Light Crust Doughboys "Western Swing: 1936-39" (Texas Rose Records, 1982) (LP)
A solid, swinging set from Texas Rose, a short-lived but high-calibre, highly influential reissue label which resurrected some of the most sizzling Texas swing back when this stuff was all but forgotten. Like many early bands, the Doughboys were overshadowed by the nationally known, highly prolific Bob Wills outfit, but this collection (and the others below) show they were just as worthy of our attention. Great stuff.
Light Crust Doughboys "Western Swing Memories" (Binge Disc, 1998)
A nice collection of golden oldies collected by this fab German reissue label. A lot of these recordings simply aren't available elsewhere, and haven't been in print for decades... So this may be your only chance to hear this music for some time to come!
Light Crust Doughboys "1936-1941" (Krazy Kat, 2007)
The Light Crust Doughboys "Guitar Jump" (BACM, 2005)
The Light Crust Doughboys "The Light Crust Doughboys" (Audiolab Records, 1959-?) (LP)
The Light Crust Doughboys "We're The Light Crust Doughboys From Burris Mills" (Doughboy Records, 1969-?) (LP)
The Light Crust Doughboys "Religious Memories" (Doughboy Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Sullivan)
In contrast to innumerable western swing revival discs, this album skips past the Bob Wills oldies and zeroes in on a repertoire of classic gospel standards -- "Just A Closer Walk," "Precious Memories," "The Old Rugged Cross," etc. -- and takes things at a leisurely, relaxed pace. Side One is bookended by a couple of Albert E. Brumley gems, "Turn Your Radio On" and "I'll Fly Away," and though these may not be the most lively or rapturous versions ever, both songs are always welcome whenever they waft by my ears. The lineup on this album includes Bennie Arnett on piano, Jim Boyd (bass), Jerry Elliott (lead guitar), Marvin Montgomery (banjo, guitar and vibraphone), and fiddler Johnny Strawn. A little sleepy-sounding, perhaps, but not a snoozer... This has a similar feel to latter-day Sons Of The Pioneers records, a nice change of pace from their secular swing nostalgia albums.
The Light Crust Doughboys "Golden Anniversary Album" (Doughboy Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Marvin Montgomery)
The Light Crust Doughboys "150 Years Of Texas Country Music" (Doughboy Records, 1986) (LP)
The Light Crust Doughboys "Texas Swing: The Light Crust Doughboy Way" (Doughboy Records, 1993) (LP)
(Produced by Marvin Montgomery)
The Light Crust Doughboys "Yesterday And Today" (Doughboy Records, 1994) (LP)
(Produced by Art Greenhaw & Marvin Montgomery)
The Light Crust Doughboys "Around The World: Tunes We Played In Europe" (Doughboy Records, 1996) (LP)
(Produced by Marvin Montgomery)
The Light Crust Doughboys & James Blackwood "Keep Lookin' Up: The Texas Swing Sessions" (Doughboy Records, 1997) (LP)
(Produced by James Blackwood, Art Greenhaw & Marvin Montgomery)
The Light Crust Doughboys "God Bless Amarillo (And All The Cowboys, Too)" (Doughboy Records, 1998) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck Ebert, Art Greenhaw & Marvin Montgomery)
The Light Crust Doughboys "The High Road On The Hilltop" (Doughboy Records, 1997) (LP)
(Produced by Marvin Montgomery)
The Light Crust Doughboys "Folk And Blues Of The American Southwest" (Doughboy Records, 1998) (LP)
(Produced by Marvin Montgomery)
The Light Crust Doughboys & James Blackwood "Red River Valley Memories: The Texas Swing Sessions, v.2" (Doughboy Records, 1997) (LP)
(Produced by James Blackwood & Marvin Montgomery)
The Light Crust Doughboys, James Blackwood & Tom Brumley "Steel Away" (Art Greenhaw Records, 2000) (LP)
(Produced by Art Greenhaw)
The Light Crust Doughboys were one of the original, trailblazing western swing bands, a Texas institution first formed in 1931 as a promotional tool for the Burrus Mill flour company. The earliest edition of the band launched the careers of western swing legends Milton Brown and Bob Wills, as well as vocalist Tommy Duncan, who later found fame as the lead singer in the Texas Playboys. The Doughboys broke up after the United States joined World War Two, but was re-formed by Dallas legend Marvin "Smokey"Montgomery, who led an on-again/off-again reboot of the band with an ever-changing lineup, a regionally active ensemble that continued on even after Montgomery passed away in 2001. The old stuff can be found of numerous retrospectives and western swing compilations, while newer, independently released albums from the 1960s onwards keep popping up all over the place. Here are some of those albums...
