Tommy Allsup "The Buddy Holly Songbook" (Reprise Records, 1964) (LP)
Oklahoma-born guitarist Tommy Allsup (1931-2017) was a prominent session player and country music producer in the 1960s and '70s, although earlier on he had been a rock'n'roller, touring with Buddy Holly & The Crickets in the late 1950s. Like his bandmate Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup famously gave up his seat on the small passenger plane that crashed in February, 1959, killing pop icons Buddy Holly, J. P. Richardson and Richie Valens... So this Buddy Holly tribute disc comes with some history. Personally I think the souped-up, electrified arrangements are a bit overwrought, but it's a nice chance to hear Allsup's picking rise to the fore... Not sure who else is backing him on this album, though...

Tommy Allsup & The Nashville Survey "The Hits Of Charley Pride" (Metromedia Records, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Allsup & Charlie Bragg)
After spending about a decade in Texas, Tommy Allsup moved to Nashville in 1968 to try his hand (quite successfully) in the Music City studio scene. For a while in the late 'Sixties he led an informal group called The Nashville Survey, which backed a few artists in singles and whatnot, mostly for the fledgling Metromedia label, which put out this Charley Pride tribute album. Not sure who the other musicians were, though it seems likely they were studio heavyweights and folks in the orbit of producer Charlie Bragg.

Tommy Allsup & The Tennessee Saxes "...Play The Hits Of Tammy Wynette" (GRT Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Allsup)

Hoyt Axton -- see artist profile

David A. Baker "The Moving Of The Spirit" (DAB Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Randy Ballard & Ray Owens)
A moderately twangy gospel offering which lapses into gooey Southern Gospel and contemporary Christian musical tropes, ala the 700 Club crowd. The more robust country numbers are enjoyable, but the goopy crooning is a drag. A resident of the Tulsa suburb of Jenks, Oklahoma, David A. Baker composed several of these songs, with originals including "I Know I Found A Way Home," "The Moving Of The Spirit," "Ride A Cloud Home," and "Sail Away With Jesus" (which coincidentally include some of the album's twangier tunes...) The backing band draws on local Oklahoma talent, including David A. Baker on piano and vocals, Rocky Gribble (guitar), Tim Miner (bass) and Steve Short (drums), with backing vocals by Linda Matheson, Carolyn McCoy, and Dale McCoy. Nothing earthshaking, to be sure, but there's an imperfection and amateurism around the edges that I enjoy, a hint of rural roots that helps take the edge off the cornier-sounding non-country stuff.

Glenn Barber "A New Star" (Hickory Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Don Gant)
A former rockabilly star from Oklahoma, singer Glenn Barber (1935-2008) "went country" in the early 'Sixties, scoring a few modest hits and eventually released a trio of LPs in the early 'Seventies. This disc includes one of his handful of Top 30 singles, ""Kissed By The Rain, Warmed By The Sun," which peaked at #24 on the country charts. The album is packed with original material by Glenn Barber, as well as couple by Gene Thomas, who wrote the liner notes. Barber never quite broke through, although he did continue to release singles through the rest of the decade, though always remained on the cusp of national fame.

Glenn Barber "The Best Of Glenn Barber" (Hickory Records, 1972) (LP)

Glenn Barber "Glenn Barber" (MGM/Hickory Records, 1974) (LP)

Bobby Barnett "...At The World Famous Crystal Palace" (Sims Records, 1964) (LP)
Great record, by Oklahoma-born Robert Glen Barnett (1933-2017) who was one of those guys who kicked around from label to label, recording random singles for several years before he finally got a chart hit with "She Looks Good To The Crowd," which is included here. This album builds on the momentum from that single, and also commemorates his longterm gig at a place called the Crystal Palace, in Tombstone, Arizona. This is basically a fine melody-friendly set of early 'Sixties honkytonk, made very much in the style of George Jones, with a tip of the hat towards Buck Owens and the West Coast scene. Solid singing and swell picking, though not a bunch of flashy showmanship from the musicians. Good songs, too, with a highlight being the novelty number "I Fall In Love With Every Pretty Girl I See," which includes topical references to short skirts and other scandalous fashions. Really the only problem with this record is the liner notes, which go on and on about the history of Tombstone and reads like a tourist brochure... I would have much more preferred to find out who was backing Bobby Barnett, heck, even find out the name of the record's producers and engineers. The liner notes make it sound like this was recorded live at the Crystal Palace, but I doubt it: sounds like studio recordings to me. At any rate, it's a very enjoyable record, definitely worth tracking down.

Curt Bartmess & Faye Bartmess "In Honor Of You" (Benson Sound Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Chet Barnett)
Great, old-fashioned country gospel, with a style dating back to the Great Depression era, and lively, pure country backing by the fellers at Benson Sound... The Rev. and Mrs. Bartness were an evangelical duo with a recording career that spanned back to the early 1950s, and a pastorship in Ada, Oklahoma that lasted well into the 2000s. A few of their old 78 and 45rpm releases have been anthologized on top-flight reissue compilations, notably "The Downward Road," on Flyright's HILLBILLY GOSPEL disc, and "Set Your Watch" which was included on the "Caucasian-American" gospel compilation, WHERE THE SOUL OF MAN NEVER DIES, and is reprised here in this fine set of all-original material. Alas, there doesn't seem to be a collection of all their early work, though this later recording is an understated gem, sort of like a hypothetical collaboration between Alfred G. Karnes and Merle Haggard's band, The Strangers, with buoyant, steel-driven twang punctuated by Mr. Bartmess's antique-sounding mandolin riffs, and anchored by Mrs. Bartmess's steady strumming on rhythm guitar. Best of all are Rev. Bartmess's croaky vocals, a plain, no-nonsense presentation that oozes rural authenticity. The backing band are studio pros in the orbit of Oklahoma City's gospel powerhouse, Benson Sound, who decisively move away from the staid sound on many of their more sedate southern gospel albums, and give this album a cheerfully brisk, twangy feel. This is the kind of country gospel set I'm looking for in the "private press" word. Good stuff!

Molly Bee -- see artist discography

Carl Belew -- see artist profile

Keith Belknap "My Destiny" (Champions Music, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by A. V. Mittelstedt)
A country-flavored set from southern gospel singer Keith L. Belknap (1936-2001) who grew up in rural southern Oklahoma... Mr. Belknap started performing locally in the late 1950s and early '60s, recording several albums on the local Arrow label and singing at the Calvary Baptist Church in Lawton along with various family members. At some point he may have joined Howie Lister's southern gospel group the Statesmen; Lister recorded a song called "Lord Guide This Country," with lyrics written by Mr. Belknap. This set was recorded down in Houston, Texas -- what caught my eye was the presence of veteran producer A. V. Mittelstedt and guitarist Randy Cornor, with additional backing by Buzzy Smith on piano, steel work by Robbie Springfield, and vocals by Toni Jolene and Susan Smith. This may have been Mr. Belknap's last record, though he recorded at least five others back in the 'Sixties.

Delia Bell -- see artist profile

Big Mac And The Outlaws "The Outlaws" (Alvera Records, 19--?) (LP)
Back when everyone was talking about "outlaw country," these guys really meant it! This was a prison band from the state penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma, playing rock and country oldies, doubtless as part of a work rehabilitation program... I think may have recorded more than one album, though I'm not sure about that.

Johnny Bond -- see artist profile

J. J. Cale - see artist discography

Royce Campbell "An Indian Summer Album" (Kay Records, 1970) (LP)
Instrumentals featuring flat-top guitar picker Royce Campbell, who was born in Oklahoma and learned his craft in the western end of the Ozarks, out in the Northern end of the state. This album was album recorded in Tulsa, with backing by Jerome Campbell, Bill Kay and Glen Mowery.

The Campbells "Taking It Easy With The Campbells" (Binge Disc/Cattle Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by R. C. Smith)
Rootsy Oklahoma bluegrass from Royce Campbell and his (sometime in the) 'Eighties cohorts. The group included Royce Campbell on guitar, Pat Campbell also on guitar, her sister Micki Mulcare on vocals, banjo plunker Gary Clark, bassist Kenny Glasgow, and teenager Theresa Glasgow on mandolin. Interesting repertoire, heavy on country material... The title track is a cover of the Lacy J. Dalton song; they also cover Asleep At The Wheel ("My Baby Thinks He's A Train"), Karen Brooks, Vince Gill, Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, the Sons Of The Pioneers and Ricky Skaggs' 1981 hit, "You May See Me Walkin'." There are also a couple of originals, Gary Clark's "Silver Creek" and Patricia Campbell's "The Wind And Me." Years later, Pat Campbell and Micki Mulcare formed a group called the Making Memories Trio with their high school friend Sue Nell Shuck and were still playing gigs locally around their hometown of Vinita, Oklahoma well into the 2010s. Not sure about the exact date on this one, but I'd guess it was from the mid-1980s or thereabouts.

Henson Cargill - see artist discography

Bill Caswell "Oklahoma Backroads" (Flying High Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Slim Richey & Bill Caswell)
A very strong set of understated but finely crafted country ballads -- soulful, contemplative and quietly compelling. Songwriter Bill Caswell hailed (not surprisingly) from Oklahoma, but he cut a fairly wide swath for himself in Nashville, helped in part by his friendship with Rodney Crowell... He wrote several songs covered by major artists such as "Kentucky Homemade Christmas," which Kenny Rogers included on one of his holiday albums. The songs on this album are sturdy, finely-crafted bones of potential hits -- you can easily imagine Randy Travis or Merle Haggard digging into these rough-hewn gems, and Caswell himself accepts his own limitations. He's not a great singer, but he is a true craftsman, and he keeps things simple throughout, with modest though rich acoustic backing. Caswell also had deep folk and bluegrass bona fides, with liner notes by fiddler Byron Berline, who recalls playing in a band with Caswell back in his college years. His song, "Sweet Allis-Chalmers" -- a love song to a tractor -- has been adopted as a bluegrass standard, notably by Country Gazette, in their fine 1982 version -- the band recorded several more of his songs on their early '80s albums, though Caswell's own versions are quite rewarding. Recommended!

Bill Caswell "Love Lost And Found" (Flying High Records, 1980)

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

Bud Chambers - see artist discography

Cheyenne "The Balladeer" (Crystal Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Lashley, Johnny Henderson & Eric King)
A very nice, independently produced set of '70s soft-pop/country rock, roughly in the range of John Denver-meets-Poco, by a confident, relaxed band from Edmond, Oklahoma. This is mostly a set of original material written by written by singer Bob Lashley and bassist Johnny Henderson, with just three cover tunes in the mix, a Dan Seals song ("Dust On My Saddle"), John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and the comedic chestnut, "The Preacher And The Bear." Their own songs are pretty solid -- a few are slightly gooey, but not overly so, and for the most part this is good, solid 'Seventies country-rock, more strummy guitars and sweet harmonies, and not much in the way of big power chords or rock-god posturing. Definitely worth a spin!

Charkie Christian "Run For The Border" (Smiling Dog Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Charkie Christian, Michael Brewer & Peter Nichols)

Hurshul Clothier/Various Artists "The Jam Session" (Music Research, Inc., 1982) (LP)
One of those legendary western swing bandleaders that they always forget to teach you about in country music school, Hurshul Clothier (1921-2006) hailed from Chester, Oklahoma and put together his own band, The Oklahoma Travelers, way back in the early 1950s, and played live and broadcast gigs around Oklahoma City while touring regionally and throughout the state. He later opened his own club, the Belle Starr Theater, in Eufaula, Oklahoma, a lakeside town just next door to Muskogee; the club was named after the famous outlaw, who was buried outside of town.

Lonnie Coleman "From Giddy-Up To Whoa" (Verla Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by J. Andy Thompson)
Songwriter Lonnie Coleman worked for years under the radar as a staff writer for Pamper Music in Nashville, cutting several singles along the way for a variety of labels, with many of his songs covered mostly by lesser-known artists. He was born in Plunkettville, Oklahoma and may have been living in the Pacific Northwest when he cut this album for the Oregon-based Verla Records label, which was a spinoff of Ripcord Studios. No info, alas, about the musicians backing him on this album, although it's worth noting a couple of songs were co-written with Don Fister, a gospel composer whose "Precious Moments" was recorded by The Blue Sky Boys and The Lewis Family. Coleman also covers "Ballad Of Rogue River," a song by Tide Cartright, which (perhaps) definitively places him up in Oregon. Apparently Coleman passed away in 1987 following a struggle with emphysema. (Note: this is not the same Lonnie Coleman who wrote the "Beulah Land" and other historical novels, who was from Georgia.)

Earl Collins "That's Earl: Collins Family Fiddling" (Sierra Briar Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by John Delgatto & Tom Sauber)
Born in Missouri but raised in Oklahoma, old-timer Earl Collins came from a long line of traditional fiddlers and was schooled in both the Ozarks and Texahoma styles... He's backed here by two enthusiastic members of the West Coast bluegrass/old-timey scene, bass player Bill Bryson and Tom Sauber (on banjo, guitar and mandolin). Sauber, who was teaching at UCLA at the time, contributes glowing and lavishly detailed liner notes, as well as plenty of hot licks, though obviously it's Mr. Collins who was really in the spotlight. As far as I know, this was his only full album.

The Collins Kids - see artist discography

Tommy Collins - see artist discography

Buzz Coulson "...Plays Country Music To Win Your Heart #2" (B & R Music, 19--?) (LP)
A hometown son of Longdale, Oklahoma, fiddler Christopher ("Buzz") Coulson played at a place called the Little Opra House, aka The Longdale Country Op'ra, a venue founded in 1967 with Coulson as a founding member. He also had gigs at The Burns Flat Jamboree (held at a cafe in town) and at the local Kiwanis Club, which sponsored this LP. Coulson had a really nice tone and a bluesy feel that probably comes from Panhandle western swing... This album's repertoire is solid traditional country and western swing, mixing fiddle tunes and classics by Bob Wills, T. Texas Tyler and others. It's mostly instrumentals, although two tracks showcase an older female singer (his mom, I'm guessing?) crooning perfectly imperfect, heartfelt renditions of "Remember Me" and "Blue Kentucky Girl." She's uncredited, alas, as is a mandolin picker who adds some sweet licks in the plangent, old-timey style heard on early recordings by Jim & Jesse and others. Presumably there was a Volume One, though I've never laid eyes on that one -- maybe it came out on cassette?

The Country Lancers "Solid Country" (Tornado Records, 198--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dale McCoy & Carl Warren)
The Lancers were the house band at rodeo roper Kenneth Lance's sports arena in Ada, Oklahoma, a regional venue that hosted a lot of top country talent, with visiting stars often backed by Jim Napier, Dusty Rhodes and the rest of the band. Perhaps their main claim to fame is having backed an unknown local gal, Reba McEntire, way before her rise to mega-fame in Nashville. Reba's brother, rodeo rider Pake McEntire, also sang there and probably tackled a steer or two as well... Not sure what year this one came out, but it's certainly sometime in the early 1980s -- in her liner notes, Reba mentions that she and Pake performed with the group ten years earlier, well before she went nationwide.

The Cripple Creek Band "Introducing The Cripple Creek Band" (Cripple Creek Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Al Clauser)
Not to be confused with the more modern band by the same name, these guys from Collinsville, Oklahoma were seasoned road warriors, including several veterans of Rodney Lay's band, the Blazers, who had side gigs touring with national stars such as Wanda Jackson and Jerry Lee Lewis in the early 1960s. Rodney Lay led Freddy Fender's backing band in 1975-76, and then went on to work for Roy Clark -- I think these guys were the ones who stuck with Fender after that, with former Blazers guitarists Sam Beck and Dennis Winton now fronting a group that also included local players such as Robert Hoffman, Rick De Armond and steel player Billy Hogue. Freddy Fender contributes liner notes, praising the band's "funkiest, straight from the dirt floor sound," and on this album they get their moment in the sun, playing some outlaw-y stuff like "Good Hearted Woman" and Merle Haggard's "Ramblin' Fever," as well as a tune or two of their own.

Mickey Crocker "Hard Time Life" (Deltron Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Arthur Thomas)
Rangy outlaw country and roots rock from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Shaggy-looking singer Mickey Crocker was a contemporary of Leon Russell and JJ Cale, a bandleader and longtime figure on the Tulsa scene who owned a nightclub called Mickey's Country Darlin', where the house band, Oklahoma Thunder, backed him in the late-'70s. Blues guitarist Warren Haynes was in one of Crocker's bands at one point, along with piano player Rocky Frisco, who was known for his long tenure with JJ Cale. Crocker fell out of sight in the 1980s, following a conviction on a big drug bust in 1984: he was apparently on the bottom rung of a local cocaine ring, and got a two-and-a-half year sentence. Crocker dropped out of the music world and is said to have moved to Kansas (I think his family was from around Coffeyville) and though I'm not 100% sure, I think he passed away in 2002... As far as I know, this was his only album, though he also recorded a single in '78, and the Oklahoma Thunder band released at least one album of its own. They may have been backing him here, though no musicians are credited in the liner notes... Anyway, it's great stuff: pure, beer-soaked twang, with Crocker sounding like Waylon and Willie, with a few dips into more modern, pop-tinged disc-era country, though still on the rootsier end of the spectrum. Fans of the "outlaw" sound will find a lot to love about this lost late-'Seventies gem.

Alvin Crow -- see artist profile

Gene Crownover "Gene!" (OK Productions, 1984) (LP)
A good-natured, mellow, country gospel set spotlighting Oklahoma steel guitar player Gene Crownover (1925-1986) who moved over from the Johnnie Lee Wills' western swing band in 1958 into Bob Wills' Texas Playboys, and remained with the Playboys until 1964, when Wills decisively broke up the band following his second major heart attack. Crownover also worked with Merl Lindsay and other bandleaders, including some 1970s jam sessions with the kids in Asleep At The Wheel. Here he's joined by several veteran western swing players, including a number of Johnnie Lee Wills alumni, such as pianist Clarence Cagle, bassist Bob Kiser, vocalist Curly Lewis and guitarist Bennie Garcia. Other guests include fiddler extraordinaire Johnny Gimble and singer Glenn Duncan, younger brother of Playboys legend Tommy Duncan. If you're interested in a slightly different take on the classic country gospel sound, maybe these jazzy renditions were made just for you!

Gene Crownover "Gene!" (OK Productions, 1985) (LP)
Another mellow, mostly instrumental set with Gene Crownover hosting much the same ensemble as on his previous album. Of particular note is singer Curly Lewis, who also plays fiddle on several tracks, and pianist Clarence Cagle, who adds a particularly laid-back feel to the sessions. This is a very un-rushed, jazz-oriented album, sweet music played with rich feeling by a bunch of Texas and Oklahoma old-timers. Nice.

Paige Daily "First Paige" (Benson Sound, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Larry R. Benson)
A vanity album pressed for Laverne, Oklahoma's Paige Daily, winner of the state's 1982 Teen Miss Talent pageant... She sings country standards like "Tennessee Waltz," "Song For The Common Man" and "Your Cheatin' Heart" as well as contemporary stuff such as "Lookin' For Love," "On The Road Again" and -- of course -- "You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma." Plus, I was delighted to see her cover Dick Feller's "Some Days Are Diamonds," though I suppose that was because John Denver had just recorded his version of the song.

Ray Darby & Ella Darby "Soul" (Superior Sound Studios, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Duane Allen)

Ray Darby & Ella Darby "Ray Darby" (Skylite Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Joel Gentry)
If your curiosity was piqued by the front cover, which features Mr. Darby in full Native American headdress, his wife Ella draped on one arm, and his electric guitar out front and center, well, don't worry about any "cultural appropriation": according to the back cover, Ray Darby was a full-blooded Kiowa, so he gets to wear whatever he wants. You might, however, be a little disturbed by the patronizing liner notes, which opine: "A new breed of Indian is thundering out of the west... This Indian brings joy rather than terror... brings happiness rather than apprehension... Ray and Ella Darby are world changers because they are personally acquainted with the Lord of Lords..." Yeesh. Well, setting aside all the John Wayne stuff, this is a decent gospel set by a couple from Lawton, Oklahoma. Indeed, it's perhaps a bit more vigorous than your average southern gospel offering -- the liners refer obliquely to "I'm A World Changer," one of two tracks credited to the Darbys, and a real zinger of 'Seventies gospel kitsch. The amped-up rock-pop arrangement showcases his guitar work (okay) and his robust, manly vocals, which land solidly in the Tom Jones/Mac Davis-y, chest-hair-and-gold-chain style of me-decade pop-soul emoting. It's not bad! Speaking of Mac Davis, they also cover his "Stop And Smell The Roses," another one of those crypto-religious pop tunes that were designed to sneak a little inspiration into the pop charts, as well as Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me Lord," and the high-concept, egalitarian "What Color Is A Soul," which closes the album out. There's mention of the Darby's "soon" getting their own TV show... dunno if that happened, but their records were actually kinda fun.

The Ray Darby Affair "America's Standing Tall Again" (Skylite Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Joel Gentry)
A partly semi-secular gospel album, with most tracks co-written by Ray Darby and Ella Darby; also one by Ray Hildebrand... Great album art, too, with a groovy "band" name that reflects the same hip swagger as their matching salmon-colored, sequin-spangled outfits, and that rad turquoise necklace. Indeed, the Skylite gospel label even felt the need to distinguish this disc from their usual southern gospel/contemporary Christian fare by creating a "Skylight Country" imprint. Alas, no info on the backing musicians here, either.

The Dale Davis Show "It's Gonna Be A Happy Day" (Dale Davis Productions, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Davis)
Moore, Oklahoma's Dale and Becky Davis led this compact band, joined by guitarist Gary Biel, Claudia Corley and Ziggy Fearn... They covered some pop/rock stuff, but also a bunch of country tunes such as "Wasted Days And Wasted Nights," "For The Good Times" and "I'm Not Lisa." This was one of those custom-made albums with a preprinted cover - not a lot of info about when it was recorded, but it must have around 1975-76, judging from the song selection. The title track, "It's Gonna Be A Happy Day," was a Dale Davis original which later became a chart entry for Jack Paris, who cracked into the very bottom of the Country Top 100 in 1978.

Jesse Ed Davis "Jesse Davis!" (Atco Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Jesse Davis)
One of the premier roots-rock session players of the 1970s, guitarist Jesse Ed Davis (1944-1988) was born in Oklahoma and made his way out of the local music scene when he landed a spot in country star Conway Twitty's tour band in the mid-'60s. Davis later hooked up with roots auteur Leon Russell and became part of the studio session scene, playing on dozens of hippie-era rock and pop classics... He played on the first three Taj Mahal albums, as well as backing ex-Byrd Gene Clark on some of his early solo albums, and on various post-Beatles solo records by George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr, as well as session work for Jackson Browne, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Steve Miller and many others. Davis recorded three records of his own, and collaborated with fellow Oklahoman Roger Tillison on Tillison's self-titled debut.

Jesse Ed Davis "Ululu" (Atco Records, 1972)
(Produced by Jesse Davis & Albhy Galuten)

Jesse Ed Davis "Keep Me Coming" (Epic Records, 1973)
(Produced by Jesse Davis & Larry Hirsch)

Joe Diffie - see artist discography

Carol Dills & The Rainy Mountain Boys "Sings Country Favorites" (NAME Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Dave A. Huber)

Lyndel East "Sweet Memories" (Homa Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Rainwater & Mickey Sherman)
Not a lot of info about this fella from Binger, Oklahoma, a tiny town due west from Oklahoma City. Starting out sometime in the 'Seventies, songwriter Lyndel East recorded several independent singles and at least two LPs, leading his band, East Country, well into the 1980s, notably for a long stretch as the house band at Katy's Bourbon Street Lounge in OKC. This album seems to have been an all-local production, recorded for the Okie-based Homa label; although the pickers aren't listed by name, the backup singers are, including a couple of guys named Donnie East and Ronnie East, who I assume were relatives.

Lyndel East "On My Mind" (NSD Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Gibson & Kevin McManus)
Twangy and nasal, with a pretty good-natured honkytonk vibe. Although the liner notes mention his band, East Country, this album was recorded y Hilltop Studio in Nashville, with backing by an all-pro Music City studio crew. It seems to have been sort of songwriter's demo set, with four songs by Lyndel East, credited to HitKit Publishing, along with several others handled by the same company, penned by songwriters Len Barrow, Roy Leslie Lee, and Randy Palmer, who I don't think were in East's own entourage. I'm not sure how many records Lyndel East made after this outing, though he continued to play local shows in OKC at least up through the end of the 1980s.

Ed & Jolene "Coal County Country" (Cattle Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Rudy Q. Jones)
That would be Coal County, Oklahoma, where Ed and Jolene Bullard owned a small farm and some cattle... They were true amateurs who had only started taking their music seriously late in life... But by the time they cut this disc for the German specialty label Cattle Records, they had landed a few infrequent gigs at regional "opry" shows such as Georgetown, Texas's Saturday Night Jamboree and the Bluegrass Opera Barn in Stillwell, Oklahoma. All the songs on this album were originals, penned by Mr. Bullard; he plays dobro and guitar, Mrs. Bullard played guitar, with backing by Buck Thetford (lead guitar), Wayne Martin (rhythm guitar) and Rudy Q. Jones (bass, dobro and fiddle). Jones also recorded these sessions at his studio in Tecumseh, OK.

Ed & Jolene "Glimpse Of Heaven" (White Dove Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Rudy Q. Jones)
A gospel set, with backing from producer/multi-instrumentalist Rudy Q. Jones, vocalist Debbie Kirkpatrick, Vern Siemens on lead guitar, and perhaps most intriguing, hillbilly old-timer and Starday albummaker Lonnie Glosson on harmonica. Originally from Oklahoma, Rudy Jones had recorded an album or two of country gospel himself, and was best known as a dobro picker and luthier -- at some point he moved to Florida, possibly sometime after this album.

Ed & Jolene "Country Boy With Country Song" (Coal County Country Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben McCuller)
Not sure when this one came out -- there's no date on the disc -- but it's a whole different group of musicians joining the Bullards, including multi-instrumentalist Don Cox, Tom Gamble on banjo and Ted Hudson on bass. The Bullocks give their home address in Tupelo, Oklahoma, a teeny place on the way to Ada. As far as I know the pickers were also all locals, maybe from Oklahoma City or thereabouts. The liner notes tell us this was Ed & Jolene's third album: anyone know if they made more?

Lawrence Mark Edwards "Ridin' High In Mexico" (Buffalo Thunder Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Lawrence Mark Edwards)
From Duncan, Oklahoma...

Stoney Edwards - see artist discography

Billy Eustis "Sings Favorites" (Derrick Studios, 1975--?) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Eustis & William Davis)
Oklahoma-born singer Billy Reynolds Eustis grew up in Tulsa and went to high school in the same class as Okie auteur Leon Russell. He started his career in the late 1950s as more of a pop or R&B singer, but steadily moved into country twang, as heard on this album which was recorded in Oklahoma, sometime in the mid-1970s. The set list includes covers of more contemporary hits such as "For The Good Times," "Funny How Time Slips Away" and "Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," as well as pop ballads like "My Eyes Adored You" "My Way," and remakes of some of his earlier work, notably the song "Delilah," which he released as a single back in 1969. For good measure, Eustis tips his hat towards the outlaw scene, with a version of the Jerry Jeff Walker classic, "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother." He's backed by members of the Smokehouse Band -- John Johnson (guitar), Harold Britton (guitar), Ross Carpenter (drums), Jack Blair (bass), Ron Wood (keyboards) -- who had backed him throughout the late 'Sixties. There's no date on this disc, but the catalog numbers are adjacent to the Smokehouse Band's own LP from 1975, which seems about right. Eustis eventually retired to Florida and remastered a bunch of his old recordings for re-release during the digital era, including material from this album.

Billy Eustis "Music Festival" (19--?) (LP)
Not sure when this road tour souvenir album came out... It's possible it was earlier than the '75 album above, though his novelty number, "To Hell With Texas" is a solid slam against the Willie & Waylon outlaw scene, so I'm guessing it's got more of a 1979-ish vibe. Also includes tracks like "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Whistle Sticks," a mournful tune written by his pal Jack Blair.

Billy Eustis "Whoever Buys This I Love You" (Main Even Records And Tapes, 1979) (LP)
Even though the title track is a Mac Davis tune, the choice to cover it still hints at (or suggests) an unseemly scent of desperation... Most of the songs on this album, though, are Billy Eustis originals, along with a cover of the mega-mopey Charlie Rich weeper, "You Never Really Wanted Me" and several songs written or co-written by Oklahoma rocker Dale Ward, who seems to have been Eustis' partner on this album.

Roy Ferguson & The Royals "Stop Me" (Galena Records, 196-?) (LP)
Hotshot picker Roy Ferguson (1936-2015) played guitar for western swing bandleader Johnny Lee Wills for over twenty years, and also fronted his own group, Roy Ferguson and The Royals, which often backed big-name country stars on tour through Oklahoma. This was probably his first solo album, though he also recorded several singles, including a few on the Galena label, circa 1964-65. Other than a cover of "Make The World Go Away," all of the songs on here are credited to "Ferguson & Duncan," including tunes like "It Was A Lonely Night," "Gonna Start All Over," "Country Ago Go" and "Stop Me." (I don't know if this was singer Tommy Duncan we're talking about -- it's possible, since he was around until 1967, although I don't think he was particularly known for his songwriting. Still, could be, given the Wills connections.) Unfortunately, there are no producer or musician credits, though my guess is these were local Oklahomans backing him, or other members of the Wills band.

Roy Ferguson & Candy Noe "Roy Ferguson & Candy Noe" (Benson Sound, 19--) (LP)
The husband-wife duo of Candy Noe and Roy Ferguson (1936-2015) met in the 1960s when they were working in the Tulsa music scene. Singer Candy Noe originally came from Ohio, where as a teen she sang in the Marion Jamboree -- moving to Tulsa, she landed a job on country deejay Billy Parker's local TV show. Noe and Ferguson met in '65, got married in '66, released an album together, and opened Roy & Candy's music store in the 1970s, which for three decades was a fixture of the Tulsa, Oklahoma arts scene. The Fergusons played with the Wills band until 1984, when Wills passed away, and continued to perform locally right up until Roy passed away in 2015. As far as I know, this was their only LP as a duo, although she released a solo album in the late 'Seventies, and Roy Ferguson played guitar on a bunch of albums over the years...

Dallas Frazier - see artist discography

Jan Freeman "You Made It Right" (Jan Mar Recordings, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Don Johnson)
Originally from Norman, Oklahoma, singer Jan Freeman was probably one of the hardest-working singers in the state when she cut this album... That summer she opened shows for the Oak Ridge Boys (who were struggling at the time to break out of the gospel scene) and later joined the road shows of older, established acts such as Johnny Paycheck, and Leroy Van Dyke's Auctioneers. She did Vegas gigs with both of these artists, accompanied by banjo player Skip DeVol, who had been part of the Vegas-based "Country Music USA: revue; DeVol and Freeman also toured together in '77, when they played shows in Houston, and possibly elsewhere. In September of '77, Freeman was headlining her own club shows in Reno, although she seems to have moved back to Oklahoma not long after that, and was still opening for larger acts in the early 1980s, and in the 1990s performed at the Oklahoma Opry under her married name, Jan Freeman McCaffrey. As far as I know, this was her only album, a pretty straightforward pop-country set heavy on covers such as "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)," "Love Will Keep Us Together," "So Wrong" and "Statue Of A Fool." A few tracks were released as singles: "I Don't Like To Sleep Alone," which was a Paul Anka song, came out in 1975, while "Any Port In A Storm" and "Who'll Turn Out The Lights (In Your World Tonight)" followed after the album was made. I assume that Jan-Mar was her own label.

Vince Gill -- see artist profile

Ric Gorden & Lady "Oklahoma Country Boy" (Prosodia Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Benson & Gary Duggan)
Dunno much about this Oklahoma City trio, but I guess they were going for kind of a Tony Orlando & Dawn/Dave & Sugar kinda look here, with "Lady" being backup singers Cherie Gordon and Marilyn Woodard... They could just as easily named the band Ric Gorden & Larry, though, since the studio band included lead guitar by Larry Kent and keyboards by studio owner Larry Benson...

Country Lee Green "Diesel Made Of Gold" (MCR, 1974) (LP)
Solid honkytonk by a fella from Oklahoma City who wrote a bunch of original material for this album... Green started out in his teens, working regionally in the mid-1950s, notably performing on radio station KLPR, which also boosted the careers of fellow Okies such as Tommy Collins and Wanda Jackson... On this uber-indie album he plays mostly his own compositions, including "And They Tell Me You Don't Care," "Diesel Made Out Of Gold," "This Bar Room Is My Home" and "You'll Tear My World Apart."

Loretta Hall "Precious Memories" (Sound Mill, 1980-?) (LP)
Nice, understated country gospel, recorded in Norman, Oklahoma with what looks like an all-local band: Tim Cossey on drums, Jody Dennis (banjo), Buddy Green (guitar), Norman Horner (steel guitar), Tommy Neighbors (bass), and Charlie Rail playing lead guitar. They're playing real country stuff, not forcefully twangy, but also definitely not syrupy southern gospel. Ms. Hall had a modest but pleasant voice, all the more appealing for its sincerity and distinct lack of showboating or flashiness -- she's really all about the songs, and it's nice. The repertoire draws on both traditional and contemporary sources, ranging from the Carter Family and Albert Brumley to Bill Gaither, Larry Gatlin and Dottie Rambo, as well as one of Jeannie C. Riley's gospel offerings, "Be Not Afraid." Certainly worth a spin.

Paul Hampton "Rest Home For Children" (Crested Butte Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Johnston)
This is such an amazingly weird album... Its claim to "country" status is perhaps a little questionable, although Hampton is backed by some top Nashville talent -- Mac Gayden, Hargus Robbins, Kenny Buttrey and some of the guys from that crew. Anyway, Oklahoma-born Paul Hampton was a real-deal, highly successful songwriter, whose bona fides stretch back to late '50s hits such as Don Gibson's "Sea Of Heartbreak," and he was also in the creative orbit of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. But man, he really lets it all hang down on this bizarre album, which seems to be a mega-stoned, super-indulgent, only-in-the-Seventies inside joke, with Side One kicking off with some Mac Gayden-style white Southern funk, but wed to really odd lyrics, stuff about underage girls, "rats with lists," and an endless stream of non sequitors. Side Two kicks off with a couple of overtly comedic tracks: "Cosmopolitan Magazine" is a satirical look at the content of the fabled women's magazine, seen from a guy's perspective, and "Your Basic Skater's Waltz" reenacts the '70s roller-rink scene, but with Hampton playing the part of an increasingly abusive DJ/announcer, yelling at the kids over a backdrop of generic easy-listening music... The rest of the record seems to be an extended parody of the lounge singer subculture, with an album highlight being the scathing "Gordon Entertaining Nightly" about a fern-bar hack who sees himself as "Fresno's favorite entertainer," while fully aware of his own creative shortcomings... It's kind of a mean song. This whole record is really strange -- most of the songs I couldn't get a handle on: what the heck was he trying to say? But there is a country undercurrent (including some great musicianship) and if you like bizarre, obscure music, you'll want to check this one out. Maybe.

Bob Harrington "...Goes Cross Country" (Chaplain Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Kennedy, Joe Mills & Bobby Bradley)
Back during the 'Sixties folk revival, Baptist preacher Bob Harrington (1927-2017) established his niche as a folk-singing evangelical known as "the Chaplain of Bourbon Street." Originally from Oklahoma, Harrington attended a theological college in New Orleans, where he began preaching on the streets of the French Quarter, eventually starting his own ministry and recording a series of gospel albums well-known to dollar-bin crate-diggers across the land. For this album, he went whole-hog and headed up to Nashville for a country music session at Bradley's Barn, with slick, crisp backing by an a-list studio band that included Phil Baugh on lead guitar, Russ Hicks playing pedal steel, Jerry Smith on piano and Arlene and Bobby Harden anchoring an out-of-control vocal chorus. (Apparently nicknames aren't allowed in Harrington's ministry: Buddy Spicher plays fiddle, but is listed by his Christian name, Norman K. Spicher... who knew??) To call this disc "corny" doesn't quite capture the full glory of it -- Harrington barks his way through recitation tunes so outlandish that they'd make Porter Wagoner blush... Dying, homeless old men making their last journey to church, broken winos helping good Christians find their path, creationism triumphing over science, and the amazing closing number, "Letting Our Children's Heroes Die," where a thoughtful father lectures his kid about how comic books are the work of the devil, and instructs the child to learn about George Washington and Thomas Jefferson instead... and Jesus, too, of course. They really don't make records like this any more! Apparently Harrington's life took a sideways turn around the time this album came out: he divorced his wife and closed his ministry in New Orleans, moving to Florida, where he took up a more lucrative career as a motivational speaker, though he fell on hard times in the '90s and came back to God, as well as to Oklahoma, where he spent the last several years of his life. Anyway, this disc is a real doozy, whether you treat is as kitsch or as scripture.

Tom Hartman "A Tribute To John Wayne: American" (Artco Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Hartman)
Guns, guts and Old Glory are celebrated, as well as Mr. True Grit himself, in this heartfelt set by Oklahoman Tom Hartman. The title track, an update of I. M. Coffey's "John Wayne: American," is one of two songs credited to Hartman (he added some new lyrics) Most of the other songs are covers of western oldies, stuff like "Cool Water," "Empty Saddles" and "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds," while Hartman's tune "Old Paint" kicks off Side Two. The album includes songs by a couple of other composers also publishing under the Associated Artists Music banner. Unfortunately, other musicians aren't listed, though the back cover does have a long (and I mean long!) list of a hundred-plus movies that John Wayne starred in...

Tonya Harwell "Foxy Lady" (Homa Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Mickey Sherman)
A pretty negligible album from a teenage Oklahoman who was, according to the liner notes, voted "The Best Female Vocalist Under the Age of Eighteen for 1975" by the Oklahoma Country Music Association, which kind of makes me wonder what Reba McEntire was up to that week. Tonya covers a few standards such as "Bobby McGee," "Silver Threads And Golden Needles," Merle Haggard's "That's The Way Love Goes" and even a mildly twangy version of the Beatles' "Yesterday." She also showcases some local (Oklahoma) songwriters -- herself included, writing the title track -- as well as "A Picker's Wife" by Bob Lendrum and "Shadows Of Love," written by Lee Hunter and Wait Wilder. I don't think any of these folks really did much after this, though fiddler Benny Kubiak also recorded a couple of albums on the Homa label, and was in a number of regional bands. Tonya Harwell apparently was in a rock band with her brother Paige in the early '80s, but I think this was about it for her country career. (Interesting side note: according to her brother, their band, Pearle Handle, also included future Top 40 country and gospel singer Melodie Crittenden, who was a teenager at the time... So there ya go!)

Kent Hawkins "Made In Oklahoma" (Antelope Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Larry R. Benson & Greg Duggan)
The first and apparently only solo album from Weatherford, Oklahoma's Kent Hawkins, a fella who'd been kicking around in various local Tulsa bands since the early 1970s, including groups like The Silver River Band and Saddletramp. All the songs are Kent Hawkins originals, showcasing several years of composing which started around 1981, when he wrote a novelty number called "The Quality Song," which was a nod to his day job at the local 3M factory. Hawkins was also a member of a Tulsa music revue called The Oklahoma Opry, which may also have included some of the studio musicians backing him on this set, which was recorded at the Benson Sound studios: producer Larry Benson on piano, David Coe (fiddle), Terry Scarberry (lead guitar), Greg Sharon (harmonica), Marty Shrabel (bass), Lynn Williams (drums), and Rick Wright playing rhythm guitar.

Cecil Hiatt "Cecil Hiatt" (Double Stop Records, 198--?) (LP)
(Produced by Byron Berline)
Oklahoma old-timer Cecil Hiatt (1912-1994) was a modestly endowed vocalist and a real wizard on the low-tech percussion instruments known as "bones," short sticks made of either bone or wood that are clattered together at lightning speed to add a bright rhythmic pizazz to acoustic stringband music and blues. Haitt plays the bones and sings on this low-key set of sentimental oldies, gospel and novelty tunes and lilting instrumentals. He's joined by a bluegrass band including Dan Crary on guitar, John Hickman and Tom Sauber on banjo, Carol Yearwood on bass and Byron Berline playing fiddle and mandolin. This album was a labor of love for Berline, whose father, Lue Berline, played with Hiatt in a Depression-era stringband called the South Haven Ramblers, which did shows along the Kansas-Oklahoma border, including several shows at the fabled 101 Ranch in Ponca, Oklahoma. This album is one of those sweet, relaxed outings with younger musicians paying homage to old pros who never really got their due (in Hiatt's case, he had never made a record before, despite decades playing on the regional dance circuit). The accompaniment is sympathetic and restrained while also sleek and virtuosic, and the material is pretty classic. Several songs are prefaced by spoken introductions in which Hiatt explains his instrument and its history, as well as his philosophy of musical collaboration... Standout tracks include an instrumental called "Jaw-Bone Breakdown," which features Okie singer-songwriter Bill Caswell playing the jaw-harp, and the topically-themed "What Are Ya Squackin' About," in which Hiatt lambastes naysayers and negative thinkers who think they know what hard times are like, comparing their complaints to the rough lives of rural farmers -- the song also has a couple of verses making fun of feminists, wryly pointing out how all their new-fangled equality and whatnot comes at the expense of gentlemanly courtesies such as having doors held open and hats tipped on the sidewalk. That'll learn ya! All in all, a really nice, down-to-earth album, with a very authentic rural feel.

Carrol Hicks "We're Blessed People" (FCH Records, 1985-?) (LP)
(Produced by Rocky Frisco & Lynn Nodine)
A well-produced, musically satisfying mix of cheerful sunshine country and down-home gospel, with strong vocals by Ms. Carrol Hicks, a gal from rural Dewey, Oklahoma who is almost a dead ringer for Dolly Parton on many tracks, with hints of Donna Fargo and Loretta Lynn in the mix as well. She's joined by her husband, Freddy Hicks and their daughter Laurie Hicks, as backing vocalists; young Laurie also sings lead on one of those cutesy-kid-singer novelty numbers, "Mommy, I Want To Be Just Like You." Other than that one song, this is a rock-solid record with a very bright, cheerful 'Seventies sound (though it may have actually been recorded in the 'Eighties). Alas, although this was recorded at the Al Clauser Studios in Prue, Oklahoma, there's no information about the backing band -- they sound great and presumably were Clauser's studio crew, led by red dirt legend Rocky Frisco (aka Rocky Curtiss, 1937-2015) Anyway, if you're looking for country gospel records that really sound country, this disc's a gem. Nice stuff, easy on the ears from start to finish.

Ken Holiday/Nancy Jo Garton "Ken Holiday/Nancy Jo Garton" (G Bar Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Holiday)
This looks like a split LP - him headlining on one side, her on the other -- although it's all from the same recording session. Holiday and Garton were from Depew, Oklahoma, where they co-owned the G-Bar Ranch, a name they also used for their own short-lived indie label. Like many regional artists, they made the trek to Nashville to record, and cut this album at Jack Clements' studio, with a big cast of studio superpickers, including the Jordanaires on backup vocals. Nancy Jo Garton had apparently a regional radio hit with a cover of the country/R&B oldie, "Big Blue Diamonds," but her success was strictly local -- no Billboard action for these singing Sooners... Still, I like it. Mr. Holiday had one of those gangly voices that makes an unlikely match for a recording session but winds up sounding authentic and sincere -- I'm thinking of folks like Dick Feller and Deadly Ernest -- and he picked more novelty-oriented material to match his vocals. Ms. Garton was the stronger singer in the "normal" sense -- derivative, perhaps, but not bad. She starts out sounding like mainstream country-pop gals such as Lynn Anderson or Donna Fargo, but by the end of her side, she's solidly in a Dolly Parton mode, trilling her little heart out. One assumes it's her busting in on the end of Side One, to belt out a duet with Holiday on "I'm Mad In Love With You." In addition to this LP, they also released at least one single under Garton's name, distributed by the folks at NSD in Nashville.

Jay Hoyle "According To Jay Hoyle" (Market Hall Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Tommy Jackson & Scotty Moore)
A country and gospel session by entertainer Jay Hoyle, who seems to have been in the orbit of producer-promoter Gary S. Paxton when this disc was made, possibly sometime in the late '70s or early '80s. Jay Hoyle grew up in a religious family in Tulsa, Oklahoma and although his parents wanted him to become a gospel singer, he was more immediately drawn to the secular entertainment scene. Hoyle started his music career in the late 1950s when he joined a perky vocal quartet from Longview, Texas called the Doodlers, who were pretty serious about making it big in show business. They cut a couple of singles of uptempo pop novelty material with a vaguely Bill Haley-ish vibe and worked gigs in and around Houston, eventually touring through the South and the upper Midwest before breaking up around 1960 or so. There's a pretty big gap between that gig and this album though at some point Hoyle found his niche as a cruise ship performer, which is hinted at by a small photo of an unidentified ship on the back cover of this album. This album is mostly secular and definitely country, though it includes a trio of songs from Gary S. Paxton, who also sat in on the Nashville session and sang in the backing chorus, and a couple of tracks are religiously-themed. Fiddler Buddy Spicher seems to have helmed the session and provided arrangements for the a-list band, and contributes a song of his own called "Roll It Around." As far as I know this was Mr. Hoyle's only full LP, although he performed steadily for decades on ships such as Regal Princess, eventually settling down in Tennessee.

Cowboy Charlie Huff "Cowboy Charlie Huff" (North Star Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Sullivan)
A prolific recording artist with a career dating back to the postwar era, Oklahoma's yodeling cowboy, Charlie Huff (1913?-1992) enjoyed a sizable regional hit with his tune, "Patonia The Pride Of The Plains," which he first recorded back in 1947 and numerous times since. He toured and cut records steadily through the 1950s and '60s, tapering off in the early years of the 'Seventies. Mr. Huff suffered a major setback in 1980 when an electrical fire decimated his family home, destroying his records, western outfits and memorabilia -- despite being burned he survived the fire, and resumed his musical career after selling the property and buying a mobile home. Mr. Huff also recorded at least one LP, as well as countless self-released western-themed singles; I had assumed this album drew on some of those discs, but there are also North Star singles crediting Gene Sullivan as producer, so perhaps these were all-new recordings. A two-disc retrospective was also released posthumously by the Hillbilly Researcher collector label,

Cowboy Charlie Huff "Oklahoma's Own Cowboy Singer" (Hillbilly Researcher Records, 2008-?) (LP)
A 2-LP set, gathering dozens of Charlie Huff's western-themed tunes.

The Isbell Family "That Glad Reunion Day" (SF Custom Records, 197-?) (LP)
A charmingly straightforward gospel set by a family band from Oklahoma... Most of the performers were the children of Rev. Samuel Thomas Isbell (1905-1996) and his wife, Annie Mae Isbell (1909-1971) who had passed away before this album was made. The instrumentalists include siblings Dorlene Crim (piano), Gip Isbell (lead guitar) and Sammie Raye Thompson (piano) along with Billy Betche on bass and Loyd Betche playing rhythm guitar. The family chorus included the guitar picking son Gipson F. Isbell (1941-1998) and several now-married daughters, Dorlene Crim (1929–2007), Celia Foster (1931–1989), Lora Peck (1933–1995) and Sammie Raye Thompson (1936–2014), along with a gal named Roberta Stanley, who does not appear to have been a relative. Although the piano-based arrangements show little overt country influence, I found this record to be compelling due to their sincerity and rural authenticity, including those rich Texahoma accents. Fans of down-home, backwoods gospel might want to check this one out, even with the lack of fiddle, steel or mandolin. The liner notes mention them spreading the word through music, but as far as I can tell neither the Isbell family or the Betche brothers were well-known performers.

Wanda Jackson -- see artist profile

Jana Jae -- see artist profile

Norma Jean -- see artist profile

Cliff Johnson & The Sooner Heritage "Live From Bluegrass Opryland" (Custom Records Company, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Curtis Kirk)
This 'grass band from El Reno, Oklahoma included lead singer Cliff Johnson, Albert Brown (mandolin), Johnny Lancaster (bass), and Jim McGaha on banjo. The Bluegrass Opryland was a regional venue located in Cement, Oklahoma, a teeny town just west of Norman.

Rudy Q. Jones "A Soldier For Jesus" (Warrior Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Carlson & Dennis Coats)
Originally from Ada, Oklahoma, multi-instrumentalist Rudy Quinten Jones (1943-2015) was best known as a dobro player, as well as a luthier specializing in building resophonic guitars. Before moving to Florida, Jones worked with a number of local Okie artists, notably Ed & Jolene Bullock, whose first couple of albums he played on and helped produce. This disc was his debut, a country gospel set that was both sincere and maybe a bit tongue-in-cheek, with a ragged, amateurish enthusiasm that reminds me quite a bit of Gram Parsons' early stuff. Fascinating bluegrass band backing him: producers Gary Carlson and Dennis Coats had their own bluegrassy duo, later recording a couple fo albums in the early 'Seventies, and Coats landing one of his songs on a John Denver album. Bassist Roger Bush was, of course, an early progressive bluegrass artist, holding down the rhythm section of the fabled Kentucky Colonels, and dobro picker LeRoy McNees was later a co-founder of the Born Again Bluegrass Band. This is a nice little record... A little rough around the edges, but charming and sincere.

Sammie K "No Promises" (SDF Record Corporation, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Eric Lemmons)
Fairly basic countrypolitan vocals by a gal from Oklahoma City. The set list is pretty unthreatening, a string of cover tunes, mostly of pretty recent vintage, stuff like "Delta Dawn," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Me And Bobby McGee" and the Eagles hit, "Take It Easy." One assumes the "K" stands for a middle initial or a last name, but the abbreviation makes it practically impossible to find out who she really was... I did find one old show notice in the Daily Oklahoman for a 1974 gig she had playing for the Hilton Inn West hotel chain, but that's about it. The musicians on this album include Larry Hansen on drums, Steve Hardin (keyboards and dobro), Eric Lemmons (bass), Billy Walker (guitar) and Gary West on guitar... I'm not sure if any of these guys also backed her live, though they did work together on the Tulsa club circuit, notably Hardin and West. Keyboardist Steve Hardin (1946-2015) fronted his own band in the early '70s and later landed a gig with the southern rockers Point Blank; he also became a successful country songwriter and sideman, notably working for Glen Campbell as well as marrying country singer Gus Hardin. Guitarist Gary West (1952-2011) was a popular local picker, as well as the son of legendary steel player Speedy West. So, whoever Sammie K was, she had about the best backup you could get in Oklahoma at the time... I'm mildly suspicious that she might have actually been Gus Hardin, but I have no evidence to back up that hunch.

Toby Keith - see artist discography

Steve Key "My Oklahoma Morning" (Piccadilly Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Chad Heasley & Gene Breeden)
Light, pleasant, commercially-oriented country material, early '80s style. Though the production is pretty slick, there's some nice fiddle and pedal steel in the mix, giving a whiff of old-school western swing. This was probably recorded in Nashville, as the studio crew includes guitarist Gene Breeden and his son Danny, along with steel player Doug Jernigan and Bruce Watkins on bass and fiddle, as well as pianist Benny Kennerson. (Interestingly, Key thanks indie-twangster Frank Hurley, who recorded his album for Picadilly around the same time with roughly the same set of musicians, though as far as I can tell neither singer performed on the other's album. Drinkin' buddies, I guess.) Anyway, fans of Don Williams might enjoy this guy, too, though there are also some slightly rough-edged tunes as well, such as "This Damn Guitar." Worth a spin, though definitely on the lighter side.

Merle Kilgore "Possum Holler Presents Big Merle" (Starday Records, 1972) (LP)
Although he co-wrote of one of the best-known country songs in the world -- "Ring Of Fire," which he composed with June Carter -- nothing really clicked for Merle Kilgore as a solo performer. Kilgore was born in Oklahoma but grew up in Louisiana, starting his career as a teenager as a cast member of the Louisiana Hayride. In 1954 he struck gold as a songwriter when Webb Pierce took his tune, "More And More," to the top of the charts. Kilgore eventually signed to Columbia Records and released a string of singles in the early 1960s -- they were good records, but despite a promising start in 1960, he mostly slid off the charts and made a few infrequent appearances in the Back Forty, spread out over a couple of decades. Kilgore toured with Hank Williams, Jr. for many years, and eventually became his manager. In the early 'Seventies, Kilgore was working as the emcee at the Possum Holler nightclub in Nashville, a venue partly owned by singer-superstar George Jones. Kilgore sang there as well, and recorded this album as part of that gig... He left the Possum Holler job in the mid-1970s to manage the career of Hank Jr., and by all accounts, he did pretty darn good job... (Can you say, "Monday night football"?) Anyway, one thing that's interesting about this album is that Kilgore steers clear of his own hits -- nary a "Wolverton Mountain" or fiery ring to be heard, though covers of "Woman, Sensuous Woman" and "The Key's In The Mailbox" huddle 'round with other, lesser-known tunes.

The Kimberlys & Waylon Jennings "Country Folk" (RCA Victor, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Chet Atkins & Danny Davis)
A folk-country outing made by a restless Waylon Jennings in his proto-outlaw days. The story goes that Waylon was unhappy working with pop-oriented producer Danny Davis and sought to assert some creative control by bringing in the unknown Oklahoma family band The Kimberlys to give this album a little zing. The Kimberlys were two brothers -- Carl and Harold Kimberly -- who married two sisters and formed a vocal quartet. They had done some work regionally, but this was their big breakout on the national stage, and they did score a Top Thirty hit with a fairly outlandish cover of the pop hit, "MacArthur Park," which hit #23 on the Country charts and earned the Kimberlys a Grammy. Two albums followed, sans Waylon, but commercial success was not in the cards. An interesting footnote is that their children formed a band of their own in the '80s and eked out a couple of charting singles in 1984, under the name Kimberly Springs.

The Kimberlys "Road To Entertainment" (Road Records, 1969-?) (LP)
This appears to be a private-press souvenir album from a stint on the road working clubs in Nevada (many of which are listed on the back cover. There's no date on the album, but the liner notes by Joe Montgomery say he'd been with the band for three years and the set list is packed with covers of late 'Sixties stuff like "As Tears Go By," "Norwegian Wood," "Yesterday" "Kentucky Woman," "Those Were The Days" and Jimmy Webb's dreadful "MacArthur Park," all of which suggest a 1969-ish release date. Some songs, including their version of Bob Lind's "Elusive Butterfly," were also included on the group's self-titled album from 1970 (listed below) though I can't say whether they were recycled or re-recorded. In all honesty, this is a pretty dismal -- or at least un-engaging -- folk-pop set, with too little twang for my tastes. Dreary, stuffy vocals, and way too much of that gimmicky "sitar" sound that Nashville used to make certain records sound hip and young. Alas.

The Kimberlys "The Kimberlys" (Happy Tiger Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Stan Ross & Ray Ruff)

The Kimberlys "New Horizon" (Happy Tiger Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Kenny O'Dell, Stan Ross & Ray Ruff)

Michael Kroll "The First Album" (1981) (LP)
(Produced by Ben McCullar)
True twang from Enid, Oklahoma, with plenty of country and rockabilly covers, with tunes from Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Ernest Tubb, and Eddie Cochran. The record also includes a version of "Sixpack To Go" -- huzzah!

Benny Kubiak "Tulsa On A Saturday Night" (Homa Records, 1975) (LP)
Both as a bandleader and a studio pro, fiddler Benny Kubiak was a mainstay of the 1970's Oklahoma indie-twang scene. A former member of Ray Price's band, Kubiak recorded a popular regional pride song, "Tulsa On A Saturday Night," and ran the house band for the Homa label, which released several LPs and numerous singles by other, less well-known Oklahoma artists.

Benny Kubiak & His Tulsa Saturday Nighters "Geronimo" (Homa Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Mickey Sherman)

Lavada "Lavada" (ATV-Pye Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Peter K. Siegel)
This is a weird record, one of those "only in the Seventies" kinda things, and definitely not for everyone... Lavada June Roberts was an Okie from Avoka, Oklahoma who headed out West and created her own oddball cabaret act, which she performed first in Hollywood, and later in New York City, where she was working when she cut this album. It's sometimes tagged as a "country" record, and while she carries some of her native twang with her in her voice, and has Nashville studio pro Weldon Myrick playing pedal steel on a few tracks, mostly this is a wild, fairly torturous set, with Lavada swooping and screeching atop her own equally unruly piano playing, singing rambling, half-spoken stream-of-consciousness song-poems, more akin to performance art than country-rock. Some of the more overtly twangy tunes -- "Grin And Bear It," "Neighbors," "Dream On Little Country Girl" -- share some of the same hick-oriented artsy-fartsy feel as Terry Allen and Jo Harvey Allen's work, and may merit recognition from twangfans. (Although to her credit, Lavada staked the territory out first...) Honestly? It's hard to imagine many people who would want to listen to this album for fun, country fans in particular, but as an artifact of nutty 'Seventies experimentalism, it's a doozy.

Dale Lay "I'm Proud To Be Part Of Country Music" (19--?) (LP)
Super-twangy stuff from Okie honkytonker Loyd Dale Lay (1937-2011) who grew up in eastern Oklahoma and was active on the regional Texahoma scene throughout the 1960s. In the late 'Fifties Mr. Lay did a stint in the Army, where (according to his obituary) he met and befriended future country star Bobby Bare. After completing his service, Lay got married and settled down in Kingston, Oklahoma, right by the state line about fifty miles due north of Dallas. Over the years he made several forays down to Tyler, Texas where he recorded a string of singles at Curtis Kirk's studio, including many songs where he shared composer credits with Mr. Kirk and others, including a guy named Bill Callahan, who might have been part of the Bakersfield scene. I'm not sure but I think most if not all of the tracks on this album may have originally come out as singles on the "GM" label sometime in the 'Sixties; a much larger pool of tracks were included in a digital-era CD collection, although the provenance of those tracks is less clear. At any rate, this is about at earthy and authentic a set of Texas-style twang as you're likely to find... A proud part of country music, indeed!

Curtis Leach "Indescribable" (Longhorn Records, 1964) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Gray)
It really looked like things were going Curtis Leach's way in the early 'Sixties... The Catoosa, Oklahoma native maybe wasn't the strongest singer -- he had one of those plaintive, plainspoken voices that were more common in the hillbilly era -- but as a songwriter he was making some traction with stars like Bill Anderson covering his material, and the folks at Longhorn Records backed him for a full-length LP. Sadly, in 1965 he was stabbed in the leg during a home invasion the following year, and died while still in his thirties. This proved to be his only album, but it's a fine example of unreconstructed red dirt twang.

Smokey Lee & The Prison Band "Made Parole, Will Travel!" (I & E, 1979)
According to the liner notes, Smokey Lee was a Korean War veteran who had trouble adjusting to civilian life, and ran afoul of the law so many times that he eventually wound up in McAlester, Oklahoma's "Big Mac" state penitentiary from 1968-1979. While at Big Mac, he led the Outlaws band, and even recorded an album with them while behind bars. After he made parole, he released another album, though apparently he recorded it with some other ex-cons -- the repertoire covers a lot of prison-related country and folk standards -- "I Fought The Law," "I Got Stripes," "Folsom Prison Blues," etc. Not sure how things went for Lee after this...

Legend "Legend" (Akustik Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Rod Slane)
A longhaired but not too shaggy southern rock band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, these guys paid allegiance to Skynyrd and Marshall Tucker -- hard rock with a solid country core. The group included songwriters R. J. Rice on bass and Billy Joe Strange playing guitar, along with Joe Manago (lead guitar), Dean Page (keyboards), Mike Worth (lead guitar), and a guy named Randy on drums... Dunno much else about these guys, though I imagine they did some local shows, and were probably a pretty decent live band. This album has seven songs, all originals, including several longer tracks where they stretch out a bit and flirt with jam-band territory. Overall, the album seems a bit cluttered and frenetic, probably most due to poor production which pushes the drums way up into the front, though the musicians also exude a lot of earnest enthusiasm... Anyone digging deep into independent local rural rock will definitely want to check this one out.

John D. LeVan "John D. LeVan" (Hummingbird Records, 1971) (LP)
A first-generation rockabilly guitarist from Oklahoma, John D. LeVan is credited as one of the originators of "the Tulsa Sound," the laid-back, earthy style championed by J. J. Cale, Leon Russell and others. Mr. LeVan's contributions date back to the 1950s when, as a child, he was showcased on Red Foley's Ozark Jubilee show, and more particularly when he backed rockabilly singer Clyde Stacy (1936-2013) on a rowdy version of "Hoy, Hoy," a single that burst into the American Top 100 back in 1957. LeVan later joined Gene Crose's rock band, and moved through a series of bands, gigs and tours, always coming back to Tulsa, where his reputation steadily grew over the years. Though his string of singles dates back to '57, this was LeVan's first full album, recorded with pianist Rocky Frisco and The Frisco Railroad Band, which was formed in 1970. It appears to be an exceptionally elusive disc: the only place I've seen it mentioned is on LeVan's own website --which, by the way, gives a different timeline for the band than Rocky Frisco's own bio... At any rate, this is one to look for!

John D. LeVan "Southwest" (DeJaVu Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by John D. LeVan, Bob Milsap & Tommy Overstreet)
At some point John LeVan became tight with country star Tommy Overstreet, who helped produce this second album, which was recorded in Nashville, but released on a label from Branson, Missouri. Alas, the backing musicians are not identified... Working with his band The Thunderboltz and others, John D. LeVan went on to record several other albums in the digital era.

Liberty & Friends "Black, Gold & Crude" (JW Productions, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Collins)
Not to be confused with the Colorado band Liberty, this female-led Oklahoma ensemble played all-original material written by songwriters Garneta Johnston and Ann Wilson, with Chuck Johnson rounding things out. All three seemed to work in the oil industry, and recorded this album in Texas as a sort of Panhandle regional pride manifesto. I'm sympathetic, and think some of the songs are well-written, but I do have to warn you, on a strictly musical level, this ain't that good of a record. Maybe it's the bland production or by-the-numbers musicianship, but the vocals are also a bit flat. Oh, well. It's charming as a "real people" record, even if you probably wouldn't want to listen to it recreationally... Of note, though is the band's origin story: Garneta Johnston was the daughter of hillbilly songwriter Eddie Miller, while Ann Wilson (nicknamed "Liberty" because she was born on the Fourth of July) was her childhood friend. Not sure if any of them went on to record anything else, though some of these songs might be worth mining by other country folks sometime in the future... "I Wish I'd Been Somebody" is a pretty good, 'Seventies-style country novelty number.

Merl Lindsay "...And His Oklahoma Night Riders: 1946-1952" (Krazy Kat Records, 2005)
One of Oklahoma's great western swingsters, Merle Lindsay Salathiel (1916-1965) started out in the genre's first wave during the mid-1930s, and led his own band for several decades, including a late '50s stint as the house band for the Ozark Jubilee. Lindsay boosted the careers of two Okie country gals, future rockabilly firebrand Wanda Jackson and honktonker Norma Jean, in the years before she joined Porter Wagoner's band. This is a generously programmed set, with over two dozen tracks including Lindsay's rare old singles as well as a bunch of previously unreleased stuff... Great stuff, with plenty of loose-limbed, bluesy performances and a wide musical range. Several tracks with smooth, hip male vocals that were strongly influenced by Tommy Duncan. A fun set.

Merl Lindsay "...And His Oklahoma Night Riders, Volume One: 1948-1962" (BACM, 2005)
Another swell set of Oklahoman rarities... Merl Lindsay is credited with lead vocals on the majority of tracks, closely followed by Ted Haff, and a slew of obscure, one-off lead singers, including Clarence Bailey, Glynn Duncan, Arlen Kaywood, Wesley Potts, and Lucky Ward. Of particular interest is a lone track, "Cry, Cry Darlin'," showcasing vocals from a young Wanda Jackson, who did some of her journeyman work in the Merl Lindsay band.

Sonny Lowery "King Of Kings" (Temple Music Company, 196--?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Benson)
Country gospel by a former 'Fifties rocker. A native of Pryor, Oklahoma, singer Sonny Lowery grew up working on oil pipelines with his dad, but left home in the late 1950s to start a music career in Los Angeles, and cut a couple of singles for the Specialty label, including "Goodbye Baby Goodbye," which became a regional hit. As Lowery relates in the liner notes, he embarked on an extensive tour riding on the strength of these records, but couldn't quite grab the brass ring at the national level. After returning home, he "remembered having been raised in a Christian home" and applied his talent to non-secular music, though the guys backing him on this album were versatile players who worked both sides of the street. Producer Larry Benson assembled several of his best musicians for this session, including bassist Stu Bonham, Bobby Cotton on drums, Jimmy Jay picking guitar, pianist Rex Stafford and Johnny Vaughn on steel. No release date, alas, but it looks late 'Sixties, early 'Seventies at the latest.

Mike Lunsford "Honey Hungry" (Power Pak Records, 1994)
A late-70s minor leaguer, Oklahoman Mike Lunsford had a couple of mid-level hits with "Honey Hungry" and "Stealin' Feelin'," on the then-fading Starday label. He's a pleasant enough country crooner, with a nice voice and a penchant for slower, midtempo ballads. The arrangements aren't that striking, nor his delivery, which is hampered by a lack of rhythmic oompf, but he's still nice to listen to... Nothing earthshaking, but worth checking out, if you're into the whole 'Seventies countrypolitan crooning scene.

Mike Lunsford "Mike Lunsford" (Starday/Gusto Records, 1975) (LP)

Mike Lunsford "Stealin', Feelin' And Others" (Starday/Gusto Records, 1976) (LP)

Genie Mack "The Magic Lady Goes Trucken, v.2" (Magic Country Music, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Phil York)
Yes, she did spell truckin' with an "e," but she's from Oklahoma, so we'll forgive her. This is an album of mostly original material from a red dirt gal who had a regional hit with a song called "We're Independent Truckers," dedicated to striking semi-drivers in 1979... Although I believe she was from Oklahoma, this set was recorded in Dallas, Texas, with a backing band that included steel guitarists Ray Austin and Johnny Blue... Presumably a "Volume One" album also exists, but so far I've only been able to track down a few singles...

Margaret & The Country Kids "Margaret And The Country Kids" (Artco Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Hartman)
A family band led by Margaret Stewart, a rancher from Cottonwood Falls, Kansas who also was a well-known square dance caller in the Oklahoma-Kansas region. She sings and plays mandolin, with a cast of dozens both backing her up and sharing the spotlight. The album includes songs written by her daughter, Judith Roper ("Granny's Teenage Queen," "It Started From A Dream," "John's Old Sal") and producer Tom Hartman ("Gingerbread Man," "Good Old Country Music," "Down Home"). The group performed at local rodeos and other events, and this album, which was recorded at Associated Recording Artists studio in Oklahoma City, and was written up in Billboard magazine, as part of an overview of the Oklahoma country scene of 1973.

Dick Massie & The Cajunettes "Sunday Country Grass" (Homa Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Kenny Frazier & Mickey Sherman)
Known on air as "The Ragin' Cajun," Richard Lawrence Massie (1929-2002) was a country deejay on radio station KCCO in Lawton, Oklahoma, where he lived with his wife and kids, including three teenage daughters -- Cindy (age 17), Linda (14) and Sandra (15) -- who sing on this album as The Cajunettes. Though this album is billed as bluegrass, I'd actually peg Mr. Massie as more aligned with the older, sentimental acoustic country music of the pre-bluegrass Depression-era tradition -- but whatever you want to call it, it's great stuff. This gospel-heavy set kicks off with a Dick Massie original, "A Boy's Dad," but is mostly cover tunes including songs from the likes of Johnny Bond, The Carter Family, The Louvin Brothers, Loretta Lynn and Bill Monroe... all pretty swell for us twangfans! They are backed by some Lone Star bluegrassers from far-off Decatur, Texas, The Lambert Brothers, and their band the Tri-Country Boys: Gilbert Lambert (rhythm guitar), T. H. Lambert (mandolin), along with Gene Carter (guitar), Joe Hood (banjo), Leonard Simmons (bass), and Marvin Wright on fiddle, as well as harmony vocals from one of Massie's KCCO coworkers, Ed Ferguson. Mr. Massie also released at least one single, sponsored by his radio station, although I'm not sure when that came out.

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

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

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

Toni Jo McAlester "Toni Jo McAlester's Back" (Word Weaver Records, 1984-?) (LP)
(Produced by Sonny Deaton & Jim Thornton)
An ambitious double-LP set of traditionally-oriented country by a gal from Oklahoma. Toni Jo McAlester (aka Carolyn Marie Moran, 1949-2012) was originally from Oklahoma City, though she seems to have made the pilgrimage to Nashville to cut this collection of tunes, which includes both covers and originals, including several trucker songs such as "Golden Sleeper" and "Polka Dot Pete," which were promoted as a singles. The liner notes tell us she was backed by a band called Nashville Underground, though the individual musicians are unidentified, and were probably hired hands provided by producer Sonny Deaton. Ms. Moran had a fine, rural voice and the robust backing band is professional-sounding and twangy, playing uptempo pop-honkytonk with a mid-1960s feel and a little hint of fiddle-based western swing. There's practically no information about Moran in her "Toni Jo McAlester" persona online, so despite her high hopes, she doesn't seem to have had much success with the music business. But she sure tried: after she passed away her son Joe posted a bunch of low-budget videos she made for several songs off this album, all probably filmed at the same time as the recording sessions. These videos also included a 'Seventies-style TV ad, complete with the song titles scrolling past, and a professional-sounding male announcer telling viewers to order their copies now. Anyway, even though the presentation was a bit amateurish, the music was pretty good, and definitely worth a spin. I'm not sure about my guess that this came out in the early '80s (based on the catalog number) since the music sounds more late '70s, though I'd definitely welcome any information to confirm things one way or the other.

Rusty McDonald "The Amazing Rusty McDonald" (Austin Custom Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Christie Holbrook)
Guitar picker Myrl Edward McDonald (1921-1979) was born and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma but headed down to Texas in the 1940s, to pursue his musical ambitions. He eventually landed a slot in Bob Wills' Texas Playboys and earned eternal fame in the western swing pantheon as the vocalist for the 1950 hit version of "Faded Love," but he left the band soon after that, and seems to have drifted around for the rest of the 'Fifties, including a long stint in California, where he also dabbled in R&B and what could be considered early rock'n'roll. Apparently McDonald chose to stick close to home, playing at small local bars in Oklahoma and Texas, though he did cut this private-release album in the late 'Sixties, while doing a gig at the El Chaparral Club in Killeen, Texas. The album's subtitle touts McDonald as "the single with the sound of three," so he may have had some kind of one man band thing going on...

Rusty McDonald "Postage Due" (BACM, 2013) (CD-R)
A collector-label set with nearly two dozen of his vintage recordings drawn mostly from old 78s and &-inch singles.

Pake McEntire "The Rodeo Man" (O Cross, 1980) (LP)

Pake McEntire "Too Old To Grow Up Now" (RCA-Victor, 1986)
(Produced by Mark Wright)
Why, yes, that is Reba's brother, and yes, he did have several hits at the time. Near as I can figure most of these songs were released as singles first, and the LP came later, after he hit the charts. Now here's the kicker: Pake (short for "Pecos") was actually pretty good! This is nice melodic, upbeat, guitar-based country pop, with one swell steel-drenched weeper, "Heart Vs. Heart," that closes the album out. (A duet with Reba, as well? Not sure... it doesn't sound like her and there's no credit on the song, but she does sing on this disc...) Anyway, this is an enjoyable record -- even if there are only eight songs on it -- and McEntire's lighthearted, affable persona makes it clear this project was built on talent, not nepotism... In fact, I'd almost say if Pake wasn't related to Reba, he might have had a longer and much more successful career.

Pake McEntire "My Whole World" (RCA-Victor, 1988) (LP)

Pake McEntire "And They Danced" (O Cross Records, 2003)

Pake McEntire "Your Favorites And Mine" (O Cross Records, 2005)

Pake McEntire "Singin' Fiddlin' Cowboy" (O Cross Records, 2007)

Pake McEntire "The Other Side Of Me" (2008)

Reba McEntire - see artist discography

Miller & Riley "Miller & Riley" (Sweetland Productions, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Danny Miller & Mike Riley)
Hippie-ish country-rock from the Oklahoma City duo of Danny Miller and Mike Riley... The songs are all originals except for covers of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" and Tom T. Hall's "Tulsa Telephone Book."

Jody Miller - see artist discography

Don Moore & Bob Clear "Tulsa Mountains" (Trayson Records, 1979) (LP)

Ann J. Morton "My Friends Call Me Annie" (Prairie Dust Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Morton)
Although she didn't make much headway as a chart artist, Oklahoma-born Ann J. Morton had some success as a songwriter, placing a few tunes with '70s stars, folks like Johnny Duncan, Crystal Gayle, Charley Pride and Gene Watson, as well as writing several popular hymns and an advertising jingle or two. She was married to guitarist Larry Morton, who played in Danny Davis's band, Nashville Brass, and is also the sister of singer Jim Mundy, who was also a songwriter and jingle writer. Morton also recorded this fine, commercially-leaning album using an all-star, usual-suspects Nashville studio crew -- Johnny Gimble, Dave Kirby, Weldon Myrick, Hargus Robbins, Chip Young, etc. -- with the Cates Sisters providing some fine harmony vocals, and an up-and-coming Janie Fricke singing backup... It's good stuff, if you like uptempo, mid-'70s country pop. She came within shouting distance of the Top 40, but it wasn't quite in the cards for her, I guess. At any rate, this album, and a few stray singles make a nice recorded legacy. Recommended!

Moses "Live" (Red Dirt, 1972) (LP)
Legend has it that this band was the first to use the term "red dirt" to describe their music, helping define the roots-rock style of the Oklahoma/Texas indie-roots scene... The band was led by guitarist Steve Ripley, who many years later formed the band The Tractors. In the early '70s, Ripley was one of many artists in the orbit of a hippie-ish frathouse/commune in Stillwater, Oklahoma called The Farm, where guys hung out, got high and jammed, melding a variety of styles in a distinctly Oklahoma kinda way. Following Ripley's lead, countless bands began to use "red dirt" to describe their music, naming it after the iron-rich red soil of that region of Oklahoma, and creating a new nexus for roots rock and twang, independent of the major-label hubs of Nashville, New York and LA... And it all started here!

Mountain Smoke "On Blue Ridge" (Smoke Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Hurst & Dave Hemphill)
A decent progressive bluegrass band from Oklahoma City, OK... They are probably best remembered as an early band for future country star Vince Gill, who is credited as playing banjo, dobro and guitar, as well as singing harmony vocals (...and possibly lead on a couple of tunes? I think that's him on "Rocky Road Blues," but there aren't song-by-song credits to verify that guess...) These guys were okay, though not dazzling, and at this point were working pretty strictly in the bluegrass style -- their second record had more of an outlaw country vibe, and the closest thing here is a cover of Arlo Guthrie's stoner anthem, "Comin' Into Los Angeles"; otherwise, it's mostly a Country Gentlemen/Seldom Scene 'grass sound. Worth a spin, though, especially if you're a Vince Gill fan. Love that cover photo of him in longjohns and overalls!

Mountain Smoke "Lettin' It Slip Away" (Smoke Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Ford & Brad Smith)
An excellent mix of speedy bluegrass and thumpy, imperfect, pedal steel-laced, Jerry Jeff-styled indie-DIY twang... Dunno if this Oklahoma City band recorded anything else, but this record is a nice legacy. The title track is a nice composition by singer-bassist Russ Christopher, joined by other originals by guitarist Hal Clifford (the nostalgic "Mayes County," which I could hear being covered by some Nashville dude of the era...) and mandolinist/fiddler Jimmy Gyles who contributes an ambitious grassing-up of the classical canon in "Mozart Rondo." Of course there are a bunch of cover songs as well, an eclectic set that encompasses songs from Paul Craft, Bill Danoff, Rodney Dillard and Bob Wills, capped off by a swell medley track that eases its way into a nice version of "Fox On The Run." If you're looking for high-test hippie-era twang, these semi-longhaired Okies delivered the goods! (BTW - anyone know if the Jim Ford credited as the album's engineer was the same guy as the '70s West Coast singer-songwriter, or is that just a country music coincidence?)

Tommy Nelson "Cookin' Country" (Regard Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Tim R. Nelson & Tom Russell)
Oklahoman Tommy Nelson is best known for his 1960 rockabilly song, "Hobo Bop," though he definitely had a country edge on this mid-'70s LP, recorded for a label out of Tulsa. Lots of cover tunes, possibly an original or two, and a local band that included Ron Chandler on bass, Jim Murphy (steel guitar), R. C. Pendley (piano and organ), Doug Rogers (drums), Tom Russell (banjo) Gary Smith (lead guitar), along with a small horn section.

Gene Newby & The Round Mountain Boys "...Play Mountain Music" (Go Records, 19--?) (LP)
This bluegrass-y band was affiliated with the Texas-based Grapevine Opry... Fiddler Gene Newby hailed from Fanshawe, Oklahoma, although most of the other guys in the band were from Arkansas. This album includes one original by Newby, "Round Mountain," along with a bunch of cover tunes. An accomplished musician, Newby also went into politics, serving as a Democratic member of the Oklahoma legislature; he passed away in 1990 at age fifty while campaigning for a seat on the state Senate. I'm not sure if he's the same Gene Newby who is described in Steve Burton's (rather bitchy) book Back Home, re: membership in and conflict over the San Jose country bar-band, Touch Of Texas... Anybody know for sure?

Gene Newby & The Round Mountain Boys "Live On Stage" (Go Records, 19--?) (LP)
Bandleader Gene Newby wrote some original material, such as his songs "Old Red" and "Oklahoma," along with covers of tunes such as "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Fire On The Mountain."

Gene Newby & The Round Mountain Boys "Sunday On Round Mountain" (Go Records, 19--?) (LP)

Candy Noe "Candy Noe" (Branch International, 1978-?) (LP)

Oklahoma "Oklahoma" (Capitol Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Lindsay & Terry Melcher)
This one's more in the consider-yourself-warned department... Despite the promisingly rural band name, these Midwesterners were a pure '70s rock band, basically a generic electric guitar-keyboards-drum outfit, with glimmers of glam, bubblegum, Southern rock and a teeny, tiny trace of country-rock twang. They were surprisingly competent, but in a REO Speedwagon/Styx-ish kind of way, not in any kind of rough-and-ready bar-band style. Nothing on here to keep track of, really, at least from a twangfan's perspective.

The Oklahoma Sundowners "I Heard The Bluebirds Sing" (197-?) (LP)
(Produced by The Fremen Family & Carl White)
Not sure of the date on this one -- it looks like it's a mid- to late '70s record, but it could be early '80s as well... Fabulously unpretentious Sooner bluegrass and stringband twang played by a family band from Canadian, Oklahoma, featuring Mona Fremen (bass), Rhonda Fremen (banjo), Margie Fremen (auto harp) and Tommie Fremen on guitar, joined by fiddler Carl White, of nearby Indianola, OK. The vocals are by the gals, with lead vocals by Margie Fremen (who I was believe was the mom) and Mona Fremen, with (sister?) Rhonda Fremen adding plangent harmonies. It's mostly gospel material, with some fiddle tunes and whatnot in the mix. Anyway, this has a delightfully amateurish feel -- super rural, deeply committed, ultra-authentic, with thick southern/Okie accents and a slightly plodding tempo. The songs are all old-fashioned, sentimental hillbilly material, echoing the Louvin Brothers and older country gospel artists in that same vein of unapologetic heartfelt rural twang. Great stuff, really.

The Oklahoma Thunder Band "Oklahoma Thunder" (Flying High Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Slim Richey & Paul Motter)
A lively, eclectic late-'Seventies Tulsa band that made an earlier EP in 1978, these guys backed nightclub owner Mickey Crocker at his live shows, then became the house band at Cain’s Ballroom around the time they cut this album. This edition of the short-lived group featured core members Jerry Cartwright, Mark Fuller, Gary Humphrey, David Matthews, Larry Megill and Lynn Murray, with Murray contributing four original songs, while the band splits credit on one song, "City Life," and Mark Fuller has sole credit on three others. The remaining two tracks are covers, one of Bill Caswell's "Sugar Mama," and a version of the old Bob Wills hit, "Roly Poly."

The Outlaws "Big Mac" (Alvera Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Al Clauser)
Not to be confused with the Top Forty southern rockers from Florida, these outlaws were the real deal: a prison band from McAlester State Penitentiary, located in eastern Oklahoma. Like a lot of big prisons, McAlester organized a music program as an outlet for the inmates, who were into country music as well as other styles. They recorded at the studios of western swing veteran Al Clauser's Tulsa-based Alvera Records, though I don't know if Clauser or his house band pitched in on the sessions. The McAlester musicians are pictured wearing matching outfits, sporting dark blazers over big-striped prisoner pants, straight out of a 1930s cartoon. I doubt anyone teased them about it, though; they don't look like the kinda guys you'd want to tease much. The repertoire is mostly covers of country classics, with a gospel tune or two, a little rock, and an adaptation of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," mildly morphed into "Big Mac Prison Blues."

Billy Parker "If I Make It Through The Night" (Pride Records, 19--?) (LP)

Billy Parker "From Me To You" (Luck Records, 19--?) (LP)

Billy Parker "Average Man" (Sunshine Country Records, 1976) (LP)
A country DJ in Oklahoma, Billy Parker was a mover and shaker on the national country scene and also had modest success as a recording artist. He placed a couple dozen songs in the Billboard charts, although they were all strictly Back Forty material... Some are included on this uptempo, good-natured album which was recorded in Dallas, Texas, with the help of a few guys from Willie Nelson's band, along with some locals including bassist Marc Jaco, Jody Payne and Mickey Raphael. Also of note to fans of old-school hillbilly country are two gospel songs by Charline Arthur(!) the original 1950's hillbilly filly. Parker wasn't the world's greatest singer, but this is still pretty fun stuff, and definitely worth a spin.

David Patton "David Patton" (RCA/Wooden Nickel, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by James Lee Golden & Barry Alan Fasman)
Dunno much about this guy, except that he recorded two albums for the Chicago-based semi-indie Wooden Nickel label, which made its bread and butter with the early Styx albums, and folded not long after they left for the majors. Anyway, David Patton seems to have originally been from Oklahoma and made his name in Nashville as a songwriter, getting enough momentum in the early 'Seventies that he cut two albums as a solo artist. His style was an uneven mix of country-folk, ala John Stewart and more rugged, rootsy material with a swamp-pop feel, evoking gruff-voiced guys like Jerry Reed and Tony Joe White. Patton doesn't have the gravitas or heft of those stars, but this is a notable early album in the '70s alt-country ouvre. The backing musicians are certainly of interest: session guitarist Larry Carlton picks lead guitar, dobro and banjo (he played on this and many other Wooden Nickel albums), along with Buddy Emmons on steel, and Patton playing acoustic guitar. Notable songs include "T.V.A.," a rambling dialogue which tells the story of a family that lost their land to the eminent domain claim of the rural electrification program, and "I'd Rather Be At The Grand Ole Opry," which sprinkle social commentary -- including a reference to the war in Viet Nam -- in with nostalgia for the Opry, namechecking Porter & Dolly as well as Earl Scruggs. This album isn't a gem, but it's something of a nugget.

David Patton "Buckeye" (RCA/Wooden Nickel, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Golden & Don Sciarrotta)
For whatever reasons, David Patton kind of fell by the wayside as the 'Seventies wore on... I think this was his last solo album, though he had a fair amount of success as a songwriter, mostly covered by folk and country artists. He eventually migrated to Texas and masterminded the Side Of The Road Gang, a regionally popular outlaw band from Dallas that cut a major-label LP in 1976, though failed to break through nationally; later still, he moved to Nashville and found work at some of the side-stage Opry acts, including an appearance on one of the "Country Music USA" cast albums. As with his first record, this disc packs in a lot of heavyweight studio talent, including folks such as Larry Carlton, Buddy Emmons and Gib Guilbeau, and several others from the LA scene. Mr. Patton apparently passed away in 2008 after having been debilitated by a series of strokes, though I haven't yet tracked down all the details on his biography.

Gordon Payne "Gordon Payne" (A&M, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Audie Ashworth & J. J. Cale)
As far as the actual music goes, this one is pretty far afield for a "country" section, but Okie picker Gordon Payne was pals with J. J. Cale and was in on the ground floor of the laid-back style called The Tulsa Sound. He also played live with and on recordings by Waylon Jennings, and wrote some songs that were recorded by Rosanne Cash, Reba McEntire and others. He wound up playing as part of a latter-day lineup of the Crickets in the '80s and '90s, and later turned to writing prose. This was, I think, his only solo album, and it's a rootsy whiteboy R&B/funk/rock/twang set with a semi-acoustic feel, very much in the tradition of Little Feat, Rickie Lee Jones and (of course) the Tulsa Sound of the album's co-producer, J. J. Cale, who also plays on one track ("Go Ask Her," with Hargus Robbins on piano). It was recorded in Nashville and a few other country dudes sit in on the sessions, notably Randy Scruggs on guitar (on one track, "Red Light/Fumblin' With The Blues"). There are also horn players and funky electric bass riffs galore, giving this more of a Southern roots/Muscle Shoals feel. It's not quite my cup of tea, but if you're into the weird world of eclectic '70 Southern roots rock/funk, this is definitely an album you'll want to check out.

Mary Kay Place "The Ahern Sessions: 1976-1977" (Raven Records, 2001)
A welcome twofer reissue combining two albums recorded by actress Mary Kay Place during her tenure as the TV character Loretta Haggers, on the fabled Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman soap comedy, 1976's Tonite! At the Capri Lounge Loretta Haggers and Aimin' to Please from 1977. Originally from Tulsa, the twangy-voiced Ms. Place -- or should I say Mrs. Haggers? -- had an A-list studio crew backing her up, including members of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band and numerous Nashville heavyweights, with sonic sculpting by Emmylou's best producer, Brian Ahern. The overall sound will be pretty familiar to Emmylou's fans: spacious, round-toned harmonies, rock-friendly twang, traditional honkytonk instruments in a well-defined soundscape, and plenty of sweet picking from the likes of James Burton, Albert Lee and Rodney Crowell, and guest singers that include Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. Some of the songs are better than others: I think they really hit their rhythm on the second album, taking things a little more seriously in some ways than on the first... Highlights include "Vitamin L" (a staple on the Mary Hartman show), a funky cover of Bobby Braddock's "Something To Brag About" and a sublime version of "You Can't Go to Heaven (If You Don't Have a Good Time)," which is probably the best and most sincere song of the set. If you like that whole Hot Band/Happy Sack production style, you'll want to check this one out!

Freddy Powers "Time Changes Everything" (In Orbit Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Nate Greene)
Born in Oklahoma, raised in Texas, songwriter Freddy Dale Powers (1931-2016) came from a family band that specialized in dixieland and trad-jazz and originally considered himself a jazz player, although early associations with fellow jazz fan Willie Nelson slowly steered him towards success as a country musician. At one point Powers owned his own nightclub in the Fort Worth area, and as leader of the The Powerhouse IV, Powers recorded a couple of albums of dixieland-style jazz in the 'Sixties. During most of the 1960s he found lucrative work in Las Vegas and was playing the El Dorado casino in Reno, Nevada when he cut this debut album, which was a mix of country and jazz material. The musicians backing him were drawn from his club act, a jazzy combo including Jay Thomas (bass, keyboards and piano), Gary Church (coronet and trumpet) Tom Nehls (sp-?) (drums) Bill Allred (trombone), with fiddler Billy Armstrong chiming in as well. Along with some well-chosen covers ("Nagasaki," et.al.) there are numerous original tunes on here, and this disc was recorded while Powers was unknowingly on the precipice of much greater fame. Many years after their friendship began, Willie Nelson asked Powers to play on and co-produce his 1981 jazz-standards album Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and soon after that Merle Haggard hooked up with Powers in an enduring friendship that led to several of Haggard's biggest hits of the 'Eighties, including "Natural High," "Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room," and a song Powers and Haggard co-wrote, "I Always Get Lucky With You," which became a chart-topper for George Jones in 1983. Though the Haggard connection was the strongest, Powers was linked to this country pantheon power trio for many years, playing in Willie's band and writing material for all three hard-country heroes to record. Quite a career!

Freddy Powers "The Country Jazz Singer" (Inorbit Records, 1987) (LP)
This was Powers at the full height of his powers, and his fame, cutting an album that was almost all originals, including two songs co-written with Merle Haggard, "I'm Free At Last" and "I Always Get Lucky With You," and Powers's own renditions of songs like "Natural High" and "A Friend In California," which Haggard too to the charts on his own albums. He covers the jazz standard "Nagasaki" again (a favorite, clearly). This was recorded out in California, where he hung out with Haggard for several years; later in life he retired to Florida.

Freddy Powers "My Great Escape" (Hag Records, 2004) (LP)
(Produced by Lou Bradley, Freddy Powers & Merle Haggard)
The Merle Haggard connection persists, with Merle co-producing this album on his own indie label while playing guitar and even singing on several tracks. Haggard sings on three tracks, "Old Country Singer," "Tom Sawyer And Huckleberry Finn" and "Wild Party Blues," while contemporary turn-of-the-millenium stars Kenny Alphin and John Rich (aka Big & Rich) add some vocals as well; the title track was a Big & Rich tune that apparently never made it onto one of their own albums. Other musicians include members of Merle Haggard's band the Strangers -- pianist Doug Colosio, fiddler Scott Joss, drummer Jeff Ingram and bassist Kevin Williams -- as well as lead guitarist Django Porter, of the Asylum Street Spankers.

Jim Pulte "Out The Window" (United Artists Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Jesse Ed Davis, Jim Pulte & Joe Zagarino)
In the late 1960s, Norman, Oklahoma rocker Jim Pulte was making some headway as a songwriter -- he was kind of in Del Shannon's orbit and placed some of his stuff with the fabled, first-gen rocker and a few other folks, all the while chugging along with his own band, the eclectic roots-rockers Southwind, which he formed with fellow songwriters Fontaine Brown and Moon Martin, and drummer Erik Dalton, back in their Tulsa days. The group landed a major label deal and headed straight for LA, where they cut a few albums and dug deeper into a county vibe each time they hit the studio. Southwind broke up in a few years, after releasing three albums, with each of the band's songwriters pursuing their own path.. While in California, Jim Pulte made a couple albums of his own, including this one made with a star-studded LA studio crew, but also with with some notably rootsy group than included Buddy Emmons and Doctor John, as well as his fellow Oklahomans, bandmate Moon Martin and Jesse Ed Davis, a hotshot multi-instrumentalist who had been playing with Taj Mahal the last few years... This is one of those madly eclectic early 'Seventies things, but with a definite country streak in the middle -- just check out those yodeling yips and the exaggerated "hick" vocals on "Cry, Sing And Laugh," along with all that sweet steel playing from Buddy Emmons. Pulte kept making music after these hippie salad days, later moving back to Oklahoma and years later sang some harmony in a lineup of the Tractors.

Jim Pulte "Shimmy She Roll, Shimmy She Shake" (United Artists Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Skip Taylor)
On his second solo album, Jim Pulte fell in with an motley band of fellow rockers, a disparate group drawn from several prominent bands... While his first record was populated with a platoon of high-level West Coast studio players, this is a more intimate affair, with Pulte on piano and rhythm guitar, lead guitarist Tom Dewey (from the band Possum), keyboardist John Herron (from The Electric Prunes), Chuck Morgan (drummer for Delaney & Bonnie) and bass player Jim Pons, from the Turtles. I'm not sure how long Pulte stayed in LA, though he did eventually make his was back to Oklahoma, where he settled back into the local scene...

Michael Rabon & Choctaw "Michael Rabon & Choctaw" (Uni Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Robin Hood Brians & Michael Rabon)
A non-pop outing from Michael Rabon (1943-2022) the former lead singer of the bubblegum-ish 'Sixties Top 40 band The Five Americans, and who later played guitar in the rock band Gladstone. He apparently dropped out and went to live in the desert after the his days of '60s pop glory, and this album seems to have been a musical declaration of independence. There's some overt country-rock on here, particularly on songs like "Texas Sparrow" and "Country Music," though the album is even more full of mellow folk-psych tunes and (semi-) hard rock with power chords though with thankfully little macho swagger. The twang tunes are interesting, particularly how Rabon blended pedal steel with sharper rock guitars... Although this is more of a rock record, its early '70s release does make it a credible country-rock forerunner, and it'll probably be of interest to folks who are into Mike Nesmith's music of the same era.

Michael Rabon "Texas 'Til I Die" (Knife Wing Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Thom Caccetta, Michael Rabon & Don Smith)
A quintessential early 'Seventies country-rock outing, with hazy hippiedelic takes on honkytonk twang and drawl, and a few sideways wobbles into folk on one hand and rock on the other... Full of stoned musings and musical indulgences, this album has a few gems, a few mildly cringeworthy moments, and an overall groovy, relaxed vibe. One song, "Try A Little Harder," is a slightly solipsistic diatribe about following you muse and making your own kinda music, no matter what the heartless, bean-counting big-label business guys tell you, while "Straight Brother" is a funny, odd hippie-era time capsule about how everyone has some "straight" relative who might not be cool, man, but is still okay. ("Straight" being hippie-speak for squares, not gay lingo for heterosexuals...) The only tune that make me pick up the needle and skip past it was "Shotgun," a fairly strained attempt at hard-rock, roots-funk; other than that, though, this is a pretty groovy set, in a distinctly Nesmith-ian way. Mike Rabon wrote almost all the songs on here, sings and plays lead guitar, with Jim Grant on bass, Dahrell Norris (drums), Doug Rhone (guitar), Ron Snyder (percussion) and steel player Larry White, who adds a lot of texture to the sound. A real 'Seventies time capsule... definitely worth a spin.

Luke H. Reed "What Is A Cowboy To Do" (Bueno Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Goad & Luke H. Reed)
The first(?) album by Sooner songsmith Luke H. Reed, who hailed from the tiny town of Ringling, Oklahoma, near the Texas border. Though this is mostly straight-up country stuff, Mr. Reed was also a frequent participant at cowboy poetry gatherings and had his original songs covered by older stars such as Michael Martin Murphey and Red Steagall who had drifted into the western music scene. His tunes have also been recorded by Top Forty honkytonkers such as Gary Allen, David Ball, George Strait, Randy Travis, and Gene Watson, as well as by numerous regional artists, including Clay Blaker and Roger Brown. On this disc he's backed by what I believe was a local Okie crew, though they also got some help from the Maines Brothers folks over in Lubbock, with Lloyd Maines adding a few licks on dobro and steel guitar, as well as glowing liner notes. The main band included Luke Reed on rhythm guitar and vocals, along with multi-instrumentalist Paul Goad, Richard Bowden (fiddle), Ray Carl (harmonica), Billy Grimes (drums), Ronnie Miller (slide guitar), Jill Mulhair (harmony vocals), and Johnny Mulhair on lead guitar and steel. (Thanks to The Gene Watson website for details about Reed's career!)

Luke Reed "Corridos: Story Songs Of The West" (Blue Hat Records, 2007) (LP)
More of an overt western/cowboy slant on this disc, with guest performers including Waylon Jennings and Ranger Doug Green, of the Riders In The Sky band.

Ozzie Ridings "It's Finally Over" (Ribbit Record Company, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Nelson Larkin & Steve Scruggs)
Old-school country twang from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with songs such as "If I Never See Your Face Again" "Don't Wake Me If I'm Dreaming," "I've Forgotten How To Love" and "I Gave You A Diamond (You Gave Me A Heartache)."

Walt Roberts "Draggin The Bow At The Grapevine Opry" (Grapevine Opry Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Phil York)
Fiddler Walt Roberts hailed from McAlester, Oklahoma, but was a regular on the Grapevine Opry in Texas... He's backed here by other members of the "opry" revue: a full band including Johnnie High, Joy Newman (piano), Bud Carter (steel guitar), Pat Dacus (guitar) and others, Brad Davis (guitar) and Greg Davis (banjo). They work through classic instrumentals such as "Old Joe Clark," "Black Eyed Susie" and "Draggin' The Bow," as well as covers of country tunes like "Faded Love" and "Together Again." According to the liner notes, this was Roberts' first album.

The Rubber Band "Stretch It Out" (A & R Record Manufacturing, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Carl Warren)
This Oklahoma band was led by bassist Buzz Carter and piano player Paul Thacker, with lead guitar by Lloyd Brooks on, Steve Walters on drums, and steel guitar by a guy named John Bell. Carter and Thacker started the group in the early '70s, doing gigs as early as '72, and later played together (as late as 2016) in a country/oldies band called the Shadow Riders. They seem to have been from Lawton, Oklahoma or thereabouts, and probably played gigs in North Texas and the Panhandle. As far as I know, this was their only album.

Leon Russell - see artist discography

Curt Ryle/Various Artists "Longhorn 25th Anniversary Album" (Longhorn Ballroom, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Dewey Groom & Keith Rust)
Born in Duncan, Oklahoma and raised in Broken Bow, multi-instrumentalist Curt Ryle anchored the band for this set recorded in honor of the Longhorn Ballroom's twenty-fifth anniversary. A gigantic music hall, the Longhorn was a fixture of the Dallas, Texas country scene, built in the late 1950s as a home base for western swing legend Bob Wills. Music promote Dewey Groom managed the Longhorn for about a decade before becoming the full owner in 1967, and commissioned this anniversary album, which showcased Curt Ryle as a guitarist and songwriter. The backing musicians were presumably the early '80s house band, younger dudes who included Buddy Brady on fiddle, bassist Van Crane, Donnie LaValley on steel guitar, piano plunker Kenny Martin, Shane McCauley on drums and of course Curt Ryle. While Mr. Groom croons on some oldies ("Faded Love," et. al.) he mostly lets the spotlight fall on the young'uns, and this album is packed with original material -- six songs written or co-written by Curt Ryle, including two co-composed with Kenny Martin. Not long after this was recorded, Ryle headed for Nashville, where he found success as a sideman, songwriter and producer; some of his most successful tunes include "Storm In The Heartland," a mid-1990s single by Billy Ray Cyrus, and several songs recorded by Clinton Gregory. Although Ryle's "first" album wasn't released until 1999, I think we can plug him here as well.

Curt Ryle "Life Time Guarantee" (Universal Sound Records, 1999) (LP)
(Produced by Curt Ryle)

Neal Schmidt "Dreamer's Paradise" (Trick Horseman Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Rue Barclay & Hal Southern)
Great album art. On the front, there's Mr. Schmidt, riding "Roman style," astride two separate horses, spinning his lasso and smiling from ear to ear; on the back cover you can see him jumping his horse through a ring of fire, and an action shot of the two-horse trick being performed at a rodeo. A trick rider from Crawford, Oklahoma, Neal Schmidt built his reputation in the 1960s and '70s working the rodeo circuit throughout the South, the Midwest and the mountain states. One year his wife Eileen packed him off to LA, where he recorded this album with old-school singing cowboy Hal Southern and a Hollywood studio band that included Joe Dennis on drums, Harold Hensley (fiddle), Roy Lanham (guitar), Junior Nichols (drums), Gene Ridgeway (bass) and Doug Vaughn (steel guitar). The set includes a few cowboy oldies, such as "Back In Saddle Again" and Jack Guthrie's "Oklahoma Hills," though it's pleasantly heavy on newer material, including a couple of originals by Allen Johnson, "Footprints," and the title track, "Dreamer's Paradise." I'm not sure if Mr. Schmidt made any other records, but this one's a doozy.

Charlie Scott "Lawman" (1981) (LP)
(Produced by Cal Miller & Jim Rhodes)
Cops do love to make country albums... Or, at least, some of the cops who do make 'em love to talk about it! Charlie Scott (1957-2009) is notable for having written half the songs on this album (which includes several other originals, not just his stuff...) Also, check him out on the back cover -- the dude was ready for his own TV show! The weird thing is, though, he didn't actually tell us where he's from. Lots of info about the Nashville recording sessions, but no address or anything... Well, Scott did credit Sgt. Randy Orondorff for the album design, so that got me started... Turns out Orondorff was a thirty-plus year veteran of the Tulsa PD, and an instructor at their academy, so I put two-to-five together and figured out that Scott was on the Tulsa PD as well... Sure enough, that's the guy. In addition to his job on the force, Scott was a major player on Oklahoma's early '80s country scene, headlining a place called Duke's Country and penning the song "Oklahoma Rain," which became a regional hit. He later placed a couple of singles into the Country Back Forty, but that was about it as far as breaking through nationally. Apparently the Tulsa police chief demanded Scott choose between traffic stops and twang, so he ditched his squad car for a dive bar, opening a place called Charlie's Bus Stop in nearby Skiatook. He ran the bar for a year or two, then went back into law enforcement, working as a parole officer in the state corrections department. This album includes the song "She Loves Me Most Of All," which was released as a single, as well as his version of the Marty Robbins oldie, "Big Iron."

Charlie Scott "The Man In Blue" (NSD Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Payne)
On his second album, Scott recorded the first half in Nashville, and the second side in Tulsa, with help from producer Jimmy Payne, who also steered a couple of tunes his way, including his own "What Time Is It In Your World (When It's Crying Time In Mine)?" and one called "Ugly Women And Pickup Trucks," which rounds out the album. Other than a cover of Sammy Johns' old hit, "Chevy Van" and Keith Durham's regional pride number, "Blue Skies Over Tulsa," all the other tracks were written by Charlie Scott. Sadly not included is his 1984 single, "Maybe I'm Crazy," a tune written by Bill Caswell that got some traction regionally but seems to have slipped through the cracks between albums. Caswell also wrote the title track to Scott's 1989 4-song cassette EP, Someone To Care, which may have been Mr. Scott's last official recording.

Country Johnny Shackleford "Country Johnny Shackleford" (Homa Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Mickey Sherman)
A somewhat wobbly singer from Oklahoma City, Johnny Shackleford didn't quite pull off his country music career, although he did get some of Oklahoma's best country pickers to back him on this well-produced album and was still playing gigs at places like Gilley's, in the early 'Eighties... Later, Shackleford tried his hand at acting, and is perhaps best known for opening a western-themed tourist attraction and movie-set-for-hire called Sipokni West, which hosted events such as staged "gun fights" and the like. Started in 1991, Sipokni West was located roughly between Oklahoma City and Dallas, and seems to have closed in early 2019. Speaking plainly, Shackleford just wasn't that strong a singer, although there's some great pedal steel guitar and piano plunkin' on this disc, as well as some original material along with the country covers.

The Silver Dollar Band "Playing Our Songs On The Road" (Akustic Record Company, 1983--?) (LP)
(Produced by Dewayne Boyd, Rod Slane & Bret Teegarden)
A good, unpretentious set from the house band at the Silver Dollar Ballroom, a joint outside of Tulsa, out on what used to be Route 66. The group was led by singer-bassist Dewayne Boyd, whose father was piano player Clarence Boyd (1933-2009), a pillar of Oklahoma's western swing scene and a veteran of Leon McAuliffe's Cimarron Boys as well as the Johnny Lee Wills band. Dewayne Boyd also played in the Wills band for several years until Johnny Lee Wills passed away in 1984; his dad also jammed with the Silver Dollar Band for several years (although he didn't play on this album) and clearly the Boyds were keeping the torch lit with this album. The record opens with some pretty slick-sounding, poppy '80s riffs, but it doesn't take long for the band's true roots to come out, with matter-of-fact honkytonk drinkin'-and-dancin' lyrics and western swing motifs coming into play. Dewayne Boyd wrote about two-thirds of the tunes on this album, along with covers of Rocky Caple's "Sawed Off Shotgun," an instrumental his dad helped write, along with Leon McAuliffe's "Steel Guitar Rag" and "Little Rock Get-Away," by Joe Sullivan. The band's lead guitarist David Thayer contributes an original as well, rounding out the set. Also worth noting is the "girl" singer pictured with the band and identified simply as "Cowpatty": that's Dewayne's sister, Patty Yocham. Dewayne Boyd had the same kind of odd accent and gangly vocals as several other bar-band country singers in the Panhandle and the Southwest: I kept thinking of Chuck Wagon & The Wheels while enjoying this album. Sure, the production may have been a little too slick, and probably this disc didn't really show us what the band sounded like live, but it's a good record, nonetheless -- an authentic, accomplished roadhouse band that was lucky enough to get in the studio and make their mark.

Slide Bar "Hard Livin' Country Boys" (Neon Cowboy Productions, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Duggan & Larry Benson)
Straight outta Reydon, Oklahoma, brothers Buddy Parman and Lyle Parman led this rockin' twangband, writing all but one of the songs, penning tunes such as "Outlaw," "Weekend Cowboy," "Simple Life" and the title track, "Hard Livin' Country Boys." They cap things off with an unlikely cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" (go figure!) and the pickin' is all from their own local band, except for some steel guitar courtesy of Speedy West, Jr.

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

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

Sammi Smith - see artist discography

The Smokehouse Band "Knights In White Satin" (Captain's Cabin, Inc., 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Eustis & William Davis)
A roots-rock bar-band with a strong country streak... According to the liner notes, singers Harold Britton and John Johnson met while in the Navy, stationed on the USS Enterprise, in Norfolk, Virginia, and they started playing together as a duo just before their military stints ended. They decided to do the music thing professionally but kicked around a little bit, first setting up shop in Britton's hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas before moving to Oklahoma in 1971, where the Smokehouse Band really took root. Originally they billed themselves as the Arkansas Smokehouse Band, and were using that name when they backed Bob Cecil on his debut album, in 1972. In Tulsa, they met songwriter Jack Blair, who hooked them up with producer Billy Eustis, and for a while Smokehouse became his backing band (though I'm not sure if Eustis performs on this album, or just set up the sessions, but he does make it sound like they were his band at the time.) As the album title implies, this isn't strictly a country set, not by a longshot... In addition to The Moody Blues, they also cover Eric Clapton ("Blues Power") and Bill Withers ("Ain't No Sunshine") though they soon slip into more folkie and more country territory, with tunes like "Cool Water," "Mr. Bojangles," "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor," Jimmy Webb's "Where's The Playground, Susie," and John Prine's "Spanish Pipe Dream."

The Smokehouse Band "Smokehouse Band" (Captain's Cabin, Inc., 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Belknap)
This album memorializes the Smokehouse Band's long tenure at Captain's Cabin, a Tulsa night spot where they headlined for much of the 1970s and '80s. This set finds Britton and Johnson backed by pianist John Bendo, and perhaps in more of a rock or pop-oriented mode, playing three Beatles tunes, as well as dipping into blues and jazz with covers of Cannonball Adderley's "Work Song" and "Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker. There are also a couple of originals by John Johnson, "Ho Down Daddy" and "To Get In Touch With You." It's worth noting that there have been several bands in several states going by the Smokehouse name, perhaps most curiously a local (Tulsa) country band in the 1990s led by a guy named Bret Alan, who claims never to have heard of the older band in his own hometown. Okay, sure, Bret... if you say so. John Johnson seems to have stuck around Oklahoma, and was still doing gigs in Tulsa in the 'Nineties, while other members of the band flew to parts unknown... In addition to these three LPs, Smokehouse also seems to have issued a few singles, including some that drew on the albums.

The Smokehouse Band "Smokehouse Band" (Hi-Spot Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Belknap)
This version of the Smokehouse Band included Harold Britton on guitar, John Johnson (guitar), Frank McPeters (drums), Jerry Sheats (bass), Mike Richardson (fiddle and steel guitar), and Ron Woods on keyboards, playing some original material by Jack Blair ("It's Just The Rain" and "Whistle Sticks") and Richardson's "Song For Dick Hutchinson," as well as Harold Britton's "Fire Up My Ford," which was also released as a single. They covered some stuff by Bob Dylan and Wilson Pickett, as well as a couple of songs that showcased Mike Richardson on fiddle, a run-through of "Orange Blossom Special," and Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." Richardson apparently later moved to Missouri and got some work playing at Branson or one of the many Ozark "oprys."

Michael Smotherman "Michael Smotherman" (RCA-Windsong Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Milt Okun)
Chances are, this one has slipped under your radar until now... It's definitely worth tracking down, though. Originally from a tiny town called Erick, Oklahoma, straight out of high school in the early '70s pianist/multi-instrumentalist Michael Smotherman made his way out to LA, playing in the rock band Buckwheat and later landed a gig playing keyboards with the avant-rock group Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band.. His more rural Sooner roots came out, though, and after meeting fellow Okie Roger Miller, Smotherman started writing more country- and roots-oriented material, and had remarkable success getting his songs placed with big-name established artists such as Glen Campbell, Ray Charles and Waylon & Willie. On this solo set, Smotherman rolls through a variety of styles, opening with an earthy roadhouse number that brings Gary Stewart or Delbert McClinton to mind... There are also hints of Dr. John, Little Feat, and various Southern Rock and Memphis soul sounds, with cameos by Campbell and Miller on a tune or two. All in all, it's pretty tasty, although within the album's wide variety, there are a few iffy tunes, though nothing that really falls flat. Smotherman recorded several more albums -- and says he was never that happy with any of them -- but increasingly he concentrated on his career as a songwriter. Right after this record came out, Glen Campbell recorded an entire album's worth of Smotherman's material (1978's Basic) and by the 1990s, Smotherman had moved to Nashville, where he penned several hits for that era's crop of stars, including tracks by Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn, Lila McCann, and even Kenny (Sauron) Rogers. Not bad for a kid from Oklahoma!

Michael Smotherman "Michael Smotherman" (Epic Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Bill House & Frank Rand)
More of a scary-looking rock thing this time around... But it's here, if you're interested.

Speakeasy "Showcase" (A. P. Inc., 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Claude Donica, John Nickel & Jack Moore)
Although this album came out on a Cincinnati, Ohio label, the band was from Tulsa, Oklahoma, working as the house band at the Speakeasy nightclub. The quartet included lead singer Eddie Bishop, guitarist Gary Benningfield, singer Barbara Axley and banjo plunker Bobby Anderson, who played a bluegrassy mix of country, pop and bluegrass tunes. They cover several Beatles songs, do a twangy tuneup of "Proud Mary," along with "Stand By Your Man," "Games People Play" and Terry Fell's "Truck Drivin' Man." There were also a couple of originals: "Shake That Dust Off My Feet" by Gary Benningfield and "Crosses Made Of Wood" by Eddie Bishop, which Bishop also released as a solo single. The group also released another album as a trio in the late '60s, but that was more distinctly a folk-scene thing (although they were also covering the Beatles, with a version of "Rocky Raccoon...")

Jack Stidham & Keith Coleman "Fiddle Tunes" (Stidham Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Stidham, Jr. & Don Frank)
Coleman and Stidham were two old-school fiddlers from Chickasha, Oklahoma who loved western swing and recruited veteran swingsters to play on this album, including Eldon Shamblin on guitar and Jack Rider playing steel. Dunno how much they played live, if at all...

Jack Stidham & Keith Coleman "Western Swing Okie Style" (Stidham Sound Studio, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Stidham, Jr. & Ron Stidham)
Another solid set of western swing classics... Once again, pickers Eldon Shamblin and Jack Rider fill out the sound, joined this time by Pee Wee Calhoun on piano; Jack Stidham also sings on some tracks.

Johnny Stills "Sings Country" (Alvera Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Al Clauser)
Super-groovy hard-country honkytonk, rough-cut hillbilly material very much in the George Jones style. Best known as an Oklahoma artist, singer Johnny Stills was born in Marshall, Arkansas in 1930 and moved to Tulsa in 1950, landing a recording gig with western swing bandleader Al Clauser after appearing on Clauser's TV show. Stills cut his first tracks in 1960, and released a string of singles on Clauser's labels, Alvera and Vaca Records, and later for other indies. Stills seems to have moved back to Arkansas for a while in the early 'Seventies -- he was listed as playing some gigs in Fayetteville in late 1971, and the following year cut some tunes for the Treat and Champion labels, which were run by Franki and Lonnie Treat of Springdale. Stills also spent some time in Nashville and seems to have been heavily influenced by George Jones's fiery early work on Starday and Mercury, which perhaps accounts for his lack of success in the "Nashville Sound" era. Folks who like the hard stuff might wanna track his stuff down, though. Stills was strictly a regional artist, but it sure seems like there's enough material for a tasty retrospective on Bear Family, or some like-minded reissue label.

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

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

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

James Talley - see artist discography

Bobby Thompson "Sings Blues 100 Proof" (Tom Paul Jones Productions, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Allene Randall)
A swinging set from hillbilly honkytonker Bobby Thompson, who was originally from El Paso, Texas but living near Oklahoma City when he cut this solo set. Many of the tracks on here have minimal instrumentation, with a slightly clunky guitarist who gets a little jazzy while Thompson settles into a crooning mode, though other songs have a more robust, hardcore country sound, including the title track (which was also released as a single). It's likely that the picker was Thompson himself: earlier in the '70s, Thompson had been working as the guitarist in the Sonny James band, but he went solo around '72. There's some fun stuff on here, particularly "Blues 100 Proof," which opens with the couplet, "I'm a loner/an alcoholic wreck... which seems worthy of comparison to Merle Haggard or Dale Watson and other honkytonk giants. He also covers songs by Merle, Ned Miller and others... Dunno if he cut any other records after this, but this one's kind of nice and heartfelt.

Leroy Thompson "Souvenirs Of Leroy Thompson And His Swingtime Playboys" (Cattle Records, 1987) (LP)
(Reissue produced by Reimar Binge)
South Oklahoma fiddler Leroy Thompson was born in the tiny town of Ardmore -- just north of Dallas -- way back in 1925 and started playing local square dances when he was a kid. He served on a B-25 crew in the Pacific Fleet during World War Two, and in 1945 right after the war he moved to Denton, Texas where he went to college and formed a band. After graduating he headed up to Spokane, and stayed in Washington state for the first part of the 'Fifties before heading back to Texas, where he formed the Swingtime Playboys, a western swing outfit built around a classic twin fiddle sound. Thompson played regionally, with Dallas as his main stomping ground until around 1956, when he bought some land and built a nightclub back in his home state of Oklahoma. This LP collects eighteen tracks drawn from singles released on local labels in both Spokane and Dallas; four songs from 1951 and a dozen others featuring his Texas band in 1954, respectively. Towards the decade's end, Mr. Thompson eased out of entertainment and into more conventional business pursuits, running his club and selling real estate, though he was around in the 'Eighties and got to sign off on this reissue... A nice slice of authentic, down-home, old-school regional swing! (Thanks to Cattle Records for the excellent liner notes, which is where I got all this info. Great label.)

Verlon Thompson "Verlon Thompson" (Timberline Records, 1977) (LP)
An old friend of tunesmith Guy Clark, Verlon Thompson hailed from Binger, Oklahoma, though apparently he was doing time in Colorado when he cut this self-produced debut disc. He wrote all the songs and played all the music, giving fans a taste of things to come. Thompson has enjoyed a great run as a professional composer, with his works recorded by Americana outsiders, Top Forty stars, folkies and bluegrassers. Like the late Guy Clark, Thompson is considered "a songwriter's songwriter" and the two men formed a close bond, touring together as well as collaborating in the recording studio. Though highly regarded, Thompson never gained the same level of acclaim as Clark, and though he's made numerous albums, they're all pretty hard to find. But definitely worth the search.

Verlon Thompson "Verlon Thompson" (Capitol Records, 1990) (CD)
(Produced by Blake Chancey)

Roger Tillison "Roger Tillison's Album" (Atco, 1971)
(Produced by Jesse Ed Davis)
Oklahoma-born songwriter Roger Tillison came from the same "Tulsa sound" scene as J. J. Cale and Leon Russell, moving to upstate New York when Woodstock became a hip retreat for roots-oriented musicians such as the Band and all the folks around the Bearsville studios. This was Tillison's only solo album (until the 2003 release below) and while it was a cult fave, it didn't generate much sales action at the time... The repertoire is half originals, half covers, including an early version of The Band's "Get Up Jake," which they recorded the following year.

Roger Tillison "Mamble Jamble" (2003)

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

Tony Twist "Tony" (Crystal Bridge Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Dean & Gene Lawson)
This Oklahoma country old-timer is not to be confused with the abrasive 1990's NHL pro from Canada (who might well sue you or pummel you if you did mix them up...) Anyway, this piano player led a variety of Tulsa-area bands and was pals with Charlie Daniels, before Daniels got all major-labelly in the early 'Seventies... He was also in a group called Crosstown Express, with singer Gus Hardin, who went on to a brief career as a Top Forty Nashviller. Twist had a stroke in the 1990s that sidelined him as a performer, though he moved into producing shows and helping out up-and-coming musicians as host of The Verdigris Valley Music Show, a variety venue he and his wife cooked up. This album harkens back to his own days in the spotlight, with a studio crew that included Jack Eubanks and Dale Sellers (guitars), Stu Basore (steel guitar), Bunky Keels on piano, and Bob Dean on drums. All the songs were written by Tony Twist; I'm not sure, though, if he made any other albums under his own name.

Virgil & Bill "I'm Gonna Sing" (Hi-Spot Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Claiborne & Bill Belknap)
An exemplary country gospel set -- joyful, exuberant and full of true twang. Starting in 1953, Virgil Glenn and Bill Thorton hosted a popular country music program on KOAM-TV, in Pittsburg, Kansas, and they sound as confident and relaxed as you'd expect from such seasoned veteran performers. They trucked on down to nearby Tulsa, Oklahoma to record this disc, backed in the studio by the Danny Gilliand band, with Danny Gilliand on banjo, Terry Brown (guitar), Mike Bruce (steel guitar), Mike Dinsmore (bass), Shelby Eicher (fiddle and mandolin) and Doyle Speer on drums. The band really gets into it as well -- maybe they get a little note-happy at times, but overall this is just a fun, joyful record. Highly recommended!

Dale Ward "Cryin' For Laura" (Doo-Bop Records, 2003) (CD)
Oklahoma rocker Howard Dale Ward (1938-2013) was one of those voice-in-the-wilderness regional artists who rode out the British Invasion hewing to an older Kennedy-era rock-and-pop template, all the while clinging to his rural vocal roots. I'm reminded of Johnny Rivers in a way, and even his recordings for the independent, Oklahoma-based Boyd label dipped into teenybopper rock, while retaining a distinctively rockabilly edge. Ward also recorded for national labels like Dot, Monument and Paramount, but nothing really clicked, and he remained a local legend. The 30-song disc is a collector label compilation from France, probably a bootleg, and appears to include pretty much everything Ward released during his younger days. He also seems to have collaborated with other Okie artists ver the years, notably writing several tracks for an album Billy Eustis put out in the late 1970s.

Jim Whitaker "Ode To The Farmer: America Is Depending On Him" (Boyd Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Boyd & Tommy Strong)
Years before Willie came up with Farm Aid, these Oklahoma locals paid tribute to the challenges and foreclosures facing American farmers. Veteran arranger Cliff Parman was on board for this agricultural odyssey, with songs composed by Jimmy J. Parman and friends: Kenneth Forsythe, Lyle McPheeters, Carol A. Pleasants, and Robin Roberts. Includes songs like the title track, as well as "Legends Never Die," "Farmer's Lament, "The Sale" and "The Biggest Hog Fry." Only in OK!

Harlow Wilcox & The Oakies "Groovy Grubworm And Other Golden Guitar Greats" (Plantation Records, 1970-?) (LP)
(Produced by Carl Warren)
A session picker from Norman, Oklahoma, guitarist Harlow Wilcox (1943-2002) scored an unlikely hit with his jaunty 1969 single, "Groovy Grubworm," an inoffensive throwback to the surf/instrumental sounds of the Kennedy era. Originally released regionally as an indie single in '68, "Grubworm" was optioned by Shelby Singleton's independent powerhouse, Plantation Records, and became a pop/country crossover success, cracking into the Pop Top 30, and spawning two albums of similar material. Wilcox had been cutting singles since the mid-'Sixties but this was his big moment in the sun, and he faded from sight, a classic one-hit wonder.

Harlow Wilcox & The Oakies "Cripple Cricket And Other Country Critters" (Plantation Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Warren & Carl Warren)
Like his first album, this was recorded locally at the C&B Studios, in Norman, Oklahoma, owned by producers Carl and Bobby Warren and presumably staffed with local Okie talent. Alas, the musicians are not identified, but one would hope they were all locals.

Walt Wilder "Ode To Country Music" (Homa Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Randy Sherman)
An early album on the regional Oklahoma City-based Homa label, with a slew of original material written by Oklahoma native Earl Walter Rodden (aka Walt Wilder, 1936-2013) as well as by his collaborators, Rocky Craig and Gene Crysler. There's also one cover song, a version of Cowboy Copas' "Signed, Sealed And Delivered." The liner notes say that Wilder mostly worked doing construction and iron work, but that he also owned a club... Sadly, it doesn't say which club (or clubs) he owned, nor who the musicians are playing on this album... Wilder, who was also a Vietnam veteran, kicked around in Nashville in the late '60s and hung out with Gene Crysler, who was a fairly successful Music City songwriter, and they worked on some tunes together. Wilder wrote some earlier songs including "Plastic Roses" and "Oklahoma City Okie," though neither were reprised on this album.

Walt Wilder & Randall Graham "Super Number Two" (CMM Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ralph Davis, Kevin McManus & Walt Wilder)
This would appear to be a Nashville songwriter's demo disc, with vocal contributions from three dudes who kinda knew one another, but not well enough to come up with a band name. Sherman Crysler was the son of songwriter/empresario Gene Crysler, and Mr. Crysler contributes brief liner notes briskly praising his son and his pals, as does outlaw star David Allan Coe. Walt Wilder (aka Earl Walter Rodden, 1936-2013) was an Oklahoma native and Vietnam veteran who had been kicking around Nashville since the 'Sixties, and was apparently a fixture at Tootsie's lounge, and a relatively successful songwriter. He worked with the elder Mr. Crysler for much of that time; they also collaborated on Wilder's 1974 solo album, Ode To Country Music. Several "usual suspect" studio musicians are also on here, including Willie Rainsfield, Leon Rhodes, and Jerry Shook.

Bob Woods "The Bob Woods Show" (Union Station/MCR Records & Tapes, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Dale McCoy & Jim Spence)
First things first: Oklahoma bandleader Bob Woods (d. 2001) and his wife Carolyn owned a music store called Del City Music, which he opened in 1962. His band, which included his wife and two daughters, headlined a Vegas show at the Golden Nugget for several years in the late '60s and early '70s. On this album, he's backed by a vocal trio called The Parrish Sisters and a Waylon Jennings lookalike guitar picker nicknamed "Tex" -- presumably the gals in the trio also included his kids, Lisa and Pam(?) Anyway, the disc is packed with current pop-country covers, stuff like "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," "Tie A Yellow Ribbon," and even "Mama Don't Dance," by Loggins & Messina. There's also some original material, including "I Let You" and "Why Couldn't Tomorrow Be Yesterday," both written by Joe Salathiel, who separately cut a single with the Parrish Sisters with one of his songs on it. This is, frankly, an odd album. There's an almost exclusive focus on the gal singers, although they had a pretty limited range as a vocal harmony group -- better when backing Mr. Woods, but constantly thrust into the spotlight as a trio, and sounding quite a bit like Skeeter Davis when she multi-tracked her own harmonies, but not as expressive. The musical production is also curiously flat, with not much dynamic range or variety of instruments, and typically dominated by the piano, bass and guitar, which all stick to a pretty muted support role. After several years in Vegas, Woods settled back down in Oklahoma City, where he played local shows and supported regional artists through his work as president and founder of the Oklahoma Country Music Association, and as owner of the Woodside Records label. (It's worth noting that one of the musicians he promoted was fiddler Byron Berline, who he worked with in the early '60s...) Finally, you all know I'm not all that into making fun of country folk, though I gotta say, if I was ever going to put together a twangy Golden Throats-style compilation, the Bob Woods version of "Behind Closed Doors" would be a strong contender, especially with the yodel-like sustained note that closes the track. Priceless.

Various Artists "GREETINGS FROM OKLAHOMA, THE SOONER STATE" (Bear Family Records, 2004)
This collection is a real humdinger, packed with fun, rollicking songs (and several oddball entries) in praise of that great American oilslick known as Oklahoma. Now, to be honest, Oklahoma is hardly the most glamorous state in the union... I grew up nearby, in Kansas, and I know how much other folks make fun of ol' Oklahoma... So, if you live there and you're gonna be all proud about it, chances are you're gonna be really proud, and if anyone tells you that your state is a total dump, you're likely to haul off and pop 'em one in the snoot. And sure enough, that same defiant, unreasonably patriotic Panhandle pride comes through loud and clear. It helps that western swing partly started in Oklahoma, and that some really great country classics have been written about the Sooner State, tunes like Jack Guthrie's "Oklahoma Hills" and "Okie Boogie," "Take Me Back To Tulsa" by Bob Wills and -- of course -- Merle Haggard's "Okie From Muskogee." But what makes this disc a real must-have are the weird, rare songs, such as "Oklahoma's OK," by Bobby Barnett and Charlie Walker's "Moffet, Oklahoma," which are so kooky and so obviously an expression of pure provincial pride that they're bound to bring a smile to your face, whether you grew up there or not. This is one of the strongest entries in this series so far... Definitely worth tracking down!

Various Artists/Curtis Wayne "THE STARS OF COUNTRY CORNER" (19--?) (LP)
Songwriter Curtis Wayne (nee Curtis Wayne Seals) was the anchor for this rather mysterious project, which seems to be a promotional disc somehow connected to the Country Corner shopping area in Cache, Oklahoma, near Lawton. In the 1960s, Wayne was a successful Nashville composer who co-wrote songs with Wayne Kemp, Mack Vickery and others, including familiar tunes such as "Love Bug," a novelty hit for George Jones in 1965-66, and a couple of other songs that were later covered by folks such as Patty Loveless and George Strait. He released a few singles under his own name, on the K-Ark, Dee Jay and Lovebug labels, and seems to have had a gig with some kind of opry-esque regional show, as heard on this record, which was issued without album art or clear liner notes. As far as I can tell, there were five artists on this album, including Curtis Wayne, gal singer Darla Dee, Tony Weldon, Dale McWaters, and Max Sasseen, a local businessman who owned a furniture store at the "country corner" junction, and who I'm guessing bankrolled this recording session. Sasseen sings two songs, a nice version of Carl Belew's "Stop The World," as well as his own composition, "Really Know How To Hurt A Guy," both of them fine honky-tonk performances. Likewise, Darla Dee had a fine, rural-sounding voice, equal parts Kitty and Loretta, and she sings a couple of one of tunes published through Wayne's Wayrup Publishing company, including "Hurt Me" and Wayne's own, "It'll Take A While." The album is firmly laced with robust, Bakersfield-influenced twang -- a piercing steel guitar and bouncy, muscular rhythm. Although he's known as a songwriter, Curtis Wayne sticks to standards for his own tracks, singing versions of Doug Kershaw's "Louisiana Man," a song called "I'm The Man," and the gospel oldie, "Family Bible," which closes the album. I have no idea if this album was ever offered for sale; it may have been strictly a personal souvenir for Sasseen and his pals.

Various Artists "WORLD'S CHAMPION COWBOYS ALBUM" (Artco Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Hartman, Bob Hinkle & Bobby Cotton)
This rodeo-connected country album from Oklahoma City features riders and ropers such as Mel Ashford, Don Gay, Don Graham, Monty Hanson, Frank Shepperson and Leo Camarillo. They sing oldies by George Jones and Elvis Presley, a few rodeo-themed novelty numbers (such "The Day Reg And Leo Team Roped The Devil"), and a couple of intriguing modern selections such as Gary P. Nunn's "London Home Sick Blues" and Tom T. Hall's "Old Dogs, Children And Watermelon Wine." Not sure if any of these guys made other records... other than in the rodeo ring, that is.

Hick Music Index