Hitch up ya britches and open up ya ears for some mighty fine Country music. Yes that musical genre the music industry seems to hate even as they milk it for every penny they can. They will call it Folk, Americana, Rural Soul, even Rockabilly but luckily some folk know what we want and will let us have it with both barrels.
Various – Corn Fed Vol 7 – Dagnabbit Records
Yee haw, Corn Fed Seven. I doubt anybody needs an introduction to the Corn Fed series but just in case… over in the US there is a clan of hillbilly folk who were outcast by their kin in the early 1960s for crimes again modernity. They refused to get with the program and carried on playing their darned old fashioned records. This stuff would later be called Hillbilly, Country Bop, Rockabilly and that old crap no one cares about. Well, it turns out a lot of people do care about it and descendants of that clan now scour the outback and outhouses of rural America finding records that have never been heard after their fleeting appearances on tiny runs on even tinier labels. When they find enough ‘new’ old stuff they unleash a volume of Corn Fed on the world so they can continue on in the same old way.
There is a real problem with this music. Trying to group these songs in categories such as lonesome bop, rockabilly country rocker doesn’t work – every track has its own unique charm and character. We can’t find any to skip over and describing every track is silly. We really, really like this sort of stuff and we really, really like everything on here. If you know the series and like the issues so far this is essential. You will know the previous issues have pretty much all sold out and are now sought after by the people who missed them, so do not make that mistake with this one. As far as info on the artists is concerned, everything that can be found out is in the liner notes so just repeating that is redundant. We will say though, we’re surprised the Johnny Hargett track, issued on Cherry the record before Art Adams second 45, has never been reissued before.
Various – Corn Fed Vol 7 sampler
Various – Corn Fed Vol 6 – Dagnabbit Records
Everything that we said about volume 7 is also true of volume 6. Every other volume is completely sold out with dealers and the manufacturing clan but we still have a super limited number of volume 6 so if you are snapping up number 7 grab a copy of 6 whilst you can. In fact, there are so few we’re not going to say any more about it.
Various – Corn Fed Vol 6 sampler
Various – Country Hicks Vol 7 – Barklog
Going a little further back in time we come to Country Hicks, which you could call the mother and father and sister and brother of Corn Fed. We are lucky to have a few copies of the last issue of this great series available as well. Now this record came out a few years back and some tracks on here have become firm favourites. From the opening bars of the first track by Glen and Vivian Watson you know what you are in for, a boppin hillbilly good time, this track and the Tommy Castle really set the standard for the style.
We also hear a few tracks that could have been included on the last God Botherer news letter; Bro Charlie Hendrickson and Ralph Hart’s deliver with fantastic Gospel Hillbilly. There area some straight ahead Rockabilly tracks like the Honky Tonk Blues taken from an unidentified acetate which was previously completely unissued and the Dale Davis track which was issued but is so rare it may as well not have been.
Whilst we don’t want to get into a rarity rabbit hole, we can also hear possibly the rarest Starday custom, from Tommy Castle. Oh bloody hell this is all rare so lets just leave that there and move onto one of the top lonesome sound tracks from Whitey Gallagher; Searching, a song drenched in regret made worse by the singer’s knowledge he is doing the wrong thing even as he does it. Finally, we have to mention Don’t Monkey With My Widder which is even madder than it sounds.
Whitey Gallagher – Searchin’
Tommy Castle – I’ve Done More Accidentally
Leaving the long players, we have a few 45s to look at so let’s start with these two terrific Texan tunes.
Ray Doggett / Johnny McAdams – Go Go Heart / Is There No Love For Me – Spade
Spade records was owned by Bennie Hess of Wild Hog Hop and others fame and issued some of the greatest Rockabilly 45s ever despite the business side of the operation being something of a disaster. Spade artist Royce Royce gives us a window into Spade records in an interview when he said Bennie never had money to have records pressed in any sort of quantity and so when an order may come in, he’d have to scrape up the money and by the time he was ready to ship the records it was too late. This is one of the reasons original 45s of these great tracks are so rare.
Ray Doggett was just out of his teens in 1956 when he recorded Go Go Heart which he says was sent to Bennie Hess by someone who fished a rejected copy of his demo from a bin at an unnamed record company. We all need to thank that person for saving this super slice of drum-free pure Texas Rockabilly. Ray is not some squeaky teen, he has a fine mature voice and the boppin’ guitar on this record is fantastic. This record led to a lifelong career in the music business for Ray where he cut other great records, wrote produced and became associated with people such as Dean Beard, the above mentioned Royce Porter and later super star Kenny Rogers. Johnny McAdams is just a name attached to a 45 but what a 45! The side reproduced on this issue is one of the all-time greatest minimalist Rockabilly records ever recorded. The backing is so sparse it is a surprise to realise a full band is playing there but holding everything back in perfect check and Johnny’s vocal seems so effortless at first. He kicks up a gear later but swings back down to close out in super laid back style.
Ray Doggett – Go Go Heart
Johnny McAdams – Is There No Love For Me
Jerry Arnold – High Class Baby / Juliet – Security
Moving across state to the Security label we have on the top side here a 1958 Rockabilly classic as it was available on a Rollin’ Rock single back in 1970s. This was Jerry’s third single for Security and his previous issue, Race For Time / Let’s Take A Ride, was picked up for national distribution by Cameo records of New York but it was not a runaway success, so he was back to Security for this fine follow up.
Coming out two years in real terms and a million years in music terms after the above Spade 45, this rocker keeps a tough Texas rockabilly guitar and adds piano, drums, hand clapping and backing vocals to bring a much fuller sound. The flip is a much lesser known track that was recorded for the Challenge label but unissued until the 1990s. Jerry puts in a much more ‘teen’ vocal for this and the backing stripped back with shuffling drums and a sneaky guitar riff. Overall the tune has a bit of a ‘Wavy Gravy’ feel – it may not strike very hard at first but it burrows right into your brain.
High Class Baby
Juliet
Ray Pate And The Rhythm Rockets – I’ve Go That Feeling / Here, There, Everywhere – Gulfstream
Travelling across the Gulf of Mexico we land in Hollywood, Florida, home of Gulfstream records and Ray Pate and the Rhythm Rockets. The band is best known for the crazy two sider Lucky Day / My Shadow issued in 1957. This was the only record issued at the time of recording but over the years more Rhythm Rocket ragers have emerged. This group was led by Ray with his aggressive roar of a voice but what put them into the legend class is the vicious guitar playing from FOURTEEN YEAR OLD Donnie Pate! These two tracks match other tunes like the above and The Slide for pure craziness. Two sides of teen-age hormone fuelled Rock ‘n’ Roll that leave us breathless just listening to them.
I’ve Got That Feeling
Here, There, Everywhere
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