The complete recordings of Jimmie Wilson`s Catfish String Band

Well, here`s some music you won`t likely be able to listen to all in one place. Jimmie Wilson`s Catfish String Band was sort of miss-named as a string band, they were actually what you might call a novelty band. Many of the sounds you will hear are home made or dime store type instruments. Such as the slide whistle and the bones. Another unusual sound you will hear is the bass fiddle played with a bow. At least I think it`s a bass, could be another home made instrument of some kind. The names of the members of the group, as far as I can find out with my limited research, were Jimmie Wilson, Jack Gillis, John Ed Harris, Dick Fahrenwald, Orrin Potter, Charlie Potter, Franklin Ward, Bob Dennis, and Speedy Mouleer. I have no other information about the group except that they were based somewhere in Oklahoma and must have played on KVOO in Tulsa by information we can obviously see the picture. All the information I found was from an internet search, so anyone can do more reasearch as easily as what I done. I also found the group picture on the internet.
They had a session for OKeh in 1925 and another for Victor in 1929. The discs I have are in pretty good condition and these are plenty listenable, although the OKeh discs are noisier than the Victor discs. Happy downloading!

Jimmie Wilson`s Catfish String Band / OKeh 45019
Let Me Call You Sweetheart / Snow Dear
recorded October 21, 1925 in Dallas, Texas
The two tunes here were quite common and popular tunes from earlier in the 1900`s. Interesting that deer is mis-spelled in Snow Deer, this tune was a song about an Indian maid much like the old song Red Wing.

Jimmie Wilson`s Catfish String Band / OKeh 45029
Medley Of Old Time Popular Songs / Over The Waves
session information same as above
Over The Waves is of course one of the all time, most popular waltzes. The tunes in the medley side are ??? ( I don`t know the name of the first tune, but have heard it), Bill Bailey,  There`ll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight, ??? I don`t recognize the last tune either.

Jimmie Wilson`s Catfish String Band / Victor V-40163
She`s Comin` `Round The Mountain / Catfish Whiskers
recorded October 17, 1929 in Dallas, Texas
She`s Comin` `Round The Mountain is the common old tune.  Catfish Whiskers is a medley with the first tune unknown to me, Bill Bailey, There`ll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight, and the last tune is also unknown to me.

Jimmie Wilson`s Catfish String Band / Victor V-40216
Catfish Medley March / Argentine Rag
session information same as above
The tunes in Catfish Medley March are ???, I Want A Gal Just Like The Gal That Married Dear Old Dad, and ???. This side has a neat guitar turn around in it. Argentine Rag is unknown to me also.

Jimmie Wilson`s Catfish String Band - Victor V-40240
Polecat Creek-Waltz / My Two Sweethearts
session information same as above
Polecat Creek Waltz is unknown to me. My Two Sweethearts is a pretty well known old-time song.

Click here to download the complete recordings of Jimmie Wilson`s Catfish String Band

The Phipps Family - Give Me The Roses While I Live

The Phipps Family LP`s are usually about the most downloaded posts I make, so here you are, Phipps Family fans! This LP has a good mix of old time gospel songs and Carter Family songs. Enjoy!

Click here to download The Phipps Family - Give Me The Roses While I Live

The Show Boat Boys - Champion 16077

The Showboat Boys - Champion 16077
Old Time Melodies Part 1 / Old Time Melodies Part 2
recorded June 28, 1930 in Richmond, Indiana
Here is the only record issued by this group (it was also issued on Gennett 7270). It`s sort of a barbershop quartet type record. They have pretty good harmony going here. Part of the song "snippets" on these two sides are Stephen Foster tunes. WARNING! There are some words in the songs that are racist words, also known as "Coon Songs", so if you are offended by this type of material, please don`t download this. Some of the song "snippets" are also from old spiritual type songs.

Click here to download The Show Boat Boys - Champion 16077

The Carter Family On Border Radio

Here`s The Next LP in the Maybelle Carter series, although this is really a Carter Family LP. This is material from the period the Carter Family was on border radio. I`ve described the border radio "phenomenon" of the late 1930`s before on some previous post, so I`m not going to get into that now. There`s some fine material here, so give it a listen.

Click here to download The Carter Family On Border Radio

Roy Acuff - Inside Music City interview

Here`s a pretty neat interview for all you Roy Acuff fans out there. Happy downloading!

Click here to download Roy Acuff - Inside Music City interview

Gennett 3062 - George Ake / David Miller

George Ake / David Miller / Gennett 3062
Sand Cave / Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane
A side recorded April 30, 1925 in Richmond, Indiana / B side recorded December 16, 1924 in Cincinnati, Ohio
I have no information at all about George Ake except to say that this is the only known recording he made. The Song Sand Cave is about the doomed spelunker from Kentucky, Floyd Collins. There were several songs written about him. There are a couple of books out about Floyd Collins also that are very good if you are interested in the story behind the songs.
David Miller recorded several songs from 1924 through 1931. The song here is the old tune Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane and is famous in the country music field because it was the first vocal recorded by a country artist, Fiddlin` John Carson for OKeh.
I have no idea why record companies put two different country artists on the same disc. It was fairly common from 1924 till about 1924-ish when this practice had fairly much stopped being used.
As for sound quality on this disc, it is an acoustic (pre microphone) recording and the sound quality isn`t too bad at all for a 90 year old disc that was only in fair condition.

Click here to download George Ake / David Miller on Gennett 3062

The Carter Family - Country`s First Family

Here`s the next LP in my series featuring Mother Maybelle Carter. Enjoy!

Click here to download The Carter Family - Country`s First Family

The Carter Family - I Walk The Line

Boy its been a good long time since I`ve posted anything! Been super busy this summer at work but as the winter comes on now work will slow down some so I`ll have some more time for my favorite past time---messing with old records! So---away we go!

So here is the next installment of the Mother Maybelle Carter series from my archives. I`m getting close to running out of her material, so enjoy!!

Click here to download The Carter Family - I Walk The Line

Wyatt and Brandon - Columbia 15523-D

Wyatt and Brandon / Columbia 15523-D
Evalina / Lover`s Farewell
recorded October 21,1921 in Johnson City, Tennessee
Howard Wyatt and Luke Brandon were members of the well known old time string band The Roane County Ramblers from Tennessee. This is the only record this duet made.
 Evalina was a pretty popular song to the ancient folk tune of Poor Babes In The Woods and may be of old English origins.
 Lover`s Farewell is an old love type song and was recorded by people such as The Carter Family, Bill Cox, Lake Howard and The Shelton Brothers. It certainly has the sound of a Carter Family song though!
The sound quality of this disc is pretty good for as rough condition as the disc is in. A good bit of crackle will be heard but the music is plenty easily listened to.

Click here to download Wyatt and Brandon - Columbia 15523-D

Songs and Sayings by Lew Childre transcription - Program No`s. 3&4

Here is another 16 inch transcription disc by the great Lew Childre. He was a fine entertainer and his shows on these discs almost make you feel like he has just came over to your house for an evening of entertainment. Give a listen to this now extinct entertainment format!

Click here to download Lew Childre transcription Programs 3&4

Barnyard Steve - OKeh 45366

Barnyard Steve / OKeh 45366
Out On The Farm / Arkansas Bill Green
recorded June 26, 1929 in Dallas, Texas
Here`s an oddity for sure, certainly a novelty as the label description says. This is the only record this man made, I don`t even know what his real name was. This type of record was popular in the early recording industry from the 1890`s up till the early teens. I guess OKeh must have thought the market was ripe for one more disc of this type. Out On The Farm is a bunch of farm sound imitations. Arkansas Bill Green is a Jew`s harp tune. Happy downloading!

Click here to download Barnyard Steve - OKeh 45366

Tales Of The Bayou by Cajun Pete

Here`s sort of an oddity. This is obviously a story telling record. The telling of tall tales is nearly a lost art now. We still have comedy albums, but story telling is altogether a category of its own. What we have here is a Cajun story teller in the fashion of Justin Wilson. I have no more information about Cajun Pete than what can be read on the back of this LP cover. Hope it tickles your funny bone!

Click here to download Cajun Pete - Tales Of The Bayou

The Carter Family with Johnny Cash - Keep On The Sunny Side

Here`s a continuation of the Mother Maybelle Carter series I had been posting. I believe I have posted all the Mother Maybelle material I had, so now I will be posting some of here records with the Carter Sisters, etc. Hope you enjoy it!

Click here to download The Carter Family with Johnny Cash - Keep On The Sunny Side

The World Of Folk Music - shows #188/189

Here`s an unusual item I never knew existed until I stumbled across these discs on ebay. I have about six of these discs and will be posting them all. So... what we have here is a transcription disc of a radio show hosted by Oscar Brand. Each side of each disc has a guest on it. Before I listened to these I figured the show was done by using existing recordings by the guests, but no, they are recordings made just for this show. We also get a little bit of back and forth talk between Oscar Brand and the guests. These discs were made for information about Social Security, as you will hear by the stories on the sides in lieu of advertisements.
Show #188`s guests are Sam and Kirk McGee with Arthur Smith
Track list---
1. Bow Ye Down - Oscar Brand
2. Dusty Miller - The McGee Brothers and Fiddlin` Arthur Smith
3. story
4. Roll On Buddy - The McGee Brothers and Fiddlin` Arthur Smith
5. Great Granddad - Oscar Brand

Show #189`s guest is a group called The Tripjacks. I have no idea who they were, nor do I care for their style of singing, but I`ve posted the disc as a whole.
Track list---
1. The Hind Part Of A Mule - Oscar Brand
2. Let Me Fly - The Tripjacks
3. story
4. Child Of The Moonlight - The Tripjacks
5. Lowlands - Oscar Brand

Click here to download The World Of Folk Music - shows #188/189

Alf. Taylor and his Old Limber Quartet - Victor 19451

Alf. Taylor and his Old Limber Quartet / Victor 19451
Pharoah`s Army Got Drownded / Brother Noah Built An Ark
recorded August 11, 1924 in New York City
What an unusual record! First, Alfred Taylor was an ex-governor of Tennessee, as had his brother Bob also. Alf & Bob actually were of different political parties, one being a Democrat, the other a Republican. They ran against each other at least in one election. This campaign became known as Tennessee`s War Of The Roses, as apparantly the campaign between the two brothers was quite friendly. Both brothers were old-time fiddlers and both played at the campaign rallies. Old time music was quite common at campaign rallies up into the 1950`s. For instance, in Georgia, Both Fiddlin` John Carson and Gid Tanner both fiddled for governor`s campaigns. These campaigns must have been quite a sight to see, and hear!
Now, concerning the record---although Alf Taylor was an old time fiddler, no fiddle music is on this disc. He recorded about three sided besides what is on this record that were fiddle tunes, but for some reason they were never issued on disc. Reading the description on the Pharoah`s Army Got Drownded Side, I expected to hear a Fox Chase type tune, something similar to harmonicaist DeFord Bailey`s Fox Chase or the old Gid Tanner Fox Chase record. But no, we get a narrative from Alf Taylor about a fox hunt, then a "Negro" (in Alf Taylor`s words) quartet sing the old spiritual number, Mary Don`t You Weep. The quartet is quite good. Then on the other side is another number by the "Negro" quartet sang quite well. And what an unusual name for a group, The Old Limber Quartet. Well, Alf Taylor gives us a hint in his narrative about where that name may have came from, a favorite hound named Old Limber. Happy downloading!

Click here to download Alf. Taylor and his Old Limber Quartet - Victor 19451

The Carter Family Sings The Country Album

Sorry to have not been posting every week as usual. I`ve been really busy with work lately and had many busy weekends too. Anyhow, we are moving ahead with the Mother Maybelle Carter related material. Here`s a good LP of her and her daughters. Enjoy!

Click here to download The Carter Family Sings The Country Album

Tess and Cass - Broadway 8094

Tess and Cass / Broadway 8094
Will The Angels Play Their Harps For Me / Curse Of An Aching Heart
recorded May 1928 in Chicago, Illinois
Will The Angels Play Their Harps For Me has sort of a jaunty spiritual sound to me. Curse Of An Aching Heart is an old tear jerker. The Broadway label was a subsidiary label for Paramount.This record was issued on Paramount 3103 under the name Thompson Cates, which would have been the artists real name.

Click here to download Tess and Cass - Broadway 8094

The Bill Ring Show - #11&12

Here is the next Bill Ring Show transcription. Enjoy!

Show #11---
1. Ragtime Annie Lee - Bill Ring
2. Careless Love - Speedy Haworth
3. Santa Fe Trail - Slim Wilson & The Tall Timber Trio
4. Tennessee Tango - Bill Ring
5. Crazy `Cause I Love You - Doc Martin
6. Mandy Lee I Love You - Bill`s Barber Shop Quartet

Show #12---
1. Ain`t You Tired Of Makin` Me Blue? - Bill Ring
2. Bo-Bo-Boogie - Doc Martin
3. My Bundle Of Southern Sunshine - Sally Briggs
4. Withered Roses - Bill Ring
5. The Green Light - Speedy Haworth
6. Mexicalli Rose - Bill Ring & Sally Briggs

Click here to download The Bill Ring Show - #11&12

Sara and Maybelle Carter - An Historic Reunion

Here`s the next entry of the Mother Maybelle Carter series. What we have here is a great LP of Maybelle and Sara Carter, two members of what we now call The Original Carter Family. Download it, it`s a good `un!

Click here to download Sara and Maybelle Carter - An Historic Reunion

Mumford Bean And His Itawambians - OKeh 45303

Mumford Bean And His Itawambians / OKeh 45303
Slow Time Waltz / Flow Rain Waltz
recorded February 17, 1928 in Memphis, Tennessee
Here we have the only record issued for Mumford Bean, although he recorded two other sides that were un-issued. I can`t tell you much about Mumford Bean, except to say that he is the fiddler on the record and that he was twelve years old when this was recorded. What`s an Itawambian you might ask? It is a county in north east Mississippi. What an odd name for a county, and a fiddler.
As far as the tunes go, they are both waltzes that I`ve never heard anywhere else. As for the performance of the tunes, they sound sort of stiff to me. But, we have to remember that Mr. Bean was only twelve years old. Happy downloading!

Click here to download Mumford Bean And His Itawambians - OKeh 45303

Lorne Greene - Portrait Of The West

Here`s something that might seem a little out of the scope of my blog, but I like this. Lorne Greene is of course most famous for playing the dad on the old TV western, Bonanza. So what other actor might be more qualified to make a western record? As anyone knows that has ever saw him in a movie or on TV, he had a very deep, smooth voice. His voice makes for a pretty commanding performance of some of the tracks on this LP. Give it a download and enjoy it!

Click here to download Lorne Greene - Portrait Of The West

Mother Maybelle Carter - A Living Legend

Here is the last Mother Maybelle LP I Have to post. Next in this "series" I`ll be posting some Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters LP`s. Stay tuned!

Click here to download Mother Maybelle Carter - A Living Legend

Jess Young & Young Brothers Tennessee Band complete Columbia recordings

What I have for you all here is the complete recordings of the Young Brothers Tennessee Band and Jess Young on the Columbia label. They also recorded for Gennett, but I only have one side from these recordings. I don`t really know any history on Jess Young or the group, but I do like their string band style, so give it a listen. Happy downloading!

Young Brothers Tennessee Band / Columbia 15219-D
Bill Bailey Won`t You Please Come Home / Are You From Dixie?
recorded November 8, 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia
Here we have a good old-time string band record of two greatly popular old pop tunes.

Jess Young`s Tennessee Band / Columbia 15338-D
Fiddle Up / Oh! My Lawd
recorded October 25, 1928 in Atlanta, Georgia
Here we have the addition of a Columbia employee, Dan Hornsby, doing the vocals on this this session. Fiddle Up sound like a pop tune to me, Oh! My Lawd sounds like sort of a re-working of some traditional old-time verses (for example lyrics from All Night Long and an instrumental break from sort of a modified version of Going Down The Road Feeling Bad) into sort of an older pop style tune.

Jess Young`s Tennessee Band / Columbia 15400-D
Sweet Bunch Of Daisies / Silver Bell
recorded April 19, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia
Sweet Bunch Of Daisies was a hugely popular tune in the old-time record catalogs. Silver Bell had been a popular tune about an Indian maiden in the early 1900`s.

Jess Young`s Tennessee Band / Columbia 15431-D
The Old K-C / Lovin` Henry
recorded April 19, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia
The Old K-C was a pretty popular fiddle tune with sort of a bluesy sound to it. I think Lovin` Henry was likely an old pop tune, not the same song as Loving Henry Lee as I thought it likely was before I listened to the record.

Jess Young`s Tennessee Band / Columbia 15493-D
Take A Look At That Baby / Old Weary Blues
recorded November 4, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia
Take A Look At That Baby is would have been a current pop/jazz tune at the time. Old Weary Blues has the classic string band blues tune sound.

Click here to download Jess Young & Young Brothers Tennessee Band complete Columbia recordings

Mother Maybelle Carter - Dixie Darling

Here`s the next "episode" of the Mother Maybelle Carter series. I can`t think of anything to say except this is some mighty fine music. Enjoy!

Click here to download Mother Maybelle Carter - Dixie Darling

Asher Sizemore & Little Jimmie - Songs Of The Soil

Here`s some pretty uncommon material. What we have here is a father and son duet from 1930`s radio transcriptions. They became pretty popular from performing on WSM`s Grand Ole Opry, and due to the novelty factor of their act, the fact that Jimmie was a little boy.
What we have here musically, as far as the dad`s solos, is pretty standard cowboy material from the 1920`s & 1930`s. Much of it was made popular in the early western movies. Most of the material that Little Jimmie sings is either western cowboy type stuff, but also some children`s songs. I think the most remarkable thing about them is the duet singing. Little Jimmie is an excellent duet singer, singing pretty much perfect high harmony with his dad.
Now, I don`t know if it`s just me, but I think that Little Jimmie`s voice has sort of a "creepy" factor to it. I can`t explain it, but his voice just sort of sounds creepy to me.
Another thing that sort of comes across to me as I listen is I`d say Little Jimmie was probably pretty spoiled, just some of the smart-aleck type answers to some of the things his dad says makes me think this. I bet he had plenty opportunity to get spoiled, though. I bet every female in every audience they played for doted on the little feller. Anyhow... give it a download and enjoy!

Click here to download Asher Sizemore & Little Jimmie - Songs Of The Soil

Mother Maybelle Carter - Queen Of The Auto-Harp

Here is the next LP in the Mother Maybelle Carter "series". Fine music!

Click here to download Mother Maybelle Carter - Queen Of The Auto-Harp

"Dad" Williams - Brunswick 306

"Dad" Williams / Brunswick 306
The Dutchman`s Serenade / Money Musk
recorded January 30, 1929 in New York City
This is the only record this man made by himself, although he did record with H.M. Barnes & His Blue Ridge Ramblers. Obviously, "Dad" is a nickname on the label, his real name was Frank E. Williams. That is really all I know about the artist. The Dutchman`s Serenade is a German dialect skit with music mixed in. This is pretty late for this type of side to be released, although this type stuff had been pretty popular comedy from about 1915 through 1925-ish. Money Musk is of course the old-time fiddle tune, and very capably played here. Happy downloading!

Click here to download "Dad" Williams on Brunswick 306

Stringbean - Old Time Banjo Pickin` & Singin`

Here`s a good old Starday LP of Stringbean, performing these tunes in only the Stringbean could. He was one of a kind! Enjoy!

Click here to download Stringbean - Old Time Banjo Pickin` & Singin`