Atomic Records (Tennessee)

Curley Griffin - Atomic Records (Tennessee) # 303 - 1956

Side A - You Gotta Play Fair

Side B - Love Is A Wonderful Thing

This is where you can very confidently place the A side right in the Rockabilly section alongside all the greats, this has it all, great lyrics, slightly off time hic-up vocal and some scorching lead pickin' guitar .......wow, this is a killer!

Curley was better known as a DJ in Jackson around this period and also as the co-author of two all time classic Carl Perkins tunes 'Dixie Fried' & 'Boppin The Blues' 

Curley wrote both these tracks on Atomic # 303 and had a close musical alliance with Mr C. Perkins and Perkins did play lead on a couple of tunes in 1955 for Curley 'I've Seen It All' (Atomic 302) ,but not on this one! but still great pickin' can be found within these grooves and that pure rockabilly sound!

'Love Is A Wonderful Thing' is a slower tune but the heartfelt vocal is pure joy and carries the whole thing alongside even more beautiful weepy lead guitar (maybe Perkins?). In a word ..........brilliant!

Born Malcolm Howard Griffin on June 6th 1918, Curley was partially-sighted and attended a school for the blind. In later life, whilst working as a DJ for radio WDXI in Jackson, Tennessee he met Carl Perkins and allowed him to use the station's equipment to record some demo tapes. According to Perkins, Curley came up with the idea for both "Dixie Fried" and "Boppin' The Blues" and is credited as a co-writer on both singles. Griffin self-produced a number of singles for Atomic Records in the mid-late 1950s but experienced little commercial success. According to Perkins, Curley Griffin died circa 1964/5.

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Rex Hale and his Tennessee Valley Boys.
Atomic Records # 307 - 1957.
Side A - Traded My Freedom (C. Griffin) 
Side B - A Hobo Life (Rex Hale)

Rex and his Valley boys really explode into life with this top notch B side 'A Hobo Life' . The A side is standard country fair written by Curley Griffin and sung and played with excellence by Rex and the boys but it's the flip where we live the Hobo life with the band, just amazing hillbilly bop. 
Recorded in Jackson, Tennessee in 57 this has all the ingredients to fulfil all your hillbilly needs, steel guitar, punchy lead guitar and a tip top echo vocal.

Mississippi Records!

Joe Bryant and The Mississippi Woodchoppers.
Mississippi Records # 512 - Starday Custom
Side A - Pulpwood Blues - (Bryant)
Side B - A Man Ain't Nothin' But A Woman's Slave - (Bryant)

My copy above is pretty rare as we now know only two copies exist (according to Malcolm Chapman in his blog and Starday Custom CD Box set review he only knows of one copy) below. So mine must be number two ......wow what a killer rare record.

Joe Bryant and the boys lay down some pretty hot country blues and it's pretty evident that Joe wrote these tunes after repeated plays of ol' Hank Williams and is pretty clear what sound he's after. You get all the usual elements, fiddle, rhythm guitar and steel guitar which does go a little off piste a few times on both side but as MC says above it just adds to the charm of the whole thing.

Rustic Records !

Jimmie Dawson - Rustic Record # 1926 - 1957
Side A - It Took An Older Woman.
Side B - Money Talks.

Another superb 78 record by Jimmie and this time on the fantastic looking label 'Rustic' out of Rockford, Illinois. Here you'll find two red hot slices of Country bop with some mighty tip top geet pickin' and of course the superb voice of Mr Dawson.

Republic Records !

Bill Carter - Republic Record # 7126 - 1956
Side A - By The Sweat Of My Brow.
Side B - You Ain't Got My Address.

Bill had many releases through the 50's & 60's on many labels ( MGM, D, Honey B and Tally) but this was his only release on Republic.
Two really decent tunes but the 'Address' side is the cream of the crop and really hops along at a snazy pace.
Bill had the help of some top Nashville musicians on this cut (see below) and it shows from the first to last note .

February 1956 Nashville, TN – Bill Carter - Bill Carter [vcl/gt], Hank Garland [lead gt], Don Helms [steel], Bob Moore [bass], Buddy Harman [drums], Tommy Jackson [fiddle], Marvin Hughes [piano]

RCA Custom pressing.