Born in Wolf Bayou, Arkansas, singer, guitarist and harmonica player Wayne Raney (1921-1993) was a major figure in the raucous "hillbilly boogie" style that preceded rock'n'roll in the late 1940s and early '50s. Bursting with wild energy, Raney was a big behind-the-scenes part of the rhythmic ooomph of the Delmore Brothers sound, as well as many other hillbilly records on the King label. Though Raney faded from the charts as rock music took hold, and Nashville went pop, he continued to exert a lot of influence in the more off-the-radar corners of the regional Ozark country scene. He started his own label, Rimrock Records, releasing several records of his own, as well as countless albums and singles by little-known local artists. Up through the 1970s, Rimrock was a focal point for regional musicians looking to make their own so-called "private," or custom-label records; some of these were released under the Rimrock label, others used label names thought up by the individual musicians. Along with his old compatriot Grandpa Jones, Wayne Raney was one of the handful of hillbilly music elders who were brought back into the public eye by appearances on the Hee Haw TV show, although by the 1970s he had all but retired from the music business. Here's a quick look at his work...
Wayne Raney "The Real Hot Boogie Boy: The King Recordings" (Ace Records, 2002)
This is a real slam-bang collection of over two dozen of Raney's vintage recordings from 1947-53, including "Haul Off And Love Me," "Lost John Boogie," "Pardon My Whiskers," "Adam Come And Get Your Rib" and other gems from the pre-rock era. The Delmore Brothers back Raney up on over half these tracks, so this is just about as good as hillbilly boogie gets... each song is winner, packed with goofball wordplay, mildly raunchy lyrics, and plenty of high-power twang. This is postwar hillbilly music in its purest form, a real delight! The older, cheaper Songs From The Hills album is tasty, too -- it's the same music from the same period -- but this disc is definitely a better buy. It has more tracks, full liner notes, great sound quality and it puts Raney's work in a much fuller context. Highly recommended.
Wayne Raney "Songs Of The Hills" (King Records, 1958) (LP)
A great old King LP that first came out in the 1950s. This set collected a bunch of his solo material, including his big hit, "Why Don't You Haul Off And Love Me?" All the music on here is pretty top-notch, and the disc is well worth checking out, particularly if you want to hear how old, high-octane hillbilly music contributed to the birth of rock'n'roll. Highly recommended.
Wayne Raney & The Raney Family "Sixteen Radio Gospel Favorites" (Starday Records, 1964) (LP)
A groovy set of uptempo hillbilly gospel twang, including a version of Raney's 1959 novelty hit, "We Need A Lot More Of Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock & Roll)," a kitschy classic that was later embraced by the folk, bluegrass and hippie-era rock crowd. The liner notes don't specify which family members are on this album, though doubtless most of the backing musicians were drawn from the Starday studio crew.
Wayne Raney "Don't Try To Be What You Ain't" (Starday Records, 1962) (LP)
Wayne Raney & The Raney Family "Don't Take Me Away: Radio Gospel Favorites" (Rimrock Records, 19--?) (LP)
Though this has a similar title to the Raney Family's 1964 Starday album, it's a different set of songs, still dyed-in-the-wool mountain music gospel.
Wayne Raney "Tear Down The Mountains" (Rimrock Records, 19--?) (LP)
The title track of this Raney LP, "Tear Down The Mountains," was originally a King 78 -- I'm not sure if the tracks on this disc are re-recordings, or reissues of older material, but I'd guess they were newly recorded versions.
Wayne Raney "Gathering In The Sky" (Rimrock Records, 19--?) (LP)
A gospel/sentimental set reflecting Raney's old-time, backwoods roots... As with the album above, these may have been re-released King recordings.
