A unique window into the world of Cajun music between 1928 and 1965. Compiled histories from websites, books, news articles, liner notes, and interviews. Most come from my personal 78 collection. Also covering Creole, Cajun-Country, and Cajun swing.
Showing posts with label Oran "Doc" Guidry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oran "Doc" Guidry. Show all posts
Records had been available regionally since the late 1920s and a few of them got played elsewhere from time to time, but it was in 1939 that Leroy "Happy" Fats LeBlanc and the Rayne-Bo Ramblers became the first band from south Louisiana to play on a radio show broadcast nationally over the CBS network. Old-timers will recall that Fats and his band were regular performers at the OST Club in Rayne and Tee Maurice Club near Vatican.1
T'as quitté hier au soir,
Avec un gros en or,
T'as revenu à ce matin,
Tu sentais le vin blanc.
C'est malheureux, (c'est malheureux,)
C'est malheureux tu m'fais comme ça,
C'est malheureux tu m'as quitté,
Quoi faire tu veux venir.
Quoi faire donc, pitié,
Tu fais ça z-avec moi,
T'es après faire du mal,
À ton pauvre nègre.
C'est malheureux, (c'est malheureux,)
C'est malheureux tu m'fais comme ça.
C'est malheureux tu m'as quitté,
Quoi faire tu veux venir.
Happy Fats
Fats was reared on a rice farm near Rayne, Louisiana and got his first guitar by trading a sack of rice for it. He was working in a rice mill for $1.50 a day when he started his band as a way to earn a little bit of money during the Depression. "We'd play dances for ten dollars for the whole band," he said in an interview some years ago. "That was two dollars apiece and two dollars for traveling expenses."1
By 1938, after having many musicians in and out of his band, he regrouped with the Guidry's, Roy "Blackie" Romero and a talented 17-yr-old pianist from the St. Martinville area named Robert Thibodeaux. Together, they formed a western swing outfit for a recording session at the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans and recorded a French version of Deep Elem Blues entitled "Se Mallereux" (#2089).
You left last night,
With a big man in wealth,
You've returned this morning,
You smelled of white wine.
That's terrible, that's terrible,
That's terrible, you did like that,
That's terrible, you left me,
How you want to come back.
So, what's done, pitiful,
You did that with me,
You're going to hurt,
Your poor old man.
That's terrible, that's terrible,
That's terrible, you did like that,
That's terrible, you left me,
How you want to come back.
Jim Bradshaw. "Happy Fats Heard Nationwide". The Abbeville Meridional, published in Abbeville, Louisiana on Sunday, January 29th, 2012
Lyrics by Stephane F
Release Info:
BS-022035-1 Ma belle Mellina | Bluebird B-2046-A
BS-022036-1 Se Mallereux | Bluebird B-2046-B
BS-022036-1 Se Mallereux | Bluebird B-2089-A
BS-022023-1 Cherie a you toi te? [Hackberry Ramblers] | Bluebird B-2089-B
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
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.
Jim Bradshaw. "Happy Fats Heard Nationwide". The Abbeville Meridional, published in Abbeville, Louisiana on Sunday, January 29th, 2012
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)
"Seven Candles". In the late 1940s, Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc and Oran "Doc" Guidry teamed up together with Louis Noel and Jack Leblanc and headed to New Orleans to record at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Studio. Fais Do Do Records producer J.D. Miller had heard about Matassa's studio and grabbed the musicians for his very first recording session. Miller recalls the trip down old Highway 90 to New Orleans and their time there:
Doc had a friend who was a custodian of a private school in New Orleans. He and his family lived on the top floor of the school and we were invited to stay overnight. With this recording session being what we thought to be one of the highlights of our lives we did a little celebrating, Cajun style. There was plenty of food, plenty of drink, and plenty of music (which) lasted nearly all night--at least as long as the participants were able to celebrate. The next day is when the records were cut.1
Cosimo Matassa
T’as parti un an passé,
J’espérais, belle coeur, cassé,
La grande rêve, t’as plus, chérie,
C’a cassé mon cœur en deux.
La bataille t’avais clamée,
Sur la table t'as sont vidée*,
Les paroles, les derniers dit,
Ramenez-moi dan mon pays.
Poussez-moi près de mom et pop,
Pour toujours et près d’elle,
Sept chandelles étaient petite peu,
Pour montrer mon aime était.
Tout ma vie j’ai coursaillé,
J’ai roulé et j’ai traîné,
Là, asteure, j’après mourir,
Un jeune homme de vingt année.
Dans pays j’après mourir,
Prends entend ça, je serai préservé*,
Rêve pas pour moi, j’sus satisfié,
Dans le ciel j’apres t’espérer.
Doc Guidry
Miller traveled to New Orleans between 1946 and 1948 with Happy, Doc Guidry and Jack Leblanc. The three musicians each cut a record at the Cosimo Matassa recording studio, the only one then in the state. In typical Cajun fashion, they put down the excellent pairing to be heard, "Setre Chandelle" and "Allons Dance Colinda", with no evidence of the previous night's partying. "Setre Chandelle" (#1001) was Happy's rendition of the famous Cleoma Breaux song "Mon Coeur T'Appelle (My Heart Aches For You)" more popularly known as "J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte". The song discusses the loneliness of losing a loved one who is laying in a coffin, surrounded by "sept chandelles". It's one of the finest recordings of Doc's smooth fiddle solos. According to Miller:
Each guy cut two sides of a 78. We didn't have 45s yet. The records had to be sent to the West Coast to be pressed. They weren't the best records, but they sold.1
Teche News Jun 8, 1951
You've left a year ago,
I was hoping, my beautiful heart, broken,
The big dream, you no longer have, dearie,
It broke my heart in two.
The fight had claimed you,
On the table feeling empty*,
The words, the last ones spoken,
Take me back to my countryside.
Gather me close to mom and pop,
Forever and close to her,
Seven candles were too little,
To show my love.
All my life I've been chasing around,
I had rolled around and dragged around,
Here, right now, I'm dying,
A young man of twenty years.
In the countryside, I'm dying,
Understand that, I'll be remembered*,
Don't dream of me, I'll be fine,
Up in the sky, I'm begging you.
Miller then decided to produce his own records of local musicians. He went to the Gates Record Company in Houston and purchased a portable recorder, a microphone, an amplifier and a speaker for about $3000. The Jay Miller Studio was founded.2
Fais Do Do Breakdown - Volume One - The Late 1940's. Liner notes.
Interview with J.D. Miller. By Stacey Courville. Crowley Post Signal. 1983.
Lyrics by Smith S
Release Info: Setre Chandelle | Fais Do Do F-1001-A Allons Dancer Colinda | Fais Do Do F-1001-B Find: Fais Do Do Breakdown - Volume One - The Late 1940's (Flyright, 1986) Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)
Oran "Doc" Guidry played fiddle across south Louisiana with many groups. Originally recording with Happy Fats and the Rayne-Bo Ramblers for the Bluebird Label in 1936, he broke away to form the Sons of the Acadians band with his brother Nason and cousin Ray Guidry. The team recorded the song "Ca Tait Pas Difference Asteur" (#17052) for Decca. Sung by Sidney Guidry of the Alley Boys of Abbeville, the song is a cover of a Jimmie Davis tune called "It Makes No Difference Now". His group rounded out with Roscoe Whitlow on steel guitar.
Ça fait pas différence que ça de vivre quand même,
Ça faire sans toi ça c'est bien facile à voir,
Ça me gène pas quoi ça dit mais, moi j'vas faire sans toi,
Mais, te tracasse pas, ça fait pas de différence asteur.
C’était juste un an passé que je t'avais rencontré,
Moi je t'aimais et je croyais que tu m'aimais aussi,
Mais ça c'est dans le passé et j'vas t'oublier,
Ça me tracasse pas, ça fais pas de différence asteur.
Alors, qu'on s'a quitté, mais, moi j'peux pas croire que ça c'est vrai,
Me blâme pas et moi j'suis sûr je peux pas t'blâmer,
Il y a quelque chose qu'avait pour arriver et qu'est arrivé quand même,
Te tracasse pas, ça fait pas différence asteur.
Après tout est fait et dit moi j'vas t'oublier,
Quand même j'connais que ça, ça sera si dur à faire,
Laisse les choses venir comme ça vient, mais, m'en j'vas faire comme toi,
Mais, t'tracasse pas, ça fais pas différence asteur.
Daily Advertiser Nov 1, 1939
After recording with the group, Doc moved to Orange Texas to help in the war effort, where he met Cliff Bruner, playing in clubs throughout the Golden Triangle. He even toured the country with Jimmie Davis where he would make his signature 1953 recording of "Chere Cherie" with L. J. Blanc at a session in Nashville, TN. During Jimmie Davis’ successful campaigns for governor in 1944 and 1960, Doc Guidry was the featured instrumentalist that added the winning touch in Cajun country.
It makes no difference what life brings anyways,
Doing it without you, that is easy to see,
It doesn't bother me what's said, well, I'm handling it without you,
Well, don't worry, it makes no difference now.
It's just a year since I met you,
I love you and I thought you loved me too,
But this is in the past and I will forget you,
It doesn't bother me, it makes no difference now.
So, we left each other, but, I can't believe it's true,
Don't blame me and I'm sure I can't blame you,
There was somethig that had to happen and that happened anyways,
Don't worry, it makes no difference now.
After all is done and said, I'm going to forget you,
Even though I know that it will be so hard to do,
Let it come as it comes, but, I'm going to handle it like you,
From 1946 to 1959, J.D. Miller released all forms of French language records, from the beautiful fiddle and guitar records of Oran 'Doc' Guidry and Leroy 'Happy Fats' Leblanc to the raucous recordings of Robert Bertrand and the Lake Charles Playboys. It was between 1946 and 1948, when Miller decided to work with Happy Fats and record some of the first Cajun-country music after WWII. Miller recalls:
We founded the M&S Electric company and we were doing industrial work on the rice mills. All of it was heavier-type work, industrial and commercial. I rented a building to house our company, but it was such a large building it looked bare with what we had invested. There was so much room, I took an idea to put a little music and record shop in it.3
So we bought a few records and a guitar or two...strings. We put in a few records and the jukebox owners started buying records from my store. Many of the customers, because they were predominantly Cajun at the time, wanted Cajun records. They had a couple of Harry Choates records on the market and few other things, but apart from that, try as hard as I could, I couldn't obtain any. So I got the idea I'm gonna make some, and I didn't know where to turn to go to a studio. Then I found they had a studio in New Orleans, the only studio in Louisiana: Cosimo Matassa's.3
J.D. Miller
Miller went to Cosimo Matassa's fledgling J&M Recording studio in New Orleans between 1946 and 1947 and recorded singer Happy Fats with fiddler Doc Guidry and singer Louis Noel. Happy told radio interviewer Dave Booth:
We did a French thing and a country thing.1
Gabriel avais de mon parrain,
Madeleine, c’était ma marraine,
Gabriel, il était pas beau,
Madeleine, elle valait pas mieux.
Gabriel avait de beau chapeau,
Madeleine avait (z)un beaux souliers,
Gabriel avait de beau chapeau,
C’est dommage il avait pas de calotte.
Gabriel avait de beaux souliers,
Madeleine avait (z)un beau chapeau,
Madeleine avait (z)un beau chapeau,
C’est dommage il avait pas de calotte.
Gabriel avait de belle calotte,
Madeleine avait (z)un beau chaussette,
Madeleine avait (z)un belle chaussette,
C’est dommage il était déchiré.
Gabriel avait de beaux souliers,
Madeleine avait (z)un beau chapeau,
Madeleine avait (z)un beaux souliers,
C’est dommage c’était des "tennis shoes".
Louis Noel
It turns out they recorded six songs total, one of them being "Gabriel Waltz" (#1000). It was an old French folk ballad, associated with children's nursery rhyme. The 1947 melody has origins in Leo Soileau's 1937 "Valse D'Amour", with the smooth fiddle rides by Oran "Doc" Guidry. In addition was Happy Fats on guitar, Jack Leblanc on guitar and Dalton Delcambre on steel guitar. To round out the group, Happy picked up a budding guitarist from St. Landry parish known as Louis Noel. Louis' daughter recalled:
Louis decided to give up farming and try his luck as a musician. He landed a spot at KSLO in Opelousas. He did some "hand me down" songs like "La Cravat" and "Gabriel Waltz".4
Miller's early releases had the letter 'F' in the catalog number to signify a French recording, specifically Cajun French, while the letter 'E' signified and English recording, specifically a country song. Therefore, Miller's early pressings contain multiple uses of numbers.
Crowley Daily Signal Oct 13, 1949
Gabriel was my godfather,
Madeleine, she was my godmother,
Gabriel, he was not handsome,
Madeleine, she was no better.
Gabriel had a nice hat,
Madeleine had nice shoes,
Gabriel had a nice hat,
It's a shame, he had no overshoes.
Gabriel had beautiful shoes,
Madeleine had a nice hat,
Madeleine had a nice hat,
It's a shame, he had no overshoes.
Gabriel had a nice cap,
Madeleine had nice socks,
Madeleine had nice socks,
It's a shame, they were torn.
Gabriel had beautiful shoes,
Madeleine had a nice hat,
Madeleine had nice shoes,
It's a shame, it was tennis shoes.
In 1957, Bobby Bourke from Avery Island would record the tune during a field session for the Ethnic Folkways Library's I. Bonstein. Later, Austin Pitre's "Valse d'Amour" would re-issue the melody and Nathan Abshire would rework the tune as "Gabriel Waltz" later.
Slim Harpo: Blues King Bee of Baton Rouge By Martin Hawkins
Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers By John Broven
Discussions with Karl W
Lyrics by Marc C
Release Info: La Cravat | Fais Do Do F-1000-A Gabriel Waltz | Fais Do Do F-1000-B Find: Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)
The Crawfish in the Marsh! Texas was a place where many Cajun-string bands headed to in order to record their music and Dallas was no exception. Bluebird had brought several bands over to record in Dallas including Lawrence Walker for their Texas Centennial celebration in 1936. Later, others were headed west to take part in the opportunities there. In 1937, Happy Fats took several band members on a tour of east Texas, playing in such places like Galveston and Port Arthur. By 1938, Happy Fats had swapped members of his group for a recording session in Dallas where they recorded "Les Escrives Dan Platin" for Bluebird Records. According to author Ryan Brasseaux:
"Les Escrives Dan Platin" and "Les Tit Filles de Lafayette" embody the synthetic nature of Cajun swing. Both songs contain a unique blend of Cajun fiddling, Western swing, jazz back beats, solo "takeoffs" and tight Southern gospel harmonies rendered as French choruses.1
Ma p'tite fille est bien si belle,
Viens t'en donc ma chérie,
Mais, j'connais y a pas juste elle,
Viens t'en donc ma chérie,
Viens t'en donc, viens t'en donc,
Viens t'en donc ma chérie,
Viens t'en donc oui quand tu veut,
Mais, viens t'en donc ma chérie.
Des ecrevisses dedans l'platin,
Viens t'en donc ma chérie,
Va attraper demain matin,
Viens t'en donc ma chérie,
Viens t'en donc, viens t'en donc,
Viens t'en donc ma chérie,
Viens t'en donc oui quand tu veut,
Mais, viens t'en donc ma chérie.
Ouai de gumbo et d'la sauce,
Viens t'en donc ma chérie,
Si n'y a pas, c'est pas d'ma faute,
Viens t'en donc ma chérie,
Viens t'en donc, viens t'en donc,
Viens t'en donc ma chérie,
Viens t'en donc oui quand tu veut,
Mais, viens t'en donc ma chérie.
Rayne Tribune June 18, 1937
While some today use the word "platin" to refer to a low lying marshy area, at the turn of the century, Cajuns referred to a "platin" as a small circular pond, formed from rain water deposits, of which there were thousands on the prairies. The melody, similar to Happy's "O.S.T. Girl", was an adaptation of the familiar folk-tune called "Polly Wolly Doodle". It was sung by Dan Emmett's Virginia Minstrels, which premiered in 1843. Later, it was recorded by many musicians later including Harry C. Browne in 1917, Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers in 1926 and the Carter Family in 1939.3
Happy rounded out his group with Oran "Doc Guidry on fiddle, Ray Guidry on banjo, Roy Romero on steel guitar, Nathan Guidry on bass, and Robert Thibodeaux on piano. According to Ryan Brasseaux:
Oran "Doc " Guidry's smooth fiddling and Robert Thibodeaux's swinging stride piano solos carried the band through several sophisticated arrangements such as "Les Escrives Dan Platin".1
Cajun Sketches From The Prairies Of Southwest Louisiana by Lauren Post
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Wolly_Doodle
NOTE: B-2091 is a re-release
Release Info: BS-022040-1 Aux Long De Bois | B-2034-A BS-022032-1 Les Escrives Dan Platin | Bluebird B-2034-B BS-022038-1 Jus Pasque | Bluebird B-2091-A BS-022032-1 Les Escrives Dan Platin | Bluebird B-2091-B Find:
Gran Prairie: Cajun Music Anthology, Vol. 3: The Historic Victor Bluebird Sessions (Country Music, 1994)
During the 1930s and early 1940s, country music and Cajun music, which is also rurally based, engaged in a long-term fascination with each other. It became popular for Cajun bands to adopt elements of Western swing, emphasizing fiddles and pedal steel guitars in lieu of the Cajun button accordion. The result was the development of a viable style of Cajun swing, played by bands like the Hackberry Ramblers and Happy Fats' Rayne-Bo Ramblers.
Allons, mais, priez quand je 'joins,
Chère, je t’auras, ma belle petite catin,
J'vais voir ses chères yeux brillent encore,
Elle m'a promis de m'aimer toujour.
Mais la door était bien close,
Et avant l'hiver a passé,
Les anges a venu à ma porte,
Si je t’auras, ma belle petite catin.
Oh ma belle petite catin,
Ma fleur qu'a pas déflorer,
Mon cœur est comme mon guitare,
J’ai passé ma belle petite catin,
Mon cœur est comme mon guitare,
J’ai passé ma belle petite catin.
Daily Advertiser Feb 17, 1939
After learning to play the guitar as a child, Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc picked up several recording opportunities laid down by RCA Victor's chief R&A executive, Eli Oberstien. His group, containing Ray Guidry on banjo, Willie Vincent steel guitar, Nathan Guidry on bass and, Doc Guidry on fiddle, would leave for New Orleans and record "Mabelle Tete Catin" (#2072), a song about losing a lover who's heartbreak is expressed through his guitar. But the money was not enough. During the 11 years that Happy recorded for RCA, he had many other jobs.
I worked in the rice mills during the day and used to play country dances at night. And in the tomato season, I'd go over to the Rio Grande Valley and East Texas to work the harvest.1
Church Point News May 14, 1943
Going, well, praying (as to) when I can return,
Dear, I'll come get you, my beautiful little doll,
I have to see her dear eyes shine again,
She promised to love me forever.
Well, the door was closed,
And before the winter had passed,
The angles came to my door,
So, I'll come get you, my beautiful little doll.
Oh, my beautiful little doll,
My flower that never wilted,
My heartache is part of my guitar,
(As) I pass by my beautiful little doll,
My heartache is part of my guitar,
(As) I pass by my beautiful little doll.
This particular tune must have had some remarkable sales since Bluebird reissued the tune on #2087 later on. By 1940, he expanded the group and got horn players and even a piano accordionist. However, by the time WWII began, the invitations to record ceased and Happy relaxed into a career playing music on the radio. After the war, everything would change again, with his music launching him into his second musical career.
Interview by John Uhler. 1954. CDS
Lyrics by Stephane F and Jordy A
Release Info: BS-028505-1 Mabelle Tete Catin | Bluebird B-2072 BS-028508-1 La Mellaige | Bluebird B-2072 BS-028505-1 Mabelle Tete Catin | Bluebird B-2087-A BS-027887-1 My Little Cajun Girl | Bluebird B-2087-B
