Pete Anderson -- see artist discography

Betty Angel "Golden Voice Gal" (Joey Records, 1978) (LP)
This one looks a little bit iffy, what with the the mix of piano and saxophone... Ms. Angel was a radio host from Adrian, Michigan who called her music "refined country," and it's the refined part that makes me a little concerned. Still, if she called it country, I guess it's country. Backing her are drummer Howie Schumann and saxophonist Lee Wallace... there's definitely a lot of cover material on here, though there may have been some originals as well.

Kenny Antcliff "I'm Double Parked" (Autumn Hill Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Harris, Lee Hazen & Jim Voytek)
A late-life entry from singer Mr. Kenneth Antcliff, Jr. (1938-2009), who mainly worked around Grand Rapids, Michigan... Although this LP doesn't give any information about Mr. Antcliff, a 7" single from the late '80s informs us that he had a band in the 1950s and '60s called The Rhythm Ramblers and over the years had played at local venues in Michigan, made an appearance on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour, been on the radio a few times, and attended Nashville's Fanfair in the early '80s. A profile piece in a local newspaper said that he'd recorded two albums and six singles by 1995, though this LP was probably the pinnacle of his musical career. Produced by Miami, Florida promoter Jim Voytek, this was recorded in Nashville with the assistance of an (unidentified) Music City studio band, and vocal backing by the Sound 70 Singers... The record seems to have been a songwriter's demo set, with a little bit of a see-what-sticks feel. There are a couple of tunes by veteran tunesmith Kent Westberry, along with four by DeAnn Bennett, three more by Jan Carlton, and the title track penned by Neil O'Donnell; several of these composers were represented by one or the other of Mr. Voytek's publishing companies, and the Autumn Hill itself was an outlet for his aspirations as country music producer. I dunno what Mr. Antcliff sounded like in his younger days, but he has a distinctly middle-aged sound here, a bit like Burl Ives, really, and though he doesn't quite sell the songs, he does fully commit and has a charming sincerity about him. The album's highlight is probably DeAnn Bennett's "When Ole Willie Sings The Blues," a Willie Nelson tribute song that Mr. Antcliff also released as a single a time or two.

Wayne Austin "Pure Austin Country" (Pure Austin Country Records, 198--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Randall & Frank Green)
A popular regional artist who kept his band together for many years, Wayne Austin hailed from Midland, Michigan, although he trekked down to Nashville to record this album, which is packed with original material. Session player Buddy Spicher sits in on fiddle, while the other musicians, including producer-guitarist Bobby Randall, are unfamiliar to me, and may have actually been members of his hometown band. This is a great record. Though his voice sounds perhaps a little faded, the music reminds me of that great western swing-inflected sound the MCA label had going in the mid-1970s -- bright, clear, all the instruments well mixed and individually separated out... Heck, he even opens the album with a version of Carmol Taylor's "Saddest Song (On The Jukebox)" so he's got my vote right off the bat. No date on this disc, but it looks mid- to late-'80s; if I had to guess I'd say 1986 or thereabouts. Wayne Austin also released a string of CDs in later years, though I haven't had a chance to track them down yet. Apparently there was a band called Jasper Creek that grew out of his backing band, again, I haven't heard 'em. Yet.

Autumn "66 Miles To Madison" (RPC/Recorded Publications Company, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Rudy Gill, John Antos & Mark Antos)
I confess, I'm not entirely convinced this one belongs here, though they do cover a few 'Seventies-era pop-country hits, such as "Let Me Be There" and "Wild Fire." Besides, who doesn't want to hear covers of "Easy" and "Sham-Ba-La"? I mean, come on. Seriously. What's more misleading, though, is how easy it is to assume this is a contemporary Christian album, since these three clean-cut fellas all attended Michigan Christian College, in Rochester, MI, and the college seems to have sponsored the recording as some kind of recruiting tool. The musicians were not all Michiganders themselves, just fellow MCC students who liked jamming together. Tom Rellinger was from Gladwin, Michigan, while Clay Sturgeon was from Arizona and Tom Dill was an Indiana lad. Alas, the liner notes don't tell us who played what, though I'll hazard a guess they all three sang and played guitar. An archetypal custom album, if ever there was one.

Johnathan B "Pretty Words" (River City Studio, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by John Edward Boggs, Ken Brant & Tim Heldt)
A wildly uneven album of all-original material by an indie auteur from Grand Rapids, Michigan... John Edward Boggs seems to have had a fairly clear vision of what he wanted musically, and he wrote some pretty good songs, but he went a little nuts in the studio and spun off in some unfortunate directions, often with disastrous results. His best moments come on the more country-sounding songs, particularly the title track, "Pretty Words," which opens the album out on a pretty strong footing. Immediately after that, though, comes a truly horrendous, syrupy retro-pop ballad which seems to be reaching back to the '50s/'60s teenpop era and is just awful. Part of the problem is Mr. Boggs thin-sounding vocals, which bend towards a southern gospel-style alto, but the bigger problem may just be session-related: the arrangements are overwrought and needlessly flowery, and the sound mix is a bit awkward and diffuse. About two-fifths of the album drifts into these over-the-top pop arrangements, prompting me to get up and move the needle on several tracks... The excesses of these songs make the strengths of others even more surprising, though: just when you're ready to write this album off, one of the country songs comes on and you realize, "hey, that's actually a good song," even on tunes where Mr. Boggs let the production get a little overripe. One of these, the anthemic "Try A Little Harder," actually could have been a big early 'Eighties country hit, given the right circumstances. Not a very listenable record, though I could imagine future twangsters mining it for material.

Baker DeCocq "...And Friends" (Mountain Music Company, 1982) (LP)
The Michigan-based duo of Bob DeCocq and Marshell Baker led this small band for about a few years i the early '80s, breaking up around 1984-85... DeCocq had previously been in rootsy groups such as the Houston, Texas's Shake Russell Band, the Country Line Band, and the TNS Blues Band, in the early '70s. Alas, this mostly rings false as "country" material, with more of a tepid, trying-to-sound-slick bar-band rock sound, too much blues, not enough twang, with fairly iffy vocals and lots of gratuitous, tinny electric guitar riffs swirling all over the place. A lot of the twang elements seems a bit forced or exaggerated to me... Worth a spin, I suppose, but not much here that wows me. Oh, well.

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

Larry Ballard - see artist profile

Bamboo "Bamboo" (Elektra Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Allan Emig)
An odd and intriguing footnote to the career of acoustic blues revivalist Dave "Snaker" Ray, who took a break from his gigs with Koerner, Ray & Glover to plug in and go electric, teaming up with a fella named with Will Donicht for a rock/folk/country outing that weaves through a variety of styles, including starry-eyed folk-rock and psychedelic blues, along with a smidge of country-rock twang. The Elektra house production sound(s) suffuse these tracks, bringing the work of cosmic balladeer Tom Rush to mind, as well as the Doors' zonked-out, indulgent rock... Twangfans will want to check out the tunes spotlighting pedal steel player Red Rhodes -- notably "The Virgin Albatross" and the spacier "Odyssey Of Thaddeus Baxter," which is one of the most musically rich, satisfying tracks on the album. This is definitely a super-duper, hippie-spacey set, with plenty of questionable moments, but some nice experimental stuff on it as well. Definitely worth a spin, though if you're looking specifically for country stuff, there's only a little bit on here.

The Band Of Outlaws "Loose Country" (Musicland Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Rogers)
An uber-indie set from some good ole fellas from West Michigan... The main band includes drummer Ron Chambers, Mike Cherwinski (bass), Norm McFarrin (vocals) and Mike Woodring on lead guitar, along with a slew of their local folks chipping in, most notably Frank Rogers, Jr. on steel guitar. (Although Frank Rogers wasn't officially billed as a member of the band, various members of his family were involved with the Band Of Outlaws including Dennis Rogers, who later became their lead guitarist; this album was recorded at the Rogers Musicland Studio, in Muskegon Michigan.) Here, circa 1975-76(?) they pledged allegiance to the outlaw scene surrounding Willie and Waylon and the boys, covering classics like "Ladies Love Outlaws," "Looking For Blue Eyes," and "T For Texas" (presumably picked up via Tompall Glaser) as well as country faves such as "Mental Revenge," Tony Booth's "The Key's In The Mailbox," Commander Cody's "Lost In The Ozone," and even "Ghost Riders In The Sky," because... why not? Not a ton of info about these guys, though they seem to have done shows around the Grand Rapids area at least up through the end of the ' Seventies... Bass player Mike Cherwinski was later in a group called the Rick Chase & Friends Band; Mike Woodring (1943-2009) passed away in Muskegon (and his obituary informs us that at some point the group changed its name to Loose Country... and that he put in some time in Nashville.) There are doubtless plenty of other threads to be pulled regarding this band... any info is welcome!

Los Bandidos "Live At The Velvet Coach" (Little Crow Records, 1972) (LP)
A family band from Edwardsburg, Michigan who mixed a fair amount of country material in with Top Forty pop hits and easy listening oldies. The group was led by father Beto Guzman along with his three sons, David, LaDair and their drummer, nine-year old Chayo Guzman, who also played marimba. According to the liner notes Beto Guzman first formed Los Bandidos as a trio during the Kennedy administration; later it expanded to become the "Bandido Family," as seen below. Country stuff on this album included tunes like "Ghost Riders In The Sky," Hoyt Axton's "Never Been To Spain," Jack Greene's "There Goes My Everything" and "Snowbird." But country fans should temper their expectations: these tracks are balanced with covers of stuff like "Come A Little Bit Closer," "Brand New Key," "Yakety Sax" and "Spanish Flea." Honestly? They were definitely talented, particularly the guitarists, although their arrangements were pretty over the top.

Los Bandidos "On The Road" (Bandi Productions, 1974-?) (LP)
This one's mostly pop music, with not much country stuff other than a cover of "Rocky Top," and a few vaguely rootsy tunes such as "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown." Kitschy, maybe, but not much twang. And, unfortunately, it does not include their topical, energy crisis-era single, 1973's "Eat Beans America Needs The Gas," or its B-side, "Belly Button Bounce." Oh, well.

The Bandido Family "Playing 'Em Our Way" (Ozark Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Buddy Lane)
The Guzmans seem to have moved to Willmar, Minnesota by the time this album came out, though they trucked all the way down to Missouri to record at the Ozark Records studio in Mountain Grove. Once again they mix country tunes in with pop hits; the country covers include "Funny How Time Slips Away" and a reprise of "Ghost Riders In The Sky." The most noteworthy track, though, is an original by eldest son LaDair Guzman called "Fuzzy Guzzies Funky Fuzzy Wawa," a novelty number that presaged his later work as a jingle writer.

Randy Barlow "Arrival" (Republic Records, 1977) (LP)
Born in Detroit, singer Randy Barlow (1943-2020) headed out west to California in his early twenties, where it took him about a decade to break through. This debut album was preceded by a smattering of singles, including a few more pop-oriented efforts, but it was as a country musician that he finally made his mark, scoring a string of Top 10 and Top 20 hits, on a run that lasted about five years, up until the early '80s.

Randy Barlow "Fall In Love With Me" (Republic Records, 1978) (LP)

Randy Barlow "...Featuring Sweet Melinda" (Republic Records, 1979) (LP)

Randy Barlow "Dimensions" (Paid Records, 1980) (LP)

Randy Barlow "Who's Randy Barlow? -- A Journey Toward Fame" (Self-Released, 2009)

Bluejohn "Boots And Bottles" (Black River Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Bryce Roberson, Jim Spillane & Brad Thrower)
A relatively country-oriented set by Michigan folk-rockers Jim Spillane and Brad Thrower, two buddies from Swartz Creek, who worked together in a series of late 'Sixties/early 'Seventies bands, including the folkie trio Thrower, Spillane & McFarland, as well as Thrower's "solo" band, Saloon Music. Granted, this tilts towards spacey, jam-band self-indulgence, but they do tip their hats towards a few legit twangtunes, including a version of the countrypolitan chart-topper "Satin Sheets" and the Lost Gonzo Band's "London Homesick Blues." What attracts collectors in the "acid folk" genre to these guys -- the freaky, stoned, disorganized ramblings -- don't do much for me, but I'm not king of the universe yet, so feel free to groove out on the YouTube vids if you please. Among the musicians backing them are steel player D. Hooker Arnold and fiddler O. J. Dunn, who may have been in other local bands, though I haven't found any trace of them elsewhere; bassist/guitar picker Brad Thrower also tried his hand at strummin' on the old banjo.

Johnathan Boggs "Pretty Words" (Self-released, 19--?) (LP)
A privately released album from Grand Rapid, Michigan... Not sure of the year, but it looks 1980s... And, yes, that's how he spelled his name...

Bobby Bond "On The Country Side" (Time Records, 1964)
Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, songwriter Bobby Bond (ne Bob Reinhardt) headed for Nashville in the early 1960s, after trying to make it as a rock/pop musician on the West Coast. Like many talented pickers, he found Music City pretty tough and worked odd jobs while trying to get his foot in the door. Also, like many others before him, he found work as a sound-alike artist, recording for the kind of cheapo labels that knocked off albums full of cover songs and hits of the day, the original artist's name emblazoned on the cover, while the actual performers (like Bond) were lucky if their names appeared in print anywhere. Bond was one of the lucky ones, getting his own name on the labels, and eventually after several years of this kind of work he came to the attention of country-folk crooner George Hamilton IV, who recorded several of Bond's original compositions, starting in 1968 with the song, "Back To Denver," followed by several others. His biggest success came with the song "Six White Horses," which several artists took into the charts, and though Bond got the chance to record for a few "real" record labels -- Warner Brothers and Hickory -- he never was able to make more than a few minor ripples on the charts. (In 1972, his cover version of "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" peaked at #66 in Billboard, and was his lone entry on the charts as a performer...)

Bobby Bond "...Sings Hits Made Famous By Roger Miller And Other Country Songs" (Somerset Records, 1965) (LP)
I have to confess, I have a strange fascination with the "sound-alike" artists who recorded entire albums of knockoff imitations of popular hits for shady labels such as Crown, Spin-O-Rama, Somerset and others. Bobby Bond was one of these sound-alike artists, who did, um, "tribute" records to Roger Miller and Jim Reeves, but who also scored a minor hit with a 1972 cover of Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around With Jim." The sound-alike albums are a real historical curio: often they were packaged in such a way to make you think that the original artist and the real versions were included on the album, and there was an obvious attempt to bilk folks out of their hard-earned cash. Someday I'd love to research them (although I suspect someone already has...) Anyway, here are Mr. Bond's contributions to the genre...

Bobby Bond/Earl Cupit "A Country Boy Looks Down That Lonesome Road" (Somerset Records, 1966)
A split LP with Cupit singing Side One, and Bond on the flip. All the songs are covers of popular country and folk-country songs of the era, including songs by Bobby Bare, George Hamilton IV, etc.

Bobby Bond "I Remember Jim Reeves" (Somerset Records, 1966) (LP)

Johnny Buckett "I'm Using My Bible For A Roadmap" (Fortune Records, 19--?) (LP)
Tennessee native John Chisenhall moved up North in the postwar 1940s/'50s era, singing honkytonk and hard country on radio stations in Michigan and elsewhere, though by the time he cut this album for the Detroit-based Fortune label, he had switched to country gospel material and taken up the stage name Johnny Buckett. The setlist is mostly old standards -- "I'll Fly Away," etc. -- though there are s few originals in the mix as well, including a couple of cornball recitation numbers. Not sure of the exact release date, but I'd guess late '50s/early '60s, from the look of it.

Bob Butler & The DJs "In Nashville" (Nashville North Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Hillous Buttrey)
An ambitious local group from Adrian, Michigan, in the southern end of the state, featuring a slew of original material mostly composed by lead singer Bob Butler, along with several tracks co-written with Elizabeth Smith, and only one cover song, Mack Vickery's "Baltimore," to round things out. The band included Bob Butler on organ and piano, Ellie Pipkins (lead guitar), and Danny Sell (bass and drums), though this set was recorded in Nashville with the Bobby Harden singers providing backing vocals and presumably a whole slew of Music City pros filling out the sound. There's no date on the disc, but the liner notes mention the band's fan club being founded in January, 1974, which is so specific I'd guess that this record came out sometime later that year.

Cabbage Crik "You Get What You Play For" (Kneedeep Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Cabbage Crik)
An adventurous modern bluegrass band from Allendale, Michigan whose repertoire included grassed-up versions of songs by Elton John and Bob Dylan, as well as country and western oldies from Hank Williams and Bob Nolan, as well as a blistering cover of Don Reno's "Dixie Breakdown," and a sweeter heartsong ("You're No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine") also from the Reno & Smiley catalogue. There's also a pair of nice original songs, "Piece Of Ground," by bassist Mark Schrock, and mandolin player Gary Kuitert's "From Michigan To Nashville, Tennessee," another one of those rueful it's-too-hard-to-make-it-in-Music-City tunes. Apparently these guys played together for many years, then branched off into different directions, reuniting in 2009 for a few one-off gigs. This is a nice record, basically straight-ahead bluegrass, but with enough of a country/rock undercurrent that it's worth noting here as well. A nice, unpretentious band with a good vibe.

Cabbage Crik "Whole Hearted... Half Headed" (Kneedeep Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Cabbage Crik, Craig R. King & Jim Curtis)
Another excellent set from this well-oiled band, with a strong, soulful string-swing undercurrent... Tight harmonies and fluid, playful arrangements set these guys a notch or two above many of their newgrass contemporaries... There's also more original material on this album, and a shift away from country and bluegrass oldies, with the band breezing through tunes like John Sebastian's "Lovin' You" and a version of Jerry Smith's "Truck Stop" which has an almost Mills Brothers-ish vocal arrangement. They also cover a Carson Robison classic, along with tunes written by bandmembers Gary Kuitert and Mark Schrock, as well as one credited to D. F. Lemke (who we would assume is related to guitarist Buck Lemke...?) Overall, a pretty swell album!

The Calhoun Twins "Country Jet Set" (Stop Records, 1967) (LP)
Twin brothers Jack and Jerry Calhoun were born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and developed their own spin on the "brother sound" harmony style. They had a nice, perky sound, rooted in traditional country, but pretty up-to-date for the times. In addition to making upbeat country twang, the Calhouns were also avid pilots, running an independent commercial air service that catered to showbiz clientele. (Hence the album title and the airplane pictured on the cover...) Their Florida airfield was the site of the 1982 plane crash that killed Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist, Randy Rhoads, but despite this tragedy they stayed in business well into the 21st Century, and also kept making music, releasing several CDs in addition to the LPs listed here. This was their first album, and it's pretty lively stuff, a mix of Buck Owens-y bounce and old-school hillbilly romp. They didn't get far in the national charts. but they sure made some fun music!

The Calhoun Twins "Country Jet Set, v.2" (Stop Records, 1970) (LP)

The Calhoun Twins "The Calhoun Twins" (Prize Records, 1971) (LP)

The Calhoun Twins "Goin' To The Dogs" (Marathon Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Doug Taylor & Shot Jackson)

Calico "Calico" (Gateway Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Danny Burton & Phil Burkhardt)
A folkie-acoustic duo from Rochester, Michigan made up of guitarist-banjo picker Vincent Sadovsky (1949-2018) and his wife guitarist Karen Sadovsky. They work their way through a mix of covers and originals: about half the tracks are Vincent Sadovsky compositions, complimented with classic twangtunes by Jorm Kaukonen, Mike Nesmith and Dolly Parton, as well as a version of Bob Dylan's "Nashville Skyline." Mr. Sadovsky was an accomplished, award-winning banjo picker, as well as the owner of the Rochester Folk Workshop, where he gave music lessons to several generations of budding talent, over a 45 year career. As far as I know this was their only album.

Cindy And The Country Playboys "Cindy And The Country Playboys" (Custer Records, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Rogers)
A hyper-local band from the towns of Custer and Scottville, Michigan, just north of Grand Rapids. Mainly a family band, the group was led by singer-guitarist Roger Purchase, with backing by his brothers, Buck Purchase (1934-2016) on dobro and Leon Purchase playing rhythm guitar, as well as drummer Dale Swanson, and Buck's daughter Cindy Purchase Gleason on bass, mandolin and vocals. Although she's billed as the star, it's actually her uncle Roger who sings lead on most tracks, though she sings backup and occasional lead on a few tunes; she had a nice voice, but seemed shy around the microphone and for some reason her vocals come out sounding a bit muffled while his are quite clear. She was, however, one of the group's strongest musicians, and her mandolin leads add heft to otherwise plodding performances -- not that I mean this as a slam: I often prefer amateurish bands, and that's certainly the case here. The band had a strong traditional country orientation, with Roger Purchase delving deep into an idolization of Merle Haggard, which allows a lot of space for slow-paced delivery which both underlines the band's limitations and allows him to bring out a lot of emotional coloring, particularly on songs like "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," "I Never Go Around Mirrors" and the Kenny Rogers hit, "Lucille" (which helps date this disc to 1976, along with the rest of the early 'Seventies repertoire...) The all-too-brief liner notes inform us that the band had been playing together for fifteen years before cutting this disc; as far as I know this was their only album. They also thank a guy named Johnny Urban for helping them out, a tantalizing reference which opens a delightful side path: Johnny Urban (1930-2012) was a regional legend in western Michigan, the owner and operator of a roller rink called Johnny's which was one of the main sources of entertainment for countless kids and parents in a multi-county area. Mr. Urban didn't just host nightly rollerskating, but also threw his doors open to live concerts, hosting touring stars as well as aspiring local bands, ranging from pop and rock artists to, obviously, country singers galore... (Someone made a short documentary about Johnny Urban and his venue, which I would dearly love to see, but haven't been able to track down yet... I'll keep you posted.)

Clinton River Road "Travellin' On" (Secord Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Staub)
A six-song EP of perky country-rock by some fellas from Detroit, Michigan. They used to play at a bowling alley called The Peach Pit, though outside of a couple of mid-'80s show notices in the Free Press, not much info out there about these guys... The group included Tim Boshaw (lead vocals and guitar), Richie Kanan (bass), Bob Monteleone (lead guitar), Greg Poullard (12-string guitar) and Vince Provenzano (vocals and drums), with some fine harmonies by Greg Poullard, Vince Provenzano and Randy Richard. Poco would be proud.

Clinton River Road "Clinton River Road" (Secord Records, 19--?) (LP)

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

The Country Express "In The Name Of Freedom: Original Soundtrack Album" (Genesee Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Junior A. Cole, Albeo Levesque & Alex Bankers)
This purports to be a soundtrack album, although info on the film itself is scant... Anyway, the band called Country Express chugs through a set of all-original material, including seven songs by producer Junior Cole, along with three by bandmember Danny Pack. The other guys in the group were Eddie Dee Deroshia, Scott Hamilton, and Gregory Rokicak. The group appears to have been from Michigan, though there's not much (any?) info about them online...

Country Sunshine "Now And Then" (1981-?) (LP)
(Produced by Brad Thrower & Roger Pirtle)
This early '80s offering comes from a band from Flint, Michigan, headed by songwriter Pat Levely who had a '60s gig as a staff writer for Buck Owens, and who penned Susan Raye's 1971 hit, "I've Got A Happy Heart." Levely recorded a couple of singles in the 'Sixties, but I think this was her only full album, made with a hometown band she formed in the late '70s. The group included Levely on keyboards and vocals, Marzine Yarbrough (vocals, drums), Bill Hill (guitar), Mike Back (bass) and Mike Kile (pedal steel) with a few licks added by producer-engineer Brad Thrower and a few other locals. There are a couple of cover tunes, but a lot of original material credited to Levely and (I think) some friends that weren't in the band. The covers include Johnny Lee's 1980 hit, "Looking For Love," the Four Seasons oldie, "Sherry" and of course Dottie Lee's "Country Sunshine."

Cal Courtney "Cal Courtney" (Gnome Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Jeup, Betty Jeup & Ron Truski)
A set of acoustic folk, pop and country covers, recorded in Detroit, Michigan with second guitar by Joe Kelly... Courtney may have been considered more of a folk musician: a few years later, circa 1981, a show listing in the Detroit Free Press described him as playing "Irish and contemporary songs."

J. W. Custer "Journey's End" (Cardinal Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Whitaker, Elden Stielstra & Greg Stielstra)
Outlaw honkytonk from the Great Lakes... Songwriter Joe Whitaker took his stage name from his hometown of Custer, Michigan, a postage-stamp hamlet about fifty miles north of Grand Rapids. This album showcases three of his original songs, including the title track, "Journey's End," along with "Tear Drops And Memories" and "Vaughnita" (all credited to Joe Whitaker.) He also covers a couple of Waylon & Willie tunes, one by Billy Joe Shaver, an obscure Harlan Howard song ("Grey Eyes") and a few real oldies, such as Rex Griffin's "Last Letter" and Jimmie Rodgers' "T For Texas." The album was recorded in nearby Scottsville and features all-local talent, with backing by multi-instrumentalist Tex Galvan, Ray Dempsey (keyboards), Gerry Hendrix (steel guitar), Rusty Petersen (lead guitar), Dave Reinoehl (drums) and Bob Verne on bass. There's no date on the album, but since it includes Waylon's "Lookin' For A Feeling," it's at least from late 1978 or 1979.

Custer's Last Stand "The Last Stand" (Cardinal Records, 1983-?) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Smedberg)
This is an album by the same fella listed below, Joe Whitaker, aka J. W. Custer, (1948-2016) a jack of all trades who hailed from Custer, Michigan. As far as I know, these were his only two albums; this one seems to be from the mid-1980s and mostly features covers of oldies such as "The Auctioneer," "Faded Love," and "Mule Skinner Blues," as well as more contemporary numbers such as Dick Feller's "Shelly's Winter Love" and Tompall Glaser's infamous "Put Another Log On The Fire." The inclusion of a Louvin Brothers tune, "When I Stop Dreaming," also speaks well of Mr. Whitaker's sensibilities. The liner notes mention a music venue called the Custer Jamboree, though I think that was more of a local jam session than anything else. Additional info is always welcome!

Dan & Judy "Dan And Judy" (Preferred Stock Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dan Stewart, Judy Joynes & Elden Stielstra)
This brother/sister duo from Ludington, Michigan certainly had an affinity for country material, though the instruments used on this album are hardly what you'd expect to hear on Hee-Haw. Dan Stewart's lead guitar is framed by saxophone, synthesizer, trumpet and tambourine, with nary a fiddle, banjo or pedal steel to be seen. Still, they are country-oriented if not all that twangy in sound... The country covers include "Amanda," "Silver Wings" and "Your Cheatin' Heart," while there's also a dip into oldies rock, heard on their versions of "Sixteen Candles" and Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock'n'Roll." (There's no date on this album, but the Seger track places it at least around 1979; if pressed, I'd guess 1980-81.) While the siblings are listed as co-producers, Elden Stielstra was the actual engineer/producer, operating out of Wild Honey Studios, in Scottsville, Michigan... Beyond that, this record remains a resolute mystery, with nary a smidge of information to be gleaned from the vast interwebs archives; the only mention I found of them playing live was at her sister's Ludington wedding in 1984.

Darrell "Darrell" (D & J Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Truski)
Just a man, a guitar, a very simple drum machine, and a whole lot of pop and country cover songs. There's no indication on this album when this came out, or what Darrell's last name was -- there's no original material on here, so no publishing info to help out. "D & J" stands for Darrell and Jean Enterprises, and this was recorded at a place called Pro Sound Studios, in East Detroit, Michigan, but that's about it. This seems to be pretty strictly a vanity pressing, even moreso than most of the records in this survey; he really wasn't a very polished performer, and it's hard to imagine this guy actually played any live gigs, but you never know. This was a Rite Records pressing, with a matrix number that indicates a release date around 1974, or '75. (I always think of drum machines as an 'Eighties kinda thing, but they had some commercially available models floating around since the late 'Sixties... so consider me schooled.)

Lane Dawson "Love Letters" (Shalom Productions, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Harrison)
I got on the trail of Michigander honky tonk singer Lane Dawson (ne Laurence B. Dube, 1941-2016) on the basis of a few (quite good) singles he did in the early 'Seventies... He was an intriguing singer with a slightly odd voice but he worked his way into a solid, Gene Watson-ish hard country vibe and it's a shame he didn't make an album back then. Unfortunately by the time he cut this album in Nashville, times and tastes had changed and this album came out with a slick, early 'Eighties, keyboard-heavy production sound. It's mostly cover songs, with just one original written by Mr. Dawson, "Let Your Fingers Do The Walking." On the liner notes, he explains that his concept for this album was to record a set of positively-themed country tunes, as an antidote to all the cheatin' songs and boozin' tunes that he thought were getting to be a downer. Along those lines, he recorded another album for the Shalom label, the inspirational gospel set listed below, but as far as I know his earlier work has not been anthologized elsewhere. (Hint, hint.)

Lane Dawson "The Bus Driver Sings More Songs Of Praise" (Shalom Productions, 1985) (LP)
Oh, yeah: apparently Mr. Dawson was nicknamed "The Bus Driver" -- after a long career in radio, he shifted gears and started his own tour bus company, and later drove a bus for the Checker company. He's pictured behind the wheel on the front cover of this album and looks pretty comfortable... Which of course opens the question of whether "Lane" was a playful, transit-related monicker. Finally, just to tie things up nicely, Shalom Productions was a private label started in 1977 by the evangelical team of Henry and Hazel Slaughter, both as an outlet for their own ministry and as a for-hire private press label, mostly catering to Christian musicians.

Johni Dee "Just Trackin' " (American Communication Enterprises Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by John Dee, Bill Carnes, Jim Rice)
Ambitious indie twang from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan... Around 1976-77, John D. Lollio was the drummer in a Deerborn-based Elvis Presley tribute band called Mystery Train, then got bumped up to the group's lead singer in '78. Though named after an Elvis song, the band drifted towards country material and recorded this set of mostly-original material just before breaking up in '82. Sadly, the musicians are not identified, though there is a proliferation of producers including Bill Carnes and Jimmy W. Rice who both wrote songs for Johni to record. One of the singles off the album was credited to the band, and suggested that the record would be coming out under the Mystery Train name, although I guess they decided "Johni Dee" sounded cooler. Though he continued to play locally for years to come, Mr. Lollio mostly hung up his spurs after this and settled down to become a tax accountant. As far as I know this was his only album, though he may have released a CD a couple of decades later.

Danny DeGood "All New Country" (King's Universal Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Louis Wright)
An independent honkytonker from Greenville, Michigan, Danny DeGood wrote all ten songs on this album, including numbers such as "Aggravation Is The Name Of The Game," "Playing Around," "Thank God For That Woman" and "Talk Is Cheap." deGood had been at it for quite a while before he cut this album: in the liner notes, he thanks the owner of a local bar in Greenville who put his first single in the jukebox back in 1968(!). The album was recorded in Nashville, though, sadly, neglecting to list the studio musicians... not sure if he made any other records, though.

The Diplomats "Gary Davis' Mackinaw Music Show Presents..." (Mackinaw Music Show, 1975-?) (LP)
Dunno why Michigan bandleader Gary Davis sometimes called his group Mackinaw Music Show and sometimes The Diplomats, but whatever. Seems to be the same folks, though, including Kirsty Davis, who also released an album of her own. There's no date on the album, but I'm guessing '75 based on the catalog number and the set list, which is heavy on early-to-mid-'Seventies, including covers of "Behind Closed Doors," "Paper Roses," "Tie A Yellow Ribbon," "Country Roads" and "Delta Dawn."

Gary Dunbar "Lonely Song" (North Country, 1977)
(Produced by Gary Dunbar)
Kind of folkie sounding, but with pedal steel, and country-themed lyrics... This record has an odd origin, tracing back to a Grand Rapids, Michigan rock band called Band X, who "went country" and changed their name to North Country in 1971. Dunbar was a friend of the band who kind of inherited their name, and a couple of guys from the original group -- Jay Fortier and Roger Tarczon -- backed him on this record...

Connie Dycus "Let Ole Lonesome In" (Country's Finest Disc Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Raney, Harry Glenn & Rose Maddox)
Originally from down south, Connie Dycus (1930-1978) was born in Tennessee, grew up in Arkansas and moved up north to Flint, Michigan where he was a country deejay and hosted his own TV show, while also working a day job at a General Motors factory... Dycus was a first-generation rockabilly/rock'n'roll star, recording tracks with Jim Minor and as a solo artist -- in 1958, he cut a single for Mercury Records, "Rock-a-Bye-Baby Rock"/"Mind If I Cry" and recorded steadily through the early '60s, releasing singles on a variety of small local labels, including Wayne Raney's Rimrock Records. Raney also produced this early 'Seventies LP, which was partly made up of late 'Sixties recordings, and has a bouncy, novelty feel, equal parts Bill Carlisle and Buck Owens. Great stuff, with plenty of twang. Dycus wrote ten of the twelve songs on here, and covers the Merle Travis oldie, "Dark As A Dungeon," which was also released as a single on Rimrock. Dycus eventually moved back to Arkansas, and passed away later in life.

Bob Dylan "John Wesley Harding" (Columbia Records, 1967)
(Produced by Bob Johnston)
It's pretty hard -- and maybe a little silly -- to try and pin down when Dylan "started" playing country music, since he's always been such an eclectic and innovative songwriter, and there's never been as much distance between "folk" and "country" as many people think. Anyway, this album is notable for some session cut in Nashville with session players such as Pete Drake and Charlie McCoy, and while it's hardly "a country record," the twang is definitely there. People love this record, though personally I never need to hear "All Along the Watchtower" again, in any version... Nonetheless, as a country fan I find Nashville Skyline (below) to be an infinitely more satisfying album.

Bob Dylan "Nashville Skyline" (Columbia Records, 1969)
(Produced by Bob Johnston)
Dylan seems to have liked being in Nashville, and he went back to record another album there, arguably better and more concise -- a real gem. This album boasts several classic tracks, notably "Lay Lady Lay" and the sublime "Girl From The North Country," which features harmony vocals by Johnny Cash, an establishment rebel who championed Dylan's songs at a time when conservative Nashville viewed him as a leftie longhair, and certainly not a source of good songs. Their duet isn't musically cohesive, but it has a beautiful, joyful feel and was certainly historic, with Cash annointing Dylan with country cred and Dylan bringing the Man In Black to the attention of the hippie hipoisie. Backed by several of the same studio pickers as John Wesley Harding, Dylan seems in really good mood -- relaxed, open-hearted, playful -- and the studio pickers sound happy to let their hair down and play some funky riffs for the rock god... It's certainly one of my favorite Dylan albums, and not just because of the twang factor... Recommended!

Bob Dylan "Bootleg Series, v.10 -- Another Self Portrait: 1969-1971" (Columbia Legacy, 2013)
Much reviled, but better than those old hippie-era critics thought it was... I tend to think of Bob Dylan's oft-reviled 1970 Self Portrait album as one of the first records he did where he wasn't trying so hard to prove a point, where he just let go of the rock star thing and followed his own interests as a music fan, rather than as a much-parsed, groundbreaking iconic innovator. That impression is borne out by the release of the tenth volume in his self-curated "Bootleg" series, where outtakes and demos from those sessions reveal just how deeply he was getting into reconnecting with his simpler folkie roots. There are alternate versions of songs that appeared on the album, as well as a number of tracks that were recorded at the same time, but not included in the final 2-LP set. A lot of these are straight-up folk songs, chestnuts like "Pretty Saro" and "Railroad Bill," as well as a demo version of the old murder ballad, "Little Sadie," which did make it onto the album, albeit in souped-up form. What I hear in these sessions is Dylan the flashy, genre-busting songsmith going back to the well, relaxing a little, taking the time to actually enjoy the kind of music that originally inspired his love of folk music, and using that experience to propel himself forward. Many of these tracks are just Dylan and acoustic guitarist David Bromberg farting around and jamming, alternating between goofiness and sincerity, but palpably having fun with the music. You can sense, as well, that while he's pickin' and singin' these old-fashioned hootenanny tunes, Dylan's subconscious mind is moving along a little further down the line; while he relaxes and takes the pressure off, the familiar old melodies quietly open up new creative paths -- you can also sense that Bromberg knew this as well, and was just there to give Dylan the kind of unfussy, unhurried accompaniment he needed at the time. It's a fascinating aural document: Self Portrait was panned at the time, and though it's retroactively gained a loyal following, it still remains one of his lesser albums. For my money, these demos and outtakes supersede the studio album, revealing the richer emotional undercurrent to a record that many perceived as a pointed rejection of fame and the expectations pressed upon Dylan by his critics and his fans. These sessions show something else: a musician rejecting the pressures of celebrity so that he could simply enjoy music again.

Bob Dylan "Blood On The Tracks" (Columbia Records, 1975)
(Produced by Bob Dylan)
This is my number one, all-time, mostest favorite Bob Dylan record ever, an immensely rewarding album that keeps standing the test of time, again and again and again. Dylan is fully committed to this set -- he's vibrant, intense, alive, playful and acidic, and concise in a way he hadn't been in years. The disc is packed with classics and indeed there isn't a bad song on here, although some songs, like "Simple Twist Of Fate," "Shelter From The Storm" and "Buckets Of Rain," grow easier on the ears as time goes by... Twangfans will note the talents of Buddy Cage, Peter Ostroushko and Eric Weissberg on here, amid a phalanx of talented players, all completely on the same wavelength as Dylan and working in harmony to give this record its cohesive, perfect feel. Highly, highly recommended.

Easy Pickings "In On The Edges" (Noble Records, 19--?)
Not to be confused with the Easy Pickin' band from Connecticut, these Rust Belt bluegrassers hailed from Pontiac, Michigan, and featured the lineup of Nadine Toles, Rick Toles, David Williams and Jim Williams... The set list includes a bunch of Noles and Williams originals, as well as a handful of traditional tunes. Not sure when this one came out -- they thank their guru in the liner notes, which sounds so early 'Seventies, but the cover photo looks suspiciously early '80s.

Jimmy Edwards "Love Bug Crawl" (Bear Family Records, 2010)
Rare, obscuro-rockabilly from a little-known rocker who hailed from Michigan... His 1957 hit, "Love Bug Crawl," has a Jerry Lee Lewis-ish feel to it, but he dabbled in twang and soft-pop as well, often singing in a sort of in a Charlie Rich pop-blues ballad mode. It's not the most rip-snorting material, and he's not the greatest or most original singer, but it's a definite blast from the past, with a nice nostalgic feel. Worth checking out, though not mindblowing.

Wild Bill Emerson "Bull Mountain Lad" (RPA Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Earl Richards)
William Martin ("Wild Bill") Emerson (1938-2020) and his wife Jody Emerson were a husband-wife songwriting team from Adrian, Michigan who moved down to Tennessee in the early 1970s to make it big in Nashville... They released a string of singles before he released this first album, which includes a slew of tunes co-credited to both writers. Sadly, the musicians are not listed here, though the involvement of producer Earl Richards is intriguing -- Richards was himself a moderately successful songwriter, but still kind of out in left field.

Wild Bill Emerson "Got A Hit In My Pocket" (RPA Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Earl Richards)

Wild Bill Emerson "Harland County" (E&R Records, 1982) (LP)
This set really appeals to me as a longtime fan of the bright production style of the MCA label's mid-'Seventies country records, recalling lost gems from artist like Carmol Taylor and David Wills... The arrangements are clean and straightforward, with perfect little ornamentations, while the lyrics have crisp thematic concision, including some great cheatin' songs, notably "Doin' My Playing At Home," "Just at Dawn" and the Buck Owens-flavored "Another Man's Home." As a vocalist and songwriter, Emerson leans heavily into imitating Merle Haggard, and there's nothing wrong with that, for sure. No info on the producer or musicians, alas, though they were all clearly rock solid... Indeed, the album's second track is a strikingly innovative instrumental, "Blues Grass," a zippy little number with a modern, post-disco feel, while also being 100% not tacky; it's mirrored on Side Two by the more ornate and orchestral "Jodie's Garden," which in contrast is a bit over-the-top. Overall, twangfans should find this to be a very strong album... Highly recommended.

Max English "Still Country" (Sonic Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Carmen Joseph, Stan Getz II, Breck Watt)
A Kentucky boy who put in his time in Nashville, songwriter Max English had moved to Michigan by the time he recorded his own album. He's backed by a bunch of locals playing all kinds of twangy stuff -- fiddles, steel, dobro, the works. The repertoire is almost all originals, with three cover songs , including Merle Haggard's "Silver Wings," and stuff by Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley.

Erich "My Kind Of Music" (1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Badude)
Originally from Canada, singer Erich Fallisch moved to Lincoln Park, Michigan and opened his own club, a German-style hofbrau called Hans' Schnitzelbank, in Wyandotte, MI, which he ran for nearly a decade. He also provided the entertainment, headlining with the Maple Street Band, musicians whose names, sadly, are not provided on this album. The set is a mix of country and pop vocals material, with an Elvis-impression medley at the end of Side Two. The country covers include songs such as "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Jambalaya," "Six Days On The Road." There are also three originals mononymically credited to Erich: "Marianne," "Please, Please Forgive Me," and "Ten Miles From Texas." In 1983, Erich relocated to Cape Coral, Florida, where he set up shop as a weddings, parties, anything kinda guy, while also headlining at a place called Powell's lounge for over twenty years. Not totally sure when this LP came out, but it was probably sometime in the 'Seventies, certainly before the move to Florida.

Footloose "The Day Begins In The Evening" (Mudhen Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Will Spencer)
A bluegrassy string-swing band from Ann Arbor, Michigan... This Footloose (not to be confused with the boogie band from Georgia) was a longhaired acoustic ensemble, mixing old-time mountain music with twanged-up oldies rock tunes, American songbook standards and even a whirl at Louis Jordan's "Barnyard Boogie." They also add a bunch of their own original material, which makes up over half the album. The shaggy-looking group included John Foster, Patti O'Connor, Bill Barton and Myron Grant, who each played multiple instruments. This may have been their first album.

Footloose "Country In The City" (Mudhen Records, 1981) (LP)

Kathy Ford "Kathy Ford" (The Great Arts And Farces Company, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Kathy Ford & Brad Thrower)

Ray Franks & The Can't Hardly Playboys "Just Plain Country" (Bar-Co, 197--?) (LP)
I totally love this album -- I dig the band name, the album title, and hey, the music's pretty great, too. Ray Franks, a self-taught country auteur from Grand Rapids, Michigan, named his band the Can't Hardly Playboys, 'way back when he was teenager in the late 1950s, while he was learning the ropes with Great Lakes western swing bandleader Herb Brown. I dunno what the whole story is with this one... The guys in the band are mostly from around Batesville, Arkansas, where this disc was recorded, and they sound pretty good. The songs are all Franks originals, but they have a powerful streak of unruly, old-school hillbilly music to them... The music is rough-edged and imperfect, also completely heartfelt and authentic. Most of the songs aren't great compositions, but they are fun, and twangy as all getout. I think Franks also recorded a few singles, and kept the band together for decades after this, well into the 2000s, at least. If you can track this one down, definitely check it out.

Ronnie Fray "Put This In Your Ear" (Eastown Wreckerds, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Ronnie Fray, Johnny Powers & Pat Meehan)
An odd and uneven -- but still kinda charming -- album from a longtime member of the Grand Rapids, Michigan music scene. This is an uber-DIY production, notable for its blend of country twang and funky, Southern rock-tinged roadhouse music... Fray is perhaps best compared to Delbert McClinton -- he covers McClinton's "Cold November" and thanks him in the liner notes -- with one foot in the blues/rock and the other in straight-up twang. He was originally from Canada, and moved to Grand Rapids in 1966 while fronting a rock band called the Capers. Gradually Fray established himself as a solo artist and bandleader, and when he made this record he had a regular gig at a Grand Rapids bar called the Eastown Saloon, which helped put out this album. Anyway, this is a nice slice of self-produced roots music... Fray didn't have a killer voice, but his diverse musical tastes and good-natured vibe are pretty compelling. Worth a spin, if you can track it down.

Jim Gold "Hometown Hero" (CBS-Tabu Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Theodore & Dennis Coffey)
Detroit's Jim Gold struck it big as a songwriter in the early 1970s with his sunshine-y pop band Gallery (known for the hit "I Believe In Music") but struggled to recreate that magic in later years. He dabbles in country-rock twang on this album -- I was drawn to pedal steel and mandolin listed in the credits -- but ultimately it winds up being more of a stylistic affectation rather than a commitment to the style. So, I guess I'm listing this one more as a warning to twangfans -- now you don't have to spend that dollar in the cheapie bin -- although fans of 'Seventies pop and AOR will probably find a lot to enjoy on this diverse disc. One interesting note was how much some of the guitar tones on a few tunes resembled early Dire Straits... guess it was just the technology of the times, or something.

Tim Hazel "Jim Hazel" (The Poison Apple Recordings, 1965-?) (LP)
(Produced by Don Stockall)
No date on this disc, but judging from the repertoire -- a bunch of early Dylan, a couple of Tom Paxton tunes, some public domain oldies, and a cover of Roger Miller's "King Of The Road" -- 1965 or thereabouts seems like a good bet.

Jim Hazel "Jim Hazel" (Colonial Records, 1967-?) (LP)
(Produced by Robert Lawton)
Imagine the consternation Detroit-area folkie Tim Hazel felt when he got this one back from the printer, and saw his first name misspelled "Jim." Oh, well. Also, his bass player's name is spelled here as Chuck Jacbowski, and as Charlie Jakubowski on the Coronation LP (below) though I have no idea which one is correct. Hazel was a long, long, longtime fixture on the Michigan folk scene, still making local appearances in the late 2010's... He's joined here by Mr. Jacbowski on acoustic bass, as well as banjo player Bill Rutlege, who was active in a number of late ' Sixties local bands. This disc was a pretty low-budget private album, with the front cover's "Jim Hazel" the only text appearing on either side of the album jacket. The song list is pretty much straight-up folkie material, with a couple of dips into country: seven songs including "Green, Green Grass Of Home" "Gentle On My Mind," "Jambalaya," "Plastic Jesus," and "Wayward Wind." I've seen it listed as a 1976 release, but I have my doubts: "Gentle On My Mind" was a rising hit in the summer of '67 (and a global smash the following year) and it seems to be the most recent song on this album, so unless Hazel found some old tapes in the basement and decided to reissue them for nostalgic purposes in the disco era, my money would be on '67. He also put out at last one single with a similar (all red) look, though for some reason he kept changing his labels name(s).

Tim Hazel "Tim Hazel" (Coronation Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Robert Lawton)
A folkie-lookin' album, though he definitely covers some country stuff... Along with versions of "Everybody's Talkin At Me," "Johnny B. Goode" and "Leavin' On A Jet Plane" are twangtunes like "El Paso," "Sunday Mornin' Coming Down," "Singin' The Blues" and "North To Alaska," and of course one more version each of "Green, Green Grass Of Home" and "Me And Bobby McGee." Mr. Hazel seems to have been from around Detroit somewhere; he's backed by Charlie Jakubowski on bass, Duane Wiggs playing lead guitar and additional vocals by Marcia Clum.

Tusco Heath "Cross Roads" (Rimrock Records, 19--?) (LP)
Outsider-y folk ramblings by songwriter Tusco Heath, a Montana mountain man who at the time was living in Petoskey, Michigan, where he taught history and literature at a local community college. Heath was originally from Bozeman, and was an outdoorsy kinda guy whose life took a big turn at age eighteen in 1946 when he lost a leg in an automobile accident while stationed as a US Army private in Germany. Health considered the tragedy a blessing in disguise, causing him to head back the States and enroll in college then to eventually become an academic. Heath taught English and History at colleges and universities in Montana and Indiana before landing a permanent position at North Central Michigan College, where he worked for twenty years before retiring in 1990. Among his many interests was singing and folklore, inspiring him to record four albums that have a rather odd feel -- in one sense they are very staid and almost fusty, packed with traditional ballads of the "Barbara Allen" folk-revival variety. His vocals are booming and stentorian, not unlike Burl Ives or Tennessee Ernie Ford, although with amateurish rough edges that make them distinctive enough, perhaps, to attract modern listeners. Mr. Heath also composed much of his own material, often writing with his wife, Mary K. Heath, a collaboration heard on several tracks on this album. He also covers Gordon Lightfoot, on the title track, while his background in literature is also evident in adaptations of works by Edna St. Vincent Millay ("Ballad Of The Harp Weaver") and Stephen Vincent Benet ("Ballad Of William Sycamore.") Not everyone's cup of tea, to be sure, but Heath did have a large presence and these tracks have an oddly compelling feel.

Tusco Heath "My Kind Of People" (Rimrock Records, 1970) (LP)
Recorded as professor Heath was leaving Dawson College, headed for a new position at Ball State University in Muncie. A news item from The Billings Gazette in January, 1970 mentions that Heath had recently recorded this album, and that it was his second record, although honestly it's kinda hard to sort out which of his records came out when. I guess he was teaching at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana around this time.

Tusco Heath "This Is Loneliness" (Rimrock Records, 1969) (LP)
Probably Heath's most overtly country album, this includes folk songs written by Jesse Ashlock, Ric Masten, Buffy St. Marie, Tom Paxton, Ian Tyson, as well as more overtly country stuff by Waylon Jennings and Sheb Wooley. Tusco Heath plays 12-string guitar and dobro, with backing by Lucky Deppe on bass, Zyndall Raney (organ and electric guitar), and Ron Wight playing drums. The disc was reviewed in the Ball State University student paper on April 23, 1969, so it's another one we can pin down a bit, despite the sparse liner notes.

Tusco Heath "Songs Of Love And Bloodshed" (Old Homestead Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Gig Stewart)
Although it sounds like this could be a swell set of good, old Appalachian murder ballads, but all the songs are apparently Tusco Heath originals. He sings and strums the 12-string, with additional guitar picking by Dale Reiger. Added bonus: this one's logged in the Library Of Congress as having come out in August, 1973, so this helps bookend Heath's recording career...

Marv Herzog "Country" (Sound Incorporated, 1978) (LP)
This one's a little far afield for most twangfans... It's a (sort of) country album by polka bandleader Marv Herzog, who had about a dozen albums under his belt by the time he recorded this one, mostly lauding German-American culture and the joys of Oktoberfest. To be honest, most of the songs on here are still just plain old polka tunes, with Herzog chugging along on both accordion and cordovox, backed by a compact trio of guitar, bass and drums. On the country side, he performs instrumental versions of "San Antonio Rose" and the Kenny (Sauron) Rogers 1977 hit, "Lucille." There's also a curious vocal version of "Before The Next Teardrop Falls," which is probably the album's highlight, at least from a twangfan's perspective. Side note: this album appears to be from the late '70s, though Herzog kept playing for years and years, and was still working professionally in 1991, when he opened his own Bavarian-themed hotel in his hometown of Frankenmuth, Michigan, a tourist town near Saginaw that caters to Germanophiles and polka lovers alike.

Rhonda (Herzog) "When They Ring Those Golden Bells" (Herzog Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by John Antos, Mark Antos, Marv Herzog & Rhonda Herzog)
Another fine example of the intersection between country music and polka up in the Great Lakes region. This was a "solo" album by multi-instrumentalist Rhonda Herzog, the daughter of polka bandleader and accordionist Marv Herzog. She sings lead vocals and plays bass, guitar and banjo, with Marv Herzog on accordion and cordovox, joined here by two members of Marv Herzog's group, drummer Dave Burner and Don Cialkoszewski on accordion and elkovox. There's no doubt this was a dance band, though she sings several ballads, including several country tunes from the likes of Boudeleaux Bryant ("All I Have To Do Is Dream"), Dick Feller ("Some Days Are Diamonds") erstwhile Pure Prairie League-er Gary Burr ("Love's Been A Little Hard On Me"). In addition there are some polka-ed up adaptations of pop songs such as "Could I Have This Dance" and "Somewhere My Love." This seems to have been her only solo album, and though I haven't gone through all their albums to check, I suspect she played on a few of his other albums. The Herzogs also opened their own hotel in Frankenmuth, Michigan, which also includes a modest museum commemorating his musical career.

High Country "Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow" (1981-?) (LP)
(Produced by Robert White)
Not to be confused with the bluegrass band of the same name, these Michiganders were country devotees, covering '70s and early '80s twangtunes such as "He Stopped Loving Her Today," "I'm Not Ready Yet," "Old Flames," "Tulsa Time," and "Keys In The Mailbox," as well as an (uncredited) track, "High Country Shuffle," that I guessing may have been an original. The group included Jim Baker (lead vocals and bass), Andy Miller (lead guitar), Gene Beer (pedal Steel), Reuben Trudeau (fiddle) and Joseph Elzinga (drums)... The album was recorded at the Music Shop Studio in Charlevoix, Michigan, with a shout-out to their local radio station, WVOY.

Horsefeather "Horsefeather" (Horsefeather Records, 1978) (LP)
A longhaired country band from Michigan... All original material, except for one cover of a Roy Acuff song. It also includes a song called "Dreams Of Cthulu," so the album may be haunted, or whatever it is Cthulu does in our dimension...

Iowa Rose & Riff-Raff "Steppin' Out" (Checkered Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Iowa Rose & Riff-Raff)
Despite the state-specific bandname, these string-swing revivalists were apparently from (or living in) teeny-tiny Brethren, Michigan when they cut this album, a semi-nonexistent locale which is way in the middle of nowhere, up north, near Lake Michigan. The quartet probably got its name from one member, Jeff Rose, who wrote four of the band's original songs. Also on board were David Raffenaud, Mark Schrock, and Mary Sue Wilkinson. They cover material as diverse as the swing-R&B oldie "Choo Choo Ch-Boogie," folkie Don Lange's "Old Wooley" and jazzman Nat Adderley's "Work Song."

Iowa Rose "Yellow Roses" (Checkered Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Iowa Rose & John Fritz, Tim Heidt & Joe McCargar)
Another string-swing set by the Michigander of Dave Raffenaud (piano and accordion), Jeff Rose (banjo, dobro and guitar), Mark Schrock (bass, fiddle and mandolin), and Mary Sue Wilkinson (guitar), with all four of them also singing, and a few guest musicians tucked in along the margins. Anyone know if they ade any other records?

Jack & Jacki "Better Times A Comin' " (C&W Incorporated, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Evans & Ron Jeffreys)
This bluegrass-meets-country duo hails from Dewitt, Michigan, a northern suburb of Lansing... Bandleaders Jack Clarkson (lead guitar, mandolin and fiddle) and Jacki VanBecelaere (guitar and piano) headed to Nashville to cut these tracks, taking band members drummer Bee Metros and bassist Jim Pearson. Their sound was augmented by a bunch of studio cats, notably steel player Chuck Bartlett, James McKinney on banjo fiddler Vassar Clements, whose studio they were recording at. [Note: Jack Clarkson continues to record and perform for many years, and has this album available on his website.]

Lori Jacobs "Everything's Jake!" (Neostat Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Lori Jacobs, David VavDePitte & Harvey Yates)
There's a lot going on with this one. First off, this is one of those consider-this-a-warning, I-took-a-bullet-for-you oddball albums that's not really all that country, but is definitely full-on 'Seventies kitsch. The reason I had to pick it up was the musician credits on the back cover: they're packed with high-level Nashville pros, studio luminaries such as Fred Carter Jr., Buddy Emmons, Johnny Gimble, Dave Kirby, Tony Migliore and others (as well as Detroit's own pop-disco hometown hero, Dennis Coffey, who probably helped arrange the album's opener, the disco-tinged "I Don't Envy Time.") Now, to be sure this wealth of twangy talent did produce a few plausibly countrypolitan tracks, notably on Side Two of the album, which takes a sharp turn away from the more AOR-oriented soft pop sound dominating Side One. But no matter what style she's working in, Ms. Jacobs lyrics and songs are just... well, a little weird. She actually self-released this album from her hometown of Birmingham, Michigan a few years after she had a shot at mainstream success, cutting an album called Free for Capitol Records in 1973, working I suppose in the same lane as singer-songwritin' gals such as Karla Bonoff, Phoebe Snow and Wendy Waldman. But this disc is enduringly strange -- it feels solitary, ingrown, unconnected to any dreams of breaking through to a wider audience, perhaps defiantly so. The real deal-breaker, though, may be the back-cover graphics, which at first glance just seems like a repetition of the Laverne And Shirley tough-girl photo on the front, but on closer inspection reveals something much weirder: it is the same photo, flipped into a mirror image, which was hand screened onto a pair of men's tighty-whitey briefs which are actually being worn on one of the hairiest heinies imaginable. This disturbing spectacle (were iron-on undies a "thing" in the '70s?) prompted a spirited debate between me and my wife: she says Jacobs was forced into it, while I insist she was an auteur, fully in charge of whatever was going on with this record. At any rate, it did not burn up the charts, even though at least four different singles were broken off this album (including a couple of non-album tracks! if anyone's contemplating a reissue some day...) One song, "Tugboat Annie," apparently cracked the Top 100 a couple of years later in 1980 and public records show her still performing locally that same year, but Lori Jacobs seems to have given up on a career in music as the '80s rolled around and eventually got a law degree, working in a variety of Detroit agencies. Anyway, soft-pop fans may dig this disc, but you twangfans should consider yourselves warned.

Tommy James "My Head, My Bed, And My Red Guitar" (Roulette Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Drake, Bob King & Scotty Moore)
For his second solo album, pop star Tommy James -- yes, he of Shondells fame, and originally from Michigan -- decamped to Nashville to cut this rural-tinted record. James and co-composer Bob King wrote most of the material, then hunkered down in the studio with an A-list crew of usual-suspect superpickers: Pete Drake, Ray Edenton, DJ Fontana, Dave Kirby, Charlie McCoy, Hargus Robbins, Buddy Spicher, with The Nashville Edition singing backup. Also on the sessions was songwriter Linda Hargrove, before her solo career blossomed -- she plays acoustic guitar and also contributed a song, "Rosalee," one of her earliest successes in Nashville.

Kansas City Southern "Kansas City Southern" (NCR Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Elgin & Al McGuire)
These country-rockers cover classics such as Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville," "Can't Find Me Love" by the Beatles, Neil Young's "Are You Ready For The Country" and also play several original songs on their own Second Chance publishing company, including several written by keyboard player Randy Amborn: "Broken Hearted Lady" and "I'm Coming Home," "Sweet Loving Arms," "After Hours" and two credited to L. Britten (who doesn't seem to have been a bandmember): "Blow Me A Bubble" and "I Hate To See A Grown Man Cry." Dunno much about the band, though -- not sure if they were from Kansas City or not... I think they were actually from up in Michigan. The group included Randy Amborn on keyboards, Joe Bennaka (drums), Bill Lamm (bass) and Mike Brady on lead vocals and guitar.

Eddy Kay "Live/Dead" (Cotton Mouth Music, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Eddy Kay)
Yeah, I thought it would be a Grateful Dead cover album, too, but this late-'Seventies outing is all original material by songwriter Eddy Kay, of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. The album title refers to one side of the album being live, the other half recorded in he studio. Mr. Kay performed a mix of "folk, rock and comedy" for many years around the greater Detroit area, right up until the 2010s. Apparently he played all the instruments on this album, including banjo, bass, guitar, keyboards and mandolin. Let's hear it for the power of multi-tracking!

Frank Kinsel "At Home" (Epic Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Breault)
Folk-rocker Francis J. Kinsel, Jr. was originally from Detroit, Michigan where he recorded a couple of Northern soul singles and played live gigs around 1963. He mellowed out a bit for this eclectic hippie-era, album which was more of a rock/folk/blues kinda thing, with pedal steel pro Red Rhodes playing on several tracks... Not a lot of info I could find about him online -- I think this may have been his only full album.

Bill Kirchen -- see artist profile

Kirsty "Mackinaw Music Show Presents: Kirsty" (1980-?) (LP)
This young gal, Kirsty Davis, was a featured singer in the country-oriented Michigan-based variety program, the Gary Davis Mackinaw Music Show, which was a five-piece band that toured throughout the Midwest during the late 1970s. (Davis also sponsored a band called the Diplomats who put out an album as well.) Not sure when this one came out, but she does sing a cover of the song, "Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For," which was a hit for Crystal Gayle in 1978, so I'm guessing 1980-ish on this one...

Don Lincoln/Various Artists "Don Lincoln And Friends At Sandyland Park" (Sandyland Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Sandy Salyers & Dean Bredwell)
This album was a souvenir of a mom'n'pop country music venue called Sandyland Park, located in Nashville, Michigan (between Lansing and Kalamazoo.) Sandyland Park was the brainchild of George "Sandy" Salyers, a colorful figure who worked as a radio deejay in the early 1960s, before changing careers to become a barber. Salyers opened Sandyland in the fall of '78 and ran the park up through 1985, hosting numerous national stars on tour, as well as a house band starring singer Don Lincoln, who is said to have opened every show at the venue. On this album Lincoln is joined by Don Darnell (drums), Larry Doerr (rhythm guitar) and Linda Doerr, Bill Fuller (lead guitar), and Julane McNatt, a featured vocalist who was apparently in her teens at the time. As far as I can tell, the songs are all cover tunes, including chestnuts like "Proud Mary," "Silver Wings" and "You Gave Me A Mountain," as well as more contemporary stuff such The Eagles' "Lyin' Eyes" and the Kendalls hit, "Heaven's Just A Sin Away." Not sure of the date, but 1978-79-ish seems about right.

Bobby Wayne Loftis "Style" (Charta Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Fields)
A country back-bencher who made it further than most, Bobby Wayne Loftis scored a handful of back-forty hits, with his highest charting single, a cover of Johnny Rivers's "Poor Side Of Town," which pegged out at #54 on Billboard. Loftis (1940-1990) was born in Kentucky and lived in Battle Creek, Michigan for most of his life... He was a military veteran who was paralyzed by a back injury; although the liner notes on his second album called Loftis "a victim of the Vietnam era," in his obituary says he served from 1958-61, and was injured in an auto accident while stationed in France. A former rocker who owned a club called the Green Top Inn for a while in the late '60s, Loftis "went country" in the early '70s and headed for Nashville to cut the material for two albums. Loftis worked steadily on Michigan's country scene, playing regionally around Kalamazoo and Detroit, notably at Green's Tavern and Yancy's bar. This album includes some of his most successful material, including a cover of Charlie Louvin's "See The Big Man Cry," which was released as a single and cracked into the national charts. This led to a string of modestly successful singles on the Charta label, some of which were recycled on the Phonorama album below. The studio crew is packed with usual-suspect Nashville pickers -- Jimmy Capps, Jack Eubanks, Sonny Garrish, et.al. Loftis also released a couple of indie-label singles before signing to Charta in '76.

Bobby Wayne Loftis "I'll Remember" (Phonorama Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Fields)

Denny Luce "Southern Class" (Skyline Records, 1988-?) (LP)
A super-obscure one here, by a guy from Revenna, Michigan, a tiny a village near Grand Rapids... At least that's where he was living around 2015, when he made another record with the help of fellow Michigander Randy Barlow; I couldn't find much information about Mr. Luce, his career, or this record, though I did try. Also not sure if he's the same Denny Luce who later worked on a podcast reviewing craft beers... but heck, why not? Sounds about right!

Marv Martin "Leavin' Is The Easy Thing To Do" (Fox Fire Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Powell & Harold Shedd)
A country singer from Battle Creek Michigan, Marvin Lawrence Martin recorded a number of singles and at least one album (although I don't think he was the same Marv Marvin who recorded for the gospel label, Rainbow Records...) He did some sessions in Nashville, but never cracked into the charts and remained a regional artist... He also had a fairly tragic life, spending years in recovery as a result of severe burns sustained when he was young, and passed away in 1982 as a result of cancer. It's possible that this was his only full album -- it's well produced though workmanlike, with an anonymous Nashville studio crew assembled by veteran producer Harold Shedd, backing Martin's rugged, plainspoken vocals, and some of the songs might grow on you... Anyone out there have more information about this fella?

Ken McWilliams & The Twilighters "Uptown Country" (Twi-Lite Records, 1968-?) (LP)
Hybridized country music with saxophones and other horns in the mix. Based in Big Rapids, Michigan, the Twilighters were a reincarnation of an earlier group called the Starliters, which started out as a pop/big band dance band, led by guitarist Dan Kirchner and multi-instrumentalist Glen Newton. Singer Ken McWilliams joined the group in the mid-1960s and brought with him a country music repertoire, which gradually became the focus of the band; following the dissolution of the original group, McWilliams took over and eventually renamed the group the Twilighters, as a nod to its origins. This LP includes his song, "Devil On Death's Highway," a disaster ballad that put the spotlight on a notoriously dangerous stretch of Highway 131, between Cadillac and Kalamazoo. The song is a fascinating hybrid, mixing teenybopper rock with rockabilly-ish twang, like Dave Dudley filling in for Frankie Avalon at a local sock-hop. Kinda neat.

Ken McWilliams "On The Road" (Award Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dick Shuey)
A set of all cover songs, hits and standards such as "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," "For The Good Times," "Green, Green Grass Of Home," "Tie A Yellow Ribbon, and "Okie From Muskogee." Although he didn't bring any of his own material to this session, McWilliams did make it to Nashville to record this session... Alas, the liner notes don't tell us who was on this album, just that that East Coast honkytonker and talent agent Dick Shuey produced this LP, on the same label recorded on and used to showcase artists affiliated with his agency, the Atlas Artist Bureau.

Ray Mefford "Country Sounds" (Accent Records, 1967) (LP)
Guitar picker Ray Mefford was a Michigan native who made his way out West and became a staff writer and musician for the eccentric indie Accent label, which turned towards country music around the time this album came out. Not a lot of biographical info about Mefford online... In fact, none that I could find. The liner notes tell us he was born in Union City, Michigan back in 1934, and that he toured extensively (which is borne out by a lone newspaper show notice from Fairbanks, Alaska in 1970... Mefford seems to have lived in Los Angeles for several years while working at the Hollywood-based Accent, and received composer credits on several releases by other artists. Sadly, the backing band on his own album isn't identified, which was pretty standard for the label.

Dottie Moore "In Memory Of The Golden Voice" (Ranger Records, 1968-?) (LP)
Honky tonk singer and country composer Dottie Moore (1930-67) was a lifelong native of Flint, Michigan who established a strong regional following, but never was able to break out onto the national scene. In addition to this album, she recorded a couple of hard-country singles, one each on the King and Starday label, and found work on radio and TV shows in Michigan and in the South. Moore also recorded a final single for the Ranger label, with a picture cover that shows her wearing dark sunglasses: a victim of childhood diabetes, Moore lost her sight in the final years of her life. (Thanks to hillbilly-music.com for their research on this obscure but outstanding artist...)

J. A. Morrell "A Taste Of Country" (Cherish Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Don R. Smith)
A rust-belt roughneck from Monroe, Michigan, the midway point between Detroit and Toledo, Ohio, and home to a bunch of auto workers, back in the day. J. A. Morrell headed down to Nashville to cut this set of homegrown honkytonk, with backing from Clyde Brooks on drums, Sonny Garrish (steel guitar), Ron Jeffreys (lead guitar), Bunky Keels (piano), Charlie McCoy (harmonica), Steve Pippin (guitar), Dave Shipley (guitar), Don R. Smith (bass) and Shoji Tabuchi (fiddle). All but three of the songs are his own originals, including tracks like "Forty Hours On The Assembly Line," "Put The Cat Out For The Night" and "Trucker's Wife," along with a couple of Jim Owen tunes and one from Dave Kirby. I'm not sure if Mr. Morrell had a band of his own back home, though according to the liner notes, he sang at a place called The Red Noodle Pub, which opened in 1975 and was a hub of civic activity during its thirty year run. Morrell eventually moved to Nashville, and continued to write and record well into the 2010s.

Nitehawk "Nitehawk" (Nitehawk Productions, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Andy Van Lendt & Phil Van Lente)
Southern rockers from 'way up north. This Michigan band included Bob Green, Bob Lacy, Michael Taylor, and Russ Van Hall, with a couple of other guys chiming in at the studio. Lacy and Taylor were the principal songwriters, though drummer Bob Green contributes two songs. The album is almost all original material, with a couple of cover songs, "Massachusetts" (by the Bee Gees) and "All My Life" (from Uriah Heep). Not sure exactly where these guys were from, though they recorded the album at a studio in Grand Rapids.

Cranford Nix "Songs That Never Grow Old" (Flying Squirrel Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Vic Gabany)

Ford Nix "Walker Records Presents Ford Nix" (Walker Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Fred F. Cutler)
Michigan bluegrass from banjo player Cranford Nix (1936-2012) who was part of the northern folk'n'twang scene from the 1960s onward. Mr. Nix also appears on the DETROIT COUNTRY compilation, and is perhaps best remembered as the inventor of a double-necked, ten-string banjo (pictured on the cover) which must have made Joe Maphis green with envy. Speaking of Joe Maphis, his kid Jody Maphis plays on this album, along with Josh Graves, Gary Scruggs, and a few other high-powered pickers.

Arthur D. Noel "Life Can Have Meaning" (K-Ark Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Capps)

Arthur D. Noel "Meet Arthur D. Noel From The North Country" (Tiffany Fine Recordings, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Downs)

Arthur D. (Noel) "Rocky Mountain Water" (TAD Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Downs & Neal Wilburn)

Marlene Nord & Terry Nord "The Ceremony" (MCN Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Don Kennedy, Terry Nord & John Voit)
A charming, super-sincere album by the husband-wife team of Terry and Marlene Nord, who hailed from Wakefield, Michigan, but had ties to the Twin Cities country scene of yore. Mr. Nord was a longtime member of fiddler John Voit's band, Big John & The Bad Men, and before Mrs. Nord was married, she was also in Voit's orbit. They sing a mix of tradition-soaked originals and well-chosen covers, including oldies like Don Gibson's "A Legend In My Time," "Looking Back To See" by the Browns," and of course the title track, a cover of Billy Sherrill's over-the-top classic countrypolitan duet, "The Ceremony." The album also includes several of their own compositions, a highlight being Marlene Nord's aching ballad, "Perfect Love." In technical terms, neither one of them was all that great of a singer, but they come through loud and clear, and bring a lot of emotional resonance to their work... The were backed by Mr. Voit and a fella named Bill Erickson, though the liner notes don't tell us who played which instruments. In the CD era, Terry Nord also played on a few albums by fellow Minnesotan Red Johnson, who had a pretty interesting career himself.

Wellman W. Omohundro/Omo The Hobo "Party Record, Number One" (Hundro Music, 196--?) (LP)
Born in Fayette, Michigan in 1917, singer Wellman W. Omohundro enlisted in the Army in order to escape a life as a rural farm kid. He served in World War Two and after the demobilization, Omohundro took up a life as a travelling musician, busking and doing club gigs whenever and wherever he could find them. He specialized in "blue" material, smutty or suggestive songs which were memorialized in a seemingly endless string of 45rpm singles, EP and albums. He initially recorded for the Accent label in the 1950s, and then started his own label, which he used to release dozens of records under a variety of names: Smiley Joe Omohundro, Omo The Lobo and/or Omo The Hobo, etc. He sold these souvenir discs at his shows, and beginning in the '60s released a string of LPs, which are listed below. Omohundro was a relic of a bygone entertainment era, harkening back to the raunchy, ribald musichall and vaudeville era of the late 1800s and early 20th Century. Musically primitive, his songs -- such as they are -- rely on crude double entendres and puerile sexual jokes. In a country music context, Omo The Hobo wasn't quite as savagely unfunny as, say, Doodles Weaver, but you have to be pretty devoted to lowbrow entertainers to really get into this stuff. It's a little funny, but it wears thin pretty quickly. (By the way, Omohundro is a real surname, sometimes spelled O'Muhundro, and seems to originally be from Scotland or Wales... Just in case you were wondering.)

Wellman W. Omohundro/Omo The Hobo "Party Record, Number Two" (Hundro Music, 1967) (LP)
This is the only Omo album I own, and hence the only one I can provide you with the correct release date... It includes humorous gems such as "I Used To Kiss Her On The Lips, But It's All Over Now," "Daddy Can't Fly His Kite 'Cause Mommy Won't Give Him No Tail" and "I'm A Musician, I Play With My Instrument." You kinda get the idea, right? The music is just Omo and his guitar, and while neither his picking nor singing are any great shakes, he does tackle these tunes with great gusto. Wink, wink, nudge nudge, and all that.

Wellman W. Omohundro/Omo The Hobo "Party Record, Number Three" (Hundro Music, 19--?) (LP)
It's worth noting that on this album the level of graphic design is miles above that of the previous volume, which basically was a plain black-and-white nothing-much cover -- here we get a fancy, full-color oil painting of a naked, redheaded cowgirl bearing her boobs while holding a stack of "party records" in one hand, and the reins of her horse in the other. Business must have been pretty good for Omohundro during the hippie era, if he was flush enough to make such a purty-looking album cover.

Wellman W. Omohundro/Omo The Hobo "Party Record, Number Four" (Hundro Music) (LP)
By the way, many thanks to Steve Seymour's Upper Peninsula Archive for help with this discography... If you're interested in Omohundro's bazillions of singles, check out his website, which has info on most, though not all, of the records Omo put out over the years.

Wellman W. Omohundro/Omo The Hobo "Party Record, Number Five" (Hundro Music) (LP)

Wellman W. Omohundro/Omo The Hobo "Party Record, Number Six" (Hundro Music) (LP)
Hmmmm... I'm starting to think mayne Omo's work (or at least his album art) might not be appropriate for smaller listeners...

Wellman W. Omohundro/Omo The Hobo "Party Record, Number Seven" (Hundro Music) (LP)

Wellman W. Omohundro/Omo The Hobo "Party Record, Number Eight" (Hundro Music) (LP)

Original Bluegrass Opera Of Detroit "Original Bluegrass Opera Of Detroit" (1977) (LP)
(Produced by Herschel Freeman)
Musicians are often asked about their days jobs, and in this case, the answer is linked to the music itself... The Bluegrass Opera Of Detroit was a touring company that performed a play by the same name, a twangy opera saga written in praise of the then-vibrant auto industry, as seen through the eyes of several characters who worked on the factory lines at a time when unionized jobs were plentiful and well-paid. This album is an unusual memento of a live stage show that was commissioned by a grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts, with a libretto written by Bud McKirgan, with musical backing from a band called North Country Bluegrass. The characters they play were of workers who had migrated to the Motor City from several Appalachian states, (although the musicians themselves included several Northerners from Chicago, NYC and Detroit) and the story is about how Detroit was a magnetic city where people came for work, and stayed for life... The LP was apparently released by the cast at their own expense, and is a curio of both the music and of the history it represents, of the days when Detroit was prosperous and vibrant.

Dusty Owens "Country Ballads" (Wyncote Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Cohen-?)
This is a pretty fun record... maybe not a "great" record, but I enjoyed it. The late Dusty Owens (1930-2015) started his country music career as a teenager, playing on the radio in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. He went on to a high-profile gig on the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree, and had a few medium-level chart entries, including his own song, "Once More," which became a country music standard, recorded by dozens of artists, including Roy Acuff, Bill Anderson, Vince Gill, George Jones, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton... Like a lot of '50s country artists, bit by bit he slipped off the radar as far as the big Nashville labels were concerned, but somehow he cut a lot of sessions for Wyncote, a cheapo label on the East Coast, and there's some fun stuff on these records. Owens' vocals sound kind of like a less-passionate Faron Young, relaxed by robust and suave -- on this album he sounds particularly laid-back, with a curious counterpoint provided by some mildly hyperactive lead guitar and pedal steel... (My suspicion is that Owens actually just recorded with vocal and acoustic guitar and the electric stuff was dubbed in... but who knows?) Anyway, the songs are good -- mopey heart songs with a loping rhythm, including a few obvious covers and some other songs that seem like they were originals. His early stuff (available on CD reissues) is more solid musically, but these later tracks are definitely worth a spin!

Dusty Owens "Your Kind Of Country" (Wyncote Records, 1967) (LP)
Several covers of mainstream country hits from the 1950s and early '60s -- "Yonder Comes A Sucker," "Saginaw Michigan," "Billy Bayou," and the like, as well as some more obscure stuff, probably including a few Dusty Owens originals.

Dusty Owens "Country And Western" (Wyncote Records, 1967) (LP)
This one's more "western" oriented, i.e. full of cowboy songs like "Red River Valley," "Blackjack David" and "Blood On The Saddle." But if you enjoy that kind of material, you might wanna check this one out.

Dusty Owens "Hey There, It's Me Again" (Admiral Records, 1971) (LP)

Dusty Owens "Swingin' And Rockin' Western Style" (Binge Disc, 2002)
A swell reissue of some of Dusty Owens' older recordings.. and it's all great stuff! If you're looking for unknown, authentic, totally kickass honkytonkers from years gone by, you should go out of your way to track down this German collector's-edition disc... These old Columbia recordings aren't likely to get reissued aboveboard anytime soon, and more's the pity for hard country fans here in the States... Midwesterner Dusty Owens had a great personality, mixing energetic hillbilly nuttiness ala Little Jimmy Dickens or Porter Wagoner with a deep reservoir of heartsong soulfulness. This album has fewer songs on it than most Binge Disc releases -- sixteen tracks from 1953-57 -- but every one of them is a winner, with great lyrics and musical backup that included Nashville hotshots like Chet Atkins, Lightning Chance, Don Helms and Buddy Spicher. What's best about this set, though, is the infusion of "new" songs into the honkytonk canon -- nearly all of the songs were written by Owens himself, and none of them are songs the average country fan would know about, outside of this fine release. This is a record I can listen to over and over... I think you'll dig it, too!

Dan Pavlides "Gambler" (1979) (LP)
(Produced by Baird Hawkins & Dan Pavlides)
An eclectic mix of cosmic folk and country twang by midwestern musical auteur Dan Pavlides (1955-2000) who went on to make a couple more records in years to come, including forays into rockabilly-flavored material. Originally from Saint Joseph, Michigan, Mr. Pavlides completed his final album just weeks before passing away at age forty-five, having been felled felled by non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. One of the tracks off this album was anthologized on the WAYFARING STRANGER freak-folk/cosmic country collection; more information is available on a posthumous website, www.danpavlides.com.

Dan Pavlides "The Truth On You" (1988) (LP)

Carl Peek "Carl Peek And The Echoes" (Peek Records, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by William Beasley)
Carl Peek and his brothers (and he had a lot of them) had quite a story... The family was originally from the far southern end of Missouri, later moving up North, first to the other end of Missouri and eventually up to Benton Harbor, Michigan. When they started playing music, they worked regionally, up into Illinois and the Great Lakes region, and it was older brother Buford Peek (1940-1959) who led the way. Buford was an early rockabilly star, cutting a few late 'Fifties singles for the Fernwood label, gaining regional acclaim while hustling from one gig to the next. Carl Peek was playing drums in his brother's band the night Buford's car was in a grisly collison in southern Illinois that took the young rocker's life. Carl and his brother Everett stuck to music, though, and Carl Peek cut his first single, "Papa Was A Mean Man," for Stop Records in 1969 backed by his band the Echoes, a group that originally included Everett Peek on bass, later to be replaced by Allen Peek by the time this album came out. The lineup here is bassist Allen Peek and Carl Peek on drums and vocals (the brothers living in Stevensville, Michigan) along with lead guitar/steel player Dennis Butler and pianist Dennis Fast (from nearby Benton Harbor and Berrien Springs, respectively.) Everett Peek also kept plugging away and in 1977 scored a minor back forty hit with his cover of the Frankie Ford oldie, "Sea Cruise." As far as I know this was Carl Peek's only album, though his and his many siblings and sundry relatives played regionally for many years to come...

Jerry Rau "Minnesota Minstrel" (Train On The Island Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Dakota Dave Hull & Jerry Rau)
Part of the Twin Cities folk scene, Jerry Rau is backed here by Dakota Dave Hull and Peter Ostroushko. Although not really all that "country," this disc does include a track called "Honky Tonk Steel Whine," co-written by Hull and Rau.

John Ray "Woman On My Mind" (Jef Tone Recordings, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Greg Miller)
A truly awful lounge vocals album, from a guy who at the time was holding down a gig at the Chalet Inn, in Gaylord, Michigan. This disc is packed with 'Seventies hits and material ranging from country chestnuts to acoustic-oriented AOR, stuff like "Tie A Yellow Ribbon," "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song" and "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." On the country side of things, there are spectacularly cheesy renditions of "Green, Green Grass Of Home" and "Now And Then There's A Fool Such As I." I'm not really into the whole mocking-cheesy-musicians-on-old-lounge-albums, but this disc is a standout in the genre. The band was okay, but Mr. Ray's super-schmaltzy Elvis-style vocals are, honestly, pretty challenging.

Red Shadow "Live At The Panacea Hilton" (Physical World Records, 1975) (LP)
Now, I'm not saying that this record is any good (wouldn't know) or that it's particularly "country," just that it exists and that it's very, very 1970s. Self-identified as "the economics rock'n'roll band," these longhaired commies (and I mean that literally) met while attending grad school at the University of Michigan and brought their hard-left socialist critiques to The People in the form of hippie-rock musical harangues, with song titles such as "Stagflation," "Understanding Marx" and "Commodity Fetishism." Whoo-hoo! Yeahhhhh!! Party down!!!

Red Shadow "Better Red" (Physical World Records, 1979) (LP)
"Marx Had A Word For It," "Daddy, You've Been Played," "History Will Take Me Home," "Labor Is Value..." So many memories of slow-dancing to these songs at so, so many homecoming celebrations. Really takes you back, doesn't it?

Joyce Rogers "Little Old Ladies Can" (National Foundation Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Dollar & Jim Cartwright)
A Patsy Cline soundalike from Newaygo County, Michigan, Joyce Rogers was a protege of country second-stringer Johnny Dollar, who produced most of these tracks before he passed away in '86. She wrote all the songs and they have a familiar feel, again with many building on the old Patsy Cline formula of blending rich country roots with perky, muted rock'n'roll, which by the 1980s had a definite retro feel, almost a Sha-Na-Na-ish vibe. But she sings nicely and this is well produced, with strong performances by the studio crew, particularly steel guitar players Sonny Garrish and Mike Cass, who really out some feeling into it. Though commercially inclined, this record may have been a little out of step with the synthy, antiseptic stuff coming out of Nashville at the time, though I'm sure that's fine with most of us -- right? Anyway, this isn't a super-original sounding set, but it's an admirable indie offering. Also, kudos on the songwriting -- I'm not sure if she ever sold any of her songs, but she sure made a good go of it.

The Rose Sisters "Songs From The Lord Done Country Style" (Horizon Records, 19--?) (LP)
Sisters Charlotte and Fay Rose were born in Murray, Kentucky, though apparently they grew up near Detroit, and were living in Michigan when they cut this album at a studio in Nashville. The disc is packed with all-original material, with all but one song composed by Charlotte Rose, and the remaining number written by Rev. Ray Nahurien, who shared her publishing company. I've only seen and not heard this one, but I suspect there's a strong debt to the Carter Family, what with the autoharp-guitar combo pictured on the back. Not sure if they recorded any other material, but this looks pretty sweet.

Fred Ryon & The Happy Tracks "Recorded Live At The Holland Homestead" (Happy Tracks, 19--?) (LP)
Although poorly recorded, this live album is a swell snapshot of an earnest country quartet from Michigan who were devoted to an old-timey sound, even though they played a lot of contemporary (late 1960s, early '70s) country material. Along with a version of "Wreck Of The Old 97" they include covers of hits by artists such as Little Jimmie Dickens, Kenny Price, Charley Pride, Connie Smith, and oldies such as Johnny & Jack's "Girl Of My Dreams" and Hank Snow's toungetwisterdelic "I've Been Everywhere." The band included Bill Grandstaff, Fred Nelson, Fred Ryon and bandleader Roscoe Wray, and their rough-edged performances radiate vitality and good cheer, as well as a pleasant dose of amped-up amateurism. The brief liner notes are from Arvin and Doris Holland, local country and bluegrass show promoters who started their own tentpole venue, the Holland Homestead, out on their farm near Waldron, Michigan. They ran a musical revue on the farm called the Country Music Roundup from 1971-79, and hosted Ryon and his group sometime at the start of that run... There's no date on the album art, but I'd guess 1971-72, since they play Bill Anderson's "Where Have All The Heroes Gone," which was a hit in 1971. Nice stuff!

Ronnie St. Charles & And The Sounds Of Country "My Way" (Mountain Valley Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Evers & Max Stroup)
A live recording from a show held at Elks Lodge 2168, in Howell, Michigan, a couple of miles down the road from Fowlerville, the home of bandleader Ronnie St. Charles. This is a good one for folks who enjoy warts-and-all "real people" private press albums: the sound quality is a little muffled, though band is pretty competent albeit with a few rough edges, while the vocalists tend to ham it up a bit. The band included two lead singers, Ronnie St. Charles and Tom Deladurantaye (who are also the guitar players) along with Barney Delkman on bass, and drummer Tim McPherson. No date on the disc, but the inclusion of cover songs such as "Leroy Brown," "Lucille" and "Luckenbach, Texas" suggests sometime around 1978-79. Honestly, not a great record, but an honest snapshot of a perky local band.

Saloon Music "Saloon Music" (Sounds Unlimited, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Dutill & Roy Youngmark)
This album appears to have been a side project of Michigan folk-rocker Brad Thrower, a bass player and guitarist from Swartz Creek, MI, who was in a series of late 'Sixties/early 'Seventies bands with his hometown buddy, guitar picker Jim Spillane. Apparently Saloon Music came about when Spillane was recuperating from an accident in which he broke his arm, and a restless Brad Thrower recruited several other dudes from the Flint/East Lansing region to form a temporary new band and record some of the groovy music swirling around in his head. The group included Thrower on bass and electric guitar, along with Jack Hamilton (guitar), Frank Schultz (guitar), Nelson Wood (steel guitar), with Rod Clouthier pinch-hitting on bass and drums on a few tunes. Thrower and Spillane continued to work together on a variety of projects, including a group called Bluejohn, whose 1975 album, Boots And Bottles, was more explicitly country-oriented.

Salt Creek "Just About Due" (MT Records, 1977) (LP)
A very intriguing album. One of several different bands called Salt Creek, this Lansing, Michigan country-rock group was led by songwriters Bernie Nelson and Dan Tripp, who penned most of their material, singing and picking guitar with all-local backing from Chris Amos on bass, Mike Brush (piano), Billy Clark (pedal steel), Kathy Ford (vocals), Dave Giegerich (dobro), and Bob Grunder on drums. At first blush, the album may sound amateurish and poorly recorded, but it grows on you. Highlights include cover tunes such as their version of Toy Caldwell's "Can't You See," along with a swell take on Tom Waits' "Old '55" and an equally evocative rendition of John Sebastian's "Stories We Could Tell." Though perhaps not as punchy or cohesive as many of their country-rock contemporaries, heard from decades away, these guys actually sound ahead of their time, anticipating the poetic indie-rocker twang of folks such as Ryan Adams or the Old 97s, et.al., music that to find its country bona fides while also paving a path to a new musical dialectic. Several tracks have a dreamy, reflective feel, though they weren't averse to a novelty number or two, as heard on the album's closer, "Toilet-Huggin' Drunk Again." There's really only one stinker on here, a bad cosmic folk tune with religious overtones, called "Chosen One," but other than that, this is a pretty appealing set. I'm not sure when this band first formed, but they were still together through the end of 1979, when they were touring as far away from home as Saint Louis, and planning a trip out to California, performing as a trio with bassist Randy Boudreau. Reading between the lines, a lengthy profile piece in the Lansing State Journal paints a fairly glum picture of a struggling local band swimming against the tide of an increasingly corporatized music business. I think they gave up not long after that, got jobs and settled down, but as obscuro indie-twang albums go, this disc is certainly a fine legacy.

Del Shannon "Sings Hank Williams" (Amy Records, 1965) (LP)
(Produced by Harry Balk & Les Cooley)
Like a lot of early rock'n'rollers, pop pioneer Del Shannon (1934-1990) had real country roots, playing in local twang bands in his home state of Michigan before he got the rockin' bug and set out as a solo artist in the pop market. After the astounding success of his chart-topping 1961 debut, "Runaway," Shannon's career became a bit wobbly, and although he kept in the charts for most of the early 'Sixties, he gradually slid out of the Top Ten and had perhaps more success as a talent scout than as a star. Along the way, he cut this humble down-home album in honor of one of his childhood idols, Hank Williams, with loping, workmanlike backing by a local Michigander band that most notably included session guitarist Dennis Coffey and several more obscure musicians from Detroit. Following the lead of Shannon's low-key vocals, the musicians deliver a solid but unelectrifying performance, with the exception of Buddy Gibson, a pedal steel player from Grand Rapids, who consistently adds plenty of sweet, ornate licks into the mix. Not a great record, but not a bad one either. Nothing to complain about, really.

Mike Smith "Country Volunteers" (Auction Records, 1976) (LP)
This band from Ann Arbor has roots that date back to the early '70s, when pickers Michael Smith and Kevin Lynch started jamming together at coffeehouses and bars, particularly at a place called Mr. Flood's Party, where they eventually became the house band. They first adopted the name "Country Volunteers" in 1974, and kept that name throughout the decade, while the band's membership fluctuated over the years. This was their lone album as the Country Volunteers, a nice mix of old-school hill music (Roy Acuff, The Carter Family) and Mike Smith originals with a western swing feel... Among the guest players on this album is banjoist Bill Keith, who had an instrument specially designed for him by the banjo company Smith co-owned. Towards the end of the decade, the Country Volunteers began to morph into the Cadillac Cowboys, a band that continued to perform for many years, and has released at least one album under that name. The group has an unusually detailed website that gives a very complete history of the band, as well as the local scene they were part of...

South Bound Express "Storms Never Last" (Keith Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Danny DaVincent & Mike McCafferty)
An outlaw-ish band from Traverse City, Michigan... These guys cover stuff by Waylon, Willie, Merle, Doug Kershaw, a version of the Amazing Rhythm Aces' "The End Is Not In Sight," Leon McAuliffe's "Steel Guitar Rag," and even Gary Stewart's "She's Acting Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)." Some fine true-twang touchstones, if you ask me! The group included drummer David Drake, Ira Matthews (guitar and vocals), Bruce Trelstadt (bass) and Bob Wright on fiddle, lead guitar, and steel, with guest vocals by James Crockett and Rob Parsons, who each provided one of the album's two original compositions, "The Manistee River Son" and "Nobody Home On The Range Anymore," respectively.

J. D. Souther -- see artist profile

The Steele Sisters "...And Their All Girl Group The Miss-ty Blush" (Miss-Ty Blush Records, 1969-?) (LP)
According to the mildly salacious liner notes by their manager, T. H. Williams (of "Beaverwood Talent" in Hendersonville, TN) the Steele Sisters -- Judy and Pati -- did a lot of military gigs, including tours at bases in Greenland and throughout the tropics. These Michigan gals were apparently really sisters and were really named Steele, and led an all-female band sometime during the late 1960s and early '70s. Their repertoire spanned both pop and country material, including country hits such as "Harper Valley PTA," "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "Little Green Apples," and pop material like "Proud Mary," "Spinning Wheel," "Sugar Sugar" and "Wipe Out." There's no date on this souvenir album, but looking at the set list, my best guess would be that this was recorded in either late 1969, or early 1970... Sadly, the names of the other bandmembers are also not given, though an autographed copy was signed by Julene Stanley and Kelly Mabrey, as well as the two sisters. The group was also known (circa 1970) as "JP And The Miss-ty Blush," with the same manager, and appears to have stayed together in one form or another at least through 1974, when Miss-ty Blush was listed in a Billboard magazine's national survey of artists who played college campus gigs. Beyond that? Your guess is as good as mine.

Suitcase "Long Gone... Got Away Lucky" (Special Rider, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Salamone, James Steigmeyer & Michael Scully)
Acoustic blues from the Midwestern duo of Frank Salamone and James Steigmeyer (aka Suitcase) with Alan LeSert on bass and a couple of gals adding harmony vocals on a tune or two. Salamone apparently owned a record store in Grand Rapids, Michigan and formed a musical partnership with Steigmeyer in the mid-'70s which brought them into the orbit of the Twin Cities folk scene...The influences of blues revivalists such as Bob Brozman and David Bromberg are readily heard on this album; although Suitcase didn't quite have the charismatic razzle-dazzle of the brand-name blues dudes, this is a nice little record... If you like Bromberg, or George Gritzbach, this is worth checking out. Apparently, in later years Salamone was debilitated by muscular dystrophy and had to abandon his performing career and passed away in his 60s; Steigmeyer also performed under the stage name of "Jimmie Stagger," though I don't know if either of them recorded anything outside of this album.

The Sunnysiders "Motor City Bluegrass" (Fortune Records, 1967-?) (LP)
(Produced by D. Brown & J. Brown)
Formed in 1964 at the height of the folk scene bluegrass revival, this Detroit-based band was led by tenor vocalist Roy McGinniss and originally played for a couple of years in the Monroe County Jamboree, then became the house band for an equally obscure venue called the Harbor Lights Jamboree. The band recorded under its own name and also backed several other artists such as Roy Cobb, Clyde Moody and Ford Nix, and was Nix's backup for his own album on the Fortune label, which was billed as the first bluegrass album recorded in Detroit (a claim I am not qualified to confirm or deny...) On this debut LP, the Sunnysiders consisted of Roy McGinniss singing tenor vocals, Paul Boyd on banjo and guitar, Jim Childress (guitar), Garmon Mullins (fiddle), Tim Wilson (rhythm guitar), and Peter Wolf playing bass... Along with a bunch of bluegrass standards the album is peppered with original material, notably several songs credited to Osborn Thorp and a couple more written by Paul Boyd. Although this was their first album, they had previously recorded a four-song gospel EP. Roy McGinniss was the group's driving force and by the early 1970s the lineup had completely changed, with later albums recorded under the name Roy McGinniss & The Sunnysiders.

Sunshine "Three's A Crowd" (BLAM Acetate Disks, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Douglas Sparz & Jim Van Buskirk)
A country-and-rock bar band from Minneapolis, Minnesota with three main musicians (the "crowd") -- Will Lebold (guitars), Steve Canavan (drums) and Doug Spartz (bass) and all three guys singing. They also had some other locals pitching in, and later expanded the group to include some female vocals. The set list on this album included a lot of rock oldies ("Matchbox," "Pretty Woman," "Runaround Sue") and country classics such as "Truck Driving Man" and "Statue Of A Fool." They also wrote their own stuff, with four original songs on here: "Carol's Song" and "Keep My Soul" written by Doug Sparz, and "How Many" and "Laine (You're Gonna Make It)" by Will Lebold.

Sunshine "Reflections And Friends" (Slade Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Dicken & Jim Van Buskirk)
An expanded version of the band, still playing a mix of country and rock, with songs that include "Cowboys Are Just Born To Lose At Lovin'," "Gonna Party Tonight" and the intriguingly titled "Small Town Rock 'N' Roll Star." This time around the group includes a couple of female lead singers, Paula Adamson and Jessie Comstock.

The Supremes "Sing Country Western & Pop" (Motown Records, 1965) (LP)
(Produced by Clarence Paul)
Really? Wow... Why wasn't I informed of this earlier?!?

Taylor Brothers "Sing Keep Your Eyes On Jesus" (Pathway Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Red Ellis)
The Taylor Brothers -- Marvin and Minnis -- grew up in Greenville, Tennessee and were living in the Detroit suburb of Lincoln Park, Michigan when they cut this album. They were clearly unabashed fans of the Louvin Brothers, playing in the classic Louvin style, while covering several of their songs ("He Included Me," "I'll Never Die" and "Keep Your Eyes On Jesus") on this album. There are also a couple of originals by Marvin Taylor, "How Can You Stand" and "Build Your Life On That Stone," and a slew of traditional standards as well as gems by Flatt & Scruggs and Don McHan. Musically, this is a little uneven -- one gets the impression that the Taylors made due with the talent at hand, and while their harmonies are fine and the Atkins-esque/Travis-y guitar is pretty groovy, the mandolin player was a bit sluggish. The musicians include Brenda Farley (piano), Junior Porter (mandolin, a little clunky), Bill Loveday (bass), Jerry Hyatt (lead guitar) who were all, I believe, locals from around Detroit, or from Ypsilanti, home of the Pathway label. Sweet music, very heartfelt and compelling.

Gordon TenBrink "The Singing Colonel" (King's Music City Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Cohen Jr. & Gordon L. TenBrink)
An endearing though uneven album by an amateur songwriter from Holland, Michigan who penned all the songs in the set, working in a variety of styles, ranging from uptempo novelty numbers, straight country tunes, and syrupy gospel weepers... I wasn't quite able to pin down Mr. TenBrooks' biography: his Dutch surname is similar to that used in the bluegrass classic "Molly And Tenbrooks," and though many folk spell it as two different words, Gordon L. TenBrooks (1942-1979) preferred to merge the two parts while keeping the capital B in the middle. An exhaustive online search yielded little information: I'm not sure what the "colonel" title refers to, or why he died so young (though there was a mention of a race car driver of the same name, so perhaps he had some kind of accident...) At any rate, Mr. TenBrooks had a flurry of songwriting and recording shortly before he died, copywriting a number of songs from 1975-78, including several after this album came out. He was an iffy singer, and the songs on this album aren't exactly gems, but you can see where he was headed -- the more manic comedy tunes include "Fast Talking over Man," which is sort fo a boy-girl remake of "The Auctioneer," and "We Met By Accident" a song that has a good premise and a punny title (they got in a fender-bender and fell in love) though the lyrics get a little muddled. Though mostly secular, this album has a couple of gospel tunes, including perhaps its oddest offering, "I Almost Felt What The Almighty Felt," in which the narrator is out having a nice walk with his son and thinks: wow, what if I had to give up my kid the way God had to sacrifice Jesus? And while the song treats this thought as a philosophical insight, some listeners might hear it more as a potential call for child protective services to pay a visit. Mr. TenBrink trekked down to Nashville to record this album, with backing by a pretty solid band made up of relatively unknown musicians, including a backing vocal group called The Norths; a couple of Music City pros anchor the sessions, drummer Jerry Kroon, along with Doyle Grisham, who is credited as playng "all lead instruments," and who definitely gives the album some heft. Not really a gem, but a real "real person" album.

The Urbis Brothers "Country" (Decoy Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by John Major)
A brother duo from Ontonagon County, Michigan, off of Lake Superior, Joseph and Michael Urbis showed their real DIY roots by including a photo of the receipts from two bank loans they took out to record this album in 1979... Ouch! As far as I know, this was their only album as a duo, though Mike Urbis moved onto a series of other local bands, such as Borderline and the Copper Drifters.

WB & The Western Union "Thanks, Grand Ledge" (MPI Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Miller & Steve Curran)
Honky-tonk twang by W. B. Vaughn, of Grand Ledge, Michigan, who recorded this album as a demo set... Not a lot of info about these guys, who definitely looked like rowdy, hard-livin' good old boys... The band included Rick Bellant (on guitar), Barb Morse (piano), and Mel Sharrah (drums), with Vaughn singing lead, writing the songs, and booking all the shows. This album -- which included original songs such as "Good Ole Boy From Grand Ledge MI," "Hard Gamblin' Man," Just A Thought Of You" and "Tribute To Christ Jesus" -- got some radio airplay, but it was strictly a local phenomenon. A couple of years later they were playing some gigs at a place called the Hayloft Saloon, on the other side of Lansing, and by 1988 the group had broken up, with Vaughn doing a few solo gigs over the years. Vaughn, who struggled for years with multiple sclerosis, passed away in 2011.

Paul Webb "...And Young Country" (Masa Recording Company, 1976-?) (LP)
This Detroit-area twangband featured brothers Paul and Danny Webb on drums and bass, along with steel player Jerry Nagle and lead guitar Hank Van Vleet. Paul Webb, who was a distant cousin of Loretta Lynn, led this band for many years, from at least 1974-91, according to local newspaper listings. He wrote three songs on this album, including one co-written with Van Vleet; they also cover Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings and Mel Street, to give you a sense of where they're coming from. Webb's son also became a musician, performing under the name Mike Shane, first working in his dad's band, and then as a solo performer in Nashville. They may have also run a nightclub at one point: in the early '90s, there were some shows at a place in Ypsilanti, called "Shane's."

Rex White & Son/Father "The Ballad Of The Big O" (Dial Communications, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Sewell)
A super-confusing "band" name, but a cool record. Rex White, Jr. and his son, Rex White III, team up for this set of old-school acoustic twang, picking their way through chestnuts such as "Columbus Stockade Blues," "Methodist Pie" and Merle Travis' "Nine Pound Hammer," as well more blues-oriented material and some vaudeville-type oldies. There are also some comedic bits and original material, including the title track, which they say was written about a pal of theirs who worked at General Mills. The Whites appear to have been from around Detroit, though this album was recorded in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Robert White & The Candy Mountain Boys "Thousand Tons Of Coal" (Ranger R Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Forrest Green)
A prolific recording artist with singles bating back to the late 1950s, Michigan's Robert LaVaughn White (1925-2002) cut his first full LP in the late '60s, working with local producer Forrest Green. A festival favorite during the 'Sixties and 'Seventies, White had a particularly strong following in the Great Lakes area and upper Midwest.

Robert White & The Candy Mountain Boys "Poverty/A Eye For A Eye" (Ranger R Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Forrest Green)
This disc comes from the early 'Seventies, an era when it was in vogue to give country albums two titles -- usually of two songs they hoped would be hits. (I also love that the article "an" isn't used before "eye"... not THAT'S country...!) Recorded at the Forrest Green Studios in Clio, Michigan, though it was mastered and pressed by the Rimrock label, in Concord, Arkansas. As with his previous album, this is a lively mix of bluegrass, country, secular and gospel material, with a lot of original material.

Robert White & The Candy Mountain Boys "In The Savior's Hands" (Ranger R Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Forrest Green)
This was an all-gospel album, with a wealth of original material, as well as some off-the-beaten path material by evangelical country songwriters such as Bud Chambers. Along with heartfelt standards such as "Working On A Building" and "Heavenly Light Shining On Me," Mr. White had an ear for novelty material such as "Out Lord's Space Ship" and "God's Tax Free Plan." Alas no info on who the boys in the band were, though they included guys on banjo, mandolin and guitar. White continues recording and performing for several decades, releasing numerous singles and LPs for Atteiram, Old Homestead and other labels.

Jimmy Williams "Originals" (Sound Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Sullivan)
A country old-timer from southeastern Michigan, Jimmy Williams was a "barn dance" singer which meant he did a little bit of everything -- singing, yodeling and square dance calling. Williams put his first band together in 1954, with his father and brother, Russell Williams and Russ Williams, Jr., along with fiddler Ralph Maybee. This album collects a dozen tracks written and recorded by Williams over the years, with various lineups of the band -- I'd imagine most of these tracks first came out as singles. The liner notes say he was also a country music deejay and had recently become the program director for WSMA, in Marine City, Michigan. Williams also had a gig leading the house band at a place called Dutches, in Port Huron, and assembled a new band called the Country Dukes, play on words based on the restaurant's name. The Sound Music label seems to have been his own imprint, as most of his songs were also copyrighted under Sound Music, with an address in New Haven, MI.

Frank Wooten "My World Of Country" (Music Shop Records, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Carl Fracala & Ted Lakamowski)
A regular-people recording from Jackson, Michigan, packed with covers of classic hits with decent, if slightly amateurish, vocals. Biographical info was hard to come by as there are several Frank Wootens in Michigan and no mentions of him playing any live shows or leading a band. Nonetheless, this is a pretty solid record, with backing by what seems to be an all-local pool of musicians: Perry Clemons (lead guitar), Don Davis (pedal steel), Kurt Hasselschwert (rhythm guitar), Bill Marienfield (percussion), Darwin Mattice (drums), Bob Shultz (keyboards), Gerry Tedrow (lead guitar), and Randy Van Winkle on bass. The mix has some rough spots, but the steel guitar work stands out as particularly rich. Anyone know more about this fella?

Mike & Kathy Yager "Young Love" (197--?) (LP)
A hometown hero from Pentwater, Michigan, Mike Yager led a high school band in the early '60s and after serving a hitch in the Coast Guard, went back into music and got briefly signed to King Records, releasing a couple of singles in 1969. I really can't tell you much about this duo from Michigan, though I know they played at Nashville's Fan Fair in 1982... I think this is the same Mike Yager who recorded for King, but I can't say for sure. Anyone know more about this album?

The York Brothers "Detroit In The 40's & 50's: The York Brothers' Best" (Collector Records, 2000)
Raspy, rattling hardcore hillbilly music from the wartime and postwar era (1939-'53, roughly), from a Brother duo transplanted from the Kentucky hills up to the Great Lakes region. This is urbanized hick music, with strong doses of blues and jazz standards creeping into the mix, classic hillbilly boogie and bop from the years when the "new" country sound was still up for grabs. These guys had a rough, thoroughly authentic sound -- not polished or slick like the Nashville scene was becoming, and they recorded mainly on tiny independent labels like Mellow and Universal (uh, no, not the same Universal that swallowed up MCA in the 1990s...), although they also did some sessions for Decca which also appear on here. This is rare material that must have taken years of super-collector nerd adventures to gather together, and fills a nice gap in the country music saga. If you like your country crude and enthusiastic, then this is a mighty fine disc for you to check out.

The York Brothers "Long Time Gone" (Ace Records, 2006)
More chunky stuff from these Michigan hicks... This disc gathers their work for the rough'n'ready King label, more fine examples of crude, catchy hillbilly music from up North. Definitely recommended!

Buddy York "You Don't Meet Many Old Cowboys" (Silver Dollar Records, 1976) (LP)

Various Artists "DETROIT IN THE FIFTIES, v.2" (Collector Records, 19--?) (LP)
A great series collection some truly wild hard country and proto-rockabilly from Motor City, assembled by crazy record collectors in Holland... Presumably most of these long-forgotten hillbillies had come up north for jobs in the auto industry, or other factory work, but whatever the story, they brought plenty of twang along with them. The first volume in this series appears to have been the York Brothers collection listed above.

Various Artists "DETROIT IN THE FIFTIES, v.3" (Collector Records, 19--?) (LP)

Various Artists "DETROIT IN THE FIFTIES, v.4" (Collector Records, 19--?) (LP)

Various Artists "DETROIT'S BEST COUNTRY" (Seeds & Stems Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Connor & Ron Christopher)
This seems to have been a sort of pay-to-play set, with one track apiece from a gaggle of Michigan country singers of varying degrees of professionalism, all recording at the same studio, though possibly with several different bands. The artists include A.C. The Kentucky Fox, Larry Lee Adkins, Jerry Combs, Kelly Hall, Bob Hoskins, Wally Jackson, Jack Molette, Ford Nix and the duo of Carl & Brenda Vanover. These mostly seem like they were strictly amateurs, although some -- like Larry Lee Adkins or Ford Nix -- had fairly long track records, cutting singles years earlier (and in the case of Mr. Nix, at least one full LP). The overall vibe is pretty slick and modern, with several Waylon Jennings imitators and a few tracks that seems hopeful of commercial success, indeed several singles were broken off this album by various artists. Not much that really wowed me, though one album highlight is Carl & Brenda's jaunty honkytonker, "Momma's Waiting" -- a solid tune that made me wonder what their other singles are like. The comedic number, "T.V.'s Gone," by A.C. The Kentucky Fox, is a near-miss novelty song about a guy whose main regret about getting dumped is that some gal stole his TV set on her way out the door, though AC was a little too low-energy to really pull it off... An okay compilation, but not a great one.

Various Artists "HOMETOWN HEROES: OAKLAND COUNTRY RADIO" (WPON Radio, 1980-?) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Peterson)
Hometown Country was a weekly radio show sponsored by WPON 1460-AM in Pontiac, Michigan, and hosted by Saturday morning deejay Scott Forbes. Basically a demo tape show, the program showcased mostly-local country talent, with eleven of their favorite bands collected here on this souvenir album, which was also a benefit for the Pontiac-Oakland Symphony. The artists include AC & The Kentucky Fox Band, Larry Lee Adkins, Calico, Jack Dalton, Sam Hall, Tom Lee, Don Moran, Marty Parker, Scratch, Dan Schafer, and David Walz. Each of the bands seem to have produced their own recordings, without overlap of musicians or producers -- a couple of tracks seem to have been cut in Charlie Fields' studio in Nashville, and one was recorded in LA, but otherwise this is an all-Michigander affair, with many tracks recorded at Good Vibrations studio in Southfield, MI. One track, Dan Schafer's "Moonshine Whiskey And Bloodshot Eyes," features Detroit rocker Marshall Crenshaw on lead guitar, a couple of years before he broke through as a national artist. It may take a while to cross-check these songs to see if any also were released as singles elsewhere, but I'll keep you posted.

Various Artists(?) "TAKING PRIDE IN WEST MICHIGAN" (Impact Broadcast Marketing, 1991) (LP)
(Produced by Sean Hogin & Gary Laney)
Impact Broadcast was a marketing firm based in Nashville that created a series of vinyl LPs, circa 1989-91, that were made up to look like locally-produced regional boosterism projects. All of the albums had the exact same music on them, generic, prefab songs with vague lyrics about "your town," etc., and purposefully indeterminate pop-country (which is it??) arrangements with slick, bland, contemporary production. Two of these tracks were adapted on each album to represent the individual clients, thus "Taking Pride In Keokuk" could become "Taking Pride In West Michigan" at the drop of a hat. Likewise, many tracks feature individualized recitations that actually do reflect the town in question, albeit through rose-colored lenses; this album for example includes "Celebrate West Michigan," and was co-sponsored by TV station WZZM-13, whose Greg Moceri narrates part of this album. Also worth noting, of the several for-hire musicians who crafted these prefab tunes, Dave Gillon was formerly in the Nashville pop-country band Tennessee Pulleybone, which had a presence in the Back Forty for much of the 1970s; he later went on to a successful career as a Nashville songwriter, as did others working on these albums.

Various Artists "WEST MICHIGAN COUNTRY MUSIC ALBUM" (Wa-Mo Records, 1968-?) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Moore)
A super-indie set on a private label from Sparta, Michigan -- the "Wa-Mo" label was named after Wayne Moore, one of the many locals contributing to this set. The full list of singers includes: Dodie Bradford, Cowboy Herb Brown, The Country Ramblers, Grant Doom, Charlotte Duzan, Cowboy Kelly, John J., Denver Maynard, Beverly McBrian, label owner Wayne Moore, Debbie Moore, and Leona Payne. (Alas, there was not also a list of the instrumentalists...) Some questions hover over this project, such as: what was the relationship between Wayne Moore and Debbie Moore, who sang a song credited to John Moore, "I Can Change My Mind, But I Can't Change My Heart," and was presumably family of some sort (perhaps Wayne's daughter-in-law, or sister-in-law?) Also, the fella coyly calling himself "John J.," who recorded a tune called "Pucker Brush," was probably Erwin Johnson, who is credited as composing the song, though for now that's just a theory. Also of interest, several songs were written by Charlotte Duzan -- she sings her own "Cuddle Up To Me," while Dodie Radford sang "Day After Never," and Beverly McBrian gives a whack at "It Was Only A Dream," both credited to Ms. Duzan; her connection to the Moores seems to have stretched back at least to 1966, when they were in a band called Charlotte & The Kentucky Boys, which released one of the tunes on this album. (All the songs on this album, we are informed on the back cover, were also released as singles, though it turns out this happened a couple fo years earlier, on a label called Mike Records, mostly between 1966-67: worth noting that these singles all had B-sides with an entire album's worth of extra material!)

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