"Aux Bal Se Te Maurice" - Happy Fats

Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc and the Rayne-Bo Ramblers, the hottest Cajun string band and western swing group on the radio before the war. When he and his band cut their first record in 1935 for the Bluebird label, which was an affiliate of RCA records, they were paid $25 for the whole band, and, Fats said, "all the drinking whiskey we needed."1  That was it. The records helped bands get dance club gigs, at places such as the Te Maurice, located between Bristol and Bosco, and that was important.2  

Allons au bal, la-bas chez ‘tit Maurice,

La-bas chez ‘tit Maurice, la-bas chez ‘tit Maurice,

Allons au bal, la-bas chez ‘tit Maurice,

Pour voir les petites, boire d’la biere, et attendre la belle musique.

J'ai juste vingt cinq sous dedans ma vielle poche,

Dedans ma vielle poche, dedans ma vielle poche, 

J'ai juste vingt cinq sous dedans ma vielle poche,

Pour une bouteille, pour bien m’souler et tourner tout la nuit.

Demain matin un gros mal de tête,

Un gros mal de tête, un gros mal de tête,

Demain matin un gros mal de tête,

Je va commencer et bien m'soinger, 

Pour les bals dans les nuits qui viennent.

Demain matin un gros mal de tête,

Un gros mal de tête, un gros mal de tête,

Demain matin un gros mal de tête,

Je va commencer et bien m'soinger, 

Pour le bal l'samedi qui vient.

Daily Advertiser
Mar 25, 1939

By 1938, Happy's band had fully embraced the western swing sound emanating from Texas dance-halls.  At the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans where they recorded the song "Aux Bal Se Te Maurice" (#2074), Happy Fats' band included Ray Guidry on banjo, Willie Vincent on steel guitar, Nathan Guidry on bass, and Doc Guidry on fiddle.  Happy recalled,

The club I played longest at was the old O.S.T. club here in Rayne.  There was also the Club Rendezvous in Ville Platte and the Colonial Club in Mermentau, but I'd say Te Maurice was the club that had the biggest attendance of any for eight or ten years during the thirties.  One of the Rayne-Bo Ramblers records is called "Aux Bal Se Te Maurice".  I also had "La Valse De Te Maurice".1  

Originally built by Duplex Duplechin, his son-in-law Maurice "Te Maurice" Richard took ownership of the business in the 1930s, which later was run by his son Ellis Richard.  Happy recalled,

This old one, the dance floor was about 100 feet by 100 feet, so it was a pretty big dance floor. The bandstand was at one end with the bar at the other end.  They had chicken wire on the windows so they wouldn't come in, in some places they had chicken wire in front of the band.1  

Let's go to the ball, over there at Te Maurice's,

Over there at Te Maurice's, over there at Te Maurice's,

Let's go to the ball, over there at Te Maurice's,

To see the girls, drink the beer, and to wait for the beautiful music.

I only have twenty five cents in my old pocket,

In my old pocket, in my old pocket,

I only have twenty five cents in my old pocket,

For a bottle, to get me drunk and spin around all night long. 

Tomorrow morning, a big headache,

A big headache, a big headache,

Tomorrow morning, a big headache,

I'll get started, so treat me well,

For the dances in the nights to come.

Tomorrow morning, a big headache,

A big headache, a big headache,

Tomorrow morning, a big headache,

I'll get started, so, treat me well,

For the Saturday night dance that's coming up.

1. South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous By John Broven
2. Jim Bradshaw. "Happy Fats Heard Nationwide".  The  Abbeville Meridional, published in Abbeville, Louisiana on Sunday, January 29th, 2012
3. Lyrics by Smith S and Stephane F and Jesse L

Release Info:
BS-028501-1 La Vieux Two Step Francais | Bluebird B-2074-A
BS-028504-1 Aux Bal Se Te Maurice | Bluebird B-2074-B

Find:
Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)
Happy Fats & His Rayne-Bo Ramblers (BACM, 2009)