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Willy Briggs

Radio Ramblers (the)

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The Radio Ramblers ‎– Cryin’ Blues / The Devil’s Gonna Get You

radio ramblers

Rockin’ Shelby Records ‎– 45-RS-06
The Radio Ramblers are an excellent trio consisting of David Madgwick, Willy Briggs and Gary Boller, former members of the Ricardos and the Tennessee Rhythm Riders.
Cryin’ Blues is a hillbilly number, mostly acoustic, with a light steel guitar while The Devil’s Gonna Get You brings is a hillbilly bop/rockabilly reminiscent of Buddy and Bob. Both sides are originals written by Willy Briggs.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Glenn Doran & The Prairie Echoes

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Glenn Doran & The Prairie Echoes ‎– When I’m A Dollar Down (It’s Dangerous) / Wild About Your Lovin’

Rockin’ Shelby Records ‎– 45-RS-04 [2016]
Another smash hit from Rockin’ Shelby Records. With two original songs, this single features a solid slice of pure hillbilly bliss. “When I’m A Dollar Down” leaves plenty of room for solos (guitar, steel, and fiddle) and reminds of Gene O’Quinn. More in the vein of Hank Williams, “Wild About Your Lovin” is equally excellent.

Glenn Doran & The Prairie Echoes ‎– Walking The Floor / Alone And Blue

Rockin’ Shelby Records ‎– 45-RS-07 [2017]
Glenn Doran and the Prairie Echoes return with another superb single, once again featuring two originals from the pen of Mr. Doran.
With its harmony vocals, Alone and Blue reminds of the great brothers’ acts of the fifties while Walkin’ the Floor, in a similar vein than That’s All Right, is more in the Rockabilly vein (though in their case rural bop would be more appropriate.)
With the Doel Brothers, Charlie Thompson, or the Riverside Trio, Great Britain can take great pride in having some of the best Hillbilly acts. Glenn Doran and his band can stand proudly next to them

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Tennessee Rhythm Riders

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Tennessee Rhythm Riders – Traffic Cop Blues

tennessee rhythm riders

Traffic Cop Blues / How Can I Tell You
Rockin’ Shelby Records ‎– 45-RS-05
Excellent single by the Tenessee Rhythm Riders featuring two originals from the pen of Willy Briggs.
Traffic Cop Blues is a mandolin led tune and features nice harmony vocals from Lynette Morgan and Willy Briggs in the Maddox Brothers and Rose style they’re so good at. Lynette Morgan takes the lead vocals on How Can I Tell You a superb hillbilly with rural fiddle and steel guitar.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Lynette Morgan And The Blackwater Valley Boys

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Lynette Morgan

Lynette MorganLynette Morgan And The Blackwater Valley Boys – Step Back Brother

Dog House Records [2016]
Roadside Diner – Wolf Talk – Let’s Stay Together – Yodel Song – Step Back Brother – Avalon – Dear Mother – Were Gonna Rock – Portobello Fellow

Since the Tennessee Rhythm Riders appeared on the rockin’ scene, we all know that Lynette Morgan is one talented lady when it comes to sing Hillbilly music.
Her latest album, recorded by Pat reyford at Sugar Ray’s vintage studio, with Willy Briggs on steel guitar, Gary Boller on double bass and Chris Wilkinson on guitar and drums (being a man of many talents he’s also in charge of the beautiful graphic design) definitely proves it.

“Step Back Brothers” is, with Charlie Thompson’s Foothill Sessions and the Doel Brothers’ recent releases, one of the very best Hillbilly bop/western swing  influenced album to come from Great Britain.

It features two covers – Avalon, the old jazz standard also covered by Milton Brown and the Light Crust Doughboys, and Jimmy Newman/Rusty and Doug’s Let’s Stay Together – and seven originals penned by Briggs (Roadside Dinner), Briggs and Boller (Portobello Fellow also sung by Boller) and Morgan (the remaining five.)
As I said, this is super fine Hillbilly bop with plenty of Maddox Brothers and Rose influences but also shades of Johnny Horton (Wolf Talk), early western swing reminiscent of Patsy Montana’s band the Sweet Violet Boys (reinforced by the presence of a clarinet on three tunes), a waltz (the touching Dear Mother) and a bit of yodel madness (who doesn’t like some yodel ?)

Do not miss this perfect album and grab a copy while you can!

Lynette Morgan
Lynette Morgan © RK Studio