Johnny & Jonie Mosby were a husband-wife team who hailed from California, and who offered a sort of smooth mix of the Nashville Sound and the more robust West Coast country scene that was led by Buck Owens and Wynn Stewart. The Mosbys enjoyed middle-rung success throughout the 1960s and into the early '70s, and their albums remain little-known cult favorites for many of their fans... Here's a quick look at theor work...
Johnny & Jonie Mosby/Carl & Pearl Butler "Best Of: A Family Affair" (Koch, 2005)
A curious reissue, pairing the work of two husband-wife duets from the 1960s... The Butlers already have several albums devoted to them, but the Mosbys are an obscure old act who have long been forgotten by most country fans. I have several of their old LPs, and enjoy them a lot; the Mosby's were marginal figures on the country scene of the time, but they had a nice homespun charm... I think this was their only work available on CD to date.... Nice to see them on CD at last!
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "Still Goin' Steady" (Hilltop, 1965) (LP)
This includes their earliest singles on the Challenge label, recorded in 1958-60...
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "The New Sweethearts Of Country Music" (Starday, 1965) (LP)
Includes some of their pre-Columbia singles, originally released on the independent Toppa label in 1961.
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "Mr. & Mrs. Country Music" (Columbia, 1965) (LP)
Soft-edged honkytonkers Johnny and Jonie Mosby had sort of a laid-back approach to the West Coast sound, a style that got mellower and more folkie-countrypolitan as time went on. This album, which collects most of their early '60s hits, but mysteriously omits one of their biggest Columbia hits, "Trouble In My Arms," in favor of other singles, B-sides and the like. It's probably their most traditional sounding, most "country" set, and also one which best frames their admittedly modest vocal talents. Features songs by the likes of Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard and Wynn Stewart, with a smooth, easygoing hard country feel. Nice record -- worth checking out!
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "Make A Left And Then A Right" (Capitol, 1968) (LP)
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "Just Hold My Hand" (Capitol, 1969) (LP)
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "Hold Me" (Capitol, 1969) (LP)
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "I'll Never Be Free" (Capitol, 1969) (LP)
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "Mr. & Mrs. Country Music" (Harmony, 1970) (LP)
Reissue of their Columbia debut...
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "My Happiness" (Capitol, 1970) (LP)
Johnny & Jonie Mosby "Oh, Love Of Mine" (Capitol, 1971) (LP)
