Something about Keith Courvale

Keith came to my mind again, when Red sent out both sides of his Dot 45. Thanks to Red that I now have both sides of this, because "Steelworker Blues" hasn't been reissued yet.Keith Courvale first appeared in 1958, when his single "Trapped Love / Steelworker Blues" appeared on the obscure Val label. Info on this label is very rare, Courvale's single was pressed by the RCA custom service. Anyway, the record might sold well, for Dot Records picked it up and released it again in October 1958. Although the single had much more distribution and better promotion, it didn't reach the charts and Courvale disappeared from the music scene.

Download Courvale's complete recordings

Something about The Dixie Harmonairs

I bet nobody knows this group. I also know nothing about the group...

The Dixie Harmonaires were a Rockabilly group that recorded two songs for the small Dixie label out of Covington, Kentucky (which was not associated with Starday's Dixie Records). When you look at the labels of the 45s, you will see that the records were rudimentary manufactured. However, the Dixie Harmonaires had their first single out with "Hi Yo Silver" (the flip side as well as catalog number or release date of this single are unknown), which was the only recording re-issued later. A second release followed with "Honey Hush" b/w "Rock Around the Clock". You see that they recorded Rock & Roll classics; the "Hi Yo Silver" was indeed a remake of "Honey Hush" (heavily inspired by the Johnny Burnette version). The Rockabilly Hall of Fame page of "Rock Around the Clock" files the recording as late 1950s/early 1960s.

If anyone has more info on the Dixie Harmonaires, please pass it along. Go to Terry Gordon's RCS site for label shows, re-issue info and song samples.

Something about Ruckus Tyler

Here we go with the story of Ruckus, an unknown rockabilly singer that was featured on a total of six re-issues during the last 27 years.

Ruckus Tyler was born in Louisiana, but spent - as far as I know - most of his career on the west coast in California. He first appeared as a recording artist on Fabor Robinson's label Fabor Records in the summer of 1956 with the two outstanding performances "Rollin' and a-Rockin'" / "Rock Town Rock", which have a western swing feel to it. Interesting enough, Billboard used in his review of this single (Fabor 135-45) the term "rock-a-billy" - it was one of the first times this term appeared in the press. However, the record didn't show up in the charts. After Tom Tall had some success with Ginny Wright in 1954 ("Are You Mine" reached #2), label owner Fabor Robinson searched for new duet partners to record with Tall. One of them was Ruckus Tyler; Robinson may considered him as a talented guy (which he was indeed). However, the duet "Don't You Know" / "If You Know What I Know" also went nowhere. According to Tom Tall, Tyler and Tall never met before the recording session, they just went into the studio, cut the two songs and then went out and never saw each other again. Unfortunately, Ruckus Tyler died in a car accident around 1957.

Download Ruckus Tyler's (almost) complete recorded work

Something about late 1950s Rock & Roll groups

In the late 1950s, Rockabilly vanished and dispersed into a kind of mainstream Rock'n'Roll. Musical features of these late 1950s Rock & Roll was the line-up of an electric guitar, an electric bass, a sax, drums and often also a piano. The songs were based on simple blues chord patterns - easy to play also for country boys who hadn't much experience in music. Instead of one featured artist, the whole band appeared under one name (e.g. not Elvis Presley & the Blue Moon Boys, but The Hi-Lites - hope it's clear). When these small bands that played in clubs and at high school dances made a record, the flip was often an instrumental dominated by an easy guitar riff that was used through the song, only slightly varied.

These small rock & roll groups later emerged into the Beat combos in the style of the Beatles and were the basics for the latter. I selected three bands today that also recorded some singles, one of them had limited success, the other two remained in obscurity.

The Skipper Hunt Combo was a Nashville based Rock & Roll group that played in the late 1950s and early 1960s, appearing in Nashville clubs. In 1959, the group made one single for the Hammond, Indiana, based label Glenn Records, a subsidiary of Mar-Vel'. "What Am I Gonna Do" b/w "Scalded" seems to be the only recording of this group. Members included Skipper Hunt (guitar/vocals), Joe Gleaves (bass), Roy Hepburn (drums), Bill Akins (piano) and an unidentified sax player.

The Nightbeats were a local group from Arizona, recording two singles for the local, tiny Zoom label. In the spring of 1959, their first release, "Lonesome Road Rock" b/w "Nightbeat", appeared. "Nightbeat" was an instrumental much in the style I descriped above. Their second single followed in the fall of that same year, featuring "Cryin' All Night" backed by "Doreen". There was also one unissued track called "Sea of Love". Members included the brother of Linda Ronstadt, Pete Ronstadt, on vocals. Pete also wrote much of the material for the band. There was also another group of the same name, calling themselves "The Nitebeats", which included Razzy Bailey and which recorded one single on Peach.

The Rock-a-Tunes were a band from Canada that had one chart success with "Danny", which reached the charts in Canada I think. They were based in Edmonton, Alberta, and recorded their first singles on Hank Smith's Rock-a-Tune label, including "Danny". After the success came, the Rock-a-Tunes switched to Columbia. Their first release there was "Tomorrow" b/w "Girls Nowadays". They kept on recordings but eventually members left. Before the group dispanded, they toured as the "New Fendermen" with original Fendermen member Phil Humprey. Members included Hank Smith and/or Butch McGillis on vocals, Al Ginard and Gordie Gray.

Something about Tennessee Thompson

Another of the "obscuries", here we go with Tennessee Thompson:

Thompson & the Boomerangs, 1959, in a Chicago recording studio: unknown, Aubrey Cagle, Jerry Williams, Tennesse Thompson, "Boomer", unknown

Edward R.C. "Tennessee Thompson" was the child of Jesse Frank Thompson and Elvie Capps. It seems that Thompson was basically a country singer during the 1950s. At least in the late 1950s, he played with a band called the Boomerangs, which included Thompson (gtr/vcls), Jerry Williams and "Boomer" (ld gtr), unidentified persons (bass/drums) and Aubrey Cagle (gtr). Cagle also recorded under his own name for his Glee record label. Thompson made his one and only record in 1959 for the local RCT label out of Indianapolis, Indiana. Two songs, "Slippin' and Slidin'" and "Saturday Ball", both wonderful examples of hard-driving rockabilly, were recorded in Chicago, Illinois, with the Boomerangs and issued on RCT 7033/4. Thompson hat at least one son, but I don't know what happened to him.

Dowloand Thompson's complete recordings

Any more information is appreciated. The photo above comes from a family chronicle website, most of my info also comes from this site (which was made by his son).

BTW: The Curley Jim post is under way!

Something about Bill Beach

Syd Nathan's King Records produced, although it's more famous for Country and R&B, some good Rockabilly. Listen to Charlie Feathers, Mac Curtis, Moon Mullican, Hardrock Gunter... then you know what I mean. Bill Beach is surely not a name that comes to mind when you hear "King Rockabilly", but the man with only one release did a good job, though. Let's see what we know about him:

Download his complete recordings

Rockabilly artist Bill Beach was born in 1932 in Glencoe, Kentucky. In 1956, he was active in Cincinnati, Ohio, and cut a session for King in April of that year. The backing band (ld gtr, stl gtr, bs, dms) is unknown to me, but the musicians sound like Delbert Barker's line-up later in June (Ralph Barker on gtr, Steve Lake on bs, Chubby Howard on stl gtr, Clarence Dison on dms) - but that's only a guess. However, Beach cut "Peg Pants" and "You're Gonna Like My Baby" (King 45-4940), which was issued in June on King. The record did not made the charts and Beach disappeared into the wildwood. Nobody knows what happened to him. Some suggested, "Bill Beach" was only a pseudonym for a country singer, who recorded rockabilly under this name, because he didn't want to upset his fans. But as Terry Gordon shows, Beach really existed.

Something about Bill Bowen #2

There are some updates on Bill Bowen. I also uploaded all of his recordings I have.

Download

Wilbur J. Bowen, also known as Bill Bowen, was a rockabilly singer who recorded only one single at the famed Meteor studios for Les Bihari's Meteor record label. On this record, Bowen was backed by the Rockets, a group composed of lead guitarrist Terry Thompson and an unknown bass player. However, releasing "Don't Shoot Me Baby" b/w "Have Myself a Ball" (Meteor 5033) on June 30, 1956, the record didn't sell well and Bowen vanished from the music scene. Ray Harris stated in an interview shortly before his death that Bowen and Harris played together in a country band around Memphis in 1954. They also played together on a radio station outside of Memphis. Bowen reportly also cut a country version of "Don't Shoot Me Baby" at the Sun Studios. The reissue LP "Memphis Bop" also credited Bowen with cutting "Two Timin' Baby", and the singer on this tape sounds very much like Bowen. His Sun recordings probably were made after he went to Meteor. Anyway, Bill Bowen remains one of the most obscure figures in rockabilly music.

Something about the Three Ramblers

Download the Three Ramblers' entire recordings

Johnny Cash imitators were just as popular as Elvis boys - the Three Ramblers were one of them. Their one and only release was part of the Starday Package Deal - in June 1958. The label credit went to Ozark Records out of Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. It's probable that the group came from this town and that they were only a local act. However, the A-side featured a Johnny Cash styled song called "If You Call That Love". The lead guitarist beginns the track with the "Cry! Cry! Cry!" solo that Luther Perkins played in 1955, but then, the whole song changes the accord pattern to an up-tempo "Folsom Prison Blues" with new lyrics. The solo by the lead guitarist is just slightly different to the "Folsom Prison Blues" solo. The flip side is a band's original (although songwriter credit on "If You Call That Love" also goes to the band only) called "Walkin' Talkin' Babydoll". On this song, the bass fiddle player imitates the sound of a driving train, another Johnny Cash attribute.

There are also two acetates ("Rock and Roll Tonight" and "Tom Cat Daddy's Blues"), which maybe feature another vocalist. The songs were first issued in 2007 by the German "Nasty Rockabilly" series (volume 11 and 12).

That's all I know 'bout the Three Ramblers. Corrections and additions are highly appreciated!

Addition: The two acetates "Rock and Roll Tonight" and "Tom Cat Daddy's Blues" were also reissued on "Michigian Rockers, Vol.2", a US release by Rock Therapy Records. Many thanks to John, who provided the info!

Something about Bill Bowen

Meteor Records is one of these legendary labels from Memphis, TN, with lots of rhythm & blues and rockabilly recordings. In 1956, Meteor released one single of a singer called Bill Bowen. Here's all I know about him:

Bill Bowen was a rockabilly singer who recorded only one single at the famed Meteor studios for Les Bihari's Metor record label. On this record, Bowen was backed by the Rockets, a group composed of lead guitarrist Terry Thompson and an unknown bass player. However, releasing "Don't Shoot Me Baby" b/w "Have Myself a Ball" (Meteor 5033) on June 30, 1956, the record dind't sell well and Bowen vanished from the music scene. Ray Harris stated in an interview shortly before he died, that Bowen and Harris played together in a country band around Memphis in 1954. They also played together on a radio station outside of Memphis. Bowen reportly also cut a country version of "Don't Shoot Me Baby" at the Sun Studios. The reissue LP "Memphis Bop" also credited Bowen with cutting "Two Timin' Baby", and the singer on this tape sounds very much like Bowen. Anyway, Bill Bowen remains one of the obscure figures in rockabilly music.

You can find his Meteor songs on "Rockabilly Party", which I posted last week and also on a reissue called "Meteor Rockabillies" over at the Rockabilly Ranch. His sun demo "Two Timin' Baby" can be heard on "Memphis Bop" (thanks Uncle Gil). Here are the lyrics (and chords) for Bowen's song "Don't Shoot Me Baby":

(E)Well, I slipped out dancin' with the cats last night
The party was fine and a-goin' just right
(A)Boy, I was havin' the time of my life
(E)When somebody hollered, here comes your wife
(B7)I jumped and I hollered, I screamed and I cried
(N/C)Don't shoot me baby, I'm too young to die (E)

Well, I knew darn well from the way she looked
My doggone goose was really cooked
I grabbed my coat and my rockin' shoes
I hollered, move over buddy, I'm a-comin' through
I stumbled on a table, fell down on the floor
Howlin', don't shoot me baby, I won't do it no more

Well, she said, now boy you'd better stop
The louder she hollered, well the faster I got
I thought to my soul, I was gonna get free
But the doggone door got in front of me
I wiggled and I hollered, I screamed and I cried
Don't shoot me baby, I'm too young to die

Well, she knocked me down, she picked me up
She shook me around like a little bitty pup
I closed my eyes and I held my breath
I thought to my soul, she'd beat me to death
I wiggled and I hollered, I screamed and I cried
Don't shoot me baby, I'm too young to die