posted 23 April 2001 06:52 PM         

Adolph Hofner, Dance-O-Rama 1955 Decca
Milton Brown, Dance-O-Rama 1955 Decca 2221
Bob Wills Dance-O-Rama #2 1955 Decca DL-5562 10 inch LP
Spade Cooley, Dance-O-Rama #3 1955 10 Decca DL-5563
Tex Williams, Dance-O-Rama #5 1955 10 Decca DL-5565
Grady Martin, Dance-O-Rama #6 1955 10 Decca DL-5566
Billy Gray Dance-O-Rama #7 1955 10 Decca DL-5567

Grady Martin’s album was recorded by the Nashville session team of Martin (guitar, fiddle), Bud Issacs (pedal steel), Hank Garland (guitar), Bob Moore (bass) and Tommy Jackson on fiddle. Recorded at the Ryman Auditorium. I noticed that in the music section that there was reference to this set and that Red Foley contributed to 'My Window Faces The South,' and maybe other tunes.

Spade Cooley’s 1955 10" LP Decca DL 5563, was credited to Spade Cooley and his Buckle-Busters - Country and Western Dance-O-Rama No. 3. With songs like ‘Y'Ready, Y'Hear,’ ‘Down by the Pecos’ and others.
With Joaquin Murphey on steel, as Noel Boggs left Cooley's group in 1954, so Joaquin played on the sessions, although I don't know if he was Bogg's permanent replacement at the time.

Obviously the Milton Brown material was from the 1930s as he passed away in 1936.
I think Billy Gray had been recording for Decca as early as 1953, he did cut some Decca issued duets with Wanda Jackson around 1954, so I guess he was actually signed to Decca.

Other artists cut Western Swing for Decca (Dave Stogner in 1957), but this 1955 batch seems a pretty amazing set as various artist were on different labels and some of the sessions were specially made of the series while others where old masters.

There was also a compilation of the 1950s material titled WESTERN SWING IN HI-FI(Decca DL 8730).
Basically this record was a 1958 compilation of the 1955 sides, but only featuring material by Bob Wills (San Antonio Rose, Spanish Two Step and Beaumont Rag), Spade Cooley (Y' Ready, The Ping Pong Song and Y' Hear.), Tex Williams (Air Mail Special, The Leaf Of Love and Take The "A" Train.), Billy Gray (Tuxedo Junction, The Bandera Shuffle and Snow Deer.).

Anyone know who played steel for Billy Gray, oh and I almost forgot. The Dance-O-Rama sets where also issued over several EPs for most; if not all the artists.

I don't know if it's just me, but this seems a particuarly ambitious concept for 1955, any thoughts on these recordings at all?

posted 24 April 2001 12:45 AM         

i don't know what decca was thinking. considering how hard they are to come by now, they clearly sold poorly. for one thing, the ten inch format was waning by the mid 50s.

i think that is the sainted bobby koefer on the billy gray disc--curtain call is on it at least.

the wills is probably the worst of the lot.

posted 24 April 2001 02:39 AM         

Mitch, I've heard a lot of mid 1950s Wills and I'd have to agree with your summation, they lack a certain drive and are basically some of the plainest things he recorded.
Basically anything after 1953 to about 1959 suffers from this... although I haven't heard that live recording from 1958, 'On Stage' or something like that.

posted 24 April 2001 11:13 AM         

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

posted 24 April 2001 01:21 PM         

The Bob Wills stuff from the 50's (MGM and Decca, I don't have the Dance-o-Rama on Bob) also has some great steel by Billy Bowman and some by Vance Terry, Gene Crownover and others.

posted 24 April 2001 11:23 PM         

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kd...and the beat goes on...

posted 25 April 2001 01:28 AM         

Al, I know what you mean, Tex & The Western Caravan were an impressive group.

On another note, Spade Cooley was also involved in a couple of "albums" in the early 1950s, they were more old fashioned in the sense that they were albums that housed a couple of 45s or 78 rpm singles in a sort of booklet.
One was an album of Billy Hill fiddle tunes for RCA, plus a couple of Square dance projects, at least one with Roy Rogers, while another was all Spade's own square dance album, recorded in 1949 with a trim version of his group.
All this goes no way in explaing the Decca project, but I just had to mention it.
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The future ain't what it used to be

[This message was edited by Jason Odd on 25 April 2001 at 01:30 AM.]

posted 25 April 2001 08:53 AM         

Jason,
The Bob Wills live Lp is Delta DLP-1149 released in 1982. It was recorded September 28, 1958 in Wichita, Kansas. Musicians are: fiddle & vocal-BOB WILLS; vocals-LEON RAUCSH; fiddle & sax-LOUIS TIERNEY; fiddle & sax-HENRY BOATMAN; sax-GLEN RHEES; drums-WADE PEELER; bass-SON LANSFORD; banjo-JOHNNIE LEE WILLIS; guitar-LUKE WILLS; steel-GENE CROWNOVER
Songs are:
South (instrumental)
The Kind of Love I Can't Forget (Leon)
In the Mood (instrumental)
It's the Bottle Talking (Leon)
Steel Guitar Rag (instrumental)
Silver Bells (instrumental)
Tennessee Waltz (Bob)
Ten Years (Leon)
My Confession (Bob)
San Antonio Rose (Leon)

posted 25 April 2001 08:25 PM         

I appreciate the info on the Wills live album, it's interesting as Johnnie seems to have revived his own group in Oklahoma for a couple of albums and singles for the Sims label in the early to mid 1960s.

posted 26 April 2001 04:39 AM         

But not as well known is that Wakely signed with CBS Radio in 1953 and his show remained #l for six years during the years when Rock music was stifling all other music. There was a compilation record of the radio transcriptions (Western Swing & Pretty Things,Shasta 526) made during that period featuring, Noel Boggs-steel, Bobby Bruce-fiddle, Paul Smith-jazz pianist, Jack Kelleher-Bass(formerly with Tommy Dorsey), Muddy Berry-Drums(formerly with Kay Kyser), and Eddie Carver-Accordian. Some of the best improvisational, live, western-swing & pop music ever recorded is on this LP.

posted 26 April 2001 04:53 AM         

It also had a great list of players: Johnny Lee Wills, John Thomas Wills, Curly Lewis-fiddle, Joe Holly-fiddle, Eldon Shamblin-guitar, Roy Ferguson-guitar, Don Tolle-guitar, Ted Adams-bass, Clarence Cagle-piano, Gene Crownover-steel, Wayne Johnson-clarinet & sax, Glen Rhees-sax, Darrell Holt & Mike Bennett-thrumpet, and James Holley-drums.

posted 26 April 2001 09:52 AM         

Thanks for all the info, but you got my eyes a poppin' when you mentioned Kay Kyser. I just finished an email to a fellow who is finishing off a documentry on Kyser.