2 V Disc 78`s from World War 2

Here is something I don`t really know anything about, the V Disc. These were made only by the most popular, well known artists of the day. They were used as a morale booster for the troops. I would assume the artists performed these sides for free to help the war effort.



The Roy Acuff songs are unique recordings, meaning these are not just dubs from their records that were out at the time. Before I ever had a V Disc I just assumed that they were made from current records at the time. This is not the case apparently, at least with the Acuff recordings. I know nothing about the pop music side of disc No. 127.



The Carson Robison tracks are pretty interesting. Carson Robison was a pretty prolific song writer (as well as a hugely popular country recording artist in the 1920`s and early 1930`s, often partnering with Vernon Dalhart) and according to the label he wrote these tracks. They are good examples of things that were accepted as morale boosters to the troops and here at home. These tracks would likely be considered to have some racist type remarks in them by today`s "politically correct" standards. SO----listener, beware.



Click here to download V Disc 127 & 145

Gene Martin - Country & Western Confidential - A Backstage Expose - Starday LP

Here is sort of a rare record. Gene Martin doing a comedy record. "Who is Gene Martin?" you may be saying right now. Gene was Benny Martin`s brother. He was a good guitar player and had what I`d call just a good plain country voice. I don`t really know any particulars on him except in the 1960`s and into the mid 1970`s he played rhythm guitar in Roy Acuff`s Smoky Mountain Boys (seems I have posted a lot of Smoky Mountain Boy related stuff lately). He also done some solo stuff with Roy on the shows. Also, he done a few comedy type numbers and sang duets with whatever girl singer Roy was using at the time, such as June Stearnes.
On this record, he does comedy almost entirely with impersonations of big country artists. Most of the tracks are pretty funny to me. He pretty much hits a bulls-eye with most of the impersonations too.



Click here to download Gene Martin - Country Music Confidential

Good blog I just discovered

I just found another good blog page. It`s mostly traditional bluegrass stuff at ---

www.marines12.blogspot.com

I`m going to link to it where the other blog links are on the left side of the page.

Jackie Phelps Starday LP - Golden Guitar Classics

Here`s a good, country electric guitar record. Jackie got started as a professional musician in the late 40`s by my estimation. He could play about anything. I have heard recordings with him on 5-string banjo playing "sort of bluegrass" with what I believe to be 2 finger picking. He was also a good lap steel picker. I think I have saw a film clip of him playing lap steel with Lonzo & Oscar before. Probably the best place to look for Jackie early in his career is in the old Gannaway Country Show films from about 1952 -1955-ish where he plays electric lead guitar in some episodes on a pretty strangely shaped guitar. He wasn`t the very best electric guitarist, but in the 50`s was likely in the top 10 in country music. He also done studio session musician work in the 50`s and 60`s, so there`s no telling how many times we may have heard him and didn`t know it was him. He played in Roy Acuff`s Smoky Mountain Boys for most of the 60`s, possibly starting in the late 50`s.
What Jackie is most famous for though was his career on Hee Haw. He temed up with Jimmie Riddle to do the Eeephin` & Hambone act. Hambone is a technique of slapping various body parts with your hand (or hands) to make "music", mostly a rhythm technique. Jackie was the Hambone part of the act. There is some videos on You Tube of them from Hee Haw doing their act.
Enjoy this one!




Click here to download Jackie Phelps - Golden Guitar Classics

Jimmie Riddle - harmonica, accordion & piano picker & Eeepher

Here a nice LP by a great artist. Jimmie started professional music with the Swift Jewel Cowboys (which I`ve never heard or know anything about) In the late 30`s on accordion. Then, about 1940 or 41 Roy Acuff hired him. At first he played mostly accordion (for some reason accordion was popular in country music then, likely due to the popularity of Pee Wee King. Bill Monroe even used one for awhile.) As time went by through the 40`s he gradually switched to mostly harmonica. Listen to Roy Acuff recordings in the 40`s to really hear Jimmie.
Jimmie was a GREAT harmonica player. Besides playing and recording with Acuff, he was a session man on many records in the 60`s.
He was well known for making and imitating all sorts of sounds. One thing he was famous for was the great old harmonica standard, The Fox Chase, and was very good at making the sounds with his harp and voice.
Now friends----the thing he is best remembered for is his stint on Hee Haw with Jackie Phelps (Phelps had played electric guitar with Acuff in the 60`s and him and Riddle got together then) performing their act of Hambone and Eeephin`. If you ever saw it one single time you`ll remember it. I loved it when I was a kid.
Now a little about the LP. It`s a good harmonica record, but don`t really capture Jimmie somehow for me. Still a good download though.




Click here to download Jimmie Riddle - Country Harmonica





Here is where Jimmie really starts to get interesting (at least to my warped taste). I have included scans of both the promo copy and the public issue of the 45.



Click here to download Jimmie Riddle - Decca 45



Now we are gonna get just plumb ridiculous! I had found a few things of Jimmie on the internet about Eeephin`.
Track list----
1. Jimmie`s Eeephin` Lesson
2. Little Eeephin` Annie (an early 60`s release by a rock artist I can`t remember the name of, so sorry)
3. Last known recording of Jimmie Eeephin`

Click here to download Jimmie Riddle Eeephin`

I have heard a rumor that Jimmie recorded another LP, but have never been able to find one or any information about it. PLEASE contact me through the blog if you have any information about it.

Below is a picture of a cd that is available of Jimmie Riddle and Jackie Phelps. It was apparently recorded and never released by Starday on LP for some reason. If you like the downloads, you`ll really like the cd. Huntin` Blues is a great one!!

New blog found

There is a new, promising looking music blog everyone should check out. It`s called Folk Archivist and the address is---

www.folkarchivist.blogspot.com

I`m linking to it under the Friends Of The Archive list at the left side of the page----Allen

Sam & Kirk McGee and The Crook Brothers - Opry Old Timers LP

A Very aptly named album. The Crook Brothers and Sam & Kirk McGee had been on the Grand Ole Opry from it`s birth pretty much (at least within about 6 months of it`s birth) till each one of them passed away. Sam McGee passed away in 1975 (on the Opry 50 years) and Kirk in 1983 (on the Opry 58 years). Herman Crook passed away in 1988 at age 89 and was still performing, very well at that (on the Opry 63 years, a record I believe).
On thing that made the Crook Brothers unique was that they were led by Herman`s harmonica as lead instrument, not the fiddle. The Crook Brothers were originally Herman and his brother Matthew playing twin harmonicas. Sometime around 1929, Matthew quit to become a policeman, leaving Herman as the groups star. From that time on the group featured twin harmonica and fiddle as the lead instruments, still pretty unique. Also, Herman added another member to the group on banjo, Lewis Crook. As unusual as Crook is for a last name, Herman and Lewis were not related. Herman and Lewis were both in the band till Herman passed away in 1988. Here`s a little known piece of Opry trivia---in the early days of the Opry, the Crook Brothers occasionally featured a vocal tune. Lewis Crook was the first person to sing Will The Circle Be Unbroken on the Opry. This song has became somewhat of an anthem for country music.
The McGee Brothers, Sam & Kirk, were pretty popular stars in their time. Discovered by none other than Uncle Dave Macon, they teamed up with Macon and got started in their musical careers that way. Sam was a virtuoso finger-picker on the guitar in the old country-parlor style and was also very blues influenced. He also played 5-string banjo and banjo-guitar. Kirk was a really good 5-string picker, both in clawhammer style and 2 finger style. He was also a good 2 finger guitar player. He also played fiddle some. Sam`s vocals leaned toward comic and novelty songs while Kirk leaned towards sentimental type tunes. They were popular Opry performers all through the years.
The songs on this record are all good`uns. All the Crook Brothers tunes are songs you would expect to hear a Tennessee string band play. The McGee`s tunes are a little more varied. ALL are great tunes, both for the songs and the musicianship.
In the download I have included a song not on the LP. The tune is Lost Indian by the Crook Brothers. It was recorded at the session but not released on the record. It was released on one of the many Starday various artist LP`s. I wonder how many tunes was recorded by each group that wasn`t released. Sam & Kirk made many records through the years, but Herman Crook was reluctant to make records for some reason. I heard that this sold well enough that Herman was approached again to record and just wouldn`t, too bad for us.
Hope you enjoy this one!




Click here to download Opry Old Timers - Sam & Kirk McGee and The Crook Brothers

Obray Ramsey - Blue Ridge Banjo

This is the last Obray Ramsey LP I have. As far as I know, all of them I have posted on the blog are all he recorded.
There is nothing more I can really say about Mr. Ramsey that I haven`t already said in other posts. If you are interested in and like this LP, search the blog for the others.
Happy listening!



Click here to download Obray Ramsey - Blue Ridge Banjo

Voices Of Lynchburg LP - very unique!

Here is a really neat record. This was recorded at Lynchburg, Tennessee in the late 1970`s I`d say. Someone went down there and just recorded stories about the area from some local old timers. Of course, Lynchburg is famous for one thing mainly, the Jack Daniels distillery is there. I have been to Lynchburg about 5 years ago, and it`s a pretty small, remote place even today. Of course, we don`t know any of the folks on this record personally, but it`s still really interesting.
Enjoy it!



Click here to download Voices Of Lynchburg

The New Lost City Bang Boys - Earth Is Earth 7 inch "LP"

Here is a rare one, at least it took me about five years to find it. The New Lost City Bang Boys is of course The New Lost City Ramblers.
Now I`m gonna explain why the Ramblers are using an alias. This little LP has four songs that they considered to be a bit naughty (which all but one would not even put a stray thought in your head by today`s standards). Only one of them seems naughty today, When Lulu`s Gone, because the lyrics are pretty much straight out suggestive. Well, it just happens that the tune When Lulu`s Gone was recorded by Roy Acuff (The King Of Country Music which used gospel songs for a pretty large part of his song library) in 1936. The song seemed naughty enough to Roy that he didn`t want the record issued with his name on it. So-----someone came up with The Bang Boys instead of using Roy Acuff & His Crazy Tennesseeans (the name Smoky Mountain Boys wasn`t used until they got on the Grand Ole Opry). That is neat, little known Roy Acuff trivia fact. I guess The New Lost City Ramblers thought it would be funny to sort of spoof The King Of Country Music, Roy Acuff (and they were right in thinking so I think, it`s just funny to me).
So----enjoy the tunes!!



Click here to download The New Lost City Bang Boys - Earth Is Earth