My picture isn't very good, not square, but it's good enough for today.That is an album called "The Nashville Sound," an LP on Design Records, DLP-634. I saw a couple Design discographies online, 1 and 2.
This album has been in my room here for quite a while, unplayed and ignored. But today I noticed a name on it that sounded interesting, "Rocky Bill Ford," and wondered who he might be. I looked him up, and sure enough, there was some information on him. And there's even a CD with his complete recordings, which, who knows, I might have to get someday.
It says over there that "Little is known of William A. Ford whose prime income came from his work as a barber in Houston. He met Peck Touchton and his band as a place called Betros’ Dine and Dance on Studewood and asked to sit in, saying he was looking for a band to back him on some songs he had written." One guy remembered that on his left hand, he’d injured his index finger, couldn’t use it at all. So he played guitar with three fingers, open chords all the time. "He was easy going; ambitious, but not too ambitious. He knew that nobody could make a living playing music…None of us quit our day jobs.”
And yet here a couple tracks from Rocky Bill Ford have been there on my floor, maybe a year! Never heard by my mortal ears!
I'm about to listen to this album...
1) Patsy Cline - A Stranger In My Arms -- Nice, slow swinging country sound. "We have lost the flame that warms. Though I hold you while we're dancing, you're a stranger in my arms." She goes on to say that every story has an ending, and this is it. And once it's over it's over, because lovers can never be friends. Having said all that, she'll still dream about him. But she knows he'll never want her, because...he's a stranger in my arms. Sad song, nice clear sound, good band.
2) Patsy Cline - Dear God -- She goes to church on Sunday and makes vows that she breaks on Monday. The rest of the week she does as she pleases, then on Sunday she prays on her knees. She's not worthy, but she prays, to turn back from the path she's trod. "You'll never be sorry, dear God." There's a mournful steel guitar on this one, and an accompanying fiddle. Slow, sorrowful song.
3) Carl Belew - Too Much To Lose -- A real sweet sound to the instruments, also a slow, sad sound. Carl's voice is very silky and touching. The woman he sings to is "Too Much To Lose," and he'll never be free. He's hoping she doesn't grow tired of him. He'll love her forever, "How can you say that we're through. Can't you see that I need you? And you're too much to lose." Nice, simple country track. Very pretty vocal and instruments.
4) Carl Belew - A Wasted Love Affair -- A rockier song, more nasally, rockabilly vocal style, traditional country though. "I'm wastin' my time with a wasted love affair." Mid speed, not too fast. Good guitar after the first verse. "I know I was untrue, dear, I know I made you blue, and all the happiness I've ever known was when I had you. Now you're gone and it's no use dear, to ask if you still care. I'm wastin' my time with a wasted love affair."
5) Rocky Bill Ford - At My Expense -- "You've had your fun at my expense." Generic country, with an interesting voice, mildly nasally but maybe his normal voice. The instruments are a lot like your average Ernest Tubb song. He has a nice voice, a soft edge, some reserve. "You can shed a tear, or you can shout for joy, but you have seen the last of this foolish boy." He can't forget the mistakes, since first they met. Good workaday kind of country song.
6) Hank Locklin - I Always Lose -- "I'm all alone, I always lose." Sorrowful song, a path that leads to ruins, hard luck is waiting. Each time he tries, he always loses. Good strong voice, again, a workaday song. Some of these songs sound very tossed-off, a good excuse to do a song. This one has an extensive instrumental mid-section, with a good full combo. Then here he comes again. "Deep down inside old dreams still linger. They haunt me so, I keep the blues. All through the night, I wake up crying. I can't go on, I always lose." Not a real slow song, but mid pace and marching alone. Hank has a pleasant voice.
7) Hank Locklin - It's So Hard To Say I Love You -- Fiddle introduction, then a little falsetto by Hank. Quicker paced song. He's loved her since he first met her. Instrumental middle, quick finger work, I think that was a guitar, then snappy fiddle. "It's so hard to say I love you, it's so hard to tell you how I feel." It seems his dreams will never turn out real.
8) Ferlin Husky - Road To Heaven -- Slow song, not quite as clean sounding a recording. Singing of heaven, can't be more than heaven as long as there's only one you. "Love is the highway to heaven," and it's the password to heaven, and she's someone he loves, and the password. I lost my train of thought. The road leading to his love is the only road to heaven is the upshot of this. The recording quality on this track is below the others, a muddy road to heaven. But it's good. It sounds like a message from somewhere beyond.
9) Ferlin Husky - Holy Not A Holiday -- Bemoans that Christmas has gone from "holy" to a "drunken holiday." It's holy, holy, not a holiday. It's sad that children have to watch their parents get drunk. He wonders how his Savior feels when he looks down and sees people fightin' and cussin' as they celebrate his birth. Because it's "holy, holy, not a holiday." Ferlin asks us to think what we're doing. Look to this day as a sacred one, not just another Christmas Eve. "So stop and think there, dear brother..." A mid pace, cool song, very sincere sounding, I love it.
10) Rocky Bill Ford - Since You've Gone -- Clean guitar opening on a slightly slower song. "You'll never know how it hurts to see you go." This guy's voice is cool, nasally and about to lose control, pitch or something. It has a very loose feel to it, like a guy doing it on the first take to save money. A nice piano bit in the middle, then guitar fills in after that. The recording quality is mid level. Next verse: Speaks of his dreams and hopeless schemes, seeing her smiling face, and wondering why she said goodbye, if time could but erase, heartaches and sighs, and all your selfish pride, since you've gone there's nothing left for me. Another workaday country song from the output of Rocky Bill Ford!
Some of these budget LPs I've had around for years, but have never listened to them. I used to wonder where the tracks came from. But obviously they were just tracks like "Now That's Music," tracks someone licensed to put out budget LPs with. Maybe not top of the line hits. But really, how much could it cost to license a couple tracks from Rocky Bill Ford? You wouldn't think it'd be much. But Patsy and Ferlin were big stars, and I know Carl was fairly well known. Hank Locklin, I've had or have a budget record by him. He was probably best known in the strictly country realm, guessing.
Anyway, that was a fun listen. The country sound of that time is very simple, the guys playing the instruments know their licks so well they're asleep in the sessions, and there's nothing especially challenging to sing about. Man leaving woman, woman leaving man, crying, sad, wanting you back, that's it!
