Friday, September 30, 2016

Dude Martin - transcriptions (by Steve Hathaway)



by Steve Hathaway

DUDE MARTIN - MacGregor & Sollie transcription sessions


DUDE MARTIN & HIS HILLBILLIES
Although MacGregor paperwork logged this group as Dude Martin & his Hillbillies at a time when Martin & his band were appearing on Oakland radio as Dude Martin & his Nevada Nite Herders, initial releases bore no artist credit whatsoever and only a small fraction of the sides recorded were ever pressed under the Hillbillies name.

10-inch 78rpm discs were issued, at least initially, as all of the earliest MacGregor & Sollie discs apparently were, without song titles or artist credit on labels. Later pressings of some of these early discs may bear title and artist credit, however. Remaining 10-inch discs were issued issued as by Dude Martin Cowboy Group (some releases may simply bear the credit “Cowboy Group”).

Releases marked are 16-inch, 33rpm, multi-track radio transcriptions issued under the pseudonym The Okies. These are reissues of earlier 10-inch issues. MacGregor used the Okies pseudonym for recordings by several other groups, too, and releases under this name included not only recordings by Martin but also recordings by the Colorado Hillbillies and Al Clauser & his Oklahoma Outlaws.
Indeed, at least one Okies release (MacGregor LB 2281) contains no songs by Martin at all. Remaining 16-inch transcriptions were issued as by Dude Martin & his Westerners (or in the apparent singular case of LB. 546 as by Dude Martin & his Hillbillies).

There are possibly further 16-inch transcription releases not detailed here.

A number of recordings made on March 1937 by Al Clauser for MacGregor, and on March 19 at MacGregor’s Hollywood studios for Brunswick-ARC, were issued by MacGregor under Martin's name (as by Dude Martin & Cowboy Group). Since these are not actually Dude Martin recordings, they are not detailed here. See the separate Al Clauser discography for details.

Personnel listed for each session is based on aural evidence and surviving documentary evidence, and many details have been confirmed by Barbara McSwain Colton, Dude Martin's sister, who performed with the band as a vocalist during this period. Vocal credits are not given on labels nor in any surviving paperwork. Those listed here have been established through aural identification. Thus vocal ID’s are listed only for recordings in the possession of the compiler.

28 September 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California.
Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal¹; Curtis T. (Ted) “Sage” Wolff, fiddle; Shorty Burke (David Brissell), bass/vocal; Happy Gordon (Earle Teasdale), vocal².
MATRIX
TITLE
10-inch 78rpm
16-inch 33rpm
MS 1701
Big Corral ¹
177
LB 2159A†
MS 1702
There's A Blue Sky ²
178
LB 556
MS 1703
Ragtime Cowboy Joe
179
LB 574
MS 1704
Charlie Brooks and Nellie Dare ¹
180
LB. 546
MS 1705
Strawberry Roan¹
181
LB. 546
MS 1706
Eleven More Months And Ten More Day ¹ ²
182
LB 556
MS 1707
Tumbling Tumble Weeds
183?

MS 1708
Riding Down The Old Texas Trail ²
184?
LB 556
MS 1709
Rounded Up In Glory
270
LB 574
MS 1710
Ridin' Home²

LB 556; LB 565
MS 1711
Moonlight On The Prairie ²
249
LB 565
MS 1712
Carry Me Back To The Lone Prairie
250?

MS 1713
Little Girl Dressed In Blue
unissued?

MS 1714
Swiss Yodel
unissued?

MS 1715
High Toned Dance ¹
185?
LB 2159A†

NOTES; Question marks indicate that there is uncertainty as to whether original takes or remakes of these recordings made on 30 Oct 1935 were issued. Surviving MacGregor paperwork on desposit at the Library of Congress is sometimes difficult to decipher with absolutely certainty regarding the particular session at which some masters were recorded, and which takes were pressed for issue, etc.

Identification is made more difficult by the fact that many of the songs are unavailable for audition at this point. It appears possible from paperwork, though unlikely, that the remake (“A” takes) of both MS 1707 & 1714, for example, were recorded at the above session. It appears far more likely that they were cut at the same time other remakes were made, on October 30. Also, it seems likely

that a first version of MS 1715 was recorded at this date, though a handwritten notation on the master sheets would appear to indicate that the master recording ultimately used was recorded on October 30, despite the lack of “A” take designation that the other October 30 remakes were assigned.

It is also seems that in some cases that two different takes were issued in some cases, one version in the 10-inch 78rpm series and another on later 16-inch 33 discs. For instance, it appears as if MS 1716 was issued on LB 565, while MS 1716 A may have been used for the original 10-inch issue. Similarly, the original take MS 1708 is on LB 556 but it is uncertain whether the original 10-inch issue used MS 1708 or MS 1708 A. Until it is possible to audition the recordings in question, the exact details of some issues will remain unanswerable.

14 October 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California
Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal¹; Curtis T. (Ted) "Sage" Wolff, fiddle; Shorty Burke (David Brissell), bass/vocal³; Happy Gordon (Earle Teasdale), vocal².
MS 1716
Chisholm Trail ¹ ³
186?
LB 565
MS 1717
Home On The Range
253?

MS 1718
Git Along Little Dogies ¹
254
LB. 546
MS 1719
Goodbye Old Paint
255

MS 1720
Clementine
256

MS 1721
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
257?

MS 1722
When The Work’s All Done Next Fall
258

MS 1723
Cowboy Jack
unissued

MS 1724
Red River Valley ¹
260

MS 1725
Cowboy’s Nightmare ¹
261

MS 1726
Little Old Sod Shanty
262?

MS 1727
Roll On Silvery Moon
263

MS 1728
Seeing Nellie Home
264

MS 1729
Lonesome Valley
265

MS 1730
Cowboy’s Dream
266

MS 1731
Valley Of Dreams



30 October 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California
Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal; Curtis T. (Ted) "Sage" Wolff, fiddle; Bud McDonald (James Kness), bass/guitar/ vocal; Ralph Jordan, vocal/guitar/bass.
MS 1707 A
MS 1708 A
MS 1712 A
Tumbling Tumble Weeds
Riding Down The Old Texas Trail Carry Me Back To The Lone Prairie
183?
184?
250?

MS 1713 A
Little Girl Dressed In Blue
251?
LB 565
MS 714 A
Swiss Yodel
252?

MS 1715 (A?)
High Toned Dance ¹
185?
LB 2159A†
MS 1716 A
MS 1717 A
Chisholm Trail
Home On The Range
186?
253?

LB. 546
MS 1721 A
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane ¹
257?
LB 645
MS 1727 A
Roll On Silvery Moon
262?

MS 1728 A
Seeing Nellie Home
263

MS 1729 A
Lonesome Valley
264

MS 1732
Rolling Stone
267

MS 1733
Kingdom Comin’ ¹
268
LB 2159†
MS 1734
Nevada Memories
269


NOTE: MacGregor LB 645, on which “Hand Me Down My Walking Cane” (MS 1721 A) appears pseudonymously, was devoted to Rhubarb Red & his Rubes and other recordings on the same disc are by this group, not Martin.
As mentioned above, it appears from MacGregor’s listing of Dude Martin masters that the issued version of "High Toned Dance" (MS 1715) was recorded at the above session, despite lacking any "A" take designation to indicate this.

(MS 1734) released on 269 as “Stars Are Shining Bright In Old Nevada”

14  December 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California.
Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal; Curtis T. (Ted) "Sage" Wolff, fiddle; Harry T. (Ted) "Hezzie" Johnson, accordion; Bud McDonald (James Kness), bass/guitar/vocal; Ralph Jordan, vocal/guitar/bass.
MS 1735
Little Ah Sid
317
LB 2159†
MS 1736
Chime Bells
318

MS 1737
Little Brown Jug ¹
319
LB 2159†
MS 1738
Little Shirt Me Mother Made For Me ¹
320
LB 2159†
MS 1739
Old Joe Clarke
321
LB 2159A†
MS 1740
Camptown Races
322
LB 2159A†
MS 1741
Little Joe The Wrangler ¹
323
LB 2186†
MS 1742
Gold Coast Express
324

MS 1743
When Round Up Time Is Over ¹
325
LB 796†
MS 1744
My Niobrara Gal
326

MS 1745
The Old Mill Wheel
327

MS 1746
Boots and Saddle
328
LB 574
MS 1747
Buffalo Girls
329
LB 2159A†
MS 1748
Chicken Reel
330
LB 2159†
MS 1749
Mrs. Mcleod’s Reel
331
LB 2159A†
MS 1750
The White Coekade-
332
LB 2171†
MS 1751
Listen To The Mockingbird
333
LB 2159A†
MS 1752
Oklahoma Blues
334
LB 796†
MS 1753
Wreck of the Old 97 ¹
335
LB 796†
MS 1754
Twenty One Years ¹
336
LB 796†
MS 1755
Old Time Religion
337
LB 2159†
MS 1756
Golden Slippers
338
LB 2186†
MS 1757
Get Away, Old Man, Get Away
339

MS 1758
The Cowboy's Reel
340
LB 2171†
MS 1759
Soldier's Joy
341
LB 2171†
MS 1760
Bury Me ’Neath The Willow
342
LB 2171†
MS 1761
When The Roses Bloom For The Moonshiners
343

MS 1762
New River Train ¹
344
LB 2171†
MS 1763
Southern Home
345

MS 1764
4000 Years Ago ¹
346
LB 2186†

15  February 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California.
Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal ¹; Curtis T. (fed) "Sage" Wolff, fiddle; Harry T. (Ted) "Hezzie" Johnson, accordion; Ralph Jordan, guitar/bass/voeal; Happy Gordon (Earle Teasdale), bass/vocal².
MS 1765
Oh Susannah ¹
499
LB 2282†
MS 1766
Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye ²
500
LB 2186†
MS 1767
Soulwood Mountain ¹ ²
501
LB 2186†
MS 1768
One More River To Cross ¹ ²
502
LB 2171†
MS 1769
Jim Crack Com ¹
503
LB 2070†
MS 1770
Walk In Jerusalem Just Like John ¹
504
LB 2069†
MS 1771
Birmingham Jail ¹
505
LB 2171†
MS 1772
Cowboy's Meditation
506
LB 2069†
MS 1773
In The Days of' 49
507

MS 1774
Sweet Betsy From Pike ¹
508
LB 2186†
MS 1775
Jesse James ²
509
LB 2070†
MS 1776
Dear Evelina ²
510
LB 2070†
MS 1777
Goin’ Down To Town ¹
511
LB 2186†
MS 1778
The Midnight Special ¹
512

MS 1779
Oklahoma Sweetheart ¹
513

MS 1780
Hear Dem Bells ¹
514

MS 1781
Nelly Was A Lady
515



MS 1782
The Letter Edged In Black
516

MS 1783
Hallelujah I’m A Bum
517
MS 1784
Irish WashelWoman (Hoe Down)
518
MS 1785
The Dying Cowboy
437
MS 1786
She Sleeps Beneath The Daisies
438
MS 1787
I Wish I Was Single Again
439
MS 1788
Rocky Mountain Express
440
MS 1789
Ridin’ That Old Crooked Trail
441
MS 1790
Will You Love Me When My Hair Has Turned To Silver
443
MS 1791
Round-Up In The Sky
444
MS 1792
Take Me Back To Dream By The Old Mill Stream
445
MS 1793
Kickin’ Mule
446
LB 2070†
MS 1794
The Girl Who Played Injun With Me
442


THE OKIES - MacGregor transcriptions, c. 1940-mid 1940s.

Early in its transition from reliance on 10-inch 78rpm discs in its radio transcription service to a more common issue of such material on 16-inch, 33rpm multi-track discs, which appears to have occurred around 1940, the C.P. MacGregor transcription company pressed a number of items under the name The Okies. However, no suchgroup existed, at least not as a recording group for MacGregor. The Okies discs were, in fact, reissues of earlier recordings by different artists that MacGregor collected under The Okies banner. Used in this series were recordings by Dude Martin from 1935–6, recordings by Al Clauser from 1937, and by the Colorado Hillbillies from 1938.

Listed below are known issues under The Okies name, with explanation of the source of the various recordings used.

TITLE
ISSUE #
MacGregor LB 2069 (026)
Hillbillies Request
ACTUAL ARTIST


Colorado Hillbillies
ORIGINAL MASTER #


MS 3219
ORIGINAL


1322
Cowboy's Meditation
Dude Martin
MS 1772
506
Walk In Jerusalem Just Like John Old Joe
Dude Martin Colorado Hillbillies
MS 1770
MS 3202
504
none?
MacGregor LB 2070 (031)
Dear Evelina

Dude Martin

MS 1776

510
Eighth of January
Colorado Hillbillies
MS 3204
1310
Kicking Mule
Dude Martin
MS 1793
446
Jim Crack Corn
Dude Martin
MS 1769
503
Jesse James
Dude Martin
MS 1775
509
MacGregor LB 2159 (0140)
Chicken Reel

Dude Martin

MS 1748

330
Little Ah Sid
Dude Martin
MS 1735
317
Old Time Religion
Dude Martin
MS 1755
337
Little Shirt That Mother Made For Me
Dude Martin
MS 1738
320
Little Brown Jug
Dude Martin
MS 1737
319
Kingdom Coming
Dude Martin
MS 1733
268
MacGregor LB 2159A (0139)
Listen To The Mocking Bird

Dude Martin

MS 1751

333
High Toned Dance
Dude Martin
MS 1715
185
McCleod's Reel
Dude Martin
MS 1749
331
Big Corral
Dude Martin
MS 1701
177
Buffalo Gals
Dude Martin
MS 1747
329
Camptown Races
Dude Martin
MS 1740
322
Old Joe Clark
Dude Martin
MS 1739
321


MacGregor LB 2171 (0142)
One More River To Cross

Dude Martin

MS 1768

502
Birmingham Jail
Dude Martin
MS 1771
505
Soldier's Joy
Dude Martin
MS 1759
341
Bury Me Beneath The Willow
Dude Martin
MS 1760
342
White Cockade
Dude Martin
MS 1750
332
The Cowboy's Reel
Dude Martin
MS 1758
340
New River Trail
Dude Martin
MS 1762
344
MacGregor LB 2186 (0141)
Sweet Betsy From Pike

Dude Martin

MS 1774

508
Four Thousand Years Ago
Dude Martin
MS 1764
346
Goodbye My Lover Goodbye
Dude Martin
MS 1766
500
Sourwood Mountain
Dude Martin
MS 1767
501
Golden Slippers
Dude Martin
MS 1756
338
Goin' Down To Town
Dude Martin
MS 1777
511
Little Joe The Wrangler
Dude Martin
MS 1741
323
MacGregor LB 2187 (0160)
Eighth of January

Colorado Hillbillies

MS 3204

1310
Lonely Rider Grey Eaglenone Blue Eyed Ellen
Colorado Hillbillies Colorado Hillbillies Colorado Hillbillies
MS 3209
MS 3203
MS 3210
1315
none? 1316
Zeb Tumey’s Gal
Colorado Hillbillies
MS 3221
1324
Liza Jane
Colorado Hillbillies
MS 3211
1317
MacGregor LB 2281 (????)
Cackling Hen

Colorado Hillbillies

MS 3216

none?
Kitty Wells
Colorado Hillbillies
MS 3217
1321
Massa’s In The Cold, Cold Ground
Al Clauser
MS 2805
989
Haste To The Wedding Old Joe Clarke
Wait For The Wagon
Al Clauser Colorado Hillbillies Colorado Hillbillies
MS 2802
MS 3202
MS 3208
983
none? 1314
MacGregor LB 2282 (0241)
Arkansas Traveller
983
Gal I Left Behind Me
Al Clauser Colorado Hillbillies

MS 2282

MS 3214




1320
Cowboy’s Dream
Colorado Hillbillies
MS 3206
1312
Shack By The Railroad Track
Colorado Hillbillies
MS 3207
1313
Oh Susannah
Dude Martin
MS 1765
499
MacGregor LB 796 (1337)
Oklahoma Blues

Dude Martin

MS 1752

334
Wreck of the Old 97
Dude Martin
MS 1753
335
When Round Up Time Is Over
Dude Martin
MS 1743
325
Twenty One Years
Dude Martin
MS 1754
336