"La Valse De Te Maurice" - Terry Clement

The Clement Brothers band have been making wonderful Cajun music since the late 1940s. They were on the scene playing the same clubs in the same time period that so many of our "better known" heroes from the 50s dance-hall circuit were active, such as Lawrence Walker, Austin Pitre, Iry LeJeune, Aldus Roger, etc. Their great friend and hero, Nathan Abshire, helped spark a revival of accordion music in the post-war years with a regular engagement at The Pine Grove Club, a dance-hall situated just a short way down the road from the Clement home.1  Terry recalled their first show in 1949:

When we were kids, we called ourselves the Rhythmic Five and patterned our music after the music of Nathan Abshire.2  

Marshall Arceneaux

From Evangeline, Louisiana, this family has deep roots on the southwest prairies. Ancestors made their way to Louisiana from Marseille, France in the early 1800s, settling in the Grand Coteau area of the old Attakapas country before moving on to present day environs near Jennings. On fiddle and accordion, their father Laurent played the Louisiana French folk music that became the basis of what we know these days as Cajun music, passing on to his sons his considerable knowledge and talents.1  

C'est nous autres, qu'est si joyeux,

C'est nous autres, qu'aime autant, mais, la musique,

Pour un bon temps, ouais, j'ai courtisé*,

Venez nous rejoindre, ouais, là bas, chez 'tit Maurice.

C'est nous autres, ouais, qu'est si joyeux,

C'est nous autres, qu'un bon temps, mais, s'amuser,

Pour z-un bon temps, ouais, venez boire la bière, 

Venez nous rejoindre, là bas, chez 'Tit Maurice.

Ronnie Goudreau

The group borrowed the tune as a cover of Oran "Doc" Guidry's recording of "Le Nuevo Tit Maurice".   It was re-recorded by Happy Fats for RCA during a 1946 session.   By the time Terry recorded it in 1952, his band featured himself on accordion; Purvis Clément on fiddle, Marshall Arceneaux on vocals and guitar, Ronnie Goudreaux on drums and Jerry Dugas on steel guitar.   Ronnie got his start playing big band dance music during the 40s with the group Sentimental Scholars and went onto playing with Randy and the Rockets years later. 

We're the ones, who are so happy,

We're the ones, who so love, well, the music,

For a good time, yeah, I court (chase the ladies)*,

Come join us, over there, at the 'Tit Maurice.

We're the ones, who are so happy,

We're the ones, who have a good time, well, having fun,

For a good time, yeah, come and drink beer,

Come join us, over there, at the 'Tit Maurice.

The Clements would be part of a field recording session done by Dr. Harry Oster where the group would lay down some of the earliest Cajun recordings ever between 1956 and 1958.   Austin Pitre, who also recorded during the Oster recordings, also used the melody for "Chatatinia Waltz".  

Linus Elmer Simar, Purvis Clement, Terry Clement,
Ronald E Goodreau, Floyd Bergeaux

1. http://npmusic.org/artists.html
2. Cajun Dancehall Heyday by Ron Yule
3. Photo by Aaron I
4. Lyrics by Stephane F

Release Info:
-A La Valse De Te Maurice | Feature 1090-A
-B Diggy Liggy Lo | Feature 1090-B

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