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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Bill Long was a country singer who despite being born in New Mexico had a substantial career in Canada. It is written that early on he worked at times with both Clayton McMichen and Red Foley, but it was at station CHCH in Hamilton, Ontario, that he seems to have had his greatest success. In addition to the album shown here, recorded for Toronto's Arc label around 1965, he left behind a scattering of 1950's 78's on the Capitol, London, King (pressed by Quality in Canada), Arrow and Sparton labels.
This post features as many of these 1950's tracks as I could locate, plus all the tunes from the Arc LP. The earliest of these feature accompaniment by the "Ranch Girls", some feature the "Mainstreeters" (no doubt the band from CHCH's "Main Street Jamboree"), and the LP features backing from such Arc mainstays as Mickey McGivern and Ollie Strong. Of special note is the "Ranch Of The Golden Rule" where Bill is joined by "the Yonge Street Children's Choir". It has been noted that Long hosted a Sunday children's TV show, and it is to be imagined that is the origin of this number.
I really enjoy his interpretations of Canadian classics such as "Memories That Never Die", "Blue Canadian Rockies" and Buddy Reynold's "Spruce Bug" and "Little Shoes". Despite being American, he had a real feel for the Canadian country repetoire. "What A Waste (Of A Good Corn Likker)", popularized by Mac Wiseman, was also written by Canadian Slim Gordon. I don't believe there has been a CD compiling Bill Long's work, so I hope this post fills the void.
Includes jacket and label scans for the Arc LP, as well as scans of the 78 labels where available.
Click here for more about Bill Long at hillbilly-music.com
Click here for more about the Main Street Jamboree at hillbilly-music.com
Tracks:
1. Call Of The Mountain
2. I Couldn't Think Of Anything To Write
3. What A Waste (Of A Good Corn Likker)
4. Your Daddy Is A Railroad Man
5. Little Shoes
6. Memories That Never Die
7. Candy Coated Apples And A Lem'n An' Lime
8. Relax, Relax, Relax
9. Ranch Of The Golden Rule
10. Blue Canadian Rockies
11. Won't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon
12. One Has My Name
13. Mind Your Own Business
14. Across The Wires
15. One Fallen Leaf
16. No One Will Ever Know
17. Spruce Bug
18. The Love That You Give
19. This Ole House
20. I'll Sail My Ship Alone
21. Send Me The Pillow
22. If Jesus Came To Your House
*download here*
3 comments:
Great stuff, amigo. Keep it up. How do you find this stuff?
I am looking for some records by an artist named Beverly Buff that recorded in the 1960's for Bethleham and a couple of other labels, She never made it big but she and my mother went to school with one another and I would love to hear her again! I know she had 3 singles on Bethleham and I know a couple on Columbia if I have been told right!
Any help is appreciated
Duke
Thank you.
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