The Countrymen "With Good News" (Psalms Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
This might actually be the first Countrymen LP; the liner notes certainly give that impression. Some sweet, true-twang gospel from these soulful Stockton singers, featuring Jerry Short on steel guitar, Jim Myers playing lead, Eldon Hicks strumming rhythm and Bill Carter pluckin' bass, with additional backing by Albert Cullipher, Jim Richardson and pianist Clarence Landrus. Legendary Fresno, California recording engineer Stan Anderson helmed these sessions, one of countless bazillions of Central Valley gospel albums he produced... This album has real rural roots, though the tempo is quite deliberate, and while twangy, this disc has a pretty mellow vibe, including several tracks with a heavy vocal debt to country crooner Marty Robbins. No composer credits, alas, though I think this is a mix of older and new material, with possibly a few originals in the mix.
The Countrymen "God Understands" (Psalms Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
Another solid set with a laid-back but soulful sound, including songs by Bud Chambers, Happy Goodman, Hovie Lister, and several less well-known composers. The title track, "God Understands," was written by Marty Robbins, and the lead singer does a remarkable job imitating Robbins' vocal tone; elsewhere their group harmonies take on an almost Sons Of The Pioneers-like sound. Although billed as a quartet, the core band is identified having five members -- Bill Carter (bass), Eldon Hicks (rhythm guitar), Paul Landrus (piano), Jim Myers (electric rhythm guitar), and Jerry Short (steel guitar) -- with additional picking by Jim Newcomb on "open-chord guitar" and Jim Richardson playing lead. This album was recorded at Stan Anderson's studio in Fresno, who adds his usual level of clarity and perfect mixing. Nice one!
The Countrymen "The Way To Travel" (Psalms Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
Another great set recorded at Stan Anderson's studio in Fresno, with a twangier, rougher edge than some of these other Countrymen albums... they dig a bit deeper into the old-school hillbilly vibe for this one. The core lineup included lead singer Densel Alvey, along with Alvis Barnett (guitar), Bill Carter (bass) and Jerry Short (steel guitar), along with a slew of assorted locals pitching in: Doyle Ferguson (drums), Eldon Hicks (rhythm guitar), Austin Hill (rhythm guitar), Gary Hill (piano), Clarence Landrus (piano), Daymore Moses (steel guitar), Jim Myers (rhythm guitar), and Jim Newcomb also on rhythm guitar. (That list ought to keep Central Valley country historians busy for a little while!) Plenty of great tracks on here, with some swell twangy guitar riffs, and just the right amount of garage-y echo, and each of the guys taking his turn as lead vocalists (and wonderfully detailed liner notes identifying who is showcased on which tracks. The album opens with an original tune, "The Way To Travel," which was co-written by Bill Carter and Jim Newcomb, along with a couple of Dottie Rambo tunes (Mother Prayed For Me" and "My Pilot") along with several traditional tunes and some oldies by Martha Carson and Hank Williams. Highlights include a brisk version of "I Saw The Light," with Alvis Barnett singing lead, and "Pray Every Day," a swell Buck Owens tune, sung in a Buck Owens-meets-The Louvin Brothers style, and Jerry Short singing lead on the forlorn "Across The Bridge." For country-oriented twangfans, this disc's a doozy. (Another nice touch is the "special note of interest" box at the bottom of the liner notes, with tells both where the band members were born... and where they were born again!)
The Countrymen "With Good Listening" (Calvary Records, 19--?) (LP)
This edition of the Central Valley's twangiest gospel band centered around the guitar pickin' of Alvis Barnett, who's working in pure Chet Atkins mode on most of these tunes, with Jerry Short on bass and Densel Alvey playing rhythm guitar... They're joined by Bill Daziel plunking piano, Jim Givens on drums, and Jackie Smith adding some sweet pedal steel licks, along with a female vocal trio -- Joy Alvey, Arleigh Barnett and Doris Short -- who coo a few lines on an otherwise all-instrumental album. The music is solid, though essentially this is just a picker's album... nice if you're into that kinda thing. Recorded in Fresno, with Mosrite guitars.
The Countrymen "God Understands" (Psalms Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
Recorded in Fresno, this album's lineup includes bassist Bill Carter, Eldon Hicks, Paul Landrus (piano), Jim Meyers, Jim Newcomb (guitar), Jim Richardson (lead guitar), and Jerry Short on steel guitar. Alas, as with most of these Central Valley gems, there's no date on the album, so it's not totally clear when this one came out.
Bill Carter/The Carter Singers - see artist discography
The Singing Harris Family - see artist discography
Jim Newcomb & Larry Terherst "Country Gospel" (Calvary Records, 19--?) (LP)
An absolutely delightful, unusually rambunctious religious album, recorded sometime in the 1960s by the duo of mandolin player/lead singer Jim Newcomb and rhythm player/harmonist Larry Terherst, who were fellow church members at a congregation in Concord, California. Newcomb is the star, but the whole band was totally rocking: they blend Southern gospel sentiments with bouncy Buck Owens-y West Coast honkytonk and raw, undisciplined bluegrass, with a ragged fiddle (played by Jim LaRoque) playing off an equally energetic steel guitar (Daymour Moses), with Newcomb's mandolin coming in for resonant, Jesse McReynolds-style leads. There's a pleasant amateurishness to the project, but also a ton of energy and enthusiasm... This is an album by true believers, sure, but it's also a lot of fun, and certainly accessible to more secular-minded twangfans. A gem.
The Countrymen were a Christian country band based in Stockton, California, active during the 1960s and 'Seventies. The group was made up of local musicians who also did session work and produced numerous mom'n'pop custom albums, primarily in California's San Joaquin Valley. They included guitarist Alvis Barnett, bass player Bill Carter and steel player Jerry Short, with other pickers dropping in and out over the years. Several of these musicians recorded under their own names as well, usually backed by some configuration of the core group. There was some overlap with another group, the Christian Troubadours, a California band that later moved to Nashville, which also included bassist Bill Carter, who apparently moved back to California after several years in Nashville. Carter later moved up to the Pacific Northwest, where he produced and played on an undetermined number of indie albums, including several with his own band, The Carter Singers. Here's an attempt to track down the various Countrymen group and solo albums, as well as side projects and other albums released on the Vision Records label. (Please note: there were several other groups named The Countrymen -- others are listed in the Locals Only guide, under the letter "C".
