Black Country, Rockin' Grandmothers & More

Crate Diving in Modern America

Full disclosure: some of my crates are stored in Discogs!!!

So, with that open-aired secret out of the way, once I learned that in the shuffling madness of a 60’s locomotive breath, Diana Ross and the Supremes released a “Country” album: The Supremes Sing Country Western & Pop (Motown MT-625, 1965), I had to have it. I paid around $15 for a Good cover and Very Good piece of vinyl, with covered renditions of these fine tunes: “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Lazy Bones,” and “Rock and Roll Banjo Band.”

Does it seem weird that in 1965 Berry Gordy decided that his best all-female act should try to win over the hearts and purses of Nashville-loving fans? I know that many acts from other genres were trying to show the world that genres weren’t exclusive and that, racially-speaking, music might be our way to each other. Still, no one much considers this attempt a success.

Try to find Tina Turner’s venture into Country for anything reasonable, though, and you’ll understand some of the differences between those with country soul and those without. [And on Medium, be looking soon for stories from Steven Hale and Jeffrey Harvey on the Black Country sub-genre!]

I wonder if anyone will write more on Elizabeth Cotten, whose Folksongs and Instrumentals With Guitar (Folkways Records FG3526, 1958/2018) I snagged this past weekend for $20? She played her six-string upside-down since she was left-handed, and a sweeter, folkier sound I haven’t heard in years. And by “sweet” I mean just raw enough and just unsettling enough, but always, always, straight to the soul. Songs here include “Freight Train,” “Going Down That Road Feeling Bad,” “I Don’t Love Nobody,” and “Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie.”

Was she the first Black Country artist? I think that in the acoustic world of country/folk/blues, if she isn’t then I need to do some more digging.

Speaking of Blues, when you see a copy of John Lee Hooker’s The Real Blues (Tradition/Everest 2089, S-3953) lying on the floor (actually propped on a chair) of your local record store, and the man wants only $12 for it, if a voice inside you doesn’t scream “Buy It!” then find a new voice. You’ll thank the new you when you hear “Send Me Your Pillow,” “Baby Lee,” “Boom Boom,” “Onions,” and “Good Rockin’ Mama.” My copy has aged well, and it’s another one of those “I wish I knew who held onto this one for so long and treated it so well” things.

I’ve been searching for vintage Animals’ records, and a record store within an antique shop called Plunder up in Greer, SC, served me well last week. There, in the old “A” bin was Eric Burdon & The Animals’ Eric Is Here (MGM Se-4433, 1967). “Sounds Great In Stereo” is again the proclamation, and sure enough it does, even if it’s later Animals and the garage sound has tarnished itself a bit. Still, you get “In the Night,” “Mama Told Me Not To Come” (Thanks Randy), “I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today,” “This Side of Goodbye,” and “It’s Been A Long Time Comin.’”

I broke down yesterday and ordered a copy of their first LP from Discogs. I hate it when I’m not patient but will love it when it appears at my door. I’ll write more about it soon.

Finally, there’s Ordinary Rockin’ Girls (White Label Records WLP-8932, year unknown). It’s most unknown, and I ordered it for one reason only and then discovered that it contains really fine music coming from a host of women artists I’d never heard of, including Evelyn & the Ivorytones, Jane Bowman, Lee Jones, Emmy Oro & Her Rhythm Escorts, and Sue & Her Elm Valley Boys. Also included is a performer from Birmingham, Alabama: Abby Lee & the Jesters. This is the reason I bought the LP, because Abby and her band recorded two songs written by my grandmother, Inez Barr: “Waitin” and “I Want Your Lovin.’” They’re songs 4 & 5 on side two, and earlier this year, I found the 45 single of the same. It’s framed on my wall, and now because I have this compilation, I can listen to these beloved tunes whenever I want. Not saying what I paid cause I don’t want no bad mojo, especially from my “Ma Ma” who must wonder why it took me so long to hear her.

I hope soon that you find your own special kind of Soul or Country or Rockabilly, and maybe all three folded into one batch of Blues!