Ira Allen "Hanging On With..." (Portland Records, 1977)
(Produced by Gene Breeden & George Richey)
A stalwart of the New England country scene, Maine's Ira Allen started out as a rocker in the late 1950s, cut a few country singles in the '60s and early '70s, but nothing charted nationally, and he remained a hometown hero for several decades. This album includes seven originals by Allen, and one by KAYO deejay/PD Bobby Wooten (who also wrote the liner notes...) The album title is a reference to Allen's best-known song, "(Just Enough To Keep Me) Hanging On," a tune he co-wrote with Buddy Mize that was one of Vern Gosdin's first solo hits in the 1970s. And of course the "Portland" label refers to Maine's coastal town, not Puddletown on the West Coast.

Ira Allen "...Sings Cabbage Patch Doll" (LS Records, 1985)

Ernest Burleigh & The Country Squires "Freedom's Makin' A Prisoner Out Of Me" (Delta Records, 19--?) (LP)
A shipyard worker from Sanford, Maine, honkytonker Ernest E. Burleigh (1931-2016) led or was in several local country bands, including the Squires and the Saco Valley Countrymen, although he seems to have been strictly a local/regional performer. This may have been his only album, packed with original material including songs such as "Bottle Fatigue," "Telephone, Whiskey And Time," "The Tables Are Turned" and "I've Won At Last." The set was recorded in Boston, and unfortunately the musicians are not listed so it's unclear if it was his band backing him or some studio pickers; the song "Bottle Fatigue" and several others were copyrighted in 1964, with Loren W. Bickmore listed as co-composer, though I'm not sure if Mr. Bickford was part of Burleigh's band, or if he plays on this (undated) album. If Ernest Burleigh or the Squires cut any singles or other records, they aren't currently on the radar... The search will go on!

Betty Cody & Hal Lone Pine "On The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine" (Bear Family Records, 2006)
Fine, sentimental heartsongs and loopy novelty tunes from the early 1950s... Harold Breau (aka Hal Lone Pine) originally hailed from Maine, while his singing partner Betty Cody was French-Canadian Quebecois. This husband-wife duo made a good showing as second-stringers in both countries, and while this disc probably won't blow you away, it's very charming stuff, typical of its time, a fine example of the workmanlike recordings of country's less rowdy artists in the rollicking honkytonk/hillbilly boogie era. The Breaus found their greatest success up in Canada, largely due to the popularity of the regionally-oriented novelty recitation, "Prince Edward Island Is Heaven To Me," a masterpiece of pure, shameless corn. It was followed by "Apple Blossom Time In Annapolis Valley," which also sang the praises of Nova Scotia. They also sang romantic weepers and smoothed-out honkytonk tunes -- although Lone Pine, in particular, wasn't that strong a vocalist, he sounded amiable and robust, and these tracks are all quite charming. Listening to these old tunes, you can hear that Betty Cody was arguably the better singer of the two -- the folks at the record labels thought so, too, and tried to promote her as a solo artist, although she mainly worked as part of the family road show. She dropped out of show biz when the demands of touring came into conflict with her role as a mother, and when her marriage to Lone Pine fell apart... One interesting footnote: their son, Lenny Breau, was a true musical prodigy and after a brief apprenticeship in the family band, he later emerged as one of he most highly regarded jazz guitarists of the post-bop era. (I don't think he's featured on any of these tracks, but his first teacher, Ray Couture, was a longtime member of the band...) These recordings are a fine legacy of two little-known artists who two sounded quite good together... If you're a devotee of old-school, 1950s country, by all means, check this one out!

Betty Cody "The Successful Hillbilly Era Of Betty Cody: 1952-1954" (Binge Disc Records, 2006) (CD)
More vintage recordings, focussing on Ms. Cody as a solo performer... It don't get much twangier than this! Pus, I am a fan of the sound mastering on these Binge Disc/Cattle Records. Classy.

Betty Cody "Singing Again" (EAB Records, 1979) (LP)
A late-vintage indie outing for former New England hillbilly star Betty Cody, a pioneering 'Fifties female country singer who recorded both as a solo artist and in a duo with her husband, Hal Lone Pine. Cody's early classics have been reissued by the Bear Family and Binge Disc labels, but this album picks up where those left off... She retired from show business in the late 1950s, but cut this record in the late '70s at a regional studio in Lewiston, Maine. Her son, jazz guitarist Lenny Breau, backs her on this album, along with his brother Danny...

Dick Curless -- see artist discography

Dave Dalton "Maine-ly Country" (NRS Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Col. Dave Mathes, Early Williams & Robbie Williams)

The Danville Junction Boys "Layin' Tracks" (Clockwerke Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Russell J. Peotter & Tom Rowe)
Recorded in Auburn, Maine, this album features bluegrass and old-timey music with a New England flair... The group included fiddler Fred Carpenter, who later moved to Nashville to open his own music shop and found work as an in-demand session player for a wide variety of musicians. The other guys in the band included Ron Gallant, Gregory Hanson, Bruce Hobart and Mark Larlee, playing a diverse, lively repertoire.

Danny Harper "Honky Tonks Have Been My Home" (Cold Moon Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Jim England & T. J. Paulos)
A latter-day honkytonker from Maine, Danny Harper seems to have been active for many years before this LP came out... I'm getting kind of a Moe Bandy vibe here... This first album appears to have been recorded locally, though his next ones were cut in Nashville... Producer T. J. Paulos anchors Harper's band, playing multiple instruments, including banjo and pedal steel. Although was Harper's first full album, his career spanned back to the early 1960s and he self-released some singles in the '70s. When he was just thirteen years old, Harper was given a slot on Hal Lone Pine's country music show, setting him squarely in the mainstream of the regional New England twang scene... Years later he worked with Maine legend Dick Curless, and though his own shot at national fame met with limited success, he was a popular regional star, opening shows for visiting Nashville headliners. According to a profile in a local paper, Danny Harper put his career on hold following a family tragedy in 1993, returning to the field a decade later, and releasing several more records.

Danny Harper "New Horizons" (Heart Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Brien Fisher & Bernie Vaughn)
This one was recorded in Nashville with a bunch of studio pros -- folks like Greg Galbraith, Sonny Garrish, and John Beland in as hired guns. I guess they made a concerted effort to break Harper as a national artist, though only with limited success...

Danny Harper "Living, Loving & Losing" (Heart Records, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Danny Harper, Mike Bradley & W. R. Holmes)

Gene Hooper "The Best Of Gene Hooper" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
A hillbilly singer from the generation that revered Jimmie Rodgers, Eugene Merrill Hooper (1923-2010) was born and raised in Machias, Maine. Gene Hooper started his musical career singing on the radio as a teen, with a brief detour during World War Two that included combat action in the Battle Of The Bulge. After the war, he returned to New England and picked up where he left off, meeting and marrying his wife, Florence Rolande Hooper (1926-2014) who became his musical partner on the WWVA Jamboree, in Wheeling, West Virginia. They also formed a group called The Old Time Radio Gang, along Allan "Mac" McHale, with whom they recorded a couple of albums. In 1966, the Hoopers settled down in Gene's hometown of Machias, and years later were both inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall Of Fame. This release on the Canadian-based Arc label would seem to suggest a fan base up North... Although this appears to be Gene Hooper's only full album, he also left behind a string of singles on various small labels, and was still recording as recently as the late '80s.

Sandy Ives "Folk Songs Of Maine" (Folkways Records, 1959) (LP)

Clyde Joy & Willie-Mae Joy "25 Joy-ous Years" (Soundcraft Associates, 1963) (LP)
(Produced by Daniel N. Flickenger)
New England-based bandleader Clyde Joy started his career in 1938 and built up a regional following for his band, the Country Folks. He married his wife, Willie-Mae, in 1945 and brought her into the band as the bassist... This edition of the Country Folks included fiddler Curly King, a veteran of the Canadian country scene, and picker Mike Longworth from Tennessee, joining Joy's own Maine-based band.

Clyde Joy & Willie-Mae Joy "Remembering The Old Time Songs" (Sioux Records, 19--?) (LP)

Clyde Joy & Willie-Mae Joy "Country Folk Jamboree" (Sioux Records, 19--?) (LP)

Clyde Joy & Willie-Mae Joy/Various Artists "Most Requested Songs" (Raycraft Records, 19--?) (LP)
This untitled LP sported a blank white cover and apparently came with a booklet entitled Clyde And Willie-Mae Joy's Book Of Most Requested Songs, Poems, Pictures, which one assumes was sold at their live shows. The Joys sing both duets and solos, and share the spotlight on Side One with singer Mike Longsworth, who solos on a song called "Swampwater," while fiddler Curley King plays "Camptown Races" and "Casey Jones" on Side Two. About as "private" and DIY as it gets!

Just Plain Bill "Welcome Aboard The Glory Train" (More Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Leo A. Campbell)
Sorry, folks, but I am a total sucker for unpretentiousness, and a guy who uses "Just Plain Bill" as his stage name has got me in his corner from the word go. Bill, as it turns out, was Mr. William Bewell, of Litchfield, Maine, who played guitar and sang at Spears Corner Baptist Church in the nearby town of Gardiner. He was a big rig truck driver by profession, but also a songwriter, penning all the songs on this album of original material. Alas, the musicians backing him are not listed by name, so that information is probably lost to the tides of time... but the music still exists, as does the charm of his gosh-shucks presentation.

Cubby Lewis & The Homesteaders "Garden Of Loves" (Our Country Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Edward A. Boucher)
This guy's a complete cipher... A country auteur from New England, Cubby Lewis penned all but two of the songs on this album, with originals that include "Those Beautiful Lies," "Wrong Side Of The Door," and "Nudist Colony (Or The Job I Lost My Shirt On)" augmented by covers of "Me And Bobby McGee" and "Okie From Muskogee." The sessions were recorded at the EAB studio in Lewiston, Maine, though sadly the Homesteaders bandmembers aren't individually identified. Not sure where Lewis lived or what his real name was, or if recorded anything else, although there were couple fo local show notices from 1976, a few years later, so he seems to have kept at it for a while.

Ron Libby "Sings Live At The Baltimore Festival" (Whirl-A-Way Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Edward A. Boucher)
A well-known New England square dance caller from Falmouth, Maine, Ron Libby sings some country on this disc, including some surprising outlaw material such as "Boogie Grass Band" and "Luckenback, Texas." Libby played in USO shows while in the Navy, then worked on the road as a big band saxophonist before moving back to Maine and turning his attentions towards square dance calling. Libby converted an old barn on his family farm into a dance hall, and staged dances there, while also traveling extensively to perform in other states.

Ron Libby "Shine On" (Whirl-A-Way Records, 198-?) (LP)

Malinda Liberty "Malinda Liberty" (River Records, 1987) (LP)
Yeah, I never heard of her either... This indie album out of Maine looks like it's pretty Nashville-hopeful, in a more modern, '80s kind of way... If I get a chance to check it out, I'll let you know!

Ebb, Lorna & Serrena (Lovely) "Maine-ly Lovely" (Beechwood Country Records, 19--?) (LP)
An auto mechanic and WWII veteran, Elbridge Lovely (1924-2011) was also a well-known regional country musician, leading his own band and hosting his own local TV show in the late 1950s, as well as touring both in New England and into parts of Canada. He recorded two albums (wish I knew the name of the other one!) including this set, which also features his two daughters, Lorna Lovely (1952-2008) and Serrena. Mr. Lovely was inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1993.

Gary Meister "Mainely Country" (Critique Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Carl Strube & Jim Deans)
A local from Bangor, Maine, songwriter Gary Meister made a real go of it in the early 'Seventies, releasing a string of singles on several labels, including Laurie Records and BASF, in addition to at least one from this album. This disc is packed with original material: the band's pianist, Denny Bouchard, and backup singer Tom Gass contribute a couple of tunes -- "Take Me Back" and "Shufflin' Sam" -- while all but two of the rest of the songs are credited to Meister. As far as I can tell, the backing band were all locals, including Robbie Robichaud on bass, Tracy Bronson playing piano, Rick Hazeltine on lead guitar, drummer Brian Brown, backup singer Monica Harris and both Gary Meister and Julie Green playing rhythm guitar. The sessions were at the Rockland Recording Studio, a vigorous but obscure regional indie run by a guy named Jim Deans, in a home studio built in the back of an American Legion hall -- Deans seems to have had some kind of line into New York-based Laurie Records, as one of his rock bands also released a single there. His biggest coup, of course, was recording Dick Curless in the early 'Sixties, before he became a nationally-charting trucker-country icon. Anyway, this one's about as indie as they come! (Thanks to Andy O'Brien's history of the Rockland Recording Studio, where this was cut.)

Tiny Martin & The Countrysiders "Singing Bluegrass Gospel" (Event Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Al Hawkes)
A straightforward traditional bluegrass set, recorded in Westbrook, Maine with banjo picker Tiny Martin, Howie Dearborn (bass), Al Hawkes (mandolin), Dottie Lou Martin and Shirley Miller (vocals), Ray Patch (guitar), and fiddler Smokey Val, aka Roland Ernest Valliere (1928-2016), a well-known regional fiddler who was in a number of New England 'grass bands.

Allan "Mac" McHale & The Old Time Radio Gang "Old-Country Radio Songs" (Folk Era Records, 1988)

Allan "Mac" McHale & The Old Time Radio Gang "New River Train" (Folk Era Records, 1992)

The Nickerson Brothers "Donnie And Duane" (Imperial Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Wellman & Dick Stacey)
A country duo who had a late 1970's gig playing with Maine country music impresario Dick Stacey, owner of the Plaza Motel, in Brewer, Maine, and sponsor of a television show called Country Jamboree, which he took over in the early 'Seventies and kept on the air until 1984. The musicians on this album included Donnie Nickerson on guitar, younger brother Duane Nickerson playing bass, Rodney Overlock (drums), Harry King (piano) and Mark Wellman playing lead guitar and engineering the sessions. They cover various 'Seventies hits, including "The Gambler" and "Why Me Lord," as well as some Merle Haggard and a little regional pride material, with a version of "Prince Edward Island." That last one makes me think they might have been Canadian, though maybe it was just what was popular with the locals. The Nickersons were just a couple of the many obscure artists, mostly locals, who appeared on the Jamboree program, which was known in part for its low-budget approach and lack of pretentiousness. I also love how uncomfortable Duane Nickerson looks in all the photos (though Donne definitely looks like he was into it!)

Curly O'Brien & The Top Hands "The Country Class Of Curly O'Brien" (Spar Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by George Sprague)
An odd custom pressing album that seems to have been a privately released souvenir album from Maine Hall Of Fame country singer and deejay Curly O'Brien -- ne Philip Nathan Boyce (1926-1990) -- who started his career in the 1940s, after de-mobbing from World War II. O'Brien performed throughout New England and eastern Canada, working with East Coast stars such as Dick Curless, Betty Cody and Hal Lone Pine, along with a career in radio and TV. This is a curiously amateur-sounding album -- despite the obvious talent of the band (particularly the steel player, Dave Farris) this seems like a slapdash production, which if you ask me gives it a lot of charm. Curly O'Brien handles most of the vocals, and he croons mightily in an Eddy Arnold/Ernie Ford kinda way, while gal bassist Jackie King has a great voice with kind of a Patsy Cline-meets-Maybelle Carter vibe. Lead guitarist Dave Dalton sings on a couple of tunes as well, as does Curly's younger brother Bob O'Brien, with the rest of the band rounded out by drummer Jim Murphy who held down the beat, but never got a solo. This album was recorded at the studios of WEMT-TV in Bangor, Maine, which may explain some of the rough production quality -- O'Brien and his band moved to WEMT in 1965 and continued on their airwaves at least through the end of the 1970s. The tracks here provide a strong echo of the early 1950s country scene, with hints of western swing and the early Nashville Sound; one track, "Tiny Soldiers," makes a last-minute reference to the war in Vietnam, though for the most part this is non-topical material. (Thanks to Some Local Loser for filling in a few blanks!)

George Phillips "To Me It Seemed Like A Dream" (Our Country Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Glenn Appleton)
Previously heard on the oddly-named E.A.B. COUNTRY compilation, New Englander George Phillips works his way through a set made up mostly of early 'Seventies cover songs, including several pop-rock numbers such as "Rockin' Robin," George Harrison's "Something," The Shondells' "Draggin' The Line" and Tony Orlando's "Candida." Yeah, I know that all sounds scary, but there are legit country songs as well -- "Good Time Charlie Got The Blues," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Green Green Grass Of Home," etc. Nothing too surprising. The title track is Phillips's own composition, the only original on here. Backing Phillips are Dick Demers on drums, Ken Morris (lead guitar), Mona Perry (rhythm guitar), Sally Perry (bass) and Terry Sutton on steel. The Perry Sisters are of interest as locals who did session work for various projects, including one of Lucky Look's albums, as well as recording their own LP in 1977. Not sure if Phillips was from Maine himself, though the E.A.B. label was located in Yarmouth.

Elton Record "The Maine Man In Nashville" (Eljan Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Al Harris & Bernie Vaughn)
A stalwart of the Maine country music scene, singer Elton Record cut this album with some assist from Conway Twitty's backing band, the Twitty Birds. I'm not sure if was in the band at the time, or just finagled a way to get them in the studio. This set is mostly cover songs, though the originals include "Bernadine" and "Pennies, Nickels And Dimes." The Record family own country bar in Mechanic Falls called the Silver Spur, which is also the site of the Maine Country Music Hall Of Fame. Mr. Record was induced into the Hall the same year it opened, back in 2008.

Streamliner "Streamliner" (Broken Records, 19--?) (LP)
I couldn't find much info about this country-flavored rock from Portland, Maine, including when exactly this album came out. Streamliner was apparently part of Maine's "bottle bar" scene, where barebones music halls without liquor licenses were allowed to let over-21 patrons bring in their own booze and party all night. A band called The McCarthys was "formed from the ashes" of Streamliner back in 1995, with five members -- John Davison, Tim Emery, Dale Holden, Jimmy McGirr and Scott Shuster -- though I'm not sure if they were all in the old band, or just some of them. McCarthy was a rock-and-country band which put out its first album in 2000.

Van Trevor "Come On Over To Our Side" (Band Box Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Dick Heard)
East Coast rocker-gone-country Van Trevor (born Robert Frances Boulanger, 1940-2006) was a singer and songwriter from Maine who began performing at a very young age (seven years old, according to this album's liner notes...) and had been part of the "twist" fad in the early '60s. This was his first country LP, recorded when he was a cast member of the WWVA Jamboree show, though many of the songs still have the feel of early '60s, desperate-for-a-hit, Kennedy-era teenpop... The songs were all originals, written by producer Dick Heard and Hank Hunter, including the songs "Born To Be In Love With You" and "Our Side," which had previously been released as singles in late 1966. To modern ears, Trevor's scattershot approach might seem like an unlikely formula for success, but the Buck Owens-y title track was a breakout hit, cracking into the Top 30, and the various Marty Robbins-ish ballads and Porter Wagoner-esque recitation numbers may win you over after a while, as do the cornball orchestrations of "Christmas In The Country." Some odd arrangements, but that's part of the fun. This actually turned out to be the peak of his career, chartwise, and afterwards it was a steady downward slide, with Trevor dropping out of the spotlight by 1971, concentrating on songwriting rather than being a headliner. But this was a nice, spunky debut!

Rusty Wellington "Lonesome... In My Blue House" (Soundcraft Associates, 1963) (LP)
(Produced by Daniel N. Flickinger)
Although he was born in New Brunswick, Canada, singer Douglas "Rusty" Wellington (1925-1987) became known as a pioneering figure in New England's hillbilly country scene. His family moved to New Hampshire when he was ten, and the precociously talented lad had his own radio show as a teen, and even performed with several established bands. Wellington's career had an amazingly Zelig-like quality: he toured with stars such as Hank Snow, Hank Williams and Tex Williams and was closely associated with Bill Haley, who he wrote songs for and went on the road with following World War Two. After the war, Wellington settled in New Hampshire and established himself regionally, hosting a popular television show and writing regional pride songs such as "The Allagash" and "Packed In Maine," which helped earn him a spot in the Maine Country Music Hall Of Fame.

Rusty Wellington "Yes, It's Me Again" (Arzee Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Lucky Steel & Tony Schmidt)
I'm not sure if Mr. Wellington continued to record in his later years, or mostly performed live and on broadcast shows. These sessions which date from the late 'Sixties seem to have been released as an LP around 1970, and may be his last recordings.

Various Artists "E.A.B. COUNTRY, VOLUME ONE" (Our Country Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ed Boucher)
I'm not sure that the whole story is with this disc, but this appears to be mostly a set of little-known country singers from Maine and thereabouts, all singing cover songs, possibly as part of a pay-to-record kinda deal. The most famous vocalist on here was Gene Hooper (1923-2010), a popular New England radio performer who recorded an album or two of his own and became a cast member of the WWVA Jamboree, down in Wheeling, West Virginia. George Phillips, who covers Freddy Hart's "Easy Lovin'," also recorded a full album, which appears to be the only other LP put out by this label. A few of the gals featured here -- Louise Ann, Sharon James and Stacy Stanton -- also recorded singles, including on other imprints of producer Ed Boucher's EAB empire. Mostly, though, this is super-obscuro territory, about as local as you're gonna get.

Various Artists "TRY IT -- YOU'LL LIKE IT" (Rockland Recording Studio, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Phillip E. Robinson & Jim Deans)
An odd album spotlighting several artists from Portland, Maine, all apparently backed by the same group of musicians... It's not clear what the connection is between the various performers, though both Fred ("Tommy") Thompson and Bobby Giasson played guitar for local legend Dick Curless, while producer Phil Robinson may have been in the Curless band as well. Then there's picker Sonny Cardilli, who is identified as a jazz guitarist and who contributes instrumental versions of a Buffy Saint-Marie tune, and the theme to Black Orpheus, with the band rounded out by a couple of guys from a local (rock?) band called Mirage, who play on bass and drums, and finally a vocal trio called the Balzano Sisters, whose only appearance on wax seems to be this album. Cardilli recorded at least one album under his own name, also for the Rockland label, an independent, idiosyncratic operation run by a guy named Jim Deans from 1960-85. [An excellent article about the Rockland studio and its devotees ran in The Free Press, packed with tons of info about all kinds of local Maine recording artists...]

Hick Music Index