Early Cajun Music: "My Jolie"

Friday, August 9, 2019

"My Jolie" - Eddie Shuler

Before Edward "Eddie" Wayne Shuler Jr entered into the record business, he had played and wrote many of his own songs. He played guitar with The Hackberry Ramblers before forming his own band, The All-Star "Reveliers", which performed on the radio station KPLC.

By 1945, he figured having his own label would allow him to promote his Reveliers band and so he created the Goldband record label. Most of Shuler's pressings were done by Buster Williams' "Plastic Products" out of Memphis, TN. Eddie Shuler recalls selling his records of himself:

I’d sell ‘em out of the back of my car. See, what I’d do, I’d take my records and put ‘em in the back of my car and go call on all the jukebox operators. And they didn’t know who I was, ‘cause I’d just tell ‘em “Goldband.” I didn’t want ‘em to know that I was the artist, ‘cause the jukebox operator’s not gonna buy a record from the artist, ‘cause they never are any good, according to them.1

Viens t'en donc dans la maison, mais, chère Joline,

Pour toujours, mais, moi j'connais, tu vas pleurer, 'tite fille.

Tu m’as dit, mais, tu m'aimais, mais, chère jolie,

Aujourd'hui, t'es après m'quitter, pour ton bon à rien, chérie.

C'est rapport à ta vieille maman que tu me fais ça,

Moi j'connais tu vas pleurer, mais, pour l'avenir,

Plus personne, mais, pour m'aimer, comment j'vas faire?

Tu connais, mais, chère mignonne, ça me fait du mal.

Ton bon à rien, moi j'connais, mais, tu comme ça,

Viens me rejoindre, petite, m'voir, que je mérite pas, chérie.

KPLC Radio inside Majestic Hotel
Eddie Shuler, Glenn Croker, Venola Brunker,
Nookie Martin, Charles Broussard

Living in Lake Charles, he was exposed to quite a bit of Cajun music; something he referred to as "French Folk" music from the local area. In 1948, he recorded "My Jolie" (#1018). It featured Eddie on guitar and Norris Savoy on vocals and fiddle, however, it's possible Hector Stutes played fiddle for this recording. It was a slow country version of Papa Cairo's "Allons Kooche Kooche" and "Gran Texas", similar to the Breaux Brother's "La Valse du Bayou Plaquemine".

His music didn't garner near the attention he had hoped for. In 1955 the Reveliers disbanded. Eddie commented:

"Not only was I tired of all the long nights and travel but also it was wreaking havoc on my marriage. You know how musicians always tend to attract the girls," he always said with a wink.2,3

So, come to the house, well, dear Joline,

Forever, well, I know you're going to cry, little girl.

You have said, well, you loved me, well, dear pretty one,

Today, you are leaving, you good-for-nothing, dearie.

It's because of your old mom that you've done this to me,

I know you're going to cry, well, eventually,

No one, well, to love me, how am I going to handle this?

You know, well, dear cutie, it hurts me so.

You good-for-nothing, I know, well, you're like that,

Come join me, little one, to see me, that I don't deserve (this), dearie.