The Nervebreakers & the first Cowpunk songs

 

The Nervebreakers performing at The Longhorn Ballroom in January 1978 opening for The Sex Pistols.

Someone recently made me aware of a mention of The Nervebreakers & T. Tex Edwards as "precursors" of the cowpunk movement in the WIKIPEDIA posting concerning "Cowpunk." Can't say I agree with all they've said, but it's nice to get mentioned...

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowpunk

Tim Stegall says in this AUSTIN CHRONICLE article:

Raul's in Overdrive: "Have a Good Time, Get in Free, and Drink Some Beer"

1978, when San Antonio's the Next became Austin's Fourth Punk Band and Dallas' Nervebreakers beat locals in a battle of the bands for Chapter 6, Part 1 of the "Austin Punk Chronicles"

"...Preempting the rise of Jason & the Scorchers and Hickoids by eight years, the Nervebreakers were the first cowpunk band, before that designation devolved into a Los Angeles cartoon..."

Source:https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2022-12-23/rauls-in-overdrive-have-a-good-time-get-in-free-and-drink-some-beer/

The Nervebreakers started covering George Jones' "The Race Is On" back in 1979, and recorded it in 1980 for their first album WE WANT EVERYTHING. They wrote & were performing an original tune called "I Don't Wanna Hold Your Hand" in 1979 (although the recording of the song is from much later). Both of which are supposedly the first cowpunk songs.

"The Race Is On" by The Nervebreakers from the WE WANT EVERYTHING album on YouTube:

Source: https://youtu.be/M6-w1d4eaIc

"I Don't Wanna Hold Your Hand" by The Nervebreakers from the FACE UP TO REALITY album on YouTube

Source: https://youtu.be/3c9iQo1jZDs

A new 1981 version of Tex & the Saddletramps record "Slave Lover" in Will Clay's Cumberland Avenue basement

Todays Memories confronted me with an old youtube from Tex & the Saddletramps. "Slave Lover” is a great song written & originally sung by George Jones on his 1963 Mercury Records album ‘The Novelty Side of George Jones’. An album that I ran across & immediately loved, early in my fandom of the Possum. Once Mike Haskins & I reassembled Tex & the Saddletramps, which had started out as a rockabilly/C&W-sideband from The Nervebreakers in 1979, a couple of years later with original drummer Russell Fleming, Key Kolb on guitar, & Donny Ray Ford on bass & backing vocals, this is one of the first tunes I wanted to do. A very uptempo tune with lotsa stops & starts about a poor henpecked guy forced to cater to his lover’s every whim & command.

Tex & the Saddletramps - Slave Lover

‘The Novelty Side of George Jones’ on Mercury Records 1963

A short while later, five or six songs were recorded by Will Clay, a saxophonist & all round funny guy who loved to laugh & crack jokes, who Mike & I had known since he was one of the younger guys that used to come hang out at rehearsals for the pre-Nervebreakers band we were in called The Idiots, circa 1974. The other 3/5 of The Idiots went on to form a local band called The Toys. Will had set up a little recording space down in the basement of a house on a hillside on Cumberland Avenue, just down the street from the Dallas Zoo in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas. Coincidentally, right down the street in the other direction from Lee Harvey Oswald’s famous Beckley Avenue garage apartment. Where “the shadows pointing every whichaway” photo of Oswald holding the rifle allegedly used to kill the president was taken. A photo whose authenticity had been questioned by the first wave of conspiracy theorists for decades.

Here is a photo by Vern Evans of saxophonist Will Clay sitting in (actually standing) with Tex & the Saddletramps at a Lower Greenville Avenue Street Dance. There's Ron Gulley & Michael Brown leaning on a vehicle, with me singing & James Flory on bass & Paul Quigg on guitar & Russell Fleming's drums...

"Slave Lover” was the first tune we recorded there & it turned out the best, with right on the money playing & strong backing vocals from Ford. That version of the band soon splintered & our original bassist, Linda Shaw came back into the fold. But the raw, tinny sound captured on Clay’s ancient analog equipment had a certain charm to it. Years later in 2009 long after Will’s passing, Mr. Bobby Beeman, onetime bassist of the legendary Stick Men With Ray Guns band, ran across a third generation (maybe that’s why it sounds sort of tinny) copy of the sessions & contacted me about posting them to youtube. Which is where they’ve sat until the present. With the ease of uploading & posting old tapes to Bandcamp that I recently discovered, Mike Haskins & I are working on a Tex & the Saddletramps collection featuring the tunes from the Cumberland sessions, plus several more from a session that produced “Move It!” at the late Songbird Studios on lower Greenville Avenue in Dallas, & a few songs that Rocky Langston (RIP) recorded for release on his ‘Steel Rok Presents’ cassette. Sort of the Tex & the Saddletramps album that never was…

Here are some photos of the lineup on "Slave Lover" at a Flykiller party in a warehouse in downtown Dallas (not sure who took these photos). First here's Mike Haskins with Donny Ray Ford in background:

Next, here's me with Key Kolb in the background:

Russell Fleming under the Flykiller logo:

The "Slave Lover" lineup of Tex & the Saddletramps at a Lower Greenville Avenue Street Dance in front of Curtis Hawkins' Stack O' Tracks record store:

The Johnny Cash Show - Houston Civic Auditorium, Houston, Texas, March 14, 1961

 

The Johnny Cash Show - Houston Civic Auditorium, Houston, Texas, March 14, 1961

Roger Miller: 01. Footprints in the Snow 02. Invitation to the Blues 03. That’s the Way that I Feel 04. Half a Mind 05. Tall Tall Trees 06. Billy Bayou 07. In the Summertime George Jones: 08. Ragged but Right 09. Accidentally on Purpose (breaks up, not good quality) George Jones & Roger Miller: 10. Ways of the World, Ways of a Woman 11. Long Time to Forget George Jones: 12. White Lightnin 13. Window Up Above 14. Treasure of Love Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three: 15. Big River 16. I Guess Things Happen That Way 17. Rock Island Line 18. Instumental 19. Five Feet High and Rising 20. I Got Stripes 21. Folsom Prison Blues 22. I Walk the Line 23. Lead Me Father 24. Ballad of Harp Weaver 25. The Rebel Johnny-Yuma 26. Luther’s Boogie 27. Goodbye Little Darling REMOVED: Johnny Western, Gordon Terry, Claude Gray, Rose Maddox Notes: Johnny Western, who emceed this 1961 show, would later become part of Johnny Cash’s band. Roger Miller, who had already written hits for Faron Young, Ray Price, Ernest Tubb, Jim Reeves, and George Jones, was just getting started as a performing artist. Fiddler Gordon Terry joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1950 and played with Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys. His biggest single, “Wild Honey”, charted in 1957. Claude Gray’s career was hot in 1961: "I'll Just Have a Cup of Coffee (Then I'll Go)," was a crossover pop hit at that time. George Jones, still basking here in the glow of his 1959 hit “White Lightnin’”, would soon move away from his honky-tonk, rebel image: His smooth ballad “Tender Years” was Number One for seven weeks later in 1961. Rose Maddox (formerly of the fantastic hillbilly band Maddox Brothers and Rose) had five Top 20 hits in that year, including both sides of the 45 “Kissing my Pillow” and “I Want to Live Again”, which are performed here. Finally, Johnny Cash performs his hits, in- cluding “Luther’s Boogie”, which, interestingly, was the highest charter of all of them.

Thanks to:

Tyler Wilcox

George Jones' First Recording Session For Starday Records

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George Jones*****(If You Were Mine)

This rare gem from George was recorded at his first session for Starday Records, dated January 6, 1954. Along with this track, three more songs were recorded: "No Money In This Deal" , "You're In My Heart" , and a song called "For Sale Or Lease", which remained unissued until Time-Life issued a CD, "Early Hits: The Starday Years", back in 2011.

George Jones*****(You're In My Heart )

George jones*****(No Money In This Deal)

His first record, the self-penned "No Money in This Deal", appeared in February 1954 on Starday Records and began the singer's association with producer and mentor H.W. "Pappy" Dailey and the song was actually cut in Starday Records' co-founder Jack Starnes' living room, from whose two names were combined to create the label.

George Jones ***** For Sale Or For Lease (original recording)

All tracks uploaded by badboy4948
Thanks to Joe Nick Patoski

George Jones: The King of Broken Hearts

Take A Walk

Some of the great lyrics from this song were quoted recently over on the Stay Sick Yahoo group...
Seems someone had an old cassette mixtape & wondered what was the song's title & artist?
The mystery was solved & you will have to agree that this is a good one...

photo via: http://www.jerryreed.nl

Jerry Reed - Take A Walk

From the 1967 album:  The Unbelievable Guitar and Voice of Jerry Reed





Jerry Reed is subjected to his past by George Jones...

Songs that George Jones wrote or co-wrote…

Here’s my list of songs that George Jones wrote or co-wrote…

After seeing the recent posts from classiccountry about the songwriting of George Jones…

I dug out my crate of old George Jones vinyl to investigate…

I own near 100 albums by the Possum…

Mostly original albums on the Starday, Mercury, United Artists, Musicor, and Epic labels…

Also a bunch of re-issues on all kinds of labels like Nashville, Wing, Pickwick, Allegiance, Liberty, RCA, Rounder, and Ace… 

Especially on the re-issues, songwriting credits are not always listed…

Plus there’s a bunch more George albums I don’t own, so I’m sure there are a few more songs to add this list…

So this is by no means anywhere near a complete list, just a darn good start…

Songs written by just George Jones:

I’m Ragged, But I’m Right

You Gotta Be My Baby

It’s Okay

Let Him Know 

Play It Cool

Rock It

Boogie Woogie Mexican Boy

Boat Of Life 

Still Hurtin’

My Sweet Imogene

How Come It

Don’t Do This To Me

Just One More

Gonna Come Get You

Uh, Uh No

Glad To Let Her Go

One Is A Lonely Number

You’re In My Heart

Maybe Little Baby

All I Want To Do

Giveaway Girl

Someone Sweet To Love

Long Time To Forget

Don’t Stop The Music

No Money In This Deal

Don’t Do This To Me

Slave Lover

Eskimo Pie

I’m With The Wrong One

Take The Devil Out Of Me

No Use To Cry

The Window Up Above

Life To Go

You Done Me Wrong

Forgive Me Now
What's Wrong With You
Wrong About You

Songs co-written with Darrell Edwards:

Why Baby Why

What Am I Worth 

Your Heart

Seasons Of My Heart

Root Beer

Battle Of Love

Accidently On Purpose

Everything Ain’t Right

Tender Years 

Who Shot Sam (also co-written with Ray Jackson)

That’s All It Took (also co-written with C. Grier)

Three’s A Crowd (also co-written with Herbie Treece)

Mr. Fool  (also co-written with Herbie Treece)

Out Of Control  (also co-written with Herbie Treece)

Songs co-written with Lester Blackwell:

I’m Gonna Burn Your Playhouse Down

A New Baby For Christmas

Songs co-written with Burl Stephens:

Taggin’ Along

Cup Of Lonliness

The Good Old Bible

Song co-written with Eddie Noack:
Jesus Wants Me

Song co-written with Eddie Eddings:

Yearning

Songs co-written with L. Henderson:

Settle Down

Your Heart

Song co-written with Jimmy Yancey:

Frozen Heart

Song co-written with M. Broadway:

Y’all Goodnight

Song co-written with B. Dudley:

Wandering Soul

Songs co-written with J.P. Richardson:

If I Don’t Love You (Grits Ain’t Groceries)

Rain, Rain (also co-written with Frankie Miller)

Song co-written with Lawton Williams:

Color Of The Blues

Songs co-written with Roger Miller:

Hearts In My Dreams

Gotta Talk To Your Heart

That’s The Way I Feel

Nothing Can Stop My Love

Tall, Tall Trees

Rain, Rain (also co-written with J.P. Richardson)

Songs co-written with George Ripley:

She’s Lonesome Again

She’s Mine

Song co-written with Hank Locklin:

You’re Back Again

Song co-written with Virginia Spurlock:

Flame In My Heart

Song co-written with Sid Kassel:

Vitamins L-O-V-E

Songs co-written with G. Riddle:

I’ll Never Let Go Of You

A Real Close Friend

Your Kind Of Loving Won’t Do

Lonesome Old Town 

Lonesome Life

Song co-written with Hal Rugg:

Jonesy

Song co-written with James O’Gwynn:

I Won’t Love You Anymore

Song co-written with Leon Payne:

Take Me

Song co-written with D. Overby:

Wrong Number

Songs co-written with Earl “Peanut” Montgomery:

Small Town Laboring Man

Til I Hear It From You

Four-O-Thirty Three

A Drunk Can’t Be A Man

Baby, There’s Nothing Like You

Hard Act To Follow

We’re Gonna Hold On

If You Loved A Liar (You’d Hug My Neck)

Ship Of Love (also co-written with Donny Young)

I Wanta Sing (also co-written with E. Rowell)

A Goodbye Joke (also co-written with C. Montgomery)

Songs co-written with “Country” Johnny Mathis: 

I Get Lonely In A Hurry

Ain’t It Funny What A Fool Will Do

A Good Old Fashioned Cry (also co-written with V. Franks)

Brown To Blue (also co-written with V. Franks)

Songs co-written with Tammy Wynette:

I Know

Never Grow Cold

I Made Leaving (Easy For You)

Our Private Life

Wean Me

Bring On The Clowns (also co-written with Billy Sherrill)

Song co-written with J. Peppers:

I Just Don’t Give A Damn

Song co- written with B. Emerson:

 I Don’t Want No Stranger Sleepin’ In My Bed 

Song co-written with Glenn Martin:

No Show Jones

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