Thanks to Dave Sax, whose liner notes from King Hillbilly Bop ‘n’ Boogie provide the back story on Louis Innis, a member of the “dream band” at King Records who had cut his first tune with the label in late 1947. Prior to joining King, Innis had been a member of WLW’s house band, The Plantation Boys, playing bass on Hank Penny‘s first King session. Innis would later “gain his own radio and television shows at WLW, as well as on the Indiana Hayride at WFBS, Indianapolis.”
According to Sax, “This ‘dream band’ for both King & Mercury [Louis Innis (bass/rhythm guitar); Zeke Turner (guitar); Jerry Byrd (steel); Tommy Jackson (fiddle)] is heard on many sides here including ‘Stop and Go Boogie‘ which was intended as a backing track for ‘Rag Man Boogie,’ a song scheduled for Hawkshaw Hawkins’ March 1950 session”:
“Stop and Go Boogie” by The Brewster Avenue Gang (1950)
[eagerly awaiting the return of streaming audio]
Compare to “Rag Man Boogie” recorded by Red Perkins (not Hawkshaw Hawkins)
The liner notes explain further –
Hawk never did get around to singing the song, and it seems that it was decided that Red Perkins should record it instead, which he did in July. When the hoped-for track arrived at Ace in this form, Ace’s Tony Rounce suggested that the musicianship and interest might still merit its inclusion as a bonus track. Master guitarist’s Zeke Turner’s crisp sound is well evident here and becomes a part of the King hillbilly sound for several years.
Songwriting credits go to label owner Syd Nathan & Henry Bernard – alter ego for songwriter/arranger/producer/talent scout/trumpeter, Henry (Bernard) Glover, one of the first African-American music industry executives, whose professional reputation was cemented in the 1940s & 50s working for King. Even though Glover left King in 1958 to join Morris Levy’s Roulette label, he would later re-join King briefly to serve as label head until its acquisition by Starday.
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Henry Glover & Levon Helm:
A Shared History
It’s really true: Henry Glover and Levon Helm went into business together, co-founding a new recording venture, RCO Productions, in 1975. I Estivate, Therefore I Am states that Glover and Helm’s friendship goes back a couple decades:
Glover’s relationship with Helm dates back to the late 1950s, when Helm was hanging in Canada with Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson as Ronnie Hawkins’ backup band. Glover, who as a consummate A&R man knew talent when he saw it and had become friendly with Helm, convinced the Hawks, as they were known, to go out on their own (initially recording them as the Canadian Squires), then as Bob Dylan’s backup band and ultimately, The Band. Years later, after The Band dissolved, Helm asked Glover to shepherd his first solo project into existence, which was this RCO All-Stars album.
Levon Helm & Henry Glover at Woodstock
Spring 1977
Brian Powers‘ King Records Scrapbook notes that, while with RCO Productions, “Glover’s projects included producing a Muddy Waters album and the soundtrack for the Martin Scorcese documentary The Last Waltz, about the Band’s last concert in 1976.”
2021 UPDATE!
