Moe Bandy was one of the great heroes of hard-country music during the mid-1970s, when the posh "countrypolitan" production style dominated Nashville, he burst forth with a series of bold, brash, rugged, rootsy honkytonk albums that almost single-handedly brought rowdy, booze-soaked redneck novelty songs back into the charts. Good-timing, beer-guzzlin', girl-chasin' honkytonk novelty songs were his stock in trade, and it's hard to go wrong with any of his old stuff (most of which is still sadly out of print...) Bandy emerged on an indie label, but was quickly snapped up by a major... Inevitably, he became something of a self-parody, particularly after his duets with Joe Stampley made them a Top Ten phenomenon. But Bandy has always been able to pull a few surprises, and here's a quick look at some of his best work...



Discography - Best-Ofs

Moe Bandy "Honky-Tonk Amnesia" (Razor & Tie Records, 1997)
Moe Bandy was the real deal, and this is a great collection of his best stuff from the early years. All of the LPs listed below are totally worth tracking down and picking up. For those of you handicapped by the lack of a turntable, this kickass best-of CD should fill the gap. An excellent selection of his best songs, including a lot of the early stuff. HIGHLY recommended! After Bandy landed a major-label deal on Epic Records, the stuff he did for the big boys stayed true to country roots for way longer than anyone had a right to expect. But once he paired up with Joe Stampley and their "Good Old Boys" gimmick became a brand name, it was only a matter of time before the music started to suffer. Still, well into the early 1980s Bandy's albums were more real than most of his Top 40 peers... Uncomplicated, upbeat material with great arrangements and studio work -- well worth checking out, even with the redneck schtick. I think all his old LPs from the '70s are must-haves, but for those of you who are vinyl-phobic, this kickass CD best-of should do the trick. An excellent selection of his best songs, including a lot of the early stuff. HIGHLY recommended!


Moe Bandy "...And The Mavericks" (1967?)
I don't really know much about the provenance of these recordings, but they purport to be recordings of Moe Bandy and a band called the Mavericks, circa 1967... And that sounds about right: these are tinny, uptempo tunes on the twangier side of the 'Sixties country scene, and the voice does sound like it's really Bandy... Fun stuff, too! Lots of fiddle and guitar and an ingratiating eagerness to please, as well as have fun. This is lively above-average bar-band country... Certainly worth checking out if you are an old-school Moe Bandy fan.



Discography - Albums

Moe Bandy "I Just Started Hatin' Cheatin' Songs Today" (GRC Records, 1974)


Moe Bandy "It Was Always So Easy (To Find An Unhappy Woman)" (GRC Records, 1975)


Moe Bandy "Bandy The Rodeo Clown" (GRC Records, 1975)


Moe Bandy "Hank Williams You Wrote My Life" (CBS Records, 1976)


Moe Bandy "Here I Am Drunk Again" (CBS Records, 1976)


Moe Bandy "I'm Sorry For You My Friend" (Columbia Records, 1977)


Moe Bandy "The Best" (Columbia Records, 1977)


Moe Bandy "Cowboys Ain't Supposed To Cry" (Columbia Records, 1977)


Moe Bandy "Soft Lights And Hard Country Music" (Columbia Records, 1978)


Moe Bandy "Love Is What Life Is All About" (Columbia Records, 1978)


Moe Bandy "It's A Cheating Situation" (Columbia Records, 1979)


Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley "Just Good Ol' Boys" (Columbia Records, 1979)


Moe Bandy "One Of A Kind" (Columbia Records, 1979)


Moe Bandy "The Champ" (Columbia Records, 1980)


Moe Bandy "Following The Feeling" (Columbia Records, 1980)


Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley "Hey Joe! Hey Moe!" (Columbia Records, 1981)
Once Bandy paired up with Joe Stampley and their "Good Old Boys" gimmick became a brand name, it was only a matter of time before the music started to suffer. Still, well into the early '80s his albums didn't completely suck... Uncomplicated, upbeat material with great arrangements and studio work -- well worth checking out, even with the redneck schtick.


Moe Bandy "Rodeo Romeo" (Columbia Records, 1981)


Moe Bandy "She's Not Really Cheatin' (She's Just Gettin' Even)" (Columbia Records, 1982)


Moe Bandy "Salutes The American Cowboy" (Warwick Records, 1982)


Moe Bandy "I Still Love You In The Same Ol' Way" (Columbia Records, 1982)


Moe Bandy "Sings Songs Of Hank Williams" (Columbia Records, 1983)


Moe Bandy "Devoted To Your Memory" (Columbia Records, 1983)


Moe Bandy "Motel Matches" (Columbia Records, 1984)


Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley "Alive and Well" (Columbia Records, 1984)


Moe Bandy "Keepin' It Country" (Columbia Records, 1985)


Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley "Live From Bad Bob's, Memphis" (Columbia Records, 1985)


Moe Bandy "Barroom Roses" (Columbia Records, 1985)


Moe Bandy "You Haven't Heard The Last Of Me" (MCA Records, 1987)


Moe Bandy "No Regrets" (Curb Records, 1988)


Moe Bandy "Many Mansions" (Curb Records, 1989)


Moe Bandy "Live In Branson, MO USA" (Laserlight Records, 1993)


Moe Bandy "Picture In A Frame" (Intersound Records, 1995)


Moe Bandy "Gospel Favorites" (Intersound Records, 1995)


Moe Bandy "A Cowboy Christmas" (Intersound Records, 1996)


Moe Bandy "Act Naturally" (Intersound Records, 1997)


Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley "The Best" (Intersound Records, 1999)


Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley "Live At Billy Bob's Texas" (Smith Music, 2000)


Moe Bandy "Too Old To Die Young" (Pegasus Records, 2005)


Moe Bandy "Legendary Country: The Legend Continues..." (Sweetsong Nashville, 2006)
(Produced by Dennis Money)
After good ole Moe Bandy cut such a wide swath through the country charts as a honkytonk firebrand back in the 1970s, it was inevitable that the '80s would show him softening up and slogging through syrupy romantic ballads. Like so many other hard-country singers, he hit the top singing hard and then slid back down, getting soft. Like other master singers such as Gene Watson and George Jones, It's been a while since Bandy has been on the minds of the powers-that-be in country radio, but this new album shows that at least he's gotten back into singing songs that are funny and fun. Bandy's voice hasn't weathered as well as we might wish -- that sly, sardonic delivery he had back in the golden years is now blunted by his reduced vocal range, but I'm still a sucker for old coots who sing great songs. This disc is packed with swell novelty songs, with several that'll stick to your ribs, such as "Long Shadow," "Only Time Will Tell," "Waiting For My Angel To Show" and even the Bubbadelic "Blue Collar Holler." I dunno about you, but I love this kinda stuff -- glad to see Bandy's still in there swinging, and that when he lands one, it can still knock your socks off. If you're a fan of old-fashioned, tab-poppin,' beer-drinkin' barroom novelty songs, you might wanna track this one down. It's not great country, but it's pretty darn good.


Moe Bandy "Gospel -- Songs My Mama Sang" (Sweetsong Nashville, 2008)


Moe Bandy "Lucky Me" (Bandy Productions, 2008)


Moe Bandy "A Love Like That" (Bandy Productions, 2020)



Best-Ofs

Moe Bandy "Greatest Hits" (Columbia Records, 1982)


Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley "Greatest Hits" (Columbia Records, 1982)


Moe Bandy "Greatest Hits" (Curb Records, 1990)


Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley "Super Hits" (Sony-BMG, 1999)


Moe Bandy "The Best Of Moe Bandy" (Intersound Records, 1999)


Moe Bandy "The Crazy Cajun Recordings" (Edsel Records, 1999)


Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley "Ultimate Moe & Joe" (Audium Records, 2003)


Moe Bandy "Cowboy Songs" (KTel Records, 2003)


Moe Bandy "Greatest Hits" (CBUJ Records, 2007)
This series features re-recorded versions of favorite oldies... Disappointing if you're looking for the originals, but OK if you want to hear how Bandy sounds later on in life.


Moe Bandy "Greatest Hits, v.2" (CBUJ Records, 2007)



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