Hey Cat !

Hey Cat !

Wednesday 26 August 2015

Atomic Records (Salt Lake City)!


Riley Walker and his Rockin-R-Rangers.
Atomic Records # 1039 - 1954
Uranium Miners's Boogie / No Use To Feel Blue "And Start Cryin' Now"

Riley Walker - Vocals / Rhythm Guitar
Belva Walker (Riley's sister) - Piano
Gordon Hawkins - Bass
Charles Gallagher - Steel Guitar

Here is the first of Riley Walker and his self promoted records on his own label Atomic! 'Uranium Miner's Boogie'. He sold both his releases (78 & 45 rpm) at local bars, record stores and roadhouses around Salt Lake City for the princely sum of 98 cents!!
This is the better of the two releases IMO and is sought after by collectors on both formats, a real country boogie about a subject that was a major part of life and industry in and around Salt Lake City, Utah and down to Cortez in Colorado.
Prominent Piano and some superb Steel playing make this one helluva Uranium geiger counter boogie woogie!







Thursday 13 August 2015

Westport Records !


My copy in original Westport sleeve

JIMMY DALLAS ( with Cathy Justice) 
Westport Records # 131 - 1956
Who Do, Honey You Do / I've Got A Right To Know .


Jimmy Dallas (1927-2004, rn Keith B. Kissee) was a country performer famous on the KC scene of the 50’s. He had 3 releases on Westport. «Good Intentions» is a fine uptempo hillbilly tune : strong vocal, sawing fiddle and bright steel. «Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Mo » and « How Do ? Honey You Do » are duets sung with Cathy Justice.

Friday 7 August 2015

Lin Records !



Frank (Andy) Starr & The Rock-Away Boys.
Lin Records # 1013 - 1955
Tell Me Why / From The Want Of Your Love .



Born Franklin Delano Gulledge, 21 October 1932, Mill Creek, Arkansas Died 12 September 2003, Fayetteville, Arkansas

The station manager persuaded Frank to audition for Joe Leonard, who owned the Gainsville based Lin label and KGAF radio. Leonard was impressed by the uptempo hillbilly stuff on offer and a session was arranged for early '55 at the Cliff Herring Studio in Fort Worth, Texas. 
Dallas songwriters Mietzl Miller and Bill Baker were commissioned to write a couple of songs, the first The Dirty Bird Song is a catchy uptempo item, not a million miles from Marvin Rainwater. The second number, Dig Them Squeaky Shoes is a plodding country rocker, with some nice guitar work from Frank. The resultant single (Lin 1009) failed to click on the charts but was a more than decent debut. Tell Me Why is probably the best song from the session, a real chugger, Franks vocals still very rural at his stage and the band on top form. It was written by bass player Marvin Pace, a local car salesman whose band, including fifteen year old piano playing son Johnny Pace, backed Frank billed as the Rock-Away Boys. For The Want Of Your Love is a country weeper with backing vocals from the pen of W.D.Patty who supplied songs to other Joe Leonard artists, most notably the excellent Buck Griffin but when released as Lin 1013 both sides sank without trace. ( Taken from RAB Hall of Fame)