Slim Willet, Abilene

Winston Lee Moore.

The man ruled the honky tonk roost in Abilene in the 1950s and early 1960s. Wrote "Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes". Brought Elvis in for his first Abilene performance. Ran the Winston and Edmoral labels, releasing records by Dean Beard, Hoyle Nix, and Darrell Rhodes among others. Disc Jockey on KRBC, KNIT, and KCAD. Hosted the weekly Big State Jamboree television show. Not too shabby for a feller named Winston.

Slim "Winston" Willet came from oil country and it was one of the many West Texas booms that inspired his first success, "Tool Pusher From Snyder" for Star Talent in the very early 50s. It was a theme Slim would return to over and over again including this rare 1959 full length on his own Winston label. "Rig Moving Man", "Toolpusher (On A Rotary Rig)"- an update of the Snyder hit-, "Haywire Jones" and host more. A few of these made it onto earlier Winston 45s. A few seemed to have been items tossed to the side originally, only to be pulled into use for this album. "Smell That Sweet Perfume" bears the sounds of Mexico, a sound Slim used often. "Drill Bit Honky Tonk" might be the bluesiest Slim ever did get.

A second lp made up of sides from his 4-Star years was released on the oddball King subsidiary Audio lab in 1959 as well. I don't believe there to have been another proper lp release on the Winston label.

But definitely a bunch of great 45s.

The Ivy Jives, Hobbs / Portales

THE IVY JIVES- Knockout (Jaro International 7703)

The Ivy Jives were a group that worked out of Eastern New Mexico- Hobbs according to Bill Griggs- in the late 1950s. They first recorded on their own I.J. label. This second release came out a short time later. Group member Jay Turnbow- attending college 30 miles down the road in Portales- was one of the writers for Norman Petty at the time when things were busting wide open for the producer. "Knockout" features some odd instrumentation for a decidedly rock n' roll song.

Jaro- connected to the larger Top Rank label- would feature a small handful of Petty produced singles. Turnbow would take his songwriting skills to Acuff/Rose's Hickory label where he would ink tunes for the Newbeats and Sparkles.
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Check out JukeboxMafia for another Petty produced oddball by Whispering Pigg.

Ben Hall & the Circle 4 Ramblers, Big Spring

BEN HALL & THE CIRCLE 4 RAMBLERS- Blue Days, Black Nights (Gaylo 104)

"When we left Lubbock, it was in December, it was real bad weather, and [I] kinda got the idea from not having any money and being broke, and there were blue days and black nights." Ben Hall to Alan Munde, author of Prairie Night to Neon Lights

Ben Hall recorded "Blue Days-Black Nights" twice. Once at his High Fidelity House garage studio in 1960 after another guy had recorded it for Decca and once in 1956 as a demo. Great song whenever it was in Ben's Hands, or in Buddy's for that matter.

That's long-time Hall pal and Nashville pro Weldon Myrick on steel. And Mrs. Hall on bass? It swings for sure and has enough pop-sense that it sounds like it should have been some kind of hit. Maybe a bit too country for the country charts for mid-1960.

The Colours, Lubbock

Lubbock's folk combo The Colours leave me speechless.


THE COLOURS- Helplessly Hoping (Century 36550)

This 'rare' lp regularly sells for around $100+.

But why? It's not psych, a common seller catchphrase. It's hardly rock. But it's certainly folky. And not the cool and hip Acid Archives kinda folk, but the goofy Kingston Trio/campus style of folk that was so big in the mid to late 60s. The album is full of covers of Bobby Darin, Dylan, the Beau Brummels, Jerry Jeff Walker, and and a single original from the pen of group member Gordon Parrish. The best remake of the lot is the Crosby, Stills, & Nash hit "Helplessly Hoping".

Also included is a handy dandy bit of studio wizardry by Lubbock Century franchise man John Hildreth featuring the banjo of Jim Ratts who is still out there doing his thing up in Colorado.

There was at least one more release, also on Century and cover heavy, and perhaps one more lp beyond that.