Greg Allen "This Is Greg Allen" (ASI Studios, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Greg Allen & Jim Murphy)
An ultra-DIY album by a lounge singer from Minneapolis, Minnesota... Basically one of those records that are just intended to get a musician more work, this includes simple, typewritten liner notes that list -- in minute detail -- each of the dozen or so casinos, hotels and bars that had hired Allen to date, a string of Midwestern and Southern Holiday Inns and Vegas lounges. Working with local musicians, Allen recorded this short session, with country oldies like "Rocky Top" alongside pop standards such as "Feelings" and "My Way." This is another undated mystery record where we just have to guesstimate the release date: the most contemporary selections include Bonnie Tyler's "It's A Heartache" and Kenny Rogers' "Love Or Something Like It," both hits in 1978, so I'm gonna go '79 on this one, although it could be later as well.

G. T. Amell "Bein' Ernest About Hank" (KM Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Johnson & Bob Berglund)
Straight-up country roots music, covers of honkytonk oldies by Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams by country (and western!) enthusiast Tom "GT" Arnell. A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Arnell worked for years in heavy industry while nurturing his love of western movies and old Hank Williams songs... He's backed here by a cast of Twin Cities locals, including Peter Ostroushko and Butch Thompson from the orbit of the Prairie Home Companion radio show, as well as pedal steel player Mike Cass and backup vocalist Maureen McElderry, who had a roots-oriented album of her own that came out around the same time. Amell later moved to Tombstone, Arizona, where he dressed up in wild-west cowboy duds, and retired in Georgia around 2015. As far as I know, this is his only album.

Liz Anderson -- see artist discography

The Battle Creek Boys "Battle Creek Breakdown" (1978) (LP)
(Produced by The Battle Creek Boys & Nick Melnick)
A band from Minneapolis, performing mostly covers, including some Hank Williams, Bob McDill's "Amanda," Paul Siebel's "She Made Me Lose My Blues" and a couple of old Sons Of The Pioneers tunes. Lead singer Robert Gaboury wrote a pair of originals, "Country Rockin' Night" and "Battle Creek Breakdown." Anyone have more info about these guys?

Johnny Bee "Yesterday's Promises" (Yesterday's Promises Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Rivard)
John Ellis Bjelland, aka Johnny Bee (1940-2004) was a local performer and family man from Sauk Centre, Minnesota -- a salesman by day, country crooner by night. This early 'Seventies outing was recorded at the fabled Twin Cities production house, Studio 80, with backing by John Felling (lead guitar), Pat Lee (piano), Kentucky Bill Murray (drums) and Bill Peterson on bass. It's a pretty standard-issue set, with a lot of mega-standards that were big around '70, '71 or so... Though I'd guess this came out around 1972-73. Amid covers of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins and Kris Kristofferson are a couple of Johnny Bee originals, "I Wonder What She's Doing Now" and the title track, "Yesterday's Promises." From the looks of it, Johnny Bee played local venues as a "solo" artist for a while, and the "family" album below was a capstone of that career. Not sure if he also released any singles...

Johnny Bee & The Bee Family "Happiness And Teardrops" (Totall Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Gary T. Totall & Bill Barber)
As far as I can tell Johnny Bee wasn't a professional musician, although he did make reference to playing in nightclubs, so he must have at least done some local gigs around his hometown of Sauk Centre, out past Saint Cloud. Here he records with the family band, which included his wife, Luckie Jane Kuulei Ahuna (1941-2021), a Hawaiian gal he married in '61 before settling down in Minnesota, and their two kids, with son Erik singing on a few tracks, and daughter Melodie chiming in as well. This album includes some Bee originals such as "Break Down This Wall" and two by S. Emond (?) who provides "Paper Daddy" and "Tiny Teardrops." They also cover Marty Robbins and Buffy St. Marie, as well as "Puka Shells," a nod to Luckie's roots.

The Bee Kays "Letter From Home" (Eagle Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by The Bee Kays, Lyndon Bartell & Steve Peterson)
A family band from Good Thunder, Minnesota whose repertoire includes a lot of original material, written by Robert Kittleson, Billye Jane Kruse, and Cindy Bee Kittleson...

Big John & The Bad Men "Hoe Down Fiddle" (Oxboro Records, 19--?) (LP)
This looks like a 1960's vintage old-timey set, apparently from Minnesota...

Blegen & Sayer "Classical Cartoon Music" (The Aardvark Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Wiese)
Gentle, oddball, eclectic hippie-folkie tunes from a Minneapolis duo who were active throughout the 'Seventies. Dan Blegen and Eric Sayer were talented multi-instrumentalists with a goofy sense of humor that was in a similar vein to the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, the Holy Modal Rounders and other comedic neo-trad stringband types of the era, playing whimsical material that was way out in left field. Although not quite the Carl Stalling/Raymond Scott lovefest implied by the album title, this disc does have some nutty stuff on it that will appeal to fans of the style. They performed as the musical backup for the Michael Hennessey Mime & Music Theatre, composing their own music, which is performed here with Blegen on flute, clarinet and other instruments and Sayer playing banjo, guitar and accordion. They are joined by a slew of equally obscure local musicians, including piano player Art Resnick and Russ Pahl on pedal steel and electric guitar, along with various horn players, tuba-ers, drummists and bass-lings, as well as the ever-cheerful New Lost Thunderbunny Chorus, which chimes in on a couple of tunes, including "Hoskey Noches," a minute-long masterpiece of hispano-nordic doublespeak worthy of Sid Caesar. The album includes plenty of instrumentals and novelty ditties such as "Garden Girl" ("...my hybrid baby"), "Toys For Your Bathtub," "The Big One" and "Did You Ever Bite Your Toenails With A Friend."

Blue Denim Farmers "Old Time Favorites" (1975) (LP)
I guess this one's more of a "fair warning" for country fans... Despite the rural promise of their band name, The Blue Denim Farmers were in fact a local polka band from Fillmore County in southern Minnesota, where back in the day "old time music" was what they called polka and other ethnic dance music. The group also included several actual old timers, led by Walter William Henry Bicknese (1912–1999) on the banjo, his son Wayne W. Bicknese (1937-2020) on drums, Larry Meeker playing bass, accordionist Kenneth Niemeyer (1925-2003), and Ray Zimmer on trumpet. The band had its origins playing at social events for the local Farmers Union, dating back to the 1950s and they recorded this souvenir album at a St. Patrick's Day dance in the Pla-More Ballroom. It proved to be the band's swan song: a few year later in 1978 they disbanded, though two decades later Wayne Bicknese put together a New Blue Denim Farmers band, which released a CD in 2001. Anyway, it's not a country record, but it sure is local!

Bo Conrad Spit Band "Bo Conrad Spit Band" (Artronics Records, 19--?) (LP)
An early '70s jug band from Saint Paul, Minnesota, the BCSB was founded in 1969 and played gigs throughout the Midwest before disbanding in '75. And, yes, there actually was a guy named Harold "Bo" Conrad in the band: he played guitar and -- true story -- won the National Soap Box Derby in 1963, when he was just twelve years old. A bunch of their repertoire was original material, too -- fun, good-natured stuff!

Both Barrels Band "Ain't About To Change" (Orttel Brothers Publishing, 1981) (LP)
All original, bar-band offering by siblings Danny and Steven Orttel, from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are joined by lead guitarist Gary Caron, Bob Boucher on bass, and drummer Bryan Helmbrechy.

Leon Boulanger "Requested Favorites, Volume One" (Twin Town Records, 1969-?) (LP)
Although he worked with some of the biggest names in old-school honkytonk, fiddler Leon Boulanger also had solid regional roots, leading the house band at the Flame Theater Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota throughout the 1960s. Boulanger was in Johnnie Lee Wills western swing band before shipping off to serve in the Korean War -- back stateside, he joined guitarist Billy Gray's band in the 1950s, then settled into the Twin Cities scene for most of the 'Sixties, starting his residency at the Flame in 1962. He signed up with various headliners after the Flame Cafe band broke up around 1970-71, working for Mel Tillis, then in Ernest Tubb's Troubadours, and finally Faron Young's band, the Deputies, which he joined around 1976-77. Boulanger recorded a few singles under his own name as well as this LP, which I think was his only full-length album. Not sure when it was recorded -- sometime after 1968, according to the liner notes, though early '70s seems likely as well, possibly as late as 1971. The material's all oldies, mainly honkytonk cover songs, along with some popular instrumentals such as "Yakety Sax," though there are no originals from the band. The edition of the Leon Boulanger Show included steel player Terry Bethel, bassist Dick Van Hale, multi-instrumentalist Dave Poe, and drummer John Peck, who each had strong backgrounds playing for various stars such as Dave Dudley, Claude Gray, Ferlin Husky, et.al.

Breakheart Pass Band "Borderline Thrill" (Breakheart Pass Enterprises, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Fronsoe & Steve Fjeland)
A country-oriented bar band from Minneapolis, Minnesota with a wealth of freshly-written material... The album's producer, bassist Scott Fronsoe, wrote or co-wrote all but three of the songs while the remainder were originals as well, including a couple written by guitarist Joe Campbell. Includes songs such as "Burned Out Feelins," "In A Bar Room, On A Bar Stool," and "Minnesota Woman." Pretty solid stuff, in the classic hippiebilly country-rock style. Recommended!

Brethren "Whistlin' With The Wind" (Moonsound Records, 1979) (LP)
As you might imagine from the name, Brethren were indeed a gospel group, more specifically Lutherans. This Minneapolis, Minnesota band was founded in 1974 and played a mix of Christian and secular country. The main members are the trio of Bob Hoch (lead vocals), Doug Larson (bass, led vocals) and John Williams (guitar, banjo, lead vocals) with backing by a band called Wildwood, which included Jim Plattes on fiddle and pedal steel/banjo player Jeff Dayton... The covers include "Mr. Bojangles," Carole King's "You've Got A Friend," Jimmie Driftwood's "Battle Of New Orleans," as well as some original material, most of it written by Williams.

Briar Patch "Briar Patch" (Delmarti Records, 19--?) (LP)
Dunno much about these guys... The band was from Cloquet, Minnesota and though it looks like more of a folkie record, they were signed to a publishing deal with Acuff-Rose, and had some pedal steel on the album. Anyone out there know more about these guys?

Frankie Bush "I'd Rather Live In Dreams" (Bush Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Larry McCoy & Bernie Vaughn)
Originally from Minnesota, singer Frankie Bush (1955-2009) had a near-lifelong struggle with crippling scoliosis, which he developed in childhood, after doctors missed early warning signs. Surmounting his disabilities, Bush forged a career in music, first in secular country and then in gospel. He met the legendary Johnny Cash in 1975 when Cash invited him to perform with him at a show in the Twin Cities; the two hit it off, and Bush infrequently appeared with the Cash road show for several years thereafter. In the '80s, he devoted himself to religious music, and joined the Rev. Billy Graham's crusades. I believe this was his first album, recorded with top Nashville session players such as Greg Galbraith, Sonny Garrish, as well as the Cates Sisters as backup singers... Johnny Cash chimes in with a brief liner note testimonial.

Frankie Bush "Please Wait For Me" (BPA Productions) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Peterson)

The Can Band "To Our Friends" (A & R Records, 197--?) (LP)
A folk/country foursome from Minnesota(?) whose repertoire is heavy on original material, ranging stylistically from Kingston Trio-ish earnest folk, to even more earnest bluegrass, as well as a little bit of Oak Ridge Boys-ish melodic country-pop. This was recorded at Moon Sound Studios, Minneapolis, with bandmembers Doug Larson, Bob Hoch, Dave Saving and John Williams joined by several other pickers, notably steel player Jeff Dayton. Heartfelt performances by earnest amateurs.

Roy Chounard And His County Pride "Country Western And Old Time Favorites" (Chmielewki Records, 19--?) (LP)
Roy Z. Chounard and his wife Beverly were from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and formed the Country Pride band in the 1970s, playing locals shows for over two decades and later in life they ran several small convenience stores in the area. I think this was their only album, released some time in the 'Seventies.

John Collins "Minstrel Man" (Northwood Way Records, 1978) (LP)
A solo set from one of the guys in the oddly-named Minnesota twang band, Podipto... Haven't heard it, but I gather this is in more of a singer-songwriter '70s mode....

Lloyd Correll "...With Lorraine And Her Band" (Mark Customs Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Cornelius, Robin Cable, Neil Wilburn)
A singer-guitarist from Moorhead, Minnesota, Lloyd Correll worked with a few different bands over the span of several decades... A construction worker by trade, he played mostly in the "off season," starting back in the 1950s, playing mostly at local bars and VFW halls around Fargo, North Dakota, and in later years devoted himself to entertaining in local retirement homes. This appears to have been his only album, and polka bandleader Lorraine Martin seems to have gotten the short end of the stick here -- she backs him, but he gets top billing... But it's a man's world, so what are you gonna do? (Actually, I suspect Ms. Martin may have actually been a pseudonym for Lloyd Correll's sister, Eileen VanDame, a local polka accordionist who passed away in 2012, and who Mr. Correll credits with teaching him to play guitar when he was a teenager.) Anyway, Lorraine Martin's polka band was headquartered around Fargo, ND, just on the other side of the state line , though they recorded this set at a studio in Moorhead. The group included Mr. Correll on vocals and rhythm guitar, Ms. Martin on accordion and piano, along with Dave Bergquist (lead guitar), Les Fairbanks (bass), Harlan Johnson (drums) and steel player Dave Olson. The repertoire showcased a slew of country tunes, mainly honkytonk numbers like Rex Griffin's "Call Me Lonesome From Now On," Wynn Stewart's "It's Such A Pretty World Today," Tony Booth's "The Key's In The Mailbox," "My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You," and "That's What Makes The Jukebox Play," as well as a Hank Williams medley. There's also plenty of dance material, various polkas and waltz instrumentals, including an original called "Lorraine's Polka." Other than this album, I couldn't find any references to Lorraine Martin or the band online, though the liner notes clearly indicate that she had a band of her own; again, I suspect a family connection of some sort.

The Country Briars "Presenting The Versatile Country Briars" (Studio City Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Michaelson)
A twangy trio from around Minneapolis, Minnesota, led by "girl" singer and multi-instrumentalist "Buckshot" Bebe Allen, along with her husband, bassist Rick Allen and flattop guitarist Duane Carter. At the time they recorded this album, they were the house band for a country bar called the Flame Cafe, where Bebe's sister Betty often joined her in a duo. About half the songs here are Allen originals or co-compositions, augmented with tunes by Jack Clement, Harlan Howard and the like. Apparently Rick and Bebe "Allen" were the stage names for a husband-wife couple whose real surname was Svenddal -- the Svenddals were successful regional artists, backing Dave Dudley for a while and playing on TV programs such as North Country Shindig, an Opry-esque weekly variety show based in Cloquet, MN which they founded and ran until 1976. Bebe Allen later devoted herself to singing gospel music, and passed away in 2013, followed by Rick Allen in 2014. Their son, Albert Svenddal, became a proficient pedal steel player, performing under the name C. T. Allen.

The Country Briars "Originals" (Delmarti Records, 1970-?) (LP)

The Country Squires & Betty Lee "Moods Of The Country Squires And Betty Lee" (Moon Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Richison)
There sure were a lot of bands called the Country Squires... These one was from Minneapolis, Minnesota, although they recorded in Nashville with session player Al Udeen on steel guitar. Bandleader Bob Richison wrote and arranged all their material, also playing keyboards and cordovox, while lead singer Betty Lee provided a little oomph in the front line... This was a curious group, something of a throwback to the eclectic world of 1940s radio and club acts -- Ms. Lee's vocals had a smooth, sultry ballads style reminiscent of old-school pop vocalists like Peggy Lee, while the guys generally handled more comedic material, such as the topical "Panty Hose," in which drummer Pudge Likes laments the popularity of newfangled pantyhose -- he prefers to ogle women wearing nylons or socks -- or "Burnett County Fair," where they make fun of their own "fame" and the kind of gigs that local bands headline, and "Put It Where The Sun Don't Shine." which is kind of self-explanatory. There are also a couple of gospel songs, including "Friendship" and "Brotherhood," which has an uber-sincere vibe that tilts it into the unintentionally hilarious. All in all, a fun country record, and unlike most that you'll hear.

The Country Squires & Hurricane Barb "The Very Best Of..." (Jimbo Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by J. D. Van Buskirk)
This was a later edition of the Country Squires band from Minneapolis, still led by songwriter and cordovox king Bob Richison, along with guitarist Lee Larsen and drummer Pudge Likes. However, the group's female vocalist Betty Lee has been replaced by a new gal named Barb Huber or, more colorfully, Hurricane Barb. At the time, they were playing gigs at a place called Archie's Bar And Lounge, located in Hopkins, Minnesota, which commissioned this album. The record features liner notes by Marvin Rainwater, who probably played a few gigs with them at some point. The album includes "The Interstate Is Coming Through My Outhouse" and a few medley tunes, including one called "Barb's Favorites." The song, "Love Is The Answer" which is included on this album was also released on one of the singles Barb Huber managed to record under her own name as well (though still featuring material written by Bob Richison.) The two singles I know of were "Rags Upon My Shoulders/Love Is The Answer To This World" and "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"/"I'm Really Sorry," from 1978.

The Counts "Meet The Counts: Clay, Red & Joe" (Count Records, 19--?) (LP)
A trio from New Hope, Minnesota who covered a lot of country stuff, but with unorthodox instrumentation... Joe Tishimack played lead on a Cordovox electric accordion, with drumming by Clayton Pickles and rhythm guitar by singer Red Johnson, who also contributed a couple of original songs, "I Took Your Memory For A Walk" and "Running Bare #2" (sic). The rest of the stuff is covers, including a Hank Williams medley, "Blue Moon Of Kentucky," "Louisiana Man," Green Green Grass Of Home" and the like. Not sure where they played, or if they were in any other bands... Anyone out there have more info?

The Counts "Album Two" (Count Records, 1971) (LP)
On this follow-up album the guys found a gal to sing with them, Joe Tishmack's wife, Violet, and also beefed up their quotient of original material, showcasing a half-album's worth of tunes penned by singer-guitarist Red Johnson. He seems to have been aiming for a conversational, Buck Owens-ish tone, especially on the delightfully clumsy topical tune, "Right Is Right," which decries political extremism of all brands, and has some remarkably blunt lyrics. It was also released as a single with the goofy go-go rocker "Get It On," a disc well worth tracking down, especially with them copping some groovy licks from the early Neil Diamond catalog. While their first album was kind of hard to get a bead on, this one's a doozy. Clunky musicianship wed to deliciously artless songwriting which includes the duet "I Forgot What I Meant To Say," which showcases Vi Tishmack's ultra-rural, Kitty Wells-ish vocals. I dig it.

(Joe Tishmack &) The Counts "...Play Old Tyme" (Count Records, 1979) (LP)
Alas -- no country stuff on here, just polkas and waltzes, the stuff they called "old time music" up around the Great Lakes and upper Midwest. Slightly different lineup with Johnson and Tishmack anchoring the band, along with a tuba player named Jolly Jay, drummer Mike Wagner, and Vi Tishmack on piano. (Possibly she was the female singer on their earlier album?) Mr. Tishmack also released a few albums under his own name, though these were mostly dance material as well, while Red Johnson recorded a slew of stuff, dating back from early 'Sixties singles to several digital-era CDs.

Mike Cowdery & Marvin Rainwater "Country Music Is Alive And Well North Of The Mason Dixon Line" (Hoky Records, 1981) (LP)
A curious album with songs mostly written by Minnesotan Mike Cowdery, though half the album is sung by veteran country music star Marvin Rainwater, whose career was revived in the '70s by the European rockabilly scene... Many of the songs are about places in or near the Great Lakes region... Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Manitoba, Ontario and the Dakotas... There are also a couple of oldies written by Rainwater, including a new version of his big hit, "Gonna Find Me A Bluebird." Anyone know more about this Cowdery fella? Apparently he came from Lakeview, Minnesota...?

Gary Cross "Minnesota Lights" (197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Brian St. Louis & Lee St. Louis)
Great Lakes-y twang, recorded in West Bend, Wisconsin, though apparently a Minnesota band(?) ... The group included Gary Cross on acoustic guitar, with Brian St. Louis on lead guitar and bass, and Gary Wiener on drums. There are two Gary Cross originals, "Minnesota Lights" and "Joan," along with covers of Jimmie Rodgers's "Muleskinner Blues," a couple of John Denver hits, "Yesterday" by the Beatles, the Eagles' "Desperado" and "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town."

Gary Cross & The Cedar Creek Band "That's Country Music" (Homestead Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Brian St. Louis & Lee St. Louis)
The Cedar Creek Band was led by songwriter Gary Cross, who penned almost half the songs, including "Joan," "Fourteen Years," "Terminal City," and "That's Country Music," which was co-written with Kathy Cross. The group also included Dan Beulen on keyboards, Gary Christiansen (bass), Brian St. Louis and Gary Wiener. This was recorded live on December 14, 1980 at a place called Bell's Barn, in West Bend, Wisconsin... Lots of cool cover songs, too.

The Czech Lites "Volume III: Twelve Pack" (JBM Sound Productions, 1988) (LP)
An amiable, though underwhelming, set by a polka band from Montgomery, Minnesota, whose repertoire includes a bunch of country tunes given a perky, polkadelic makeover. This was the group's third record, one of many made over the decades to come. Although there is some historical crossover between "old-time" polka musicians and their country brethren, in all honesty I gotta say there's not much here for twangfans to get excited about.

The Daisy Dillman Band "The Daisy Dillman Band" (United Artists, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by John Pete)
An exemplary hippie twang album by one of the handful of regional DIY bands to score a nationwide, major label contract in the late '70s. Formed in 1976, this Minnesota-based band named jokingly themselves after their bassist's great-grandmother, Daisy Ellen Dillman -- the name stuck and they built up a solid regional following which led to this album, as well as various gigs opening for folks such as Jerry Jeff Walker, Asleep At The Wheel and The Amazing Rhythm Aces (who all get shout-outs on the liner notes...) This album is a very strong recording, blending Poco-delic longhair twang with Marshall Tucker-esque Southern-pop, made even more impressive for the wealth of original material and the fact that the band really played all the music itself -- no Nashville superpickers called into the studio for this one! I remember hearing these guys, or at least hearing their name a lot, on the late, lamented, legendary KFAT radio station in the late '70s, though listening back to the album, I have to say none of the tracks stand out as "the hit" -- some of those KFAT classics stick with you, but I guess some don't. Still, it's a pretty solid record, and if you're looking into '70s longhair country and Southern rock, you don't want to miss this one!

The (Daisy) Dillman Band "Lovin' The Night Away" (RCA, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Rick Hall)
Oh, dear. Well, whatever country twang they started out with in the '70s had completely evaporated by the time this record came out. The Dillman Band gone pop, or at least tried to, with this glossy set of eclectic soft rock, which ranged from moderately rockin' bar-band type stuff, to tunes with mild Latin and Caribbean influences. The only song that really seems at all country-flavored is "Roll Like A Stone," which sounds like a Poco outtake, but otherwise, this was a fairly bland rock-pop outing, and one that sounded several years out of date, more suited to '77-'79 AOR rather than the post-punk, pre-MTV landscape of the early '80s. I guess this album yielded a Top 50 single, though a second album recorded for RCA got shelved. Oh, well.

Benny Dixon & The Rebels "Deep Country Feeling" (Studio 5 Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Anthony J. Nathe)
Indie country from New Brighton, Minnesota... Mostly covers of songs such as "Folsom Prison" and "Okie From Muskogee," although the first track, "Mr. Blue," was written by Benny Dixon.

Dorothy (Freyberger) "Everybody's Mother Swings Heavy" (Studio 5, 19--?) (LP)
Like Cher and Nico, Minneapolis native Dorothy Freyberger (1921-2010) simply went by her first name, but fans also knew her by her nickname, "Everybody's Mother." She made her name as a frequent performer at the Minnesota State Fair and other local/regional events, as well as appearances on radio and TV. Her repertoire included pop and country oldies and covers of contemporary hits. Mrs. Freyberger occasionally worked with Sherwin Linton, another legendarily persistent, under-the-radar regional performer. This was the first of two albums she recorded -- not sure of the year, but I'm guessing these are both early '70s releases.

Dorothy (Freyberger) "Everybody's Mother Goes Country" (Studio 5, 19--?) (LP)

Dottie Lou "...Sings One More Memory" (Oxboro Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Norell)
Fun stuff. Although she was an inconsistent singer, Bruno, Minnesota's own Dottie Lou Bolme exudes enthusiasm and real rural charm, evoking stars such as Lynn Anderson and Loretta Lynn, though she also tackles some tonier countrypolitan ballads such as "Drinking Champagne" and "There Must Be A Way," in addition to uptempo novelty numbers like "Little Arrows," "You Know Where You Can Go" and a version of Liz Anderson's "Ride Ride Ride." The liner notes identify her band The Tumbleweeds as a trio -- with Dottie Lou on piano, bass and vocals, Gene Norell on rhythm guitar and Toby Berndt playing lead -- but there's also some really swell pedal steel throughout with some fairly wild licks (though, sadly, no indication of who's playing...) There are also several original songs, including a few credited to the Newkeys Music publishing company, which represented Gene Norell along with Tom T. Hall, whose "Now I Lay Me Down To Cry," which is also spotlighted on this album. Great, honest album by some real-deal Great Lakes locals.

Drifters "Power Of Love" (RWW Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by The Drifters)
Not to be confused with "The" Drifters, this Minneapolis lounge band covered pop and soul as well as (a lot of) country material... On the country side are some pretty mainstream, AOR-aligned hits, tunes like Jessi Colter's "I'm Not Lisa," "Annie's Song" by John Denver, "Silver Threads And Golden Needles," and Doug Kershaw's "Louisiana Man." The group centered around the vocal trio of Marc Ratajczak (lead guitar), Sharon Ratajczak, and Greg Weeg (bass), with additional backing by steel guitarist Randy Barnes and drummer Steve Webb.

Dyan & Parker "Where Do We Go From Here" (1981) (LP)
(Produced by John Black & Gary Heil)
I'm taking the bullet for you guys on this one... Consider yourself warned. Despite the groovy rural album art, this is a truly appalling album, the trainwreck-y kind of trainwreck that the more cynical among us imagine all "private press" albums sound like. There's not a lot of info out there about the Minnesota duo of Dyan Peterson and Jon Parker, who created this lone album filled with all-original material, more than half of it written by Ms. Peterson. It was recorded in St. Paul with help in the studio from a pair of capable multi-intrumentalists Randy Amborn and Gary Heil, who play the guitars, banjo, dobro, steel and whatnot, with the rest of the sound filled-out by a string section, as well as brass and wind instruments. That last bit may sound a little scary from a twangfan's perspective, and indeed, there is reason to be afraid. Now, you folks know that I am not one of those sneering hipsters who like to make fun of supposedly "bad" records, but I gotta be honest: this one is not very good. Neither Dyan nor Parker were particularly strong vocalists, and amazingly they sounded even worse when they tried to sing together. It took a while to pick out the problems... At first I thought they were both tone-deaf, but then I realized they could sing in tune, they just had limited range and simply didn't compliment each other that well. He's okay, I suppose -- just a dude with an okay-sounding deep voice who penned a few dude-ly, alcohol-oriented novelty songs that are pleasantly unpretentious in their scope, very much in contrast to her more overly-ambitious, pop-oriented numbers. I suppose Dyan had a fair amount of vocal range, though her phrasing is off and I am not a big fan of that style of folkie, Judy Collins-ish trilling. She also steps all over him on several duets, most notably on like "Flat Broke Blues," where he was doing just fine before she showed up to add some truly awful, unnecessary counterpoint, or on his "Take Me As I Am," which sounds like a Jack Blanchard/Misty Morgan outtake. On the flipside, when Parker backs her on her songs, he just sounds adrift -- ill-matched, unable to keep up, and like he was dubbed in from another continent. After a while I started hearing him as Will Ferrell doing a lounge act parody, which helped. The albums modest highlights are two straight country tunes where Ms. Peterson does not intrude -- "Bellies To The Bar" and "Minnesota (Beer Drinkin') Summer" -- they may redeem this disc, but really this is one of those embarrassing albums where I dread having my wife walk in while I'm listening and having her tell me the time has come to get rid of my record collection. Still, if you're looking for records to make fun of, this one's a doozy. (Also of interest, a couple of tracks feature bass playing by J. D. Shug, a Great Lakes local who recorded an album of his own in '82...)

Jonathan Edwards - see artist discography

Tom Elliott & Honey Lou Elliott "Wright County Country" (Artronics/Jem Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Art Boyd)
It might have been back in '71, but that big, old handlebar moustache wasn't a hippie thing, even if there was a goatee underneath it... At the time they recorded this album in Nashville, the husband-wife duo of Tom and Honey Lou Elliott had spent several years on the road as itinerant horse trainers and livestock wranglers, and decided to cut a country album kinda just for the fun of it... Originally from the tiny town of Buffalo, Minnesota, they moved all across the upper Midwest, and eventually settled down in Benson, Arizona (and, many years later, recorded a couple of cowboy/western albums celebrating their adoptive state...) But Tom Elliott's look has stayed pretty much the same: that's a real-deal cowboy face. This mostly-honky tonk album is a swell mix of cover tunes and originals, kicking off with the topically-tinged "Goodbye Saigon" -- he also wrote "Looking For Happy," both of which are great songs. The other originals come from a guy named Joe Allen, who seems to have been their contact person in Music City: the album was recorded in separate sessions in Minneapolis and Nashville, and Allen plays rhythm guitar in the Nashville crew, along with studio pros like Ken Malone, Hal Rugg and Buddy Spicher. Tom Elliott played bass and Honey Lou held down the rhythm guitar on the Minnesota sessions, but in Nashville they both just sang the songs. At any rate, this is a pretty cool record -- sometimes it sounds poorly recorded, but the music is a gas, and they sound like they had a lot of fun, particularly on a live track where Tom Elliott busts out with some fairly impressive yodeling. No fooling! Worth a spin if you can track it down.

The Enneking Family Singers "We Are The Ennekings" (Joel Recordings, 1967) (LP)
A too-cutesy, fairly stiff, folk-comedy set by this family band from Stearns County, Minnesota. The group was organized by patriarch Al Enneking and his wife, "Mother Enneking," who is credited with the band's arrangements. The main focus is on the kids, though -- Bob, Gene, Lenore, Mary, Renee and Tom Enneking -- who are thrust into the spotlight, with a lot of focus on the younger singers and their "little kid" voices, an effect that some may find charming, though others may not. The repertoire sounds pretty strictly drawn from the 'Sixties folk-revival sound, with a bunch pf little kids (and teens) working in full Kingston Trio mode... The group loosens up a little with the introduction of some steel guitar at the end of Side One, courtesy of session player Tony Farr, though the wider country sound never really comes into full swing. The repertoire includes covers of "Tippy Toeing," "Ballad Of The Green Berets" and "My Dirty, Low-Down Rotten Cotton Picking Little Darling," as well as more groan-worthy chestnuts such as "On Top Of Old Spaghetti" and a few old gospel songs. Certainly the song "Enneking Family Farm" counts as an original(?) and perhaps the album's highlight is a novelty number called "My Education," though this is one of those kiddie vocal numbers, and might be better in someone else's hands. The album was recorded in Mankato, with session musicians including Tony Farr on steel guitar, Jim Ruud playing lead, and Lowell Schyerer on banjo. Testimonial letters on the back cover place this one as a 1967 release; possibly early '68.

The Enneking Family Singers "Volume Two" (Town Hall Production, 1968-?) (LP)
Although I can't say I was really wowed by their first album, I admit I have a strong compulsion to track this one down so I can hear their covers of the Merle Haggard hits, "Mama Tried" and "Today I Started Loving You Again." Their version of "Medals For Mamas" might be a real hoot as well. Tony Farr is on board again, backing them on pedal steel, along with Arlee Schweim (lead guitar) and Lowell Schyerer (banjo). As far as I know, these were their only two albums, though there are also a few Enneking Family singles floating around out there as well.

Art Essery "Modern Country" (Maplewood Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Duncan)
Originally from Canada, Art Essery and his wife Janet Ruth grew up around Oshuwo, Ontario, while drummer Jim Blakney and guitarist Roy Le Glazier were from Newbrunswick. The Esserys and their compact band eventually relocated to Minnesota, where they toured regionally and recorded several albums. This disc was recorded in Cedar Falls, Iowa and features a song Jan Essery wrote a song in tribute to her father, who had recently passed away, along with a bunch of covers from the likes of Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard (who seems to have been Essery's main guiding light). This project has a charmingly laid back, amateurish sound; Mr. Essery had a remarkably relaxed approach to his singing, weaving a fine line between confidence and carelessness, ultimately landing fairly firmly in the "cool" camp, again, very much modeled on Merle Haggard's own laconic style. The picking isn't dazzling, but it doesn't have to be: this is an understated set that allows the musicians to linger awhile, often to great dramatic effect, particularly on songs with strong emotional subtexts, like "Did She Mention My Name" and "You've Never Gone This Far Before." Nice one!

Art Essery "Drinking Champagne" (Country Records, 19--?) (LP)

Art Essery "Here Today And Gone Tomorrow" (Four Winds Records, 1973-?) (LP)

The Eustice Hocke Memorial Album "The Final Live Performance" (Dire Wolf Records, 1972)
(Produced by George Hanson & Ralph Wittcoff)
A fine live set of straight-ahead bluegrass and old-timey music by a Minneapolis-area group with a sharp, concise sound in an electrifying live set at an old venue called the New Riverside Cafe. The repertoire is almost entirely bluegrass classics, songs like "Little Maggie," "Bill Cheatum" and "Footprints In The Snow," although they also give an excellent rendition of Hank Williams' "Lost Highway" and dip lightly into pop with a funky rural cover of "Proud Mary," but that's about it for nontraditional material. There are no composer credits, but I think there is one original tune on here, a fun instrumental called "This And That There" -- although it's possible that this came from somewhere else too (anyone know for sure?) Only two musicians are listed on the jacket, Ron Colby (who played some really hot banjo) and Craig Ruble playing fiddle, guitar and mandolin, though clearly there are other pickers backing them up, including an unidentified vocalist who hits the Jimmy Martin-style high-lonesome sound on several tracks. Also worth noting is the Grateful Dead-ish iconography in the album art: the Dire Wolf label logo and a big old, Dead-ish skull on the cover. Musically, though, this is pure mountain music. Oh, and Eustice Hocke? Made up, as far as I can tell: they dedicate the album to him, claiming that he died pouring a glass of milk, and promise to use the proceeds from the album to build a Eustice Hocke cultural center in his nonexistent hometown of Dwildy, Iowa. Hey, man, they can make as many in-jokes as they want to, as long as they play all sweet like that. Whoever these guys were, they were good.

The Family Tree "Branch One" (Identical Productions, 1973) (LP)
This looks like it was a family band, apparently originally from Minnesota, with Dad, three brothers, one sister and included some brass instruments, although they definitely played country material. The repertoire was almost strictly covers of contemporary early '70s popular hits, mostly country songs, but with some crossover into the Pop charts. Their albums seem to have mostly been souvenirs of -- and advertisements for -- their live shows... They were a working band that played paid gigs and gave a Nashville street address for their business contacts, and as far as I can tell, they had moved to Nashville fulltime and released several albums in the mid-1970s.

The Family Tree "Branch Two" (Identical Productions, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by The Family Tree & Stan Kesler)

The Family Tree "Branching Out" (Identical Productions, 1976)
(Produced by The Family Tree & Dana Thomas)
This one includes "hip" covers of rock songs by Neil Young ("Love Is A Rose") and The Eagles ("Lyin' Eyes") as well as big country hits from 1975, such as Ronnie Milsap's "Day Dreams About Night Things," "Wasted Days And Wasted Nights," "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "I'm Not Lisa." They still had the same Nashville street address as on the last album, so I guess they stayed in Music City for a long time, doing private shows and other gigs... Pretty impressive, really! (It's worth noting that there was also a Family Tree band in Shreveport, Louisiana around the same time, who are sometimes lumped together with these guys, although I'm pretty sure they were a different band. They are infamous for the so-bad-it's-good cult classic album, "Somewhere In Your Heart" which came out in 1975, but that band didn't feature horns and seem to have had a much more rock'n'roll orientation...)

Candy Farr "Make My Heart" (Shostar Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Candy Farr & Jim Reynolds)
Though born in Texas, country singer Candy Farr started performing regularly after he moved to Minnesota... He was apparently a protege of Marty Robbins, as well as a huge Elvis Presley fan. This album features all original material... Don't know much more about it than that, though.

Tony Farr "Plays The Farr Out Of It" (Farview Records, 1973) (LP)
Steel guitar player Tony Farr was a veteran of the Twin Cities country scene, playing at local Minnesota venues such as the Flame Cafe and regionally at country fair gigs like the Cheyenne Days festival in the late 1960s. In the early '70s he moved to Nashville, where he recorded these two albums, but for a variety of reasons things never quite clicked for him in Music City. Of note on these albums is guitarist Greg Galbraith, a session picker who toured with Nashville stars such as Bill Anderson and Gene Watson, playing here in a more laid-back instrumental mode.

Tony Farr "Warm And Easy" (Farview Records, 1974-?) (LP)

Maury Finney "Saxaphone" (NSD/Soundwaves Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Benson & Joe Lewis)
A sax player from East Grand Forks, Minnesota, Maury Finney hoofed it down to Oklahoma City to record his first album at the Benson Sound Studio; he was helped in part by Joe Lewis, a member of Conway Twitty's band, as well as some unidentified studio musicians, presumably drawn from Larry Benson's seasoned staff... Pity they misspelled the word "saxophone," though (at least on one edition of this album...)

Maury Finney "Sax Life In Nashville" (NSD/Soundwaves Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Gibson & Lloyd Green)
There's no place like Nashville... Finney's second album was glitzy Music City production, with a slew of all-star super-pickers such as Tommy Allsup, Johnny Gimble, Lloyd Green, Dave Kirby, Hargus Robbins, Buddy Spicher and Bobby Thompson, et. al. Mostly covers of classic country oldies, though he does slip in a pop tune or two, such as his rendition of David Gates's saccharine smash, "If..."

Maury Finney "Country Sax Comes To Town (Nashville, That Is!)" (NSD/Soundwaves Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Gibson)

Stan Galli & The Stuff Brothers "Live" (Renee Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Bud Compte & Ernie Kucera)
As some of you may know, I am not a big fan of the "make fun of old album covers" music website subgenre... I think it's mostly a feeble form of humor -- inherently mean-spirited and more revealing of the author's limitations than those of their targets. That being said, this one's a doozy. I mean, first off, wow, look at the hair, then, wow, look at those vests, and also, wow, who calls their group "The Stuff Brothers"? Besides which, why does bandleader Stan Galli look kinda like Eric Idle, while that other guy looks so much like Steve Zahn? Is that Steve Zahn?? Anyway, this album actually is about as scary as it looks... Not entirely country, though there is definitely some twang in the mix, including covers of the Gatlin Brothers' "All The Gold In California" and Tom Paxton's "Wasn't That A Party," which sounds like an old Moe Bandy song, but isn't. They also shoehorned in Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly medleys at the ends of each side fo the album, which I guess is kind of country-adjacent. It turns out Stan Galli -- who grew up in Duluth and later settled in Omaha -- was actually a veteran music performer, having played drums in a similarly eclectic Minneapolis lounge band called The Links, backing brothers Jim and John Link, who also mixed contemporary pop and country hits as well as rather strained novelty material. (The Links, by the way, looked even scarier than the Stuff Brothers, with one sibling perpetually pop-eyed and overly cheerful, and the other looking very much like a BMOC jock-bully type.) At any rate, Mr. Galli recorded several albums with The Links in the first half of the 1970s, but left the band sometime before 1978 and set out on his own, though apparently emulating the same basic formula with a new trio which included Mark Beckwith on bass, drums and guitar, and John Seleski playing banjo, bass, and lead guitar. This is a deeply flawed album, with manic performances of okay material, punctuated by two truly awful comedy bits, one a version of Joe Dolce's then-hit, "Shaddap You Face," in which Mr. Galli goes to great lengths to provide his own Italian-American bona fides, but also bizarrely ties it to the elevation of Polish cardinal Karol Jozef Wojtyla to become Pope John Paul II, which apparently was a great shocker to some of Italian descent. Anyway, that stereotype-laden performance is nothing compared to the sheer, abject misery of the bit on the flipside called "OB-GYN," in which a male "doctor" discusses his work, and is just plain gross. I was drawn to this disc because it was recorded at the Renee Records studio in David City, Nebraska, which was a locus for regional country (and polka) artists, and I guess the album lives up to its promise, in that it was an authentic document of a working lounge band of the era... But still, yikes.

Mickey Grasso "Rip It Up" (CMS Records, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bebe Allen)
Independent Minnesota twang, with about half the songs written by singer Mickey Grasso or by his pals, along with covers of songs like Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," John Hartford's "Gentle On My Mind" and Freddie Hart's "Easy Lovin'," and of course the rockabilly classic, "Rip It Up." The most promising song title would be Grasso's own "Good Manly Cry."

H & V Melodies "Music, Memories, Family" (H&V Memories, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Peterson)
Founded in 1970, this family band led by Harold and Vonnie Anderson of Glyndon, Minnesota plays equal parts polka and twang, covering country and cajun standards as well as the waltzes and polkas popular in the Great Lakes region. They favored accordion and saxophone over fiddle and pedal steel, but there's still some country roots here to be heard as well. The Andersons toured regionally and even abroad, performing together for forty years, up until Mr. Anderson (1937-2011) passed away.

H & V Melodies "Our Favorites To You" (Mark Custom Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Peterson)
Though there's some dance material on here -- notably a couple of waltzes -- there's also a ton of country stuff, including songs like "Heartaches By The Number," "I Can't Help It," "Nobody's Darling But Mine," "Release Me," and of course yet another version of "Green, Green Grass Of Home." One song, "Wind," is credited to Harold Anderson, who again plays the squeezebox while Mrs. Anderson plays drums and guitar.

Cal Hand "The Wylie Butler" (Takoma Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Leo Kottke & Paul Martinson)
Pedal steel guitarist Cal Hand came out of the same early '70s Twin Cities folk scene that fostered many of the artists who wound up as regulars on the Prairie Home Companion radio show (such as the Sorry Muthas, which morphed into the early lineup of the Powdermilk Biscuit Band...) A subtle and sympathetic accompanist, Hand appeared on a bunch of albums by artists throughout the 1970s and recorded frequently and most famously with guitarist Leo Kottke (who performs on about half the tracks, as well as Peter Ostroushko, who chimes in on guitar and mandolin) This lone solo album spotlights Cal Hand's innovative approach to dobro and pedal steel. Very pleasant and definitely worth looking for.

Danny Hargrove "Danny..." (NAC Records, 1975)
(Produced by Harold Streeter & Gene Thomas)
A country singer from Minnesota, Danny Hargrove started performing back in the early 1960s, though this mid-'Seventies set was his first full album. Although released on a label in Nashville, this seems to have been recorded with local musicians back in Minnesota, notably Minneapolis-based guitarist Harold Streeter, who helped produce the album and plays banjo, dobro and guitar. Other performers include steel player John Fields, John Hautla (drums), Bernie Johnson (lead guitar), Ken Kautz (piano), Dave Peavey (bass) and backing vocals by Jack Kollodge and Bonnie Rimrodt. Hargrove was one of those jovial, manly-but-sensitive guy-singers navigating the pop-inflected country scene in the countrypolitan era, which is seen in his choice of cover songs, including material by Mac Davis, Kris Kristofferson, Marty Robbins and a version of Billy Crash Craddock's oh-so-naughty hit, "Rub It In." There are also several Danny Hargrove originals: "That Kind Of A Girl," "That Little Boy Of Mine," "Seeing You Changes Everything" as well as a trio of tunes co-written by producers Harold Streeter and Lynneal Preston, "Closing On A Way Of Life," "Come First Thing In The Morning," and "In The Form Of A Tear."

Danny Hargrove "Danny Who? Danny Hargrove!" (Loft Records, 1977)
(Produced by Billy Williams & Rich Schirmer)
Hargrove did travel to Nashville for this one, booking a session that included the likes of pianist Bob Brown Buddy Cannon (bass), Paul Franklin (steel guitar), Bob Gelotte (drums), Hoot Hester (fiddle), Doug Jernigan (dobro and steel guitar) as well as backing vocals by the trio of Sudie Calloway, Rita Figlio and Curtis Young (aka the Back-Ahp Singers). There are no Hargrove originals, though some new material may have been funneled to him by Music City song pluggers.. The cover songs include Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See," along with "Lucille" and "Margaritaville." You kinda get where he's going, right?

Danny Hargrove "Portrait" (Fishtar Records, 1980)
(Produced by Billy Williams & Johnny Howard)
Another Nashville session with the same producer as his previous album, though this time with a strong emphasis on original material, probably hoping to break through into the Top Forty. He sounds kinda like some of the poppier country dudes of the era, guys like Billy Craddock, or Ronnie McDowell, or Joe Stampley. One notable track is "She Belongs To The Men At The Bar," an ode to a barroom waitress who puts up with all kinds of crap at work, but enjoys her me-time at home. A pretty credible wannabee-commercial effort from a guy who'd already been around the block a few times...

Danny Hargrove "Back In The Game" (Self-Released, 2012)
This was probably a digital-only release, seen on Danny Hargrove's Bandcamp page in 2021.

Jerry Hegarty "Help Me Momma" (ASI Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Hegarty & Dan R. Holmes)
Singer-bassist Jerry Hegarty hailed from Minneapolis, fronting a mostly-covers band, singing lesser-known songs by Doug Kershaw, Red Lane, Willie Nelson, Jimmie Rodgers, Jerry Jeff Walker and others. There's only song credited to Hegarty, "You Look So Much A Woman," with another song credited to lead guitarist Neil Gelvin, the title track, "Help Me Mama." No steel guitar or fiddle, but we'll forgive them, just this once.

Johnny Holm "...And The Traveling Fun Show" (ASI Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced bu Dick Hedlund)
An icon in the upper Midwest, Johnny Holm was a hard-working country/roots-rocker from Minnesota who has led his own road show for over fifty years, and claims to be America's most-seen musician, with the most miles logged on the road... I haven't seen the data that backs that up, but I'm also not contesting the claim. This is one of several records he's cut over the years... Of particular interest in this lineup of the band is sideman Jack Sundrud, who was formerly in the hippie twang band Podipto, and later joined Poco, before finally forming the Americana-rock band Great Plains in the 1980s. Sundrud contributed a number of songs over the years to the Johnny Holm group, including on albums he apparently didn't play on... This disc includes his song, All My Life," and has Sundrud sitting in on bass. Some other members of the Podipto band played with Holm as well, notably pianist Karen Lund and drummer Steve Rundquist; I guess this is more or less what became of that band after they broke up in 1975...

Johnny Holm "Lightning Bar Blues" (ASI Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Kit Grove)
Despite the truly lamentable cover photo, this is actually a pretty solid record, kicking off with a straight-up country boozing song, a solid version of Hoyt Axton's "Lightning Bar Blues," then slowly tilts towards novelty material, with some good ones like Jerry Chesnutt's "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" and one called "The Car Song," in which a guy sees a car ad with a sexy girl in it, and tells the guy at the dealership he's interested in her, not the vehicle. Things slide a little further downhill after that, with a cheerful rendition of Cliff Ferre's dumble-entendre ditty, "Ain't It A Beauty (The Garden Hose Song)" (a dopey song that I'm sure was a big favorite with the concert audiences) then bottoms out with one written by Jack Sundrud, "We're Not As Dumb As People Think," a meandering novelty number that just doesn't quite click. Also of interest are three(!) songs by pop singer Bobby Vee -- indicating perhaps a portion of the Traveling Fun Show devoted to Vee's music? -- the best of which is a lively version of "Every Opportunity." It's worth noting that even though they played one of his songs, Jack Sundrud was no longer with the band, being replaced by bassist Don Berg, but Karen Lund and Steve Rundquist were still on board. Also of interest is Holm's generosity sharing the spotlight: various band members sing lead on several of the songs mentioned above. Only about half of this album is really what I'd consider country, but it's definitely worth checking out.

The Johnny Holm Band "Gotta Let It Out" (Neva Records, 19--?) (LP)
This album includes five songs by Jack Sundrud (though no musician credits to confirm if he was in the band at the time). His tracks include "Downtown Time," "Give Me A Holler," "He Must Be A Cowboy," "Midnight Lady," and the title track, "Gotta Let It Out," which all seem to be unique to this album (as well as Holm's live album, below...)

Johnny Holm & The Traveling Fun Show "Live" (Neva Records, 1979-?) (LP)

Hurricane Barb & The Country Squires "The Very Best Of..." (Jimbo Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by J. D. Van Buskirk)
This was a later edition of the Country Squires, a band from Minneapolis led by songwriter and cordovox king Bob Richison, along with guitarist Lee Larsen and drummer Pudge Likes. However, the group's previous female vocalist Betty Lee has been replaced by a new gal named Barb Huber or, more colorfully, Hurricane Barb. At the time, they were playing gigs at a place called Archie's Bar And Lounge, located in Hopkins, Minnesota, which commissioned this album. The record features liner notes by Marvin Rainwater, who probably played a few gigs with them at some point. The album includes "The Interstate Is Coming Through My Outhouse" and a few medley tunes, including one called "Barb's Favorites." The song, "Love Is The Answer" which is included on this album was also released on one of the singles Barb Huber managed to record under her own name as well (though still featuring material written by Bob Richison.) The two singles I know of were "Rags Upon My Shoulders/Love Is The Answer To This World" and "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"/"I'm Really Sorry," from 1978.

Clarence Iverson "The Vagabond Kid Sings Great Grand Dad" (Hep Records, 1980-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Erbele)
Old-school country, with several songs translated into Norwegian and the rest sung in English. Originally from Binford, North Dakota, brothers Clarence Iverson (1905-1990) and Ernest Iverson (1903-1958) were a popular sibling-act duo during the Great Depression and on into the postwar period, starting out in Fargo then moving to Saint Paul. They performed regionally and on the radio, mainly around The Twin Cities, often using the stage names Slim Jim and The Vagabond Kid. The Hep label mostly seems to have been devoted to reissuing their archival recordings, including several albums with Slim Jim as the marquee artist, at least one with both brothers, and this disc, which showcases newer recordings made in 1980, when Mr. Iverson was 75 years old. The backing band were presumably Minnesota locals from around Saint Paul, including Tom Anderson on drums, Glenn Otteson (steel guitar), Howard Pine (bass and guitar) E. Craig Ruble (fiddle and mandolin) and backup singers including Nancy Andersen, Claire Pittelkow and Marsha Pittelkow. (The translations into Norwegian are credited to Solvig Christiansen, though the original source material is unclear.)

Carol Jean "The Carol Jean Show" (New Pioneer Productions, 198-?) (LP)
(Produced by Lyndon Bartell)
This Minneapolis-area band included lead singer Carol Jean, along with Wayne Danberry (guitar, vocals), Roger Carson (vocals, alto and tenor saxophones, grand piano, electric piano... and... anything else you'd like to add, Mr. Carson? Ah. Okay, sure... also "orchestrator" and "bells." Got it.) Drummer Gary Foley sings lead vocals on covers of Marty Robbins' "Lord You Gave Me A Mountain" and "House Of The Rising Sun." Bassist Wayne Danberry sings lead on three oldies -- "Johnny B. Goode," "Out Behind The Barn" and Melvin Endsley's "Singin' The Blues." Ms. Jean solos on four songs, including one she co-wrote called "Whispering Sweet Stories," while musical polymath Roger Carson sings on three songs he co-wrote with a guy named Erik West, who apparently wasn't on this record -- "Daybreak," "Renegade Angel" and "The Winner." Perhaps one day the story of Erik West will be told again as well!

Jimmy Jenson "This Is Jimmy Jenson The Country Swingin' Swede" (Jay Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Curt D. Johnson, John W. Calder & Don R. Holmes)
This was the fifth album by Minnesota-based accordionist Jimmy Jenson, who expanded his "old-time" polka repertoire to go in a distinctly country(ish) direction. Jenson specialized in comedic and parody material, along the lines of Spike Jones or country music's Homer & Jethro. This album has several Christmas-themed songs ("I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas," "Yingle Bells," etc.) in addition to country parodies like "Daddy Played First Base," "Swedish Orange Blossom Special" as well as pop lampoons such as "Valkin' In My Vinter Undervear" (a send-up of "Winter Wonderland"). The humor is, obviously, a bit dated and perhaps too strained, but this may still be of interest to a few twangfans out there. There's no date on the disc, but he includes a version of Gene McClellan's "Snowbird," so it's at least from 1970... Jenson is backed by a compact band, with Whitey Evans on fiddle, Del Pedersen playing bass, and drummer Ted Van Dusen, recording at the Audiotek Recordings Studios, in Minneapolis.

John & Dave "...With The Better Half" (Brown Hound Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by John Pete & Dave Rivkin)
A real-deal longhair country-rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota... They cover several outlaw classics, like "Ramblin' Fever," "Whiskey River" and "Willie, Waylon & Me," while bassist Mike Murtha wrote a couple of their tunes, and singer Dave Simonson pens a tune or two as well.

John And Dave & The Better Half "Do Me A Favor" (Artic Records, 19--?) (LP)

Johnson & Drake "Carry It On" (Ovation Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Herb Pilhofer)
The duo of Tom Johnson and Guy Drake, from Minneapolis, Minnesota... This is perhaps more of a folk-rock kinda deal, what with the saxophones, flutes and lofty lyrics, but also with a thread of country in there as well. Pedal steel player Cal Hand sits in along with guitarist Bob Steele, although brass and strings predominate... Studio producer Herb Pilhofer (of Studio 80 fame) also sits in on piano.

James J. Johnson "...And The James Boys" (Jay Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Terry Marsh & Jim Johnson)
This album is all cover tunes, with some poppy selections such as John Sebastian's "Welcome Back" and John Denver's "Sunshine On My Shoulder," along with a Sons Of The Pioneers medley and Mickey Newbury's "American Trilogy." This Minneapolis band was mainly the quartet of Jim Johnson (who plays guitar, piano, steel guitar and harmonica), bassist Del Pederson, drummer Bones Carlson and Jerry Hermes on lead guitar and mandolin.

Red Johnson "The Local Entertainer" (Count Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Colvard. Bobby Dyson & Dick Hedlund)
A country music old-timer from rural Minnesota, Red Johnson cut this mid-'Seventies album over in Nashville, though he got a lot of help from guitar picker Jimmy Colvard, a fellow Twin Cities twangster who made the leap into Music City back in the 1960s. As producer, Colvard led a bunch of his fellow studio pro A-teamers on this session, including guys like Johnny Gimble, Kenny Malone, Charlie McCoy, Wayne Moss, Buddy Spicher, Bobby Thompson and several others. Most of the songs were Red Johnson originals, along with one by Jimmy Colvard ("Grey Eyes") and another by Joe Allen, who also played bass on this album, as well as another by T. J. Wiley, a songwriter who seems to have been tapped into the scene at the Flame Cafe in Minneapolis. Red Johnson also released several CDs in the digital era, including a few that gathered vintage material from old singles and elsewhere.

Red Johnson "...Sings His Nashville Rejects" (Count Records, 1977-?) (LP)
Songwriter Arvid "Red" Johnson (1932-2017) was the lead singer and guitarist for a long-running country and polka/dance band from New Hope, Minnesota called The Counts. Along with accordionist Joe Tishmack, they released several albums under the band's name, and both men released solo set under their own names. Mr. Johnson was an electrician contractor by trade, but made a serious go of his musical career, and even did some time in Nashville, trying his hand as a publishing house staff writer, although as the album title implies, that gig might have been a little harder than it sounds. He earlier recorded some rock and country singles, dating back to the 'Fifties and through the late 'Sixties, including several where he went by the stage name Johnny Lee. He's backed here by his hometown crew, including Tony Caire on fiddle and piano, steel players B. J. Foutz. Denny Hemingson and Al Udeen, Warren Roivanen on dobro and of course Joe Tishmack on cordovox.

Red Johnson "My Collection" (Count Records, 19--?) (LP)
A set of his own compositions, with Joe Tishmack sitting in on cordovox, and Johnson on guitar. Apparently this was his own label, too. Includes a real gospel weeper, "How Can I Sing For Jesus (Without My Old Guitar?)" along with a bunch of dance stuff. Apparently Red Johnson later moved down to Missouri, though I don't have any info about what he may have done down there, musically speaking. Red Johnson also self-released a string of CD-era albums, which are not included here.

The K County Country Band "K County Country Band" (Sound House Records, 1977-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Huisings & The K County Country Band)
I guess that would be Kandiyohi County, in central Minnesota, where these fellas were from... They pay homage to their home in songs such as "First Street Bridge" and "Kandiyohi Rag," along with some Merle Haggard tunes, and a few slightly off-center covers such as John Hartford's "They're Gonna Tear Down The Grand Ole Opry," as well as "I Miss A Lot Of Trains" and "The Year Clayton Delaney Died," both by Tom T. Hall. Dan Bates was the band's main guitarist, and Bob Ohman (1932-2008) was their singer, while banjo plunker Neil Nyhus and bassist Don Wickstrom wrote the songs, with the group's drummer, Robert Drogousch keeping the beat. As far as I know this was their only album, though Ohman's obituary mentioned that he had made "a couple of records," so there may be more.

Nancy Kay "Sings For You" (Rosewood Records, 1985-?) (LP)
(Produced by Nancy Kay)
The first and quite possibly only album by Midwesterner Nancy Kay, who covers a couple of Loretta Lynn songs, along with some other standards and more obscure songs. No indication of where this was made, or where she was from, although Minnesota seems to be the answer... The album includes liner notes and two songs by John Volinkaty, a Minneapolis local who wrote Jeanne Pruett's mega-hit "Satin Sheets," but never quite grabbed the bras ring again. Here, he contributes "Whatcha Gonna Do" and a topical tune, "Now I've Got Women's Lib." Kay sings and plays bass, with backing by several Twin Cities professionals: Steve Shoquist on steel guitar and dobro, piano by Bruce McCabe, and Tom Ginkel on guitar, all of whom were well-regarded regional musicians. If anyone has more info about this one, I'm all ears!

Chuck Kirchenwitz & The Country Ramblers "The Old Home Town" (Kirk Records, 19--?) (LP)
A good, old-fashioned, Great Lakes barn-dance party band, mixing country and "old time music" (polkas and waltzes) with a bit of pop standards and folk tunes in the blend as well. This compact ensemble hailed from Dent, Minnesota, a tiny town near Fargo, where lead singer Charles Kirchenwitz (1942-2022) moved in 1968. A liquor store owner and later a beer distributor, Mr. Kirchenwitz enjoyed sidelines in wood carving and music, leading the Country Ramblers for over thirty years, as well as hosting a radio show called "The Saturday Night Jamboree," on a station in nearby Fergus Falls, MN. The band included Chuck Kirchenwitz (lead vocals and guitar), his father Henry Kirchenwitz (accordion and banjo) and wife Sandy Kirchenwitz (drums), along with Carol Benke on bass, and Norbert Benke on fiddle and lead guitar. They seems to have recorded these two albums at pretty much the same time, with the same lineup, sometime in the early 1970s. On this album the country material included staples such as "Folsom Prison Blues," "Green Green Grass Of Home," "Okie From Muskogee" and "Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line," along with a fiddle tunes, some rock oldies and dance tunes. As far as I know, these were their only two albums, though at least one single was also released, a custom pressing which included two songs written by Mr. Kirchenwitz, "Greystone College," which is included here and "Angel In My Heart," which is not. That single was dated 1969

Chuck Kirchenwitz & The Country Ramblers "Live At The Silver Dollar Club" (Otter Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Arvid Sorenson & Dick Wendt)
A mix of polka tunes and country standards, though the country stuff really dominates on this disc, including covers of Johnny Cash's "Cocaine Blues," "Snakes Crawl At Night" by Charley Pride, Freddie Hart's "My Hang Up Is You," as well as chestnuts such as "Love Of The Common People," "Never Ending Song Of Love," Merle's "Working Man Blues," and the Hank Williams oldie, "You Win Again," and a couple of oddities such as the "Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone Waltz" and the Hawaiian anthem, "Aloha Oe," which closes the album out. This album was recorded "live" at the Silver Dollar Club, in Elizabeth, Minnesota, and includes the same lineup as their studio album. One interesting note is that the liner notes were from radio deejay Jack Brush, who is identified as the host of the "Saturday Night Jamboree," the same show Mr. Kirchenwitz (later?) hosted. Again, no dates on these albums, but based on the song selection, this one had to have been at least from 1972 or later.

Lonnie Knight "Family In The Wind" (Symposium Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by George Hanson)
Minneapolis guitarist Lonnie Knight came up through the Great Lakes '60s rock scene, but turned towards more introspective, acoustic material in the early '70s, going solo while also working as a session player and backup musician for a variety of artists. These two mid-'70s albums were put together by folk producer George Hanson... By decade's end, Knight went back into rock music, but these records capture a more contemplative time, and there was a fair amount of twang in these two albums.

Lonnie Knight "Song For A City Mouse" (Flashlight Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by George Hanson)

Heather Kolbrek "Brilliancy" (Artesian Dream Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Price)
A fiddling album, maybe a bit more on the bluegrass side of things. Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Heather Kolbrek was a musical prodigy who played with her family band before setting out on her own. She's backed here by a compact group that included pedal steel luminary Cal Hand as well as producer Jim Price mandolin, along with family members Jan and Michelle Kolbrek. Later on she did some session work, notably playing fiddle on Trisha Yearwood's first Christmas album.

Papa John Kolstad & Soupy Milton "Mill City Blues" (Symposium Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by George Hanson & Skip Hotchkiss)
Lively acoustic recordings from Minnesotan blues revivalists John Kolstad and Milton Schindler, who are joined by Cal Hand, Bill Hinkley and Bob Stelnicki -- members of their "other" band, The Sorry Muthas, a trailblazing Twin Cities group that helped form the core of the early Prairie Home Companion band. This is a fun album a hippie-era outing with high-level musicianship, close in style to John Hammond Jr's uptempo acoustic blues, and with a little hint of the nutty eclecticism of the jugband scene.

Leo Kottke - see artist discography

Pete Kozak "Drinking Friends" (1984) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Hanson)
Hey folks, belly up to the bar and pound down this set of locally-brewed honky-tonk/bluegrass blend... All but three of the songs were written by Pete Kozak, with Great Lakes folkie Cal Hand playing pedal steel on four tracks... The album was produced by Kozak's sister, soap opera actress Harley Jane Kozak, and features one song written by her, "Under The Table Again." Pete Kozak apparently later moved to Corvallis, Oregon, but grew up near Lincoln, Nebraska, where this album was recorded.

The Langner Sisters "It's The Country Life For Me" (Studio 5 Records, 1969) (LP)
The yodel-delic Langner Sisters was an all-gal vocal group from Minneapolis, Minnesota who were active in the late-1960s/early '70 polka scene, recording several albums including several with bandleader Eddie Blazonczyk... On this record they concentrated on country stuff, with covers of hits such as "Games People Play," "Tippy Toeing," and "Try a Little Kindness," along with a few yodeling tunes... Plus, on this cover they had on some badass, super-cool matching go-go boot outfits... Now, that's country, 'Sixties style!

The Langner Sisters "On The Air" (Studio 5 Records, 19--?) (LP)
A mix of pop, polkas, country and yodeling tunes... On the country side of things are versions of "Tennessee Yodel" and "My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You," though this isn't strictly a country record, by any means. The cover art shows them at the TV studios of KSTP, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, which regularly featured polka music throughout the 1960s and '70s.

Betty Lee & The Country Squires "Moods Of The Country Squires And Betty Lee" (Moon Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Richison)
There sure have been a lot of bands called the Country Squires... These one was from Minneapolis, Minnesota, although they recorded in Nashville with session player Al Udeen on steel guitar. Bandleader Bob Richison wrote and arranged all their material, also playing keyboards and cordovox, while lead singer Betty Lee provided a little oomph in the front line... This was a curious group, something of a throwback to the eclectic world of 1940s radio and club acts -- Ms. Lee's vocals had a smooth, sultry ballads style reminiscent of old-school pop vocalists like Peggy Lee, while the guys generally handled more comedic material, such as the topical "Panty Hose," in which drummer Pudge Likes laments the popularity of newfangled pantyhose -- he prefers to ogle women wearing nylons or socks -- or "Burnett County Fair," where they make fun of their own "fame" and the kind of gigs that local bands headline, and "Put It Where The Sun Don't Shine." which is kind of self-explanatory. There are also a couple of gospel songs, including "Friendship" and "Brotherhood," which has an uber-sincere vibe that tilts it into the unintentionally hilarious. All in all, a fun country record, and unlike most that you'll hear.

Connie Lee "I Miss You Minnesota" (Joy-Bean Records, 1980-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Bean & Carmol Taylor)
Back in 1978, a young Minnesota singer named Connie Lee Stich and her sister Detsie drove several hours to Duluth, where a country music package tour sponsored by the Grand Ole Opry was in town, and they went looking for some showbiz folks to make her famous. She was "discovered" by producer Bob Bean, who had managed the Stoneman Family, and he booked her a session in Nashville with songwriters Gary Lumpkin and Carmol Taylor, who worked together in a group called The County Line Band. This album is probably most notable for Lumpkin and Lee's duet on his song, "Size Seven Round (Made Of Gold)," which was also released as a single and later recorded by George Jones and Lacy J. Dalton as part of Jones's Ladies Choice album in 1984. Connie Lee went on to self-release a number of albums, and worked with Gary Lumpkin on several projects, including her own solo albums as well as one of the County Line Band LPs. Settling down in Minnesota, Connie Lee moved into Christian music, and formed a family band that recorded quite a bit of gospel twang.

Sandy Lee "...And The Country Velvets" (IGL Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Denny Kintzi)
Delightfully amateurish, and I mean that in the nicest, most earnest way. This Southern Minnesota band started around 1972 when the Mock Brothers, of Mankato, met gal singer Sandy Lee from nearby Sleepy Eye, Minnesota and her husband, bassist Leon "Red" Zarn, and invited them to form a band. The group was made of Ted Halter (drums and piano), Sandy Lee (vocals), Duane Mock (lead guitar), Howard Mock (rhythm guitar), and Leon Zarn on bass. They played contemporary hits like "Rose Garden," "Let Me Be There," and the Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" as well as some pop songs ("The Morning After" and the Carpenter's "Yesterday Once More") along with a few country and pop evergreens such as "Bowling Green" and "Rocky Top" -- all played either with a plodding, struggling-to-keep-up feel, or at an awkward, galloping pace, which seems to have been set by an overly-eager drummer. Sandy Lee had a fairly folkie feel, and if I had to guess, she probably had a lot of Joan Baez and Judy Collins albums rotating through her record collection... But this is one of those cases where a band's limitations wound up being their savings grace: it's hard not to root for these kids. They sound just so gosh-darn sincere! The Velvets played regionally and on a few out-of-state tours for about ten years, breaking up in the early '80s.

Sandra Lee & The Velvets "Live!!!" (Studio 80, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Rivard)
They tweaked their name(s) a little bit, but the basic concept remained the same... This is the same band, with Ms. Lee taking more of a backseat role, singing lead on about half the tracks, while lead guitarist Duane Mock, his brother Howard, and a couple other members of the band stepped up to the mic on the other songs. Although they got local pedal steel whiz Cal Hand to sit in with they, they kinda toned down the country vibe, adding a Beatles song, a girl-group tune ("Mister Postman," which the Beatles also covered), Chuck Berry's "Promised Land" and a sprawling rock-oldies medley towards the end of the album. They still dug true twang, though, digging into Dave Dudley's "Six Days On The Road" and the George Jones oldie, "She Thinks I Still Care," gender-flipped to accommodate a gal singer in an enduringly hetero-normative decade... According to the all-too-honest liner notes, "portions of" this album were recorded live at the Kato Ballroom, in Mankato, on April 11, 1975... Search me if anyone knows where the rest of the record comes from!

Sandra Lee & The Velvets "Piece Of Cake" (198-?) (LP)
Apparently, this album was recorded in honor of the band's tenth anniversary... Not totally sure when it came out, but it was at least early 'Eighties, since they cover Hank DeVito's "Queen Of Hearts," which was a hit for Juice Newton in 1981... Anyone have more info on this one?

Johnny Lincoln "Sings Old Favorites" (Admiral Records, 197--?) (LP)
An album of classic country covers, sung by a guy from Rochester, Minnesota, south of Minneapolis... As advertised, this is all old stuff: "Born To Lose," "Oh Lonesome Me," "Today I Started Loving You Again," "Together Again," and of course, a version of "Rocky Top." Despite his slightly shaggy, bearded, Moe Bandy-ish demeanor, Lincoln shows an affinity for older, squarer ballads, tunes such as "Welcome To My World" and "I Can't Stop Loving You," from the peak of the Nashville Sound era. The material's mostly from the '50s and '60s, but definitely recorded sometime in the shaggy 'Seventies, or possibly the early '80s.

Marie Louise "Something Special" (Mar-Ker Records, 1984-?) (LP)
(Produced by James Johnson & Marie Louise Grundberg)
A set of country covers, by Marie Louise Grundberg, of Stanchfield, Minnesota. She's backed by a local band, featuring Jerry Hermes on lead guitar, Scott Malchow (bass), Russ Pahl (steel guitar), Curt Werner (percussion), Henry Wiens (keyboards) and the Kathy Morgan Singers (backup vocals). The set is heavy on contemporary Top Forty hits, stuff like Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance," Juice Newton's "Queen Of Hearts" and "He's A Heartache Looking For A Place To Happen," which was a hit for Janie Fricke in 1983. (There's no date on this one, but I'm guessing '84, based on the material.) The liner notes tell of Ms. Grundberg singing in a duet with her sister, just informally at social events, it sounds like... then forming a solo act after she got married, singing "with different country bands in a variety of nightclubs." As far as I know this was her first album.

Ron E. Lyght "I Come From Da Range" (Bros II Records, 1983-?) (LP)
"...Dedicated with thanks to the real people of Northern Minnesota," this disc mixes country covers and several originals credited to Ron E. Lyght. His tunes include the title track, "I Come From The Range," as well as "I'd Rather Be The One You're Cheating With," "I Made My Mind Up" and "Going On Welfare Blues." Ronald Everett Lyght (1943-2015) was a middle-aged African-American who grew up in the so-called Iron Range of northeast Minnesota (the same area Bob Dylan was from...) Lyght memorializes the region in the bouncy, uptempo "I Come From The Range," a goofy novelty number with a Hank Williams Jr./Jerry Reed feel to it -- over the years the song, which name-checks several small towns in the taconite mining region, has been adopted as a regional anthem. Although this seems to have been his only record, Mr. Lyght played local shows throughout the 1970s, at least as far back as '72, including at a venue called the Blue Ox Lounge. His country roots are clear in covers of classics such as the rockabilly oldie "Blue Suede Shoes," along with "This Time You Gave Me A Mountain," and Don Gibson's "Legend In My Time," and though those are all of an older vintage, from the sound of it, this disc seems to have been recorded in the early '80s.

The Maple River Band "Go For It!" (Eagle Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Lyndon Bartell, Steve Tryhus, Ralph Bailey & Larry Cooper)
This humble folk-country foursome from Good Thunder, Minnesota mostly recorded original songs with a few well-chosen covers, such as John Prine's "Whistle And Fish" and The Louvin Brothers' "If I Could Only Win Your Love." The group had mixed male-female vocals, with fiddler Patti Selsvold Tryhus indulging in some Emmylou-esque country crooning (with a slight Judy Collins folkie hangover) while the guys stick to a more old-timey/twangtune style... This album has a nice country feel, though it's a little under-produced: some of these original songs sound pretty thin, and might have had more impact with a richer mix, as it is the album, has an authentic feel though it doesn't really wow you. (It's possible, though, that the tracks sound better on the CD reissue... I only have the old LP...) Still, if you're looking for mellow, hippie DIY twang, this disc is certainly worth a spin.

Carlotta Maree "Good Like Good Should Feel" (Fool's Gold Record Company, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Charles Bragg)
An independent artist from Olivia, Minnesota, Ms. Maree recorded one track, "Sunny Minnesota Morning" at Jay Sound Studios in Minneapolis before heading to Nashville to cut a whole album. She's supported by an a-list studio band, including folks like steel player Lloyd Green, Dave Kirby on guitar and Tony Migliore on piano, and backing vocals by the Nashville Edition. Not a ton of info about her online, though there is mention of her having won some local country music awards around the time this album came out...

Marty & Carla "It's Gonna Be Sunny In Nashville" (Nevell Music, 19--?) (LP)
Minnesota-born keyboardist Carla Elliott and singer-comedian Marty Nevers formed a musical duo in 1969, and performed together for over forty years (with Nevers passing away in 2012). I don't think all their stuff was country, but this album definitely had a twangy twist to it, as seen by the cowboy hats on the cover, and songs such as "Rodeo Cowboy," "Country Boy" and the title track. They were married and lived in Minnesota, but would spend half each year in Mesa, Arizona, performing in the Southwest as well.

Maureen McElderry "A Fool Such As I" (Train On The Island Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dakota Dave Hull, Maureen McElderry, Peter Ostroushko & Jerry Steckling)
A passel of Minnesota folkies doing acoustic covers of country oldies... The band includes Dakota Dave Hull, Peter Ostroushko, Butch Thompson, Mike Cass on dobro, Bill Hinkley on banjo, with strong ties to the whole Twin Cities/Prairie Home Companion crowd. Good stuff!

Dale Menten "I Really Wanted To Make A Movie" (MCA/Tally Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Dale Menten)
The mid-'Seventies incarnation of the Merle Haggard-affiliated Tally label was a really odd project... Most of the Tally albums were clearly country-oriented, although this one is much more of a '70s soft-pop outing, with traces of Nilsson, Paul Simon and Graham Nash in its many piano-and-saxophone-strewn numbers. There is some country-rock twang in the mix as well, with Dick Strength providing subtle pedal steel on a tune or two... But really it's soft-rock fans who will want to check this one out. And, woah! It turns out I am familiar with Dale Menten's other work as well: as a kid he was in the Minnesota garage-pop band, The Gestures, whose single, "Run, Run, Run" is a longtime favorite of mine... I guess he also did some movie composing and jingle writing after this, as well as orchestrating the short-lived country-rock band Comfort Station, which put out one album in 1976.

Dale Menten & The Live Bait Band "Somethin' Fishy" (Weekend Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Dale Menten & Dean Menten)
A genuinely odd and idiosnycratic album, with -- yes -- a bunch of songs about fishing and boating, which apparently became Mr. Menten's passion. The goofiness of it sort of automatically places this in the folkie/acoustic camp, though there is definitely some twang in the mix. Mr. Menten seems to have still been living up around the Great Lakes when he cut this album, and lined up a bunch of Twin Cities talent, including Cal Hand on dobro, Dick Hedlund on bass, drummers Peter Johnson and Gordy Knudtson, Lonnie Knight on guitar, Peter Oshtroushko playing fiddle and steel player Russ Pahl, all jamming together in a Minneapolis studio. In a weird way, the nearest comparison I could come up with is maybe with Jimmy Buffett's whole Hawaiian shirt parrothead schtick, but switching out a Pabst twelvepack for a bunch of umbrella drinks, and dozing off on a leaky old rowboat instead of a yacht. Time to get that pole in the water!

Roger Mews "...Sings Leavin' Town And Other Favorites" (1967-?) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Longman & Roger Mews)
A rootsy rockabilly/hick artist from New Brighton, Minnesota, Roger Mews cut several singles and at least one album, and led the house band at a joint called the Mermaid Lounge... Not sure of the date on this one, though according to the liner notes he started his musical career in 1964 after he got out of the Army, and joined South Dakota country legend Sherwood Linton's band The Fenderbenders for a while before forming his own band, the Continental Cowboys, sometime in '66. So I'd guess this album came out around 1967-68, after Mews went solo... Mews maintained his ties to Linton, recording some of Linton's songs, and is mentioned in Linton's online memoirs. Anyway, here's some rootsy old stuff from the Great Lakes country scene of years gone by... Backing Mr. Mews on this disc are several local lads: drummer Arlon Austin, Dave Bonovsky (lead guitar), John Flippen (bass), Jerry Lee (rhythm guitar), with backing vocals by Caryll Herbst, and perhaps most notably steel guitar by Tony Farr, who recorded a few albums of his own.

Midnite Special "Midnite Special" (Cookhouse Records, 1975-?) (LP)

Midnite Special & Joanie Lynn "Let's Have A Party" (Cookhouse/Midnight Special Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dik Hedlund & Midnight Special)
Although a couple of years or more may separate these two albums, I'm pretty sure this was the same band, recording at the Minneapolis indie studio, Cookhouse. Midnite Special was a rural Minnesota band made up of Tom Ginkel (steel guitar), Joanie Lynn (guitar and vocals), Gary Mons (banjo), John Mons (bass), and Randy Moffat on drums. Much of the focus seems to have been on vocalist Joanie Lynn, with a repertoire heavy on gal-oriented country covers (including "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Jackson," Wanda Jackson's "Let's Have A Party," and "Walking After Midnight") as well as some pop and rock ("As Tears Go By," "Surfin' Bird"). These guys were a real-deal, hard-working regional band... On the back cover they thank dozens of bars, ballrooms and lounges they played at, mostly in small towns in the southern end of the state radiating around Minneapolis, Minnesota hamlets such as Austin, Glencoe, New Ulm and Sunburg. The Mons brothers were from Hutchinson, MN, a tiny place just west of Minnetonka and they played in a series of bands, both before and after this one. Tom Ginkel also moved through a series of bands, notably the early 'Seventies rock group Clover, a regional powerhouse in the early 'Seventies, and gradually moved into country music; he was connected with John Volinkaty, a local songwriter who scored a huge country hit with the song "Satin Sheets," and played on Volinkaty's 1976 solo album. Tom Ginkel and John Mons also formed a country-rock band called Prairie Rose and were still working together in the 2010s in a group called Old Gold; John Mons and Joanie Lynn also recorded at lest one single together, as a duo -- other than that, not much info about her.

Mike & Phyllis "I Got You, You Got Me" (Jody Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dan R. Holmes & John Schrade)
One of many "guitar sunset" albums that recycled the same clip-art cover photo for various custom recordings. This is a country covers set from the husband-wife duo of Mike Keating and Phyllis Keating, who were apparently doing a gig at a place called Tobie's Lounge, in Hinckley, Minnesota, due north of the Twin Cities. The set list included country hits and other oldies such as "Four Walls," "Right Or Wrong" and Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man," which suggest a late 'Sixties, possibly early 'Seventies release. The Keatings were backed by drummer Tom Mullins and a guy named Myron Pocta on bass, though none of them seem to have pursued music professionally, beyond this early 'Seventies gig. The folks at Tobie's apparently footed the bill for the album, a move that doesn't seem to have hurt them, since the business was still up and running as recently as 2022(!)

The Misterssippis "Sing And String" (Gramophone Recording Studios, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dan Schmidt)
I'm not sure how "country" this Winona, Minnesota vocal quartet actually was... They definitely recorded some country stuff, like George Hamilton's "Abilene" and "Lone Prairie" as well as gospel tunes and some novelty number such as "The Interstate Is Coming Through My Outhouse" and pop oldies like "Jeepers Creepers." I think they may have been more of a mix between country, pop and barbershop...

Mountain Fever "At The Peak" (1983) (LP)
Not to be confused with the early '70s Georgia band of the same name, this group from Brainerd, Minnesota divided their album between country music on one side, and rock oldies on the other... The cover songs are all pretty mainstream, with versions of "Livin' On Tulsa Time" and "The Y'All Come Back Saloon" (for twang) and "Runaround Sue" and "Love Potion #9" and (eek!) "The Rose" for rock/pop. Amid all the singalong stuff, though, there are also a couple of originals written by guys in the band: singer Paul Bloom contributes "Jilted Again" while bassist Jim Hanson wrote one called "Carry Me Back." I don't think any of these guys ever really tried to "make it" in show biz: the liner notes tell us that Bloom already had a day job as an art teacher at the local high school.

The Muddy River Ramblers "Where I'm Bound" (Descant Custom Recordings, 19--?) (LP)
An ultra-indie bluegrass-twang set by a trio of youngsters from Brainerd, Minnesota... The liner notes say the three teens -- Tim Roggenkamp (fiddle, banjo, mandolin), Eric Roggenkamp (bass) and Cindy Kotula (guitar) -- got together as a band in 1978; this album couldn't have come out much later than that. The set list is all cover songs, but a nice range of tunes, ranging from truegrass tunes by Jim & Jesse and Flatt & Scruggs to Rodney Crowell's "Leavin' Louisiana In The Broad Daylight."

The New Prairie Ramblers "The New Prairie Ramblers" (1980) (LP)
(Produced by Peter Ostroushko & Steve Weiss)
This group included folkies such as with Peter Ostroushko, Butch Thompson, Bob Douglas, drawing from the same pool as the house band on Prairie Home Companion...

Marv Nissel & His Band "Volume Five: Country And Modern" (JBM Sound Productions, 1982) (LP)
From a twangfan's perspective, this may be a fairly marginal set, although it is definitely country material. Like a lot of polka musicians, New Ulm, Minnesota's Marvin Nissel sprinkled his "old time" records with country tunes, though this album was pretty much mostly derived from the classic country canon, including oldies like "Bye Bye Love," "I Love You Because," "I Can't Help It, If I'm Still In Love With You" and "Ring Of Fire," among others. The set includes Marv Nissel on concertina, along with Carol Nissel (bass, piano and vocals), Richard Roepke (trumpet), and Dale Tolk on trumpet and vocals. The tracks were recorded at a couple of different studios, including Jerry Minar's JBM Sound Productions, an independent studio specializing in polka music, located in nearby New Prague, just outside of Minneapolis.

Kevin Odegard "Kevin Odegard" (Wooff Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Jung, Don Kingsley & David Zimmerman)
A Minnesota folk-rock guy who caught the ear of the great Bob Dylan and was invited to play on the fabled Blood On The Tracks album. Respect.