SHREVEPORT GOT A HOLD ON ME: OUR CITY'S SONGS (1923-1980)

SHREVEPORT GOT A HOLD ON ME: OUR CITY'S SONGS (1923-1980)
Compiled in December 2011, liner notes revised January 2019.

Songs about Shreveport, songs recorded in Shreveport, songs by Shreveporters, songs on Shreveport record labels.

Listen online: https://www.mixcloud.com/shreveportsongs/7-shreveport-got-a-hold-on-me-our-citys-songs-1923-1980/


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1 CLARENCE WILLIAMS' BLUE FIVE Shreveport Blues (Okeh 40006, 1923)
Composed by Annie “Bootsy” Potter and published as sheet music by Clarence Williams. Pianist CW also recorded it twice in 1923...first with vocalist Virigina Liston, then this instrumental version.

2 ELZADIE ROBINSON The Santa Claus Crave (Paramount 12573, 1927)
According to local bluesman Jesse Thomas, ER came from the Logansport/Shreveport area before moving to Chicago. Features Bob Call on piano.

3 LEON'S LONE STAR COWBOYS Mistreated Blues (Decca 5423, 1935)
Around 1934, Leon Chappelear parted ways with Bob and Joe Shelton in the Lone Star Cowboys and assembled Leon's Lone Star Cowboys. LLSC specialized in upbeat western swing and hosted a radio show on KWKH. This song, from the group's first recording session, occurred one month before a car wreck injured Leon.

4 BUDDY JONES Shreveport County Jail Blues (Decca 5490, 1937)
Policemen Jones yodels about a partygoer sent to jail. Don't let the title's geographical incongruities fool you. Shreveport, a city, is located in Caddo Parish. The song has origins in two earlier recordings -- Hattie Burleson’s “High Five Blues” (1930) and Gene Autry’s "Dallas County Jail Blues" (1931).

5 PAUL HOWARD AND HIS ARKANSAS COTTON PICKERS The Boogie's Fine Tonight (King 871, 1950)
Itinerant PH bounced from Phoenix, to Houston, to Nashville, before moving to Shreveport in 1950. His band hosted daily broadcasts on KTBS and KCIG; they also frequently played dances around town.

6 PETE MCKINLEY & COUNTRY JIM Shreveport Blues (1952)
Art Rupe (who ran Specialty Records in Los Angeles) worked with Stan Lewis to record Shreveport bluesmen in 1952. This song, like many of the recordings, went unreleased until finding its way onto a compilation album decades later. Look for "cold chill" inducing women at the intersection of McNeil and 4th streets.

7 JACK FORD That's All You Gotta Do (Chess 4858, 1954)
JF spent time playing guitar for Curley Williams and his Georgia Peach Pickers before going solo. One of the few country 45s released by Chess Records, who received the recording from Stan Lewis.

8 BENNY BARNES Poor Man's Riches (1956)
BB, from Beaumont, crossed paths with songwriter Dee Marais, and their partnership produced this song. It reached #2 on the Billboard country charts and also earned him a spot on the Louisiana Hayride. Here's a live rendition performed on the Hayride.

9 OCIE SMITH Slow Walk (Cadence 1304, 1956)
Born 30 miles south of town in Mansfield, Smith was living in NYC at the time of this recording. Nevertheless, Shreveport concert promoters emphasized his local familial connections whenever he played town. This song, which features an orchestra conducted by Leroy Kirkland, originally appeared as an instrumental hit for its composer, saxophonist Sil Austin.

10 DALE HAWKINS Cross-Ties (Checker 900, 1958)
DH takes a break from vocals to let his band shine on this instrumental. The band includes: Roy Buchanan (guitar), Mark Mathis (bass), D.J. Fontana (drums), Shelton Bissell (saxophone).

11 TOMMY CASSEL Go Ahead On (Cassel 58, 1958)
From TC's first record, a self-released 45. According to him, the band included James Burton (guitar), "Coach" Floyd (bass), D.J. Fontana (drums), and Leon Post (piano).

12 LARRY LINCOLN That'll Hold You (Fido 11, 1959)
Larry Bamburg preferred playing country fiddle to rock and roll. Nevertheless, he did cut this upbeat song, recorded at RAM Studios and released by Dee Marais. Features LB's cousin Shelton Bissell (saxophone) and Margaret & Rose Lewis (backing vocals).

13 BUDDY PAUL This Old Town (Is Such A Lonely Place) (Murco 1018, 1960)
Melancholy country by this KCIJ disc jockey. Songwriter credits list Murco owner Dick Martin. BP performed on the Louisiana Hayride and previously sang with the Four B's.

14 'JUNE BUG' BAILEY Lee Street Blues (Jo 2180, 1962)
Q: What do you get when you combine Mira Smith's RAM Recording Studio, the young daughter of a barbecue restaurant on Greenwood Road, and an Alexandria songwriter's composition about a wino? A: Lee Street Blues.

15 GENE FREEMAN Fidel Castro (Tomco 1066, 1963)
Around the time of the Cuban Missle Crisis, GF recorded this topical novelty featuring a prominent banjo.

16 FLOYD CRAMER Satan's Doll (RCA Victor 47-8217, 1963)
FC worked as pianist for the staff band on the Louisiana Hayride from 1951-1955. Then, he moved to Nashville and participated in countless recording sessions. On this record, his usual easy listening country style is paired with a slightly ominous sound.

17 THE SENSATIONAL JONES SINGERS OF SHREV., LA. My Redeemer Live (Rapturea 1010, circa 1965)
A local gospel group with a release on this Dallas label. Songwriter credits list "J. Jennings."

18 MARCUS BROWN I'm Comin' Home (Peermont 1050, 1968)
MB recorded only one 45, which appeared on this subsidiary label of Murco. MB also appears as producer on a record issued by Rufus Brown on Brown's Records.

19 JOHNNY DUNCAN Shreveport To L.A. (Columbia 4-44864, 1969)
Texan/Nashvillian JD cut this B-side about escaping a Shreveport woman.

20 THE FAMILY TREE Electric Kangaroo (Paula 329, 1970)
Bubblegum pop from a local group that released one 45 and one album. Produced by Jerry Strickland.

21 THE KING COBRAS Get Frogish Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 (Custom Sound 1010, circa 1970)
Funk from an enigmatic local group with one release to their name. In 1969, they performed for Shreveport's NAACP "Soul Festival" at the Municipal Auditorium.

22 BAD HABITS If The Whole World Stopped Loving (Paula 342, 1971)
At least three groups connected to Shreveport shared this band name in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Whatever their exact identity, this song was produced by Gene Kent and written by locals Jerry Strickland and Don Griffin.

23 STEVE YOUNG Lonesome, On'ry And Mean (Reprise 2081, 1972)
Nomadic country songwriter SY's tale of a Greyhound bus trip with a Shreveport stop. Waylon Jennings popularized this song the following year.

24 TOMMIE YOUNG Do We Have A Future (Soul Power 3316, 1973)
Hailing from Dallas, TY caught the attention of Bobby Patterson, who ran Soul Power Records with Jerry Strickland. Her songs (largely written by Patterson and Strickland) yielded six 45s and one album...all recorded in Sound City Studio at 3316 Line Ave.

25 DIANA EVANS Country Pickin' Man (Misti Dawn 1002, circa 1980)
DE relays the tale of a successful country musician that likes rock and roll, but will never make it as a rock star. The grass is always greener...

26 GOSPEL SPIRITUALS When My Days Are Done (Custom Sound 348, circa 1980)
A local group, a local recording (Southern Star Studio), a local record label, a "J.C. Wells" as songwriter and soloist.

27 FRED WARING AND HIS PENNSYLVANIANS Fight To Win That Fight (1942)
Popular bandleader FW cranked out dozens of fight songs for colleges and universities in the 1930s. Here's one for the students at Centenary College of Louisiana. "Sneeze, thumb your nose, tell a joke like a gentleman."