Category Archives: Ferlin Husky

“Electrified Donkey”: Western Swing on King – The Later Years

Posted on by
Reply

Really nice toe-tapper of a tune from Ferlin Husky during a brief period in the dawning Rocket Age when he was on Cincinnati’s King Records:

“Electrified Donkey”     Ferlin Husky      1959

“Electrified Donkey” was the album closer on Ferlin’s King LP, Ferlin Husky.

Ferlin Husky - King EP

The album was originally issued in 1959 as Country Tunes Sung From the Heart and then again, with a new cover and title, in 1961.  “Electrified Donkey” was also the A-side of a 45 released in March 1961 on King.

It needs to be pointed out, however, that Ferlin’s releases on King all appear to have been leased from another label, 4 Star, and thus not likely to have been recorded in Cincinnati.

“Caravan”: Ferlin Husky’s Band Cuts Loose

Posted on by
Reply

Reissue label Razor & Tie did a public service in 1999 when they rescued a wonderful instrumental that had remained unissued for over 30 years – just sitting on a master tape of a 1965 Nashville recording session by country singer, Ferlin Husky.  Very little is known about the musicians who did this blazing hillbilly jazz version of “Caravan” except that the steel player is almost certainly Curly Chalker.  Surprisingly tight arrangement and crisp ending for something that was simply considered a between-song “jam”:

This previously unissued recording courtesy of Swing West – Volume 2:  Guitar Slingers.