The Clearwater Jamboree Show "The Clearwater Jamboree Show" (Mel-Ran Records, 1969-?) (LP)
This group was an early version of the Plummer Family revue, a family-based "opry" show from Knob Lick, Missouri, that was one of the staples of the Branson-area country tourism scene. The Plummers are notable for the high percentage of original material written by one of the kids, Randy Plummer, and this disc was no exception. He contributes two songs of his own, as does lead singer Harley Clements, with additional tunes by Darrell Plummer, Bruce Watkins and his dad, Glen Watkins. The band members include Harley Clements (lead vocals), Ray Elders (lead guitar), Bill Haggard (steel guitar), Bruce Watkins (banjo and fiddle), Randy Plummer (drums), Darrell Plummer (guitar), Melody Plummer (lead vocals, bass) and Rosie Plummer (accordion) -- the liner notes say that this was the first recording by any of the artists, which is particularly noteworthy since fiddler Bruce Watkins later moved to Nashville and became a prolific usual-suspects studio musician who has played on countless recordings. (A Missouri native, the teenage picker later had a stint performing at nearby Silver Dollar City, moving to Nashville sometime in the late '70s, touring with southern gospel groups such as the Hemphills as a day job until the studio musician gig fell into place...) There's no date on the album, but since it includes a cover of the 1968 hit, "Harper Valley PTA," I'd guess this disc came out around 1969 or thereabouts.
The Plummer Family "Country Music Show" (Mel-Ran Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Pat Shikany)
A pretty good record!!
The Plummer Family "In The Ozarks" (American Artists Custom Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Higgins & Winnie Swaim)
According tot he back cover, this was their fourth album... another solid set from this talented family band, mixing country hits, oldies, instrumentals and several originals written by Randy Plummer. These include "Give Him The Best You Can," "I've Never Known Anyone Like You" and "The Texas Range" -- indeed, I'm starting to think someone needs to put together a Randy Plummer retrospective! -- as well as one song written by Harley Clements, "Sorrow Can't Mend A Broken Heart." The cover tunes include 'Seventies hits such as "Behind Closed Doors," "Okie From Muskogee," Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me Lord" and a sultry rendition of Barbara Mandrell's "Midnight Oil." They also sing a version of Jim Ed Brown's "Looking Back To See," though for the most part this album has a more contemporary orientation than many similar "opry" records. Definitely worth a spin!
The Plummer Family "Sings Gospel" (American Artists Custom Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Higgins & Winnie Swaim)
A pretty straightforward gospel set, with old standards such as "Peace In The Valley," "How Great Thou Art" and "Old Rugged Cross" and more rural-sounding, uptempo numbers like "I'll Fly Away" and "I Saw The Light." This edition of the ensemble included the Plummer Family -- Darrell Plummer (rhythm guitar), Melody Plummer Roedecker (fiddle and rhythm guitar), Randy Plummer (bass) and Rosie Plummer (organ and piano) -- along with a little additional oomph from Tim Cagle (lead guitar and dobro), Harley Clements (rhythm guitar), Bob Haggett (banjo) and Hank Youngblood on drums. One tune is a little more off the beaten track, Tommy Floyd's "If You Miss Heaven (You'll Miss It All)," which was previously recorded by Loretta Lynn, on her classic 1968 gospel album, Who Says God Is Dead.
The Plummer Family "Picking' And Grinnin' " (American Artists Custom Records, 1975) (LP)
The Plummer Family "Live" (Ozark Sound Studios, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Pat Shikeny)
Another album billed as having been recorded live on location... This disc spotlights family members Darrell, Rosie and Randy Plummer, joined by comedian/singer Phil Baker (playing the character "Willie Makeit") along with Harley Clements (guitar), Melody Driskill (fiddle), Richard Kennedy (piano), Ralph Lowe (banjo, fiddle and guitar), Terry Mays (lead guitar) and Ron Reighard on banjo and guitar. The set tilts heavily towards older material, especially chestnuts such as "Beer Barrel Polka," "Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy," "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," and "Sugar Foot Rag," and omits the usual mini-opry samplings of current contemporary hits. Go figure!
The Plummer Family "Lyrics And Licks" (Aardvark Studios, 197--?) (LP)
The Plummer Family "The Old Country Church" (Aardvark Studios, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by John Jacobson)
A nice, straightforward all-gospel album with plenty of standards, songs such as "Suppertime," "Until Then" and "What A Friend We Have In Jesus," as well as an original written by Randy Plummer, "There Just Ain't No Telling (What All The Lord Can Do)." This edition of the band featured the regular troupe of Plummers, along with Dennis Detwiler on steel guitar, bluegrasser Lonnie Hoppers on banjo, Tim Cagle playing lead guitar, Melodie Plummer Driskill singing and playing piano and fiddle, with her husband Dale Driskill on bass and Rosie Plummer on piano and organ. A pleasant, professional album with a slight gloss of by-the-numbers, mini-opry musicianship, but overall pretty solid.
The Plummer Family "From The Missouri Ozarks" (American Artists Custom Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Higgins)
The usual mix of country chestnuts and covers of newer hits... This album includes one Randy Plummer original, "A World Of Hurt," and while that track includes a copyright date of 1975, the rest of the repertoire points to a much later release date. Along with the Hank Williams and Bob Wills oldies, this includes Waylon Jennings 1976 outlaw classic, "The Door Is Always Open," as well as the Kendalls' cheatin' chart-topper, "Heaven's Just A Sin Away," which was a huge hit towards the end of 1977. There's also an obscure Dallas Frazier number, "Jacques Pierre Bordeaux," a cajun-flavored tune that was a Back Forty single for Frenchie Burke back in '75. This album features the various Plummer Family members, as well as Tim Cagle providing comic relief as "Cousin Zeke," and still dressed up in hillbilly drag. Notably, this disc does not include gospel material, which they had apparently decided to segregate onto separate albums.
The Plummer Family "Country All The Way" (Dungeon Records, 19--?) (LP)
The Plummer Family "Country All The Time" (1980) (LP)
This album includes three original tunes: "Where The Beer And Whiskey Flows," "Country All The Time" and "When You Were Here."
The Plummer Family "Tenth Anniversary Album" (Dungeon Records, 1982) (LP)
The Plummer Family "Country Music Show -- Branson, MO" (Dungeon Records, 1983-?) (LP)
(Produced by Pat Shikany)
Not to be confused with the Mel-Ran album listed above, this was an early '80s offering and a pretty darn good record, to boot!! Well, okay, to qualify that comment, I have to admit that neither of the gal singers do that much for me: Rosie Plummer doesn't sing in tune and Jeannie didn't quite float my boat either, nor did brother Randy Plummer, who I thought was a woman singing when I heard his two tracks(!) However, the other menfolk are all pretty good, delivering robust, soulful vocals on various weepers and novelty songs. The album includes excellent versions of "What She Don't Know Won't Hurt Her," "Somewhere Out In Texas" and Guy Clark's "Heartbroke." There are also some really good instrumental numbers, such as the jazzy, steel-guitar drenched "Jennie's Song," composed by and starring pedal steel player Daryl Davidson, who contributes some superlative and subtle playing. There's also a flashy version of the old-time trick-fiddle chestnut, "Mockingbird," where the band's fiddler really gets into the bird-calls. This edition of the Plummer Family had some real musical firepower to draw on, and this disc's certainly worth a spin. (Note: there's no date on the album, but I'm guessing at a 1982-83 release date based on their cover of Guy Clark's "Heartbroke," which was a big hit for Ricky Skaggs in '82)
Randy Plummer "Faith Builders" (Dungeon Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Pat Shikany)
Making his first major foray as a southern gospel/contemporary Christian solo artist, Randy Plummer more or less abandoned his country roots in favor of a slicker (and blander) pop sound, mostly plinky keyboards with a plodding rhythm section. It's not a very inviting album, at least not to my ears, though it's an effective showcase for his work as a songwriter. Of slight interest is the presence of Charlie and Sandra Chalmers (of the fabled RCR backing trio) though one searches in vain for a plain-old fiddle or pedal steel. Most of the songs just seem like so-so, churchy gospel songs, though a couple of are mid-tempo pop-flavored disasters. There is one genuinely intriguing tune, though, a topically-themed number called "Would They Love Him Down In Shreveport," which questions the priorities of contemporary evangelicals, calling out Christians in several American cities -- Shreveport, Boston, Nashville, Wichita, etc. -- and wondering how welcoming they would be if Jesus came to their towns and started healing the sick and helping the poor... a theme Plummer also pursued on some of his Plummer Family albums, much to his credit. Overall, not my kinda country gospel, but Plummer was clearly sincere and devoted to his beliefs.
The Plummer Family "Travelin' Thru Time" (Dungeon Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Darrell Plummer & Pat Shikany)
This album includes two songs written by Randy Plummer, a secular tune called "Is This Your Way Of Telling Me Goodbye" and a gospel number, "The Sacrificial Lamb."
The Plummer Family were stalwarts of the early Branson-area country scene, active in several regional "opry" shows, including their own family-owned venue. They were a real throwback to the golden era of hillbilly variety shows, mixing oldies, gospel songs and contemporary country hits with cornball country comedy bits into a lively stage show. First known as the Clearwater Jubilee, the revue started out in southeastern Missouri, near Tampa but the parents, Rosie and Darrell Plummer, moved to Branson in 1972 and in May, 1973 opened their own theater on Highway 76, near the better-known Baldknobbers show, where they had previously performed. Rebranded as a family act, the Plummers operated their theater until 1990, when Darrell Plummer retired and sold the venue. Perhaps the most striking thing about the Plummer Family was the wealth of original material written by Darrell Plummer, daughter Melodie, and especially by Randy Plummer, who penned over an album's worth of his own material over the years. An amiable figure onstage and on these recordings, Randy Plummer went on to work in Roy Clark's band and at various Branson venues, as did other family members.
