"Bayou Lafourche" - Happy, Doc And The Boys

Throughout the 1930s, Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc and his Rayne-Bo Ramblers became the first Cajun band from south Louisiana to play on a radio show broadcast nationally over the CBS network.  However, the outbreak of WWII caused his band to go into hiatus.  Once the war was over, he filled in as a backup musician for country star Tex Ritter in Hollywood.  By the time he arrived back home, the Louisiana Hayride show in Shreveport was looking for new talent.  According to Happy, he recalled playing in the same lineup with Hank Williams on the Hayride radio show.  It was a half-hour show where the rules dictated "no repeats!"  Happy explains to author Ryan Brasseaux:

So, we played "Jole Blonde" there was a tremendous crowd that night.  Hank Williams was there playing.  We got on and we played "Jole Blonde" and when we got through playing it they started clapping.  Horace Logan, the station manager, was there so I though he wanted us to quit.  "No", he said, "play it again!"  "Well, you said no repeats".  We had to repeat on that network three times!2

Bon heures tous les matins,

J'peux voir mon vieux papa,

Partir à la pêche dessus la mer,

C'est su' le Bayou Lafourche,

Il vient toutes les dimanches,

À l'église du bon dieu pour prier.

Y'en a pas qu'est si riche,

Y'en a pas qu'est si pauvre,

Juste les bons Acadiens, apprise faire une vie,

Et c'est là  j'sus parti,

Pour la balance d'ma vie,

Sur le côté du beau Bayou Lafourche.

Lake Charles American Press
Oct 29, 1952

After his last contract recording with RCA in 1946, he quickly reformed a group called Happy, Doc And The Boys.  "Bayou Lafourche" (#1011), recorded in Crowley, Louisiana at J.D. Miller's studio between 1947 and 1949, marked Happy's attempt at converting his popular pre-war hit "Les Veuves de la Coulee" into a waltz-tempo ballad.  The bayou translated to "Fork Bayou") is one of the major navigable tributaries of the Mississippi River and flows through lands once owned by displaced colonial French Acadian and Spanish Isleno settlers.  Along with Oran "Doc" Guidry on fiddle, Bradley "Sleepy" Stutes on steel guitar, and possibly the Redlich brothers , Happy's ultimate goal was to break into the Nashville scene and become the next big country music star, similar to Hank Williams.   According to Happy:

Hank Williams had a lot of influence down here.  He was on the Louisiana Hayride.  It covered about a quarter of the nation, it was a 50,000 watt station.  And Hank, you've got to give him that, he was good, he was really good.  He was on, like I was, for Johnny Fair's Syrup.  He left to go to the Grand Ole Opry.  He gave me the job, the Old Syrup Sopper. 

Rayne Tribune
Oct 24, 1952

Early every morning,

I can see my old papa,

To go fish near the waters,

It's on the Bayou Lafourche,

He comes every Sunday,

To the church for the Good Lord to pray.

There isn't anyone too rich,

There isn't anyone too poor,

Just good Acadians, trying to make a living,

And that's where I'm leaving to go,

In order to set my life straight,

To the shores of the beautiful Bayou Lafourche.

The Drifting Cowboy and Happy Fats reunited in 1952 when Williams invited the Cajun guitarist to tour around the US.2

1. Rayne's People and Places By Tony Olinger
2. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
3. Image by Mark P
4. Lyrics by Stephane F, Francis M, Jerry M and Herman M

Release Info:

Bayou LaFourche | Fais Do Do F-1011-A

Sothe Fermon | Fais Do Do F-1011-B

Find:

Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)

"Dans La Platin" - Happy, Doc and the Boys

After the wartime sojourn with Leo Soileau and Harry Choates in Lake Charles, Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc had been invited to tour with top singing cowboy star Tex Ritter, playing Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and even Hollywood. When he returned home, jobs were hard to find, until he teamed up with Doc Guidry for broadcasting and recording. He recalls:

It got kinda tough playing dances and playing the guitar.  Doc Guidry was a very good violin player, very good fiddle player, I thought he would add a little to it so I got Doc.1

Tu fais pitié, mignonne, de quoi t'as fait, chérie,

Un partir, catin mais, au si loin, jolie,

Tu viens pas, mais, dans le platin, mais, pour asteur.

(Tu) m'fais de la peine, chérie, il y a pas longtemps, jolie,

Tu m'a laissé, catin, tu fais pitié, jolie, 

De partir, mais, au si loin avec un autre.

Toi vieille femme, chérie mais, t'en vas pas, chère mignonne, 

M'a laissé, catin, pour z-un autre, chérie,

Tu m'a laissé pour t'en aller dedans le platin.

Fais de la peine, chérie, de quoi pleurer, mignonne,

(Tu) m'a laissé, chérie, moi tout seul, catin,

Pour t'en aller avec un autre, mais, malheureuse.

Johnny Redlich

In 1947, Happy would record the tune as simply "Dans La Platin" (#1005) on J.D. Miller's Feature records at Miller's brand new studio in Crowley, Louisiana.  While some today use the word "platin" to refer to a low lying area, at the turn of the century, Cajuns referred to a "platin" as a small circular pond, of which there were thousands on the prairies.3  It was similar to either a "marrais" or "meche". 

The melody evolved from the popular Dennis McGee song "Ma Chere Bebe Creole" recorded in 1929.   Joe Falcon would later record it as "La Nuit De Samedi".  It featured Johnny Redlich on vocals, brother of Hanks and "Dago" Redlich, the latter better known for having originally owned the Viking and Chamo label in the 1960s.  Bradley "Sleepy" Stutes, who had joined Happy's group years earlier, can be heard on steel guitar.  Quite possibly it's not Doc Guidry on fiddle for this song but Johnny's brother Hank Redlich on fiddle.  While many know Hank from his guitar playing years, Hank's name is called out during the song for his fiddle solo.   In fact, his family recalls some of his great talented playing:

Hank Redlich

Around 1948, Hank came in 2nd place in a fiddle contest with Harry Choates.  They judges called both of them at least six different times.  They couldn't decide who was the winner.2  

It's pitiful, cutie, what you've done, dear,

Leaving, little doll, well, so far away, my pretty,

You're going to go, well, to the lowlands, well, now.

(You) made me feel sorry, dear, over there not long ago, my pretty,

You left me, little doll, feeling pitiful, my pretty,

Leaving, well, far away with another.

You, old woman, dear, well, I'm not going, dear cutie,

Left me, little doll, for another, dear,

You left me to go away to the big lowlands.

Felling sorry, dear, I have cried, cutie,

(You) left me, dear, all alone, little doll,

For you went away with another, well, oh my.

In 1949, Virgil Bozman and members of Bennie Hess' Oklahoma Tornadoes covered the tune as "The Cameron Waltz" with Floyd Leblanc on fiddle.   Cheese Reed calls it "'Tit Canard Mulet" on his Arhoolie album. The Balfa Brother do it on Cajun Music from the Southwest Prairies on Rounder, field recordings around 1964 for Ralph Rinzler and Newport.  

1. South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous By John Broven
2. Discussions with Donnie R
3. Cajun Sketches From The Prairies Of Southwest Louisiana by Lauren Post

Release Info:
New Jolie Blond | Fais Do Do F 1005-A
Dans La Platin | Fais Do Do F 1005-B

Find:

Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)

"Hippy Ti Yo" - Abe Manuel

Abraham "Abe" Manuel was a hillbilly fiddle player that dabbled in both country music and Cajun music, covering popular tunes of the region.  In the early 1940s, he played with Leo Soileau at the Avalon Club in Basile.  No strangers in the music business, Abe Manuel Sr. toured and appeared at the Louisiana Hayride and the Grand Ole Opry with Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell. For a time, he was one of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys. He ended up playing with Chuck Guillory, Carrol Broussard, and even possibly Harry Choates with his brother Joe.  Broussard, who played steel guitar with Harry, recalls that Abe filled in on fiddle for Harry when he "went off to get cured".1   

Lake Charles American Press
Mar 3, 1954

C'est le Hip et Taïaut, ouais, 

Mais, qu'a volé mon traîneau, ouais, 

Quand il a vu j’étais devenu chaud, cherie,

Il a ramené mon traîneau. 

C'est les filles de Bosco, ouais, 

Qu'a volé mon gilet,

Quand il a vu j'suis d'venu chaud , chérie, 

T'as ramené mon gilet.

C'est le Hip et Taïaut, ouais, 

Mais, qu'a volé mon traîneau, ouais, 

Quand il a vu j’étais devenu chaud, cherie,

Il a ramené mon traîneau. 

C'est les filles de Bosco, ouais, 

Qu'a volé mon gilet,

Quand il a vu j'suis d'venu chaud , chérie, 

T'as ramené mon gilet.

Abe Manuel Sr.

Recorded in 1954 at J.D. Miller's studio in Crowley, Louisiana, Abe's Louisiana Hillbillies consisted of Abe Manuel on fiddle, Bradley Stutes on steel guitar, Dorothy "Dottie" Vincent on rhythm guitar, Amos Comeaux on drums, and either Wiley Barkdull or Cecil Farrell "Benny" Fruge on piano.  In the song, it's quite possible "Pitre et Bosco" is actually "filles de Bosco", similar to the lyrics in Leo Soileau's "Hackberry Hop".  Either way, the song is clearly taken from the well-known "Ils La Volet Mon Trancas" sung by Cleoma Breaux in 1934.   

It's Hip and Taïaut, yeah,

That stole my sled, yeah,

When they saw I had become hot, cherie,

They brought my sled back.

This the girls of Bosco, yeah,

That stole my vest,

When they saw I had become hot, cherie,

They brought my jacket back.

By 1965, Abe was living in Lake Charles and became vice-president of the Southern Association of Country and Western Music.   Years afterwards, Abe and his wife Dottie were owners of Manuel's Cajun Store in Milton, Tennessee for years. That store became a restaurant, and Abe Manuel Sr. found his calling. On summertime Friday nights at dusk, most of the town bring lawn chairs over to the restaurant, sit down in the road, and eat friend alligator and crawfish étouffée while watching the Manuels and their friends play Cajun country music on the porch.  

1. Louisiana Fiddlers By Ron Yule 
2. In the Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music By Nicholas Dawidoff
3. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.music.country.classic/Hh9-IIB9nt4
4. May 21, 1965 Lake Charles American-Press from Lake Charles, Louisiana · Page 5

Find:

Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)

"I've Got Your Heart Locked Up" - Abe Manuel

Abraham "Abe" Manuel provided some of the earliest fiddle playing recordings during the 1940s and 1950s.   Although never gaining the same popularity as Harry Choates, his imitation of the Cliff Bruner style carried him into the 1950s, allowing him to start his own band, the Louisiana Hillbillies.   By 1954, the group worked with J.D. Miller and his Feature label to record "I've Got Your Heart Locked Up" (#1086).

Ton petit cœur, il est barré dedans l’armoire,

Dans l’armoire de mon amour, mais, jolie fille,

Il y a pas longtemps, tu m’as promit de me soigner, 

Et m'aimer, mais, pour toujours, mais, jolie fille.

Ton petit cœur, il est barré dedans l’armoire,

Dans l’armoire de mon amour, mais, jolie fille,

Mais, moi, j'connais un jour avenir, t’auras du regret,

Pour ça t'as fait, mais, z-avec moi, il y a pas longtemps.

Lake Charles American Press
Jul 1, 1954

In the early 1940s, he played with Leo Soileau at the Avalon Club in Basile, follwed by playing with varios bands and country musicians during the 1940s, including Chuck Guillory, Carrol Broussard, Harry Choates, Ralph Richardson, Pee Wee Maples, and Ferrell Benny Fruge.  By the 1950s, he was playing alongside the Hackberry Ramblers at the Silver Star Club.  His 1954 lineup included  Jerome Stubbs or Dottie Vincent on guitar, Bradley Stutes or Dusty
Rhodes on steel guitar, Merton Thibodeaux on bass.

Your little heart, it's locked inside the closet,

In the closet of my heart, well, pretty girl,

Not long ago, you promised to look after me,

And love me, well, forever, well, pretty girl.

Your little heart, it's locked inside the closet,

In the closet of my heart, well, pretty girl,

Well, I know one day in the future, you'll regret this,

For what you've done, well, with me, not long ago.

Abe would go on to play with many country giants before settling in to play with his own family band later in life.  He periodically played on KWKH Shreveport "in the Louisiana Hayride days".1

1. Louisiana Fiddlers By Ron Yule
2. Lyrics by Jordy A

Find:
Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)