HOT RELEASES FROM BEAR FAMILY
New Single CDs from Bob King, Margie Singleton,
Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant
BOB KING Rockin‘ The Jukebox (Bear Family BCD 16896 AH)
Rockin
‘The Jukebox • Laurel Lee • Katie Brown • Hey Mam • A Woman’s Devotion •
Party Hop • Josephine • Let’s Make A Fair Trade • Anxious • Pretty
Little Girl Blue • Fort Worth Jail • Train’s Late Tonight • I Do not
Believe In Settlin ‘Down • You’re A Strange Little Girl • Crazy Me • I
Do not See Things Through Her Eyes • Always Need A Helping Hand •
Daydreamer’s Blues • De-frost Your Heart • Did You Do It? • You’re A
Strange Little Girl (2)
‘The Jukebox • Laurel Lee • Katie Brown • Hey Mam • A Woman’s Devotion •
Party Hop • Josephine • Let’s Make A Fair Trade • Anxious • Pretty
Little Girl Blue • Fort Worth Jail • Train’s Late Tonight • I Do not
Believe In Settlin ‘Down • You’re A Strange Little Girl • Crazy Me • I
Do not See Things Through Her Eyes • Always Need A Helping Hand •
Daydreamer’s Blues • De-frost Your Heart • Did You Do It? • You’re A
Strange Little Girl (2)
The latest addition to Bear Family’s Gonna Shake This Shack series presents recordings by Bob King, culled from the RCA Victor (Canada)
archives and covering the period 1955-57. Born in Ottawa, Canada, with
Wilf Carter and Hank Snow as his first musical heroes, King’s initial
music reflected the honky-tonk style that Hank Williams popularized on
both sides of the border.
archives and covering the period 1955-57. Born in Ottawa, Canada, with
Wilf Carter and Hank Snow as his first musical heroes, King’s initial
music reflected the honky-tonk style that Hank Williams popularized on
both sides of the border.
King’s
association with RCA was relatively shortlived and, in spite of the
rockabilly boom of the period, he basically kept his music firmly
country, with his nearest concessions to rockabilly being his original Katie Brown, Rockin‘ The Jukebox and an almost note-to-note cover of Charlie Feathers‘ Sun recording Defrost Your Heart. Otherwise it was straight country with ballads like I Don’t See Things Through Her Eyes and Let’s Make A Fair Trade alongside uptempo recordings such as Anxious, Did You Do It and I Don’t Believe In Sitting Down, with an attempt to break into the pop market with another original, Josephine, his final RCA recording. He then moved on to Rodeo Records where he recorded more traditional country music, to be heard on the earlier Bear Family cds Songs That Tell A Story (BCD 15718) and Bob King & The Country Kings (BCD 15719). In spite of appearances on the Wheeling Jamboree and as a member of Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper’s band, the Clinch Mountain Clan, King never broke to American audiences but enjoyed a loyal following North of the 49th Parallel.
association with RCA was relatively shortlived and, in spite of the
rockabilly boom of the period, he basically kept his music firmly
country, with his nearest concessions to rockabilly being his original Katie Brown, Rockin‘ The Jukebox and an almost note-to-note cover of Charlie Feathers‘ Sun recording Defrost Your Heart. Otherwise it was straight country with ballads like I Don’t See Things Through Her Eyes and Let’s Make A Fair Trade alongside uptempo recordings such as Anxious, Did You Do It and I Don’t Believe In Sitting Down, with an attempt to break into the pop market with another original, Josephine, his final RCA recording. He then moved on to Rodeo Records where he recorded more traditional country music, to be heard on the earlier Bear Family cds Songs That Tell A Story (BCD 15718) and Bob King & The Country Kings (BCD 15719). In spite of appearances on the Wheeling Jamboree and as a member of Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper’s band, the Clinch Mountain Clan, King never broke to American audiences but enjoyed a loyal following North of the 49th Parallel.
Randy Fox provides biographical and session details, together with photographs and a discography, in the accompanying 26 page booklet.
SPEEDY WEST & JIMMY BRYANT Bustin‘ Thru – Flippin‘ The Lid (Bear Family BCD 17335 AH)
Flippin’
The Lid • Stratosphere Boogie • Jelly Beans Daddy • Bryant’s Boogie •
Lover • Wild And Woolly West • Hawaiian War Chant • The Night Rider •
Ain’t Nobody’s Business But My Own (vocal: KAY STARR & ‘TENNESSEE’
ERNIE FORD) • This Ain’t The Blues • Bryant’s Shuffle • Cotton Pickin’ •
Steel Guitar Rag • Water Baby Blues • Totem Pole Dance • On The Beach
Of Waikiki • Truck Driver’s Ride • Boogie Barn Dance • Wild Card (vocal:
TEX WILLIAMS) • Okie Boogie (vocal: ELLA MAE MORSE) • Jammin’ With
Jimmy • Sand Canyon Swing • Hop, Skip And Jump • Yodeling Guitar • I’ve
Turned A Gadabout (vocals: EDDIE KIRK, MARILYN TUTTLE; leader: SPIKE
JONES) • Speedy’s Special • Space Man In Orbit • Swingin’ On The Strings
• Pushin’ The Blues • Speedin’ West • Twice The Lovin’ (In Half The
Time) (vocal: JEAN SHEPARD) • Hillcrest (Opus 3) • Pickin’ Peppers •
This Must Be The Place (vocals: ‘TENNESSEE’ ERNIE FORD & BETTY
HUTTON)
The Lid • Stratosphere Boogie • Jelly Beans Daddy • Bryant’s Boogie •
Lover • Wild And Woolly West • Hawaiian War Chant • The Night Rider •
Ain’t Nobody’s Business But My Own (vocal: KAY STARR & ‘TENNESSEE’
ERNIE FORD) • This Ain’t The Blues • Bryant’s Shuffle • Cotton Pickin’ •
Steel Guitar Rag • Water Baby Blues • Totem Pole Dance • On The Beach
Of Waikiki • Truck Driver’s Ride • Boogie Barn Dance • Wild Card (vocal:
TEX WILLIAMS) • Okie Boogie (vocal: ELLA MAE MORSE) • Jammin’ With
Jimmy • Sand Canyon Swing • Hop, Skip And Jump • Yodeling Guitar • I’ve
Turned A Gadabout (vocals: EDDIE KIRK, MARILYN TUTTLE; leader: SPIKE
JONES) • Speedy’s Special • Space Man In Orbit • Swingin’ On The Strings
• Pushin’ The Blues • Speedin’ West • Twice The Lovin’ (In Half The
Time) (vocal: JEAN SHEPARD) • Hillcrest (Opus 3) • Pickin’ Peppers •
This Must Be The Place (vocals: ‘TENNESSEE’ ERNIE FORD & BETTY
HUTTON)
The
West Coast’s recording sessions thrived on many outstanding musicians,
several becoming stars in their own right, most notable Glen Campbell.
Probably less known to the general public, but right at the top of their
profession, were Speedy West (steel guitar) and Jimmy Bryant
(electric guitar) who, in the field of hot guitar and steel guitar
teams, set the standards that others could only wish to emulate. Both
coming up through the country music ranks, they combined forces in 1949
and soon earned their glowing reputations by injecting hot solos in the
recording sessions of various Capitol Records‘ artists.
West Coast’s recording sessions thrived on many outstanding musicians,
several becoming stars in their own right, most notable Glen Campbell.
Probably less known to the general public, but right at the top of their
profession, were Speedy West (steel guitar) and Jimmy Bryant
(electric guitar) who, in the field of hot guitar and steel guitar
teams, set the standards that others could only wish to emulate. Both
coming up through the country music ranks, they combined forces in 1949
and soon earned their glowing reputations by injecting hot solos in the
recording sessions of various Capitol Records‘ artists.
Frequently fast and jazzy, they recorded just over sixty instrumentals during the period 1950-56, having secured a Capitol deal after their distinctive work on “Tennessee“ Ernie Ford and Kay Starr’s hit record I’ll Never Be Free (included here). Well representing their innovative work are such tracks as Flippin‘ The Lid, Stratosphere Boogie, Lover, Steel Guitar Rag and Hop, Skip and Jump while Truck Driver’s Ride, On The Beach Of Waikiki and Totem Pole Dance
present different aspects of their work. Plus there’s a few tracks
illustrating their skills as session musicians, accompanying such as Ella Mae Morse (Okie Boogie), Jean Shepard (Twice The Lovin‘) and another “Tennessee“ Ernie Ford duet, This Must Be The Place, this time in the company of Betty Hutton.
present different aspects of their work. Plus there’s a few tracks
illustrating their skills as session musicians, accompanying such as Ella Mae Morse (Okie Boogie), Jean Shepard (Twice The Lovin‘) and another “Tennessee“ Ernie Ford duet, This Must Be The Place, this time in the company of Betty Hutton.
A detailed biography by Deke Dickerson,
alongside information on the recordings and instruments, photographs
and discography appear in the set’s 38 page accompanying booklet. For
more of the unique Speedy West – Jimmy Bryant sound, Bear Family has available a 4 cd (with 56 page) box set Flamin‘ Guitars (BCD 15956 DI).
alongside information on the recordings and instruments, photographs
and discography appear in the set’s 38 page accompanying booklet. For
more of the unique Speedy West – Jimmy Bryant sound, Bear Family has available a 4 cd (with 56 page) box set Flamin‘ Guitars (BCD 15956 DI).
MARGIE SINGLETON Pledging My Love (Bear Family BCD 17302 AH)
Chained
To A Promise • Forget Me Not (remix) • Living In The Danger Zone • Her
Image Keeps Getting In The Way • I Do not Have To Look Pretty (To Stay
Home And Cry) • I Knew I Would See Him Again • It’s Too Much (3rd vocal)
• How Lonely She Must Be • There You Go • Sincerely Your Friend • Poor
Man’s Roses • Your Old Love Letters • Pledging My Love • I’ll Just Walk
On By • I Do not Want You This Way • No Thanks, I Just Had One (&
Faron Young) • Magic Star (Telstar) • Walkin ‘Back To Happiness • Do not
Be Good To Me • Another Woman’s Man, Another Man’s Woman (& Faron
Young) • The Cypress Tree • Only Your Shadow Knows • Burnt Fingers • How
Do You Celebrate Goodbye • Are You Ever Too Young? • She Will Break
Your Heart • Voices Of Love • Love • De-stination Toss A Pebble In The
Water • I Do not Have To Look Pretty (To Stay Home And Cry) (single
vocal)
To A Promise • Forget Me Not (remix) • Living In The Danger Zone • Her
Image Keeps Getting In The Way • I Do not Have To Look Pretty (To Stay
Home And Cry) • I Knew I Would See Him Again • It’s Too Much (3rd vocal)
• How Lonely She Must Be • There You Go • Sincerely Your Friend • Poor
Man’s Roses • Your Old Love Letters • Pledging My Love • I’ll Just Walk
On By • I Do not Want You This Way • No Thanks, I Just Had One (&
Faron Young) • Magic Star (Telstar) • Walkin ‘Back To Happiness • Do not
Be Good To Me • Another Woman’s Man, Another Man’s Woman (& Faron
Young) • The Cypress Tree • Only Your Shadow Knows • Burnt Fingers • How
Do You Celebrate Goodbye • Are You Ever Too Young? • She Will Break
Your Heart • Voices Of Love • Love • De-stination Toss A Pebble In The
Water • I Do not Have To Look Pretty (To Stay Home And Cry) (single
vocal)
Although she never was a major chart artist, Louisiana born Margaret Louis Ebey (who – with a name change – became Margie Singleton, when she married childhood sweetheart Shelby Singleton) did enjoy over a dozen hits on a handful of record labels. This collection, the latest in Bear Family’s Juke Box Pearls series, brings together 30 tracks recorded for Mercury during the early 1960s, the label where hubbie was the Country & Western A&R man.
Hardly mentioned in the reference books these days, she first gained attention on the Louisiana Hayride which led on to a Starday (later Mercury) recording contract – a deal that also opened doors for her husband.
The recordings collected here display another instance of the then growing Nashville Sound, with material originating out of both country (Poor Man’s Roses, Your Old Love Letters, There You Go, Living In The Danger Zone) and pop (Chained To A Promise, She Will Break Your Heart, Pledging My Love, Walkin‘ Back To Happiness)
realms. When later discussing her career, Singleton stated that she
didn’t try to fit any particular genre. She co-wrote several of the
songs and there’s also a couple of chart duets with Faron Young, No Thanks, I Just Had One and Another Woman’s Man, Another Man’s Woman. As these tracks reveal, Margie Singleton is an artist well deserving of far greater attention. Her story is told by Jewly Hight in the accompanying 34 page booklet which includes comments from the singer and accompanied by photographs and a discography.