Les Aanderud & The Country Rock Shop "Simple Lovin' Man" (LEA Productions/Sundance Sounds, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Les Aanderud & Rick Foltz)
Originally from Minot, North Dakota, singer-guitarist Leslie Aanderud (d. 2012) and his wife Ethel were living in Southern California when they recorded this album, Mr. Aanderud having moved to Anaheim in the late '70s to work in the defense industry. Like many twangsters, Aanderud started out as a rocker: in his teens, he toured with a Texas-based garage band called the Tracers, which toured regionally and had considerable success in the late 'Sixties, notably with the local popularity of their single "She Said Yeah." By the early 'Seventies, though, Aanderud was ready for some twang, and started a band called The Country Rock Shop after moving back to North Dakota in 1972. This album is mostly full of original material, with the exception of a few cover tunes, including Leroy Van Dyke's "Auctioneer," "Words" by the Bee Gees, and Marty Robbins' weeper, "You Gave Me A Mountain." Most of the SoCal sidemen are unfamiliar names, though pedal steel player Blackie Taylor rings a bell... Aanderud's originals include "I Just Can't Stop Myself," "Simple Lovin' Man," "Lonely Eyes," and one called "Country Boogie." As far as I know, this was his only album...

The Centennial Four "Favorite Country And Gospel Songs" (Jomar Records, 1984) (LP)
Well, it don't get much more local than this... These fellas named their band "the Centennial Four" in honor of the hundredth anniversary of their home town, Napoleon, North Dakota, a tiny village roughly an hour outside of Bismarck. According to Wikipedia, Napoleon was founded in 1886, though the locals seemed to have thought it was 1884, commissioning this disc in 1984 (even though it looks totally 'Seventies!) At any rate, it's straight-up country, with secular classics on Side One and gospel material on Side Two... The quartet are identified not by instrument, but by profession: there's Randy Hall (a music director), Wayne Lucht (high school principal), Jerome Schwartzenberger (editor-publisher) and Tony Welder (pharmacist) apparently taking their cues from the quartet vocals heard on the Hee Haw TV show (which they reference on the back cover...) They were definitely into harmonizing, as this set is heavy on hits by folks such as The Gatlin Brothers ("All The Gold In California") and the Oak Ridge Boys ("Elvira" and "Fancy Free"). I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that this was just a one-off outing for these guys...

Lloyd Correll "...With Lorraine And Her Band" (Mark Customs Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Cornelius, Robin Cable, Neil Wilburn)
A singer-guitarist from Moorhead, Minnesota, Lloyd Correll worked with a few different bands over the span of several decades... A construction worker by trade, he played mostly in the "off season," starting back in the 1950s, playing mostly at local bars and VFW halls around Fargo, North Dakota, and in later years devoted himself to entertaining in local retirement homes. This appears to have been his only album, and polka bandleader Lorraine Martin seems to have gotten the short end of the stick here -- she backs him, but he gets top billing... But it's a man's world, so what are you gonna do? (Actually, I suspect Ms. Martin may have actually been a pseudonym for Lloyd Correll's sister, Eileen VanDame, a local polka accordionist who passed away in 2012, and who Mr. Correll credits with teaching him to play guitar when he was a teenager.) Anyway, Lorraine Martin's polka band was headquartered around Fargo, ND, just on the other side of the state line , though they recorded this set at a studio in Moorhead. The group included Mr. Correll on vocals and rhythm guitar, Ms. Martin on accordion and piano, along with Dave Bergquist (lead guitar), Les Fairbanks (bass), Harlan Johnson (drums) and steel player Dave Olson. The repertoire showcased a slew of country tunes, mainly honkytonk numbers like Rex Griffin's "Call Me Lonesome From Now On," Wynn Stewart's "It's Such A Pretty World Today," Tony Booth's "The Key's In The Mailbox," "My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You," and "That's What Makes The Jukebox Play," as well as a Hank Williams medley. There's also plenty of dance material, various polkas and waltz instrumentals, including an original called "Lorraine's Polka." Other than this album, I couldn't find any references to Lorraine Martin or the band online, though the liner notes clearly indicate that she had a band of her own; again, I suspect a family connection of some sort.

Dakota Outlaws/Bob Marty "Southern Comfort" (Self-released, 19--?) (LP)
Singer Bob Marty couldn't quite decide who should be listed as the artist on this one... Should it be under his name, or under the "band" name Dakota Outlaws, with the distinction being that's what he called the act when he was performing with his wife, Dee, who also plays bass. As it turned out, he lists it both ways, with "Dakota Outlaws" emblazoned on the front cover, and "Bob Marty" persisting on the back and inner label. According to the liner notes, Marty worked as a traveling performer doing the "supper club trail" in the upper plains states, where he met Dee, who was a native North Dakotan. They settled down in Minot, ND and played together as a duo, cutting this album at some point in the late '70s. The repertoire is all cover songs, tilting heavily towards the contemporary 'Seventies "outlaw" sound -- songs like "Whiskey River," "Put Another Log On The Fire," "I Don't Think Hank Done It This Way" and "I Can Get Off On You." Your basic Waylon & Willie stuff...

Dakota Sid "Dakota Sid" (Lost Dog Records, 1977) (LP)
Although originally from North Dakota, Sid Clifford headed for California in the 'Sixties, making the scene on Haight Ashbury for a few years before moving to the calmer, more relaxed rural confines of Grass Valley, California. This album is mostly-solo acoustic folkie singer-songwriter stuff, with a blues-ish, Woody Guthrie-esque tinge. Nothing spectacular here, though there are some mildly intriguing mementos of hippiedom in some of the lyrics, including a song memorializing a house cat ("Flowers For Moses") lost on a cross-country trip, and some less sympathetic portrayals, such as "Sad Situation," a judgmental portrait of a woman in distress... I guess Sid Clifford was representative of a bazillion longhaired, whiteboy folkies still pickin' and singing in the '70s... just he managed to make a few records. Worth checking out if you're super-into obscuro stuff, though honestly I didn't find it that distinctive or compelling -- also, more of a straight folk record than what I normally prefer.

Paula Day "The Two Sides Of Paula Day" (197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Harold Harmel & Jeff Mooridian)
Raleigh, North Dakota, a microscopic hamlet just south of Bismarck, was the birthplace of guitar player/accordionist Paula Day -- aka Pauline Loeb Deichert (1928-2017) -- who wrote all but two of the songs on this album. The "two sides" in the title are country music on Side One, and "old time" music on Side Two, which up around the Great Lakes and high plains states meant polka and other old-world European ethnic dance music. Ms. Day and her husband Ben Deichert (1925-2001) both came from tight-knit German-American enclaves, though after marrying in the late 1940s they moved to the big city and lived in Fargo, managing the Seneca Inn for many years before moving to nearby Davenport, where they ran a place called the Shenandoah Supper Club (and presumably provided some of the entertainment as well.) Paula Day was a prolific songwriter and years earlier, around 1970-71 she made some trips to Nashville where she recorded at least four singles, including two for the North Dakotan label Jude Records, and two that came out on the Nashville-based Stop Records, with all the tracks being her own compositions. One of those songs, "Her Mother's Ring," is also included here, but with an all-local band backing her, rather than the all-star, A-list studio crew she worked with in Tennessee. The musicians include hubby Ben Deichert on drums, Ron Kerver (rhythm guitar), Jeff Mooridian (electric guitar and steel), Rick Murry (bass), Byron Quam (piano) and backup vocals by Ron Kerber and Rick Murry. I dunno how many of these folks performed regularly as part of her band, but I assume they were all Fargo-area locals. As on her singles, this album has a wealth of original material: along with a cover of Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever" there's a slew of Mrs. Deichert's own tunes such as "Double Or Nothing," "Bug Me," "Ich Bin Deine Rose" and "Raleigh Waltz." There's a strong Rose Maddox vibe on these recordings, showcasing a confident, middle-aged woman who's got a firm handle on the music, and takes a no-muss, no-fuss approach. There's no date on this album, but I think it's much later than 1970 guesstimate found on various online sources: she sounds (and looks) much older than she did on her 1970-71 Nashville singles. I'd say late 1970s, early '80s on this one...

Wayne Douglas "Sing It From My Soul" (Chartwheel Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Howard)
The first album by Wayne Douglas Kabanuck, a songwriter originally from Max, North Dakota who spent nearly twenty years in Nashville working as a composer and studio musician. This disc features a slew of original material, as well as a cover of the then-current George Jones hit, "He Stopped Loving Her Today." Kabanuck also led his own band, touring throughout the plains states and lower Midwest. He later reissued this album under his full name, and has recorded several other records since '81. This album was reissued under his full name, followed by other albums as Wayne Douglas Kabanuck.

Wayne Douglas "Badlands Fever" (Chartwheel Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Johnny Howard)
More than half the songs on here are Douglas's own originals, with covers of Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Larry Gatlin and even one by fellow midwesterner Larry Heaberlin, an indie artist from Iowa. The regional pride tunes include "Badlands Fever," "Dakota Girl" and "Sweet Dakota Lady." Alas, the musicians are not listed, though this was recorded in Nashville, so there's a good chance it wasn't his own band backing him here.

The El Zagal Plainsmen "Bismarck, North Dakota" (Century Custom Records, 1964-?) (LP)
Formed in 1948, the El Zagal Plainsmen were a western-themed chorus centered around the El Zagal Shriners Temple in Bismarck, North Dakota. Led by director Harold L. Kepler (1924-1989) the chorus toured regionally in the upper plains and parts of Canada, releasing several souvenir albums over the course of a couple of decades, mixing ridin'-down-the-trail cowboy songs and gospel tunes... It's possible there are several others that are not included here, though I don't know for sure...

The El Zagal Plainsmen "In Concert - Western - Sacred" (Mark Records, 19--?) (LP)

The El Zagal Plainsmen "The El Zagal Plainsmen" (Dimension 70 Records, 19--?) (LP)

The El Zagal Plainsmen "Across The Wide Missouri" (Tri Art Records, 1984) (LP)

Gary Emerson "I'll Be Waiting For You" (Leson International Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by George Lewis)

Erhardt Country "Keep It Country" (Jomar Records, 19--?) (LP)
Country covers from a family band from North Dakota, a quintet made up of five siblings, all of them the children of Josephine and Matt Erhardt... The lineup includes flattop guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Mark Erhardt (who co-wrote the album's title track) along with his siblings Jalene (piano), Matt (lead guitar) Monte (drums) and bass player Mylon Erhardt, who co-wrote the song "Keep It Country." The rest of the songs are all covers, including "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," "Bed Of Roses," "Satin Sheets" and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys." According to the liner notes, they played gigs at a place called the Westernaire Bar, in their hometown of Center, ND, and apparently have played together for several decades, still playing local shows as recently as 2023(!)

Erhardt Country "You And Me" (Jomar Records, 19--?) (LP)

Henry, Thomas & Arnold "Friendly Tunes By..." (Mark Custom Records, 1970-?)
An unassuming set of old-timey tunes, polkas and waltzes by three guys from North Dakota. The driving force of this trio was middle-aged Bismarckian singer-guitarist Arnold S. Christianson, who was joined by Mandan, ND's Henry Bertrams ("the mandolin playing shoemaker") and a younger feller, Thomas Johnson, from the Northern outpost of Rolette, ND. There are some sentimental songs on here, though mostly this is an instrumental showcase, less of a hillbilly record than an example of ultra-DIY recordmaking in the rural high plains. One thing definitely worth noting, though, is Johnson's use of a Norwegian hardanger violin, an instrument that found revived popularity in the 21st Century, but was pretty darn obscure back when this record was made... Well, unless you were playing square dances up in Bismarck, that is!

Mary Joyce "Country Monday" (Safari Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Fields & Johnny Howard)
Though she made multiple treks to Nashville to record her music, singer Mary Joyce appears to have been from Fargo, North Dakota, where she worked with a number of local country artists, notably songwriter Bob Angel, whose work she covered on a few of her albums. As far as I know this was her first full album, though there may be some singles that came out before this.

Mary Joyce "Country Gospel" (Meadowlark Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Bernie Vaughn & Bob Angel)
A country-flavored gospel album featuring nine original songs composed by Bob Angel... The Meadowlark label was from Grand Forks, North Dakota, though Ms. Joyce went to Nashville to cut this disc at Doc's Place studio, and had a top-flight band behind her, old pros such as Sonny Garrish, Bunky Keels, and Greg Galbraith on lead guitar, with vocal backing by the Allen More Singers. Producer Bernie Vaughn plays violin and arranged the songs.

Mary Joyce "North Dakota Country" (Meadowlark Records, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Angel, George Hastings & Wayne Edmonton)
Ten years later Ms. Joyce, a Fargo native, went back to Nashville to cut this centennial tribute to her home state. She reunited with several of the Nashville cats who backed her a decade earlier, including Grega Galbraith and Sonny Garrish. Bob Angel once again provided a lot of the original material, as did other locals from Grand Rapids and environs, such as Johnny Bass, George Hastings, Brent Hermans, Verena Sattler, and Bruce Stewart. Although there is some gospel material, most of the songs are regional pride numbers such as "My Heart's In North Dakota," "North Dakota Woman," and "You, And North Dakota Nights," as well as a historical number called "Ballad Of Teddy Roosevelt."

Kay Kemmer "Don't Sweet Talk Me" (Hillton Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Breeden, Dave Signs & Jerry Tuttle)
Though she released a full album back in 1968 under the name Kay Tolliver, North Dakota native Kay Raver Kemmer (1936-2013) also recorded a few of those same songs under her maiden name, Kay Kemmer, along with a short string of singles on Musicor and other labels, up until 1972. There's not a ton of biographical info online, and I'm not sure if she was professionally active between then and when this album came out -- there's nothing to be found under her married name, Kay Herbig -- but it's interesting to see her cutting an indie set at the Nashville studios of private-press producer Gene Breeden. The backing musicians are obscure -- Boots Davis on lead and rhythm guitar, John Reese (piano and synthesizer), Mike Sizemore (lead guitar), Ken Smith (bass), Jerry Tuttle (saxophone) and Tom Wilkerson on drums -- and I'm kinda suspicious about that saxophone, but her first album was pretty darn good, so I'm keeping my eye out for this one as well.

Burt Lambert & The Northern Express "Just Arriving" (Canyon Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Todd Stillwell)
First nations/Native American country music by a band (aka tribal twang) from Belcourt, North Dakota. These guys were members of the Turtle Mountain band of the Chippewa nation; while they recorded this album in Kalispell, Montana, the Canyon record label was located in Phoenix, Arizona. The Northern Express band was founded in 1974, although Burt Lambert also recorded more rock-oriented material under the name Hamana.

Little Butch "Coming On Strong" (Kaybank Recording Corporation, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Bud Nagle & Bud Coss)
This set was recorded live at the Frontier Saloon, in Grand Forks, North Dakota by a gal who was married to an Air Force sergeant who was presumably stationed in the air force base nearby... Her real name isn't given on the album, and there appear to be no original songs on here, although her backing band is identified as Kenny Hart & The Blazers. The (always excellent) Some Local Loser blog gives the year as 1967, and points us towards a custom-label studio in Minneapolis where this may have been recorded. Anyone have more info on these folks?

Living Proof "First Time Around" (Jomar Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Francis Tibor & Gerard Tibor)
Country covers by a trio from Hebron, North Dakota, a tiny satellite of the slightly larger capital city, Bismarck. I couldn't see a date on here, but the the album art makes me think this prbably came out around 1984-86... something like that. The Living Proof trio of Cary, Cory and Cy seem to be brothers -- they thank their parents on the album cover, but unfortunately don't give their own last name. They are joined by a couple of the Tibor brothers -- Harvey (banjo and steel guitar) and Gerard Tibor (synthesizers) -- on a set that seems to include some original material, as well as covers of classics such as "Folsom Prison Blues" and "If You Could Touch Her At All."

Bob Marty/Dakota Outlaws "Southern Comfort" (Self-released, 19--?) (LP)
Singer Bob Marty couldn't quite decide who should be listed as the artist on this one... Should it be under his own name, or under the "band" name Dakota Outlaws? (The distinction being that's what he called the act when he was performing with his wife, Dee, who also plays bass...) As it turned out, he has it both ways, with "Dakota Outlaws" emblazoned on the front cover, and "Bob Marty" persisting on the back and inner label. According to the liner notes, Missouri-born Mr. Marty worked as a traveling performer doing the "supper club trail" in the upper plains states, where he met Dee, who was a native North Dakotan. They settled down in Minot, ND and played together as a duo, cutting this album at some point in the late '70s. The repertoire is all cover songs, tilting heavily towards the contemporary 'Seventies "outlaw" sound -- songs like "Whiskey River," "Put Another Log On The Fire," "I Don't Think Hank Done It This Way" and "I Can Get Off On You." Your basic Waylon & Willie stuff...

Albert Mikesh "Country-Western Hits" (Kay Banks Records., 196--?) (LP)
A bandleader from Lidgerwood, North Dakota, Albert Mikesh comes from the territories where "old time music" often means polka tunes, rather than bluegrass-y stuff... But I gotta say, this actually ain't a bad record. Mikesh, who played accordion, cordovox and guitar, had a pretty modest voice and wasn't a dazzling performer overall, but a lot of that may be ascribed to Midwestern understatement. He certainly seems to have a genuine feel for country material -- this isn't an outsiders-looking-in kind of album, and it's fairly pleasant to listen to. In addition to covers of chestnuts such as "Blue, Blue Day," "He'll Have To Go," "Hey Good Lookin'," and "Send Me The Pillow You Dream On," he covers a few more obscure tunes, and does a bang-up job on "Auctioneer." There are a couple of Mikesh originals, "Every Night At Nine" and "Pepperoni," and apparently there was a single released concurrently that had a couple of other Mikesh original, sadly not included here. More than anything else, I love the liner notes, which include the following: "He has received a citation from the National Ballroom Operators Association for four consecutive years for having a band of neat appearance, providing a wholesome form of entertainment and top quality danceable music." Can't ask much more than that!

Albert Mikesh "Just A Fiddlin' And A Pickin' " (M Records., 196--?) (LP)
Somewhere along the line, Mikesh seems to have taken up the fiddle, and here plays a pretty solid set of traditional fiddle tunes, stuff like "Cripple Creek," "Flop-Eared Mule" and "Orange Blossom Special." Not sure when this came out, but it looks late 'Seventies, early 'Eighties.

Rod Morris "Bimbo" (Bear Family Records, 2000)
An amiable Midwesterner who is best remembered as the author of the old Jim Reeves hit, "Bimbo," songwriter led a sharp-sounding band based out of Grand Rapids, North Dakota -- of all places -- and recorded a couple of dozen tracks while under contract to Capitol Records in the early 1950s. This CD collects all of those tracks, and while none of it made a dent in the country charts at the time, it sure is nice to listen to now! Straightforward, uncomplicated hillbilly honkytonk, with a healthy hint of western swing, these are jovial songs about drinking and cattin' around, and paying for it in the morning, either with hangovers or court dates to come. There's a little bit of the expected Hank Williams-ish howling, but Morris also emerges as a distinctive performer, and he certainly had a knack for writing fun, catchy tunes... (All the songs on here are songs that he wrote, including the original version of "Bimbo.") It's fun stuff, filled with energetic steel guitar and cheerful vocal work, definitely an album you'll want to track down if you enjoy old, early 'Fifties hillbilly tunes!

Elayne Otterson "The Lonesome Streets Of Town" (Rhinestone Rooster Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Elayne Otterson & Jim Stanton)
Not a lot of info about this gal from Fargo, North Dakota... She was represented by country promoter Howard Vokes, who later leased a bunch of his stuff to the German collector label, Binge Discs, so the album below (on Lucky Lady) came out in Europe several years later. Along with some oldies by Zeke Clements, Harlan Howard and Webb Pierce, this album spotlights three songs written by Ms. Otterson, as well as five by Terry S. Smith, a veteran songwriter who once had a song ("I Can't Find A Train") recorded by Roy Acuff, and another called "A Few Good Funerals" cut by Eddie Noack. I have to confess I have pretty divided feelings about this album... On one hand, the unidentified Nashville musicians backing her turn in one earnest, professional performance after another, while the songs are all good, solid old-fashioned weepers, the kind of stuff I like. I dig her true-country, rural vibe, which reminds me of great gals like Delia Bell and Melba Montgomery... On the other hand, I'm pretty sure she was singing out of tune, and that can be a little distracting. I guess the best way to look at this is from a musician's perspective: if you're a traditionally-oriented contemporary artist looking for "new" material with a very old, 1940s/'50s heartsong sound, this album could be a real goldmine. But for casual listening? Maybe not so much. Not trying to be mean, this is just a flawed "real person" record.

Elayne Otterson "The Feelings Of A Country Girl" (Lucky Lady Records, 19--?) (LP)
This album on a Binge Disc offshoot only overlaps with the first LP by a couple of tracks, "I'd Like To Ride This" and "The Lonesome Streets Of Town," both Elayne Otterson originals.

The Paulson Sisters "The Paulson Sisters" (Jomar Records, 197--?) (LP)
Six sisters -- DeAnn, Jean, Julie, Laura, Lisa, Peggy Paulson -- with backing from the Tibor Brothers family band, who owned and operated the Jomar label in Hebron, North Dakota. Presumably the Paulsons were from North Dakota well? There's some pop material on here, but a bit more country, including songs by John Denver, Linda Hargrove, and Glenn Sutton, as well as that 'Seventies sunshine country nugget, "Let Me Be There." Always a favorite.

Paulette Paulson & Sonja Paulson "Paulson" (Jomar Records, 19--?) (LP)
This time it's just two of the Paulson gals, backed by the Tibor Brothers on a pretty solidly country set, including classics like "Beneath Still Waters," "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," and "It's Such A Pretty World Today," along with some pop standards and gospel songs. Sonja Paulson sings solo on a regional pride some, "Dakota Boy," which is credited to Brenda George. Not sure when this came out, though it looks like it might have been somewhere in the early '80s.

Sharon Kay Peabody "...With The Tibor Brothers" (Tomar Records, 1978) (LP)
A North Dakota gal, with backup from one of the state's best-known and longest-running country bands.

Prairie Company "Prairie Tales" (Meadowlark Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Bryce Risser & Larry Hetland)
A folkie band from Valley City, North Dakota with prairie-themed songs such as "Wheatfields And Clover," "The Ballad Of Bill Langer," "Big Dakota Sunset" and "Hand Carved Prairie Rose." All songs were written by lead singer Bryce Risser (banjo and guitar) who is backed by Jerry Colby (drums), Larry Hetland (bass), Verna Monson (keyboards) and steel player Jack Mooridian, along with backing vocals from Dort Hamilton, Avis McDaniel, and Cheri Risser. Apparently only a few hundred copies of this album were made...

Frank Raye "This One's For You Mister Elmer" (Jomar Records, 198--?) (LP)
I'm not trying to be catty or mean, but objectively speaking, this is a pretty painful album to work your way through, the very kind of ultra-amateurism that certain hipster folk expect to hear from "private press" records. Stanton, North Dakota's Frank Raye was one of the many hopeful locals who made their way to the Tibor family's Jomar Studios in Hebron to set their music on wax... In the liner notes he says he'd played in Bismarck's regional country scene for about twelve years, and had "recently" developed his own one-man-band act, which I guess is what's on display here, in all its monochromatic glory. (There are no musician credits, though I suspect the Tibor Brothers provide some assistance, although the arrangements don't show much variety in tempo or style -- thumping percussion, minimal, rhythmic keyboards and a little noodly guitar, all taken at the same moderate, unvarying pace.) Mr. Raye seems to have been aiming for a gruff Waylon Jennings vibe, and swallows his phrasing in overly-stylized, guttural passages which might have been more effective in a more well-developed musical atmosphere, but quickly wear thin in this setting, with one thinly-produced track after another, and little variation between them. I couldn't find any real information about Mr. Raye online, and suspect "Frank Raye" was a stage name. Similarly, although warmly praised in the back cover liner notes, "Mister Elmer" remains a mystery as well. No release date, though comparison to other Jomar albums places this somewhere in the late 1980s, maybe around 1988, or '89.

Jimmy Reesor & Orchestra "Easy Coffee Cup" (Wax Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Benson)
A slightly kooky mix of gospel originals and country covers. Songs include a couple of overt gospel tunes ("Lord Jesus Lives," "Abraham To Be Free," both written by Reesor) and many straight country covers: "Sunday Morning Coming Down," Harlan Howard's "Busted," "Green Green Grass Of Home" along with a couple of other Reesor originals, "Bright Side Of The Sun" and the colorfully titled (but slightly incomprehensible) pop-psych novelty number "Television Atom Bomb." Reesor was originally from Bismarck, North Dakota, where as a teen he recorded a rock single called "Streak Of Lightning," before decamping to Nashville in 1962... He apparently had a staff writing job at House Of Cash for a while, but as far as I know, this was his only (semi-) secular album. It's actually better than I anticipated, and more country. It seems like he was aiming for kind of a pop-friendly, folk-adjacent, Rusty Draper-ish sound -- manly and affable, but not too rural. And it kinda works!

Jimmy Reesor & Orchestra "Reesor Communicates" (Christian Folk Records, 19--?) (LP)

The Rohr Sisters "Send Me A Rose" (Jomar Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by The Tibor Brothers)
Sisters Lanel and Lanet Rohr grew up in Gladstone, North Dakota, about fifteen miles down the road from the Tibor Brothers recording studio in Hebron. Chances are the Tibors were the backing band on this album, as well as the producers. Side One is all secular, classic county, while Side Two was all gospel. Included are three originals, "Send Me A Rose" and "I Thank God," written by Lanel, and "Show Them The Way" penned by both sisters.

Gerald & Debbie Sebastian & Gettysburg Express "Rocky Mountain Dreams" (Jomar Records, 197--?) (LP)
A split LP with two bands from North Dakota -- both lineups feature the Sebastians, but with different backing bands: the first side of the album finds them backed by the Jomar label house band, the Tibor Brothers, whose family owned the label and recorded rather prolifically on many private-press recordings. Gettysburg Express (which was misspelled "Gettusburg" on the album cover) was kind of a bluegrass-y band... Their daughter, Gwen Sebastian, put out a country album in 2013, with her parents singing on one track...

Slim Jim "Slim Jim Sings The Swede From Nort Dakota" (Pine Country Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Howard Pine)
A polka/country/novelty song set from Midwesterner Ernest Iverson (1903–1958) who as "Slim Jim" was one half of a radio comedy duo along with his brother Clarence Iverson (1905-1990) aka "The Vagabond Kid." Originally from Binford, North Dakota, the brothers developed an act that hinged on their broad, stereotyped Scandinavian accents, as well as some genuine, traditional Scandinavian music, peppered in alongside a wide range of pop and country tunes. They established themselves as regional radio stars in Minneapolis during the 1930s and '40s, up until Clarence retired in 1948. Ernest Iverson continued as a solo act, hosting his own radio shows and television program, Slim Jim's Westerners, up until his death in 1958. This album was one of four LPs the Pine label put out that drew on the old airchecks from the Westerners radio show; there are also collections of the brother's studio recordings as Slim Jim & The Vagabond Kid, and a posthumous Slim Jim solo album on the Soma Records label that came out in 1958. Joost so ya know, ya?

Sid Stromme "...And The Over The Hilltop Gang" (Hilltop Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Capps)
A regional performer from North Dakota, rancher Sid Stromme booked a studio in Nashville to record this album, backed by some of the top talent in Music City. The "gang" included guitarists Jimmy Capps and Ray Edenton, fiddlers Johnny Gimble and Tommy Williams, steel player Weldon Myrick, Buddy Harmon on drums, bassist Billy Linneman and Jerry Whitehurst plinking the piano keys. It don't get much better than that. Stromme is a pleasant country crooner, sort of a mix of Ray Price and Jerry Lee Lewis, with an obvious affinity for western swing ("Take Me Back To Tulsa") and country oldies such as "Bummin' Around" and "Oklahoma Hills" (ret-conned as "Old Dakota Hills"). He also wrote several songs for this album, including "Another Place, Another Town," "It's Not The Years But The Miles," "Jeannie" and "Pete's Place," and his originals are pretty good. The performances might be a little rigid, but they have heart: I'm also reminded Bill Phillips, particularly in the unpretentious, unfussy delivery. Definitely worth a spin.

The Tibor Brothers "Our Last Album Of 1975" (JoMar Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by The Tibor Brothers & Paul Martinson)
North Dakota's Tibor family certainly had a colorful back story... Their great-grandfather led a dance band in the 1920s, and their mother learned to play country songs when she was young, teaching her own children to play as well. The Tibors were farmers, but in the 1940s they began to play music professionally, and eventually became so successful that the family split the work up into multiple bands so that they could play more than one gig a night. That was easy since Jospeh and Margaret Tibor had fourteen children(!) born over a span of a couple of decades... Not only that, but the kids were named alphabetically as they were born: Albert, Bernard, Charles, Dorothy, Ernest, Francis, Gerard, Harvey, Irene, Jerome, Kurt, Larry, Marie and Noreen. (And thank goodness they stopped halfway through the alphabet! Their poor mom!) Anyway, this is one of several albums the Tibors recorded over the years, released on their own home label, JoMar Records, which was named after their parents. The songs are all originals, written by various members of the band. (Thanks to NDSU and the Hebron Herald for background info on this band...)

The Tibor Brothers "Land Of Broken Dreams" (JoMar Records, 1978) (LP)

The Tibor Brothers "Country Music" (JoMar Records, 1981) (LP)

The Tibor Brothers "A Special Old Time Tribute To Our Grandfather -- Featuring All Nine Tibor Brothers!" (JoMar Records, 19--?) (LP)
In the Great Lakes/High Plains region, when they say "old time music," what they mean is polka. And waltzes. Which is what's on this album... not the Carter Family type stuff from the Appalachians. This one was an homage to their grandfather, Leonard Hecker, who was himself a local musician, pictured on the back cover in 1931, accordion in hand. No country tunes on this one, though these easygoing renditions are generally less jarring than polka music can sometimes sound... Certainly worth a spin if you're open to the genre, though not much here for twangfans to glom onto.

Kay Tolliver "A New Singing Star In Country Style" (Musicor Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Pappy Daily)
A swell set of uncomplicated late 'Sixties honkytonk with a distinctly feminine (albeit retro) perspective... A little-remembered country music second-stringer, Kay Tolliver (1936-2013) was a North Dakota gal with a pretty nice voice and a pleasant style delivered halfway between Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn. For a while she was a cast member of the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree, and seems to have started out as a protegee of bluegrass legend Mac Wiseman. This is a fun album with standard-issue "girl-singer" material that's just as resonant as it was trite -- plenty of gimmicky lyrical hooks, but all well-delivered and consistently enjoyable. The solid, traditionally-oriented backing band were presumably a house band from the Starday/Musicor stable, who provided solid, generally uptempo musicianship, totally in line with the Musicor sound at the time, though maybe a little more old-school and less headed into the countrypolitan sound emerging at the decade's end. Though constrained by the "good girl" vibe of the times, Tolliver was also one of those country gals who said a lot just underneath the surface, with a suggested sexual frankness that may still hold a tiny jolt of surprise for modern listeners. Of course, almost all the songs were written by men, although a couple of standout tracks were penned by gals -- the most striking is Judy Lynn's "I Just Don't Leave My Memory Everywhere," one of those old-fashioned watch-your-reputation songs which is psychologically rich even if it's ever-so-slightly sexist. Also included are five songs by Jack Ripley, an Ohio-born comedian who worked up a "blue" act in the 'Seventies, which may explain some of this album's risque undercurrent, although perhaps at this point he was Tolliver's manager or something. She also recorded numerous indie-label singles as well as at least one other full album, 1984's Don't Sweet Talk Me, which was released under her married name, Kay Klemmer. Not a lot of other biographical information to be found, alas -- she seems to have settled in Tennessee and

Robert Thomas Velline "Gates, Grills And Railings" (Liberty Records, 1969) (LP)
Robert Veline was the given name of '60s pop singer Bobby Vee (1943-2016) who let his hair down and recorded a couple of country-rock albums in the early '70s. I'm curious about this one, but can never quite bring myself to buy it... Someday... someday.

Robert Thomas Velline "Nothin' Like A Sunny Day" (United Artists, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Dallas L. Smith)

Otto Voegele & The Valley Troopers "Otto Voegele And The Valley Troopers" (Jomar Records, 19--?) (LP)
A mix of country and polka from multi-instrumentalist Otto Voegele, a resident of Dodge, North Dakota, who had day jobs working at a coal mine in Beulah, ND and as an auctioneer. Playing accordion, banjo guitar and piano, Mr. Voegele had led or been in local bands for about thirty years before cutting this album. He formed the Valley Troopers sixteen years earlier, with backing here by Stanley Johnson (lead guitar), LeRoy Reinhardt (drummer) (and professional auctioneer, since 1979) Erwin Wiesz (piano and accordion) and a little assistance in the studio from Kurt Tibor on bass and Harvey Tibor playing banjo and steel guitar. No date on this one, but the liner notes mention that Mr. Reinhardt had become a professional auctioneer in 1979... So I'm guessing early '80s(?)

Otto Voegele & The Valley Troopers "Album No. 2" (Jomar Records, 19--?) (LP)

Whiskey River "In Concert" (Whiskey River Productions, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Humphrey & A. Svenson)
A rock-solid set by a honkytonk-&-western swing out of from Rapid City, North Dakota, which was not related to the Minnesota band above... This Whiskey River had their own radio show for a couple of years on station KIMM and play all cover tunes on this album, pretty standard stuff, but their delivery and attitude are surprisingly sharp. The album includes two medleys of music by Merle Haggard and Don Williams, both fine choices, and well performed The album is actually two album-side length recordings without individual track grooves, probably taken from their on-air broadcasts, although the liner notes don't make that entirely clear. The first track, "Band's Gonna Do It Again" is a curious reworking of the Charlie Daniels hit... I guess the band liked the original song, but not the neo-Confederate southern rock sentiment? Whiskey River (North Dakota) consisted of Mike Crawford, Bobby Humphrey, Don McLaughlin, Laurie Payseno and "Stringbean" Svenson. They may have had a couple of records before this, though if so, I haven't tracked them down yet. At any rate, this disc's a doozy. Definitely worth a spin.

The Leonard Wahl Show "In The Badlands Of North Dakota" (Chmielewski Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Emerson)
A family band from Portland, North Dakota, the Leonard Wahl Show was made up of Leonard Wahl on accordion and steel guitar, his wife Betty Wahl on drums, their son Leonard Wahl, Jr. (also on drums!) and Rod Travis of neighboring Hillsboro, ND on lead guitar. According to the liner notes, the group had been playing together for over a dozen years before this album came out, and had previously released a single back in 1970, as well as a full album of "old time" music (in this case, polka) with the Badlands album being their first album of country material. The set includes some newer material, such as "Margaritaville," "Heaven's Just A Sin Away," Loretta Lynn's "Sundown Tavern" and Conway Twitty's "I've Already Loved You In My Mind," all of which were singles circa 1976-77, and a few older tunes like "Loose Talk," "Guitar Boogie" and "Johnny B. Goode," as well as Hank Strzelecki's goofball classic, "Long Tall Texan."

Hick Music Index