Les Aanderud & The Country Rock Shop "Simple Lovin' Man" (LEA Productions/Sundance Sounds, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Les Aanderud & Rick Foltz)
Originally from Minot, North Dakota, singer-guitarist Leslie Aanderud (d. 2012) and his wife Ethel were living in Southern California when they recorded this album, Mr. Aanderud having moved to Anaheim in the late '70s to work in the defense industry. Like many twangsters, Aanderud started out as a rocker: in his teens, he toured with a Texas-based garage band called the Tracers, which toured regionally and had considerable success in the late 'Sixties, notably with the local popularity of their single "She Said Yeah." By the early 'Seventies, though, Aanderud was ready for some twang, and started a band called The Country Rock Shop after moving back to North Dakota in 1972. This album is mostly full of original material, with the exception of a few cover tunes, including Leroy Van Dyke's "Auctioneer," "Words" by the Bee Gees, and Marty Robbins' weeper, "You Gave Me A Mountain." Most of the SoCal sidemen are unfamiliar names, though pedal steel player Blackie Taylor rings a bell... Aanderud's originals include "I Just Can't Stop Myself," "Simple Lovin' Man," "Lonely Eyes," and one called "Country Boogie." As far as I know, this was his only album...

Allen Abajian "Forever And A Day" (White Saddle Music, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Allen Abajian, Jay Lacy, Gary Rowles, Lawrence W. Wendelken)
An all-original set by the self-proclaimed "Armenian Cowboy," Allen Abajian, of Sherman Oaks, California. All the songs were written or co-written by Abajian, some of 'em with his wife Alice Abajian and a few other collaborators. Originally from Chicago, Abajian played folk music as a kid, moved into country, and also moved out to LA, where he became friends with steel player Red Rhodes, who plays on this album and helped steer Abajian's musical career. Abajian later created the stage name "J. D. Allen" (because for some reason people had trouble pronouncing his real name, despite Armenian being a phonetical language) and also performed with his wife Alice using a few different names for their duo. Alice Abajian passed away in 2000, and J. D. Allen shifted gears away from secular country into singing strictly gospel material, albeit with plenty of twang. He's recorded several other albums under that name, including Windy City Cowboy, Out Of Our Hands, and Heaven Is My Home. The tracks on this album seem to have been recorded over the course of several years, at different studios between 1976 and 1985. In addition to Rhodes playing steel on several tracks, the backing musicians included producer Gary Rowles (who made some records of his own) and Herb Pedersen, who sings backup vocals on a track or two.

Allen Adams "The Better Life" (Kay-Lou Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Jacquline Adams, Manuel Alvarez & Gary Sloan)
A really cool album with a very understated, stripped-down feel and some very interesting material, delivered in a unique, discursive style that kinda reminds me of Dick Feller. Although he born in Oklahoma, Allen R. Adams moved out to California when he was still quite young, along with his family, which included his brother Charles, who also played country music. The Allens settled down in Eureka and may have done some local shows, though I suspect just on an informal basis... This album was recorded in the Central Valley, at Manny Alvarez's studio in Visalia, with backing by drummer Rick Burr, Max Denning (fiddle), Paul Dobbs (steel guitar), Eddie Sartuche Jr. (guitar), and Ron Schendel on keyboards. These guys all seem to have been from the San Joaquin Valley, notably steel player Dobbs, a Fresno-based picker who did session work with folks like Dennis Payne as well as local gospel artists such as the Gospelaires. I'm not sure if Mr. Allen also lived in the Valley at the time, or if driving down to Visalia was just easier than looking for a studio closer to home... At any rate, there wasn't much info about Mr. Adams to be found online, though I think we was still living up in Eureka pretty recently, though this seems to have been his only recording. Honestly? I think this is a great record. Very personal, very guieless and sincere, and packing with distinctive material, the kind of tunes that tug at your mind just around the time the last chorus is about to fade away. If I had a label, this is one I would reissue.

Pappy Adams "My Kind Of Country" (Ropes Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Adams & Gary Denton)
Though this was recorded on a Hollywood label, songwriter Gary T. Adams sings convincingly on the title track of having grown up in California's Great Central Valley, "where Fresno was the big time" and the Bakersfield Sound loomed large on the horizon. That apparently autobiographical tune is the most country (and most enjoyable) track on this album, which quickly descends into the sort of thin, rinky-dink production style that was rampant in the early '80s, particularly in the somewhat jaded, coke-fueled Los Angeles music business demimonde, where you could always find some musicians somewhere to help you make a record, but nobody took sessions seriously unless it was some kind of big, slick, major label deal. Despite a promising start, this album devolves into a series of indifferent arrangements, populated with tinkly keyboards and synths, generic rhythm tracks and on one tune, "Guitar King," is packed with that really godawful shrill, tinny rock guitar style that -- for some reason -- dominated in a certain strata of 'Eighties pop. Although the production was super-generic, they nonetheless found a way for these prefab arrangements to overpower Pappy Adams' vocals, perhaps because they had little faith in his plainspoken, homespun delivery -- which is a shame because I sense that he could have thrived and made a much better record if he'd made it pretty much anywhere other than MTV-era LA. Listening charitably, you can pick up on hints of Leon Redbone or Jerry Jeff Walker in certain songs, and perhaps less favorably the folkie singer-songwriter pretensions of Townes Van Zandt... Some of the tracks were promising, though others were disastrously anchored in the style the times. Adams penned all the songs on this album, with one ("Johnny's Job") co-written with Burton Carey and another (the super-sappy "Final Touches") with Elmer Garten, which closes the album out. He's backed by a band that included pedal steel player Red Rhodes, along with a slew of more obscure SoCal players, with co-producer Gary Denton playing drums and guitar... This set was recorded in Van Nuys, California, though I couldn't find out much more about this guy. You don't have to run right out and look for this one at your local Record Hut, but some of y'all might find it worth a spin.

Mistress Mary (Afton) "Housewife" (Afton Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Mary Afton)
An ambitious, wonderfully flawed outsider-art album apparently self-released in 1969 by Southern California musical indie auteur Mary Afton. It's not all country, although the opening track, "And I Didn't Want You," is a great twangtune where a tremulous, angst-ridden Ms. Afton displays a striking vocal likeness to Lucinda Williams. Soon after, though, she starts to channel more pop-oriented contemporaries such as Nancy Sinatra and Margo Guryan, with maybe just a touch of the Shaggs in the mix as well. Admittedly, this album requires a bit of charity on the part of modern listeners, but I agree with others that Ms. Afton shouldn't be considered a joke artist -- more like she was few decades ahead of her time, but had limited resources when she DIY'd this highly unusual record. There's plenty of ear-bending accidental glory on here, notably on the second track, "Dance Little Girl," a wildly warped take on the Carole King/Brill Building sound where the shrill backing music anticipates a lot of the lo-fi experimentation of the 1990s and beyond. The backing band is said to include country-rock luminaries such as steel player Carl Walden and guitarist Clarence White, who graft a Byrds-y style onto her kooky meanderings, while the satirical back cover liners portray Ms. Afton as an indolent, lingerie-clad stereotypical "bored housewife" of the era. Afton pressed a few hundred copies of this album and sent many of them out to radio stations and press, though after it (not surprisingly) tanked, she shifted gears and pursued a few feminist-oriented career paths (including self-defense instructor and auto mechanic/teacher) before finding her most profitable niche as an aerobic disco-dance teacher. Naturally, this album was reissued in 2016 -- with bonus tracks and informative liner notes -- and while it seems too good to be real, it is an amazing, authentic relic of the hippie era. Not that easy to listen to, but really kind of brilliant.

Dennis Agajanian/The Agajanians -- see artist profile

Singin' Sam (Agins) "Singin' Sam's Saddlebag Of Songs" (Haywire Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Sam Agins)
Straight-up cowboy music from a fella who grew up in Corona, California, in the hills up above Anaheim. Agins says he learned country and old-timey tunes from migrant workers who came to the area during the Dust Bowl when he was a kid, then devoted himself to cowboy culture, gathering and writing songs that he performed at various gatherings, including a 1971 folk festival in Montreal, Canada that was organized by the Smithsonian Institution. This album appears to have been completely self-produced; it's not clear if some of these songs were his own originals. It has to be said, Mr. Agins is kind of a rough hewn, even somewhat erratic vocalist, though perhaps this will translate favorably for listeners in search of unaffected, unpretentious "real people" artists. He certainly seems like he quite a character!

Singin' Sam (Agins) "Singin' Sam And Friends" (Haywire Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Sam Agins)
Another set of eccentric acoustic oldies, with covers of chestnuts such as "The Cat Came Back," "Good Old Mountain Dew," "Had But Fifty Cents," "Philadelphia Lawyer" and "Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine," along with more obscure campfire songs like "Cowboy Nick," "Iron Pants Pete" and "Peon Named Pancho." Sam Agins sings and plays guitar on all tracks, accompanied by Len Bacon on guitar, Kirk Opyt (guitar) and Joe Wolverton (mandolin), as well as Californian banjo picker Jim Hawkins playing on one track. The most notable of these sidemen was Mr. Wolverton (1906-1994) a veteran hillbilly performer originally from Chicago who is said to have taught Les Paul how to play guitar(!) and who led his own cowboy trio out West in his later years. (It's possible that the other guys were part of Wolverton's California band, though I haven't confirmed that yet...) As far as I know this was Mr. Agins' last album...

Tony & Susan Alamo "Mister DJ" (Alamo Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Dan Hoffman)
Here's a weird one. The Alamos were Pentecostal evangelicals whose born-again ministry devolved over the years into a full-blown cult, part of which involved polygamy, and more disturbingly, Mr. Alamo "marrying" underage girls and imprisoning them in a compound in Arkansas. Starting out in Los Angeles as "Jesus freaks" in the late 'Sixties, the Alamos were only moderately weird up until Mrs. Alamo died in 1982, and then Mr. Alamo really went off the rails and his behavior became more extreme and more grotesque. He was eventually arrested in the early 1990s and eventually convicted for tax evasion and for child molestation, and died in federal prison in 2017. Despite this checkered history, though, this late-'70s album is actually fairly good in musical terms. The cover art shows them onstage with Porter Wagoner at the Opry, so that got my attention: he wrote a testimonial for them in the liner notes, and if Porter liked 'em and sang on their record, I figured I oughta check them out. The album is all Christian music, and the title track, "Mister DJ," is sung by a guy who wants the local radio station to spin "The Old Rugged Cross." Other tracks may have been recorded earlier in non-country versions -- anyone know for sure? Anyway, it's all Jesus-y but there's decent twang in there, too. Super-icky back-story, for sure, but it's up to you how or if those later events should color your perception of this old album.

Susie Allanson -- see artist discography

The Allen Brothers Band "Live From The Sail Inn Lounge" (Arkay Custom Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Rich Krueger)
Ultra-authentic bar-band/lounge act country from this clean-cut California combo... The Allen brothers, Jack and Russ, were originally from Decatur, Illinois, moving to California in the early 1960s and forming their first band in '68, although it was put on hold for a few years while Russ Allen served a tour of duty in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Jack Allen and his wife Linda came up with the cash to purchase the Sail Inn Lounge, a bar in Santa Cruz, CA, which is where this album was recorded. You can really hear the ambience of the room, with happy, tipsy customers chat-shouting during the set and whooping their applause... The band was amateurish but sincere, mainly a guitar-based lineup with some fairly haphazard pedal steel licks in the mix. (Steel player Ernie Hagar mainly played gigs around the central coast, though he had a brief, early 'Seventies gig with the Commander Cody band, and also recorded a couple of instrumental albums under his own name.) Here, the Allen Brothers played a few rock tunes -- Santana's "Evil Ways," a couple of Creedence covers ("Down On The Corner" and "Proud Mary," of course) and a semi-funky version of the Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman." Mostly though, they seem to have been devoted to country stuff, with versions of "Six Days On The Road," "Night Life," "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" and a lively version of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" where Russ Allen shows some real chops on the banjo. The Sail Inn Lounge changed hands (and names) several times before the property was eventually purchased by the county and converted into the Live Oak branch of the local public library... Although toddler storytime is probably the big show there now, I'm sure many a mellow night was spent at the old bar, back in the days.

Johnny Allen & Norm Halsey "I'm A Real Live Cowboy" (Pamrae Records, 1981)
(Produced by Drew Palmer & Ralph Stover)
A fairly strained set of uptempo country novelty songs. Recorded in Stockton, California, this album starts out okay, with the title track, "I'm A Real Live Cowboy," a frantic, twangy satirical jab similar to Chuck Wagon & The Wheel's "Disco Sucks," but taking aim at the urban cowboy crowd instead of the pop-dance scene. As an opening number, it's an okay novelty song, but there are diminishing returns after that. The humor quickly starts sounding more and more desperate, the musicianship more hurried and frayed at the ends, and less and less country. There's a blaring, saxophone-led '50s rock-style number that literally made me get up and move the needle to another track, and the album eventually terminates with a couple of real stinkers -- a bizarre, bad, rock-flavored number called "The Toll Troll," and its immediate reprise, "Toll Troll Dance," which I guess they meant to sound like some kind of faux-electronica/industrial anti-song(?) The swift devolution of what started out as a "Junk Food Junkie"-level comedy record leaves you feeling disappointed, and with the distinct impression that these guys maybe should have just made a single, and left it at that. All local musicians, though, including guitarist Dave Azevedo, Jeff Baker (drums), Bobby Davis (banjo), Wes Jones (saxophone), Bobby Niemeyer (pedal steel), Tim O' Connor (fiddle) and Mike Wood on piano. Maybe worth having on your radar, but not a record you're likely to return to very often.

Rags Allen/Various Artists "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" (Crown Records, 1970-?) (LP)
One of the innumerable budget-label "soundalike" albums that came out in the 1960s and '70s on SoCal cheapo label Crown Records, as well as Crown's many competitors... This set features keyboard player Rags Allen, a SoCal stalwart (though they misspelled his last name) as well as Jimmy Lloyd, Moe Mostad, Lynn Russell and Tom Van Noy. Unusually for this label, they listed all the musicians separately, though it's not clear if they were all playing in one band together (most likely) or if perhaps this was one of the Crown LPs that gathered together tracks that originally came out on obscure 45s. Although the album's appeal hangs on their cover of Kris Kristofferson's 1970 hit, "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," all the other songs appear to be originals: Crown would often book second-tier country pickers to record cover versions for these albums, and let them contribute their own songs as filler. Rags Allen had a long career, both as a backing musician and as a headliner at lounges in the Southwest (see below). Jimmy Lloyd and Lynn Russell seem to have worked together for several years on the Southern California indie-twang scene, appearing years later in a band called The Sound Company, which recorded a live album at the Brandin' Iron country bar, sometime around 1979. (Any additional info about their partnership is certainly welcome. Also, Jimmy Lloyd recorded at album of his own on Crown, pretty much at the same time as this one: there are folks who that say Jimmy Lloyd was a pseudonym for '50s country-rocker Jimmie Lodgsdon, though I'm not sure that's the case: the guys pictured on the Sound Company album don't look all that old...) The other two guys are pretty elusive; Moe Mostad seems to have posted a few tracks on various websites during the digital era, including a download version of this album under his own name, but I couldn't find any biographical info about him, or Mr. Van Noy.

Reb Allen "Country Hits" (Alshire/Somerset Records, 19--?) (LP)
Not sure which of these Reb Allen album's came out first, though this one may have come later. In addition to a cover of "Folsom Prison Blues," a lot of this looks like original material, though as with many of these cheapo discs, there are no songwriter credits, or musician credits. The album was released on a couple of different imprints, both associated with the Los Angeles-based Alshire label.

Reb Allen "The Fightin' Side Of Me" (Crown Records, 1970-?) (LP)
A California-based also-ran, singer Reb Allen released several singles over a span of years, some of which are reprised here. Although he recorded a bit of uptempo twang in his time -- notably his own bouncy rocker called "Go Back To Your Honky Tonk" -- these tracks are mostly pretty languid and low-energy. Dunno much about this guy, though obviously he got into the orbit of the cheapie budget label scene... As with all these Crown LPs, it's not clear who the backing musicans may have been, or when the sessions were recorded.

Terry Allen -- see artist profile

Dave Alvin -- see artist profile

American Flyer "American Flyer" (United Artists, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by George Martin)
Songwriter Eric Kaz is well-known to fans of the early Bonnie Raitt canon as the composer of the epic weeper, "Love Has No Pride," which he recorded himself while in this soft-rock ensemble formed with Craig Fuller (formerly the lead singer of Pure Prairie League) along with Doug Yule, who at the time had recently helmed the teetering, post-Lou Reed Velvet Underground... This falls more into ornate soft-rock territory than I'd prefer - very '70s, very slick, very LA. But then again, that may be exactly what you're looking for, right?

American Flyer "Spirit Of A Woman" (Columbia Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Friesen & American Flyer)

Anita Anderson "Busted Love" (Dusspri Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by J'Sue LaRue)
Independently produced would-be Top Forty, early '80s style. Slick but still low-rent enough to be appealing. I couldn't find any info about this bright-voiced gal online... This disc was released on a label from Hollywood, California, with backing by guitar picker Al Bonhormme, Brad Felton on pedal steel, drummer Clay Lowder and Arnold Mitchum on bass. Not a usual-suspects crew by any means, but they were all competent, professional musicians and the songs were similarly workmanlike and commercially-oriented. Anderson's voice seems a bit too girlish and thin -- she sounds like she may actually have been a teenager -- but still you could imagine that with more robust production, she coulda been a contender. This doesn't really wow me, but it ain't bad.

Jim Anderson & The Cheyenne Bodie Band "Dreams" (Mom Records, 1987) (LP)
Not a ton of info about these Northern California DIY-sters. I don't think vocalist Jim Anderson was a member of the Cheyenne Bodie Band, but rather had them backing him on this disc, although both Anderson and the Bodie Band were making music way up in Redding, CA dating at least back as far as the late 1970s. The group was named after Clint Walker's character in the 1960's TV show, Cheyenne; they stayed together as a local jam band well into the twenty-first century, with the members on this album including Rick Harter (bass), Tom Nash (drums), Barney Paul (lead guitar), Sam Sloan (fiddle) and Robert Lee Smith on guitar. Jim Anderson's background is a little harder to pin down; he recorded at least one single back in the 1970s(?) but it seems like that was more of a rock thing. Not sure how "country" to consider this disc, either, but it sure is local!

Liz Anderson -- see artist discography

Lynn Anderson -- see artist discography

Pete Anderson -- see artist discography

Angel "Down At Johnny's" (Angel Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Angel & Bob Wurster)
Not a ton of info about this one... The mononymic "Angel" seems to have been a California gal with a penchant for classic country music -- singing oldies like "He Taught Me To Yodel," "Talk Back Trembling Lips," "I Thought I Heard You Calling My Name" and "Waltz Across Texas" and newer stuff such as "Satin Sheets" and early 'Eighties hits like Dolly Parton's "9 To 5," and "Somebody's Knocking," from Terri Gibbs. There's no address or other geographical info, though this seems to have been recorded in Los Angeles, with a studio crew of little-known pickers, including Richard Kane (fiddle and guitar), Debbie Pomeroy (drums), Don Swigert (guitar) and Johnny White (bass and pedal steel); the keyboard player, Jay Spell was the only one who's career I could track, and he had done a lot of session work with various country and soul artists, and notably was a member of Richard Torrance's backing band Eureka, which had a vaguely Joe Walsh-like southern rock sound. Otherwise, this is mostly a mystery disc. (Any info is welcome!)

Darol Anger -- see artist profile

Any Old Time String Band "Any Old Time String Band" (Bay Records, 1978, 1980)
This San Francisco Bay Area ensemble was one of the most charming -- and accomplished -- of the late -'70s string band revivalists. The 1996 CD reissue combines two LPs originally released in 1978 and 1980, and features their lovely version of the melodic oldie, "I'll See You In C-U-B-A," originally a hit for vaudeville star Billy Murray way back in 1920. The lineup changed between albums, but Kate Brislin and Sue Draheim were core members of the band, along with Genny Haley on guitar... and their sense of "old-time" music, including old-time jazz and Tin Pan Alley material, was right on the button. Very sweet and highly recommended.

Any Old Time "Ladies' Choice" (Bay Records, 1983) (LP)

Billy Armstrong "The World's Greatest Fiddle Player" (Hillside Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Franer & Dean Kay)
West Coast fiddle whiz Billy Armstrong was originally from Illinois, but made his mark on the Southern California music scene playing in western groups such as the Frontiersmen that were associated with Hal Southern and his cowboy clique, and may have work with some of the Bakersfield bands of the early 1960s. He notably held down a stint as a member of The Sons Of The Pioneers, circa 1966-72, and recorded with the Sons on their albums, including a one-off record as The Country Hombres, which was basically several members of the Sons acting as a pickup band for producer Cliffie Stone. Armstrong seems to have been part of the SoCal nightclub scene, recording with several members of the Palomino Club's house band, including this solo album, which features steel guitarist Jay Dee Maness along with other Palomino alums such Larry Booth and Red Wooten, as well as hot-shot session guitarist Al Bruno. Billy Armstrong is perhaps best known for his thirteen-year run as the Country Music Association's fiddler of the year, a hot streak that earned him the nickname "the world's greatest fiddle player," and is memorialized on these indie instrumental albums. (Note: he also toured in England, and this album was simultaneously released in the UK as Mister Fiddle, on Westwood Records.)

Billy Armstrong "Billy, Don't Sell Your Fiddle" (Hillside Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Franer)
Another sweet set packed with vocal tunes as well as instrumental numbers galore. The backing band once again includes several Palomino Club alumni, such as Norm Cass on guitar, pedal steel master Jay Dee Maness, Cliff Stone's son, Curtis Stone on bass, and singer Ray Sanders. As with the album above, this was also released the same year on Westwood Records, using the same title.

Billy Armstrong "A Man And His Fiddle" (Hillside Records, 1979) (LP)

Billy Armstrong "The Best Of Billy Armstrong, Volume One" (Hillside Records, 1980) (LP)

Billy Armstrong "Melody Ranch Featuring Billy Armstrong" (Polera Records, 1980-?) (LP)
Though he completely dropped off the radar in the early 'Eighties, this album seems to suggest that for a while he was working at Gene Autry's Melody Ranch film studio/dude ranch. The trail grows cold on Armstrong after this, with a few folks who worked with him posting online queries about his whereabouts. The most recent mention I could find was a 1982 news clipping about Armstrong headlining a six-piece band for a gig at a PGA celebrity golf tournament... after that, nothing. Any addition info about his career is welcome!

Francis B. Ashby "Ashby Country" (High Sierra Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Rich Price)
I guess I'd file this one under the "you never know, do you?" department. When I first heard this record in the late '80s, I didn't think it was that great -- maybe I donated it to my radio station or something. But coming across it again years later, deep in the throes of my '70s hippiebilly mania, I could finally hear what a great record this is... Francis Ashby was a West Coast country fan who herded together a mix of old-timers and longhair pickers to back him on a dozen of his own original songs, many of which are quite good... The record opens with "Welfare," a modern-day working-man's ballad that has a Merle Haggard feel, but slightly more liberal leanings -- the liner notes talk about Ashby's own bout with chronic unemployment, so while the song is gritty, it's also compassionate. Various heart songs, train songs and honkytonk numbers follow, with passionate, razor-sharp lyrics. This San Francisco session was helmed by local cowpoke Rich Price, who later recorded for the same label, but unlike Price -- who got a bunch of high-power Nashville superpickers to back him -- Ashby's band seems to have been little-known locals, and they really put a lot into their performance... This is one of the stronger hard-country indiebilly albums of the era, a little idiosyncratic and rough around the edges, but definitely worth checking out. An energetic, original off-the-radar '70s country album.

Asleep At The Wheel -- see artist profile

Jim Austin "Live In The Desert" (Malea Records, 1973-?) (LP)
Longhair country from... "the desert"? Which desert?? Where? When?? There's an awful lot that's sincerely cool about this album, especially its laid-back, low-rent, unpretentious vibe. The lanky, bearded, denim-clad Mr. Austin on the blurry front cover sure looks like some Waylonesque country outlaw, but in fact this is a simple, back-to-basics set with old-guy sounding vocals that evoke Hank Snow as much as Willie Nelson. The liner notes aren't completely forthcoming about where Mr. Austin was from, though the cover shows him hanging around outside the Branding Iron Steak House, which as it turns out was located in Indio, California, out near Palm Springs. In order to that find out, though, you have to listen to the whole album and to all of Mr. Austin's laconic stage patter, which is embedded within two album-side long tracks which, charmingly, have crude tape edits though no separate tracks. The more I listen to this record, the more I like it. Late in the set, the singer introduces the boys in the band -- by first name only -- with onstage shout-outs to bass player Russ, drummer Terry, and guitarist Tommy. He also lets the audience in on a little secret, that the band had barely rehearsed his original songs. This may help explain the loose-limbed feel throughout -- which, by the way, I think is an absolute strength. Nothing flashy, nothing dazzling, just a humble hired band doing their best to back up an ambitious amateur. There's mention on the back cover of Austin have worked with (or having been known by) folks like Jimmy Bryant, Randy Harris, and Doug McGinnis, though it's unclear where or when this might have happened. Doesn't really matter, though. The play's the thing, and for my money, this is a really great album. And if I ever get around to putting out an album of this kind of stuff, the closing track, "Testing, 1-2-3" is right at the top of my list.

Kay Austin "The Hit Kit" (Corrall Records, 1977) (LP)
A country gal from Southern California, Kenne Jeanne Austin made a big splash in the early 'Seventies and worked with several pioneers of the West Coast country scene, notably Bakersfield-ians Fuzzy Owens and Red Simpson. She originally came from Long Beach and mostly worked the casinos in Nevada, making it onto the Opry stage in Nashville at least once (there's a picture on the back cover of her other album...) She led her own band for several years, touring mostly on the West Coast, but also nationally in the mid-1970s, after she hit the scene as a "promising new artist" in 1974. In addition to these two LPs, Ms. Austin also released several singles, including the 1976 novelty song, "(This New) Woman's Lib," which doesn't appear on either of her albums. Austin also earned a footnote in the soul world as one of the handful of country and pop artists signed to Mike Curb's "MC" label, an ill-fated, country-oriented offshoot of Motown Records that seems to have pressed several records that were never actually released. Austin plugged away on the country scene for about a decade before switching gears to become a Southern Gospel artist in the early 'Eighties.

Kay Austin "Only A Woman" (EIO Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Boles, Ray Ruff & Don Lee)
Unlike her first album, this one is less reliant on cover songs, packed instead with newer material, including -- interestingly enough -- a couple of songs by Linda Hargrove. This includes two tracks from her short-lived MC Records contract, as well as four songs that came out as singles on EIO. Two of the songs that were released as singles made it into the Billboard Back Forty, "The Rest Of Your Life" (which hit #86) and "Two Hearts Beat (Better Than One)" (which peaked at #75.)

Back Pocket "Buzzard Bait" (Joyce Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Pat Robinson & Pat Maroshek)
A one-off collaboration with various Southern California pickers, this band was led by songwriter Pat Robinson, who wrote all the material and sang lead in an amiable, lightly nasal twang that occasionally takes on a fragility that's suggestive of Neil Young. Also on board were the core members of the early '70s country-rock band, Swampwater -- guitarist John Beland, fiddler Gib Guilbeau and steel player Thad Maxwell -- as well as bluegrasser Larry McNeely picking banjo, and drummer Pat Maroshek, who I think was considered the band's co-leader with Robinson. The music is light, bouncy, bubblegummy country-rock material similar to some early Eagles recordings or the airier side of the Byrds -- kinda lightweight and lighthearted, but decent for the genre and a fine example of what the twangsters were up to at the time. This band never really went anywhere, but the album's worth checking out if you're a big fan of the late-vintage Burrito Brothers, or just SoCal country-rock in general. (And dig the so-very SoCal liner notes dedication to Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard... groovy, man!!)

The Bakersfield Five "Buckaroo" (Alshire Records, 1969-?) (LP)
One of the more blatant rip-off records in the "soundalike" genre... even by the Alshire label's somewhat fungible standards. I mean, Buck Owens and his band were really a brand name, and Alshire really went out of their way to make this look like a Buckaroos album. Granted many of the (sadly) unidentified musicians on this exploito-album may have played in Buck's band at one time or another, and doubtless they were recruited from the longhair country-rock scene of the Palomino Club which fostered pickers such as Dennis Payne and Jerry Inman, although no one is identified by name on the jacket. There are a handful of Owens covers -- "Act Naturally," "Buckaroo," "Crying Time," "Tiger By The Tail" and "Together Again" -- but as is often the case with these cheapo packages it's the original material that may be of more interest. This disc includes several tracks credited to Maverick Music-BMI, though, alas, no specific composer credits. This we get several tunes vaguely in the Don Rich style: "Buckshot," "Dodad," "Someone," "Tool Pusher" and "The Whizer." If you think the California Poppy Pickers were groovy, you might dig this disc, too.

Luke Baldwin "The Tattoo On My Chest" (Flying Fish Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Luke Baldwin, Tom Mitchell, Tony Markellis & Michael Couture)
A classic 'Seventies hippiebilly/outlaw album from a guy who was pals with latterday hobo-poets Utah Phillips and Bodie Wagner, and had David Bromberg and Jay Ungar jamming with him on this disc... Luke Baldwin was originally a Michigander, and like many folks of his era, he wound up heading West and was part of the mid-'70s SF Bay Area's music scene. Before that he was a politico and poet, doing draft counseling for college-age kids and other political work. He worked odd jobs during the '70s but eventually returned to school, getting a doctorate from Harvard and becoming an expert on literacy and childhood development issues. Folk fans may recognize Baldwin for having written the liner notes to Utah Phillips' Good Though album, and Mr. Phillips returns the favor here, lauding Baldwin as a hippie-era Renaissance man and kindred spirit. As far as I know, this was the only album he recorded... though I'd be pleased to hear about any other albums he played on.

Banana & The Bunch "Mid-Mountain Ranch" (Raccoon Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Stuart Kutchins)
A truly groovy solo album by keyboardist Lowell "Banana" Levinger, an original member of The Youngbloods... Here, he indulges a passion for old-time mountain music, ala The Carter Family, including a gorgeous version of "Ocean Of Diamonds." The understated simplicity and sincere love of this old-time sound makes this a really special little record. Levinger also cut an album under the name Noggins, but I haven't heard that one yet...

Bandera "Knights" (MCA Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Leon Tsilis & Pat Higdon)
A little-known Southern rock band formed by California-born jack-of-all-trades Lawrence Shoberg (aka Lore Orion) who started the band while struggling in late-'70s Nashville. These guys tried to go national but fell short, despite signing with MCA and recording their lone album, which is pretty much just a rock record. There isn't much country in their sound, which is mainly build around shrill vocals, a sludgy rhythm section and Allman-esque twin guitars that rarely show a glimmer of originality or a distinctive tone. Fans of .38 Special or Rossington/Collins, et. al., might enjoy this rather workmanlike album, but nothing here really moved me. One of the band's principal songwriters, Lore Orion, was also a visual artist who apparently designed album covers for the New Riders Of The Purple Sage (as well as the one for this album) and also wrote children's books before concentrating on music. He had modest success pitching songs in Nashville, initially with a Top Ten hit for Bill Anderson in 1976 ("That's What Made Me Love You") and again after Bandera broke up, when Chris Ledoux and Tim McGraw covered a few tunes (though nothing that wound up as a single...) One of these songs, "Illegal," is on this album in its original form as a sort of clunky redneck reggae. All in all, a pretty negligible disc, but the iceberg-tip of a remarkable career. Footnote: although Orion wasn't actually from Bandera, TX, he did wind up moving there, following the "outlaw" trail to Austin and putting down roots nearby.

Rue Barclay & Johnny Davis "The Wanderer" (Rural Rhythm Records, 1968-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jim O'Neal)

Rue Barclay "The Nashville Scene: Working Man Blues And Other Country and Western Favorites" (Crown Records, 1969) (LP)
This is kind of a weird and wonderful record, one of the unique byproducts of the fly-by-night ethos of cheapo labels such as Crown Records which issued innumerable knockoff albums alongside odd offerings by little-known artists like Rue Barclay. Unlike many such albums, this one doesn't highlight sketchy of covers of hits of the day: other than a cover of Merle Haggard's "Working Man Blues," the material seems to be mostly original, with kooky permutations of familiar country themes (boozing, losing, etc.) What makes this record really great, though, is its innate not-greatness: Barclay was best known as a bluegrass music producer, and was a dubious vocalist at best, his singing full of all kinds of tics and foibles. Consequently, the band behind him just kind of goes nuts, jamming and improving noodly rock'n'roll riffs like they scored this weird gig but they just didn't care how it turned out. Like many of these old LPs, the band was made up of unidentified, anonymous studio pickers and doubtless included some top country-rock talent - there's a definite hippie-rock undercurrent to a lot of their electrified twanging around. In short, this disc has a nice, so-bad-it's-good flavor to it, and it's definitely worth a spin, both for laughs and for genuine country twang. As seen below, Rue Barclay continued to perform and recorded at least one more album, although by that time he'd shifted to a less secular style.

Rue Barclay "Country And Folk Gospel Songs" (Christian Faith Records, 19--?) (LP)

Alvis Barnett -- see artist discography

Skip Battin "Skip" (Signpost Records, 1972) (LP)
Bassist Clyde "Skip" Battin made his mark as a core member of several early-'70s lineups of the Byrds, and kept up his country-rock bona fides as a member of the equally fluid New Riders of the Purple Sage and Flying Burrito Brothers. This was Battin's solo debut, an oddball cosmic country-rock album, with contributions from guitarist Clarence White and Roger McGuinn of the Byrds. The musical end I like, though I can't say I'm a fan of Battin's vocals, which make it hard to really enjoy the record as such. Battin worked frequently with LA scenester and rock uber-weirdo Kim Fowley, and Fowley helped shape this album in his own unique way.

Skip Battin "Topanga Skyline" (Floating World Records, 2012)
(Produced by Kim Fowley)
Originally recorded in 1973, this would turn out to be Battin's great "lost album," a session booked with the progressive bluegrass band Country Gazette, along with pedal steel player Al Perkins. The project was apparently ill-starred, as it was scheduled for just days after the tragic death of guitarist Clarence White, a friend and collaborator of Battin's as well as the brother of the Gazette's Roland White, who was injured in the same automobile accident that killed Clarence. Despite all the bad karma, they went ahead and recorded the album, but it stayed in the vaults for almost thirty years; the 2012 CD release also includes some bonus tracks from an album recorded years later with Kim Fowley...

Baywood "Baywood" (Bison Records, 1981) (LP)
This 5-song EP showcased the early work of a short-lived but ambitious indiebilly band who I believe were from California.

Baywood "Live At The Palomino, '81" (Little Wheel Music, 2008)
Issued nearly 30 years after the fact, this fine live album captures an unusually accomplished indie-twang band playing their hearts out in one of LA's premier rock clubs. The band is pretty tight, executing some ambitious country-rock/AOR riffs and complex harmonies -- stuff that echoes the Southern California pop style of the mid-1970s, though perhaps a bit dated by '81. You could really almost imagine them making it big, except that, if the truth be told, the vocals hold them back. Their lead singer was clearly the driving force behind this band, but his gangly, unconventional vocal timbre makes this an un-commercial offering, even though it's also an excellent example of just how polished and skillful these local bands could become, while still hovering on the edge of success. Worth checking out, especially for the wealth of original material.

The Bear Spot "At The Grist Mill Inn" (Century Records, 19--?) (LP)
A real mystery disc from Northern California, this seems to be a celebration of the Grist Mill Inn, a restaurant in the tiny, secluded Sonoma County hamlet of Glen Ellen. The Grist Mill location was host to a long string of restaurants and night spots; this album's remarkably uninformative liner notes mention that the musicians were celebrating the tenure of owners Craig Murry and Judy Murray, who seem to have given up management of the Inn by the time this album was made. Anyway, it's an odd record. There is some canonically "country" material on here, such as a version of "Mr. Bojangles," though also covers of pop tunes like "Piano Man" and "If I Were A Rich Man," giving this a more deliberately lounge-scene orientation. I'll keep you posted. This seems to have come out around 1974-75, or thereabouts... The musicians are not identified, alas, although I do wonder if "The Bear Spot" band was a permutation of local Sonoma County band, Beargrease, led by Michael Hansen (1948-2016). It's a theory, though one which has not yet been verified.

Beau Brummels "Bradley's Barn" (Warner Brothers, 1968)
(Produced by Lenny Waronker)
A groovy country-tinged set from one of San Francisco's great garage-pop bands of the mid-1960s... This was the last album the group recorded in the '60s, as their hitmaking days faded and the group began drifting apart. Singer Sal Valentino guitarist Ron Elliott were essentially the only original members left, and they headed to Nashville to see if the Music City way of doing things would work for them. The duo booked sessions at Owen Bradley's studio, hiring a crew that included usual suspect superpickers such as Kenny Buttrey and Norbert Putnam, as well as hot-shot guitarist Jerry Reed, who adds some of his trademark chicken-pickin' licks. With the exception of a lone Randy Newman song at album's end, the songs are all originals, including several written along with longtime collaborator Bob Durand... This was the band's -Sixties swansong, with Sal Valentino going off to join the bluesier Stoneground, and Elliott doing session work in LA. A nice early milestone in the evolution of mainstream country-rock.

Terry Beck "Live At Bogart's" (TRB Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Woolsey, Jim Blasingame & Terry Beck)
A rough and rugged live album from a club in Long Beach, California where singer Terry Beck seems to have had a long-term residency. The set includes covers of "Aime," "Long Haired Country Boy," "Mr. Bojangles," "Two Horsemen" and "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald." Pretty darn Seventies, even if it was recorded a few years later!

Kathy Bee "Stings" (Erika Records, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by James H. Benoit, Michael Coleman & Bob Dire)
Off-brand, indie twang from Southern California's Kathy Bee, originally an Ohio gal who headed out West to make it big, and who gives off kind of a Loretta Haggers vibe on this album... This seems the very epitome of a private press vanity album (terrible title and all) although she summoned some legitimate twang, particularly on the album's uptempo single, "Let's Go Party," which hit #100 on the Billboard charts in 1988. This set was recorded at some slick, modern, second-tier studio in Claremont, California, with what I assume was a studio crew of hired hands... The name that caught my eye was that of legendary bluegrass fiddler Byron Berline, who turns in a solid performance, along with Pete Cooper on guitar, Roy Durnal (bass), Jay Farnes (saxophone), Joel Ferguson (pedal steel), Bill Henrich (drums), and arranger Andre Mayeaux on synthesizer. This album was preceded by a 1985 single (a topical tune about child abuse, called "Momma Don't You Love Me" b/w "Growin' Up Alone") and though neither of those songs appear here, the single provides a clue to Ms. Bee's background, giving a songwriter credit to "K. Benoit," which may have been her real name. Kathy Bee didn't stick with her music career, but went on to a long string of entrepreneurial projects which seem to fall mainly in the inspirational/motivational category ("dream catching," etc.) and has had a persistent online presence right up through the 2020s.

John Beland -- see artist discography

The Bend Fiddle Jammers "Jam" (Ashland Records, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Dugan)
A large community ensemble from the tiny agricultural hamlet of Bend, California, located on the Sacramento River, north of Chico. With about two dozen members performing on this album, the group was mostly made up of kids (though the age range was from seven to 70) with most musicians playing the fiddle, guided by folks on guitar, bass and mandolin, with a washboard for percussion. The repertoire is packed with old-timey/bluegrass standards ("Boil Them Cabbage Down," "Old Joe Clark," et. al.) and a smidge of western swing. By the end of the decade, the project had run its course, though in 1980 a new group came together, eventually coalescing into a smaller band called Loosely Strung, which performed locally in Shasta and Tehama counties. Pretty sure this was the only Jammers album, recorded sometime in the mid-to-late 'Seventies.

Johnny Bennett "Two Cheeseburgers And A Chocolate Malt" (Sierra Pacific Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Carl Walden & Johnny Bennett)
This album's got one of those "hassled by the cops" covers (a popular theme among country musicians) showing California cowboy Johnny Bennett getting pulled over on the front cover... and handcuffed next to his truck on the back! Bennett was living in Pomona, CA when he cut this album, and soon moved to Chino, where he sang on weekends at a joint called Joey’s Bar-B-Q -- a gig held for over thirty years(!) Along with a slew of original tunes, Bennett covers some big hits (and assorted cool tunes) from the early '80s, like Johnny Lee's "Looking For Love," Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again," and Guy Clark's "Heartbroke." The musicians seem to be SoCal locals, with major contributions from producer/multi-instrumentalist Carl Walden.

Johnny Bennett "Give Me Credit" (Sierra Pacific Records, 1986) (LP)
About half the songs on here are Bennett's own, framed by well-chosen, eclectic covers, with a tilt towards the croonier end of country -- Bob McDill's "Amanda," "Night Life," Ian Tyson's "Someday Soon," "Walk Through This World With Me." The originals include "Carolina Fever," "Give Me Credit," "The Same Dream" and one called "Cotton Eyed Joe." Bennett recorded several other albums and singles -- I'm still looking for the one that has his song, "If You’ve Got A Pickup, Then You’ve Got A Lot Of Friends," which seems like it'd be a classic.

Johnny Bennett "Face On The Barroom Floor" (Sierra Pacific Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Bennett, Morgan Cavett & Carl Walden)
One of those funny, hah-hah album titles that's even more amusing when you find out that the "face" in question was actually an old painting (pictured on the cover) that was left a bazillion years ago on an old barroom in California's gold country, up above Sacramento. Four songs are Johnny Bennett originals, including the title track and four others, "Ain't That Just Like A Memory," "Face On The Barroom Floor," "Secret To The Grave," and "Summer Of '41." Among the musicians backing Bennett on this album are fiddler Side Page and multi-instrumentalist Carl Walden. Not sure of the exact year of release, or if Bennett recorded other stuff after this came out.

Ron Bernard "Friends And Lovers" (Bridgewire Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Hutcherson, DeWayne Orender & Ron Bernard)
'80s indiebilly from the Fresno suburb of Clovis, California... Includes the locally-themed "Raisin City Blues," as well as a bunch of weepers such as "Why Can't Old Lovers Be Friends," "Every Time I Fall In Love, It Falls Apart" and "Pickin' Up The Pieces Of Me." (An interesting aside: this album was partly recorded at the Fresno-based Trac Recordings studio -- the same label that recorded the "Country Revolution" band in 1974.)

Bob Bernstein "Country Mobile Home Park" (Bob Bernstein Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Bernstein)
An all-original set from a Southern California indie twangster living in Vista, CA, near San Diego... Bernstein started playing in a duet with John Moore, who also sings lead on this album. It's a family affair throughout, with Bernstein's daughter, Jaqueline Carol Gordon, singing harmony, as well as Moore's sister Julie on a tune or two, and some steel guitar by Richard Craig and Tim Cook, and banjo by Dennis Caplinger, and picking and singing by various SoCal locals. All the songs are Bob Bernstein originals...

Wayne Berry "Home At Last" (RCA Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Norbert Putman)
I'm listing this one not so much because it really fits into the '70s country vibe I'm into, but because I keep seeing it mentioned as a lost country-rock gem, and I'm not so sure I agree. Apparently Berry was previously in a SoCal band called Timber and was pals with Tommy Talton, of the band Cowboy. Which all gives him country-rock cred, I guess, but a lot of this is just tepid, strained '70s soft rock. There are some pleasantly twangy tunes, though nothing I'd recommend you try too hard to track down: "Black Magic Gun," "Welcome Home" and "Gene's Tune (Blonde Guitar)" are about it for me. This was apparently a big studiofest, with heavy hitters such as Barry Beckett, Johnny Gimble and Pete Carr sitting in, as well as several guys from the Area Code 615 band, and some pedal steel on a few tracks, courtesy of Weldon Myrick. Worth checking out, I guess, but it didn't really float my boat.

Bethlehem "Bethlehem" (Maranatha Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Al Perkins & Tom Stipe)
An exemplary "Jesus freak" country-rock gospel album, one of the more musically convincing releases on the Southern California-based Maranatha label... Indeed, this slick, melodic set sounds like something that could have been released by superstar contemporaries such as Poco or America, just with a persistent religious message, lots of smooth vocal harmonies and smooth, super-professional musical arrangements, multi-tracked to a fare-thee-well by country-rock sideman Al Perkins and his earnest crew. The band was led by singer Danny Daniels, who was a pastor in the hippie-adjacent Vineyard movement, and apparently a founder of the Maranatha label (according to Discogs.) The shaggy-looking bros on the album cover also included drummer Dan McCleery, Dom Franco (dobro and steel guitar), John Falcone (bass), Randy Rigby on keyboards and lead guitar. All but two of the songs were originals credited to "Glenn Daniels" (apparently an alias for lead singer Danny Daniels) while steel player Dominic Franco sings the other two, which were both his own compositions. Various and sundry Maranatha-ites also chime in: Al Perkins strums some guitar, Richie Furay sings harmony, Furay's keyboard player Tom Stipe is one of the album's producers, etc. This album cuts both ways -- on one hand, the confident professionalism of the production makes this one of the better and more musically satisfying Jesus Movement country albums, though more secular-minded twangfans might find the evangelical messaging a bit cloying and narrowly focussed. Potato, patato, I guess.

Jan Bird "...Sings Down Home Sounds, With Ernie Hagar's Swingin' Steel" (Meagher Electronics/High Hopes Incorporated, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Meagher & Paul Smith)
Singer-guitarist Jan Bird was originally from Weed, California and she'd moved to Monterey and was playing gigs at the Highlands Inn, in Carmel at the time she cut this album. Local steel guitar whiz Ernie Hagar plays pedal steel and dobro on here, as well as arranging the album, with banjo by Bob Cameron and guitar and bass by Russ Allen. Bird balances a few folkie tracks like "Last Thing On My Mind" and "Fire And Rain" against a raft of country tunes -- stuff "Heartaches By The Number," "Cold Cold Heart" and "It's Such A Pretty World Today." Interesting song selection, and a cool cast of characters from California's Central Coast.

Debi Blackwood "Soulful Sounds" (Vision Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Leon Harris)
An unusual offering from Vision Records, a fierce little indie label from Modesto, California that captured some of the twangier sounds of the Central Valley's country gospel scene. I was first drawn to this album wondering if Debi Blackwood was related to the southern gospel Blackwood Brothers (don't think so) but then delighted to find another Vision LP. My sense of triumph was slightly dimmed by the record itself, which is stylistically distant from other releases on the label -- no pedal steel or mandolin here, but rather a strong tilt towards contemporary black pop-gospel, with several covers of Andre Crouch songs, and the spirit of Aretha Franklin hovering not far over Ms. Blackwood's expansive though uneven vocals. She had a strong set of pipes and could hit some great notes, but her sense of phrasing could get a little slippery... Besides which, this isn't really the kind of gospel music I'm into. Hailing from Blythe, California, in the desert area bordering Arizona, Ms. Blackwood was backed by Harold Bell (lead guitar), Danny Burchett (piano), Jimmy Harris (drums) and Danny Well on bass -- not sure if these were Central Valley or desert musicians, though most likely they were recruited by producer Leon Harris for these sessions.

Ric Blake "Something For Everyone" (Fifth Lane Room Record Company, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Kunshier & John Anderson)
This one looks a little sketchy, perhaps, with Side One dominated by '70s soft pop covers, ranging from "More Than A Woman" and "You Light Up My Life" (yikes) to Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," although B. J. Thomas's "Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" is getting a little closer. But hey, flip the platter and Side Two is packed with honest-to-gosh country hits, stuff like "For The Good Times," "Luckenbach, Texas," and "Long Tall Texan," so I guess we can give this guy a pass. A lounge performer, obviously, who played all the instruments himself. Not sure where Blake played live, though this album was recorded in LA, at the Annex Studios, in Hollywood, California.

Ric Blake & Karen "Dancers" (Trac Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
I assume this is the same Ric Blake as above, this time accompanied by a gal simply called "Karen," no last name given. They appear to be from California's Central Valley, recording this album at the legendary Trac studio, based in Fresno, though I couldn't find any information about either of them online. All the songs are Ric Blake originals, with one song co-written with Ed Leverette. The backing musicians aren't identified, other than lead guitar and pedal steel player Terry Christoffersen, who gets a credit on the back cover. No date on this album, or on the single ("Overnight Sensation") though this definitely looks like a mid-1980s effort, particularly Karen's big, mega-permed hair, which has a very Reba McEntire vibe. Ric Blake seems to have been active on the San Joaquin Valley roots music scene, with a thank-you mention on Ron Bernard's album, which was also produced by Stan Anderson. Anyone who has more info to offer, I'm all ears!

Johnny Blankenship "Hard On The Heart" (OL Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Don Felts)
A multi-instrumentalist who has had a longtime gig playing at Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California, Johnny Blankenship was also part of Johnny and Sharon Leighton's 1960s/'70s band(s). He cut this album for Overton Lee's ultra-obscuro label, recording a set that was mostly songs written by producer Don Felts, along with two by Blankenship, published through Lee's publishing company. Couldn't find much info about Blankenship (or this album) online, though I gather he's still holding down his day job at the Knott's Berry amusement park...

Leroy Blankenship "Call Him A Song" (Gospel Heritage Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Walters)

Leroy Blankenship "Retirement Plan" (Gospel Heritage Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Walters)
A country gospel set recorded in Nashville, with some Music City heavyweights such as Hoot Hester, Willie Rainford and Bruce Watkins helping fill out the sound alongside West Coast pickers like Alvis Barnett, Leroy Blankenship, producer Wayne Walters and a few of his family members. A few of the songs are originals, including two by Mr. Blankenship and one from Wayne Walters.

Blue Ridge Rangers "Blue Ridge Rangers" (Fantasy Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by John Fogerty)
Awesome!! After Creedence Clearwater Revival imploded, John Fogerty got so fed up with the fratricidal aspects of actually being in a band, that he promptly went off and recorded an album all by himself -- played all the instruments, picked all the tunes, multitracked the album, and totally rocked out. This is the result, a masterful set of country oldies, covering artists such as Jimmie Rodgers, Webb Pierce and Melvin Endsley, all with a jocular, rolling bounciness that can't help but win you over. He perfectly captures the wild tang and explosive bang of old-school, rock-meets-hillbilly blues of the 1950s and early '60s. This is a really fun record, the kind that makes you sing along every time you hear it. Fun stuff!!

Jimmy Boatright "What's His Face" (Rea Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Faron Young & Doug McDowell)
A likeable presence, if not totally an A-list singer, Southern California's Jimmy Boatright had solid hard-country roots and a clear love of traditional honky-tonk country. For several decades, Boatright and his wife Rea owned a popular country bar in the Los Angeles suburb of Agoura Hills, near Simi Valley. They bought the Quarter Horse Inn in 1974, after Mr. Boatright had led the house band there for several years. They changed the bar's name to Casa Rea in 1976 for insurance purposes, after a drunken cop shot someone one night, running it as a combination nightclub and Mexican restaurant. Somewhere along the way, he met country star Faron Young, who produced this album, with strong backing by an unidentified studio crew that I suspect may actually have included members of Faron Young's band, the Deputies. (The graphics on this LP cover resemble those of some of the Deputies' "solo" records...) Other than a cover of Harlan Howard's "Another Bridge To Burn," many of these songs are pretty obscure; a version of Billy Joe Shaver's "Black Rose" places this album sometime after 1973. The Boatrights sold their bar in 2001, and retired to Nevada.

Bobbi And Clyde "...And The Seaweed Cowboys" (BCS Records, 19--?) (LP)
The Southern California duo of Bobbi McGavran and Clyde Lucas worked in a wide variety of venues, including a stint as the house band at Knott's Berry Farm, gigs with various country rockers and later, work in film and TV. This album was made with Bill Cunningham and J. Scott Hendrickson, who wrote about half the songs on the album. Not sure of the year on this one, but I think it's of late 1970s vintage.

The Bonner Family "Finally" (Records & Productions, Inc., 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Russ Gary)
A family album by a country harmonizing family band from Rancho Cucamonga, California. Their father, Jim Bonner, was originally from Buffalo, NY where as a kid he worked playing piano in local groups such as Guy McAdams band, but he moved out West in the early '70s and settled down in San Bernardino County. He taught his kids how to play country music and they were eventually discovered by independent producer Overton Lee who got them gigs at Southern California venues such as the Mule Lip Saloon and the Palomino Club in Hollywood, as well as at county fairs and other events. The Bonners were kind of on a roll when they made this album, doing TV shows and recording at least one album... It looks like there's a lot of original material on this album, with several songs credited to "G. Davis."

Rob Bonner "Start All Over Again" (JVR Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Rob Bonner)
Songwriter Rob Bonner was part of the Sacramento, California folk/bluegrass/stringband scene, and has stalwarts such as Allan Hendricks and the South Loomis Quickstep band backing him, as well as Joe Craven playing mandolin on some songs. As far as I know this was his only album...

The Boogie Band "Haulin' Ass Bluegrass" (ECV Records, 1988)
(Produced by Brian Hauck)
Though they billed themselves as bluegrassers, this Northern California band enjoyed a pretty diverse palette, covering cowboy tunes and oldies such as "Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad," "Rocky Top," and the Stanley Brothers' "How The Mountain Girls Can Love," along with country and outlaw classics like Chuck Wagon & The Wheel's "My Girl Passed Out In Her Food," Rodney Crowell's "California Earthquake," "Ya'll Come Back Saloon" by the Oak Ridge Boys, and "London Homesick Blues" (mislabeled "Armadillo" on this album, and credited to Jerry Jeff Walker, rather than Gary P. Nunn). Heck, they even played Loudon Wainwright's "Dead Skunk" -- so you can see why I had to pick this one up, right? The Boogie Band hung their Stetsons and straw hats just north of Sacramento, up around Chico, CA. Made up of Nick Becker on bass, Jim Brown (banjo), Kenny Falkenstrom (harmonica), Steve Hamm (mandolin), Jim Rutherford (guitar), Mack Whitley (guitar) and J. J. Yolton on guitar, the group first got together around 1974, and were playing together as recently as 2015(!) Several bandmembers lived in Paradise, the tiny mountain town that was razed by climate change-driven wildfires in 2018, which, if we're lucky, may lead to a good old-fashioned disaster ballad from these pickers someday.

Johnny Booth "Country '67" (Uni Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Cliffie Stone & Hugh Davies)
One of the many alumni of LA's booming country-rock scene, Florida native "Johnny" Booth -- aka songwriter Tony Booth -- took over the Palomino Club's house band in the late 'Sixties, later passing the reins to his brother Larry after Bakersfield baron Buck Owens tapped him to become a Top Forty star in the early 'Seventies. He was still struggling to break through when he cut this album, mostly a set of cover tunes recorded semi-anonymously, although on a major label imprint. The set list is heavy on recent Bakersfield hits from the likes of Wynn Stewart and Bobby Austin, as well as pop tunes and country classics from the likes of George Jones Ned Miller, Ray Price and Wiley Walker. Perhaps most interesting is the involvement of arranger David Gates (later the leader of the '70s AOR juggernaut Bread) who also worked with Booth on some of his early recordings for Capitol Records. A pretty workmanlike album, but definitely worth a spin.

Tony Booth -- see artist profile

Paul Bowman & The Country Showmen "San Francisco's KUDO-TV Presents..." (1972) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Bowman Don Humphrey & Roy Bell)
A Northern California native, born in Lodi, Paul Bowman moved up north to Redding, and then to Oregon where he became a country music radio broadcaster and later was recruited by hillbilly legend Rose Maddox to tour with her mid-'Sixties band. After a few years on the road with Maddox and other musicians, Bowman came back to the Golden State and scored a gig on KUDO-TV in San Francisco. The station gave him a weekly show, which is where he was working when he made this album. Alas, there's no info about the recording sessions, other than that it was at the Skinner Studios, in SF.

Paul Bowman "The Drifter" (Mark Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Bowman, Don Humphrey & Roy Bell)
A Northern California indie-label twangfest, recorded in San Mateo, CA on a private label from Stockton... This album is packed with original material penned either by Paul Bowman or Don Humphrey... Some of it's kind of densely written, but backed with plenty of Merle Haggard-influenced West Coast twang -- at first I had a hard time getting into it, but Bowman and his crew slowly won me over. The band includes Howard Riley on guitar, with Ron Riley playing pedal steel (as well as Commander Cody's steel player Bobby Black on a tune or two...) Ron Riley also led his own band, Goldrush, and released a live album a couple of years after this one came out. Bowman's TV show was still going strong when this was recorded, and is mentioned in the liner notes, though I don't know when it ended...

Paul Bowman "The 20/20 Album: 20 Great Years, 20 Great Songs" (Mark Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Bowman, Jack Daniels & Russ Gary)

John Braden "John Braden" (A&M Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Henry Lewy)
Sort of a folk-country outing, with backing on a few tracks from California-based hippiebilly luminaries such as Ry Cooder, Chris Ethridge, Sneaky Pete Kleinow and various acid rock musicians, as well as jazz musician Paul Horn. John Braden later went on to carve a very successful career as a children's music producer, recording numerous albums for the Kids Stuff label, notably working on game-related albums for Atari, as well as the Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony albums. Talk about a long, strange trip!

Dick Bray "Talk With The Man" (Hyland Records, 1972-?) (LP)
This is a major mystery record, with no where, when, who or how about it... The liner notes include the song titles and composer credits, and that's about it. I couldn't find anything out about this guy or who was backing him up online: there are a few Dick Brays to choose from but none of them seemed like a good match. Anyway, it's also an odd record, clearly a mega-private vanity release, though Bray seems to have had a confidence borne of some success singing in coffeehouses or somewhere like that. It kicks off with the title track, a folk-ish gospel song that makes you think, uh-oh, it's gonna be one of those albums, but soon shifts into an otherwise exclusively secular mode. Bray's vocal persona quickly gels into a strong similarity with Hoyt Axton and like Axton, he straddles country, folk and a tiny bit of mildly psychedelic pop-rock... On the surface, this seems to be the kind of record that could easily be mocked by the uber-hip, but after a couple of listens, it grew on me, particularly a couple of the odder, more personal-sounding songs. Side Two features the strongest of these, the evocative "Goin' Goin' Gone" and the weird, rambling "He Packed His Guitar," a cluttered narrative about some guy who tries to make it in show business, moving to San Francisco in '69 and then down to LA, where he leads a "comfortable" life... It's a strange, naifish song, one of several credited to Mick Lloyd, and seems to have an axe or two to grind about the music business: if anyone's looking for songs so include on "private press" anthologies, this one's a great candidate. The record is filled with originals, but none were credited to Bray -- was he writing and recording under different names? Was this a song-poem album? Who can tell? But even though my rational mind screams against it, my heart has to accept this untraceable album as a guilty pleasure. Anyone with more info out there? I'm all ears.

Dick Bray "Touch Of The West" (Hyland Records, 19--?) (LP)
An odd, somewhat forlorn album, with a smidge of "western" material, such as "Ghost Riders In The Sky" and the Marty Robbins chestnut, "Big Iron," and an abundance of pop-folk stuff, tunes like "Greenfields" and "It Was A Very Good Year." The album seems forlorn for a couple of reasons, first because of the barebones presentation -- just Dick Bray and one acoustic guitar -- mildly marred by flawed though not catastrophic recording quality, including a light background hum that's more noticeable on some tracks than on others. It's also forlorn, or perhaps a bit glum, given the unwavering solemnity of Bray's performance, which does not vary from track to track -- he's very serious about the project, but it's a bit downbeat, even on comedic numbers like "The Persian Kitty." I'm not sure exactly when this album was made -- Bray was clearly trying to make a go of it in the coffeehouse folk scene, though he may have been a little late on the draw. He's pictured on the back cover looking half-beatnik/half-hippie with beard and mid-length hair... I'd guess early 'Seventies, but it's more likely it's a late 'Sixties set, maybe from '68 or thereabouts. One thing that falls into focus, though, is that the Hyland label was Bray's own imprint: he also released at least one 45 single on it as well these two albums. The label address on this album is for a place on Hyland Avenue, in Rapid City, South Dakota, which gives us one big clue about Bray's background...

Brazil Country "...Plays Something For Everyone!" (Crown City Recording And Publishing Company, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Szabo)
Oh, I had very high hopes for this one! I mean, just look at it: Brazil...? Country...? Oh baby! This was made for me! A closer inspection, though, revealed no twanged-up bossa nova songs, no samba renditions of Hank Williams oldies... Alas, the band was named for guitarist Tony Brazil, a Central California native whose band paired up country instruments such as pedal steel with trumpet and sax, a combination they applied to songs by Merle Haggard, Buddy Holly, and Bert Kaempfert, along with pop hits of the day such as "Put Your Hand In The Hand" and "Tiny Bubbles," with the most recent song being Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue," which was a hit in '72. According to the liner notes, the group won some kind of battle of the bands sponsored by radio station KLAC, Hollywood, and played gigs at venues such as the Squaw Valley ski resort... Anyway, this may not be the world-music twangfest I'd hoped for, but it's still an interesting souvenir of a Southern California county-fair covers band of yesteryear.

James Brolin "...Sings" (Artco Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Hartman & Jim Spence)
Yeesh. California-born actor James Brolin, father of Josh Thanos Brolin, was just hitting his stride as a '70s celebrity when he cut this country-oriented album. Split thematically between a "City Side" and a supposedly more rugged "Country Side," this is, for the most part a pretty awful record. I mean, yeah, vocally he's vaguely in the same territory as Hoyt Axton, but his delivery is uniformly flat and monotonous, and a lot of the material sounds tired and uninvolving, despite contributions from writers such as Donnie Fritts, Red Lane, Troy Seals, and Tony Joe White. Side One -- the soft pop/countrypolitan side -- is just dreadful, although Side Two has some modest charms. There's a decent cover of Merle Haggard's "If We Make Through December," and a barroom ballad called "Bar Girl" that's okay. These are balanced, however, by a couple of unctuous aw-gee, kids-are-cute duets with five-year-old Thanos chirping alongside his avuncular poppa -- on Shel Silverstein's nauseating "Daddy What If" (originally a hit for Conway Twitty and his daughter Joni) and "Let's Go Fishing" which, amazingly, is even worse. But if you ever want to embarrass Josh Brolin at a dinner party -- should the opportunity arise -- be sure to tuck a copy of this album under your arm and watch the look of horror spread across his face as you walk towards the stereo. Okay, okay... So, it was the countrypolitan era, and I suppose that given some of the real hits of the time, this album isn't really all that bad... but I wouldn't say you need to knock yourself out tracking a copy down.

Carl Brouse "American Hotel" (DTI Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Craig Luckin & Carl Brouse)
This was the lone LP by songwriter Carl Brouse (1950-2002), a New Hampshire artist notable in part for his collaborations with alt-twang luminary Tom Russell, who co-wrote for songs on here, and later recorded his own version of the title track on one of his own albums. This record might appeal to fans of the younger Rodney Crowell, or early Marty Stuart -- Brouse had a similar rock-appreciative country style, pop-aware, but definitely twangy. Plus, his laconic Southern-inflected drawl sounds an awful lot like Rodney at various points in his career. Highlights include the honkytonk boozing anthem, "These Bars (Have Made A Prisoner Out Of Me)" and the title track, which is an homage to the great American composer Stephen Foster. Brouse moved to Austin at some point, San Francisco as well, and worked with a bunch of talented people. On this album alone, he's got folks like Shawn Colvin, Amos Garrett, Bonnie Hayes and Paul Davis (which explains some of the 'Seventies AOR vibe on a tune or two...) as well as Bobby Black on steel guitar... Brouse died young, apparently from complications of diabetes. This album is a fine legacy, though! As are the few singles he recorded as well...

Sue Brown "Sings The Gospel" (Chapel Tone Recordings, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Herb Kallman & Stan Anderson)
Originally from Dixon, California, in the Great Central Valley, Sue Brown started her career as a secular country singer, performing at local venues in northern and central California, and even hosted a television show in Sacramento. When her friend, gospel singer Polly Johnson died in a plane crash on May 7, 1964, Brown was deeply shaken and converted to a career as a gospel singer. She retained her rural roots, though, as heard on this fine album, recorded with The Christian Troubadours, a twangy band from Stockton that had a more-country sound than most gospel groups of the era. The opening notes of this album feature pedal steel and electric guitar, hinting at the more robust sound of West Coast country, and although the twang is mostly subdued, it's there. Brown had a fine voice, with clear country roots -- there are strong hints of Kitty Wells in her delivery, tempered by more modern influences such as Skeeter Davis and Patsy Cline. Students of country-gospel and southern gospel will find a lot to enjoy about this album, in particular the wealth of original material, including five songs composed by Chapel Tone owner Herb Kallman, another influential figure int he Central Valley gospel scene. One of these songs, "Don't Turn Jesus Away," is also co-credited to Sue Brown. The repertoire also includes classics by Albert Brumley, Thomas A. Dorsey, Mylon LeFevre and Ira Stanphill's "Mansion Over The Hill." Sue Brown (later Sue Brown Osbourn) performed tirelessly throughout the Valley, living in Lodi and Fresno, where she worked with legendary studio engineer Stan Anderson; later she retired to live in Henryetta, Oklahoma, where she continues to perform well into the 21st Century.

Sue Brown "I've Been Changed" (Chapel Tone Recordings, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Sue Brown & Herb Kallman)
Another understated but solidly country set from Sue Brown, with calm, pleasantly twangy backing by unnamed members of the Stockton-based Countrymen. Sue Brown's country gal vocals hit a nice balance between Kitty Wells' Depression-era nasality and the smoother, pop-friendly style of Skeeter Davis and other contemporary Nashville gals. As on her previous album, there's a bunch of original material, notably four songs from producer Herb Kallman. In addition to the Countrymen, Brown thanks several Fresno-based musicians -- Tom Force, Chuck Mambrini, Jim Shaw and Cubbie Slayton -- for backing her on three tracks. (Unfortunately she doesn't specify which tracks these were, but they were probably those that featured Jim Shaw on piano, including album closers "He's Already Done What He Said He Would Do" and Kallman's "Jesus Is My Destiny.") A heavy lineup of talent from the Central Valley/Bakersfield scene, playing t sweet and simple on this laid-back but deeply rural country gospel album.

Sue Brown "Hold On To My Hand" (Sound Of Ministry Recordings, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dale Hooper & Roy Ward)
This set was produced at Roy Ward's studio in Richmond, CA, just north of Berkeley and Oakland... The musicians include pedal steel player Jim Grey, John Moyers (keyboards), Paul Perryman (lead guitar), Dave Raffanelli (percussion), and John Schoger on bass. Not sure of the date, but it looks like a mid- to late-'Seventies kinda thing.

Jackson Browne "Jackson Browne (Saturate Before Using)" (Asylum Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Jackson Browne & Richard Sanford Orshoff)
Yeah, I know... It's long been fashionable to mock and deride Jackson Browne as a wimp, a cheeseball, one of the ultimate '70s dino-rockers... And I'll concede that his earlier albums are, by and large somewhat lugubrious and overinflated -- there are songs on them that I like, but many more that are, frankly, way overwritten and insufferable. Nonetheless, he's firmly in the SoCal country-rock pantheon -- a protege of David Geffen and an early buddy of The Eagles, Browne was key to the development of the singer-songwriter/adult pop genre, and dipped into true twang from time to time... This debut album has a bunch of his best-known songs, including a few faves like "Doctor My Eyes" (guilty pleasure, though I'm pretty much over it) and "Something Fine" (which still holds up) and a bunch of songs that have always struck me as a bit too precious. Still, it's canonical and all.

Jackson Browne "For Everyman" (Asylum Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Jackson Browne)
Of his early albums, I'd recommend For Everyman the most, just 'cuz the songs are catchier and more overtly "pop." Winners include his version of "Take It Easy," "These Days," and the jaunty novelty number, "Red Neck Friend." And then there's the usual pretentious-poetic stuff. Musicians include Glenn Frey and Don Henley of the Eagles, Sneaky Pete on pedal steel, David Lindley on just about everything else, and a bunch of LA "usual suspects," in one big SoCal rock-star lovefest. Some folks dig it, some folks don't.

Jackson Browne "Late For The Sky" (Asylum Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Jackson Browne & Al Schmitt)
Nothing on here I really care about... A lot of poetic would-be profundity, etc., etc. Not my cup of tea.

Jackson Browne "The Pretender" (Asylum, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Jackson Browne & Jon Landau)
Ditto with this one...

Jackson Browne "Running On Empty" (Elektra, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jackson Browne)
A not-so-guilty pleasure. This album remains one of the best country-rock records ever made, and when measured up against most of the alt.country acts of the '80s and '90s, this is indeed a superior product. A concept album about driving the long, lonesome highway and touring in a rock'n'roll band, this disc is packed with winning songs. It had several hits: the title track, "You Love The Thunder," his version of the doo-wop oldie, "Stay," given a modern, sardonic twist in the context of the weird, mutually parasitic relationship between rock stars and their fans. There are also a slew of great, non-hit country tunes, like "Nothin' But Time," "Shaky Town," and "The Road" that stack up quite well against anything the cowpunk and insurgent-altie crowd has come up with. Browne's road songs are as self-involved and navel-gazey as other songs of the genre, but he seems to have a self-awareness, and a willingness to explore the ickiness of situation that is lacking in many similar compositions. The sexism of the opening verse "Rosie" -- a song about a groupie -- is tempered by a deft humanization of the objectified girl, and by Browne's remarkable willingness to portray himself and his fame in an unfavorable light, either as honest autobiography, or as an Almost Famous-style character sketch. At any rate, I think this is a fine album, well worth checking out and listening to without the hipster blinders on: you might be surprised by how good it really is.

Severin Browne "Severin Browne" (Motown Records, 1973) (LP)
Well... While we're at it, might as well give a nod to Jackson's brother Severin, who cut a couple of albums in the early '70s in an unlikely matchup with the R&B powerhouse, Motown Records, which was trying to branch out at the time. You can kind of see it, though: there's a lightly funky undercurrent to many of Browne's songs, his soft-pop singer-songwriter tunes had a mild groove to them, ala Michael Franks. Although several country-rock stalwarts are on here backing him up -- Richard Bennett, Emory Gordy Jr. and Sneaky Pete Kleinow -- there are also cello and conga players to reckon with, and Browne's own gentle piano riffs. This disc is basically a straight-up soft-pop outing, not quite as slick as, say, Seals & Croft, but in that vicinity, so for most twangfans this might be a no-go. But soft-rock aficionados might really dig it.

Severin Browne "New, Improved" (Motown Records, 1974) (LP)

Tom Brumley "Tom Cattin' " (Steel Guitar Record Club, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Bradshaw & Don Jewell)
One of several musically inclined siblings, steel guitar legend Tom Brumley (1935-2009) was the son of country gospel star Albert E. Brumley and grew up playing in a family band with his brother Albert Junior, who followed in their father's footsteps and became a gospel performer as well. It was while backing his brother at a recording session in California that Tom Brumley was spotted by West Coast honkyonker Buck Owens, who soon recruited Brumley for his band. Brumley joined the Buckaroos in 1964 and it was a perfect match for the bouncy, melodic style meticulously crafted by Buck Owens and his bandleader, guitarist Don Rich. You'll instantly recognize Brumley's crisp, clean, decisive phrasing and bright, assertive tone. If there are great, old classic country songs where you hear that one short, perfect steel lick and think, "oh, man!" and wish for more, then this disc is for you. Brumley digs deeper into his melodies than the sideman role would normally allow, building up some pretty groovy, playful riffs, but he doesn't get all artsy and lofty about it, sticking close to the concise, poppy approach of the back-to-basics Bakersfield scene. It's good. Really good. Fun stuff!

Brush Arbor - see artist discography

Buck Owens' Bakersfield Brass "Standin' On A Mountain Top" (Capitol Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Nelson, Hugh Davies & Ed Flaherty)
An oddball early 'Seventies offering, with pop-orchestral renditions of a bunch of Bakersfield Sound classics, tunes like "Act Naturally," "Okie From Muskogee," "My Heart Skips A Beat" and "I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am." The musicians aren't named, but one point of interest is the album's arranger/conductor, David Gates, described here as "a son of Hollywood" -- I thought it was the same David Gates who did a bunch of studio work in LA before breaking out as a 'Seventies superstar as a solo artist and as the leader of the band Bread, though now I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, if you're looking for the intersection between West Coast neo-trad hard country and squaresville easy listening, this one might be for you.

The Buckaroos - see artist discography

Buckhorn "Buckhorn" (Bowman/Baby Grand Recording Co., 1977) (LP)
(Produced by C. Marmont & L. Wilson)
No info online about this band, which was led by singer/guitarist Steve Sherman and recorded this album in Hollywood, California... Sherman was rocking the cowboy hat, but the band didn't include pedal steel or fiddle, so the twang factor might not be as high as some might like.

Buffalo Nickel Jugband "Buffalo Nickel Jugband" (Happy Tiger Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Hartman & Dan Sciarotta)
It took me a few listens to warm to this one... It's a nice, standard-issue, retrodelic bluesy-jazzy jugband set with oldies such as "Alabamy Bound," "Separation Blues" and "Tain't What You Do" alongside about a half-album's worth of similar sounding material written by various members of the band. This group was an amalgamation of longhaired pickers and plunkers drawn mostly from Tacoma, Washington and the greater Los Angeles area, recording for a short-lived indie label out of Hollywood, CA. Among the musicians was Denny Hall, who had connections to the Lydia Pinkham Orchestra, a SeaTac area band that migrated to LA, as well as Bob and Lester Broersma, Ben King, Russ Lewark, and Joel Tepp. The difficulty I had with this album was its tidiness, the overall sense of being a little too controlled or trying to sound professional and precise -- there's little of the madcap, kooky abandon of, say, the Bonzo Dog Band or even Jim Kweskin and his crew... Still, they obviously had their hearts in the right place, and after two or three spins, I got into it. If you enjoy hippie-era jugband revivalists, these guys are worth checking out.

Norton Buffalo "Lovin' In The Valley Of The Moon" (Capitol Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Norton Buffalo, Mickey Hart & Steve Miller)
Roots/blues harmonica player Norton Buffalo (aka Phillip Jackson, 1951-2009) was born in Oakland, California, and moved through several of the Bay Area's top groups before starting his own solo career. He played live gigs with Huey Newton's old band, Clover, and toured with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, and ultimately with The Steve Miller Band, when they were at the height of their "Fly Like An Eagle" fame. Though he continued on with the Steve Miller Band for over three decades, Buffalo also pursued a solo career, including these first two country-tinged albums, which were recorded with help from Steve Miller, along with a slew of top West Coast talent, notably co-producer Mickey Hart, from the Dreadful Grate, who also played percussion on both albums. Other notable musicians included bassist John Ciambotti and John McFee from Clover (with McFee doing triple duty on guitar, pedal steel... and sitar!) as well as gospel singer Tramaine Hawkins, and her sister Lynette Hawkins, and a whole slew of other folks, mostly from the Bay Area and Northern California music scene. This album includes a lot of Buffalo's own original material, most notably (for twangfans) his version of the amped-up trucker tune, "Eighteen Wheels," which had previously been recorded on Commander Cody's 1976 live album. As with his second album (below) this is an eclectic and ambitious album, laced with various strains of pop, folk and blues, and may not be what most country fans are looking for -- later on, Buffalo would focus primarily on blues music. For my money, this is the stronger of these two albums.

Norton Buffalo "Desert Horizon" (Capitol Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Norton Buffalo, Jim Gaines, Mickey Hart & Steve Miller)
As on his first album, Norton Buffalo surrounded himself with a ton of West Coast/Bay Area talent, including many of the same musicians as before: Mickey Hart on percussion, John McFee (guitar, sitar and pedal steel), augmented by steel players Bobby Black and Fred Jones, as well as drummer Gary Mallaber and synth keyboardist Byron Allred (both from the Steve Miller Band) and a slew of others. Notable as backup singers are pop star Nicolette Larson and Bay Area pop-soul singer Bill Champlin, who led the ultra-hippie white-funk jam-band The Sons Of Champlin, and later became the lead singer for Chicago. To be honest, there's not much on this album that ever really resonated with me (or that I remembered from hearing it on the radio...) More of a pop-oriented album, I suppose, although Buffalo's approach was remarkably eclectic and not really geared towards the Top Forty. Amazing, really, that these early major label albums made it off the ground. As noted above, in years to come Norton Buffalo became more tightly focussed as a blues artist, notably collaborating with electric guitarist Roy Rogers on several albums. He was also a highly in-demand session player, and lauded as a harmonica virtuoso, including solos on records by folks such as The Doobie Brothers and Bonnie Raitt.

Norton Buffalo "Lovin' In The Valley Of The Moon/Desert Horizon" (Edsel Records, 1995)
A digital-era reissue of two Norton Buffalo's first two albums. This handy little disc might still be floating around out there somewhere...

Norton Buffalo & George Kahumoku, Jr. "From Paradise" (Kealia Farms Records, 2012)
(Produced by Brett Allen, Lawrence Bryant & Norton Buffalo)
A posthumously-released album with Buffalo dipping into the ocean of Hawaiian popular music... He produces and plays harmonica, along with his wife, Lisa Flores-Buffalo on guitar and vocals, backing slack-key guitarists George Kahumoku, Jr., his son Keoki Kahumoku, Dennis Kamakahi and Jeff Peterson, as well as ukulele player Herb Ohta Jr. Not sure when this was recorded, though Norton Buffalo had passed away in 2009 following a short battle with a particularly aggressive form of cancer. The album title has a double meaning, encompassing both Hawaii (of course) and Buffalo's longtime home in Paradise, California, out in the gold country above Sacramento.

Shelley Burns "Be For Me" (Gold Country Music, 1985-?) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Peacock)
Although she later evolved into a jazz singer, Sacramento, California's Shelley Burns cut this 6-song country EP back in the height of the big-hair '80s. All the songs were written or cowritten by pianist-producer Charlie Peacock, who went on to become a jazz musician himself, as well as a successful contemporary Christian songwriter and producer. Best of all, this is a pretty good little record, a little glossy and '80s-ish, but also rootsy enough to appeal to traditional country fans. Burns has a nice voice, the material is pretty strong, and the backing band plays with feeling and conviction... In addition to Peacock on piano, pedal steel player Marcus Welborn adds some sweet licks, as do Tom Phillips and Jim Beecker on guitar. Not classic, by any means, but surprisingly good. (Burns has also recorded a few albums of jazz-vocals material, which might be worth checking out as well...)

Burrito Brothers, The Flying - see artist discography

Butterfield Stage Line "Butterfield Stage Line" (Crimson Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Henry M. Quinn & Maynard Smith)
This trio from Downey, California played a mix of oldies and twang, including a hefty dose of original material credited to all three musicians, Buddy Banks (drums), Maynard Smith (lead guitar), and Coy Williams on bass. They took their name from a historic though short-lived stagecoach line that ran on a southern route from Saint Louis to San Francisco (with stops in Los Angeles, of course...) between 1858-61. The trio also released several singles, also on the Crimson label; other than this handful of records, I couldn't find anything else out about these guys...

Rick Byars "Fallin' In Love Everyday" (Merrell Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Byars, Eddie B. Barlow & Warren Dennis)
Archetypal Northern California/Bay Area folkie stuff, from a singer-guitarist who was in Kate Wolf's original backing band, Wildwood Flower, and performed on her second and third albums. An able accompanist, Byars also was a prolific songwriter, penning all but one of the songs on this disc, and also played in a Sonoma County trio called Lazy Bones, along with dobro player Eddie B. Barlow and guitarist Peter Brooks, who formed the core of the group on this album. Although there's a hint of Byars' twangier Texas country roots, the music quickly settles into the gentle, pastoral poetics known to Wolf's ardent fans. She sings harmony on four songs, including way in the background as a member of the "Stanislaus Chorus"; also noteworthy is the lead guitar and mandolin picking of Nina Gerber, another stalwart of the Wildwood Flower ensemble, who plays on several tracks. Overall, this is pretty gooey, dewy, touchie-feelie stuff: if you like the Kate Wolf sound, you ought to dig this as well.

The Byrds "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" (Columbia Records, 1968)
(Produced by Gary Usher)

The Byrds "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" (Columbia Records, 1968)
(Produced by Gary Usher)
Often referred to as the first "official" country-rock album, though there are other claimants to the throne... Really, it was simply a masterful country album, recorded by a super-famous rock band. As the story goes, stonerbilly bad boy Gram Parsons more or less muscled his way into LA's then-ascendant folk-rock band, and swiftly remade them into Nudie suit-wearing space cowboy, hippie-billies... which is to say, into his band. Naturally, there was resentment within the group, and Parsons was eventually given the boot, but not before they made this wonderful, landmark album. Gram provided most of the arrangements and repertoire, including his own classic ballad, "Hickory Wind," as well as oldies such as the Louvin's "Christian Life." Because he was under contract to another label, though, the producers at Columbia stripped Parsons' vocal tracks off the album, and replaced them with lead vocals by Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman. Recent CD reissues have gone back and (partially) re-created the album as it was originally recorded.

The Byrds "Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde" (Columbia Records, 1969)
(Produced by Bob Johnson)

The Byrds "Ballad Of Easy Rider" (Columbia Records, 1969)
(Produced by Terry Melcher)

The Cache Valley Drifters "The Cache Valley Drifters" (Flying Fish Records, 1978) (LP)
This popular California bluegrass band mixed modern folk songs from the likes of Kate Wolf with 'grassed-up versions of old country tunes and Tin Pan Alley standards. Mandolinist Bill Griffin was a member of Kate Wolf's band, while the other members were in a variety of off-the-radar groups before joining to form the Drifters. On ther debut, they covered John Prine's "Angel From Montgomery" and Bob Wills' "Roly Poly" alongside Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sherriff" and the folk standard "Columbus Stockade." A fine example of the eclectic spirit of yesteryear.

The Cache Valley Drifters "Step Up To Big Pay" (Flying Fish Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Diamant)
Another fun set, with some sweet, melodic picking and a light touch that's nice to hear, even as they deliver some dazzling licks. The repertoire is the real key here, with songs drawn from sources such as Benny Goodman and Louis Jordan from the big band era, folkies like Gordon Bok and John Prine, as well as Tom Lehrer's cowboy satire, "The Wild West Is Where I Long To Be," and a twangy version of the Grateful Dead's "Cumberland Blues," which later made it onto a compilation album of Dead cover songs. A nice album, very reflective of the mellow, eclectic sensibilities of Northern California's folk scene.

The Cache Valley Drifters "Tools Of The Trade" (Flying Fish Records, 1983) (LP)

The Cache Valley Drifters "White Room" (CMH Records Records, 1996)

The Cache Valley Drifters "Mightyfine.net" (Taxim Records, 1999)

The Caffrey Family "Country Thoughts" (Century Productions, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Ligotino & Bob Miller)
Led by guitar picker Tom Caffrey, this family group was a mainstay of the San Francisco Bay Area bluegrass scene for many years, first forming in the late 1960s and performing at numerous venues throughout the early and mid-'Seventies. The Caffreys were charter members of the California Bluegrass Association and played at the CBA's first concert back in '75, around the time they recorded this album, a pleasantly understated acoustic set mixing country and old-timey covers. They seem to have moved to the Delta town of Benicia in the early '80s, with Tom Caffrey playing dobro for a local band called the J Street String Band in 1984. I'm not sure how long this family band stayed together, or if they recorded anything else, but they were a fun, earnest group, and sound great on this disc. (Thanks to radio deejay Peter Thompson's venerable Bluegrass Signal for filling in a bunch of gaps about this band: check out his amazing timeline of the Bay Area bluegrass scene!)

Buddy Cagle "The Way You Like It" (Imperial Records, 1966) (LP)
A West Coast country back-bencher, North Carolina-born Buddy Cagle moved out to California in the late 'Fifties and worked in the orbit of the 1960's Bakersfield scene. Cagle landed a couple of major label deals and scraped his way into the Top Forty a few times before sliding into the lower rungs of the charts and basically retired from music by the end of the 'Sixties. He cut a few early singles and a handful of albums, then called it quits, pulling one of the great disappearing acts in country music history.

Buddy Cagle "Mi Casa, Tu Casa" (Imperial Records, 1967) (LP)

Buddy Cagle "Longtime Traveling" (Imperial Records, 1968) (LP)

Buddy Cagle "Through A Crack In A Boxcar Door" (Imperial Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Turner)
This was Buddy Cagle's last album, although he did record a few more singles before hanging it up in the early '70s. It's a pretty soft set, a "traveling hobo"-themed folk-country set, the sort of stuff that young Bobby Bare struggled mightily to free himself from, but similar to a lot of the Nashville Sound crooning of the time... Indeed, on Side Two, Cagle sounds a lot like '60s-era Hank Snow, both in his choice of repertoire and in his vocal intonations. Not a very exciting record, but it stands up fine next to albums by big stars of the time.

Jeffrey Cain "For You" (Warner Brothers, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Turner & Stuart Kutchins)
This is a little more folkie and maybe too hippie-dippy for our purposes here, but I gotta give this album a shout-out since the backing band is basically the Youngbloods -- Joe Bauer, Lowell "Banana" Levenger and Jesse Colin Young -- accompanying Marin County songwriter Jeffrey Cain, who plays guitar throughout. Now, don't get me wrong: I think this is actually a pretty cool record, particularly for those of you who are into the whole "freak folk" thing. On many tracks, Cain croons and noodles around in a spacey, Banhart-ian fashion, maybe a little Tim Hardin-y in his more cohesive moments. On a couple of the more overtly goofy tracks, he even sounds a little like John Prine, and of course he recalls Jesse Colin Young on a tune or two. This is an amazingly un-commercial album -- I'm sure Warner Brothers wasn't kidding when they placed a track on their "Loss Leaders" promo record -- and if you like hardcore, stonerdelic hippie music, this is the real deal. I dunno what they were smoking out in Point Reyes back in 1970, but you can definitely catch a little whiff of it here.

Jeffrey Cain "Whispering Thunder" (Warner Brothers/Raccoon Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Jesse Colin Young)

Calcote Cousin Clan "Honey Come Back" (Crown Records, 1970) (LP)
Presumably this was a side-project of singer/producer Gordon Calcote (below), who worked up and down the Pacific Coast and recorded several earlier albums for the Custom (and Crown) cheapie label empire. As with so many of the records, the specific details are scant and hard to come by -- i.e., what musicians were involved and whatnot.

Gordon Calcote "Going Home For The Last Time" (Custom Records, 1967-?) (LP)
Singer Gordon Calcote was one of the rare cheapie label artists who got proper credits on the budget-line albums he recorded... Like many country singers in the days of yore, Calcote had a day job in radio, at first as a deejay on stations such as KAYO-AM in Seattle (where he was on air in the early '60s) and later as a program director and station manager various stations in Southern California, where he was probably working when he started recording for the Custom label. And the thing is, he was also a pretty good singer - rugged, robust, but also working in the suave, sophisticated style being pioneered by Glen Campbell at the time. A good mix of manly honky-tonk and the nascent countrypolitan sound that was starting to come into vogue... and all on an under-the-radar, fly-by-night label. Definitely worth a spin!

Gordon Calcote "Folsom Prison Blues" (Custom Records, 1968-?) (LP)

Gordon Calcote "Galveston And Other Pop Country & Western Favorites" (Crown Records, 1969-?) (LP)

The California Band "California" (MCF Records, 19--?) (EP)
This six-song EP featured contributions from Bruce Crosby and Lisa Iskin, with pedal steel guru Joe Goldmark playing on one track, "First Waltz."

California Champs "1974: Country Western" (Trac Records, 1974) (LP)
A swell all-instrumental set from three talented old-timers from California's Central Valley. Fiddlers Coy Daily and Vern Keathly are joined by rhythm guitarist Nellie O'Neal for a nice set of antebellum oldies, Irish and Appalachian tunes and country covers. Then calling themselves Coy's Group, the informal trio competed in -- and won -- the music competition at the 1974 Auburn State Fair, giving them the impetus to record this album on the Fresno-based Trac label. Coy Daily was probably the most experienced musician in the band -- born in Oklahoma, he came out West in 1940 and played professionally in some western swing bands before settling down in Salida, California, near Modesto. His son Ron plays bass on this record and on another Trac Records disc credited to Coy Daily alone. Other local musicians chipping in are steel player Ivan Ward, Don Hyland (also spelled Heiland) on piano and a nice lead guitarist, Vern Baughman. Sweet stuff!

California Cowboys & Co. "The Colorful California Cowboys & Co." (American Heritage Music Corporation, 1974-?) (LP)
Though they seem to have been a struggling pizza parlor/fraternal club band, The California Cowboys nonetheless included several original songs into their covers-heavy repertoire. The band featured a trio of brothers -- David, Scott and Steve Preston, as well as Denise Preston, the wife of nineteen-year old Scott -- and was rounded out by a second "gal" singer, Donna Lynn Smith, who also played fiddle and wrote three of the songs on this album, "She Loves Me More," "Tomboy" and "Pretty Girl Hoedown." There's also a slew of covers, from a diverse range of sources, including some Hank Williams, a cover of "Phoenix," Tom T. Hall's "Ravishing Ruby," the Webb Pierce classic "I Ain't Never," and Terry Stafford's "Amarillo By Morning" which was later a big hit for George Strait, but was kind of a hip pick in the mid-1970s. Lead guitarist Steve Preston also offered an instrumental number, "Helmet Stomp." Unfortunately, the album neglects to tell us where the band was actually from, though they had a long-term gig playing a Nevada casino at the time of this album.

California Express & Tex Williams "Tex Williams & California Express" (Garu Records, 1981) (LP)
Yup, sure enough, it's that Tex Williams, a hilllbilly-era star in his twilight years, playing a bunch of classics and oldies, on what may have been his last album. The backing band were a bunch of shaggy 'Seventies longhairs, including his daughters Jenny and Sandi Williams, as well as Sam Aiello, who I believe was his son-in-law (married to Sandi). I'm not sure if California Express was primarily Williams' band, or if they had a career of their own -- at some point former child actor and roller derby queen Tammy Locke sang with the group -- the rest of the band included Russ and Dennis Orr, and Michael Reid. I think this may have been their only album, and I believe it was Tex Williams' last.

The California Poppy Pickers "Honky Tonk Women" (Alshire Records, 1969) (LP)
The Poppy Pickers was a made-up, prefab easy-listening exploitaband of unnamed, semi-anonymous studio musicians, thrown together by Southern California musical huckster Gary Paxton. They recorded several "greatest hits" knockoff albums, often resonant with Bakersfield twang, though the source material not always country-rock oriented, by any means. This album included covers of "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones, The Youngbloods' "Get Together," CCR's "Born On The Bayou" and "Proud Mary," along with other pop and rock hits of the day. I'm not totally up on who was in this band when, but it's possible that guitarist Dennis Payne might have been in on these sessions.

The California Poppy Pickers "Sounds Of '69: The Modern Sounds Of Today" (Alshire Records, 1969) (LP)
The party continues. More rock, less country... but still pretty far out, man!

The California Poppy Pickers "Today's Chart Busters" (Alshire Records, 1969) (LP)

The California Poppy Pickers "...Play And Sing Hair, Aquarius And Others" (Alshire Records, 1969) (LP)

California Quickstep "Open For Bluegrass" (A-Major Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by David Houston)
The happy remnants of Sacramento's late-'70s/early '80s South Loomis Quickstep bluegrass band regrouped in the high country, recording this relaxed set, 'way up in Placerville, with Allan Hendricks on banjo, Tom Bentley on guitar and Ted Smith, mandolin... As ever, they mixed some country and roots material in with the 'grass, including Townes Van Zandt's Pancho and Lefty," J.J. Cale's "If You're Ever In Oklahoma" and the Grandpa Jones oldie, "Eight More Miles To Louisville" along with more overtly high lonesome material...

California Slim "On The Mall" (Slim Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by California Slim)
A self-released album by street busker Rob Rowe, aka California Slim, a familiar face on the Santa Cruz mall, where he performed starting back back around 1978 and all through the 1980s, including immediately after the big 1989 earthquake. Born in Ridgefield, Washington, Rowe did a hitch in the Merchant Marines and then turned towards academics when he got out -- in addition to his busking, he had a sideline as a community college history professor in nearby Cupertino, teaching both American history and classes on the history of folk music. This was his first album self-released on a shoestring budget with only a thousand copies originally pressed, and it's a doozy, presenting a singular and deliberately eccentric artistic vision. He sings sparsely-arranged acoustic folk and blues tunes, in the style of Jimmie Rodgers and Woody Guthrie, with a mix of folk standards like "Strawberry Roan" and "John Henry," cowboy songs and old country blues. He's joined by a trio of Santa Cruzers, including bassist Karen Quick who was a singer in the local bluegrass band, Sidesaddle, and his son Patrick Rowe on second guitar, and local fiddler Noreen Tumminello. The album kicks off with a couple of his own original songs, "City Streets" and "On The Mall," topical/slice of life songs, and ends with "Ballad Of Mount St. Helens," which gives a nod to Slim's earlier years in the Pacific Northwest, lamenting the volcano's famous 1980 eruption.

California Slim "A Time Ago..." (Slim Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by California Slim)
A historically-minded tribute to the workers who powered America's great era of industrialization... Looks like Slim was again backed by some local NorCal folkie/bluegrassers... bass player Steve Larkin, Mark McCormack on banjo, his son Patrick Rowe on guitar, and California Slim pickin' and singin' in a variety of styles. Jimmie Rodgers and Leadbelly seem like the main touchstones, but he works his way through a range of folkloric and jocular material, a real throwback to a bygone era that spans before the Great Depression. One can only imagine the looks he'd get on the Santa Cruz mall, and the affection felt by the locals!

California Slim "Wine, Women, Roses And You" (Slim Records, 1984-?)

California Zephyr "California Zephyr" (Iron Horse, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by California Zephyr & Gary Boyd)
A far-ranging album from this longhaired twangband from Napa Valley, California... They make some nods towards their roots, with covers of "Cripple Creek," "Blackberry Blossom," "I Fall To Pieces" and -- more modernly -- of Steve Goodman's "City Of New Orleans, but mostly this disc is packed with original material credited to bandmembers Alan Arnopole (guitar, banjo), Doug Benson (mandolin, guitar) and bassist Mark Raus, with fiddler Mark Masarek adding some sweet licks, but sitting it out as far as songwriting goes. The group traverses a wide variety of styles -- bluegrass, honkytonk, dusty-road folk and even a bit of electric blues, with some licks added by their pal Tom ("T-Bone") Waldrop. You can look at this album critically and hear them hesitate and sound a bit stiff at times, though I think it's better to cut them some slack and just appreciate how eclectic and ambitious they were... The group made two albums in the 1970s that were fairly easy to find in Bay Area record bins, although later editions of the band, led by Alan Arnopole, also recorded a few CDs decades later...

California Zephyr "In The Saddle" (Iron Horse, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by California Zephyr & Gary Boyd)
I dunno why I was charmed by their first album, but got all grumpy about the second one... It seemed like good musicianship was obscured perhaps by an overly jokey attitude. The entire first side is too broadly drawn and too nudge-nudge, wink-wink for me, from the dramatically twangy, bluegrass-tinged cover of "Back In The Saddle Again," to the overly-drawled versions of Ray Wylie Hubbard's "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother" and the Coon Elder Band's "I Ain't Really A Cowboy, I Just Found The Hat." Likewise, their gospel chorale arrangement of "Hallelujah, I'm A Bum" is a stylistic misfire... These are all great songs, and the choice of repertoire speaks well of the band, but at times their approach to the material feels too close to mockery or parody. Things pick up, though, when they start playing their own original material, solid songs mostly written by singers Doug Benson and Alan Arnopole, with Benson's "Empty Bottles" and "Tourist In The Land Of Love" being among the album's most durable tracks. This album made a big splash at the time -- pretty sure I remember hearing them played on KFAT a time or two -- but a lot of it doesn't hold up as well as it should.

The Californians "Country" (Calvary Records, 19--?) (LP)
A gospel vocal group from Fresno, California, made up of Merv Martin, Don Nixon, Jerry Pearson, Dale Peters and Ken Williams. The backing musicians are not identified, alas, but this one probably has more legitimate twang to it than your average Calvary album.

Ray Campi - see artist discography

Joe Cannon "Cold Hard Times" (Bell Records, 1970) (LP)
Originally from Rhode Island, actor/singer Jean Peloquin headed out for California during the swinging '60s and lucked out in landing a role as "Gene, the singing ranch hand," on the western-themed TV series, The Virginian. He appeared in twelve episodes from 1968-69, and was able to parlay that gig into recording his first album, under the more butch-sounding "Joe Cannon." Under that name he kicked around with Lee Hazelwood for a while, then briefly moved up to San Francisco and made a living singing in bars. At some point in the early '70s he left California in favor of the even more frontiers-y locale of Pocatello, Idaho, where he became a permanent fixture on the local bar-band scene.

Joe Cannon "Smoke (Original Soundtrack)" (Viking Records, 1971) (LP)
This film had some kind of connection to Lee Hazelwood, as did Cannon, in his Hollywood days. I think Hazelwood directed or financed this film; Joe Cannon also recorded some of Hazelwood's songs early in his career... I haven't heard any of that stuff, though...

Joe Cannon "City Boy's Country Dream" (JDJ Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Terry Brown & Donnie Owens)
Packed with original material, this is the record you could call Joe Cannon's magnum opus -- his live albums might be better indicators of what he was like as a performer, but he obviously really put his heart into this one. It's an ambitious set full of original material with lofty lyrics and sweeping, cosmic-country arrangements... There's also some relatively down-to-earth twang, but mostly this is a record that aims big and goes long, buoyed by sweet pedal steel from West Coast stalwart Jay Dee Maness. I'm sure it'd be easy for some of you out there to mock the pretensions of this album, but still, the guy was really going for it and stepped way outside the world of ski lodge lounge gigs that were his bread and butter. It's worth a spin, for sure.

Joe Cannon "Gettin' Down... In The Valley" (JDJ, 1975-?) (LP)
To be honest, this one's a little hard to listen to... A live album with lots of rambling, drunken chatter by Joe Cannon, who's performing solo with an acoustic guitar, a harmonica and a lot of balls-out bluster. He trades good natured jibes with the audience and does his best to suck up to the locals, adapting a pop hit into "Please Come To Pocatello" and telling the long, long back story to his own local-pride song, "Sun Valley Sally." He also covers Jimmy Buffett ("Come Monday," though he teases the crowd with the promise of singing Buffett's "Why Don't We Get Drunk And Screw") and there's also a real trainwreck of a John Denver medley. The album closes with his version of "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother," where he one-ups Ray Wylie Hubbard in the crudeness quotient, and gives a hint of how wild his live shows actually might have been. It's a good, honest portrait of a sloppy bar-band country act, but it's not really that enjoyable to hear. Guess you had to be there.

Joe Cannon "Live At The Crazy Horse" (JDJ Records, 197--?) (LP)
Cannon was a regular at the Crazy Horse Steak House, located in the wild, beige backwoods of Southern California's Orange County. I dunno when this album was recorded, but Cannon was booked at the club at least through the early 1990s. At that point, he had a finely honed comedy-country schtick, including lots of blue humor and general raunchiness. (A 1990 article in The LA Times makes it sound like a scene to be seen... with a highlight actually being when he opened the merch table and there was a buying frenzy for Cannon's "While You're Down There, Make My Day" belt buckles. Somehow, I don't think his version of "Sometimes When We Touch" was quite as chaste as the Dan Hill original...)

Joe Cannon "Rough Side Out" (White Rabbit, 1984) (LP)
A pretty sharp band backs Cannon on his final(?) full album, which has kind of a what-the-heck vibe to it. The song "Going Nowhere Hillbilly Band" has kind of a sad ring to it, but his romping, raggedy tribute to the SoCal country scene, "Palomino," is much more upbeat. Cannon is backed by some interesting folks, notably West Coast steel player bobby Black, and drummer Willie Cantu, from Buck Owens' band. Side one showcases five studio tracks, while Side Two is a live performance from a club called Chuck's Cellar, in Palo Alto.

The Cardinali Brothers "More Than Luck" (Windi Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Rolf Erickson & Gary Young)
I'm pretty skeptical about this one... Yeah, sure, there's one guy playing banjo, but there's also someone bonking around on bongo drums, which is almost never a good sign when you're looking for country stuff. This mega-rare (blah, blah, blah) private-press album from LA has all the hallmarks of a stoned, spaced-out, self-indulgent, hippie-rock record... However, this did come out on the same obscuro indie label that also put out a genuine country album by a guy named John Faron, and one of the songs was called "Rodeo Masters," so you never know. The group included Don Cardinali (lead guitar and flute), Edward Cardinali (banjo, guitar and harmonica), John Cardinali (congas, drums, dulcimer and guitar) and Robert DeTullio (bass), along with Doug Miller on violin, pianist Joe Jazzboe, and keyboard player Dennis O'Doyle. Like I say, I'm skeptical about how rural and/or country-folkie this might have actually been, but if a copy ever turns up in the dollar bin at my local Record Hut, I'll let you know what I think...

Vernon Carr & Wanda Lou Carr "Railway To Heaven" (Calvary Records, 196-?) (LP)
Not sure when this one came out, but I'd guess around 1966-67 from the looks of it. Lots of local, Central Valley talent, including Alvis Barnett on lead guitar, his rhythm man Densel Alvey, Jack Hardey (guitar), Mark Higgins (drums), Jack Medley (steel guitar), and Pete Smith on bass. The musicians were listed, but alas not the producer... One would assumes it was Calvary's production maestro, Stan Anderson, turning the knobs.

Vernon Carr "In Gospel Country" (Calvary Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
A country gospel set with a Bakersfield twist, recorded by legendary Central Valley producer Stan Anderson. The band featured arrangements by pianist Bill Dalziel, conducting Ray Carlson on bass, Freddy Mannon (drums), Ray Riggs (bass), Jack Smith (steel guitar), a trio of violinists (Betty Iacovetti, Claudia Shiuh, and Virginia Tilton) and a fella named Johnny Russell picking guitar. Was that the same Johnny Russell who wrote "Act Naturally" and "Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer"? I dunno, could be -- he did grow up in Fresno, even though he'd kinda "made it" by the time this album came out. Jack Smith seems to have had a background in the southern gospel scene, but made a solid foothold in Nashville, backing Bill Anderson through the second half of the 'Seventies.

Vernon Carr "This Could Be The Year" (Calvary Records, 19--?) (LP)

Vernon Carr "Roots Of My Raisin' " (Glory Barn Sound, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Hargraves & John Moseley)
This custom label country-gospel album was recorded at the legendary Cavern Studios in Kansas City... Vernon Carr was an old-school country singer who grew up in Bakersfield, but moved to the Kansas City area later in life and became a prominent country gospel (as opposed to Southern gospel) performer. He also recorded at least one secular hard-country single in his youth ("Country Music Fever"/"Breaking Point") and includes an old Hank Williams tune on this album.

Vernon Carr "Happy Go Lucky Me" (Glory Barn Records, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by John Moseley & Sammy Samson)

Holly Carroll "Holly Carroll" (Longhorn Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Red Rowe)
Not a lot of info on this one, though it Holly Carroll seems to have been a Southern California artist... An unusually glossy-looking offering with new wave artwork, from the otherwise rather conservative western swing-oriented Longhorn label, which I gather had a short-lived stint in SoCal around the time. The backing band included jazz'n'twang bassist Red Wooten, as well as Al Vescovo on steel guitar and, um, some guy on saxophone among others. The set was partly recorded at Golden West Sound Studios, an independent studio based in Orange County, California. Obviously, more research is required.

Bill Carter/The Carter Singers - see artist discography

Cass County Boys/Dave Dudley "Lonely Corner/I Feel A Cry Coming On" (Crown Records, 1966) (LP)
This in an archetypal bait-and-switch LP from the LA-based el cheapo Crown Records label... The title track(s) are two random, leftover tracks from the career of trucker-country icon Dave Dudley, licensed or salvaged from Mercury Records, while the rest of the tracks are by an anonymous studio crew purporting to be the Cass Country Boys, a band that in its original incarnation as a cowboy trio was part of Gene Autry's Melody Ranch show in the 1940s and '50s. Whether any of the original members were in any way connected to these recordings is anyone's guess at this point... I'll defer to the uber-experts on this one, although my best guess is that they were actually a pickup band including bassist Glenn Cass and his guitar-pickin' brother, Norman Cass, who at the time were doing sessions with Crown's in-house bandleader Jerry Cole. Anyway, this album was supposed to look like a Dave Dudley record, and while there are two tracks on here that really were him, the rest of it's just filler from one of the countless fly-by-night sessions at the Crown studios.

Cat Mother & The All-Night Newsboys "The Street Giveth... And The Street Taketh Away" (Polydor Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Adams, Tony Bongiovi & Jimi Hendrix)
The Cat Mother band originated in New York but eventually gravitated to the San Francisco/Northern California hippie-rock scene... An eclectic band with a healthy dose of folk-country roots, they have enduring fame due in part to having Jimi Hendrix as a co-producer of their first album, but also because of their distinctive sound, which they continued to experiment with over the course of several albums...

Cat Mother & The All-Night Newsboys "Albion Doo-Wah" (Polydor Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Cat Mother)
Although still very much an acid rock album, there is a strong sense of twang as well, particularly with the inclusion of old-timey musician Jay Ungar, who plays fiddle and mandolin, and contributes a couple of songs as well, including the wistful "Last Go Round," an album highlight. The more acoustic-based, country-sounding songs have a distinctly Grateful Dead-ish feel, which is understandable given the place and times... But this album has an even more dropped-out feel to it: while the Dead were gigging and touring and sometimes retreating up to Marin Country, the Cat Mother band had full-on retreated to the forests of Mendocino, and this record has a very relaxed, insular feel... Comfy, too. About half of the songs were written by pianist Bob Smith, with other contributions by Ungar and bassist Ray Michaels, and a couple of jam tracks credited to the band. A fine hippie rock album, with a curious, distinctive style. And for all you stoners out there, the song "Strike A Match And Light Another" is certainly a pothead country classic!

Cat Mother "Cat Mother" (Polydor Records, 1972) (LP)

Cat Mother "Last Chance Dance" (Polydor Records, 1973) (LP)

Cayenne "Cayenne" (Bucksnort Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Stanley)
This San Francisco-based foursome had some interesting post-psychedelia going on in the guitars, but they were also definitely a twangy band, making harmony-laced country-rock, with more Southern-rock and boogie-rock influences than the stuff that slicker bands with major label connections were coming up with in Southern California at the time. This is a very interesting record, and definitely a candidate for reissue. Some of the songs are kind of amorphous, but the mellow, melodic vibe is nice throughout, and there's a sincere, real-people charm as well, with nods towards folks like Norton Buffalo and maybe even Dan Hicks. There are some real gems, too, like drummer Ajay Avery's kooky novelty number "Reject The Record," as well as the outright hippie-dippy fuzziheadedness of "Things Get Better"; on the uptempo "The Long-Awaited Escape Of Crazy Houston," they evoke the sound of (early) Eagles albums... and I mean that in a good way. A very charming, and very pleasant record... definitely worth tracking down!

Bob Cecil "The Original Bob Cecil Album" (Derrick Recording Studios, 1972) (LP)
This guy sure got around... He grew up in Santa Cruz, California but was living in Sapulpa, Oklahoma when he cut this album, which includes covers of "Country Roads," "You've Got A Friend," "Never Ending Love For You" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," as well as several of his own original songs. Several were co-written with a guy named Jim Carey, including "Blue Friday," "The Gypsy Told Me," "That's How Lonesome Feels" as well as the patriotically themed "Good Ole U.S.A.," which he dedicated to the troops in Vietnam. Mr. Cecil was backed by the Arkansas Smokehouse Band, which included John Johnson, Harold Britton and Art Matthews -- a nice all-locals set with decidedly stripped-down arrangements and a very folkie, coffeehouse feel -- lots of acoustic guitar strumming with modest backing on banjo and bass. Not earthshaking, but nice, and awfully sincere.

Bob Chambers & Phil Welch "Mama's Bible" (Vision Records, 19--?) (LP)
A couple of middle-aged guys from Lodi, California who played secular county music in their youth, but later settled down and got religion... They're pretty crude, musically, but man, do I dig their vibe, which is deeply rooted in the 1940s/50s country-bluegrass tradition. The title track was written by Bob Chambers, while another ("Faith In God") was composed by his son Bobby; the album also includes two originals by Modesto's Jerry Short, along with several from the Louvin Brothers canon ("Born Again," "The Family Who Prays," "Just Rehearsing," "Make Him A Soldier") as well as "I Like The Old Time Way," an oldie from Jim & Jesse McReynolds... My kinda gospel! The ensemble included Bob Chambers on rhythm guitar, Bobby Chambers on bass, some excellent steel playing by Barry Thomas, with Phil Welch playing some fine Chet Atkins-inspired lead guitar. Their vocals are pretty rough-hewn, but super-authentic, and the accompaniment is straightforward, back-to-basics twang... Definitely a keeper, though maybe other folks might find it hard to get into.

Bob Chance "Rock Country!" (Morrhythm Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Robert Wahlsteen & Mike Dorough)
A childhood star on the East Coast, Bob Chance recorded pop/rock singles for Atlantic and Decca while still in his teens. After a Vietnam War-era hitch with the Marines, he moved out West to Los Angeles and produced several records on his own label, Morrhythm Records. On this one, Chance "went country," though still kinda rock. Some of the more promising song titles include "Mr. Doormat," "Another Twentieth Century Fox" and "My Heart Has Been Sentenced To Jail." In all honesty? This was pretty cheesy, with fairly primitive, pop-rock production. Not really my cup of tea.

Pete Charles "Rockin' The Country" (Ridin' High Records, 1985)
(Produced by Pete Charles)
SF Bay Area guitar picker/multi-instrumentalist Pete Charles, who did a lot of local session work in the early '80s, prided himself on his mastery of a variety of styles, and dips into rock, country and cajun on this self-produced album... Sounds good on paper, but unfortunately this album was a bit of a dud. A lot of it has to do with the bland '80s production -- flat, mechanical, compressed to an artificial-sounding fare-thee-well, with an MTV-ish soullessness heard particularly in the drums. Also, I'm not a fan of bar-band R&B that gets all filtered, processed and slicked-up, as heard on about half the songs here. Still, there are a couple of nice country tunes and some sweet steel playing courtesy of Dan Tyack, with Charles adding some nice fiddle licks on the cajun-flavored tunes. Nothing on here really wowed me, but I think this disc includes a few good songs buried in unexciting production -- I know this was re-released on CD a few years ago, and possibly the remastered mix is better. Anyone know for sure?

Charlie's Band "Old Favorites" (Timber Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Cogan & Art Peterson)
Musical saw music is, well, an acquired taste. But then again, I like yodeling, so who am I to criticize? Hailing from the distant island of Alameda, California, bandleader Charlie Blacklock not only played the saw, he designed and sold his own custom-made models and recorded at least one album (this one) with a lively blend of old-timey tunes, accompanied by various family members and Bay Area locals, including backing vocals by Dawn Blacklock, Ken Blacklock (clarinet), Ken Blacklock Jr. (fiddle), David Garelick (mandolin), Tony Marcus (guitar), John Moore (tuba) and Sue Walters on bass. It's a lively, loopy set, with affectionate renditions of various polkas, waltzes, old-timey tunes and country standards. And the saw! Don't forget the saw!

Chinga Chavin "Country Porn" (Country Porn Records, 1976) (LP)
Crude sexual comedy and an even cruder parody of country music, with songs such as "A**hole From El Paso," "Dry Humping In The Back Of A Fifty-Five Ford" and "Sit, Sit, Sit (Sit On My Face)" -- and those are the polite ones. These smutty, silly songs might appeal to a few juvenile-minded listeners, but the music isn't that compelling and the joke grows old, quick, like old Don Bowman albums; might also appeal to fans of Kinky Friedman's work. Apparently this album was distributed by Penthouse magazine... anyone out there know much else about Nick Chavin, like for instance if he as a real person, or just a made-up persona? The vocals remind me of Chuck Wagon & The Wheels, but I doubt there was a connection other than maybe a shared regional accent? Anyway, everything's so jokey with this album that, although he had a full band behind him, the album's credit's are all silly, and only two musicians are credited by name, guitar picker Forrest Berry and Bob Hermann on bass; Mr. Hermann also played on the second album, where "Chavin" had gone all mononym.

(Chinga) Chavin "Jet Lag" (Jet Lag Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Don Oriolo & Ed Stasium)

Cheapshot "Biggestits" (Biggestits Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Chris Darrow)
This loose-knit California band played mostly frat rock cover tunes ("Wooly Bully," "I Got You/I Feel Good," "Who Do You Love") done country boogie style, with plenty of pedal steel and drunken twang... This LA-area band seems to have been an outlet for multi-instrumentalist/session player Chris Darrow and his pickin' pal Max Buda to get a little dumb and have some fun. The liner notes include extensive thanks/no thanks shout-outs, with the band calling out various clubs that wouldn't book them and other folks what done them wrong. Among all the R&B oldies are a few newer or original tunes, notably Darrow's own "Time Will Tell" and a version of Tom Waits' "Heart Of Saturday Night."

The Cheap Suit Serenaders "R. Crumb And His Cheap Suit Serenaders" (Blue Goose Records, 1974) (LP)
One of the all-time great retro-revival bands, The Cheap Suit Serenaders was a hippie-era stringband formed by several avid collectors of obscure old 78s -- gatherers of arcane old blues, jazz and novelty records from the pre-WWII decades. Because underground cartoonist Robert Crumb was one of the original members , the Serenaders enjoyed instant cult-favorite status that brought this delightful music to a wider audience than might otherwise have been the case... At a time when acoustic blues revivalists such as Norman Blake and Bob Brozman were delving into similar material, the Serenaders brought a more playful, anarchic sensibility to their nostalgic noodlings -- like David Bromberg, they indulged a love of novelty songs and comedy, and also explored a wider range of genres, including what were once called "ethnic" styles, such as Hawaiian and klezmer music. Most importantly, they were fun. That's particularly true on this zippy debut album, where the founding trio of Robert Crumb, Allan Dodge and Robert Armstrong were joined by Richard Oxtot, a San Francisco Bay Area trad-jazz bandleader who lends a little extra punch on some songs. This is a true classic, and a landmark album for this kind of revivalism... Tons of great music here, notably novelty numbers such as "I Had But Fifty Cents," "Laughing Rag," "I'm Gonna Get It" and even the sentimental "I See You In My Dreams." If you're looking for a record that will put a smile on your face every time you drop the needle down, then this one's for you.

The Cheap Suit Serenaders "R. Crumb And His Cheap Suit Serenaders, #2: Chasin' Rainbows" (Blue Goose Records, 1976) (LP)
Another fine set of kooky stringband revivalism, with retro gems from a variety of styles -- some early mountain music, jug band blues, a few Hawaiian tunes and some faux-foreign exotica, such as the oriental-themed "Persian Rug." To be honest, this is the least memorable of the three Cheap Suit albums, but they set the bar pretty high, so it's still a pretty great record. More must-have jugband/string-swing mayhem from the masters.

The Cheap Suit Serenaders "R. Crumb And The Cheap Suit Serenaders, #3: Singing In The Bathtub" (Blue Goose Records, 1978) (LP)
I love, love and have always loved the title track on this album, as fine a bit of goofy retrodelic musicmaking as you'll ever hear... The rest of the record lives up to that song's promise, mixing smart-alecky vocals with zingy mandolin, hot Hawaiian steel guitar, squeaky accordion and an irresistible, tootling tuba. The blend of sincerely sentimental nostalgia and a giddy embrace of pure retro corn s a winning formula... Other tracks that were often played back in the days of "free form" radio include "Pedal Your Blues Away," "Shopping Mall" and a sizzling, slam-bang cover of Sol Hoopii's hapa haole classic, "Hula Girl." Great stuff... the Serenaders at their finest! (By the way, you might also take note of the change from "his" to "the" in the band's name; Crumb mostly quit the band after this, though they continued playing off and on over the decades. And, I might add, continued collecting old 78s...)

The Christian Troubadours - see artist discography

Chris Christy "The Country Style Of Chris Christy" (Luv'ae Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by John Dobies & W. Nelson)
Mr. Christy was apparently a former bandmember of country star Hawkshaw Hawkins, who died in 1963... So he'd been around for a while before recording this late-'70s solo set, which was recorded in Glendale, California. Backing him is a longhaired trio of younger pickers -- John Dobies, Ben Main and Don Regis -- going by the name of the Country Road Band. I'm not sure, but I think the songs are originals...

Connie Clark "Connie Sings Country" (Clark Records, 1980) (LP)
A housewife from Madison, California (a microscopic village just northeast of Sacramento) Connie Clark explains in her all-too-revealing liner notes that she decided to make a country music record in 1977, after seeing Leroy Van Dyke play a cabaret show at a Reno, Nevada casino. She and her husband had gone to Reno to patch up their marriage (hmmm...) and she was so impressed by Van Dyke's music, it became her big ah-ha! moment. This is admittedly a super-amateurish album, poorly recorded with an unidentified local band, possibly including Jerry McClendon (who she thanks) as well as Joe Hobson, who wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on this album, including several written with Dewey Boyd, a local musician who had himself recorded a few singles in the early '60s. (Clark also says that Sacramento country deejay Paul Westmoreland helped write some of the songs, though the credits inside don't mention him on any of the songs...) Clark's voice can charitably be compared to that of Skeeter Davis, with kind of a keening, flat, girl-groupish flair... She wasn't gonna bust out and pack 'em in at Vegas herself, but if you're into authentic recordings by "real people," this one, with liner notes that spend more time talking about her family life and her three pregnancies, is about as real as it gets.

Gene Clark -- see artist profile

Jo Jo Clark "New Hound In Town" (Allegiance Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Kim Fowley)
The proto-Americana duo of Chris Darrow and Max Buda do a lot of the heavy lifting here, backing Hollywood-based singer Jo Jo Clark on an album that starts out pretty strictly as a thudding, neo-rockabilly set, ala Shakin' Stevens, but eventually drifts into softer, more nuanced territory. Clark proves a better rock singer than country vocalist, so while songs like "Just Stephen Foster" are more thematically interesting than the uptempo tunes, you might be distracted by the performances -- the best track probably being the cajun-flavored "Down Home Days." Darrow co-wrote a couple of tracks -- the country-themed "King Of The Cowboys" and "Goin' Back To Texas" -- while rock'n'roll weirdo Kim Fowley, who is credited as producer, apparently co-wrote the rest along with Clark, and one song is credited to LA-area DJ Rodney Bingenheimer, probably in hopes that he would promote the album. Mostly this album is negligible, though it is an interesting footnote to the pre-Americana days of the early '80s... As far as I know this was Clark's only album.

Merrill Clark "Hold On And Love Her" (Expand Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Breeden, Gradie O'Neal & Andy Thompson)
I'm not entirely sure I've got this guy's biography straight, but he has a pretty light online profile... Merrill Clark appears to have been a stage name for Merrill Galenski Jr., who was born in Northampton, Massachusetts but moved around a lot and was a jack of all trades -- the back cover on this album describes him as having worked as a logger, a fisherman, a military MP, a "dredgerman," and ultimately as an operating engineer, which was the theme of his entire second album (which is reviewed below). He also pursued a passion for music, and by the time he cut these mid-'Seventies albums Mr. Clark seems to have been living in San Jose, California, although he recorded this album at Ripcord studios up in Vancouver, Washington, and was probably backed by producer Gene Breeden and his studio crew. He seems to have had ties to folks in Eugene, Oregon: three of the tracks were written by Doug Kindred -- a guy from Eugene who cut an album of his own -- although all the others songs are Merrill Clark originals. Mr. Clark was born in 1938, but the year he passed away is given variously as 2002, 2003, or 2006, varying from website to website, again reflecting the shortage of information about this idiosyncratic twang auteur. Any additional information is welcome.

Merrill Clark "I'm An Operating Engineer" (Expand Records, 1976) (LP)
A kooky, outsider-art album from this California country indie... It's a theme record about "operating engineers" -- the folks that drive big construction vehicles like Caterpillar tractors and other heavy equipment -- with a slew of original songs mostly written by Merrill himself, along with a couple of Merle Haggard songs and a union tune by Woody Guthrie. In the liner notes, Merrill says her has "worked alongside these men of the Operating Engineers for many years," so I guess he was a construction worker who self-financed a couple of albums, and maybe came up with the idea of producing this one as a benefit for his union, the International Union of Operating Engineers (IOUE), as a way to subsidize his musical moonlighting(?) But I'm just speculating, really -- anyone know more about this guy? And wouldn't it be awesome if he made a duo album with Buzz Martin, the singing lumberjack? Get Alex Zanetis and

Michael Clark "Free As A Breeze" (Capitol Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jay Senter)
A little bit "iffy" in the 'Seventies country spectrum, but worth a spin if you're into rootsy AOR of the era. I'd place Clark somewhere between Mac Davis and Larry Jon Wilson -- somewhere in that vicinity, though ultimately on the less-cool side of the equation, including a few traces of late-'70s dance music in the mix. Grumbly, manly, Elvis-y vocals wed to fairly indistinct songs, with a production style that teeters between rugged and bland -- a lot of LA pop-scene heavyweights in the studio crew, folks like Lee Ritenour, Steve Luthaker and Lee Sklar, though the names that caught my attention were Greg Liesz on pedal steel and James Burton on electric guitar. I'm not sure what the story was with this guy, though Capitol did give him a fair shot, releasing two albums and a handful of singles during the disco era. Worth checking out if you like bohunk pop ballads, but twangfans shouldn't get their hopes up too high.

Michael Clark "Save The Night" (Capitol Records, 1979) (LP)

Clover "Clover" (Fantasy Records, 1970) (LP)
Several years before becoming known as a new wave-era pop star, Marin County, California's Huey Lewis formed the band Clover, whose first album is considered a pioneering country-rock record. Spending much of the mid-1970s in the UK, the group transcended their redwoods-and-birkenstocks background and cemented their place in rock history by landing a gig backing an angry young man named Declan MacManus (aka Elvis Costello) on his first album, My Aim Is True. By the time the '80s rolled around, though, Huey needed a new drug, and he found one by pursuing a solo career... This is where it all began, though...

Clover "Fourty Niner" (Fantasy Records, 1971) (LP)

Clover "Unavailable" (Mercury/Vertigo Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Mutt Lange)

Clover "Love On The Wire" (Mercury/Vertigo, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Mutt Lange)

Nudie Cohen "Nudie And His Mandolin" (Nudie Recording Company, 1974) (LP)
A souvenir album featuring the musical stylings of celebrity tailor Nudie Cohen, a Ukranian emigre who moved to Hollywood and created the some of the most famous, dazzling, outrageously baroque western-themed cowboy outfits worn by country musicians and film stars alike. This record features an extensive booklet of snapshots with Cohen posing with various clients he's tailored for, including big-name stars like George Jones and Dale Evans, as well as lesser lights like "recording artist Ned Doheny," and others. One family photo is dated 1973, so this is at least after that...

Cold Steel "Cold Steel" (Ariola Records, 1974) (LP)
A short-lived, LA-based ensemble featuring pedal steel wiz Sneaky Pete Kleinow and fiddler Gib Guilbeau, jamming together just before the late-1974 regrouping of the Flying Burrito Brothers...

Jerry Cole & The Country Boys "Crazy Arms... And Other Country & Western Instrumental Favorites" (Crown Records, 1966) (LP)
A hotshot guitarist in the LA studio scene, picker Jerry Cole (aka Jerald Kolbrak, 1939-2008) played on numerous top pop sessions along with the A-list "Wrecking Crew" of the mid-to-late 1960s, while also working side gigs for various TV shows. For years, his main day job was as a bandleader at Crown Records, the uber-granddaddy of West Coast cheapo-exploito labels, where he cranked out innumerable albums under a wild proliferation of made-up band names. In addition to surf/rock, pop and blues recordings, Cole cut tons of country records, including a few like this one that came out under his own name. Plenty of twang on here, although as with most Crown releases, the identities of the other musicians weren't listed on the liner notes, and are lost to the tides of time. Alas.

Jerry Cole "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" (Custom Records, 1968-?) (LP)

The Collins Kids - see artist discography

Tommy Collins - see artist discography

Commander Cody - see artist discography

Stan Cole "Favorite Hits" (Rawhide Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dick Waibel & Ken Carleton)
A square-dancing album from Fresno, California... Mr. Cole was himself from Mariposa, CA, up in the Sierras around Yosemite, but came down from the mountains to nearby Madera this record. The album features half-instrumental versions of a bunch of country oldies (with added "harmony" vocals) and backing by local pickers, including Rick Blake, Ken Carlton, Terry Cristofferson, John Fisher and Art Hoge, I'm not sure if these guys were neighbors of Cole's up in Mariposa, or whether they lived down n the Valley.

Jimmie Collins & Tex Rogers "...And Western Gospel Crusaders" (Songs Of Calvary, 1964-?) (LP)
A gospel duo from Oakland, California, who sang both as a duo and individually on this album, Collins and Rogers had previously worked in secular country, notably with western artists such as Ken Maynard and a band called the Pals Of The Purple Sage. Though born in Pennsylvania, Rogers got his nickname because he grew up near East Texas, Pennsylvania, an oddly-named dot on the map near Allentown; Jimmie Collins was originally from Chilicothe, Missouri, though apparently they produced this disc by way of a church group in California. They are backed on this album by fellow believers Gene Shelby (on "electric Hawaiian guitar"), Effie Shelby (guitar), Mary Lou Stewart (vibraphone), Royce Collier (bass), and Judith Collier (piano). More than that, I cannot tell you.

Jay Conder & The Sundowners "Live At The Panhandler" (RPJW Productions, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Prospero)
This live album captures a couple of shows recorded at the Panhandler nightclub, located in Dana Point, California, along the Pacific Coast Highway, way back on December 20th and 21st, 1980. It's a typical longhair country bar-band set -- not the greatest band ever, but devoted to the music and having a good time playing. Mostly it's covers of pop-country and outlaw hits, stuff like "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" and "On The Road Again" on the outlaw side (and of course a version of "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother") along with Top Forty tunes such as "Eastbound And Down" and "Lucille." Mostly it a plunky-twangy set, though on a few tracks things grind to a halt with some dreadful slow ballads that highlight the iffy covals of bassist Barney Powers; also rather iffy was Ruth Conder's solo on "Somebody's Knockin'," though Jay Conder himself had a pleasantly rugged voice. Not earthshaking, but authentic... I guess their home base was in Sparks, Nevada... at least that was the band's mailing address.

Jay Conder "Something Old, Something New" (Let It Flo Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Breeden, Chad Heasley & Ed Glass)

Ry Cooder -- see artist profile

Marty Cooper "A Minute Of Your Time" (Barnaby Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Mansfield, Ed Abner & Marty Cooper)
Songwriter Marty Cooper was born in Colorado, but had moved to California and started a recording career while still a pre-teen. As a composer, he scored a few pop hits in the early 'Sixties, including co-writing "Peanut Butter" by the Marathons, and Jack Nitzsche's "Lonely Surfer." Like many rocksters in the early 'Seventies, as the dust was settling after Woodstock and Altamont, Cooper entered an introspective, singer-songwriter mode, and "went country" a little ahead of the pack in LA's pop scene. This album paired Cooper up with fabled producer Ken Mansfield, who was shifting his own attention towards the outlaw scene bubbling up from Texas, and who applied his own twang-itude to Cooper's tunes. The project pulled in arranger Larry Muhoberac and guitar picker James Burton, from Elvis Presley's TCB Band, bluegrasser John McEuen, and some top session players such as Larry Carlton and Al Casey... There's some real twang in the mix, though overall, I gotta say Cooper's vocals (and lyrics) feel a bit strained. Interesting, but mostly from a historical perspective.

Marty Cooper "If You Were A Singer" (Emily Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Al Capps, Larry Muhoberac & Marty Cooper)
Cooper's second album came out just before the decade's end, though for whatever showbiz-politics reasons, it only came out in Europe, and didn't see release in the States until a digital-era reissue (below).

Marty Cooper "I Wrote A Song: The Complete 1970's Recordings" (Ace-Big Beat Records, 2012)

Leon Copas "Truck Driving Man And Other Truck Driving Favorites" (Crown Records, 1969) (LP)
Though born and raised in Texas, Leon Jerdon Copass (1932-2017) spent his adult life in Southern California, where he worked on ranches near Santa Barbara while moonlighting in hillbilly musical groups and soon became a proficient guitar picker and bassist. His musical career picked up after he was discharged from the military following a stint in the Korean War, and he became an in-demand player on the booming Los Angeles-area country scene, performing on high-profile radio and TV programs such as KTLA's Cal's Corral and Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree. Like a lot of SoCal musicians, he found work playing anonymously at recording sessions for the Crown Records cheapie/soundalike label, a gig that led to this solo album recorded under his own name. Unlike many Crown albums, this disc offered little int he way of original material, leaning heavily on well-known (and perhaps slightly altered) hit songs with several popular trucker tunes such as "Diesel Smoke," "Giddy Up Go," "Six Days On The Road," and "Truck Driving Man." A couple of tracks may have been originals, although it's not clear if anythings was written by Mr. Copass; one of the more obscure tunes was a version of Casey Anderson's "Thirty More Miles To San Diego," which had just been recorded by Dean Martin. Mr. Copass eventually settled in Oxnard, where he joined Toby Rean and steel player Frankie Hardcastle to form Toby Rean & The Common People, a group that played country bars such as the Stallion Club and The Crow's Nest, and embarked on a 1971 USO tour at the height of the Vietnam War. The Common People also recorded another album for the Crown label, though the band broke up after Mr. Rean passed away in 1976.

Leon Copeland "...Sings The Big Hits Of Merle Haggard" (Alshire Records, 1970) (LP)
An excellent tribute album recorded by singer Leon Chase Copeland, a Bakersfield local whose biography remains elusive, but who was quite good, and quite twangy. According to Deke Dickerson, Copeland was a childhood friend of Merle Haggard who had a couple of brief stints as the bass player in The Strangers, and worked in the Southern California budget-label demimonde, recording an unknown number of uncredited songs for Alshire Records before getting his shot as solo artist with his own name on the front cover. He recorded two albums for Alshire, and also recorded a 1968 single with two of Merle Haggard's lesser-known songs, "I'm Out Of My Mind" and "Gotta Go See The World," with Gary Paxton as producer and some groovy guitar work by Clarence White. Haggard doesn't appear to have recorded the songs himself, though it's worth noting that "Gotta Go See The World" was also recorded by another Bakersfielder, Harold Cox, on a single whose flipside, "I'll Never Be A Man," was penned by Leon Copeland. That song, like much of Copeland's original work, was buried in the morass of Alshire's shady business practices, where the identities if composers and performers were routinely hidden in order to maximize the label's ability to recycle the same old stuff under brand new names, or, most often, under no name at all. Copeland had a great voice, though, with an uncanny ability to imitate 1960s-era George Jones, and it's fun to spot him vocals on various no-name releases, though impossible to confirm it was actually him doing the singing. Even more unfortunate is the lack of credit on whatever songs he sold to Alshire, especially given his later success as the composer of "Lead Me On," a song he originally wrote for Bonnie Owens that became a chart-topping duet by Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty in 1971, right after these two LPs came out. For whatever reasons, Leon Copeland seems to have faded from sight in the early '70s. It sure would be nice if someone could track down and document his "lost" work and put together some kind of retrospective, including some of these Merle Haggard covers. He was a rock-solid country singer who never quite got the recognition he deserved.

Leon Copeland And Friends "Today's Country Hits" (Alshire Records, 1970) (LP)
A typical cheapo-label Alshire bait-and-switch set: although there are some soundalike cover songs, this was not quite the collection of "hits" the title implies. No big surprise there. But the fun part is really in the album's slipshod originals, including including four tracks credited to "E. L. Jefe": "Mary Jane," "The Same Train Never Came," "The Right Way To Live," and "This Ol' Lonesome River." (The E. L. Jefe composer persona was used on a few other Alshire releases, and may have been a stand-in for more that one person's work... All four songs were copyrighted together as part of a big batch of music copyrighted by D. L. Miller's Chesdel Music, but individual composer credits were not provided... So these could have been Copeland's own tunes, or given to him by the label.) As was standard for most Alshire releases, there are no musician or producer credits, and no release date as well, although a plug in Billboard helps date this one to June 1970.

Troy Cory & Priscilla Cory "Easy Love'n" (Cinema Prize Records, 197-?) (LP)
Hi, there! You may remember Troy Cory from such chart-topping albums as... well, umm, uh... Anyway, Mr. Cory released a ton of records. but this is the most legitimately country-sounding one I've found so far. It's an offshoot of his work with his daughter, Priscilla Cory, a former child model who co-hosted the Los Angeles-based Troy Cory Evening Show with her dad between 1974-82. Personally, I find this album cover's iconography of a grown woman in a midi outfit piggyback riding on her father's shoulders a little disturbing, but maybe that's just my problem. At any rate, Mr. Cory's choice of material on this set is fairly spot-on: I wouldn't say he was any great shakes as a pop crooner, but he did have an affinity for the slightly louche sub-genre of middle-aged, sensitive-male countrypolitan hunks who dotted the landscape in the early 'Seventies, and hits from stars such as Charlie Rich ("Behind Closed Doors," "Most Beautiful Girl In The World"), Freddy Hart ("Easy Lovin'," "Togetherness") and Charley Pride ("Kiss An Angel Good Morning") are a much better fit. Not to say these are great recordings -- hardly -- but it sounds much better than him trying to be the next Jack Jones, or whatever. Priscilla Cory also sings lead on a couple of tunes, and is credited as the author of one as well... Alas, no information was included about the backing musicians, although the liner notes cryptically inform us the record was made "in the Deep South," but whether they meant Nashville or San Diego is anybody's guess.

Corn Bred "It's Hot" (Sierra Briar, 19--?) (LP)

Ron Cornelius "Tin Luck" (Polydor Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Cornelius, Robin Cable, Neil Wilburn)
A solo set from West Coast folk-rocker Ron Cornelius (1945-2021), who started out in an influential but ill-fated country-psychedelic band from the SF Bay Area called West, and later worked as a sideman for Bob Dylan and later for Leonard Cohen. Included on these sessions is one of his West bandmates, Joe Davis, on bass, as well as drummer Paul Distel. At the decade's end he moved to Nashville, where he continues working as both a session player and producer.

John Corzine & Peggy Corzine "The Bramble And The Rose" (Blossom Bar Records, 1981) (EP)
I'm pretty sure this folkie pair did not include the 2006-2010 New Jersey governor (John Corzine) although they had an illustrious destiny of their own... The Corzines were both natives of Orange County, California, childhood sweethearts who formed a duo and played countless folk and bluegrass gigs in SoCal, particularly in their late '70s stomping ground in the city of Tustin. They were friends with another California duo, Mary McCaslin and Jim Ringer, and were thanked on their 1978 album, The Bramble And The Rose for introducing McCaslin and Ringer to the title track, which was written by Barbara Keith; John Corzine also played guitar on one of Mary McCaslin's later albums. This four-song EP includes their version of "Bramble And The Rose," as well as a Dusty Owens song, "Once More," and a Corzine original, "White Lines And Road Signs." The Corzines performed together for years billed as John Corzine & Peggy Odom, her given name. Much, much later, in the 2000s, they joined a SoCal bluegrass band called the Blade Runners.

Jesse Couch & The Feather Canyon Band "All Of The Reasons" (Country Club, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Louis Owens)
According to his website, singer Jesse Couch was a Kentucky native who hit the West Coast after getting out of the (Vietnam War-era) US Air Force. He started doing gigs in LA, where he stayed for five years, playing the Palomino Club and other venues, at the dawn of the California country-rock scene. He later moved to Michigan, where he set up shop as a club owner, playing gigs around Detroit in the late '70s and launching his own brief recording career. Working with songwriter David Daniel III (possibly a pseudonym?) Couch released several indie singles, including some original material that seems to have been gathered on this LP. The backing band included lead guitar Marty Campbell, John Cook on organ (... and vibes, daddy-O!), keyboard player Dean Goodman, bassist Ron Mullens, and drummer Woody Vioers. Half the songs were credited to David Daniel including the title track, which closes the album. The other songs are covers of hits, old and new: "Statue Of A Fool," "When A Man Loves A Woman," and "You Were Always On My Mind" (which sort of suggests that this was recorded around the time Willie's Stardust album came out...) as well as a Kinky Friedman song, "Highway Cafe," which was also released as a single. Couch later became a "total Christian" evangelical, and has released several CDs with patriotic and religious themes, and hosts a politically-oriented Christian radio talk show.

Country "Country" (Atlantic/Clean Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Michael O'Bryant & Ahmet Ertegun)
This early in the game, it's hard to be sure just how "country" a '70s band named Country might actually be, but after a gooey, electric guitar-stuffed cosmic rock opening number ("Beverly Glen") these SoCal rockers do deliver the goods, with a sweet if somewhat amorphous set of spacey, mellow, country-folk-rock tunes. With plenty of pedal steel and dobro to draw twangfans in, this is largely a spaced-out, folk-ish outing, at least in terms of the lyrics -- a set of songs that never quite cohere into anything memorable, but have a pleasant, slightly narcotic effect. Songwriters Michael Fondiler and Tom Snow seem sincere enough in a zoned-out hippie-dippy kinda way, and the lead vocals (Snow, I think...) remind me of Jerry Jeff Walker, while there's a slightly swampy, Muscle Shoals-ish feel to some of the music. Worth checking out, but maybe a little further into the rock side of things for me. (Historical stuff: Fondiler was in a series of mid-'60s bands with Jay Ferguson, who went on to found the Top 40 rock band Spirit; Tom Snow went on to be a frighteningly successful mainstream '70s-'80s pop songwriter, although chances are the only one of his songs you've heard of -- or remember -- is "Let's Hear It For The Boy," from the movie Footloose. Trust me: this hippie folk-rock stuff was better.)

Country Bear Jamboree "Walt Disney World's Country Bear Jamboree" (Disneyland Records, 1972) (LP)
(Conducted George Bruns)
A souvenir album from Disneyland. Now, okay, I totally get that this was a decent paying gig for some Southern California musicians who needed a day job... But, jeez... Can you imagine being stuck in one of those bear suits, playing the banjo all day long, or whatever? Or were these bears all animatronic? Inquiring minds want to know. Anyway, on the musical side of things, there's a distinct West Coast/Bakersfield tilt to the material, with songs by Tommy Collins and Buck Owens, as well as some Homer & Jethro comedy tunes and a few original pieces penned by Country Bear Jamboree conductor George Bruns and Tom Adair. The bears themselves are identified as Buff, Henry, Max, Melvin Sammy, Trixie and Wendell, as well as Bunny, Bubbles and Beulah, not to mention Big Al, or the Five Bear Rugs. They play a bunch of humorous country songs, along with chestnuts such as "Bile Them Cabbage Down," etc., and a mild parody or two such as "Bearless Love." And, sadly, I'm afraid the answer to your question is: no, there isn't any country record I won't review.

Country Butter "Country Butter" (Faniork/Denim Records, 1978) (LP)
An endearing mix of styles from this obscure trio from Mendocino, California... Bandmembers include Bobbie Brittain (banjo & dobro), Eric Brittain (lead guitar) and Carmon Brittain (bass) who were presumably siblings, Bob being billed as "Buffalo Bob" on the inner sleeve. They played some bluegrass, but also pre-Nashville country oldies by Jimmie Rodgers, acoustic versions of Bob Wills ("New San Antone Rose," sung in the style of Hank Snow) and a slew of original tunes, including instrumentals that dip into Delmore Brothers-ish bluesiness and a hint of "new acoustic" guitar music, and several with Northern California-themed names, such as "Petaluma Express" and "Mendocino Waltz." No trace of the outlaw style of the times, but a nice, amateur effort by some traditionalists from the rural backwoods of the West. Interestingly, old-timer Cliffie Stone contributes brief liner notes, mentioning their performances at festivals -- dunno if they ever played with him, though.

The Country Choir "...Sings Gospel Favorites" (Elliott Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Elliott & Roy Ward)
An all-gospel set from a charmingly unpretentious community church group from San Pablo, California, in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area. The musical backing is pretty minimal: bass, banjo and guitars behind a modest chorus of seven or eight people (though some tracks feature a larger choral group, presumably drawn from the flock of MacArthur Community Baptist church). There don't seem to have been any virtuosi players here, though the larger choral tracks sound pretty sleek. The musicians credited on the back include the husband-wife duo of guitarist Jim and Norma Crank, their nine-year old daughter Kimberly, her aunt, Betty Bickham, a choir leader from Vallejo who was apparently the choir's arranger, and who penned one of the songs, "Praise God," which closes the album out. Also on board are alto Marie Daniels (from San Pablo), banjo plunker and label owner Charlie Elliott, tenor Ruth Maddox (of El Cerrito) and a guy named Joe Reading singing bass. Nothing electrifying, but a very sincere and straightforward group working vaguely in the Carter Family tradition.

The Country Cut-Ups "Corn Shuckin' Time" (Cumberland Records, 1965) (LP)
What looks like an ultra-generic cheapo album by an anonymous non-band was actually a cheapo album by a later incarnation of a California-based country group that featured West Coast steel player Bobby Black, his brother Larry Dean Black on lead guitar, Hoyet Henry playing bass and Mel Larson on keyboards. The Black brothers had already been in a variety of bands, playin doo-wop, surf and pop, as well as cutting some earlier country singles with Henry's help. Bobby Black went onto be an in-demand session player and a key figure in the West Coast country-rock scene, playing with Asleep At The Wheel, The Commander Cody Band, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, and others... Hoyet Henry also became a session musician, known for his guitar picking, while Mel Larson appears to be the same guy who wrote a bunch of tunes for Motown in the 'Seventies. Quite a talent pool for some dumb quickie country album!!

The Country Parson & The Golden West Gospel Singers "...With Songs On Praise Of The Lord" (Golden West Gospel Singers, 19--?) (LP)
A delightful set of pure, resonant country gospel, with echoes of the Louvin Brothers and family-harmony groups such as the Browns and the Everly Brothers. According to the liner notes, The Golden West Gospel Singers was formed in 1966 by a close-knit group of musicians in Tulare County, California, just north of Bakersfield. Most members immigrated as children from various Ozarks and lower plains states: Ms. Ozell Davis was born in Freer, Texas, while her sister Ramona Lyles was born in Arizona; Ramona's mandolin picking husband Louis Lyles was from Oklahoma, while the group is rounded out by Arkansas-born Rev. Gene Nunly, his wife Essie, and their children June and Larry, who also perform on this album. The cover art is, charmingly, a set of xeroxed pages, hand-pasted onto a plain white jacket; my copy includes hand-written notes that give two other addresses other than the original P.O. Box in Tulare, on in nearby Farmersville, and another in Cororan, in neighboring Kings County. The updated addresses suggest that the group performed live and may have sold these albums as part of Rev. Nunly's ministry, though there's very little trace of Mr. Nunly online, literally only a couple of mentions of his name, and nothing about this band.

The Country Revolution "Live At Nashville West" (Trac Records, 1974) (LP)
This Fresno, California bar band, featuring lead singer Billy Bryant, plays all covers on this fake-live album, and although there's no original material, they do sound pretty darn good. Lively, stripped-down musicianship with heartfelt performances of countrypolitan hits by Mac Davis, Freddy Weller and Kenny O'Dell, with a slight nod towards Bakersfield with one Wynn Stewart song. I'm guessing at the 1974 release date, based on their flared pants, muttonchops and medium-length hair, as well as their repertoire and a couple of mentions in the Fresno Bee newspaper in the winter of '73-74. The "Nashville West" was a bar on Fresno's sprawling Blackstone Avenue (and whose name was an echo of the nickname of an earlier music venue, the Big Fresno Barn, which was host to countless top-name country and western-swing artists in bygone years.) Anyone know more about these guys?

The Country Revolution "Live At Jim's Place" (Nashville West Records, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Moseley & Billy Bryant)
Another live album, this time recorded at Jim's Place, a once-fabled bar in Clovis, California... The record is dedicated to bandmember Gene Staggs (1944-1976) who sings lead on three of the tracks, including versions of Gary Stewart's "Flat Natural Born Good Time Man" and Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles."

The Country Revolution "This Is Country Revolution Country" (Nashville West Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Moseley & Billy Bryant)

The Countrymen/The Countrymen Quartet - see artist discography

Don Cox "The Crazy Gringo" (CMR, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Hoyt Henry)
Texas-born country singer Don Cox (1934-2012) was a longtime fixture on the San Jose, California country scene, both as a performer and as a nightclub owner. He ran two venues, the Cowtown and the Three Flames restaurant, where he continued his residency for many years, and performed his last show in 2011, at the ripe old age of 76. This first album includes his single, "The Crazy Gringo," which was a regional hit, although most of the other songs are covers of country hits such as "Statue Of A Fool," "Crazy Arms," and "Before The Next Teardrop Falls."

Don Cox "On The Line" (ARC Records, 1979) (LP)
This album includes the song, "Smooth Southern Highway," which cracked the Billboard Top 100 (peaking at #94...)

Bobby Crocker "E.T.A. Now" (Raven Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Perry Jones)
Indie twang from Rio Linda, California, near Sacramento... This is an earnest attempt at contemporary, early '80s style, Top Forty country, complete with tepid overtones of classic 'Fifties rock and fairly bland production... Joe Stampley, Conway Twitty and/or the Oak Ridge Boys come to mind... Although Crocker found distribution through the Nashville-based NSD company, this was an all-locals, Northern California product, recorded in Sacramento with local musicians. Honestly, it's not my cup of tea, though there are a few songs that sound a little more rootsy than the others... Notably, the disc is packed with original material: Bobby Crocker wrote over half the tracks, with producer Perry Jones penning several more, and guitarist Mark Welborn contributing "Goodbye Lady Goodbye," a pedal-steel drenched twangtune that's the album's main highlight. Worth a spin, though it's really more of a commercially-oriented album, rather than an indie-twang nugget.

The Crooked Jades -- see artist profile

Jill Croston "Jill Croston" (Harbor Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Nelson)
The independently-released debut of the artist who would become known as Lacy J Dalton. This album was a regional favorite in Santa Cruz, California, and shows Dalton's folkie/bluesy, Janis Joplinesque roots... The record has a comfy, informal, down-home vibe that reflects the hippie-billy vibe of the time... But her voice is so powerful -- a bluesy blast that pushes up against the sweet acoustic backing -- that in retrospect it's clear that she was destined for something bigger, bolder and more robust. And why begrudge her her successes? For every ten thousand earnest, striving, coffeehouse/open mic singers, there's one Lacy J. that'll make it to the top, and I'm sure the folks who remember her from 'way back when still have their copies of this disc tucked away somewhere and think fondly of her success. Anyway, here's where she started -- it was 0 to 60 after that.

R. W. Culpepper "R. W. Culpepper Sings" (World Wide Revival Crusades, 19--?) (LP)
Oh, so good. There are few things I like better than finding a truly twangy, soulful country gospel album, and this disc's a doozy. According to Randall Herbert Balmer's Encyclopedia Of Evangelicalism,Richard Weston Culpepper (1921-1983) was a Texas-born Pentecostal "holy ghost" preacher who converted while serving in WWII, then set up his own ministry following the war. Like many evangelists of the era, he seems to have moved around a lot and took part in several shifts and movements inside the Pentecostal movement. His initial postwar ministry was based in Los Angeles, where he was living at least through the early 1970s, though he later moved to Milwaukee, where he passed away in 1983. I don't know the full contours of his career, but the music on this album speaks for itself: with his fervid, slightly froglike, old-man vocals and manic true-believer enthusiasm, Culpepper recalls the musical glories of Depression-era gospel pioneers such as Albert E. Brumley and Alfred G. Karnes, whose emotionally explosive, rapturous style held an uninhibited, slightly nutty edge that many fans find so compelling. This is the sound of country preachin' music before the sleek, stuffy southern gospel movement took all the fun out of everything. Culpepper is ably backed by the Dallas, Texas group known as Bob Wills and the Inspirational Quartet, who I've always been leery of due to the obvious brand-name confusion with western swing legend Bob Wills... But they provide suitably primitive backing, often punctuated with some sweet, sly Chet Atkins-y guitar. Other musicians include David Hollis and Rachel Sherrell, who I'm guessing were backing singers... Mr. Culpepper appears to have recorded at least one other album, though I haven't laid eyes (or ears) on that one yet.

Rick Cunha "Cunha: Songs" (GRC Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Mansfield)
The solo debut of country-rock guitarist-songwriter Rick Cunha, who moved from the psychedelic folk-rock band Hearts & Flowers into a career as a session picker in the LA music scene. Although he grew up in Southern California, Cunha also had family roots in Hawaii and in Hawaiian music, being the grandson of Sonny Cunha, a popular composer known for penning several classic hapa haole pop songs in the early 1900s. Cunha lived in Hawaii at various times in his life, and the mellow, relaxed vibe of island music and slack key guitar is hinted at in some of these songs, particularly the loftier, spacier rock ballads; there are also some plunky twang tunes, including a fine cover of the old Hank Thompson hit, "Wild Side Of Life," as well as the more novelty-oriented "Jesse James (Is An Outlaw Honey)" and the more conventional "Mr. Lonesome (Party Of One)," a Cunha original which could easily have been a '60s country hit. Waylon Jennings, who Cunha backed on a few sessions, sings harmony on "Chain Of Lonely People," a windswept, eleven-minute cosmic folk epic that closes the record... Gary and Randy Scruggs, Weldon Myrick, the Cates Sisters and a slew of LA and Nashville musicians are also in the studio crew. A nice, mellow album that doesn't have a lot of "catchy" tunes, but holds up well to attentive listening.

Rick Cunha "Moving Pictures" (CBS-Sierra Briar, 1980) (LP)

Truitt Cunningham "...Sings With The Red Garter Trio" (Thanks Records, 1968-?) (LP)
A country stalwart from Northern California, Truitt Cunningham (1930-2014) was a western swing bandleader and TV show host who performed throughout the Central Valley and Northern California. As a teenager he was recruited by Bob Wills in the early 1950s to play in the California edition of the Texas Playboys, and later worked with Billy Jack Wills band before starting his own group, the San Antone Rose Band. Born in Texas but raised in Modesto, California, Cunningham hosted a local TV in Sacramento where he fostered the career of Lynn Anderson in the mid-1960s. Cunningham's day job was as a land surveyor, but he led his band for years, recording numerous singes and albums while also taking part in various western swing revival shows. This disc was a souvenir of Cunningham's stint working as the house band for the Red Garter Club in Folsom, California. The trio was rounded out by rhythm guitarist Duke Brown and Jody McCauley, a steel player who stayed in the SF Bay Area and released at least one album of his own... The trio also had a regular show on radio station KRAK, and performed live on KXTV, Sacramento. The liner notes are provided by country deejay Walter Shaw (aka Cousin Walt) who was also the emcee of their KRAK radio program.

Truitt Cunningham "To Each His Own" (Thanks Records, 1976) (LP)
This album is packed with original material, with about half the songs written by Cunningham, including "When Jimmy Makes His Move To Washington," a goofy topical song about the election of Jimmy Carter, wherein the singer imagines the southern President flying Confederate flags over the White House, planting peanuts on the lawn, and setting up an outhouse out back. Hmmm. Not quite. There are also covers of oldies like Hoagy Carmichael's "Up A Lazy River" and Floyd Tillman's "Slippin' Around." A nice slice of old-school California country!

Truitt Cunningham "...And His Western Swing Hall Of Fame -- Live" (1998) (CD)
A later recording, made with The San Antone Rose Band, featuring several former members of the Texas Playboys... This was recorded live at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee in 1998.

Johnny D. "Old Time Religion: A Country Gospel Program By Johnny D" (Alshire Records, 1972) (LP)
Kind of a kooky little record... I saw a totally thrashed copy in the quarter bin at my local Record Hut, and finally picked it up, since it looked so promising. "Johnny D." appears to be a pseudonym for the multiply-pseudonymous Johnny Doe, one of several made-up "artists" recording for the Los Angeles-based Alshire label. Originally the name was an alias for Johnny Cash imitator Stan Farlow, though in this case it was being used for a guy named Darryl Humphries, who got a songwriter's credit on the inner label. (The other songs were credited to E. L. Jefe -- ha-ha, I get it...) In keeping with Farlow's original Johnny Doe persona, Johnny D also was a crypto-Cash soundalike, though on this album he's almost comedically unable to stay in character, and doesn't seem to have been a particularly strong singer to begin with. Still, if you wanna hear someone mimicking Johny Cash's "Daddy Sang Bass" style of gospel, you might get a big kick out of this disc. Presumably the backing band were drawn from Alshire's anonymous stable of under-employed country-rockers... the music's decent, though the vocals are a bit wobbly.

Coy Daily "Country Fiddling" (Trac Records, 19--?) (LP)
Fiddler Coy Daily was an Okie who came out west in 1940, playing professionally in some western swing bands before settling down in Salida, California, right next to Modesto. In 1974, Daily and fellow fiddler Vern Keathly along with guitarist Nellie O'Neal won the music competition at the Auburn State Fair, giving them the impetus to record a lovely all-instrumental album for the Fresno-based Trac label. Daily followed up that success with this "solo" set, which featured backing by his son Ron Daily, on bass as well as guitar picker Les Davis and pianist Don Hyland (here spelled "Heiland") on piano. This record includes an original tune called "Kiowa Special," in honor of his childhood home in Kiowa County, Oklahoma.

Dakota Sid "Dakota Sid" (Lost Dog Records, 1977) (LP)
Although originally from North Dakota, Sid Clifford headed for California in the 'Sixties, making the scene on Haight Ashbury for a few years before moving to the calmer, more relaxed rural confines of Grass Valley, California. This album is mostly-solo acoustic folkie singer-songwriter stuff, with a blues-ish, Woody Guthrie-esque tinge. Nothing spectacular here, though there are some mildly intriguing mementos of hippiedom in some of the lyrics, including a song memorializing a house cat ("Flowers For Moses") lost on a cross-country trip, and some less sympathetic portrayals, such as "Sad Situation," a judgmental portrait of a woman in distress... I guess Sid Clifford was representative of a bazillion longhaired, whiteboy folkies still pickin' and singing in the '70s... just he managed to make a few records. Worth checking out if you're super-into obscuro stuff, though honestly I didn't find it that distinctive or compelling -- also, more of a straight folk record than what I normally prefer.

Kathy Dalton "Amazing" (Discreet Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Greg Dempsey & Kerry McNabb)
A fairly funky singer with a background in LA's late-'Sixties folk-rock scene, Kathy Dalton was in the obscuro-psych bands Gas Company and The Daughters Of Albion (which both included this album's producer, Greg Dempsey) then set out as a solo artist in the full flush of LA's country-rock/singer-songwriter era. This album is most notorious for the backing band, a SoCal studio crew that included the full lineup of Little Feat, who give the tracks a very distinctive, very recognizable sound. The entire album, minus one track, was reissued the following year, with a more rootsy look, but basically it's the same set.

Kathy Dalton "Boogie Bands And One Night Stands" (Discreet Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Greg Dempsey & Kerry McNabb)
This is basically the same album as above, with the title track, "Boogie Bands And One Night Stands" replacing "Long Gone Charlie, Hit And Run" as the album's opener. Everything else is the same.

Lacy J. Dalton -- see artist profile

Daniel "Winning The West" (Ministry Resource Center, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Al Perkins & Joe Bellamy)
One of the many "Jesus freak" country gospel albums produced by erstwhile Flying Burrito Brother steel guitarist Al Perkins, along with Byrds co-founder Chris Hillman. They both play on this lively, bluegrass-flavored album, backing born-again evangelist Daniel McClenaghan (1947-2015) along with a slew of talented Southern California pickers. The music is solid and well-produced, though the more secular-minded among us may find some of Daniel's religious doctrine puzzling, notably on the anti-Darwin, there's-no-such-thing-as-evolution anthem, "Disputation Waltz." Other songs, such as "Carnal Pleasures?" are a little more in the standard Christian country ouvre, describing how the life of seeking self-gratification can leave you feeling hollow and unsatisfied. Also in the studio, though taking a more minor role, is Hillman protege Dan McCorison, who sings backup, as well as bassist Bill Bryson, banjo plunker Don Gerber, and David Mansfield on fiddle. McClenaghan comes off as a little too intense, but the musical end is pretty nice. McClenaghan recorded at least a couple of other albums, and re-released this one as a CD, using his full name. McClenaghan grew up in Anaheim, and recorded this album in the Los Angeles suburb of Arleta, CA, though he later moved up to Bishop, CA, in the high Sierras, where he worked as a local pastor until passing away in 2015.

Jay Daniel & Jo Ann Daniel "Who Am I?" (Vision Records, 197--?) (LP)
A truly dreary gospel album from a husband-wife evangelical team from Sacramento, California. This disc is primarily of interest because it came out on the Vision Records label, a Central Valley indie that issued dozens of mostly-twangy albums by local Christian artists. This album is unusual among Vision releases for its slick sounding production, the plodding musicianship, and the absence of traditional country instruments such as mandolin, electric guitar, etc. Also, it's a very sluggish album, with almost all the songs delivered at a glacial pace, which just makes the churchy but rough vocals that much more agonizing (neither of the Daniels were compelling singers). Although there is a good steel guitar player in the mix, my guess would be the backing musicians were drawn from the Daniel's own circle, rather than the more rural-sounding Vision studio players; only on the last couple of tracks do they try to pick up the tempo and introduce a little bit of hillbilly guitar, but by then it's way too late. The musicians sounded bored with the sessions, too. Anyway, you can skip this one.

Joel Darren "A Touch Of Country" (Cal-Cap Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by David L. Rogers & Ron McMaster)
A middle-aged guy from Sacramento, California, backed by local musicians, including Tiny Moore on fiddle, and Chris Iven playing steel. He covers some country oldies such as Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me" and Jimmy Dean's "Just Bummin' Around"; all the other songs are his own compositions

Dave & Suger/Dave Rowland - see artist discography

Gene Davis "My Kind Of World" (Toppa Records, 1964) (LP)
Guitarist-singer Gene Davis was a true stalwart of the Southern California county-rock scene, cutting singles back in the 1950s while appearing on local TV programs such as Cal Worthington's popular show, Cal's Corral. Originally from Saint Louis, Missouri, Davis is probably best known as the early-to-mid 1960s bandleader at North Hollywood's fabled Palomino nightclub, where hot country pickers and talented sidemen such as James Burton, Jerry Cole, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Jay Dee Maness, Johnny Meeks, Red Rhodes and many others cycled through the club's revolving door during the early heyday of LA's live rock scene. Davis's tenure at the Palomino came before the club shifted to a more rock-oriented focus, but there was certainly some crossover, as heard here. This is a very strong album, packed with rootsy, earthy material and plenty of originals, giving some sense of what the Palomino's nightly jam sessions must have been like, back in the day.

Gene Davis & The Star Routers "All Together" (Toppa Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Davis & Lee Carroll)
As detailed in the liner notes by LA country music deejay Larry Scott, Gene Davis branched out after his Palomino days, setting up shop in San Diego as owner of Gene's Lion's Gate restaurant, and also back home in Missouri as owner of a music venue called the Indian Foot Lake Resort, in Pevely, MO, just south of St. Louis. He was also heading the Star Routers as the house band at a San Diego club called the Alamo, just for good measure, and recorded this album there as well. Alas, the boys in the band, though pictured on the cover are not mentioned by name. Oh, well. But this album is notable for the wealth of original material: all but one of the songs are credited to Davis's own Jay-Gene publishing, and the remaining track, on Mixer Music, is probably original to this album as well.

Gene Davis "Lovin' And Hurtin' " (OL Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by James Burton & Randy Davis)
How or when Gene Davis got hooked up with Overton Lee's mega-DIY, oddball OL label, I have no idea... But I would hazard a guess that this is perhaps the best record they ever put out, particularly with the input from fabled superpicker James Burton, a longtime West Coast icon who anchored Elvis Presley's Vegas band and had more recently starred in the Emmylou Harris Hot Band. Also included are the Gentry Sisters backing vocalists... a lot of talent here!

Gene Davis "Let's Coast Awhile" (Hydra Records, 2010)

Kenny Davis "Live At Jason's" (1972) (LP)
(Produced by Alan O'Day)
Alas, at one point I had researched the life and times of Kenny Davis, and even reviewed this album... but that was on a laptop that drowned when the pipes burst right over my desk. No, really. Anyway, I forget the details, but Davis plugged away for years, including a stint in Southern California where he was working when he cut this album. Probably what's most interesting here is the presence of SoCal pop singer Alan O'Day, on board as the album's producer -- O'Day had been working California clubs throughout the 'Sixties and was burnt out and semi-retired when he spotted Kenny Davis playing a steady gig at Jason's House Of Prime Rib, in Burbank, and wound up doing some live gigs with Kenny Davis and his band in the early 'Seventies, which apparently got his creative juices flowing. He agreed to help make this souvenir album, which was recorded live on October 7, 1972 and probably added a few riffs along with John Toben on Hammond B-3 organ, percussionist Joey Herrick and Kenny Davis on guitar and vocals. O'Day's own solo debut was around the corner, and disco-era stardom coming a few years later, first with Helen Reddy's 1974 hit version of "Angie Baby," and O'Day's own frothy chart-topper, "Undercover Angel" in '77. O'Day dedicated his first album to Kenny Davis, though I'm not sure if Davis or the other guys played on that disc as well. Anyway, this is a nice snapshot of a working band doing an average gig, kind of a mixed bag, including a fairly earthy, early covers of "Mr. Bojangles" and "Me And Bobby McGee," a haphazard Johnny Cash imitation, some good-natured goofing around and onstage banter (notably their organ-based instrumental, "Jazz?"). The album is also unfortunately punctuated by the painfully unfunny novelty number "Big Bruce," a homophobic parody of the Jimmy Dean hit, "Big Bad John." Oh, well. Nobody's perfect.

John Dawson "Guitar And Autoharp" (1964) (LP)
(Produced by Forrest Boothe)
Earnest, all-acoustic 'Sixties folk music from a talented picker with somewhat timid vocals... Although he covers an old Jimmy Driftwood song, and though Johnny Cash later brought Bob Dylan's "Girl From The North Country" into the canon, there's not much here you could really call "country music," though this is definitely of interest since this is the same John Dawson (1945-2009) who later co-founded the iconic hippie twangband, New Riders Of The Purple Sage. Nods of the hat towards Elizabeth Cotton, Woody Guthrie and others, as well as a couple of originals credited to Dawson. One of these, "Birmingham Town," is apparently Dawson's account of his own arrest as part of the Civil Rights Movement's "freedom summer" voter registration campaign. He soon went from Deep South civil disobedience to Haight Ashbury debauchery, though this obscure custom pressing is a nice memento of a more serious time. Nice folk album, and apparently completely unknown until 2017, when a copy turned up at a California flea market.

Larry Dean "Outside Chance" (USA Music Group, 1989) (LP)
Born of the same post-Urban Cowboy neotrad boom as Rosie Flores and Dwight Yoakam, SoCal singer Larry Dean led his band, The Shooters, for most of the '80s and into the early '90s, playing at local clubs such as the Cowboy Palace, the Palomino and the Silver Dollar Saloon. He released this solid set of slick, would-be Top Forty twang, with backing by folks like Ray Austin, Byron Berline, and Jay Dee Maness, and some songs co-written with the likes of Rocky Burnette and Wayne Carson. Dean was born in Perryton, Texas, and grew up in Oklahoma and Idaho before hitting the LA scene in the early '80s. He was nominated for California Country Music Awards in 1984 and '95, and managed to scratch his way into the Billboard Top 100 with the title track of this album. Dean seemed like a pretty good contender to break through nationally, though it never quite happened. Still, if you dig relatively twangy, Alan Jackson-y neotrad, this is a nice hidden nugget to know about. At some point, Dean seems to have moved back to Idaho, and was playing gigs around Boise.

Roy Dee & The Cinnamon Creek Band "All Day Singing With Dinner On The Grounds" (Moonglow Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck Nelson & James O'Rafferty)
This one's a bit of a mystery disc... The Cinnamon Creek group featured lead singer Roy Dee on lead guitar, Buddy Banks, (drums), Tommy Gobel (bass) and James O'Rafferty (steel guitar), with Bob Fergo chiming in on keyboards and violin; also pictured but not properly credited is vocalist Suzy Ogden, who duets with Roy Dee on a couple of tracks. I'm not sure if these guys were really a "group," although this seems to have been a sincere set of original material, with all the tracks credited to producer Chuck Nelson, adding a couple of co-credits to Roy Dee and to O'Rafferty. The backing band was made up of guys who had worked as studio musicians in LA throughout the 'Sixties and Seventies, including sessions with pop and rock groups. Steel player O'Rafferty probably had the most extensive country background, gigging with SoCal stalwarts such as Don Lee and Denny Michaels, as well as country-rock pioneer Michael Nesmith. O'Rafferty worked a lot of bars and clubs, too, and is remembered as a good vocalist -- you can judge for yourself, since he sings lead on the first three tracks. Ms. Ogden had been doing lounge gigs in Orange County for several years, and led her own band at Knott's Berry Farm, apparently with backing from fabled guitarist Pete Anderson. (She may have been the same bluesy gal from Kentucky who self-released a single way back in 1970, but I'm not totally sure about that.) Roy Dee is probably the biggest blank spot here, with his last name doubtless the first initial of some longer "D" name; besides this album, I couldn't find any other info about him. Exactly where Roy Dee or Chuck Nelson were from is hard to say -- clearly the crew were Southern Californians, though the label address is in Hayward, California, up around San Francisco. If you split the difference, there is a Cinnamon Creek located on the map in the Sierra Nevada foothills, near Visalia, but who knows.

Roy Dee "Hail We Americans" (1980-?) (LP)
(Produced by Robert Ritchie)
Ah. Things come a little more into focus here. This album bears the stamp of SoCal twang auteur Robert Ritchie, who wrote all the songs and produced the sessions at his own Pyasaw Music studio in Orange, California. Ritchie also released a few albums under his own name that had the same sparse, naifish, hand-drawn graphics and blank, white back covers. Roy Dee is credited as having arranged and performed all the songs on here, with backing by Buddy Banks on drums, Tommy Gobel (guitar), Jim O'Rafferty (guitar) and Ken Wilson playing flute and saxophone. By the way, Tommy Gobel also cut a track for a 1982 compilation album called THE COWBOY: THE COUNTRY DOZEN, which was sponsored by a nightclub in Anaheim called The Cowboy, and may have also been released on an imprint created by Mr. Richie.

Delaney & Bonnie -- see artist profile

Glen Delpit "Prodigal Son" (Swallow Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Glen Delpit & Bill Bixler)
A nice acoustic retro-blues set from one of Fresno, California's finer post-hippie pickers... Features a lot of oldies covers such as "Bourgeois Blues," with Delpit playing dobro and regular six-string guitars... I believe that the album's co-producer, Bill Bixler, was once the owner of a club called The Wild Blue Yonder, which was one of Fresno's few cool rock clubs in the early '80s...

The Delta Sisters "Music From The Old Timey Motel" (Rooster Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Stephen Schneider & Walton Amey)
Old-timey tunes, bluegrass and cajun tunes played by the California-based acoustic duo of Frannie Leopold and Jeanie McLerie, with a slew of cool guest musicians, including Gene Parsons, Sue Draheim, Jody Stecher, and Eric & Suzie Thompson. Nice stuff from the west Coast contingent!

Richard De Saito "Volume One: Nashville Country Princess" (Aurora Records & Tapes, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Alan Kirk & Tod Andrews)
I really honestly couldn't tell you what was going on with this one... except that it's exactly the kind of weird record that could only have been made in late 'Seventies Hollywood. Despite the cosmic cowboy graphics, this is more of a super-indulgent, mega-emotive, folk-rock flight, the sort of wildly over-the-top, uninhibited West Coast, SoCal soul wail worthy of Dino Valenti or numerous oddball outsider-rock unknowns of that era. De Saito plays an undetermined number of instruments, with additional backing by Richard Charlton (lead guitar), Teddy Rocca (bass) and others -- I suspect there are also folks who played on here that didn't get credits, but that's just a guess. I wouldn't count this as much of a country record, despite the "Country" and the "Nashville" in the title; it's really not my cup of tea, though I'm also not sure if I should necessarily warn other twangfans off of it. I suspect there's a whole aesthetic of this kind of music that I'm just not in on, or just don't get. Dunno De Saito's backstory; he was writing and copyrighting songs at least as far back as the early '70s; he may have done some work in the movies, and he might be in the art world... The cover art for this album was by desert painter Chuck Caplinger, who was doing celebrity portraits at the time. As of 2019, DeSaito (also spelled Desaito) was still in Hollywood and still performing onstage at age 77, organizing American Legion shows and whatnot. This disc is a pretty odd record, an out-there artifact of its time.

The Desert Rose Band -- see artist profile

The Desperados "The Desperados" (Organic Records, 19--?) (LP)
Wait... another one? This trio -- Med Daugherty (drums), Steve Fullerton (bass, guitar) and Jim Roberts (banjo and guitar) -- seems to have been from California somewhere, although I couldn't find an address or any info about the band itself. Clearly a custom-pressing, private press release, generic cover art and all, but the only clue I could find was the presence of Med Louis Daugherty (1936-2023) a Saint Louis native who moved out west to California in the early 1960s, playing blues music in Oakland and later opening a hi-fi stereo store in San Jose. He also lived in Southern California for a while, so this could have been made in either end of the state, though I'm fairly confident this was a West Coast/California recording. It's also definitely country, with covers of "Orange Blossom Special," "Rocky Top," "Break My Mind," "Ole Slew Foot," and others. Interestingly they seem to have really been into the Everly Brothers, with versions of "Let It Be Me" and "Kentucky," as well as a cover of Roy Orbison's "Only The Lonely" also delving a bit into the rock-oldies canon. Any additional info would be welcome!

Michael Dinner "The Great Pretender" (Fantasy Records, 1974) (LP)

Michael Dinner "Tom Thumb The Dreamer" (Fantasy Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Keith Olsen)

Jimmy Discount "A Bargain Every Day" (Original Intent Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Don Boomer & James Conroy)
An independently-produced California country album from James ("Jimmy Discount") Conroy, a singer from Torrance who was said to be one of the original investors in the legendary freeform hippie-country radio station, KFAT, and co-owner of the Sweetwater nightclub, in Redondo Beach. This is a very unpolished, DIY album, crudely produced with a rock'n'roll undercurrent, and Discount's love of twang often at odds with an unsurpressable urge to ham it up. He sings with an exaggerated drawl, not unlike many modern "twangcore" bands who take country more as a joke than as a calling... Although I'd say this album, even with its surplus of novelty songs, has an underlying sincerity -- and a historical value -- that makes it worth checking out. Some nice picking, too, with backup musicians that included hot pedal steel from J.B Crabtree (who once played with the Sweethearts Of The Rodeo) and producer/drummer Don Boomer, who had once been a lineup of the psych-rock band The Seeds, along with the Libbea brothers, bassist Gary and mandolin player Steve, who had been in an early 70s bluegrass band with Alison Brown and Vince Gill. So, some interesting side players here, even if the album itself is a little bit funky.

Jimmy Discount "Sunrise Breakdown" (MAOWN Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by James Conroy)
Rootsy, eclectic California country-meets-soft-rock, sort of in the same mode as folks like Norton Buffalo... The twangier tunes are fine, but the more "serious" pop songs -- stuff like "Poison Heart" and "Too Soon" -- are kind of dreadful, even though you can tell that they were where he was really focussing his major creative mojo. The album itself has the feel of a would-be magnum opus, sort of a Copperfields Dillards-meets-Seals & Crofts kinda thing, with some excellent picking surrounded by some truly questionable songwriting. Unfortunately my copy of this album didn't include any liner notes, but there were clearly some really good country players sitting in on these sessions, particularly the pedal steel player, who really lights up several of these songs. Wonder who they were!

Bill Dixon "After Hours" (SC Music, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Barnes & Bill Dixon)
Earthy honkytonk from Los Angeles, California, with a slew of original material and sweet licks from a strong backing band. What first caught my eye was the presence of Glen D. Hardin, who played piano for Elvis Presley and Emmylou Harris back in the 'Seventies. Also on board was SoCal country fiddler Doug Atwell, who toured with Johnny Lee and played some really sweet licks on a couple of Lucinda Williams' best records, before passing away in 1993. Bill Dixon may be all-but-impossible to track down online, but gleams radiant and alluring in his anonymity. He seems like one of those folks who just barely missed the onset of the "Americana" scene: another couple of years and he woulda been right in there with Rosie and Dwight. Anyway, Dixon had a good feel for novelty lyrics, and several songs on here resonate and might could have been hits if he'd ridden in on the right neotrad revival, or if he'd cut this album a few years later with a bigger budget. Dixon had a good voice though his phrasing gets kind of choppy, in little ways... over-articulating the lyrics, for one. You can sense that a limited recording budget got in the way -- this album's not totally ready for primetime. But he was damn close. Some interesting stuff on here.

Dean Dobbins "Me An' The Boys" (Dob Records, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Colin Cameron & Bob Gothar)
Indie twang from Northridge, California... I'm not sure if this is the same Dean Dobbins who also wrote children's books... Anyone out there know for sure?

The Done Gone Band "The Done Gone Band" (Police Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Max Berueffy)
This Mill Valley, California combo was pretty much a straight-up local bluegrass band, but they gained some notoriety for their cover of the Grateful Dead's "Friend Of The Devil" -- another "KFAT classic," if I recall correctly. It's a nice record. The thing I like about it is the mellow feel of their delivery... they aren't a fusion band, but rather choose to play traditional (and progressive) bluegrass without all the drag-racing pyrotechnics thta most hardcore 'grass bands go for. Also, there's a wealth of original material on here, with four songs from singer Don Humphries and a sizzling instrumental called "Old Red Mandolin," written by Tom Bekney. A nice, unassuming set of relaxed but rootsy picking.

Double Gage "Live From The Cattle Barron" (Cattle Barron, 1980) (LP)
Recorded live at the Cattle Baron restaurant in Clovis, California in October, 1979...

Double Gage "Remuda" (California Country, 1982) (LP)

Jim Doval "Pardon Me Fer Starin' (But I Think I Love You)" (DBI Records, 198--?) (LP)
(Produced & Arranged by Jim Doval)
Turns out this is a pretty terrible record, but it has a really great back-story. Jim Doval (aka Sandoval) was the driving force behind the super-awesome garage-soul group, The Gauchos, a truly killer band from Fresno, California that was one of the most prominent latino rock groups of the 1960s. Fronted by the smouldering, seductive Sandoval, the Gauchos landed a regular gig on the Shindig teenpop TV show, but the group imploded in 1966 after failing to get onto the Ed Sullivan show. Later, Jim Doval retrenched and retooled himself as a lounge singer -- this disc is a memento of that era (in the liner notes Doval thanks the staff at the Gold Dust West, in Reno, Nevada, where he landed a gig as the casino's entertainment director...) I was drawn, like a moth to a flame, to the album's title track, which just had to be a country song... and it kind of is, in a Jimmy Buffett/Margaritaville kind of way. That track is okay, but the rest of the record quickly devolves into tepid, downtempo lounge-singer ballads. Only one twangtune, and then it gets really, really cheesy and low-energy. Side Two shows a little more life, with Doval delving into Latin pop stylings and a little bit of R&B, ending up with the perky "Uptown Caballero." Nonetheless, the much hoped-for country-rock record failed to materialize here. His other solo stuff seems to be more blues-oriented. Oh, well... I tried!!

Jim Doval "Harp And Soul" (DBI Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced & Arranged by Jim Doval, David Houston & Jim Pappageorge)
Even farther afield is this explicitly R&B oriented album which Doval recorded while living up in Reno, Nevada. Not country for sure, but let's put in on our radar anyway...

Down Home Praise "Down Home Praise" (Marantha Music, 1983)
(Produced by Al Perkins & Joe Bellamy)
A country-rock supergroup jamming on some old bluegrass tunes and singing some gospel songs... It's a distillation of the best of the Southern California contingent of "Jesus freak" country-rockers, guys who had done quite well in the hippie-era music scene but did what many folks at the time would have considered super-uncool, namely record a bunch of Christian twangtunes. The ensemble includes five core members -- Chris Hillman, Bernie Leadon, Al Perkins, fiddler David Mansfield and bassist Jerry Scheff -- who recorded a similar album in 1985, calling themselves Ever Call Ready. They're joined by vocalist Tommy Funderburk, guitarists Steve Hill and Dan McCorison and Mel Durham on bass, on a set of surprisingly sincere gospel songs, heavy on the hymns, Southern Gospel and a few newer tunes from folks like Peter Rowan and Dan Daniels.

Down Yonder "Lay The Money Down" (1980) (LP)
(Produced by Joey Garcia)
A pleasantly twangy, amateurish SoCal country bar-band from Ramona, California... Tom Boston was a the main vocalist, with a few tunes each by bassist Steve Bisbikis and mandolin picker Larry Weddle, with Bisbikis contributing one of the album's handful of original songs, a rambling hippiebilly tune called "Arkansas." Other originals include "To Love That Kind Of A Woman" by Ray Borras and a couple of songs by Cal Roberts, "Lay The Money Down" and "Bright Neon Lights" -- these guys must have been friends of the band, although neither Borras or Roberts perform on the album, or are mentioned in the liner notes. Anyway, nice stuff from SoCal - not an earthshaking album, but charming and sincere.

Eddie Jo Downs "Country Stars And Honky Tonk Bars" (United National Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Don Snyder)
Singer/bassist Eddie Jo Downs (1937-1993) grew up in Texas and worked regionally at the Houston Jamboree and in various road bands, notably touring with honkytonker Eddie Kirk, who at the time was based in California. While still in his early teens, Downs moved to Los Angeles and joined the cast of the Hollywood Town Hall Party television show, eventually signing to Capitol Records as a solo artist and making a name for himself as a songwriter. This album was his magnum opus and -- honestly? -- it's a doozy, one of those unique country gems that folks only made in the 'Seventies. Stylistically, it's kind of an odd amalgam of Dick Feller, Willie Nelson and Don Williams, subtle, cerebral twang with a vocal tone that consistently evokes Hank Snow, if perhaps Snow had gotten into the outlaw scene. The disc is packed with all-original material; eight songs by Downs and one from John Levasseur, and once you get on his wavelength, Eddie Downs really delivers the goods. Side One includes a few negligible novelty numbers, notably "Nudie The Rodeo Tailor," a nod to the fabled country/cowboy suit designer Nudie Cohen, as well as "Jodi's Song," a sappy daddy song about living with a toddler... Rounding the side out is the title track, "Country Stars And Honky Tonk Bars," which recounts a romantic trip to Nashville, where a happy couple sees all the sights and go to all the shows (with Mr. Downs namechecking various stars) but of course it ends in tears, as his gal goes off with another guy. It's Side Two where the classics kick in: Levasseur's "Hard Times" is a convincing Merle Haggard-style memoir about growing up poor-but-proud, while "Your Body Belongs To Me" is just about what you'd think, a forlorn little somebody-done-somebody-wrong song about two folks who still share the same bed, but not much else. It's the album's final track that packs the biggest punch: "There's Just No Talkin' Anymore" is one of the most mature, reflective, truly heartbreaking songs about drifting apart that you're ever likely to hear, slow paced but soul-crushing in its calm delineation of a love gone wrong. There's no date on this album, but the exact same lineup -- Eddie Downs (bass), Ed Holtz (piano), Al Bruno (guitar), Billy Webb (guitar), Johnny Greer (drums) and Silvio Tucciarone on steel guitar -- also backed jazz legend Anita O'Day on her 1978 album, "There's Only One." Mr. Downs is looking a little shaggy on the grainy front cover photo, though more clean-cut and lounge-lizardy on the back. Around this time, though, he definitely "went outlaw," growing a massive beard while leading a trio called the Electric Horsemen, which cut an album in 1980, and apparently booked some gigs with Waylon and Willie. As far as I know this was his only solo album, although he released numerous singles on various labels over the years, including a 1960s stint on Capitol, recording simply as Eddie Downs. Recommended.

Eddy Drake "Country Sounds Of Eddy Drake Today!" (Newhall Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Cliffie Stone)
A lesser-known California honky-tonker, singer Eddy (aka "Eddie") Drake was born in Kentucky, but made his way out West after joining the Marine Corps, and settled into the Southern California scene, working with folks such as producer Cliffie Stone and the husband-wife duo of Johnny and Janie Mosby. His first solo recordings date back to 1959, where he sounded like a mix of Buck Owens, Wynn Stewart and Ray Price; by the time this LP came out, he was channeling the mojo of Waylon Jennings and Jerry Lee Lewis. Although Drake never really broke through as a solo artist, he did host his own television show for several years, and recorded numerous indie singles in addition to this lone full-length LP. He had a lot of studio firepower behind him for these sessions, including Earl Ball on piano, pickers Phil Baugh, James Burton and Al Casey on guitar, and some nice, choppy steel guitar courtesy of Carl Walden, an ex-rockabilly picker who did a lot of West Coast session work. The set includes a couple of originals credited to Eddy Drake, "I Had A Dream Last Night" and "Call Me In The Morning," as well as one called "As Tear Drops Fall," written by J. Dobbs and H. Coffman, which was from the same publishing company, Mixer Music. Nice stuff, with plenty of twang!

Alan Dryman "The Alan Dryman Show -- Live" (Juke Box Records/United Image, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bert Frilot & Lonnie Wright)
A country music impressionist... The liner notes say he was born in North Carolina and started performing while living out in San Diego, California. Dryman had moved to Houston, Texas by the time this live album was recorded. His impersonations include Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Merle Haggard, Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb, as well as a more "pop" personalities such as Dean Martin and Elvis Presley.

Michael Dues "I've Never Been To Nashville" (Copperwood Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Brian Cutler)
A thoughtful, craftsmanlike album from this Sacramento-area songwriter. A nice mix of country and folk, with a local bluegrass band, The South Loomis Quickstep Band, providing a lot of the musical backing. Many of the songs are a bit dense thematically, but overall it's a very listenable album, particularly the more country-sounding, pedal steel-driven numbers. Many songs explore loneliness and romantic yearning, and may cut a little closer to the bone than is entirely comfortable, but overall this holds up well. I'm a sucker for country novelty songs, so "The Great Composer" (about a guy who can't write good country songs anymore because he's too happily in love) is a highlight, as well as the title track, "I've Never Been To Nashville," about a songwriter who stays home rather than seeking fame and fortune in the big city. I'm assuming this one was fairly autobiographical, and while Dues shows a lot of talent, maybe he was too square-peggy for Music City -- but the music he left behind sure sounds nice! I think he recorded a few other albums as well, though I haven't tracked them down yet...

Dave Dunlap "My Thanks" (Deity Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Don Douglas, Jim Douglas & Don Enns)
A fairly distinctive contemporary/country gospel set by a guy from Livermore, California, recorded at an independent studio in nearby Hayward, CA, using all-local musicians. Dave Dunlap had one of those high, slightly tremulous voices often heard in the folk scene, though there's definitely a real streak of uptempo country twang here -- not in all the tracks, but in enough to make this disc noteworthy. The lineup included Dave Dunlap on lead vocals and piano, Barbra Douglas (percussion), Ron Dunagan (bass and guitar), Mark Leeper (drums), Don Qualls (guitar), Dave Robbins (steel guitar), and Joe Thorton on drums... I am curious if any of these folks played with other Bay Area country (or gospel) bands... seems quite likely. Also worth pointing out is Dunlap's ease and authenticity while tickling the ivories; he gets a little syrupy and churchy on a tune or two, but certainly redeems himself elsewhere, especially on a rollicking instrumental rendition of "Living In Canaan Now," as well as one some of his own original songs, which make up about half the album. Worth a spin!

Sandy Lee Durham "PS: Better Late Than Never" (Ameritone Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Sandy Lee Durham)
Usually on these "private press" records the back-story is a mystery and half the fun is imagining what circumstances were involved when it was made... Here, though, Southern California songwriter Sandy Lee Durham puts it all out there, writing in the liner notes about how he bought two one-way tickets to Nashville for himself and his pal, Fred Cardenas, and headed for Harold Shedd's studio to cut this humble album... The studio crew dutifully made space for Cardenas to add some sometimes-clumsy guitar licks, and Durham himself has a nice, regular-guy voice -- this is a real, live vanity record made by a couple of guys who just wanted to make a record and be able to say they did it... Durham also writes in the liner notes about God and prayer, not in the usual unctuous style of modern-day evangelicals, but rather as a guy who acknowledges his own weaknesses and shortcomings, as a mark of his own frailty and need for love and acceptance. Equally touching is how he writes with great conviction about how he made a real connection with the Nashville studio pickers, and how he was sure they would remember working with him. Who knows? Maybe he's right. (He even includes the lyrics to a song he wrote for Harold Shedd and the Music Mill musicians, though sadly didn't record on this album...) Half the songs are Durham's originals, including a sweet, folkie song dedicated to his son, and there's also an instrumental by Cardenas... The rest of the songs are covers of songs by Jimmy Buffett, Jim Croce and Kris Kristofferson, as well as a nice version of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" by the Eagles. I'm a pretty cynical guy, I guess, but I did honestly find myself charmed by this unpretentious, self-made album... Like a lot of other musicians, Durham and Cardenas bought another pair of one-way tickets back home, but it's nice they made it to Nashville and made the record they wanted to make.

Eagles - see artist discography

Clint Eastwood "Rawhide's Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favorites" (Cameo Records, 1963) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Edelman)
Are yuh feeling lucky, punk? Well... are ya? If so, you might take a gamble on this novelty reissue of a full-length album (plus bonus tracks) that young Clint Eastwood recorded in 1963, when he was cast as cowpoke Rowdy Yates, on the TV show Rawhide. The repertoire is mainly old cowboy ballads, though the music is orchestrated pop, in keeping with the times. I wouldn't say Eastwood was the most arresting singer, and the arrangements are pretty placid, but you can hear his personality come out a little bit here and there... A cute old curio.

Eddie Burrows & The Prairie Dogs "Bourbon Cowboy" (Dogtown Records, 1980) (7" EP)
Honorable mention goes to this short-lived SF Bay Area alt-country crew, who recorded this snazzy EP with the help of pedal steel whiz Joe Goldmark. Hailing from the hinterlands near Half Moon Bay, this loose-knit ensemble was helmed by brothers(?) Skip Holcombe and Todd Holcombe, who wrote three of the four songs on the disc, including two excellent tracks on Side One, "Countin' The Days" and "That North Texas Summer," both written by Skip Holcombe and both of an unusually high quality for indiebilly of this era. They also cover an R. C. Bannon song, "Rosie Or The Rodeo," with solid musicianship and presentation throughout. Goldmark's steel work is particularly nice on these tracks, adding intricate riffs and skillful allusions to a variety of styles. Too bad they never made a full-length, but these tracks are worthy of excavation. (The fourth track, "Madeline," was re-released a few years later on another single under Skip Holcombe's name, though it looks like it's from the same session as this EP.) Eddie Burrows, by the way, was a made-up character, although no one in the band claimed to be Eddie -- instead, they would apologize for Eddie not showing up to the recording sessions, etc. This is a nice one!

Vance Edwards & The Country Superstars "Truckin' Through The Years" (Super Star Records, 1973) (LP)
Known for writing the novelty number, "Trucker And The UFO," California's Vance Edwards also worked as a producer, though mostly with pretty off-the-radar artists. Edwards tried to carve out a niche for himself as a trucker-themed singer, ala Red Sovine, but this album and a few singles seem to have been the sum of his work.

Eighth Avenue String Band "EASB" (1981) (LP)
Chico, California's long-lived Eighth Avenue String Band was an amiable bluegrass/hillbilly swing band with a repertoire that spanned from Bill Monroe and Don Reno to numerous Tin Pan Alley oldies such as "Sheik Of Araby" and "My Blue Heaven," with a highlight being their cover of Reno & Smiley's "Country Boy Rock'N'Roll." There are also a few singing cowboy tunes, all sung by a feller named Rick Crowder, who went on to specialize in the style, taking on the persona of Sourdough Slim, and performing comedic routines on the "Western music" circuit. This early live album is pretty rough-hewn though rambunctious, performed with maybe a little more enthusiasm than panache, but fun nonetheless. They recorded several albums and a version of the band was still around decades later, playing bluegrass festivals and local events...

Eighth Avenue String Band "Take Me Back" (Ashland Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Eighth Avenue String Band)
An excellent album, probably their best. The music is mostly acoustic swing, with a trace of bluegrass in the mix... This time around the boys are joined by a gal singer, F. Theo Brozowsky, who's a little rough-edged but lively and fun. The whole record has a nice vibe, with the enjoyment of the musicians -- and their considerable talent -- coming through in buoyant, relaxed performances. Recommended!

Eighth Avenue String Band "Stirrin' Up A Ruckus" (EASB, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by EASB, Rick Dugan & Ralph Hartley)
Though there's still a western cowboy vibe, this disc delves deeper into "serious" bluegrass feel, notably with some Tony Rice-inflected guitar runs... The band's '84 edition was a quartet featuring Slim Crowder on banjo, guitar and mandolin, Rick Dugan (accordion and bass), Lloyd Foote (banjo and steel guitar) and Jim Matthews (guitar and mandolin). An eclectic, good-natured set, though at times the performances seem a little tentative or even brittle, mainly in the vocals, which can have an overly-controlled feel. They loosen up the most on jazzy numbers like their cover of "Four Or Five Times," overall, though, this is an admirably playful, diverse set with some hot picking throughout... Certainly worth a spin!

Eighth Avenue String Band "On Stage" (Ashland Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Dugan & The Eighth Avenue String Band)
A nice album, gathered from live performances in clubs, campus gigs and crafts festivals held in Berkeley, California, Davis, Fresno and Stockton...

Scott Eldon "I'm The Man" (Accent Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Seely)
A country crooner who was born in the Javanese city of Madiun (formerly Madioen). As a teen, Scott Eldon emigrated to Holland in the 1950s and developed an affection for the classic American country music that was circulating in Europe at the time. Later he moved to the United States, where he cut his first single, "Four Walls" b/w "Rolling Waters," for the somewhat eccentric Accent label. Although the single was promoted in the Madison radio market, a contemporary article in a local (Wisconsin) newspaper informs us Eldon was living in LA at the time, and had been sent to the Midwest in 1973 and later in '74 as part of a promotional campaign, but otherwise doesn't seem to have been connected to the area. Both songs from the single are on this album, along with a whole raft of original material written by several guys who were part of Accent's talent pool, including Canadian country singer Ken Fairlie, Andy Haight, Art Kempel and label owner Scott Seely, as well as Ray Mefford, who cut an album of his own 'way back in '67. As far as I can tell, this was Eldon's only album...

The Electric Horsemen "Live Palm Springs" (DW Records, 1980) (LP)
This lounge-show bar-band played at a now-extinct Palm Springs watering hole called Lucifer's, playing clompy covers of '70s standards such as "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," "Up Against The Wall, Red Neck Mother," and "Outlaw Women." This was the outlaw-era incarnation of SoCal twangster Eddie Jo Downs (1937-1993) a singer and bass player who grew up in Texas but moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s and joined the cast of the Hollywood Town Hall Party television show, becoming a stalwart of the West Coast twang scene. In the late 'Seventies he grew a shaggy old beard and formed a trio along with Billy Webb (lead guitar, banjo and fiddle) and Johnny Rico on drums. They apparently went out on the road, backing Waylon and Willie for a while, along with other stars of the era; Downs also recorded numerous singles and an album or two under his own name.

Lee Elliott "By Request" (Firebird Records, 1967-?) (LP)
Dedicated to "the beautiful people of Southern California," this appears to have been a souvenir album of singer-guitarist Lee Elliott's lounge work in the late 'Sixties. Mr. Elliott was a Texan by birth, though he'd grown up in Missouri before drifting west to the Golden State, where he found some work on TV and in local clubs. His recording career spanned back to the late 1950s when he worked in a pop/rockabilly mode, and though there are echoes of that era here, this album takes on more of a folkie tone, with Mr. Elliott posed on the back cover with a groovy-looking 12-string guitar. The set includes some country stuff like "Green, Green Grass Of Home," as well as poppier and folkier material such as "Tom Paxton's "Bottle Of Wine" and "Born Free." The inner liner notes comment on the various songs, with Elliott taking credit for a couple, including "You Could Care Less," and possibly "The Leavin' Song," which closes the album out. He was living in the San Fernando Valley at the time, and the album was recorded live at a club called The House Of The Rising Sun, in nearby Redondo Beach. Alas, not information is given about the producers, other than that it was mixed the fabled Whitney Recording Studio, in Glendale.

Dusty Ellison "Pure Pleasin' Country" (Pleason Records, 1988-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Parker & Randy Merryman)
California cowboy Dusty Ellison (1918-2002) recorded a handful of singles back in the late 1940s and early '50s, playing a mix of heartsongs, novelty numbers and sentimental tunes. He kicked around in Southern California for several years, playing gigs alongside western swing stars such as Bob Wills, Spade Cooley, Cliffie Stone, Smokey Rodgers and Tex Williams, mainly in and around Los Angeles. Ellison and his band The Saddle Dusters had a regular slot on radio station KXLA, Pasadena, and in 1949 he landed a gig headlining the "Red Barn Roundup" shows at the Avodon Ballroom in LA. The concerts were an outgrowth of deejay Tom Brennan's "Roundup" radio show, which was a precursor to KXLA's long-running "Town Hall Party" show, which took over the Friday slot in 1951. Around this time, Ellison recorded three singles for the 4-Star label, though nothing really clicked on the charts. He seems to have vanished from the scene, and stopped recording in the early 'Fifties, after a couple more 78s cut for London Records. This LP was recorded sometime in the '80s on a label from Sacramento, with Ellison apparently retiring up in the Gold Country and passing away in '02. This album includes several original songs credited to Ellison and to Jerry Parker (most to Parker).

The Ellison Family "The Ellison Family" (Vision Records, 196--?) (LP)
A family gospel band who appear to have done some performing on the evangelical circuit, the Ellison Family included Richard Ellison (Spanish guitar), Leana Ellison (accordion), Mike Ellison (bass) with additional backing on steel guitar by Don Parks. They played old-fashioned country gospel, slow, doleful material reminiscent of early Roy Acuff, Gene Autry (or even Hank Williams). The album notes don't say where they were from, but they seem to be the same group as listed above, on this album recording on the Vision label, with a mailing address in Lakewood, CA, where the label's Wayne Walters lived before moving up towards Stockton, and later to Nashville. (Most Vision albums were produced by owner Leon Harris, who lived near Modesto... the exact relationship between Harris and Walters remains a bit obscure...) Anyway, this is a great album for anyone looking for truly rural, country-flavored hillbilly gospel; it was probably recorded in the early 1960s, but has a much earlier feel, harkening back to the country music of 1940s, particularly the steel playing, which really anchors the album. I dig it.

Elmo & Patsy "Elmo & Patsy" (Homestead Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Greene & Jack Leahy)
Success can really be a bitch, sometimes. Although Dr. Elmo Shropshire and his (then) wife, Patsy Shropshire were members in good standing of the California bluegrass scene of the early 1970s, after they had a national hit with "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer," the duo was forever to be associated with a one-note novelty song that many people consider one of the most annoying holiday songs ever recorded. They had a long history before that, though, including a couple of albums with their first band, the Homestead Act. This disc features a high-powered backing band, with Joe Goldmark on pedal steel, and Richard Greene and Brantley Kearns both playing fiddle. And FYI, the "doctor" in Dr. Elmo's name is for real: in addition to being a novelty song legend, he was also a practicing doctor of veterinary medicine. Which is probably how he knew so much about reindeer, right?

Elmo & Patsy "Will You Be Ready?" (Oink Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Elmo Shropshire & Patsy Shropshire)
Again, defying our retroactive stereotypes, the Shropshires proved themselves to be able bluegrassers, upstanding acoustic/folkie roots musicians, and also pretty good at selecting their repertoire. This disc spotlights several Dr. Elmo originals, as well as a couple by Joe Crane and, of course, a cover of Loudon Wainwright III's "Dead Skunk," a novelty number released as a single and apparently meant to capitalize on the success of their "Grandma" single, which came out the year before. Notable among the backing band are fiddler Darol Anger and bassist Bill Amatneek, who played with the Shropshires in the Homestead Act; by the time this album came out, Amatneek and Anger were both key members of the Bay Area "spacegrass" scene led by David Grisman, and both played on Grisman's groundbreaking Hot Dawg LP.

Elmo & Patsy "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" (Oink Records, 1982/Epic Records, 1984)
Though the song... you know which song... was originally written in 1977 and first recorded by Elmo and Patsy in 1979, it didn't become a national hit until the winter of 1983, when the video version was released to MTV. Then came this album, which also features other strained novelty numbers such as "Percy, The Puny Poinsettia" and "Senor Santa Claus," as well as some country-grass covers of holiday standards such as "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night." By the way, Randy Brooks, the guy who wrote "Grandma" was also in a band called Young Country, and released his own version of... the song... which you can track down as well.

Logan English "The Days Of '49: Songs Of The Gold Rush" (Folkways Records, 1957) (LP)
Though a New Yorker himself, born in Kentucky, 'Fifties folksinger Logan Eberhardt English (1928-1983) did the Golden State a favor by recording this set of Gold Rush ballads as one of his first full albums, with Billy Faier accompanying him on banjo. English was a highly influential member of the Greenwich Village folk revival, and was an early influence on its rising stars, notably Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, and was later known as an important interpreter of Woody Guthrie's canon. But here, it's all sourdough and gold nuggets, baby!

Bill Erickson "This Time It's On Me" (1985-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Erickson & Phil Johnson)
Smooth-sailing California country with dips into New Riders-esque country-rock and would-be countrypolitan ballads. Erickson seems to have been from Santa Ana, California or thereabouts -- he thanks several SoCal clubs in the area -- the Silver Saddle, the Crazy Horse Saloon, Rosey's and the Rib Rack -- and his band seem to have been all locals. Of note, along with pedal steel player Kirk Eipper and fiddler Doug Atwell, is backup singer Jann Browne, whose own later forays into the Top Forty world produced a couple of really fine neo-trad honkytonk albums. This album is pleasant and unpretentious... In addition to three songs written by Erickson, there are a few cover songs, including a couple by Sam Parsons, notably "God's Alive In Arizona," which was first recorded in Parsons' own solo album in 1974. It's not clear if there was a direct connection between the two singers -- Parsons doesn't appear on this album, and I don't see any crossovers between their bands. A newspaper profile said that this album came out in 1985, though it seems like it should have been much earlier... Anyone know for sure?

Durward Erwin "...Sings Mod 'N' Country" (Canary Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Strong)
A Kentucky native who moved to San Francisco and worked as a trucker, Durward Erwin was a regular at the 23 Club in Brisbane, CA, one of the Bay Area's most lively country bars. According to his own website, Erwin made a pilgrimage to Nashville in 1968 to record this album with backing from some top talent. It's a straight-up "Nashville Sound"-style country-pop vocals album, with a medium-sized string section sparsely fronted by bassist and a plinky Floyd Cramer-ish piano... And, of course, by Erwin's vocals, which are solidly in the country crooner camp, beefed up by the perky Nashville Sounds chorus (aka former members of The Anita Kerr Singers.) It's not a wham-bam home-run kind of album, but for an uber-indie album, it's pretty fully-realized, big-sounding set... Erwin's muses are songwriters Gertrude Faith, Grace Tindell and Earl Miles, with most of the songs written by Miles, the owner of the Canary label. Anyway, this is another heartwarming indie/vanity album, not as good as the stuff it's trying to emulate, but in some ways much more charming and sincere. Certainly worth a spin... Erwin also released a couple of singles from this album on the Redwood City-based Canary label, including a few non-album tracks, and apparently continued to record many years later, as seen below.

Durward Erwin "Reminisce" (Big Stah Studios, 2013)

Evergreen Blueshoes "The Ballad Of Evergreen Blue Shoes" (Amos Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Post)
Another footnote to the LA country-rock scene: this short-lived band combined the talents of picker Jimmy Ibbotson, Allan Ross (nee Al Rosenberg) and bassist/scenester Skip Battin, who was trying to parlay his earlier success in the one-hit wonder pop-rock group Skip & Flip into something more relevant to the hippie-era rock explosion. Apparently, this album is a glorious mess, mashing up gospel oldies such as "Life's Railway To Heaven" and a countrified version of the Incredible String Band's "Hedgehog Song" together with contemporary psychedelic rock... The album was pressed in small numbers, sank without a trace and of course has a cult reputation... It also has an awesome album cover, showing a group of naked hippies (no, really...) holding hands and dancing in a circle in a field in a forest. If you look close enough, you can even see some of their naughty bits. The band played gigs in the Topanga Canyon/Hollywood Avenue scene, but fizzled out after the album came out, with Battin going on to bigger and better things in various incarnations of the Byrds and later with the Flying Burrito Brothers. Apparently, Jimmy Ibbotson was in this bands as well, hopping from here into a membership in The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Ever Call Ready "Ever Call Ready" (Marantha Music, 1985)
(Produced by Al Perkins)
A country-rock supergroup jamming on some old bluegrass tunes and singing some gospel songs... This album is a continuation of basically the same group which previously recorded under the name Down Home Praise, back in '83... The ensemble includes Chris Hillman, along with Bernie Leadon and Al Perkins, as well as fiddler David Mansfield and bassist Jerry Scheff. They are clearly getting a kick out of singing the old songs, but a lot of it sounds tongue-in-cheek, such as their cover of the fundamentalist novelty anthem, "Don't Let Them Take The Bible Out Of Our School Rooms..." Other songs seem more soulful and sincere. Fun stuff -- some of it quite sweet.

Gene Ewing "Down Home With Gene Ewing" (Republic Records, 1975) (LP)
Well, here's a country record with some real "back story," as they say in Hollywood. Which is apt, since Rev. Gene Ewing was one of the big movers in the Southern California fundamentalist Christian scene, a pioneer of direct-mail religious networking and fund-raising, as well as the "seed faith" philosophy popularized by preacher Oral Roberts in the early 'Sixties. Basically, that's the idea where if you send the preacher on TV your money, that's a show of faith that will be rewarded later by God, who will shower you with success and riches, etc. etc. Reverend Ewing is said to have made hundreds of millions of dollars over several decades, working for several different televangelists in a career that spanned well into the early 21st Century. Early on, Ewing worked with Southern California televangelist Rex Humbard, who spotlighted Southern Gospel music and religious country singers on his programs, including Gene Autry and his crew. That's probably where the genesis of this album traces back to, with Autry's label hosting Ewing on an entire album's worth of gospel tunes and sentimental oldies, stuff like "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray," "Supper Time," and "Beyond The Sunset" as well as more secular material such as "Green, Green Grass Of Home" and "Mama Tried." I don't know that much about Ewing's religious/political history, but I do gotta say, I admire a gospel singer who'll include antique gems such as "Turn Your Radio On" and "Be Careful The Stones You Throw," a resonant Hank Williams oldie that firmly stares down those who would judge others... Anyway, it's another country gospel set, though this time the artist was pretty far up the ladder in the old-school, Cold War-era evangelical Christian movement. Ewing also recorded and self-released several singles on his own label, but many of these may have been sermons and not songs.

The Fabulous Rhinestones "The Fabulous Rhinestones" (Just Sunshine Records, 1972) (LP)
Produced by The Fabulous Rhinestones & Michael Lang)
This one's added as more of a "buyer beware" listing: if you like early '70s groove and boogie rock, go for it, but if you're mainly into country-rock and twang, this is definitely too rock'n'roll for you. Formed in San Francisco, the Rhinestones are occasionally mentioned in connection to early country-rock because guitarist Kal David was previously in the Illinois Speed Press, a country-tinged band with Paul Cotton, and Paul Cotton later joined an early lineup of Poco. But this album is pretty strictly hippie-era heavy-rock and funky jam-band R&B, good for what it is, but not very country. Steel player Ben Keith plays on the record's lone acoustic tune, "Big Indian," and electric blues legend Paul Butterfield blows harp on the opening track. They recorded two other albums, which I guess I'll check out if I get a chance, and I'll let you know if they ever got any twangier...

Dave Faircloth "The Man" (Angela Celeste Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Breeden)
A retired rodeo rider and ex-Marine, Texas-born Dave Faircloth had made his way out West and settled down in Bakersfield by the time he cut this album. The sessions were cut in Nashville, and included several songs written by Faircloth, as well as others by Red Simpson, Charles Hinley, Len Wade and Jerry Ward. The studio crew included Breeden on lead guitar, Terry Crisp playing steel, and Bruce Watkins on fiddle and bass.

Stan Farlow "Hot Wheels" (Checker Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Gary S. Paxton)
Singer Stan Farlow (1941-2013) was kind of an odd artist. As you can hear on this album's title track -- first issued as a single -- he was a shameless Johnny Cash imitator; indeed, recording under the name "Johnny Doe," Farlow recorded several albums that were specifically marketed as Cash soundalike sessions. Here, he's still got the whole Delta baritone sound going on, but the music loosens up a bit, and the liner notes pitch him as a Bakersfield Sound artist. The music is an odd amalgam of Cash-ian chunka-chunka and gritty, Haggard-style twang. (Farlow knew Haggard from his Bakersfield days, and there's a hefty dose of Hag's sound in him as well. Also the backing band apparently included Dennis Payne and Kenny Johnson of the California Poppy Pickers...) This album's title track, "Hot Wheels," is a macabre trucker tune that ends with the Devil taking the singer's soul, and there's also a proto-outlaw edge to some of the other tracks, notably on "Big City Hooker," a surprisingly raw song condemning a country girl for turning into a prostitute... I guess things never quite clicked for Farlow as a solo star -- he got religion in the '70s and backed out of the country bar-band scene. In later years he became an amateur bluegrass musician, and pretty much left his country years behind him.

Stan Farlow "He Sounds Like Johnny Cash" (Checker Records, 1970) (LP)
The Alshire label put out, like, a bazillion Cash-soundalike albums by Stan Farlow, recording under his Johnny Doe pseudonym... So, no surprise that Chess went down that route as well, probably just to fulfill some kind of contractual obligation; indeed this might just be a reissue of one of the Alshire albums. I would list all the Doe albums as well, but they're just so darn many of them, and they overlap in weird ways. This should be enough to satisfy your morbid curiosity.

Stan Farlow "Farlow One" (Vintage Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Glenn Clarke & Art Snider)

John Faron "Goin' Up To Country" (Windi Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Rolf Erickson, John Lahmer & Gary Young)
Apparently this was the only album by an otherwise-obscure country singer who had kicked around Los Angeles in the early 1970s. The guiding force behind this album may have been Manhattan Beach music producer Gary Young, an Oklahoma transplant who tried his luck starting a rock band, and later a record label. Windi Records put out a short string of singles, as well as a few LPs, and later transmuted into something called Nova Sol Records, which involved some of the same people... This hard-to-find album includes one song credited to Gary Young, "Kissin' My Memories," and two John Faron originals, "It Keeps Me From The Cold" and "Your Love Sets Me Free," along with country oldies from folks like Roy Rogers and Hank Williams, and more contemporary material from John Denver ("Country Roads"), Kris Kristofferson ("Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down") and an intriguing cover of an early Red Steagall song, "In A Jetway In Dallas," which was on Steagall's debut album early in 1972. John Faron was backed by Jack Armstrong (bass), Mike Brown (dobro), Jim Lenn (drums), Art Sanchez (steel guitar), Joe Webber (keyboards), and John Wilson (guitar and backing vocals), guys who seemed to have been kicking around the margins of the Los Angeles rock scene... Steel player Art Sanchez was an interesting figure, who worked on a few other projects related to the Windi Records label, but also was in a series of Chicano rock bands from East LA, including The Brew, and a later group called Yaqui, which both cut full LPs. John Faron, alas, remains a mystery -- I couldn't find any mention of him as part of LA's country scene, and he had a fairly common name, so I couldn't track down obituary or other information about him online.

Dan And Berde Farris "Honky Tonk Mother And Dad" (Far-Dell Records, 197-?)
Literally a mom'n'pop record, this disc spotlights the West Coast husband-wife duo of Dan and Berde Farris, who sing fun latter-day heartsongs and honkytonk tunes, in much the same style as other country couples such as Rose Lee & Joe Maphis, or Johnny and Jonie Mosby. It's nice stuff -- a style I really like and they do it pretty well... plus a lot of the songs are Farris originals. The Farrises were both from California -- she was born in Merced but grew up in Washington state -- and they were living in Rialto, CA (near Riverside) when they made this album -- later they moved to Hobbs, New Mexico, where they settled down for good. They seem to have started out in the orbit of Starday Records, although their singles and LPs were released under their own imprint. This disc was released at least twice, once with a hand-glued cover, and the second time with more professional artwork (and two extra songs.) The catalog number (FRLP-102) indicated that this was the second album they put out... I'd love to hear the first one, too!

Jim Ferguson "Slow Down The Pace" (Jim An I Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Sharon K. Doherty & Jim Ferguson)
Ultra-indie DIY honkytonk country from Garden Grove, California (in Orange County, near Anaheim...) Ferguson wasn't the world's greatest singer, nor was this the world's greatest band, but he gets major points for taking it seriously, for writing good songs and for being more than a decade ahead of the crowd, recording the kind of rough-edged amateur twang that the "Americana" scene would become known for in the 1990s. There are several really good songs on here, including "Cold Woman" and "The More I Try," all sung with an admirable amount of twang. Anyone out there know if he recorded anything else, or was this it?

Russ Fernlund & The Redwood Stage "Many Miles From Nowhere" (1985) (LP)
(Produced by Russ Fernlund)
A memento of one of Northern California's many long-lost longhair bands... In the late 1970s, songwriter Russ Fernlund was doing a solo gig in Big Sur, eventually giving that up so he could try his luck in Los Angeles. Like Nashville, LA can be a tough nut to crack, and after knocking his head against that particular wall, Fernlund moved back up North, this time to the sleepy but scenic town of Mendocino. Redwood Stage was a band he led from 1979 on, cutting this album in '85 to document their work. To be honest, I found his vocals a little lethargic, but he grew on me... There's definitely a nice reservoir of original twangtunes on here, and moments that remind me (a lot) of Chip Taylor and Dick Feller, with maybe a smidge of Larry Hosford in there as well... The songs didn't really grab me musically, but this disc is packed with NorCal hippiebilly history, particularly on songs like "Big Sur River," "California Country," "Moonshinin'," and "Okie On Rollerskates." Definitely worth a spin if you can track a copy down.

Russ Fernlund "...And Just Wasting Time" (2013)

Ben Ferrell "Talkin' 'Bout Kentucky" (Caravelle Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Tony Migliore & Jim Matthews)
Although he sang about the bluegrass state, songwriter Ben Ferrell seems to have pitched his tent out in California, or at least he hooked up with the Hollywood-based Caravelle label, which bankrolled this disc. All the songs are originals, except for a version of Stephen Foster's "Old Kentucky Home," and the backup band includes a lot of top Nashville talent, folks like Harold Bradley, Pete Drake, Lloyd Green, Johnny Gimble, Charlie McCoy and Pete Wade... and they definitely get pretty funky on this album! I mean that literally. The whole "Area 615" crew really let their hair down here, playing some wicked funk and almost acid-rock-like riffs on some of these songs. But it is for sure also twangy and country as well. Pretty frickin' cool, really. Perhaps even a "lost 'Seventies gem. Apparently this was re-released in Australia under the same title, and with the same track sequence. By the early 'Eighties, Ferrell cut his hair and got religion... He still made records, including several in the CD era, but they were part of the "worship music" scene, as he calls it. He also moved to Tulsa... Not sure if he's a relative of Will Ferrell and his dad Lee, but it does seem likely.

Lee Ferrell "Hard Times" (TMS Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Art Munson & Ernie Winfrey)
You know what would make this record even better? More cowbell!! Why, yes, my friends, this is in fact actor Will Ferrell's dad, aka Roy Lee Ferrell, Jr., a saxophonist and piano player who blew sax with Dick Dale and later signed up with the Righteous Brothers, at the peak of their late-'60s fame. Originally from North Carolina, Lee Ferrell moved to California in 1964, and became firmly embedded in the SoCal music business. He took some time away from standards and blues on this disc to croon some country, and pretty good stuff at that. Ferrell had kind of a... well, funny voice, pretty high, if not quite falsetto, and he sounds a little goofy at time. Indeed, I wonder if this record -- with its improbably slow tempo-ed ballad version of "Ramblin' Man" and a lush rendition of "This Magic Moment" -- was perhaps the occasion for a chuckle or two in the Ferrell household, and maybe even an indirect influence on his son's career. Seriously. I don't mean that as a joke or a slight: this is a professionally produced session, with several Nashville heavyweights on board and while Ferrell has distinct limitations as a vocalist, he also wields a what-the-hell aura of self-confidence that feels similar to Will Ferrell's approach to comedy. Sure, haters can hate, but that's not the Ferrells' problem. From a strictly twangfan perspective, the album highlight is probably "Cross Bar Hotel," an amiable, Jimmy Buffett-flavored novelty number about a guy who gets thrown in the drunk tank and cops an unfortunate attitude with some of his cellmates. His version of "Stolen Wine" (a hit for Tommy Overstreet) is also a decent cheating song, not quite "Third Rate Romance," but close. (BTW, producer Art Munson was also an alumnus of the Dick Dale band, the Del-Tones, and worked as a session guitarist on various 'Seventies pop and rock albums...)

Fred Field "...And Friends" (Maranatha Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Neal Rieffanaugh & Bill Schnee)
California Christian "Jesus-freak" hippie country-rock, with Al Perkins on steel guitar... Some of this is genuine Jesus-y twang, though many tracks have more of a sugary, folkie feel, and some even drift into subpar soft rock, saxophones and all. Fred Field had a pretty thin voice which may have been suited to the 'Seventies AOR sound, but he seems to have had a bluegrassy background, playing banjo, fiddle and mandolin, even though the arrangements are more of a glossy pop tint. This is an intriguing album for the genre, though most twangfans may want to avoid it; it's not all that country, after all.

Judy Fields "Halfway To Paradise" (Victory Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Mansfield, Judy Fields & Larry Cumings)
An independently released album by Northern California artist Judy Fields, who moved to Nashville and worked as a songwriter, successfully pitching songs to artists such as Lee Greenwood and Reba McEntire. She was briefly signed to MCA Records, but only released a single or two, with no chart action... Her earlier work can be heard on an uber-indie album called CONTRA COSTA COUNTRY, which was recorded with several other NorCal artists. Unfortunately, this solo debut is fairly dreadful -- she "went pop" in a big way, drenching her songs in tinkly keyboards and glossy early-'80s production. Also, she had a penchant for anthemic romantic refrains which she would repeat and repeat and repeat, unwilling to let any crescendo die a natural death. I guess if you're into that particular era of Nashville "chick" music, this could be of interest... The Reba connection certainly makes sense once you've heard this album.

Fire Mountain Militia "Edge Of The Night" (Thunder Lizard, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Leep, John Altman & Dave Weil)
A swell set of hippiebilly indie-twang from Carmichael, California (near San Jose...) This quartet showcased all original material, songs penned by singers Dean Agee or Bob Leep, with Leep's material being perhaps more decisively "country" and and uptempo, while Agee was fond of sagas of wasted nights and low-rent barroom flings. The sound is mostly plunky bar-band country, ala Chuck Wagon & The Wheels, though there's a trace of bluesy, Dead-like jam-band rock hinted at in a few of the performances. The group also had mixed male-female vocals, with bassist Sharon George mostly sticking to harmony, but also taking the lead on the appropriately-named "Torch Song," which reveals a slightly jazzy undertone. You could pick these guys apart for their amateurism if you wanted to, or you could choose to be charmed by it, in which case you'd find this to be a pretty strong entry for the genre. Northern California strikes again!

The Floating House Band "The Floating House Band" (Takoma Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck Plotkin, Don Davis & Jim Hobson)
A super-super hippied-out folkie-delic outing packed with simple, strummy acoustic riffs buoying guileless, starry-eyed songs. The photos on the back cover show a trio of splendidly shaggy super-hippies who do actually seem to have been hanging out on a houseboat together, and having a pretty good time. The most notable member of the group was singer-guitarist Shep Cooke, an Arizona country-rocker who moved to LA to be in Linda Ronstadt's early band, the Stone Poneys. Indeed, this album seems to be memento of that gig, as Cooke is joined a couple of other guys from the Poneys, notably guitarist Robert Kimmel, who was the primary songwriter for this set. The rest of the band included John Alderson (guitar and keyboards), banjo player Pat Cloud, Rick Epping (harmonica), and Andy Gold on drums. The lyrics are generally pretty gooey, happy, half-coherent evocations of spaced-out moments of ecstasy and chirpy odes to open-hearted love of mankind and nature. This is a very lazy, relaxed album, and while the guys honed in on a lilting vocal harmony not unlike the Crosby, Stills & Nash sound, the songs don't have a lot of drive to them, or much in the way of memorable hooks. But that may be what gives this disc its charms -- they sound so innocent and sincere, and were clearly tripping balls the whole time. Not much of a country record, though it does fit into the whole Southern California country-rock mosaic. This was hardly a supergroup, though some of the guys were active in various musical projects for the rest of the decade: Shep Cooke recorded a couple of solo albums that are worth checking out, while Pat Cloud became a fairly well-known bluegrass picker, and John Anderson later played with Christian artist Chuck Girard. Far out, man!

Vancie Flowers "Birds And Bees" (Pampa Records, 1963-?) (LP)

Vancie Flowers "Soft Rain" (Pike Records, 19--?)

The Flying Burrito Brothers - see artist discography

Fool's Gold "Fool's Gold" (Asylum Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Glyn Johns & John Stronach)
These guys were, literally, Eagles knockoffs: with Glenn Frey as a co-producer, they frequently slide into smooth, mellow group harmonies that will be very familiar to fans of The Eagles. There's a definite Southern California country-rock vibe, as well as a strong strain of pure '70s AOR, which isn't surprising, since their main gig was working as Dan Fogleberg's backing band. They cover a couple of his songs, and Fogleberg co-wrote a third with members of the band; guitarist Joe Walsh also appears on here, playing lead on the first track. This is very soft, very familiar-sounding music, airy, gooey, mildly bland 'Seventies stuff, and even though this band never made its mark as a solo entity, folks who like classic soft-pop of the era will dig this disc. There's a little bit of legitimate twang in here, too -- piano player Doug Livingston also adds some nice pedal steel throughout, and they squeeze some mandolin in there as well.

Fool's Gold "Mr. Lucky" (Columbia Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Keith Olson)

Bill Ford "The Green, Green Grass Of Home" (Babsie Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Compton & Donn Clayton)
A pretty weird record, but one that might delight fans of "so-bad-it's-good" lounge music. Bill Ford was apparently an organist who had a long residency at the Singing Hills Country Club, in San Diego, California, and who self-released a few records in the early 1970s, including this one and a Hawaiian-themed album or roughly the same vintage. Anyway, there are a couple of songs of legitimately country pedigree on here, including the title track -- yet another version of "Green, Green Grass Of Home" -- as well as an ultra-sedate, overly low-key version of Merle Haggard's "I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am" which is so wide of the mark, emotionally speaking, that I suppose it has real potential as an irony-drenched "classic." There are also several pop covers, stuff like "Delilah," "Sunny," and "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," all of which are also delivered in a laid-back, middle-of-the-road pop vocals style that just seems amazingly off-target for most of the songs. It's charming, in a way, but not that compelling.

Jim Ford "Harlan County" (White Whale Records, 1969) (LP)
Kentucky native Jim Ford (1941-2007) made his way out west to California to become modestly successful Top Forty songwriter in the early 1970s. Penning pop, rock, and soul hits for established artists, on his own albums he crafted an odd mix of country and pop. Most of Ford's solo work has been reissued posthumously, with Harlan County being the only "proper" album issued during his lifetime...

Jim Ford "The Sounds Of Our Time" (Bear Family Records, 2007)

Jim Ford "Point Of No Return: Previously Unissued Masters, A Lost 45 & Rare Demos" (Bear Family Records, 2008)

Jim Ford "Big Mouth USA -- The Unissued Paramount Album" (Bear Family Records, 2009)
A tantalizing set of material from one of the odder characters on the 1970's twang scene. Songwriter Jim Ford was a pal of funk-soul pioneer Sly Stone; he played on some Sly & The Family Stone albums, as well as other iconic rock and pop records, but he nurtured an abiding love of country music, and wrote some truly stunning original twang-tunes. He must have had some interesting personal quirks, though, because there is a string of unissued demo material for projects on a number of labels. Maybe the major-label "suits" just weren't ready yet to have some hippie longhair crash the Nashville party, but for whatever reason, Ford faded from the scene and wound up living off the radar, ending his life in obscurity, in a trailer home up in Northern California. In his home was a treasure trove of demo tapes, unissued masters, and a handful of singles that had been issued over the years. Some of it is really great stuff, well-sculpted country songs, often with a novelty twist, as well as some dips into sunshine pop-era rock and soul. This disc, along with the Capitol Album collection below, overlaps with earlier Bear Family releases, but that doesn't detract from their value: if you're hearing of Ford's work for the first time, then these discs will be a real treat. Check it out!

Jim Ford "The Unissued Capitol Album" (Bear Family Records, 2009)

Norm Forrest "...Sings Club Favorites" (Lissa Records, 196-?) (LP)
There's surprisingly little information to be found about singer-guitarist Norm Forrest, who was apparently on the LA country/country-rock scene through most of the 1960s. He worked with steel player Jay Dee Maness and others, and cut singles for a variety of small labels, including Challenge Records (circa 1962) and Arco Records, who billed him as a member of the Hollywood Jamboree show, a mid-'Sixties local TV show modeled on the old Hollywood Town Hall programs. This album seems to be a memento of Forrest's nightclub act and is heavy on country ballads and weepers, with several songs credited to composer Hal Blair, who wrote a bunch of hits for Elvis Presley; the credits make it look like these songs were co-written with Norm Forrest, though this may be a kind of typo. But Forrest does seem to have been connected to the singing cowboy scene that Blair and his partner Don Robertson worked in, alongside folks like Eddie Dean and Hal Souther, which might partly explain how he wound up on Gene Autry's label a few years later. Speaking of Elvis, the album also credits "Glenn Hardin" as the conductor and arranger, though I think this is actually pianist Glen D. Hardin, who was doing all kind of random gigs in LA throughout the 1960s and in the following decade joined Presley's TCB Band, and later Emmylou Harris's fabled Hot Band.

Norm Forrest "A Fool Such As I" (Republic Records, 19--?) (LP)
Somewhere along the line, Norm Forrest got signed to Gene Autry's Republic label, a fairly high-profile gig which produced this album, which is mostly comprised of covers of well-known country classics. Forrest continued with his blend of country-folk crooning, in the same resonant, slightly rugged baritone. There's one track credited to Hal Blair's songwriting partner Don Robertson, though alas no indication of the musicians who backed Forrest on these sessions. On the plus side, though, there's a great photo of Norm Forrest on the front cover, and boy, was he hunky. Put that kid in the picture! Forrest was still doing smaller Southern California club dates at least through the early 1970s, although the trail grows cold soon after the decade begins. As far as I know this was his last full album.

Paul Foster & The Hand-Me-Downs "An Outline Of Me" (Lark Ellen Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Rolf Erickson)
California country on a label from Redondo Beach... Songwriter Paul Foster was originally from Ohio and started his musical career when he was still a kid, apparently landing a contract with United Artists sometime in the 'Sixties, before he moved to L.A. in 1971. He released a string of singles on the Lark Ellen label, which put out a fair number of records up through the 'Seventies, though mostly not country stuff. Paul Foster seems to have found a patron in Ms. Arlene Buckner and Irwin E. Buckner, who I think owned the Lark Ellen label, which seems to have had a "song-poem" component to it. That is, Ms. Buckner seems to have gotten Foster and others to come up with arrangements for her lyrics; most of the songs on here are co-credited to her and Paul Foster. A later release was a 1975 album by Carlos San Paolo (who worked on this record) which has him similarly sharing credits with Ms. Buckner. Paul Foster and his band went up on tour to Alaska right after recording this disc, though he later released at least one more Lark Ellen single in '78 while leading a band called Country Gold. (Note: I'm pretty sure that he was not the same guy as Arizonan Paul Foster who played bass in the old Waylon Jennings band of the early 'Sixties.)

The Frampton Family "Favorite Gospel Songs" (Vision Gospel Recordings Studio, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Leon Harris)
A heartfelt though terminally amateurish family band from Newark, California, the Framptons were led by Cecil and Glenda Frampton (dad and mom) though the spotlight was planted on their boys, Stewart, James and "little Eddie." They don't always sing on tune or harmonize well, but this disc does fairly glow with authenticity and "regular people" elan. The musical backing is pretty sparse, mostly just a plunky acoustic guitar, but not a lot of country-ish touches -- no fiddle or steel guitar, though sometimes the boys sort of hint at an Everly Brothers-ish influence. Not a great record, but I included it because the Vision label seems to have an interesting story, which I'm just starting to put together. I'll keep you posted as I find out more.

Ron Fraser "I'm Gonna Sing My Song" (Granite Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Cliffie Stone)
I couldn't readily track down the story on this one, though I gather this was kind of a work-for-hire gig for country old-timer Cliffie Stone, who was touching base with the now and happening youth culture of the time... Stone's son Curtis plays several instruments, with hotshot LA picker Don Lee on guitar and J. B. Crabtree playing pedal steel. There's some pretty solid twang behind this one, though I think Ron Fraser was kind of a crypto-Christian singer; the title track has kind of a folk-pop "up with people" kinda feel. Later, recording in the early '80s as R. K. Fraser, he made a poppy Christian-patriotic album called Heroes, in which he tied the experience of Vietnam vets to the need for spiritual rebirth in American culture. Apparently Fraser was in the 173rd Airborne, serving in Vietnam between 1969-70, so that would have been a few years before he cut this album.

The Fraternity Of Man "The Fraternity Of Man" (ABC Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Wilson)
This short-lived California psych band was definitely not strictly country-oriented, but they recorded one of the great classics of the hippie-country genre, the loopy, zonked-out novelty gem, "Don't Bogart Me" (aka "Don't Bogart That Joint My Friend"), which was prominently featured in the stonersploitation film, Easy Rider. The song is pretty funny, and features one of pedal steel player Red Rhodes' best and most memorable performances. The Fraternity was made up of various Frank Zappa cohorts, including some guys who were in Lowell George's early band, The Factory, as well as Zappa's Mothers of Invention. Given this pedigree, it's not surprising that they played an eclectic, adventurous mix of rock and psychedelic blues-rock, though "Don't Bogart Me" -- which was later covered by Little Feat -- certainly gives them a great alt-twang legacy as well. They recorded one other album, Get It On, in 1969, then went their separate ways.

Dallas Frazier - see artist discography

Freddy & The Starlighters "Freddy & The Starlighters" (1977) (LP)
(Produced by Burt Pectol)
Many years before the Hi-Fives came down from the hills, the tiny northern hamlet of Arcata, California was home to Freddy & The Starlighters, a partytime bar-band with a pretty diverse playlist, spanning rock oldies, R&B tunes and a slathering of country selections. This album's rambling liner notes recount how the group -- Joe DeAndreis (piano), Steve Griffin (drums), Joyce Hough (rhythm guitar), Bill Marquardt (bass) and Fred Neighbor on lead guitar and vocals -- first formed in 1971 when Freddy and company landed a gig in nearby McKinleyville. Originally calling themselves Kitchen Music, they went on to become bar owners themselves and stalwarts of the local music scene. This expansive two-LP set captures the Starlighters both in the studio and playing live in April, 1977 at a local dive called The Jambalaya, a music venue co-owned by Neighbor and Hough that served as a locus for the Humboldt Country roots-music scene. While the album's engineering is a bit flat and undynamic, the locals-only authenticity is palpable. The Starlighters were definitely more of a rock/soul jam band, but there are quite a few twangtunes in the mix as well: Hank Snow's "Golden Rocket," "I Still Miss Someone" from Johnny Cash, the Hank Williams oldie, "Hey Good Lookin," as well as "I Can't Be Myself," "Sad Situation," "Nitro Express," and a uptempo little ditty called "299," an original twangtune with a harmonica-led vibe reminiscent of Norton Buffalo. There are also a lot of jazz- and funk-inflected tracks which, yes, may have been a bit plodding, but clearly place the Starlighters squarely inside the Northern California jam-band tradition, including a few hippiedelic forays that were probably influenced by the better-known Sons Of Champlin. This isn't a dazzling album, but it's a fine example of a working band from the rural Pacific Northwest, with no frills or pretensions to be found. Dunno how long the Starlighters stayed together, but some of these guys were still playing locally many years later -- Fred Neighbor, for example, pops up on an album by the early 1990s band The Appliances, while Neighbor and Hough have organized a bazillion different bands, most recently including groups like Home Cookin', and The Country Pretenders. Quite a history.

The Frontiersmen "Country Jamboree" (Crown Records, 1962) (LP)
Hopefully you'll forgive the cliche, but this album is one of the jewels in the Crown Records story, a great hillbilly pop album issued on the legendary Southern California super-cheapo label. The Frontiersmen, identified on the album cover only as "Hi, Wayne and Hal" were in fact songwriter-guitarist Hal Southern, bassist Wayne West and (I think) a fella named Highpocket Busse who usually played accordion but doesn't seem to on these recordings... They were stalwarts of the 1950's SoCal country scene and frequently backed singer Eddie Dean (who may well sing on some of these tracks as well, but there's no credit given) The music ranges from sweet, Sons Of The Pioneers-style vocals harmony to more rambunctious country bop, with some tasty electric guitar licks... really great stuff! The copy I picked up has terrible sound quality, and it varies from track to track, making me think that this must include songs from several different eras, stretching back into the mid-1950s. (Each side of the album opens with a song with clearer sound quality, which may have been recorded around the time this album came out, but that's just a theory... I'm sure there are uber-collectors out there who would know for sure...) Anyway, it's good stuff -- these tracks have also been reissued on digital downloads (linked to above) but I don't know if they have been recently remastered.

The Frontiersmen & Joanie "America's No. 1 Entertaining Western Vocal Group" (Mira Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by M. W. Grimm)
Hanging out in Texas, the trio of Hi Busse and Hal Southern and Billy Armstrong backed a gal identified only mononymically as Joanie on a set of country ad cowboy standards, mostly oldies from the '40s and 50s. Joanie also cut several singles with the Frontiersmen, so she was probably part of their regular road show. Although this album was recorded at Tommy Allsup's studio in Odessa, it came out on a short-lived label in LA. The liner notes reflect the band's Hollywood roots, with testimonials by Gunsmoke actors Ken Curtis and Milburn Stone. Their comments are strangely informative, however, with Stone recalling appearances he made with the Frontiersmen at rodeos and county fairs; their performances on various TV variety shows such as the Joey Bishop Show are also mentioned.

Buck Funderburk "Walkin' In A Dream" (Western Star Records, 1976) (LP)
A low-key, back-to-basics country album from an early pioneer of the Southern California and Central Valley western scene... Lowell Stay "Buck" Funderburk (1913-2002) was a Depression-era migrant from Arkansas who formed his first band while living in Woodlake, a small town north of Bakersfield and south of Fresno... He landed some gigs in Hollywood and from there found work with '40s stars such as Tex Ritter. Funderburk moved his band back to his Valley stomping grounds and was playing in Bakersfield and environs 'way back in the 'Thirties, before wartime work took him up to San Jose, where he worked a day job in construction while leading his band at nights. This album showcases Mr. Funderburk in his later years, an older guy slipping into his mid-sixties, and while he's not a super-dynamic singer, it's hard to miss the authenticity that pervades this album... In addition to Buck Funderburk on lead guitar the band also featured Travis Funderburk on piano, bass player and vocalist Bill Muse (1929-2020), Noble Garner (drums), John Rossen (steel guitar), and a trio called the Ray Sisters singing backup. (The Rays. Lavone, Patti and Shirley, also sang in the Buck Owens show and they released a gospel album of their own some time before this disc came out.) Though this isn't an entirely electrifying set, I personally like old-timer albums -- anyone know if he cut any records when he was young?

The Funky Kings "Funky Kings" (Arista Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Paul A. Rothchild)
A pretty dismal AOR/soft-pop album that's notable to alt-country fans for the presence of steel player Greg Leisz and songwriter Jack Tempchin, who wrote "Peaceful Easy Feeling" for the Eagles. Tempchin also apparently wrote "Slow Dancing (Swaying To The Music)" which is included here in its original (boring) version, a song that became a big hit for Johnny Rivers the following year. Also in the band was Jules Shear, pre-solo career, adding his voice and a few songs to this undistinctive, bland '70s pop album. Despite the country talent (including some Nashville side musicians) this album has very little twang, and you can probably skip this one.

Richie Furay - see artist discography

Future "Down That Country Road" (Shamely Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Norm Ratner)
A loosey-goosey, psychedelicized, spaced-out, folk-rock-pop kinda thingie, but it definitely has twang. Future was a trio of kids from Santa Monica, California given an a-list studio crew to work with -- superpickers like James Burton and Dr. John, as well as West Coast pedal steel luminary Red Rhodes adding some sweet, uptempo licks. The pedal steel and twangy guitars add a distinct country vibe that runs almost entirely in parallel to the acid-soaked meanderings of the songs, but there's an undeniable charm on a lot of these tracks. Future rose out of a previous band, the InRhodes, which was formed by the "three Jims" (Jim Bunnell, Jim Burdine and Jim Odom) when they were in high school together, and they'd had considerable experience playing live gigs around LA before they cut this album. The band fizzled out, but apparently they did some session work for a while in the early '70s... (I don't think that this Jim Odom was the same guy who was later in the rock band LeRoux... just one of those odd coincidences in life.) At any rate, even though the songs aren't very cohesive or memorable, this was a great showcase for Red Rhodes' steel guitar work. Definitely worth a spin.

Kay Gallo & The Country Men "Yankee Go Home" (Big-E-Nuff Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Kay Gallo, Richard N. Gallo & Denny Hardesty)
Nicknamed "the sweetheart of the Ponderosa," Mrs. Gallo was born in West Virginia but moved out to California where she married and raised a family... (The liner notes inform us that she had four grandchildren by the time this album was recorded...) In 1967 she got a gig singing at a place in Pomona called the Ponderosa Club, though it's not clear when this album was recorded -- it could have been many years later. Anyway, this is definitely a "private" release, with backing by local musicians such as guitarist Warren Flock, Jess Owen on steel, bassist Lucky Shanon (sp?) and Carl Walden on keyboards and rhythm guitar.

Norma Gamble "Her Kind Of Country" (Pentagon Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Alan L. Dote)
Ms. Gamble was a singer from Santa Clara, California (near San Jose) who wrote most of the songs on this album, with one credited to producer Alan L. Dote, and a couple co-written by Anna Pierce. The liner notes say she played gigs in Vegas and Reno, though overall this seems like a pretty "private" private-press album.

Gene Rockwell Gant "Makin' Sweet Music" (Morrhythm Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene R. Gant & Cliffie Stone)
According to the liner notes from producer Cliffie Stone, Gene Gant made the country-rock scene in LA around 1967 and paid his dues playing at all the right nightspots -- The Palomino, Nashville West, The Sundowner and The Playboy Club. He also did a little film acting, but "went back to the Midwest" at some point, and though we're not told where in the Midwest he was from, some of his earliest singles came out on label in Michigan. All but three of these songs are Gene Gant originals, with two of the remaining songs co-written by Cliffie Stone's kid, Steve, in partnership with Chris Roberts, and the third one composed by pickers Jimmy Bryant and Don Lee, along with some guy named Michael Tableporter. (At least two of these tracks were previously recorded for the Hollywood-based Public Records label around 1968-69, and released under the name Gene Rockwell. The versions here seem to be reissues of the original tracks. Also of interest are the contributions of (future) 'Seventies soft-pop legend David Gates, who helped arrange the material.) There's no date on this LP, but a banner on the back proclaims it to be a "DIGITAL RECORDING," which is something labels were mostly tripping out on in the early 'Eighties. If I had to take a swing at it, I'd guess this came out sometime around 1982-1983. Many years later, Mr. Gant self-published a memoir called Lifted from Despair: A Story of Miracles, which I assume was a religious/spiritual narrative... He moved around a lot and devoted himself to the printed word, writing poetry and a few books, editing, etc. He finally married and settled down in Sun City, Arizona, with his wife Connie, who once worked as a piano player at the Disneyland amusement park. As far as I know, this was his only full album, though there's a whole string of singles dating back to the early 'Sixties.

The Gardenhire Family Singers "Jesus, Show Me The Good, And Hide The Bad" (Hire Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Rich Gardenhire & Tony Sciarrotta)
Great, real-rural country gospel by a family band out of Yuba City, California, in the northern end of the Great Central Valley. Formed in 1977, the group was led by Richard Gardenhire (1935-2015) who was was born in Hulbert, Oklahoma and moved to California with his family at a very young age. Like many of the country folks in the Valley, Mr. Gardenhire retained his Okie roots, and this album features some of the finest, most nasal West Coast hick vocals you're likely to find. The band is solid country as well, with some deft, plinky piano and plenty of mournful pedal steel, with simple arrangements that stick to the same moderate, plodding tempo throughout: if you're a fan of Gram Parsons's slower stuff, and in particular his covers of old hymns, this album might really wow you. The repertoire features two originals by Richard Gardenhire: the title track and a rapture hymn called "Could This Be The Year." Also included is "Pretty Soon I'm Gonna See Jesus," composed by Arlis Gardenhire, a slew of tunes from the Hinsons, a stray Dottie Rambo song, one from the Easters, and a plaintive rendition of "Brush Arbor." The Gardenhires cut at least one other album, and had a musical ministry that lasted well into the 1990s, after which they came off the road and devoted themselves to the local Faith Tabernacle Pentecostal Church of God. The credits on this album include Richard Gardenhire on lead vocals, his son Arlin playing drums and daughter Trudy on bass, along with Richard Applegarth (pedal steel), Glenn Davis (piano) and Rex Thompson on lead guitar. Great stuff. Wish I had their other album as well!

Joey Garone "Waves Of Time" (1981) (LP)
You'd be forgiven for thinking (as I did) that this is an old indie-twang album, what with Mr. Garone pictured on the cover, clad in denim, sporting aviator glasses and several massive turquoise rings, and of course a cowboy-ish Panama hat... But in fact, this is a really weird, sorta-folk/sorta-rock album, full of bizarre, rambling lyrics and strange, possibly drugged-out preoccupations and obsessions galore. It's not a country album -- consider this fair warning -- but for folks who enjoy kooky, outsider-art bizarro records, this one's a doozy. The opening track, "Gasoline Junkies," isn't quite the earnest critique of our petrochemically propelled populace that you'd expect, but rather an opening salvo for a very odd album, with Garone musing authoritatively about UFOs, including the ones he says he's seen with his own eyes. Despite this album being pirated and sampled by numerous interwebsters, its origins remain obscure -- there's no discographical info on the album itself, or even a mention of where Garone was living when he made it. (Off the grid, perhaps? In a tinfoil-lined shack?) Somewhere around Bakersfield is one story I've heard. It's possible that the low-level notoriety of this LP inspired the character of nightclub singer Joey Garone in the 2009 feature film, "Once More With Feeling," but that's mostly just me speculating in the absence of fact. Anyone out there have real info about this guy? If so, I'd be much obliged!

Glen Garrison "Country! Country!" (Imperial Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Turner)
An ex-rockabilly rebel-gone-West Coast country singer and session guitarist, Harold Glen Garrison (1942-1971) adopted a sound stylistically and vocally very much like Buck Owens, and released two major-label LPs at the height of the Bakersfield Sound. Garrison only placed two songs chart in the Top 100, including "Goodbye Swingers," off this album, which peaked out at #72 on the Billboard charts. He was born in Searcy, Arkansas and moved out the California, where he played in Wynn Stewart's band before pursuing his own solo career. Despite the lack of commercial success, this is still fun stuff, and if you dig vintage Buck Owens, there's no reason not to turn up the volume on this album, as well... Even ol' Buck agreed: he wrote the liner notes, opining on the differences between Hollywood and Nashville country. Garrison died young, passing away in Joy, Arkansas just a few years after these albums came out... He certainly seems like an artist ripe for reissue, though, particularly if anyone wanted to collect his earlier rock'n'roll records, which for years have only been available on some far-flung rockabilly comps.

Glen Garrison "If I Lived Here: The Country Soul Of Glen Garrison" (Imperial Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Turner)

Gary & Sandy "That Makes Two Of Us" (Top Ten Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Fuller)
Though Gary Raffanelli and Sandy Selby were both decent singers, this is a majestically terrible album, 'Seventies easy listening disco-pop kitsch at its apex, a gooey, bombastic set of would-be soft-pop hits, helmed by veteran producer Jerry Fuller, who also wrote about half the songs. Despite the presence of country pickers like Glen Campbell and Billy Walker, the twang influences are mostly theoretical, overshadowed by swelling string arrangements courtesy of Larry Mahoberac and Sid Feller. This seems to be a songwriter's demo with Fuller working out some pop-related ideas -- devotees of so-bad-its-still-bad '70s schmaltz might dig it, though for most twangfans this one's a record you can skip. Some background info: Gary and Sandy were from the SF Bay Area -- Raffanelli grew up in Richmond; Selby was from Berkeley -- and they formed their duo in 1973, moving up to Lake Tahoe for casino gigs and later to Reno, where they held down a nineteen-year residency at the Reno Hilton. Their act went through a lot of permutations, eventually forming an ABBA covers band called Abbacadabra. So... now you know.

Abbie Gaye, Ken And Mel "Country Music Jubilee" (Trac Records, 196--?) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
The bluegrass-y trio of Abbie Gaye, Ken Stephens and Mel Johnson are perhaps best known for their stringband parody of the Buck Owens song, "Tiger By The Tail," which they recorded for Starday Records in 1965 as "I've Got A Polecat By The Tail." This album is less novelty-oriented, filled with earnest covers of bluegrass classics by Jim Eanes, Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe, along with a few gospel tunes and a zippy rendition of "Ruby Are You Mad." There are also several songs credited to "M. Johnson," who I think was Mel, and these seem to be originals or his adaptations of traditional material. This may have been the first LP issued by Trac Records, a label based in Fresno, California -- I could find very little info out about these folks online, so I'm not sure if they were a California-based band or not... At any rate, it's nice stuff. Resolutely old-fashioned, these plainspoken performances harken back to the heartfelt, no-frills styles of artists such as Molly O'Day or Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper.

Abbie-Gaye & Ken Stephens "Country Gospel Jubilee" (Calvary Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
An all-gospel offering from these rootsy Californian twangsters... The liner notes inform us that Ken Stephens was originally part of a country music brother act, The Stephens Brothers, out of Hamilton, Ohio. The group broke up, though, when his kid brother got drafted, and Stephens soon moved out West with his wife, singer Abbie-Gaye sometime in 1961. (Her name is hyphenated here, but not on their previous album a few years earlier.) They first tried their luck in LA, then landed a job hosting a TV show in Fresno, called Country Music Jubilee, which hit the air in 1964. Their old trio partner Mel Johnson also chimes in, as well as steel player Densel Perry, who we're informed joined the act in November, 1970, making this maybe more of a '71 kind of record?

Lowell George "Thanks, I'll Eat It Here" (Warner Brothers, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Lowell George)
One of the great lost albums of the 1970s! The late, great Lowell George was lead singer of the roots-rock/funk-jazz superband, Little Feat... On this solo outing, he let go of Little Feat's rougher edges, in favor of a mellower, more conventionally "pop" sound. The album covers blues, country and soulful rock -- plus, it's jam-packed with fun, enjoyable songs. My favorites include the mariachi-flavored "Cheek To Cheek," his versions of Rickie Lee Jones' "Easy Money," and the old Ann Peebles soul ballad, "I Can't Stand The Rain," as well as a great remake of the Little Feat classic, "Two Trains..." Heck, the whole album is great. Also includes a couple of mournful acoustic numbers that are some of the most melancholy tunes I know: "20 Million Things To Do" and "Find A River." I'm happy to report that this record is back in print at last... You should really snap this one up!

Glasgow - Lord - Woods "Rock'n' Chair" (1979) (LP)
(Produced by Danny Glasgow, Bill Woods & Mike Lord)
The folk-country trio of Danny Glasgow, Mike Lord and Bill Woods were apparently from California -- some folks say Northern California, but I'm guessing they're really from around LA, since one song on this album is called "Salt Creek," which is a popular beach in Orange County. Not a lot of info on these guys, though.

Howdy Glenn "I Can Almost See Houston" (Indian Head Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Euel Mills, Rue Barclay & Howdy Glenn)
Although he nicknamed himself as "Mr. Houston" -- presumably after the title track of this album -- singer Howdy Glenn was from Southern California and made his name singing in clubs and contests around Los Angeles and San Bernadino. This album is packed with original material, mostly songs credited to Ray Willis and Tom Willis, with tasty titles such as "Lucy, Ain't Your Loser Looking Good," "I'm Here To Drink It All," "Has Been Honky Tonk Queen," and "Who Makes A Wino's Bed." There's along with a cover of cover Tom T. Hall's "Old Dogs, Children & Watermelon Wine," which was a staple of his live show...

Rick Glenn "...And The Texas Aliens" (RGA Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Staffen, Miles Granfield, Rick Glenn & Mike Solie)
It's possible that there were some genuine Texans in this band, but if so, they made their home in sunny San Bernardino, California, where they played regularly in the early '80s at venues such as the now-defunct Mule Lip Saloon. The album is mostly cover songs, well-chosen stuff from folks like Guy Clark, Billy Joe Shaver and Gary P. Nunn, with some swing material ala Asleep At The Wheel in the mix as well. There are also three original songs, two by bandleader Rick Glenn -- the Willie Nelson-styled "A Rose That Lasts A LIfetime" and "Long Distance Lady" -- as well as one written by bassist Debbie Duschel, a SoCal native whose parents, Jean Davidson and Johnny Duschel, played in a number of high-profile West Coast bands in the '50s, including the Bob Wills band, and on Cliffie Stone's TV show. She sings lead on several songs, including a version of the Judds' "Girls Night Out," and a very Wheel-ish version of "Bump Bounce Boogie." It's hard to gauge the strength of the musicians from this recording -- it's okay, but a little flatly produced, and they may have had more oomph as a live band. Nonetheless, this is another nice document of a hard-working local band from years gone by, and the the original material is all pretty good.

J. D. Gold "I Must Follow My Heart" (Sun Song Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by John D'Andrea & Carmine Rubino)
Jovial, uptempo indie country from Southern California singer J. D. Gold. Most of the songs are credited to I. Rettig, which I thought must have been Gold's real name, but apparently it was actually Iona B. Rettig... At any rate, the songs are pretty good, even with the gallumphing, wannabee-commercial arrangements, synth-ish '80s stuff that places Gold in the same range, stylistically, as Moe Bandy or folks like that. There are rueful drinking songs ("Life Of The Party," one of two songs not written by Rettig) and a couple that explore ambivalent feelings about California's fabled Golden State mythos... I don't recognize most of the players on here, other than steel player J. D. Maness, but the musicianship is all pretty solid. There are a few rough edges, to be sure, but overall this is a nice indie effort.

The Goldcoast Singers "Here They Are!" (World Pacific Records, 1962) (LP)
A prescient set of political satire from the Kennedy era, recorded live at the San Francisco State Folk Festival in 1962. This isn't a "country" record, per se, but since the Greenwich Village folk scene so quickly coalesced around the New Left, the biting satire of the Ed Rush/George Cromarty duo stands out, particularly its insightful (and pointed) lampooning of the Civil Rights Movement. In one deft, catchy chorus of the uptempo "Peace Corps Rejects," they critique the white, liberal Ivy League college students who became Freedom Riders in the South, as well as the NAACP for putting them in danger, and questioned the effectiveness of civil disobedience as a tactic: "We come on the Greyhound bus/thirty-seven of us/the NAACP paid our fees/put in in jail/don't accept bail/integrated buses will set the South free..." The song reflects an extremely brief moment in time when satirists could poke fun at these campaigns, though events such as the March On Washington and the passage to the 1964 civil rights bill, and the numerous bombings and lynchings that were given national attention soon made the Civil Rights Movement a sacred icon in mainstream, middle America. This record was also remarkable for its early criticism of America's involvement in Viet Nam (at the time still limited to a small number of "advisors" on the ground) with biting songs such as "The Royal Laotian Cha-Cha-Cha" and "Please Mr. Kennedy," which dealt more broadly with the Cold War and the draft. The best-known song on this album is "Plastic Jesus," a cheerful critique of consumerized and hypocritical religiosity and evangelicism. Although they had some of the same level of wit and bite as Phil Ochs, the duo's career was cut short when Cromarty was drafted in '63. He reemerged a decade later with an innovative and influential album of new acoustic music entitled Grassroots Guitar; I'm not sure what Rush went on to do, musically, if anything. [Footnote: the song "Please Mr. Kennedy" was revived -- in altered form -- in the Coen Brothers film, "Inside Lloyd Davis," where is was remade into a calypso-rock novelty number about nuclear war. To their credit, the Coens gave credit to the Goldcoast Singers... as well they should!]

Joe Goldmark -- see artist discography

The Gosdin Brothers "The Sounds Of Goodbye" (Bakersfield International/Capitol Records, 1967)
Long lost amid the cavernous Capitol vaults, the 1968 debut of the Gosdin Brothers -- future country superstar Vern Gosdin and his brother Rex -- was recorded after their shift from straight-up bluegrass into the world of folk-rock. This is a genuine lost gem from the early California country-rock scene. While many mainstream country artists who tried to approach rock music and the youth culture during the hippie years often sounded hopelessly like fish out of water, the Gosdins were perfectly at ease. Although they were country boys tried and true, the Gosdin's psychedelic bona fides were pretty impeccable: they played in bluegrass bands with Chris Hillman, then hooked up with Hillman's Byrd buddy Gene Clark on his early solo career during the Summer Of Love. When they got their own shot at a solo career, they came out with an album that was surprisingly adventurous and electrified, with superpicker Clarence White laying down some delightfully noodly billy-delic folk-rock riffs. Re-released on CD with extra material... see below.

The Gosdin Brothers "Sounds Of Goodbye" (Ace-Big Beat Records, 2003)
This CD reissue jumbles up the track order of the original LP, but adds a bunch of extra material that kinda makes up for it. Even though I've been a big Vern Gosdin fan for years (his later solo work is fantastic), I was really surprised by how much I got into this record... It's goofy, heartfelt and fun. Not merely a nostalgic curio, but actually a fine set of music. Check it out!

The Gospelaires Quartet "One Day At A Time" (Gospel Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Anderson)
A long-running southern gospel group from Fresno, California, the Gospelaires Quartet had a pretty traditional harmony sound, familiar to country fans from its secular iteration when the Oak Ridge Boys brought the style into the Top Forty. On this album the group included Ray Cooper on tenor vocals, Jim Farmer (second tenor), with bass vocalist Don Smith or Ron Smith often taking the lead as the group's baritone. Although the vocals are pretty corny, they got a modest dose of country twang from the backing band, notably from steel player Paul Dobbs, who injects a little bit of Bakersfield zing, notably on the album's uptempo opener, a robust rendition of Albert E. Brumley's "Turn Your Radio On." Mostly this is too stuffy-sounding for me, though there's enough twang woven in that the next time I see one of their albums in a used bin, I'll probably pick it up and give it a whirl.

Bill Goss "...Sings Jim Reeves" (Ripcord Records, 1980) (LP)
A real-deal West Coast Okie, Bill Goss was born in Coweta, Oklahoma, but came out to California when he was a child, way back in 1936 during the Dust Bowl. Initially the Goss family lived in a tent, while his mother worked picking fruit, and later picked cotton. Goss grew up in the San Joaquin Valley, near San Jose, and it was here that he started out as a live performer, including a regular slot on Culver City radio station KFVD. Although this album was a tribute record to his idol, country crooner Jim Reeves, Bill Goss also released at least one single on Ripcord which included an original song, "My Divorce Day," with a cover of "Adios Amigos" as the flipside. According to Goss's bio, he composed "My Divorce Day" with Reeves in mind, and had successfully pitched the song to Reeves just before his death. Jim Reeves had told Mr. Goss he intended to record the song, but fate intervened, and it sat on the shelf until Goss cut his single in 1980. Only one thing wrong about this album: it only includes cover songs, and leaves "My Divorce Day" out. Darn it.

Grateful Dead "Workingman's Dead" (Warner Brothers, 1970)
(Produced by Bob Matthews, Betty Cantor & Grateful Dead)
Well sure, maybe this isn't a proper "country" album, but what with Jerry Garcia's later involvement in Old & In The Way, and the overall backwoods vibe of this album, it's certainly a major link from the hippie rock scene into the world of country and folk. Plus, it's one of the Dead's best (and most accessible) albums, recorded when they were at their poppy peak. A classic album, with a big old Appalachian streak running right through it. Totally worth checking out.

Grateful Dead "American Beauty" (Warner Brothers, 1970)
(Produced by Grateful Dead & Steve Barncard)
Their best, or certainly their most accessible early album, with many of the band's best-known songs. The track song titles alone are emblems of the undulating heart of hippie culture: "Box Of Rain," "Ripple," "Sugar Magnolia," "Candyman," "Truckin' " and -- of course -- "Friend Of The Devil." The country-roots influence is strong here as well, in a more cohesive and captivating way than on later albums. A highwater mark for hippie rock and early alternative country.

Grateful Dead "Reckoning" (Arista Brothers, 1981)
I'm not like a huge, runaway Dreadful Grate fan, but anyone coming at them from a country/bluegrass perspective might want to give this one a shot. This live acoustic double album was a welcome departure from their endless string of studio and bootleg jam-band recordings, a more highly focussed, concise reading of their old work, combined with truly sweet, respectful covers of canonical folk classics such as "Dark Hollow," "Deep Elem Blues," Elizabeth Cotton's "Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie," and even a vigorous run-through of the country oldie, "The Race Is On." The clarity and cohesion of these performances may be a surprise to detractors who thought the Dead could only be truly grokked by zonked-out, drugged-up, cultlike fans... and a pleasant reminder of the band's bluegrass and jugband roots. They actually knew their stuff! Definitely worth a spin.

Pete Graves "Peter 'Bumming Around' Graves Sings Good Country Music" (Hoss Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Lawrence)
This album, recorded by a genuine old coot named Pete Graves, was recorded in Los Angeles and features nine songs written by Mr. Graves. These include his best-known song, "Bumming Around," originally a big country hit for Jimmy Dean in the early 1950s, and a pop crossover when Dean Martin covered it in 1967. The other songs are less well-known, but even just that one great old song is a helluva legacy.

Roy Gray "Don't Give It Up" (C'N'G Music, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Curt James & Frank Anderson)
Rockabilly pop-twang from Sacramento, California -- retro, Elvis-y stuff with a slick, post-Stray Cats style reminiscent of Chris Isaak, another San Joaquin Valley local who was still coming up in the regional Northern California scene at the time... Though this album has a contemporary sound, Gray also got into full Elvis imitator mode when he wanted to, just as bohunky and hip-twisty and uhn-uhh-huh as you please. Dunno much about this guy, but I think he was still playing gigs well into the 2010's.

Norman Greenbaum "Petaluma" (Warner Brothers, 1972)
After making a bundle on his Top-40 pop hit, "Spirit In The Sky," Greenbaum tuned in and dropped out, investing his cash in a chicken farm out in Petaluma, California (which at the time was way out in the boonies...) The quiet life agreed with him, and this goofy little album is one of the hidden gems from the early '70s, featuring some nice assist by Ry Cooder on mandolin and guitar. The title track is great, along with the other enchanting ditties on here.

Norman Greenbaum "Spirit In The Sky: The Best Of Norman Greenbaum" (Varese Sarabande, 1995)
A strong best-of set, which is only deficient in one regard: his rock stuff takes precedence over the twang of the Petaluma album, from which they pluck a couple of songs, but not nearly enough. Still, if you just want to hear that big, fat rhythm riff from "Spirit In The Sky," well -- here it is!

Janet Greene "Country And Spanish Flavors" (CAM Records, 1980-?) (LP)
This is not strictly a country album, but it does have a great back story... Formerly a TV entertainer and lounge singer in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, Janet Greene moved to Long Beach, California after being recruited by John Birch conservatives to become "the right wing Joan Baez," a far-right guitar-strumming siren for the nascent New Right. From 1964-67 Greene (nee Janet Marcum) appeared at press events with her political mentor, Dr. Frederick C. Schwarz and recorded several faux-folk singles with caustic satirical lyrics. She sang at Goldwater rallies, anti-Communist lectures and pro-war demonstrations throughout Southern California, hobnobbing with the Orange County hyper-conservatives who helped propel Ronald Reagan into the governor's mansion and onto the national stage. By the time she cut this album, Green had abandoned her political persona and was doing supper club gigs in Southern California and Vegas... The liner notes mention painter Jose Nieto, who translated one of the songs into Spanish, and who was also Green's companion for several years before his death in 1984. This album is mostly covers of country classics such as "Crazy" and "Easy Lovin'," as well as Spanish-language standards such as "Amapola" and "Cucuru Paloma." Several originals are credited to Greene and her collaborators: she wrote "I Am Only One" and "Just For A Little While," while Long Beach country crooner Clarke C. Rohn contributes one called "Secretly," and quite likely backs her on this album. (Thanks once again to the Conelrad website for their informative profile of Ms. Greene's career!)

Tony 'Jarfly' Griffin "Southbound Train" (Bellaphon Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Goforth)
Cowboy-ish folk-blues in a Ramblin' Jack Elliott/Townes Van Zandt-ian mode. Griffin was a Californian who got rambling fever and made his way to Nashville, where he got into music and learned to play while hanging out with bluegrassers such as Red Rector and Phil Ledbetter, who he credits with giving him his nickname. Although he learned to play from bluegrassers, this is much more of a folk-roots poet type of album, with several traditional songs along with a bunch of Griffin originals that sure sound like traditional songs. Townes fans, in particular, might really like this one.

Glenda Griffith "Glenda Griffith" (Ariola Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Don Henley & Jim Ed Norman)
A very, very, very LA in-crowd album with backing by a sizeable portion of The Eagles (Don Henley on drums, Don Felder and Joe Walsh playing guitar and Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk mixing the tracks...) as well as Carole King playing piano on a couple of songs and contributing a song called "Eagle," as well as a whole slew of folks from the Southern California soft-rock/country-rock studio scene in tow: Karla Bonoff, Valerie Carter, Danny Korchmar, J.D. Souther, Waddy Wachtel, et. al. Griffith seems to have been a particular protegee of Danny O'Keefe, recording four of his songs and getting him to back her on one track; she herself contributes two originals to the repertoire. This is mostly a '70 pop record, in a lush, sometimes overripe Carole King/Carly Simon-esque mode, though with enough hints of twang to qualify it for mention here... The songs featuring the Eagles dudes sound very Eagles-y, with specific riffs and production touches that are lifted straight from the Hotel California playbook, just with a gal singing rather than Henley and his peeps. Really, though, I guess this is more of a buyer-beware review: I kept seeing this popping up in country bins and finally had to check it out, but there isn't really much twang on it. Her cover of Marty Robbins' "Don't Worry About Me" spotlights Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel and has a nice, plinky honky-tonk vibe, though her vocals are underwhelming; some nice steel work on O'Keefe's "Quits," which appropriately enough closes the album out.

David Grisman -- see artist profile

Gib Guilbeau -- see artist profile

Guilbeau & Parsons "Louisiana Rain" (Ace-Big Beat Records, 2002)
Gib Guilbeau and Gene Parsons were both stalwart members of the Southern California psychedelic country scene, with stints in the Burrito Brothers and the Byrds, as well as numerous other country-rock projects that dotted the landscape back in the 1960s and '70s. This disc gathers a trove of dimly-remembered 1967-70 work on Gary Paxton's independent Bakersfield International label, which served as a fermenting pot of the nascent hippiebilly sound... These guys'll sound instantly familiar to anyone who's grooved to Gram Parsons or the country-era Byrds, with the same whiny, wandering vocals and tentatively twang and slightly constricted pedal steel playing, and -- of course -- guitarist Clarence White anchoring the later sessions. Guilbeau, who had been working as a country and folk singer for over a decade before hooking up with Parsons, wrote almost all of the material and added a cajun flair to many of the songs, also writing plenty of spaced-out, searching lyrics. In country terms, it's not great material (though there are a few catchy tunes), but seen as a stepping stone into the bigger LA country-rock scene, this material is historically quite important. It's also pretty good for what it is -- just 'cause I have trouble getting into this kind of stuff doesn't mean you shouldn't check it out. If you're a Byrds fan, in particular, you're gonna love it.

The Gularte Valley Knights "Presenting..." (GBR Studios, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Boyd)
A super-obscuro, locals-only band from California's Great Central Valley, this back-to-basics, early '70s set features some guys from Delhi, CA, a tiny town south of Modesto. As far as I can tell, there's no actual place called Gularte Valley; the group takes its name from bassist Rick Gularte and mandolin picker Manuel Gularte, who anchored the band along with lead guitarist John Montgomery, singer Sandy Maule and drummer Dick Warn. Steel guitarist Ivan Ward -- who played on a few Northern California records during the '70s -- also chips in, as well as bass player and pianist Reggie Folks. The repertoire mixes early '70s roots hits like "Polk Salad Annie," "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," Ronnie Milsap's "Pure Love" and Billy Swan's "I Can Help" with oldies like "White Lightning" and a little bit of old-school pop-soul, including covers of Nat King Cole's "Mona Lisa" and Gene McDaniels' "100 Pounds Of Clay." There's one original tune, Sandy Maule's "I'm Sorry Too," a nice country weeper that was recorded separately from the rest of the album (maybe he made a solo single?) I'm not exactly sure when this one came out, or how long the band was together... They also recorded at least one single ("Your Cheating Heart" backed with "That's Alright Mama") and the band was still doing gigs like local rodeos and the Mariposa Country Fair as late as 1980 and '81. Also, Sandy Maule seems to have stuck around the Modesto area, and was singing in local bars as recently as 2015. Anyone out there with more info about these guys? I'm all ears!

Gun Shy "Gun Shy" (Centron Records, 1979)
A moderately competent bar band from Chico, California, led by guitarist Cliff Mickelson, which as far as I know just made this one record. Mickelson wrote three of the seven original songs on here, including "Sweet Country Living," which is the album's most overtly twangy tune. The record is packed with cover tunes such as "Battle Of New Orleans," "North To Alaska," and "Rocky Top," and these tracks are at odds with the originals by Mickelson, lead singer David William Peck and bassist J. B. Keator. This is both because they veer into a kind of bright, sunshine-pop AOR style, and because they play their own songs with much more vigor and conviction than the cover songs. It really sounds like they were just padding the album out and didn't give a hoot about the oldies. Nothing earthshaking here, but another memento of a locals-only band, this time from California's Central Valley. Guess it also didn't help that some rock band came up with the same band name a couple of years later... Oh, well. Them's the breaks.

Charles Lee Guy III "The Prisoner's Dream" (Capitol Records, 1963) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Nelson)
A former prisoner who was convicted of manslaughter when he was just sixteen years old, Charles Lee Guy III served time in California's Vacaville state prison along with western swing legend Spade Cooley, who was still alive when this came out and contributed a song called "Cold Steel Bars" to the set list. This was Charles Lee Guy's only album, recorded live in a prison auditorium in December, 1962, with musical assistance from guitarist Joe Maphis, and though Capitol Records plugged this novelty album, it didn't really make much of a wave. Mr. Guy apparently cut a few more tracks in Nashville after he got paroled in '64, but soon moved down to North Carolina to live with his father, and faded into obscurity. Apparently he had further run-ins with the law -- and is the focus of all kind of online speculation from the "true crime" crowd -- before passing away in 2011, at age 73.

Ernie Hagar - see artist discography

Merle Haggard - see artist discography

Lawrence Hammond "Coyote's Dream" (Takoma Records, 1976) (LP)
Multi-instrumentalist Lawrence Hammond was a guiding light in the Berkeley, California psych-rock band Mad River, which started to tilt in a roots music direction before breaking up in '69. Hammond played solo gigs in California and along the West Coast for the rest of the 'Seventies, going full-on twanged-up country'n'bluegrass for this unruly outing, a folk-tinged country set, or countrified folk album -- take your pick. Hammond's exaggerated drawl helps unfurl his comedic sensibility, calling to mind unlikely hick heroes such as Don Bowman, Dick Feller, Larry Groce, and maybe even Steve Goodman... He's backed by a group called the Whiplash Band, including pedal steel player Bill Weingarden and fiddler Byron Berline, with Hammond himself playing guitar, fiddle, piano and a notably slapdash hippie dobro that's very much of its time. Generally speaking, this is a pretty strong set, though a few of the emotive tunes are a little challenging. All the songs are Hammond originals, and there are 'Seventies freeform classics here, particularly "Trucker's Nightmare," a fever-dream tall-tale (and KFAT fave) about the truck run from Hell, culminating in the narrator accidentally getting dosed by some longhaired hitchhiker's "stash,' and getting ever more jittery as his semi keeps rolling on. Lawrence Hammond took a break from the music business at the end of the 'Seventies and enrolled in Harvard Medical School, graduating, and becoming a doctor, though he later took music up as a sideline... And I'm sure the royalties from that Judds single helped pay off more than a few student loans! Cool record, definitely worth tracking down.

Lawrence Hammond "Presumed Lost" (Shagrat Records/Soft Cloud, 2012) (LP)
A previously shelved album that Hammond finished in 1981, with several of the same musicians as on his first record: Byron Berline on fiddle, James Louis Parber playing lead guitar and Bill Weingarden on pedal steel... Includes his version of the song "John Deere Tractor," which became a hit for The Judds in the 1980s.

Geary Hanley "Geary Hanley" (Kansa Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Kit Johnson & Ronny Light)
An Okie born and bred, honkytonk songwriter Geary Hanley found his way to Southern California after being stationed in Camp Pendleton during the Vietnam War. He embedded himself in the SoCal country scene and found work leading his own band as well as backing established musicians such as John Schneider, who he toured with for several years. Hanley briefly cracked his way into Nashville as well, cutting two albums for the independent Kansa label, while landing a handful of tracks in the back end of the Billboard charts. His style is pretty straightforward, pop-oriented twang, soft-edged honkytonk in search of a lyrical hook, sort of like a mellower, more mainstream version of Dale Watson. In addition to a few pre-Kansa singles, Geary Hanley has also cut a number of self-released albums, including a set of gospel tunes that came out on CD.

Geary Hanley "Straight To My Heart" (Kansa Records, 1987) (LP)
His second album cut in Nashville included the 1987 single, "Memory Remover," as well as his topical tune, "Middle Class Blues," a track called "One More Reason To Hate California" and -- interestingly enough -- two songs penned by Garland Frady, a 1970's cult fave whose own recordings were pretty groovy. Although he was back in Music City, Hanley remembered his roots: the liner notes call out a half-dozen tracks that feature backing by Hanley's own band (as opposed to the Nashville session players who dominated his previous album.

Lynn Harper "...Sings Country Favorites" (Alshire Records, 1972) (LP)
I picked this one up because of the groovy picture of a go-godelic gal in a fringed-leather buckskin mini-skirt (and matching cowgirl hat) singing onstage in front of an anonymous band... Of course, I fully realize that this being a knockoff album from the Alshire label, chances are the woman in the photo might not actually be Lynn Harper, but whatever: it's still a cool album cover. The album itself is worth a whirl because most of the songs are originals credited to Ms. Harper, and actress in several late-'60s films who later went into radio and various business investments. While the vocals on this album are admittedly pretty clunky, there's plenty of early '70s-style twang in the band, and a rough, authentic feel overall. Two songs are credited to Lynn Gibson, and they are standouts, the biker-themed "Chrome Plated Harley" and the raunchy, carnal "In the Back of My '57 Chevy," which has surprisingly sex-positive lyrics for a "girl" singer of the time... Harper seems to have been from California -- she had a couple of early 1970's singles on the Cartwheel label, which was based in La Puente, in the greater Los Angeles area... This one's an obscure but intriguing album!

The Singing Harris Family -- see artist profile

Greg Harris "Acoustic" (Shiloh Records, 1979) (LP)
This is the first solo album by picker Greg Harris, a close friend of Skip Battin and a stalwart of the SoCal country-rock scene. Harris was a frequent on-again/off again member of the Burrito Brothers, in the band prior to recording this album, and then several years on down the line in the late '80s... In between he apparently worked with country gal Becky Hobbs, and did a lot of session work as well. Apparently his sons, Graham and Jesse, are in the alterna-twang band Rancho Deluxe.

Greg Harris "Electric" (Appaloosa Records, 1981) (LP)

Greg Harris "Things Change" (Appaloosa Records, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Greg Harris & David Vaught)

Greg Harris "Acoustic II" (Shiloh, 1990)
This later album is actually sort of a best-of collection, with some newer recordings alongside old stuff. Harris also self-released a slew of records after this one... You'd have to track down his website to find out about all of those ones... It's probably worth mentioning here that his sons, Jesse Harris and Graham Harris are in the alt-Americana band Rancho Deluxe, which has recorded a few albums that are reviewed in my Alt Country section....

Joan Harris "Country Girl" (Custom Records, 1970-?) (LP)
Husky voiced and robustly rural, Ms. Joan Harris was a bit of a mystery gal -- although she was well-regarded enough to cut two entire albums under her own name, her online profile is pretty slim. She seems to have been in the orbit of singer/producer Gordon Calcote and the Crown/Custom cheapie labels where his music was also produced. In between her two albums, Harris also appeared on a Custom Records gospel set by the "Faith Inspiration Singers," along with Rue Barclay and (interestingly) Sharon Leighton of the husband-wife duo, The Leightons, who also worked with Gordon Calcote over a period of several years. Like many Custom albums, both of Harris's LPs are packed with what seems to be original material, though there are no musician or composer credits, so it's all fairly murky -- the only tangible clues I could find are from a pair of singles in the Sparta imprint which include three tracks from her second album, noted below.

Joan Harris "Harper Valley PTA" (Custom Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gordon Calcote)
Pretty straightforward, no frills twang, with a cover of "Harper Valley PTA," which was also issued as a single on the Sparta label, as were a couple of other tracks, an oddly-titled Bob Elgin tune, "Whose Ox Is Being Gored" and "Facts Of Life," from the pen of Casey Anderson... though it's not clear if this was Casey Anderson, the father of country superstar Lynn Anderson, or Casey Anderson, the folk singer. Also unclear is whether the Curley Harris who was on the Faith Inspiration Singers album was a relative of hers... Any info is welcome!

Mike Harris "In A Country Mood" (Redhill Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Clarke Rohn)
Super-amateur hour country crooning from La Mirada, California, down near Anaheim... Mr. Harris was clearly not a professional, but he does sound like he's enjoying himself on this laid-back session, replete with lush backing by a sparse, unidentified backing band, struggling to keep the tempo slow enough for Harris to comfortably croon. Producer Clarke Rohn worked on a few other mid-'Seventies projects, including his own solo album. The repertoire is mostly country oldies, stuff by Eddy Arnold, Ray Price, Jim Reeves and the like, with three originals added into the mix, two by Mr. Harris ("A Fool In Love With You" and "How Can I Keep You, Keep On Loving Me") and one by "top Las Vegas performer" Ann Haggin, called "Rose Of The Waterfront." Not surprisingly, the most engaging tracks are the originals, though Harris does sound proud of his faithfully bilingual rendition of "Before The Next Teardrop Falls." Honestly, this is not a great record, though it does have its charms.

Tiny Harris "Tiny Harris" (Voice Of Country, 1979) (LP)
An excellent, independently produced true-country album from a guy who cut a couple of fun (but non-charting) singles in the '60s for Starday, Stop and some other, smaller labels. Harris scored some gigs on TV and played on the Opry stage and -- according to the liner notes -- performed for the troops in Vietnam after recording a patriotic, pro-soldier anthem called "When." Eventually he left Nashville and was living in Humboldt County, California when this LP came out. It contains several songs that he'd recorded as singles, such as "Georgia Manhunt" and a version of Frankie Miller's "Blackland Farmer," along with the trucker songs "Double Clutchin' Truck Line" and "Endless Black Ribbon" -- I'm not sure if these are the original singles on here, or re-recordings, but either way it sounds great. Lots of fiddle and steel guitar, and Harris has kind of a Hank Snow-ish voice which fits nicely into the uptempo twang. Highlights include the amphetamine-laced trucker song, "Benny And Me" and "Pour Me A Double (Because I'm Single Again)," just a couple of the excellent original compositions on this obscure but worthy album.

Harvest "Never Thirst Again" (Pure Joy Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Al Perkins)
A sweet-sounding set of hippie-tinged "Jesus freak" California country-rock, with tight, light vocal harmonies and plenty of twang, as well as a strong set of original compositions. In many ways this is a more tightly-focussed, musically more cohesive and satisfying album than a lot of the secular albums being recorded by the SoCal hippie twangsters of the same era. The backing band included Steve Messick on guitar, along with Mark Ala, Jerry Barnard, Edison Riggs, and Willie Roberson. Nice stuff!

Havenstock River Band "Havenstock River Band" (Impress Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Clontz)
This was a "solo" album by a group best known as the backup band for folkie Glenn Yarbrough, with whom they recorded one album... The band was formed in 1970 when the various members -- guitarist/vocalists Gary Clontz and Archie Johnson, Geoffrey Pike on piano, bassist Gordon Curry, and Jeff Warren on drums -- met in LA and started jamming together, expanding the acoustic duo of Clontz and Johnson into a full ensemble. They were discovered by studio producer Alex Hassilev (a member of the Limelighters, during the early '60s folk boom) who recommended them to Yarbrough. Yarbrough hired them and worked with the band for most of 1971, touring the West Coast and recording one album with the group, which Hassilev produced and released on his own independent label. Hassilev also offered the group an album deal, and cut this more rock-oriented record, which got some traction before the label folded and Yarbrough went into semi-permanent retirement. The band tried to make a go of it for a year or two, playing local gigs up in the Sierras, at Mammoth Mountain, and later in the San Francisco Bay Area, but eventually they broke up with most members leaving the music business behind. Guitarist Gary Clontz toured with Glenn Yarbrough years later, as a backup musician during the late '70s and early '80s... Many thanks to Mr. Clontz for generously sharing his memories of the band for this review!

Sherman Hayes "Catman" (Barnaby Records, 1973)
(Produced by Dan Lottermouse & Ken Mansfield)
A wildly, weirdly eclectic album with a strong foundation in Capricorn label-esque Southern rock and bright, lavish '70s AOR, with a subtle undercurrent of twang amid the glitzy keyboards and gritty horn charts. Although Hayes was a California boy, his songs had a groovy, laid-back Southern/rural flow, including explicitly in tunes such as "Keepin' To The Backroads" and "South's Gonna Rise Again." I wasn't really sure this would fit into this overview of "hippiebilly" country rock, not right up until the last track, "Country Rain," which has a sweet steel guitar sound lacing through it, and then I was cool. Even without the twang, this is a pretty engaging, enjoyable album, with lots of catchy tunes... certainly worth a spin! (PS: apparently he was actually Sherman Hayes, Jr., and his dad had been a big band musician who was fairly well known in the '40s and '50s... Anyone got more info about either one of them?)

Sherman Hayes "Vagabond's Roost" (Capitol Records, 1973) (LP)

Philo Hayward "Rounder" (Mendocino Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Philo Hayward & Lewis Corelis)
A decent, diverse set of Northern California country from Mendocino County's Philo Hayward, who branched out from a hippie honkytonk foundation to add in some bluesy boogie-country and even some bold countrypolitan aspirations (as on "Pullin' Me Apart"). Other than a cover of Waylon Jennings' "Waymore's Blues," the songs are all originals -- some are stronger than others, and most of them tend to devolve into mellow but amorphous jamming. Hayward wasn't a particularly strong composer, nor did he have a great voice, but this disc does have a nice, authentic NorCal longhair vibe, and includes guest performances by the Grateful Dead's drummer Bill Kreutzmann (who plays on one track) and country-rock pioneer Gene Parsons who plays on three songs, and folkie Judy Mayhan, who sings in the chorus, along with Linda Coolidge (who I believe was Rita Coolidge's sister...) So, maybe Hayward wasn't destined to top the charts or make it big in Nashville, but he did have some cool friends and an interesting story, including his subsequent career running an expatriate bar in Mexico, where presumably he strummed a tune or two from time to time. Alas, a reader informed me that Hayward passed away in 2015.

Hearts And Flowers "The Complete Hearts And Flowers" (Collector's Choice, 2002)
This generously programmed 2-CD set gathers together two hippie-era albums (and a hefty dose of outtakes) from California's long-lost, legendary and lamented country-psychedelic band, Hearts And Flowers. The two albums, Now Is The Time For Hearts And Flowers (1967) and Of Horses, Kids, And Forgotten Women (1968) are both goofy and glorious fun. The band was a fixture on LA's sprawling rock scene, pals with the Byrds and all the rest, but they never quite clicked commercially and these 35 songs are the sum total of their in-studio career. Charmingly, the two albums both start with the same song, a brief self-celebratory intonation, "Now Is The Time," written by the band's founder, Larry Murray. Their second album included Bernie Leadon (a future founding member of the Eagles) and a more accessible, though no less silly pop-folk sound, not unlike the more lofty material by the Byrds. This collection is a great time capsule, though in some ways the music was rather visionary, like what Gram Parsons might have made had he been a bit more playful. Anyway, if you like hippie-era freak folk, and are also looking into the roots of the early '70s country rock scene, this is definitely worth checking out.

Mike Henson "2 Woman Man" (Wednesday's Child Productions, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jackie Mills)
An interesting, commercially-leaning but way off-the-radar indie album from the son of West Coast hillbilly singer Cousin Herb Henson, a television host and radio personality who helped promote many of the key players in the fabled "Bakersfield Sound" scene. This album was recorded over a decade after Herb Henson passed away, and it has to be admitted that Mike's voice wasn't the greatest, although mostly he does fine, aided in part by a studio crew that included hotshot guitarist James Burton (again along with fellow TCB-ers Jerry Scheff and Ronnie Tutt...) as well as David Lindley, playing both fiddle and lap steel. The real story here seems to be with the songs: the album opens with the Waylon-esque "Swamp Water Woman," and includes one track apiece from Billy Mize and Alexander Harvey. But what's most notable are a couple of songs written by Lyle Sweeden (never heard of him) and several by the duo of Gene and Paul Nelson, who became successful Nashville songwriters over a decade later, in the late '80s. Gene Nelson also sings backup on the record, and it's conceivable that this record was financed as kind of a glorified songwriter's demo -- it certainly seems to have been put together pretty hastily, as seen in the liner notes which amazingly manage to misspell the names of country stars Lefty Frizzell, David Houston and Jody Miller... And I'm fairly sure that the "Kathi Sagol" listed as a backup singer was actually Katey Sagal, who later became the star of "Married With Children" and "Sons Of Anarchy." Go figure.

Jerry Herzon "...Sings Whipporwill" (Merit Records, 1966) (LP)
A middle-aged fella who had moved to Southern California, Jerry Herzon recorded this album in his home studio in Covina, California. All but two of the songs are Herzon originals, with covers of "Pearly Shells" and "Beyond The Reef" sandwiched in with his own, country-flavored tunes. Apparently this is just Mr. Herzon playing solo, but with overdubbing on some tracks to achieve a bigger sound.

Dan Hicks -- see artist profile

High Country -- see artist profile

J. Starla Hill & Lonestarr "Live Ta'Nite" (1983) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Nogar)
This one sort of skirts along the edge of the modern-day "Americana" scene in that these are folks from Riverside, California during the fabled days of LA punk who seem to have an ambivalent attitude towards playing country and rock oldies... It's not a straightforwardly earnest group of country artists, but rather city folks who take on goofy stage names like "Tommy Teflon" (pedal steel) and Artkansa (bass) instead of just being themselves and letting their hick flags fly. But, whatever. Ms. Hill thanks Elvis Presley for inspiration, sings a couple of his songs and a couple of her own originals, and regardless of the mild self-image schizophrenia, they're still a fine example of SoCal country DIY.

Keith Hillard "Country Gospel Time" (Ke Le Hi Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Keith Hillard & Scott Seely)
A self-described born-again Christian from Brea, California, Keith Hillard made at least two albums of country gospel music, sung in a "western" (cowboy) style, though other than that, the man remains a bit of a cipher. All the songs on this album were his own originals, including titles such as "Come With Me Everyone Form A Circle," "Going, Going, Gone" and "I Thought I Had Everything," which features his youngest daughter, Barbara Hillard, as a featured vocalist. The musicians aren't identified, though the liner notes tell us he led a group called the Singing Revelations, and several vocalists are listed by name. Ke Le Hi Records seems to have been his own label, presumably made of a concatenation of his his first, middle and last names.

Keith Hillard "The Day Will Come" (Ke Le Hi Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Keith Hillard)
This album gives us a little more information about Mr. Hillard -- he was a military veteran, about forty years old when this came out, became born again in 1967, and was an active evangelical preacher. As on his first album, all the songs are Keith Hillard originals, described in a big ad that ran in Billboard as a "country western cantata." Also informative is the list of musicians backing him here, which included veteran western composer Curt Massey on fiddle, Buddy Merrill playing bass and rhythm guitar, his bandleader Scott Seely on keyboards, and a steel player and lead guitarist identified as Les Buehenin (although that may have been a typo). So, despite his own online obscurity, Mr. Hillard had a few high-powered pals backing him on this album. Any further info is welcome!

Chris Hillman - see artist discography

John W. Hilton "Hilton Sings" (ARA Records, 1970-?) (LP)
A private press album of western-themed and campfire songs, cut by fabled landscape painter John W. Hilton, who mainly lived in the desert near Palm Springs, California. He was a modestly talented performer, but this is a nice folk album sung with passion and sincerity. Includes songs such as "49ers Death Valley," "Thousand Acres Of Nuthin," "Magic Saddles," "Cool Water" and "Got No Use For The Women," with at least a few of the tunes (perhaps dubiously) being credited as Hilton originals. Modern listeners may have some discomfort with Mr. Hilton's full-throated renditions of Native American tribal songs (cultural appropriation and all that...) but I think his heart was in the right place. A bit bookish, perhaps, but still a compelling folk album. Plus you get one of his paintings on the cover!

Chuck & Margi Holliday "This Road" (Joker Records, 197--?) (LP)
This couple from Cedar Falls, Iowa sang some country, but also some very lounge-y/pop standards stuff, with songs such as "Mr. Bojangles," "Me And Bobby McGee" and "Games People Play" and artists such as Credence Clearwater and Gordon Lightfoot, as well as a medley from the musical, "Paint Your Wagon.". There's not release date, but clearly this was very early '70s... The Hollidays were originally both from California, him from a farm somewhere in the Central Valley, while she grew up in Oakland... This album was apparently a memento of a gig they were holding down in Waterloo, at a colorfully-named place called Porky's Red Carpet Lounge, in the Clayton House Motel. Although mostly cover songs, the album is bracketed by two originals, Mr. Holliday's "This Road" and Margi Holliday's "I Sit Alone." Not sure when this 1970's offering came out, or if they recorded anything else, but if you're on the hunt for authentic lounge music, you could do worse.

Doyle Holly - see artist discography

Home Grown "Home Grown" (Ridgetop Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Home Grown & Gary Boyd)
The Northern California trio of Patrick Durr, Bruce Johnson and Michael Lingg apparently hailed from Modesto, CA, and while most of the songs on here have sort of a sprightly, goofball folkie tone (vaguely ala Tiny Tim?) there are a couple of noteworthy twang tunes -- I think I have dim memories of hearing the bar-bandish "Over Me" on KFAT, a bazillion years ago, and the novelty number, "Fourteen," a fond look back at horny adolescence, is a winner. Most of these songs are originals and many are more ambitious than accomplished, but their hearts were in the right place, dabbling in a variety of styles, including the gooey country-rock of the time. When the three-part harmonies kick in, a CSN/Firefall/Poco debt becomes plain, underscored by their earnest cover of Stephen Stills' "Love The One You're With." I think the best thing about the copy I picked up is the inscription, made out to, "Governor Brown: Enjoy the music - We enjoy your politics." Gee, I wonder if Jerry's staffers actually passed this LP along or not... it's awfully tempting to send it to him again, now that he's the governor... again!

The Homestead Act "Gospel Snake" (Kim-Pat Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Trigg & The Homestead Act)
The first album by banjo plunking Elmo Shropshire and his bass playing partner Patsy Trigg, later of "Elmo & Patsy" fame... This self-released bluegrass/country mashup album isn't that great, not in an it's-bad kind of way, but mostly because it's a mediocre performance that was poorly produced -- the sound palate is static and flat, and the vocals are, well, kind of amateur level. Not bad, though, and certainly of interest to fans as well as alt-country historians. Interestingly enough, there isn't much novelty material on here, other than bluegrass-y covers of rock songs like the Beatles' "Lady Madonna" and The Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," but not a lot of the kind of Dr. Demento comedy stuff we now associate with the Elmo & Patsy duo. The most notable song is the semi-kooky recitation on the title track, though there are no Dr. Elmo originals on the entire album. Alt-country fans heads might spin, though, at the folks in the studio crew, most notably picker Steve Young, who contributes several songs, including "The White Trash Song," which has a promising title, but isn't quite the novelty number you'd hope for. Also on board are veteran country-rock steel player Don Beck and bassist Bill Amatneek, a Bay Area bluegrass stalwart who wound up in David Grisman's dawg music quintet a few years later. They add some nice licks, and Shropshire has a couple of instrumentals where he cuts loose a little on the banjo. Nothing dazzling, but a nice example of hippie-era DIY twang.

The Homestead Act "Playin' Possum" (Kim-Pat Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Cogan)
Sort of a standard-issue amateur bluegrass album, with decent picking and semi-iffy vocals around a nice set of hillbilly oldies and standards. Some of the same musicians that were on the first album come back for this one -- the lineup includes Bill Amatneek, Richard Greene, Brantley Kearnes, and several less well-known pickers, recording at the Bay Records studios in Berkeley, CA. It's not a great record, but it's okay. Adorable cover art.

Honeybee Ridge "Honeybee Ridge" (Beaver Creek Revolution, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by John O'Connell & Bill McElroy)
This band from Bakersfield mostly stuck to a folkie-stringband sound, with pretty bare-bones arrangements and production, framing low-key vocals by songwriters Tom Hunnicutt and Sandra Kline. They stray into slightly more countried-up territory on a tune or two, such as Hunnicutt's "Big Ol' City," where he sounds a little like Don Williams, and "Sadness Is Sundown," which reminded me more of Elmo & Patsy. The album includes a song called, "What's Gonna Happen To All Us Old Hippies?" a plaintive novelty-song paen to all things longhaired, sandal-wearing and earth-worshipping. A couple of songs were co-credited to George Beecham Jr., but he seems to have been mostly a friend of the band, limited to some light kazoo tootling on a tune or two; also notable are dobro picker Red Sawyers and a couple of guys playing banjo... But though this does seem to be a genuine West Coast hippie artifact, it's not that much of a country-rock record, and way more of a folkie thing.

Richard Horner "Talkin' 'Bout You" (Woodshed Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck McCabe)
A swell indie-twang album from San Jose, California, with a strong mix of originals and cover tunes, such as versions of the George Jones oldie "The Race Is On" and John Phillips's outlaw fable, "Me And My Uncle." The originals include songs by producer-guitarist Chuck McCabe, co-producer Dennis Gobble and a couple by Horner himself. He's not the greatest vocalist ever, but if you enjoy folks like Larry Hosford, Norton Buffalo or Chuck Wagon & The Wheels, this humble set from Northern California might be your speed. Definitely worth a spin. [Anyone know more about this guy, or this album? It seems to have been a very local affair -- I don't recognize any of the backing musicians other than McCabe... And who the heck were the Overlook Mountain Boys bluegrass band that backed him on the album's best novelty number, "I Tore Up My Tickets (Like You Tore Up My Heart)"? So many mysteries...]

Larry Hosford - see artist discography

Howdy Moon "Howdy Moon" (A&M Records, 1974)
(Produced by Lowell George)
This airy folk-rock trio is worth noting here because of the presence of several members of the Los Angeles roots-music elite -- Lowell George, Bill Payne and bassist Roy Estrada from Little Feat; pedal steel player Sneaky Pete Kleinow, and ex-Lovin' Spoonful singer John Sebastian playing harmonica on the album's opening track, "Lovelight." There are also a slew of pop and jazz session players, such as Van Dyke Parks, guitarists Arthur Adams and Dennis Budimir, as well as percussion by Milt Holland and Bobbye Hall. The bad news is, this is a pretty dreadful album, at least from my point of view. Tons of gooey, spacey, amorphous soft-rock with fairly weak vocal harmony arrangements, and occasional whiffs of CSN-ishness. The guys in the band, Jon Lind and Richard Hovey, never really did much else than this album -- a few songs recorded by other artists -- though the gal, Valerie Carter, recorded two solo albums in the '70s and had a long career as a backup singer -- most notably for James Taylor -- and she sang on Little Feat's The Last Record Album right after this record came out. Despite the storied musical lineage, this album has very little to offer country-rock twangfans, and even soft-rock aficinados might find it hard to get too excited about its contents.

Dennis Hromek "It's Such A Pretty World Today And Other Country & Western Favorites" (Custom Records, 196-?) (LP)
Bass player Dennis Hromek grew up in Sonoma, California and made his way down the the coast, straight into country music history. First he migrated to Modesto, where he formed an early 'Sixties rock band with guitarist Bobby Wayne -- Hromek and Wayne then became inseparable, moving through one top-flight band after another, playing for Freddie Hart, Wynn Stewart and -- most famously -- as core members of Merle Haggard's Strangers from 1970-73. In the late '60s they anchored the house band at the Palomino nightclub in LA, along with steel player Red Rhodes, and it was as part of that group they they cut a bunch of sessions for the Crown/Custom/Somerset/Alshire cheapo labels, including this album, which was released under Hromek's name. (There are other related albums which juggle around or recycle the same or similar material, sometimes using names of different band members -- it's dodgy and complex, as one might expect from such a fly-by-night outfit...) The cover of "It's Such A Pretty World Today" is appropriate, since it was Hromek and Wayne who backed Wynn Stewart on the original hit, and they had just moved from his band into the hip and happening Sunset Strip scene when they cut this late-'Sixties session.

Dennis Hromek "Country And Western Hits" (Somerset Records, 19--?) (LP)
This even-cheaper record is often listed simply as "artist unknown," though I think it's actually Dennis Hromek singing on the whole album -- at least it sounds like the same guy on all the tracks. There's some overlap, including a couple of originals(?) "When My Conscience Takes Over" and "Save A Kiss For Me" which appear on both LPs. Generally, this is pretty good stuff -- the vocals recall Roger Miller on a few tunes, and maybe a little bit more Merle Haggard on others. As is often the case with these cheapo discs, the cover songs were just bait-and-switch, trying to gull unsuspecting record buyers into getting it for the "hit," and on this particular set, the rendition of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" is just so-so, though some of the "filler" tracks are pretty cool... There's also an icky-sweet run-through of Bobby Goldsboro's uber-sexist "Honey" which is kind of delightful in a kitschy kinda way. At some point, Hromek relocated to Fort Worth, Texas and got into the music scene there. He also spent a couple of decades working as a limo driver/tour guide in the Napa Valley wine country... Dunno what he was up to musically during those years though. Anyone know for sure if it's him on this record? [Quick update from February, 2024: BMG Music's Alshire label website now lists this as a Dennis Hromek album... So I guess it's official!]

The Huddleston Brothers "The White Horse Inn Presents..." (1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Markham)
You can consider this one of those "I warned you" record reviews: yes, these guys covered some country tunes, stuff like "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "Gentle On My Mind" and "Folsom Prison Blues," but they are brisk instrumental run-throughs, done in the same semi-dixieland style as covers of "Hello Dolly" and "Sweet Georgia Brown." The Huddleston brothers -- banjo plunker Bruce and keyboardian Stan -- held down a three year residency at the White Horse Inn in Three Rivers, California, a lodge situated in the Sierra foothills, on the way to the Sequoia National Forest. Although the album says this was recorded "live," it seems to have been taped in nearby Visalia. The Huddlestons went on to form the High Sierra Jazz Band in the 1970s, a dixieland and trad-jazz outfit that recorded over a dozen albums. So, yes, I've done the research, and no, if you're a country fan, you don't have to track this one down.

Bill "Hoss" Huffman "Spend Some Time With Hoss" (Kessler Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Rue Barclay)
A highly regarded guitar player (and fiddler) Bill Huffman was born in Fellowsville, West Virginia but headed out west in the late 1950s to try and make it it Hollywood. He was most successful as a country picker, apparently playing club dates at places like the Brandin' Iron in San Bernardino, and was working with producer Rue Barclay when he cut this disc, which I think was his only album. There's no date on it, but from the catalog number (K-7463) I'm guessing it was from 1974, sadly the same year that Huffman died of cancer. Most of the tunes are oldies and country standards, stuff like "Faded Love," "It Makes No Difference Now," "Roly Poly" and "Wild Side Of Life," while the most contemporary number was a version of Merle Haggard's 1972 hit, "Daddy Frank." It's a nice record, with plenty of instrumentals and some vocals as well, Huffman sounding, perhaps, a bit old before his time, but picking some sweet riffs nonetheless, with solid accompaniment from an unknown coterie of SoCal musicians -- pals of his who wanted to help Huffman make one last record that would be his legacy. In addition to playing acoustic and electric guitar, Huffman also showed off his fiddling skills, notably on the old-timey chestnut, "Ol' Joe Clark."

Johnny L. Hughes "Hazeltine" (GJ Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by John Bowden & Joan Trantner)
I've only heard of this one, haven't actually heard it, so I'm a little skeptical of how country it may or may not be... This is an oddly-formatted five-song EP with all five tracks pressed on both sides of the disc, pressed by GJ Records, an obscure label from Marina Del Ray, California that put out a couple of other (non-country) records with a similar look and equally sketchy documentation... It may have been some kind of "song-poem" deal, with Johnny Hughes singing stuff submitted by hopeful hitmakers, though again, that's not entirely clear. The album was produced by Joan Trantner, who is listed as one of the songwriters, as was John Bowden, who is credited as the arranger. Among the other folks listed as composers -- John Bowden, Carlos Martinez, Joan Trantner, Scott K. Markley -- is jazz/country bassist Red Wooten, who worked in legit country bands, but also did a lot of big band and straight jazz gigs as well. So, until I magically find this in a quarter bin somewhere, we'll have to file this one under "who knows?" At least for now.

Denny Hulbert "The Denny Hulbert Show: It's Now Or Never" (Mad River Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Archibald, Nancy Evans, Denny Hulbert, Eric Raleigh & Paul Stubblebine)
A hippie twang band from Mad River, California, working in roughly the same wheelhouse as other loosey-goosey, post-boogie, roots-rock artists such as Norton Buffalo, Larry Hosford and Cornell Hurd. Or, if you prefer, bands like Commander Cody and Clover, both of which contribute musicians to this project. In addition to lead singers Denny Hulbert and Kathrine Hulbert, this crew included Clover's John McFee (on dobro and pedal steel) as well as hotshot twangbanger Bill Kirchen on lead guitar, as well as Tom Archibald (lead vocals and harmonica), Mickey McKilroy (lead and rhythm guitar), Eric Raleigh (keyboards), Byron Shelton (bass), Joe Wagner (bass), and Skip White on drums... And they are all over the place, with blues/jazz ballads, proto-jam rock, solid honkytonk country, torch songs and western swing. A few tracks get a little goofy (in that hippie-humor way) but then they surprise you with some really solid picking. Kathrine Hulbert had kind of a Maria Muldaur-ish blues mama vibe, and overall these folks seem like they would have made a pretty good jam-band at a potluck or a local concert in the park. They covered country classics like "Walking After Midnight," "Jackson," "Orange Blossom Special," and "After The Fire's Gone, along with original material by Denny Hulbert and others... When they focussed, they were pretty good... but they were also way out in the boonies, north of Mendocino, so I suppose they had chosen to turn on and drop out, rather than try and make it big, etc., etc. But if you dig genuine hippie stuff, this disc's a doozy, though there is amazingly little information about the Hulberts -- or this album -- to be found online.

Bill Humphrey "Retrospect (Is For The Mind)" (Rising Star Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Randy Bleuer)
This singer from Redondo Beach, California played at joints like the Happy Clam and Blue Moon Saloon... His band (at least on this album) included a teenaged Ron Block(!) on banjo, at least ten years before he joined Alison Krauss & Union Station. The set list includes covers of "City Of New Orleans," "Mr. Bojangles," "Big Iron" and "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" and also a few originals, "Move Move Move" and the title track, "Retrospect."

The Cornell Hurd Band - see artist discography

George Husak & Anton Husak "George's Album: Country Western Folk Songs" (Windjammer Records, 1965-?) (LP)
(Produced by George W. Husak)
These two fellas -- who were brothers -- were originally from South Texas, near the Gulf, although George Husak was living in the San Francisco Bay Area whenever this album was recorded. (I'm guessing the mid-1960s from the looks of it...) Anyway, we might as well just come right out and say it -- they weren't really that good. I mean, I'm not trying to be catty or harsh, it's just that they really were unskilled amateurs, plunking out the guitar melodies note-by-note, playing off-chords, and singing with a range that strongly suggests Ernest Tubb's monotone, though throwing Tubb's vocals into a very flattering light, by comparison. It's an ambitious album, nonetheless, with three songs written by George Husak, and four by Anton, as well as a few oldies from Hank Williams, Bob Wills and Rex Griffin. This includes a re-recording of their earlier single, "I'm Surfing," a misshapen novelty song originally performed so weirdly out of tune, they actually sounded like a warped record... The single was once infamously singled out by Dr. Demento as the worst record ever made, as recounted on the archives of good old WFMU. And who am I to argue with those guys? Nonetheless, I will make the case that while George Husak clearly could not sing or play guitar in tune, the older, mandolin-strumming Anton Husak (1919-1977) was actually a pretty good old-old-old-school hillbilly singer, performing in the Jimmie Rodgers-Hank Snow-Ernest Tubb school of plangent, primeval, depression-era honkytonk. Anton's "Let's Have A Look At The Bottle," is a spooky suicide ballad, worthy of Porter Wagoner or perhaps even Nick Cave, and well within the norms of the genre... Indeed, I'd un-ironically call the song a classic. (Also, why all the drama about the songs's ending? If it was good enough for Bill Withers, it's fine for these guys too.) Anyway, though I'm not that into snide commentary and musical mockery, I will admit that this album is probably best appreciated as kitsch, although some listeners may also be touched by their eagerness and sincerity, regardless of the musical calibre.

Toni Ingraham "This Is Toni Ingraham" (Artists Recording Studios, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Junior Bennett)
California-born singer Toni Ingraham had a background in pop/big band vocals, including gigs with bandleaders such as Ray Anthony and Esquivel where she played Vegas and the hotel circuit... In the 'Seventies, though, she "went country" and switched to playing state fairs and rodeos. This album is an all-hits set of country covers, specializing in chart-toppers originally sung by female artists: "Funny Face," "Top Of The World," "Happiest Girl In The USA," "Teddy Bear," "No Charge," et. al. To be honest, I found her vocals a little lacking in oomph, but it's a decent snapshot of a working, ground-level country artist. The backing band, led by fiddler Junior Bennett, seems to have been all Cinnicinnati locals -- guys like Denny Rice, Gary Toy and Brownie Mannett -- though I'm not sure if Ms. Ingraham was living in the Midwest when she cut this album.

Toni Ingraham "More Of Toni Ingraham" (Sunset Records, 1977-?) (LP)
Well, she made at least one other record, though I'm not sure when it came out. The catalog number and the cover photo suggest 1977, although the set list really seems from much earlier. There are early '70s hits such as "Delta Dawn" (1972) and "Let Me Be There" (1973) and several from 1975 -- "Before The Next Teardrop Falls" (1975), "I'm Not Lisa" (1975), and "When Will I Be Loved," an Everly Brothers oldie that was a hit for Linda Ronstadt in '75. Maybe they had some stuff sitting in the vaults? Although she kept some back-east roots, with this album being pressed in Cincinnati, her label's address was in Vegas, and that seems to have been her base of operations for most of the 'Seventies and early 'Eighties. Ingraham had some success nationally, recording at least one single for RCA Victor, circa 1975, and even had headshots done for the label by a studio in Hollywood, but chart success eluded her. She also toured in California, and may have retired around LA, though I'm not 100% certain about that. Sadly, no info about the musicians backing her here, or who produced this album.

Jerry Inman "Lennon-McCartney: Country Style" (Columbia Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Fuller & Tom May)
An easy listening/countrypolitan take on eleven Beatles classics... Jerry Inman became known as a bit player in the swinging early 1970's LA country-rock scene, but here he's hanging out with Glen Campbell and Jerry Fuller, on the posher side of 'Sixties twang. Of course, these West Coast sessions also included plenty of heavyweight session players, notably guitar hero James Burton and pianist Glen D. Hardin, who were both in Elvis Presley's TCB band, and who played key roles in the growth of the country-rock sound, including late '70s stints in the Emmylou Harris Hot Band. So while this is a pretty gooey-sounding album, it does have a serious pedigree.

Jerry Inman "You Betchum!" (Elektra-Asylum Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Snuff Garrett)
An odd but alluring album by a guy who was part of the Southern California country scene, apparently playing in the house band at the fabled Palomino nightclub around the time this album was released. He sings with a gruff, old-man voice and gives off a grizzled, rodeo-rider vibe. There are a couple of scary, bombastic pop vocal ballads that interrupt Side One, but the rest of the record has some sly, slick country stuff with curiously rough edges. A bunch of well-observed cheating songs, including Bill Haney's steamy, sleazy "She's Lying Next To Me" and equally seedy entries such as "When It Rains, Don't It Pour" and "Scotch And Soda," as well as the more novelty-oriented "Woman With A Gun" (about a wife who tracks her unfaithful hubby down at his favorite bar, and she comes packing heat...) and "She Loves To Hear The Music" (a somewhat depressing story-song about a middle-aged secretary at a Nashville music publishing company who likes to sleep with the clients... A little too backlash-y for me, I'm afraid.) Anyway, Inman was an interesting character -- this record might not leap out at you right away, but there are some subtle, effective performances that are definitely worth checking out.

International Submarine Band "Safe At Home" (LHI Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Suzi Jane Hokum)
Before he crashed the party over at Chris Hillman's pad, Gram Parsons was working a lot of his ideas out in this short-lived rock-country combo. Most of the tracks they recorded were uneven, though charming. This album was recorded for Lee Hazelwood's LHI label, with Hazelwood's then-girlfriend Suzi Jane Hokom trying her hand as a record producer... Most of the songs were cover tunes or songs provided to the band by the label, although several Gram Parsons classics are showcased here for the first time, including irresistible gems such as "Strong Boy" and "Blue Eyes." Also includes an early version of "Luxury Liner," a song which Emmylou Harris and Albert Lee resurrected in 1977 with jaw-dropping results. This also includes a nice version of "Do You Know How It Feels to Be Lonesome," a song co-wrote with blues-rocker Barry Goldberg... Not the most cohesive album ever, but it has a nice, naive, earnest charm and it definitely worth a spin.

Larry Ivey "Whisper Jesus" (Ripcord Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Breeden)
A disappointing dud on the otherwise-awesome Ripcord label... Although Gene Breeden and his studio crew are on here -- Blaine Allen, Danny Breeden, Geno Keyes, and Gene Breeden on lead guitar and steel -- they're barely going through the motions, backing the schmaltzy, wobbly-voiced evangelist Larry Ivey. Ivey was a pastor from Hayward, California, though he apparently made the trek up to Vancouver, Washington to cut this disc. At any rate, this is an uninspiring album, at least from a country fan's perspective, with too little twang to be heard.

John Roman Jackson "John Roman Jackson" (Oak Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Ernie Freeman & Stan Ross)
Real-deal hippie-folkie outsider twang. This disc would definitely be of interest to students of the freak-folk scene, although I have to confess it's a bit too ramshackle and self-indulgent for me... Jackson tries really hard to grind his way into a gruff, rural vocal style similar to Tony Joe White or Larry John Wilson, but it sounds really artificial and forced, like he was putting on an act. Some songs are better than others, spanning the sure-that's-okay part of the spectrum into what I consider truly torturous. It's hippie rural rock, though there's a legit country strand in the mix, to be sure. Apparently he was from Southern California, though details are scant... Jackson was mentioned in a Billboard plug at the start of 1972, saying that he'd been signed to Ray Ruff's label, Oak Records, so while this has an official copyright from '71, it probably was in (limited) distribution until the following year. Jackson seems to have stuck around the golden state, and settled down near Modesto in the Central Valley; he was still doing shows locally as recently as 2014-15.

Jef Jaisun "Brand New Rose" (Virgin Vinyl Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Jef Jaisun & Rick Fisher)
Wow, this is like super hippie-dippy spacey longhair stoner stuff... Not exactly country, but, well, close enough that we can add it here. Why not! Jef Jaisun -- with his long, scraggly beard and scraggly, long hair, his leather cloak and big round glasses -- was definitely what you'd call a super-hippie. Jaisun (ne Jeff Jassen) grew up in Seattle and did student radio in high school, 'way back in the Kennedy era. By the Summer of Love, he'd moved down in Berkeley, and was living the high life. Jaisun found eternal fame with his 1969 stoner novelty number, "Friendly Neighborhood Narco Agent," a rambling acoustic rag from 1969 full of tall tales about pot busts,; he'd been playing the song around town for a couple of years before he laid it on wax at the same studio Country Joe & The Fish used for their earlier, similar material. Jaisun was definitely working in that same groove, the neo-retro-acoustic-satiric style as Country Joe, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, The Holy Modal Rounders and the like... The song soon made it into heavy rotation on an early incarnation of "The Dr. Demento Show" and still echoes around the ether to this very day. Almost a decade later he cut this full LP, having moved back to Seattle, where the hippies were even more super-groovy and back-to-nature. The album opens on a country note, with the twangy, uptempo "Iggy's Tune ('46 Oldsmobile)" featuring not just the zippy pedal steel guitar of Chris Middaugh, but also some clanky washboard percussion, courtesy of Marc Bristol, another Pacific Northwest super-hippie who made a semi-country record of his own a few years later. Although the music lapses into a slightly more, um, folkie direction, complete with lots of horns, there are several songs that have a twangy feel, particularly the nanny-state anthem, "Gonna Hold Out 'Til My Food Stamps Come," a boogie-rock novelty tune calculated to drive guys like Orrin Hatch nuts. Unfortunately, Jaisun seemed determined to move on from his narco roots, and didn't include his old hit on this new disc, but they certainly were of a piece. He also moved into photography as his primary artistic outlet, notably snapping pix of blues and jazz artists... If you're up for it, on his website Jaisun tells his version of the Dr. Demento saga -- in which the clueless major-label folks at Warner Brothers dropped the ball on his stonerdelic hit single -- and thus sank his career. Anyway, this is pretty far out, man.

Bucky Dee James & The Nashville Explosion "Elvis: A Tribute To The King" (Springboard Records, 1977) (LP)
This is one of those el-cheapo fly-by night specials... Bucky Dee James may or may not have been a real, actual person, but Bucky Dee James & The Nashville Explosion are credited with several mid-'70s tribute albums, including the pair of Elvis albums that started it all. The only biographical references I could find online came in some snarky music blog which seemed more interested in make clever putdowns than actually talking about the music, so I'm gonna take that one with a grain of salt as far as its historical value goes. Anyway, this was the brainchild of the LA-based Springboard/Buckboard label, which shifted at some point from presumably bootleg reissues of established artists to commissioning iffy original recordings such as this... I'm guessing there's overlap from the musicians in this "band" and players on other Springboard releases, but there's no info about who the session players were, so that's just conjecture on my part. Any actual info is welcome.

Bucky Dee James & The Nashville Explosion "Hits Of Elvis Presley, v.2" (Springboard Records, 1977) (LP)

Bucky Dee James & The Nashville Explosion "The Hits Of Glen Gampbell" (Springboard Records, 1977) (LP)

Bucky Dee James & The Nashville Explosion "Waylon Jennings Songbook" (Buckboard Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Walker)
Well, actually, this ain't bad. James had a gruff, smoky, old-dude-sounding voice that mustered a credible approximation of Waylon, and the Explosion band were competent as well, even if their note-for-note recreations of Waylon's hits don't exude the same primal power as the Waylors. But, hey, it still sounds good. You kind of have to wonder what the point of a record like this was, but it was the peak of the Willie & Waylon years and I guess if you could cash in, why not? The funniest moment comes with their cover of "Luckenbach, Texas," where one of the guys in the band even goes as far as trying to do a Willie Nelson imitation... This is definitely not a dazzling or genre-defining album, but it has its moments.

Frank James "Here's Frank James" (Elm Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Edd McNeely & Lloyd Green)
Singer Frank James was a native Missourian who did club gigs in Kansas City for several years before heading out West to play Vegas and Reno, and eventually settled down in Orange County, California, where he was living when he cut this record. There were a couple of different sessions, one with some locals in SoCal, and another in Nashville with a bunch of "usual suspect" Music City heavyweights -- Lloyd Green, Dave Kirby, Pete Wade, those kinda guys. James wrote four of the songs on this album, and all the others were originals by folks such as Larry Bales, Geanetta Brown, Gail James, John Lacy, and others, all published by the same publishing company. John Lacy was one of the musicians on the local sessions, though I think he's the only one who was as directly involved...

Frank James "Moooooo Town Records Presents: Frank James" (Moooooo Town Records, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Criblez, Russ Martin & Rick McCollister)
Another foray to Nashville yielded this set of marvelously imperfect country novelty songs... The imperfections come from Frank James' slightly wobbly vocals, which now have a little bit of an old-geezer vibe to 'em. This is easy to overlook, however, because of the clarity and concision of the songwriting: James had a pretty well-formed vision of what he wanted, which was a short-but-sweet approach to comedic material -- a simple, straightforward conceptual hook, framed by good music, which doesn't outstay its welcome. Also, it doesn't hurt having a crew of Nashville A-listers backing him up: Ray Edenton, Lloyd Green, Hoot Hester, David Kirby, Hargus Robbins, Bobby Thompson, et.al. No date on this disc, but it looks like a mid-to-late '80s outing... if I had to guess, I'd say this might have be made around 1988 or thereabouts. It's definitely the same Frank James as above, though, as two of his collaborators, Gail James and John Lacy, contribute a few tunes here as well. James seems to have ditched Orange County and moved up north to Point Reyes, CA (aka Moo Town) a tiny hippie-friendly town in Marin County, and home to the Old Western Saloon, a good old-fashioned country dive bar run by local gal Judy Borello (1945-2022) who famously installed a pre-recorded "moo" siren on the clock outside her bar, celebrating the cattle ranching heritage of West Marin, every day at noon. Borello co-wrote most of the songs on this album along with Frank James, and seems to have owned the Moooooo Town label. Honestly? It's a pretty good record!

Garrison James "...And Prairie Fire" (DLS Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Robert Grogan)
This Los Angeles-area band featured original material by someone whose last name was Scott, published by "Dee Ellis Music" (which I'd guess is where the label name comes from?) and I'm guessing that Scott was the given name of singer Garrison James, who fronts the band. Anyway... James was an amateur, for sure, but he had high hopes. He covers tunes by Roy Orbison and Marty Robbins, and possessed a definite Orbisonesque tone, if not quite the same level of charisma or command... Most of the material isn't that great though one of the originals, a tongue-twister novelty number called "My Tang Gets Tongled Up," is pretty fun, sort of in the same vicinity as Hank Snow's "I've Been Everywhere," Leroy Van Dyke's "The Auctioneer," or Steve Goodman's "Talk Backwards." No date on the album cover - anyone know when this came out?

Michael James "Seattle On My Mind" (BOC Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Sikorsky, Brad Edwards & B. J. Carnahan)
Illustrating the interconnections between the square dance "calling" scene and more mainstream country is this album by Michael James, aka Mike Sikorsky, a caller from Southern California who seems to have been performing in one of the Ozarks mini-oprys some time in the early 1980s. Although he also cut numerous calling records, this album is an actual country set, with covers of tunes such as Rodney Crowell's "Ain't Livin' Long Like This," "Good Hearted Woman," and "Ghost Riders In The Sky." Perhaps not too surprisingly for a square dance caller, he also tackles the old Hank Snow tongue-twister "I've Been Everywhere," and if you've ever wanted to hear a cover version of "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer," well, here ya go. There's also some original material, including Sikorsky's own "Queen Of All Ladies." Sikorsky grew up in the greater Los Angeles area, starting his career in calling back in 1972, and was successful enough that he paid is way through college by working the square dance circuit. He's backed here by a bunch of the Missouri locals who formed the house band at the Mack's Creek-based Audioloft Studios, including drummer Jerry Dooley, Brad Edwards (banjo, bass and guitar), Bruce Iveson (rhythm guitar), John McCoy (banjo and guitar), Glen Reasoner (piano) and steel player Myron Smith. On the back cover, Sikorsky provided a home address in Reseda, CA, although he later moved to Mesa, Arizona where he delved even deeper into square dance calling.

Michael James "Bradley The Brown Nosed Reindeer" (History Publishing Company, 1992) (CD)
(Produced by Michael James & Brad Edwards)
A holiday EP, featuring several original novelty numbers written by Michael James/Mike Sikorsky, with backing by Brad Edwards and Rick Hargrove.

J'Anna & Mark "Double Barrel Bluegrass" (Paradise Arts Publishers, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Jacoby & Dave Houston)
A fiddle-and-banjo duo from Redding, California, J'Anna Jacoby and Mark Petteys tackled a wide repertoire, ranging from country and bluegrass tunes from the likes of Vassar Clements, Carl Jackson and Earl Scruggs to more esoteric material such as Benny Goodman's "Slipped Disc" and Bob Dylan's "Nashville Skyline Rag." They're joined by guitar picker Lee Brushett and mandolinist Ted Smith of the local, Sacramento-area bluegrass group, South Loomis Quickstep Band.

Bobbi Jane "Bobbi Jane" (Pentagon Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Alan J. Dote)
Some Bay Area country, recorded at Alan J. Dote's Side A Productions studio, based in Millbrae, California, just south of San Francisco. As on other albums Dote produced, there's a profusion of material he wrote himself, although Ms. Jane is credited on two songs, "Looking For Mr. Right," and "I Guess It's Crying Time Again," both songs also published by Dote's own company. Singer Bobbi Jane was decidedly a back-bencher, really not a very good vocalist, although she threw herself into it with great gusto, and a few songs work as rudimentary country thumpers, albeit with a strong whiff of so-bad-it's-good kitschiness. The more straightforward country numbers are best, though a disco-era hangover is present throughout, in the persistent presence of a cheesy keyboard-synth. The keyboards are unleashed in a bombastic solo on "Gone Too Long," a straight disco pop song that's kind of jarring in comparison to the rest of the record. Overall, I have to admit there's not a lot to recommend this record, although obscuro-twang fans (like me) may enjoy it for its very DIY-ishness. The liner notes say she had her own band, and had done gigs in Reno and Vegas, so there may be more to this album than just he pay-to-play vanity pressing it seems to be.

Janice "Janice" (Benson Sound, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Benson)
Country gospel singer Janice Stevens made the trip from Antioch, California back east to Oklahoma City, where the Benson studios gave her some pretty decent backing... The album opens with a rollicking, pure country arrangement of "Oh, What A Happy Day," and even on some of the sleepier tracks there's plenty of satisfying pedal steel, courtesy of Doug Campbell, and lead guitar by Charlie Arthur. Sometimes the backing has a lax, indifferent feel, and it has to be admitted that even with her Donna Fargo-esque country influences, Ms. Stevens wasn't always in top form as a vocalist -- keeping the beat was a particular challenge -- but there are hints of a stronger potential. Certainly if given more studio time, she could have held her own as a secular country singer. Not dazzling, by any means, but there are some nice moments.

J'Anna & Mark "Double Barrel Bluegrass" (Paradise Arts Publishers, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Jacoby & Dave Houston)
A fiddle-and-banjo duo from Redding, California, J'Anna Jacoby and Mark Petteys tackled a wide repertoire, ranging from country and bluegrass tunes from the likes of Vassar Clements, Carl Jackson and Earl Scruggs to more esoteric material such as Benny Goodman's "Slipped Disc" and Bob Dylan's "Nashville Skyline Rag." They're joined by guitar picker Lee Brushett and mandolinist Ted Smith of the local, Sacramento-area bluegrass group, South Loomis Quickstep Band. Jacoby later moved into pop and rock music, including one album with the indiepop band The Black Watch, and a longtime position in Rod Stewart's road band. She also recorded some solo stuff as "J'Anna Jacoby."

JB Dogwood "JB Dogwood" (Twang Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry McMillan)
There's no one in this band named "JB Dogwood," but that would be a cool name. This band from the Pasadena suburb of Tujunga, California was led by songwriter Jim Jaillet and singer-fiddler Jane Grondin. Plus, they had a dobro player named Norman Rockwell... no kidding!

Pamela Jean "A New Star In The Western Sky" (New Pioneer Productions, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Thomas Griep)
La Puente' California's Pamela Jean was about eighteen years old when she cut this album, which seems to be full of original material, including songs such as "City Outlaw," "Outlaw Ladies" and the intriguing "Fallen Little Sister." Looks pretty mainstream, but when I track down an affordable copy and give it a whirl, I'll give you some more info...

Jeanine & The Country Swingers "Nuthin' Sounds Better" (SyDee Records, 1977) (LP)
This is a very odd and decidedly idiosyncratic album, recorded by Dolores and Willie Monington along with their three grown-up children and a few musician friends from the San Francisco Bay Area. The Moningtons lived in Martinez, California and Dolores was known in the '70s as a motorcycle enthusiast -- on the back cover she's pictured wearing her vest for the Wedded Wheels MC -- and the Jeanine of the band name was one of their daughters. Ms. Monington wrote all the songs on here, though everybody takes turns singing them... And it's a weird mix of styles -- old-timey stuff, country gospel, true twang and some nice, straightforward hillbilly stuff. It's hard to get a handle on exactly where they were coming from, but they did seem to have a lot of fun making this album. The band includes Mark Newsom on drums, Don Paul playing steel guitar, and Doc Quam on fiddle and mandolin -- I believe Quam was also in a band called the Comstock Cowboys.

Glen Jeffery "I'm Country" (Bujol Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Les Bujol, Glen Jeffrey & John Peterson)

Jim & Leon "We're Pickin' 'N' Singin' Gospel Bluegrass" (Vision Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bernie Vaughn)
That would be gospel bandleader Leon Harris and his eighteen-year old banjo pickin' son Jim, of Denair, California's Singing Harris Family, taking a trip to Nashville, where they got some pretty high-power help at the Marty Robbins Studio. Along with the Harris fellas, the sessions included bass player Dewayne Gary, Doug Jernigan (dobro), Benny Kennerson (piano), Steve Nath (drums), and Bruce Watkins on fiddle and guitar. It seems likely that a second bass player, Noel Walters was a relative of Wayne Walters, the onetime leader of The Christian Troubadours, who moved to Nashville at some point and started his own studio, specializing in gospel artists.

Jim & Rich "There's A Light Guiding Me" (Celestial Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Hal Southern)
Old fashioned country gospel, with stripped down arrangements. Like many Californians, Jim Porter and Rich Amick were born elsewhere, Porter in Illinois and Amick in Colorado... But they both headed out west and met while singing in a local church group in Canoga Park. That inspired this album, which was produced with help from Nashville old-timer Harold Hensley (1932-1988) on violin, along with Charles Thomas playing bass and Larry Thomas on piano... Not sure of the year, but it looks mid- to late-'Seventies.

John & Suzanne "Small Treasures" (Rampur Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by John Jacob, Suzanne Jacob & Tom Anderson)
More of a Northern California folkie thing, by this couple from Livermore, CA. There are some notable musicians involved, including West Coast steel player Bobby Black and legendary folk scene guitarist Nina Gerber. Engineer Tom Anderson apparently did a lot of work with Black's old band, Commander Cody. Most of the other folks are unfamiliar to me, though.

Polly Johnson "...Sings Songs From The Old Country Church" (Gospel Records, 1962-?) (LP)
A nice, understated, and very well-performed set of gospel standards, along with a little new stuff by composers such as Herb Kallman. This is, relatively speaking, a country set, though perhaps in the same sense as -- oh, I dunno, Eddy Arnold's tribute to Fanny Crosby, or all of those Jimmie Davis albums. Mostly the arrangements hinge on a lightly-tinkled piano, although some spotlight a little bit of guitar and steel... though only a little. Her voice is quite good: it's more in the perfect-intonation style of pop singers like Connie Francis, et.al. though also very much like Skeeter Davis, if she were willing to give it a little more ooompf. No hillbilly stuff here. Originally a farm girl from South Dakota, Polly Johnson (1940-1964) was probably best known for her part in the booming West Coast country-gospel scene of California's Great Central Valley, most notably her collaborations with Contemporary Christian star Mary Jayne Gaither, who was her duet partner in the early 1960s when they both worked up around Sacramento, including co-hosting a local TV show. Before Johnson moved to California in 1962, she had a fairly dynamic career as a secular country gal. Back home around Rapid City, she appeared on radio and TV and even did a brief tour entertaining US troops in Puerto Rico. Although this album's liner notes make it sound like she got born again after moving out West, research done by hillbilly-music.com makes it clear she was getting active in Christian enterprise before then, having already met Mary Jayne in Minnesota, forming a strong friendship with the young religiously-oriented gal before they both headed out West. Polly Johnson's life ended in a spectacularly tragic fashion when she took a flight to Stockton that crashed after a mentally disturbed hijacker shot the pilots and himself, causing the deaths of all on board. Johnson's death was said to have caused singer Sue Brown, another friend from the Valley, to abandon secular country in favor of evangelical gospel music. As far as I know, this was her first album; no info on who was backing her, though the label identifies itself as a "Don Smith Enterprise."

Polly Johnson "I Found The Answer" (Word Records, 1964-?) (LP)

Polly (Johnson) & Mary Jayne "Singing Together... Like We Did Back Home" (Word Records, 1965-?) (LP)
(Produced by Kurt Kaiser)

Julienne "Small Town Band" (1981) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Berry & Russell Brutsche)
You owe me one. I mean, seriously, I took a bullet for you guys on this one. Okay, so it's my own fault I got all excited when I saw pedal steel player Bobby Black had signed up on this rather iffy-looking album, and covers of "The Gambler" and "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" seemed to confirm the relative country-ness of the project, even if that's not the particular brand of country or country-pop that I prefer. However, this Northern California offering is more in the AOR "pop" camp, with Side One of the disc devoted to original songs by singer-pianist Russell Brutsche, while Side Two is mostly cover songs, with Brutsche singing lead on a few tracks. None of it thrilled me. Julienne Chaillaux was one of those Joan Baez/Judy Collins-influenced '70s gals who come off a little stilted and affected, in an almost art-song kind of way... Her nod towards Crystal Gayle is kind of telling, as there's a similar feel. I don't think this album was really her "fault," though; she seems mostly to have been a vessel for Russell Brutsche's own pop ambitions, but a lot of his work seems overwritten and in need of a little paring down. I suppose it's possible they had a lounge act as well -- the liner notes mention gigs at venues such as Digger Dan's in Gilroy, California, and another up in Canada. The record itself was recorded in San Jose.

Norm Kass "Buckaroo" (Crown Records, 1966) (LP)
On the surface, a mystery disc, although like many of Crown's cheapo country LPs this had connections to LA's nascent country-rock scene. And, as with other Crown albums, many tracks are probably jam-session originals, padding out their covers of popular tunes such as Bob Morris's "Buckaroo," though sadly there are no composer credits to verify who wrote what. According to the know-it-alls on the amazingly informative Steel Guitar Forum, guitarist Norm Cass -- ne Norman Richard Kastner (1945-2012) and his brother Glen were in various editions of the house band for the Palomino nightclub, originally led by Gene Davis, then by steel player Red Rhodes, and later by Tony Booth. There's no discographical information for the album, so the musicians are unidentified, although it's a good bet that his brother Glen was playing bass, and other fellas from that scene probably round things out. Red Rhodes... maybe Dennis Hromeck; they all played together on one of Rhodes' albums, circa 1968. The Kastners notably co-wrote a song called "Crazy Horse," which was recorded by the Ventures around that time. The brothers seem to have joined Tony Booth's band around 1970, when Booth took the reins at the Palomino. Norm Cass subsequently joined Larry Booth's early '70s band which eventually morphed into Gene Watson's backing group, The Farewell Party Band, touring and recording with Watson in the '80s. Many, many years later -- circa 2009 -- Norm Kass was still picking guitar for the Booth brothers at a venue called the Alvin Opry House, on the south side of Houston, and was living in Alvin full-time when he passed away in 2012.

Keith & Donna "Keith & Donna" (Round Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Keith Godchaux & Donna Godchaux)
An album that will test the loyalty of even the most devoted Deadhead. This "solo" set by Keith and Donna Godchaux -- Keith being the Grateful Dead's keyboard player for most of the 1970s -- has kind of a Delaney & Bonnie blues-soul feel, with a big chunk of the extended Dead family pitching in, notably Jerry Garcia, Merl Saunders and John Kahn. Unfortunately, the results are less than stellar. Despite Donna Godchaux's vocal similarity to outlaw country queen Jessi Colter, her phrasing is stiff and clunky and the band seems like they're each playing with one hand tied behind their back, trying to slow down enough to not upstage her. The songs aren't that memorable, either, though there's some of the improv-y noodling that Dead fans love so much. Mostly, though, this album seems to try too hard to be what it simply cannot be -- a solid, funky boogie-rock/soul set. Check it out if you're curious, but this is pretty hard to get into. Unless, I guess, if you're really, really, really high, in which case it might unlock the secrets of the universe.

Bobbie Kellerhals & The Gospel Rhythm-Aires "My Mother's Bible" (Vision Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Leon Harris)
True, twangy gospel from Porterville, California, just north of Bakersfield... Bobbie Jean Kellerhals (1935-2013) was born in Alabama, but seems to have had deep California roots: she ran a seasonal family fruit stand in Porterville, and was a Pentecostal reverend in a local church, the Southside Assembly of God. Anyway, if you're lookin for real country gospel, this disc's a doozy, particularly since she had a great hillbilly voice, and a musical sensibility that seems rooted in the mid-1950s country style, reminiscent of Jean Shepard or Wanda Jackson. Of particular interest is the backing band -- in addition to her son Timmy banging on the drums, Mrs. Kellerhals is backed by the Gospel Rhythm-Aires, an excellent family band from Denair, led by Vision label owner Leon Harris, along with his wife Jean, daughter Karen, her husband Wayne Johnson, and finally Paul Harris, the family's eldest, who passed away not long after this album was recorded. (The Rhythm-Aires changed their name to the Singing Harris Family in 1973, which helps date this disc, apparently released around the same time as their last Gospel-Aires album.) As with other Harris Family records, this disc is packed with plenty of twangy guitar and steel, as well as a deliriously plunky piano... and did I mention I really dig Bobbie Kellerhals' vocals? This one's a gem. [By the way, I was all excited that I found a "new" Vision album, but when I got home, I discovered that (of course) I'd been scooped by the Valley-centric Porterville Music Society... If you future people are lucky, you may still be able to hear the whole album on YouTube courtesy of their research department.]

Milton Kelley "Milton Kelley's Home Brew" (Two:Dot Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Dean O. Thompson)
The Two:Dot label from Ojai, California was named for their initials of its founders (Tom W. Oglesby and Dean O. Thompson) and is one of those legendarily obscure microlabels that uber-collectors salivate over... This LP, for example, is said to have had only about a hundred copies pressed. It's a hippiedelic blues-roots kinda thing, recorded on the spur of the moment with singer-songwriter Milton Kelley and a few other Ojai locals. While not quite a country record, Kelley went on to forge friendships with several influential SoCal roots-twang scenesters, as evinced by his second album (below) which was recorded many years later.

Milton Kelley "Howlin' And A-Singin' " (Buffalo Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Monahan & Tim Nelson)
Roots and twang from Ojai, California, near Santa Barbara... Kelley was apparently in the orbit of the fabled McCabe's folk club, and Ed McCabe -- who ran a satellite music shop in Ojai -- plays on this album, along with other local pickers. Chris Hillman contributes liner notes, which gives you a sense of the calibre of players involved... This is far more folk and twang-oriented than his first album which was more of a rock-blues affair.

Patrick Kelley "Patrick Kelley" (Rock Candy Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Patrick Kelley)
A mix of bar-band boogie rock, contemporary country and soft rock, with plenty of electric guitar all around. Not the greatest record ever, but I guess it has its moments... Not enough country twang for me, though. I couldn't figure if this guy was from California or from the South: the tracks were recorded half in Arkansas, half in San Jose, CA, and the private-pressing record label has a San Jose address as part of the handwritten album art, but immediately below that is a small typewritten address in Pine Bluff, AR. Go figure. The tunes were all originals; two tracks seem to have been born-again Christian songs, the soft-rock "If You Beckon Me," and the more-obvious "Tell Someone," which merited one of those little Jesus-fish icons next to it on the back cover and the inner label... the rest of the songs seem pretty secular, though. "Don't Play That Song" is best country number.

Matt Kelly "A Wing And A Prayer" (Relix Records, 1986)
This one's really more of a rock record, but there is a roots music element as well... But fans of hardcore hippie music will certainly want to check this out... Originally from the band Kingfish, Matt Kelly was part of the whole SF scene for many years, and calls a bunch of his buddies in for this album, including several members of the Grateful Dead -- Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Bill Kreutzmann, Brent Mydland and Bob Wier -- as well as other dino-rockers such as Nicky Hopkins, Buddy Cage, and Jerry Miller from Moby Grape... Whew! I think I'm having a flashback, man!

Kentucky Express "Kentucky Express" (Imperial Records, 1970) (LP)
This band was an odd project for a fading major label, Imperial Records, which apparently was trying its hand at mixing country and the perky "sunshine" pop of the late '60s, early '70s. It's mostly so odd because the first Kentucky Express was packed with country material -- covers of songs such as "I Still Miss Someone," "Singing The Blues" and "Wings Of A Dove," along with twangy tune by Dylan, the Everly Brothers and Johnny Rivers -- but the album that followed was pretty strictly not country, and didn't have a lick of twang in the production, either. One suspects some sort of Don Kirshner-esque created-in-the-studio concoction, but I haven't dug deep enough to find out the full story; apparently the band's lead singer John Gummoe was previously in the Cascades, a Kennedy-era pop band from San Diego, California that had a big hit in '62. At any rate, yet another footnote to the hippie-era country scene.

Kentucky Express "That's Not What Lovin' Is" (Imperial, 1972) (LP)
Lots of lavish, sunshiny pop with harmony vocals, big, bright production - not very country and lots of cover songs, but pretty strictly from the pop/rock side of the street this time.

Kentucky Faith "Fool's Gold" (Sonrise Music/Mark Recordings, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Twyla Morrison)
A mix of old bluegrass standards and religiously-oriented material... Maybe not the greatest pickers ever, but lively amateurs with a nice, spirited vibe. Despite the Appalachian band name, this was a Southern California band, led by singer-guitarist Ken Munds, who was later recruited to become the lead singer of the Christian country band, Brush Arbor. On this early outing, there was additional assistance from steel player J. D. Maness and bluegrass flatpicker Dennis Agajanian (who went on to record a few albums of his own in later years...) Footnote: on his website, Ken Munds details how the "rock star" aspects of the Brush Arbor band led him into the temptations of substance abuse, and after getting booted from the band, he bottomed out and then pulled himself together for a solo career as an evangelical folkie. But this is him at his most youthful and innocent... A nice slice of SoCal bluegrass-twang and Christian music history.

Larry Keyes & West Coast Edition "Winning Hand" (Key Edition Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Keyes & Kurt Fries)
It took me a little while to warm to this DIY set of California country... Turns out the opening tracks were the real stumbling block -- a little too glossy and pop-oriented for me. But things settle down as the album progresses and it becomes clear that what singer Larry Keyes was all about was being a smooth-but-rootsy country crooner, very much in the style of John Conlee. Born in Salinas, Keyes was living in Fresno when this record was made and worked with an all-locals band, recording the sessions in the even more remote, nearby town of Madera, California. The music is all original material, though only two songs were written by Keyes himself, including the bombastic post-countrypolitan title track, which opens the album... The strongest tunes come from drummer Mark Giusti and keyboard player Kurt Fries, who contribute the forlorn ballad, "Never Too Late" and the even more heartache-y "Never Found." These are excellent, understated country songs which prove a good match for Keyes as a vocalist, who has an understated quality as well, which may be appealing to fans of more subtle ballad singing. Not earthshaking, but solid and sincere, and definitely a local product.

Gary King "One Sided Love" (K-Tone Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Berry, Gradie O'Neal & Tom Tomacello)
Somewhat traditionally-oriented set of country weepers by an uber-indie artist out of San Jose, California. This disc includes four originals by Gary King: "Making Excuses," "Never Leaving Tracks", "One Sided Love" and "My Woman, My Life, My Wife" (not to be confused of course with the Marty Robbins hit, "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife") along with covers of George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Hank Locklin, Johnny Tillotson, and Hank Williams. King is backed by an all-local band, anchored by Bob Berry on bass, drums, and keyboards, Larry Black (dobro and guitar), Barry Blackwood (steel guitar), Hewlett Crist (harmonica) and Marlene Elliott singing harmony vocals. King was a pal of SF country singer Tom Rose, and had known Rose since the early 'Seventies. Not sure when this disc came out, but it looks like an early '80s outing. Honestly, this sounds fairly amateurish, though very sincere.

Judie King & The Carl Austin Band "By Request" (Tommy Towne Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Manny Alvarez, Brad Gong & Judie King)
This set of oldies and sunshine country covers is decidedly an amateur-hour affair, despite the album's glowing liner notes... I'm not trying to be mean, but this is definitely a vanity album, with Central California singer Judie King and bandleader Carl Austin both sounding a bit wobbly and barely holding things together, musically speaking. Although quite sincere, they're still literally playing at about the level of a local talent show, with audio production and arrangements that are equally thin. I guess if you go for that kind of thing, this album could be a real hoot. I'm not one-hundred percent sure where they were from, though it's definitely from the central San Joaquin Valley -- the record label address is given as Visalia, California (just south of Fresno) and the only mention I could find of them playing live was a show notice in the Bakersfield Californian, from February 22, 1974, with matches up with some of the early-'70s cover songs on this album. I don't think either Austin or King pursued music professionally and I doubt they made any other recordings. Years later, they both seem to have moved to the Sierra foothills up around Sacramento. (By the way, this disc was pressed by the United Sound custom label, a well-known vanity service that issued several dozen LPs during the 'Seventies, in all different genres.)

The Kingston Trio -- see artist profile

The Kistners "Meet The Kistners" (Little Devil Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by The Kistners)
A family band from Sunnyvale, CA doing a bunch of folk and country covers, sometime probably in the early 1970s, probably around '72 or '73. The album includes "Rocky Top," "Me And Bobby McGee," "Last Thing On My Mind," "Snowbird," "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," "Milwaukee Here I Come," "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" and the like... In the liner notes Jane Smith, owner of Sunnyvale's Jamaica Inn, tells of Kistnermania... And here's where it all began!

Sneaky Pete Kleinow "Cold Steel" (Ariola Records, 1974) (LP)

Sneaky Pete Kleinow "Sneaky Pete" (Shiloh Records, 1979) (LP)

George Kostenko "...And The Country Cossacks" (Buck Owens Studios, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Terry Gaiser & Jim Shaw)
A family band from Penryn, California, north of Sacramento, led by songwriter George Kostenko, along with his wife Zelma and brother Fred Kostenko (1939-2008), as well as several other local musicians who traveled down to Bakersfield to record this album at the Buck Owens Studios. The Kostenko family were longtime residents in the rural Gold Country town and participated in all sorts of civic activities, including local school talent shows and the like, although I don't think they really had a "band," per se. They don't seem to have performed live, although George Kostenko once had a band called The Solar Tones, which cut a single that included two of the songs on this album, "Yesterday's Love" and "Rumbling," and he copyrighted a novelty number called "New Sock Rock" way back in 1961. There's no date on this LP, although it was dedicated to their father, George Peter Kostenko, who passed away in 1972. All but three of the songs were written by George Kostenko, with three others variously credited to Terry Crouson, Fred Kostenko and Glenn Tarver, who all play on this album. Tarver was a Texas fiddler who moved to Sacramento in the late 1940s and played with stars such as Luke Wills and Tiny Moore, and who cut a few records of his own. This is an intriguing album, in that it's obviously an amateur band, but you can definitely hear the sonic influence of the Buck Owens producers -- apparently just the microphones, sound board and room configurations had a sound of their own. Though there aren't complete musician credits, I suspect a few Bakersfield ringers were involved -- some of the electric and steel guitar sound pretty darn professional. Also, some fun songs: Mr. Kostenko offers a swell honkytonk novelty number, "I Pledge Allegiance To Your Heart," as well as a sequel song, "I Found Bobby McGee," a novelty song with a big twist that I guess we have to add to the list of Bobby McGee cover songs... Less exciting is the Civil War historical ballad, "Six Men In Gray," which is a little too 1962 for me but I'm sure there's an audience for it somewhere... Overall, a nice snapshot of a pretty unassuming but super-earnest local band from California's Gold Country.

John Kriston "Bits And Pieces Of Life" (Vanax Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Cliffie Stone)
No info about this album online, though it's got some interesting stuff on it, and a lot of LA country-rockers in the studio band, including Cliffie Stone's kid, Curtis Stone on bass, along with steel player J. D. Maness and Billy Walker playing lead guitar. The other musicians are more obscure -- I'm curious about Harry Robertson, who adds some nice licks on banjo and dobro; also noteworthy is the vocal chorus, which included Susie Allanson and Carol Chase. Not sure where Mr. Kriston was from, as it seems to be an unexpectedly common name... Anyway, there are several fairly satisfying country-styled some on here. as well as several more-iffy pop-rock forays. A mixed bag, but probably worth checking out if you're a fan of '70s SoCal country-pop.

L.A. Getaway "L.A. Getaway" (Atco Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Rothchild)
Really more of a hippie blues-rock thing, but worth mentioning here since an erstwhile Flying Burrito bro, Chris Ethridge, was the bass player, along with guitarist Joel Scott Hill, and drummer John Barbata. As far as I know, this was the group's only album, one of the countless see-what-sticks projects emanating out of Los Angeles at the time.

The Lainie Sisters "Emmy And Norma" (Repeat Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Noel Boggs)
This was the first -- and I suspect only -- album by the Lainie Sisters, who were apparently proteges of legendary pedal steel player Noel Boggs, who produced and played on this album. The record is notable for its wealth of original material, including six songs written by the Lainies. These include "Just Keep On Hurting Me," "Fool Around," and the provocatively titled "It's No Fun To Love Alone." Along with Boggs, other musicians include Junior Nichols on drums, Red Wooten on bass and Paul Haitt on the (ulp!) "Dulcitron," a short-lived electronic claviola that was used here in place of keyboards or piano. There's no date on this album, but late '60s seems like a good bet, though, possibly as late as 1970-71. Boggs had also recorded at least one other LP for this label, which was based in Long Beach, California.

Judi Lane "...Sings Hits Made Famous By The Country Queens" (Alshire Records, 1970) (LP)
Dunno the whole story behind this one... Alshire was a real label, based in Southern California, but amid all the thousands of 101 Strings albums, they also bankrolled a bunch of soundalike albums, including this one, which covers some contemporary hits along with a handful of originals published by the Chesdel Music company, which was connected to the label. This fairly sleepy set made nary a dent in the charts -- I don't think it was meant to -- but there are some amusing moments when the anonymous LA-scene hippie pickers and idle studio musicians backing her cut loose and get a little funky. The opening track is a chaotic run-through of Jeannie C. Riley's "The Back Side Of Dallas," with overpowering electric guitar riffs that echo the song's gogo-delic origins... This formula is repeated on the album's bluesy closing track, "I'm His Woman," one of two originals credited to Judi Lane. The other tracks are generally much more sedate, matching Lane's own, fairly lackluster performance. Of greater interest, perhaps, are the Chesdel tunes, which provide what spark there is on this album. In addition to Lane's other track, the woeful "What Can I Do To Stop Loving You," there's a tune called "Borrowed Time" which was written by Chris Stevenson, who had previously penned both sides of Lane's previous release, a single from 1968 on a tiny Southern California label. Also under the Chesdel banner is "I'll Hate Myself Tomorrow (For Loving You Tonight)" by Walt Rayburn. Another album highlight is Lane's version of the Sharon Higgins song, "Woman Of The World," which had been a hit for Loretta Lynn in '69. Overall, I suppose this is an okay album, though not great -- there are other cheapo LPs of the same era that are more fun.

Last Straw String Band "Last Straw String Band" (Jack Rabbit Records, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jeff Calloway)
Old-timey music by a nice, twangy longhair trio from Moorpark, California, a suburb located just north of Los Angeles, in the nearby Simi Valley. The Last Straw String Band was formed in 1973 and went through a series of lineups before this particular threesome headed into the studio. Banjo plunker Andy Denes joins multi-instrumentalists Randy Rich and Charlie Seeman on a relaxed, good-natured set of tunes, played in a fairly round-toned style that may or may not be pleasing to old-timey uber-traditionalists... I liked it, though, and found it easily accessible and fun. Dunno if any of these guys went on to work in other old-timey or bluegrass bands, but either way, this album is certainly a nice legacy.

Kenny Laursen "Kenny Laursen" (KayJay Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Kenny Laursen & Earle Weatherwax)
Singer-comedian Kenny Laursen may have originally been from Southern California, where he is said to have played on Cliffie Stone's Home Town Jamboree show, and at various SoCal venues in the 1960s. He spent the '70s working steady gigs in Reno and Las Vegas, as well as in Texas and California, before eventually settling in Vegas in the early '90s to run his own audio-visual production studio. I think this was his first record: on later albums, Laursen subsumed himself to a sort of goofy, county fair/lounge lizard persona, but this early outing was his bid as an early '70s singer-songwriter/sunshine pop auteur. He does a couple of cover tunes -- of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles" and Jerry Reed's "When You're Hot, You're Hot" -- but the rest of the record is original material, including seven songs written by Laursen, one by Marcia Barnum (a backup singer in his band) and a version of Gene Rockwell Gant's comedic number, "I Got The Funny Feelin' That You Really Wouldn't Care If I Went Home," which is an album highlight. This album wobbles between wannabee '70s pop anthems ("Sunshine") and comedic material reminiscent of the '60s commercial scene, with Laursen seeming aiming at being kind of a low-rent version of Dick Feller. This is less country-oriented than some of his other albums, but shows again the diversity of influences in his act. Underwhelming, perhaps, but still an honest portrait of a way-under-the-radar working musician.

Kenny Laursen "The Wildest Show In Dallas" (KayJay, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Sandell)
A funky, low-rent live set from singer Kenny Laursen, a true veteran performer who cut his teeth singing on late '50s shows like "Home Town Jamboree" and backing Cliffie Stone on the radio... Laursen also carved out a niche as a regional entertainer, as documented on this and other, similar self-released records. These are real, authentic documents of average-sounding locals entertainers -- he does oldies, corny jokes, a big Buddy Holly medley, covers of crap hits like "The Gambler," and hints at more rugged stuff, like Ed Bruce's "Texas When I Die." It's not great, but it's real... Not the kind of record I'd really want to listen to more than once, but if you want to hear what county fair country singers really sounded like in the late '70s, this guy's that guy.

Kenny Laursen "Songs That Were Popular When I Was In High School" (KayJay Records, 19--?) (LP)

Kenny Laursen "One Of America's Greatest Entertainers" (KayJay Records, 19--?) (LP)
Recorded live at the Reuben E. Lee in Newport Beach California... (The Reuben E. Lee was a faux riverboat restaurant/music venue, built in dock and decommissioned in 2007 after four decades of various businesses coming and going... Guess they had room for Texas country boys at one point, too...)

Kenny Laursen "Live!!!" (KayJay Records, 19--?) (LP)

George Lawton "Just Plain Folk" (Muscoy Records, 19--?) (LP)

George Lawton "Long Into The Night" (Muscoy Records, 1980) (LP)
All original material from a folkie songwriter from San Bernadino, California, including "I Like Cowboy Boots" and "Mary Ann's Muscoy Inn," an homage to the bar where Lawton played live. The tiny town of Muscoy -- just north of San Berdoo -- was a hotbed of folkie musicmaking, the same scene that nurtured Jim Ringer and Mary McCaslin... Lawton also worked with country longhair Robb Strandlund, another SoCal favorite.

Jimmy Lawton "I'm Country" (Killroy Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Bobbejaan Schoepen & Jimmy Lawton)
Multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Lawton (aka Jimmy Degraw, 1936-2017) was born in Oklahoma and raised in West Texas, moving out to Santa Monica, California in the early 1960s, where he found work playing local clubs as well as gigs up in the Las Vegas hotels. This album came out of an invitation by Belgian impresario Bobbejaan Schoepen (1925-2010) who booked Lawton to play at his Bobbejaanland amusement park in 1973. The set list has several originals, notably three tunes co-written by Lawton and Schoepen, two by Lawton, and Schoepen's "Banjo Man, as well as some classic country covers. Lawton is backed by several European country pickers, including gal singer-fiddler Jacqueline Rabitsky and Claude Rabitski on a number of unlikely instruments (trumpet, saxophone, flugelhorn and trombone...) Apparently, the arrangement worked pretty well, as Jimmy Lawton stayed in Europe for years, remaining country-picker-in-residence at Bobbejaanland through the remainder of the 'Seventies and 'Eighties.

Don Lee see artist profile

The Melvin Lee Band "A Cowboy's Dream" (Melvin Lee Band Productions, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Melvin Lee, Albert Lyon & Mark Lyon)
Also known as Melvin Lee East, this guy grew up in LA, but settled down in Humboldt County, kicking around Arcata and Eureka for many years. In addition to this album, he also contributed a track to the compilation album HUMBOLDT COUNTY COUNTRY, which was sponsored by the local United Way. Other than that I'm not sure if he has other records. (It seems likely he was in some 'Sixties SoCal garage bands, as folks he went to high school with remember his bands playing gigs in '65 and thereabouts...) This album was recorded down in Huntington Beach, and is full of original material, including a song called "Humboldt County Woman." The musicians include Northern California's Greg Liesz on pedal steel, as well as Dale Roberts on some tunes. Anyone with info about this band? I'm all ears!

Overton Lee "Self Portrait" (Overton Lee Records, 1979--?) (LP)
An odd offering from indiebilly auteur Overton Lee... I'm not sure if this record actually came out as an official release -- the copy I have is marked as a test pressing, and other than the eBay listing where I picked it up, I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere. Born in Boggy Depot, Oklahoma sometime back in the 1930s, Overton Lee Usrey made his way out to California when he was a teenager, and worked odd jobs for a while before starting his own paint stripping company down around Anaheim. At the urging of family and friends, he self-released a single in 1980 called "Beautiful Lady," which he hand-delivered to dozens of radio stations and finding that he kind of liked the whole music thing, he went on to record several more singles and a couple of LPs. His self-owned indie label, OL/Overton Lee Records, put out maybe a couple of dozen singles by various artists, with particular attention paid to a gal named Marcy Carr, whose singles and LP Lee promoted heavily in the early '80s, getting some plugs in Billboard and elsewhere. Lee's own music is pretty idiosyncratic, though his strong Okie drawl comes through loud and clear... In later years he seems to have retired near Tucson, Arizona, and patented a few inventions, most notably the "barbecue buddy," which is a miniature rotisserie which will turn your chops and dogs for you. Seems like quite a character!

Overton Lee "I'll Always Remember Your Name" (Overton Lee Records, 1982--?) (LP)
A mega-indie album by a guy from Southern California... I couldn't find the exact date this album came out on, but Overton Lee is mentioned in a couple of issues of Billboard in 1982, as having started the "Boggy Mountain Depot" and/or "OL Records" labels in Santa Fe Springs, CA. He produced and released an album by Gene Davis at that time, and I'm guessing this one came out in '82 as well.

The Leightons "We Got Love" (Cutlass Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Carr)
The husband-wife duo of John and Sharon Leighton started out singing folk music in the early '60s, but gradually moved towards country and formed a band called the Country Sounds. They worked for a while in Hawaii, toured abroad and came back to the mainland in the mid-'60s. In the early '70s John Leighton was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease and the couple traveled to Nashville to record this album as a testament to the duo's brief career. There's only one track on here written by the Leightons, "When It's Over," which kicks the album off and I believe all the rest are cover songs. But among those covers are a few eye-catchers, stuff like the old Webb Pierce hit, "There Stands The Glass" and Hank Penny's "Blood Shot Eyes," old-fashioned drinking songs that point to a robustly retro streak that was pleasantly out of step with the countrypolitan vibe of early '70s Nashville. After John Leighton passed away in 1974, Sharon Leighton formed a new band called Country Sunshine, and cut a solo album in 1975. Later in the decade she got religion and thereafter devoted herself exclusively to gospel music. She has recorded and released several religiously-themed records over the years, but for the most part retired from the music business.

Sharon Leighton "With Love" (Jan Mar Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Gordon Calcote)
When this solo set was recorded, Sharon Leighton was living in Santa Fe Springs, California and was part of the local Southern California country scene -- old-timer Cliffie Stone contributes liner notes, and country deejay/sometimes singer Gordon Calcote produced the sessions, with mixing by Jim Mooney.

Mark LeVine "Pilgrim's Progress" (Hogfat Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Michael Deasy)
Another ultra-obscuro "folk freak" offering from the hills of Hollywood, made during the acid-laced tail end of the 'Sixties. Songwriter Mark Levine was hanging out with some cool cats at the time, including a bunch of West Coast show biz heavyweights. Studio pros Mike Deasy, Larry Knechtel and Joe Osborn -- all members of the fabled, A-list "Wrecking Crew" -- anchor these loose-limbed psychefolkedlic sessions, along with drummer Toxey French and (drumroll please...) roots music superpicker Ry Cooder, who was just finding his legs in the LA music scene, and a couple of years away from busting out as a solo artist. The liner notes are a textbook case for spaced-out druggie rambling, and the music also reflects the, ahem, freewheeling vibe of the times... This album has been reissued on CD, but remains pretty obscure. (Quick footnote: around the same time this album was made, French and Osborn also backed The Dillards on their pioneering country-rock album, Wheatstraw Suite.)

Levitt & McClure "Living In The Country" (Warner Brothers, 1969)
(Produced by Ron Elliott)
Dan Levitt and Marc McClure were a bluegrassy duo from Encino, California who got on the radar of producer Ron Elliott, who was in the thick of the LA music scene. This album, which was recorded in August, 1969, is mostly original material, including a few songs written or co-written by producer Ron Elliott, as well as some covers of folkie stuff from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger. Marc McClure also recorded a solo album for Capitol a few years later.

Lewis And Clark "Cross Country" (Ambassador Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Rivers, Rue Barclay & Jerry Wood)
That would be singers Joy Lewis and Dick Clark, who hailed from New Orleans and Denver, respectively, and made their way out west to play shows in LA and Las Vegas... Clark plays piano on these sessions, with backing by Jack Rivers on guitar, Rue Barclay on bass and Clyde Hays on steel... Half the songs are originals written by either Clark or Lewis, along with country classics from folks like Wynn Stewart, Merle Travis and Hank Williams.

Bob Lewis "Yodelin' Bob Lewis Answers Your Request" (Interlude Records, 1963-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Lewis)
Robert Lewis Schreckengost (1919-1970) aka "Yodelin' Bob Lewis" was a deputy sheriff in San Bernadino County, California who was recruited by broadcaster Ken Davis to work on radio and TV. He's backed here by organist Jack Haines on a set that's mostly cowboy oldies, stuff like "Cool Water," "Strawberry Roan," "Ghost Riders In The Sky," etc. The album was released on Lewis's private label from San Bernadino; apparently Lewis hosted campfire singalongs at dude ranches in Death Valley for aa number of years, and performed regionally throughout the 1950s and '60s.

Kenny Lintz "Ain't Necessarily The Best, But The Only Of Kenny Lintz" (Lou-Ray Productions, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Grady O'Neal)
San Jose, California's Kenny Lintz was a construction worker whose devoted wife encouraged him to record an album, doubtless after many years of hearing him singing in the shower... The quirky liner notes to this odd little album reveal his own ambivalence about the project, hastening to say that a second album is probably not forthcoming. Lintz is a likeable but uneven performer -- sometimes he belts lyrics out quite effectively, though for a lot of this album he kinda hams it up and gets all croony and seems almost self-satirizing, even though I think his heart was really in it. Musically, it's mostly a lounge-y set, though there are country touches -- his own gritty vocal tone and some pedal steel, courtesy of Bobbie Black, an erstwhile member of the Commander Cody band. Other local talent included a couple of guys who were tied to the Santa Cruz pop band Harper's Bizarre, while guitarist Larry Serrano provides solid (though jazzy) accompaniment as well as the arrangements. Although he does include a few Nashville hits, this probably isn't really for twangfans... But it is a completely honest snapshot of an avowedly amateur musician cutting an album really just for the hell of it.

Little Feat -- see artist profile

Garn Littledyke "Wichita Lineman" (Crown Records, 1968) (LP)
This was -- apparently -- the lone album by singer Garn Littledyke, one of those little-known nobodies who got their "break" recording fly-by-night sessions for cheapie labels such as LA's Crown Records, which tried to lure in unsophisticated LP buyers by covering big hits of the day, in hopes that their customers didn't know the names of the original artists. The draw for this album was a cover of Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman," although a lot of the other songs on here seem to be originals such as "I'm Tied Down" and "Shadows Of My Mind," which sadly have no songwriter credits attached to them. Littledyke was a remarkably primitive singer, croaking his way through a very enjoyable though undeniably campy set of twangtunes... As is often the case with these albums, there's a lot of ridiculously unrestrained picking by the anonymous backing musicians (who were probably hippie rockers doing a pickup session) all of which adds to the album's unique charm. It's possible there was more than one singer on these sessions: a highlight track is the Roger Miller-ish "Don't Let the Door Slap Your Backside Goin' Out," which has a more solid, hillbilly rock sound, as well as much stronger vocals. But who knows? Anyway, for fans of this subgenre, this album's a hoot.

Don Livingston "Just Easin' " (Asco Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by John LaSalle)
Texas twangster Don Livingston grew up in Lubbock, Texas alongside iconic musicians such as Joe Ely and Gary P. Nunn. He played in bands and managed music venues, eventually making his way to Austin, where he became a mainstay of the 'Seventies outlaw scene, hanging out with Jerry Jeff Walker and playing bass for Michael Martin Murphey. He also became heavily involved in Texas's musical folklore and historical preservation, helping direct the Texas Music Museum and pitching in with the Kerrville Folk Festival. Although not quite the same sort of household name as many of his Lone Star compatriot's Livingston recorded several LP at the height of the outlaw scene, and continued to record and perform well into the digital era.

Don Livingston "Livingston's Gone To Texas" (Asco Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Allen Breneman)
This album was recorded in Hollywood, California, with a cover photo showing Livingston hitchhiking outside of Poway, CA, near San Diego. The musicians include Don Livingston on guitar, Robert Livingston on bass, Judd Sandison (pedal steel), Allen Breneman (percussion) and the group Don Diamond & The Demons back him on the album's closing number, a cover of the rock'n'roll oldie, "Teenager In Love." Most of the songs are Livingston originals, though he also covers stuff by George Jones, Gary P. Nunn, John Stewart's "July You're A Woman," and the title track, "Livingston's Gone To Texas," was one of Jimmy Buffett's early tunes.

Don Livingston "Solo" (Asco Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Don Livingston & Gregg Eschench)
A live set, recorded at Reuben's Plankhouse, in San Diego. The set includes a mix of blues, folk, western oldies by the Sons Of The Pioneers, and several Livingston originals.

Longbranch Pennywhistle "Longbranch Pennywhistle" (Amos Records, 1969) (LP)
A pre-Eagles Glenn Frey and songwriter John David Souther formed this late-'60s duo, playing gigs in the nascent SoCal country-rock scene... I haven't heard this one, but I'm sure curious about it...

Stormin' Norman Louis "...And The Cyclones" (Muir Drive Music, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Tiran Porter & Ken Kraft)
Bar-band twang from a terribly sincere Northern California dude who didn't have the greatest voice, but did put his all into making this album. He's sort of in the same mode as folks like Norton Buffalo or Cornell Hurd, just not at the same level musically... There is some nice pedal steel (by "Slippery" John Weston) and session picker Frank Reckerd sits in on one track, "California Cowboy," but otherwise most of the musicians are (to me) unknowns. Nothing here really wowed me, but it's definitely another example of real-folk, country-indie DIY... He seems to have made at least a couple of albums, though there also seems to have been some rivalry with the Stormin' Norman (Zamcheck) who cut some tunes in the '70s, and later started billing himself as "The Real Stormin' Norman." Plus, what about General Schwarzkopf? This could get ugly!

Ola Louise "Most Requested Songs By Ola Louise" (MCR Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Charles Thompson & Jim Spence)
This was the lone album by California singer Ola Louise, a former rodeo pageant queen from Arizona who moved to the Golden State in the 'Fifties and married Paul Westmoreland, a Sacramento-area deejay and country music songwriter best known for the hit song, "Detour." She sings that one here, along with several other Westmoreland tunes and hits of the era such as "Behind Closed Doors," "Me And Bobbie McGee," and Leroy Van Dyke's "The Auctioneer." It's an enjoyable record, even though Ola Louise is sometimes a difficult vocalist -- she doesn't always stay in tune, though I think a lot of this has to do with the problems of low-budget, self-released, DIY recordmaking - no time for re-dos, so some flubs just got left in. But at her best she evokes gal singers such as Loretta Lynn and, more particularly, Liz Anderson, with a rootsy take on the (then)contemporary countrypolitan sound. The backing musicians were pretty good and provided an adequate and reasonably twangy backing -- good examples of the regional pickers working in the Central Valley at the time, though unfortunately they're not listed in the liner notes. Ola Louise also briefly recorded for the Kapp label in the late '60s, although I think she only recorded a couple of singles, neither of which charted. So, here's the recorded legacy of a little-known hillbilly filly who seems to have been in the thick of the California country scene... Anyone have more info about her?

Rose Maddox - see artist discography

Maffitt/Davies "The Rise And Fall Of Honesty" (Capitol Records, 1968)

Maffitt & Davies "October In Oxnard" (Mal Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Kin Vassy)
Yeesh. Ten years after their debut, the Southern California acoustic duo of Clark Maffitt and Brian Davies was still chugging along, but sounding just a little too earnest-folkie for me... Well, actually, way too earnest-folkie for me. A couple of fun songs on here, like the Tom Lehrer-y title track and maybe their cover of Paul Siebel's "Louise," but most of this album is dreadfully serious and lofty, including the muddled "Tribute To Hank Williams," which tries to project too much existential profundity onto Hank, Sr., and lacks musical punch as a result. Not my cup of tea, although I did like Brian Davies' wistful "Wisconsin," which reminds me of Badger State days as well. Definitely the album highlight.

Taj Mahal "Giant Step/De Old Folks At Home" (Columbia Records, 1969)
(Produced by David Rubinson)
This is one of the signature records of my youth, along with all the Beatles albums, Joni Mitchell and the Stones... A magnificent double album, divided into two part, and electrified "pop" disc and an all-acoustic companion which was probably my main introduction to the rich sounds of Delta blues and other acoustic styles. On the "pop" disc there is, of course, Taj Mahal's slyly magical cover of Carole King's "Take A Giant Step," as well as a jaunty run-through of Dave Dudley's country trucker classic "Six Days On The Road" and sexy blues grooves like "You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond" and "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," all of which were staples of 1970s "free form" radio. The early '70s were a peak time for Mahal, and his presence on the hippie music scene was unique, for his mix of styles and cheerful, larger-than-life personality. A more modern remaster of Giant Step is certainly long overdue, but no matter what format you discover this album in, it'll be a joyful revelation.

Taj Mahal "The Hidden Treasures Of Taj Mahal: 1969-1973" (Sony Legacy, 2012)
(Produced by David Rubinson, Jerry Rappaport & Taj Mahal)
This 2-CD odds/ends/outtakes collection draws on the same era as Giant Step, and it is a potent set of groovy, compelling material that will remind old fans of what an amazing musician this guy was... Youngsters will get a lot out of it, too: if you're into those funky jug band/old-timey tunes from the Carolina Chocolate Drops, this guy is their spiritual and musical granddaddy. Disc One unearths a dozen studio session gems featuring the same band that backed Taj on his albums, with alternate versions of beloved oldies, while Disc Two presents a full concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970. The live material tilts towards more upbeat, rock-oriented party material, "boogie rock," they called it at the time, while the studio tracks reveal Mahal's true genius, his visionary balance between acoustic roots music and modern, hippie-era pop -- most notably his use of the bright tones of a dobro guitar as a lead instrument in an electrified music mix. Listening back, I am struck by how much he managed to bypass rock'n'roll altogether, instead fusing deep-roots acoustic music with smouldering soul and serious funk. There are, to be sure, some spaced-out jam-band excesses, but in a good way: the smoky, erotic groove of "Yan-Nah Mama-Loo" and the sizzling, butt-shaking rhythm of "Chainey Do," are pure gold. The tracks at the end of the first disc were produced by New Orleans soul pioneer Allen Toussaint; the best of these is an experimental psychedelic banjo/wah-wah jam on the Appalachian oldie, "Shady Grove," which adds some unexpected twists to of this old-timey chestnut. Perhaps the best news of all is that this album is the herald of a reissue series that will include all of Taj Mahal's old Columbia albums... and a modern remaster of Giant Step is certainly long overdue. I'm looking forward to days to come!

Don Malena "City Boy (197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Don Malena & Scott Seely)
A little bit of a mystery disc here... Singer Don Malena grew up around Bakersfield, California and played in country bands at local dives, most notably with the Bill Woods Band at a joint called the Blackboard Club. Somewhere along the way he tapped into the LA-based Accent label, which moved from pop and easy-listening into a more country-oriented repertoire sometime in the late 'Sixties. Malena released a string of singles on Accent, capped off by this album, which has an early 'Seventies look. (The inclusion of Kris Kristofferson's "Me And Bobby McGee" places it at least from 1969, though judging from his "look," I'd guess 1971-72, or thereabouts.) Anyway, no hits here, among the cover songs and multiple Don Malena compositions, although he did crack the charts over a decade later, with a trio of (very) poppy, very Back Forty country singles on Comstock Records, circa 1986-88. Despite his bland pop leanings later in life, Malena did show real country roots in his earlier work, including some tracks where he gives a pretty decent impersonation of Merle Haggard.

Ray Malus "Country Banquet" (Moebius Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Les Gardner)
A New York City native, singer Ray Malus headed out West and did nightclub gigs in LA for several years, with a set list that included a fair amount of country stuff. This album, which features Malus on keyboards and producer Les Gardner on pedal steel, includes a couple of Kris Kristofferson covers, along with '70s hits like "Margaritaville," "Games People Play," and the Jim Reeves oldie "He'll Have To Go."

Ray Malus "Requestfully Yours" (Moebius Records, 19--?) (LP)

Manassas "Manassas" (Atlantic Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman & Dallas Taylor)
Although it's rightfully given a place in the history of country-rock, the first album by the Stephen Stills/Chris Hillman-led Manassas kicks off with a strong blues/boogie rock sound, drifting into cosmic rock on songs like "How Far," "Both Of Us" and "Move Around" then briefly -- and a little abruptly -- into country songs such as "Colorado," "Fallen Eagle" and "Jesus Gave Love Away For Free." Stills is clearly the guiding force here, bringing into clearer focus the subtle Latino-Caribbean soft-rock groove that would define many of the later CSN hits of the decade... The country stuff features some swell pedal steel by Al Perkins and fairly salty fiddle as well (courtesy of Byron Berline, I believe...) This double LP offers only a handful of true twang tunes for country fans, but they work well in a country-rock mix, and as a classic dino-rock hippie album, this holds up pretty well. Definitely one of Stephen Stills' finest moments.

Manassas "Down The Road" (Atlantic Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman & Dallas Taylor)
This disc was more groove-oriented, and perhaps a bit more druggy and sluggish as well, with Stills sliding into lethargic blues-funk riffs and, more interesting, returning to the groovy Latin-rock of earlier albums. (On "Pensamiento," Al Perkins adds some cool pedal steel licks to the solid salsa arrangement, an experimental touch and a lively track that are highlights of a fairly mundane album. For twangfans, there are a couple of country numbers, the spacey "So Many Times" and the aggressively philosophical "Do You Remember The Americans," an uptempo, bluegrassy number reminiscent of the late '60s Byrds. Not the greatest record ever (the rock-funk stuff is kind of morose and depressing) but there are a few tracks worth checking out. After this, the band broke up -- Chris Hillman had Stills had bigger fish to fry and may have realized that the harmonies with Crosby and Nash were simply better than anything else he was likely to put together with other rockers at the time.

Manassas "Pieces" (Rhino/Eyewall, 2009)
(Produced by Howard Albert, Ron Albert & Stephen Stills)
I suppose, technically, this band -- which featured ex-Byrd Chris Hillman and Crosby Stills & Nash-er Stephen Stills -- counts as a "country rock" forerunner but perhaps it fits more comfortably in a folk-rock/classic rock bracket, of a piece with Stephen Stills' other solo work and his CSN/CSNY years. This album gathers outtakes and alternate versions from the band's brief, 1971-73 lifespan. To be sure, there are some twangy tunes, notably the pedal steel-drenched demo of "Like A Fox" (with Bonnie Raitt singing in the backup chorus!) and covers of "Panhandle Rag," Bill Monroe's "Uncle Pen" and the Joe Maphis classic, "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Loud, Loud Music," as well as some funky rock riffs and a bit of Stills' Latin American flair as well. If you're a Stills/hippie soul fan, you'll want to check this one out.

The Marcy Brothers "Growin' Up Country" (Kam Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Sullivan & The Marcy Brothers)
A bluegrass-flavored family band from Oroville, California, north of Sacramento... The group included brothers Kendal Marcy (banjo and mandolin), Kevin Marcy (lead vocals and guitar) and Kris Marcy (lead guitar), as well as Rick Dugan on bass. Although they used some bluegrass instruments and covered 'grass tunes such as "Rocky Top," "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor," and Jim & Jesse's "Are You Teasing Me," most of their material is distinctly country-oriented, including outlaw anthems such as "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" and country oldies like "Diesel On My Tail" and "Oh, Lonesome Me." This album was totally private-press DIY, but after plugging away for several years, the Marcy Brothers managed to score a major-label contract, and recorded two mainstream Top Forty country albums. They released a handful of singles which charted mostly in the 'back forty, and on their second album in 1991 they recorded the first version of Don Von Tress's "Achy Breaky Heart," which of course became a huge, global hit for Billy Ray Cyrus later that same year. Not sure about the other brothers, but multi-instrumentalist Kendal Marcy stuck it out in show business, and landed a gig playing in Brad Paisley's band.

Martin & Finley "Dazzle 'Em With Footwork" (Motown Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Gaudio)
I'm adding this as a buyer-beware public service, not as a recommendation. It can be hard to tell just looking at the covers with a lot of early '70s albums just how "country" they might be... I had to check this one out because I noticed Lowell George, Carl Jackson and J.D. Maness listed in the studio crew, but as it turns out, I only should have paid attention to one name, producer Bob Gaudio, best known for his work as the keyboardist for the Four Seasons. This is an overblown, top-heavy, self-indulgent and entirely uncompelling '70s pop outing -- yes, there's some banjo and a little slide guitar in there somewhere, but unless you're on the prowl for bad '70s SoCal kitsch, there's really no reason to check this one out.

Sonny Martin "Live In Concert" (K.S.E. Records, 1984)
(Produced by Robert Price)
A California-based singer, hailing from the Santa Ana/Irvine area. The repertoire is mostly cover songs, with two songs credited to G. Gentry that I think are originals: "Let Me Go To Helen When I Die" and "Mail Me Home To Georgia."

Von Mason "Just A Memory" (Phantom Chord, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Dan Mitchell & Von Mason)

A. J. Masters "Every Now And Then" (Bermuda Dunes Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Hinds, Billy Sanford)
A bicoastal cowboy, Arthur Jones Masaracchia (aka A. J. Masters, 1950-2015) was born in New York state but grew up in Southern California, eventually moving to Nashville, which became his home town... Best known as a songwriter, Masters had a slow roll-out of his career, penning some off-the-radar tunes in the 1970s, followed by a brief string of charting singles in the '80s, many of which are included on his first two albums. In the 'Nineties, Masters joined Charlie Rich's touring band and finally found wider success as a mainstream songwriter around the turn of the century, with songs recorded by acts such as Frazier River, Jennifer Hanson and The Oak Ridge Boys. This disc is a pretty slick-sounding set -- as far as I know, it was his only album, although he released several singles after this came out.

Sammy Masters "May The Good Lord Keep And Bless You" (Galahad Records, 1964) (LP)
(Produced by Jan Kurtis, Sammy Masters & Bob Summers)
A rockabilly rebel from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Samuel T. Lawmaster (aka Sammy Masters, 1930-2013) came out west with his family while he was still a kid, and worked in the post-WWII Southern California country scene before getting called up for the Korean War. Afterwards he headed back to the West Coast and cut a few sizzling singles while also trying to break into the booming country music business, finding some limited success as a composer. Masters worked with car salesman and country music entrepreneur Cal Worthington, producing and emceeing Worthington's popular show, Cal's Corral, and later hosted his own program, the Country Music Time variety show on LA's KCOP-TV station, which was his full-time gig when he cut this album of unusually up-tempo, rock-flavored gospel twang. His backing band included lead guitarist Johnny Davis, Clyde Griffin on piano, rhythm guitarist/producer Bob Morris, drummer Jan Kurtis Skugstad, and bass player Pat O'Neill, who also worked with Billy Lee Riley. The arrangements were a little fat-sounding and slick -- sort of like Ernie Ford's early stuff -- but definitely had more bite than your average southern gospel set. Mr. Masters was the owner of the Galahad label, and also released a string of secular singles, as well as 45s by several other guys in his orbit, including an early one by Wayne Kemp. Anyway, if you were on the hunt for some groovy rockabilly gospel tunes...

Sammy Masters "Who Can I Count On" (Frontline Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Don Lee & Bob Kinsey)
Still plugging away in the late 'Seventies, Mr. Masters cut this set of all-original material with the help of longtime LA session pro Don Lee, who produced and arranged this album. Sadly, the backing musicians are not identified, though there's a pretty decent chance that Don Lee was one of the guitar players.

Sammy Masters "Everybody Digs Sammy Masters" (Dionysus Records, 1998) (LP)
(Produced by Deke Dickerson)
During the Americana-era roots revivalism of the 1990s, Sammy Masters was one of many rockabilly old-timers who were brought back to the studio by twang scholar and guitar god Deke Dickerson. Masters is backed by Deke Dickerson and Skip Heller on guitar, as well as another SoCal old-timer, Ray Campi, on bass. The songs are a mix of rock and country oldies, as well as some newer tunes, including a couple by Dave Alvin of the Blasters.

Maxi Maxwell "Interstate 40" (Custom Fidelity, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Burton A. Decker)
I'm not really that into making fun of iffy, obscuro albums or the people who made them, though I have admit that this vanity pressing from the early 1970s probably has to fall into the "so bad, it's good" category, with nods to Mrs. Miller and the Shaggs. It was recorded at Glendale California's vanity-pressing label, Custom Fidelity back in 1972 or '73, (according to the handy Forbidden Eye website -- thanks, fellas!) and other than that, there's not a lot of info to be found on this one. The brief liner notes mention that Maxwell grew up in Tennessee and that she had what sounds like a fairly religious upbringing, though the songs are generally speaking secular country and country-folk material. Maxwell had a pretty thin voice, with a fair amount of echo thrown on it by the producers, so the closest comparison I can come up with is Skeeter Davis, although this session was hardly up to RCA's standards. The backing band is pretty lackadaisical, providing perfunctory accompaniment to a set of nine original songs and a half-dozen covers... There's some decent, though under-recorded pedal steel from a guy named Paul Barfels, who apparently lived on the Central California coast and played a bit locally; it's possible that this is the only record he played on. Anyway, Ms. Maxwell did put her heart into this album and wrote some goofy songs with searching, philosophical lyrics, but there's not really anything on here that's I'd go back and listen to for fun... It's a curio, but hardly an obscuro-country classic.

Tricia May & CaliCo "Mountain Wood" (Special Occasions Ltd., 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Bethuy & Ron Brady)
Southern California's indie country scene was booming in the late 1980s when singer Tricia May Bethuy was named the state's 1988 Female Entertainer Of The Year... She and her band CaliCo toured extensively between 1987-89 and recorded this album with May backed by Peter Climes on banjo and guitar, Skip Edwards (piano), Ray Austin (pedal steel), and Nat Wyner on fiddle. Although the band seems to have had a regional profile, I gotta say the album didn't really live up to my expectations -- the production sound pretty flat, and has a lot in common with "bad" independent pop/rock albums of the era, particularly those coming out of LA in the '80s... I think there were a lot of studio engineers back then who were just punching the clock, and didn't always give their best efforts for folks they perceived as small fry... Plus, the tinny electric guitar riffs favored at the time don't do much for me. Ms. May's vocals also seem a bit clunky, though that may partly have been because of the band's Top Forty inclinations, with a preference for slower and mid-tempo ballads, which often can expose a singer's limitations... There are hints that the band had more dynamism playing live, notably on up-tempo tracks such as "Lonely Country Folk," and on the album's perky closing number, "Hands On Your Heart," May hits a more comfortable, folk-pop mode that brings her line with '80s country gals like Nanci Griffith or Kathy Mattea. I'm not sure what happened to these folks after this album came out... they also put out a few singles, including some earlier recordings. Most of the songs were written by Dennis Bethuy -- who I think was her husband -- and he seems to have moved to Nashville and settled down there. Although this isn't an album I'd go back to very often, it is a nice snapshot of an 'Eighties band with big hopes, one of many working at the same level.

Maynard & McEwen "Keep Off The Grass" (Rural Rhythm Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Uncle Jim O'Neal)
A very pleasant set of lively, good-natured longhaired country-rock twang, with strong folk and bluegrass influences... very unlike your typical Rural Rhythm album! The Southern California duo of Richard McEwen and Tom Kuehl (aka Cowboy Maynard) swap lead vocals from song to song and get some nice assists from pickers such as pedal steel player Jim Rice (of the Brush Arbor band), banjoist Dennis Coats and fiddler Byron Berline. Maynard & McEwen had previously been in the band Aunt Dinah's Quilting Party, and various other projects, but this disc is certainly a gem in and of itself, a nice mix of traditional and progressive twang, with a distinctive feel that's not quite that easy to pin down. Recommended!

Chuck McCabe "Live At The Woodshed" (Woodshed Records, 1972) (LP)

Chuck McCabe "Pensacola Flash" (Woodshed Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Cass & Chuck McCabe)
California twangster Chuck McCabe (1944-2010) played in several late '60s rock bands, notably Six Penny Opera and Phoenix, and who worked as a staff writer for ABC Records in Los Angeles. Originally from San Jose, McCabe later moved up north of San Francisco, but continued to make new music well into the 21st Century, shifting into a more folk-oriented singer-songwriter mode, while mentored many aspiring songwriters over the years. This is a fun album, packed with original material; the best stuff is on Side One, which opens with the cheerful country funk of "Chicken Dinner At The Firehouse" and also includes the delightful novelty number, "Our House," which I guess I must have heard years ago on KFAT radio. The rest of the record is more of a mixed bag, starting with "You'll Never Be Lonely With Suzanne," which seems to be a whore-with-a-heart-of-gold ballad, ala Paul Siebel's "Louise," and other songs meander a bit, like the spacey swamp-funk of "Alligator," and nothing on Side Two really matches the charm of the album's beginning. Still, there's some nice stuff on here... definitely worth keeping on your radar. McCabe also released several CDs, decades later in the digital era.

Mary McCaslin & Jim Ringer -- see artist profile

Jody McCauley & His Country Cousins "Grandma's Hill" (World Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Leahy)
Playing a lot of original material, San Francisco Bay Area pedal steel player Jody McCauley is joined by the Bob Meighan Band, a talented but low-key crew, including folks like singers Red Murrell and Buddy Wheeler, and some banjo licks by bluegrasser Elmo Shropshire (later of Patsy & Elmo "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" infamy...) A decade earlier, McCauley had been playing a gig backing Truitt Cunningham as part of the house band for the Red Garter nightclub, in Folsom, California.

Cowboy Joe McConkey "Cowboys And Indians" (Playground Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Producer not listed)
A crudely-hewn children's album featuring songs and recitations by "Cowboy" Joe McConkey, a modestly musical fella who remains a figure of mystery despite a brief but earnest online search. There's no date on this off-brand, budget-line LP, nor any info about the producer or any musicians that may have been backing Cowboy Joe. Made in Hollywood, it's a reasonably entertaining album in the same vein as similar discs from Gene Autry, Frank Luther and Roy Rogers, with its main distinction being McConkey's rough, chunky presentation. I'm guessing this came out in the early, Kennedy-era 'Sixties, since Joel P. McConkey filed a bunch of song copyrights around 1960-61 and the LP liner notes mention that two of these tracks -- "Little Wahoo" and "The Legend Of Crystal Rock" -- were his own compositions. McConkey seems to have been involved in the postwar hillbilly scene: on March 6, 1948, Billboard mentioned him playing in a band called the Eagle Pass Rangers, along with Zeb Carver and his son, steel player Jody Carver, holding down a radio show on WSLB, Ogsdenburg, New York. He also released at least a couple of singles under his own name, including "Angelina"/"I Wrote A Letter," on the Empala label, which was based in Hollywood. As far as I can tell, McConkey didn't work in the film industry, although the album informs us he was a "singer, musician, composer, broncbuster, roper, knife-thrower, crackshot, champ rider and soldier - a man of many talents."

Ron McCranie & The Three Gents "A Salute To George Jones" (Western News Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Sweeney & Roy Ward)
This album was sponsored by a country music fanzine/newspaper based in Vacaville, California called Western News. They heard about singer Ron McCranie from Capitol Records star Stoney Edwards, whose manager, Ray Sweeney produced this album. The set list is all cover songs -- "The Race Is On," "White Lightning," "Window Up Above," et. al. -- along with one original, a George Jones tribute song, "That Jones Boy From Texas," written by McCranie. The backing band was a little wild and galloping, with steel player Carlos Claveria and fiddler Huck Fields, but Ron McCranie still emerges as pleasantly robust singer, capable and resonant and pretty good at imitating Jones' intonation and style. There are a few rough edges in his phrasing, but I think the producers of this album were right: he really could have made it, if given the right breaks. A nice record!

Rod McEuen "McEuen Country" (Warner Brothers, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Wade Alexander, Bob Kovatch & Rod McEuen)
Sure... why not? Amid his insanely prolific recording career, poet/songwriter Rod McEuen (1933-2015) took a little time to stop and smell the twang, including this mid-'70s set, which has a few well-chosen covers ("Guess I'd Rather Be In Colorado," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Silver Threads And Golden Needles") and a bunch of stuff he wrote. The studio musicians are mostly pop music pros, along with some country ringers like Glen Campbell, Roy Clark and Sneaky Pete Kleinow, as well as cameos by folkies such as Barry McGuire and Pete Seeger.

Big Jim McDonald "Gettin' Free" (Bridge Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Vest, John Boyd & Al McGuire)
Christian country by a guy from Camino, California, near Sacramento... The musicians are not listed, but this was recorded at LSI Studios in Nashville, so it seems likely McDonald is backed by a bunch of Music City pros. Bridge Records was an imprint of the Chapel label, a Christian music powerhouse from Mountain View, CA.

Sharon McDowell "Songs Of Love And Praise" (Benson Sound, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Benson)
This country-gospel singer from Merced, California headed back East to Oklahoma to record an album at the Benson Sound studios, with Okie artists such as Benny Kubiak on fiddle, label owner Larry Benson playing piano, and Billy Walker on lead guitar and Jerry Hall playing steel. The songs are all originals, almost all of them written by Mrs. McDowell, including some written or co-written with her husband and daughter. The arrangements vary between swooping string arrangements and genuine twang -- the Benson Sound label specialized in independent gospel artists -- and some tracks have a genuinely weird feel to them. This is an anthemic, super-Jesus-y, 700 Club-ish album, though what makes it interesting (and a bit kitschy) is McDowell's thick, ultra-rural voice -- this gal was country, even if her music was more old-school Contemporary Christian. Still, some nice pedal steel and chicken-pickin' on some of the tracks... so maybe it's "country" enough.

John McEuen - see artist discography

Ron McFarlin "Ron McFarlin" (Round Robin Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Bo Drummer)
This guy is a favorite of the whole "outsider art," laugh-at-song-poem-records crowd... Partly I think his notoriety comes from his having recorded in Los Angeles, heart of all that is irony-driven and seedy-worshipping, but also because the content matter is compelling: McFarlin's ragged, disjointed barfly ballads had kind of a Bukowski-with-twang tang... Ron McFarlin released at least three song-poem albums, two of them self-titled, documenting a certain strata of Los Angeles cheesiness... Apparently he was born in Texas and lived in Pinconning, Michigan... According to the liner notes, his mom paid to get the record made... you don't get much more indie than that!

Ron McFarlin "Vagabond At Heart" (Round Robin Records, 197--?) (LP)

Ron McFarlin "Ron McFarlin" (Round Robin Records, 197--?) (LP)
This was his third (and final?) album, also self-titled...

Alan McGill "Sings Words And Music By Roy Rogers" (Sacred Records, 19--?) (LP)
A Southern gospel/Christian country set, drawing on the work of cowboy movie icon Roy Rogers... Baritone Alan McGill was originally from Maryland, but worked out west as "an active part of the Hollywood Christian group, among whom are Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Jimmie Dodd and Redd Harper," in the words of the local Long Beach Press-Telegram. In his late-1950s/1960s heyday McGill released several albums and toured widely. This is probably one of his more "country" records.

Don McGinnis "Travelin' Light" (Numero Group, 2018)
A swell set of half groovy/half goofy country stuff from singer-guitarist Don McGinnis, who seems to have been in the orbit of Hollywood cowboys such as Hal Southern, and released a string of late '60s/early '70s singles on the Reena Records label, which was located in Los Angeles. Details on his career are scant -- I'm not sure if he's the same Don McGinnis who went into pop and rock production, as well as composing and arranging for film and TV. Maybe. Anyway, this is a collection of his country records, ranging from post-Jim Reeves-ish ballads (and Jim Ed Brown-ian echoes of the Jim Reeves style) to weirder, more novelty oriented material. There are contending influences in these recordings -- the predominant feel is of early countrypolitan, the ambitious melodies and overwrought, often clunky lyrics, but there's an undercurrent of the budding SoCal country-rock scene as well... I couldn't find any info about who was backing McGinnis on these records, but it seems likely that some of the guys in his "Cactus Cut-Ups" band were from the underemployed longhair session pickers that did budget-label work-for-hire, folks like Dennis Payne or Jerry Cole. (McGinnis and the Cut-Ups also cut a super-Bakersfield-y duet with Joe McGinnis, who I assume was his brother. Joe McGinnis is the only other musician I've identified so far in the Cut-Ups crew...) At any rate, this is a very interesting collection. It may take a while to settle into McGinnis's imperfect but highly individual style, and while some tracks seem a little too barouque, there are definite winners, such as the haunting "Memory Bound," as well as "Paying The Price," an over-the-top novelty number with a dark, gothic flair that would make Porter Wagoner proud. The Numero album is digital only, alas, but still pretty fun, and definitely easier to track down than the original singles.

Delbert McGrath "Country Fiddle In Bluegrass" (Custom Fidelity Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dee H. Keener)
A super-obscuro private twang set from Northern California, undated, but probably from the late 1960s or early 'Seventies. Delbert Winton McGrath (1918-2003) was a Missouri native who moved to Sacramento after a youth spent playing at local Ozark barndances and whatnot. His first recordings were made for the Library Of Congress, way back in 1942, and after moving to the West Coast he participated in several fiddling contests, and won the California state fiddling championship in 1967, a triumph which may have been the impetus for this album. A few of his performances were also captured by Vivian Williams's influential Voyager label, and are now digitally archived at Smithsonian-Folkways. Also on this album is his pal, guitarist Roscoe Keithley, who also grew up in Taney Country, MO and was a close family friend, as well as former Oklahoman Floyd "Blackie" Popejoy, and finally the much younger Keith Little, an eighteen year-old banjo picker from Georgetown, California. The liner notes say that Little had a band of his own at the time, though he later played with bluegrass luminaries such as David Grisman and traditionalist Vern Williams; this may have been Keith Little's first recording. Likewise, the liners inform us that old-time fiddler (and bassist) Blackie Popejoy played with a lot of other artists, including western swing gigs on radio and various local venues: according to the newsletter of the Western Swing Society, Mr. Popejoy led a group called the Starlight Melody Boys, back in the 1940s and early 'Fifties... He was probably working with the Hall Brothers and their band, The Wild Bunch around the time this album came out. Also worth noting: Del McGrath was a founding member of the California Old Time Fiddlers Association.

Delbert McGrath "Delbert McGrath And His Wyoming Horsethieves" (McGrath Music, 1990-?) (cassette)
(Produced by Hank Alrich & Ferrel McGrath)
Mr. McGrath was still living in Sacramento when he cut this much-later set of bluegrass and old-timey tunes, which apparently only came out on cassette. The small ensemble included Delbert McGrath on fiddle, along with Al Aubin (fiddle), Charles Gray (guitar and vocals), Thelma Gray (vocals) and Coleman Raglan on guitar.

Vern McKee & The Hard Time Band "Fathers And Sons" (Blue Denim Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Robert Blank)
This album was recorded in Vacaville prison, where Vern McKee was a long-term inmate, having been sentenced for murder in 1972. In the late '70s McKee was one of the prisoners involved in helping convince the California Arts Council to create an arts program for the prison system, and helped organize arts programs inside Vacaville. This is an album of all-original material, some of it quite good actually, with desolate lyrics that are more insightful about prison life than many country records that cover similar territory. McKee had a good voice for country, a little thin, but expressive and with some real twang to it. The album includes one track by Steve Grogan, a Manson family member who was in Vacaville at the time, and who also plays lead guitar throughout the album. They slip into hippie/Southern rock jam-band mode from time to time, but for the most part this a more compelling record than you might imagine.

Sharon McKnight "Another Side Of Sharon McKnight" (Glendale Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Dominguez, John Kniest & Sharon McKnight)
At the time this album was made, singer Sharon McKnight was a star on the San Francisco cabaret scene, but years away from her Broadway breakthrough... Still, she was far enough into her career to make fun of herself by "going country," or as she put it, getting back to her roots ("Modesto, not brunette") and dip into a bit of twang. The songs include "Put A Nickel In The Jukebox And Bring Back Patti Page," "Tapedeck In His Tractor" (written by Ronee Blakely) "Stand By Your Man" and, interestingly enough, Mickey Gilley's "Don't The Girls All Get Prettier At Closing Time." The band includes Bay Area roots music stalwart Don McClellan on steel guitar. I'm sad to say, though, that this all sounds better on paper than on my turntable -- McKnight takes most of the twangtunes at a cow-punky gallop, either belting or rat-tat-tatting out the lyrics, occasionally with odd micro-phrasings which I guess are tell-tales of her jazz/show-tunes background. At any rate, even though she's fully committed to her performances, she doesn't seem to have enough of an affinity for the material to give it a more relaxed, emotionally resonant reading, and is basically picking up where Carol Channing left off with her own late-'Seventies country forays. Strong musicianship backing her up, but not much here I'd want to revisit.

Rod McKuen "McKuen Country" (Warner Brothers, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Wade Alexander, Bob Kovatch & Rod McEuen)
Sure... why not? Amid his insanely prolific recording career, poet/songwriter Rod McKuen (1933-2015) took a little time to stop and smell the twang, including this mid-'70s set, which has a few well-chosen covers ("Guess I'd Rather Be In Colorado," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Silver Threads And Golden Needles") and a bunch of stuff he wrote. The studio musicians are mostly pop music pros, along with some country ringers like Glen Campbell, Roy Clark and Sneaky Pete Kleinow, as well as cameos by folkies such as Barry McGuire and Pete Seeger.

Ray McLain "Reflections: Introducing Ray McLain" (Rayco Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Leahy)
This one looks pretty iffy, though there is definitely some legit country material in the repertoire. Mr. McLain was apparently originally from Ohio -- his back-cover bio says he graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, then headed to New York to seek fame and fortune on Broadway. He was in a vocal group called the Savoir Faires (though as far as I can tell they never recorded anything) and later headed out to Hollywood. He was living in Palm Springs, California when he started up his own record label, Rayco Records, which released a few singles as well as these two LPs. I'm not sure if McLain ever performed as a lounge act or whatever. The country content is fairly minimal, covers of a few big hits, such as "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "For The Good Times" and "Release Me," amid pop vocal standards such as "My Way" and some pop-folk tunes like "Everybody's Talkin'," and "Leaving On A Jet Plane." There's no date on this disc, but from the set list, it could be anywhere from around 1968 to 1970 or so...

Ray McLain & Eileen Preston "Lonesome Road" (Rayco Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Leahy)
Another dubious disc (at least from the viewpoint of a twangfan), although there is definitely some legit country tunes in the repertoire, again, mixed with fairly standard-issue pop and folk material. The song list includes "Streets Of Laredo," "Green Green Grass Of Home," "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Lonely Street," along with "Amazing Grace, "Feelings," etc. The liner notes rehash Mr. McLain's bio in a way that makes me suspect (along with the choice of material) that this came out not long after the first album. Here we also meet aspiring actress/singer Eileen Preston, a young gal from Orlando, Florida, who moved to LA to become "a Powers model," which meant she was under contract to the John Robert Powers Agency, a fairly sketchy organization which specialized in getting pretty girls work in the film industry... or at least promising to. The liner notes brightly inform us that Preston and McLain are backed by "California's finest musical craftsmen," but neglect to give us any names.

Terry Melcher "Terry Melcher" (Reprise Records, 1974) (LP)
Okay, this isn't exactly what you'd call a "roots" or "Americana" album, but since revered superpickers like David Bromberg, Ry Cooder and Jay Dee Maness were part of the studio crew, and since the music itself has an odd, obliquely hinted-at twangitude, I figure it'll do. What this is, actually, is a fascinating and unique pop album from a remarkable show-biz insider. To begin with, Terry Melcher -- who passed away in November, '04 -- was Doris Day's son (and bore a striking resemblance to her...) which couldn't have hurt when he threaded his way through the thickets of the L.A. music machine... Melcher scored his first hits as a surf music songwriter, then landed a staff job as a producer at Columbia, where he helped mould the early sounds of the Byrds, among others. This is one of only two albums he recorded under his own name, and it's pretty interesting. Melcher's attentuated, half-whiny vocals bring to mind the likes of Jonathan Edwards and Jesse Colin Young, but his musical approach is much denser and more orchestral, making full use of the studio magic at his disposal. His warped reworking of roots music oldies like "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms" and "Stagger Lee," not to mention his bleak, opiated version of Jackson Browne's "These Days" all make this an album well worth tracking down. Recommended.

Terry Melcher "Royal Flush" (RCA, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Bruce Johnson & Terry Melcher)
This moody, multilayered album is perhaps the perfect distillation of the Los Angeles pop/country-rock style, made by one of the city's cultural movers and shakers who most helped shape the sound he's satirizing so effectively here. It's a concept album of sorts, about cosmic-cowboy stoners going for a long lost weekend to party or perhaps sink themselves into oblivion in Mexico, which will forever be the cultural and historical mirror image and motherland of Anglo-dominated LA... There are a lot of songs that ring true here, perfectly capturing certain fragments of the Southern California mindset, particularly "Freeway Close" and "Rebecca," which define romance and reality in terms of traffic and roadways, the humorously cynical "High Rollers," which savagely lampoons the Top Forty-wannabees of the '70s country-rock scene, as well as the more sinister "Down In Mexico," which has a sludgy, swampy density that anticipates the Tom Waits of years to come. This isn't an easy album, but its self-indulgences seem purposeful and perceptive, with arrows that hit home more often than not. Plus, with musical contributions from folks like Red Rhodes, JD Maness, Van Dyke Parks (along with a large, more rock-oriented studio crew) there's some cool music behind the rather bleak, depressing lyrics. One wonders how much Melcher's brush with the Manson Family, years earlier, had to do with the darkness of his musical vision, and how much of it was just plain old show-biz cynicism. At any rate, this is a distinctive entry in the SoCal cowboy sound... definitely worth a spin!

Marty Merchant & Country Joe Navarro "Heart Beat Country #3" (Fresville Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Marty Merchant)
A nice, earnest set of country covers from Fresno, California... According to the liner notes, these two were not normally a duo -- Joe Navarro asked Ms. Merchant to contribute a song to a movie he was making, and they later decided to record an album together. That song, "Ballad Of Joaquin Murietta," kicks the record off, and then they coast into a series of song swaps, each taking lead vocals on alternating tracks. Merchant had kind of an underlying pop-vocals style, with hints of Doris Day and Patsy Cline in her phrasing and tone, while Navarro was an unabashed fan of Freddy Fender's chicano country style. Neither one was going to take Nashville by storm, but they do okay and the backing musicians -- sadly uncredited -- were pretty good, particularly the pedal steel player. The Fresville label was owned by Marty Merchant -- she released at least two other albums under that name, and lived in Fresno for many years after, before retiring to North Carolina. Joe Navarro, who had been in Fresno's late-1960s, latino garage-rock band called The Misfits, also released at least two country singles under his own name, on the Fresno-based California Artists Corporation. He died pretty young, though, in 1988, while still in his forties.

Marty Merchant "#10 N Country" (Fresville Records, 1980) (LP)

Marty Merchant "Christmas Country Style" (Fresville Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Ruff & Randy Nicklaus)
Ho-ho-ho! I'm not exactly sure when this one came out, but since it includes the novelty number, "ET's Helping Santa," I'd say it was sometime after the summer of 1982... Ms. Merchant seems to have gone to LA to record this one, working at the Oak Records studio of producer Ray Ruff. The studio band included Al Bruno on guitar, Jerry Cole playing bass, Brad Felton playing pedal steel, John Mauceri on drums, and perhaps most intriguing, vocals by top forty back-bencher (and Ray Ruff's wife) Stephanie Winslow, whose own career was peaking at the time. Apparently this album also came with a bonus 7" single -- and, yeah, she recycled the same cover photo from her previous LP. Why not?

Danny Michaels & His Rebel Playboys "On The Bandstand" (Chambers/Vistone Records, 1965-?) (LP)
A fairly schmaltzy vocalist who was big on the Southern California country scene in the early 1960s... According to the liner notes, singer-guitarist Danny Michaels grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and was a child star starting at age five; he performed on the Jesse Rogers show on radio station WHB. At some point he moved out west and led his band, the Rebel Playboys, as the house band at a club called George's Roundup, in Long Beach, which is where this (apparently) live album was recorded. Michaels covers country oldies such as "This Cold War With You" as well as some pop stuff and several instrumentals. Perhaps most notable are two songs that were released in studio versions as a single, "Bourbon Street" and the super-bouncy, Bakersfield-influenced "Super Pain," which was an amazing 7" single, but a little less punchy in this live version. Likewise, his cover of Ray Charles' "What I Say" doesn't quite bring the house down, but you get where he was headed. I can't say as a twangfan I was really wowed by this LP, though it has a certain authenticity that's kind of groovy, even if Michaels seems more like a surf-adjacent go-go club popster at times. It's mostly the lackadaisical vocals that put me off, although apparently he was a hotshot picker, with a custom-made double-neck guitar, ala Joe Maphis and Larry Collins. Michaels and his band were pretty popular around LA and environs -- in addition to the gig at George's -- which was simulcast on radio station KFOX -- they frequently appeared on KTLA-TV's country show, Cal's Corral, a long-running program hosted by car salesman Cal Worthington. The version of the band backing him on this album included Ron Kent on bass, drummer Billy Jay Nixon, and steel player Jimmy Stevens, along with guest musicians Al Brown, Jack Downes, Clyde Griffin and Joe Pope. Also: dig club owner George Underwood's gold-plated Lincoln Continental and Harley hog pictured on the front cover of the album: eat yer heart out, Webb Pierce!

Danny Michaels & His Rebel Playboys "Goes Middle Country" (Vistone Records, 19--?) (LP)
Well, darn. I mean, he looks all cool, holding that ginormous, lavender-colored double-neck electric guitar on the front cover, but overall Mr. Michaels comes off as pretty callow and much less badass than one might hope. This late-1960s set features the self-described "Mr. Versatility" playing a bunch of covers of contemporary hits such as "Little Green Apples," "Harper Valley PTA," "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "Classical Gas," and even a cover of Conway Twitty's "I Don't Want To Be With Me," but no originals as far as I can tell. Danny Michaels was a fixture on the Southern California country-rock scene, but to be honest this is a pretty underwhelming album -- his vocals are thin and a bit tremulous, and though he does deliver some fast guitar licks, they lack gravitas and heft. A nice souvenir of the old days in Hollywood, but don't get your hopes up too high. The backing band included Bob Boyd, Al Brown, Randy Price and Jerry Stevens, guys who may have been veterans of an earlier era in California country, though I haven't tracked down their stories as of yet.

Danny Michaels & His Rebel Playboys "Big Time Operator" (Redwood Records, 19--?) (LP)

Danny Michaels "...Sings Goin' Home" (Shasta Records, 197--?) (LP)
According to the liner notes by label owner Jimmy Wakely, singer Danny Michaels had been playing the same gig in Southern California for the last thirteen years by the time he cut this record, leading the Rebel Playboys band at a supper club called George's Roundup, in Long Beach, California. Michaels also apparently worked as the club's co-manager, and was pretty well known on the SoCal country scene. Superpicker James Burton plays on this disc -- at least on the title track, "Goiin' Home," which was a newly-written original credited to Wakely. Other tracks include covers of classics such as "Blue Moon Of Kentucky," "Cryin' Time," "Kaliga," "Statue Of A Fool," and of course, the inevitable cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Me And Bobby McGee." Sadly, no info on who else might have been on this album.

The Miller Brothers Band "Here's To The Women" (No Bull Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Wiggins & The Miller Brothers)
These fellas are different from the other Miller Brothers bands out there (and there are several...) Jeffrey Allen Miller and Lowell Thomas Miller were originally from Burrville, Tennessee but moved to California, where they played gigs in the early '80s in the San Francisco Bay Area. This album, which is packed with original material, came out on a label from San Rafael, CA.

Monte Mills "Sings Old Favorites" (Horseshoe Records) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Mooney)

Monte Mills "Second Album" (Horseshoe Records 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Sutton)

Monte Mills "Steam And Steel" (Lucky Horseshoe Records, 19--?) (LP)

Milwaukee Iron "Milwaukee Iron" (Sutton Studios, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Sutton)
This motorcycle-oriented twangband was from Shell Beach, California, near Atascadero -- a favorite haunt of West Coast bikers. They wrote a bunch of party-hardy vroom-vroom tunes for this album, including "Get Down Biker Music," "If I've Ever Seen A Biker He Is I," "Harley Song," "Cheesy Rider" and the somewhat less-charmingly titled "Jerk Me Off." The main talents in the group were multi-instrumentalist Peter Morin (who played lead guitar, pedal steel, banjo, mandolin and slide) and the singer and main songwriter who was identified only as Rogene, and who I guess is the gal pictured on the cover with her hog up on an oceanside bluff, as well as rhythm guitarist John Bushnell, who also sings lead on the few tunes.

Billy Mize - see artist discography

Moby Grape "Moby Grape" (Columbia Records, 1967)
(Produced by David Rubinson)
One of the most musically accomplished (and coolest-named) of the big-ticket bands from the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene, Moby Grape have not fared well over the years in terms of the availability of their music. Their manager royally screwed them, taking both the rights to their records and to the band's name itself, and because of endless legal wrangling their records were unavailable for most of the CD era, and the editions that have come out have been bitter disappointments to fans. That's particularly true in the case of their brilliant debut, a record that consistently surprises me because of its high content of true twang. Of course, a lot of the San Francisco bands wove country and folk themes into their work, many having cut their teeth as jug band blues groups, or bluegrass pickers (or both) but the early Moby Grape albums were packed with a brand of full-on twang that I would consider one of the first real forerunners of the rock/twang brand of "Americana" that became popular in the 1980s and '90s. It's great stuff, with lots of odd, catchy songs, a lively sense of humor and great musicianship. Alas, the evil ex-manager has only reissued this debut album in what many fans consider an inferior edition -- low budget, high-priced, some would say poorly remastered -- and other records remain in limbo as well. It won't last forever, but it is amazing that this great band's best work has largely eluded proper reissue during the entire length of the great digital reissue boom of the last few decades. Still totally worth checking out, though -- every time I hear this album, I am amazed at how good it is and how well it stands the test of time. And how "country" it is!

Moby Grape "Vintage: The Very Best Of Moby Grape" (Sundazed Records, 1993)

The Modern Country Friends "Country-Politan" (Alshire Records, 1969-?) (LP)
Some kinda kookie country-funk instrumental album from an anonymous "band" in the orbit of the Southern California cheapo-indie, exploito-label Alshire Records. The musicians aren't identified, but are likely drawn from Gary S. Paxton's motley crew of longhairs and Okies that were clustered around the Sunset Strip country-rock scene; some sources say this group was anchored by country-bluegrass guitarist Clarence White. There's an obvious Booker T./Bill Black R&B influence on tracks like "Green Chili," "Organized," "Nashville-Detroit Spiritual" and "Soul Greens"... These tracks may have originally been outtakes from the guys farting around and jamming on sound-alike sessions, but fans of other fake bands such as the California Poppy Pickers will probably dig this as well. Plus, what great album art: if the two gals posed on the cover with sax and guitar were actually playing on this album, it would be even cooler.

Jim Monigold "Idaho Jim" (Luram Records, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Sal Marullo)
This album was recorded in Monterey, California which was Jim Monigold's old stomping ground before a move to Idaho... As a teen in 1960's Salinas, Monigold played in local rock bands such as the surfy/garagey Fisher Brothers, who recorded a couple of major label singles. Later on he transformed himself into a twangy, country-oriented troubadour... He wrote the title track in honor of his new locale -- Monigold wrote four songs on here, with another original by drummer/producer Sal Marullo, along with covers of Willie Nelson's "Night Life" and the Band's big hit, "The Weight," as well as Jan Crutchfield's "It Turns Me Inside Out," which was Lee Greenwood's first big hit. Later, Monigold moved to Tennessee where he tried to hustle up work as a session player... He passed away in 2011.

Montezuma's Revenge "First Run" (Prune Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Compton & Montezuma's Revenge)
This San Diego-area longhair twang band specialized in novelty songs, almost uniformly of a puerile, sex-joke or fart-joke or poop-joke variety. They were sort of Southern California's answer to Chuck Wagon & The Wheels, though with a much narrower range of song topics. The song "Spring Valley Sally" refers to their hometown of Spring Valley, CA, which is in some hot, desert-y locale.

Montezuma's Revenge "Royal Flush - Live" (Prune Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Jeff Johnson)
This live album opens on a sour note, their cheerfully homophobic "Ballad Of Bengue," which conflates homosexuality, prostitution and S&M, with the lead vocals sung in a mincey "gay" accent. Now, I'm not saying that there are no kinky gay prostitutes in the world (particularly around San Diego...) but writing a novelty song about one for a faux-country album... Well, it's a little less than ideal. Plus, it's not a very funny song. Things get better on the banjodelic "Tomorrow I'm On My Way," then go sideways again with the dreadful oldies medley that takes up the remainder of Side One: "Wipeout," "Tequila," "Wooley Bully," etc. It was probably fun at the time, but it doesn't stand the test of the time... particularly when they start queer-bashing again, on "Surfer Joe," calling the fictional Joe a limp-wristed hairdresser, etc. What dicks. And it keeps going: there's also the Jose Jimenez-style "Messikin" accent on "Gringo" (briefly reprised on their jokey rendition of "El Paso"...) The best that can be said for this album, perhaps, is that it's not as mired in poop and fart jokes as their earlier albums, but it's still pretty infantile. These were guys who didn't know when the joke wasn't funny... in a big way. But, whatever. Their fans seemed to have been enjoying themselves, so I guess if you drink enough beer, just about anything seems funny.

Montezuma's Revenge "Suite Revenge" (Prune Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Montezuma's Revenge)
Along with a tune called "The Peeping Tom," this includes a thirteen-minute long variation of "Orange Blossom Special." Seems like maybe they mellowed out a little...

Daniel Moore "Daniel Moore" (ABC-Dunhill Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Daniel Moore)
At its best, this album is one of those weird, wonderful, eclectic albums from the early 'Seventies, blending country vibes with Muscle Shoals white soul and a heavy dose of churchy black gospel. There's also a fair amount of sludgy-yet-melodic boogie-blue rock with a post-Beatles McCartney vibe... Or perhaps more of a Ringo kinda sound. This doesn't all wow me, but there are a few tunes worth tracking from a twangfan's perspective, particularly with pickers such as T-Bone Burnett, Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Don Preston chiming in, as well as Chris Ethridge of the Flying Burrito Brothers. "May 16 - 75" is an album highlight, as is "Sweet Love Song To My Soul," even though he lays it on a bit thick there. (Worth noting: Originally from Idaho, Daniel Moore was the brother of LA-based rock songwriter Matthew Moore, who plays keyboards and contributes a couple of songs here. The Moores played together for years, including a string of edgy garage-psych bands, dating back to the mid-1960s, including the Plymouth Rockers, and The Matthew Moore Plus Four; Matthew also recorded a solo album or two of his own, though country fans need not track those discs down.)

Chuck Morgan & The Front Page "Play And Sing Twelve Original Songs" (Alshire Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Gib Guilbeau and Thad Maxwell) (?)
A dozen originals penned by Charles R. Morgan, a SoCal twangster who at the time was a resident of Palmdale, California. Morgan was in the thick of things in the SoCal country-rock scene, playing tons of club dates and whatnot, falling in with the constantly rotating members of the Flying Burrito Brothers extended, ever-amorphous lineup. Around 1970, Morgan played keyboards in a band called The Reasons, led by fiddler Gib Gilbeau and Wayne Moore of the band Swampwater, and he probably did pick-up work at Gary S. Paxton's studio and for Alshire Records. Although there are no musician or producer credits on this album, a fan site says Gilbeau and Thad Maxwell play on here, and tunes like "Cajun Red" certainly make good use of Gilbeau's cajun fiddling riffs. The Front Page lineup is also said to have recorded some slew of cheapie-label cover songs, working under the name "Lowell Bennett," though these sessions apparently went unreleased, so this album is probably the closest we'll get to hearing what they were like. Pretty durn twangy though also with an early 'Seventies see-what-sticks vibe as well. Hints of Bakersfield-y Buck Owens and novelty-number Jerry Reed, as well a bit of countrypolitan Roy Orbison, and plenty of forlorn, patched-jeans weepers. Dunno what happened to this guy later on. Maybe he made it to Nashville? Anyway, this is a nice slice of hippie-era indie SoCal twang, plenty of un-mined originals to chew through here.

Bob Morley "Through A Glass, Darkly" (Jewel Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Reggie Wallace)
Contemplative Christian folkie Bob Morely was from Anaheim, California though his record came out on the Cincinnati-based Jewel label... Although he does have a guy (Bruce Andrews) playing banjo, this album is not as country-flavored as the one below... In addition to some original material, Morely covers a few inspirationally-themed pop songs, including "Morning Has Broken," "The Boxer" and "Lean On Me."

Bob Morley "At Home In The World" (Jewel Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Harry Urschel)
This album has a more overt twang factor, with steel guitar licks by Chuck Rich, and Jewel Records label owner Rusty York playing banjo and dobro on the sessions... Once again, Morely mixes his own songs with pop covers such as versions of "Desperado," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "I Can See Clearly Now." He was still in Southern California, moving from Anaheim to the adjacent town of Yorba Linda -- Morely made numerous other albums, though most probably don't fit into this alt-country guide.

Stella Bayes Morris & The Romaniuk Family "The Romaniuk Family And Stella Bayes Morris" (Old Homestead/World Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by John Morris & Garry McDonall)
Stella Bayes Morris was a sister-in-law of country legend Sara Carter, whose classic Depression-era recordings inspired the Canadian family band, the Romaniuks. Stella Bayes lived in Lockeford, California (near Stockton) and was one of the many inheritors of the Carter tradition, and had heard from her relative about the time back in 1971 when Ed Romaniuk made a pilgrimage out to California to meet Sara Carter. They wound up jamming together on a few songs, and years later this meeting led to this album where once again the two families collaborated on the music they loved... The album's repertoire is a mix of their originals, hers, and a few oldies, with Ed Romaniuk playing the autoharp and guitar, Ann Romaniuk on harmonica and Canadian fiddler Bob Fraser chiming in as well. This album was also issued in Canada under the title Country Echoes.

George Morrow "Too Much Country And Other Country Songs" (Sound Records, 1979) (LP)

Christina (Moseley) "What The World Needs Now Is Love" (Moseley Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Moseley & Semie Moseley)
A country(politan) gospel album with nods towards contemporary hits, including covers of Burt Bacharach's "What The World Needs Now Is Love" and the Carpenters' "Top Of The World." The backing band includes Southern California session guitarist Dennis Payne, as well as Paul Dobbs on steel and Jelly Saunders playing fiddle. Christina was married to Semie Moseley, one of the album's producers and co-owner of the Moseley Studios in Bakersfield.

Semie Moseley "I'm Standing Taller" (Moseley Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Semie Moseley & Gary S. Paxton)
Guitar maker to the stars, Oklahoma-born Semie Moseley (1935-1992) grew up in Bakersfield and was intimately connected to the Southern California country scene. Moseley most was famous for his custom-built two- and three-neck guitars, including models built for hotshot super-picker Joe Maphis who was a major star of the Los Angeles-based Town Hall Party, which drew heavily on the Bakersfield talent pool. After leaving his job at the Rickenbacker guitar factory, Moseley set up shop with his own independent Mosrite company, and despite various setbacks, Mosrite built thousands of guitars over the years, prized by their owners and music fans alike. Another side gig was his indie record label, which showcased Mr. Moseley's gospel recordings, along with a few obscure SoCal locals, including one gal who really made it big: future superstar Barbara Mandrell made her recording debut on a 1966 Mosrite single, back when she was only fifteen. Unfortunately this album doesn't list the musicians backing Mr. Moseley, though the presence of Gary S. Paxton suggests some of his usual suspects may have been involved, or perhaps Moseley tapped into the Central Valley's gospel scene. The songs are all credited to and published by Semie Mosely, in keeping with his go-it-alone business strategy. Great graphics on the back cover, mostly reproductions of news stories about his groovy Mosrite guitars.

Semie Moseley "This Ole House" (CAM/Moseley Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dale McCoy & Bobby Cotton)
Another gospel set, released with the help of the Oklahoma City-based Christian label, CAM Records. The musicians included Semie Moseley on vocals and guitar, with Ron Beadle (drums), Jerry Hall (steel guitar), Jim Hochenadel (harmonica), Ray Owens (piano) and Billy Walker (lead guitar). The studio group was part of CAM's stable of musicians, and this album seems to have presaged Moseley's mid-1970s move to Oklahoma, where he lived (and built guitars) for a while. Unlike his first album, this one has some cover songs, including the title track. Moseley may have had other recordings, but if so they're pretty hard to track down.

Mountain Glory "Happy Is The Man Who Knows The Lord" (Two Dots Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Michael Towers)
It took a little digging to figure out where these guys were from... The reissued version of this album makes it seem like they were from Shawnee Mission, Kansas, or maybe somewhere in Iowa, and while that's partially correct, it isn't really the whole story. Mountain Glory was a country/folk/rock gospel group founded on the campus of Pasadena College, in Pasadena, California by lead singers Dave Best and Mike Pitts, along with lead guitar Greg Morse and bassist Dana Walling. They recorded this 1971 album in Ojai, California before moving to Nashua, Iowa (of all places) where they took up a ministry for a year or so and built up an enthusiastic fan base in the heart of the Midwest. Eventually they returned to Southern California although apparently local (Midwestern) demand for their music was strong enough that a Kansas-based label reissued the record with new artwork in 1974. There's lots of original material on here, including "Cowboy For Jesus," written by Mike Pitts and "That Jesus Loves Me Stuff," composed by Walling. They may have done other stuff in the Christian music scene, but as far as I know, this was the band's only album.

Mountain Glory "Happy Is The Man Who Knows The Lord" (Tempo Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Michael Towers)
Same album, different artwork. The Tempo label was from Shawnee Mission, Kansas, but this is a reissue of music recorded in Southern California, before the band came to the Midwest. (See above.)

Joaquin Murphey "Joaquin Murphey" (Mid-Land Records , 1977) (LP)
A late-career solo album by lap steel pioneer Joaquin Murphey (1923-1999) who played in top-flight California-based western swing bands led by Spade Cooley, Tex Williams and others. Murphey also did copious studio work, infusing a slew of classic tracks from the '40s and '50s with his jazzy riffs.

The Music Farmers Old Time String Band "Nothin' After 1910" (Mission Records) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Replogle)
Along with the Whiskey Creek Old Time String Band and fiddler Kenny Hall, the Music Farmers were at the nexus of Fresno, California's 1970/1980s old-timey and bluegrass folk scene, with a fluid membership who were involved in several local music projects, including the informal live old-timey jam-session called the Dog Paw String Band. This album has a smoother, less "bent" feel, with strong ensemble playing that takes fewer detours into the more difficult strains of old-timey music and may sound more "bluegrass" to the casual listener. It's a fun record! The group included Doug Cornelius on washboard and jaw harp, Sue Enzerbacher on fiddle, Ron Murray playing guitar, Bill Hunter plunking banjo, Clay Dary on bass and a slew of friends and cohorts playing various other instruments, and many different vocalists. Sadly, there's no release date on the record, but "late 'Seventies" probably covers it -- the band got together in the early part of the decade, and the liner notes mention some current members joining around '72-'73... I'd guess around 1978 on this one.

The Music Farmers Old Time String Band "Things Are Lookin' Up" (Farmers Records, 19--?) (LP)

Buddy Nash "The Agony And The Ecstasy" (Two Breau's, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by K. C. Ramsey)
This isn't really a country album, though it is very "local" and does have one noteworthy twangtune on it, the perky country-rock novelty number, "Interstate 85," which features steel guitar picking from a guy named Glenn Childress. Mostly, though, the SF Bay Area's Buddy Nash seems to have been a straight-up lounge singer, '70s style, fusing pop vocals and disco with a curious undercurrent of rootsy twang... But really, I'd have to simply classify this as a lounge album, and leave it to experts in that field to assess the record on those terms. Nash called the Bay Area home, but he toured extensively and played lounge gigs throughout the South, and for a while he was a featured performer on a couple of Nashville radio and TV shows... The album mentions that he was a child performer and that his parents were show business professionals (though sadly the liner notes don't mention their names, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out who they were by searching online...) Anyway, Mr. Nash seems to have stuck around San Francisco, and became a vocal coach, community theater actor and music shop salesman, also playing cabaret shows from time to time... This seems to have been the only release on the Two Breau's record label, which was located in San Antonio, Texas, though I'm not sure if this was the only album Nash recorded.

Nashville West "Nashville West" (Sierra Briar Records, 1978) (LP)
These loose, easygoing sessions were recorded on the fly in 1967 during the short, mayfly lifepsan of Nashville West, an early, influential country-rock combo that featured Gib Guilbeau on vocals, along with Clarence White on guitar, Gene Parsons playing drums, and Guilbeau's longtime friend Wayne Moore playing bass. The group broke up when White was tapped to join the Byrds, and their rehearsal tapes sat unused for over a decade until their release in '78.

Navasota "Rootin' " (ABC Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Kannon & Dennis Collins
There was, I suppose, some actual twang on this album, although these guys were pretty much a hard rock band in the early '70s mode -- hints of Southern rock, Creedence-style swamp boogie, and thuddier-sounding stuff in the style of -- I dunno -- Grand Funk Railroad or Spooky Tooth, though not without a hefty dose of Spinal Tap in the mix as well. These Texas boys -- who were originally from around Houston -- did dabble in country-rock on "Ballad Of A Young Man," which has good pedal steel but rather insincere vocals: haw! I'm singing like a hick!hyuck hyuck!! The steel guitar comes courtesy of Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, no less, who also plays on another of the album's twang tune, a coked-up version of "Ole Slew Foot." Probably the most noteworthy thing about this record is the presence of Donald Fagan and Michael Brecker, who were still paying their dues as studio musicians in the early days of Steely Dan, but they got a chance to do some horn and string arrangements, and I'm sure that came in handy later on... They contributed a song as well, the jittery-sounding "Canyon Ladies," which serves as a good lesson on how the Steely Dan guys could play their own material 'way better than, well, pretty much anyone else. Oh, and there's one more twangtune on here, the oddly-titled but pleasantly weird "P. Fahm," which qualifies as an early '70s oddity possibly worth resurrecting on a compilation album somewhere, sometime. Mostly, though, this album seems like a pretty formulaic, fairly sterile album. They try really hard, but I don't think they caught fire here. One final note: singer Dicky Sony, who does get a good soulful snarl going on several songs, later adopted the stage name King Cotton, and became a fairly well-known blues musician. So now ya know.

Ray Nelson "Sing Out For Motorcycles" (Mova Fun Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Radford)
Aw, jeez. It's not really much of a country record -- more rock and white soul -- but I'm just a big sucker for biker albums with rad artwork, and I just couldn't help myself. The liner notes inform us that Ray Nelson opened a motorcycle shop in Saint Louis after getting out of the military, but he moved out to California and was living in Sunnyvale in the early 1980s, around the time he retrofitted a Yamaha 650 into the "guitcycle" pictured on the cover of this album. It looked better on the album than in real life, but that's not the real point: Dude, he built a motorcycle shaped like a guitar! And he apparently drove it across the United States, earning a spot in the Ripley's Believe It Or Not, back in '82. This is, in all honesty, a hilarious and not-really-all-that-bad novelty record, with a goofy pureness and enthusiasm that you might find irresistible. I kinda did. And while it's mostly rock-oriented, there are some twangtunes, like "80 Spokes And A Four Stroke," with its delightfully clumsy slide guitar, and "Two Wheels To Alice," which has kind of a Dick Feller-like feel.

Rick Nelson - see artist discography

Michael Nesmith - see artist discography

The Nevadans "Virginia City's Bonanza Presents The Nevadans" (Tab Records, 19--?) (LP)
Alas, neither of the guys in the duo called "The Nevadans" was actually from Nevada... Merle Bartlett and George La Ferry were from Arkansas and Sacramento, California (respectively) and the Tab label was, oddly enough, based in San Jose. Nonetheless, the Bonanza nightclub sponsored their lounge-act souvenir album, which is packed with honky-tonk cover songs and oldies... Not sure of the year on this one; late '60s/early '70s perhaps?

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. (Note: Jim Newcomb also recorded with The Countrymen, a Stockton-based country gospel group with a similar affinity for true twang.)

New Riders Of The Purple Sage - see artist discography

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - see artist discography

James O'Rafftery "Looking Up With James O'Rafftery And Pleasant Company" (Pyasaw Music Enterprises, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Corna Day & James O'Rafftery)
A curious early 'Eighties country-gospel set featuring a bunch of guys who spent a big chunk of the preceding decade playing country-rock gigs at bars like Ca's Corral and the Swizzle Stik, in Orange Country, California. Multi-instrumentalist James O'Rafferty (1940-2021) was a West Coast transplant, originally from Paducah, Kentucky who -- like many before him -- found studio work in LA and played live in various bands at night. He's joined here by drummer drummer Buddy Banks, Roy Dee (lead guitar), Karen Falkner (rhythm guitar), Tommie Gobel (bass), with James O'Rafferty credited on banjo and steel guitar. This album luxuriates in a bunch of country gospel oldies, classics like "Great Speckled Bird," "I'll Fly Away" and "Turn Your Radio On," as well as newer additions to the canon, like Kris Kristofferson's "One Day At A Time." There may also be some originals on here, though there are no composer credits so it's not totally clear. O'Rafferty later concentrated on playing steel guitar, and won a CMA award as an instrumentalist. I'm not sure, but I think this was his only album as a solo artist.

Luanne Oakes "Luanne Oakes" (Live Oakes Music, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Luanne Oakes & Pete Nevin)
I suppose this is more of a taking-one-for-the-team/just a warning review, at least far as twangfan purists go... Yes, this album was recorded in Dallas, Texas and does have a strong country component, notably in the flowery pedal steel by Jackie Thomson and the banjo and fiddle fills by Tim Paschall, but the overall vibe is more of a late-1970s-style country-rock/pop set, with strong echoes of gals such as Karla Bonoff, Wendy Waldman and Linda Ronstadt. It depends on which tracks you tune into, really -- some are twangier than others, notably "Always Love You" and "Texas," where Ms. Oakes (1953-2011) looks back wistfully at her California days, but concludes it way cooler to live in a state like Texas where you can drink and drive without getting hassled about it. So, yeah, she's kind of a country gal. (Also, she later moved back to California, but it was nice while it lasted...) Her pop aspirations dominate the album, while the twang tunes seem more like a remnant of earlier days. 'Seventies soft-pop fans might really dig this one, though!

The Oakland Banjo Band "Banjos In Action" (Sierra Sound Laboratories, 1966) (LP)
Well, okay, maybe it's not really very "country," but it is super-obscure, so what the heck? Let's mention it here, too... why not? This Berkeley/Oakland ensemble was the banjo equivalent of the old mandolin orchestras of earlier decades, a group of dozens of banjo pickers from a wide range of ages, plunking in unison through a set of Tin Pan Alley and Antebellum oldies. The band was founded in 1958 and at the time of this recording (June 10, 1966) had a weekly gig at the Straw Hat Pizza Parlor, on Telegraph Avenue, on the Berkeley/Oakland border. I was kind of hoping, the album being from Berkeley in the 'Sixties and all, that it might include a few future luminaries of the Bay Area roots music scene, but it seems to have included mostly regular old civilians... no Jody Stecher wearing braces or Kate Wolf in knee socks here. But it's still a really charming record... The acoustics are only so-so -- you can't really differentiate any of the multiple banjos and there aren't any solos -- but the performances are extremely cheerful and robust. The musical director, Glenn Davis, clearly knew how to get people to enjoy what they were doing. Amazingly enough, the group stuck together for decades, and was still doing pizza parlor gigs well into the 21st Century -- similar bands were formed in San Jose (and elsewhere, I'd imagine!) Plinka-plink-plunk, indeed!!

Frank Oberschall "Good Old American Country Western Music" (Xaverus Records, 1976-?) (LP)
This is a truly weird record, with possibly an even weirder back story. First off, it is country. All the songs are classics: a half-dozen Hank Williams standards, a little Stephen Foster (the album opens with "Oh Suzannah"), a couple of western-themed pop songs from the big band era ("Deep In The Heart Of Texas," "South Of The Border") and, curiously, a version of the Civil War oldie, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," which closes the album out. It's not the repertoire that's so odd, but rather the delivery, as the singer, Ferenc (Franz Joseph) Oberschall (1929-2003) had a very, very thick Central European accent, which really didn't lend itself to the smooth mastery of American popular song. Obserschall was originally from Hungary and is best known as a Hollywood character actor, a guy who had a handful of bit roles, mainly typecast as one kind of German or Slavic stereotype after another. Probably his best-known appearance was when he played a KGB agent on a 1966 Mission Impossible episode called "Zubrovnik's Ghost." It turns out this role as an Eastern Bloc spy may have been an echo of his real life... Although his biography is obscure, part of his story was revealed in the records of Congress(!) when a 1958 joint resolution granted Mr. Oberschall permanent residence in the United States, in part for services rendered during the Cold War. Apparently he had left Hungary in 1946 and became a stateless person, then -- oddly -- was allowed to join the US Army after being detained in Panama in 1953, and subsequently trained as a paratrooper. He entered the US in 1955, following an honorable discharged, but faced deportation when his paperwork got flagged. A US congressman sponsored his application for permanent residence, as part of a joint resolution bill (HJR-635) at the end of which it was mentioned that "Mr. Oberschall's life would be endangered if he returned to Hungary because of the security type work he did for the United States." Very mysterious. Anyway, he also started his acting career around this time and clocked about a dozen film and TV appearances between 1957-67, then seems to have dropped off the map after that. There's no date on this album (the back cover is blank) but it sounds like a 1970s production to me -- Mr. Oberschall's clunky vocals are haphazardly backed by a chaotic electric guitarist, clearly a rocker and not a country picker, whose funky guitar tone sounds pretty post-hippie to me. At the very least it was recorded sometime after 1969, since his rendition of "Okie From Muskogee" is the album's uber-kitsch highlight, on just about the most "Dr. Demento"-worthy country album I've ever heard.

Tommy O'Day "Up And Over Your Love" (Nu-Trayl Records, 1978) (LP)
Originally from Fresno, California, Tommy O'Day made a few inroads in Nashville, dating back to the 1960s and into the late '70s. Although he didn't make much headway as a chart artist -- his highest single pegged out at #82 -- he found some success as a songwriter and producer. This album's title track, "Up And Over Your Love," was released several different times, at least as far back as 1972... Interestingly, even though this was (I believe) his only full album, and it was released during O'Day's brief 1978-79 flirtation with the bigtime, none of the tracks on here were hits. Instead, O'Day found success with barely-countrified versions of safe, old pop hits such as "Memories Are Made Of This" and "Accentuate The Positive." Who knows? Maybe Emmylou Harris heard his version of "Mr. Sandman" and got the idea to record it herself... Anything's possible!

Oganookie "Oganookie: 1970-1973 -- Santa Cruz, California" (DSW Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Oganookie)
A really cool album from the deepest days of California hippiedom... This freeform-friendly Bay Area band was based in a teenie town called Brookdale, up in the wild backwoods of Santa Cruz, CA... Apparently they were part of a commune called the Oganookie Farm (immortalized here in the song, "Oganookie Farm Song".) The band played around regionally along the Central Coast and in the Central Valley for several years. This album is mostly from a live recording they did at two long-defunct venues, the O. C. Inn and Chateau Liberte, and though the original sound quality from the board is pretty bad, the music is great, and it's a priceless document of the times. This is real, authentic 'Seventies stuff -- what mellow, talented hippie bands sounded like, in a fringe-leather, shaggy beard world. Side One of the album is more country-oriented, with an acoustic swing feel that's very reminiscent of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks -- fiddler Bob Stern is the showcase player on several songs, including squeaky renditions of "Uncle Pen" and "Orange Blossom Special." On Side Two they delve more into the rock and roots sounds of the era, notably on "Blues Ain't Nothin' But A Bad Dream," which sounds a lot like The Band, and the longer, spacier "Song For A Child," which is very Dreadful Grate-ish. One track was recorded in a studio, "Your Woman Is Ugly," one of several original compositions by John C. Bowers, who I'm guessing was the band's lead vocalist. I'm sure the other guys in this band played music elsewhere, but the only guy I know about for sure is bassist/banjo picker George Stavis, who recorded an influential album of avant-garde banjo music a few years earlier on the Vanguard label. If you're looking for authentic, vintage hippie music that doesn't suck, try and track this one down. [Update: George Stavis sent this compilation of old video on the band, recently posted on YouTube which really gives a sense of their creativity and range. Thanks!]

Old And In The Way "Old And In The Way" (Round Records, 1975) (LP)
An iconic album for early '70s bluegrass fans, and a big bridge from the world of acidhead hippies into the traditional folk scene. The gathering of David Grisman, Peter Rowan, old-time fiddle whiz Vassar Clements and the Grateful Dead's teddybear avatar, Jerry Garcia was news in and of itself -- the cover art by underground cartoonist Greg Irons was just icing on the cake, giving this disc ultimate counterculture status. The band itself wasn't together that long, and was a pretty informal gig to begin with. They were, as the saying goes, ragged but right -- a little haphazard when compared to the classic recordings of the bluegrass elders, but full of the right attitude. In some ways, it's actually kinda nice how loosey-goosey Old & In The Way were -- their relaxed, easygoing approach was a folk scene equivalent of the DIY punk explosion in rock. Doubtless many hundreds of fledgling pickers were encouraged to pick up an instrument after hearing this disc. Fun stuff, with nice versions of a couple of Rowan's best tunes, "Midnight Moonlight," and "Panama Red..."

Old And In The Way "That High Lonesone Sound" (Acoustic Disc, 1996)
Old And In The Way "Breakdown" (Acoustic Disc, 1997)
We're lucky that David Grisman is such a magpie... Poking around in his closets he came up with the material for these two excellent archival collections, which give a perfect, bird's eye view of Old & In The Way live and in action, during their all-too-brief prime. It's a shame the band wasn't able to stay together longer, just to see how much they would have tightened (or changed) their sound... But since Rowan and Grisman both went on to do some of the best work of their careers immediately after this, I guess we can't really be all that bummed. There's certainly little to complain about here... Again, the band is ragged but right; they may have been a little sloppy, but the music is still exciting. Recommended!

Old & In The Gray "Old & In The Gray" (Acoustic Disc, 2002)
A swell get-together of some of David Grisman's grizzled, goofy bluegrass buddies. The lineup includes Grisman, Peter Rowan, Vassar Clements and Herb Pedersen, along with young'un Bryn Bright. who plays a mighty fine bass. The vibe here is playful and relaxed, running through some old favorites and crowd pleasers... highlights include the album opener, "Good Old Boys" and the spine-tingling story-song, "The Flood," which details a river rising and a community rallying to meet the crisis. If you enjoyed Grisman's Retrograss album from a few years earlier, then you oughtta love this one, too!

Old Glory "Old Glory Inside" (Huck Finn's, 1976) (LP)

The Old Scratch Band "Old Time String Band Music" (California Condor Records, 1974) (LP)

The Original Joplin Forte "Ain't Misbehavin' " (MCA-Shamley, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by George Fernandez)
Led by banjoist Dan Coats, this short-lived group apparently grew out of the Los Angeles/Southern California folk/bluegrass scene, with Coats taking a dip into the spaced-out songwriter ouvre, with a few whiffs of John Sebastian-esque psychedelic jugband added into the mix. In all honesty, this isn't a very successful record: although there's a superficial similarity to roots-music genre-bender John Hartford (kooky lyrics, lackadaisical banjo plunking, hippie iconography and even a cover of Hartford's chart-busting "Gentle On My Mind") there's little of Hartford's giddy stylistic flair and keen originality -- this seems forced and straining to succeed, rather than innovative and above the fray, and though he's a decent musician, Coats was a remarkably stiff, un-fluid singer. A genuine artifact of its time, for sure, although I imagine it's not really a record that many people would want to come back to just for pure listening pleasure... I could be wrong, though. It's certainly notable that Coats wrote all but four of the songs on here, so it includes a trove of unique -- if not electrifying -- material.

Lore Coyote Orion "Lore Coyote Orion" (PT Records, 198-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bandera Bob)
A solo album by the multi-talented songwriter/graphic artist/humorist Lawrence Shoberg, aka Lore Orion (1949-2013), who led the country-rock group Bandera in the early '80s, and later formed his own band, Lore And The Legends, as well as the "heavy leather" hard-twang band, KATTL, with his longtime collaborator, Bobby E. Boyd (aka Bandera Bob). Although originally from California, Orion was a full-time, all-in Texan by the time he made this album, actually living in Bandera, near the bright lights of San Antonio, where this album was recorded. Apparently, it was only released in Europe but it's definitely a Lone Star kinda thing, packed with original material such as "I Wish I Was In Texas," "Texas Ain't The Same," "Once You Cross The Line," and "She Likes To Drive Me Crazy." The band included Bandera Bob and Lore Orion, along with Rick Rawls, John Ludwick and others, some of whom helped form KATTL around this time.

Osage "Greatest Hits" (Ragweed Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Osage)
Dunno too much about this Northern California band, who hailed from Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco... Mixing western swing and honkytonk, Osage were a talented group, roughly in the same stylistic orbit as Asleep At The Wheel, if not quite in the same league professionally. This album offers a strong set of mostly-original material, with songs written by all four of the core bandmembers, pianist Jim Hirst, bassist Ken Hobbs, steel player Mike Phillips and drummer Scott Saturday, with a little assist from bluegrassers Paul Anastasio on fiddle and Jim Evans playing banjo. The sound mix could be better - the rhythm section seems a little buried -- but the music is tops. Highlights include heartbreakers such as "She's Driving You Out Of My Mind" and the alcohol novelty song, "Never Like Drinkin' Alone" (in which the singer says "howdy" to every beer, whiskey and gin he downs, just to have somebody to talk to...) A pretty swell indiebilly album, if you can track it down!

Osage "The Best Of Country Swing" (DMG, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Gradie O'Neal & Jeannine Osborn)
Turns out I was wrong about Greatest Hits being their only album... There's also this groovy set of classic country cover songs, zeroing in on western swing songs such as "Take Me Back To Tulsa," "Crazy Cause I Love You," "Roly Poly" and "San Antone Rose." The performances are little restrained and polite, but it's still such great music. As the great Bob Wills might have put it: aahhhhh, yessss!!

Ann Owens "You're Gonna Love Me" (Blue Seagull Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Day & Bill Wade)
An album's worth of all-original material from songwriter Ann Owens, who had been playing gigs for a while at the fabled Palomino Club in Los Angeles before cutting this album... She's backed by a bunch of high-profile Southern California country pickers, including guitarist/arranger Jerry Cole, Pete Kleinow and Jay Dee Maness on steel guitar, Larry McNeely plunking banjo and Curtis Stone on bass, among others. Among her songs are "Country Pickin' Singin' Fool Like Me," "Kansas Back To Nowhere," "North Carolina Country Girl" -- a couple of these songs were also recorded by pop-country star Rusty Draper on another album on the Blue Seagull label. The Hollywood-based label was owned by Chic Sorenson, who seems to have been a patron of Owens' career; several of the same musicians, including Jerry Cole also appear on both albums. I'm not sure where Owens was originally from, but she was definitely in the center of LA's country rock scene in its peak years.

Bonnie Owens - see artist discography

Buck Owens - see artist discography

Pacific Steel Company "Pacific Steel Co." (Pacific Arts, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Al Perkins)
An all-instrumental summit session featuring five pedal steel playing giants of the West Coast country scene's royalty: Tom Brumley (who played with the Buck Owens band), Sneaky Pete Kleinow of the Flying Burrito Brothers (and countless hippie-country recordings) along with Red Rhodes, Jay Dee Maness, and Al Perkins, all of whom played on countless sessions for a wide range of artists. Like many instrumental albums, this may appeal mainly to aficionados of the instrument in question, and this particular disc has a few rock-pop moments that may distract more country-oriented fans. Melodic/psychedelic rock and a hint of disco color these tunes, but it's solid picking all the way through -- a delight for fans of steel guitar. Although they billed themselves as a "band," each track is credited to individual soloists, and each seems to have brought his own separate backup players, although the best tracks feature combinations of more than one steel player at a time. These were the guys who provided much of the sweet soulful ooomph for the SoCal country-rock sound, and it's nice to hear them emerge into the spotlight for a while.

Pacific...ly Bluegrass "On The Sea Of Life" (PB Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Wetherbee)
A bluegrass gospel group from San Diego, California with Wayne Rice (formerly of the band Brush Arbor) on banjo and lead vocals

Ernie Padilla "Fast Country Fun Album" (Stardust Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ernie Padilla)
An extremely low-rent album, even by obscuro, private-press standards... West Coast rocker Ernie Padilla started out fronting a teenpop/garage band from Santa Ana, California called the Way Outs, which recorded at least one single back in the '60s. Here, many years later, he indulged a love of country and rockabilly material, singing covers of classics by Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams and others... The sessions are crude and murky, basically Padilla singing along with a little bit of echo thrown on his voice, and on his guitar, neither of which sound particularly polished or commanding. There are no musician credits, and I imagine it's possible he multi-tracked the sessions and played the other instruments as well... At any rate, this is a very loose-sounding, if not outright sloppy, set, the epitome of a self-released vanity album. I think he was aiming for a Sun Records sound, but it mostly just falls flat. I'm not sure what Padilla's actual baseline talent level was, although it sounds like me may have been inebriated when recording these songs. I'm not trying to be mean, but in all honesty this disc wasn't quite up to snuff...

Rick Page "Super Saturday" (Big Wheel Records, 1976) (LP)
An amiable, blonde-looking California dudester from Prather, California a tiny agricultural town near Fresno... I'm not sure if this album is all country, but some of it is... What really got my attention was that West Coast country legend Tom Brumley is on here -- playing steel guitar, naturally!

Wayne Parker "Oklahoma Twilight" (Ariola Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Curb & Wayne Parker)
Although songwriter Richard Lewis ("Wayne") Parker pays homage to Oklahoma, he was actually part of the Central California coastal music scene, a successful studio producer, session guitarist and composer, who "went country" on this, his lone solo album, after country star Eddy Raven had a Top 30 hit with one of his songs. That tune, "Good News, Bad News," is included here, kicking off a doleful album packed with gems... It was recorded partly in LA, partly in Nashville, with all of the fancy pickers you might imagine, and a special nod to New Grass Revival's Pat Flynn, who seems to have been Parker's pal. This is mostly a pretty slick, mellow, grandly orchestrated album, with some artistic tension between rootsy and countrypolitan: although he didn't score any hits, the overall feel tilts more towards the commercial end of the spectrum. Still, it's worth checking out... There are some interesting songs, and I think if the production had been a little more rugged, this could have been a more fun record...

Gene Parsons -- see artist profile

Gram Parsons -- see artist profile

Walt Pascoe "Wilma The Belgian Mare" (Olympic Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Wilson Call & Tom Brumley)
Kind of an odd one here... Singer Walt Pascoe was a rancher's kid from an old Bakersfield family whose California roots went back to the 1880s, and while ranching was his day job he got into playing country stuff and did some gigs at local bars before recording a few singles and then this album. The title track is a children's song about a nice old lady who saved a horse in Belgium (said to be the biggest horse in the world) from being sent to the slaughterhouse. The rest of the record is more straight-up West Coast-style honkytonk, including songs such as "Four On The Floor" and "Truck Drivin' Woman." Legendary steel player Tom Brumley plays on and helped produce the album, along with several other local players from the San Joaquin Valley locale.

Pat & Tami "...At Riverland" (Custom Fidelity, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Pat & Tami Williams)
A classic vanity-press album. From the Great Central Valley come Kingsburg, California's Pat and Tami Williams, a husband-wife duo who are just about as lounge-a-delic as you can get. This one's really only marginally "country," although they do cover a lot of early 1970s Nashville hits, including country material like "Funny Face," Let Me Be There," Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Country Roads," as well as Pop and pop-vocals tunes like "Joy To The World," "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree" and "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown." Mr. Williams was kind of a poor man's Charlie Rich -- he really gets into his version of "The Most Beautiful Girl" -- though he was probably the better singer of the two. They manage to make all the songs sound basically the same, Pat adding a plodding, indistinct organ alongside Tami's modest snare set percussion. He croons, she coos -- her best number is a cover of "Killing Me Softly" which closes the album, her worst is an inert rendition of "Respect" which would make the mighty Aretha hang her head in shame. Still, though many out there would relish the chance to mock this and label it trashy, I prefer to look upon it as "authentic." Here are the Williamses, regaling a sedate, gray-haired audience at the Riverland dinner club, on the banks of the Kings River, circa 1974, singing their hearts out and dreaming their dreams. Not all that twangy, but definitely of its time.

Dennis Payne "We're Indian" (Red Man Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Gary S. Paxton)
This was a slightly odd concept album concocted by country-rock entrepreneur Gary S. Paxton, who was inspired by the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island to make an album of Indian-oriented folk-country music. Paxton drafted one of the pickers in his orbit, Bakersfield country-rocker Dennis Payne (the nephew of songwriter Leon Payne) and cast him in an unlikely role as a folksinging advocate for Native American rights. I guess if you were into Johnny Cash's Native American-oriented folksongs or the same era, you might want to check this one out, too. Unfortunately, Payne never really got his shot at solo fame -- he was a country-rock also-ran who was always on the edges of bigger things, or involved in projects that never really went anywhere. He recorded a few singles under his name, and released some CDs in later life, but I think this was his only "solo" album from the good old days.

Lynda Peace "50/50s" (Redondo Pacific Studio, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Thurlow & Janet Krick)
Bridging country and rock, singer Lynda Peace recorded this set in Redondo Beach, California, drawing on some diverse SoCal talent. Rockabilly old-timer Johnny Meeks plays guitar on one track, "Say Mama," while Paul Halel plays pedal steel, with Peter Schless on piano, Mark Guerrero on bass, and a few others pitching in. They cover twangtunes such as "Rocky Top," "Great Balls Of Fire," and Rusty Wier's "Don't It Make You Wanna Dance," along with some originals... Peace later moved to Utah, and became Lynda Davidson... As far as I know this was her only album.

Herb Pedersen - see artist discography

The Perry Brothers Band "Just For You" (19--?) (LP)
This Sacramento, California band included brothers Bill, Marty and Tim Perry, with their father John Perry also participating in the making of this album. The group played mostly around Sacramento, but also throughout the state and occasionally further afield. This record includes several cover songs -- stuff like "Sixteen Tons," "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" -- but also several originals, most of them credited to Tim Perry. His songs include "Better Run Real Fast," "Honky Tonk Bar Room Queen" and "Wait," while the song "Rose Marie" seems to have been written by his dad.

The Perry Sisters "Feelin' Country" (SV Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Winn)
Siblings Mona and Sally Perry made their first recordings as the Perry Sisters 'way back in the late 'Fifties, with their goofball, girl-group novelty song, "Fabian," coming out on Decca Records in 1959. This disc is a much later effort, a nice, mellow, sorta low-rent DIY set of '70s sunshine country-pop, recorded with help from pickers Kenny Morris and Terry Sutton. Bassist/lead singer Sally Perry sang in an emotive Lynn Anderson style -- she also wrote the album's two original songs, the syrupy, slightly unfocussed "Delta Baby's Tears" and the perkier, more memorable "Mary Ellen Jensen," a catchy story-song about an innocent young girl and a cheating married man, very much in the style of "Harper Valley PTA" or "Ode To Billie Joe." Longtime collaborator Terry Sutton was a stellar pedal steel wizard, playing at a level of sophistication a notch or two above this enthusiastic though sometimes rough-edged album. Sutton had worked with the Perrys since the early '70s, producing a couple of singles on the Sacramento-based Raven Records label, and he adds some really sweet licks throughout this album. Not earthshaking, but charming and authentic. (By the way, these gals are not to be confused with the Southern Gospel band of the same name, which formed in the 1970s, but are no relation...)

Phoenix "Phoenix" (ABC Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Todd & Don McGinnis)
Although this is really more of a hippie-era rock record, it's noteworthy because almost all of the songs were written by Chuck H. McCabe, a guitarist from San Jose, California who most definitely "went country" in the 'Seventies. Also, there's a tune on here called "Hello Nashville," so the twang vibe was definitely in place.

Slim Pickens "Slim Pickens" (Blue Canyon Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Terr, Jim Mooney & Howard Lee Wolen)
Character actor Slim Pickens (one of those guys who's easy to confuse with Andy Devine) took some time out from his Hollywood duties to cut this set of not-too-novelty-oriented country material. He's abetted by Arizona oddball Jim Terr, and an impressive cast of twang luminaries such as fiddler Byron Berline, accordionist Ponty Bone, LA session guitarist Jerry Cole, steel player J. D. Maness, and a few other more obscure folks, such as steel player Wayne Gailey, who popped up on a few other groovy indie albums around this same time. It's not entirely a novelty/vanity project, particularly as seen in the song selection, which includes a cover version of Guy Clark's then-new "Desperados Waiting For A Train," as well as a couple of songs from Kinky Friedman and his brother, Roger Friedman (who were pals of Jim Terr) and a couple more from Texas picker Jim Wise, who had also recorded with Terr, back in the early 'Seventies. Perhaps most intriguing is a song called "Darlin' Commit Me," written by twang auteur Steve Earle, well before his mid-1980s breakthrough. The record kicks off with one of Terr's own songs, "A Stranger In Nashville," which appears to be unique to this album. This album was reissued a few years later on the budget-line Picc-A-Dilly label, and producer Jim Terr recorded an album of his own for the Picc-A-Dilly label around the same time, using the odd pseudonym J. Ben-Isaac, using several of the same songwriters, and presumably some of the same musicians... he even recycled a bit of Slim Pickens dialogue to kick his album off!

Scotty Plummer "Banjo On The Roof" (AVI Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Bo Ayars & Jerry Hall)
A banjo-plunkin' child prodigy, Scotty Plummer (1961-1992) grew up in Canada and in San Rafael, California and studied for a while with Charlie Tagawa's banjo orchestra, based in nearby San Jose. Plummer had his own TV show in Edmonton, and later emerged as a highly-successful child performer during the 1970s, touring with country star Eddy Arnold, as well as pop icon Liberace, and was showcased on a few TV specials produced by Lucille Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. This disc was released when he was in his early teens, with backing on some tracks by a small Dixieland jazz band. Mr. Plummer died quite young as the result of a motorcycle accident; this was apparently his only album.

Poco - see artist discography

Possum "Possum" (Capitol Records, 1970)
A wild and notably kooky, eclectic band from LA, sort of a jugband-country-hippie mix of Dan Hicks-ian twang, Smothers Brothers folkishness and a Zappaesque musical blender approach... This band was the brainchild of rock'n'roll guitarist Jimmy Baker, with strong contributions from session players Ry Cooder and Red Rhodes. Baker was a psych-pop player who was thick in the Laurel Canyon scene, crashing at Frank Zappa's house in the late '60s and doing session work on numerous albums. Although this record wasn't a big seller, it got a fair amount of attention, although Baker was never quite able to capitalize on it -- his career as a frontman foundered and later projects kept getting shelved as he gradually focussed more on session work and producing. This album as a real doozy, though, with a wicked sense of humor and plenty of legitimate twang... Definitely worth checking out.

Possum Hunters "Death On Lee Highway... And Other Southern Lullabies" (Takoma, Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Charles Hall)
An exemplary old-timey album from some folks in John Fahey's orbit... Banjoist Dave Polacheck, guitarist Graham Wickham and his wife, Ginnie Wickham on fiddle and brother Gurdon Wickham on harmonica and spoons. The band originally formed in 1963 while they were students at UCLA... This is a really solid album, oozing sardonic wit and musical excellence -- the fiddling, in particular, is quite arresting, and often-Gothic repertoire is a gas. Dunno if these folks recorded anything else, but this old album is a doozy. I gues this was their only record, though the Possum Hunters remained active for at least a few more years after this, appearing at folk festivals throughout California, and Ginnie Wickham was performing in the early '70s; Graham Wickham opened a violin shop in Chico, CA, while Dave Polacheck seems to have moved to Austin and become involved in the traditional music scene there... Well done!

Possum Hunters "In The Pines" (Takoma Records, 1968) (LP)
The same lineup as above, with an equally esoteric set list, leaning heavily on old-timely mountain music and the like. Includes several less well-known numbers, such as "A Lazy Farmer Boy," "Sal Let Me Chaw Your Rosin Some" and "Wake Up You Drowsy Sleeper," alongside chestnuts such as "Billy In The Low Ground," "Bonaparte's Retreat," "Soldier's Hornpipe" and "In The Pines." Pretty straightforward, and pretty nice.

Prairie Biscuit "Prairie Biscuit" (1979) (LP)
This longhaired Northern California band had a heavy Grateful Dead influence, but they also did some decent hippiebilly country, including the novelty song, "Disco Sucks," which amazingly enough is not a cover of the Chuck Wagon & The Wheels classic. The record is poorly produced, though, with very thin sound quality, and maybe not the greatest performances in the world. I imagine this might be of interest to hardcore "jam-band" archivists, with the Dead-like vocals and longer groove tunes, but there's stuff on here for twangfans as well, including some sweet pedal steel by a guy named Gary Lapado and Tracy Nelson-esque vocals from Lori Wells.

Amil Presson & The Presstones "Held Over" (Haap Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Amil Presson)
Laid-back, robust, rootsy twang -- gritty modern honkytonk with a greasy, Delbert McClinton-style roadhouse boogie feel in the margins. Though the liner notes inform us about The Press Tones being in the middle of a three-year engagement at a place called the Shiloh Lounge, in Panama City, Florida, Amil Presson was actually from the West Coast. According to a big 1965 profile in the Long Beach Independent, he was born in Thorndale, Texas in the mid 1930s though his family lived in Missouri for a many years before moving out to California, where he went to high school in the tiny town of Porterville, deep in the Great Central Valley near Bakersfield. Presson led his own band starting in the early 1960s, and found steady work at clubs around Los Angeles, then apparently hit the highway at some point and started working gigs back east. Backing him on this album (and presumably on the road) are bass player Larry Farley, Jerry Odell (steel guitar), Hallie Presson (drums and vocals) and A. J. Puckett on piano. The album kicks off with Presson's signature number, an instrumental called "Choice," which dates back to Presson's LA days, then eases into a strong set of cover songs such as Kris Kristofferson's "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends," "Statue Of A Fool" and "Family Bible." Presson sings lead on about half the tracks, sharing the spotlight with bass player Larry Farley, who sings "Holding Things Together," and with gal singer Hallie Presson, who tackles standards such as "Satin Sheets" and "Walking After Midnight," and sings a duet on a Wynn Stewart oldie called "Yankee Go Home." All in all, a great legacy for a little-known West Coast twangster. Mr. Presson also seems to have recorded some stuff much later in life, posting a single on CD Baby (and YouTube) as recently as 2017.

Don Preston "Bluse" (A&M Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Don Nix & Gordon Shryock)
Not to be confused with the jazz/avant pop pianist who hung out with Frank Zappa, guitarist Don Preston was a picker from Colorado who grew up in Southern California and worked in a dizzying array of late 'Fifties and early 'Sixties pop bands before joining the Leon Russell caravan and helping to shape the eclectic, bluesy rural twang of the so-called "Tulsa Sound." Preston's hippie-era solo albums don't totally fit into the country-rock style we're looking at hear, but it's close enough to keep on our radar.

Don Preston & The South "Hot Air Through A Straw" (A&M Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Gordon Shryock)
Very much a mixed bag... The album opens with a hippiedelic twang tune called "American Gothic" with clever lyrics and a manic country feel that fits in nicely with similar stuff by Dan Hicks or the New Riders Of The Purple Sage. From there, though, he abruptly shifts into blaring electric blues and painful white soul, as well as a healthy dose of jarring, off-kilter 'late Sixties pop, including "Sunshine Line," a weirdly twangy psychedelic pop song with a hint of the Sir Douglas Quintet sound. Although Preston's vocals are frequently a bit weak (and seem intentionally obscured by the baroque production) the album as a whole is a nice example of the aggressive eclectisism of the era, and twangfans may also enjoy catchy tunes such as "End Of The Play" and "Circle For A Landing," which line up nicely with the Leon Russell sound. Some of this album is pretty irritating, but some of it is kinda fun.

Lanny Prewitt & Cinnamon Ridge "That Kind Of Man" (ATR/White Hat Productions) (Date unknown) (LP)
(Produced by Lanny Prewitt)
Guitarist Lanny Prewitt led this short-lived San Diego band, a slick-sounding country-pop group with strains of disco, lounge and country-rock/AOR. It's all original material: Prewitt wrote three of the ten songs, though his compositions aren't the strongest on the album -- of perhaps more interest are three songs credited to K. Munds, who I'm assuming is Southern California local Ken Munds, better known as the lead singer of the Christian country band Brush Arbor, who also had some success as a commerical songwriter, penning the novelty classic, "The Trucker And The U.F.O." as well as the song "Brush Arbor Meeting," which was covered by Charley Pride. All three of Munds' songs here are secular, honky-tonk oriented tunes, and standouts in a somewhat mundane album. Prewitt was a good guitarist but an iffy singer; later he moved to North Carolina and got more into playing jazz. The best musicianship on here, though, is from pedal steel player Jud Sandison, who provides excellent accompaniment throughout... Apparently Sandison was a well-regarded local who didn't record much, but played in clubs -- he certainly sounds great here. There's also some uncredited banjo picking on one track, the Prewitt-penned trucker tune, "Keep The Smokey Off My Donkey": it's possible it was Prewitt plunking the banjo, though I'd guess it was someone on loan from Brush Arbor. Anyone out there know more about this album, like what year it came out, or if it was the same K. Munds as the gospel guy?

Rich Price "The Singing Sierran" (RPM Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Justis)
California country singer Rich Price -- possibly a real-life cowboy? anyone know his story?? -- assembled an impressive lineup of Nashville studio talent to back him up on this self-released album: names like Pete Drake, Fred Carter Jr., Grady Martin, Charlie McCoy, Buddy Spicher and Weldon Myrick were enough to draw my attention to this obviously-indie LP. And it's kind of what you'd expect, an earnest but not A-list album from a guy who knew what he was talking about, but wasn't quite the kind of singer who could make it in the big time. With the super-duper lineup of studio musicians, you might expect a more robust, wham-bam sound, but producer Bill Justis seems to have decided -- rightly so, I'd say -- not to overwhelm Price's voices with a big, twangy wall of sound. So we really get chance to hear what Price had to offer, which among other things included nearly a dozen original songs, many well-written, earthy tunes that come out of the older country sound of the early 1950s. His voice and his phrasing are flawed, but nonetheless he evokes classic artists such as Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb, as well as Nashville Sound singers like Bill Anderson, when Anderson started to get a little long in the tooth. This music isn't perfect or powerful or flashy, but if you like earnest amateurs such as the Sundowners or Don Walser, guys who put themselves out there in public just because they really loved and understood the music, this album might appeal to you as well.

The Procks "At Lake Of The Ozarks" (197--?) (LP)
A surprisingly satisfying, rootsy set from one of the many mom'n'pop bands playing in one of Missouri's once-numerous country variety shows... Although the husband-wife team of Gerald and Elnora Prock were both Missouri natives, they met and married in Fresno, California, where she grew up and he was visiting in the late '50s, when she was singing in her brother's band. The Procks formed a duo and played shows up and down the West Coast before moving back to Missouri in 1969. They landed a regular gig at Gold Nugget Junction, one of the many Lake Of The Ozarks theme parks, and brought several Fresnans along with them as their band. Old-timey fiddler/banjo picker Bill Hunter was born in Oklahoma but grew up in Fresno, co-founding the Music Farmers stringband, while guitarist John Blair and Jim Ward were also from Fresburg, although the group's drummer, Gary Alexander (Gerald and Elnora's son) is the only bandmember who was born there. They sound great together, and though they cover a few newer songs, like "Satin Sheets" and "Country Roads," it's the old-timey music that stands out... Fans of golden age duos such as Curley Fox & Texas Ruby, or Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, might find a lot to enjoy on this album.

Bill Pursell "At The Piano: The In Sound Of Country And Western Music" (Spar Records, 1967-?) (LP)
(Produced by William Beasley)
Born in Oakland and raised in the Central Valley, pianist Bill Pursell wasn't the most elite of the studio elite, but his name pops up on a lot of country sessions, although he mostly recorded a lot of early-'60s pop material, including showtunes and the like... As far as the Nashville stuff goes, he was certainly in good company on this budget-label session, which also included Mac Gayden on guitar, and other "usual suspects" studio pros. An unsurprising set of covers of popular country hits, mostly oldies like "Detour" and "San Antonio Rose," as well as some more contemporary hits, like Bobby Bare's "Detroit City." Pursell's own hits came in the early 'Sixties, after which he concentrated on studio work -- his work included sessions with country stars such as Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline.

Jimmy Rabbitt "...And Renegade" (Capitol Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Waylon Jennings)
A decent Commander Cody-ish set, though nothing amazing, really. Jimmy Rabbit was a Texas-born radio deejay who moved to California in 1969 and became an influential member of the "freeform" radio scene, notably with a long stint on KROQ in LA, where his sets mixed classic country with material bubbling up from the '70s country-rock scene. He also played music and is best known for co-writing "Long Haired Redneck" with David Allan Coe... He seems to have hooked up with Waylon Jennings as well -- ol' Waylon not only produced this album, playing geetar and whooping along on a tune or two -- and that's nothing to sneeze at. Rabbitt seems to have had his heart in the right place, covering folks like Delbert McClinton and Alice Stuart, though she wasn't really able to cut loose on this album, playing it safe when he should've gotten a little wild. This is okay, but it ain't gonna make a big difference in your life... Worth a spin, though!

Jimmy Rabbitt "The Texas Album: Outlaw Country" (St. Roch Recordings, 2015) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Wexler & Keith Olson)
Long-lost demo recordings, cut for Atlantic Records in 1973... Jerry Wexler helmed the sessions, with piano player James Booker backing Rabbitt's band.

Dorothy Rae "Here Is Dorothy Rae" (Sundial Records, 19--?) (LP)
An oddball offering from a Southern California "country" gal whose show-biz bona fides stretch back to the big band era, as well as to her father, musician Dolor Michaud, who worked as an arranger in the Hollywood film studios. Rae's first big break came when she was hired by western swing bandleader Spade Cooley touring with his band before moving into the less-hectic movie industry herself where she worked as a dubbing vocalist in various Hollywood films. In the 1940s, pop bandleader Horace Heidt signed Rae to work on his radio program and paired her up with celebrity whistler Fred Lowery, with whom she recorded several duets 78s on Columbia Records. The Lowery-Rae duo left Heidt's band after World War Two and touring nationally though they struggled in the late 1940s, having enough name recognition to work the vaudeville circuit, but not enough star power to headline lounge gigs as a "solo" act. According to the liner notes, Dorothy Rae eventually burnt out on the entertainment industry, retiring to become a fashion designer... but somewhere along the line she acquired a Hammond organ and revived her act, reflected in this album chock full of brisk comedic ditties with Ms. Rae breezily stroking the keys and trotting through her chatty lyrics, with a bit of a jazzy, Blossom Dearie sound. To be clear: this ain't exactly twang, though it's country enough to include here. There are links to old-school country music, including her tune "Texan In Paris," which riffs on "Deep In The Heart Of Texas," as well as her covers of "For The Good Times" and "Little Liza Jane," though the rural material is filtered through a pop-jazz lens, much as it was during the big band era. Dorothy Rae seems to have moved up to the Bay Area at some point: the hype sticker on second album reads, "now appearing at Masiani's Santa Clara, California," and I found this disc in a dollar bin near San Jose. There's no date on the disc, though she dated an autograph 6/76, so I'd guess it was pressed anytime from 1972-76, given the inclusion of the Kristofferson tune.

Rains & Harris "Rains & Harris" (RCA-Victor, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Ed Norman)
The short-lived country/pop duo of Greg Harris and Chick Rains, both veterans of the '70s Southern California country-rock scene, with backing by Al Perkins on pedal steel, and Michael Bowden, who was also in the band Cold Steel. Starting in the late '70s, Greg Harris was a frequent on-again/off-again member of the Flying Burrito Brothers and studio musician, while after this album tanked, Chick Rains went on to become a successful country songwriter in Nashville. I think this was the duo's only album, with all but one of the songs being written by Rains.

Bonnie Raitt -- see artist profile

Rank Strangers "Rank Strangers" (Pacific Arts, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Chris Darrow & Chester Crill)
This short-lived band was formed by Chris Darrow and songwriter Robb Strandlund, along with singer Cindy Edwards, who had all worked together on Strandlund's first solo album... They covered some oldies, like "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and Dan Penn's "Do Right Woman," along with a bunch of originals, several gems by Chris Darrow. Overall the vibe was a little too folk-ish for me, though it was an interesting approach, much less rock-oriented than their Southern California contemporaries, and more anchored in the pre-Nashville stringband sounds of early rural artists such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. I always enjoy Strandlund's voice, and while Edwards added nice harmonies, when she's put in the foreground, it doesn't do much for me. Still, an intriguing and rewarding album, one of the lost nuggets of Michael Nesmith's fabled Pacific Arts label... Apparently there's a reissue edition that also includes some bonus tracks, with an alternate version of Strandlund's bar-room classic, "Just Another Country Song," along with a cover of Hank Locklin's "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On." Haven't heard that edition, though. [Note: not to be confused with the Swedish band of the same name.]

Toby Rean & The Common People "Outa Space" (Crown Records, 1972) (LP)
Singer-picker Toby Rean was a minor figure but longtime fixture in the West Coast/Bakersfield country scene of the 1950s and '60s, playing alongside stars such as Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, as well as his own gigs at venues such as the Stallion Club and on some Southern California military bases. This album is a little weird in that it's packaged as though it was a cheapo exploitation album for the psychedelic rock scene, when actually it's pretty solidly a country thang. Well, mostly: the first track, "Outa Space," is a hyperactive psych-funk instrumental based on a Billy Preston song, with a punchy rhythm section and lots of over-the-top wah-wah guitar work... But then things abruptly turn towards twang, and while charmingly down-to-earth, it's also a little bit rickety overall. Rean's mix of straight-up twang and strained comedy material reminds me quite a bit of Bill Carlisle, combining limited vocal talent with plucky energy and a somewhat random, see-what-sticks attitude. You can hear both desperation and resignation in these sessions, as though he knows it ain't really gonna work, but you never really know, right? So there are some interesting country tunes on here, though overall the album is a slapdash, low-budget affair, and like most of the el-cheapo Crown LPs, there often an undercurrent electrified, rock-flavored music courtesy of whichever underemployed hippies they had come in and play on the sessions. Not the greatest record ever, but certainly worth checking out if you're into Crown Records kitsch, and also another footnote in the saga of the Bakersfield Sound.

Charlie Red "Mother Lode Minstrel" (G&J Motherlode Productions, 1980) (LP)
A comedic folk'n'country troubadour from the gold country around Sacramento, California, "Charlie Red" was a singer and storyteller working in much the same vein as U. Utah Phillips, and indeed he covers Phillips's locomotive classic, "Daddy What's A Train," along with a couple of Dick Feller novelty numbers -- "Money, Trouble And Love" and "Uncle Hiram And The Home Made Beer" -- and several regionally themed old-west folk songs, like "Snow River," "The Saga Of The Hotel Ledger," "The Miner," and "Historical Landmark #143." He even throws in a cover of "Streets Of Laredo," just for good measure. Not to be confused with the Sacramento-area aviator Charlie "Red" Jensen, this fella's real name was Chuck Rovenstine, a ginger-haired Kern County native who quit his food industry day job in 1980 to become a folk singer, a passion he pursued for the next ten years, moving up to Calveras County and playing at county fairs and whatnot, while recording and self-releasing at least four albums. Mr. Rovenstine later opened the Ranchos Cafe, near Madera, CA, though he continued to play music informally for churches and local civic groups.

Charlie Red "Skinny Dippin' " (Carco Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Red & Mark Welborn)
More emphasis here on original material: Charlie Red claimed composer credit on over half the songs on this album, including the on-so-naughty title track and others such as "Diggin' Again" and "Downieville Ghost," while also nodding towards the past with covers of old-time chestnuts like "Wreck Of The Old '97" and "Big Rock Candy Mountain." A 2011 newspaper profile mentioned his having made four albums, though I haven't found hide nor hair of the other two... yet.

Red, Wilder, Blue "Red, Wilder, Blue" (Warner/Pentagram Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Al Schmidt)
While it's not much of a country album, this rock record is worth noting for twangfans because it's by an early band of future Texas outlaw, Michael Ballew, who was kickin' it on the West Coast for a few years trying to make it as a rocker. It's mostly a mediocre mix of contemporary styles: LA sunshine pop, CSNY-style group harmonies and a bit of hard/psych, as heard on their riffy cover of Jesse Colin Young's "Darkness." I think they were mostly aiming for the Crosby Stills & Nash sound, and they probably could have been more successful if the album had been better produced, or rather, better edited: the songs drift and meander quite a bit, and generally don't feel all that cohesive. But if you're just into obscure '70s soft rock and soft-psych, you might wanna check this one out; definitely not much overt twang involved here.

Johnny Redd "Country Hot" (JRS Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Redd)
A hard-rockin' bar-band/outlaw country group from Palmdale, California, with canny covers of Waylon & Willie, Delbert McClinton and Ray Griff... Singer Johnny Redd pens a trio of originals, "Sunshine," "Lonesome" and "Party Party Party," while bass player Mike Hufford adds "Just Her Friend" into the mix. Though not part of the band, a guy named Big Lloyd Carlson sings lead on a version of Dennis Linde's "Burning Love." I couldn't find out much about these guys online -- dunno when this album came out (looks like late '70s/early '80s) or if the band played live. Anybody out there have more info?

Kamie Redell "I've Got The Country In Me" (Blue Gem Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Martin & Bill Kredel)
Not totally sure where Redell was from, but this album was recorded in Torrence, California, while the label is credited as from LA proper... The songs appear to be all originals, including songs like "From Home To Waiting Tables," "Troubled Mind, Lonely Body" and "Forget Me Tomorrow."

Redeye "Redeye" (Pentagram Records, 1971) (LP)
This LA-based rock band was apparently a one-hit wonder, placing one single ("Games") in the Pop Top 30 before losing their mojo and drifting into obscurity. Singer/guitarist Douglas "Red" Mark had previously been in another moderately successful band called the Sunshine Company; I'm not sure what happened to any of these guys after they disbanded. Although they got into twang on their second album, there are few traces of country music here, basically it's a rock'n'roll record, lots of guitar in the early-'70s hard rock style.

Redeye "One Man's Poison" (Pentagram Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Al Schmitt)
Their second album definitely had a more "country" feel to it, a rugged, clattersome, rock'n'twang style that recalls the classic early-'70s Grateful Dead albums, as well as stoner jug-band rockers like Jesse Colin Young and the Youngbloods... It's not bad! Definitely a rock band, but they were having fun going into hoedown mode, and this record has a lot to recommend it... It's basically hippie rock, but good for the style. The twangiest tunes are "Walter Why Knott" and the spacier "Beginning To End," with the best tracks on here being the ones that are most nakedly imitative of the Dead. The lineup here included drummer Bob Bereman, Dave Hodgkins (guitar), Bill Kirkham (bass) and Douglas Mark on guitar and vocals. Worth a spin.

Redwing "Redwing" (Fantasy Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Russ Gary & Redwing)
These SF Bay Area roots-rockers had a funky vibe reminiscent of Little Feat, while also colored by John Fogerty and CCR -- and The Band, too, of course. Previously, the Sacramento-based band had been a straight-up rock group called Glad, but when bandmember Timothy B. Schmit left to join an early lineup of Poco, the group reformed around guitarists Andrew Samuels, Ron Floegel and Tom Phillips and got into a looser, funkier roots-music sound, and are considered one of the classic early California country-rock bands. For me, most of the songs on this debut disc go too far into the "heavy" boogie-rock sound of the time, although on Side Two they delve more into twang, notably with their cover of Mickey Newbury's "(Tell Me Baby) Why You Been Gone So Long" as well as their funky jam version of the Jimmie Rodgers oldie, "California Blues," as well as their Band-like original "Oh Maggie," which is possibly the catchiest track on the record. Redwing were one of the most promising, on-the-edge-of-fame bands on the early-'70s Northern California rock scene, but it never quite clicked in the end. This disc is worth checking out, though maybe more rock-oriented than some twangfans might like. See for yourself... they were pretty groovy, man!

Redwing "What This Country Needs" (Fantasy Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Russ Gary)
This one was kind of disappointing, at least from a twangfan's point of view. They set aside the funky rural vibe they pioneered on their first album, concentrating instead of crunchier, early-'70s boogie-rock, which was doubtless more salable then, but doesn't hold up so well now. Well, maybe there are jam-band or heavy rock aficionados who will be all over this album, but I thought it was a bummer, considering the innovation and diversity of the surrounding albums. Oh, well. I guess they were just looking for a hit.

Redwing "Take Me Home" (Fantasy Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Redwing & Brian Knapp Gardner)
A great record, with lots and lots of twang. They really upped the ante on their country bona fides: the album opens with the jaunty "Here I Go Again," an uptempo country-rock tune that's very reminiscent of the Gram Parsons-era Flying Burrito Brothers, followed by "Fast Locomotive," with some tight, funky chicken-picking guitar straight out of the Jerry Reed playbook, while the instrumental "Katy Warren Breakdown" showcases some awesome Joe Maphis-flavored flatpicking. Guitarists Andrew Samuels and Tom Phillips display a mastery of country picking that's head and shoulders above what most of the country-rockers were doing at the time, while guest fiddler Tiny Moore adds some sweet licks of his own, around Phillips' dazzling yet concise dobro and pedal steel. More conventional rock/pop riffs come into play on the boogie-funk of "Lost Highway" and the dreary slow-dance power ballad, "Our Day." As a viable regional band, Redwing might not have been able to set aside their hippie-pop and ballroom boogie roots, but even if those songs give the album an uneven feel, it's still packed with genuine gems. It's also worth noting that all the songs on here are originals, including the humorous, Doug Sahm-ish "Lowdown Samuel," co-written by fiddler-pianist Ed Bogas. If you're looking for a swell souvenir of the San Francisco country-rock scene at it's best, here it is.

Redwing "Dead Or Alive" (Fantasy Records, 1974) (LP)

Redwing "Beyond The Sun And Stars" (Fantasy Records, 1975) (LP)

Jack Reeves "Wabash Cannon Ball" (Corral Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Big Bill Smith & Rob Kinney)
A longtime fixture on the Southern California country scene, singer Jack Reeves grew up in Desire, Arkansas and claimed to be a cousin of Glen Campbell, who was born in nearby Billstown. Moving out to the West Coast around 1966, Reeves landed feet first in the middle of the Bakersfield-adjacent longhair country scene that clustered around the Palomino Club, including guitarist Clarence White and singer Eddy Drake. Reeves cut several singles in the decade leading up to this first LP, including one produced by scenester Gary Paxton, and others on various microscopic SoCal indie labels. In 1974 he won a major country music showbiz award, but remained mostly off-the-radar nationally; imitations were a big part of his live act act, and after Elvis Presley died, he specialized in an Elvis routine, working casinos and elsewhere. Eventually he moved back to Arkansas, and formed a band with his two sons, Cole and Matt, who also went on to record as The Reeves Brothers. This was Jack Reeves's first album, and finds him backed by Archie Francis on drums, John Hobbs (piano), Don Lee (guitar), Jay Dee Maness (steel guitar), Curtis Stone on bass.

Jack Reeves "When I Dream" (Ripcord Records, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Breeden & Blaine Allen)
I'm not 100% sure this is the same Jack Reeves as from California, but it seems likely... Country musicians seemed to move up and down the West Coast back in the 'Seventies. This album features backing from the Ripcord Records studio's usual suspects: Blaine Allen on guitar, Gene Breeden (lead and steel guitar), Danny Breeden (drums), the wonderfully-named Geno Keyes (piano), and a gal named Lorraine Walden singing backup.

Jack Reeves "The Heavenly Quartet" (Novo Productions, 1983-?) (LP)
(Produced by Roy Barnes)
You'd be excused for assuming this was a gospel album, based on the title, but alas it's actually a "tribute" to four deceased country stars -- Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Elvis Presley and Marty Robbins -- who Reeves imagines singing together in a celestial choir, despite their different musical styles. It's a showcase for Reeves's putative skills as a musical imitator, but the sad fact is he doesn't sound remotely like any of those singers, and the arrangements are pretty bad. I'll leave this one up to the local schadenfreude patrol to embrace; I thought it was fairly unlistenable. On the plus side, the LP was a gorgeous picture disc... the liner notes indicate that Reeves was holding down a regular gig at a bar called the Magnolia Room, in Corona, CA when he cut this record. Alas, the backing musicians are not identified.

The Reinsmen "Songs Of The Trail" (Sierra Records, 1973) (LP)
Western music cowboy revivalists from Southern California, the Reinsmen formed in 1962 after working a gig in the Wagonmasters, a country-oriented house band at the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park. The original trio included steel player Jerry Compton, with singer-guitarist Don Richardson and bassist Dick Goodman, who formed the core of the group for over three decades. They are joined on this album by guitarist Bob Wagoner, one of many musicians to pass through the band over the years. The Reinsmen were based in Southern California, but toured nationally, including gigs in the Branson/Lake Of The Ozarks circuit, as well as appearing in western films and performing at the White House, and perhaps most notably they backed cowboy star Rex Allen for many of his projects. They self-released a series of souvenir albums, with this one being -- I believe -- their first LP.

The Reinsmen "Sing Songs Of The West" (Sierra Records, 1977) (LP)

The Reinsmen "Sentimental Trails" (Sierra Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Manny Alvarez & The Reinsmen)
A fairly sedate, perhaps overly formal set of western oldies, with one original written by lead singer Doc Denning, the title track, "Sentimental Trails." The rest of the quartet -- Dick Goodman, Don Richardson and Jerry Compton -- provide a smooth, professional backing, though the album's reverential tone makes it feel... I dunno... a little less joyful than might be...? The studio and label are both from Visalia, California, just south of Fresno, so I bet you there's a pretty good chance some of these guys actually ran cattle up in the mountains around the Valley, or, if they stuck in the flatlands, they at least knew which end of a shovel was up.

The Reinsmen "Alive... In Death Valley" (Sierra Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Manny Alvarez)
Alas, the bandmembers aren't named individually in the liner notes, though it looks like Dick Goodman was for sure in the group, or at least is pictured on the back. Another set of old western standards, sentimental tunes and a little bit of western swing -- including songs by Stephen Foster, Stan Jones, Bob Nolan, Marty Robbins and Bob Wills.

The Reinsmen "This Ain't The Same Ol' Range" (Sierra Records, 1985) (LP)

Wes Reo & The Countrymen "Live At Sandpiper's Trace, Ltd." (Reo Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ernie Bivens, Jesse Bivens & Vince Chory)
Country covers from a little-known but lively band, performing live at an odd venue in North Carolina... Singer-guitarist Wes Reo was apparently really named Wes Crawford, and a decade later was playing gigs in San Diego County, out on the West Coast. I'm not sure which state he was originally from, North Carolina or California, since biographical info proved hard to come by online. Either way, he seems to be fairly well remembered by his SoCal country fans. Anyway, this is a pretty straightforward set of cover tunes, heavy on more contemporary hits from around 1970-71, including gems like Merle Haggard's "Working Man Blues" and "Carolyn," as well as standards like "For The Good Times," "Funny How Time Slips Away," "Good Hearted Woman" and "Country Roads." The compact quartet had a sharp sound worthy of their Merle Haggard cover, with a lineup including Wes Reo on rhythm guitar, along with R. W. Byrum (drums), Bryant Morgan (bass) and Anthony Wynn on lead guitar; it's not clear if any of these sidemen played in later incarnations of the band. Perhaps of equal interest is the venue itself: Sandpiper's Trace was a recreational campground that opened on Roanoke Island in 1970, set up on the site of a dimly remembered "freedmen's colony" of Confederate slaves liberated by the Union Army in 1863. The colony was disbursed after the war, but when Sandpiper's Trace was sold and slated to be commercially developed, archeologists found extensive evidence of the old colony... Though by then the music shows were long gone!

Jody Reynolds "Endless Sleep" (True Gems, 1978)
This was apparently the only full-length album by former '50s teenpop/rockabilly singer Jody Reynolds, who was best known for the 1958 Top Five pop hit, "Endless Sleep," a moody teen tragedy song that inspired a number of imitators (songs like "Teen Angel" and "Tell Laura I Love Her"). Like many early rockers, Reynolds was mainly a singles artist and bounced from label to label. Eventually he retired from show business and moved to Palm Springs and occasionally did gigs on the oldies circuit. This is a pretty cool album, seen from the '70s hippiebilly point of view: pure psych-tinged country-rock, with a spacey, laid-back feel that's similar to stuff by Mike Nesmith or Ricky Nelson. The Nesmith vibe is perhaps reinforced by the guitar work of Al Casey, an LA studio heavy who played on the Monkees albums, and fits in nicely with the loose feel of this album. Reynolds, who sounded fine as a youth-oriented rock singer, shows a few flaws in his older incarnation, but anyone who was willing to forgive, say, Gram Parsons, for his vocal limitations, should be able to do the same for Reynolds here. It's the spirit of the music that counts, and this is some truly groovy, vintage California indie twang, with a little whiff of Buck Owens-style Bakersfield in there as well. Worth tracking down.

Rolly Reynolds "...Sings At The Alisal" (Sunny Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Hal Southern & John Phillips)
Western swing and country oldies by California crooner Rolly Reynolds, who "for many years" had a gig at the Alisal dude ranch and golf club, near the coastal town of Solvang. Not sure when this album was recorded, though it looks early '70s; apparently Reynolds later moved to Arizona, and was using Phoenix as his home base around 1976. To be honest, his vocals are pretty underwhelming, with a nice deep timbre, but problems with phrasing and occasionally with staying on key. However, he's backed by several SoCal country veterans, including guitarist Roy Lanham, Billy Armstrong on violin and Noel Boggs on steel guitar, as well as bassist Dusty Rhoads and drummer Keith Berry. They don't sound super-inspired, but they're competent and add some nice licks throughout. Western balladeer Hal Southern produced the album, showing Reynolds' links to the older West Coast country scene... He recorded at least one single as well, though I think this was his only full album.

Red Rhodes - see artist discography

The Rice Kryspies "Sugar Coated" (Fanfare Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Compton)
Describing themselves as "neither hick nor hippie," this bluegrass-folk family band from Southern California was made up of brothers Jim, Joe and Wayne Rice, (on guitar, mandolin and banjo, respectively) as well as Wayne's wife Marci, who played bass and sang harmony. They saw themselves as a Christian group, though they made a concerted effort to appeal to a wider audience, and recorded mostly secular material, peppered with a few Jesus tunes here and there. The band formed in the early '60s as part of San Diego's folk revival scene, though they were still in their teens and early twenties when they cut this album: bandleader Wayne Rice was the oldest member at twenty-three, while younger brother Joe Rice was still in high school. Though they only cut a couple of self-released records, the Rices went on to co-found Brush Arbor, one of the most influential country-gospel groups of the country-rock era.

The Rice Kryspies "A Reason To Believe" (Tortilla Records, 1970) (LP)
This was the second album from this San Diego band, with Side One devoted to secular music, and Side Two to religious tunes. Bass player Marci Rice quit the group in 1971, and the Rice brothers then merged with members of another SoCal band called the Kentucky Faith, recruiting their singer, Ken Munds, to create a new group which eventually became known as Brush Arbor.

Richard & Mary "Take A Chance On Richard And Mary" (Custom Fidelity Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Randy S. Cierly)
Though mainly considered a folk duo, Richard & Mary covered some country territory on this sparse, private-press LP, which may have been their first album. Most of the songs are originals, though they also covered Merle Haggard's 1972 hit, "Daddy Frank" along with pop and folk tunes such as "Open The Door" by Judy Collins and Elton John's "Daniel." Born in England, songwriter-guitarist Richard Byford (1945-2020) emigrated to the United States and settled down in Palm Springs, California along with his wife, Mary (Avery) Byford, who plays piano on this album, along drummer Joe A. Crain and producer Randy Cierly playing guitar on a few tunes. The Byfords started their own agency and label, Byway Entertainment, self-releasing several albums and singles over a five-decade span, including the single, California Cowboy," which is not included on this album. I've seen this album listed as coming out in 1979, but I think that's incorrect: some of the tracks came out as singles in 1973, the same year given as the release date of other Custom Fidelity records with adjacent catalog numbers. I'm guessing this was from 1973, or '74 at the latest.

Brian Richards "Brian Richards" (Richard III Music Company, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Keith Johnston)
Wow, talk about intimate. When I saw this disc, I thought Brian Richards was probably some low-level lounge singer (which he may have been) but it's even better than that... way better. Apparently, this entire album was recorded live at his own wedding reception and presumably given out to the guests later as a memento. While there are some distinctly country songs ("I Must Have Been A Cowboy," "Johnny Cash Pickin'," "Superstar Of The Singles Bar") there's also a lot of fabulously bad 'Seventies pop-vocals material, such as the Neil Diamond-esque "Ah! Music" and the plunky keyboard-driven semi-reggae of "My Love Is Alive," one of several songs that seem to be directed at his newlywed wife, Jodi Richards. The band is actually pretty good, particularly guitarist Bruce Gaddy, who goes off on some epic flights on a tune or two. In addition the arrangements are often way more ambitious than what you'd expect from a live wedding gig, and while some of the pop ballads are flat-out embarrassing, the country stuff is kinda fun. Richards seems to have been a Californian at the time, giving an address in West Los Angeles for his label, though in the (presumably) autobiographical "I Used To Love To Hear My Daddy Sing," he mentions growing up in Iowa... so your guess is as good as mine.

Rusty Richards "Traditional And Contemporary Folk Songs" (Shasta Records, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Wakeley)

Rusty Richards "The American Cowboy" (Young Oak Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Rusty Richards & Gene Breeden)
A solo set by cowboy crooner Rusty Richards, who became a member of the legendary Sons Of The Pioneers in 1963 and was with the group off and on for about two decades... Richards was a California native who grew up as a rancher in rural Orange County, and in his teens he got into playing western music -- later, after a hitch in the Marines he headed for Hollywood where he worked as a stuntman on TV westerns. He was championed by a young Burt Reynolds for an audition with the Sons Of The Pioneers, where he yodeled and sang tenor for many years. Richards also was a member of a latter-day version of Hal Southern's old band, the Frontiersmen, led in the late '60s by Ken Curtis, and eventually set himself up as a professional horse trainer before rejoining the Sons in 1974. This album includes a snapshot of Richards with the group on the back cover, but around the time this record came out, Richards was asked to leave the band, and in 1985 he sued them over the use of the group's name and for his share of the profits from a 50th anniversary album released in '82, having himself been kicked out of the band in '84. (Did you really need to know all this? Well, maybe not, but there it is, underneath it all...) The lawsuit was apparently resolved amicably, and Richards continued to sing (and write) cowboy songs for years to come, appearing at the Gene Autry museum and other SoCal venues. I gotta say, this album seems a little rough around the edges, but it does contain a wealth of original material, and is worth checking out if you're a diehard western music fan.

Randy Richardson "A Country Called Heaven: Country Gospel Music" (Gospel Media, 19--?) (LP)
Aww. This one was disappointing: despite its proclamations of being a "country" album, this gospel set is mostly just Mr. Richardson strumming solo in a Sunday school folksinger mode, although there is one track, "Shadow Of The Cross," where he imitates the classic 1950's Johnny Cash chunka-chunka rockabilly riff -- other than that, though, it's mostly a folk-guitar style. Half the songs are credited to Richardson, along with covers of songs by Laverne Tripp, Marty Robbins, the Rambos and others. Slightly long-haired, Richardson was a California native living near Sacramento who recorded several albums back in the 'Seventies, and may eventually have had a ministry of his own.

Randy Richardson "Can't Stop Praisin' The Lord" (Gospel Jubilee Records, 1974) (LP)

Joe Richie "Live At O. T. Price's Music Hall" (Red Dirt Music, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Hewlitt Crist)
An excellent set of independent, old-school bar-room country music, with strong, simple songs and plenty of twang, recorded by a Panhandle transplant to the California shores. In the liner notes Richie goes out of his way to explain the meaning and origin of the term "red dirt music," an amorphous regional music movement which was named after the iron-heavy, crimson soil of Oklahoma... This is a rambunctious live set recorded at O. T. Price's Music Hall, a country music venue in Santa Cruz, California that was open from 1979-1990. O.T.'s was a well-loved showcase club for local and national roots music acts, and is pictured on the back cover. Great record... Highly recommended, particularly for fans of pre-Nashville George Strait.

Robert Richie "Hail We Americans" (Pyasaw Music Studio, 19--?) (LP)

Robert Richie "Writer-Producer" (Pyasaw Music Studio, 197--?) (LP)

Alex Richman "Salty" (Capitol Records, 1972) (LP)
Definitely more of a rock-oriented 'Seventies singer-songwriter kinda thing, ala Carole King or Helen Reddy, though the presence of several high-profile country-adjacent studio musicians does demand our attention. Los Angeles-based singer-pianist Alex Richman is backed by a shifting lineup that included (among others) Ry Cooder, Jesse Ed Davis, Chris Ethridge and Wayne Perkins... Sure, there are bongos, trumpets and saxophones in the mix, but there's definitely a rootsy core as well. This appears to have been Richman's only solo set, although she later joined the more blues-based Butts Band, playing on the second album of the post-Doors project led by John Densmore and Robby Krieger.

The Ridgewood County Singers "For The Man Who Has Everything" (196--?) (LP)
This was actually not a country band, but rather a pretty low-rent folk-revival group, an amateurish gaggle of young guys banging away on their acoustic guitars while singing hootenanny tunes at a too-brisk tempo, barely able to keep in tune. It's not really a very good record, but they sure did sound enthusiastic and energetic. There's no date or address on this disc, but the names of all nine guys are included on the back, and a little bit of interweb sleuthing revealed they all attended the same Catholic high school and seminary in Los Angeles, back in the early 1960s. Several of them did, in fact, become priests. Sadly though, their pathways through the Los Angeles archdiocese intersected with a sprawling sexual abuse scandal which broke open in the early 2000s: at least one of the guys on this album became a litigant, while another was identified as a notorious serial molester who kept getting moved from parish to parish, and was eventually shipped off to a "treatment" facility on the East Coast. The school they attended when this album was made, Our Lady Queen of Angels, has been closed for years.

Rig "Rig" (Capitol Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Elliot Mazer & Adam Mitchell)
An amiable, but fairly inconsequential country-rock(ish) outing notable for Nashville heavyweight Kenny Buttrey playing drums, with his twangy colleague Weldon Myrick also sitting in on one track, though for the rest of the record it's Artie Richards who contributes on pedal steel. The driving force of this band came from the principal songwriters, Kendell Kardt and Don Kerr, who seem like your average early 'Seventies, middle-American semi-longhair dudes who got caught up in the cosmic vibes of the time. Kardt was the better-known of the two, a kid from Queens, New York whose career always skirted on the edges of success. Beginning in the 1960s, Kardt was in a series of bands and projects that fell apart just when a major label deal looked likely... This album turned out to be his magnum opus; a couple of solo projects followed, but both were shelved by the labels involved. He moved into the 'Seventies folk scene, but doesn't seem to have recorded much beyond this hippie-era album. As a legacy, this record ain't bad -- the songs are rambling and inchoate, expressive but unformed, but they also have a quavering, fragile sincerity that probably has more appeal for the folk-freak crowd than for us twangsters. I suppose it wasn't implausible that these guys could have succeeded, given the eclectic artistic environs of the era, though as fate would have it, Rig was destined to be one of those weird, obscure artifacts of a very inventive era.

Harold Riley & The Country Rush "Live At The Gold Rush" (198-?) (LP)
Low budget production, but good music... This live album captures a West Coast bar band tearing through a bluesy, twangy set that included some early Rodney Crowell stuff, so despite the lack of any discographical info (not even song titles) I'd place this one as an early '80s album, maybe around 1981-82, possibly later. It's a good record, but a bit of a mystery. Anyone out there know anything about this band?

Jim Ringer "Any Old Wind That Blows" (Philo Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Ringer & Michael Couture)
Really nice. I'm used to thinking of California troubadour Jim Ringer as more of a "folk" artist, and as the longtime partner of singer Mary McCaslin, but this set of country twang is a real delight. It's most cover tunes, including hillbilly classics such as Roy Acuff's "As Long As I Live," Jimmy Driftwood's "Good Woman's Love" and Don Reno's "I Know You're Married But I Love You Still," as well as bluesier numbers like "Sittin' On Top Of The World," and an outstanding, wonderfully lusty version of "Stackolee" (here entitled "Mrs. DeLion's Lament," with a songwriter's credit to Ringer...) McCaslin sings harmony on several tracks, and in this oldies-country context, they evoke the hardrock sentimentalism of duos such as Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper... Ringer's own vocals bring to mind robust vocalists such as Hoyt Axton and old-fashioned twang-stars such as Roy Acuff, and a couple of tracks that feature a small horn section have a boozy charm reminiscent of Leon Redbone. All in all, this is swell album... Highly recommended!

Jerry Riopelle "Take A Chance" (ABC Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Riopelle, David Plenn & Keith Olson)
Originally from Florida, rock producer Jerry Riopelle broke into the early 1960s pop scene and established himself as part of the Los Angeles/West Coast musical elite... Although this mid-'70s album is mostly an overblown, self-indulgent rock-pop muddle, there is one track on here, Riopelle's own "Red Ball Texas Flyer," that is a genuine 'Seventies alt-country classic, a chugging, uptempo, irresistible country parody that was played constantly on KFAT, and it still brings a little smile to old coots like me from time to time. The studio musicians on this album are mostly groovy, slick, too-smooth LA regulars, but for the twangy stuff, Riopelle recruited bluegrassers such Sam Bush, Alan Munde and Byron Berline, along with flatpicker Tony Recupido, and he gave studio pro Waddy Wachtel a chance to stretch out on steel guitar. Mostly, though, this is a skippable record, at least from a twangfan's perspective.

Rising Sons "Featuring Taj Mahal And Ry Cooder" (Sony Music, 2008)
(Produced by Terry Melcher)
This semi-legendary band was an early home to two of the greatest roots music revivalists of the 1970s, folk-blues guru Taj Mahal and twang auteur Ry Cooder, who gigged together around Los Angeles for a couple of years, between 1964-66. A popular live act, they were signed by Columbia Records, but their lone album was shelved and left in the vaults for decades -- another, earlier archival edition came out on Rhino Records. Although the group was noted for their diversity and the difficulty pigeonholing them into a single genre, most of these tracks have a heavy, muscular blues-rock feel, more of a boogie-rock thing, and not quite what drew fans to the later, lighter, more subtle work of both Cooder and Mahal. Still, it's worth checking out, just so you know what was going down, man. Y'know... back in the day.

Jack Rivers & The Detours "At The Sand Box, Honolulu Hawaii, Sand Island Road" (Sandbox Records, 19--?) (LP)
A veteran West Coast honkytonker from the post-WWII era, Jack Rivers (1917-1989) really made his name in Los Angeles, where he recorded for Capitol Records and cut influential versions of "Dear Oakie" and "Detour." Rivers worked his way through a variety of popular bands, most notably backing Johnny Bush as well as western star Jimmy Wakely. Although he was pretty successful in LA, from there Rivers moved around a lot, starting in the 1950s with a long stint in Seattle where he recorded for a series of small labels, including several of his own imprints. This undated album documents a Hawaiian interlude, where Rivers and his band headlined a nightclub on Sand Island, in the Honolulu harbor. It's not clear when this LP came out, although it looks early 'Seventies to me; the inclusion of "Little Old Wine Drinker Me" (a song that actor Robert Mitchum took to the charts in 1967) makes this at least a late 'Sixties outing. This edition of his band The Detours included singers Sunny Estes and Sheila Tilton, as well as Warren Johnson and drummer Jim Webb, each of whom got solo spotlight numbers.

Jack Rivers & The Detours "Alsie Records Presents..." (Alsie Records, 19--?) (LP)
Another indie-label outing, released on one of Jack Rivers' own labels. The imprint was named after his wife, Alsie Rivers.

Jimmie Rivers & The Cherokees "Brisbane Bop -- Western Swing: 1961-64" (Joaquin Records, 1995)
Jazzy, late-vintage western swing from a spunky local bar-band from Brisbane, California (near San Francisco). These live, onstage airchecks from the nightclub where they were the house band show the continued vigor of the California hillbilly swing scene, decades after the pre- and postwar heyday of Bob Wills and his contemporaries. It's a fun, funky set, full of wild energy and good humor. Recommended!

Billy Roberts & Grits "Thoughts Of California" (Tulip Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Hillel Resner & Billy Roberts)
This is apparently the only album by rock/folk songwriter Billy Roberts, who is the guy who wrote the '60s beat classic "Hey Joe," a big hit for Jimi Hendrix and numerous other artists. Roberts started out in the Greenwich Village folk scene, and like many East Coasters migrated to San Francisco when the decade got weirder... He played gigs at the hungry i nightclub and was a regular fixture in the Bay Area music scene throughout the hippie era. This record is very odd and idiosyncratic, a real outsider-art kinda thing, but it holds up well. The first time I heard this album, I thought it was a little too folkie for me, but revisiting it I found the country sound was much more prominent than I remembered. Side One of the LP is almost entirely twang, and has a couple of particularly memorable tunes, including the novelty number "Rebound" and the more subtle, gospel-flavored "Hide Behind." That soulful, bluesy vibe gives Roberts a sort of Jerry Lee Lewis-ish vocal quality on several tracks -- Side Two of the album branches out into other styles, not all as successful as the country stuff, though even the goofy white reggae tune has weird, interesting lyrics, and Roberts seems to have had a singular artistic vision. Sadly, he was severely injured in an auto accident in the 1990s, bringing his music career to an end. This album's a nice legacy, though... That, and of course "Hey Joe!"

Billy Roberts/Various Artists "A NIGHT AT THE WINE CELLAR" (Cabernet Recordings, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Timothy Dawe)
Roberts contributes three songs on this live album, recorded with a passel of folkie artists at the Ghiradelli Wine Celler restaurant in San Francisco. Other artists include Leo Collignon, a band called Good Morning, Skip Henderson, Joey Lent, Jim Nelson, John Palme, Patricia Pickens, Dev Singh, Wayne Smith, and a few tunes by album producer Timothy Dawe. One highlight is the Billy Roberts song "The Grip" about living with alcoholism: "For at last it's come to pass/that the grip I've got on the glass/is nothing compared to the grip/that the glass has got on me..." Mostly this record is packed with painfully earnest folk material, but Roberts' stuff does stand out.

Roy Rogers, Jr. "Just Call Me Dusty" (Vistone Records, 1982) (LP)
The son of western film stars Dale Evans and Roy Rogers, singing some ballads, honkytonk and western swing, backed by a band called the Highriders which Matt Starner, Larry Carney and others... Roy Junior also recorded some stuff on albums headlined by his folks.

Tex Rogers & Jimmie Collins "...And Western Gospel Crusaders" (Songs Of Calvary, 1964-?) (LP)
A gospel duo from Oakland, California, who sang both as a duo and individually on this album, Collins and Rogers had previously worked in secular country, notably with western artists such as Ken Maynard and a band called the Pals Of The Purple Sage. Though born in Pennsylvania, Rogers got his nickname because he grew up near East Texas, Pennsylvania, an oddly-named dot on the map near Allentown; Jimmie Collins was originally from Chilicothe, Missouri, though apparently they produced this disc by way of a church group in California. They are backed on this album by fellow believers Gene Shelby (on "electric Hawaiian guitar"), Effie Shelby (guitar), Mary Lou Stewart (vibraphone), Royce Collier (bass), and Judith Collier (piano). More than that, I cannot tell you.

Clarke C. Rohn "Country" (Redhill Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Clarke Rohn)
A fairly rootsy country album from La Mirada, California's own Clarke C. Rohn, a modestly talented singer who performed around the Long Beach area for several decades, on TV and at clubs and private events, hosting a variety of Southern California talent on various occasions. Rohn self-recorded and self-released this album, with a strong backing band, particularly on the pedal steel. The repertoire is a mix of covers from artists such as Moe Bandy and Ray Price, as well as some original material, notably a gospel song called "Instant Happiness," which Rohn co-wrote with Stacy Farrell, the owner of the nightclub where Rohn had a residency at the time this album was made. Although he doesn't dazzle as a vocalist, Rohn's heart was in it, and you can hear hints of Mickey Gilley and Willie Nelson in his phrasing -- honkytonk at its core, but with sophisticated leanings. A nice document of a resolutely local performer in his early years...

Mimi Roman "I'm Ready If You're Willing" (Bear Family Records, 2012)
A fascinating set of obscuro country from the 1950s from a Jewish gal from Salinas, California who broke through on the Arthur Godfrey talent show and was signed to Decca Records as a pop singer, but who insisted on recording country material. Roman (nee Rothman) tackled rockabilly and uptempo honkytonk material as well as plenty of weepers, and she toured in the Philip Morris Caravan package show, along with many of the biggest stars of the era, but despite her best efforts she never broke through as a headliner or even as a national act. This is a nice selection of her country best country stuff, and a real goldmine for fans of hillbilly fillies -- she had kind of a rough voice, but in the country context, it'll win you over. There are a few more Mimi Roman songs out there to be heard... Perhaps someday Bear Family (or some other label) will issue a follow-up disc?

Arnold Rosenthal & Company "Live" (Warped Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Oliver)
A fairly kooky, lighthearted, slapdash live album by a dubiously country band out of Los Angeles, led by pianist Arnold Rosenthal, who may have been a minor player in the early 'Seventies country-rock scene. He's backed by three musicians -- bass player Howard Deere, Marilyn Donadt on drums, and Steve Westmoreland playing guitar -- although I doubt this was a real, coherent, working band. This set was recorded in November, 1975 in conjunction with a novelty single that included two originals by Mr. Rosenthal, "The World's First Jewish Country Singer" and "Your Dog (Lives A Better Life Than Me)." Both songs are also included here, though I think the single versions were studio tracks, as opposed to these live tracks. Anyway, even though Kinky Friedman beat him to the punch several years earlier, "Jewish Country Singer" is the obvious album highlight, a torturous tale of a nice Jewish boy led astray into a life of twang (complete with little bursts of "Hava Nagila"). The rest of the record is weird mishmosh of styles... It's about half country, with covers of "Another Teardrop Falls," "Holding Things Together," "Please Mister Please," "Polk Salad Annie" and "Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," augmented by some seemingly random pop and soul covers ("Respect Yourself," "Philadelphia Freedom," etc.) This may have been recorded at a place called Arnie's Lounge, located in Sylmar, California and thanked in the liner notes,,, Anyway, this is an unusually chaotic souvenir album, a truly slapdash set which inexplicably includes a five-minute long drum solo -- not in the middle of a song, mind you... just a drum solo -- and an overall vibe of not taking anything too seriously. I guess the guy had money to burn? I'm not sure if he's the same musician, but this may be the same Arnold Rosenthal who who played bass on one of Jesse Ed Davis's albums and was in a late 'Sixties edition of Gary Lewis's band, the Playboys, penning a novelty song called "I Saw Elvis Presley Last Night," which Lewis recorded in 1969. He later formed a business called Songs That Teach, and released at least one CD of children's music connected to that enterprise.

Rosewood "Rosewood" (Dark Star Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Ray DeLeon & John Wheeler)
This longhaired SoCal country-rock trio featured Bob Bartosh on vocals, Wayne Johnson playing bass and John Wheeler picking banjo and lead guitar... They recorded their album live at the El Paso Cantina in Riverside, California, covering a mix of material, from "Fire On The Mountain" and "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" to "Mack The Knife" and a medley of Beach Boys songs.

The Roundtown Boys "Deadheads And Suckers" (Swallow Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by The Roundtown Boys)
A lively set from a youthful oldtimey band out of Fresno, California... The driving force is singer-fiddler Evo Bluestein, who along with his brother, mandolin picker Jemmy, grew up as part of the long-lived Bluestein family band, a pillar of the Central California bluegrass scene. Evo stands out as a dynamic and devoted old-timey fiddler, as well as a master of the reedy, nasal intonations of the genre... The Boys pay obvious homage to the New Lost City Ramblers, matching their wildness, fervor and wit, also dutifully noting each of the scratchy old 78s they used to build up their repertoire... Pretty darn good little record!

Van Rozay "...From San Jose" (Golden Vanity Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Mackay & Van Rozay)
An eclectic acoustic album from an easygoing local in the Northern California orbit of San Francisco and Santa Cruz... Mixing jazz and twang influences, Rozay gets in some fancy, clever guitar picking amid a set of original songs that wobble between slightly forced kookiness and more romantic inclinations. I suppose this falls mainly into the folkie fold, though I think he may have been shooting for a Dan Hicks or Jerry Jeff Walker kind of vibe. The list of musicians collaborating on this album spans Bay Area rock and jazz players such as Merl Saunders to folkies and bluegrassers such as Kate Brislin and Kathy Kallick, and even Commander Cody alumnus Bill Kirchen kicking in on guitar. A lot of the songs seems a little too much like inside jokes, but there's a mellow feel to this album that's kinda nice. More folkie than what I'm usually into, but one worth knowing about.

Arnie Rue "Arnie Rue" (Big Bear Records, 1977) (LP)
In addition to playing live gigs, recording this country album and several singles, Azuza, California's Arnie Rue also dabbled in local Republican politics, running for a state Assembly seat... He may have also worked in radio for a while, and had a couple of minor Billboard hits in 1979, "Spare A Little Lovin' (On A Fool)" (which hit #56 on the charts) and "Rodle-Odeo-Home" (#74) which sounds like something Ned Flanders would sing. Rue was a pleasant-sounding indiebilly artist, with an unusual voice, but a nice one, sort of in the tradition of singers like Bill Anderson, who you wouldn't expect to carry a lyric as well as he does. Nice stuff if you can track it down; it would be nice if someone could reissue this album along with some of the singles that followed.

Teri Ruse & The Roosters "People Pleasin' Country" (Custom Fidelity Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by James Ackroyd & Jim Ruse)
A mystery disc. Led by bass player Teri Ruse and lead guitarist Jim Ruse, the Roosters were a plain, old bar-band country outfit from Thousand Oaks, California, just north of Malibu. At the time this album was made, they were holding down a gig at the local Straw Hat Pizza Palace, which apparently footed the bill for this album. The rest of the band included drummer Al Janov and steel player Doug Dalley. Not a lot of info about any of these folks, alas. Not sure when this one came out: the Straw Hat logo on the cover includes the date 1970, but that corporate emblem could have been made years before this disc actually came out; the Custom Fidelity numbering system is pretty mysterious. The Roosters were definitely playing at Straw Hat in 1971 when they put out a single called "Candy Is Dandy," on the MagneSonic label, recorded by gogo boot-wearing Hollywood actress Lynn Harper, who also recorded a full album on Alshire Records around 1972. Many thanks to The Thousand Oaks Public Library for reaching out and providing a link to a 1971 local news article that produced a wealth of information about the Ruses. Apparently they had been playing together since the 1950s, and performed at the Tex Williams ranch as "The Country Sweethearts." According to the article, they had written several songs, including "Candy Is Dandy," and MagneSonic may been their own private label. The article makes no mention of this album, which make me suspect it came out later, perhaps in 1972 or possibly '73. None of their original material is included on this disc, which is all cover songs.

Tom Russell - see artist discography

Sacramento Fiddlers "Sacramento Fiddlers" (Sacramento Fiddlers, 1968-?) (LP)
Although this sounds like it would be a compilation album, "Sacramento Fiddlers" seems to be the name chosen by this informal old-timey/bluegrass stringband drawing on talent from California's Central Valley. Side One showcases the fiddling of Delbert McGrath, who won the 1967 state fiddling championship, while Side Two features Frank Gunn, who had a more local profile. Also on board is old-timey elder Mike Bibby, a seventy-one year old fiddler who adds a few licks on the closing tracks of both sides. Although various musicians on this album competed in state championships, the Sacramento Fiddlers group remained independent from the official California State Old Time Fiddlers Association, preferring laid-back jam sessions to the more intense competitive model. As far as I know this was the group's only album, though Gunn and McGrath's performances in a 1967 competition are included on an album documenting the 1967 state competition which was won by McGrath.

Phil St. Pierre "John Jawad's Pioneer Inn Presents: Phil St. Pierre Just For You" (19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Lori Stewart Shirley & John W. Onzo)
A souvenir album of the Pioneer Inn, a popular steakhouse located in the Bay Area town of Clayton, California, near the city of Concord. Housed in a historic building that dates back to the Gold Rush days, the Pioneer Inn was a former stagecoach stop that went through a number of changes before becoming the restaurant known as Chubby's, which was sold to longtime owner John Jawad in the early 1960s. Jawad ran the Pioneer Inn until retiring in 1990, and one of his regular entertainers was "gut-bucket" guitarist Phil St. Pierre. This double LP spotlights St. Pierre on a couple of dozen low-key, solo acoustic performances, just him his guitar, singing a bunch of country classics (stuff by Eddy Arnold, Hank Williams, and others) along with numerous 1970s AOR hits, such as "If" and "Country Roads." To be honest, it's all a bit underwhelming -- he croons in a relaxed manner, and strums along in an amiable though unvirtuosic way, reminiscent of the '60s coffeehouse folk scene. Still, it's authentic as all getout: you can easily imagine having a few drinks and ordering a burger while he sang unobtrusively on a small corner stage. In fact, I'll have another round!

San Francisco Medicine Ball & Friends "On A Slow Boat To China" (Real Turkey Records & Tapes, 1976)
(Produced by David Sturdevant, Jack Converey & Brian Van Der Mueler)
For some reason, the 1970s San Francisco independent music scene was a longtime home to neo-trad Dixieland and jazz revivalists... I guess as an outgrowth of the tourist trade's romanticization of the old "Barbary Coast" saloons and brothels, which were represented decades later by various Dixieland acts in the '50s, '60s and '70s. The SF Medicine Ball was one of the last bands in this tradition, and despite the groovy, acid test-looking, hippiedelic artwork, this was a pretty straightforward trad-retro set, with compact arrangements that mostly showcased the fast but not too fancy banjo picking and a few vocals as well. Not all that twangy, but worth mentioning anyway...

Carlo San Paolo "My Raggedy Ann" (Lark Ellen Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Arlene Buckner, Erwin E. Buckner & Fern Doral)
A questionable entry, though there are country threads... Multi-instrumentalist Carlo San Paolo (who also went by the simple mononym "Carlo") was originally from Saint Louis, Missouri and seems to have had a pop-oriented background, touring as a teen with a rock group called Illustrated Sounds, which cut a couple of singles circa 1969. He met his muse, lyricist Arlene Buckner, while performing in New Orleans and at some point they both wound up in Los Angeles, where Carlo joined Paul Foster's country band, The Hand Me Downs, which cut an album on Lark Ellen Records in 1974. Apparently he quit that group when they went on tour up in Alaska, stayed in LA and recorded this disc, which has a less overtly country tone than Foster's disc.

Santa Fe "Santa Fe" (Ampex Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Herb Newman)
A lively hippie-rock album, heavily influenced by the San Francisco sound, particularly the vocal high harmonies of the Grateful Dead and the Bay Area version of the new country-rock sound. Fans of the Dead -- and more particularly of their twangier cohorts, the New Riders Of The Purple Sage -- will find a lot to like in this album. Santa Fe definitely could rock out (by the standards of the day) although they stuck to the rougher, more bar-bandy end of the spectrum, with a thumpy, gallumphing rhythm and plenty of nasal twang. The songs are all originals, written solo or collaboratively by singer-guitarists Woody Minnich and Joe Saputo, with a couple also credited to lead guitarist Rob Riggs... And there's some fun stuff! This is a rough-edged record, but that's probably what makes it most appealing... Apparently Ampex relicensed the record to RCA -- my copy has the Ampex artwork, but I've seen pictures of the other version as well. Anyway, if you're looking for obscure proto- country rock, this disc is definitely worth tracking down. (BTW: anyone know more about these guys? I assumed they were desert dudes, but apparently they were Southern California kids... In the late '60s, Woody Minnick played guitar in a rock band called The Humane Society, which wound up on one of the early Nuggets albums... Other than that, I haven't learned much about these guys.)

Santa Fe "The Good Earth" (RTV Records, 1972) (LP)

Sarah "Breakin' Rules" (Hub Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Summers)
Sarah Lou Vogt was a Southern California singer from Studio City, a Los Angeles suburb up in the hills... She recorded at least two albums of glossy, '80s-style pop-country with the backing of her husband, H. L. Vogt, who owned the Hub Records label. They made a real go of it, attending music industry industry gatherings, hiring a publicist and getting mentions in some of the trade publications, all at a time when the corporate model was starting to aggressively freeze out independent artists. On this first album, Sarah wrote all songs, though the next album had a mix of material. Unfortunately, neither record mentions the backing musicians, though they appear to have been recorded locally in LA, so any number of SoCal twangsters may have been involved.

Sarah "Sarah, Too" (Hub Records, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Summers)

Ron Schmeck "Easy Living -- The American Way" (Valley Records, 197?) (LP)
There's an entire album devoted to the joys of RVs? Yes, sirree! You bet there is! Ron Schmeck was a car dealer from Sacramento, California who was so fired up about mobile homes that he wrote and recorded a whole album's worth of songs on the subject. Well, okay, there are a couple of songs on other topics, like how mobile home drivers made great Good Samaritans (Schmeck was also a member of the Good Sam club) but mostly this is a sincere song of praise for living the free life on the road. The musical end was actually pretty good -- Schmeck also hosted a local country TV show (called "The Easy Life") and though he wasn't a very good singer, he got some decent talent to back him up here -- an iffy lead guitarist, but good pedal steel and a solid piano player and rhythm section, pumping out music that was solidly in the uptempo West Coast style. You probably won't need to listen to this disc all that often, but it's a funny, genuine oddity, for sure. By the way, anyone know more about these sessions, or even what year the record came out? I tried finding out online, but no one seems willing to post a specific date. I'm guess 1976-ish...(?)

Larry Scott "Keep On Truckin' " (Alshire Records, 1973) (LP)
An enthusiastic set of trucker tunes from Los Angeles-area DJ Larry Scott, who hosted a primetime show on KLAC, a top country station of the era. Scott himself won a Billboard award as DJ Of The Year for 1972, so one assumes he was pretty well connected, and influential. That may help explain the lineup of top talent backing him here, including steel player J. D. Maness and superpicker James Burton and pianist Glen D. Hardin, from Elvis Presley's fabled TCB Band. Scott wasn't a great singer, by any means, but his rugged approach was perfect for the trucker song genre -- hell, if Dave Dudley and Red Sovine could have hits, why not this guy? The set list is a mix of covers, such as "Six Days On The Road" and "I'm A Truck" to oddball originals, including three by a guy named Joe Bob Barnhill. Highlights include "My Truck's The Other Woman In My Life" and "Truck Drivin' Nightmare," where our hero gets roped into hauling a load to a government missile site, with unpredictable, over-the-top results. So did he have any hits? Well, no... but it does sound like he had some fun making this album, and if you're into trucker songs, this one adds some nice ones to the list.

The Scragg Family "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" (Sonyatone Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Peter Feldmann & Wayne Yentis)
This acoustic trio from Santa Barbara, California -- Peter Feldman playing mandolin, Kasja Ohman on banjo and vocals, Gene McGeorge on violin -- was founded in 1962 and was a mainstay of the coastal bluegrass scene. On their first album, they played a mix of old-timey mountain music and stringband-ified Depression-era blues. The album opens on a rocky note, with Ohman going a little overboard with some Mamie Smith-style blues mama vocalizing... But when she settles into a more comfortable mode, singing some hardcore Appalachian ballads, she nails the whole keening, Hazel Dickens shape-note sound. Nice stuff!

Jim Seal "Sings" (197--?) (LP)
Great record, though there's a real blank slate on this guy... No producer or musician information, no release date, not even a label name, for pete's sake... From the somewhat vague liner notes contributed by a fella named George Healy, we learn that Jim Seal -- not to be confused with the 'Seventies soft-pop superstar Jim Seals of the duo Seals & Croft -- was born in Huntington Beach, California and performed at some (unidentified) venues in Los Angeles and Orange County. Healy implies that the album was funded by Jim and Jessie Minor, a ranching couple from Riverside who he mysteriously refers to in quotation marks as "farmers" -- though why, I dunno. Anyway, this is a fun record, with a easygoing but confident vibe very similar to Dick Feller's albums of the same era, solid picking, robust vocals, a little bit of a novelty vibe. Half of the eight tracks are credited to the Songmaker publishing company, which I assume was Seal's own imprint, and the only two that seem to be covers are a pair of Jim Reeves covers, "Four Walls" and "He'll Have To Go." (These are musically weaker than the rest of the album, and were probably from a previously-released single.) One of the album's oddest songs, "I'm Not The Man I Used To Be," is a tall-tale novelty number about some poor guy who can't keep up with the sexual voracity of the gals in the women's liberation era, who apparently fling themselves at him nonstop, and simply wear him out. He makes the most of it, though, despite the hardship. These sessions were recorded in Nashville at an unknown studio with an unidentified band... It seems likely that this was the same Jim Seals who cut a few singles for the Nashville-based NSD Records, including one of his own tunes, "Empty Tables," though mostly he seems to have been demo-ing stuff written by folks like Roger Bowling and producer Byron Hill. Mostly, though, his biography remains elusive, and this one's a little more of a mystery disc than most.

Seatrain "Seatrain" (A&M Records, 1970)
(Produced by Henry Lewy)
This is the debut album from the folk-prog fusion band Seatrain, founded by fiddler Richard Greene, who was in the Bill Monroe band at the same time as Peter Rowan, and who remained a close collaborator over the years. I'm not sure if Rowan was onboard for this first record, but he certainly took part in others. Seatrain started out in the SF Bay Area, recording several albums before various members spun off into other bands, including twang-oriented projects such as Greene and Rowan's legendary bluegrass band Muleskinner.

Seatrain "Seatrain" (Capitol Records, 1970)
(Produced by George Martin)

Seatrain "The Marblehead Messenger" (Capitol Records, 1971)
(Produced by George Martin)

Seatrain "Watch" (Warner Brothers, 1973)
(Produced by Buell Neidlinger)

The Seigler Family "Singing The Gospel Country Style" (Bigg Tyme Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Sims & The Seigler Family)
A pleasantly raucous, amateurish and definitely quite twangy family band from Ukiah, California, led by parents Floyd Seigler on guitar and Jean Seigler on bass, along with their daughters, Candy Seigler (piano and organ), Sandy Seigler (banjo) and Tana Seigler on guitar. The material is standard, classic country gospel, with a tilt towards older stringband stuff, including chestnuts such as "This Little Light Of Mine" and Albert Brumley's "Turn Your Radio On." Although they lived 'way up in the northern end of the state, the Seiglers headed down to the Central Valley to record at the studio's of Jerry Sims's quixotic indie label, Bigg Tyme Records, in Modesto, CA. Several local Valley musicians who did session work on similar albums pitch in here was well, including Bob Benningfield (bass), Jerry Hoyopatubbi (lead guitar), producer Jerry Sims on drums, and steel player Ivan Ward. The Seiglers later moved up to Alaska, with Floyd and Jean playing in a local church group in the microscopic town of Tok, where they also play in a local bluegrass band.

Seven Grain "Traditional And Contemporary Folk Music" (Custom Fidelity, 1974-?) (LP)
This hippie-folkie band from San Jose, California formed in 1972 and played together for a few years... They had a basically bluegrass orientation, but their repertoire was peppered with a healthy dose of contemporary outlaw tunes, including covers of Kris Kristofferson's "Jesus Was A Capricorn," Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road," Guy Clark's "LA Freeway," and a version of "Seven Beers With The Wrong Woman," which was a parody of an old Depression-era stringband song.

Linna Shane & The Sons Of The Purple Sage "Western Favorites" (Tops Records, 1958-?) (LP)
Singer Linna Shane was actually the nom-de-twang of Linna Biatress Schames (1929-1988) a Southern California cowgal who recorded with at least one edition of the Sons Of The Purple Sage, a western/cowboy act which had several permutations. Apparently, Shane's husband also plays on this album, and she may have been the "girl" singer on some of their other albums... The history of the band is a bit murky... There was one version of the group which came about when western music star Foy Willing split the difference with a guy called Buck Page who had a competing band also named the Riders Of The Purple Sage. The compromise was that Page's band could perform as "The Sons Of The Purple Sage" although it looks like it was one of those things where various fly-by-night labels used the name to record a number of albums, either because they won it through a business contract, or because no one was able to enforce the ownership of the name. (I welcome input from anyone with more concrete information...) At any rate, there were about a half-dozen albums released under the name Sons Of The Purple Sage, with musicians such as Tex Fletcher and Bob Wheeler, as well as the mysterious Ms. Shane. Although I suspect that this LP was cobbled together from various sources, the liner notes say that Bob Wheeler is the band's leader, and though there are a few different lead vocalists, I'm guessing he's the guy who sounds like Hank Snow. Most of the vocals are male, with Linna Shane adding some rather prissy lead vocals on a few tracks... The real draw here is the solid musicianship -- this is a fun album that's pure West Coast '40s/'50s country, mixing cowboy stuff with proto-honkytonk and western swing. Some great Hawaiian-style steel guitar, a little pedal steel perhaps, and of course plenty of chugging accordion. If you dig that sound and that era, you may be surprised at how groovy this record is. And, plus: just look at that rad cover photo!

Maia Sharp "Maia Sharp" (Concord Records, 2002)
Ooooohhhhhh... I get it....! Maia Sharp is Randy Sharp's daughter...! I remember Randy from when I lived in Fresno and he was a big-fish-in-a-small-pond songwriter-producer who was moving out of town to hit it big in Nashville, or something like that... Ahhhh... I see. That explains a lot. Apparently she's had songs recorded by the Dixie Chicks and others, though her own stuff has been kind of off the radar, saleswise. This is apparently her second album; haven't heard it yet, but when I do, I'll give you an update.

Maia Sharp "Fine Upstanding Citizen" (Koch Music, 2005)
This gal has gotten some good press pegging her as a breakout "Americana" artist, but I'm not buying it... There are some acoustic moments on this disc, but mostly it's pretty rock-oriented, the kind of stuff that gets a big boost when it's included on the soundtrack to some teen-oriented show on broadcast TV, and is in the same general turf as Patty Griffin, Kim Richey or Lisa Loeb. Her voice kinda bugs me, though, and the arrangements are a intrusively loud and formulaic... Doesn't do much for me, though I can see how it would make plenty of other folks hop up for joy... If the rockin' singer-songwriter thing does it for you, you might want to check this out.

Maia Sharp "Eve And The Red Delicious" (Crooked Crown Records, 2006)

Maia Sharp "Echo" (Crooked Crown Records, 2009)
The twang component seems pretty minimal, but it certainly qualifies as "adult alternative," and there's some crossover between the two. Seems more of a Mary-Chapin Carpenter or Aimee Mann kinda thing, although when she pumps up the arrangements on a tune or two, things get kind of Martina McBride-ish. I'm not really sure I should be tracking her work here, though.

Randy Sharp "First In Line" (1973) (LP)
(Produced by Randy Sharp)
I remember, from way back in my misspent youth, when my big sister snuck me into the Wild Blue Yonder nightclub in Fresno, California to see the farewell show of songwriter/bandleader Randy Sharp, a hometown hero who was heading off to either Nashville or LA to make it big. This was probably around 1979 or 1980, many years after this self-released album came out, and by then Sharp had established himself as a professional pop and country songwriter, though his own work had definitively slid towards the slick, overproduced pop style of the times. This Bakersfield-born album is really more of a 'Seventies soft-pop outing: fans of Kenny Loggins might dig this disc, though if you ask me, it doesn't quite gel. Twangfans will find little here to hold their attention, though the closing number "Country Song," is a pretty decent tune, showcasing some subtle, insistent pedal steel, courtesy of a fella named John Davis. Also of interest is one of the decade's oddest novelty numbers, a tune called "Do We Really Have To Dance," where the narrator frets about the hazards of cuddling in public where he worries people will notice his, um, visible arousal. Hmmm. Anyway, Randy Sharp did really "make it" in the music business, penning dozens of songs including some that were recorded by stars such as Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire and Clay Walker... He also produced and recorded with Karen Brooks, and his daughter -- Maia Sharp -- became a successful adult-alt artist. Oh, and actually, now that I recall more clearly, I don't think I actually did get into the club that night: I had to wait outside on the corner while my sister went in and partied hardy. It's okay... it wasn't really my scene, anyway.

Randy Sharp "First In Line" (Nautilis Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Randy Sharp)
Although it shares the same name with his 1973 album, this is a completely different record. Other than the re-recorded title track, the songs are all different, and for the most part the studio sound is pretty poppy and dreadful, in a '70s-pop/LA Sound-gone-wrong kinda way. Oh, to be sure, there are a few twangtunes on here, and it sure helps to have West Coast pedal steel legend Tom Brumley adding his lissome licks to the songs, as well as bluegrasser Larry McNeely on banjo. But the influence of slick studio pros such as Jeff Porcaro, David Foster and Dave Hungate far outweigh these two twangsters, and the album gets pretty gooey and over-the-top. Although I'm sure this album helped Sharp out professionally, showing what he was capable of as a composer and arranger, most of these tracks were in serious need of some clear-eyed editorial pruning... The record turned out "very 1970s..." but not in a good way. The one track that really holds up (from a twangfan perspective) is the ballad, "For Old Times Sake," though they massacre "Banjo Man," a tune that would later be recorded by Jerry Reed.

Randy Sharp "Just About Love" (RCA-Victor, 1976) (LP)

Ron Shaw "Goin' Home" (Pacific Challenger Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Brandt)
A West Coast folkie who rang up several successes in the pop world, as well as dipping his toes into the country-rock sound. Ron Shaw was from Cerritos, California (in Los Angeles, near Long Beach) and performed in a variety of country-folk groups, notably as a founding member of the Brandywine Singers (with his brother Rick Shaw), later joining the Pozo Seco Singers as a replacement for Lofton Kline in 1968, and being recruited as a member of the pop-oriented Hillside Singers, a faux folk group that was created by an ad agency to record "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" for a Coca-Cola campaign. Unlike many 'Sixties folkies, Shaw managed to keep his momentum going throughout the 'Seventies, tipping into the Country back forty off and on between 1977-81. His version of "Save The Last Dance For Me" was his biggest hit, cracking into the Top Forty, and peaking at #36. He may have released other LPs, but I haven't laid eyes on them yet.

Jerry Shelfer "Heart For My Heart" (Allied Records, 1988) (EP)
(Produced by Jerry Shelfer & Mark Plummer)
I saw Jerry Shelfer play a gig opening for Chris Isaak around the time this five-song EP came out, and thought he was pretty cool. Shelfer had a rough, rural voice and some true twang, helping him stand out in the world of the pre-Americana "college rock" scene. Unfortunately though distinctive elements were obscured by the glossy, somewhat strained, slightly new wave-ish '80s pop production which steers these songs into an uneasy middle-ground, not quite twang and not quite rock. It just feels like a missed opportunity, with only one song, the rockabilly-tinged "That's The Way Love Should Be" coming closest to what Shelfer sounded like live. Oh, well.

Jerry Shelfer "Slipaway" (Heyday Records, 1995) (CD)

John Sheridan "From The Heart" (Salt City Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Williams & Stan Bronson)
This disc is really the epitome of a "private press" country album, a modest set of soft-edged, mellow-tempoed acoustic country-folk ballads, with strong echoes of Don Gibson, Marty Robbins and Gordon Lightfoot... Sheridan was a Northern Californian when he made this album, living in Concord, CA, near Berkeley, though the record label is from Provo, Utah, so I'm not sure what the connection was. As country stuff goes, it's a little too gooey for me, and the performances are kind of so-so.... But it's nice how heartfelt the project feels; this obviously was something Sheridan really put himself into and was justifiably proud of... There are a couple of cover tunes -- John Denver's "Leaving On A Jet Plane" and Curly Putman's "Green Green Grass Of Home" -- but most of the songs are originals. (One I wasn't able to track down was "Making It Easier," by Greg Shannon... It's possible that this was a friend of his or one of the guys in the band, but unfortunately there are no musician credits on the album...) Anyway, this might be worth tracking down if you go for softer ballad-type material.

Glen Sherley "Live At Vacaville, California" (Mega Records, 1971)
Here's a wild one: California convict Glen Sherley came into Johnny Cash's sphere of influence when Cash staged his legendary 1968 Folsom Prison concert -- someone had passed Cash a demo of Sherley's prison ballad, "Greystone Chapel," which he sang in front of an enthusiastic audience, with an unsuspecting and dumbfounded Sherley sitting in the front row. The song made it onto the album and Cash became Sherley's champion in Nashville, helping get this live album produced -- it was recorded while Sherley was still in prison, and his live version of "Greystone Chapel" was a modest hit. Cash pushed for Sherley's parole later the same year and he gave him a job, too, as a staff writer in his "House of Cash" company, along with Sherley's friend Harlan Sanders, who was also a convict in the California system. The mix of freedom and fame was apparently too much for Sherley -- his antisocial behavior forced Cash to fire him, and he quickly fell off the radar. Years later, in 1978, Glen Sherley committed suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, having been unable to hang onto his music career, one of the more tragic figures in the '70s country scene.

Shiloh "Shiloh" (Amos Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Kenny Rogers)
Another missing link in the Southern California country-rock saga... This group grew out of a series of early-'Sixties Texas garage bands, including a group called Felicity, which featured a pre-Eagles Don Henley, future Nashville honcho Jim Ed Norman, and Al Perkins on pedal steel guitar. With a boost from Kenny ("Sauron") Rogers, Shiloh got signed by a label in California, and though the group dissolved right after making this album, the trek to LA brought three of the most important figures in the 1970s country scene into the industry mainstream. Henley co-founded the Eagles; Perkins joined the Flying Burrito Brothers and became a ubiquitous session musician (as well as a key figure in the West Coast country-gospel scene), and Jim Ed Norman built a career as a major Top Forty country producer. Oh! I almost forgot: bassist-guitar picker Richard Bowden scored several hits as a country songwriter, while also finding fame as part of the parodic country comedy duo of Pinkard & Bowden. Jinkies.

John Shine "Songs For A Rainy Day" (Columbia Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Jeffrey Cohen & Bruce Good)
Pop-folk singer-songwriter John Shine was living in Berkeley, California when he landed this major-label contract, cutting a cheerful, country-tinged album packed with all-original material. Backing him are some Bay Area locals, including Joy Of Cooking's Terry Garthwaite and steel drum maven Andy Narell, as well as a few heavyweight Nashville cats such Pete Wade, Mac Gayden and steel player Weldon Myrick. Shine was roughly in the same indefinable folkish territory as more successful artists like Jesse Colin Young and John Sebastian, mixing folk, pop and country in an eclectic, goofy whirl, spanning softer, philosophical ruminations with soft-pop orchestrations to goofy jugband-flavored novelty numbers such as "Me And My Band" (a self-effacing fantasy trip about becoming the Next Big Thing) and "It's About Time," a tall-tale talking blues about an uber-slacker who won't pay his bills, but feels the world owes him a living. Although nowadays it seems almost inconceivable that a major label would shell out the cash for such a whimsical record, but the 'Seventies were different times, and there was more of a see-what-sticks attitude. Besides, it wasn't that far-fetched to imagine that a flowery pop track like the title track, "Song For A Rainy Day," could have become a hit -- it has a plausibly Mamas & Papas vibe, though much to his credit Shine didn't seem to be taking the rock star thing too seriously, and this disc has a nice, laid-back, just-for-fun feel to it. Very much of its time, as they say.

The Shit Howdy Boys "Live!" (Shit Howdy Boys Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Allen)
Can they really call themselves that? I mean, there are a lot of little kids reading this website... These fellas put a bootleg "PG" rating logo on the back cover, but somehow I don't believe them, since the actual song titles aren't anywhere to be found, and I think they might have used a few naughty words in their show... This Southern California trio -- Larry Allen on vocals and guitar, Terry Craig on bass and Tom Fletcher on guitar -- actually had roots a decade earlier when Allen and Craig made an ultra-DIY album under the name of "Larry & Terry" while living in Colorado. Years later, they made this album as well as a single called "Ballad Of The Swallows Inn," with a slightly different lineup. The Boys recorded this live set on October 18, 1980 when they apparently had a gig at a pizza parlor in Orange, CA called Napoli Pizza, which they cheerfully identify as "the home of shit howdy pizza," which I'm sure the owners were thrilled about... Anyway, look out, Chinga Chavin and Montezuma's Revenge... the Shit Howdy Boys are in town!!

Shon'soro "The Writer Does His Thing As A One Man Band" (Desert Morning Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Knox)
Loner/outsider material by Robert B. Knox, a self-styled one-man band from Quartz Hill, California, out in the desert near Palmdale. I cannot decipher the "Shon'soro" persona for you, although Mr. Knox made no real effort to conceal his identity, and lists himself as the sole composer (and performer) of all this material. Also on interest may be his cryptic but minimalist liner notes: "This album is a dream come true for me because there have been many obstacles and criticisms, but I decided to do it my way as originally..." As originally what? Well, anyway, I do not contest Mr Knox's singular vision, or his determination to see it through. Includes tunes such as "Hey! Today I'm Leaving You," "Don't Shoot Me, Woman!" and "Treat Me Right (Stay Tonight)," with some songs dating back as far as 1975. He continued to write and record beyond these two albums, notably with his 1984 single "The Ballad Of The Unknown Soldier (Do You Remember His Name?)" which he advertised in Billboard with a pretty large ad buy.

Shon'soro "...And The Desert Man's Band" (Desert Morning Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Knox)
While his first album featured a song sheet hand-glued onto the back cover, this one appears entirely blank. Same mix of nutty originals, and still just him playing all the music, as far as I know.

Jerry Short - see: The Countrymen

Shorty Joe's Red Rock County Ramblers "A Tribute To Shorty Joe" (Golden West Records, 1985) (LP)
An homage to Guiseppe ("Joe") Quartuccio, who was a popular country performer and local deejay in California's once-rural Santa Clara Valley... Shorty Joe moved to San Jose from Canada as a teen in the 1930s, working agricultural jobs and building up a pre- and postwar reputation as "the Sicilian Cowboy" while playing various honkytonks and radio gigs. This tribute album was recorded by former members of his band(s) and is a pleasant mix of honky tonk and western swing, overall with a very Bob Wills-y vibe. Folks who like all those latter-day Light Crust Doughboys and Texas Playboys albums ought to enjoy this as well.

Matt Shumac "Matt's Musical Accent Through Taped Strings: Multiple Recorded And Played By Matt Shumac" (1969-?) (LP)

Matt Shumac "Mother Lode Laments" (1971-?) (LP)
A mystery disc, or rather a mystery artist, who turns out to be more persistently mysterious than I had anticipated... Matt Shumac was some sort of oddball musical loner multi-instrumentalist from Placerville, California who made his own instruments and recorded at least three LPs of mostly-country material where he played all the music and multi-tracked the songs, presumably in some wacky-looking home studio. I've seen these albums floating around Northern California for years, first spotting them up around Sacramento, near Matt Shumac's gold country stomping grounds, and always just assumed that the records weren't as twangy as what I was looking for, and that Shumac was some local eccentric that folks in the area knew all about and appreciated in an indulgent, affectionate kinda way. It turns out, though, that there is virtually no trace of this guy online, at least not in the algorithmic info-loops I frequent, and other than the albums themselves, the only references I've found to his existence was on a website devoted to electric mandolins (apparently Shumac built one for himself in 1958) and a single show notice from a time in 1965 when he and some other guy were scheduled to play guitar at a neighborhood potluck. And that's it. The albums themselves also retain their mystery -- I'm not sure when they came out, or in what order, though some sites peg a couple as being from 1969 and '71, though there's no supporting documentation anywhere that I could find for any of it. One biographical detail emerges from the back of this album, that Shumac's father-in-law (who is pictured on the cover, panning for gold) was apparently "one of the original miners of the area," but again, the "old prospector's" actual name isn't given, so that thread gives out quickly as well. Like I said, a real mystery. Info is welcome.

Matt Shumac "Matts Accent Through Taped Strings Of Old Hangtown" (19--?) (LP)

Jeffrey Shurtleff "State Farm" (A&M Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Joan Baez & Norbert Putnam)
This was a pleasant surprise... California-born Jeffrey Shurtleff was a 1960s draft resister who lived on a hippie commune with David Harris, the later-imprisoned war protester husband of folk star Joan Baez. Shurtleff joined Baez's band and played with her at Woodstock, singing several duets with her at the epic concert and on various albums, including this one. With that very-Sixties pedigree, I figured this would be a fairly insufferable album, but actually it's got some good country tunes, including the opening track, a twangy, uptempo re-imagining of Gordon Lightfoot's "Ten Degrees And Getting Colder," and a pedal steel-laced rendition of "A Miner's Life." He covers then-new singer-songwriters John Prine and Paul Siebel, including several that not surprisingly have political overtones, such as Siebel's "Honest Sam," or the more overt "Prisoner's Song," written by Baez. Shurtleff recorded four solo albums in Nashville, and I think this was the first. Nice, strong accompaniment by a solid Music City studio crew, anchored by steel guitarist Lloyd Green and pickers Grady Martin, Bobby Thompson and Pete Wade. If you like Paul Siebel's work, in particular, then this is certainly worth checking out -- a few tracks are too fuzzy-folkie for me, but others have plenty of twang. He had a pretty modest voice, but he used it well.

Sidesaddle -- see artist profile

Sierra "Sierra" (Mercury Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Felix Pappalardi & Don Gehman)
Apparently hoping for a hail-mary pass, the mid-'70s Gib Guilbeau/Sneaky Pete Kleinow lineup of the Flying Burrito Brothers changed their name to "Sierra" during the summer of '77 and cut this super-slick and terribly misguided pop record along with a slew of LA pop-scene rockstar guests... They indulge in bombastic disco-rock, bubblegummy AOR and a little bit of beer-ad blues. They were backing singer/guitarist Bobby Cochran, who had most recently been working in a reunited mid-'70s lineup of Steppenwolf, but who seems to have had a deep-seated desire to make it as a soft-rock star. I'd call these guys "a country-rock Bay City Rollers" except that their country influences are so deeply buried in the mix, they hardly factor in until the last half of Side Two. In theory, Sneaky Pete is playing pedal steel on every track on the album, but I'll be damned if I can hear it anywhere except towards the end. This incarnation didn't last long, although their regular Burrito gig was pretty rough sailing as well, with the band limping along without a major-label contract for several years... This album is mostly a historical curio; twang fans might enjoy a couple of Eagles-ish tracks that pop up on Side Two, with Guilbeau's "Don't Plant Roses" being the most memorable song on the album, and Cochran's "You Give Me Lovin' " being the most explicit Eagles ripoff. Otherwise, you can skip this one...

Jerry Sims "He's My Dad" (Bigg Tyme Records, 1972) (LP)
A DIY country set from a guy who mostly recorded gospel material, but goes secular here, with a mix of original material (most of the songs are written either by Sims or two guys who share the same publisher, Sam Ratliff and Bob Zackery) with a few cover tunes, including one by Howlin' Wolf, of all people. There's some bouncy, untamed electric guitar as well as some nice pedal steel -- the album's highlight is probably the title track, a pugnacious, goofy defense of "my dad," a working-class guy who ain't all slick and fancy, but worked his butt off to give his son a good life. Great stuff. The whole record is kind of neat -- an authentic, grassroots indie outing, and pretty good musically. I couldn't find much information about Sims: the Bigg Tyme label had an address in Modesto, California, and some of his other records come from there as well, so I guess the Central Valley was his home base. Anyone know more about him?

Jerry Sims "Coast To Coast" (JBS Records, 19--?) (LP)

Jerry Sims "This Is Now... The Best Of Jerry So Far" (MGR, 2003) (CD)
Although there's a picture of Sims in his teenage garage years on the cover, these are later recordings -- maybe from the '80s or '90s? -- with modest, modern, tinkly keyboard-led pop arrangements... Not much country twang to be heard here, though.

The Singing Todds "Let Me Live" (AHMC/American Heritage Music Company, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Vern Garrison & Milt Harris)
West Coast country gospel by a family (apparently) from Pacheco, California... This was recorded at the fabled Trac Studios in Fresno, with the Todds joined by Paul Murrell (lead guitar), Lonnie Dawson (rhythm guitar) and Rick Fields (bass) -- producers Vern Garrison and Milt Harris were from Fresno and San Pablo, respectively. The album highlight is Lonnie Dawson's original composition, "Precious Jesus."

Del & Sue Smart "Singing Country Favorites" (Alshire/Somerset Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Cliffie Stone)
This is the lone album by Del and Sue Smart, a husband-wife duo who headed West from Missouri back in 1950, tried their luck in LA and then settled down in California's Great Central Valley, where they became fixtures on the West Coast country scene. The Smarts recorded several singles and toured regionally in California and the Pacific Northwest, but they never quite made enough momentum to crack into the national market. This is a charming record, if a bit low-key for a Bakersfield album -- there's some swell pedal steel and electric guitar, as well as some jaunty, uptempo tunes, but mostly it sounds like the band was being reined in, and there isn't quite as much bounce as you might like... (Unfortunately, this is one of those cheapo budget albums and doesn't have any liner notes, so the backing musicians are unknown...) Del Smart passed away in 1984, though Sue Smart remained active in the California country scene, though more on the business side of things, building up the booking agency that she and her husband started in the '70s. At any rate, if you like the Bakersfield Sound, you'll want to give this one a whirl. The Smarts also released a couple of singles after this album came out, but seem to have stopped recording in the early 'Seventies.

Big Bill Smith "Color Me Country" (Corral Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Big Bill Smith)
For a while I wondered if this was the same Big Bill Smith who worked prolifically as a character actor in the late 1950s onward, but when I found this album and read the liner notes, it looked less likely. Originally from Oklahoma City, Smith was part of the big Okie migration out west, grew up in Bakersfield, and was very much part of the West Coast country scene. According to the liner notes, his dad owned a Bakersfield honky-tonk called the Round Up, which was where Big Bill cut his teeth playing with local legends like Buck Owens and Bill Woods. For a while he was working clubs in LA, notably as a singer for old-timer Ole Rassmussen's band, and later hosted a TV show in Visalia. In 1977 he produced a Jack Reeves album on the Corral label, with backing by several elite West Coast country-rockers: drummer Archie Francis, pianist Don Hobbs, guitar picker Don Lee, steel player J. D. Maness, Curtis Stone on bass, and Carl Walden playing dobro, the same crew playing on this album. The set includes standards such as "Danny Boy," "Statue Of A Fool," and "You Gave Me A Mountain," as well as a handful of Smith's originals.

Big Bill (Smith) "On My Own" (January Records, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Claiborne, Jim Martin & Jim Rhodes)
A songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Big Bill (aka Bill Smith) penned about half the material on this album, including a couple of songs co-composed with picker/producer Tom Claiborne. Along with covers of standards such as "Good Ol' Mountain Dew" and a Vern Stovall tune, the album features two tracks, "Oklahoma Sunshine" and "Shadows Of The Road" that were also from a public service film commissioned by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, which got broadcast on regional TV in the late 1970s. (Producer Tom Claiborne was originally from LA but had moved to Oklahoma and set up a production house called Tulsa Films, which made both music and video projects; notable among the musicians he lined up for these sessions are local legend Rocky Caple and folkie icon Tom Russell, as well as a few ringers from Nashville, such as Lloyd Hicks and Buddy Spicher.) Bill Smith seems to have recorded two albums around the same time, though other than these private press discs, I'm not sure if he made many other records.

Kit Smith "From A Prison To The Free World" (Turquoise Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Woods)
Straight outta Bakersfield, T. D. "Kit" Smith was an ex-convict and a big fan of Merle Haggard... Born in Alabama, raised in Texas, and incarcerated for a crime not specified in his album's liner notes, Smith settled down in California where he drove trucks and became an iron worker. He wrote most of the songs on here -- there's an old Bob Wills song, "Convict And The Rose," that kicks things off -- and they tell a story of jailhouse conversion ("I Saw The Master's Face") and reentry into civilian life, on "From A Prison To The Free World." He also pays homage to John Wayne on "The Duke Is Gone," which he wrote the day that Wayne died.

Ray Smith "Hell's Fire" (Binge Disc, 2002)
This California-born country crooner was a major also-ran in the postwar hillbilly scene, first recording for indie labels in 1946, then moving up to the Columbia Records roster for a few years in the early 'Fifties. After negligible success on the charts, he dropped off the radar entirely, apparently retiring altogether around 1954. What a shame. This disc collects the bulk of Smith's recorded work, and I gotta say, he was a mighty fine singer, with pleasantly rounded tones and smooth, confident delivery. He stared out on a fairly rugged note, covering "Born To Lose" and the cheerfully vindictive "When My Day Rolls Around" (written by his steel player, Vaughn Horton), then progressively went for a softer, croonier style, edging towards the country Crosby mode. It's all pretty good stuff; another impressive archeological gem from the Binge Disc label.

Sammi Smith -- see artist profile

The Smiths "Classic Country" (Homestead Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dana Green)
Adorable cover photo with the middle-aged/elderly duo of William A. Smith (guitar and vocals) and his wife, Rhea Jane Smith (bass). According to the liner notes they were originally from Syracuse, New York but moved out west to California in the late 1950s. Back East, he had been a regionally popular performer who had his own radio and TV shows when he was still in his teens; it's not clear when he let go of his musical career, but the liner notes tell us he got back into music after suffering a debilitating heart attack in 1976, and Mrs. Smith took up bass playing and songwriting as part of his recovery. Although the album title implies a set of country oldies, most of the songs are actually their own original compositions, augmented by covers of "Crazy," "I Fall To Pieces" and a couple of real chestnuts -- the ancient Vernon Dalhart classic, "The Prisoner's Song" and a lesser-know Carter Family tune. Good luck tracking down info on the early years of a guy named Bill Smith (I tried!) but they were for sure living in the Los Angeles suburb of Montclair at the time they cut this album, and presumably working with some local artists for these sessions.

Sonoma Drifters "Sonoma Gold" (D & M Records, 1980) (LP)
An eclectic, outlaw-ish twang band from Northern California, the Sonoma Drifters were largely a family-based band, including the following members of the McNutt family: Al McNutt on lead guitar, Denise McNutt (vocals), Dennis McNutt (drums) and Jerry McNutt on bass, along with Larry Dunaway on rhythm guitar, Jerry Hurst playing piano, and Leroy Jones on steel. Their range of musical styles was admirable, from country ballads and oldies such as "Six Days On The Road" to more contemporary hits such as Bonnie Tyler's "It's A Heartache." It must be said, however, that they were also a pretty uneven band... The vocals were divided pretty democratically, so Jerry McNutt sings several tunes which provide mildly cringeworthy moments, while Larry Dunaway has a nice Red Steagall-ish vibe. The only truly terrible track is their ill-conceived rock'n'roll raveup rendition of "Summertime," although their NorCal novelty number, "Proud To Be An Okie From Sonoma," kinda makes up for it. An instrumental tune, "Jessie Polka," is a great showcase for steel player Leroy Jones, who had a light sound, and some wicked licks. Rough around the edges, but good local twang.

The Sons Of The Purple Sage -- see artist profile

Chic Sorenson "Sings His Own Songs" (Blue Seagull Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Ralph Grasso)
I couldn't find a lot of info about this guy, but here's what I got... Originally from Idaho, Sorenson apparently had a song included on Johnny Western's 1962 Have Gun Will Travel album, and wrote the music for the 1974 trash-exploitation film, Pets, which featured vocals by former beauty queen Terri Rinaldi. (Ms. Rinaldi, who was Miss Alabama, 1960 also sings a duet with Sorenson on this album, "Strangers On A Crowded Street"; she previously made an record of her own, with a bunch of his music on it...) Anyhoo, this album starts off strong, with a folk-country twang and stark production style that frames his songs well, in sort of a John D. Loudermilk/Burl Ives/Lorne Greene kinda way... But the material grows weaker and weaker as the record progresses, and Sorenson's singer-songwriter philosophizing wears thin and comes close to self-parody. Side Two closes with "Guide Me, Lord" (not the same song Merle Haggard recorded, but a similar sentiment) and I suppose Sorenson could have had a career in 700 Club-style Southern Gospel, but he seems to have faded from sight after this came out. Sorenson's Blue Seagull label also put out at least a couple of other LPs, one by country second-stringer Rusty Draper and another by SoCal songwriting hopeful Ann Owens, who seems to have been one of his proteges... Anyway, fans of cowboy(ish) folk-pop poetics might dig this disc, although there are better albums in the genre...

South Loomis Quickstep "South Loomis Quickstep" (Grass Mountain Records, 1979) (LP)
An amiable set of progressive bluegrass from Northern California... These folks played around Sacramento and the SF Bay Area since the mid-1970s, and when the time came to record their first album, fiddlers Mark O'Connor and Tiny Moore added instrumental heft to their sound, along with banjoist Allan Hendricks, who was pretty zippy himself. They packed their debut album with a bunch of fun cover tunes: Peter Rowan's "Midnight Moonlight," Michael Martin Murphey's "What Am I Doin' Hangin' Round," a 'grassed-up rendition of "Friend Of The Devil" and a nice, scrappy version of "I'll Fix Your Flat Tire, Merle." They (goofily) try to clean up the grammar on Gram Parson's "Sin City," and also ambitiously tackle one of David Grisman's spacegrass jazz tunes, "Opus 57." The band had obvious limitations -- the vocals don't quite come together, and O'Connor was playing on another level than most of the other pickers, but if you're willing to accept a level of amateurism, they were a pretty accomplished band with a strong repertoire that reflected some of the best music of the era.

South Loomis Quickstep "Satin Rose" (Copperwood Records, 1980) (LP)
Where their first album was full of cover tunes, their second album showcased original material written by various bandmembers. Unfortunately it's an uneasy -- some might say unsuccessful -- mix of bluegrass and progressive country-folk, mostly in the Byrds/Dillards range, but with a few dips into softer country-folk material ala John Denver. I guess the hope was for some sort of Desert Rose Band type vibe, but it doesn't really come together, and often feels a bit dreary. The musicianship was solid, even though Anger, O'Connor and Moore had moved on -- the delicate pedal steel by Bill Edwards stands out, though Allen Hendricks' banjo work and Ted Smith's mandolin both get buried in the mix. I guess this is worth a spin, though none of the songs really stood out or stuck with me.

J. D. Souther -- see artist profile

Southern Empire Band "Tex's Jubilee Presents -- Live: Perry Jones Southern Empire Band" (1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Perry Jones)
Mostly recorded at the Heavenly Recording Studios, but also includes a track recorded live on Sacramento country station, KRAK. With gal singer Svella Jones singing lead on three of the songs.

Southern Empire Band "The Right Combination: SEB III" (Axbar Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Perry Jones)
Hailing from the town of Rio Linda, California (near Sacramento) this West Coast band had clear commercial aspirations and somehow hooked up with the same Texas indie label that later launched the career of Top 40 star Mark Chesnutt... The same magic wasn't happening in '85, though, possibly because these guys were just a little too amateur and not-ready-for-prime-time, although considering what Country radio sounded like at the time, they can be forgiven for the tinkly keyboards and tinny guitars. The song title that drew me to this album, "Vote For Willie," turns out to be exactly what I wanted, a novelty tune about Willie Nelson, and it's also the highlight of the album, a cheerful ditty proclaiming Willie as the nation's potential political savior. I guess he would have legalized weed, at least, although the lyrics don't mention that...

Southern Fried "A Little Taste Of... (Mercury Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Todd & Hal Winn)
More of a blues-rock/white soul kinda thing, but notable for twangfans since it kicks off with a cover of a Buck Owens oldie, "Under Your Spell Again," and also for the cover of Tim Hardin's "Don't Make Promises," from over in the folk field. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that the Bob Ferguson playing guitar on here is a the same longtime Nashville songwriter, sideman and producer who wrote "Wings Of A Dove," and other classics. Apparently this was recorded out in LA, though.

Hal Southern - see artist discography

Southwind "Southwind" (Venture Records, 1969) (LP)
This was the first album by the LA country-rock group Southwind, who were originally from Oklahoma and are largely remembered as the first band of songwriter John ("Moon") Martin, who later reemerged as a neo-retro rocker in the New Wave era... Here is is in earlier days, making the hippie scene down in SoCal... At the time, though, he wasn't the band's main songwriter, with keyboardist Fontaine Brown and bass player Jim Pulte doing most of the writing. Fontaine Brown was the most accomplished member of the band, having worked with rock'n'roller Del Shannon for several years, as well as some early stuff with Bob Seger in the late '60s; he later hooked up with Dave Edmunds, and had some success as a songwriter in Nashville. (Pulte, it should be noted, also recorded a couple of solo albums after Southwind broke up, and did a little session work, though he mostly seems to have faded from the scene...)

Southwind "Ready To Ride" (Blue Thumb, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Li Puma)
This is probably Southwind's best-known (and best-selling) album... Although they could legitimately lay claim to a small chunk of country-rock history, there's a lot more post-jug band boogie-rock running through this album, with acid-drenched electrified hippie rock ala the Grateful Dead or Big Brother & The Holding Company being the predominant influence. If you're into authentic hippie rock and are eager to find more, this disc is worth checking out. But other than a cover of Hank Williams' "Honky Tonkin'," and the album's closer, bassist Jim Pulte's "Ruby Eileen," there isn't really all that much twang.

Southwind "What A Place To Land" (Blue Thumb Records, 1972) (LP)

Randy Sparks & Micki Sparks "We Sound So Good Together" (Cottonwood Productions, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Pricilla Horn & Eddie Mattos)
Super-scary looking lounge music from San Bernardino, California... There are some country songs on here -- covers of Hoyt Axton's "Bony Fingers," "Crazy," "The Other Woman" -- and some tracks that may be original material (no credits, alas) but oh, man, does this look scary. I'm pretty sure this is not the same Randy Sparks of the New Christy Minstrels and the Back Porch Majority, but don't quote me on that...

Spellbound "Spellbound" (EMI America, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Halverson)
A fairly clunky accommodation of breezy 'Seventies country-rock (ala America or the Eagles) and the nascent post-countrypolitan sounds of late '70s Nashville. The group was led by songwriter Barry Flast (1950-2013) who was best known as a keyboard player who carved a niche in the Grateful Dead-era SF rock scene, playing with musicians such as Poco, Country Joe McDonald, Jefferson Starship, and a multi-year stint with the band Kingfish. Several of his songs were recorded by variosu dino-rockers, including Janis Joplin, Peter Paul & Mary, and Bob Weir. The members of Spellbound included Bill Burgess on lead guitar, Ralph Carter (bass), Barry Flast (lead vocals, guitar and piano), David Lenchner (keyboards), and James Preston on drums. There seems to have been a pretty concerted effort to get these guys to break through, with this album gettin released in several different countries, but as far as I can tell they didn't chart anywhere, although the overall approach seems to have anticipated the later success of Chris Hillman's country group, the Desert Rose Band.

Stagecoach "Stagecoach" (Studio West Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Arnett, Bill Blue & Stagecoach)
Straight-up '70s longhair country-rock, DIY-style, from San Diego, California... The group included John Bach (fiddle), J. Travis Blair (drums), Ronnie Long and Kenny Newberry on guitars, Robert Passwinde (piano), Ken Siers (bass), and three different pedal steel players: Frank Arnett, Marc Trainor, and Sneaky Pete Kleinow. A ton of original material, including a tune called "Surfin' All Day Long" by Marc Trainor, a couple of songs by Newberry, two more from Long and -- perhaps most notably -- two songs by Jack Tempchin, who wrote "Peaceful Easy Feeling" for the Eagles. Not sure what his connection was to this band: both songs, "Pick Up Truck" and "Stingaree," wound up on Tempchin's own album in 1978, but none of the Stagecoach guys played on that record. Still... they hung out with the right kinds of people!

The Stagehands "Richard Presents The Stagehands... Plus Richard" (Barnyard Productions, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Richard P. Falterstack)
This is an unusual hybrid of a custom pressing and a song-poem album... Richard Falterstack was just a regular joe from Gold Mill, Oregon who apparently had the songwriting bug, and hired a bunch of local longhairs to be his "band," recording this set of all-original material, with all songs written by Mr. Falterstack. He sings on one track, "Happy Gardener," though otherwise seems to leave the performing up to the musicians. Included are Clyde Arnold (lead guitar), Jack Greenbach (drums), Ray Jensen (steel guitar), Larry McGill (bass, lead vocals) and Joy Mize (lead vocals).

Tom Stanley "A Little Bit Of Me" (Renegade Country Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Dean)
A set of all-original material from honkytonker Tom Stanley who was apparently from Whittier, California, near LA. Mr. Stanley went to Nashville to record this set, backed by a bunch of Music City pros: Jim Baker on steel guitar, Bob Dean (drums), Jack Eubanks (rhythm guitar), Bunky Keel (piano), Jack Ross (bass) and Paul Yandell on lead guitar -- the same guy who backed the Louvin Brothers back in the late 1950s(!) Stanley gives shout-outs to various songwriters who collaborated with him, or provided him with material: Bettye Allen, Tom Cox, Emmitt Grayson, Amy LaPage, Johnny Mitchell, Gary Self, and Bill Snowden. As far as I can tell, none of them were professional musicians, so there may have been a kind of "hey, I've got a barn, let's put on a show!" song-poem kind of story behind this album, though I'm afraid that tae is lost to the mists of time. Still got the record, though!

The Staton Brothers Band "The Staton Brothers Band" (Epic Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by John Simon)
The lone album by this SF Bay Area quartet -- an amiable but decidedly second-string hippie rock band, these guys are sometimes mentioned in relation to the country-rock sound, but I think it's more accurate to peg them as a harmony-oriented soft-rock band, ala Crosby Stills & Nash. Sure, they wove in some banjo, dobro and lap steel, but only a couple of songs really have what I'd call a "country" sound. Mostly this is pretty innocuous stuff, although a few tracks are a bit torturous, notably the gooey, gospel-styled "Bridge To Your Faith," which closes the album. Both Staton brothers, Jeff and Mike, went on to more successful careers as backup musicians -- notably playing with Stephen Bishop in the '70s -- and as Nashville songwriters, under the new names of "Jeff Jones" and "Billy London." Here they are when they were still kids, working in the Northern California hippie-rock scene...

George Stavis "Labyrinths" (Vanguard Records, 1969) (LP)
A real folk-freak gem. After a stint in an eclectic Pennsylvania college rock band called Federal Duck, where he contributed a few odd, old-timey country ideas, George Stavis took his love of the banjo several steps further and created this intense solo album, with five long tracks that pushed the humble banjo straight into the avant garde. Here, Stavis does for the banjo what Robbie Basho did for the guitar, or John Coltrane did for saxophones, taking a folk instrument and crafting a deep, challenging, expressive instrumental set, melding Appalachian folk, avant jazz and various strains of what would now be called "world music." As would be expected in an album from 1969, Indian classical music is a big influence, and while Stavis can't use a 5-string banjo to replicate the drone of a sitar, he does get the modalities right, and perhaps more impressively his percussionist -- someone playing a very simple single drum -- gets into an intense, tabla-like frenzy, alternating this with a hambone rhythm out of old vaudeville. Stavis covers John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," which probably gives the best impression of what this album sounds like -- I've seen it described as "psychedelic," but I think that's a misnomer: rural jazz is more like it, and pretty dense, rewarding, substantive jazz at that. Fans of later banjo experimentalists such as Tony Trischka and Bela Fleck might want to check this one out... Although this is an obscure album, in many ways it set a benchmark that still challenges the banjo plunking community. (Note: Stavis later was in a late-'60s/early '70s San Francisco Bay Area psychedelic folk group called Oganookie, and released at least one other solo album, many years later...)

Steamin' Freeman "Greatest Hits" (Caramba Records, 1975) (LP)
Recorded live at Moonie's Irish Pub in SF...

Steamin' Freeman "Full Steam Ahead" (Caramba Records, 1976) (LP)
A fun, inventive acoustic rock/hippie twang album from the San Francisco Bay Area... Violinist and bandleader Taylor Freeman Lockwood cleverly mixed a lot of different styles into what was called "gypsy rock" at the time, drawing on boogie-blues, bluegrass, SF-style acid rock, bluegrass, Doug Kershaw-style cajun music and Byrds-y country-rock. He's backed here by a confederation of veteran Marin County musicians, including guitarist Larry Cragg (one of Neil Young's go-to guys) and pedal steel player John McFee, known at the time for his work with the local rock band Clover, but destined to back Elvis Costello on his first album, then as a member of the Doobie Brothers. At any rate, this might be a scrappy, DIY souvenir album, but there was some serious talent gathered together, and Freeman has a nice strong presence as a singer and bandleader. The songs are fun, goofy, super-West Coasty novelty tunes, all interlaced with excellent fiddling and good picking throughout. A hippiebilly classic, for sure!

Steve & Gwen "Golden Mansions" (Mountain Melody Records, 1979-?) (LP)
Bluegrass gospel from the duo of Steve Kirtley (mandolin) and Gwen Kirtley (guitar), who hailed from Janesville, California, way up north, roughly near Reno, Nevada. They are joined by Brian Anderson on banjo and Dave Dalton on bass; previously the group was called the Gloryland String Band, and played regionally in Northern California. Later, Steve Kirtley narrowed his focus to more strictly religious material, viewing his music as part of his ministry...

Steve & Leroy "Life's Railway To Heaven" (Crown Sound Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Scott)
The first album by the Southern California bluegrass gospel duo of singer/guitarist Steve Hatfield and dobro whiz Leroy McNees (aka Leroy Mack) who met in 1965 and played together as a duo for the rest of the decade before cutting this disc in Southern California. McNees was the best-known of the two, having been in the legendary progressive bluegrass band The Kentucky Colonels, along with brothers Clarence and Roland White. In 1961 the Colonels (then still known as the Country Boys) appeared on a couple of episodes of the Andy Griffith Show and soon became regional stars on the SoCal folk and country scene. Steve Hatfield was not a music professional, though during his college days he was in a Christian folk group called the Overland Three, and after he and Leroy Mack were introduced to one another by a local pastor, they began writing original gospel material together. They are joined on various tracks by two different bass players -- Roger Bush (another former Kentucky Colonel) and Rudy Q. Jones, who recorded with Bush and Mack on his own album a couple of years earlier. In the early 'Seventies this duo evolved into The Born Again Bluegrass Band, which Leroy Mack led for over three decades. This is an album filled with original material co-written by the two longtime collaborators.

John Stewart -- see artist profile

Johnny Stewart "Live From The Territorial Saloon" (19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Stewart & Robert Zellin)
Not to be confused with his fellow Californian, folk-rock icon John Stewart, California native Johnny Stewart was a multi-instrumentalist who played banjo, bass, keyboards and guitar, as well as several brass instruments. This was a memento of a long-running lounge gig he had at the Inn At The Park Territorial Saloon, a western-themed bar in an Anaheim hotel located right next to Disneyland. It's mostly pretty dreadful: soft-pop galore, with plenty of tinkly keyboards and high, light vocal harmonies, a Captain & Tennille-ish group in search of a hit. Side One of the album was a studio-produced set featuring several songs composed by keyboard player Barry Franklin (ne Schleifer) while Side Two was a live set of mostly country covers, taped by a trio that also included with vocalist-percussion player Kathy Sanders, and though it's live, it's still pretty wimpy, even though they cover outlaw hits like "Boney Fingers," "I Like Beer" and "Take This Job And Shove It." Might be of interest as cover-song kitsch, but you're still better off with the originals. They're joined on the studio tracks by a few session players, Danny Jacobs (lead guitar), and drummers Barry Frost and Rick Geragi. Barry Schleifer, who later went into films and TV, worked with Stewart for several years and also cut an album called Stewart And Franklin Live, which is apparently even more obscure than this one. Johnny Stewart later started a ten-year residency at San Diego's Four Points Sheraton, and moved into hosting karaoke parties, earning him a new nickname of "Johnny Karaoke."

Stew Stewart "Play Me Some Country" (River Records, 198-?) (LP)
A true jack of all trades, Herman ("Stew") Stewart (1945-2017) tried his hand at music, comedy, police work, running nightclubs and bars, being a talent scout and working as a booking agent. Born in Missouri, Stewart was a high school football hero but he gave up an athletic scholarship when he enlisted during the early years of the Vietnam War, serving in the Marines from 1963-66. When he came back to the States, Stewart moved out west, first to Southern California, then up north to Chico, CA, near Sacramento, where he recorded this LP. In the 1980s, Stewart moved to Reno, Nevada where he performed at numerous venues while also establishing himself as a booking agent for several casinos and clubs in the area. Stewart's obituary mentions him having recorded eight full albums, though this is the only one I know of first-hand.

Doc Stoltey "Doc Stoltey" (Sudden Rush Records, 1975-?) (LP)
A country-pop mystery disc from San Jose, California, packed with original material from singer-guitarist Doc Stoltey. Dunno much about this fella, but he must have been tapped into the whole Santa Cruz folk-roots scene: several of the musicians on here -- pianist Pat Hubbard, drummer Jim Norris, steel player Gary Roda and bassist Duane Sousa -- formed the core of country outlaw Larry Hosford's band on his first album, aka Lorenzo. Based on that still-solidified lineup, I'd guess this disc was recorded around the same time, 1975, or thereabouts. Stoltey apparently did gigs not just in Northern California but also in Montana and Idaho, and seems to have drifted more towards blues-based material in later years.

Jim Stone "Sings Gospel" (Gospel Heritage Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Walters & Gene Lawson)
Singer Jim Stone hailed from rural Empire, California -- a tiny Central Valley town just east of Modesto. This country gospel album came out on a Nashville indie label, with session player Benny Kennerson on piano, Bill Johnson on steel guitar, and Don Morris playing drums. Jim Stone plays rhythm guitar, as does the producer, gospel songwriter Wayne Walters, whose son, Noel Walters plays bass -- Walters also sang with a California-based group called The Christian Troubadours, which had a pretty rootsy, country-oriented sound.

Stone's Throw "Suppressed Desire" (Sierra Briar Records, 1980) (LP)
This San Diego-based acoustic swing band picked up roughly where Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks left off, delving into vintage swing music with bright, lively enthusiasm. Founded in the late '70s, they were regional favorites and had a crowning moment when they were chosen to play at the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The group centered around singer Molly Stone, who also played flute, saxophone and bass and, as heard on this album's opening track, could yodel up some impressive scat singing. This live album captured them during a 1979 concert -- the mix is a little thin, and their performances aren't completely earth-shaking but they are charming and bright, a nice document of a well-regarded local band. This is pretty much straight-up retro-jazz, covering a bunch of Depression era classics; their versions of Oscar Levant's "Wacky Dust" and the "Chiquita Banana" song are standout novelty numbers.

Stout & Allen "It's About Time" (Rainbow Star Publishing, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Allen & Dennis Stout)
Sort of a loose-limbed, jug band-y outing by a bunch of guys from Southern California... The main duo was comprised of singer-guitarists Dave Allen and Dennis Stout, with backing by a bunch of folks from various backgrounds... I'm not sure if Dennis Stout was the same guy who played banjo with Missouri bluegrassers the O'Rourke Brothers, though there are other threads to follow... Piano player Mike Kicenski was in several other country-oriented bands, including the bands Cactus Rose and Yukon Railroad Company, as well as a group called Leaky Canoe, which I don't think made any records; clarinetist Greg Huckins was a graduate of Long Beach State who later became a professional big band musician, while steel player Stu Shulman played in a myriad of groups over the years.

Vern Stovall & Phil Baugh "Country Guitar" (Longhorn Records, 1965) (LP)
William Vernon Stovall (1928-2012) was a West Coast country artist with rock-solid Okie credentials... He was born in Altus, Oklahoma and moved to Sacramento, California in 1947, where he worked in a slaughterhouse and played music gigs in the area's booming hillbilly scene. In the late '50s Stovall relocated to Pomona where he joined the Maddox Brothers and Rose and played in their band for several years. Around that time he formed a songwriting partnership with Bobby George, making waves with their song, "Long Black Limousine," which Stovall first recorded in 1961 right before a string of hit versions by Bobby Bare, George Hamilton IV and many others. Around the same time Stovall formed a band that included hotshot guitarist Phil Baugh, most notably adding vocals to Baugh's showcase number, "Country Guitar," a novelty song where the young hotshot picker flawlessly imitates Chet Atkins and many other top-tier guitarists. The song was a hit in the Los Angeles area, and was later leased to the Texas-based Longhorn label, starting a long relationship with producer Dewey Groom.

Vern Stovall & Janet McBride "Country Dozen" (Longhorn Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Dewey Groom)
Also in the orbit of the Longhorn label was California-born cowgal Janet McBride and her husband Claude, who helped write and produce much of the material on this album. Stovall and McBride sing several duets, as well as solo numbers, including a bunch of McBride and/or Stovall originals and a cover song or two. There's also "If You Don't Know Now," written by ex-rockabilly West Coast twangster Glen Garrison, who went on to record a couple of albums of his own.

Vern Stovall & Phil Baugh "Country Guitar 2" (Toro Records, 1975) (LP)

Robb Strandlund "Robb Strandlund" (Polydor Records, 1976) (LP)
Songwriter Robb Strandlund was an early figure on the California country-rock scene, best known for co-writing a huge Top 40 hit for the Eagles -- "Already Gone" -- and over the years he's placed dozens of songs with big, brand-name artists. This was his first album, recorded with longtime collaborator Chris Darrow, and it remains, to my ears, one of the great classics of '70s hippiebilly country. And really, there are only two songs on here that I really like, but what amazingly great, awesome twangtunes they are: "Just Another Country Song" is an excellent song about playing for tips in a dive bar, while "All I Really Want To Do Is Go" is one of the all-time great alt-country weepers, on a par with JD Souther's "If You Don't Want My Love" and Lucinda Williams' "Side Of The Road." I've played them both on the radio about a bazillion times, and they were favorites of mine as a kid when I'd hear them on KFAT, back in the goodle days. Steel player Tom Brumley (of Buck Owens' Buckaroos) adds some really sweet licks, while singer Cindy Edwards adds some nice, twangy harmonies. (She and Darrow later joined Strandlund in a band called the Rank Strangers, which cut an album a couple of years after this... Also worth tracking down.) Anyway, this record is a real gem, with a couple of tracks that are must-haves for any devoted fan of the era's best twang. It also includes his own version of "Already Gone," in case you'd like to compare and contrast.

Stratton & Christopher "Friends" (Saltwater Productions, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by David Vaught & Miles Grandfield)
Gary Stratton and Bob Christopher were a country'n'comedy duo from Chico, California, an aspiring lounge act that apparently worked county fairs and whatnot, though in all honesty this sounds like one of the more "private" (i.e. amateur sounding) albums out there. It really sounds like two best bros making a record for themselves. The musical backing is fairly slick and contemporary-sounding pop-country, though the vocals are, well... enthusiastic. The repertoire is heavy on questionable cover songs -- Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The USA," Kenny Rogers' "Love Will Turn You Around," Neil Sedaka's "The Immigrant" and a particularly painful rendition of "Send In The Clowns" -- though there are also a slew of originals credited to Gary Stratton. The backing band sees to have been Northern California locals, including Bob Christopher (bass), Korey Mall (drums), Mike Reall (keyboards), Larry Staffen (steel guitar) and David Vaught (bass). Not my cup of tea, but they were very sincere and authentic, in their own way.

The Super Sidemen "Souvenirs, Volume One" (Redhill Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Clarke Rohn)
I dig this one. This Southern California country combo may have been ambitious, but they were also quite obscure... This would-be supergroup consisted of steel player Bill Bergren, drummer Dick Campbell, lead guitar picker Lou Martin and bassist Tom Palumbo, four amiable second-stringers who'd played in various local venues while hustling up work in tour bands and on TV shows, and it seems probably that producer Clarke Rohn, a minor figure from La Mirada, was employing them as his live band around the time this album came out. This unpretentious set is dominated by cover songs and mainly serves as a showcase for their picking, which is pretty solid (though the vocals are generally pretty weak). This is one of those private-press records where every little accomplishment of each performer is listed in great detail; the most accomplished of them was clearly steel player Bill Bergren, who held down a longterm gig at the Knott's Berry Farm theme as part of Wild Oats, one of the park's house bands, and who adds some superior melodic licks on this album. The individual bios list numerous country artists that various members had worked with, though the only overlap that's mentioned is Campbell and Martin, who both backed Sue Thompson at some point. There are a couple of tracks on here that may have been originals -- the "Super Sidemen Theme," for sure -- and they adapted Rick Nelson's "Garden Party" into a nice novelty number called "Country Party," where they name-drop a bunch of the rural pantheon. Not a terribly innovative or electrifying album, but a nice portrait of a local band, hard at work, just looking for one more gig.

Rick Sutton & Judy Sutton "Down Home" (Bison Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Sutton)
California country picker Rick Sutton ran a recording studio and indie label in the central coast town of San Luis Obispo, where he documented some of the local artists. This privately released set of folk and country tunes was an extremely small run; supposedly only a hundred copies were pressed. The Suttons are partly backed by electric guitarist Chris Scarbrough, of the band Silver Express.

Swampwater "Swampwater" (Starday Records, 1970) (LP)
This album was recorded by country-rockers John Beland and Gib Guilbeau while they were working together as part of Linda Ronstadt's early backup band... It's an interesting example of early-vintage Southern California country-rock mixing with cajun country, with sort of a Doug Kershaw-meets-The Byrds vibe. The pop-rock production is a little on the light side, though the airy high harmonies are attractive -- sort of a bridge between the Hollies and the Eagles. There's also a relatively old-fashioned '60s folk vibe on several tracks... Several members of the band wound up working with Arlo Guthrie for a few years, while Beland and Gilbeau reunited years later in a commercially successful 1980's lineup of the Flying Burrito Brothers. But given that this album came out so early in the decade, it deserves its own special spot in the annals of country-rock. Certainly worth a spin!

Swampwater "Swampwater" (RCA, 1971)
(Produced by Larry Murray & Ken Mansfield)
The second Swampwater album gets lost in the shuffle a bit, but it featured a nice dose of the RCA studio sound, and rich contributions from guest musicians such as Herb Pedersen on banjo, steel guitarists Jimmy Day and Curly Chalker, and piano player Glen D. Hardin (who was later to join Elvis Presley's TCB band, and Emmylou Harris's Hot Band...) Quite a lineup! Around this same time the guys in Swampwater were trying to hustle up gigs anywhere they could, and worked as backup musicians on a bunch of budget-line albums. For more info about these records, check out the Gib Guilbeau discography...

Sandy Szigeti "America's Sweetheart" (Decca Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Nelson, Jeff Kewley & Sandy Szigeti)
This one comes from the rock'n'roll peripheries of LA's early '70s twang scene... Not a lot of info about singer-producer Sandy Szigeti (1947-2012) who recorded this lone solo album after making a few singles in the late '60s. Despite the groovy vibes and backing by studio musicians including Rita Coolidge, Doug Kershaw and bassist Jerry Scheff, of Elvis Presley's TCB band, as well as the apparent patronage of former teen idol Rick Nelson, Szigeti didn't crack through as a performer, and this disc remains a little-known footnote to SoCal's nascent country-rock movement. There is a definite country vibe, though the record is mainly anchored in the thudding "boogie rock" sound of the era, with hints of the hard-partying Southern Rock to be heard later in albums by Lynryrd Skynrd and the Dickie Betts Band, et. al. An odd, eclectic album, somewhat leaden in parts, and very much a product of its time... worth checking out if you're a 'Seventies rock fan, though perhaps less rewarding if you're coming at it from a country lover's perspective. Szigeti worked as a studio engineer for much of the 'Seventies, but eventually dropped out of the music business to become a mortgage broker and real estate agent in Southern California.

Charlie Tagawa & The Junior Banjo Band "The Stars And Stripes Are Forever" (Charlie Tagawa Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Tagawa)
This is the teenage subset of the Peninsula Banjo Band, a sprawling tangle of twang from San Jose, California, led by Zenso "Charlie" Tagawa (1935-2017) a banjo plunker born in Tokyo, Japan who studied under both Takashi Tsunoda and international star Harry Reser, later landing spots in several Japanese country and dixieland jazz bands during the 1950s and '60s. In 1964 he was "discovered" and offered a job in California by the owner of the Sakura Gardens restaurant in Mountain View, moving to America where he first found work playing in trad-jazz revival bands and later as the director of the Peninsula Banjo Band orchestra. The smaller-sized junior band was started in the early 'Seventies and became a more mobile organization that played at numerous competitions and civic events throughout California, as well as nationally and internationally. There is something inherently silly about banjo orchestra albums -- which can sound a lot like one big, undifferentiated, plangent drone -- but this smaller ensemble gave Tagawa a chance to come up with more varied arrangements, with a group of roughly twenty banjos, accentuated by stand-up bass, tuba, and (most delightfully) a tiny toy piano. I scanned the names of the kids in the band, and didn't spot any I knew, though Mr. Tagawa did teach several successful bluegrass musicians, notably Scotty Plummer, who recorded his own solo album in the early '70s.

Lewis Tally & The Whackers "Nite Time At Pat & Charlie's" (Tally Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Brown, Merle Haggard, Fuzzy Owen & Lewis Tally)
This is sort of a split LP, featuring two lesser-known singers from the early Bakersfield scene... Lewis Tally was a longtime friend of Merle Haggard and a cast member of Herb Henson's Trading Post TV show, as well as the founder of the Tally Records label, a West Coast indie which Haggard took over in the early '70s. Side Two of the album features vocals by drummer Henry Sharpe, who was a member of Tally's band, along with lead guitar Jack Collier and steel guitarist Frankie Hardcastle, a Central Valley local from the tiny farm town of Hanford, California. The band had a regular gig at a place called Pat & Charlie's in nearby Ridgecrest, with the bar's owner Charlie Brown presumably putting up the dough to produce this LP. Their repertoire includes a bunch of songs by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, as well as a couple of obscure ones by Bakersfield stalwart Fuzzy Owen, "Jam It (Up Your Heart)" and "Ole What's Her Name," as well as an instrumental number from Frankie Hardcastle raunchily called "Tally Whacker," which closes the album. It don't get much more Bakersfield than this!

Glenn Tarver "Jenny" (Amber Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Glenn Tarver, Dan Moore & Rosie Moore)
A Texas fiddler who moved to Sacramento in the late 1940s, Glenn Tarver (1930-2019) was a well-known western swing musician who played with stars such as Luke Wills, Truitt Cunningham and Tiny Moore. He is famous among his fellow pickers for commissioning an electric mandolin which was built by Paul Bigsby in 1953 and passed along to various musicians over the years. This album is a pretty stripped-down, simple affair with backing by Jim Baughman (lead guitar) and Vern Baughman (bass and rhythm guitar). The title track, "Jenny," was Tarver's signature tune, which he also recorded with a Sacramento-area family band led by George Costenko. Tarver also recorded an album called Swing Fiddle Favorites, which may have been a cassette-only release.

Buck Taylor "Kissing' My Memories" (Windi Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Young & Rolf Erickson)
Walter Clarence Taylor was a Hollywood native who worked as a character actor in film and TV, most notably playing deputy Newly O'Brien on the show Gunsmoke, and in numerous westerns for years to come... He's backed here by a Southern California crew who are mostly unfamiliar to me, including Dan Robbins on lead guitar and Art Sanchez playing steel. It looks like this album was made while he was still on Gunsmoke: there are several cover songs of late '60s/early '70s hits -- Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain," Merle Haggard's "Swinging Doors," Everybody's Talkin'," "Rose Garden," "Me And Bobby McGee" -- as well as a couple of songs credited to Roger Hill, one by producer Gary Young (the title track, "Kissing' My Memories") and one by Taylor himself ("Take Her By The Hand"). The liner notes say this was his first record; it's anybody's guess if he made any others. (Later in life, Taylor took up painting, and is known for his western-themed work.)

Rod Taylor "Rod Taylor" (Asylum Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Michael Boshears, Norman Epstein & Charles Plotkin)
Hey, I never heard of the guy either -- though he has his own Wikipedia page -- but look, if you've got both Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Bramlett singing backup for you, you must be doing something right. Rod Taylor was a college student at Stanford (ooh-la-la) when he sailed into the orbit of a young David Geffen, who was eager book the next big thing and put this album together, with a studio lineup that included tons of top LA studio musicians, slick-sounding dudes like Jim Keltner, Russ Kunkel, Leleand Sklar, Ernie Watts, et.al. There were also a slew of rootsy country-rockers involved, with heavy hitters such as Ry Cooder, Jesse Ed Davis, violinist David LaFlamme (of It's A Beautiful Day), Bill Payne (of Little Feat), pedal steel whiz Red Rhodes, session picker Joel Tepp (on dobro and slide guitar) and Steve Van Gelder (fresh out of the Arthur Gee-Whizz Band). It's a real who-was-who of the early 'Seventies SoCal scene... heck they even had a pre-fame Andrew Gold on there, playing accordion(!) Though this was the only album released under the name Rod Taylor, he went on to record several others using the glam-adjacent rock persona of Roderick Falconer... He also found work in television and film and returned to his (kinda) country roots, notably writing the script for the made-for-TV film The Gambler, Part III, which of course starred everybody's favorite trans-dimensional psychic vampire, Kenny (Sauron) Rogers.

Bob Teague "Keep On Keepin' On" (We're Country Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Teague)
West Coast honky-tonk from a guy who was pals with Merle Haggard back when Hag was just a punk kid getting busted for taking cars on joyrides, and his career in country music was just a distant dream. Obviously, Teague never made it big like his buddy Merle, but the connection is still there, in their lives and in their music, including the autobiographical "Hag And I," which closes out this set of almost-all original material. By the time he cut this album, Teague had moved from Bakersfield to not-too-distant Selma, California, an agricultural outpost near Fresno. The band seems to be made up of locals -- I don't recognize any of their names, which in my book can be a kind of cool sign. Great twangy stuff... It being the '80s, Teague even made a video of the lead song, "A Million Tears Ago."

Telegraph Pass "Say Goodbye" (Telepass Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Norman W. Fisk & Steve Wetherbee)
A bluegrassy twangband from La Mesa, California, led by songwriter Norman Fisk, who wrote or co-wrote all but one of these songs. The musicians are all SoCal locals, though there are a couple of interesting names among their guest artists, notably Wayne Rice (from the Rice Family bluegrass band) who was an influential early member of the Southern California bluegrass scene.

Jack Tempchin "Jack Tempchin" (Arista Records, 1978)
California-based songwriter Jack Tempchin was one of many mellow rockers in the Eagles orbit, perhaps most famous for co-writing several songs with Glenn Frey, including "Already Gone," and for penning one of their earliest hits, "Peaceful Easy Feeling" as well as "Slow Dancin' (Swayin' To The Music)," which was a late-'70s crossover hit recorded by both pop and country artists. This album, recorded after the breakup of his band The Funky Kings, includes Tempchin's version of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and the epic car-repair novelty song, "Fifteen Days Under The Hood." Those two songs are about it for me on this album, although I admit it's been a long time since I listened to the whole thing; maybe some of the other tracks would have more appeal now. Of note among the musicians on here are producer-guitarist Pete Carr adding some sweet licks, as well as country-rock cohorts Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey strumming or harmonizing on a tune or two.

The Tennesseans "You And Your Sweet Love" (Crown Records, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Brien Fisher, Steve Messer & Alan McGuire)
Although billed as The Tennesseans, this crew seems to have been from Southern California, drawn from the local club scene, as were many of the anonymous "bands" in the Crown Records orbit. What sets this disc apart is that this is one of the few Crown albums that actually includes songwriter credits, with nearly a dozen originals (all published by Gordon Calcote's company) written by Jimmy Bivens, Cliff Crofford, D. Ford, May Ford, B. Myers and Skeeter Stultz. This leads us to the trails of Clifton Crofford (1929-2009) a Texas lad who first made his way out to California as a kid in 1942, when his dad got a job working at a defense plant. After the war Crofford was passing through Bakersfield and met scene-maker Bill Woods, who convinced him to join his band, the Orange Blossom Playboys, making him an early and enduring member of the nascent Bakersfield Sound. Throughout the 1950s and early '60s, Crofford performed on several influential radio and TV programs, including Town Hall Party, Herb Henson's Trading Post, and car salesman Cal Worthington's Country Music Time. He knew everybody -- Merle Haggard, etc. -- but was particularly tight with Billy Mize, who he worked with for years, touring with him and playing in the house bands of various SoCal watering holes. Likewise, Marion "Skeeter" Stultz was a SoCal stalwart, starting his career back in Zanesville, Ohio in the mid-1950s, before heading west, where all the action was. Stultz and Bivens seems to have had some sort of partnership and recorded enough material together that an MP3 "album" came out credited to them as a duo, including some of the tracks on this LP. I don't know if all these guys are playing together on all these tracks -- chances are it's a mish-mosh of old singles released in the early 'Sixties, or whenever. But it's definitely West Coast country, cut by some real-deal Bakersfield pickers. Let's hear it for publishing credits!

Terry & The Gospel Express "On The Right Track" (Reflection Records, 1967-?)
(Produced by Dale Hooper & Gradie O'Neal)
Real rural country gospel from a spunky Northern California band that, well, kinda had its flaws, though there's still a lot of authenticity and guileless charm to make up for it. On the plus side, plenty of legitimate twang -- an unruly fiddle and zippy pedal steel (by an unidentified picker with a real West Coast sound), long with a guy who sounds a lot like Merle Haggard singing lead on several tracks. There's also a pleasantly rough-edged feel that sets them apart from the smoother southern gospel crowd, amateurism of just the right kind. On the minus side, however, this was maybe not the best-produced record, and some of the vocals get to be a bit much, sometimes things are just a little bit off, and there's one of the gals in particular who is both a bit too churchy as well as a total belter, and I can't say I really enjoyed her deep, bluesy tone. On balance, though, this disc is worth having on our radar, as it is a legit country-sounding album. The liner notes are frustrating -- some but not all of the backing musicians are identified, while for the life of me I also couldn't figure out who Terry or any of the other vocalists were. Close to zero info about these folks online, including a lack of clarity about where they were from: the record label gives an address in Sacramento, while the tracks were recorded at a place called Tiki Sound Studio, over in San Jose. If anyone knows more about these folks, I'm all ears

Terry & The Pirates "Live In: Too Close For Comfort" (Wild Bunch Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by John Cipollina, Terry Dolan, Greg Douglass & Dan Healy)
Consider this one more of a warning. Terry & The Pirates was a project of 'Seventies West Coast superhippies John Cipollina and Terry Dolan and the overall vibe here is one of dreadfully bad, treble-heavy blues-boogie rock. Yeah, sure, I guess you can plausibly place these guys in the country-rock spectrum -- they included some pedal steel and Hawaiian guitar, and Nicky Hopkins chimes in on piano, but again, that's more of a dino-rock thing. Anyway, not my cup of tea. They recorded about a half-dozen records 1979-90, but I don't feel impelled to track any of them down.

Dale Thompson "...Sings Of Legends And Lovers And Home" (Nova G Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by B. B. Cunningham & Loren Newkirk)
A slightly kooky set of indie-twang, possibly recorded in Los Angeles, sometime in the late 1970s. All the songs are Dale Thompson originals, and while I can't tell you much about Mr. Thompson himself, he definitely was hanging out with a cool crowd. Backing him on this disc are Ed Black (guitar), Bob Butte (drums), Mickey McGee (drums), Arnie Moore (bass), Templeton Parcley (fiddle) -- most of these guys were well-established sidemen who played on some pretty cool records, notably with LA country-rockers Max Buda and Chris Darrow. Templeton Parcley was a guiding force in the band Kaleidoscope (with guitarist David Lindley) and also played in The Rank Strangers with Chris Darrow and on Darrow's solo work (alongside Ed Black, Mickey McGee, and Loren Newkirk). Similarly, bassist Prentiss ("Arnie") Moore played with Chris Darrow, as well as folkies Arlo Guthrie and John Stewart, so these were some pretty cool cats. I'm not sure, but I think producer B. B. Cunningham was the same guy who fronted the 'Sixties Memphis garage band The Hombres, but don't quote me on that. Not sure about Dale Thompson's bio, though I'm fairly confident he was not the Christian rocker of the same name, because he would have had to've been about twelve years old at the time.

Timbercreek "Hellbound Highway" (Renegade Records, 1975) (LP)
Genuine hippiebilly rock from the Santa Cruz Mountains, near San Francisco... These guys sounds a lot -- and I mean a lot -- like the early-'70s Grateful Dead. Pretty sure it was on purpose, too. If you're a fan of classic, country-flavored Dead albums like Workingman's Dead and American Beauty, but always wished they'd recorded more stuff that sounded like that... Well, here's your wish come true. It's not really Jerry and the gang, but if you close your eyes and smoke enough of whatever, you'd hardly know the difference. Real-deal California super-hippie stuff, and pretty good, too.

Iris Tipton/Various Artists "Let's Go Country" (Iris Records, 19--?) (LP)
Songwriter Iris Tipton is a beloved figure among devotees of the "song-poem" genre, that shady subset of the music business where aspiring songwriters would send their lyrics (or music) away in the mail and the label owners would hire unknown musicians to perform them in the indicated style. Based in Los Angeles, Iris Records was a private "label" affiliated with the Lee Hudson song-poem company, and was reserved exclusively for the work of Ms. Tipton, who produced a few dozen oddball offerings. For this album, she "went country," penning a dozen songs of questionably twangy pedigree. There were three singers involved, each of whom no doubt hoped that the record might make them famous someday. Side One features six tracks by a guy calling himself Johnny Gatlin who, as far as I can tell, was no relation to the Gatlin Brothers. Indeed, his real name was probably John Stephenson: he and Tipton share the songwriting credits on all six songs, including the topical number, "From Over Here In Viet Nam," a tune that helps place this album somewhere in the mid-to-late 1960s. Side Two includes two tracks sung by Gary Williamson and four more by a gal named Cara Stewart, who is one of the most notorious and prolific song-poem singers. Methinks that the Johnny Gatlin tracks are the most country, with tunes like "Mama Caught Me In A Bar Room" and "Give Me A Bar Girl And A Bottle Of Wine..." [NOTE: For more info about the whole song-poem phenomenon, check out Bob Hudson's blog or www.songpoemmusic.com]

Tom & Dink's Red Dog "Tom & Dink's Red Dog" (Lost Dog, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Tom & Dink Mantle, with Craig Overton & Dakota Sid Clifford)
A sweet, idiosyncratic, unpretentious folk/country-rock album from Grass Valley, California. Brothers Dink and Tom Mantle were the core of the band, writing songs that are simultaneously earnest and goofy, sort of like a mashup between the Holy Modal Rounders and New Riders Of The Purple Sage. Pedal steel player John Ramey matches them in his direct, effective approach -- nothing too flashy or ambitious, just what it takes to get the job done. This is a very appealing album, particularly with the album art by cartoonist Dan O'Neill (one of my favorite "underground comix" artists) and the musician's credit for backup vocals by "The Greater Nevada City Almost Straight Chorus." This one definitely has a place in the hippie twang canon!

Tommy & Johnny "Just A Little Bit Lonely/One Out, One In" (Prolif Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Fred Mergy & Lonnie Hewitt)
Wow. This is a stunningly bad, really weird record. And all you folks out there who are into stunningly bad, really weird records... pay heed. Tommy Graham and Johnny Steffan were convicts in the California state correctional system when this record was made... Well, actually Graham was recently on parole, hence the record's subtitle, "one out, one in." I'm not sure how or why this record came together, but it's a real hallmark of iffy music-making. Is it country? Well, kind of, on about four of the songs: "If These Walls" -- which is about San Quentin penitentiary -- starts out with an old-fashioned recitation, expounding on the lures of a life of crime before the twangy arrangements (and the moral) kick in... "Ode To Spade" is an homage to western swing legend Spade Cooley, who Graham and Steffan apparently met in prison, and who encouraged them to pursue their musical aspirations. (This wasn't Cooley's only crime: he brutally beat his wife to death and died while still serving a life sentence... The song is based on Cooley's real-life demise, when he suffered a heart attack while doing a benefit show in Oakland, and it's certainly the best track on the record.) Musically, most of this record is over-the-top, bombastic pop-soul crooning with a Fat Elvis feel, and several songs are so bad they are simply astonishing. A centerpiece of the record is "That's What I'll Never Be," a cautionary tale that starts off with a long, Cheech & Chong-ish spoken-word bit where some junkies shoot up and keep getting high even after one of them OD's and dies in front of them... then the band kicks in and plays a funky (but bad) soul number. How this record came about is a mystery -- I guess Graham had some money stashed away and paid for it, but there also seems to be some of the hippie-era revolutionary mystique that convicts were cool, and KFRC, San Francisco radio deejay Dave Diamond contributed glowing liner notes likening them to Elvis. The backing band included some serious session players such as pianist Mike Finnigan and guitarist Jerry Hahn, but nobody could do much to elevate this record beyond novelty status. Still...

A Touch Of Grass "A Touch Of Grass" (Matador Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Lindner & Fred Catero)
This Bay Area bluegrass band deserves mention in the "hippiebilly" annals, if for no other reason than the record features liner notes by KFAT deejay Cuzin Al Knoth, who taught me a thing or two about bluegrass, back when I was a kid. Also, they have an interesting song selection which includes some country covers (like Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me"), Peter Rowan's pothead anthem, "Panama Red," and a particularly nice version of the contemporary Hawaiian pop song, "Waimanalo Blues" by Country Comfort, which I believe spotlights some sweet dobro playing by guest picker Mike Audridge and his pal, the band's lead singer, Bob Lawrence, who co-authored a book on dobro technique with Auldridge. To be honest, these guys were not all top-flight pickers, but the album has a nice, earnest feel, and is local as all get-out: Northern California gets a special shout-out in one of their original songs, "Mendocino," and the label was in then-sleepy Sunnyvale. (I'm gonna go out on a limb and bet that bassist Mike Sanders -- whose bio blurb (from 1981) -- says that he "sells and repairs home computers," did alright for himself...)

Touch Of Texas "Live" (Touch Of Texas Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Kingdom & Touch Of Texas)
This one's just a plain old, flat out good-timin' live record, with a twangified Lone Star-identified hippiebilly jam band working their way through various favorites and oldies... The set list includes "Roly Poly," "London Homesick Blues," "Hey Good Lookin'," and other songs sure to make the audience -- and the band -- have a ton of fun as the night grows long. The musicianship is simple, confident and loose, nothing flashy or phony, just some folks who know how to party, and aren't making a big deal out of it. The band includes lead singer Scott Sweeten, drummer Steve Burton, Wendy MacBain on keyboards and John Weston playing pedal steel. Although they name-check Texas, the band was apparently really from the West Coast, recording this live set at the Horseshoe Club, in Santa Clara, California, near San Jose. Anyone know more about these folks?

Jon Travers "Down On The Corner" (Crown Records, 1970-?) (LP)
This appears to be the first album by songwriter Jon Travers, who thus far remains a figure of great mystery, despite all the great powers of the mighty interwebs. It's a curiously clunky, sparse set of country-tinged folk-rock, sounding very much like a demo set of a would-be cosmic cowboy, with a sizeable share of kooky, zonked-out psych-pop meanderings, material I might add that is ripe for revisiting by retro-minded folk-freak types. The title track, obviously, is a cover of Creedence Clearwater's anthemic 1969 hit, though the rest of the record is strictly all-original material penned by Mr. Travers. He pursues a number of arcane and esoteric threads, with song titles such as "Daughter Of The Seventh Sunday," "Last Year's U.S. Marshall," "Letter To A Stone Wall," and "The Searcher," which starts out with a guy coming home to see his beloved laying "naked on the floor," which sounds sexy at first, but turns out to be about an ongoing search for the mysterious figure who murdered their partner. Travers seems to have been tapped into the SoCal country-rock scene, although I was unable to track down any biographical information, and as with most Crown LPs, there are no musician or producer credits, although composer credits are included on the inner label... Possibly "Jon Travers" was a pseudonym, although he seems to have copyrighted several of these songs under that name in 1969. Your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, they booked the session with a very good guitar player (it could have been any number of the talented country-rock dudes in the Crown Records orbit -- Dennis Payne? Jerry Cole?) but the rest of the band was pretty minimally invested, particularly the spare-sounding snare drummer. I would argue, however, that this actually gives this album more appeal than a more heavily-produced, but still generic pop-psych set, of which there were many in LA at the time. This album has a sincerely naifish, innocent feel, as if Mr. Travers would have been perfectly willing to become the next P. J. Proby, but didn't have his hope up too high. There's a lot to recommend this album to fans of both 'Sixties psychedelia and the budding country-rock scene... Give it a spin if you get the chance.

Jon Travers & The Now Country "Play Me" (Crown Records, 1972-?) (LP)
This appears to be the same band, although the sound is definitely more folkie "sunshine pop" than country. There may be a teeny, tiny bit of countrypolitan twang, but this is mostly wannabe soft-pop/rock stuff.

Jon Travers & The Now Country "The Forge Presents..." (Wishbone Records, 197--) (LP)
Not a lot of info about this guy... He had kind of a loungeadelic, soft-rock/folk-pop sound, though there was some country in the mix as well. The set list includes covers of Charlie Rich and Elvis Presley, and quite a few original songs written by Jon Travers and one by his co-star, Cheryl Starr. Drummer Greg Starr also gets a vocal number... They cover some pop stuff, too, such as Billy Preston's "Will It Go Round In Circles," which helps place this album as coming out at least after 1973. There is practically nothing written about these folks online, though the Wishbone label and Crown Records were both located in Los Angeles, so they may have been a Southern California band. Anyone know what the story was on these folks?

Jack Tucker & The Oklahoma Playboys "One Corner Of Your Heart" (Young Country Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Leo J. Eiffert, Zelma Borunda & Jim Mooney)
Though originally from Oklahoma, bandleader Jack Tucker moved out west after serving in WWII, becoming a fixture in the greater Los Angeles area, with steady gigs at venues such as the the Harmony Park Ballroom in Anaheim, the Jubilee Ballroom in Baldwin Park and the Pioneer Room in nearby Norwalk, as well as various radio and TV gigs. Unfortunately the liner notes don't tell us who was in his band when this early '70s album came out, but we can make a few educated guesses based on the songwriting credits, as the album is packed with original material. Joe Barber, Lee Ross and Lou Martin wrote or co-wrote several of the songs, with others such as "Sam From Vietnam" written by Vern Terry, as well as a song by Vern Stovall, who shared the same publishing company as several other songwriters contributing to this album. It's possible that engineer Jim Mooney played on here as well (he's probably the actual "producer" and doubtless led the sessions...) Anyway, a nice slice of Southern California country... Tucker also recorded a number of singles for a variety of indie labels, dating back to the 1950s. This may have been his only LP, and it apparently draws on some earlier singles, mostly '60s-vintage material. Good stuff!

Mark Turnbull "When I Was Six I Got A Ukulele" (Beachtown Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Stekol)
An odd and unusual album, with a definite "only in the Seventies!" feel... Southern California actor and songwriter Mark Turnbull was a child prodigy who did TV shows and talent shows before landing a gig playing guitar for pop-folk bandleader Glen Yarborough in the early '60s. While he was still in high school, Turnbull was nominated for a Grammy(!) for an album of children's music he recorded for Disney Records, and this led to his first album, which came out in 1968. Although he had some buzz around him, Turnbull drifted away from the music business mainstream and devoted himself more to theater and cabaret shows, indulging a wide variety of musical tastes, as heard on this wildly eclectic album. This fits roughly into the same sort of jazz-meets-twang territory as other '70s albums by folks such as Dan Hicks, Jesse Winchester or even the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, with flourishes of folk-scene twang, western swing and swank, Ellingtonian big band jazz. The songs are resolutely nutty and idiosyncratic, and some are quite catchy... I remember hearing the uptempo novelty tune, "Too Stoned To Gumbo" on KFAT, lo those many years ago, and "She's Nobody's Baby Now," is a softer vocals ballad that I swear I've heard recorded elsewhere... (But maybe it was a KFAT thing as well?) At any rate, the Doctor Demento-ish feel of much of this album might not suit everyone, but if you get into it, this can be a pretty fun record.

Turnquist Remedy "Iowa By The Sea" (Warner/Pentagram Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Al Schmitt)
A very-hippie, but also very twangy rock band from LA, Turnquist Remedy owed a strong stylistic debt to the early Grateful Dead (the twangy Dead) but also boasted a wealth of original material, with all but one of the songs on their album being written by singer Michael Woods. Despite strong connections in the LA music scene, the band fizzled out, with several members moving into session work, and Michael Woods joining a late edition of the country-rock/AOR powerhouse America. This was Turnquist's only album, but if you like that kooky early '70s stuff, it's pretty good.

Denny Tymer "It's About Tymer" (Wilwin Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Denny Tymer, Chuck Seitz & Bill Vandervort)
Syrupy, sunshine-y countrypolitan crooning, along the lines of Jim Ed Brown and Nat Stuckey, with competent but uncommitted backing by an all-star Nashville session crew -- Kenny Buttrey, Pete Drake, Hargus Robbins, Bobby Thompson, Charlie McCoy, et. al. Denny Tymer was born in Kanopolis, Kansas, but seems to have made his way out west, recording this disc for the Wilwin label based in Carlsbad, California, just north of San Diego. Though this doesn't quite gel, it's a solid effort, with all-original songs written by Tymer, and he's pretty committed as a vocalist, although the sunshine-country style is an acquired taste, and was about three or four years out of date by the time Tymer recorded this album. Still, countrypolitan crate-diggers might wanna track this one down -- if you're into it, this is good but off-the-radar obscuro stuff. One album highlight is "I Hope To Hit The Traffic Lights All Green," an uptempo novelty with a memorable melodic hook...

The Utah Kid "Eagle Ridge" (Self-Released, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Mikel Covey, Jon Wellman & The Utah Kid )
Visual artist Kenvin Lyman made a name for himself in the hippie era as the lightshow artist for the Grateful Dead and other uber-bands in the San Francisco scene... Lyman cut this folk/roots/boogie rock album under his nom-de-art, The Utah Kid, and played some gigs along the West Coast, though most of his time on the road was spent helping stage shows for rock stars such as the Dead, Elton John, Santana, etc. Later, Lyman became a pioneering computer animator and one of Utah's first widely recognized organic farmers. This album isn't all country rock, by any means, but the twang is in there, as well as the rural vibe.

The Van Hofwegen Brothers "...Present Their All-Time Favorites" (19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Marvin Van Andel)
A traditional/old-timey set by a family band from Bellflower, California, near Anaheim. The Van Hofwegens performing on this album were seven brothers from a family of thirteen(!) siblings who originally lived around Sioux City. A couple of decades before they made this album, the family moved from Colton, South Dakota to Bellflower, which for many years was a Dutch-American enclave. Although the liner notes by producer Marvin Van Andel make constant reference to Christianity and God, this is not a religious album -- the songs are secular, sentimental tunes from an older era, stuff like "Conscience I'm Guilty," "Home Sweet Home," "Little Rosa," "Red River Valley," and "Old Log Cabin For Sale." Most of the tracks are instrumentals, many anchored by John Van Hofwegen on accordion, an instrument with historical resonance in both the upper Midwest and the Southern California country scene. The rest of the band included his brothers Arie (on bass), Bill (rhythm guitar) Bob (electric guitar), Carl (banjo), Herm (dobro) and Mart (rhythm guitar). Although this album is secular, they did play religious concerts, as well as on radio and TV -- a 1974 notice for a show in Long Beach mentions them as "recording artists," so I would guess this came out around then, or not long before.

Bill Vega "You Turned My Whiskey Into Milk" (Gringo Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Harold Bowen Jr., Cleo Price & Bill Vega)
A pretty mysterious record from Southern California... Recorded at the Bo-Mac Records studios in Monrovia, California, this was a country set featuring all-original material credited to pianist-singer Bill Vega, whose biography remains a bit elusive. The musicians were Bill Vega (piano and vocals), John Espinoza (lead and rhythm guitar), Michael Gregory (lead and rhythm guitar), Mark Webster (drums) with vocal backing that included a fella named Cleophus (Cleo) Price. The Bo-Mac label was apparently a black gospel imprint that had a handful of other releases, including two albums and several singles by producer/owner Harold Bowen, with Cleophus Price as one of his main collaborators.

Joyce Vetter "Walkin' On The Sunnyside" (Wild Rose Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Joyce Vetter)
Although her Wild Rose label gave an address in Winnemucca, Nevada, it would be hard to pin Ms. Vetter down to one locale... In addition to her music career, she worked as a wilderness guide in Idaho, Nevada and Northern California, as well as an author, aviator, and video director. Vetter made other records, though as far as I can tell, this one was the rootsiest, with versions of "Bump Bounce Boogie" and "Dolly's Dive." I guess, on balance, I'd peg her as a California gal, since she wound up working on yachts in Sausalito, CA, across the Bay from SF. A rambler and rounder, to be sure!

Victims Of Chance "Goin' Home Blue" (No Label, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Kitchen)
A challenging, kooky, oddball hippie-era album that mashes up roots music, rock and avant-psych... Musically far-flung and starry-eyed, this band featured both female and male lead vocals... I dunno much about this band, though I gather it's legendary on the acid-folk circuit, and was produced by a guy from LA called Johnny Kitchen, who put out a bunch of weird private-press records around the same time.

June Wade - see artist discography

Carl Walden "Tiara Lady" (Shazam Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Morgan Cavett & Carl Walden)
Though this LP is a perennial favorite among mean-spirited "worst album cover" bloggers (an internet phenomenon I despise) it's worth noting that multi-instrumentalist Carl Walden and his Southern California cohort included a bunch of folks who were notably active in LA's country-rock, pop and rockabilly scenes. Multi-instrumentalist Carl Walden was a transplant from Jacksonville, Florida, a Beatles-era rocker who made his way out West and became a lesser-known SoCal stalwart. This album was his magnum opus, with Walden playing dobro, fiddle, lead guitar, steel guitar and keyboards (hopefully not all at once!) backed by Loren Newkirk on piano, Jerry Peterson (saxophone and flute), Ray Pohlman (bass), Don Preston (lead guitar) and Denny Seiwell on drums... Probably of most note here to twangfans was piano plunker Loren Newkirk, who played on several Chris Darrow and John Stewart albums, and did session work for folks like Hoyt Axton and Rick Cunha, along with a little bit of private-label twang over the years. The music is a mix of country and old-school rock/R&B, balancing a bunch of originals with a few oldies such as "Love Me Tender" and "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby," as well as the inescapable "Orange Blossom Special," which closes the album out. Walden wrote or co-wrote seven songs, about half the album, with other tunes coming from guitarist Don Preston ("I'll Never Give Up On You"), a couple from LA old-school twangster Sammy Masters, and two from producer Morgan Cavett, including one, "Grains Of Sand," which featured vocals from his daughter Christine. As far as Carl Walden's career goes, he also recorded some rock singles 'way back in the 'Sixties (recording as Carl Walden & The Humans) then settled into the Southern California country scene, making his mark mainly as a steel player, working in various house bands, reportedly including a stint in Johnny Paycheck's band, The Cashiers. He did some session work and had mild success as a songwriter, notably when his old pal Paycheck covered one of his songs ("I've Got Wine On My Mind") back in the early 'Seventies. Apparently he also copyrighted a song back in 1973 called "Love Jesus Like A Woman," but if anyone recorded it, I haven't tracked that on down. (Sure would like to, though!)

Susan Webb "Bye, Bye Pretty Baby" (ABC-Anchor Records, 1975) (LP)
Ms. Webb was apparently the sister of songwriter Jim Webb, and she gets the full-on LA studio sound treatment on this disc. With a ton of top rock and country-rock talent backing her -- folks like Gib Guilbeau, Herb Pedersen, and Albert Lee -- you'd assume she was gonna let loose with a little twang, but you would be wrong. Turns out this is about as generic and plastic-sounding an LA '70s rock-pop record as you can find. Didn't do anything for me, really, and it's definitely not of interest to twangfans. A footnote, maybe to the scene of the times, but it doesn't really lead anywhere.

Red Dog Weber "...And Custer's Last Band" (Big Horn Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Lee Burch & Rue Barclay)
A kooky little gift from Hollywood here... An economist by trade and a Buckeye by birth, Ohioan J. Allan Weber played his way through pretty much every bar or barn you could imagine between Cleveland and LA, and became best known for his shows at the World Champion Chili Cookoff in Terlingua, Texas... He also made his mark with numerous TV appearances, playing the "boombass," a rhythm instrument of his own design. Weber is joined on this album by veteran Nashville fiddler Harold Hensley, as well as guitarist Gene Ridgeway, an Oklahoma western swing bandleader who carved a niche in the Los Angeles entertainment industry, as well as Lee Burch (a Southern California music and movie producer who also did studio work as a guitarist) and western/cowboy music singer Hal Southern, who also worked in the TV industry. They play oldies and standards, along with 'Seventies hits such as "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" and "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," and few originals written by members of the band, including "Power Up Your Chili" and "Custer's Last Band."

David Wells "David Wells " (Tokar Records., 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Allan Waterous)
An ambitious though occasionally awkward set of would-be Top Forty country, mid-1980s style. Apparently hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, where this was recorded, David Wells projects kind of a smooth, low-key vibe, perhaps suggesting a Don Williams-y sound, or maybe late-vintage Johnny Duncan, but things start to go sideways when he tries his hand at Jimmy Buffett-ish party tunes ("One More Lousy Sunset In Paradise") and it gets worse on the mildly synthy swamp/novelty number, "Seedy Juanita's Rowdy Yahoo." This isn't outright terrible by any means, but it's a little too slick for my tastes. Still, it's definitely outside the boundaries of both plausible Top Forty success, or the nascent alt-country Americana movement, so it fits here. Not my cup of tea, but it's still authentic indie-twang. He's backed by steel player Paul Tross, Joe Weed on fiddle, and some other, unidentified, musicians. Producer Allan Waterous sings backup along with Jeanette Waterous; also worth noting is guest vocalist Marsha Graham, who sings lead on one track, "Hide Your Heart," which is an album highlight, as is the track that follows, the Merle Haggard-ish "Rainbow Rain," which is one of the best-produced, most commercial-sounding tracks on the album.

West "West" (Columbia Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Johnston)
The debut album from this winsome, mercurial folk-rock band out of the San Francisco Bay Area... Like many band's of the era, West had a complicated history: the group included Mike Stewart (1945-2002), a former member of the commercially successful folk-pop group We Five (and was also the brother of folkie singer-songwriter John Stewart) as well as guitar picker Ron Cornelius (1945-2021) and bassist Joe Davis, who had previously been in a local garage band from Richmond, CA, called Captain Zoom. The West band evolved out of an earlier group, The Crystal Set, which included Cornelius, Davis and Stewart, which came together after the dissolution of the We Five; in turn, Cornelius and Davis and continued to work together after West broke up.

West "Bridges" (Columbia Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Johnston)
This album kicks off with one of the more improbable folk-rock covers of all time, taking Darrell Banks's propulsive 1967 soul scorcher, "Somebody Somewhere Needs You," then transforming it into a melodic and only mildly rockin' white soul-pop ditty, something along the likes of a pop single by The Grassroots. By and large, this is a fairly lackluster album, with flat though not unpleasant arrangements behind pretty low-energy vocals. It's like they just couldn't decide whether to try out some mellow cosmic-folkie vibe, or something a little more vigorous. Notably, there are several covers of John Stewart songs -- "July You're A Woman" and others -- not too surprising since his brother, Mike Stewart, was a core member of the band. Along with Dylan and Dave Dudley songs, there are also some originals, mostly tunes from singer Lloyd Perata, and though these tend to be airy feeling, they are also some of the more endearing tracks. This lineup of the band included Bob Claire, Ron Cornelius, Joe Davis, Lloyd Perata, Jon Sagen, and Mike Stewart, though doubtless there was a whole raft of studio pros in there as well. Around this same time, Ron Cornelius was part of Bob Dylan's musical entourage, and later recorded a solo album called Tin Luck,

Wayne West "Streets Of Laredo" (Sage Records, 1964-?) (LP)
Part of Hal Southern's clique of Hollywood cowboys, Wayne West was a character actor, radio deejay and dude ranch singer, performing mainly at Roy Rogers' Apple Valley Inn, out in the Mojave Desert, near San Bernardino, California. He made a couple of appearances on Gunsmoke possibly acted in a movie or two, did some live gigs in Vegas and Tahoe, and cut at least one single with Southern's band, the Frontiersmen. A publicity sheet that was enclosed with this album also pitches West as a songwriter, but outside of stuff he recorded himself, his most notable success was a tune called "Rusty Spurs," which Roy Rogers sang in a movie called Frontier Pony Express, way back in 1939. (The song is credited to W. Wood, which was probably West's real last name...) He's likely the same Wayne West who cut a 78 with a band called the Travelers called "We Are Going To Have A Cowboy Wedding," a song that was also included in a 1940 Roy Rogers oater called Young Bill Hickok. The Travelers band seems to have evolved into the Travelons, which was the name West used in 1966 when he accompanied Roy Rogers and Dale Evans on a USO tour in Vietnam. West was also one of the many erstwhile members of the Frontiersmen, working with artists such as Eddie Dean, et.al. although exact details of his career are a little scarce. As far as I know this was his only album, recorded some time around 1963-64, not long after he and the Frontiersmen appeared on The Joey Bishop Show.

The Western Crusaders "...Sing The Gospel" (Circle C Recording Studio, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Chalk, Willard Lawson & Wally Wilder)
Authentic country gospel by a mixed male-female, young'uns/old-timers band from Stockton California. The country vibe comes through mostly in the vocals, and in the underlying feel of the recording... There is some guitar and bass in the mix, but the predominant instrument is a slow, churchy organ, played by Barbara Chalk, who also sings alto. It's similar to Tim Spencer's stuff from the 'Fifties -- you know he's from a country background, but he's given up that fiddle and guitar for Jesus. Anyway, even though there's not a lot of overt twang, it's still a nice record. The group appears to have been led by Stan Dennis, who I assume is the old guy doing the recitation on the patriotic-evangelical "What This Country Needs Today" (a song he wrote, as well as "For All You Have Done For Me Today." The Chalk family also contributes an original number, called Tears On The Altar," though most of the songs are covers. There are several covers of Bill Gaither material, including "Thanks To Calvary," which closes the album, and "The Mystery Of His Way," written by Bob Nolan of the Sons Of The Pioneers. Although the membership may have shifted over the years, the Western Crusaders were together in the 1960s '70s and '80s, and toured extensively throughout California. As far as I can tell, neither the Crusaders nor the Circle C studio had any connection to the Christian Troubadours, but Stockton wasn't that big a town, so I'm sure they bumped into one another from time to time.

Whiskey Creek Old Time String Band "On The Rocks" (Farmers Record Co., 1978) (LP)
Mostly stringband twang from this longhaired old-timey band from Fresno, California, although they do include one song called "Country Music Life." This is from the same label that the band The Music Farmers were on, with head Farmer Bill Hunter sitting in on banjo, along with Sue Hunnel (fiddle), Tom Hunnel (banjo), Bill Terry on guitar and Frenchie Watson on bass...

Whiskey Creek Old Time String Band "Hoedown Boogie!" (Grasshopper Productions, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Eric Seaburg)
Slight personnel change this time around, with the group pared down to a foursome: Bill Terry and the Hunnells are joined by bassist Zane Thomas Heifner, still playing the same mix of bluegrass and old-timey tunes. Pretty solid, fiddling and picking -- lively, propulsive and filled with joy. The album ends with a new tune, an original by Tom Hunnel which is one of those playing-for-tips-in-a-bar musician laments, in which the singer's nightly take is a meagre six dollars... (Though if memory serves me right, six bucks could go a long way in Fresno, back in the early 'Eighties...) Pretty groovy, high-octane hippie bluegrass from the very center of California.

Norman Whistler "Rural Rythm" (Repeat Records, 1964) (LP)
(Produced by L. M. Barcus)
A kooky looking album which has floated around for decades in the quarter bins of many a West Coast record store... The impression of kookiness comes mostly from the 19th Century-style carnival-barker artwork on the album's front cover, although the record itself is a pretty straightforward set of old-timey fiddle music. The liner notes (and his obituary) inform us that fiddler Norman Whistler (1933-2009) was a Kansas native who began playing in his teens and performed live in several regional bands in and around Independence, KS, near the Oklahoma border. At age seventeen he won a local talent show, which helped propel him out of the Sunflower State, traveling first to New York City, where he placed second in a contest hosted by The Arthur Godfey Show and then to Los Angeles, where he set down roots in 1958, and worked for several years as a professional musician. Whistler played in the house band at a country music club in Long Beach, and apparently worked cutting song demos, including some sessions with guitarist Glen Campbell. This album is one of a handful of LPs commissioned by Repeat Records, an odd local label that seems to have been established solely to help promote the "Barcus-Berry Direct Process" recording technology, which proudly proclaimed that no microphones were used, supposedly producing a superior sound quality. Repeat drew on an eclectic mix of Southern Californian country, jazz and pop musicians, including many session players who were employed by the film and television industries -- on this album, Whistler was backed by country pickers Dee Ford (a female guitar player who also worked with Merle Haggard) and bassist Carl Scroggins, as well as drummer Frank Flynn and horn player Ted Nash, who were both alumni of the Les Brown Orchestra. Norman Whistler and Carl Scroggins also played on another Repeat LP, a cowjazz set by western swing steel guitar legend Noel Boggs, which came out the following year, in 1965. Not long after this, in 1966, Norman Whistler moved back to the Midwest, opening a grocery store in Copan, Oklahoma, about twenty-five miles away from where he grew up. He continued playing music regionally, including a stint with an early edition of Rodney Lay's Wild West Band, and later as a house musician for a local mini-opry called the Nowata Country Jubilee, along with his wife Louise.

Wild Oats "Country + Blue Grass" (Alshire Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Ron LeGrand)
Although this Southern California band had a relatively ignominious beginning playing day-job shows at the Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm amusement parks, their lone album features a wealth of original material, most of it written by lead singer Ron LeGrand. The music is solidly in the cosmic country style of the hippie-era Dillards and Byrds, with drifting, airy vocals and equally fluid arrangements, centered on the willowy pedal steel. It's worth noting that the steel player was a gal named Kathy Turner -- dunno if she did music else musically, but her spacey style compares favorably to other early-'Seventies hippie steel players who were reinventing the wheel at the time. The band probably just played generic bluegrass at their park gigs, as reflected in a trio of instrumentals, including a version of "Orange Blossom Special" where fiddler Bill Cunningham interpolates the melody with that of "Malaguena." Although clearly derivative of other early country-rock records, this album holds its own -- if you liked the Easy Rider soundtrack, you'll wanna check this one out.

Mike Wilhelm "Wilhelm" (United Artists/Zig Zag Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Olsen & Phill Sawyer)
A true San Francisco insider, picker-growler Mike Wilhelm (1942-2019) was a California native, born in LA but very much a Bay Area musician... He was a co-founder of The Charlatans, the long-haired dapper dressers who are frequently cited as the first SF psych band, and much like his erstwhile bandmate Dan Hicks, Wilhelm had a deep affinity for roots music and twang, albeit with his own unique, quirky spin, as heard on this solo set. Though released in '76 this was actually recorded five years earlier by Wilhelm's post-Charlatans group, Loose Gravel, but sat in the can for so long the band had basically broken up by the time the tracks made it to wax. Not only was the band gone, but the era as well -- among the gems from these 1971-72 sessions is a track called "Going To Move To Canada," which alludes to the migration of many a young, draft-age American lad during the Vietnam War. The album also includes one of his signature songs, the John Phillips-penned desperado ballad, "Me And My Uncle," and other tracks of equally twangy calibre. Loose Gravel was eventually scattered along the side of the pop culture highway, with Wilhelm then joining a late 'Seventies edition of The Flamin' Groovies, touring with the group for six years and playing lead guitar on two of their albums, Now and Jumpin' In The Night. His bluesy side might overpower the twang at times, but country and country-rock fans can still find plenty to appreciate here, as well as on his later solo stuff.

Mike Wilhelm "Mean Ol' Frisco" (New Rose Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Wilhelm, Ricky Lee Lynd & Robin Yeager)

Mike Wilhelm "Wood And Wire" (New Rose Records, 1993) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Wilhelm, Robert Bobgeller & Sam Karnatz)

Mike Wilhelm "Mike Wilhelm" (Fan Club Records, ?) (CD)
A retrospective of sorts, this combines eleven tracks recorded live on the air at freeform radio station KSAN back in 1971, along with an equal number of tracks from his 1985 studio album, Mean Ol' Frisco. The KSAN tracks mirror the material on his '76 solo album, though apparently these were not the same sessions.

Bud Williams "...Sings Songs With A Message" (Misty Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gordon Calcote, Tony Sciarrotta & Al Johnston)
This album of uber-indie country gospel is, if you'll pardon the expression, a true godsend for the kitsch-oriented among us... Just at the outset, let me admit that Mr. Williams was not, objectively speaking, the world's greatest singer, with a half-mumbled baritone that suggests Dave Dudley with a really bad hangover. But it's not his musical limitations that make this such a ripe target for the schadenfreude patrol, but rather the music itself. Cecil Williams (1921[?]-1998) was a truck driver from Olivehurst, California, a suburb of Yuba City, just north of Sacramento, and lived in the area for over fifty years, working for a big chunk of that time at the Frank Close Lumber Company. Clearly a devoted Christian, Mr. Williams would loosely adapt hard-country hits by artists such as Johnny Cash, Dave Dudley and Merle Haggard, shamelessly transforming "Fighting Side Of Me, "Folsom Prison," and "Six Days On The Road" into heartfelt, if somewhat clunky gospel songs. That's kinda fun to begin with, but what will really wow modern listeners is his interest in current events and social commentary, with lyrics that sternly decry the hippie-era protesters and libertines, including melodramatic tirades about drug abuse that would have made Porter Wagoner proud. It's a real hoot. Also of interest -- and what made me rescue this disc from the fifty-cent bin -- was the presence of Gordon Calcote as producer. Calcote was a deejay from Southern California who recorded several records for the budget-line Crown Records label back in the Sixties, and who tried his hand at producing later on, apparently in the custom label side of the industry. Seems like a good chance Calcote plays on these sessions, although the liner notes don't explicitly tell us who the musicians were -- several people are identified as "background," including arranger Rick Foote, along with Terri Cox, Glenn Davis, Luki Davis and Bud's wife, Dorothy Williams. And don't get me wrong: I'm not making fun of this album, not by a longshot. It might be a low-rent kinda production, but the picking's pretty good, and the sentiments are one-hundred percent sincere. A nice set of unvarnished DIY Christian twang.

Mentor Williams "Feelings" (MCA Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Troy Seals & Mentor Williams)
A rootsy recording session by 'Seventies songwriter and record producer Mentor Williams, who is perhaps best known for writing the song, "Drift Away," which was a pop hit for Dobie Gray in 1973 and also climbed the Country Top Ten that same year, as the title track of Narvel Felts' debut album. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Williams was the brother of AOR star Paul Williams; they grew up together in California, moving to LA sometime in the early 1950s. Mentor Williams worked in the music industry both as a songwriter, and as a producer; he later became the life partner of countrypolitan superstar Lynn Anderson. He's backed on this album by a Nashville studio crew that included David Briggs, Dave Kirby and Weldon Myrick, along with other "usual suspect" superpickers.

Jeff Wise & Darren Fay "Redneck Rock" (Charter Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ellis Miller)
Darren Fay and Jeff Wise were pals from Southern California who hoofed it up to Vancouver, Washington to party down and cut a record at Ripcord Studios, with owner-engineer Gene Breeden adding electric guitar and pedal steel to a track or two, his son Danny Breeden on drums, Ellis Miller on bass, and of course, Fay and Wise strummin' guitars and singin' up a storm. There's also some guy named Mark who adds fiddle, flute, or saxophone -- as well as vocals -- to all but two tracks, and you can totally just hear those two guitar dudes, being all, "Oh, man, dude! You know we would put your name on the cover, too, just... like, y'know... you're not on those two tracks!" And Mark was all, "Well, can't we just come up with a band name?" Not like he's pissed, or anything. Anyway, these two (or is it three?) longhaired guys were just about as 1975 as you could get... Dig those shirts, dig that chest hair, and how do you stay that thin?? The dudes returned home, with Jeff Wise being considered an "unofficial mayor" of his hometown of Harbison Canyon, a rural community outside of San Diego where he grew up... As far as I know, this was their only album.

Don Wolfe & The Western Ramblers "Back On The Road Again" (Vista Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Martin Ashley, Kenny Maki, Willie McCreary & Ron Rehm)
Originally from Duluth, Minnesota, singer and lead guitarist Don Wolfe eventually moved out west and set up shop around in California's Great Central Valley. While this set was recorded at Heavenly Recording Studios in Sacramento, the front cover shows him and his band hitchhiking outside the city limits of the wine-country town of Fairfield, midway between the state capitol and San Francisco (though it's not clear if that's really where they were from, or if they just picked that stretch of highway to denote being "on the road"...) Wolfe's show band included drummer Dino Ambro, Jim Cahill on bass, and singer Darlene Wolfe; if other musicians were brought in to fill out the sessions, they aren't mentioned in the liner notes. Not a lot of info on Don Wolfe or where he was based: The Western Ramblers also released at least one single, "Make Mine A Double," which came out on a San Jose-based label around 1971. This album is almost all cover songs, chestnuts such as "Crazy," "Rainy Day Woman," "A Fool Such As I" and newer tunes like "Country Sunshine," as well as both of Marty Robbins' identically dreary, florid power ballads, "You Gave Me A Mountain" and "My Woman. My Woman, My Wife." In all honesty, the Ramblers seem to have been a slightly low-wattage band, though perhaps it was the recording session itself that fell flat... Regardless, it's still a charming kind of "real people" record, not flashy and pretty down to earth... another tiny bit of the California country mosaic.

E. Zane Wood & Kathy Leech "Dance To Your Favorite Bullshit And Country Dysko Songs" (Magic Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Kathy Leech & J. Mattazano)
An ultra-obscuro set from Southern California... Although the album title was pretty tongue-in-cheek, the song selection is solid, with country-rockin' covers of J. J. Cale's "Living On Tulsa Time," "Lookin' For Love," and a couple of tunes from the Emmylou Harris catalog, Chuck Berry's "C'est La Vie" and Rodney Crowell's "Ain't Livin' Long Like This." They also trot their way through oldies like "Cotton Eyed Joe," "Rocky Top" and "Under The Double Eagle." Not a lot of info about this duo, though Wood apparently released at least one single under his own name, back in the early '70s, an enthusiastic though outlandish whiteboy funk thing cut for MGM while Wood was a member of the Mike Curb Congregation.

John Woodruff "Country Soul" (Woodcock Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Brian Webster)
An odd set from Southern California... Pianist-singer John Woodruff seems to have had sincere country-rock leanings, covering stuff like John Conlee's "Rose Colored Glasses" and Little Feat's "Willin'," along with a slew of original material... But he had a really thin voice, more suited perhaps to college rock or the nascent indierock sound, and he goes a little overboard on his piano plunking, drifting into lush, Elton John-ish territory at times. Woodruff was backed by other SoCal locals, including Jeff Cassidy on drums, Scott Huston blowing harmonica, and Brian Webster on bass. One track, "I'm Just a Country Boy," should not be confused with Albert Lee's old 'Seventies showcase number. Overall this strikes me as more of a vanity disc -- emotive, a little frantic and perhaps excessive -- though it definitely fits into the country-rock spectrum.

Bill Woods/Various Artists "Bakersfield: First Annual Country Music Awards Show" (Country Town Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Jay Albright)
A live album capturing a musical tribute to Bakersfield old-timer Bill Woods, a club owner and bandleader whose was a guiding light in the early years of the Bakersfield country scene. In her glowing liner note testimonial, Bonnie Owens recalls meeting Woods in when she first moved to Bakersfield in 1952, and how he took her under his wing, as he did with numerous other Central Valley musicians. Woods owned a nightclub called the Bill Woods Corral, and pretty much anyone you've heard of either worked in his band or played at his venue. This show was sponsored by kind of a Bakersfield Sound fan club, featuring Mayf Nutter as emcee; the live tapes were mastered and mixed at Buck Owens Studios by Jay Albright, who was a deejay on Owens's radio station, KUZZ 800-AM.

Bob Woods "Hillbilly Cadillac" (Bennett-House Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Marley Monson & Bob Hudson)
An indie outing from a California roots-rocker who crossed rockabilly and country twang... In the early '70s, Woods played western swing in a Sacramento-based band called Tokpela, and he blends some hillbilly swing in, along with trucker twang, bar-band R&B and hillbilly boogie. Good songs, decent picking, kind of an iffy singer, but still cool in the way his musical mix anticipates the hillbilly retro of "Americana" scene bands such as Big Sandy & The Fly-Rite Boys, et. al. Woods plays lead guitar, and is backed by a wide cast of players, including pedal steel players Pat Finney and Dave Wren, Jerry McKinney on saxophone, Rex Coomes on fiddle and various harmonizers and backup singers. Nice energetic set, with most songs written by Bob Woods, three by Kevin Blackie Ferrell and a stripped-down rave-up rendition of Carl Perkins' "Soul Beat." Give 'er a spin!

Amy Wooley "Amy Wooley" (MCA Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Louie Shelton & Tony Peluso)
Poppy, would-be top forty stuff. Produced by "Wrecking Crew" guitarist Louis Shelton, this was the lone album from songwriter Amy Wooley -- pop music, really, but with a definite country-rock undercurrent. Although Ms. Wooley was more or less blatantly imitating Linda Ronstadt, she was considered a country artist, garnering a "best new female vocalist" nomination from the Academy of Country Music. The album includes some explicitly country-flavored material such as the fiddle-and-steel drenched "If My Heart Had Windows," which showcases steel player Douglas Livingston and has a posh, Billy Sherrill-style countrypolitan vibe. It's worth noting that almost all the songs were Wooley's own originals; I'm not sure if she was successful at pitching her stuff to any established artists, though she later moved into musical theater, working primarily as an arranger and composer. Amy Wooley seems to have been from Southern California, studying at UCLA and USC, and she cut this album at the same Los Angeles studio where Seals & Croft(!) and other 'Seventies AOR stars recorded some of their biggest hits.

Harvey Yeoman "Mightier Than The Sword" (19--?) (LP)
A super-twangy, absolutely wonderful, real-deal bedrock country gospel set from mandolin picker, singer and songwriter James Harvey Yeoman (1926-2009), longtime member of the San Joaquin Valley's Christian Troubadours. This "solo" album features several of his usual bandmates, including bass player Bill Carter, Frank Petty, Philip Price (banjo and guitar) and Wayne Walters (guitar), providing solid, unflashy accompaniment on a set dominated by original material, with all but two tracks credited to Mr. Yeoman. It's great stuff, pure acoustic hillbilly twang, defined by Mr. Yeoman's rough-cut, resolutely rural vocals, which heavily echo the tone of Bakersfield icon Buck Owens, with a bit of Hank Snow's plainspoken monotone in the mix. Born in Hartford, Arkansas, Harvey Yeoman was the son of a Pentecostal preacher, and took up the mantle himself as a Pentecostal minister and evangelical musician; the contours of his career are a little fuzzy, but he seems to have been a member of the Troubadours when it was in Southern California, and moved to Tennessee when bandleader Wayne Walters set up shop in Nashville in the mid-1960s. It's not clear where or when this album was made, though it has a distinctly West Coast vibe, particularly when Yeoman leans into his Buck Owens-style vocals.

Jesse Colin Young (and The Youngbloods) -- see artist profile

Wally Young "Reunion" (Reunion Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Compton, Louis Hone & Mark Kennedy)
Originally from Pointe Au Chene, Quebec, Wally Young emigrated from Canada to San Diego way back in 1960, where he fit in with the Southern California old-school country scene. He formed a band called Buck Wayne & The Buckshots, and performed frequently at the Bostonia Ballroom, which was run by hillbilly boogie/western swing old-timer Smokey Rogers. Young was already a country music veteran from his early years in Canada, where he and his brothers Bazil and Floyd formed a band that toured widely and cut a few discs for Rodeo Records. He returned to Montreal to record part of this album with his brothers, while the remaining sessions were taped in El Cajon, CA, with a different band. Musicians include Serge Bougie (drums), Ronnie Cavanagh (steel guitar), Roger Coomes (drums), Tom Dolymak (steel guitar), Mark Kennedy (lead and rhythm guitar), Bazil Young (rhythm guitar), Maureen Young (piano and vocals), and Joel Zifkin on fiddle... And of course Wally Young on lead vocals and guitar. The songs are almost all Wally Young's originals, including a new version of his song, "Tomorrow I'll Be Gone," a tune he and his brothers first recorded back in Canada, many years before. No date on this disc, though it looks like something from the early 1980s, or possibly late 'Seventies.

Dwayne Youngblood "...Salutes The Bicentennial: 1776-1976" (1976) (LP)
Fiddler C. Dwayne Youngblood (1935-2002) was originally from Idaho, but lived in Visalia, California during the 1970s, and trekked over to Bakersfield to record this instrumental set at the Buck Owens Studios. Mr. Youngblood was a devoted old-timey artist who competed in countless championships across the country, dating back to the early 1960s and contributed a version of "Jack Of Diamonds" to a compilation album called Fiddle Jam Session, that came out of these mid-'60s sessions. Although this solo album was pitched as a Bicentennial celebration, it includes no overtly patriotic material -- instead, it's mostly classic hoedown tunes like "Billy In The Low Ground" and "Blackberry Blossom," as well as an original composition, "Shirley's Waltz," which was written for his wife. Youngblood's son Rick accompanies him on guitar, and he plays some fiddle as well; Rick Youngblood went on to become a championship fiddler and attended the annual National Old Time Fiddle Contest forty-eight straight years in his lifetime. This album came out around the same time that Dwayne Youngblood won the California state fiddling championship in 1977.

Various Artists "BAKERSFIELD REBELS -- LATE 1960s GEMS" (Ace/Big Beat, 2004)
An archival collection packed with rarities from The Gosdin Brothers, Billy Mize, Gib Guilbeau, and numerous obscure artists, often supported by Gilbeau and pals such as guitarist Clarence White... These tracks were originally recorded for producer Gary S. Paxton's short-lived label, Bakersfield International Productions, which pioneered into the prototypical country-rock sound in the years before the style had a name. Uncle Buck would be proud.

Various Artists "BAKERSFIELD'S BIG GUITARS" (Jasico Records, 1962)
Not so much Buck Owens and Wynn Stewart-style Bakersfield as a gathering of fancy pickers from the Hollywood rock scene who were in the orbit of pop impresario Gary S. Paxton, who put this album out. Paxton recruited guys from the Sunset Strip to play on a string of budget-label albums and one-off projects, and several of his best-known artists are on here, including dudes like guitarist Dennis Payne and pedal steel whiz Red Rhodes.

Various Artists "BAKERSFIELD'S FIRST ANNUAL COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS SHOW" (Country Town Records, 1974)
(Produced by Jay Allbright)
This concert recording from December 10, 1974 was emceed by Mayf Nutter, with local artists honoring Bill Woods, a hometown hero who had been twanging it up since the early 1950s, an era when he (and others) wore big buckskin coats with long leather fringes. Woods was a musician as well as a club owner, and his Bakersfield honkytonk, the Bill Woods Corral, hosted countless country acts including touring stars and locals Okies alike. The liner notes (which neglect to tell us which musicians play on this album) include praise from Bonnie Owens, one of many Central Valley musicians who felt indebted to Woods for his help over the years...

Various Artists "THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND: COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WEST: 1940-1974" (Bear Family Records, 2019)

Various Artists "BARNEY STEEL'S -- LIVE IN REDWOOD CITY" (Fat Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Danne Ventura & Michael Schwalm)
A compilation of live performances from the San Fran Bay Area, featuring a mix of rock groups (Merlin, The Lifters) and blues/rock bands such as Stu Blank & His Nasty Habits and the Charles Ford Band, along with alt-country pranksters Chuck Wagon & The Wheels, who play three of their songs, "My Girl Passed Out In Her Food," "Rasta Mother," and a medley of "Ghost Riders/Rawhide/Ballad Of Paladin." The shows were recorded in Redwood City, south of the City, but the label was based in Sausalito, on the other side of the Bay.

Various Artists "THE BEACH BALL LIVE" (Beach Ball Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Bruce McCoy & Bob Werner)
A live recording from a folk-y club in Newport Beach, California, featuring separate performances from Bob Gulley, Bruce McCoy, Stan Orlo, and Kurt Steinbeck, with backing by a house band that included Jan Ashley (drums), Paul Bishop (conga drums... yikes), Larry Hanson (piano), Sal Hernandez (bass) and Gary Madison on keyboards. Stylistically it's a mixed bag, and largely tilts away from true twang, although some tunes drift ashore that give this disc some country cred, including "Desperado" and "Margaritaville," though these are balanced by stuff like Tom Lehrer's "Vatican Rag," "The MTA Song," "Help Me Rhonda" and "On Broadway." (In general, a good rule of thumb when you see any roots record with conga drums in the lineup, it might be wise to be a little skeptical...) On the plus side, these guys seemed to be having fun and didn't take themselves too seriously, so you get a nice snapshot of an informal live band at a humble local club. The Beach Ball apparently opened back in 1971, and made it at least to the end of the decade... More power to 'em!

Various Artists "BERKELEY FARMS" (Folkways Records, 1972) (LP)
A classic set of old-timey and uber-folk music from Berkeley, California, featuring a bunch of bands with goofy names such as The Bayou Croakers, The Phresno Philharmonic, The Spare Change Boys, as well as the highly-regarded Larry Hanks, who was a real-live graduate of Berkeley High.

Various Artists "CALIFORNIA COUNTRY KLASSIX" (ITW Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Ian Whitcomb & Andy Wickham)
This nutty little outing comes from one-time one-hit wonder and pop music scholar Ian Whitcomb (1941-2020) who in 1965 scored a somewhat improbable Top Ten US hit with his comedically fey blues-rock single, "You Turn Me On," and later turned to prose when the fickle fates of the music industry turned their gaze away from his career. Whitcomb spent a few years researching his (excellent) (and highly recommended) overview of the growth of Western popular music, After The Ball, and having gotten the book published in 1972, was once again looking for musical projects to pursue. As outlined in Whitcomb's charmingly discursive liner notes, he was chilling up in Northern California with fellow UK expat Andy Wickham (a highly successful record exec at Warner Brothers) when they stumbled across a local gal in Sonora, CA singing in a country bar, and decided to sign her to Wickham's label. They flew her to Nashville and cut a few tracks which were released under the name Debbie Dawn, which although they sold poorly became the kernel for further incursions into California twang in the Whitcomb style. Most of the songs on this album were composed by Whitcomb and produced by Wickham, with a slate of otherwise unknown artists that included "singing fireman" Howdy Glenn, another country gal by the name of Kenni Huskey, and a couple of other artists -- Corky Mayberry and Norvis Reptile -- who I suspect were actually Mr. Whitcomb in cowboy drag. ITW was Whitcomb's own label, and mostly served as a vehicle for his swimming-against-the-tide solo work, as he increasing became obsessed with ragtime and music-hall material. But it's sure nice he took the time to compile this set of outsider twang when he had the chance!

Various Artists "CAL'S CORRAL SOUVENIR ALBUM, v.1" (Cal's Corral, 19--?) (LP)
A hugely successful car dealer from Pasadena, California, multi-millionaire show host Cal Worthington had a long-running TV program which ran on station KTLA from 1959 to 1972, spotlighting local Southern California talent as well as visiting stars from the hillbilly pantheon. This LP includes tracks by Buck Owens and Fred Maddox, although I'm not sure if they were exclusive to the Corral show, or taken from recordings they made elsewhere. But most of the artists seem to have been regulars on the show -- Billy Armstrong," guitarist Gene Davis, Benny Walker, Sammy Masters, Shorty Bacon singing a version of "Window Up Above," West Coaster Billy Mize singing "Planet Called Desire," and the Clairborne Brothers Gospel Quartet rounding things out with "Give The World A Smile," as the last track on the record. Cal Worthington passed away in September, 2013, but left behind a legacy of live recordings, both audio and video that are worth tracking down. This album also features "Ozark Rose," a track by Jenks "Tex" Carman, who was a regular on the show. There's no date on the disc, but "Window Up Above" was a hit for George Jones in 1960, so that helps date this release... a little bit, at least.

Various Artists "CONTRA COSTA COUNTRY" (Ground Floor Records, 1982) (LP)
A very nice, independently produced album of off-the-radar SF Bay Area country music, featuring artists such as Ambush, Larry Appl, Osage, The Silver Saddle Band and singer Judy Fields, who went onto a modestly successful career as a songwriter in Nashville. There's a nice variety of styles, with Larry Appl singing in a soft honkytonk crooner style reminiscent of Ed Bruce or Vern Gosdin, Osage offering two solid indiebilly songs, and Ambush and Silver Saddle getting into grittier, scrappier-sounding western swing and bar-band music. This seems to have really been a collective effort -- each artist or band gets a track on each side of the album, but there are some overlapping musicians from track to track, and a supportive, happy vibe throughout. A stronger record than you might think, from the rather modest album art!

Various Artists "CO-OP HOOTENANNY" (Century Custom Records, 1965) (LP)
I'm looking for a clean (and affordable) copy of this record, as well as anyone who knows the background story about its making. This was apparently a live recording of a folk music hootenanny thrown on October 9, 1965 at the Berkeley Community Theater, with a bunch of locals no one has heard of since. The record was intended as a benefit for the University Students' Co-operative Association Building Fund, an institution founded in the 1930s to help students find affordable housing during the Great Depression. I guess times were still rough, for the coops at least, during the Free Speech Movement era, hence this record. The co-ops survived the 'Sixties and flourished, after a fashion, during the '70s, then arguably fell into decline in the following decade. In particular, the anarchic Barrington Hall was a notorious drug den and party house throughout the '80s, and was eventually closed by the Co-op Association in 1989/90 after years of conflict with neighbors and University officals. But that was all years away when this record was made, back in a simpler, calmer time called the Sixties. I assume that most of the artists on this album were co-op residents, but I'll get back to you when I get some more info...

Various Artists "COUNTRY AND WEST COAST: THE BIRTH OF COUNTRY-ROCK" (Ace/Big Beat, 2006)
A decent overview of the late '60s country-rock scene, with an emphasis on West Coast artists, folkie bands and less well-known tracks. To be sure, there are some obvious touchpoints, such as guitarist Clarence White, ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith and various Gram Parsons-related projects, including the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Byrds, and the short-lived International Submarine Band. There are pleasant surprises as well: a few genuine obscurities such as Berkeley-based psychedelic folk-rockers Blackburn & Snow, The Spencers, and an unexpected track by The Corvettes (the super-jangly "Beware Of Time") as well as nods of the hat towards the Everly Brothers, Vern Gosdin and Ian & Sylvia. As always, the folks at Ace know their stuff, and try and add a little spice where they can.

Various Artists "COUNTRY SONGS ROUND-UP" (Preview Records, 1977) (LP)
A song-poem album where a dozen-plus aspiring lyricists paid to have their words put to music -- in this case, country style. This particular set is mainly of interest because one of the recording artists, Roy Wakley, was apparently a nom du well, it's a paycheck for rockabilly legend Roy Campi, who seems to have been moonlighting as a song-poem musician. At least that's what a couple of folks say online, although it may be that Campi and Wakely were two different guys who happened to be playing on the same album. I dunno. The other vocalists were two gals, Norma Jean Hawkins and Joanie Winters, and according to Praguefrank's website, the other session players included a couple of seasoned pickers from the Hollywood country-rock scene, Larry Booth and steel player J. D. Maness, along with guitarist Russ Hanson and drummer Archie Francie. This kind of album often has limited charms, although if the interwebs is correct about the lineup, this particular disc might have a little more ooomph than average. I'm not sure where all the "songwriters" were from, but let's call this one a California record.

Various Artists "THE COWBOY: THE COUNTRY DOZEN" (Cowboy Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Burger)
Although there's no information on the cover about the label or the artists (other than their names) this album appears to be a collection of Southern California artists, put together by promoter Johnny Burger sometime in the early 1980s. The Cowboy was a country music nightclub in Anaheim, California (near LA) which hosted a roster of lesser-known local musicians. Among the artists on this album are Tammy Jean, aka Tammy Jean Locke, an actress and former roller derby star who led the band California Express from 1980-87, a gig that Johnny Burger apparently set up... Other artists include the band Ambush, Johnny Burger, Lisa Cole, Larry Dean, Tommy Joe Gobel, Frank James, character actor Kenny McKinney, Son Of A Band, and finally, Orange County honky-tonker Jim Ferguson, who self-released his own album back in 1980. Tammy Jean released a private-press single around the same time this came out; the band Ambush may have released their own records as well, and possibly others on this album. As always, any additional info is welcome.

Various Artists "FIRST PRESS -- SONOMA COUNTRY ARTISTS: 1981" (Rail Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Ellis & John Brenes)
Another Northern California bonanza, with well-known roots musicians such as Norton Buffalo, Billy C. Farlow, Larry Hosford and Kate Wolf sharing vinyl time with less-remembered locals such as The Bodega Bay Blues Band, David Songbird, WBBH and others...

Various Artists "GOD LOVES COUNTRY MUSIC" (Marantha Music, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Bellamy & Al Perkins)
A Christian country tour-de-force from steel player Al Perkins and the West Coast "Jesus freak" contingent at Marantha Records... From start to finish, this is one of their more overtly country offerings -- plenty of pretty-sounding pedal steel and smooth (but twangy) guitars, easy on the ears, though to be honest the lyrics are a bit too saccharine for my taste. Most of the artists were drawn strictly from Marantha's pool of earnest, folk-ish amateur musicians -- church folk mostly, one would imagine. There are also several notable ringers, including a few folks from the early SoCal country-rock scene: Don Gerber was in the Christian-oriented band Kentucky Faith, back in 1970, a precursor to the Brush Arbor band; also on board are Poco co-founder Richie Furay, ex-Eagle Bernie Leadon, David Mansfield of the Alpha Band, and Chris Hillman singing lead on "Create In Me A Clean Heart," a musical adaptation of one of the Psalms. Perhaps most noteworthy is singer George Highfill, who sings lead on several tracks (and would make a stab at Top Forty fame a few years later in 1987) as well as gal singer Cindy Baxter, who had a great voice for country music, but apparently stuck to religious recordings. Overall, a nice, solid album, though you really do have to be on their religious wavelength. One of Marantha's stronger offerings, for sure.

Various Artists "KHSL COUNTRY ALBUM" (Golden Empire Broadcasting Company, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Peter Berkow & Joe Hammons)
A sampler of local bands from the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley, up in the gold country around Chico, California. This album was sponsored by radio station KHSL, 1290-AM and was a fundraiser for Easter Seals. The biggest star on here was local TV host Moriss Taylor (1924-2018) an old-school hillbilly singer with a decades' long career, dating back to the late 1940s. He recorded a string of singles in the 1950s and '60s and for almost four decades -- from 1956-1995 -- hosted a country music revue packed with local talent on KHSL-TV, a channel owned by the same company that put out this record. The other folks were more small-fry although at least three of the acts released full albums of their own, including Sacramento's 8th Avenue String Band, Gun Shy and honkytonker Stew Stewart, while several others released singles. The other artists included Rick Clemments, Double Ringer, High Strung, Gordy Ohliger, Paula's Boys, Bill Robinson & City Lights, C. W. Strode & Cottonwood, and James White & The Full Moon Howlers. Strode released a single in '74, while banjo picker Ohliger went on to form an eclectic stringband called the Rhythm Rowdys, which put out an LP in '83. Also of note is Paula Nelson the leader of Paula's Boys, who owned a Basque restaurant-turned-country bar called the Forest Ranch Inn. The radio station that sponsored this disc is pretty interesting as well. Like most radio outlets in the United States, KHSL has been moved around and tinkered with, although its format has remained remarkably stable. Initially an AM station, KHSL was owned by female radio pioneer Marty McClung and her family from 1936-94, and seems to have been a country station for most of its existence. Although the call sign was migrated to the FM spectrum, KHSL kept its country format while Dino Corbin, who was the program director that oversaw this album later became the station's general manager after the sale was still running things as recently as 2021. The KHSL call signal was also used for Golden Empire's television station, mentioned above, home to The Moriss Taylor Show up until the McClung family sold their holdings in the 'Nineties.

Various Artists "KVRE SONOMA SOUNDTRACK" (KVRE, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Randy Quan & Norton Buffalo)
A commemorative album put out by Sonoma County's hippiedelic AM-FM station KVRE, a (now long-defunct) roots-oriented freeform station that was Santa Rosa, California's equivalent of the better-known KFAT, Gilroy. The folk/twang lineup includes some familiar faces, notably Norton Buffalo (of the Steve Miller Band), guitarist Nina Gerber, the country-swing band Osage and, perhaps most impressively Jim Corbett backed by twang-banger Bill Kirchen and Norton Buffalo on guitar, for the song "California Western Country Swing."

Various Artists "LIVE AT THE HARVEST FESTIVAL, v.1" (1984) (LP)
A mix of folkie, bluegrass and country artists, recorded live in San Francisco, with artists including Elmo & Patsy, Oak Ash & Thorn, Old Mother Logo, Steve Seskin and South Loomis Quickstep Band... Maybe more on the folkie side of things for me, really...

Various Artists "LIVE: CLUB ZAYANTE" (1973) (LP)
(Produced by Red Erickson, Dave Ferguson & Tom Louagie)
A memento of the Club Zayante, a former country-club bar that became one of the central meeting grounds of the early-1970s Santa Cruz hippie scene. Club Z was located in nearby Fenton, California and became known for its eclectic musical choices as well as for the saunas and nude swimming at the pool... Owner Tom Louagie bought the place in 1969 and ran it -- off and on -- until 1983, when the venue finally closed its doors. These tracks were recorded in June, 1973 during a couple of nights of live shows made with a local, Bay Area crowd. Artists include Michael Bellanger, Red Erickson (of the band One Hand Clapping), George Lee, David Manheimer and others, with the star of the show -- in retrospect -- being a young Jill Croston on two tracks -- "It's So Easy" and "Welfare Mother." Croston later became known as Lacy J. Dalton, and was an early '80s Nashville hitmaker, although before that she did release one album under her own name, while still a local Santa Cruz star. The buildings burned down in 2006, after the club had been closed for decades, so I guess this album, obscure as it is, is one of the last tangible traces of this legendary old club.

Various Artists "MENDOCINO HOME COOKING" (1980) (LP)
(Produced by Hal Wagenet & Steve Chatneuf)
From the once-remote reaches of Northern California comes this coastal compendium, a set that includes some twang, but also plenty of non-country hippie-folk and blues material. The country oriented stuff includes tracks by The Black Bart Band "A Real Cowboy" by John Aman; group also includes Courtney Collins (rhythm guitar), Susan McComb (violin), Will Segal (lap steel), Bud Chase (bass and mandolin), Nancy Petit (drums). This seems to have been a communal effort, with several musicians overlapping from track to track and band to band...

Various Artists "MUSIC FROM SANTA CRUZ, VOLUME ONE" (Aardvark Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Gil Leivanos & Ken Capitanich)
Gooey, spacey sandals-and-patchouli, real-deal hippie-dippie stuff... More on the strummy-strummy folkie-acoustic side of things, and not so much "country," per se, although it sure is Californian! Some discographies conflate the Gary Morris who wrote and sang two tracks on here ("Solo Man" and "Sweet Lovin' Ways") with '80s country star Gary Morris who went from singing in a Colorado dinner club to making in big in Nashville. I wrote Top 40 Gary Morris, though, and he says it's not him. (Of course, it was the 'Seventies, so maybe he just doesn't remember...) Anyway, a this is a charmingly innocent, somewhat elven, tree-worshiping countercultural time capsule... not much twang, but plenty of history!

Various Artists "THE MUSIC OF THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS" (Santa Cruz Mountains Record Company, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Bruce Anderson, J. J. Johnson & Gradie O'Neal)
Oh, those adorable hippies. This ultra-redwoods-y, folkie/country set includes coastal locals like Jacqueline Blakemore, Bruce Frye, J. J. Johnson, Lance MacCarty, Tavakolian, and perhaps most notably, one track called "High Minded Mama," which was a duo number featuring Jill Croston (aka Lacy J. Dalton) and someone named Kai Moore, who also sings a solo number.

Various Artists "OLDTIME FIDDLERS AND FOLK MUSIC ASSOCIATION" (Tumbleweed Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Grant Spangenberg)
This album documents the performances of the finalists in a statewide California fiddling championship, held on April 21, 1967 in Paradise, CA. It features several tracks by the contest's winner, Delbert McGrath, as well as one by his pal Frank Gunn, who subsequently recorded an album together with a group they called the Sacramento Fiddlers. Several other virtuosi are on here, including a few musicians with national profiles, such as Loyd Wanzer and Bill Yohey, as well as Fresno's Gerald Prock, whose family band later recorded an album after moving back East to find work in the Ozarks country scene.

Various Artists "THE OTHER SIDE OF BAKERSFIELD, v.1" (Bear Family Records, 2014)
This swell two-volume set explores the rockabilly and "hillbilly bop" side of the Bakersfield/West Coast country sound, with tracks by well-known country artists such as Tommy Collins, Buck Owens and Tommy Duncan rubbing shoulders with little-known and dimly remembered locals such as Cliff Crofford, Alvadean Coker and Bill Woods. (Who?? Yeah: exactly!!) Curated by Bakersfield buff Scott Bomar, these discs are an obscuraholic's dream, digging deep into the Oakie/Arkie rural roots of the Central Valley's country scene; the beer-soaked honkytonk style of the 'Forties giving way to a raunchier, sweatier rock vibe. There are some great guitar riffs backed by thumping backbeats, giving fans a fuller picture of the sizzling musical stew that spawned Buck Owens' own Fender-friendly musical vision. Hillbilly and rockabilly fans alike will wanna pick these discs up, and not just for those old "Corky Jones" singles.

Various Artists "THE OTHER SIDE OF BAKERSFIELD, v.2" (Bear Family Records, 2014)
Although there are still a bunch of random unknowns on here -- folks like Al Hendrix, Lynn Billingsly, Larry Bryant and Lawton Jiles -- this second set seems more front-loaded with established artists trying their hands at this newfangled, greasy kids' stuff called rock'n'roll. Even future super-squares like Ferlin Husky were able to let their hair down on funky, uptempo early singles like "I Feel Better All Over," while honky-tonk veteran Johnny Bond sizzles through an amazingly robust rocker called "Three Or Four Nights." There was no shortage of hot rock'n'roll pickers available to back up country singers who wanted to plug in and go electric -- take for example Larry Thornton backing the suave western swing vocalist Tommy Duncan on the jazzy "I'll Be There Next Sunday," which is another album highlight. All told, this is particularly potent, generously programmed reissue disc, backed up with all the authoritative weight of Bear Family's fabled archival info... Highly recommended.

Various Artists "RENDEZVOUS FAVORITES" (KLOC Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Roger Thiesen)
I suppose technically this isn't really a compilation album, since the musicians were all in the house band at the Rendezvous Club, a country dive in Modesto, California that was apparently the favorite watering hole for the employees at local AM radio station KLOC, which produced this album. However, since the band doesn't seem to have come up with a name for itself, we'll go ahead and call it a comp. The group included singer/waitress Bobbie Lee, Ed Mattos on drums, Kenny Pierce (bass), Roy Staggs (lead guitar), Roger Thiesen (piano), and Rendezvous bartender Bill Mason, who sings lead on a ballad called "Rosalie." The set list was mostly classic country stuff, songs by the likes of Bill Anderson, Don Gibson, Willie Nelson and Jim Reeves, and while the album is undated, the inclusion of Jimmy Webb's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and the absence of anything by Kris Kristofferson makes me think this probably came out around 1968-69. Guitar picker Roy Staggs seems to have cut a couple of singles and worked with a few bands in the San Joaquin Valley; he may have been part of a sprawling Central Valley family that spread down to Bakersfield and included a few other country musicians. Sound engineer Roger Thiesen (1936-2010) was born in Bakersfield but moved around a lot before returning the the Valley and setting up the KLOC recording studio in 1967. He also performed in various jazz and pop groups and later opened a recording studio in Kern County as well as a Bakersfield music venue called the Funny Farm before he retired to Walla Walla, Washington where he'd grown up.

Various Artists "RON MASON BENEFIT ALBUM (SOUL COUNTRY)" (19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Cliffie Stone & Earl Ball)
This one's a bit of a mystery album, with very minimalist cover art, and nothing printed on the inner labels to indicate who sang what on which songs... Ron Mason is also kind of a cipher... He cut a few singles for Cliffie Stone, and seems to have worked with Stone and hillbilly singer Earl Ball as part of the late 1960s/early '70s Southern California roots-twang scene. This is a pretty groovy record, spanning from pure twang into more of a white, Southern R&B/garage rock sound, with contributions from a bunch of fairly obscure musicians. The best-known performers are old-timers Earl Ball, Eddie Dean and Smokey Warren; other participants include Carl Cody, Roy Counts, Bobby Griggs, Danny Micheals, Jerry Stevens, Billy Van, and Ron Wheaton. The only person I could pin down as playing on a particular track was the album's only gal singer Bobbie Dee, who delivers a robust rendition of "The Harper Valley PTA." Also, I'm guessing the "Rebel Playboys" are the combo that performs the loosey-goosey comedy track that closes the album, with the band vamping along while two singers swap dirty jokes, including a lot of pointedly sexist and homophobic punchlines: time capsule material, for sure. That track aside, this is a very enjoyable album -- fun, funky, earthy and authentic. No info on why Mason needed a benefit, or what became of his career... if anyone out there has details, feel free to get in touch.

Various Artists "SLO-GROWN" (SLO EOC, 1978) (LP)
A locals-only regional collection from San Luis Obispo, California, site of a lovely bay and a horrifying nuclear power plant. These compilations were put together as fundraisers for SLO's Economic Opportunity Commission, and while the music is a mix of pop, rock, folk and other, there is some twang is there as well... Perhaps most significantly, this was the first album to feature a studio recording by Alfred Matthew ("Weird Al") Yankovic who was going to college there in the late 'Seventies. His track, "Take Me Down," is a semi-sincere (and twangy!) folk-joke ode to "Slo Town," with a few humorous digressions ala Yankovic. (Hmmm... I wonder how that whole academic thing turned out for him...?) Other regionally-themed gems include "Our Central Coastal California Paradise" by Charles Lewis, one called "SLO Town Dreaming," "My San Luis Obispo Home," "SLO County USA..." You get the general idea, right?

Various Artists "SLO-GROWN #2" (SLO EOC, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Sutton)

Various Artists "SONOMA GOLD" (Hummingbird Records, 1982) (LP)
A Northern California/SF Bay Area collection with bands such as Osage, Tony Lonely and the Harvest Band...

Various Artists "THAT'S COUNTRY" (MSR Records, 1982)
(Produced by Tracie Ferguson)
Perhaps the ultimate in off-the-radar country, this vanity album was a latter-day version of the old record-a-poem mail-in offers of earlier decades. At first I thought all the folks pictured on the back had been given studio time and put on one big record together... Not quite. Instead what we have are a dozen songs written by eleven people and recorded by some Los Angeles fly-by-night "record label," giving voice to their country music dreams. It's an unlikely looking cast of characters: mostly grannies and grandpas, several immigrants, presumably an Okie or two... The band is anonymous, but two singers are credited, Rusty Chambers and Sheri Bond, who trot through brisk versions of these dream-laden compositions -- Chambers was okay, Bond is a little terrible. This was one of literally hundreds of records -- singles and LPs -- released by the MSR song-poem label, and was actually one of their last releases... The kneejerk reaction might be to feel like the gullible clients were being taken for a ride, but actually, a zillion years later, it's kind of nice that they got a chance to have their songs recorded. This ain't great music, but the dreams are there, and it's kind of sweet.

Various Artists "TOWNHOUSE -- LIVE" (Rail Records, 19--?)
(Produced by George Whitsell & Ken Greenberg)
In the late '70s and early '80s, Emeryville, California's Townhouse was San Francisco's answer to Gilley's nightclub and the prefab urban cowboy craze back East... This early-1980s live compilation album commemorates the post-hippie incarnation of the Townhouse, a former Depression-era speakeasy that slowly morphed into a cowboy joint and eventually into a dive bar beloved by longhairs and proto-punks who were looking for more authentic-sounding twang than what could be heard on mainstream radio. The bands featured here include The Back In The Saddle Band, California Zephyr, Chuck Wagon & The Wheels, The Lawyers, Osage, and the ruggedly honkytonk Texas Chainsaw Band -- some locals, some out-of-towners, and a few artists who I think this might be their only recordings. Although the production values are a little iffy, there's some great music on here. Chuck Wagon fans may appreciate their cover version of Ray Wylie Hubbard's "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother," though the hometown bands contribute some great tunes as well. The Townhouse has gone through a lot of changes over the years but still remains a popular watering hole, even though the country days are long, long gone. Alas. Fun while it lasted, though!

Hick Music Index