Bulldog Charlie : Gettin' Religion

Rev. C. L. Wireman
LP Bulldog Charlie Getting Religion
Rite numbers : 28861/2

Spoken Word
The life story of a converted Kentucky mountain outlaw

I was born in Wolfe County, Ky., on the unlucky day (13) of the windy month, March, 1890, the beginning of the "Gay Nineties." The place of my birth was about eighteen miles, as the crow flies, from where our Zion's Hill Mission is now located in "bloody Breathitt" County, Ky.

A number of my relatives were shot down and died with their boots on. My parents were typical mountaineers and of course I was a typical mountain boy, and a boy will the "teen" age in that part in those days was looked upon as a sissy if he did not own and carry a pistol. We mountain boys cared nothing for Washington or Lincoln, or men of like character; we admired bad men, and the one who had the most notches in his pistol handle, denoting the number of men he had made bite the dust, was our hero and the man, in our ignorance, we longed to be like. I had three cousins killed in cold blood and that feud spirit entered my heart when a small boy, until I fairly hated any one who bore the name of those murderers. The "bottle" was passed to old and young alike, and I was a confirmed drunkard at an early age. I suffered hell on earth with delirium tremens for four days at a time while yet in my teens. My left shoulder is lower than my right yet, caused by a heavy pistol on it in a strap holster as I grew up.

(...)

More reading HERE

You can also listen the Bulldog Charlie preach at Classic Holiness Sermons, HERE

The Wilson McKinley : Spirit of Elijah

The Wilson McKinley

LP-- Spirit Of Elijah

Side one [27977]

1 He
2 It's Up To You
3 Come On Home
4 One In The Spirit
5 Tree Of Life

Side two [27978]

1 His Eye Is On The Sparrow
2 All My Life
3 Crown Of Glory
4 I Need A Saviour
5 Spirit Of Elijah

Left to right :Jimmy Bartlett, bass ; Randy Wilcox, rhythm guitar and keyboards,
Mike Messer, lead guitar, Tom Slipp, drums

Jesus-rock pioneers Wilson McKinley are a fascinating footnote in the annals of psychedelia--minor legends in their native Pacific Northwest, they are generally considered the first secular band to forsake the ample pleasures of the flesh in favor of forging lives and music devoted to spreading the Christian gospel.

The Wilson McKinley formed in Spokane, Washington in 1968, originally comprising singer/guitarist Mike Messer, singer/bassist Don Larson, guitarist Randy Wilcox and drummer Tom Slipp; at its inception the group played secular psychedelia very much in the spirit of its times, earning a regional following on the strength of their layered harmonies and folk-inspired arrangements.

Through circumstances unknown, they earned the notice of record exec Al Sherman, whose Alshire label made its living via budget-priced copycat LPs of Sixties pop hits, all recorded by prefab studio groups. Virtually all of the bands in question--Fats and the Chessmen, Los Norte Americanos and the Bakersfield Five among them--were helmed by producer and songwriter Gary Paxton, best known for composing the novelty smash "The Monster Mash." At Sherman's request, Paxton put together a group dubbed the California Poppy Pickers to capitalize on the growing country-rock trend; there were four Poppy Pickers LPs in all, each made up of covers and thinly-veiled rewrites, and for reasons unknown, the fourth and final album Honky Tonk Women was recorded without Paxton's involvement, with the studio musicians populating the previous three replaced by the members of the Wilson McKinley.

(...)

The Wilson McKinley often headlined a Voice of Elijah-owned Spokane coffeehouse called the I Am, testing out new material in front of their most fervent fans--they also played the occasional secular rock festival, albeit usually in the hopes of attracting new members to the flock. The Wilson McKinley's sophomore album Spirit of Elijah appeared in the summer of 1971--recorded during a single overnight session sans editing or overdubs, the album suggested secular antecedents like Moby Grape and the Moody Blues (whose "It's Up to You" appears in modified form). Sold exclusively through advertisements in the Voice of Elijah's free newspaper the TRUTH

Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide


Much more about this band can be found at the web home of the Wilson McKinley Jesus Rock

Jimmy Boxx and the Country Knights

Jimmy Boxx and the Country Knights

Country Stream 102

23215 - My Heart Was Made
23216 - Love, Love Again

Produced by Scotty's Studio

1969 country on a St. Louis, Missouri label owned by Tony Mazzola.

Scotty's Studio was the studio operated by DeWitt Scott ( see Helling and his Hillbilly Buddies post)




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Howard Cox on Universal Sound

Howard Cox & The Miracle Bros

Universal Sound

21981 --God Gave His Son (2:15)
21982 -I'll Tell Jesus (3:20)

1968 Detroit - country produced by Yolanda Owens and Bill Atkins

Howard Cox

Universal Sound 200

22177 -A Soldiers Return (2:50)
22178 - Who-So-Ever Will May Come (2:15)

1968 Detroit - country produced by Daniel T. Luck, Yolanda Owens




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Clover on M.O.D.

Clover

21485 ~ Remember
21486 ~ Way She Smiles

M.O.D. RSSWO 1055

Richmond ,Virginia

Recorded at R.S.S. Inc. [Richmond Sound Stages]
Produced by C. & B.

1968

"Recorded early in 1968 at Richmond Sound Stages. The songs are on two different volumes of Aliens Psychos & Wild Things. Remember really is a bleak retrospect look at lost love; about as dark as it gets. Way She Smiles starts off like a teen ballad and then jettisons into a Velvet Underground feedback landscape. Sixties teen/punk disorientation of the highest order."

Keith Albee

Keith Albee (and Orch)

Albee 102

12893 - Rock-A-billy
12894 - Rockin’ Robin

1964

Distributed by Willard Music Dist., Deposit, New-York

Rock-A-billy was a top-ten hit in 1957 (Guy Mitchell, Columbia Records).

Rock-A-Billy is about rockabilly but is not rockabilly. [...] The singalong chorus consists of only two words, rockabilly and rock, chanted rhythmically and hypnotically. The colorful phrases paint a child’s perspective of rockabilly : “the guitar man chased the old banjo.” The lyrics use catchphrases –blow my fuse, crazy beat, turn me loose, go man go – and use stereotypic images and expressions from the city perspective of country life – “mountain juice”, “head for the hills, “do-si-do”, store-bought clothes, “”lone prairie”.

Craig Morrison (Go Cat Go!: Rockabilly Music and its Makers)

Keith Albee had records on Paragon in 1960 and 1961, a label distributed by Paragon Productions Inc., 1265 Broadway, New York, a company who also was the distributor of the Ronnie label records, which was a song-poem label. But Keith Albee wasn't a song-poem singer as the Nov.20, 1961 issue of Billboard inform us that "Keith Albee is making the rounds of radio stations in New York and Pennsylvania to promote his latest Paragon release, « Tell Him You Are Mine » b/w « Only tonight ».

Rock-A-Billy (sample)

C.L.B. label (four additions)

The Saints Of Glory Of Gary

16015 - Walk On By Faith Each Day (Lead : Bill Sumbry)
16016 - I Need Lord

Sounds Of Soul

25843 - Perfect Like The Angels---(Lead Selma Kirkendall)
25844 - Meeting In Glory

Gales Of Joy

42190-A Trouble Will Be Over (Lead W. Crawford)
42190-B I Don't Want To Be Right

The Saints Of Glory Of Gary

42192- A Searching For The Lord (Lead John Owens Jr. (Thumb))
42192-B The Storm Of Life

Norm Burns (Sterling 594)

Norm Burns And The Satellites

Sterling 594

30245 - Vote McGovern sample
30246 - How Much I Miss You

Both Sides Written By Aurelio E Mata And Lew Tobin.

Song-poem from Boston.

In the [1972] general election, the McGovern/Shriver ticket suffered a 61%-37% defeat to Nixon– at the time, the second biggest landslide in American history, with Electoral College totals of 520 to 17. McGovern's two electoral vote victories came in Massachusetts [ed.: home of Sterling Records] and Washington, D.C..

Buddy Delaney and the Candy Soupe

Buddy Delaney
(in the middle)

Buddy Delaney and the Candy Soupe

De Shane

25529 ~ Girl
25530 ~ I Love That Girl

Buddy Delaney joined the fine, mid-'60s, Memphis garage band the Guilloteens on bass for their final three singles, writing the A-side of their third single, "I Sit and Cry." Sometime in the late 1960s, after the Guilloteens broke up, he formed a group in Florida, Buddy Delaney & the Candy Soupe, which made a weird rare single, "Girl." Weird because it was actually a slight, lesser reworking of the B-side of the first Guilloteens single, "Hey You," which was recorded and released before Delaney joined that band. The B-side is the Guilloteens' "I Love That Girl," which had been released as a Guilloteens' single on Columbia in 1967. For completist's sake, "Girl" was included on the Guilloteens compilation For My Own (which has both sides of their five singles) as a bonus track. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide


All about The Guilloteens here

The Streaplers on Century

The Streaplers

Century 0007/8

14683 ~ Yes Tonight Josephine
(W.Scott-D.Goodman)
Robert Astor Music BMI
2:34

14684 ~ Twenty Miles
(C.Mann-B.Lowe)

A Johnny Ray cover b/w a Chubby Checker cover originally released in Sweden on Columbia DS 2243.

Century Records was a division of Perfection & Regal Music Publications., Pittsburgh, Pa., owned by Edward J Moschetti. In addition to his music interests, Mr. Moschetti was also founder and chairman of the World Proof Numismatic Association and exercised his creativity in the fantasy coin design. See for instance here. (Kingdom of Atlantis coins.

With a lifespan extending over a half-century, the Streaplers are a long-running Swedish dansband anchored by twin brothers Göran and Håkan Liljeblad.

Founded in 1959 in Kungälv, the band was originally comprised of Göran and Håkan Liljeblad, Gert Lengstrand, Bjarne Lundquist, and Lars Larsson. Beginning with their 1963 breakthrough hit "Säkkinjärven Polka," the Streaplers enjoyed a string of hit singles during the mid-'60s, among them "Diggety Doggety," "Mule Skinner Blues," and "Rockin' Robin." The band's string of hits was interrupted by the departure of vocalist Gert Lengstrand in 1966.

Source : Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide



*

Connie Dycus on Greenley's

(Mr.) Connie Dycus

10843 - I'll Be Untrue
wr Jerry Tuttle, Tree BMI

10844 - Love Commandments
wr Roark- Tevis; Ridgeway BMI

Greenley’s 1006

Produced by S. Greenley

1963

Rite account #688

First issued on the Greenley's label "I'll Be Untrue" was also released the following year b/w You Can't Stop Me" on King Records and "Love Commandments" backed "Dark As A Dungeon" later on the Rimrock label.


Connie Dycus (1930-1978)

If a March 1954 poster for a show at the Bailey Theater in Cabot, Arkansas is anything to go of a Dycus dynasty. There, direct from Korea, Sgt. Connie Dycus and His Fingers of Fire, were the starring attraction along with Rocky Dycus and his steel guitar, Ruthie Dycus ‘Sweetheart of the Mountaineers », Teddy Reidel –15 year old wizard of the piano), Dizzy Dean Ferguson and Lloyd Southerland and the Smiling Mountaineers.

Dycus subsequently settled in Flint, Michigan where he worked for General Motors and sometimes performed at GM employee events. He was at some point a country music deejay at WMRP until Charlotte Harden replaced him in September 1961. Next, he had The Connie Dycus Show on television. Connie Dycus was literally granted 15 minutes of on-air fame 5 days a week. In fact, the 1960s were probably the most productive years for him. Through his TV show, Connie Dycus established himself as a Flint, Michigan celebrity and area entertainer.

Connie Dycus first recorded in 1958 for Mercury. Managed by Jim Minor of Mayflower Music, he certainly got on Mercury through Minor’s contacts though Shelby Singleton told Colin Escott that Dycus was « some bum I got out of Arkansas ».

Other records appeared on Colt 45 (59), Poor Boy (59), Dixie (60), King (64), H and K (67), Prophonics, Cathay and Rimrock (sixties).

Sources :

• Bill Millar, notes to Bear Family CD "Rockabilly from the Vault of Mercury"
• Wyman Stewart

I'll Be Untrue

The Deadbeats (Princeton)

The Deadbeats

Princeton M1038
Marianna, Arkansas
December, 1961

CP-6799 – Rocking Blues / Everybody's Somebodys Fool
CP-6800 – Say It Again / Marina

“Weird unclassifiable incompetant low fi accordion and drum instrumentals/polka blues”




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Arnold Van Winkle on Jalyn 327

Arnold Van Winkle and The Gospel Meltones (A Side)
22355 ~ Old Brush Arbors / I See A Bridge
Arnold Van Winkle and Doyle Crawford with Paul Fox & Kelly Caudill (B Side)
22356 ~ Way Up On The Mountain / I'm Ready To Go Home
Jalyn EP 327, Rite Acct. #448 - Issued 1968

This elusive release fills a gap in Jack Lynch's Jalyn Records discography and may be the final recording made by Arnold Van Winkle in a fairly prolific recording career. I met him and purchased records from him in the 1990's as he had discovered some of his recordings had become valuable and he was able to find records he had given to family members years earlier and resell them. He grew up in Richmond, Indiana and his first recording was probably on the Singable label. He then recorded a nice bopper on Larry Short's Ruby label. The photo below was shot in 1957 in the Ruby Recording Studio in Hamilton, Ohio.
He created a rockabilly classic in 1960 with "Servant Of Love" on Poor Boy 111 which was re-released in 1962 on Walton 003. If one existed, a full biography of Arnold would be interesting!

Jalyn photos courtesy of No Hit Records with special thanks to Malcolm Chapman.

Kentucky Cut-Ups on Sunset

Kentucky Cut-Ups - Sunset 6119
7909 ~ God Gave You To Me
7910 ~ Blue Ridge Cabin Home

This bluegrass release by the Kentucky Cut-Ups is possibly from Kentucky but can't be certain. It is one of the earliest to have the O/M designation on the label. By 1962, Rite had different sales plans that artists could select from to create and purchase their records. A good possibility is O/M represents one of those plans. O/M could stand for Original Master indicating the artist did not use Rite studios to record their songs but recorded them elsewhere and delivered the masters to Rite. Logically this would have been a less expensive option since it did not include any studio time.

Photos courtesy of Barney Koumis at No Hit Records with special thanks to Malcolm Chapman.

Rev. E Peake on Fink

Rev. E Peake

Fink Records

33635 - Power Lord (part I)
33836 - Power Lord (part 2)

sample

Black gospel sermon produced in 1974 by Joe Goldstein.

Fink Records was owned by Bill Johnson (he owned also Pinewood Records).

Lou Millet on Go

Lou Millet & the Western Swingers

Go 200/1

CP-6353 ~ Uncle Earl
CP-6354 ~ A Fallen Angel

Lou Millet was born in 1926 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He learned to play the guitar when was 16 years old and soon formed his own band called "The Melody Ramblers". That band stayed together for about four years and appeared on several radio stations in the area including WLCS and WJBO as well as WLBR in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

Lefty Frizzell gave him his first big break and in 1953, he was still associated with Lefty, by fronting the band during one of Lefty's tours.

Lou was with the Standard Oil Company for seven years before getting into the entertainment business.

Previous his Go release (pressed in 1961 by Rite Records), Lou Millet recorded for Feature (51), Columbia (52-54), Ace (55), Ekko (56) and Republic (56).

« Uncle Earl » is a tribute to Louisiana Governor Earl K. Long (1895-1960).

“Uncle” Earl Long was committed to a mental institution following his scandalous involvement with Bourbon Street stripper Blaze Starr and an “incoherent and irrational public outburst” where he denounced opponents and shouted obscenities.

Jay Chevalier’s “The Ballad Of Earl K. Long”), Hollis (The Louisiana Coon Hunter) Albin’s “Uncle Earl Don’t Stand Alone” and Ernie Barton’s “The Battle Of Earl K. Long.” are other Earl K. Long tribute recorded songs.

The Monuments on Dis-Co

The Monuments

Dis-Co 2452

15921 - I Got Another Lover sample 1
15922 - You'll Find The Way sample2

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Al Wilmot

Members of the Monuments included Steve Schwan, Al Wilmot (on bass) and Paul Walrad.

Kris Arden (Dial 2227)

Kris Arden and The Rays

Dial 2227

CP-5401 - Itching Heart
(Gertrude Feith, Nordyke BMI)

CP-5402 – Don’t Let Me Down
(Joe McCloskey, Blue Ribbon, ASCAP)

Harry Weger

Harry Weger and His Guitar

Adair 623

CP-3981 ~ Molly Darling
CP-3982 ~ Long Gone Lonesome Blues

The only record issued by Adair Records which was not recorded by Bryant Wilson, who owned the label since 1958 and recorded all the other known releases on the label.

Harry Weger (1927-2007) and his wife Docie toured with country legend Roy Acuff in 1949 and he signed on to Terre Haute radio station WBOW later that year with a show called "Harry Weger – The Hoosier Folk Singer." He eventually put together a band and toured the country as "Harry Weger and the Hoosierland Hoedown."

In 1954, Weger signed the station on the air with his show, "Harry Weger, The Bronco Buddy – and the Big Ten Western Feature." The show became a runaway hit with thousands of children signing up for membership in the Bronco Buddy Club. Weger and his champion trick horse, Cherokee, drew massive crowds whenever they appeared live.

In the 1950’s he worked as a pit guard at the Indianapolis 500, where he made many friends. Sam Hanks, J.C. Agajanian,A.J. Foyt, Eddie Sachs and Jimmy Bryan. After Jimmy was killed at Langhorn, it prompted Harry to immortalize his friend in song. The Weger's original recording of "The Ballad of Jimmy Bryan" was issued on the René label. (Hear both sides here).

On the same René label, Harry produced The Creepers' "Jammin' Granny", a quite rare and excellent rockabilly, engineered in Nashville by Jack Logan.

The Wegers operated a record store in downtown Terre Haute for 16 years and he became a member of the Wabash Valley Country Music Hall of Fame.

Terry Haughee presenting to Harry Weger and his wife

at Wabash Valley Musician's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Class of 1995

Jim Akins on Marlo 1530

Jim Akins

Marlo 1530

OM 11359 - Walkin’ The Road Of Love
(sample)

OM 11360 - Answer From Heaven

James David Akins, better known as "Jim Akins," the youngest of three children was born January 6th 1944 in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. Read more Here.

His second release (of four) on Marlo Records, recorded in Memphis in the Fernwood studio with "The Bill Black Combo" and brass section arranged by Bill Justis. This record got him appearances on Russ Carter's "St. Louis Hop," at KSD-TV St. Louis Missouri and George Kline's "Dance Party," WHBQ-TV in Memphis Tennessee.

Jim Akins, often Presley-ish sounding, has been much overlooked by the music compilers. His only compiled track, according to Rockin' Country Style, is "Floating On A Cloud" which was issued in 1980 on a LP titled "The Other Kings" by Revival Records, OakPark Illinois.

Jim Akins page from the Revival LP book