"Lafayette" - Hackberry Ramblers

The biggest Cajun cover band in the 1930s was the Hackberry Ramblers.  Their pre-war career stretched from 1935 to 1938 covering some of the most iconic songs of the Cajun prairies until RCA's recording activity in south Louisiana began to diminish.  By 1940s, the group had disbanded but reformed again under Luderin's leadership in 1946.  

Luderin's string band contemporary, Harry Choates, had just scored a huge hit with "Jole Blon".   Riding on the popular post-war recording wave, Luderin was contacted by DeLuxe records the following year where his group re-recorded their version of the song "Jole Blon".   During that same New Orleans session, they recorded several Cajun classics, including the original Cajun classic by Joe Falcon called "Lafayette" (#5031). 

The DeLuxe Record Company was formed in 1944 by David and Jules Braun in Linden, New Jersey. A subsidiary of King Records, the label recorded popular music, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel and country & western.2   In 1947, Luderin was contacted by their manager, Joseph Leibowitz.   Luderin Darbone recalls the DeLuxe encounter:

He came out and listened to us. He like the way we played, so he said he would record us. He wanted us to go to New Orleans one weekend.1 

Allons à Lafayette, c'est pour changer ton nom,

On va t’appeler Madame, Madame Canaille Comeaux,

Petite, t’es trop mignonne pour faire ta criminelle,

Comment tu crois que moi j'peux faire, mais, mon tout seul.

Eh, malheureux, aller avec un autre,

Comment m'j'va faire, seul a la maison,

Mais toi, mon petit coeur, 'garde, quoi t’as fait,

...

Luderin Darbone4

This time, the band added Chink Widcamp on bass, Edwin Duhon on accordion, Gary Major on tenor sax, Neil Roberts on trumpet, Grover Heard on guitar, Lennis Sonnier on vocals and guitar, and Lefty Boggs on drums.  The group was performing three nights a week in clubs around Lake Charles, frequently catering to soldiers from the Camp Claiborne station.3 

In 1947, Syd Nathan purchased a majority interest in the DeLuxe label, although it continued to be operated out of Linden by the Braun brothers until March, 1949, when the offices were moved to Cincinnati.2  It's believed that "Lafayette" was pressed during this turbulent time, and unfortunately, the copies produced suffered from dynamic range.  By 1951, the label was acquired by King Records.  

Let's go to Lafayette, in order to change your name,

We'll call you Mrs., Mrs. Canaille Comeaux,

Little one, you are too cute to be this bad,

How do you think that I'll handle this, well, all alone?

Hey, oh my, going away with another,

How am I going to handle this, alone at the house,

Well you, my little sweetheart, look at what you've done,

...

1. http://arhoolie.org/hackberry-ramblers/
2. https://www.discogs.com/label/51018-DeLuxe-2?page=3
3. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
4. National Endowment for the Arts

Release Info:

D 343 Lafayette | DeLuxe 5031 A

D 342 Crowley Waltz | DeLuxe 5031 B