Dig Me Little Mama (LP, 10inch)

Harper, Tex

Tex Harper alias Rudy Preston and Harry Head
10'' Vinyl in gatefold sleeve

1-LP (10”), total number of tracks: 12. Total playing time 26:35 minutes. 
‘’The ‘Cat Music’ within this album is the nucleus of rockabilly and features: Tex Harper aka Rudy Preston and Harry Head with Tommy Scott and his Ramblers. Musically it is an amazing fusion of Hillbilly, Western Swing, a touch of Rhythm ‘n’ Blues bonded together with strong influences from Bill Haley’’.
•Recorded between 1954 and 1961.  •Tex Harper performed Rockabilly fusioned with Hillybilly, Western Swing, and a shot of Rhythm ‘n’ Blues. •A fancy musical genre known as ‘Cat Music’, basically an amalgamation of Country music and the beat of Rock ‘n’ Roll. •Music that cannot fail to move you. Get on the dancefloor! •Gatefold sleeve. 10” LP comes with liner notes by Martin Hawkins and a discography by Richard Weize. 

Our musical journey commences in 1954 and the musical world for songs with a rock beat was in its infancy, and Elvis Presley was still a regional artist and Bill Haley in prominence ruled supreme! The recordings on this album are an amalgamation of country and the big beat of rock ‘n’ roll, and this new hybrid of music would become known as ‘Cat Music’.
The main point is to clear up the distinction of the artists featured on this 12 track album. Musically the band was under the direction of Tommy Scott and His Ramblers, and Freddie Jean Harper to give him his full name was employed as the vocalist. Harper recorded under several alter-egos: Tex Harper, Rudy Preston and Harry Head and he is the main featured singer on ten of the songs and is the rhythm guitarist, pianist, or drummer on eight tracks. The two side closing bonus songs feature vocals by Sam ‘Bo Bo’ Baxter and Tommy Scott.
Harper musically is something exceptional and each and every performance has ‘hit’ written all over them! Perhaps due to him being one of the ground breaking artists with the new ‘Cat Music’, being signed to the notorious Four Star label or the use of other performing names, something prevented his musical accreditation.  This 10 inch album although hillbilly rooted transcends hillbilly music, engulfs rockabilly and moves into the rock ‘n’ roll genre, and as Rudy Preston you hear the Presley influence albeit from the next decade. The title track of this album Dig Me Pretty Mama and Cat Music (1954) are something special and cannot fail to move you. The up-tempo dance rhythm blends hillbilly and rock ‘n’ roll tempos together, and both songs are propelled along by an incendiary band and embellished with Harper’s powerful larynx. Staying with 4 Star recordings Jumpin' From 6 To 6’and Dance With Her Henry (1955), bring to your ears musical versatility. Jumpin’ is exactly that, hot up-tempo hillbilly, while the latter reworks the Rhythm ‘n’ Blues’ hit southern style. The 4 Star’recordings feature guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, piano and drums and Dance With Her Henry includes coloured backing vocalists and musicians.  Scott owned the Katona label and the recordings for the label cover the years 1957 to 1961 and offer a variety of style. In 1957 Harper became Rudy Preston and was frantically singing about his personal qualities, his tired none loving girl and his clapped out automobile Four Tired Car, a western-swing meets rockabilly combination ditty punctuated with a short but rocking guitar solo. Don’t You Go Chicken is rural in feel, a mid-tempo jive number with unusual guitar riffs, and is perhaps known to many through Ray Campi’s version? We return to the Katona recordings on the flip-side. To close side one is the first of two bonus recordings, and Sam ‘Bo Bo’ Baxter is the featured vocalist on the guitar lead strolling, Flea Circus.
Moving into the new decade, Harper was renamed for the final time and became Harry Head. The new persona in 1961 again recorded for Scott’s Katona label, All The Way and Talkin' To Myself are directly aimed at the pop market, both sides have a fuller sound, due to the inclusion of session backing vocalists, are gentle on the ear and the sort of song you could sing easily to yourself. Somewhere along the way during that year they signed a deal with King Records resulting in two strong sides, Where Did You Stay Last Night, which is a pop rocker with a Bob Luman feel to it. The flip side, I’m Lonesome Over You, its sweet due to the use of backing vocalist but has a bluesy melancholy vocal and elicits an eerie sound.
The album closes with a bonus Katona recording, Juke Joint Girl issued under the name Tommy Scott with His Ramblers, although recorded in 1957, the song has an earlier feel, a rolling honky tonk piano, and instrumental break coming from the fiddle, Scott is the featured vocalist and he sings in  a lackadaisical style. 
Bear Family as always have on this 100 gram album a strong and vibrant sound, and the album sleeve contains a discography from Richard Weize and an in-depth story and interview held by Martin Hawkins.
Mark Armstrong Bühl, Germany

Dear customer,
Based on our longtime experience, consignments to the U.S.A., Canada, Africa, Australia, and South America may take up to three weeks, depending on the target country's custom clearance policy, and local deliverers. Please, note that due to these reasons beyond our control, all delivery times given are approximate and not binding. Postage rates listed are for bulk mail. Such consignments are rather cheap but can not be tracked! Should you live in the U.S.A. or Canada, you may require secure shipping with tracking options. Please, note that extra costs will apply. You must request for this extra service, prior to sending any funds. You will receive an order confirmation with the correct, total postage rate within 24 hours. Without any exceptions, all shipments to final destinations in South & Latin America, Asia and Japan, Russia and Africa will be proceeded by Registered Mail, only! Thank you very much for your attention and cooperation, your Bear Family Records team.

Eingestellt mit: