Doodle-oo-doo-doo...!! Best known for his naughty 1965 novelty hit, "Girl On The Billboard," singer Del Reeves (1932-2007) knocked around Nashville for over a decade before hitting it big, and then spent the rest of his career trying to match that lone chart-topping single. Although he recorded plenty of heartsongs and countrypolitan ballads, Reeves was mostly thought of as a comedic performer, as well as for his numerous "trucker" songs. Here's a quick look at his career...
Del Reeves "His Greatest Hits" (Razor & Tie Records, 1994)
This guy sure lucked out when his song "Girl On The Billboard" was a big hit in the mid-'60s... Lucked out because his brand of humor was extremely strained and extremely derivative of the "wacky" style pioneered by Roger Miller several years earlier (right down to the Milleresque doodle-ooo-do-dos...). Still, this disc has its moments -- more than a few of them rather sexist, but hey, goes with the territory, I guess.
Del Reeves "Greatest Hits And More" (Aria Records, 2001)
Less generously programmed, but still covering a lot of the same material as the Razor & Tie collection listed above...
Del Reeves "...Sings Girl On The Billboard" (United Artists Records, 1965) (LP)
Del Reeves "Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo" (United Artists Records, 1965) (LP)
Del Reeves "...Sings Jim Reeves" (United Artists Records, 1966) (LP)
Del Reeves "Special DELivery" (United Artists Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Kelso Herston)
This is a listenable, if pointedly unoriginal album... easy on the ears, for the most part. Reeves rides the Roger Miller-soundalike routine as hard as he can... The material is okay, if you don't mind the nakedly imitative vocal style. Actually the producers seem a little restless, and there are some nutty touches like a tinny, echo-ed piano and other goofball production techniques that probably wouldn't have been used if Reeves wasn't considered a "novelty" artist.
Del Reeves "Gettin' Any Feed For Your Chickens" (United Artists Records, 1966) (LP)
Del Reeves "Santa's Boy" (United Artists Records, 1966) (LP)
Del Reeves "Struttin' My Stuff" (United Artists Records, 1967) (LP)
Del Reeves "Six of One, Half A Dozen Of The Other" (United Artists Records, 1967) (LP)
Del Reeves "The Little Church In The Dell" (United Artists Records, 1967) (LP)
Del Reeves & Bobby Goldsboro "Our Way Of Life" (United Artists Records, 1967) (LP)
Del Reeves "Running Wild" (United Artists Records, 1968) (LP)
Oh, yeah, man! Look at that bad boy on that bad ol' motorcycle! That is one heavy cat... like, groovy, baby!
Del Reeves "The Best Of Del Reeves" (United Artists Records, 1968) (LP)
Del Reeves "Looking At The World Through A Windshield" (United Artists Records, 1968) (LP)
Del Reeves "The Wonderful World Of Country Music" (Sunset Records, 1969) (LP)
Del Reeves "Down At The Goodtime Charlie's" (United Artists Records, 1969) (LP)
Del Reeves "Big Daddy Del" (United Artists Records, 1970) (LP)
Del Reeves "Country Concert" (Sunset Records, 1970) (LP)
Del Reeves "Friends And Neighbors" (United Artists Records, 1971) (LP)
Del Reeves "The Best Of Del Reeves, v.2" (United Artists, 1971)
Del Reeves "The Del Reeves Album" (United Artists Records, 1971) (LP)
Del Reeves "Before Goodbye" (United Artists Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Turner & Kelso Herston)
Maybe Reeves was mostly shooting blanks at this point, but this is still a fairly good album. Not great, but good... Reeves was nakedly imitating other artists, notably Jerry Reed ("I'm The Man From Love") and George Jones (particularly on the goofy "Hey, Anyone Here Seen Cupid?" and on the album's title track, which cracked into the Top 50, though the only other single, Gary S. Paxton's "No Rings, No Strings" fell a few notches lower. I don't think anyone had high hopes for this album, but it's worth checking out for 'Seventies country fans. Includes a couple of Sonny Throckmorton songs, and a couple by producer Scott Turner, and several contributions by Gene Crysler, who composed a lot of stuff with Throckmorton at the time. Anyway, Reeves gets into a surprisingly robust -- if not entirely original -- honkytonk mode for this one. Worth a spin!
Del Reeves "Trucker's Paradise" (United Artists Records, 1973) (LP)
Del Reeves "Live At The Palomino Club" (United Artists Records, 1974) (LP)
Del Reeves "The Very Best Of Del Reeves" (United Artists Records, 1974)
Del Reeves "With Strings And Things" (United Artists Records, 1975) (LP)
Del Reeves & Billie Jo Spears "By Request" (United Artists Records, 1976) (LP)
Del Reeves "10th Anniversary" (United Artists Records, 1976) (LP)
Del Reeves "Del Reeves" (Koala Records, 1979)
Del Reeves "Let's Go To Heaven Tonight" (Koala Records, 1980)
Del Reeves "Truckin' And Movin' " (Koala Records, 1980)
Del Reeves & Liz Lyndell "Let's Go To Heaven Tonight" (Koala Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bernie Vaughn, Dan Hoffman & Liz Lyndell)
Countrypolitan cowgirl Liz Lindell started cutting records in the late 'Seventies made her first big splash as a duet partner for Nashville's Del Reeves. She signed to the Koala label and enjoyed modest success with a few of her singles -- Lyndell had a bright, girlish voice reminiscent perhaps of Donna Fargo or Brenda Lee, and she fit in nicely with the slick, bouncy production style of the time.
Del Reeves "Here's Del Reeves" (Playback Records, 1986) (LP)
Del Reeves "Gospel" (King Records, 1996)
Del Reeves "I'll Take My Chances" (EMC Records, 1998)
Del Reeves "I'm Gonna Sing My Songs For Jesus" (King/Gusto Records, 2007)
