J Gale Kilgore & the Games, Big Spring

I heard "Suds" by J. Gale on Buffalo Bop's drinking compilation about 10 years back. Its fratty style seemed a bit out of place on a compilation that was otherwise geared in a honky tonk n' hillbilly sorta direction, but I dug it all the same and was really excited when I found that J. Gale and Eyeball Records had been local to the area. Though I was able to turn up a couple of other 45s by J. Gale Kilgore, "Suds" had proven to be elusive until last Spring...


J. GALE AND THE GAMES- A Million Nothings b/w Suds (Eyeball Records 1007)

Passing through Big Spring, Texas on Interstate 20 one would be hard pressed to imagine it as a music city. In the early 50s Big Spring's Ace of Clubs was home to a young and unknown Lefty Frizzell. The Hoyle & Ben Nix clan used the city and their Stampede dance hall as a hub for their western swing outfit, the West Texas Cowboys. While DJ'ing at Big Spring station KHEM Hank Harral (stomped HERE by the host of Pueblo City Limits, Lisa Wheeler) ran 20 someodd releases on his Caprock label. And from the late 50s up through 1968 Ben Hall was recording all sorts of sounds at his High Fidelity House studio. As Ben was moving out, J. Gale Kilgore was just about to get started.

Born and raised in Big Spring J. Gale Kilgore's first taste of the stage came at a high school talent show in 1957 singing "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", while beating out the tempo out on the backside of a flattop guitar. Influenced by country music- his elder brother was actually a bouncer at the Ace of Clubs during Lefty's tenure there- and the exploding sounds of r&B stylists like Fats Domino J wanted to sing. On bus rides to area football games, he would entertain his teammates with the sounds of the day. For many a kid of that era, those little events would have all come together creating an opportunity for a life in music.

But J. Gale graduated in '58 and headed down the street to Howard Country Junior College, finishing up two years later. Then it was off to Houston for more school and a degree in optometry, marriage, and a stretch in Vietnam, where he earned a bronze star. It was while overseas that J finally learned to play guitar, a talent he put to use at the local VA hospital after his return in 1968.

After opening up his practice J. also got down to getting more serious about music. Writing his first two songs in 1970, "Suds" and "A Million Nothings", he and the Games- Easy Ezell on lead guitar, drummer Mickey Harshman, and Joe Johnson on bass- headed west to a Midland studio to record the first of what would be a handful of releases on J's own Eyeball Records.

After an introductory call to guzzle- if I may swipe a phrase- the Games barrel in with a bass driven ode to bottled courage and liquid excess. The fratty style belies the 1970 recording date... if anything "Suds" is more of a surfy, 'dawn of the English invasion' sound than it is a contemporary to Three Dog Night or Carpenters.

On the flip of "Suds" was J. second composition, "A Million Nothings", a marriage of 60s honky tonk and a garagey thud. It's a fitting mood for a such a desperate song. Actually... "Million Nothings" isn't desperate... it's way past that.

Though he continued with releases on Eyeball through the 70s, J. and his band also branched out into television with his own weekly show on Midland's KMID-TV. Here's a clip of J. singing along to "I Sure Do Miss You Tonight" (released on Eyeball 1011), arguably the best record Charlie Pride never cut.

J. soldiers on today. He still has a full time optometry practice in Big Spring. His Youtube channel (HERE) gives him an audience far beyond that of regional radio stations and through the Eyeball Records website he offers up songwriter demo help as well as his own recorded works. J's got a spot over at cdbaby as well.

Thanks to J. Gale Kilgore for patiently putting up with my countless emails concerning the most mundane of topics.

Fred Crawford, Kermit (II)

It's not as if I have one single LoneStarStomp logo. But mayhaps you've noticed the latest one. That's the former studio of radio station KERB just outside of Kermit, one time home to a few West Texas heavyweights. Also, thanks to Andrew Brown (Wired For Sound) for turning a younger Westex onto Fred 13 years back. It's a gift that has never gotten old. Thanks, man.



FRED CRAWFORD- Me & My New Baby b/w Just Another Broken Heart (Starday 218)

Not much new to add for Fred Crawford here (I gave him a brief rundown almost two years back on a post that could probably use an update), but the recent addition of this 1955 release and a trip to the KERB property in Kermit is good enough reason to share a couple of more sides from one of the greatest country singers Texas ever produced.

Fred moved to West Texas in the 1950s, eventually taking up work as country deejay at KERB, just west of Kermit. Early on the station was a mix of all styles of music, and the station wouldn't switch to the all country format until the mid-60s. Prior to that the station had served as home for Roy Orbison's hillbilly outfit, Charline Arthur, and Durwood Haddock. For such a lonely little outpost they certainly had the ability to pull in the talent.

(KERB studios outside of Kermit, Texas)

It's doubtful that Fred Crawford and the author of "Me and My New Baby", Eddie Noack, ever worked together. Eddie himself never made it as far as an actual release with the song, though a rough demo does exist. The sprite "Me And My New Baby" celebrates the showin' off phase of a new relationship... she may not be around next week, but she's here now and makes me feel 'purt neat'. In 1956 Crawford would again hit Noack's songbook, this time with the excellent "Lucky In Cards", which can be heard over at Andrew Brown's excellent Wired For Sound. (Noack himself had a slight west Texas connection. He was pulling a nightime duty on the edge of the desert at El Paso's Ft. Bliss when he was struck with the idea for "These Hands". Noack later produced at least one record for Junior Keith's Amarillo-based Talstar label.)

Some of Fred's best sides were those that gave his voice a chance to cry just a bit. "Just Another Broken Heart" kicks in with what sounds like twin fiddles followed by some slick steel that picks up on the vocal and mimics Fred's cry as the song carries on. The vocal's strong, the story sad, his new baby having moved on before Fred got a chance to do the same. Texas honky tonk does not get too much better.

(State HWY 302 off the Caprock...
Kermit & KERB out there... somewhere)

Still on the look for a copy of Fred's custom pressing on 4-Star and his release(s) on D.

The Cavaliers, Mesilla Park

THE CAVALIERS- The Quiver (Gum 1004)

In the early 1960s 'dance' songs were all the rage. Everyone needed a dance song to stay up with the times. Las Cruces's Cavaliers, led by Lloyd Nash, joined in with their greasy "The Quiver" on this fall of 1962 release on Mesilla Park's Gum label. While Gum publishing can be found on a number of discs from El Paso, Mesilla Park, and Las Cruces, the Gum label itself was short lived with only 4 known releases, and two of those coming from the Cavaliers.

And while we're at it... Gum was the publisher for Frank Gonzales and the Palisades's contribution to dance craze, "Dance to the Palisades".

The Living Us, Big Spring

THE LIVING US- Understand b/w Steal Away (Nomad 1704 / 1703)

The Living Us came out of Big Spring in the late 60s crossing many styles with their one and only release. There are hints of garage, soul, funk, and hard rock bulldozing their way through the heavy "Steal Away". The a-side "Understand" feels like the post-doo wop group sound of the early 60s, and is the far better side in my opinion. Nice oldies vibe.

Used to be a rare $20 record 4 years ago. With a number of copies hitting the market the past couple of years it's now just a scarce record. And $200+.

The Sonics, Odessa

THE SONICS- Don't Lie To Me (Zola 102)

These particular Sonics were waaaay more influenced by the mop tops than them long haired fellers from out on the left coast ever were. Both sides of Zola 102 sound out a pretty heavy Lennon/McCartney vibe. They even make their reworking of Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby" on the flip sound like a Beatles tune. But the band, fronted by Teddy Neely of Jesus Christ Superstar and the Teddy Neely Five(Capitol) fame, throws in some strings here and there give it a bit more of an uptown feel.

This was the second release on this Herb Graham owned label with the first being a great beat influenced disc by the Teddy Neely 4. And this band seems to have had a connection as well with The Feathers on VEEP which included Neely, Pepper Martin, and Larry Poynor.

Bill Mack, Wichita Falls

Not exactly the best sounding/looking record on the shelves here at Rancho Westex, but while running a few late night errands earlier in the week under the light of a full moon I was reminded of nights years back when I would tear down the lonely FMs around Abilene to the sound of Starday artists like Bill Mack. This is a 'sentimental' post as much as anything...


BILL MACK- Fat Woman (Starday 231)

During his time in Wichita Falls Bill Mack cut a string of incredible sides for Beaumont-based Starday records utilizing Lou and Sally Nesman's local studio. Songs like "It's Saturday Night", "Kitty Kat", and "Cat Just Got In Town" stand near the top of the heap of Texas hep. While "Fat Woman", released in the Spring of '56 as the flip to "Kitty Kat", might not have endeared the Midnight Cowboy to the women folk it certainly did go.