Oklahoma-born Cyrus Whitfield Bond (aka Johnny Bond, 1915-1978) was one of the more jovial characters to come out of the Depression-era cowboy scene. He performed in dozens of Hollywood "oaters" alongside iconic singing cowboys such as Gene Autry, Tex Ritter and Roy Rogers while pursuing his own solo career, recording prolifically on Columbia Records and other country labels, and on countless radio transcription discs. In the 1950s he became co-host of the fabled Town Hall Party TV show based in LA, the premier showcase for the West Coast country scene, along with many of his pals from the old days. By the 1960s Bond was cranking out by-the-numbers novelty-oriented albums on the Starday label that emphasized a good-natured drunkard role, similar to Moe Bandy's persona in the late '70s... Here's a quick look at his work...
Best-Ofs
Johnny Bond "...And His Red River Boys" (ASV Records, 2001)
This is probably the best general-purpose introduction to Bond's work, with songs from early in his career, recorded between 1945-50. There's a lot of overlap with other West Coast "western" and western swing stars of the time, songs like "Divorce Me C.O.D.," "So round, So Firm, So Fully Packed," "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette" and others that Merle Travis, Tex Williams and many of their contemporaries recorded over and over. Bond's versions are nice, as are the recordings of his own original material, such as "Cimarron," "Set 'Em Up, Joe" and hits like "Oklahoma Waltz" and "Love Song In 32 Bars." Several songs on here feature harmony vocals from Dick Reinhardt, who sang with Bond in the Jimmy Wakely Trio -- session players include steel guitarists Noel Boggs and Joaquin Murphy, as well as harmonicat Jerry Adler... It's a shame that Bond's later work on the Starday label seems to be stuck in limbo somewhere... It'd be nice to see ASV or Bear Family put out a companion disc that included that material as well...
Johnny Bond "The Heart And Soul Of The West" (Jasmine Records, 2000)
Johnny Bond "I Like My Chicken Fryin' Size" (Jasmine Records, 2003)
Johnny Bond "The Golden Age Of Johnny Bond" (Binge Disc/Cattle Records)
Johnny Bond "The Fabulous Johnny Bond" (Binge Disc/Cattle Records)
Johnny Bond "Alabama Boogie Boy" (Binge Disc/Cattle Records)
Johnny Bond "Country & Western: Johnny Bond Standard Transcriptions" (Bloodshot Records/Soundies, 2000)
Outstanding! Bond may have spent the last few years of his chartmaking days kind of going through the motions, but back when these 1940s tracks were recorded, he was still giving it his all. These hot sessions included plenty of swell jazzy-bluesy licks, along with all the chugga-chugga country accordion stuff. These 1944-45 radio transcriptions highlighted his "western" image -- with peppy versions of chestnuts like "Goodbye Old Paint," "Red River Valley" and "Birmingham Jail," along with plenty of tailormade Hollywood cowboy tunes, of the Sons Of The Pioneers variety. It's great stuff. One of the strongest discs in Bloodshot's fab "Soundies" series, this disc is a doozie.
Johnny Bond "Put Me To Bed" (Bear Family Records, 2007)
A cowboy singer, honkytonk stalwart and veteran novelty artist, Johnny Bond is one of those old-time country guys who was just around forever... He did some pretty rootsy, bluesy stuff in the 1940s, but by the '60s he was coasting on a few hits and recorded numerous indifferently produced tunes for Starday and other indie labels. There are a lot of Johnny Bond records out there, and a lot of best-of sets, but this is surely one of the strongest, with choice, vintage material and the great sound quality and scholarship that is the Bear Family trademark. (Part of Bear Family's rollicking "Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight" series, which opts for slam-bang single-disc sets in favor of their old, mega-box set approach.)
Johnny Bond "The Clouds Will Soon Roll By" (BACM, 2005)
(Available through the British Archive of Country Music website.)
Johnny Bond "Truckstop Comedy" (King Records, 1996)
A chintzy, 8-song sampler of Bond's work on Starday Records. You get "Ten Little Bottles" and "Sick, Sober & Sorry," but not much else. Kind of a shame, really.
Johnny Bond "That Wild, Wicked, But Wonderful West" (Starday Records, 1961)
A straight reissue of one of Bond's old LPs, made when "historical" songs and western-themed tunes, ala Marty Robbins and Johnny Horton, were all the rage. It's okay, but not as much fun as his dopey drinkin' tunes or old western swing-flavored cowboy songs.
Johnny Bond "The Home Recordings" (Varese Sarabande, 2001)
Informal, noncommercial recordings, made in the mid-1970s, when Bond's hitmaking years were a thing of the past. Not Bond's best work, but charmingly sincere and nonchalant, and nice for fans who'd like to hear him kicking back in his twilight years.
Johnny Bond "At Town Hall Party" (DVD) (Bear Family Records, 2005)
Albums
Johnny Bond "That Wild, Wicked But Wonderful West " (Starday Records, 1961)
Johnny Bond "Live It Up and Laugh It Up" (Starday Records, 1962)
Johnny Bond "Songs That Made Him Famous" (Starday Records, 1963)
Johnny Bond "Johnny Bond's Best" (Columbia Harmony Records, 1964)
A bunch of classic oldies from his Columbia days, tunes like "Cimarron," "Sick, Sober And Sorry," "Set 'Em Up Joe" and "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)." These all made it into the digital era, of course, but I still have a soft spot for the Harmony LPs, which were gems of stealth marketing back in the early years of the reissue market.
Johnny Bond "Hot Rod Lincoln, Three Sheets In The Wind, And Other New Favorites" (Starday Records, 1964)
Johnny Bond "Ten Little Bottles" (Starday Records, 1965)
Johnny Bond "Bottled In Bond" (Columbia Harmony Records, 1965)
Following their usual Harmony-imprint M.O., Columbia Records repackaged some old stuff from the vaults using keywords from Bond's recent commercial successes to make this reissue set look new. I'm sure at the time it was frustrating for the folks at Starday (and for Bond) to have this old stuff cut into their revenue -- but decades later country fans can just enjoy the music music free from those once-contemporary kerfuffles.
Johnny Bond "The Famous Hot Rodders I Have Known" (Starday Records, 1965)
Johnny Bond "The Man Who Comes Around" (Starday Records, 1966)
Johnny Bond "Bottles Up" (Starday Records, 1966)
Johnny Bond "Branded Stock Of Johnny Bond" (Starday Records, 1966)
Johnny Bond "Sick, Sober And Sorry" (Starday/Nashville Records, 1967)
Johnny Bond "Ten Nights In A Barroom" (Starday Records, 1967)
Johnny Bond "Three Sheets In The Wind" (Starday/Nashville Records, 1968)
Johnny Bond "Drink Up And Go Home!" (Starday Records, 1968)
Johnny Bond & Merle Travis "Great Songs Of The Delmore Brothers" (Capitol Records, 1969)
Johnny Bond "Something Old, New, Patriotic And Blue" (Starday Records, 1970)
Johnny Bond "Here Come The Elephants" (Starday Records, 1971)
Because, see, back in Johnny Bond's time, when you drank too much (or were going through DTs) people would regularly hallucinate pink elephants flying circles around their heads. They don't do that any more: now we just see DUI tickets and lawsuits. Simpler times.
Johnny Bond "How I Love Them Old Songs" (Lamb And Lion Records, 1966)
Johnny Bond "Johnny Bond Rides Again" (Shasta Records, 1974)
Johnny Bond "The Singing Cowboy Rides Again" (CMH Records, 1977)
Johnny Bond "Return Of The Singing Cowboy" (Starday Records, 1977)
Links
Hick Music Index
