The Adelmund Brothers & The Country Kings "Do It Their Way" (Triple Crown, 1975-?) (LP)
A regional band with brothers who seem to have been part of the extended Adelmund family in Eastern/Central Iowa... The only mentions I've found of them outside of this album (and one single) are a couple of show notices from Waterloo and nearby Oelwine, Iowa, so I assume this was their main stomping ground. The shows were in '74 and '76, so I split the difference and guessed at a 1975 release date for this album... Also, though many of the songs are 1960's country classics, they also cover "The Keys In The Mailbox" (a #1 hit for Tony Booth in 1972) and "Roll You Like a Wheel," which was a hit for Mickey Gilley in '75. Anyone with more concrete info about these guys, I'm all ears. (Update: thanks to the Adelmund family for sending some information about guitar player Darrell Adelmund (1941-2001) who was born in Charles City, IA and whose day job was as a senior engineer for the John Deere tractor factory in Waterloo; other brothers mentioned in Mr. Ademund's obituary include Dan Adelmund, Jack Adelmund and Doug Thorne; not sure which if any of these guys were also in the band.)

Don Bach "Yesterday & Today" (Network Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by W. R. Crighler & Leonard Shaw)
Singer Don Bach recorded the hit rock/rockabilly pop single of "Cheyenne" way back in 1961, a song he reprises here on the "Yesterday" side of this album, along with some other oldies, such as Carl Belew's "Three Cheers For The Loser." Side Two ("Today") showcases more contemporary material (though mostly pretty obscure stuff) presumably in a more mainstream country mode, although to the untrained ear there isn't that much difference in the still-pretty-stripped-down arrangements. Bach sounds more confident on the slower songs, reminding me of classic country baritones like Ferlin Husky and Claude Gray, though he struggles on the slightly more uptempo tunes. Nonetheless, the last song on the album is a real winner: Jack Barlow's "Rather Fight Than Switch" is a heartfelt anthem sung in honor of traditional, old-school country music, given a pleasantly goofy novelty-song feel with an arrangement that includes perky backing vocals by the Anita Kerr Singers. The Network label was from Des Moines, Iowa, though this album was recorded at Nashville's RCA studios, with both A-list and B-list pickers, including Buddy Emmons, Chips Moman, and Hargus Robbins. Overall, a pleasant, earthy album sung by a soulful old-timer who had a real feel for country soul.

Steve Bledsoe "The Many Sides Of Steve Bledsoe" (Superstar Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Bledsoe)
A country crooner on a label from Charles City, Iowa, Steve Bledsoe was a hillbilly bopper with a string of singles going back to the rockabilly era of the mid-1950s. It has to be admitted that Mr. Bledsoe's half-sleepy, half-chunky vocal style was better suited to rock-pop novelty numbers than to country ballads, but his immense sincerity makes up for it. At some point he started his own label, releasing numerous 45s and at least these two LPs. Looks like this one is all covers, stuff like "Never Ending Song Of Love," "Take Me Home Country Roads," "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" and "Me And Bobby McGee." Alas, the musicians backing him aren't identified, but it seems to be an all-local production...

Steve Bledsoe "You're The Greatest Woman I've Known" (Superstar Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Bledsoe & Dave Cottrell)
There's some original material on this one: Bledsoe wrote four original songs on the first side of this album: "You're The Greatest Woman," "Denver," "Walking In The Footsteps Of The Man" and "I See Lonesome" while Side Two features some interesting covers -- stuff from the Carter Family, Carl Butler and Gary S. Paxton, and a version of "City Of New Orleans," and "Crystal Chandeliers" a song by Ted Harris that was recorded by Carl Belew and Charley Pride... In the liner notes, Bledsoe pays allegiance to Nat King Cole, as well as Elvis and Marty Robbins, so he was in more of a mellow mode by the time the 'Seventies rolled around. There's no date on the album, but I'm guessing '75 based on a reference to an award somebody won in October, '74. Backing Bledsoe are several local pickers, including bassist David McPhail, Ivan Rosseau (lead guitar), Dwayne Stepanek (steel guitar) and Joyce Bledsoe on drums.

The Tom Campbell Show "Recorded Live On Stage At Maxwell's Inn" (Maxwell Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Campbell, Max Horkins & Steve Hembree)
Originally from Pacific Junction, Iowa, multi-instrumentalist Tom Campbell moved to Nashville in 1974 and found work as a backing musician for stars such as Roy Clark, Freddy Fender and Billy Walker. He toured and did Vegas gigs, worked in radio and at least for a while led his own band, and had a gig at Maxwell's Inn, outside of Nashville, at the time this record was made... This small ensemble included steel player Doug Jernigan, bassist Don McGinnis and drummer Jan Jones, with Armstrong kicking in on banjo, fiddle, and guitar.

Doyle Clark & The Sundowners "Always Country" (IGL Records, 1970-?) (LP)
A no-frills, back-to-basics, country covers band from Des Moines, Iowa which included bandleader Doyle Clark and his son Dick Clark, along with Jack Devers (lead guitar), Bobby Dunn (steel guitar) and drummer Jerry Walker. The album kicks off with one of Clark's own aching original, "Am I Wasting My Tears," then veers into coversville with a wonderfully rural rendition of the pop-soul oldie, "Hang On Sloopy," and includes at least one other Doyle Clark tune, "Nothing," which was released as a single. The set is mostly contemporary covers -- stuff like "Good Hearted Woman," "Gwen (Congratulations)," "Mama Tried," The Statler Brothers' "Monday Morning Secretary" and "Linda On My Mind," which places this probably coming out around 1974 or '75. There's also an instrumental version of "Greensleeves" by their steel player, who was probably the group's most accomplished musician, as well as (groan) yet another cover of "You Gave Me A Mountain." It's all sung with great sincerity which ultimately transcends the relatively clunky vocals. They really get into the more carnal side of cheating songs, notably on their versions of "Linda On My Mind" and "She Went A Little Bit Farther," as well as the pathos embodied by "Minds Of Lonely Men," a misery-and-suicide ballad worthy of Porter Wagoner. The back cover includes liner notes from local KSO Radio program director Perry St. John, who says the band had played on the station's "KSO Country Music Show." Doyle Clark also released a Christmas single on the Ven-Jence label, with vocal backing by the otherwise-unknown Mielke Sisters; a few years after this album came out, Doyle Clark apparently joined Don Muzney's band, The Country Bells, though I'm not sure if he played on any of their records.

Ray Coble "Memory In My Mind" (Ron-Dale Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Coble & Johnny Durham)
As near as I can figure, Ray Coble started out in the late 'Fifties, leading a rockabilly-era band called the JazzKatz, down in Jonesboro, Arkansas. In the early 'Sixties he cut a string of singles for a local label and eventually moved up to Iowa where he was a well-known country performer throughout the 1970s, '80s and '90s, mostly working around Des Moines. This album was released on a label from Jonesboro, but directs us towards a fan club in Cherokee, Iowa, and the band backing him seem to be locals from the upper Midwest, including Gary Vern on lead guitar, Becky Anderson playing bass, and Tom Grim on drums. They mostly do cover tunes, although there is some original material, notably the title track, "Memory In My Mind," which was penned by Coble. There's no date on the disc, but one of the songs they cover is Merle Haggard's "Old Man From The Mountain" which was originally released in 1974, so sometime in the mid-'70s is a fairly safe bet.

Colt .45 "Colt .45" (Fanfare Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Colt .45 & Dave Kingland)
Outlaw country from the plains states heartland... This band from Des Moines, Iowa split their album between original songs (mostly on Side One of the LP) and cover songs that include entries from Bob Seger, Vince Gill and Kris Kristofferson's "If You Don't Like Hank Williams..." Seems like all the guys in the band got a chance to contribute a tune or two, though one of the more notable numbers has gotta be bassist Ron Carlton's "Weed And Whiskey," which certainly captures the mood of the time...

Bob Cook "North Country" (The Great Western Gramaphone Company, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Grant Bowen)
I'm not sure if this Canadian-issued album is by the same Bob Cook as the Iowan listed below... The repertoire looks about right, a mix of folk and country material, including songs such as "Early Morning Rain," "Everybody's Talkin' At Me," "Me And Bobby McGee," "Green Green Grass Of Home" and "Louisiana Man," but the liner notes say he was from Winnipeg.

Bob Cook "Tonight: No Live Entertainment, Just Bob Cook" (Devilish Sounds, 1973) (LP)
Midwestern folkie Bob Cook (1938-2009) was a local media celebrity in Des Moines, Iowa, who hosted a TV program called Cross Country on TV station KCCI, and performed live gigs while hosting and opening for national artists... Around 1975, he and his wife Carole Cook opened a nightclub in Des Moines called the Waterhole, where they recorded the album below. Cook also did a lot of radio advertising and voiceover work, including performing in industrial musicals such as the 1979 Land O'Lakes Feed Rally show, and We're Massey-Ferguson. (Thanks to industrials mega-maven Steve Young for connecting a few dots...)

Bob Cook "You've Heard My Voice: Recorded Live At The Waterhole, Des Moines, Iowa" (1979) (LP)
Like his other albums, this 2-LP set is a mix of country and folk, notably including songs such as "Coal Tattoo," "Me And My Uncle" and Guy Clark's "Desperados Waiting For A Train," as well as some originals by Bob Cook.

Bob Cook "We Love Iowa" (United Federal Savings, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Eric Holtze & John Bartle)

The Country Bells "Our Very First" (Renee Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bud Comte & Ernie Kucera)
A later album by Iowa bandleader and guitarist Don Muzney (1937-2015) who used to be in a '60s band called the Country Boys, that played regularly on the "Star-Lite Jubilee" TV show, as well as various radio and live gigs in and around Des Moines. Around 1969, after a few years touring on the road and trying his luck in Nashville, Muzney returned to Jefferson, Iowa and formed the Country Bells, a family band that included his wife Carol as singer and son Hank on drums. As far as I know, despite the optimistic title this was their only album and the finer details are still pretty elusive... There are several cover songs -- Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever," Charlie Daniels' "Long Haired Country Boy," versions of "Don't Touch Me" and "Fox On The Run" and even Ronnie Reno's "Boogie Grass Band" and "Luxury Liner," whose most popular renditions came in the late '70s, placing this (undated) album probably somewhere around 1979-81. There are a few tracks that might have been originals, but unfortunately there are no songwriter credits, so I'm not totally sure. To be honest, although the musicianship is solid, this album is poorly recorded and the vocals sound a bit unrehearsed, but still there's soulfulness and sincerity galore, and their obvious love of and appreciation for a wide variety of country styles carries the day.

The Country Bluegrass Revue "The Country Bluegrass Revue" (Now Records, 19--?) (LP)
A very nice album by a couple of older fellas from Davenport, Iowa. Rather than the standard-issue high-lonesome trad-grass you might expect, this disc tilts more towards the more rugged string-band styles of old-school Depression-era country, more Brother Oswald, perhaps, than Bill Monroe. Either way, it's a pretty solid set, with sincere, energetic performances and lots of original material by the duo of Bobby Fischer and Harry Vaughn. An enjoyable, rather striking record, well worth checking out.

Country Persuasion "This Time From The South" (Venture Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Howard & Robbie Wittkowski)
A hyper-local band from central Iowa, led by singer Barry T. Barkley of Knoxville, a tiny hamlet midway between Des Moines and Oskaloosa... The rest of the group included guitar player Joseph D. Kendall, Donald E. Peterson (keyboards), Stephen Robert Waters (guitar), and Rodney Lee Wharton on drums... The repertoire is a mix of country covers and oldies ("Silver Wings," "Young Love," "Johnny B. Goode," etc.) and a trio of original tunes written by Kendra S. Barkley: "Dream Girl," "Little Whispers" and the provocatively titled "Nasty Boy." This disc has one of the most charming back covers I've come across, with a list of "friends and fans" thanked on the back cover that seems to encompass about half of Iowa... I'm not sure how much live performing these folks did, though -- I couldn't find any record of the band online, other than the album itself.

The Country Ramblers "Ramblin' South" (RCA, 1981)
This album features a later edition of a late-'70s Iowa band originally named the Ozone Ramblers, which was also intertwined with the regionally successful Poker Flatts band. They self-released a 45rpm EP before landing a major-label deal, and despite RCA changing the band's name on the LP, they continued performing under their original name. Oddly enough, they toured extensively in Mexico (where this album as recorded) and for a while the band featured a young Suzy Bogguss as their female singer for a few months in early 1982. (She's not on this album, but it's still an interesting aside. This disc features singer Sally Weisenburg who was with the band earlier...) All this info comes courtesy of a website maintained by one of the original bandmembers.

Cousin Merle "True Country With Cousin Merle" (K-Ark Records, 1968-?) (LP)
An excellent album of buoyant, old-school country from Riceville, Iowa singer Merle Kessler (1923-2011), who was a regional star from the 1940s onward, first playing in a band led by Happy Jake (who nicknamed him "Cousin Merle") and then as the leader of his own band, the Maple Leaf Cowboys. Kessler and his brother Leonard led the Maple Leaf Cowboys throughout the 1940s, until Leonard left the band to concentrate on his farming, and Cousin Merle continued on as a "solo" act, including a gig on the radio in nearby Mason City. This album was recorded in Nashville in the 'Sixties, and while Kessler is a sometimes iffy singer, the backing band is rock-solid and the songs -- which seem to be all originals -- are uniformly great. Kessler had a high, thin voice, roughly comparable to Hank Locklin, and he mined a similar territory of heartsongs and weepers. It's good stuff! Too bad the liner notes don't say who was backing him on these sessions... alas!

Stephen Daniels "Never The Less" (Safari Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Fields & Johnny Howard)
As the liner notes helpfully explain, "Stephen Daniels is Dan Schoon," though why he went through all the bother of making a pseudonym then explaining it away is a little mysterious. Anyway, Mr. Schoon/Daniels lived in several different states, but seems primarily to have been an Iowan. This album is a collection of tracks that were recorded over a series of years, between 1971-76, and several were released earlier as singles. It's possible that all the tracks are originals; eight of them are credited or co-credited to Dan Schoon. Safari Records was a Nashville label, and there are some well-known Music City studio players listed in the liner notes, along with others more obscure musicians. Mr. School also recorded under his real name as well, and seems to have had a pretty active career during the late '70s.

Ray Daves "Country Music...The Way You Like It!" (Moon Records, 1973) (LP)
Mr. Daves was a singer from Dubuque, Iowa who used to play at a club in Ames called the Mark II Lounge... Or at least he played there a few weeks in the fall of 1973, according to some old newspaper stories. Other than that, I got absolutely nothing on this guy.

Howard Davis "The Howard Davis Band" (Green Mountain Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Tatman)
A surprisingly fun, though admittedly static album from some Iowa amateurs with their hearts firmly situated in the right place. An older fella from Gilman, Iowa, Howard L. Davis (d. 2003) ran his own convenience store and auto garage and led this band for several years, backed by a bunch of younger folks, mostly members of his extended family. The lineup on this album included Howard Davis on rhythm guitar, his son Danny Davis on bass, along with Frank Brown on drums, Ilene Connealy (vocals), Dave Elliott (lead guitar), Lynn Probasco (vocals). I'm not sure when this album was made, though it looks like it's mid-to-late-1980s; the Howard Davis Band played regionally around Grinnell and Des Moines in the late '80s and early '90s and possibly farther back than that... Mr. Davis doesn't seem to have been a songwriter, as this is strictly a set of classic county covers. The opening track, I'm Just Cryin' ('Cause I Care)," sets the tone with a boldly mixed, simply strummed electric guitar framing lead singer Danny Davis, whose voice and approach bear a striking similarity to Texas twangster Jimmie Dale Gilmore. The vocal chores are pretty evenly divided though, and several tracks showcase the gals, who radiate a hyperlocal charm. The arrangements don't vary much -- the same flared out electric guitar tone dominates every single track, and there's no showboating from the other musicians, but it's still a charming album, compelling for those of us in search of regional and pedestrian thrills.

Deliverance "Memories" (NRP Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Les Ladd)
An utterly charming, completely amateurish album by a spunky '70s band from Wilton, Iowa... The lead singers were Darryl Gilbert and Sonya Gilbert, with Mr. Gilbert playing lead and Sonya Gilbert on rhythm guitar, along with bassist Kay Seebeck, pianist David Barnes, and a guy named Glenn Ray playing steel on a few tracks. Although as late as 2012, Darryl Gilbert and Deliverance were included on a local radio station's list of Iowa country bands, it's hard to imagine this band -- particularly in this early incarnation -- being much of a bar-band powerhouse. And that's what's great about this record: it's clearly a labor of love from some folks who were playing and singing for fun, and while they were kinda sloppy and poorly produced, they were real and sincere and really into what they were doing, and this is actually one of the more enjoyable "private" country records I've picked up, certainly one of these albums I'm more likely to listen to just for fun. They cover a few obvious hits -- "Good Hearted Woman," "Proud Mary," and "Help Me Make It Through The Night" --along with a few originals written by Mr Gilbert and other members of the band: "Memories," "Raindrops" and a gospel number called "He." The album was recorded at Tom T. Hall's Toy Box studio in Nashville, while the photos on the back cover show the band performing at the Moose Lodge, in Muscatine, Iowa.

Denny & Donna "Love Of The Common People" (Musicountry Records, 1973)
(Produced by John Stoecker & Ron Jeffreys)
A country-pop duo from Rock Valley, Iowa, singing some original material written by Donna Chapel Wrede, as well as covers of Eddy Raven, Jan Crutchfield and the Bee Gees... Donna Wrede had a family background in the music business, having performed along with her father, Don Chapel, in Tammy Wynette's road show. She was the stronger of the two singers, an emotive vocalist who belts it out sometimes, and has a pronounced Wynette-ish streak as well. She contributes three tunes to this album: "It's Time For Us To Fall In Love Again," "My Heart Feels Right At Home" and "More Love For You," which she had previously released as a single in 1973. (Footnote: Years later, Donna Wrede recorded a semi-infamous single, "Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore," a topical song based on a missing child case, and continued to write and perform original material through the early '80s, singing with her husband Denny, who became a high school basketball coach and math teacher... So they were indeed regular folks, in case you wondered.) I think this was their only album, though she seems to have recorded a few singles as well, including a lot of gospel material. To be honest, this isn't the greatest country record ever, but they really put their hearts into it, and that counts for something.

The Dave Dighton Band "Wanna Dance? Follow Us!" (UA Recording, 1970-?) (LP)
Born and raised in Coggon, Iowa, bandleader Dave Dighton (1935-2021) started his own group in 1964 after playing trumpet in several local bands. The Dave Dighton Band played regionally for several decades up until Dighton retired in the year 2000, booking up to 300 shows a year at their peak; the core of the group also included steel player Jerry Pasker (1943-2018) and guitarist Jack Sexton (1933-2020) and in later years, Dighton's son, Kirk, who played lead guitar. Dighton's band was a full-time gig, though he also took over the family farm which was where he lived, worked and even where he passed away; he also did advertising at radio station WMT-AM, Cedar Rapids, where he worked alongside fellow bandleader (and deejay) Leo Greco. In 1973, Dighton's band also notably headlined the last concert given at the Coliseum Ballroom, a dancehall in nearby Oelwein, IA, owned by another bandleader, Andy Doll. This disc may have been Dighton's first LP, probably released sometime around 1969 or '70. The set's admirably heavy on honky tonk tunes, songs like "Crazy Arms," "Release Me" and "There Goes My Everything," as well as pop hits such as "Tijuana Taxi" and "Games People Play," and even the Mills Brothers' oldie, "Cab Driver" (which they may have gotten from the Hank Thompson version, since they also cover Thompson's "Squaws Along The Yukon," so obviously they were fans...

The Dave Dighton Band "The Green Green Grass Of Home" (Double D Records, 19--?) (LP)
A youthful country covers band from Iowa, combining honkytonk oldies and pop hits of the days... Not sure when this one came out, but the Dighton Band must have been fairly popular... They put out several albums over a span of years.

The Dave Dighton Band "Country Clover" (Double Dee Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Condon & Bill Synhorst)
According to the back cover liner notes, this was the band's fourth album... Another mix of traditional country and polka tunes. The band included Dave Dighton on trumpet and bass, Rod Blanchford (drums), Mark Lauderwasser (cordovox and trumpet), Jerry Pasker (steel guitar) and Jack Sexton on rhythm guitar and banjo, and a "guest appearance" by Kirk Dighton on lead guitar... Among other gems, this disc includes a version of Faron Young's "Wine Me Up," and one called "Shortest Song In The World."

Andy Doll/Various Artists "Pop Nashville Sounds And Folk Favorites" (AD Records, 195--?) (LP)
Born in Wisconsin, guitar picker Andy Doll (1919-1984) was a pioneering Midwestern rocker with a strong regional following. He formed his first band in the early 'Fifties, before the advent of rock'n'roll, and later set up his own studio in Oelwein, Iowa, where he produced his own records, as well as sessions for other musicians. Although he's best remembered as a rockabilly singer, like a lot of the original rockers he started out country and often went back to the well, as on this album. The first side of the LP is just Doll and his band, while Side Two features a number of guest performers, including future radio celebrity Red Blanchard. Doll fostered local talents such as Bobby Hankins and steel guitarist Lefty Schrage (who went on to form their own band in the late '60s) Andy Doll kept his band together until 1969, then became a deejay on the local country station, KOEL, and for a while owned and operated a local music venue, the Coliseum Ballroom. Apparently there were also a number of special promo records sent out to Doll's fan club up until the mid-1960s.

Eddie & Bonnie "Our Most Requested Songs" (Big M Music Company, 1976) (LP)
This couple from East Okoboji, Iowa (near Spirit Lake) seem to have been performing together since at least the late 1960s, though as far as I know these late-'Seventies releases were their only LPs. Although their records and show listings didn't include their last names, I think they might have been Eddie and Bonnie Birchmier. As suggested by the title, their repertoire was mostly oldies and popular country hits.

Eddie & Bonnie "...Play The Best Of The Country" (Big M Music Company, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Durham)
A charmingly innocent, though ultimately underwhelming set by these two old-timers. The musical setting centers around a lackadaisical organ and a modest and unassertive rhythm section, quietly framing some pretty low-key vocals. This is perhaps "regular people" music in its purest form, all about love of the songs, and though they were proud of their local and regional gigs -- notably performing on the riverboat the SS Empress -- attaining global fame was never part of the picture. It's kind of adorable, though not that many of us would turn to this record often as a recreational listen. The album includes early '70s songs such as "Me And Bobby McGee," "Never Ending Song Of Love," "Before The Next Teardrop Falls," along with some oldies like "Jambalaya," "Oh. Lonesome Me," and of course yet another version of "Green, Green Grass Of Home."

Fat City Jug Band "The Fat City Jug Band" (Custom Fidelity Records, 1969-?) (LP)
Jug bandsters from Iowa City, Iowa, covering hip tunes that fit in with the work of folks such as David Bromberg, Jim Kweskin, Maria Muldaur and John Sebastian. According to an ad in the Daily Iowan when this came out, the band consisted of John Bean, Ron Hillis, Rick Smith, and Keith Dempster. Dempster (1932-2013) was owner of a music venue called The Mill, which opened as a coffee bar and folk club in 1962, then expanded into a full-fledged restaurant after a fire damaged its original location. According to the newspaper ad, the Mill was one of a handful of local businesses where you could purchase this album. For several decades the Mill was a keystone of the Midwestern roots music scene; the Dempster family ran it until 2003, then after they retired it was reopened under new management. I'm not sure when the Fat City Jug Band first formed, but I think they were probably the same guys who were listed playing a gig at a community festival way over in Neenah, Wisconsin in the summer of 1965. Anyone know how long this band stayed together, or if its members went on to other groups?

Cecil Fletcher "Songs From A Thousand Hills & Nap-Sin-Ekee" (Thousand Hills Records, 1976)
(Produced by Joe Scaife)
Songwriter Cecil L. Fletcher (1918-2002) lived on a family farm called Napsinekee, near LeClaire, Iowa and right next door to the birthplace of Buffalo Bill Cody. Fletcher was a Buffalo Bill devotee and a folklorist who gathered stories about the area, which he gathered into a book, as well as in several songs that populate this album. Some of his compositions included "Nap-Sin-Ekee Hollow," "My Father Owns The Cattle On A Thousand Hills" and "Thank God That I'm Free" -- the second side of the disc is mainly gospel material, with all the songs on the album being written by Mr. Fletcher except for the tail end of a medley that includes "Old Rugged Cross" and "Amazing Grace." This was one of two albums Fletcher recorded, backed here by a group that included several heavyweight session musicians: Johnny Gimble on fiddle, Lloyd Green playing pedal steel, drummer Randy Cullers and Bobby Ogdin of the TCB band on piano. Other musicians may have been locals, such as singer Linda McCachran and multi-instrumentalist Joe Tanner who I think had been playing on banjo in various Midwestern bluegrass bands over the years. Mr. Fletcher's bio mentions a second album, though I haven't been able to track that one down yet.

Larry Gillaspie "Walks Of Life" (Daven Records, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Pat Holt & Johnny Howard)
A twenty-nine year veteran of the Davenport, Iowa police department, Larry Earl Gillaspie (1945-2020) penned the song "Little Blue Knight" to pay homage to his fellow officers. The song was released as a single, and as one of several originals on this album, which Mr. Gillaspie recorded during a trip to Nashville. He had a long history making music: in the 1950s he was in a high school band called The Townsmen, and much later in life he organized a church group called the New Life Christian Singers. Unfortunately, the musicians backing him on this album aren't identified, though presumably they were some Music City hired guns; the backing vocals are credited to the Sudi Baker Singers, who seem to have been an offshoot of the late '70s chorus that Nashville producer Mike Figlio employed as the "Bach Ahp Singers."

Jim Goodrich "Country Magic" (Gold Star Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Nick St. Nicholas)
Recorded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this was a set of all-original material from Jim Goodrich, who was originally from Waterloo, Iowa... Goodrich was a Navy veteran who spent a lot of time playing guitar onboard the nuclear submarines he served on. He's backed her by a group packed with unfamiliar names -- pedal steel player Mike Cass, Kurt Jones (drums), Dan Lund (lead guitar), John O'Gorman (rhythm guitar), Nick St. Nicholas on bass, and a gal named Yolanda singing backup. I honestly don't know much more about this fella, but it's a cool little record.

Norva Gray "I've Got The Time To Spend With You" (Corene Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Norva Gray & Devere Anderson)
Singer-pianist Norva Gray was born in Des Moines, Iowa and worked regionally for several decades, with a day job as a self-employed music teacher. He's backed here by steel player Devere Anderson (1944-2007) who owned a music shop in nearby Indianola. The liner notes reference Gray's gig at a hotel piano bar, but sadly doesn't tell us where the venue was located... While in his twenties, Gray performed on a local television show, and also played gigs at various hotels, conventions and other venues. He later moved to Arizona and became a music teacher at a charter school in Gilbert, AZ. The repertoire on this album is mostly country, with tunes by Floyd Cramer, Tom T. Hall, Eddie Miller, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Marty Robbins, as well as dips into pop material by Frankie Carle and Tony Bennett. The title track, "I've Got The Time," was written by Mr. Gray, and is the only original on the album.

Stan Gunn "Two Sides Of Stan Gunn" (Sugar Hill Records, 19--?) (LP)
Stan Gunn was a former rockabilly singer, perhaps best known for his novelty classic, "Baby Sitter Boogie," which he recorded with his brothers Elmo and Leon. Like many rockabilly rebels, Gunn later went country, working the Midwestern country lounge circuit, from Iowa and South Dakota over to the Rocky Mountains and down to Kentucky. He recorded several albums, often emphasizing the theme of his versatility, i.e. his ability to sing both "country" and "pop." Gunn was apparently born in Kentucky, though he moved around a lot, and made Iowa his base of operations for several years, around the time he recorded these records.

Stan Gunn "Two Sides Of The Stan Gunn Musical Revue" (Y Records, 19--?) (LP)
This album also includes contributions from Elmo Gunn, Leon Gunn and Stan Keeler...

Stan Gunn "...Sings Town And Country" (Sugar Hill Records, 1974) (LP)
Recording for a label in Springfield, Illinois, crooner Stan Gunn once again "shows versatility" on a set that includes country standards such as "Release Me" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" with a few "town" pop songs such as "Danny Boy" and "Spanish Eyes," as well as contemporary hits like "Sunday Morning Coming Down." The defining quality of this album seems to be its connection to songwriter Alex Zanetis, a Nashville pro who probably had a few new tunes to promote at the time, leading me to believe that this disc was a publisher's showcase album.

The Bobby Hankins Show "The Country Sounds Of..." (White Lightnin' Records, 1967) (LP)
Midwestern bandleader Bobby D. Hankins (1929-1994) hailed from Oelwein, Iowa and was a graduate of bandleader Andy Doll's revue, after which he led his own band, which included steel guitar by Lefty Schrage (aka "Lefty Rite") with Buddy Nite on lead guitar and a gal singer named Miss Barbara Jean. On this album, she sings "These Boots Are Made For Walkin' " (of course!) as well as her own composition, "Everything's All Right." Hankins even had his 12-year old daughter as the band's drummer(!) There's a wealth of original material on here, and various artists take turn singing or playing lead... Hankins seems to have been on the scene for several years in the mid-to-late '60s... He also recorded several singles on the Cuca label, and this album includes glowing liner notes written by a fellow DJ at radio station KOEL in Oelwein, Iowa... Real country from the heartland!

The Bobby Hankins Show "Our Kind Of Country" (White Lightnin' Records, 1968) (LP)
There are a few country covers on here, big hits and oldies like "Gentle On My Mind," "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," "Take Me To Your World," as well as Joe Poovey's "World's Youngest Naughty Old Man." As with their previous record, there are also several off-the-beaten-track originals such as "She's A Bad Girl," "You're Not Listening To Me," and "No Hope For The Future," all part of the half-dozen songs written by the team of Bobby Hankins and steel player Lefty Schrage, who was also a former member of the Andy Doll band. Also included are two tunes Hankins co-wrote with rising star Bobby Bare, "Two Unhappy People" and "Why I'm Leaving Town," though apparently Bare never recorded either song.

The Bobby Hankins Show "Two Sides Of Bobby Hankins: Country Songs And Recitations" (White Lightnin' Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Reggie Wallace)
This album is packed with all-original material, with religious recitations on Side Two, and five country songs on Side One, all written or co-written by Bobby Hankins. His 19-year old daughter, Dixie Lee, who had been drumming with the bands since she was twelve, sings lead on one track, "Just A Little Something." Some of the songs were co-written with Lefty Schrage, though he's not on this album, and the band seems to be an all-new crew, including Chuck Rich on pedal steel and Rusty York playing banjo -- the album was recorded at York's Jewel Records studio in Cincinnati.

The Bobby Hankins Show "Bobby Hankins Show" (White Lightnin' Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Hankins & Bud Pressner)
By the time he cut this album, Mr. Hankins had moved to Coldwater, Michigan and opened his own venue in the southern end of the state, called Bobby Hankins' Music City. He also set up his own studio where this album was made using all local talent, mainly musicians from nearby Indiana, as well as his new son-in-law, steel guitar player Phil Copp, a school teacher from Michigan who married Hankins' eldest daughter, Pennie Sue. The backing band also included the younger daughter, drummer Dixie Lee, as well as Duane Clemens (piano), Buddy Cornwell on lead guitar, and Cornwell's wife, multi-instrumentalist Zelda Cornwall. A version of this band backed Mr. Hankins on his weekly radio show, a gospel program called "Hymn Time Country Style," broadcast at the crack of dawn every Sunday on WNWN-FM, Coldwater. Fittingly, the album is split between secular country on Side One, and gospel music on Side Two. There may be one or two originals on here, but sadly there are no composer credits to tell us for sure.

Mike Hansen & The Lusk Brothers "Memories" (IGL Records, 1974-?) (LP)
It's strictly amateur hour on this plodding album of country covers punctuated a couple of original tunes by lead singer Mike Hansen -- "Memories" and "All Alone." Not to be all mean about it, but Hansen was a pretty limited vocalist, and his backing band -- Larye Lusk on bass and thirteen-year-old Dave Lusk on drums -- also had their limitations. But that doesn't mean this album isn't without its charms... These guys went to the legendary IGL label in Milford, Iowa -- best known for recording garage bands in the '60s and early '70s -- and this is a fine example of truly amateur musicians making an album just for the heck of it. (Also sitting in on the sessions was IGL staffer Denny Kintzi, who added some lighthearted piano riffs...) Hansen looks pretty young on the cover, probably in his early to mid-twenties, though he sounds more middle-aged than you'd expect. He sings lead on most songs, though Larye Lusk belts out a version of "Folsom Prison Blues." I'm not sure when this album came out though I'm guessing at 1974, since amidst all the Johnny Cash and Buck Owens covers, there's a version of "Woman Without A Home," which was a hit for the Statler Brothers in '73 -- also, there are show notices in local papers from late '74 showing the trio playing frat parties and similar gigs.

Larry Heaberlin/Various Artists "Larry Haeberlin Presents His World Of Country Music" (Ven-Jence Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Kevin Head)
Some time around 1972, Larry Heaberlin started up his own country road show, "Hoedown USA," which had a regular berth at a place called Cutty's Barn, located on I-80 just outside of Des Moines, Iowa. Haeberlin's 13-year old daughter Kimberly Lynn was one of the featured performers, though the entire ensemble was pretty strong. Heaberlin played bass and sang, backed by local talent including Harold Luick (piano), John Mandal (guitar), Bill Ober (mandolin), Floyd Robinson (drums), a gal nicknamed Betty Sioux on vocals. There's also some kickass, rock-friendly lead guitar by Doug Gray, a Kansas transplant and the only non-Iowan in the bunch (although I'm pretty sure he wasn't the same Doug Gray that was in the Marshall Tucker Band...) The repertoire includes plenty of chestnuts, including twanged-up pop standards and showtunes, as well as contemporary radio hits, notably covers of "Delta Dawn" (a hit for Tanya Tucker in 1972) and a bizarrely amped-up, manic rendition of "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues." To be honest, other than Heaberlin most of these folks sound pretty rinky-dink -- particularly embarrassing were the comedic country music imitations done by bassist Tom Reeves, who sounds nothing like Johnny Cash, Ernest Tubb, or any of the other old-timers he lampoons. Not entirely sure when this album came out, though the liner notes say that "Hoedown USA" had started up a year earlier, and it was still going in 1980, when Heaberlin put out a single under the Hoedown imprint.

Chuck & Margi Holliday "This Road" (Joker Records, 1972-?) (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.

Chuck & Margi Holliday "This Road" (Joker Records, 1972) (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. There's not release date, but the title track was copyrighted in 1971, so this disc probably came out around then

Eileen And Wes Holly "Just Us" (Fredlo Records, 1970-?) (LP)
Hillbilly picker Wes Holly was born in Dixon, Illinois and recorded a handful of hard-country singles back in the 1950s, eventually landing a gig as the host of a TV show in Davenport, Iowa. He and his wife, Eileen Holly, also recorded a series of albums, with a mix of country and pop material. Here, as the album title implies, it's just the two of them in a stripped-down setting with Mr. Holly playing some sweet licks on his amplified guitar, and singing a few of the songs. She covered most of the vocals, though, and had a penchant for belting it out -- reminiscent in some ways of Lynn Anderson, perhaps by way of Kitty Wells or Loretta Lynn, though with a definite tilt towards a pop-vocals/showtunes style. To be honest, this mostly doesn't work for me, though there is a charm to the unpretentious, DIY presentation, including the minimal cover art and blank back cover.

Eileen And Wes Holly "The Sounds Of Holly" (1972-?) (LP)
On this record they cover some Top Forty stuff, like "Spinning Wheel," "Never Ending Song Of Love" and "Knock Three Times," as well as songs that were more officially "country," such as "Country Roads" and "Release Me," along with a real oldie like "Wreck Of The Old 97." Not a lot of info about these sessions -- there's no date on the record, and the back cover was blank. Around the time this early '70s album came out the "Sounds Of Holly" duo was doing gigs up in Tahoe -- and possibly touring elsewhere -- although I think the Midwest remained their main center of activity.

Eileen And Wes Holly "The Sounds Of Holly, Volume 3" (Lee-Myles Associates, 1973) (LP)
Other than a cover of "For The Good Times," this is a far less country-oriented album... They also include a version of "Proud Mary," in case you're keeping track...

The Troy Irving Trio "To Get To You" (Moon Records, 19--?) (LP)
Born and raised in Chariton, Iowa, Troy Irving (1940-2019) worked all kinds of jobs -- feed store manager, insurance salesman, used car lot owner, and musician. He and his wife Carolyn formed a band in the mid-1970s and recorded this album with Mr. Irving on lead vocals, her on drums and a guy identified simply as "Jean" playing lead guitar and steel. An uber-indie DIY release, this disc sadly includes no information about where or when it was made, who produced it, or if any other musicians played on it. The Irvings moved to Kissimmee, Florida in 1976 and may have recorded this album there, or while still living in Iowa. The repertoire is mostly country standards, stuff like "Drinkin' Champagne," "Good Times," "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Last Date," and "Steel Guitar Rag." A few tracks may have been originals; the instrumental showcase, "Jean's Boogie," almost certainly was. The Irvings also released at least one single, "Cryin's Not The Answer"/"Tommy In Ted," which features two apparently original songs which were not included on this LP. Other than that, this group remains a real mystery.

Ivory Chuck "Ivory Chuck At The Ivories" (BOC Records, 197--?) (LP)
Piano player Charles J. ("Ivory Chuck") Bechtel (1922-1989) lived in Burlington, Iowa, performing locally at craft fairs and the like... He may have also played some gigs down in the Ozarks, as evidenced by his numerous albums on BOC, which was a custom label based in Mack's Creek, Missouri.

Ivory Chuck "Ivory Chuck's Ragtime Tunes" (BOC Records, 197--?) (LP)

Ivory Chuck "Precious Memories" (BOC Records, 197--?) (LP)

Ivory Chuck "Lonesome And Dreaming" (BOC Records, 197--?) (LP)
A straight set of country tunes, about half covers, along with four originals credited to Mr. Bechtel: "Childhood Days," "Honky Tonk Fever," "Lonesome And Dreaming," and "When First We Met." The back cover says he's backed by a band called The Bradsmen who aren't individually identified by name, but which was probably a studio crew led by Brad Edwards, who helmed a bunch of the albums produced at the AudioLoft studios.

Ivory Chuck "...Plays Your Favorites -- Country Style" (BOC Records, 197--?) (CD)
(Produced by B. J. Carnahan)
Plinky, plunky piano instrumentals with modest backing by the house band at B. J. Carnahan's studio in Mack's Creek, Missouri, and a repertoire of all cover tunes, stuff like Webb Pierce's "Slowly," "Green, Green Grass Of Home" and the Carter Family oldie, "Gold Watch And Chain." It's pleasant enough, though unlikely to inspire wild fans in years to come. (Though who knows?) No original material, and info on who was in the band... alas!

Sammy Jensen "Big Band Country" (IGL Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Curt D. Johnson & Harvey Nelson)
Oh, dear. Well, if Willie Nelson can do it, I guess anyone can. Iowa bandleader Sammy Jensen released several uber-indie jazz LPs on the IGL label, this one stands out for its embrace of country music source material. But if you're a twangfan, I wouldn't get your hopes up too high.

Jim's Western N's "Jim's Western N's" (1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Durham)
Your guess is as good as mine, especially since the back cover on this cheapo-cheapo private pressing is entirely blank, and the musicians are only identified on the front as "Belinda, Lead Guitar; Greg, Drums; Jim, Rhythm Guitar." The inner label is slightly more helpful, informing us that these three were "the only family band in the Osage area," which is only marginally useful information, given that there are over a dozen places named "Osage" in the United States. Thank God for the internet, though, because there was one little mention of these folks, a show notice in the Lime Springs Herald informing us of their performance at the American Legion Hall in Osage, Iowa on April 11, 1974 (admission $1.75, with barbeque included.) That date sounds about right, since this set of country covers and rock'n'roll oldies includes a couple of contemporary hits, such as "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" and "Let Me Be There." But that, my friends, is as far as the trail goes. Or at least that what I thought: turns out Jim was James Nicholson (1936-2004) a local school district employee and flea market owner whose kids, Belinda and Greg, joined him in the family band, which seems to have been a pretty informal group. I guess "N's" stood for Nicholsons? Now we know.

Larry Johnson & The Dakota Territory "Live At The Black Stallion" (Black Stallion Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Johnson & Vaughan Mayer)
Singer Larry Johnson was born in Iowa though he eventually settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he landed a long-term gig playing five nights a week at the Black Stallion, a popular country bar owned by Bill and Polly Nuzum. I'm not sure which of these albums came first, though I think this is the earlier one. At any rate, the Dakota Territory was an established band that Larry Johnson joined around maybe 1969, eventually becoming their frontman and leader. Both albums are souvenirs of their long tenure at the nightclub; they also released a number of singles, both on smaller local labels and at least one that was distributed by the Nashville-based NSD company.

Larry Johnson "And Now Heeeere's Larry Johnson" (Black Stallion Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Glenn Barber)
This one's pretty good! Somehow, Johnson got into the orbit of Nashville back-bencher Glenn Barber, who produced this album and has writer's credit on half the songs. And there is some good stuff on here: "Not Counting Tomorrow" is a decent novelty song with a romantic heart, while "Standing Here Watching" is a soul-searing breakup ballad about a guy who just can't do anything to stop his baby from walking out the door -- an excellent song that would've been worthy of Charlie Rich, delivered in pitch-perfect country-soul style by Johnson. Johnson also provides a surprisingly ragged, rural cover of "Take It Easy" by the Eagles, while on other songs he digs into some oldies-rock riffs, with the claim that he can sound just like Elvis (though I'd peg him as more a Roy Orbison/Charlie Rich kinda crooner) Anyway, the rock guitar solos are a little goofy, but enjoyable in a kitschy way. Unfortunately, the album art doesn't include the release date, although the single for "Not Counting Tomorrow" came out in 1975, so I'm assuming the LP did, too, or maybe in '76. It also doesn't list the backup musicians, which is a shame, particularly in the case of the gal who sings a nice, twangy duet on "Just Between The Two Of Us" -- it's possible she was his wife, Sherri Johnson, but I couldn't say for sure.

Reesa Kay Jones "Simply For You" (Kacountry Records, 1978-?) (LP)
A native of Ottumwa, Iowa, Reesa Kay Jones (1949-2012) performed with various musical groups and stars such as George Hamilton IV, Jack Reno and Tex Ritter and performed on the Opry stage, also making a few records as a solo artist, including this disc, which was her only LP. More than half of the album was cut in Nashville, with the remaining four tracks recorded back home in Ottumwa, and it appears to be of late-'70s vintage, although there's no date on the record itself. Many of the songs are standard country-covers fare, including "gal singer" classics such as "Blue Bayou," "Crazy" and "Don't Touch Me," as well as a version of Chris Smither's "Love Me Like A Man," which indicates she was a fan of Bonnie Raitt's early 'Seventies glory days... Perhaps more intriguing are four songs by Hugo J. Huck -- "A Loser Either Way," "Cheating Side Of You," "I Sing Everybody's Lovesong" and "I'm Putting Back Together -- and though Mr. Huck remains something of a mystery, I believe he was from Frankfort, Michigan, although that may have been a different person altogether. Still, these songs help us date this disc, as Hugo Huck registered several songs with the Library of Congress between 1976-78, including a 1977 version of one on this record, previously titled "You're A Loser After All." Another song, "Sunday Go To Cheating Clothes," is credited to David Heaurener -- this may be a typo spelling of country songwriter David Heavener, though as far as I can tell this is the only recorded version of this song. Unfortunately there's also no information about any of the musicians who backed Ms. Jones, either in Nashville or in Iowa, although she does thank some folks by name, and several of them -- Tony Blew, Doug Ducey, Dale Kerr and Phil Richardson -- also worked with her on a 1980 7" EP, where they were credited simply as "musicians." (Tony Blew is an established blues guitarist who ran a commercial audio production company with Richardson; he also was in a band called TCB that backed several other local artists. I'm pretty sure this isn't the same Doug Ducey who became governor of Arizona... but you never know!)

Vicki Knight "Let's Have A Party" (American Sound, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by Cliff Ayers & Dale Mason)
Hailing from Iowa, singer Vicki Knight covered some rock'n'roll classics such as the Wanda Jackson oldie, "Let's Have A Party" and "House Of The Rising Sun." She also offered a wealth of original material, including several songs co-written with album producer Dale Mason. One songs, "To Elvis In Heaven," was also released as a single... She did a lot of traveling to record this album, with sessions in Hollywood, Miami and Nashville, doubtless over a long period of time. Unfortunately, the various session musicians weren't listed on the album, so who played what remains a mystery for now.

John Kroon & The Country Revue "Embassee Records Presents..." (Embassee Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Prine)
A distinctly low-rent, off-brand custom album recorded in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and pressed in Nashville for a "label" with an address in Artesia, CA... Country Revue included John Kroon and Harlan Kroon, part of a large extended family of Dutch-Americans living around Rock Rapids, Iowa and the upper Midwest... They are joined by Allan Van Hill and John Minette, though the liner notes don't say who played which instruments or give any biographical info, just some dry technican/business data with barely a pretense of this being a regular record. The front cover is a generic stock photo of a lakeside scene, with no text, while the back cover sports headshots of each of the bandmembers, shirtless, from the collarbone up... Ah, the 'Seventies!! The lads look pretty shaggy for the Midwest, and are singing a mix of country and oldies rock... Dunno if this group played live much, though I did find mention on Facebook of Harlan Kroon playing in a bluegrass band called Country Grass, while running a farm in Rock Rapids, Iowa. I originally thought singers John Kroon and Harlan Kroon were relatives of drummer Jerry Kroon, a prolific Nashville session player who from came from Madison, South Dakota, though poking around the large (and confusing!) Kroon family tree, I didn't find any evidence to support this. Either way, this one's pretty obscure!

The Last Pony Mine Bluegrass Show "Bluegrass Friends" (SPBGMA Bluegrass Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Parvin Tramel)
A family bluegrass band from Centerville, Iowa, composed of six members of the Exline family, along with banjo player Rich Byrd and lead guitar Rick Pogue. The repertoire is a mix of classics by folks like Bill Monroe and Jimmie Rodgers and more modern material such as a Tony Trischka tune and (of course) a version of "Rocky Top." There are also a couple of originals from the Exlines, the title track, "Bluegrass Friends," which was penned by the group's mandolin player, Lisa Exline, and "I Know There's A Heaven," by bassist Roberta Exline. The latter song is one of several gospel numbers -- including one from the Rambos -- that foreshadowed the all-gospel album they recorded a few years later. The Last Pony Mine was a popular regional band that played at fairs and civic events in a multi-state radius, and traveled to Missouri to record this album at the Professional Artists studio in Saint Louis. They took their name from Centerville's own New Gladstone Mine, a modest, locally-run "pony mine," which used a tough, glum little pony named Bill to haul the coal-filled carts out of the tunnels. The mine closed in 1971 and was the subject of a truly amazing short film produced by Iowa State University which featured a bit of banjo music plunked out by a guy named Gene Balzer, though I don't think he was connected with this band.

The Last Pony Mine Bluegrass Show "Sunday Morning Gospel Show" (1984) (LP)

Don Laughlin "Ballads Of Deadwood South Dakota: Deadwood In 1876" (Kajac Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Harold L. Luick)
A concept album of sorts, packed with songs sung in honor of South Dakota -- maybe more of a folkie thing, but still kinda twangy. Singer Don Laughlin was originally from Iowa though when he made it out to South Dakota, he kinda fell in love with the place. Laughlin became a tour guide and had a full-time residence in Lead, SD, though he went back to Carlisle, Iowa to record this album at the Kajac studios. The songs are all originals, with backing by some folks from the Iowa bluegrass/folk scene -- singer Cathy Bishop, guitarist Lenny Hudson, Bill Ober playing mandolin, Jim Phinney on dobro and bass, and drummer Rich Richmond.

Sammie Lee & Showdown "Nothing But Blue Skies From Now On" (Venture Records, 1974) (LP)
A construction worker from Pella, Iowa, Sammie Lee Schmidt (1937-2012) performed locally around Oskaloosa and Des Moines for several years, recording numerous singles and LPs. This was apparently one of five (!) albums he recorded, the fruit of several trips to Nashville taken with his wife, Rose Mary... He sang gospel material, as well as secular country.

The Lick Creek Boys "...With The Countryside Band" (1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Joel Kipp & The Lick Creek Boys)
This band from Birmingham (near Ottumwa) was formed in 1977, and frequently played at venues such as the Iowa State Fair and various local threshing bees. They had an affinity for vocal harmony music, as heard on this album, which is packed with material by the Oak Ridge Boys and the Statler Brothers. The group included Stan Davidson (1944-2006), John Huff, Kevin Moon, Bill Turner, and Gary Yarnell (1935-1983) who was also Birmingham's mayor. In addition to the singers who formed the core of the band, several local musicians ("the Countryside Band") perform on this album, including Dale Kerr, who plays lead guitar and steel. The group was going strong in 1982-83 (around when I'd guess this album came out) though I'm not sure if they continued after Mr. Yarnell passed away at the end of '83. This LP was recorded in nearby Burlington, IA, although they apparently also recorded a couple of times in Nashville, so there may be other records out there...

Glenn Lonsdale "Glenn Lonsdale And Morning Reign" (Lariam Associates, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Glenn Lonsdale & Tom Tucker)
A highly-regarded Midwestern songwriter, Glenn Lonsdale (1946-2017) was longhaired, lanky and living in Hazelwood, Missouri when he cut this folk-rock disc, though later he moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he performed at numerous local venues over the years. All the songs on here were his own original compositions, recorded with his band Morning Reign (which is not to be confused with the late-'Sixties Oregon rock band of the same name...) The group included Don Hackman on drums, Marty Lonsdale playing synthesizer, and Rey Poston on bass and electric guitar, with Glenn Lonsdale on lead vocals and guitar. They played near and around Saint Louis, where their "charmingly new and different sounds" were touted in the local press. Not sure how long this band was together, or when Lonsdale moved up north to Iowa.

Stuart Margolin "And The Angel Sings" (Warner Brothers Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Riopelle & Murray MacLeod)
A mostly-country(ish) vanity album by Stuart Margolin (1940-2022) an actor probably best known for his role as James Garner's sidekick, Angel Martin, on The Rockford Files TV show. Despite what you might think, Margolin was not a complete musical neophyte, and actually had a pretty successful streak as a pop songwriter in the 'Sixties and ealy 'Seventies. He wrote a bunch of stuff with rocker Jerry Riopelle, including Riopelle's outlaw country classic, "Red Ball Texas Flyer," which is included here in a rather frenetic rendition, along with about ten other tunes the pair co-composed. Despite Margolin's musical bona fides, I have to say this album feels like a missed opportunity... It starts out on a strong note, with Margonlin whimsically crooning a lighthearted medley of "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" and "Too Much Monkey Business," dancing around the melodies with a confidence borne out of his acting chops. It's also clear from the get-go that Margolin had a pretty good voice and could really carry a song if he wanted to... But the cheerfulness and bonhomie of this performance intensifies over the course of the album, displacing the potential for more serious musicmaking. This swiftly establishes itself as a party album, and quickly feels like one of those parties you hear about, but weren't invited to yourself. Oh, sure, it's lively and well-produced, and packed with great musicians, notably true-blue Texans such as Johnny Gimble, Eldon Shamblin and Marc Jaco, as well as steel player Herb Remington, fiddler Byron Berline, pop star Jim Messina and of course Jerry Riopelle and various and sundry members of his LA posse... But the flippant, let's-have-a-party vibe becomes distracting, and you quickly find yourself wishing, with all the groovy songs they'd written together, that Margolin and Riopelle might have taken themselves more seriously on a tune or two. This album legitimately fits into the waning years of the outlaw country scene, but it could have been a much stronger offering.

C. W. McCall -- see artist profile

Roger Messingham "Restless" (Roger Messingham Productions, 1973-?) (LP)
At the time he recorded this album Roger Messingham was the owner of a nightclub in Cedar Falls, Iowa called Messingham's Second Base... I'm not sure when or how long the club was open but it was mentioned in a local newspaper in 1972, which is about when I'd guess this album came out. Messingham covers some top-country hits of the era, tunes like "Shade Tree Fix It Man," "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," "Games People Play," and "You Don't Have Very Far To Go," as well as (I think) a couple of originals, such as "Restless" and "If You Leave Me Tonight, I Think I'll Cry." Messingham was not a great singer, but he chugged along on in a workmanlike fashion, doing his best to channel Elvis Presley and Charlie Rich, with kind of marginal results. He was backed by the club's house band, the Art Essery Show, which had its own odd spin on the material, trying to replicate the sophisticated "sunshine pop" arrangements you'd hear on the radio at the time, and perhaps struggling a bit against their own ambitions. But don't get me wrong -- I like this record. It's not really that good, but I still find it charming and sincere... Messingham seems to have moved to Tennessee a few years later, though I don't know if he continued playing music there or not.

Vern Miller & The Versatiles "Some Old - Some New" (LeVern Records, 19--?) (LP)
Oldies-rock and country twang by a local-only band from Riverside, Iowa. The group included Miller on lead vocals, Jim Brown (bass), Don Fiebelkorn (drums), Norman Kannenberg (guitar) and Gary Fairbanks on steel. There are lots of cover tunes, stuff like "Johnny B. Good," "Stagger Lee," "Red Sails In The Sunset" and "Swingin' Doors," as well as two originals: "Always The First Love," written by Vern Miller, and "Is It True" by Bob Green. Not sure when this one came out, but the early 1970s is a pretty good bet... Also, I'm pretty sure this guy wasn't related to the Vern Miller who was the attorney general for the state of Kansas, or to Vern Miller, Jr., from the Remains... But then again, who knows?

The Mississippi Band "Take Your Chances" (1981)
This group from Dubuque were stalwarts of Iowa's independent country-folk scene, starting out in 1972 and keeping together through the rest of the decade. Led by founders Dwayne Fudge and Bill "Cricket" Davis, like many local bands it had a rotating cast of musicians, including folks like Billy McGuire, and Dave Hummel, pedal steel player Mark Oberfell and drummer Charlie Troy. They finally recorded their first album in 1981; that same year they were cast in the movie Take This Job And Shove It, and even though that appearance didn't shoot them to the top of the pops, it's still a cool legacy for a local twangband. The group held together for years after that, recording a second album in 2000.

Misty "Gramps Was In The Outhouse (When The Twister Hit Our Farm)" (Grand Junction Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Jeff Isaacs)
Play Misty for me...!! This twangband from Waterloo, Iowa had a fairly slick, clean-cut appearance and an affinity for mainstream contemporary country, covering tunes by the Bellamy Brothers, The Oak Ridge Boys and the like, although obviously they also had an affinity for goofier, novelty-oriented material. The album kicks off with its slightly naughty title track, which was co-written by drummer-bandleader Vern Kolpek, while guitarist Bob Diskin contributes "Love Works In Many Splendid Ways" on Side Two. Mr. Kolpek (1934-2021) was a retired police officer who lost his sight in 1966 after a robbery suspect fired a shotgun at his patrol car, shattering the windshield and blinding him immediately. He turned towards music and led this band for over thirty years, as well as trying his hand at local politics by running in several Cedar Falls races. With an ever-changing membership, Misty helped foster numerous local country musicians... This early 'Eighties lineup featured Bob Diskin on lead guitar, Vern Kolpek on drums, his wife Stella Kolpek (1933-1990) on vocals, Gary Roberts playing steel guitar, and Steve Turnwall on bass. A much later edition of the band seems to have evolved into The Getaway City Band some time in the 2000s or 2010s. As far as I know this was Misty's only full album.

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.)

Ed Muchow & The Bluegrass Gang "Country Pickin' Time" (J2 Records, 1966-?) (LP)
A straight-up bluegrass set by guitarist-bandleader Ed Muchow (1936-2018) a radio DJ on country station KLEE, in Ottumwa, Iowa, who also also hosted his own TV show on nearby KTVO. The band included Muchow on guitar, Jim Fischer on banjo, Floyd Deburn playing fiddle, and Al Benjamin on bass. This album looks like it was from the 1960s, though the early '70s is possible as well.

The Music Country Travelers "Getting It Together" (Family Band Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Dallas, Bob Krusen & Steve Monroe)
A family band from Des Moines, Iowa, led by 29-year old Dennis Dallas (drum machine, percussion and guitars) and his wife Linda Dallas (bass and synthesizer) with additional backing vocals from their three daughters: eight-year old Brenda, Sherry (age 5) and Therea (age 4). (An even younger child is pictured with the family on the front cover, but apparently didn't perform on this album...) According to the liner notes, Mr. Dallas had fun playing guitar in a rock band while he was in the military ten years earlier, and shifted his interests to country music when he started up this family band. The song selection is heavy on early 'Seventies country and country-pop hits such as "Daddy Sang Bass," "Let Me Be There," Tie A Yellow Ribbon" and "I Believe In Music," along with a couple of Kris Kristofferson tunes ("Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Sunday Morning Coming Down") and a peppering of oldies and classics. As far as I know this was their only record... but you never know!

The Music Masters "The Music Masters" (Double MM Records, 19--?) (LP)
A slightly oddball offering from a horn-based band out of Iowa, who probably played a lot of polka gigs, but are definitely playing country stuff here. The group included Otto Krueger on piano ad trumpet, Denny Phelan (guitar), gal singer Bonnie Puelz, Francis Reinert (clarinet and saxophone), Mark Schmitt (drums), Clarence Wachendorf (also drums) and Pat Wachendorf on bass. They seem to have been mostly from small towns near Dubuque, though this album was recorded at Johnny Durham Cherrywood Studios, in Cedar Falls. The set list included a bunch of rock and country standards, such as "Four Walls," Johnny B. Goode," "Proud Mary," "This Time You Gave Me A Mountain" and "When Will I Be Loved," along with some less well-known numbers like "Country Girl" and "Lumberjack Man." They thank a bunch of local towns on the back cover, so they apparently played a lot of shows, and though this may be their only album, the band was together for quite a few years.

New River Train "New River Train" (Oglala Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Larry D. Zierath & Wes Homner)
Freshly-minted bluegrass twang from a South Dakota/Iowa band, recorded over a period of years between 1976 and '79...

The Onlookers "...Sing And Play Country And Rock" (1974) (LP)
A teenage band from Dubuque, Iowa who self-identified as "country kids," this five-piece band featured lead vocals by Lynn Boylen, backed by brothers Mark and Bryce Bird (lead guitar and bass), rhythm guitarist Dennis Varo and drummer David Ducharme. They played a mainly country set, drawing heavily on early '70s hits like "Paper Roses," "Let Me Be There," "Satin Sheets" as well as pop tunes such as "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Indian Reservation" and instrumentals like "Wipeout" and "Groovy Grubworm." Earnest-o-rama, and Heartland-o-licious.

Rommie Osbahr "Yesterday Today" (Son Circuit, 19--?) (LP)
Haven't got a lot of info about this one... Rommie Osbahr seems to have been living out in western Iowa, near Omaha, and released a few singles as well as the album. There are a few cover songs ("Rave On," "Settin' The Woods On Fire") but also some original material... I'm not sure when this album came out, though Osbahr was still doing locals shows in the late 1980s, according to the newspapers of the time.

Otter Creek Slide "Once A Day" (BOC Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Brad Edwards)
Amazingly, this is a different band than the country-rock group Otter Creek, who were from upstate New York... These folks were bluegrassers from Osceola, Iowa, clustered around Drake University. They look harmless.

The Ozone Ramblers "River Rock" (Catfish Dancing, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Drake & Greg Kane)
A country/rock band from Fort Madison, Iowa... All original material.

Jack Paris & The Stepchildren "My Music, My Friends" (2-J Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Doug Gray & Harold Luick)

Jack Paris & The Stepchildren "Strawberries And Butterflies" (2-J Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Doug Gray & Harold Luick)

Jack Paris "Southern Session" (50 States, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Doug Gray & Harold Luick)

Pathfinder "Hard Times" (Triple Tree Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Pathfinder & Jim Finney)
This four-piece band from Fruitland, Iowa featured Doug Page on bass, Toby Strause (dobro), Stu Stuart (guitar), and Ed Weber (banjo). This bluegrassy group traveled down to the Ozark Opry Records studio, in Missouri to record an album of all-original material (capped off with a version of Stephen Foster's "Hard Times" on Side Two.)

Dick Pell "Dick's County Masters" (Cookhouse Records, 1975-?) (LP)
An antique car mechanic from Rudd, Iowa, Richard A. Pell (1945-2003) led his own group, Dick's County Masters Band, singing and playing lead guitar. This is a real mystery disc, apparently issued with no album art other than the inner labels -- no date, no musician or producer info, although there is an address for a Minneapolis custom label, Cookhouse Recording Studios, which apparently had a string of releases around 1975 that seem to coincide with this one. As far as I know, this was Pell's only album.

The Polish Cowboys "...And Friends" (1979) (LP)
An Iowan trio consisting of Pat Fryer, Bob Rooker (lead guitar), Robbie Wittowski (bass), with Barbara Leigh on piano. The Polish Cowboys cut this album live at the Newton Motor Inn's Gypsy Lounge, in Newton, Iowa, not too far from Des Moines. The repertoire is mostly standards -- stuff like "Folsom Prison Blues," "He'll Have To Go," "Lonesome Fugitive" and "You're Lookin' At Country," with one song that might have been an original: "Bar Room Honky Tonk Man."

Vernon Price "Country Roundup" (Jester Records, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Hale)
A piano plunkin' country singer, Vernon Price's full biography remains elusive, and there's a good chance he's been mixed up with other musicians with similar names... According to this album's liner notes, he was born in Columbus, Ohio, and had worked all across North America, with one specific gig -- at a recently-opened roadhouse called the Town Pump, in Regina, Saskatchewan -- mentioned as a recent engagement. He was working regularly in Sioux City, Iowa during 1976 and '77 when these albums were made, though this album was produced at the studios of Jester Records, a regional indie label in Billings, Montana. Mr. Price was backed by Jester's mid-'Seventies house band, including Red Austin (bass), Chuck Bell (guitar), Jimmy Dressler (drums), and Alan Meade on pedal steel. The band covers rock and country standards such as "Chantilly Lace," "Hound Dog" and "Plastic Saddle," as well as recent hits like Ronnie Milsap's "Daydreams About Night Things" and Mickey Gilley's "Overnight Sensation," which were both hits in 1975. This disc's title, Country Roundup, may have been a reference to a series of package shows he did in Sioux City, including a concert in June, 1976 where he opened for Jerry Lee Lewis.

Vernon Price "The Man Who Plays The Piano (And He Sings!)" (Love Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Al Perry)
This album was produced a bit closer to home, at a studio in South Sioux City (across the state line in Nebraska) that was run by itinerant bandleader Al Perry, an ex-rockabilly twangster who had apparently relocated from his previous stomping grounds in Wisconsin and Tyler, Texas. In contrast to Vernon Price's previous album, this disc is heavy on original material, with about half the tracks penned by one of Al Perry's other artists, Rudy Gaddis; there's also one song by Vernon Price, "Dreams Just Fade Away," which was co-written with Leo Merchant, and three country covers to round things out. The backing band are all from Al Perry's posse: Rags Allen (piano), Vern Coldiron (bass), Donna Love (drums), and Mr. Perry on guitar and steel, with Mr. Price singing and playing piano. There's no date on this disc, though it may have come out either around 1973-74, or 1977-78.

Ramblin' "Ramblin' " (Self-Released) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Randoy)
An early '80s country-and rock covers band from Sioux City, Iowa featuring Mark Brewer (lead guitar, vocals), Dan Frohberg (bass), Craig Kleinberg (drums), Jeff Taylor (vocals, rhythm) and Joan Taylor (vocals). The songs include covers of "All The Gold In California," "Looking For Love," "Coward Of The County," "Third Rate Romance," "Sittin' Fancy Free," "China Grove" and the like... Most of these songs date back to 1980-81, so I'd guess an '81-'82 release date for this album.

The Red Ryder Band "The Red Ryder Band" (Decameron Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by J. M. McCarthy)
A modestly shaggy, relatively clean-cut outlaw twangband from the Great Plains... Although they recorded in Omaha, Nebraska, this was an Iowa-based band... The group included lead singer Jack Dahlke on guitar, Betty Frank (guitar and piano), Duane Gallagher (bass), Steve Mether (drums) and Jon Smith (lead guitar and mandolin) with additional steel guitar by Chuck Lettes. Except for a cover of Gram Parsons' "Sin City," all the songs are originals, including six tracks credited to Mr. Dahlke. This band was together for several years, and like many beloved local groups they fanned out into various subsequent bands and seem to have done a reunion show or two over the years...

The John Richards Band "Drinkin' Doubles, Feelin' Single" (John Richards & Pat Sheedy Enterprises, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Richards)
A nice obscuro offering from Ottumwa, Iowa, recorded sometime in the late '70s or early '80s. The "John Richards Band" featured Richards and three brothers -- Don, Tom and Tony Blew -- who provide solid harmony vocals on the opening title track, a song that sounds a bit like the Statler Brothers backing Don Walser. There seem to be at least two lead vocalists; I think the other was Tony Blew, who wrote four of the ten songs on this album, and I think it's Blew who has the younger-sounding voice, a bit like Gram Parsons, in fact. Well, despite the lack of liner notes to clarify who done what, this is an excellent privately released album -- there are some amateurish parts, but the quality of the songwriting and the sincerity and conviction of the performances is pretty compelling. Yet another band I'd love to hear more about!

Donnie Rohrs "Country Music USA" (Pacific Challenger Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck Whittington, Terry Dwyer & Gary Brandt)
A charmingly rough-hewn, amateurish country-meets-oldies album by middle-aged singer Donnie Rohrs, a native of Sanborn, Iowa who also recorded several singles in the 1970s, on equally obscure labels. He sings some old-school rock'n'roll -- songs like "Party Doll" and and adaptation of an old Chuck Berry song -- but mostly this is an idiosyncratic but honest country record. There are definitely rough patches on a few songs, but he's so enthusiastic and sincere you can't help but like him, and several songs hold up well as oddball novelty numbers... Rohrs has a chunky good-ole-boy sound that brings Jerry Reed to mind, as well as Joe Stampley, in his more R&B-oriented moments. I think this album took him a long time to complete, and some tracks sound like they were recorded in very different sessions -- one of the best songs is an original that Rohrs wrote called "Waltzes And Western Swing" where the band sounds really solid and the pedal steel has a much richer, deeper tone than on other tracks, which sound more rock-flavored and bar-band-y. Regardless, the guy was authentic and totally home-grown. My copy included a flier for membership in his fan club, with the kind of artist bio that lists things like his winning talent contests in junior high, and wowing the crowd in eighth grade with his Elvis impersonation. I love that kind of stuff. Rohrs went out west to record this one at the Sun-Dwyer Studios in Riverside, California, which was a short-lived vanity pressing service that was around in the late '70s and early '80s.

Rural "One By One" (Mole Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Cottrel & David Hern)
Oddball twang and semi-Southern rock from Ames, Iowa. This disc is packed with original material, most of it written by lead singer/multi-instrumentalist Jay Saul, who had one of those adenoidal, Seventies-nerd voices, matched with one of those singular-vision artistic vibes that somehow seems to make it work. Interesting material. The band included Jay Saul on guitar, mandolin and steel, along with Doug Campbell (drums), Charlie Grau (fiddle and guitar), Ralph Stephens (drums), Tom B. Till (piano) and additional backing vocals by Jim Healey and Sue Osborn. Worth checking out.

Mickey Salter "...Sings Nashville" (American Eagle Records, 1975-?) (LP)
There's no date on this album, but the liner notes mention Salter's appearance in the Burt Reynolds movie, W. W. And The Dixie Dancekings, which came out early in 1975, and the most contemporary songs on here are early 'Seventies hits, such as "Country Roads," "For The Good Times" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night," so '75 or possibly '76 seems like a good bet. Also at the time, Salter had a gig at the now-defunct Albert Pick Motor Inn in Nashville, which is mentioned on the back cover... Salter lived in Nashville throughout the early 1980s, moving to McCausland, Iowa mid-decade, where he worked as an entertainer on the Queen Of Hearts riverboat in the "Quad Cities" region. In the early 1990s, he moved with his family to Florida; his son, Joe Salter lives in Pensacola and got a bunch of press a few years back for trying to set some kind of record for "joggling" (juggling while jogging... I guess it's a thing?) Apparently his dad taught him how: Mickey Salter had worked juggling into his act during his riverboat days... Sounds nice... kinda wish I'd been on board, ice tea in my hand...

Mickey Salter "This Country Boy Loves You" (American Eagle Records, 1979) (LP)

Mickey Salter "Third Album" (1982) (LP)

Mickey Salter "Live!" (Mickey Salter Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Sam Pugh)
A live set, recorded at The Cannery, in Nashville...

Rich Sims "Country Love Triangle" (QCA Recording Studios, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Denny "Dumpy" Rice)
Ouch. Now, I'm not one to use these reviews of "private" records as an opportunity to mock these little-known artists, though sometimes you have to call 'em like you see 'em... As the too-revealing liner notes explain, middle-aged songwriter Rich Sims was kind of a jack-of-all-trades, a one-time rodeo rider who eventually became "a successful business executive with a large insurance company," Sims was born in New Mexico and moved around a lot, but was living in the Midwest (Boyden, Iowa, to be precise) when he recorded this album... One thing he wasn't naturally born to, though, was music. Despite his very apparent enthusiasm, Sims sings out of tune, writes lyrics that stray out of the meter, and has trouble phrasing inside the tempo when he sings... Although his heart is in every performance, this still winds up falling in the so-bad-it's-good category, sort of a honkytonk Mrs. Miller kind of affair. The backing band is decent, though a bit thumpy and by-the-numbers. Still, there are some tracks that hold up and might be fun in a mix, notably the she-took-everything-in-the-divorce novelty number, " '65 Ford Pickup Truck" and "I'm Better At It Now," Mr. Sims's song extolling the virtues of middle age. I also like how the liners mention that he was in a Fort Worth-based group called "Cowboys For Christ..." I bet their meetings were fun!

Smoke "This Highway" (1979) (LP)
(Produced by Phil Richardson)
A rural rock band from Ottumwa, Iowa, the band Smoke left a small footprint online, though one charming reference is a wedding attended by basically the whole band, back in 1979. Percussionist Dana Ferguson and songwriter Chris Hunter got married in the fall, in a ceremony with a wedding party that included bassist Al Ault and drummer James Kerr as ushers, and keyboard player Barry Hooper playing organ at the ceremony. How adorable is that? Other than that, I couldn't find much information about the band or this record, but at least I figured out where they were from!

Dick Spencer & The Daydreamer Band "Salute The Eagles" (Hawkeye Productions, 1984) (LP)
Nope, not that Eagles: this album is dedicated to the Fraternal Order Of Eagles (FOE) branch in Des Moines, Iowa, where this amateur band hung their hats. A lot of country covers, including lots of oldies such as "Born To Lose," "Blue Kentucky Girl," "Crazy Arms" and "Talk Back Trembling Lips."

The Straubs "Especially For You" (198-?) (LP)
I once saw a mangled copy of this album at a funky old shop in the Midwest -- loved the artwork but couldn't bring myself to shell out the bucks for an unplayable record. Anyway, the Straubs were a family band from Iowa (I think) who toured and played regionally as well as doing some USO shows. Led by Randy Straub, the group included his wife and kids, particularly their sons David and Steve. By the mid-1970s, they had recorded two albums (other than this one) and later made their way to Nashville, where they played the Opry. Country star Jeanne Pruett wrote the album's testimonial liner notes -- she mentions meeting them in the summer of '79 and may have been something of a patron. I don't think any doors really opened for them in Music City, but they did record several albums, including this one... Along with standards such as "Orange Blossom Special" and "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," they also play less well-known numbers such as "Will The Opry Ever Know My Name" and "I've Done Enough Dying Today." Anyone with more info about this group? Love to hear it!

Terry Teene "The Country Side Of Terry Teene" (Cartwheel Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Terry Teene, Tim Dinkins & Jimmy Wilson)
Midwestern singer-songwriter Terence Blaine Knudson (aka "Terry Teene," 1942-2012) was a kid from Eagle Grove, Iowa who cut some rockabilly and teenpop tunes in the early 1960s, then tried to make it as a pop singer, turning to twang for this LP, which also features several gospel songs. He's best known for the novelty number "Curse Of The Hearse," which he recorded at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico, as well as for his work as a professional clown, which apparently included helping develop the character of fast food mascot Ronald McDonald. Although he worked in Southern California and eventually moved to Texas, Teene seems to have still been using Eagle Grove as his home base when he recorded this album. Although the main musicians listed in the band are pretty unfamiliar (Jimmy Collins and Carl Walden on steel guitar, Hank Eschenman on piano, Teene playing guitar) there's also a "thank you" shout-out to Lynn Harper and Jerry Inman, who were both part of the hippie-era on Sunset Strip in Hollywood... Teene was also doing some TV and film work, and had written a book called "Super Sissy" (which I don't recommend you Google... trust me, you won't find the right reference...) Almost all the songs on here are Terry Teene originals, including "We're Gona Put Iowa On The Map," "We're Gona Make Love" and "Eagle Grove, Iowa," which I guess shows his local roots still holding strong... There's also one song written by his producer Tim Dinkins ("Fighting Machine") and another ("Do My Heart A Favor") co-written by west coasters Vern Stovall and Bobby George.

That Sound Music "Range Rider" (That Sound Music Publishing, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Holbrook & Tom Wolverton)
I'm not entirely sure, but it seems like this may have been some kind of song-poem album, with several different vocalists, including the songwriters singing on the tracks they composed, although it could have just been a very egalitarian and far-flung band. About half the songs are credited to Steve McGehee, with Pam Sorenson and Russ Sorenson singing on a couple of different tracks. Anyone know about these folks? I couldn't find much info about them online... The album doesn't indicate where this record was made, though producers Rick Holbrook and Tom Wolverton were later involved with the Shiloh Amphitheater, as part of a church group in Kalona, Iowa, so I guess they were Midwesterners -- they were both more directly involved in the next That Sound Music album, with Steve McGehee playing a minor role, while the rest of the musicians on this album had pretty much moved on. Apparently that second album, the fancy-titled Beautiful Rotavele Music, wasn't quite as "rural" sounding as this one.

Bob & Bobbie Thomas "Favorite Country Hymns" (Superior Recordings, 196--?) (LP)
Originally from Iowa, the father-son duo of Bob and Bobbie Thomas were featured performers on the 1960s/early '70s edition of WGN-TV's "Barn Dance" country variety show in Chicago, which by the end of the 'Sixties had become a nationally syndicated program. Bobbie Thomas was a child prodigy, learning to play guitar and perform onstage at age five; later on his brother Scott joined the group, which then became billed "Bob & Bobbie, Plus One." Although this is an all-gospel album, they regularly performed secular material on the show, as can be heard on the 1965 album, Saturday Night At The Old Barn Dance, which probably came out around the same time as this disc... Bobbie Thomas also recorded a solo album (below), though I'm not sure if the Thomases recorded any other records as a duo.

Bobbie Thomas "Guitarist Extraordinary" (Brave Records, 196--?) (LP)

Dale Thomas "For The Life Of Me" (Wahoo Records, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dale Thomas)

Dale Thomas "The Territory Band -- With Melissa Thomas" (197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dale Thomas & Ken Simon)
Steel guitar player Dale Thomas formed his first country music group, the Bandera Boys, way back in 1956(!) and established himself as a regional country performer along the Iowa/Illinois border. He landed a major label contract a few years later, cutting a single for Dot Records, and recorded infrequently over the years while also appearing on local TV programs, both as a backup musician for polka/dance bandleader Leo Greco, and as a show host himself. Thomas cut this album in Skokie, Illinois with his thirteen-year old Melissa Thomas daughter singing and playing bass, along with Kenny Schultz thumping drums, Jerome Vogel sawing fiddle and Jeff Spangler picking lead guitar. Thomas was used to covering oldies and popular tunes, so he packed this LP with all-original material, including several songs where Melissa sings lead. Sideman Jeff Spangler sings on a tune he wrote: " 'Til The Feeling's Right." On a side note: years later, Spangler married Melissa Thomas, the couple eventually moved to Texas and, true to her dad's predictions on this album jacket, she learned several other instruments. The Spanglers made a go of it, playing in Vegas and elsewhere, though later they settled down and became pastors in Texas; their daughter, Averielle, also became a musician. Mr. Thomas kept his band(s) running well into the 21st century and self-released several CDs, including the one below.

Dale Thomas "The Back Forty" (20--?) (CD)
This retrospective disc includes the songs from Thomas's 1959 Dot single, "Hello Lonesome" and "Too Young To Love," as well as 'Sixties recordings made with his TV band, and even a song that his daughter recorded when she was thirteen, "As Each Night Goes By."

Darrell Thomas "Brand Of A Country Man" (Lee Mace's Ozark Opry, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Harold L. Luick)
An Iowa native who became a member of Lee Mace's Ozark Opry, Darrell Thomas wrote six of the ten songs on this album, including tunes like "Billboard Cowboy," "Me, Her And The Telephone" and "Waylon, Sing A Song To Mama."

The Floyd Warren Ramblers "Western Swing" (Lodestar Records, 1962-?) (LP)
A western swing (and polka) band from Waterloo, Iowa. Floyd Warren and his wife Mary led a group that performed regionally and also hosted a weekly show on KWWL-TV. Warren's band was started in the 1940s, though I'm not sure when this album came out -- looks late 1950s, or possibly early '60s. (One source says 1962.) They are joined on some tracks by singers Dave Kennedy and Earl Minard, with steel guitar by Jimmie Snodgrass, who takes an instrumental solo on "Steel Guitar Rag."

The Wauhob Family "Country Style Revival" (Wauhob Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Renfro & Ted Wauhob)
An ultra-amateur family-band gospel album featuring drumming by Pastor Thomas Wauhob, who led a ministry at the World Of Gospel Temple, in Sioux City, Iowa. He's joined by several family members, including his father, Robert Wauhob, Sr., on lead guitar, mother Grace Wauhob (vocals), and brother Ted Wauhob on banjo, along with a couple of other Iowa locals: Greg French on bass and steel player Denny Smith. This album was made the focus of a snarky blog post on one of those "world's worst records" websites (a category of so-called music criticism I find cowardly and often ill-informed...) I don't doubt the Wauhobs had their limitations, but the mean-spirited hit piece makes me want to track this one down, just to see how off-base the meanies may have been. The repertoire is promising: several tunes from the Rambos, one from the Hemphills, Gene McClellan's "Put Your Hand In The Hand," some obscure old Pentecostal tune... I haven't heard this one yet, but when I do, I'll let you know.

Ray Wierson & The Occasional 6 "I've Gotta Be Me!" (Century Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Loren Eller)
So awesome. This is the very epitome of a goofy "private press" album, the kind of so-bad-its-great recording that hipsters have fever dreams about. Now, I'm not big on making fun of folks from the past who look goofy to us now, or who make "bad" records, but this disc from Des Moines is just too great to pass by. Ray Wierson was a clean-cut young man with a bunch of clean-cut young friends, possibly in college or even high school, from the looks of it. They tackle a bunch of contemporary hits, including some rock, some country and some show tunes. On the country side, there's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," and "Proud Mary," with a few country-adjacent tunes such as "All I Have To Do Is Dream" and "Leaving On A Jet Plane." What makes this record great is how thoroughly not ready these kids were to go into the studio -- they gallumph through gloriously chaotic, clattersome renditions of "Day Tripper" and "Down On The Corner," and their "Proud Mary" is a one of my favorite covers of this standard. I don't doubt that if they'd been patient and practiced for another few months, they would have sounded more professional, but then the record just wouldn't have been as much fun. Ray Wierson spent his whole life in Iowa, working in local government and eventually became the county administrator for Scott County, retiring in 2008. Despite this shaky debut, Wierson stuck with music, leading an amateur jazz combo that performed locally for many years. This album was recorded in Des Moines, but it looks like Wierson and his pals were originally from Nevada, Iowa, a tiny town outside of Ames.

Gary Willie & His Countrymen "Request of '72" (Countrymen Records, 1972) (LP)
A local bandleader from Garber, Iowa, on the eastern end of the state, near the Wisconsin state line. Gary Willie led his band in the early 1970s and played local and regional venues such as the Lakeside Ballroom in nearby Guttenburg. Not a lot of info about this one, though I'm working on it. I think the Countrymen may have played polka music as well as traditional country.

Various Artists "COUNTRY VOICES" (Sundown Studios, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Brad Tuttle)
Billed as "the best of Southwest Minnesota And Northern Iowa," this one's an obscuraholic's dream, featuring five groups from the Great Lakes region playing in a variety of styles. There's a band called Legend, the duo of Little Joe & Ken Pavelko, Milwaukee Road, Denny Storey, and The Sundown Band, a group from Jackson, Minnesota led by fiddler Bradley Tuttle, who also produced the album.

Various Artists "FIRST FLIGHT: FIRST ANNUAL IOWA ALBUM" (Snowflake Productions, 1980) (LP)
A contemporary collection of Iowa rock, country-rock, bluegrass and bar-band musicians... With Guy Drollinger pickin' and singin' on a tune called "The Carnival," Roger LeBarge singing "Mississippi River," and Bob Engeman backed by Neal Herrmuth on fiddle and pedal steel player Mike Boyer on "Way Down In Iowa." Another booster tune is "Iowa City (Wild Weekend Nights)" by Craig Erickson, whose civic pride is matched only by K101-FM's program director, Mark Vos, whose fiercely commercial liner notes add a certain sense of rah-rah pride to this local showcase album.

Various Artists "THE HAWKEYE JAMBOREE, v.1, No.1" (Ven-Jence Recording Company, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Loren Gonyea)
This is an awesome record. Founded in 1963 by a group called the Professional Musicians and Entertainers Club Of Iowa, The Hawkeye Jamboree was a country music variety show originally staged in Carlisle, Iowa, though it soon moved to a venue in Des Moines. This well-programmed LP selects a dozen live performances from the show's 1967 and '68 seasons with strong performances from a bunch of deliciously unfamiliar artists. In contrast to the old-timey-meets-countrypolitan aspirations of the Ozark Mountain mini-oprys down South, this Midwestern show clearly took its cues from LA's boisterous Town Hall Party, drawing on hardcore honkytonk and rockabilly roots, kicking things off with a rollicking electric version of "Guitar Boogie," by a group called the Country Classics. Kitty Wells and Jean Shepard seem to be the models for the gals on here, while the male vocalists take their cues from robust, golden age honkytonkers such as Ray Price and Faron Young, basically ignoring a decade or so of schmalty "Nashville Sound" pop vocals. The locals-only cast included Bobby and Dee Awe, Frank Bell, Larry Haeberlin, Franklie Lee, Wanda Moyer, Jack Selover and Rex Young, with some variety added by singer Tom Reeves, who delivers a lacrymose novelty version of "I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes," and fiddler Shorty Followill, who saws through a distinctive performance of "Orange Blossom Special." Most tracks are introduced by amiable emcee Bob Baker, who solos on one track, as does his pre-teen daughter, Kimberly Lynn, who belts out a cutesy, little-kid rendition of "Do What You Do Well." I don't think they released another album (I could be wrong) but The Hawkeye Jamboree persisted in one version or other for decades to come, hosting monthly shows and reunion concerts as recently as 2016. The late-'60s offering is a delightful throwback to an earlier era and a nice snapshot at one of the more vigorous regional variety shows of the time.

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