The Dellords, Roswell

THE DELLORDS- In Togetherness / September Song (Midas 09)

I've kind of had Roswell on the brain as a result of this here record. It turned up recently in a group of Roswell/Carlsbad releases that were being used as decorations somewhere in north New Mexico. While working on acquiring it I found out that Midas was co-owned by Clyde Haskins and Jimmy Blakley. That led to the posting of Jimmy's excellent "Island Paradise" on D as well as acquiring a couple of Jimmy and Dorothy Blakley's 78 rpm releases on Starday which will get stomped later (I've got a pile of stuff on tap that'll keep me Stomping twice a week from now until Christmas).

Perhaps because of its time (1962 based on RCA custom matrix, despite Haskins saying he started Midas in 1965) or place (Roswell, New Mexico) this disc has been overlooked by the vocal group crowd. Or maybe the late date and location makes it obscure. I find it interesting FOR those reasons. Here's a group of guys that were STILL holding onto that group sound of the decade previous. And doing it in Roswell, New Mexico of all places. A town with a population of mayhaps 30,000 at the time. "In Togetherness" has a ragged New York street sound out step with the desert/plains feel of Roswell. Mayhaps these were gents on loan from elsewhere via the long gone Walker Air Force base south of town. Raggedy all the same, and dig that guitar break! I wonder if Blakley and Haskins made use of guitarist Cliff Blakley for the session("Want To Be With You" on Starday).

"September Song" is interesting as well. A set of strings on the introduction at this late date would have been expected, or at the very least violin. But coming from the honky tonk hot bed of east New Mexico this doo wop slowie is kicked off with a fiddle. I'm not fully aware of all of the versions of "September Song" that had been recorded up to this point, but am curious as to what inspired them to go the fiddle route, unless it was under the direction of Haskins or Blakley.

The Dellords again prove that Roswell was by no means a musical backwater... Jimmy Blakley and his band swung pretty hard in the area in the 50s and 60s, the Venturie '5' would be creating pulsing, psych-tinged rock sounds ("Good n' Bad") a few years later , and Al Sims was being Al Sims. Lots of great sounds coming from the land of Aliens.

Make sure a give a spin to a couple of other doo wop records that have been Stomped... "Laugh" by the Velvets and "Just a Moment" by the Elgins, both from Odessa.