A crossover artist playing both country music and old-school R&B Jerry Jaye (neGerald J. Hatley) was born in Manila, Arkansas and started his career as a stalwart of his home state's robust regional rock/blues scene. In 1966 he scored a national hit with his cover of the Fats Domino oldie, "My Girl Josephine," a version that cracked into the Billboard Top 30 and earned Jerry Jaye a contract with Hi Records. An album followed, but with no further success on the charts. In the early 'Seventies, Jaye drifted from label to label, mostly releasing singles while plugging away back in Arkansas with the stable of musicians at the indie mini-powerhouse Bejay Records. By mid-decade his transition to country music was complete, and Jerry Jaye scored a Top Forty hit (peaking at #32) with his irresistible 1976 novelty number, "Honky Tonk Women Love Redneck Men," which remains one of my favorite country songs of that era. Here's a quick look at his work...
Jerry Jaye "My Girl Josephine" (Hi Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Joseph A. Cuoghi & Ray Harris)
His debut album was inspired by an unexpected national hit, when Jaye's cover of the Fats Domino song "My Girl Jospehine" flung him into the Billboard Top 30. The set list seems to replicate that success with more covers of 'Fifties and early 'Sixties oldies, though apparently the nation's appetite for nostalgic versions of songs such as "Ain't Got No Home," "Ain't That A Shame" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" was limited, and none of the other singles off this album did well. This is pretty strictly a rock and white soul set, though he cover of "Singing The Blues" hints at Jaye's interest in country twang.
Jerry Jay(e) & The Jaywalkers "Souvenir Album Of Most Requested Songs" (Bejay Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Mickey Moody)
This was a seriously-indie, in-between-gigs side session for singer Jerry Jaye, an Arkansas native who had a regional and national pop hit with the 1967 single, "My Girl Josephine" and who toured with both Booker T & The MGs and with the Bill Black Combo in the early '70s. This mostly-covers album seems to be vintage 1972-73, a few years before Jaye's country Top Forty breakthrough, "Honky Tonk Women Love Redneck Men" which is an enduring classic of 1970s honkytonk pop. This disc features Jaye playing with some locals in Western Arkansas on a record that was sold out of the Ben Jack Guitar Store in the K-Mart Plaza of Fort Smith. (Co-producer Ben Jack also played pedal steel on the album.) They cover hits of the day, such as "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Don't Mess Around With Jim," "Country Roads" and "Don't Get Hooked On Me," and possibly a couple of originals. His name is misspelled on the album cover, but there's no mistaking Jay's funky, down-home mix of soul and twang... A fun record, though a little goofy at times.
Jerry Jaye "Honky Tonk Women Love Redneck Men" (Hi Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Rogers)
Though he spent the early part of the 'Seventies touring with R&B's Booker T & The MGs, Jerry Jaye emerged mid-decade as a commercial country breakthrough on this fun album which shares the same kind of bright, punchy production style as contemporary releases on MCA. The super-catchy title track was one of the finest, funnest, most melodic redneck anthems of the 'Seventies neotrad scene. Built on a roller-rinky guitar riff that was lifted straight from Billy Swan's "I Can Help," the song offers one of the most jovial portraits of good-timin' good ole boy life ever committed to wax... The album has several other fine tunes, including "Drinkin' My Way Back Home," and "Standing Room Only," as well as several less-impressive cover tunes, drawing from both the country and R&B sides of Jaye's work. "Honky Tonk Women" alone is worth the price of admission... What a grrreat song!! The musicians were a mix of Nashville ringers such as Charlie McCoy and Ronny Scaife, along with several of Jaye's longtime Memphis compadres, notably steel player Ben Jack, whose BeeJay label issued several of Jaye's more indie-level albums. The full band included Butch Carter on keyboards, Danny Hogan (bass), Ben Jack (dobro and steel guitar), Charlie McCoy (harmonica), Bobby Neal (guitar), Ronny Scaife (guitar), and percussionist Perry York, who also enjoyed success as a songwriter, notably with The Bill Black Combo. This is a fun record, definitely worth a spin.
Jerry Jaye & Darlene Battles "Kings Inn Presents Jerry Jaye And Darlene Battles" (Bejay Records, 1984) (LP)
This album was recorded with Jerry Jaye's wife and former backup singer, Darlene Battle, and may have been the last LP Jaye recorded. It was recorded and released at the same time as her solo album (below).
The Jaye Sisters "On Tour With The Jaye Sisters" (Parthenon Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Boles)
The credits list the sisters as Pattie and Darlene Jaye, who I think may have been singer Darlene Battles, wife of roots/country/R&B singer Jerry Jaye... I couldn't find any definitive info about when this one came out. It seems to have been recorded in Nashville, at least as late as 1968, since they cover Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," along with a bunch of 1950s and '60s hits, including "Love Of The Common People" "Act Naturally" and others. The Jaye Sisters may have originally been pitched as a pop duo -- they seem to have also recorded a couple of singles for Atlantic in the early '60s.
Darlene Battles "I Just Want To Love You" (Bejay Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Mickey Moody)
Born in Wynne, Arkansas, singer Darlene Battles sang backup gigs in Nashville throughout the late '60s and married country/R&B singer Jerry Jaye in the early '70s, working with him on numerous projects. She recorded this solo album with Jaye and his band behind her, including steel guitar player (and label owner) Ben Jack, Darrell Price plunking piano, and Curly Lewis on fiddle. This was Darlene Battles only solo album as a secular artist -- she got religion in 2003 and has since recorded several gospel albums, both under her own name and with the band On Call... This solo set was recorded and released at the same time as the 1984 Jerry Jaye/Darlene Battle duets album. (See above.)
Jerry Jaye "Honky Tonk Women Love Redneck Men (Plus)" (Edsel Records, 1999)
