COAST RECORDS 500

COTTON HENRY and the Oklahoma Hillbillies (a)
JIMMIE O’NEAL and the Oklahoma Hillbillies (b)
Late 53

PD-500-A - Patent On My Gal   (Don Carlos BMI)

(J O'Neal)

PD-500-B - Streamliner Boogie   (Don Carlos BMI)

(J O'Neal)

COAST RECORDS 500

Los Angeles, CA

So, the first Starday Custom in this numbering series - although there may have been earlier custom pressings by Starday (some collectors say), just not part of this "famed" series.

Don Pierce had left 4-Star Records by this time and was unemployed, a husband and a new father. Working for McCall had been a good learning experience for Don, especially when it came to both publishing of songs and setting up a "Custom" record department - where artists would pay the company to put a record out for them. Don finally found work at Starday Records; becoming the Starday President (whilst Pappy Daily dealt with record production and Jack Starnes was the talent scout.) Don worked out of an office at Charley Washburn's COAST Record set up. The office space was free as long as the Coast pressing plant got to press any Starday releases. The other two stayed in Texas where the label was based.

Cotton Henry is a bit of a mystery. He may well have been from Oklahoma originally but was residing and playing in Los Angeles at the time. Henry went on to cut two sides for the main Starday label "Alibying Sweetheart" / "Eskimo Nell" - STARDAY 129 (1954) and "Two Times Two" / "Let's Be Sweethearts Tonite" - STARDAY 171 ((1955), plus "Devil On My Shoulder" / "Trusting You" on RURAL RHYTHM 552 (1962). Most of the songs were written by Jimmie O'Neal and Johnny Tyler.

There may also be a Johnny Tyler connection, as Tyler co-wrote Alibying Sweetie with Jimmie O'Neal (also in the Oklahoma Hillbillies) and Tyler's original group was called the "Original Hillbillies." It is also worth noting that in 1953, Tyler had moved to Atlanta and was appearing nightly at "Joe Cotton's Rhythm Ranch" down on Baker St. Joe Cotton's Rhythm Ranch was operated by Jimmy Smith, who fronted the band, Jimmy Smith and the Texans, which in 1953 included Johnny Tyler and Smith's wife... I don't know for sure, but I guess there is a possibilty that the Cotton Henry mystery is somehow tied up with Jimmy Smith and Johnny Tyler. 

Jimmie, on the other hand, was a tiny bit more famous. He eventually formed the Rural Rhythm label out of Arcadia, CA, which catered mainly in country and bluegrass music whilst also issuing some great rock-a-billy discs too.

Streamliner Boogie is a talking blues ditty with some nice guitar work - marred by poor sound quality on the disc. Henry's side is a relaxed hillbilly disc with fine accompaniment from the Oklahoma Hillbillies (who featured a stand out guitarist - sorry - don't know who this is.) The publishing is also a bit of a puzzle (at least to me) as I would have expected this to be published by Starrite or at least Golden State Songs. Don Carlos Music appears on quite a few releases on Wolf-Tex Records (Wolf City, TX)and also appears on the Big Bob Dougherty Cosmopolitan  Record release later in this series. (MC / Big Al Turner / Phil Tricker / Joe Watson / Nate Gibson)

Source: Phillip J Tricker

Youtube (Cotton Henry) = https://youtu.be/v5exTqHGN3w

Youtube (Jimmie O'Neal) = https://youtu.be/LgWEcniYAu0

If you know any further info on either artist, please contact me at the email address listed below.

Any info? malcychapman@mac.com