Ivan, Lubbock

IVAN- Real Wild Child (Coral 62017)

In January and February of 1958 Lubbock's Buddy Holly and the Crickets made quick work of Australia, performing 12 shows in 4 cities in just 7 days as a part of Lee Gordon's second "Big Show" tour. Also on the tour was Australia's own rock n' roll sensation Johnny O'Keefe. It would be O'keefe who would be the first rock n' roller to crack into the Australian hit chart with a song titled "The Wild One". Retitled as "Real Wild Child" it would receive a Brunswick release stateside and a Coral release in the UK.

It was at a Crickets session in Clovis that "Real Wild Child" was cut with Jerry Ivan Allison taking the lead vocal and Buddy Holly turning in some of his finest work on lead guitar. Though the recording was done as a joke, it was released by Coral and managed to work its way to #68 on the charts.

A follow-up, "Frankie Frankenstein", was not as successful. On many levels.

NMSU Jazz Lab Band, Las Cruces

THE NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY JAZZ LAB BAND- Slopes of Judea (from Turquoise)

There are 1000s of these 'school' records littering every thrift and junk shop in the United States. The majority of them hold no real value other than sentiment for participants or the parents/families/friends of participants. Even as a collector (hoarder?) of music from this region I pass over most of the local school recordings I come across. While there's just so much junk, there's treasures to be found as well. Like the '66-era garage duo recording recently found on a school record from the area.

Turquoise looked like it might possibly have a funky jazz track or two, but did not. Instead I was surprised by "Slopes of Judea", a track written by Bill Cowling. The track mimics/follows part one of Chris Dedrick's "Sensitivity" as played by the New York Saxophone Quartet. It also strikes me as a mood piece written as part of a soundtrack and I swear I've heard it before. But I have not. As Bill Cowling is also credited with a second song on Turquoise it's possible that this might have been written specifically for the NMSU Jazz Lab Band.

Richard & Carl, Roswell

RICHARD AND CARL- So Delightful (Midas UN-06)

Pleasant instrumental piece from just over the border in Roswell. The flip credits Richard and Carl Reiff making this a family guitar duo. The RCA matrix dates it to 1961 and Billboard reviews of Midas releases puts it to late fall or early winter of that year.

The Heartbeats, Lubbock

THE HEART BEATS- Cryin' Inside (The Heart Beats no#)

The Heart Beats were a young all-girl quartet that formed in a Lubbock music class in 1966 and was comprised of sisters Deb (g.) and Linda (d.) Sanders along Jeannie Foster (g. and organ) and Deborah Miller (b.)

Deb and Linda's mother acted as the band manager taking care of their performance schedule as well as setting up a session with Robin Hood Brians in his famed Tyler, Texas studio. Robin had them work up his buddies' Mouse & the Traps's "Cryin' Inside" which was released as the A-side on the sole single on the band's own label. The singled included a black and white band photo insert as well. Mrs. Landers also eventually arranged for the girls to appear on the nationally televised Happening 68 in August of 1968.



The girls were the winners, yet not even old enough to drive the VW bus they had won. A recording contract was a prize as well, but turned down because of traveling requirements. All the same, not too shabby an experience for 4 teen gals from little ol' Lubbock.

There would be a second single recorded at Petty Studios in Clovis the following year, but it would not be released until the 70s.

More info and photos of the Heart Beats is can be found here on their Cicadelic page.

Wink Lewis, Synder

WINK LEWIS w/ BUZ BUSBY & BAND- Zzztt, Zzztt, Zzztt (Tone 1121)

For a very brief period of time in the mid-50s, between stints as a radio DJ in Lufkin and Cameron, Wink Lewis's voice could be heard over KSNY out of Snyder, Texas. It was from this location that Wink began his Queen record label. Many of the releases on the label were from Big Spring's Hoyle Nix who was noted by John Ingman as a co-owner of the label.

Collectors today are aware of the Queen label because of the tune "Real Rockin' Daddy" which was released twice by the label, with one version credited to Jay Bob Howdy with Hoyle Nix and His West Texas Cowboys and the rerelease noting the involvement of only Hoyle and his crew. Both feature the same vocal by the song's co-writer Jay Bob Howdy who was actually Wink Lewis. Few people are aware that the song's roots, and other co-writer "Miller", are based in east Texas and Louisiana from whence Wink came. Wink would actually release one single 45 on his own label under his own name featuring a nice honky tonk boogie titled "Low Down Blues" with backing from Buzz Busby and his Band. It's Buzz who could probably be given credit for kick-starting the state of Maryland's fascination with bluegrass music in the 1960s. Not sure how Buzz wound up in West Texas.

At some point in early 1956 Wink left KSNY in Snyder and headed east of I-35 to work radio in Cameron, Texas. A few short months later he again recorded with Buzz Busby's band, this time producing one of the oddest rockabilly tunes ever- "Zzztt Zzztt Zzztt". The rhythm is almost too much and the lyrics too hep with the result being a country boy just trying too hard and the disc received a lackluster Billboard review in August of 1956.

Allmusicguide's Eugene Chadbourne mentions "Zzztt" being recorded in Snyder, but unless it was recorded at the same session that produced "Low Down Blues" and the master carried to Cameron I doubt this. And I doubt it was recorded at the same session. Perhaps the Queen-ette publishing is a homage to Wink's brief stay in Snyder.