Dan Adams "By Request" (Sundance Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Dan Adams, Ken Stumpf & Al Thomas)
A mostly-folkie solo acoustic set from singer-guitarist Dan Adams, who had been playing gigs in venues such as the Office Lounge in Springfield, MA and on the M/S Boehme cruise ship. The repertoire is a mix of folk and AOR covers, stuff by Gordon Lightfoot, Peter Yarrow, Bob Dylan and Elton John, along with a couple of ostensibly country songs such as Steve Goodman's "City Of New Orleans," Kris Kristofferson's "For The Good Times," and Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles."

Alana & The Nightriders "Dedication" (Ba-Ron Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Messina)
Mostly country covers from this family band out of Haverhill, Massachusetts. The group included lead singers Alana Ralph, backed by Mike Anderson on bass, Ron Anderson, Sr. (guitar and vocals), Ron Anderson Jr. (drums), Ralph Mazzotta (lead guitar) and Bump Porter on pedal steel. They cover some country oldies, chestnuts like "Jackson" and "Kawliga," as well as more 'Seventies-oriented hits "Blue Bayou," Cal Smith's "Country Bumpkin" and "For The Good Times," along with a pop vocals tune or two. Groovy live performances with a rough country edge, particularly from Mr. Anderson, who really sounds like the kinda guy who'd been in a bar fight or two during his lifetime. Alana, who was apparently a teenager at the time, was a powerful singer who nails the country vibe, though she also gets into some soul-singer wailing. Occasionally the rock'n'roll guitar licks are distracting, though the steel guitar is pretty solid. There's one original song "To Be Alone," written by Ron White, and their bar-band cover of Neil Diamond's "Forever In Blue Jeans" is not to be missed.

Daniel Andrade "Hank The Drifter" (New England Records, 1968-?) (LP)
Born in Taunton, Massachusetts, hillbilly-style singer Daniel Andrade was a wildly devoted Hank Williams fan, starting his recording career back in 1955 with a double-sided tribute 7" ("Hank Williams Is Singing Again"/"Hank You're Gone But Not Forgotten.") This was followed by a string of country and rockabilly singles released between 1956-64, as well as by this LP, which came out sometime after January 1, 1968 (according to the liner notes.) Most of his recordings were released on Andrade's own label, New England Records, which was curiously-named, considering that he had long since moved to Houston, Texas. The tracks on this album seem to have been made over a long timespan: on the Hank Williams tributes he sounds pretty nasal and young, while later songs sound really crudely produced and his voice is gutterally thick and middled-aged low: Hasil Adkins fans might dig these rough-hewn rockabilly stomps. Definitely a one-of-a-kind, oddball offering! But good, too!

Aztec Two-Step "Aztec Two-Step" (Elektra Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Taylor & Jerry Yester)
Although they really fit more into the '70s "soft rock" category, like many bands of that era, Aztec Two-Step wove significant amounts of twang into their albums, and deserve mention as part of the radio-friendly country-rock sound of the time. Besides, this first album has Doug Dillard and John Sebastian sitting in on the sessions, and those are some mighty fine guests to have at your party. Apparently, songwriters Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman met each other at an open-mic club in Boston, things clicked, they got signed, and they just kept making music happily ever after. Most of the songs on this debut disc are gooey, spacey acousto-pop numbers, much in the style of Brewer & Shipley or Seals & Crofts, though a few tunes have more overtly twangy feel. Worth a spin, but very '70s AOR-ish, so be forewarned.

Aztec Two-Step "Second Step" (RCA Victor, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Bacchiocchi & Paul Leka)

Aztec Two-Step "Two's Company" (RCA Victor, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Abramson & Mike Moran)

Banana & The Bunch "Mid-Mountain Ranch" (Raccoon Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Stuart Kutchins)
A truly groovy solo album by keyboardist Lowell "Banana" Levinger, an original member of The Youngbloods... Here, he indulges a passion for old-time mountain music, ala The Carter Family, including a gorgeous version of "Ocean Of Diamonds." I think I still have a vinyl copy of this floating around somewhere, but was pretty psyched when they finally put it out on CD as well. Levinger also cut an album under the name Noggins, but I haven't heard that one yet...

Tim Barrett "I've Done Some Thinkin' " (Belmont Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by John Penny & Fred Mueller)
New England troubadour Tim Barrett was born in Maine, moved to Massachusetts, and performed regionally for many years, including gigs at the Lone Star Ranch in Reeds Ferry, New Hampshire. This was his first album, recorded with the help of Boston twangster John Penny, and is packed with originals, with three songs written by Tim Barrett and two by Richard E. Long... There are also some cover tunes, including a version of "Rocky Top" and "Me And Bobby McGee."

Tim Barrett "Dreaming Of You" (1986)

Tim Barrett "It's A Matter Of Time" (1992)

Beacon Street Union "Beacon City Band" (MGM Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Wes Farrell & Val Valentin)
A minor country-rock footnote: Beacon Street Union was a rock band from Boston's psychedelic ballroom scene, featuring singer John Lincoln Wright, who later established himself as a local alt-country pioneer. Mostly this is eclectic, frenetic, treble-icious, electrified hippie rock with kooky, super-stoned, drugged-up lyrics and nutty arrangements. Creative, but a little annoying... If you dig the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, this might wow you. There is only one song that really fits into the country continuum, and hints at Wright's future career in twang, an uncredited swipe of Willie Nelson's "Night Life," retitled "Sportin' Life," with copyright claimed by the band. Other than that. not a lot for twangfans here.

Bob Bell & The Sundowners "After Sundown" (Polaris Records, 1966-?) (LP)
Not to be confused with the Sundowners from Chicago, these guys were a popular country group from Fitchburg, Massachusetts that had roots in a duo formed by Clovis (Tex) Girouard (1925-2013) and Hector J. Gaudet (1927-2014), guitar pickers who went by the nicknames Tex Stone and guitarist Shorty Strad. Both men served in World War Two, and following their enlistment, they renewed their interest in country music, adopting the postwar honkytonk style, and were joined by bassist Bob Bell (nee Robert Belliveau, d. 2011) who became the band's lead singer. They performed for several decades, touring widely in the northeastern US and Canada, and also worked as the house band at the Lone Star Ranch in Reeds Ferry, New Hampshire for several years. As far as I know, this was their only LP, and it's great. Plain, simple, lively twang, with stripped-down production and a rock-solid band. There are some cover tunes -- Faron Young's "If You Ain't Loving, You Ain't Living," "Orange Blossom Special," "Six Days On The Road" -- and several originals, including Bob Bell's "Country Rhumba," which some sources say was a regional hit. The band also included steel player Al Eyles, who did some session work in the 1970s, and mentored several musicians on the New England country scene. There was a 2003 documentary film made about the band, The Sundowners: 50 Years Of A Legendary Band, although I haven't seen it myself.

Paul Bradley & The Wagon Wheelers "Wagon Wheel" (Stop Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Ed Glass)
Some obscure East Coast country... The Wagon Wheel was a club located in Ayer, Massachusetts, near Boston, while singer Paul Bradley was apparently from Lewiston, Maine. I wasn't able to find out much about this guy's career, but I welcome any info!

Jaime Brockett "Remember The Wind And The Rain" (Capitol Records, 1969) (LP)
A folksinger originally from Grafton, Massachusetts, Brockett scored an unlikely "hit" on the underground radio scene with his rambling, 13-minute long song, "The Legend Of The U.S.S. Titanic," which is included on this album...

Jaime Brockett "2" (Capitol Records, 1970) (LP)

Jaime Brockett "North Mountain Velvet" (Adelphi Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Heyrman & Scott Johnson)
Although his first album gave him some early '70s cred, if you ask me, this record is Brockett's masterpiece. An eclectic set packed with talent from various corners of the roots-music world... Bluegrassers such as Ricky Skaggs, John Starling, John Duffey, Mike Auldridge and various members of the late-'70s edition of the Seldom Scene crew add some sweet acoustic twang, while pedal steel player A. J. Rubino adds a dreamy vibe to a couple of spacey, Byrds-y cosmic country tunes, and there's even a touch of Celtic folk, as on his version of "The Ballad Of Darcy Farrow." Standout tracks include an appropriately laid-back version of Bryan Bowers' "Lost My Stash" and the album's true novelty-song classic, "Just Stopped By To Git A Cup Of Coffee," a cheerfully perky, hippie-trucker hybrid written by folk legend Ramblin' Jack Elliott, who duets with Brockett while the Seldom Scene boys gallop away -- great, hilarious lyrics lampooning the CB-trucker fad of the time, with an irresistibly catchy musical hook. They used to play that one ALL the time on KFAT, when I was a kid. This is a really fun record, definitely worth tracking down.

Judy Carrier "From The Berkshires To The Smokies" (Grass Country Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Robby Osborne)
Well-known on the East Coast festival scene, bluegrass singer Judy Carrier (nee Judy Ann Reed) was a veteran performer from the Massachusetts-based Pioneer Valley Jamboree, where she and her husband Whitey Carrier (1919-1976) were known as "the Bluegrass Sweethearts." She was also a talented and prolific songwriter, penning most of the songs on this album. The backing band includes some real pros, among them Tater Tate on fiddle, Wynn Osborne (banjo), Robby Osborne (guitar), Jack Tottle (mandolin), Gene Wooten (dobro, banjo), Terry Wehnt (pedal steel guitar) and Jim Brock on bass. I'm not totally sure of the date, but I think this was recorded in 1983, several years after her husband passed away.

Vernon Carrier & Judy Ann Reed "Pioneer Valley Jamboree" (Jay-Vac Records, 19--?) (LP)
The Pioneer Valley Jamboree was a country variety show hosted weekends on radio station WREB, in Holyoke, Massachusetts... It was started in 1963 by a guy named Lee Roberts, and showcased numerous regional artists, including the husband and wife duo of Judy Ann Reed and Vernon A. ("Whitey") Carrier. They were featured performers in the late '60s, professionally nicknamed "the Bluegrass Sweethearts." This album featured mostly bluegrass-y/traditionally oriented material, tunes like "Nine Pound Hammer," "Ashes Of Love," and "Blue Kentucky Girl," with a hefty dose of sentimental mountain songs and gospel tunes such as "Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies." The original Pioneer Valley Jamboree fell apart at some point, but the name was revived in the early 1980s for a local folk/bluegrass festival. Whitey Carrier passed away in 1976, in his late 'fifties. [Note: Although the duo is actually identified as "Judy & Whitey" on the album cover, I'm adding this here under their full names as well... just to complete the picture...]

Bill Carson "Bill Carson" (Alba Records, 1974-?) (LP)
According to the liner notes on one of his early 7" singles, singer Bill Carson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, raised in Galway, and at some point moved to America and carved out a niche playing folk music and drinking songs in Irish pubs across New England, mostly around Boston. Several of the bars he performed in are listed on the back of this otherwise mysterious album: The Village Pub (in Holliston, Massachusetts), King's Rook (Hopkinton), Century Club Irish Pub (Falmouth, Cape Cod), Liam's Irish Tavern (Framingham) and The Castle Arms (Fitchburg). Although his earlier records were pretty strictly Irish stuff, by the early 'Seventies he'd started mixing in country and pop material, in the classic showband tradition. The country tunes were all of pretty recent vintage -- "Country Roads," Charlie Rich's "The Most Beautiful Girl," Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown," and even a run-through of "Johnny B. Goode" for the rock fans. No info about musical backing, or a release date, though 1974 seems like a pretty good guess, or maybe even '75.

Bill Carson "So You Think It's Easy..." (Buffalo Records, 1979) (LP)
By the end of the decade, Bill Carson had gone in whole hog with the country vibe, even showing a bit of an outlaw flair on the album's opener, "White Line," a raucous, coke-fueled, Jerry Reed-ish trucker tune, or perhaps the kind of thing the Commander Cody Band would have recorded. To be honest, though, this might not be the greatest country record ever, and Carson himself had kind of an iffy voice. You can certainly hear his Irish roots, particularly on the slower songs, although he seems wobbly on the harder, uptempo tunes, where he slides into his lower register and sounds somewhat leaden. Carson did have a solid band behind him, particularly the steel player, who often rises above the flat, prefab arrangements to deliver some sweet, complex licks. The album drifts all too easily into questionable taste levels, as on the over-the-top rendition of the gospel oldie, "I'll Fly Away," and the saxophone sounds better suited to the Sha-Na-Na road show, rather than on a country album. Also, I was never a fan of Mickey Newbury's "American Trilogy" medley, and this is one of the most unbearable versions I've heard. Still, nice to fill in another gap in the New England country scene. "White Line" is probably the only track in here you need to know about.

The Chisholm Brothers & The Country Squires "Country Music Our Style" (Banff Records, 1965) (LP)
An awesome early '60s hard-country set from brothers Charles and John Chisholm, a duo from New England who really kept it real as far as old-school country twang went. Beautifully backed by steel guitarist Ed Cunningham and bassist Charles Hodgdon, they pay allegiance to Hank Williams, Tex Owens and Elvis Presley, adding several songs of their own to the country canon, including originals such as "Blue Side Of My Heart," "Blues Coming In" and "I Walk Around," all fine examples of pure, old-school honky-tonk. Around the time they cut this album, the Chisholms were playing steady gigs at places like the Domino Club in Dedham, Massachusetts and a bar called Maxine's, in their hometown of Brockton, MA. This album strongly harkens back to the hillbilly bop/rockabilly era of the 'Fifties -- their later recordings had a more modern early '60s sound.

The Chisholm Brothers "The Country Sound Of America In Concert" (Rustic Records, 1968--?) (LP)
Nice! Here, in the late 'Sixties, the Chisholms channel Johnny Cash, Buck Owens and the twangier end of country, a region where rockabilly riffs still echoed in defiance of the poppier trends down Nashville way. This is a nice little record with a pleasantly rugged feel -- if these guys had been around for the 1990s Americana boom, they'd have the same kind of fans that were drawn to folks like Dale Watson or the Derailers. Equally at ease on uptempo tunes as on sentimental songs such as "Green Green Grass Of Home," "House Of Gold" and "Today I Started Loving You Again." Some nice, twangy guitar and plainspoken vocals -- Johnny Chisholm had the deeper, more Cash-like voice, though they both excelled at bringing lyrics to life. Nice stuff! By the way, old-timer Elton Britt describes them in his lofty liner notes as "two vocal magicians as master projectionist of the new Country spirit" -- whatever that means! -- but his flowery praise makes it sound like they were fancy-pants Nashville Sound-ers, though nothing could be further from the truth. This album also was apparently also released under the title "Both Sides Of The Chisholm Brothers," with a nice photo of the guys in matching blue suits. (By the way, Charlie Chisholm's daughter, Melodye Buskin, was a musician as well, playing drums for Lou Miami's late-'70s punk band Kozmetix, and was interviewed in a 2015 documentary film called "Women Who Rocked Boston." I'm sure her dad was proud!)

Lolly Clark "Lolly Clark And Something Country" (Shelgate Records, 19--?) (LP)
Born in Hawaii, singer Lolita ("Lolly") Clark grew up listening to country music, though in the late '60s after she moved to the mainland, she became a fan of Joan Baez and the folk revival. Clark taught herself to play guitar and eventually wound up in Cape Cod, where she was living when she cut this disc, her first (and probably only) album. Clark wrote one of the songs on here, "Memphis City Lights," though the other nine tracks were written by a guy from Taunton, Massachusetts named Sheldon "Zeke" Westgate, who apparently recorded some stuff of his own before this venture ("with no great success" as the liner notes glumly admit...) Backing them are various assorted locals, including fiddler George Kay, Tom Hughes on banjo, Dick Covel on pedal steel and Frank Furlan playing electric. Not sure when this album came out, but it looks late-1960s-ish...

Yodeling Slim Clark -- see artist profile

Clean Living "Clean Living" (Vanguard Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Maynard Soloman & Jeff Zaraya)
This Boston-based folk-rock band came out of an earlier, harder-edged psychedelic group, opting in the early 'Seventies to go for a mellower, more humor-filled sound, including a few tracks such as their big hit, "In Heaven There Is No Beer," which were just waiting for a little airtime on The Dr. Demento Show, or any number of late-night free-form radio shows. The group's shofting membership included steel player Paul Lambert, rhythm guitarist Robert "Tex" LaMountain, bassist Frank Shaw, and singer/guitarists Norman Schell and Rick Tiven, They had a playful vibe, with plenty of good-natured, post-jug band eclecticism, in the same general impish wheelhouse as, say, The Holy Modal Rounders, though perhaps a little less interested in looking "weird" for the sake of being weird. Definitely worth a spin... (Also of interest: Tex Lamountain had a second (or third?) act in the late 'Seventies as an earnest coffeehouse folkie, most notably as a politically conscious, anti-nuclear eco-troubadour singing songs about Karen Silkwood, power plant meltdowns, unicorns and gardening. But it all starts here with the absence of alcohol in the promised land...)

Clean Living "Meadowmuffin" (Vanguard Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Danny Weiss)
Nice record. I'd say these guys just barely missed the boat, as songwriter/songwriter Norman Schell sounds an awful lot like Jonathan Edwards, who'd broken into the Pop Top Forty a couple of years earlier with a musical brew that's a lot like what you hear on this record. They open with a fluid country-rock tune called "Far North Again," which features some sweet guitar work from guest artist Al Anderson, of NRBQ fame. The gentle but earthy cosmic-country vibe is reprised throughout the album, and though there are a couple of way-too-gooey, twee folk numbers, mostly this is quite nice. I'm sure curious to hear their first album now!

Cobble Mountain Band "Cobble Mountain Band" (Singlebrook Record Company, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by John Pilla, Jesse Henderson & Les Kahn)
An excellent album by a very accomplished band out of Tyringham, Massachusetts, in the west end of the state... The main band was made up of pedal steel player Pete Adams, Ray Cuevas on drums, Glenn Ferrell (lead guitar), Amasa Miller (fiddle and piano), Richard Thornburg (fiddle) and bassist Chris Tuttle, with most members taking a turn at singing lead on a track or two. There are also a slew of guest artists, the most notable being folkies Arlo Guthrie and Fred Hellerman. Anyway, these guys mixed modern twang with bluesy western swing and a smidge of bluegrass, crafting a style very reminiscent of early Asleep At The Wheel, with a little bit of the rowdy good-time vibe of bands like Commander Cody, although they don't get into the rock sound. The picking is unusually high-calibre, with lots of inventive, playful riffs embedded in every song, particularly the impish pedal steel improvs that don't overshadow the rest of the band. This group was apparently a regional New England powerhouse, though this appears to be the only album they recorded... Distributed and apparently pressed by Rounder Records, this album reminds me a lot of the Rio Grande Band (who were officially on Rounder) twang revivalists who stuck with a jazzy western swing vibe even as Ray Benson was about to lead the Wheel into a more trimmed-down, strictly-country sound. Recommended!

Jerry Corbitt "Corbitt" (Polydor Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Daniels)
The first solo album by Jerry Corbitt, co-founder of the folk-rock band The Youngbloods... Corbitt was born in Georgia, but met Jesse Colin Young while living in Cambridge, MA, where they started their band before moving out west to make it big in the super-groovy SanFran scene. There's some twang on this record for sure, but this is definitely a hippie rock record, with special emphasis on the "hippie" and the "rock" parts... Some lyrics get prophetic and countercultural (more like pro-hippie cheerleading, rather than preachy) and some of it's pretty spacey and oblique, though some songs are fairly focussed. The musical end is uniformly strong, mixing thumping, grungy, plangent blues with Memphis-style R&B and an undercurrent of old-fashioned country... Listening to this, you can really pick out which elements of the Youngbloods sound came from Corbitt, as opposed to his folkier cohort, Jesse Colin Young. Given his own solo set, Corbitt really indulges his inclination towards heavy rock and electric blues, though with some creative production twists that give this an acid-soaked feel on a tune or two. Charlie Daniels, who was Corbitt's closest collaborator for many years, is mostly in the background on this one, though there are parts where you can spot his signature sound, particularly when he plays some funky country riffs of the mandolin. If you're looking for country-rock, there's not a whole lot on here, but if you're generally just into hardcore hippie music, this is a pretty solid record.

Jerry Corbitt "Jerry Corbitt" (Capitol Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Daniels)
A funky, rootsy rock album with a heavy Muscle Shoals vibe, with strong influences from CCR, Van Morrison and The Band... The studio crew included fiddler Buddy Spicher who, through the magic of multi-tracking, provides his own little string section on a couple of tunes, Corbitt's Youngbloods brother Jesse Colin Young plays on a couple of songs, and producer Charlie Daniels chimes in on various instruments. The most country-sounding track comes courtesy of Lloyd Green, who adds typically flawless pedal steel on "Till You Come Back Home Again," while "John Deere Tractor" takes sort of a tongue-in-cheek look at rural themes. I suppose the most interesting aspect of this album is the participation of country-rocker Charlie Daniels: he had produced one of the Youndbloods albums in '69 and went on to record several albums with Corbitt. This disc tilts back towards boogie-rock and swampy Southern rock territory, but mostly in a good way -- maybe more for classic rock buffs than country fans, but worth checking out either way.

Country Funk "Country Funk" (Polydor Records, 1970) (LP)
This Massachusetts rock band had a "country" feel in the same way as the Byrds, Youngbloods or Moby Grape -- hippiefied twang was part of their overall musical mix, one stylistic thread in a tapestry of harmony-laden psychedelic boogie rock. They probably sound most like Buffalo Springfield, although they occasionally bop along over into some pretty perky sunshine-pop. A pretty tight band, though, and the twang vibe is definitely there... If you're a fan of this type of experimental, eclectic hippie rock, you'll probably want to check these guys out... They are one of the great "lost" twangbands of the era.

Johnny Dalton "Johnny Dalton's Lonesome Ride" (Natural Sound Records, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dusty Burnett, Steve Hulse & Johnny Dalton)
A mostly-covers set from country crooner Johnny Dalton, who lived in Oakham, Massachusetts, near Worcester... Two of the five original tracks off this album were also released as a single, possibly before this LP came out; the single is dated on some discographies as being from 1968, though Dalton's version of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night" places this LP as an early 'Seventies offering. The rest of the record is a set covering hits such as "Born To Lose," "Green, Green Grass Of Home," and others by Johnny Cash, Wayne Kemp, and Jim Reeves... Unfortunately the musicians backing him aren't named, though they were pretty capable pickers, particularly the steel player whose confident licks help start this disc out on a strong foot. Later on, things get a little wobbly -- Dalton looks young and vigorous on the cover pictures, but he sounds more like a middle-aged man, and his phrasing sometimes drifts a bit. I'm not sure if this was the same Johnny Dalton who was in the '50s Boston doo-wop group The Three Ds, though the liner notes mention that he used to be in a "roadhouse trio" where he was called "JD," and that he'd been playing music for over fifteen years before making this album. So who knows? Could be!

Bill & Taffy Danoff - see artist discography

The Deadly Nightshade "The Deadly Nightshade" (RCA-Phantom Records, 1975) (LP)
I dutifully wondered about The Deadly Nightshade for years -- decades, actually -- wondering if they were really country at all, and whether they were perhaps as good as they sounded on paper. Hailing from Massachusetts, The Deadly Nightshade was one of the first all-woman rock bands to score a major-label contract, and they had a distinctly feminist political stance, which was often reflected in their lyrics... I gotta say, though: their vocals as well as the overall vibe of this album is pretty iffy. I just don't think they were that good, or at least not that fun to listen to. Historically important, sure, but music I'd come back to for listening pleasure? Not so much. Originally formed in Massachusetts during the 1960s as "The Moppets," the band went through a few lineup changes, calling themselves Ariel for a while, and finally settled on The Deadly Nightshade, playing regularly through the 'Seventies, with reunions for years to come.

The Deadly Nightshade "F&W" (RCA-Phantom Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Joel Diamond & Charlie Calello)
Although the album title holds out a promise of country music inside, this is in essence a fairly dreadful '70s rock album, with some irritating, artsy passages. There are a couple of twang tunes, to be sure, notably the bluesy "Murphy's Bar" and "Show Me The Way Back Home," which lurches into some challenging (and I mean that in a good way) gallumphing, pre-punk rhythmic passages. Mostly, though, this is an album that you probably wouldn't want to put on while you had company over... It's pretty shrill and taxing. Their three-part gal harmonies recall the Roches, but the aggressive, looking-for-a-new-sound rock riffs are a little hard to take. True devotees of '70s experimentalism will want to check this out, but twangfans can pass.

Don Drumm "Bedroom Eyes" (Churchill Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Millsap)
A really nice set of independently-produced 'Seventies style honkytonk pop, from New England-born singer Don Drumm. He wasn't any great shakes as a vocalist, but this is a fine set of songs, with plainly-arranged, straightforward accompaniment, and garnered Drumm a fair amount of chart success. Born in Westfield, Massachusetts, Drumm started out as a piano player in a local cocktail lounges and hotel bars; when he began working as a singer, he gradually shifted away from his jazzy origins into more country-oriented material and was one of the last artists signed to Chart Records before it folded in 1975, though he managed to land on his feet and briefly flourished on the country charts just a few years later. Most of the songs on this album were written by Drumm's pal, Ray Hillburn, who sings backup along with the Cates Sisters, who were making a go of it themselves on Ovation Records around the same time. Side One of the album is packed with Hillburn songs, including a couple that actually hit the Top 40 ("Bedroom Eyes" and "Just Another Rhinestone") while Side Two has a wimpier, poppier sound, finishing up with the only track written by Drumm, "You'd Be Beautiful (In A Children's Book)" which is actually a better song than the title implies. Highlights include "Brother, I'm Glad She Found Me" and "Sad Songs" (again, written by Ray Hillburn) and their cover of Chips Moman's outlaw anthem, "Luckenbach, Texas." This is swell record, a modest late-'70s gem that reminds me of Bill Phillip's "comeback" album of the same era. Worth looking for... I enjoyed it quite a bit!

Duke And The Drivers "Cruisin' " (ABC Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Eddie Kramer)

Duke And The Drivers "Rollin' On" (ABC Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Deke Richards)
Fake hippie country from a Boston-based longhair boogie band... Actually, it's not country at all, more like latter-day whiteboy boogie rock/R&B, along the lines of the Blues Brothers, but for some reason the band chose to record in anonymity, with the cover art looking like a parody of the CB-trucker fad that was then current in the country charts... Doesn't have much to do with the music on the album, though, which is pretty spazzy and unremarkable. I guess if I'd been really drunk or doing a lot of coke back in the '70s, this would seem like fun music to party to, but several decades later, it doesn't seem like much to cheer about. Note to country fans: don't fall for the packaging -- this ain't got no twang.

Earth Opera "Earth Opera" (Elektra Records, 1968) (LP)
Mandolinist David Grisman and singer-guitarist Peter Rowan both served serious apprenticeships with real-deal bluegrass bands in the 1960s. With Rowan fresh from Bill Monroe's band, and Grisman an old stalwart with the Greenbriar Boys and Red Allen's band, the two met in Boston and embarked on an audacious acid rock-hick twang fusion. Earth Opera was a band that was very much a product of its time, and the results were a bit murky... I have to confess, I heard these albums many, many years ago and have never gone back to revisit them. I've always had the impression that the band was actually more Rowan's baby than Grisman's, especially since the the muddled feel of these discs seems so similar to the later pop-rock efforts of the Rowan Brothers in the early '70s. Hardcore fans who are able to track these discs down may find them rewarding, but most likely these albums will merely sound like well-intentioned curiosities...

Earth Opera "Great American Eagle Tragedy" (Elektra Records, 1969) (LP)
A similar lineup, with David Grisman, Bill Keith and Peter Rowan, a slew of their pals -- Paul Dillon on drums, bass player John Nagy, plus odd and sundry others -- even John Cale of the Velvet Underground sitting in on viola! Peter Rowan wrote four of the songs, though not the title track, nor "Roast Beef Love." Oh, them hippies.

Jonathan Edwards - see artist discography

Paul Edwards "Country Music Entertainer" (WPA Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Edwards & William P. Arnold, Jr)
A country deejay from Springfield, Massachusetts, Paul Edwards also apparently performed at the WWVA Jamboree and on the Opry at some point... This is an endearingly amateurish album, a stripped-down set of thunky acoustic country tunes framing just-adequate vocals of the sort you might hear at a neighbor's house party when somebody pulls out a guitar and says, "Oh, come on, Paul, sing a few tunes!" The repertoire on this album is all oldies, stuff like "Wreck Of The Old 97," "The Cat Came Back" and "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," though there are a few standout titles, such as "Don't Be Angry," "Battle Of Armaggeden"(sic) and "Grand Ole Opry Show Playin' Somewhere." Mr. Edwards is backed by an all-local band, including Edward Chraplak on harmonica, bassist Don Macintosh, Emmedd Spencer playing drums, and Paul Edwards strumming an acoustic guitar. Nothing earthshaking here, but I found this to be a thoroughly charming, jes-plain-folks kinda record.

Even Dozen Jug Band "The Even Dozen Jug Band" (Elektra Records, 1964) (LP)
(Produced by Jac Holzman & Paul A Rothschild)
A folk-revival proto-supergroup which featured David Grisman on mandolin, along with other luminaries such as acoustic blues picker Stefan Grossman, singers Maria Muldaur and John Sebastian (later of the Lovin' Spoonful), guitarist Steve Katz and even arranger/pianist Joshua Rifkin. The album was full of salty old-time blues tunes, and presaged the work of Muldaur's next port of call, the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. Interesting early stuff from the heyday of the folk revival.

Norm Flash & The Starfires "Proud Daddy" (Starfire Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Norm Flash & Joe Riccard)
Not a ton of info on this one... The liner notes inform us that singer Norm Flash grew up in Eagle Lake, Massachusetts, just north of Worcester, though this was recorded at the Reel Dreams studio in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The album's centerpiece, obviously, is the title track, "Proud Daddy," which is a fine representative of a minor country subgenre, the-song-for-my-kid, in this case for his daughter Ronda Lee, who looks like she was maybe about two years old. The song kicks the album off on a high note: Mr. Flash is full of enthusiasm and positivity, and the song's uptempo arrangement gallops along, buoying his vocals, which, slowly, you may start to realize, are a little on the amateurish side. This becomes more apparently on the subsequent tracks, which feature a ton of cover songs, including ditties like "If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body," "Cheatin' Situation," "Drivin' My Life Away," "Lucille," "Tulsa Time," and other fun singalongs... There may be some original stuff on here as well (the title track perhaps?) though there are no composer credits, so I'm not sure. Norm Flash had a pretty robust voice, but his phrasing got wobbly every once in a while, and it's not clear how much of that is due to his own inherent limitations, and how much perhaps was because he had limited studio time, and maybe even someone behind the scenes rushing him through the sessions. I suspect a combination of factors. Anyway, it's not disastrous, though it is frequently charming. Besides, his band was pretty solid. The Starfires included Norm Flash on rhythm guitar and vocals, with Larry Coxx (steel guitar), Bob Hase (bass), Guy Lazzard (drums), and Joe Riccard playing lead guitar, and the steel work in particular was pretty strong. As far as I know, this was Mr. Flash's only album, although he does seem to have held his band together for many years -- his weddings, parties, anything gigs were listed in local show notices at least as recently as 2011, and listening to this album, you can imagine him up on stage, giving it his all. A negligible album, perhaps, but worth a spin.

Larry Flint "Hands Of A Dreamer" (Belmont Records, 1986) (LP)
We shouldn't confuse this New England twangster for the notorious celebrity pornographer Larry Flynt, who published Hustler magazine...(although the album title doesn't help!) I dunno, if it was me, I would have maybe considered a different stage name... Anyway, Mr. Flint hailed from Waltham, MA and recorded on the same label as Boston bandleader John Penny... Before cutting this album, Flint had been a core member of Rick Robinson's band, The Bayou Boys, touring a recording with them in the early 'Eighties. He also led his own band, the Road Scholars, and released a second album, Ghost Of The Railroadin 2010.

Bobby Gage "Leaving It Up To You" (R & G Record Productions, 196--) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Saia)
A very private pressing from an East Coast bar-band singer working his way through a bunch of melodic country standards of a late '50s/early '60s vintage, stuff like "Fraulein," "Wolverton Mountain" and "King Without A Queen." No date on this album -- I'm guessing 1964 or '65, but it coulda been a couple of years earlier -- or later, either way. Anyway, Gage and his band weren't all that great, but they sure were authentic. If you wanna hear what a country covers artist sounded like in Boston, circa '65, this album's worth a spin. Not sure if Gage recorded other albums, but he did play at various clubs in Massachusetts at least through the 1980s, when he was fronting a band called The Countriaires. Anyone have more info about this guy?

Bobby Gage & The Countriaires "For The Good Times" (R & G Record Productions, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Roger Baker & John Penny)
A much later edition of the Bobby Gage show, an undated album that looks like a late 'Seventies or early' 80s offering. A whole bunch of cover tunes, with most performances credited to Bobby Gage, a couple to the Countriaires band, and others to bandmembers Joe White, Leslie Gage and Lisa Gage (who I assume were Bobby Gage's teenage kids). Looking at old New England entertainment listings, The Countriaires seem to played a fair number of gigs in the 'Eighties, though possibly the band formed several years earlier... The group included Bobby Gage on rhythm guitar and vocals, Earl Blank (keyboards), Don Millard (guitar), Herbie Sands (drums), Warren Smith (saxophone), and Joe White on bass, with the Gage kids singing solo on one song apiece. Bobby Gage may have made other records, but these are the two albums I know about for sure.

The Gamblers "Start It All Over Again" (Grenadier Records, 1983-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob McCracken & Tom Soares)
A surprisingly strong, independently-produced pop-oriented country album by a band from Fall River, Massachusetts... This album features a wealth of well-crafted original material and strong performances by the band, all well framed by the slick-but-not-too-slick production, which really was on a ready-for-radio level. The only weak link is from the band's female singer -- who like the rest of the band is unidentified in the liner notes, but sings lead on several songs, and is not quite on the same level as the rest of the band. Overall, though, this seems like a band that really coulda-shoulda made it. Oh, well -- go figure! Not sure of the release date - some folks say the "late '70s," though one source says 1983, and the catalog number might suggest a 1977 release. Any info would be welcome!

George Gritzbach "Had Your Gritz Today?" (Kicking Mule Records, 1976) (LP)
East Coast blues picker George Gritzbach's played folk and blues clubs throughout Massachusetts and greater New England in the early '70s before recording this fine acoustic album, which is deeply rooted in the "country blues" style of the 1920s and '30s. It's a fine album, similar to the work of contemporaries such as Bob Brozman and Stefan Grossman, though this blues revival work doesn't show the same unique flair of his original material that he'd record on his next album. Acoustic blues fans will want to check this one out, though Americana/alt-country fans might enjoy his later stuff more.

George Gritzbach "The Sweeper" (Kicking Mule Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by David Budries)
Another solid acoustic blues set, mostly of original material, including a few songs that adventure forth into funkier, more inventive blues-Americana territory... The uptempo title track, "The Sweeper And The Debutante" is a lusty, steamy novelty song that recalls David Bromberg's "Sharon," while on the other end of the emotional spectrum, the eerie, spectral "Mr. Fat's Sad Surprise" tells the tale of a rich tycoon meeting up with Death itself, with Gritzbach accompanied by what sounds like the mournful ghost of a tortured oboe. "Long As It's Green" is another nice, good-natured tune, while much of the rest of the record fits right into the straight-and-narrow of the '70s acoustic blues revival. I remember hearing "The Sweeper" on KFAT a bazillion times, back in the goodle days, and enjoyed playing it on the air myself a time or two. Afterwards, Gritzbach went for a heavier, more electrified sound, but this early acoustic set was a real gem.

George Gritzbach "All American Song" (Flying Fish Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by David Budries & George Gritzbach)
A mellow, rather subdued in which Gritzbach strikes a contemplative tone and even tackles some political themes, particularly the issues of nuclear proliferation and the Cold War tensions of the Reagan era. The arms race is most directly addressed on "Talkin' Freeze," a song inspired by the grassroots "nuclear freeze" movement, with an urgency and earnestness that is reprised on "Red Alert." He also sings about economic inequality ("Off The Wall Street Blues"), evolution ("Common Denominator") and ecology ("Creole Chill") as well as love and romance, as of old. The album's most durable song may be the closing number, "Seeds Of Tomorrow," which echoes the political themes explored earlier, but more gently and more subtly. This can be seen as a transitional album -- still anchored in the acoustic rag-and-blues style of his earlier albums -- though it's also a lot more glum and downcast. Even though he's preaching positive social change, Gritzbach sounds kind of low-energy and down in the dumps... I guess looking into the abyss can do that for you. At any rate, although this album isn't as vibrant as his stuff from the '70s, it's still got some good stuff on it, and is certainly worth checking out.

Happy Louie "Country Sounds With Happy Louie" (Ha-Lo Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Doug Clark)
A country-flavored set from New England polka bandleader Louie Dusseault, who was a commercially successful regional artist before starting his own independent label in the late 1960s. Though the musicians aren't listed by name, the liner notes tell us that the band featured a mix of traditional polka instruments (lots of brass) along with piano, flutes, harpsichord and steel guitars, and Happy Louie, of course, leading the group on trumpet. The lyrics are in both English and Polish, with a set list that includes covers of "For The Good Times," and several less well-known tunes. Mr. Dusseault was born and raised in Ware, Massachusetts, though he had a regional territory that also included Connecticut and parts fo New Jersey and New York. He has several other albums, though this seems to be the most overtly country-themed.

Elmer Hawkes & The Coonville Ferryboat Killers "Dirty Magazines" (Trutone Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Katz)
This is, I believe, the first album by New England-based singer-songwriter Elmer Hawkes, who recorded a handful of albums in the '70s and early '80s, tried his hand at theater, and more recently became a documentary filmmaker, producing travel films for kids. With the cheaply-pressed, seedy-looking cover, I had high hopes for this one, though it proved less of a low-rent twangfest and more of a frantic folkie comedy album, would-be fodder for Dr. Demento, ala Barnes & Barnes. Hawkes seems to have been a self-styled poet-satirist from New England, with a mailing address in Connecticut and tentative roots in New Jersey as well (he eventually settled in Cambridge, MA...) What country twang exists here comes more from the bluegrass side of things, with some decent banjo picking, though that's about it. Hawkes himself sticks to vocals, harmonica and guitar, and the verbiage comes fast and furious in song after song, in a post-Dylanesque fashion... It's all laid on a bit thick, if you ask me, but if you're looking for original under-the-radar '70s counterculture stuff, this could be of interest. I can see some kinship here with rock/folk geek-nerd outsider artists such as Jonathan Richman, although that's probably giving Hawkes a little too much credit... Still, there's a similar cultural thread that can be followed... Post-hippie, pre-punk, wiseass novelty material that's (perhaps deliberately) rough around the edges.

John Hicks & Revolution "Boston Cowboy" (Belmont Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Fournier & Dave Butler)
Any collection of off-the-radar country artists from Massachusetts will definitely have to include a tune or two from this album, with the title track, "Boston Cowboys," at the top of the list. More than half the songs on here were written by Hicks, a singer with a fairly thin, tremulous voice, though he was backed by a rock-solid band. Hicks was a client of Boston bandleader/show promoter John Penny, though he had a band of his own, and must have played live gigs around the region. Among the cover songs on here are tunes by Larry Gatlin, Gordon Lightfoot and Kenny "Sauron" Rogers, which gives you some sense of how Hicks might drift off into some lighter, more ballad-oriented countrypolitan material. I kinda dig their power-poppish instrumental version of "If You Could Read My Mind," which spotlights some sweet, weeping pedal steel by Donnie D'Eon. Overall, this one's worth a spin, especially if you're delving into East Coast country, or trying to track down some of the artists who were in John Penny's orbit.

Cliff Honiker "Holy Mother, Let It Be" (Talcon Record Production, 19--?) (LP)
This album has made the rounds of the let's-make-fun-of-old-album-covers scene, due to the novelty graphics on the front cover, which show the beatnik-y looking young guitarist kneeling in the forest with cartoon flames lapping around his legs, reminiscent of that classic Louvin Brothers cover from the 'Fifties. Although the liner notes describe this as "country music with a real down home flavor," the arrangements aren't all that twangy, and seems to have been provided by an (anonymous) pop-rock ensemble, doing a work-for-hire gig behind the decidedly amateur singer. The songs pursue some pretty eclectic themes, including a couple with religious lyrics, "Come On, Satan" and the title track, "Holy Mother, Let It Be." Then again, he also sings stuff like "I Need A Woman," "Night Time Lover" and "Marriage On The Rocks, so he had his feet set in the real world as well. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Clifford F. Honiker, Jr (d. 2010) was a working class guy, the owner of his own flooring and carpet cleaning business, which was still advertising in local papers in the late 'Sixties and 'early 'Seventies, when this was made. He later moved to Georgia, though I'm fairly certain he didn't play live gigs in either state. A single was broken off this album, with these two discs apparently the sum total of his forays into the music business. A "private" album, if ever there was one!

Judy & Whitey "Pioneer Valley Jamboree" (Jay-Vac Records, 1968-?) (LP)
The Pioneer Valley Jamboree was a country variety show hosted weekends on radio station WREB, in Holyoke, Massachusetts... It was started in 1963 by a guy named Lee Roberts, and showcased numerous regional artists, including the husband and wife duo of Judy Ann Reed and Vernon A. ("Whitey") Carrier. They were featured performers in the late '60s, professionally nicknamed "the Bluegrass Sweethearts." This album featured mostly bluegrass-y/traditionally oriented material, tunes like "Nine Pound Hammer," "Ashes Of Love," and "Blue Kentucky Girl," with a hefty dose of sentimental mountain songs and gospel tunes such as "Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies." The original Pioneer Valley Jamboree fell apart at some point, but the name was revived in the early 1980s for a local folk/bluegrass festival. Whitey Carrier passed away in 1976, in his late 'fifties; several years later, Judy Carrier released at least one album under her own name.

Bobby Keyes "Volume Four: Barnstorming: Country Music" (Aircraft Music Library, 1984) (LP)
Country-themed library music from a company in Boston. There are six "songs," instrumental themes -- all written by Bobby Keyes, with both banjo and non-banjo versions as well as shortened "bumper" tracks, all for use as sonic clip-art in ads, radio beds, or whatever. The songs are all held by Brian/Paul Publishing, doubtless part of the Aircraft label. (Presumably there were other, non-country releases in this series as well...) Anyone with info about this Bobby Keyes fella?

Jim Kweskin - see artist discography

Doug LaValley & Jean Marie "Wheeling Jamboree" (ARC Music, 1963-?) (LP)
Popular in Canada, honkytonker Doug LaValley (1934-1999) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, though like many New Englanders, his career crisscrossed the border, as evidenced on this LP on the Arc label. A talented multi-instrumentalist and robust vocalist in the Johnny Bush style, LaValley's career dated back to the early 1950s, when he worked in Montana Slim's band before forming his own group and recording as a solo artist. LaValley and his wife, Jean Marie Varno, joined the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree and were in the show's cast for several years; they also did some time in Nashville, where Mr. LaValley did session work and cut a string of singles on various labels. As far as I know this was their only full album.

Gene LaVerne "Country Music -- Past And Present" (Natural Sound Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Lou Casella)
A Minnesota native, singer Gene LaVerne (1924-2004) was a vaudeville performer in the late 1930s, working with a partner named Harry Burke with whom he toured throughout the South and Midwest. LaVerne started a radio career in New England, but wound up serving in the military when WWII broke out -- he returned to New England after the war, working in radio again and as part of a country music revue show at the Lone Star Ranch, located in Reeds Ferry, New Hampshire, where he worked for several decades. This early '70s album has a mailing address in Maynard, Mass and is mostly an oldies set -- country and old-timey standards, along with two songs credited to Gene LaVerne, "Love Me," and the title track, "Country Music -- Past And Present."

Gene LaVerne "Something Old, Something New" (Natural Sound Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Lou Casella)
This disc features a ton of public domain oldies, along with a cover of "Green, Green Grass Of Home," and a tune by Ronnie Cormier, "Shine On Sunshine," which seems to have been original to this album. Among the many testimonials on the back cover -- by George Jones, Mel Tillis, et. al. -- is one by George Chatfield of radio station WFGL/WFMP-FM, in Fitchburg, MA, indicating that Gene LaVerne was working there as on-air talent at the time. He's backed by locals, including Dusty Burnell on dobro, Cathy Cass (piano), Al Eyles (steel guitar), Curly King (fiddle), Charlie Patterson (rhythm guitar) and Sal Perry on bass.

The Led Balloon Jug Band "The Led Balloon Jug Band" (1967-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Wood & Bernie Vaughn)
An insouciant, punky-looking, late-vintage 'Sixties blues jugband which featured Bruce Burnside on guitar and vocals, Christopher Crosby (banjo), James McBean (harmonica), William Melton (mandolin), Michael Millard (harmonica), Craig Roche (guitar, mandolin and washtub bass), Dickinson Upson (jug and vocals) with Norma Schreiber as "guest vocalist," and a pretty dutiful repertoire, packed with blues standards such as "Candy Man," "K.C. Moan," "Fishin' Blues," and the like. Not to be confused with a certain British blues-and-blasphemy band of a similar name, Led Balloon was apparently an offshoot of the Hermon Knights, a New England garage rock band of sorts, a relatively hip rock-pop outfit organized annually by the band's private high school, Northfield Mount Hermon School in Gill, Massachusetts, just north of Hartford. Each year, the school would put out a souvenir album from the Hermon Knights (aka The Knights) producing a string of eminently collectable custom-label records which mixed pop standards and rock hits, although as the '60s progressed they became more garage-oriented and obscuro. This folkish set from The Led Balloon was an unsanctioned side-project, all kids from Mount Hermon School, not a school-sponsored project, but rather a self-financed album paid for by Bruce Burnside then sold at the band's gigs for five bucks a copy. A couple of the guys on here were also in the school band: Mike Millard and guitarist Craig Roche played on the Knights album for 1967, with Roche continuing in the band the following year. This album appears to have been a one-off, the group's only recording as far as I can tell. Too bad they didn't stick around long enough to sue the jodpurs off those longhaired blokes from merry olde England!

Lee & Larry "Thinking About You" (CSR Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Piekos & Steve Schwartz)
A fairly slick-looking set of country-lounge material, an all-originals set with all songs written by the husband-wife duo of Larry Piekos and Lee-Ann Piekos, backed by steel guitarist Pete Adams, along with Jon Graboll (guitar), Richard Mullins Jr. (keyboards), Mark Papas (drums), Larry Piekos (guitar), Fran Tokarz (bass) as well as credits for some folks playing drum machine and wind chimes, both of which which we'll ignore... The group was from Lee, Massachusetts, in the western end of the state near Albany, and apparently did local gigs during the late 1970s and early '80s. Not a lot of info about them, though they were still doing local shows in '85, and may have recorded an earlier, Bicentennial-themed record back in '76.

Lee & Larry "Ten Years!" (Piekos Records, 19--?)
This album was possibly a cassette-only release... At least that's the only version I've see so far...

Terri Lee "Promises, Promises" (Tepco Records, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Riley)
A teenage gal singer from somewhere in New England... The vague, laudatory liner notes don't give much solid information, such as where she was from, or who was backing her, but the album was recorded in Boston, and seems to be of late 'Sixties vintage, probably late 1968 or '69, judging from the set list, which included covers of Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and Lynn Anderson's "Promises, Promises." There are some other "girl" songs on here, like "Truck Drivin' Woman" and the inevitable Patsy Cline cover ("I Fall To Pieces") though it's worth noting that Ms. Lee also covered some "non-girl" classics as well, and even took on the tongue-twisting "Auctioneer" at the end of the album. Mostly, though, this is a mystery disc, and one assumes that Terri Lee was a stage name, making that much more difficult to track down info about her career. Any info is welcome!

Armand Lefebvre "Take Another Chance On Me" (Saint George International, 1973) (LP)
A decorated World War Two veteran from Holyoke, Massachusetts, Armand Lefebvre (1916-2008) returned to the States and was working in a local paper mill when he was blinded by a work-related explosion, back in 1958. He went on to devote himself to disabled advocacy and later joined the musical ministry of Reverend Ralph Di Orio as well as a group called Gleason's Townhouse Singers. Though primarily a religious singer, he recorded a bunch of secular stuff on this album, mostly country, but with a few pop tunes in there as well. It's mostly standard fare, with country evergreens such as "For The Good Times," "Green, Green Grass Of Home," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Make The World Go Away," "Statue Of A Fool" and "Welcome To My World," though the title track, interestingly enough, is a cover of a Dick Feller song. As far as I know, this was Mr. Lefebvre's only album, though I suppose it's possible he also recorded with his gospel groups.

Bob Martin "Midwest Farm Disaster" (RCA Victor, 1972) (LP)
An early classic of the folkie country-poet genre now known as "Americana." Bob Martin was a singer-songwriter from Lowell, Massachusetts who trekked down to Nashville to record his first album, working with the A-list studio pros in the Area Code 615/Barefoot Jerry network, cats like David Briggs, Norbert Putnam and Kenny Buttrey... The results were pretty laid-back, sort of an acoustic saloon-blues cabaret, easily framing Martin's nasal, pinched vocals and providing unobtrusive backing for his rambling, discursive lyrics. There's the same sort of slice-of-life storytelling style later associated with Guy Clark and Nanci Griffith -- nice stuff, although the highly-regarded album didn't sell well, and Martin retreated from the music business a couple of years later. He recorded only sparingly after that, averaging one album per decade, up until the year 2000. This delicate, skillful album is considered his masterpiece, although his later stuff is rewarding as well.

Bob Martin "Last Chance Rider" (June Appal Recordings, 1982) (LP)

Chuck McDermott & Wheatstraw "Last Straw" (Back Door Records, 1976) (LP)
East Coaster Chuck McDermott cut a wide swath through New England's 1970s country-rock scene, touring widely and cutting two well-regarded albums with his band Wheatstraw. He later moved to California, where he met country-folk legend John Stewart, forming a musical partnership that produced some later albums, included below.

Chuck McDermott & Wheatstraw "Follow The Music" (Back Door Records, 1977) (LP)

Chuck McDermott & John Stewart "Blondes" (Allegiance Record, 1982) (LP)
A collaboration with country-folk icon John Stewart...

Chuck McDermott "The Turning Of The Wheel" (Sunstorm Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck McDermott)

Chuck McDermott & John Stewart "Illinois Rain: In Concert June 22, 1984" (Folk Era Records, 2011) (LP)

Chuck McDermott "Gin And Rosewater" (Sun Sign Records, 1986) (LP)

Jo Dee Messina - see artist discography

Paul Metcalf "Pure Country Music Comin' Back" (Belmont, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Tim Gold)
Billing himself as "the Massachusetts Cowboy," Rockland, MA's Paul Metcalf threw himself whole hog into this project, with production help from guitarist Tim Gold. Not a lot of info about this one yet, though Metcalf seems to have released at least one other record, a 1983 single: "Massachusetts Cowboy" b/w "Welfare Tree."

Maria Muldaur - see artist discography

Geoff Muldaur - see artist discography

Ned "Ned" (Polydor Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Stewart)
Amiable longhair folk-rock, with a hint of country, and a dip into a longer, fusion-y jam session on the album's last track... I guess these happy-looking Bostonians fit into the "country-rock" category, mostly because of lead singer Nick Talantis' twangy vocals, but also because of the CSN&Y-derived mix of melodic guitar rock and hippie-twang. It's a pleasant record, though -- looking a few decades ahead, I'd say that folks who like Victoria Williams and Mark Olson's Creekdipper records might like this a lot. I also like the photo on the back cover where they're all holding big cuddly dogs who are licking their faces. Nothing says "hippie album" like big, cuddly dogs on the album art. Not sure if any of these guys stuck with music professionally, but this is a nice album for the times. (Also worth noting: Tommy Talton of the band Cowboy also sits in as a session guitarist on a few tunes.)

Marie Norway "Marie Norway" (Foxfire Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Fox & Peter Troisi)
Originally from Massachusetts, singer Marie Norway cut this album with the help of several Boston-area and regional bands, including members of Wheatstraw, The Mission Band, Them Fargo Brothers, and The Estes Boys. She also played clubs like the Hillbilly Ranch and toured throughout New England with various pickup bands. This album is mostly packed with cover songs, though she also plays several locally crafted songs, including "For A Song" which was co-written by producer Jerry Fox, and "Calvin Cole," written by Allen Estes, as well as her own "Green Eyed Monster." Eventually, Norway made a go of it in Nashville, moving there a couple of years after cutting this album. She stayed there, plugging away for years doing commercial work for TV and jingles, as well as some songwriting and whatnot... After returning to New England, she briefly hosted a local country music TV show up in Norfolk, MA, after which she left show business and moved, decisively, to North Carolina. Decades later she digitized her recordings and reissued this album (with some bonus materials) on the CD/MP3 collection below. Norway also wrote a show business memoir called "It Started With A Dare," which talks about her career in the 1970s and '80s.

Marie Norway "Country Dreams: Marie Norway's Greatest Hits" (Third Rock Records, 2007)
Originally out on CD, this album mostly gathers tracks off of her self-titled 'Seventies LP, along with some stuff from her later singles...

Stu Nunnery "Stu Nunnery" (Evolution Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Al Gorgioni)
This is one of those odd, eclectic, missing-gem albums of the 'Seventies, more of a soft-pop/experimental album than a country thing, though there's some plausible crossover into countrypolitan and singer-songwriter territory that makes this of interest to a certain slice of twangfans... Plus, bluegrass/twang pickers Eric Weissberg and Ken Kosek were in the studio band, so that may turn a few ears towards this album as well. Originally from Massachusetts, Nunnery was a quintessential folk-rock mystery man, releasing this lone album in the waning glow of the hippie era, then fading from sight after it failed to make a dent in the American charts. Admittedly, it may have been a hard sell: mixing willowy, folk-freak mysticism with rootsy Leon Russell-esque boogie tunes and lavish soft-rock, along with hints of contemporary auteurs such as Jonathan Edwards, James Taylor and Harry Nilsson... Nunnery was a singular performer, though, not quite as arresting as, say, Nick Drake, but similarly drifting beyond the edges of mainstream pop. The record got some buzz abroad, in Europe and in Brazil (of all places!) and after the independent Evolution label folded, he earned a contract with Columbia's Epic label, though he was dropped around 1977 and later went into jingle writing, where he was quite successful. In the early '80s, Nunnery lost half his hearing and had to retire from music when it became too difficult for him to stay in key... At some point he retained control of his music, and reissued this album on CD, so it's much easier to find now. Definitely worth a spin, though not much of a country record.

Don Paul & The Critters "Exciting Hit Songs" (Rite Records, 196--?) (LP)
Although this album was pressed by the Cincinnati custom label Rite Records, singer Don Paul was a New Englander, leading his Massachusetts-based band, The Critters, for several years in the '60s. They played venues such as the Ranch House in Springfield, along with other regional gigs. Paul was apparently born in upstate New York -- the liner notes say he was from "a town" in the Adirondack Mountains, though unfortunately don't specify which one -- and though I'm not 100% sure he was the same guy, I think he may have also been a radio deejay, working as country music program director at a variety of stations throughout the 1970s, '80s and '90s. On this album he's backed by steel guitarist Sam Gibson, a well-regarded player who exhibits an unusual style on this record, as well as bassist Al Foisy and drummer Gerry Bruce. Although the vocals by Paul and Foisy are sometimes a little iffy, the overall sound is lively and robust -- the pedal steel goes into some crazy tones, with a kind of staccato attack that sounds fairly unique: his version of the instrumental, "Slinky," is pretty wild. There are also some great flights of bar-band amateurism that give this album an unintentional novelty flair, such as their funky, rock-flavored versions of "Okie From Muskogee" and "Folsom Prison Blues" (where they even mention people smoking pot!) Nice snapshot of a local East Coast band.

The John Penny Band "The John Penny Band" (Belmont Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Terry Sutton)
Bandleader John A. Piantedosi (aka John Penny, 1933-2013) was a longtime fixture on the Massachusetts/New England country scene, leading his own band for many years, ushering numerous pickers through the doors, including this youthful crew that included Terry Sutton playing pedal steel, Chuck Parrish on lead guitar, Jeff Jarvis on piano and drummer Rick Curless, who was also the son of East Coast country legend Dick Curless. In addition to leading a band, Penny was also a booking agent, with Curless one of his best-known clients. Although the band had been around for years, this was apparently the first (and only?) album they recorded -- all classic cover tunes (including a version of "Sixpack To Go") played by an eager young band. A fine example of East Coast twang!

Dave Pike "Straight From The Heart" (Belmont Records/John Penny Enterprises, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Pike & Terry Sutton)
This indie album from the Boston area features eight original songs from singer David Pike, along with covers of "Please Help Me I'm Falling" and "Singing The Blues." Pike was a teenaged country singer from Marlboro MA, while the backing musicians were basically the John Penny Band, one of Boston's premiere twangbands. The lineup on this album featured steel player Terry Sutton, Chuck Parrish on lead guitar and drummer Rick Curless (son of New England's country king, Dick Curless...) Although the young-looking Pike appears to have been a total 'Seventies dork -- the kind of guy you might hope would have been a Devo fan -- he sang in a deep, resonant neotrad country style, with a voice that's strongly reminiscent of John Anderson. A couple of the songs are too loosely written, though others crafted with a more simple, direct approach are low-key winners.

The Raunch Hands "Pickin' And Singin' With..." (Epic Records, 1960) (LP)
(Produced by Stephen B. Fossett)
These jovial fellas from Harvard were a straight-up '60s folk-parody group, not quite the kind of twang we're looking for here... But certainly worth mentioning if only to differentiate them from the '80s cowpunk band of the same name. The band included Fritz Donovan, Cam Fordyce, Al Goldman, Raph Henderson, Larry Reeder and Bill Wood. This originally came out in 1959 as a private press release sporting a plain white, no-art back cover, but was later picked up by Epic Records and reissued with fewer tracks, and some altered song titles. (No idea if the actual performances were the same or not, but if someone wanted to donate a copy of the first edition, I'd be glad to compare and contrast...)

The Raunch Hands "Against The World... And Other Favorites" (Epic Records, 1961) (LP)
Another swell set of satirical songs, this time including many politically themed numbers... Actually, come to think of it wouldn't it be cool if this were the same band as the '80s Raunch Hands? Like, if they'd been together all those years and just changed with the times? That would be awesome.

Rick Robinson & The Bayou Boys "Rick Robinson & The Bayou Boys" (Belmont Records, 1978) (LP)
Despite the boayou reference, these fellas were actually from Massachusetts, and recorded this album on Belmont Records, which was owned by local Boston-area twangster John Penny. More info to come...

Rick Robinson & The Bayou Boys "I Spent Last Year In A Barroom" (Belmont Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Flint & Buck Mitchell)

Jim Rooney - see artist discography

Peter Rowan/The Rowans - see artist discography

Spirit In Flesh "Spirit In Flesh" (Metromedia Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by James Skiathitis)

Spirit In Flesh "II" (Confederate Publishing, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by James Skiathitis)
This was the second album by Spirit In Flesh, the "house band" for the Renaissance Community, an aquarian cult/hippie commune based in Turners Falls, Massachusetts that was founded by the band's lead singer, Michael Metelica. Their eponymous first album from 1971 was frenetic, shrill and unlistenable, filled with blaring electric guitars and manic, shrieky vocals -- a blaring rock'n'roll trainwreck which perhaps anticipated some sort of punk energy, but was really, truly horrible. By 1979, Metelica was going by the name Michael Rapunzel, and had opened the band up to a rootsier sound, bringing in fiddle and steel guitar, as well as some banjo picking by Georgia-born picker Tabby Crabb, who also played in Mickey Gilley's "Urban Cowboy" band and later recorded a few singles as a solo artist. Almost half the tracks on here were recycled from the band's first record, apparently putting forth the commune's spiritual philosophy, including a new version of the song "Fine Line," which had a vaguely twangy, Mekons-ish feel in its original incarnation. As far as I know, this was the group's final album.

Smokey Stover & Gino Malgeri "Smokey Stover With Gino Malgeri" (Reflection Studios, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by John Koumoutseas)
A real oddball/ultra-outsider album recorded at an indie studio in Hudson, Massachusetts, near Worcester... The album is a mix of kooky novelty folk, soul and country, with covers of R&B tunes by Chuck Berry, Peppermint Harris, Eddie Holland, Allen Toussaint, as well as twangtunes such as Bobby Austin's "Apartment Number Nine" and the Merle Travis oldie, "Sixteen Tons," as well as some novelty stuff penned by Malgeri and Stover, who seem to have been the only musicians playing on this album. Some of the musical strands are fused together on tracks like Smokey Stover's "Country Funk," one of a handful of originals credited to the pair. The album ends with what the back cover calls "Out Afterthoughts," which turns out to be a couple of weird, meandering, spoken-wordish songs with suicidal ideations, "When I Am Dead" and "Hole In The Ground." One assumes these two dudes were tripping their brains out, and hopes everything turned out okay. At any rate, despite all the vast might of the interwebs, both men's biographies remain obscure: Mr. Stover may have been a guy named Glenn Stover, but took his stage name from the old newspaper cartoon, Smokey Stover, while the only mention of Gino Malgeri seems to have been a news clipping from 1968 when he (or someone with the same name) was serving in the Navy. Other than that, total ciphers.

Barry Tashian - see artist discography

Kate Taylor "Sister Kate" (Atlantic-Cotillion, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Peter Asher)
I'm adding this one mostly as a buyer-beware, cautionary listing. This album by singer Kate Taylor, sister of singer-songwriting superstar James Taylor, often makes its way into country and folk bins, but I think that's largely because she's wearing a big blue denim jacket that reads "rural," but is really just and early '70s fashion thing. Oh, sure, there are traces of twang: some LA country-rock heavyweights pitch in -- Bernie Leadon, Linda Ronstadt, J.D. Souther -- but they're mostly way in the background, although bluegrasser John Hartford does add more overt twang with a banjo riff on a version of Elton John's "Country Comfort." Also, she does a weirdly lethargic boogie-rock version of the old George Jones hit, "White Lightning." Mostly, though, this is just a big LA singer-songwriter popfest, with her singing stuff by Carole King, her brothers James and Livingston Taylor, and of course all these elite popstars pitch in on the recordings. Perhaps most surprisingly, a song by British folkie Beverly Martyn. Can't say as I'm a big fan of Taylor as a vocalist, nor of the music itself... It's inoffensive, but kind of subpar '70s pop, with a few riffs that will feel familiar, but little to excite most twangfans.

Texas "The Eagle Cried" (DNB Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Soprano)
Don't ask me. I do not know. But I really, really want it on a t-shirt. Well, okay, maybe I do know... a little bit. Apparently these guys were actually from -- you'll never guess! -- Massachusetts! Franklin, Massachusetts, to be exact. Yup, these are big city folk, or at the very least, yankees. The band was led by frontman Dick Nephew, with Bruce Carr on bass, Fred Spencer (lead guitar and steel), Terry LaValle (drums), and a couple other guys who are credited on the back, but didn't make the group photo: pianist Randy Cormier and saxophonist Mike Crowley, who also plays the flute. Whether any of these guys originally came from Texas, I do not know, but they loved Texas -- they even wrote a song that says so. Nephew had a pretty wicked sense of humor, though, as heard on "Country Music From Boston," which tackles the whole New England-ain't-Nashville thing head on. A lotta original material, with all but one song penned by Dick Nephew, and Bruce Carr chipping in his own, "Country Club Blues."

Rex Trailer "Western Favorites" (Premier Albums, 19--?) (LP)
Though a Texan by birth, television trail boss Rexford Trailer (1928-2013) made his name as a 1950's show host on the East Coast, working first in New York and Philadelphia, then finally moving to Boston where he anchored the western-oriented children's program Boomtown, from 1956 to 1974. He had a parallel career as a recording artist and scored a few modest hits, notably his signature song, "Hoofbeats," though this cheapie-label album seems to have been his magnum opus. The release date isn't clear, but the fourteen tracks on this album were recycled in a variety of budget-label re-packagings, including a straight reissue on Spin-O-Rama Records (a subsidiary of Premiere) and later chopped up to fit the format of the Crown/Custom Records imprint, which frequently re-licensed older material for its 1960s releases. The tunes are all cowboy standards, stuff like "Big Rock Candy Mountain," "Golden Slippers," "Home On The Range" and "Red River Valley" -- "Hoofbeats" was not included on this album (having come out earlier as a single) though I think it was later anthologized on CD along with at least some of these tracks....

Rex Trailer "Good Old Country Music" (Crown Records, 1960-?) (LP)
This reissue includes ten of the fourteen tracks on the Premiere album above; the same ten songs were reissued again on yet another Crown LP (below) with the track order slightly jiggled around...

Rex Trailer "Good Old Country Music" (Crown Records, 1966-?) (LP)

Johnny White "Memories" (Alpine Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Adams)
Not to be confused with South Dakota's Johnnie White, this fella was from East Boston, Massachusetts, a songwriter and veteran performer of the New England hillbilly scene who was professionally billed as "the Yankee Yodeler." From a French-Canadian immigrant family, White's real name was Jean LeBlanc, and he started out in a duo with his brother -- as The LeBlanc Brothers -- though by the time he began to record, White had adopted his Anglicized stage name. He was a practitioner of the ancient art of yodeling, tackling such classics as "Cannonball Yodel" as well as mainstream oldies as "Folsom Prison Blues." Alas, there are no song credits, although I think most of these tracks were Johnny White originals... Also no info on the album's producer, or the backing musicians, though 'Fifties country star Marvin Rainwater contributes liner notes.

Billy Whyte "Cold Sunshine" (Hub Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Roger Baker & Robert Smith)
Really more of a soft-pop thing, in a Dan Fogleberg-esque way... Airy, folky, slightly meandering, sensitive-guy ballads, with all the songs written or co-written by Billy Whyte (who I'm not entirely sure is the same as Midwesterner Bill Whyte who recorded the 1975 album, Making Music...) Anyway, this was recorded at Hub Records, an independent studio in Brighton, MA, with a bunch of local musicians, not all of them country or folk-oriented (as seen with the presence of both flute and trombone...) Of note in the twang department, however, is pedal steel player John Macy, who I think is the same guy who started his own recording studio in Denver, and who played with and produced albums by folks such as Michael Murphey, Jim Salestrom, Jimmy Ibbotson and various musicians in the orbit of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. This album is a little too gooey for me, though I'm pretty sure fans of 'Seventies soft-pop who are in search of lost-gem rarities will find a lot to groove on here.

Dusty Cal & Bonnie (Witham) "Songs Of The Old Country Church" (Soundcraft Associates, 196--?) (LP)
A married couple from Rochester, New Hampshire, Rev. Calvin G. Witham (1926-2021) and Clara C. Witham (1925-2012) were secular country stars in the late 1940s, before they got religion in 1951 and shifted towards gospel music. Cal Witham had a career going back to the mid-1940s, and was partnered up with another New England country picker, Clyde Joy, for a couple of years after the war. For several decades the Withams were connected with the Lone Star Ranch country music venue in Reeds Ferry, New Hampshire, and at the time this album came out "Dusty Cal" was a performer on a country show broadcast from Manchester's WMUR-TV. Their career found the couple working both sides of the Massachusetts/New Hampshire state line, though they eventually settled down in Cambridge, MA in 1985. They are accompanied on this album by organist Beverly Smith, and Warren Carney on guitar. The set was recorded in Cambridge, Massachusetts; later the Withams moved to Hanson, MA, south of Boston, where Cal Witham served as an ordained minister, and later moved to Cambridge.

Cal Witham & Bonnie Witham "...Sing The Gospel Country Style" (Bolt Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Buzz Whittica, Buck Carney & Richard Nevue)
The old-time country duo of Cal & Bonnie started out as a secular act, but went gospel later in life, with Mr. Witham becoming an ordained Baptist minister, in Hanson, Massachusetts. This album is mostly packed with standards, including a patriotic medley performed by John Phipps on the Wurlitzer organ. Producer Buck Carney plays dobro and guitar, and was apparently the co-owner of Bolt Records, which gives its address as the Lone Star Ranch, in Reeds Ferry, New Hampshire. (Many thanks to Hillbilly-Music.com for filling in a few blanks!)

John Lincoln Wright - see artist discography

Various Artists "SRO: RECORDED LIVE AT JONATHAN SWIFT'S" (Back Door Records, 1977) (LP)
A country and bluegrass concert album recorded at the Jonathan Swift's music venue in Cambridge, MA... This features some of the top twang talent in New England, including the Estes Boys, Chuck McDermott & Wheatstraw, Joe Val, singer Tina Welch and three songs by John Lincoln Wright: "Win Me Over," "Wrong Place, Wrong Time Again," and a cover of Duck Curless's old hit, "A Tombstone Every Mile."

Hick Music Index