High Tone roster

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

I got an email from High tone's list today, thought I might pass some of it on, especially with the Hank Thompson topic here in the music section.

High Tone message

quote:
This month we're all celebrating the nomination of Dave Alvin's "Public Domain" album for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Folk Album category! He definitely deserves the honor, and we're all keeping our fingers crossed for him.
JANUARY SALE NOW AT http://www.hightone.com
Dave Alvin: "Blue Blvd."
Phil Alvin: "County Fair 2000"
James Armstrong: "Sleeping with a Stranger"
astroPuppees: "You Win the Bride"
Aztex: "Short Stories"
Big Sandy: "Jumping from 6 to 6"
The Blasters: "American Music"
Lester Butler: "13 Featuring Lester Butler"
Robert Cray: "Bad Influence"
Dick Dale: "Tribal Thunder"
Deke Dickerson: "#1 Hit Record"
Ramblin' Jack Elliott: "Friends of Mine"
Joe Ely: "Lord of the Highway"
Rosie Flores: "After the Farm"
Little Willie G: "Make Up for the Lost Time"
Chris Gaffney: "Mi Vida Loca"
Jimmie Dale Gilmore: "Fair and Square"
The Hollisters: "Sweet Inspiration"
Hot Club of Cowtown: "Swingin' Stampede"
James Keelaghan: "Road"
Bill Kirchen: "Hot Rod Lincoln...Live!"
Kim Lenz: "Kim Lenz and her Jaguars"
The Loved Ones: "The Price for Love"
Christy McWilson "The Lucky One"
Buddy Miller: "Your Love and Other Lies"
Julie Miller: "Blue Pony"
Katy Moffatt: "Angel Town"
Teddy Morgan: "Lost Love and Highways"
Geoff Muldaur: "The Secret Handshake"
Heather Myles: "Just Like Old Times"
Mark Olson: "My Own Jo Ellen"
Chuck Prophet: "The Hurting Business"
Ted Roddy: "Full Circle"
Tom Russell: "Rose of the San Joaquin"
The Skeletons: "Nothing to Lose"
Chris Smither: "Up on the Lowdown"
Sprague Brothers: "Let the Chicks Fall Where They May"
Gary Stewart: "Brand New"
Dave Stuckey: "Get a Load of This!"
Redd Volkaert: "Telewacker"
Joe Louis Walker: "Cold is the Night"
Phillip Walker: "Blues"
Dale Watson: "Cheatin' Heart Attack"
Dallas Wayne: "Big Thinkin'"
Randy Weeks: "Madeline"
Rev. Billy C. Wirtz: "Deep Fried and Sanctified"

Also I noticed some dates for BIG SANDY & HIS FLY-RITE BOYS!
19-Jan Bimbo's (w/Bill Haley's Comets) San Francisco CA
20-Jan Aces, Sacramento CA
2-Feb The Casbah, San Diego CA
3-Feb Lotus Lounge, Huntington Beach CA

I reckon the gig with the Comets would be unbelievable, all those cats (bar their sometimes vocalist)played with Haley in the 1950s and half of them were in the Jodimars who were a pretty rock band on Capitol REcords in the late 1950s.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Jason,
I work with an Elvis impersonater here in Virginia sometimes and we did a weekend gig in Ocean City, Md. last May at the Convention Center. It was an oldies thing and also on the bill was Bill Haley's Comets! They had this real tall heavy set drummer who was the band leader (I can't remember his name) but he was the only one who'd ever played with Haley and he didn't start until around '60 or '61 after he'd had all his hits. All that said, they did do one hell of a show and kept the crowd rockin' to every thing they did. They had a guitar player who played a Telecaster but he had the old Frank Beecher thing nailed especially the solo on "Rock Around the Clock".

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12

[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 15 January 2001 at 08:04 PM.]

Janice Brooks · From: Pleasant Gap Pa

Jason do a check on the old thread about the
Comets from a few months ago.

At least the guys in Ocean City had a member who played with Haley. Don't even ask about
the guys out there posing as the Platters, the Coasters or the Drifters.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Actually I assumed it was the version with Marshall Lytle, who worked with the Jodimars and was with Haley as early as 1949,or 1951.. I forget which, but he was one of the cats that helped devise 'the Bill Haley Sound'..so to speak.

Marshall's version of the Comets, contains the guys who were 1950s Comets, or were part ofthe studio crowd that Haley used to beef up his sound.
I know there are other versions, but these guys have been back together since 1989 and have recorded several albums/CDs.

After Marshall and a few of the guys split Haley the formed the Jodimars in the late 1950s and recorded for Capitol REcords and haunted the Vegas circuit.
In 1960 it was all over and Marshall briefly worked with Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant at some teeny tiny casino in Nevada, what Speedy described as 'Jack Rabbit Country.'

If anything it shows that Speedy and Jimmy were still on pretty good terms, despite Capitol booting Bryant off their roster, so those guys still rocked and I guess the only reason they didn't work together as much is due to the fact that Speedy split for Oklahoma in 1960.

Anyway, I have heard that this version of the Comets (with Marshall), totally rock..I've heard the Cds and they are real good too (new one last year on the Rollin' Rock label).
For some Vegas gigs they even dig up the Jordanaires to sing with them. Although I'm not a big fan of vocal groups, I'd still have to say that this is something I would love to see.
If you got to the Rockabilly Hall Of fame there are a few pages devoted to Marshall and the boys.

Janice, I know what you mean by the Platters, the Coasters and the Drifters, there were bogus versions of those groups around in the early 1960s, and it seems that every time a member left they'd use the group's name.

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Dale Watson had some really heartfelt things to say about Bruce Bromberg and Hightone records during his most recent appearance at the Blue Cafe.

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Hiya Sleepy, Bill really rocks with that Tele, I heard the Commander Cody reunion gigs earlier this month were pretty hot as well.

Hey Earnest, speaking of indie releases, how's Chris Gaffney's latest CD doing.. got any inside scoop for us?

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Sorry, I have no idea how any of the Gaffney CD's are doing.

BTW the plan now is to take the Gaffney band to Austin for SXSW. We could drive 6 pickumup trucks across the desert, or if we are lucky we'll find a big vehicle. This puts me in mind of my mis-spent youth.

Tele · From: Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany

Jason,
you're right about your Comets. I was shared the stage with them in the late 90s and these guys are the real thing !

Andy

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Earnest, I was just curious, but it was a dumb question really. Taking a road train approach to Austin with the Chris Gaffney, cool..sounds like the basis for an indie film.

Andy, did the bass player climb on his bass while he was playing it, I've heard that he sometimes still does that, although I thought those reports might be exaggerated.
They want to come out and tour, but no-one seems interested in booking such a large band.

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