Howlers, Clangers & Myths – The By The Bayou Series
During the compiling of the first ten CDs in the “By The Bayou” series, due to the plethora of alternate takes and incorrectly labelled tape boxes both within the J.D. Miller and Eddie Shuler tape vaults a number of mistakes occurred and it is clear to Ace Records, and to me personally, that it is to the benefit of all if these are cleared up.
Not all of the instances that have been flagged as errors are errors, some are clearly alternate takes and others are a little more complicated, but in order for readers to appreciate the complexity of the situation, I think it best to lay a little background. The Miller tapes - over the course of three years I spent a number of months listening to some 9,000 tracks of which I selected just over 3,000 for transfer and this task was carried out by Alec Palao. The Shuler tapes were transferred a number of years ago and have remained with Ace - a small proportion of these has been previously used. In both cases there are a considerable number of alternate takes of many of the titles.
In the Miller vault I would estimate that between 10% - 20% of the tapes were in their original boxes and the information on these is accurate, although one is now in dispute. Of the remainder, the majority have been re-boxed at some stage, frequently as result of termite or water damage. On these boxes, sometimes the information was transferred, but frequently it was lost and Miller employed an individual to go through the tapes and identify the material. This has meant that titles were frequently the subject of guesswork from the lyrics and in many cases the same song taped at different sessions has been given more than one title. Also, on a number of occasions the artist was incorrectly identified.
Obviously there were similar problems with Eddie Shuler’s Goldband material as again some tracks are wrongly titled, but where artists have been wrongly identified it appears that more than one vocalist took part at a session, but only the principal artist was named.
In many cases I was able to correct titles and artists’ names but obviously I didn’t spot them all and a number of collectors have got together and pooled their information to raise criticism. Fair enough - although obviously I would have preferred if it had come to me or to the company rather than through another publication.
Getting down to specific cases, I think sharing our tape logs might help your understanding. Let’s start with three cases which I consider to be absolute howlers on my part:
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00621.04 |
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Mad Dog Sheffield |
Watching The Clock |
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00621.05 |
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Mad Dog Sheffield |
You Move Me Baby |
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00621.06 |
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Mad Dog Sheffield |
Pretty Little Dolly |
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00621.07 |
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Mad Dog Sheffield |
Wicked Old Fever |
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18089_45 |
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Charles Sheffield |
Boogie Children |
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18058_37 |
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Charles Sheffield |
Boogie Children |
The first four tracks above appear to be part of a Goldband session and ‘Pretty Little Dolly’ is the version included on the first “Rhythm’n’ Bluesin’ By The Bayou” CD. Obviously I recognised the song as one of Clarence Garlow’s and I checked it against his Goldband 45. Realising that it was a completely different band I accepted what was in the tape logs. This was naive and a closer listen would have told me that it was Garlow but singing with a different band, presumably Sheffield’s and that it was this which had appeared on the Charly/Goldband LP.
‘Boogie Children’ appeared on two of the re-boxed Miller tapes and, with both the title and the artist incorrect on both boxes, I did not have any cross-reference point to help identification when including the track on the second “Rhythm’n’ Bluesin’ CD, but I still consider it a howler as I should have recognised Tabby Thomas’s ‘Hoo Doo Party’ even though those words do not appear in the song.
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00612.18 |
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Guitar Jr. |
Roll Roll All Night Long |
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00612.19 |
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Eddie Williams |
Ain't Nothing Shaking |
A simple typo of one digit in the instructions to the studio caused the Guitar Jr. track to appear on the fourth Rhythm’n’ Bluesin’ CD instead of the intended Eddie Williams. The error was spotted and the CD withdrawn to be corrected. Unfortunately a small number of CDs had escaped before the discovery.
Moving on to the errors which I think are a little more forgivable and have thus dubbed clangers we have
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00624.31 |
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Jay Nelson |
Silly Dilly |
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00609.33 |
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Jay Nelson |
Silly Filly Oh Baby |
Because the intro was clipped on the first of these tapes and the two versions appear to differ in tempo I believed them to be different versions when I included the latter on the second “Rhythm’n’Bluesin’” CD. I did not realise that it was a retitled copy of the first and had already been out. It is now obvious that when a safety copy of the tape was made the two tape machines were running at a slightly different speed, producing this difference.
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18095_13 |
FLY558 |
SLIM HARPO |
My Little Queen Bee |
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18095_14 |
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SLIM HARPO |
My Little Queen Bee |
I used the second version on the second “Bluesin’ By The Bayou’” CD without being aware of the existence of the Flyright CD and therefore erroneously believed that it was an unissued take.
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18095_21 |
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KING KARL |
When I Leave Here |
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18137.48 |
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MR MOJO |
I Won’t Be Long Here |
On this track, issued as by King Karl on the second “Rhythm ‘n’ Bluesin’” CD, the copy tape used his alter ego and had a different title. It was one of the last transferred and had not arrived when the CD was released, but again I was not aware of the Flyright CD so could not make the connection and did not realise that the track had already been released using the second name and title.
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08990_15 |
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BILLY TATE |
Right From Wrong |
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08990_16 |
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BILLY TATE |
Right From Wrong |
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08990_22 |
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BILLY TATE |
Special Lesson |
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08990_23 |
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BILLY TATE |
Special Lesson |
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08990_24 |
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BILLY TATE |
Special Lesson |
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18118.42 |
FLY 532 |
BILLY TATE |
Special Lesson No. 1 |
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18118.16 |
FLY 601 |
BILLY TATE |
Right Or Wrong |
Contrary to allegations, the track that I used as ‘Right From Wrong’ on the first “Rhythm’n’ Bluesin’” CD was not the same as the last track shown above, which is a different song to the other six. However, I must confess that it was the same take as track six and therefore was not previously unissued but had appeared on a different Flyright LP.
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18114.93 |
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?male vox |
Can’t Stand This Living Alone |
When this track was issued on the fourth “Boppin’” CD I stated in the liner notes “…I am certain that I recognise the voice but am unable to confirm who it might be”. It was subsequently pointed out by two people that the singer was Clint West, then the vocalist with Red Smiley & The Veltones and that the song had been issued by Jin under the title ‘Lover Blues’. This was an embarrassment on two counts; firstly, the track was included on an Ace CD of Jin material and secondly, I have the Jin 45 in my collection. Unfortunately the instantly recognisable side of that single “Take A Ride” was not in the Miller session tapes under any title, or almost certainly the penny would have dropped.
A little more complicated
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08991_51 |
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TABBY THOMAS |
I Don’t Care |
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08988_28 |
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VINCE MONROE |
Hey Mattie |
These two tracks were issued previously by Flyright, but were massively sped up, to the extent that in both cases it sounds as though the artists were playing and singing in different keys to our versions. It has taken the use of sophisticated computer software to confirm that they are the same takes as issued by Flyright. Therefore it was incorrect to identify them as previously unissued, as they are different to the previous releases and are previously unissued at their correct speed
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18095_59 |
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Leroy Washington |
Learn To Treat Me Better |
This track was not unissued as was stated on the second “Rhythm’n’ Bluesin’” CD but had previously been issued by Flyright as by Lonesome Sundown. At that time I had no reason to check Lonesome Sundown material but later Bruce Bastin told me that when he released the Lonesome Sundown LP some incorrectly credited Leroy Washington tracks had been included.
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00626.38 |
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Clarence Garlow |
It Ain't Right |
Again this was a case of not looking for a release of the song as Lonesome Sundown, principally because I have never thought of him as recording at Goldband and as such I did not recognise that Ace had already issued the take as by Lonesome Sundown with the Clarence Garlow Band. There is no mention of Sundown in the tape logs and so I asked John Broven, the compiler of the “Bayou Blues Blasters” CD where the info came from.
He tells me that: “I identified Lonesome Sundown as the vocalist when I first heard the tape at Goldband in 1992. Although titled ‘It Ain't Right’ (on the tape box), I recognised the song as ‘Leave My Money Alone’, which Sundown recorded as his first single for Miller on Excello 2092.” The inference here is that the Goldband version predates the Excello and I have no reason to dispute that or John’s analysis.
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18117.76 |
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PEE WEE TRAHAN |
Keepin’ All My Lovin’ |
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18117.77 |
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PEE WEE TRAHAN |
Keepin’ All My Lovin’ |
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18092_45 |
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PEE WEE TRAHAN |
Keepin’ All My Lovin’ |
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18144.17 |
FLY540 |
PEE WEE TRAHAN |
Keepin’ All My Lovin’ |
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18116.51 |
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PEE WEE TRAHAN |
Keeping All My Loving |
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18115.90 |
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PEE WEE TRAHAN |
Keeping All My Loving |
On the fourth “Boppin’ By The Bayou” CD I used the last of these versions and listed it as being previously unissued. I have now been told that this is the same as a 1974 bootleg LP where the tape was mysteriously obtained from the Sun vaults and falsely attributed to Warren Smith. I do not have access to this LP so cannot confirm that it is the take in question. We now know that Miller did try to place tracks with various companies via his numerous contacts in the industry. In this case that was probably Judd Phillips who represented Sam at many industry gatherings at that time.
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08990_86 |
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CHARLES SHEFFIELD |
Give It Up |
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08990_87 |
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CHARLES SHEFFIELD |
Give It Up |
The first of these takes was used on the first “Rhythm’n’ Bluesin’” CD and it has been alleged that this is the same take as an Excello 45 by Vince Monroe. This is not so. Whilst it does sound like the same singer it is a different take and is previously unissued. Interestingly, neither Bruce Bastin all those years ago, or I, found a tape of this song credited to Vince Monroe or his alter ego Mr Calhoun.
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08991_22 |
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WILEY JEFFERS |
My Love Is Just For You |
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08991_23 |
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WILEY JEFFERS |
My Love Is Just For You |
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08991_24 |
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WILEY JEFFERS |
My Love Is Just For You |
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08991_26 |
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WILEY JEFFERS |
My Love Is Just For You |
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18058_78 |
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WILEY JEFFERS |
My Love Is True (My Love Is Just For You) |
I used the last of these versions on the third “Boppin’ By The Bayou” CD and it has been alleged that this is the take released as ‘Oh Yeah’ by Wally Jeffery on the Do-Ra-Me label. This is not correct as it is a previously unissued version. However, as I have the Do-Ra-Me 45 in my collection I do feel that I should have made the connection even though the title was completely different. It would seem that on this occasion Miller passed a tape to Murray Nash who retitled the song and somehow renamed the artist before putting the record out.
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18059_61 |
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TAL MILLER |
Mean Old Kokomo |
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18059_60 |
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TAL MILLER |
Mean Old Kokomo |
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18114.82 |
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TAL MILLER |
Mean Old Kokomo |
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18114.83 |
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TAL MILLER |
Mean Old Kokomo |
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18139.17 |
FLY606 |
TAL MILLER |
Mean Ole Kokomo |
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18058_76 |
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TALTON MILLER |
Mean Old Kokomo |
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18058_77 |
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TALTON MILLER |
Mean Old Kokomo |
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08990_49 |
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TALTON MILLER |
Mean Ole Kokomo |
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08990_50 |
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TALTON MILLER |
Mean Ole Kokomo |
The final version of this song was issued on the first “Rhythm’n’ Bluesin’” CD and again it has been alleged that this was previously issued by Flyright. That is not true - it is a totally different take.
Finally, we come to two cases which have provoked argument as to who the artist is:-
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08990_68 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Big Fat Woman |
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08990_69 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Big Fat Woman |
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08990_70 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Big Fat Woman |
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08990_71 |
FLY524 |
LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Big Fat Woman |
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08990_72 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Bugger Bugger Boy |
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08990_73 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Bugger Bugger Boy |
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08990_74 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Bugger Bugger Boy |
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08990_75 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Bugger Bugger Boy |
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18143.41 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Big Fat Woman |
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18143.42 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Big Fat Woman |
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18143.43 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Bugger Bugger Boy |
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18143.44 |
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LIGHTNIN’ SLIM |
Bugger Bugger Boy |
There is no dispute here about a previous release as it was acknowledged that the fourth version of ‘Big Fat Woman’ issued on the first “Bluesin’” CD had previously been first used by Flyright under the wrong title of ‘I’m Him’” when it was accepted that the artist was Lightnin’ Slim. It seems that further down the line someone decided that the singer was in fact Schoolboy Cleve because when, later in their series, Flyright issued the song again, still as ‘I’m Him’, Bruce Bastin wrote: “it is Cleve who sings, while Lightnin' merely backs him, as he did on Cleve's single Feature release.”
I am not going to argue with that, but when I listened to the session tapes it seemed to me that the singer moved effortlessly from one song to the other. The Schoolboy Cleve tracks issued on Feature were not part of either of the two session tapes or the possibility of two singers would have been flagged automatically.
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18094_53 |
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SLIM HARPO |
Bought Me A Ticket |
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18094_50 |
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SLIM HARPO |
Bought Me A Ticket |
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18094_52 |
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SLIM HARPO |
Bought Me A Ticket |
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18094_54 |
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SLIM HARPO |
Bought Me A Ticket |
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18094_51 |
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SLIM HARPO |
Bought Me A Ticket |
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18094_53 |
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SLIM HARPO |
Bought Me A Ticket |
This is the track that caused the furore. Spread over the six tracks there are actually sixteen takes including false starts, so it would seem that Miller was anxious to make this Lonesome Sundown song work for this artist. When I first found this tape in its original box it was, along with three other tapes, in a carton of empty tape boxes, which I think is possibly why Bruce Bastin didn’t discover it. Whilst Alec was transferring tapes I had time to root around other parts of the Tardis-like Miller building and I found this carton in an old disused studio. Anyway, on playing the tape I thought, “wow, that’s not like anything else I’ve heard by Harpo” but, as the majority of his material is loosely in the Jimmy Reed vein, I accepted that with a totally different song structure he would sound different. Also, as mentioned earlier, all of the other original tape boxes had the correct information of them, so again I accepted that – it was not, as has been emotively put, “scribblings on a box”.
Since the issue of this track on the second “Bluesin’” CD there has been much debate over who the artist might be. Only one person thinks that it is Lonesome Sundown; the better-informed agree that it isn’t Sundown but can’t make up their minds as to who it is. John Broven, whose opinion on Louisiana music I always value, says that he is pretty sure the guitarist is Leroy Washington but does not know who the vocalist is. Lazy Lester was apparently contacted for his opinion, but didn’t recognise the artist.
So I leave you with that conundrum. I am not about to go to the wall avowing that this is Harpo, I am merely demonstrating why the track was thus designated on the “Bluesin’” CD.
In summary - 280 tracks have appeared in the “Bayou” series; nine of which were clearly incorrectly identified as previously unissued. This is not a high percentage but they are still errors that could have been avoided. In the circumstances, I can do no more than apologise unreservedly in the hope that people will now understand how they came about and will continue to enjoy the series - whilst I endeavour greater vigilance. Also, I must add that there has never been any attempt to mislead by showing tracks as unissued when that was not the case. As to the identities of artists, where this contributed to the errors mentioned above, the answers are clear. In other cases it is a little more contentious and I am happy to leave conclusions to the listeners.
Ian Saddler
