Billy Jack Wills & His Western Swing Band

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 24 Feb 2001 6:17 pm

Recently I saw a CD by Billy Jack Wills & His Western Swing Band, titled "There's Good Rockin' Tonight : 1949-1957" (Hound) 1996.
The tracks include.
Roped & Tied / Milk Cow Blues / Out Of Gas
Good Rockin' Tonight / Teardrops On A Diary
Red Mittens / Hey Lila / Hey Mr. Mailman
I LOve & Lost / Trouble / Not Very Long
Will Miss Me When I'm Gone.

Now I got the track listing from an internet site, but I actually saw the CD in a specialty shop, made a mental note to go back and look at it's inner sleeve later, but forgot to and won't be making a trip out that way again for a while.
Does anyone have a copy of this CD?

I'm assuming that it tackles the sides Billy Jack made for MGM and possibly Four Star, but I can't tell for sure, as I've never seen a listing or heard the 4-Star material.
The MGM sides have been issued over a heap of different compilations, but I'm really interested in this set.

On an interesting side note, there seems to be two camps of thinking when it comes to Billy Jack's group,some say it started in 1949, others suggest 1950 when Tiny Moore got to take over the Wills Point ballroom in Sacramento for Bob Wills.

Billy Jack Wills & His Western Swing Band were swallowed up by Bob Wills in 1954, and he changed the group to suit his tastes, which effectivley ended the group, Vance Terry split for College in 1955 as many of you know.
Billy Jack seems to have left his siblings group to try his hand at various groups, so I assume the MGM sides are by a totally different Billy Jack led group, rather than the Billy Jack Wills Western Swing Band that recorded the transcription discs issued on CD by Joaquin.

Can anyone help me with this,I'd really like to know who was on the MGM and 4-Star material if possible.

Jason

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The future ain't what it used to be

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 24 Feb 2001 7:18 pm

jason

that cd is, how you say in your country, of dubious origin. a *oo**eg, from europe. issued 5 or 6 years ago.

i never bought it and don't have a track listing.

the 4 Star recordings are roped and tied, tobacco chewing boogie, lily dale, water baby boogie, down in mexico, now that we have said goodbye, and cattle call. some of the vocals are by kenny lowery.

billy jack had 5 or 6 singles on mgm--10 or 12 sides, plus he did a few vocals on bob's mgm recordings. i recognize some of the titles you list as billy jack's mgm stuff--he did a couple of wynonie harris recordings as i recall.

so the cd is going to be all mgm or 4 star, unless it takes something from the transcriptions.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 25 Feb 2001 12:09 am

Mitch, thanks and yes I think you are right, a rather shady little deal, I've never seen it listed until last night, some little website from Europe had it.

Mitch, have you heard the 4-Star material, I'd be interested in knowing how much jump and boogie is in their sound, I love the transcriptions.. fantastic stuff, so I'm curious about the sound.

I nearly forgot :
Billy Jack Wills & His Western Swing Band
1955 (MGM K11966) There's Good Rockin' Tonight b/w Red Mittens
1956 (MGM K12172) All She Wants To Do Is Rock b/w When A New Love Is Born
1957(MGM K12559) Troubles (Those Lonesome Kind) b/w Not Very Long

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jason Odd on 25 February 2001 at 04:09 AM.]</p></FONT>

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 25 Feb 2001 5:30 pm

i have heard most of the 4 stars. the rockers are roped and tied, tobacco chewing boogie, and water baby boogie. noteworthy also is the original version of the classic "lily dale".

the hound label put out a bunch of cds of early to mid 50s country stuff--rudy grayzell, wade ray, chuck miller, and others. i never bought any of them, but was tempted.

if milk cow blues is on the billy jack cd, it surely must be from the transcriptions, as i am virtually certain it is not an mgm recording.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 25 Feb 2001 6:49 pm

Mitch, I might take a little trip and see if they still have it at the Bop Shop I saw it at, with a bit of luck it's still there and I'll be able to give it a decent listen.

The Hound material has got my interest, Wade Ray, wonder if it's any of the material with Freddie Tavares on steel??
Interesting.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 25 Feb 2001 6:54 pm

dunno about tavares, but noel boggs is on some of wade's rca material from the early 50s. no doubt the cd is heavy on the rca stuff since it was wade's predominant label and not particularly hard to find. boggs is on "it's all your fault" on rca for one, with a particularly nifty standard guitar solo by chet (i think) as well.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 26 Feb 2001 7:56 pm

You guys should check with Dayna Wills "Bob's Sister's Kid", she may know more.

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Regards, Craig

Joel Glassman · Post by **Joel Glassman** » 2 Mar 2001 2:08 pm

Jason,
Here's a place you could ask questions.
I remember seeing info about BJ Wills in
the archives. Maybe it can be searched. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hillbilly/messages/
--Joel

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 2 Mar 2001 2:48 pm

Joel, this is so cool, you know I'm familiar with another list for Rockabilly, but hadn't seen this one.
Many thanks... Jason
P.S with a bit of luck I'll see the CD today.