I was perusing some of my favorite music blogs the other day, when I checked on the excellent The Devil's Music. Devil Dick's blog is great because he's not akin to just one style of music. You never know what you'll get there, from soul to garage rock to instrumentals and just about anything in-between. The other day he featured some good ol' hillbilly music, via Joe Gills. I got to thinking that I've been a little remiss in not doing more of the same, here.
Today, a record that I dug out of a box of dusty ten cent discs at one of last year's flea markets, "Dig Boy Dig" by Freddie Hart. I wasn't familiar with the record but I knew who Freddie Hart was. The title sounded promising and I knew that a lot of country artists made a rock and roll record or three, so I decided it was worth a dime to investigate further.
It turned out that I made a wise choice because "Dig Boy Dig", from 1956, is right where rock and roll meets hillbilly country. I'm no expert but that sounds just like an apt description of rockabilly, to me.
Hart sings with a country twang, drums pounding behind him and there's a cool guitar break. It's almost hard to believe this is the same guy who scored a huge hit in 1971, with "Easy Loving". Then again, it's a fairly common story, a country crooner who made some pretty great rock and roll back in the early days.
3 comments:
hot damn thats a hot potatoe ya got thar!!! worth every penny of that dime!
lots of them country fella's tried to cash in on the Rock n' Roll in and around 56 to 59....
I'm stil looking for Johnny Horton's Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor 45.... Its a STOMPER!!!!
and thanks for the kind words. VERY much appreciated!
Love Freddy. Supposedly was a black belt and trained some police dept. in self defense. Was it Bobby Wayne that had some great Freddy Hart tales in Blue Suede News a few years baack?
Keep your eyes peeled for "Snatch It And Grab It" as well. EXCELLENT! I know you're not an lp guy Troggy, but there's two great tunes tucked away on a Pickwick greatest hits thing.. "Juke Joint Boogie" and the country bopper "I've Got Heart Trouble".
Those early 70s country crooner records by Freddie Hart are pretty great, too: "Easy Lovin'" crossed to pop, and "My Hang Up Is You" should have. Six straight Number Ones in all on the country chart.
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