Problems with Audio Files

A couple of weeks ago I attempted to upload some audio files onto Divshare, but the site had a notice saying that they were having regular maintenance, which they did from time to time. 

However, this went on for several days, which was rather unusual. When I finally managed to get into the site each time I tried to upload audio files I got an error message, I contacted the help line (via email) but never got a reply, so I emailed them again, and still no response. I noticed the other day when trying to log into Divshare that the site was temporarily suspended awaiting relaunch. What's going to happen when they relaunch Divshare is anyones guess.

Whilst we wait to see what's gonna happen next, here's an oddity for you to muse over.

This is the only copy of RCA 47-5024 that I have seen with colored wax, I suspect that this was a mistake.

DEAN TURNER & THE RED RIVER VALLEY BOYS

Not much I can to say about Dean Turner, The Red River Boys, Farris Hendricks, or Johnnie Harmon. The later was obviously inspired by Jimmy Rodgers, Harmon's self penned "Pretty Mamma Blues", could have come straight out of Rodger's own songbook. 

BRC RECORDS

 The BROADCAST RECORD CLUB, or BRC as it was marketed, was based at 303 Bible Place, Cleveland, Tennessee. The label seems to have started sometime in 1952 (BRC 1002 is a Capitol custom pressing dating from July 1952). How this "Club" worked is a matter for speculation, assuming that the records were issued at regular intervals, there would have been 26 releases over a period of three and a half to four years, which works out to be something like two release, or three if BRC 1001 is included, in 1952, and then eight releases a year thereafter. As you can see from the flip side of BRC 1025, by The BAHAMA'S BRASS BAND, material was taken from a variety of diverse sources. Some of the artists who recorded for BRC were familiar names in the Gospel fraternity, although the occasional typographical errors obscured the artist in question, take for example the WHIRLWIND EVANGELIST, is presumably The Whirlwind Evangelists who re-recorded "Ain't No Grave" for FORTUNE twelve months of so later, and is Howard Surrett, the Howard Seratt who recorded for both SUN and ST FRANCIS?

CAPITOL Custom Pressing DB 138 = 1954

Reverse of BRC 1012 is by THE NUNNERY SISTERS

"Something Within Me"

CAPITOL Custom Pressing DB 139 = 1954

CAPITOL Custom Pressing EB 121 = 1955

Reverse of BRC 1025 is by BAHAMA'S BRASS BAND

(From The Church Of God Of Prophecy, Nassau, Bahamas)

"The Call For Reapers"

CAPITOL Custom Pressing EB 122 = 1955

CAPITOL Custom Pressing FB 437 = 1956

Reverse of BRC 1025 is by HARPER HUNTER

"I Saw A Man" 

CAPITOL Custom Pressing FB 438 = 1956

BARNE'S RECORDINGS. Colorado Springs. Colorado

Just when you think you’re getting a grip on things something comes along to disabuse you of that notion.

Where do you start with the BARNE’S label? it appears to be the second release on the label, assuming that is that there is / was a release at 101 / 102, but that of course could be misleading and the issue numbers 103 / 104 were applied to this record to give the impression that this was a label with at least one other record under its belt!

Whilst you muse over the various options for the BARNE'S record let me introduce you to yet another mystery. Whilst perusing a copy of BILLBOARD’S 1949 Disc Jockey supplement, in particular the section entitled “Folk Recording Artists And Their Labels” I found a list of artists which hitherto I had not associated with the labels they were supposed to have been recording for. This list, compiled from reports submitted by recording companies (dated September 1949), may contain artists who were inked to a particular label but their recordings were never issued, or perhaps the individuals concerned, or the groups mentioned, were either uncredited vocalists or anonymous backing groups for some of the named artists who we know recorded for the recording company in question.

BLUE MOUNTAIN BOYS - COWBOY

ROY BRANNEN - COWBOY

AL CLAUSER - HARDMAN (Transcription Discs?)

JIMMY DALE - COWBOY

SHORTY FLETCHER - PAGE

CURLEY HERDMAN - COWBOY

AL HESSON - APOLLO

GENE HOOPER - PAGE

FAMOUS LASHUA - DOME

BILLY LEE - MAGNOLIA

WILD BILL McQUETER - BLUE BONNET

TEX MILTON - APOLLO

JACK PADGETT - APOLLO

A COUPLE OF ODDITIES

Neither recording featured here could be described at any stretch of the imagination as Country or Hillbilly, yet each is relevant in its own way.

The first is an instrumental “Boogie Square” released in STARDAY’s 1000 “Square Dance” series. This recording, judging by the master numbers, dates from sometime around mid 1954. “Boogie Square” was also issued with Calls on STARDAY D-1002 (Master number 2167) credited to “BUZZ” BROWN With KAY RIGGS AND HIS ORCHESTRA.

Bob Bertram, who one assumes is the same Bob Bertram who owned the BERTRAM INTERNATIONAL label, offers the original version of “Babies And Bacon” which was covered by Roy Hogsed on CAPITOL. The flip side of “Babies And Bacon” is “Your Just My Style” another song that was covered by Roy Hogsed for CAPITOL. Both songs can be best described as POP, I have not recorded  “Your Just My Style” due to the prominent organ throughout .

  

DAVE McENERY (RED RIVER DAVE) "Jailhouse Blues"

Ol' Red River Dave rarely let an opportunity pass by without penning some ditty about the trials and troubles of life. T Texas Tyler attracted Dave's attention back in 1958 when Tyler was caught by the law in possession of a small amount of marijuana. I haven't been able to ascertain whether or not Tyler received a custodial sentence for this heinous crime? Whether he did or not is academic because Dave McEnery quickly recorded and released "Jailhouse Blues" on his own YODELING label, which I note from the label was issued in YODELING's "1958 Juke Box Series" which I suspect was the sole release in that particular series.

PLEASE NOTE "Did The Gypsy Lie?" is a bit noisy

BURCHFIELD BROTHERS

Another selection of Sacred Offerings, this time from The Burchfield Brothers, once again I have no idea who the Brothers were, where they hailed from, and did they record anything else other than the four recordings featured here. The master numbers suggest that there may be at least four unissued recordings sitting in the vaults somewhere.

TURNER BROTHERS - ACORN EP

I have no idea which Turner Brothers these are; I assume that it is Red and Lige Turner, reunited after an absence of some fifteen years or so.

VIRGEL BOZMAN - HOT ROD RECORDS

Ry Cooder was once asked what was the most difficult task he had ever undertaken, without any hesitation Cooder replied "Trying to recreate that old valve sound in the recording studio". Every time I recall this I am reminded of recordings like Virgel Bozman's "Way Down Here In Mississippi", in which you can hear the lovely rounded tones of the unidentified guitarist.

RAYMOND WEBB on RICH-R'-TONE

The RICH-R'-TONE label, in its original incarnation, was a fascinating concern that turned out a esoteric selection of releases during the late forties and early fifties. Known primarily for its Bluegrass offerings, the label did release material from across the Country Music spectrum. Here is one of the later issues, an odd beast, which celebrates the musical diversity that was to be found on the label, Raymond Webb later had a release on KYVA, however, that was more mainstream Hillbilly. I just love the pianist, who may or may not be John Henry Eston, the composer of "Bucket Special".

JACK CARDWELL - JIM FOLSOM Campaign Songs

Alabama state Governor "Big" Jim Folsom was first elected to office in January 1947, his four year term ending in January 1951. Folsom served a second term as Governor from 1955 to 1959. In 1962 he stood again, but was defeated in the primaries by George Wallace, who then went on to be elected as Governor. Prior to Folsom's run off against George Wallace Jack Cardwell recorded two campaign songs in 1962 for Folsom. The first was a single sided King Custom pressed disc on the LE NOIR label on which Cardwell was accompanied by Luke McDaniel and his band. Although the record label states that the recording is three minutes long, in reality the song only runs for one minute thirty six seconds. The second song was a commercial release issued on the Alabama CINEMA label, the flip side of this release was by Roland Johnson, who turns in a decent rendition of Arlie Duff's "Y'All Come".

THE MILLER BROTHERS - SOME EARLY RECORDINGS

Before recording for the 4 STAR label, the Miller Brothers made a dozen sides for a DELTA Label, first in Dallas, and then (later) in Wichita Falls. Here we have the four sides, recorded around 1947, at the ULTRA TONE Recording Studios in Dallas. According to Prague Franks' Miller Brothers discography  the band's line up was  Jay Starnes (Vocal – where noted). Sam Gibbs (Guitar), Leon Gibbs (Fiddle), Nat Gibbs (Bass), Lee Cochran (Trumpet), Forrest Fulcher (Sax), Clyde Smith (Sax), Pauline Fulcher (Piano), Bob Steed (Drums).

Dead Wax DR 101

Dead Wax DR 102

NOTE - FOLLOWING AUDIO FILES ARE NOISY

Dead Wax DR 103

Dead Wax DR 104

Thanks To Phil Tricker

MILLER BROTHER DISCOGRAPHY

countrydiscography.blogspot.com/2012/05/miller-brothers.html

CECIL CAMPBELL - PALMETTO RECORDS

One of Cecil Campbell's more obscure releases, the second side features a vocal duet by Cecil Campbell and Millard Pressley. To the best of my knowledge this is the only secular recording that features Millard Pressley, an artists who is normally  associated with gospel material, look out for his excellent BLUE HEN disc.

BEN & MILDRED JACKSON - GALA RECORDS

I've been trying, on and off, to set up a Country / Hillbilly / Bluegrass Gospel blog. I can't quite get it as I want it, I shall persevere and hopefully will find a solution to the way I want to lay out the blog. In the meantime here's a nice little gospel record from Georgia .

VANDERGRIFT BROTHERS - KING

I thought it would be nice to have all the Vandergrift Brothers KING recordings in one place, so here are the two known releases on the label. Billboard reported, 30th March 1963, that the Brothers were recording for KING, which I assume refers to the release shown below (KING 5533).

VANDERGRIFT BROTHERS - ESGEE RECORDS

The Vandergrift Brothers, Don, Ronnie, and Darrell, were regulars on WWVA's Worlds Original Jamboree from Wheeling, West Virginia. Prior to their recordings for Hardrock Gunter's ESSGEE label in 1962, the brothers had recorded for the COZY label in 1959, and would later record for both KING, and the Wheeling EMPEROR label. Four of the six ESSGEE recordings were subsequently reissued on a RURAL RHYTHM album.

JACOBY BROTHERS

There is an excellent piece on The Jacoby Brothers to be found on HILLBILLY-MUSIC.COM (cut and paste the following into your browser -http://www.hillbilly-music.com/groups/story/index.php?groupid=11653

in which Gene's son Wade outlines the brothers story. 

I once read an article on the Jacoby Brothers which stated something to the effect that Red River Dave (Dave McEnry), who was apparently the Brothers manager at the time, set up the TNT label in partnership with Bob Tanner as a vehicle to promote the brothers, and some of the other artists he managed, as well as himself. This notion is given some credence by the fact that McEnry is involved in one way or another in the majority of the early releases in the TNT 1000 series, which date from 1953 and 1954, but I don't think his involvement was long term.

45rpm copy of TNT 1001(Thanks to DrunkenHobo)

BILLBOARD 6th February 1954

(Above) Australian issue of "Bicycle Wreck"

A later version of "Bicycle Wreck" by The Geezenslaw Brothers on which they added an additional verse! 

Master Number CO 51833

Recorded 29th July 1954

Master Number CO 51834

Recorded 29th July 1954

Master Number CO 51835

Recorded 29th July 1954

Master Number CO 51836

Recorded 29th July 1954

Their COLUMBIA session was supposedly the last time they recorded together as the Jacoby Brothers. However, there was a release on TNT in 1961 credited to The Jacoby Brothers; it has been suggested that this was earlier material, but musically, with drums and piano, it fits the later period of time!

"Counting Drops Of Rain" clearly generated some interest as Larry Nolan recorded the song for the RONO label

acknowledgements: William Agenant's COLUMBIA 78 RPM Record Listing 20001 thru 21571 (Joyce Record Club Publication - 1996) for Columbia master numbers and recording date.

Here is one that I completely overlooked, I am indebted to the DrunkenHobo for drawing this release to my attention. Reverse is "Dream Dust", record dates from 1956