DIXIE RECORDS 624

TOM CROOKS and the Rock And Roll Four

Apr 57   (BMI Clearance on 26th April 1957.)

45-624-A - My Heart Don’t Lie

(Crook)   (Starrite BMI)

45-624-B - Weekend Boogie

(Crook)   (Starrite BMI)

DIXIE RECORDS 624

Rome, GA

A side is a slow number, sung with a hillbilly flavour. Tom has that great "hillbilly Twang" to his voice. There's some nice guitar gently supporting Tom whilst he's crooning his love song.

Flip the disc over and you get a great relaxed Rock-A-Billy/Hillbilly/Country hybrid ditty with an accoustic guitar taking the lead with fine support from a steel guitarist. Oh, the joys of the weekend (unless, of course, you're unemployed - in which case, to quote Morrissey,  "every day is like Sunday").

According to Terry Gordon, the artist was from Rome, GA. He sounds like he’s in his 30’s or later to my ears and calling the band “The Rock And Roll Four” is a little optimistic, but it’s a great track nevertheless. (MC)

Label Shots: Terry Gordon


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JAY RECORDS 623

BOB COLE

Apr 57  (BMI Clearance on 26th April 1957.)

45-623-A - Face To Face

(B.Cole)    (Starrite BMI)

45-623-B - You Lied

(B.Cole) (Starrite BMI)

JAY RECORDS 623

New Orleans, LA

Bob had his own radio show broadcast over WARB, Covington, LA and appeared as the MC and a singer on the "Old Country Barn Dance, which was held at the Ann Theatre, Baton Rouge, LA. (He was still appearing at the Ann Theatre in 1958, but after that I have no idea.)

A side is a slowish country ditty; a little like an early Hank Williams. (To be honest, most songs of this type always remind me of Williams). Nice dreamy steel guitar and tic-tac guitar. Guitar solo is a simple run around on the melody. The B side is faster and has a nice catchy melody. Again the guitarist skips along with the melody in the solo. (MC)


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Source: Al Turner

STARDAY RECORDS 622

LUCKY HILL

Mar 57  (Billboard review on 29th April 1957.)

45-622-A - Fickle Baby

(Lucky Hill)   (Starrite BMI)

45-622-B - It’s Comin’ Home To You

(Lucky Hill)   (Starrite BMI)

STARDAY RECORDS 622

A side is a hillbilly song, kinda like an early Lattie Moore King 45. Fiddles are the main instrument here. B side is slower and more bluesy (in a typical hillbilly sort of way). More of a Hank Williams type song, and the tune bears a passing resemblance to "You're Gonna Change Or I'm Gonna Leave".

As for Lucky himself, he appeared on the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial celebration in Meridian, MS, held over May 21st-22nd in 57. He wrote in billboard advertising this disc can be acquired from him form an address in Tiffin, OH. By July 57, having come back from an Armed forces tour of North Africa, Lucky could be found as a staff announcer over KDRO-TV, Sedalia, MO. In Dec 57, Billboard also announced that his piano player (Denny Bolin) had broken his neck in a car accident near Joplin, MO. That's pretty much all the info I have on this artist. He also recorded for TNT Records.

Label Shots: Neil Scott.

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JAMBOREE RECORDS 621

BILL and BOB // BILL BOLAN and the Country Melody Boys

Mar 57

45-621-A - Falling Apart At The Seams

(No info)   (Starrite BMI)

45-621-B - Country Music

(No info)   (Starrite BMI)

JAMBOREE RECORDS 621

4213 Rose Ave, Lyons, IL

Bill was born in Alabama and according to the note posted to DJ's below, was married and had five children. Like many southerners, he may well have headed north on the promise of better job opportunities. Musically, the A side is a weepy country ballad with that sad steel guitar sound throughout. There's a fiddle player in the background who takes a brief solo. The B side is a faster, fiddle and steel gtr led hillbilly song. Bill sounds like a real southerner when he sings, despite the label location of IL.  (MC)

14 Jul 2013 - Updated bio of artist, courtesy of Al Turner. See below with label shots.

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