The American Indians "...Play Chicken Scratch" (Canyon Records, 1974) (LP)

The American Indians "Waila ­Social Dance Music: The American Indians Album 2" (Canyon Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Jose A. Chavez)

The American Indians "The American Indians Play Waila" (Canyon Records, 2006) (CD)
This generously programmed reissue disc gathers both of the band's Canyon albums on a single CD... Sweet!

The Antone Indian Family "Take Me Higher" (Great Circle Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Roy Callaway, Les Ladd & Ken Laxson)
A first nations gospel band with roots in Ontario, Canada, the Antone Indian Family recorded prolifically and toured across North America, primarily evangelizing in US Native American reservations... The group was led by parents Kenneth Antone and Shirley Claus Antone, a multi-instrumentalist who -- starting at age five -- had previously played accordion, piano and guitar in her own family band, the Claus Indian Family (aka the Klaudt Indian Family). The Antones are joined by their children, Karen, Kathy, Paul and Torrey, who played various instruments of their own. Mr. Antone hailed from an Oneida reservation near London, Ontario, although eventually the band seems to have established a musical ministry based in Oklahoma City. On this album they traveled to Nashville to record at the Columbia Records studios, with backing from southern gospel keyboardist Lari Goss and several Nashville A-listers, including Lloyd Green (steel guitar), Jerry Kroon (drums), Dale Sellers (guitar), Bobby Thompson (guitar) and bassist Steve Schaffer, giving this album a perhaps more rootsy, country-sounding feel than others.

The Antone Indian Family "Singing More About Jesus" (Diadem Records, 19--?) (LP)

The Antone Indian Family "Gospel Pow Wow" (Diadem Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Sullivan)

Apache Spirit "Indian Cowboy" (Apache Spirit Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jose A. Chavez)
A nice set of mellow, mostly acoustic country tunes from a Native American band out of Whiteriver, Arizona, inside the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, near Phoenix. I really like the vibe on this disc -- it's totally laid back and chill, just some regular folks playing some of their favorite songs with a sense of good cheer all around. There are two originals credited to Evelyn J. Ethelbah, "Weekend Woman" and the title track, "Indian Cowboy." It seems likely she is also one of the band's lead singers, simply listed as Lee in the liner notes. The other musicians also use nicknames: Midnight plays lead guitar and pedal steel, Paschal plays bass, and Apache Boy is on drums. The other songs are cover tunes, a mix of country and pop hits, along with a few oldies such as "Bring It On Home" and "La Bamba." One of my favorite tracks is the strummy cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria," which really sounds like a guy sitting around at a house party banging away on an acoustic guitar, very simple but heartfelt and real. Other tracks include Bonnie Bramblett's "Never Ending Song," "Delta Dawn" and "Hello Trouble," from the Buck Owens catalog, as well as one track called "Apache Mexico," where they didn't know the composer, but credit the arrangement to guitarist Midnight. A nice, unpretentious album... definitely worth a spin!

Apache Spirit "Keep Movin' On" (Apache Spirit Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jose A. Chavez & Herman E. Martinez)
Mainly a straight-up country covers set, with plenty of classics such as "Ashes Of Love," "Help Me Make It Thru The Night," "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," and "Silver Threads And Golden Needles," although the title track, "Keep Movin' On," is not a Hank Snow cover, but rather one of two originals credited to Matthew J. Ethelbah, along with the super-cosmic sounding "Everything Will Always Be Together," which kicks off Side Two. They also cover a Jimi Hendrix oldie ("Fire") so it ain't all country stuff on here... Also worth noting are the album's bilingual liner notes, which are written in both Apachean script and English translations...

Apache Spirit "Volume Three" (Apache Spirit Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Jose A. Chavez)
Mixing things up a little, Apache Spirit play all country songs on Side One ("Pass Me By," "Rainy Day Woman," "Together Again") and a diverse selection of rock'n' pop covers on Side Two ("Brown Eyed Girl," Santana's "Black Magic Woman," BTO's "Takin' Care Of Business" and Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day"). As on their previous albums, the band is identified only by nicknames and first names: Apache Boy (guitar), Darrell (drums), Lee (vocals), Midnite (lead guitar and steel) and Paschal (bass)

Apache Spirit "El Mosquito Medley (And Other Spanish Favorites, 19--?)" (Alta Vista Records) (LP)

Tom Bark "Cosmopolitan Redskin" (Leprechaun Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Mike O'Neill & John Moseley)
Kansas City singer Tom Bark was a for-real Native American, so the album title isn't as weird as you might think... Over the years he moved through a series of local rock bands, although this solo album has a definite country flavor. Sure, there's scary stuff like conga drums and cowbells, but pedal steel player Roger Workman added some legit twang: he also played on the first album by the Jolly Brothers band, which is a KC alt-country classic. Most of the songs here were Tom Bark originals, including the title track, as well as "Mayes County Jail," and "Crooked Politician Blues" -- "Oklahoma Rodeo Queen" was penned by local folkie Dana Cooper a few years earlier.

Cody Bearpaw "Cody Bearpaw" (Broadland Records, 1978) (LP)
Known as "the all-around Indian Cowboy," rodeo rider and stunt actor Cody Bearpaw was a full-blooded Canadian Cree who grew up around Alberta. Known for his work in various 'Seventies TV shows and movies, he also tried his hand at country music, as heard on this album, as well as several singles he cut for Dot Records (and other labels) during the late 'Sixties and throughout '70s. The album includes three originals by Bearpaw -- "All Around Indian Cowboy," "Winter Love," and "Let It Shine" -- as well as a couple of tunes apiece written by Jerry Abbott and Bobby Ray Spears, along with a version of Henry Briggs' "Miss Pauline."

Cody Bearpaw "Angry Mountain" (Dine Records, 1980) (LP)
This may have been a cassette-only release, packed with country covers, some folkie stuff, and a little bit of tribally-themed material (such as the song "Rain Dance"). Bearpaw's song, "Ten More Miles To Carway," previously appeared on an indie single from 1977 that featured backing from an established band called The Navajo Sundowners, though it's not clear if this is the same version of that song, as there are no musician credits on the packaging or the tape. This came out on a label from Kayenta, Arizona, and it seems like Bearpaw may have moves to the American Southwest during the late 'Seventies.

Chief Powhatan "...Sings Rosie And Other Bluegrass Favorites" (Homestead Records, 1972-?) (LP)
Although the feather headdress was maybe a bit much, Floyd Powhatan Atkins was indeed a member of the Chickahominy tribe of Virginia, and was named after Wahunsenacawh, the Algonquin leader who met the first settlers at Jamestown. Whether Atkins was a "chief" himself, I can't say, but he was a popular performer on the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree show, and led his band, the Bluegrass Braves for several decades, dating back to the early 1960s, when his best-known single "Rosie" came out. According to a profile in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Atkins started writing songs while in the military, and began his performing career while working as a truck driver throughout the South. He continued performing throughout the 1990s despite declining health, and passed away in 2000 at age 73. This first album was packed with original material -- other than one song by bluegrasser Jim Eanes, all the songs were composed by Atkins, including a reprise of "Rosie." He's backed by a compact band featuring David Deese on banjo, bassist Johnny Eagle, Craig Wingfield playing dobro and Atkins on vocals and guitar. A pretty classic high-lonesome sound, overall, with echoes of the sentimental old-timey style of Roy Acuff, Brother Oswald, et al.

Chief Powhatan "More In '84" (Mountain Laurel Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by David L. Kline & James K. Hodgkins)
Floyd Atkins was still plugging away in the 'Eighties when he cut this disc, backed by a new band but still working in the same vein, straight-up old-school bluegrass with the dobro used as the central lead instrument. The "Braves" backing him included his longtime bassist, Mel Hughes, along with Rodney J. Hill (fiddle), P. J. March (mandolin), Pete Smith (dobro) and Carlton Stell plunkin' on the banjo. Side One of the album is secular, sentimental material, while Side Two showcases gospel songs. Unlike his first album, most of these songs are covers, with a couple of originals by Atkins, "Love Me Darling Just Tonight" and "Mustang Country."

Ray Darby & Ella Darby "Ray Darby" (Skylite Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Joel Gentry)
If your curiosity was piqued by the front cover, which features Mr. Darby in full Native American headdress, his wife Ella draped on one arm, and his electric guitar out front and center, well, don't worry about any "cultural appropriation": according to the back cover, Ray Darby was a full-blooded Kiowa, so he gets to wear whatever he wants. You might, however, be a little disturbed by the patronizing liner notes, which opine: "A new breed of Indian is thundering out of the west... This Indian brings joy rather than terror... brings happiness rather than apprehension... Ray and Ella Darby are world changers because they are personally acquainted with the Lord of Lords..." Yeesh. Well, setting aside all the John Wayne stuff, this is a decent gospel set by a couple from Lawton, Oklahoma. Indeed, it's perhaps a bit more vigorous than your average southern gospel offering -- the liners refer obliquely to "I'm A World Changer," one of two tracks credited to the Darbys, and a real zinger of 'Seventies gospel kitsch. The amped-up rock-pop arrangement showcases his guitar work (okay) and his robust, manly vocals, which land solidly in the Tom Jones/Mac Davis-y, chest-hair-and-gold-chain style of me-decade pop-soul emoting. It's not bad! Speaking of Mac Davis, they also cover his "Stop And Smell The Roses," another one of those crypto-religious pop tunes that were designed to sneak a little inspiration into the pop charts, as well as Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me Lord," and the high-concept, egalitarian "What Color Is A Soul," which closes the album out. There's mention of the Darby's "soon" getting their own TV show... dunno if that happened, but their records were actually kinda fun.

The Ray Darby Affair "America's Standing Tall Again" (Skylite Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Joel Gentry)
A partly semi-secular gospel album, with most tracks co-written by Ray Darby and Ella Darby; also one by Ray Hildebrand... Great album art, too, with a groovy "band" name that reflects the same hip swagger as their matching salmon-colored, sequin-spangled outfits, and that rad turquoise necklace. Indeed, the Skylite gospel label even felt the need to distinguish this disc from their usual southern gospel/contemporary Christian fare by creating a "Skylight Country" imprint. Alas, no info on the backing musicians here, either.

Jesse Ed Davis "Jesse Davis!" (Atco Records, 1971)
(Produced by Jesse Davis)
One of the premier roots-rock session players of the 1970s, guitarist Jesse Ed Davis (1944-1988) was born in Oklahoma and made his way out of the local music scene when he landed a spot in country star Conway Twitty's tour band in the mid-'60s. Davis later hooked up with roots auteur Leon Russell and became part of the studio session scene, playing on dozens of hippie-era rock and pop classics... He played on the first three Taj Mahal albums, as well as backing ex-Byrd Gene Clark on some of his early solo albums, and on various post-Beatles solo records by George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr, as well as session work for Jackson Browne, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Steve Miller and many others. Davis recorded three records of his own, and collaborated with fellow Oklahoman Roger Tillison on Tillison's self-titled debut.

Jesse Ed Davis "Ululu" (Atco Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Jesse Davis & Albhy Galuten)

Jesse Ed Davis "Keep Me Coming" (Epic Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Jesse Davis & Larry Hirsch)

The Fenders "Introducing The Fenders" (Indian Arts of America, 1964-?) (LP)
Not to be confused with any number of guitar rockers that named themselves after their Stratocasters, this was a Native American country band, first formed back in the late 1950s. Led by singer Ervin Becenti, the original Fenders were from Crownpoint, New Mexico, located in the Navajo Nation near Gallup, NM. They played together throughout the 1960s, recording at least four albums of classic honkytonk music, often given unique cultural tweaks that reflected their local tribal culture. According to ethnomusicologist Kristina Jacobsen, The Fenders was one of the earliest "chapterhouse bands," known for their rough-edged authenticity and unpolished "rez" sound, a style that was emulated by other regional bands for decades to come. As with many of these bands, the Fenders albums are exceedingly elusive -- I've only seen this one and the second pictured on the back cover of their third album, Fenders On Steel, as well as at least one later album from 1969, also listed here. The group was managed by a guy named Clyde Duncan, an African-American who worked at the Santa Fe Indian School, who put his address in Thoreau, NM on their albums and helped the band find gigs in the area. The group's legacy is rather complicated: years after the original Fenders disbanded, another group with no direct connection was formed, calling itself Fenders II; in turn that band split in half, with one set of musicians still calling themselves Fenders II and the other taking the name Fenders On Steel (named after the original band's third album). The original band's lineup included lead singer Ervin Becenti, Johnny Emerson, Jr., Edward Gruber, Jr., Rubin Mason and Tom Pete, though sadly I can't tell you who payed which instruments. They were heavy into classic hard country -- Webb Pierce, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, as well as younger artists such as Johnny Horton and the Bakersfield Sound of Buck Owens and his gang. As noted in Ms. Jacobsen's research, the Fenders and other chapterhouse bands often gave eccentric tweaks to classics country songs, substituting tribal words, changing melodic notes, singing in an "Indian accent," and the stylistic tics of the early bands of the 1950s and '60s became the foundation of their kind of country music, emulated by generations of bands to come.

The Fenders "The Fenders -- Second Time Around" (1966) (LP)
With the same lineup intact, The Fenders dig deeper into the classic country canon, covering songs by Johnny Cash ("Folsom Prison Blues"), The Carter Family ("Wildwood Flower"), Webb Pierce ("I'm Walking The Dog"), Buck Owens ("Love's Gonna Live Here") and perhaps most importantly, the late Johnny Horton, whose "Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor" was a favorite at tribal "stomps," or live music shows. The World Cat website guesstimates a release date of 1966 on this one, which might be correct, although if they were inspired by Johnny Cash's At Folsom Prison album to cover that particular song, it would have been more like 1968 or after...

The Fenders "On Steel" (1968-?) (LP)
As implied by the album title, the group broadened its sound with the inclusion of steel player Bob Robertson, as well as a new drummer, Martin House. The rest of the lineup included Ervin Becenti, Johnny Emerson, Jr., Edward Gruber, Jr., Rubin Mason, and Tom Pete, with Becenti credited as the vocalist on Side One, and Mr. Emerson on Side Two. They dig even deeper into the West Coast/Bakersfield Sound, with songs by Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Wynn Stewart and others, including a version of Charlie Walker's "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" and another Johnny Horton oldie, "I Got A Hole In My Pirogue," adapted here into "I Got A Hold In My Pay Roll." The band's manager, Clyde Duncan, provides his home address in Thoreau, NM on the back cover, though the band itself lived on tribal lands nearby.

The Fenders "Once More Around" (1969) (LP)
The cover of this album was pictured inside the text of Kristina Jacobsen's highly informative essay, "Rita(hhh): Placemaking And Country Music On The Navajo Nation," with a release date of 1969. Haven't seen it listed elsewhere, and I'm not sure how many other albums the Fenders released, as their music seems to be generally pretty off the radar in the "outside" world.

Alex Jose & His Hickiwan Band "Popular Dance Music Of The Indians Of Southern Arizona" (Canyon Records, 1975) (LP)
This may have been the only album by this "chick scratch" band from Arizona, whose lineup was made up of James F. Angea on drums, Lopis Angea (guitar), Arturo Flores (bass), Willie J. Francisco (accordion) and bandleader Alex A. Jose on saxophone. This album concentrates almost exclusively on border music (ie, Spanish-language and Mexican material) though there's also a version of "Pecos Bill," for a little north-of-the-border feel...

Burt Lambert & The Northern Express "Just Arriving" (Canyon Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Todd Stillwell)
First nations/Native American country music by a band from Belcourt, North Dakota. These guys were members of the Turtle Mountain band of the Chippewa nation; while they recorded this album in Kalispell, Montana, the Canyon record label was located in Phoenix, Arizona. The Northern Express band was founded in 1974, although Burt Lambert also recorded more rock-oriented material under the name Hamana.

The Memory Makers '82 "We Were Just Playing" (Hamerhouse Productions, 1997) (LP)
(Produced by Bruce Hamilton & Jimmie King, Jr.)
A later edition of one of the pioneering chapterhouse bands, Memory Makers '82 are backing the equally legendary Navajo singer, Jimmie King, Jr., who was nicknamed Alligator Man because of his widely-copied rendition of the old Jimmy Newman hit, "Alligator Man." They cover that song here, as well as another cajun twang classic, "Diggy Liggy Lo," as well as some country hits of newer vintage. I suspect there are numerous other earlier and later records by both the Memory Makers and Mr. King, but tracking them down may take some time. This album may have been a cassette-only release.

The Navajo Sundowners "The Navajo Sundowners" (1974) (LP)
This may have been the lone album from this tribal twang band, an all-covers set of country and rock hits, released on a private label from Farmington, New Mexico. The group seems to have performed together for several years; in 1977 they backed Canadian singer/movie star Cody Bearpaw on a tribally-themed single. No information yet about who was in the band or where they were from.

Princess Pale Moon "Come On And Live!" (Praise Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dr. Paul Weaver & Jim Conklin)
A Canadian gospel singer with a first-peoples background... Not entirely sure how "country" we should consider this, though it is clear that she was not a great singer. If you're looking for Christian music to make fun of, this Mrs. Miller-ish outing is a real doozy. Mostly, though, I just wanted to include this one here (along with Princess Ramona below) to ask the question: why were so many female Native American entertainers nicknamed "princess"? Is there some kind of hidden monarchy that no one told us about? Or is it just plain old goofy exoticization? Anyway, this a terrible record. Just so you know ahead of time. She had several other records, but let's not go there.

Princess Ramona "On The Wings Of A Dove" (Award Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Biff Collie)
This is the first LP from singer Ramona Kemp, the daughter of a Cherokee tribal leader from Oklahoma, and a darn good yodeler. Flamboyantly decked out in buckskin, feathers and beads, she played up her Native American heritage and was best known by her stage name, Princess Ramona, and made her recording debut in the early 1960s, releasing a couple of singles produced by her husband, Buddy Kemp. While she started out singing straight country and pop vocals, she shifted decisively into an all-gospel mode later in her career. Although this is considered her secular album, there's gospel material on here as well -- the secular tracks include Elton Britt's "Chime Bells" and (of course) "Indian Love Call." There are a couple of songs written by Buddy Kemp, "Let's Go Back" and "The Mountain" -- he also claims arranger credits on several other tracks. Unfortunately, Princess Ramona's career is often viewed through the irony-tinted lens of hipster record collectors to whom the catnippy combination of gospel music, yodeling and her exaggerated Native American image prove too great to resist. But she was a pretty good singer, and fans of yodeling music, in particular, might want to check her out.

Princess Ramona "Wait A Little Longer Please, Jesus" (Award Records, 19--?) (LP)

Princess Ramona & Buddy Kemp "Talk About Jesus" (Award Records, 197--?) (LP)
The liner notes on this early-Seventies album describe how Mrs. Kemp had a born-again religious conversion while working gigs in Southern California, and how Buddy Kemp sold his camping supply business, customized the large mobile home pictured on the cover, and how the couple set out to proselytize across the country and abroad. The album has a mailing address in Trail, Oregon, but apparently during this period, the Kemps were living out of their RV so they could engage in a musical ministry. Sure sounds hard!

Princess Ramona "Yodeling Praises Unto the Lord" (Award Records, 197--?) (LP)
Speaking of their mobile home, the Gospel Express, the Kemp's literally sing its praises in "This Motor Home Is In God's Hands," which is the album's closing number... Also featured are "God Put A Yodel In My Heart," "Jesus Put A Yodel In My Soul," and "Then I Started To Yodel," as well as "My Lord, My God, My King," which features a backing chorus by the Jordanaires... Also appearing on this album is harmony vocalist Laverna Moore, one of Nashville's more notable professional backup singers. (By the way, thanks to Matt of the CleanNiceQuiet music blog for providing some of the background info on Princess Ramona's colorful career...)

Buddy Red Bow "BRB" (First American Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Dik Darnell)
A singer, composer and actor, Warfield Richards "Buddy" Red Bow (1948-1993) was a Lakota tribal member who grew up on the Pine Ridge reservation in Red Shirt, South Dakota, near Rapid City. In his teens he decided to become an actor, and landed a part in the 1962 classic, How The West Was Won, followed by a few other small roles in years to come; he additionally scored the soundtrack to the 1972 documentary, Hard Rider. After serving in Vietnam as a Marine, Red Bow focussed on his musical career, crafting an canny mix of country and Native American musical themes. Though this album includes a few cover songs, it's mostly his own originals, with tracks such as J.D. Loudermilk's "Indian Reservation," Red Bow's own "Indian Love Song" and "South Dakota Lady." The musicians include Buddy Red Bow on vocals and guitar, with Bud Abbott (bass), John Bergeron (piano), San Bressard (guitar), Billy Cox (guitar), Dik Darnell (synthesizer), Jimmy Ibbotson (guitar), John Macy (pedal steel), Jimmy Thompson (drums), and others.

Buddy Red Bow "Journey To The Spirit World" (Tatanka Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Dik Darnell)
Along with a reprise of his song, "Indian Love Song," this album pursues strong cultural themes and includes several songs with political themes addressing the economic hardships imposed on first nation people, the vanishing frontier, as well as spiritual quests and the relationship of indigenous people to the natural world. The electrified music is slightly manic and rock-influenced, but still fits comfortably into the country music vibe of the times, with stylistic callbacks to outlaw icons such as Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, and most notably to Billy Joe Shaver, whose vocal style is a lot like Red Bow's. Though the arrangements may be a little hard-edged and brash, the lyrics are evocative and heartfelt; definitely worth a spin.

Buddy Red Bow "Black Hills Dreamer" (Tatanka Records, 1995)
(Produced by Dik Darnell & Mark Derryberry)

Louis & Audrey Stamey "Favorite Tunes" (Klub Records, 1967) (LP)
A husband-wife duo from Drexel, North Carolina who billed themselves as "The Cherokee Sweethearts" and performed in full Native American costume -- buckskin vests, feathers, beads -- at a local tourist attraction that was part of the Cherokee reservation in nearby Cherokee, North Carolina. They specialized in guitar instrumentals, semi-surfish updates of old traditional tunes. I tried to find more about them, but the pickins are thin. I believe Mrs. Stamey passed away in 1998, while Mr. Stamey is a bit harder to pin down -- it seems there's more than one Louis Stamey in that neck of the woods, and there seem to have been a lot of Stameys in general, throughout the state. Anyway, there's surprisingly little online information about their career, mostly just posts from other record collectors, spotlighting either their various singles, or tracks from the two LPs the Stameys recorded at some undetermined dates, but there doesn't seem to be any journalism online, either contemporary or modern, and no mention of music in recent obituaries...

Louis & Audrey Stamey "Themes Of The Smokies" (Mark Five/Rite Records, 197-?) (LP)
The front cover is a photo of the Smoky Mountains, around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where the Stameys lived and performed. By the time the Stameys were there, the Eastern Cherokee had built up a chugging outdoorsy tourism industry on their tribal land, and had a sweeping view the mountains. The Stameys seem to have lived about forty miles away from Cherokee, though, in Drexel, on the other side of Asheville. This was their second album, according to the liner notes.

Stillwater "Dream Walking" (19--?) (LP)
The first album by a more modernist Navajo twangband from Farmington, New Mexico. The group included lead singer Lee Begay, his son Matt Begay, and brothers Wallace Youvella and Yoy Youvella, although their lineup changed over the course of several albums.

Billy ThunderKloud & The Chieftones "...Where Do I Begin To Tell The Story..." (Superstar Records, 1972) (LP)
Vincent Clifford, aka "Billy ThunderKloud" was the lead singer for Canada's "all Indian band," who scored a surprise commercial hit with "What Time Of Day," which peaked on the US Country charts in 1975. They never topped that success, but managed to place a few songs on the charts over the next couple of years, and stayed together as a working band for over a decade more.

Billy ThunderKloud & The Chieftones "All Through The Night" (Superstar Records, 1973) (LP)

Billy ThunderKloud & The Chieftones "Off The Reservation" (Superior Records, 19--?) (LP)

Billy ThunderKloud & The Chieftones "Some Of Nashville's Finest" (20th Century, 1974) (LP)

Billy ThunderKloud "I Want To Be Touched By You" (CheyShawnee Records, 1981-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Witte & Joe Mills)
TMI, my friend... TMI.

Wingate Valley Boys "Wingate Valley Boys" (Indian Arts Of America, 19--?) (LP)

Wingate Valley Boys "Wingate Valley Boys" (QQ Records, 1967) (LP)

Albert Young Eagle "Meet Albert Young Eagle" (Little Richie Records, 1977-?) (LP)
Surprisingly little information about this fellow online, though the back cover liner notes provide a pretty concise outline of his biography. According to this album Albert Young Eagle was apparently of Navajo descent, born in Gallup, New Mexico in 1953 and mostly raised on a nearby reservation located next to the El Morro National Monument. His father owned a nightclub called the Rendezvous Bar, and as a teenager Albert was in a rock band called the Teardrops for several years before he joined the military. He switched to country music after he came back home to Gallup, and was in the orbit of Southwestern music mogul Little Richie Johnson for most of his career, traveling to Nashville to record with Charlie McCoy and his A-list crew, most likely on Little Richie's dime. One missing piece of the puzzle is whether he was actually Albert Lucero, the name given on the composer of one of his songs, "It's All Over Now," which was released as a single and also appears on this album. The Bakers Patch music blog says yes, though the copyright filing with the Library Of Congress listed Lucero and Young Eagle separately. However, the composer credit on this album gives Albert Young Eagle as the author, which gets me to about 99% certainty that his birth name was Lucero, particularly since the trail grows cold on the Young Eagle name, outside of the handful of records produced in the late '70s. The rest of his biography remains obscure: Albert Young Eagle was elected into the Colorado Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1979, so it's possible he moved to the Centennial State sometime after this album came out. There obituaries for several Albert Luceros who lived in several different states -- Arizona, Colorado, etc. -- but I was unable to link any of them to this artist. Unless I hear otherwise, though, I'll accept Mr. Lucero's assertion that he was a First Nations country singer and add him to our list.

Albert Young Eagle "The Best Of Albert Young Eagle" (Little Richie Records, 1979-?) (LP)
An odd album title, particularly as none of the tracks on Young Eagle's first album are included... Partly drawing on some late-'Seventies singles, this is mostly a set of cover tunes, mainly brand-name country classics such as "Faded Love," "Green Green Grass Of Home," "Statue Of A Fool" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night," et.al., though there are also three songs provided by Little Richie Johnson's publishing company: "Have A Talk With Your Conscience," "On My Way To Houston," and "Unwritten, Unsung Country Love Song," though all three were also recorded by other Little Richie artists.

Zuni Midnighters "Zuni Midnighters" (Indian Arts Of America, 1965-?) (LP)
A mix of country twang and rock'n'surf oldies from a tribal twang band out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Midnighters were one of the longest-running and most professional Native American country bands of the 1960s and '70s, playing regionally and recording several albums. The lineup on this early 'Sixties album (their first?) included Lloyd Boone, Rudy Bowekaty, Lynn Hooee, Kimo Natewa, Stanley Natewa, and Jones Shebola -- not sure who played which instruments, though, alas. This disc has more of a rock orientation, with covers of "Money," "Memphis," "Surf Bunny" and "Wipeout," though they also cover Hank Strzelecki's novelty twang tune "Long Tall Texan," which had been popularized by the Beach Boys. I'm not sure of the exact date on this one, but given the repertoire it was probably recorded no earlier than 1965.

Zuni Midnighters "Land Of The Shalako" (JWP Records, 1973) (LP)
Though still clearly into classic pop and garage rock and 'Sixties R&B -- with covers of "96 Tears," "Midnight Hour," "Pushing Too Hard" and "Whiter Shade Of Pale" -- the Midnighters were also grooving on some hip contemporary roots-rock, including stuff by Creedence Clearwater ("Lodi") and Doug Sahm ("Mendocino"). Not all twang, by any means, but pretty eclectic and groovy, for sure. It's worth noting that this album came out on the JWP label, which also put out an album by Three Faces West, an early band of Austin, Texas icon Ray Wylie Hubbard, so they were definitely in the swing of things. As far as I know, the tribally-themed title track, "Land Of The Shalako," was an original.

Zuni Midnighters "Wanted" (JWP Records, 1977-?) (LP)

Zuni Midnighters "The Long Journey" (JWP Records, 197--?) (LP)
Not sure when this one came out, but it wasn't long after the other JWP album... According to the liner notes, this was the band's fourth album, and by this time Stanley Natewa was the only remaining original member. There are still some rock'n'soul songs in the mix, but country-oriented material was more in the foreground, as well as more regionally-oriented songs such as "Rancho Tenaya," "Mountains Of New Mexico," and "Long Journey," which was written to commemorate the hardships faced by the Navajo nation.

Zuni Midnighters "Wanted" (JWP Records, 1977-?) (LP)
A double LP set(!) with a lot of rock, pop and country oldies, with country stuff including "Lyin' Eyes," "Once A Day," "Rainy Day Woman" and "Wasted Days And Wasted Nights." Not sure when this came out: Discogs describes it as their second album, but the presence of two hit songs from 1975 (by the Eagles and Freddy Fender) suggests that it's later than several of the albums above.

Zuni Midnighters "My Land" (JWP Records, 197-?) (LP)

Zuni Midnighters "Our Sixth Album" (19--?) (LP)
In case anyone was keeping count, this was, well, their sixth album, and possibly the band's last. Stanley Natewa was still holding things down as the groups lead guitar player and main vocalist, with Johnny Natewa on organ, as well Bill Crockett (vocals), Lawrence Laiteyse (drums), Ceam Tekala (bass) and Lebeck Unkistine also on bass.

Various Artists "NATIVE NORTH AMERICA, VOLUME ONE -- ABORIGINAL FOLK, ROCK AND COUNTRY: 1966-1985" (Light In The Attic, 2014) (LP)

• Kristina Jacobsen is an ethnomusicologist whose 2009 foundational essay, "Rita(hhh): Placemaking And Country Music On The Navajo Nation" was later expanded into a book titled The Sound Of Navajo Country

• The New York Times published a lengthy piece on the contemporary Navajo country scene, circa 2019, with some historical nods to older bands...

Hick Music Index