"Let's Rock Awhile" : Pseudonymous Rockers

[Mister Moon]

The classic Amos Milburn song provides the perfect title for this topic.

Inspired by elviscollector101's post on George Jones doing rock and roll under a pseudonym in 1956, here's a few more similar examples of country and western artists trying to jump on the bandwagon of The Big Beat.

We will start with Buck Owens, who recorded a rockin' single in 1956 for the Pep label under the pseudonym "Corky Jones". The A-side was an original song called "Hot Dog" (no relation to the Leiber & Stoller composition), and the B-side was a wild, over the top, original rocker called "Rhythm And Booze". Here they are :

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Corky Jones - "Hot Dog" - Pep single 101 - Released circa August 1956.


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Corky Jones - "Rhythm And Booze" - Pep single 101 - Released circa August 1956.

To be continued...

[svallen]

Here is Rock Rogers.His real name is Leon Payne,perhaps the greatest songwriters of all




My Baby Left me-Rock Rogers

[svallen]

Donny Young,Johnny Paycheck.

[svallen]

Simon crum known as Ferlin Husky.Funny answer song.

[svallen]

The hawk Jerry Lee lewis after his recording career crashed he recorded a single under the name The hawk.

[svallen]

Bobby Bare as Bill Parson.





Misprint on record label,this is Bobby Bare.

[svallen]

Here is Hank Williams jr.
He recorded some singles early 60s for Verve records under the name:Rockin Randall.

[Mister Moon]

Wow !

Many thanks for the posts, svallen.

A real mixed bag there. They are all pseudonymous rockers, but the only one that would fit in the topic is "My Baby Left Me", by Rock Rogers, I think.

A few comments :

It was very very nice to listen again to "Shakin' The Blues" by Donny Young. This is an absolute honky-tonk classic, with stand out vocals and instrumentation. A real favourite of mine. In all truth, Johnny Paycheck was also a pseudonym, which he acquired about four years later. And Donald was his real name. A great record, anyway. Thanks for reminding me of it !

The Simon Crum record is new to me, and is a very funny one, by the way. Ferlin Husky used this alter-ego to make comedy records that wouldn't fit in his usual image - but all were released under the Capitol label. Sheb Wooley also recorded novelty records under the name Ben Colder - and under his own name, of course (both for M-G-M, in this case).

Jerry Lee - the idea for this instrumental record was born during a recording session in early 1960, as can be heard in between takes of the two songs that were eventually released as "The Hawk" on Phillips International. Sam Phillips wanted to credit the single to the Jerry Lee Lewis Trio featuring Roland Janes, but Janes vehemently refused this. Good old Roland !

Anyway, here's another one. I was going to post an example by Rock Rogers, real name Leon Payne. As everybody knows, he was the writer and original performer of "I Love You Because". In 1956, being nearly 40 years old, he recorded several songs in the new idiom. One was "My Baby Left Me", heard in your post. But I wanted to highlight his Starday single featuring two originals. By the way, as was the case with the Thumper Jones single, the lead guitar was played by the almighty Hal Harris :

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Rock Rogers - "Little Rock Rock" - Starday single 245 - Released circa May 1956.


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Rock Rogers - "That Ain't It" - Starday single 245 - Released circa May 1956.


And the "Billboard" review :

560609.JPG

To be continued...

[Mister Moon]

Here's another example.

Hillbilly great Eddie Noack cut a rock and roll single in 1958 under the name Tommy Wood. This is the A-side of the record (can't find the flip, sorry):

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Tommy Wood - "Can't Play Hookey" - D single 1000 - Released May 1958.



And the "Billboard" mention :

580526.JPG

To be continued...

[mysterytrainrideson]

Nice topic, Mister Moon, Thanks. The Corky Jones one is a bit of a classic. Didn't Shakin' Stevens (Mike Barret) have a stab at this?

Apart from the one's you've posted. I can't think of any more psuedonym's at the moment.

[svallen]

Jimmie Lloyd when he was singing rockabilly.
Jimmie Logsdon when he was singing country:

[Shakin48]

The Corky Jones one is a bit of a classic. Didn't Shakin' Stevens (Mike Barret) have a stab at this?

Shakin' Stevens hit the charts with Hot Dog in 1980. It was his first UK hit. His version was very much appreciated by Buck Owens (Corky Jones) and in 1988 Buck re-recorded the song. In fact, he liked Shaky's version that much he just copied it.

[svallen]

Here is the New Version by Buck.

[mike edwards66]

One of my faves, Shane Fenton, who would later become Alvin Stardust.

Sub topic: How famous is Alvin Stardust in your Country?

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Bonus, who knows this beauty:

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[Mister Moon]

"Country" Johnny Mathis recorded this rockabilly single in 1958 under the pseudonym Les Cole :

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Les Cole with the Echoes - "Rock-A-My Baby" - D single 1010 - Released circa July 1958.


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Les Cole with the Echoes - "Bee Boppin' Daddy" - D single 1010 - Released circa July 1958.


Bonus track :

An alternate take of "Rock-A-My Baby" released by Ace Records in 1979 :

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Note : some reissues erroneously spell "Rock-A-My Baby" as "Rock Little Baby". This is also the case of the YouTube uploads I have attached to the post.

To be continued...

[Mister Moon]

Jimmie Lee Fautheree recorded a rock and roll single in 1958 under the pseudonym Johnny Angel.

The A-side mentions Elvis (as well as Buddy Holly and Little Richard), and the "fact" that Peggy Sue was getting married. Was this the inspiration for Buddy's sequel of one of his most memorable songs, rather than LaVern Baker's "Jim Dandy Got Married" ?

Another Holly connection is the B-side of Angel's single, "Baby It's Love", a Bob Montgomery composition recorded by Holly and Montgomery in 1955, but not released until the next decade (in adulterated form).

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Johnny Angel - "Teen-Age Wedding" - Vin single 1004 - 1958.


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Johnny Angel - "Baby It's Love" - Vin single 1004 - 1958.

[Mister Moon]

One week later, let's go on with the show !

svallen already posted a YouTube link on this one (see above), but as I had already planned to include it myself, please let me repeat it, and expand it a little bit. Thanks, svallen.

Jimmie Logsdon recorded three rockabilly / rock and roll tracks in August and September 1957 backed by the A-Team (Garland, Martin, Moore, Harman, Cramer), and they were released under the name Jimmy Lloyd :

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Jimmy Lloyd - "Where The Rio De Rosa Flows" - Roulette single 7001 - Recorded and released August 1957.
Note : Carl Perkins recorded a cover of this song for Columbia in June 1958, and it was included in his first album for that label.


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Jimmy Lloyd - "I Got A Rocket In My Pocket" - Roulette single 4062 - Recorded September 1957 - Released circa April 1958.


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Jimmy Lloyd - "You're Gone, Baby" - Roulette single 4062 - Recorded September 1957 - Released circa April 1958.

*************

Please, take a look at this previous topic about Jimmy Lloyd :

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=73907

[svallen]

Here is Lightnin Leo,when he recorded for SUN records his name was Billy Lee Riley.
Recorded wildest rock and roll at SUN-Flying saucer rock and roll.
Here is a blues song:


He is doing great

[Mister Moon]

Renowned singer-songwriter John D. Loudermilk started recording in 1957 for the Colonial label, mainly in the teen pop field. For example, "Sittin' In The Balcony", one of Eddie Cochran's early solo records for Imperial, was originally written and recorded by Loudermilk, who at that point in his career was known as Johnny Dee.

But in 1957 he recorded a (novelty) rockabilly single for Colonial, under the pseudonym Ebe Sneezer And His Epidemics. Dig it !!! :

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Ebe Sneezer And His Epidemics - "Asiatic Flu" - Colonial single 436 - 1957.


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Ebe Sneezer And His Epidemics - "That's All I've Got (To Remember You By)" - Colonial single 436 - 1957.

[svallen]

Here it is on cd,all of his recordings before he started recording great countrymusic:

[Mister Moon]

Here it is on cd,all of his recordings before he started recording great countrymusic:

Thanks, svallen.

This CD looks very good, like most Bear Family releases, anyway. It's in my want list.

Thanks also for the Lightnin' Leon link. Billy Riley was a very versatile artist, but I don't think he ever bettered his first records. One of my favourite releases of recent years is Bear Family's boxset of Riley outtakes from Sun. It's a truly amazing collection.

Thanks again !

[svallen]

Here is a song by The rocking stockings.
SUN studio musicians.

[svallen]

Did you know Jim Reeves did record rockabilly?
Here are bits from 3 different songs:

http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/ss/32/ss32484.mp3

http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/ss/32/ss32485.mp3

http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/ss/32/ss32486.mp3

These songs exist on a cd that is hard to find now.

I got it so i am happy

.

[svallen]

Here is Johnny Clifton,more familiar name is Bill Haley.He recorded this in 1949 5 years before:Rock around the clock.

[Mister Moon]

Thanks for your posts, svallen. Very interesting and rare stuff !

I didn't know about these Jim Reeves recordings. It seems like they were never released originally. Were they done for RCA ?

Regarding the Christmas single by The Rockin' Stockings, has this ever been reissued at all ? I don't know of any Sun reissues (and there have been a few...) that include those cuts.

Thanks again !