James Tussey

James Tussey
Laurel Leaf no #
RITE pressing 24171/24172
London, Kentucky 1968
Curtains In The Window / I Had A Dream Of You

Another great country bop/rockabilly tune from 1968! The Laurel Leaf label imprint was owned and operated by Ray Hoskins, who recorded many fantastic primitive bluegrass tunes for his own label. This partcular release has proven to be very difficult to track, and possibly could be the only known copy in the hands of local collectors. Stay tuned for another great release on this label by Gary Wheeler & The Bushwackers...

I HAD A DREAM OF YOU

CURTAINS IN THE WINDOW

L.C. Angel with Coye Farmer & The Blue Mountain Boys

L.C. Angel with Coye Farmer & The Blue Mountain Boys
Baron Records no #
RITE pressing 22497/22498
Hamilton, Ohio 1968
Walking Out / Conscience I'm Guilty

One of the last records RITE pressed in 1968 comes this excellent re-make of Walter Scott's "Ruby Records" release. This was a massive jukebox hit here in the "Ohio Valley", so much in fact that Angel requested another pressing in 1980 on the "A & A" label.


WALKING OUT

Bob Spencer & T. Taylor

Bob Spencer & T. Taylor accompanied by The White Tower Gospel Band guitarist: J. Sizemore / accompanied by the Pentecostal Travelers guitarist: Pete Nance
Spencer Records E.P. 501
RITE pressing 14831/14832
Cincinnati, Ohio 1965
Move Up A Little Closer / On The Mountain With Jesus / Man Of Faith / He Will Calm The Troubled Waters

Super primitive country/bluegrass gospel bopper from 1965! The guitarist on Side B is credited to Pete Nance, or Pete Nantz who recorded the wonderful two-sider on Clix Records from Cincinnati "Jukebox Pearl"/"Flip Flop & Fly". I found this along with the Pete Nantz E.P. on Jewel so I am almost positive it is indeed the same guy. Strange that each side features a different band with the same lead singer?


HE WILL CALM THE TROUBLED WATERS

MOVE UP A LITTLE CLOSER

Abe Link & The Western Spotlighters

Abe Link & The Western Spotlighters
S.T.R.C. Canton Records 106
Canton, Ohio 1955
Skeleton Bookie / Town & Country Polka

Spooky, weird, primitive and downright creepy one here. Listen closely to the lyrics an "Honest Abe" will tell you all about burying a body in his cellar. These guys did at least three records on Canton, this one being the best by far.




SKELETON BOOKIE

BIlly Martin

Billy Martin
Lucky Records 0009
RITE pressing 3003/3004
Cincinnati, Ohio 1960
If It's Lovin' That You Want / Angel

Perfect country bop/rockabilly sound from the "Queen City". Martin also re-recorded this tune for Sims Records in California about 5 years later.


IF IT'S LOVIN' THAT YOU WANT

Jimmy & The Gems

Jimmy & The Gems
Tone Records no #
RITE pressing 7479/7480 1962
Twisting Sadie / The Big Rumble

Low-fi crude rockabilly, backed with a kick-ass instrumental. Members of this band hailed from both Indiana, and Ohio.




TWISITNG SADIE

THE BIG RUMBLE

The Dixie Harmonairs

The Dixie Harmonairs
Dixie Records no #
Covington, Kentucky
Honey Hush/Rock Around The Clock

Covington, Kentucky is located ten minutes from Cincinnati, Ohio, right over the river. This custom pressing is about as crude as they get, both in appearance and sound. All known copies are pressed on thick vinyl from a pressing plant unknown to me, and come with hand stamped labels. This particular Dixie imprint is not related to the more familiar "DIXIE" label related to Starday Records. Both sides are fine examples of primitive rockabilly from the Ohio Valley.


HONEY HUSH

ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK

Joe & Ray Shannon

Joe & Ray Shannon
Shenandoah Records 246-08
Columbus, Ohio 1964
Hobo Baby / He Will Be The One

Fine primitive country bopper from Columbus.


HOBO BABY

Ray Lunsford

Ray Lunsford (King Of The Electric Mandolin)
Sage Records E.P. 285
Hollywood, California
I Don't Love Nobody / Rustic Dance / Pickin' Around / Red Wing

Best known as the madolin player for Jimmie Skinner, Lunsford made several great records for Starday, Excellent, Sage, Allandale and many others I'm sure. Legend has it Lunsford and Skinner were next door neighbors for years before Skinner found out he was a musician, and asked him to play at a backyard barbecue. The rest is history. A true hometown hero for me.

PICKIN' AROUND

I DON'T LOVE NOBODY

Ray Lunsford

Ray Lunsford
Excellent Records 226
Cincinnati, Ohio 1955
Country Pickin / Red Wing

Amazing mandolin and fiddle instrumental two-sider, complete with photo stamp on label!


COUNTRY PICKIN

The Bluegrass Ramblers

The Bluegrass Ramblers
Spinner Records 104
Columbus, Ohio 1965/1966
Too Late / Yesterday's Love

Amazing harmony, instrumentation and lyrics on this stunning bluegrass tune from the Capitol of Ohio. Spinner had quite a few releases covering pop, country, bluegrass and even garage bands. If anybody has any information on these fellas, drop a line...


YESTERDAY'S LOVE

Walter Brown & Son Floyd

Walter Brown & Son Floyd
Melody Records E.P. 115
RITE pressing 21611/21612
Hamilton, Ohio 1968
Magic Valley / The Infidel's Daughter / Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All / There's A Light Guiding Me

The Melody label from Hamilton, Ohio was owned and operated by William Jones, who also owned the Pine Tree, and Sunrise labels as well. Many fantastic hillbilly, gospel, bluegrass, and primitive country releases can be heard on these prolific labels. For my money the Walter Brown & Son Floyd E.P. is easily the best of the bunch. Something about his voice, the guitar and the primitive sound on this platter just kill me. Another late 60's recording from the Ohio Valley that sounds like early 50's "Anywere Else, U.S.A.".

MAGIC VALLEY

THERE'S A LIGHT GUIDING ME

The Wiley Bros.

The Wiley Bros. (Jim, Jack, & Danny Wiley)
Log Cabin 905
RITE pressing 16141/16142
Mt. Healthy, Ohio 1966
You're The Cheating Kind / Gone To Be An Angel

The Log Cabin imprint was ran by Rusty York, as a division for his "Jewel Records" label. It featured mostly country and bluegrass recordings by local talent. The Wiley Bros. sound very young to me, most likely a pre-teen trio. Their young voices allow them to have amazing harmony, and the song writing is very mature for someone their age. Easily my favorite bluegrass tune from this area.


YOU'RE THE CHEATING KIND

Mary B. Huffman

Mary B. Huffman
Light Of Life Records no #
ARC pressing
Hamilton, Ohio 1967
I Need God / My God Isn't Dead

The Light Of Life label ran out of Hamilton, Ohio from the mid-sixties, into the early seventies, and released several gospel 45's, and LP's. Rhythm guitar supplied by J.D. Jarvis' son Lucky on this great example of gospel rockabilly.

Courtesy of the "Pizza Boy".

I NEED GOD

Pat Kingery & His Kentuckians vocal by Tommy Holmes

Pat Kingery & His Kentuckians vocal by Tommy Holmes
Vance Records 411
RITE pressing 6861/6862
Scottsville, Kentucky 1962
Jam On The Lower Shelf / Jam On The Lower Shelf

Bluegrass music and politics have been linked together for ages, and this unique recording combines the two. Marion Vance was a politican from Kentucky who payed Joe Dyson (owner of Goldenrod Records) to press up this 45 to be played over local airwaves to help promote his campaign. First issued on (Goldenrod 14) in 1957, and then issued on Vance at least three different times, which shows that Vance used the disc as promotional material for each year he ran for office. The vocalist heard here is Tommy Holmes, famous for his recording of "Wa-Chic-Ka-Noka" on Joe Dysons' other label Cherry Records. Pat Kingery & His Kentuckians made many records for several labels, including Goldenrod with vocalist Elva Carter, and the backing band on Judy Capps' release for Cherry in 1959.

JAM ON THE LOWER SHELF