Monday, May 15, 2017

Cheap label country of the 1950s



And we mean cheap.  How cheap, you ask?  Record Pak-cheap, that's how cheap.  Plus, Tops-, Allegro-, and Variety-cheap.  These are the pop and country labels you ended up with if you weren't willing or able to spring for the name outfits and artists.  Cheap as cheap can be.  And lots of fun.

Most of these rips sound decent enough, with the exception of a couple tracks from the Record Pak 78, which I suspect was played with a Stone Age tonearm.  An extra-wide needle and heavier tracking force can only do so much for such a battered platter, but the tracks are great fun.  (Did I mention fun?)

From 78s (and a 45) from my collection.





FUN TRACK LIST


Salty Dog Rag--Steve Thompson (Record Pak 149)
Wild Side of Life--Same (Record Pak 149)
Easy on the Eyes--Rusty Gill (Record Pak 149)
The Gold Rush Is Over--Prairie Ramblers; v: Wally Moore (Record Pak 149)
I Walk the Line--No artists credited (Variety EPV-802)
Folsom Prison Blues--No artists credited (Variety EPV-802)
Honky Tonk Man--No artists credited (Variety EPV-802)
My Baby Left Me--Rusty Howard (George Jones), The Rhythm Rangers-- (Gilmar RX-124)
Hep Cat Baby--Rusty Howard, the Rhythm Rangers-- (Tops R244)
Courtin' in the Rain--Same
In the Jailhouse Now--Pat Patterson and the Texas Wranglers (Tops R255)
That's All Right--Same
Knee Deep in the Blues--Dave Burgess and the Toppers (Tops R302)
Singing the Blues--No artists credited (Allegro 1670)
I Walk the Line--No artists credited (Allegro 1670)

Lee

9 comments:

John said...

I really enjoy all your post lee. They ARE fun and I might add that I find you to be a pretty fun (and funny) guy. Thanks for all you do for your fans out here in the dark. Much appreciated.

Bill said...

Love those "fake" records from back then. I have a few myself. Thanks for posting these. One really CAN'T hear this stuff anywhere else! Are these the same ones you posted a couple of years ago?

Menutia said...

This is wonderful. Rusty Gil (and his wife Carolyn Dezurik & her sister, Mary Jane) & the Prairie Ramblers, were popular artists on WLS Radio in Chicago. Their National Barn Dance program was heard on the NBC Blue network starting in 1932. Great finds!!! (Thanks for sharing!!)

Lee Hartsfeld said...

John, Bill, Menutia--Thanks for the nice words, and the background! And yes, Bill, some of these were previously posted--the Variety tracks, for sure. The Record Pak tracks are "new," since I only recently got them, and I think it's the first go-round for the two Allegro tracks.

Unknown said...

"I Walk The Line" on Allegro 1670F is Benny Barnes !

Bob said...

Hi,

Thanks for the interesting music you put here.

Please will you re-upload this?

Regards,

Bob

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Hi, Bob.

ZippyShare dropped the file, and I can't find the zip. However, I can reconstruct the post from CD-R. Just give me half a day or so.

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Hi again, Bob.

The tracks are back up.

Bob said...

Hi Lee,

Many thanks for re-upping this album.

And so quickly too...

Regards,

Bob