly Leprechauns (1923.B) (No 6)
(Cowboy Joe Bisko – Kay & Dolly Karoll)
(Blue Ribbon Music Co. ASCAP)

BLUE RIBBON 1923 is a Research Craft pressing




"Hillbilly Leprechauns" was reissued on DECCA 29437


There seems to have been some confusion over the spelling of Kay and Dolly's surname, Karroll would appear to be the correct spelling, although I must confess I don't know if it is spelt with one or two R's.

BLUE RIBBON 1924
BUD AND COOKIE WILLIAMS with BUD WILLIAMS
AND HIS SMILING BUDDIES
I'm Gonna Pop The Question Tonight (1924.A) (No 1)
(Bud Williams - Cookie Williams) arranged by Chaw Mank
(Blue Ribbon Music Co. ASCAP)
I'll Go Right On Loving You (1924.B) (No 2)
(Bud Williams - Cookie Williams) arranged by Chaw Mank
(Blue Ribbon Music Co. ASCAP)

BLUE RIBBON 1924 is a Research Craft pressing

BLUE RIBBON 1924 details courtesy Ronald Keppner
Sound Files to follow


BLUE RIBBON 1925
HANK KING WITH BUD WILLIAMS AND HIS SMILIN’ BUDDIES
Your Atom Bomb Heart (1925.A) (No 1)
(Cowboy Howard Vokes – Hank King: arr by Chaw Mank)
(Blue Ribbon Music Co. ASCAP)
I Want To Know (Why You Don’t Care For Me) (1925.B) (No 2)
(Cowboy Howard Vokes: arr by Chaw Mank)
(Blue Ribbon Music Co. ASCAP)

BLUE RIBBON 1925 is a Research Craft Pressing




Hank King re-recorded both songs for BLUE HEN (issue 221)

BLUE RIBBON #4

BLUE RIBBON 1918
COWBOY JOE BISKO WITH BUD WILLIAMS
AND HIS SMILING BUDDIES
Miles Of Sorrow (1918.A) (No 1)
(Henry Cicci – Glenn Rowell – Joe Bisko – Chaw Mank)
(Blue Ribbon Music Co. ASCAP)
My Weeping Heart (1918.B) (No 2)
(J. Fred Coots – Chaw Mank – Cowboy Joe Bisko – Matt Furin)
(J. Fred Coots Songs Inc. ASCAP)




BLUE RIBBON 1918 is a Research Craft pressing

BLUE RIBBON 1919 (No Information)



BLUE RIBBON 1920
THE CAROLL SISTERS acc: THE TUNE TOPPERS
Someone With A Broken Heart (Will Do) (1920.A) (No AA)
(Alvin Loy – Chaw Mank) (Orham Music Co. BMI)
THE CAROLL SISTERS WITH BILLY MERLE acc: THE TUNE TOPPERS
Square Dance In The Park (1920.B) (No A)
(Michael Elias – Chaw Mank) (Michaelle Music Pub Co. BMI)

BLUE RIBBON 1920 is a Research Craft pressing / also pressed on 45rpm. "Square Dance In The Park" was reissued on DECCA 29437





Note revised songwriting credit on DECCA release and new publishing company, also note spelling of the sister's name on the DECCA issue.

BLUE RIBBON 1921 (No Information)

BLUE RIBBON 1922 (No Information)

BLUE RIBBON / TEXAS #3

And now BLUE RIBBON gets even more confusing, for reasons probably only know to Chaw Mank, BLUE RIBBON metamorphosed into the TEXAS label? Of course being BLUE RIBBON, it was not a simple shift from one label name to another, the Dale Berry release on TEXAS (No#) appears to be the first of these, Berry’s second release slotted into the main 1900 series. The label reverted to BLUE RIBBON a short while later.

TEXAS No #
DALE BERRY AND HIS BLUE BONNETT
Night After Night (No 1)
(Chaw Mank – Dale Berry) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)
I’m Doin’ Fine (In A Prison Of Memories) (No 2)
(Wellman – Sytula – Mank) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)

Note: Although title on label of B side “I’m Doin’ Fine….”, lyrically the title appears to be “I’m Doin’ Time…..”





TEXAS 1913
DALE BERRY (THE DISC JOCKEY ARTIST)
There’s A Map Of Texas On My Heart (1913.A) (No 4)
(Cliff Japhet – Marie White – Chaw Mank)
(Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)
If Your Love Would Bloom (1913.B) (No 3)
(Dale Berry – Chaw Mank) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)




BLUE RIBBON / TEXAS 1914 (No Information)

BLUE RIBBON / TEXAS 1915 (No Information)

TEXAS 1916
JESS SPENCER
James Spencer (Guitar), Jess Spencer (Guitar)
Mother’s Understanding Heart (1916.A) (No 1)
(Tanner - Shurtz - Mank - Morris) (No Publisher Noted)
Cow Girls (1916.B) (No 2)
(Marvin Montgomery - Chaw Mank) (No Publisher Noted)

TEXAS 1916 information courtesy Ronald Keppner

BLUE RIBBON / TEXAS 1917 (No Information)

BLUE RIBBON #2

BLUE RIBBON 1908
GENE ESTES AND HIS ARIZONA RHYTHM RIDERS
For More Than You Know (Vocal – “Gene”) (1908.A) (No 10)
(Shurtz – Little - Lanilo - Mank) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)
Patchin’ My Heart With Kisses (Vocal – “Gene”) (1908.B) (No 20)
(Sonia Zurick – Tiny Skaggs – Chaw Mank) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)

BLUE RIBBON 1909
HANDY HENDERSON
(Play A) Lovers Waltz (1909.A) (No 3)
(Handy Henderson - Colleen Nelson)(Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)
I Wish You'd Marry Me (1909.B) (No 4)
(Handy Henderson) Arrangement by Chaw Mank
(Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)

Details of BLUE RIBBON 1909 courtesy Ronald Keppner

BLUE RIBBON 1910 (No Information)


BLUE RIBBON 1911
GENE ESTES & ARIZONA RHYTHM RIDERS
The Mystery Polka (Vocal - Kitty & Kay) (1911.A) (No 30)
(Fukon – Breuker - Mank) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)
On Ev’ry Main Street (Vocal – “Gene”) (1911.B) (No 40)
(Scheffler – Breuker - Mank) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)

BLUE RIBBON #1

Chaw Mank’s BLUE RIBBON label seems to have been more a vehicle for Mank’s songwriting efforts then a medium for promoting singers and bands. Mank used to advertise widely for new compositions, and then presumably “polished” the material to make it more commercially viable, perhaps that explains why each song has anything up to four individuals credited as composers.

The majority of BLUE RIBBON releases have issue numbers seemingly picked at random, although once those issue numbers were allocated there does follow a logical numerical progression of sorts. The nearest Mank got to a consistent numerical series was with his 1900 series.

In this attempt at documenting BLUE RIBBON we shall start with the 1900 series, and then look at some of the odd numerical releases.


BLUE RIBBON 1901
ORVILLE CLARIDA “THE SINGIN’ TEXAN” AND HIS RHYTHM VALLEY BOYS
I’ll Live Alone (1901.A) (No 5)
(Harvill – Mank - Clarida) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)
I’ve Tried To Forget You (1901.B) (No 6)
(Brown – Mank - Clarida) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)




BLUE RIBBON 1902
THE WAYFARERS – MELODY MOUNTAIN BOYS
Mother’s Understanding Heart (1902.A) (No 1)
(Shurtz – Morris – Mank - Tanner) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)
Say A Prayer For A Buddy Somewhere (1902.B) (No 2)
(Morris – Suiter – Hall - Mank) (Blue Ribbon Music Co. BMI)

Note: “Say A Prayer For A Buddy Somewhere” has notation “Title by Howard I. Wise”




1903 thru 1907 unknown

EASTERN 5619

Dee Stone had a number of releases on BLUE RIDGE, and MUTUAL, and other releases on EASTERN.

EASTERN 5619
DEE STONE and VIRGINIA MT. BOYS
Sun Of Love (5619.A) (G70W 725)
(Dee Stone) (Snow Music Pub Co)
Drifting Down This Lonely Road (5619.B) (G70W 726)
(Dee Stone) (Snow Music Pub Co)

Both sides of record have notation on label “Horace King – Piano”

SOL RECORDS

Sol Records Inc.
Newark. NJ

Zeb Turner appears to have had a major role in SOL records, perhaps he even owned the label. The "A" sides of both releases are essentially Pop songs, whereas the "B" sides in both instances retain a strong Country flavour.

SOL 101
ELAINE TAYLOR with ZEB TURNER
Smooth Salin’ (101.A) (K08W 1489)
(Z. Turner) (Southern ASCAP)
ZEB TURNER, FREDDIE CLARK, ELAINE TAYLOR
Little Birdie (101.B) (K08W 1490)
(arr: Z. Turner) (Southern ASCAP)




SOL 102
FREDDIE CLARK with ZEB TURNER and BAND
My Love (102.A) (K08W 1491)
(Z. Turner) (Acuff-Rose Pub. BMI)
ZEB TURNER and FREDDIE CLARK
In The Pines (102.B) (K08W 1492)
(arr: Z. Turner) (Southern ASCAP)

4 STAR OP 299

4 STAR OP 298

SONNY THIBADEAUX ACETATE #2

SONNY THIBADEAUX
THE WORLD IS SORROW

SONNY THIBADEAUX - ACETATE

SONNY THIBADEAUX

SOFT SPOT FOR YOU

BILLY HUGHES ET Release

Sometime around the early fifties, or perhaps a little earlier, Four Star produced a series of ET releases for radio station use. These ET’s each contained six tracks comprising principally of material that 4 STAR had commercially released. However, some ET’s contained the odd previously unissued recording. These ET’s were issued in two sets, with twenty five releases in each set; a set of these discs could be purchased from 4 Star for the princely sum of $10.00.

Billy Hughes had an ET release, of the six tracks on the disc two were previously unissued recordings, this previously unissued material was only available on this ET. None of these recordings had any composer credit, although the music clearance was given as BMI.

4 STAR ET 19
BILLY HUGHES
You Done Daddy Dirty (19.A)
(Originally released on GILT EDGE 5018)
Had That Kind Before
(Previously Unissued)
Ain’t That Too Bad
(Previously Unissued)

It’s Too Late To Change Your Mind (19.B)
(Originally released on 4 STAR 1282)
I’m Gonna Stop Worrying Over You
(Originally released on GILT EDGE 5018)
I’m Tellin’ You
(Originally released on 4 STAR 1282)

Note: GILT EDGE 5018 was issued as by Buccaroo Billy.



"HAD THAT KIND BEFORE"



"AIN'T THAT TOO BAD"

AL BARKLE on POLKALAND

The Al Barkle here I assume is the same artist who recorded in the mid Fifties through the Sixties out on the West Coast. These two releases, dating from 1952 / 1953, were seemingly released out of sequence, e.g. 100 issued before 99?

POLKALAND 99
AL BARKLE AND HIS TRAILBLAZERS
FROM IRON MICHIGAN
Love Me Or Leave Me All Alone (E3-KB-7359)
(Dave Dudley) (No Publisher Noted)
Would You Mind? (E3-KB-7360)
(Patti Williams) (No Publisher Noted)

Musicians listed on label
Al Barkle (Vocal / Guitar); Bonny Rick (Steel Guitar); Andy Sanders (Bass).





POLKALAND 100
AL BARKLE AND HIS TRAILBLAZERS
IRON MICHIGAN
Honky Tonky Mama (E2-KB-4525)
(Turner – English) (No Publisher Noted)
The Goodnight Waltz (E2-KB-4526)
(Les Kangas) (No Publisher Noted)

Musicians listed on label
Al Barkle (Vocal / Guitar); Bonny Rick (Steel Guitar / Standard Guitar); Lee Arbey (Trumpet / Drums).

DAVE DUDLEY on PFAU

PFAU 3-52-3/3-52-4
DAVE DUDLEY AND HIS COUNTRY CARAVAN
You Don’t Care (3-52-3) (E2-QB-3405)
(Dave Dudley) (No Publisher Noted)
Nashville Blues (3-52-4) (E2-QB-3404)
(Dave Dudley) (No Publisher Noted)

RCA Custom Pressing = 1952




Note: Musicians listed on label of “Nashville Blues”. Lynn Strauff (Steel Guitar); Dick Van Hale (Bass); Smokey Stover (Lead Guitar).

HUMMING BIRD 1000 SERIES #4

HUMMING BIRD RECORDS CO
510 FRANKLIN. WACO. TEXAS

HUMMING BIRD 1010
HENRY & HOMER AND THE SOUTHERNAIRES
Cripple Heart (Vo - Henry & Homer) (1010.A) (deadwax HB 007)
(Bennetsen) (No Publisher Noted)
Eternal Love (Vo - Henry Bennetsen) (1010.B) (deadwax HB 008)
(King) (No Publisher Noted)





HUMMING BIRD 1011
HARRY CHOATES AND HIS FIDDLE
Big Woods (1011.A)
(No Composer Credit) (No Publisher Noted)
Oh-Meon (1011.B)
(No Composer Credit) (No Publisher Noted)




HUMMING BIRD 1012
HARRY CHOATES AND HIS FIDDLE
Gulf Coast Waltz
()
Big Mamou (Original) (Grosse Mamou)
()

HUMMING BIRD 1000 SERIES #3

HUMMING BIRD 1007
PETE BURKE TRIO
Kentucky Waltz Boogie (1007.A)
(No Composer Credit) (No Publisher Noted)
Super Boogie Woogie (1007.B)
(Burke - Irby) (No Publisher Noted)




HUMMING BIRD 1008
KENTUCKY SLIM AND THE SOUTHERNERS
Fiddle And Vocal By HARRY CHOATES
Jole Blon's Farewell (1008.A)
(Mays - Choates) (No Publisher Noted)
KENTUCKY SLIM AND THE SOUTHERNERS
Missing You (1008.B) (Vocal - Kentucky Slim)
(Quinn) (No Publisher Noted)




Note: “Jole Blon's Farewell” was a demo by Choates which was overdubbed with backing vocals and Instrumentation by Kentucky Slim And The Southerners

HUMMING BIRD 1009 (78rpm Release)
HERB REMINGTON AND THE RANCH HANDS
I Wonder If You Feel The Way I Do (1009.A) (deadwax ACA 2061)
(No Composer Credit) (No Publisher Noted)
Swinging Strings (1009.B) (deadwax ACA 2063)
(Herb Remmington) (No Publisher Noted)


HUMMING BIRD 1009 (45rpm Release)
HERB REMINGTON AND THE RANCH HANDS
I Wonder If You Feel The Way I Do (1009.A) (deadwax ACA 2096)
(No Composer Credit) (No Publisher Noted)
Swinging Strings (1009.B) (deadwax ACA 2095)
(Herb Remmington) (No Publisher Noted)




Note: Although not credited on label the vocalists on HUMMING BIRD 1009.A are Dickie Jones and Red Greenhaw.

HUMMING BIRD 1000 SERIES #2

HUMMING BIRD 1004
GEORGE EDGIN
Casey Jones and the Western Mail
()
Pine Knot Cannon Ball
()




HUMMING BIRD 1004 sound files courtesy of Dave Sax.

HUMMING BIRD 1005
JERRY IRBY AND HIS TEXAS RANCHERS
Trouble in Mind (1005.A)
(Unknown) (No Publisher Noted)
Crying My Eyes Out (1005.B)
(Jerry Irby) (No Publisher Noted)




HUMMING BIRD 1006
PAPPY TYLER AND HIS MELODY FIVE
Ghoulson Valley Waltz (1006.A)
(Tyler - DeLamar) (No Publisher Noted)
The Breakdown (1006-B)
(Unknown) (No Publisher Noted)




Note: HUMMING BIRD 1006 was reissued on IMPERIAL 8126; where “Ghoulson Valley Waltz” was re-titled "Honky Tonk Waltz"