.............Joop's Musical Flowers: Basile (Waltz) (1928) / Gran Mamou (1935) / Big Mamou (1952)

zaterdag 11 januari 2014

Basile (Waltz) (1928) / Gran Mamou (1935) / Big Mamou (1952)

Most of the versions of "Big Mamou" are credited to Link Davis, though he only wrote the English words for it and copyrighted the song in 1952.
His version was the first ever release (#18001) at the start of the country-branch of the OKEH-label, a subsidiary of the Columbia-label.
Link Davis probably learned it from Harry Choates, with whom he had worked in 1950.
Harry Choates recorded a version of "Big Mamou" in 1951 for the Humming Bird label.
But Choates had already recorded a version of the song in 1950 with a different title "Gra Mamou" (on the Macy's Recordings label).
And already in 1946 Harry Choates had recorded a version for the Gold Star-label, with the ORIGINAL title "Basile Waltz"

Leo Soileau already recorded a version of the song as "Le Gran Mamou" in 1935 on the Victor label.
But Leo Soileau on his turn had already recorded a version of the song in 1928 with yet another title ("Basile").

In between the 2 versions of Leo Soileau, in 1934, Joe Falcon and Cleoma Breaux Falcon had also recorded a version of the song (yet with another title and text). "Ma Valse Prefere". On the Decca-label.

"Mamou" and "Basile" are two towns in the Evangeline parish (a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana.)

Here are the recordings beginning with the oldest version I found:

(o) Leo Soileau and Mayuse Lafleur (1928) (as "Basile - Waltz")
Leo Soileau, f; Mayuse Lafleur, ac/v.
Recorded in Atlanta, GA on Friday, October 19, 1928
Released on Victor 21769

http://victor.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/800021130/BVE-47201-Basile

Listen here:

Or here:

Less than two weeks after the recording session, Mayuse Lafleur was shot to death during a quarrel involving moonshine at a local dance after jumping to the aid of a friend, Alexander Bellon, who was shot first. He was only 22 at the time of his death.

(c) Cleoma Falcon (1934) (as "Ma Valse Preferee")
Joseph Falcon [accordion] & Cleoma Breaux Falcon [vcl/gt]
Recorded December 22, 1934 New Orleans, LA –
Matrix 39190-
Released on Decca 17005

Joseph Falcon / Cleoma Falcon - Vous Etes Gentille / Ma Valse Preferee (Shellac) | Discogs

Listen here:

(c) Leo Soileau and His Three Aces (1935) (as "Le Gran Mamou")
Fiddle, Vocals – Leo Soileau
Guitar – Bill (Dewey) Landry, Floyd Shreve
Drums – Tony Gonzales
Recorded January 18, 1935, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Original issue: Bluebird B-2194

Leo Soileau and His Three Aces (ca 1935)

Listen here:

Some 4 months later Leo Soileau recorded another version of the tune for the Decca-label

(c) Leo Soileau's Four Aces (1935) (as "La Bonne Valse")
Fiddle, Vocals – Leo Soileau
Guitar – Bill (Dewey) Landry, Floyd Shreve
Recorded Mayy 3, 1935, Chicago
Released on Decca 17008

And again in 1937

(c) Leo Soileau's Rhythm Boys (1937) (as : La Bonne Valse")

Leo Soileau's Rhythm Boys - Ma Jolie Petite Fille / La Bonne Valse (Shellac) at Discogs

Listen here:

(c) Harry Choates and His Fiddle (1946) (as "Basile Waltz")
Recorded ca. June 1946 Quinn Recording Co., 3104 Telephone Road, Houston, TX
Harry Choates (Esmond Pursley [gt], Abe Manuel [gt], Joe Manuel [vcl/banjo], B.D.Williams [bass])
Released on Gold Star 1313-A
Also on Modern 20-511, DeLuxe 6000, Starday 284 and D 1132

http://www.rocky-52.net/chanteursc/choates_h.htm

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/13131314

Listen here:

(c) Harry (Jole Blon) Choates and his Fiddle (1950) (as "Gra Mamou")
Harry Choates:Vocals & Fiddlle
Either Joe Manuel or Eddie Pursley:Guitar
Ronald "Pee Wee" Lyons:Steel Guitar
Johnnie Ruth Manuel:Piano
B.D. Williams:Bass
Amox Comeaux:Drums
Recorded at ACA Studios 612 Westheimer, Houston, TX. c. March, 1950
Released on Macy's Recordings #124-A

78 RPM - Harry (Jole Blon) Choates - Gra Mamou (Big Mamou) / Catn' Around - Macy's - USA - 124

Listen here:

(c) Harry Choates and his Fiddle 1951 (as "Big Mamou (Original) (Grosse Mama)"
Released on Humming Bird 1012

http://www.45cat.com/record/nc961204us

http://hillbilly-researcher.blogspot.nl/search?q=humming+bird

http://www.78discography.com/HummingBird1000.htm

Listen here:

(c) Link Davis with Benny Leader’s Bayou-Billies (as "Big Mamou")
Link Davis, Vcl/fiddle with Frank Juricek, steel gtr; Bill Buckner, gtr; Clyde Brewer, piano; Benny Leader, bass; others unidentified.
Recorded at ACA Studio, Houston, December 2, 1952
Released on OKEH 18001 (first ever release on the start of the country-branch of the Okeh-label, which was a subsidiary of the Columbia-label)

Listen here: davis_link/davis_link_bigmamou.mp3

(c) Smiley Lewis (1953) (as "Big Mamou")
In the spring of 1953 Smiley Lewis made his own variation of "Big Mamou", still crediting Link Davis.

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/5234

Listen here:

In 1953 Eddie Shuler made a cover-version (crediting "Shuler" !?)

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/tnt103

Listen here:

(c) Pete Hanley (1953) (as "Big Mamou") (#19 Hit USA)

http://www.45cat.com/record/46956

Listen here:

(c) Rusty Draper (1953) (as "Big Mamou")
Recorded March 1953 Universal Recording Corp., 111 East Ontario Ave., Chicago, IL

http://www.45cat.com/record/70137x45

Listen here:

(c) Ella Mae Morse (1953) (as "Big Mamou")

45cat - Ella Mae Morse - Big Mamou / Is It Any Wonder - Capitol - USA - F2441

Listen here:

(c) Dolores Gray (1953) (as "Big Mamou")

45cat - Dolores Gray - Big Mamou / Say You're Mine Again - Decca - USA - 9-28676

Listen here:

(c) Jimmy Newman (1961) (as "Big Mamou")

Recorded April 12, 1961 Bradley Film and Recording Studio, 804 16th Ave. South, Nashville, TN – Jimmy Newman (unknown musicians. Producer: Owen Bradley)
Released on Decca 31281(45) and DL-74221 (LP)

45cat - Jimmy Newman - Big Mamou / Finally - Decca - USA - 31281

(c) Everly Brothers 1961 (as "Gran Mamou")
Released in 1977 on "The New Album"

Everly Brothers - The New Album (Vinyl, LP, Album) | Discogs

Listen here:

(c) Waylon Jennings 1964 (as "Big Mamou")

http://www.secondhandsongs.com/release/42674

Listen here:

(c) Rod Bernard (1969) (as "Big Mamou")
Released on the JIN-label (#45-250)

http://www.45cat.com/record/45240us

Listen here:

(c) Clifton Chenier (1970) (as "Big Mamou")
Recorded at Gold Star Studios--Houston, Texas on November 6, 1969.

http://www.discogs.com/Clifton-Chenier-King-Of-The-Bayous/release/1459772

Listen here:

(c) Fiddlin' Frenchie Burke And The Outlaws (1974) (as "Big Mamou")
Released on Music Creek MC-560 and after regional succes distibuted nationally by 20 Century.
It was a #39 C&W hit for Frenchie at the end of 1974.