The Homer & Jethro Project #5

Post #5

Another day, another lesson in musical history with Homer & Jethro

 

 February 1948 - King 695 - (Don't Telephone, Don't Telegraph) Tell a Woman/ Oh You Beautiful Doll



Well, looking this one up has been a nice surprise. The first version that I found was by someone who I wasn't aware of Roy Hogsed. His recording of "(Don't Telephone, Don't Telegraph) Tell a Woman" predates a hit version by Tex Williams by a couple of months and is pretty damn good. I'm going to have to look up some more stuff by him. (He also recorded "Cocaine Blues" which already makes him a winner in my book. Johnny Cash did the one most people may be familiar with from "Live at San Quentin")

The B side is "Oh You Beautiful Doll" which yet again another turn of the century hit by the first recording star Billy Murray. One has to assume that this was one of those songs that had been popular enough at the time of its release that it had seeped into the public consciousness to the extent that people just knew it by cultural osmosis in much the same way nobody needs to an introduction to "Stairway to Heaven" because it's just there hanging in the back of your mind like a cereal jingle or cartoon theme song.

April 1948 - King 701 - Gotta See Mama Every Night/It Bruised Her Somewhat


The A Side "Gotta See Mama Every Night" goes back to 1923 when risque comedienne Sophie Tucker did her version. Here's a nice BBC article that gives a pretty good overview of her life story on the eve of the 50th anniversary of her passing.

H & J add some nice barrelhouse piano and some fiddle to mix to stomp out a winner in fine vaudeville tradition.

But the B-side. Here it is. The first song attributed to Homer Haynes & Jethro Burns. It's an original about a woman with a balance problem and dignity issues. Just the ticket and probably brought the house down.