Automatic Age

T U R N T A B L E P R E V IE W S
By
W IL L IA M
(B IL L ) M D G L E
A u to m a tic A g e U n c o rd in g E d it o r
The truly American songs
come from the hill and mountain
country. For it is the hill tunes
that so typifies the American
spirit. It is our heritage— these
mountain melodies and hill
country songs.
M u s i c machine operators
should take note that hill discs
are coming in for a strong na­
tional p l a y — everywhere,
throughout the United States.
The reason for hill tune come­
back is very easy to state. In
the first place such tunes are
best enjoyed and best played by
groups. The army camps and
the boys in these army camps
have made the hill billy songs
the most popular type of music
fare in the country today.
Here is an opportunity for
music operators to cash in on
the kind of music that the boys
like best. It isn’t necessary by
a long shot to place all— or too
many hill tunes on your music
machines. But a few good solid
hill tunes, such as the record­
ings of Bob Atcher and Bonnie
Blue Eyes are certainly the
finest of the kind that was ever
recorded.
If you have any doubts as to
the saleability of this kind of
discing, then by all means treat
yourself to a listen on Okeh’s
recording of A tc h e r ’s tune
“Cool Waters.” It ’s haunting,
deep and imaginative— just the
kind of recording that will sell
in territories about the army
camps, and of course, most
everywhere else you can name.
Because of the great interest
in hill and mountain melodies, a
special review list is published
for your information.
For the busy music operator,
record reviews are typed into
location preference, and brief
minute analysis given each new
release.
All reviews are rated: 1 star,
pass; 2 stars, fa ir ; 3 stars, good
recording; and 4 stars, a record­
ing that should take in the real
coin, a top tune on the automatic
turntable.
H IL L TU N ES
"C O O L W A T E R S ," Bob and Randall
Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes, Okeh 05808:
A beautiful recording of a hill tune
that will stick to your memory for
a long time to come. It is smooth. The
recording is perfect and the Atchers
do wonders on the vocal. Lyrics are
sentimental and typical of the hill
country spirit. This is discing for all
location fare. Nothing better to be
had. "PEN N . P A L," reverse side. ****
"O U T
W H ER E
TH E
W EST
W IN D
B LO W S," Dicke McBride, Decca 6002: In
slow tempo, the Village boys do a
sentimental side that looks very much
like a sure fire winner, and certainly
for rural locations. "I DON'T W A N T
A N Y O N E BUT Y O U ," is on the reverse
side. ****
"BEEVER C R E E K ," Texa* Jim Lewis, Decca
6001: The Lone Star Cowboys get
together for a sweet session and go
to town on a brisk rarin vocal. The
string band is a whirl-wind of fun
and there is plenty of pep to go
around, with plenty to spare. The
lyrics are a nifty and on the novelty
side. This is copy for all location
fun. "H O O T IN ' N A N N IE A N N IE ," re­
verse side. ****
"I N O W H A V E A BU G LE TO P LA Y ,"
Delmore Brothers, Decca 6000: Here’s a
grand side of the platter for army
locations. The boys will get a kick or
two out of this side. The Delmore
boys are fair insofar as performance
is concerned. This will do it though;
the lyrics will carry it over. "LA ST
N IG H T
I W AS
YO U R O N LY
D A R LIN ',"
reverse side. ***
14
AUTOMATIC AGE
© International Arcade Museum
Okeh’s top flight hill tune singer sure
pulls a plum. The tempo is brisk.
Lyrics, novel. A now popular discing
and is becoming still more so all over
the country. You should have this
one, sure. It ’s a double winner for
the cash box. "Y O U LO VE ME O R YO U
D O N T," reverse side. ****
"C O O SEE C O O ," Shelton Brothers, Dec­
ca 5833: This will hit the spot for all
Tune Ratings
H ill Tunes Become Popular
"I'M T H IN K IN G T O N IG H T O F MY
BLUE EYES," Bob Atcher, Okeh 05134:
location play everywhere. It ’s a killer
for being both novel and possessing
much rhythm. Here’s discing that’s
delightfully different — and slightly
daffy. But that’s the kind of copy that
sells at times—and this is the time
for it. I f you have not already in­
vested in “Coo See Coo” then get hep
and grab off a few best sellers. "I'M
A
HANDY
MAN
TO
HAVE
A R O U N D ,"
reverse side. ****
"W A L K IN G TH E FLO O R OVER Y O U ,"
Bob Atcher, Okeh 06496: A sentimental
hill tune that is still one of the hill
tune favorites on the automatic turn­
table. The lyrics touch the heart— it
can’t miss in rural locations, and will
make the grade in most any other
type of location play. "SW EETH EA R TS
OR ST R A N G ER S?" reverse side. ***
More hill tune reviews will be
given from time to time. The
tunes reviewed in this section
were selected on the basis of
their popularity throughout the
country; on the radio, by trans-
scription and in certained picked
locations on the automatic turn­
table. Many music machine
operators are already familiar
with these tunes, and by the same
token, many operators in larger
areas have missed these excel­
lent turntable bets with the idea
that hill tunes are rural ma­
terial.
EV ERYW H ERE
"I'L L
REMEMBER A P R IL ," Woody Her­
From the Universal
pix “Ride ’Em Cowboy.” Tempo, me­
dium. The tune is not a bad one,
however, Woody Herman’s vocal is
not too good. This makes this disc
just another recording with not
enough behind it to make it a winner.
However, some young folk locations
may like — but it’s too much like
“everywhere” material to restrict it
to younger folk locations. "I TH IN K
O F Y O U ," reverse side. **
man, Decca 4135:
March, 1942
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