"The Fifty Cent Song" - Louis Spell

Feature Records was created by Jay Denton "J.D." Miller in the late 1940s to market the music of south Louisiana.  Local groups around Acadia Parish approached Miller to record songs in his new studio in Crowley.  Native of Indian Bayou, the Spell family eventually moved to Crowley where Louis formed the French Serenaders.  According to his daughter Margie,

He picked up the accordion from my father-in-law, Ray Claby "R.C." Terro. My father-in-law could play a little bit.1   

How Louis teamed up with Feature record producer J.D. Miller is unknown however, Louis had a popular radio show at the time.  Margie stated,

He used to play on KSIG radio on Saturday mornings.1  

Crowley Post Signal
Jun 30, 1949

Moi et ma belle on a été au bal,

C'était-z un samedi soir,

Moi et ma belle on a été au bal,

C'était un samedi soir,

(O)n a revenu le lendemain,

Le lendemain matin z-au jour,

(O)n a revenu le lendemain,

Le lendemain matin z-au jour.

J'ai demandé si elle avait pas faim pour manger quelqu'chose,

J'ai demandé si elle avait pas faim pour manger quelqu'chose,

Répondu l'avait pas beaucoup faim, mais elle,

Aurait mangé quand même,

Répondu l'avait pas beaucoup faim, mais elle,

Aurait mangé quand même.

Quand j'ai mis mon cinquante sous (des)sus le comptoir,

Quand j'ai mis mon cinquante sous (des)sus le comptoir,

Massacré un coup d'poing, (il) m'a tiré dans la fenêtre,

Massacré un coup de pied, (il) m'a tiré dessus la rue,

Écoutez-donc, les bons conseils, prenez-un bon principe,

(A)llez jamais dedans un restaurant avec cinquante sous dans la poche.

French Serenaders
Elton Harrington, Tan Benoit
Louis Spell, Mabel Spell, poss. Phillip Abshire

Louis and his French Serenaders recorded "The Fifty Cent Song" (#1040) along with Clifton "Tan" Benoit, Elton Harrington, and quite possibly Phillip Abshire or E.J. "Nom" Abshire in 1950.  Louis' son Paul recalled the family mentioning how someone has tried to record the same song at that time.1  Frankie Mailhes, who had recorded the version back in 1938 as "Moi Et Ma Belle" with the Alley Boys, re-recorded the tune around the same time as "Mes Cinquante Sous" with Eddie Shuler's band.  

Me and my girl, we went to the ball,

It was a Saturday night,

Me and my girl, we went to the ball,

It was a Saturday night,

We came back the next day,

The next morning of the day,

We came back the next day,

The next morning of the day.

I asked if she wasn't hunger to eat something,

I asked if she wasn't hunger to eat something,

Said she wasn't very hungry, but she'd eat anyways,

Said she wasn't very hungry, but she'd eat anyways.

When I put my fifty cents on the counter,

When I put my fifty cents on the counter,

He massacred me, punched me, he threw me through the window,

He massacred me, kicked me, he threw me into the street,

So, listen to good advice, take this good principle,

Never go inside a restaurant with (only) fifty cents in your pocket.

1. Discussions with Margie T and Paul T
2. Lyrics by Stephane F

Release Info:
The Fifty Cent Song | Feature F1040-A
Lover's Waltz | Feature F1040-B

Find:

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