"Country Girl" - Abe Manuel

Coming from a musical family, Abraham "Abe" Manuel watched his brother Joe help form the Melody Boys with famed local fiddler Harry Choates.  By 1949, Harry was on his own and Joe and Abe teamed up to form a new band with many of Harry's old band members.  The group started touring southern and eastern Texas and south-west Louisiana, using both their own names as well as obscure pseudonyms.

Tout les veuve de la coulée, 

Sont partie z-au village,

Pour acheter de coton jaune a la boutique.

Pour achter des coton jaune,

Pour fait des 'tite mémines,

Pour amener la belle 'tit fille au bal à soir.

All the country gals have gone,

To buy some fancy clothes from town,

They will see the country boys this Saturday night,

They will flutter their little eyes,

Wear lipstick or knot some ties,

Trying to get those poor old boys this Saturday night.

Tout les veuve de la coulée, 

Sont partie z-au village,

Pour acheter de coton jaune a la boutique.

Pour achter des coton jaune,

Pour fait des 'tite mémines,

Pour amener la belle 'tit fille au bal à soir.

They'll go to the fais-do-do,

Where the pretty boys all go,

They'll dance away their cares and do things light,

Gunna turn on all their charm,

As they dance in boyfriend's arms,

When they go a-steppin' on a Saturday night.

Louisiana Hillbillies, KTAG, 1954
Bradley Stutes (steel guitar), Dottie Manuel (guitar),
Amos Comeaux (drums), Abe Manuel (fiddle),
Wiley Barkdull (piano)

By 1954, Abe married into another musical family and his wife Dottie assumed the role of guitarist and part-time vocalist in the band. Her father Jules "Chun" Vincent was a Cajun fiddler from Cameron Parish. The band had a show on KTAG as well as a radio spot on KAOK.1  Together with Buston Olsen, Jerome Stubbs on steel guitar, Merton Thibodeaux or Popeye Broussard on piano, and Ronald "Tinky" Bisette on bass, they covered the famous Happy Fats' original "Le Veuve De La Coulee" as "Country Girl" (#1098) in 1955 for J.D. Miller's Feature Records.

Daily World
Apr 28, 1954

All the widows of the gully,

Have gone to the village,

To buy yellow cotton at the store,

To buy yellow cotton,

To make little bloomers,

To bring the beautiful little girl to the dance tonight.

All the country gals have gone,

To buy some fancy clothes from town,

They will see the country boys this Saturday night,

They will flutter their little eyes,

Wear lipstick or knot some ties,

Trying to get those poor old boys this Saturday night.

All the widows of the gully,

Have gone to the village,

To buy yellow cotton at the store,

To buy yellow cotton,

To make little bloomers,

To bring the beautiful little girl to the dance tonight.

They'll go to the fais-do-do,

Where the pretty boys all go,

They'll dance away their cares and do things light,

Gunna turn on all their charm,

As they dance in boyfriend's arms,

When they go a-steppin' on a Saturday night.

Abe's recording career eventually faded away and he continued to perform until the mid-1960s when Miller invited him to join Cajun fiddler Rufus Thibodeaux for a recording session as a tribute to the late Harry Choates. 

1. "Cajun Dancehall Heyday" by Ron Yule
2. Lyrics by Herman M

Release Info:

Hippy-Ti-Yo | Feature 1098

Country Girl | Feature 1098

Find:

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

"Port Arthur Waltz" - Harry Choates

Harry Choates was born in either Rayne or New Iberia, Louisiana, yet early on, he moved with his mother, Tave Manard, to Port Arthur, Texas, during the 1930s.  By the time he reached the age of twelve he had learned to play a fiddle and performed for tips in Port Arthur barbershops.  The Melody Boys, originally formed with Joe Manuel, Eddie Pursley, and local swing musicians around Lake Charles, were in desperate need of a fiddle player.   Harry was quickly added to the mix and eventually became the band's front man. 

Joe knew Harry and his talent from playing together in Leo Soileau's group in 1941 and by 1946, they teamed up for his famous "Jole Blon" recording.  The following recording session, Joe convinced Harry to have Johnnie play piano in the group. The group could become Harry first consistent band for many of the early Gold Star releases. 

Daily Advertiser
May 31, 1947

He, mignonne.

"I know I'm leaving Port Arthur", jolie fille, chérie,

Oh, chère, mais, moi j'connais, j'mérite pas ça.

He, petite, mais, moi j'connais, mignonne,

Oh, pourquoi t'as fais, moi j'connais, tu voir, t'es regret,

Eh, chérie, moi j'connais, mignonne,

Oh, il y a pas longtemps, mais, malheureuse, ça fait d'la peinne.

Ooh, petite, malheureuse, chere, cherie,

Eh, chère, mais, moi j'connais, t'as m'fais pitié. 

Harry Choates, Johnnie Ruth Manuel, Joe Manuel,
Eddie Pursley, B.D. Williams
Speedy's Broken Mirror, Sulphur, LA, 1947
Image by Tim Knight

With the runaway success of "Jole Blon" apparent by the fall of 1946, Quinn quickly brought Choates back to his studio for a follow-up release.  Suddenly Cajun music was commercial, and, for the time being, Quinn would insist that Harry exclusively record traditional material.   "Port Arthur Waltz" (#1319) may have been a traditional piece of material, although Choates claimed authorship.4  According to good friend Levan Meyers, he and Harry were returning from a gig in Sulpher, Louisiana.

Before leaving to return to Port Arthur, Harry purchased a fifth of Jack Daniel's whiskey and by the time they reached Orange Bridge, Harry had consumed the entire fifth, all the while singing what he called the "Port Arthur Waltz".  He was making up the entire song as they drove along.2  

Lake Charles American Press
Feb 27, 1947

The band consisted of Edmond Pursley on guitar, Abe Manuel on guitar, Joe Manuel on banjo, B.D.Williams on bass, Curzy "Porkchop" Roy on drums, and a honky-tonk pianist by the name of Johnnie Manuel.  According to author Tim Knight, his band recorded the "Port Arthur Waltz", which along with "Jole Blon" were hot sellers in the Port Arthur, Beaumont, and Orange County market.2  

Hey cutie.

I know I'm leaving Port Arthur, my pretty girl, dearie,

Oh, dear, well, I know, I don't deserve that,

Hey, little one, well, I know, cutie,

Oh, what you've done, I know, you'll see, you'll be sorry.

Hey, dearie, I know, cutie,

Oh, over there it won't be long, well, oh my , that's painful.

Oooh, little one, oh my, dear, dearie,

Hey, dear, well, I know, you've made me pitiful. 

Released on the flip-side of another traditional tune, "Allons A Lafayette", "Port Arthur Waltz" would not become the national hit that "Jole Blon" was.  In fact, neither Quinn nor Choates would ever had another one of those. But it did sell well in Louisiana and Texas, and that market was large enough to justify Quinn's continuing interest.4   After 1959, Starday purchased most of the rights to the Gold Star records, re-releasing some of Harry's tunes.

   

1. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fch67
2. Poor Hobo: The Tragic Life of Harry Choates, a Cajun Legend by Tim Knight
3. Image by Museum of the Gulf Coast
4. Devil In The Bayou by Andrew Brown.  Liner notes.

Release Info:
Allons A Lafayette | Gold Star 1319-A
Port Arthur Waltz | Gold Star 1319-B

ST 2318 Louisiana Boogie | Starday 224
ST 2296 Port Arthur Waltz | Starday 224

Find:
Harry Choates ‎– The Fiddle King Of Cajun Swing (Arhoolie, 1982, 1993)
Devil In The Bayou - The Gold Star Recordings (Bear Family, 2002)

"Creole Hop" - Joe Manuel

Creole Hop!  It was a rendition of the famous Cleoma Breaux tune "Ils La Volet Mon Trancas".   Joe, familiar with the tune from the years playing it as "Hackberry Hop" with Leo Soileau, sang the song in 1947 with Harry Choates as "Hackberry Hop" for Jimmy Mercer's Cajun Classics.  Two years later, he recorded it himself for the Joe Leibowitz's DeLuxe label, entitling it "Creole Hop" (#6039), naming if after the small town in Cameron Parish where many of the Manuels lived.

Hé le Hip et Taïau, ouais, qu’a volé mon traineau, chérie,

Quand ç’a vu j’étais chaud, ouais, ç’a r’venu mon traineau,

C’est les filles de Créole, ouais, qu’a volé traineau, chérie,

Quand ç’a vu j’étais chaud, ouais, ils ont r’venu mon traineau.

Hé le Hip et Taïau, ouais, qu’a volé mon gilet, p’tite fille,

Quand ç’a vu j’étais chaud, ouais, ils ont r’venu mon gilet,

C’est les filles de Créole, ouais, qu’a volé gilet, ouais,

Quand ç’a vu j’étais chaud, p’tite fille, ils ont r’venu mon gilet.

Crowley Daily Signal
Oct 11, 1949

Every Friday afternoon, he ran a radio show on KSIG called T-Joe Manuel & Radio Stars featuring the best western string band tunes of the time.  His group consisted of probably Eddie Caldwell on guitar, Abe Manuel on fiddle, Dusty Rhodes on steel guitar, and Crawford Vincent on drums.  It was essentially the same setup and lineup that Abe had on his recording of "Hippy Ti Yo". 

Hey, the Hip and Taïau, yeh, that stole my sled, darling,

When they saw I was hot, yeh, they returned my sled, darling,

It's the girls of Creole, yeh, that stole my sled, darling,

When they saw I was hot, yeh, they returned my sled.

Hey, the Hip and Taïau, yeh, that stole my vest, little girl,

When they saw I was hot, yeh, they returned my vest,

It's the Creole girls, yeh, that stole my vest, yeh,

When they saw I was hot, little girl, they returned my vest.

Daily World
May 20, 1949

1. Lyrics by Jordy A

Release Info:

D 946 Cherie Ba Sate | 6039-A DeLuxe
D 947 Creole Hop | 6039-B DeLuxe

"Hippy Ti Yo" - Abe Manuel

Abraham "Abe" Manuel was a hillbilly fiddle player that dabbled in both country music and Cajun music, covering popular tunes of the region.  In the early 1940s, he played with Leo Soileau at the Avalon Club in Basile.  No strangers in the music business, Abe Manuel Sr. toured and appeared at the Louisiana Hayride and the Grand Ole Opry with Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell. For a time, he was one of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys. He ended up playing with Chuck Guillory, Carrol Broussard, and even possibly Harry Choates with his brother Joe.  Broussard, who played steel guitar with Harry, recalls that Abe filled in on fiddle for Harry when he "went off to get cured".1   

Lake Charles American Press
Mar 3, 1954

C'est le Hip et Taïaut, ouais, 

Mais, qu'a volé mon traîneau, ouais, 

Quand il a vu j’étais devenu chaud, cherie,

Il a ramené mon traîneau. 

C'est les filles de Bosco, ouais, 

Qu'a volé mon gilet,

Quand il a vu j'suis d'venu chaud , chérie, 

T'as ramené mon gilet.

C'est le Hip et Taïaut, ouais, 

Mais, qu'a volé mon traîneau, ouais, 

Quand il a vu j’étais devenu chaud, cherie,

Il a ramené mon traîneau. 

C'est les filles de Bosco, ouais, 

Qu'a volé mon gilet,

Quand il a vu j'suis d'venu chaud , chérie, 

T'as ramené mon gilet.

Abe Manuel Sr.

Recorded in 1954 at J.D. Miller's studio in Crowley, Louisiana, Abe's Louisiana Hillbillies consisted of Abe Manuel on fiddle, Bradley Stutes on steel guitar, Dorothy "Dottie" Vincent on rhythm guitar, Amos Comeaux on drums, and either Wiley Barkdull or Cecil Farrell "Benny" Fruge on piano.  In the song, it's quite possible "Pitre et Bosco" is actually "filles de Bosco", similar to the lyrics in Leo Soileau's "Hackberry Hop".  Either way, the song is clearly taken from the well-known "Ils La Volet Mon Trancas" sung by Cleoma Breaux in 1934.   

It's Hip and Taïaut, yeah,

That stole my sled, yeah,

When they saw I had become hot, cherie,

They brought my sled back.

This the girls of Bosco, yeah,

That stole my vest,

When they saw I had become hot, cherie,

They brought my jacket back.

By 1965, Abe was living in Lake Charles and became vice-president of the Southern Association of Country and Western Music.   Years afterwards, Abe and his wife Dottie were owners of Manuel's Cajun Store in Milton, Tennessee for years. That store became a restaurant, and Abe Manuel Sr. found his calling. On summertime Friday nights at dusk, most of the town bring lawn chairs over to the restaurant, sit down in the road, and eat friend alligator and crawfish étouffée while watching the Manuels and their friends play Cajun country music on the porch.  

1. Louisiana Fiddlers By Ron Yule 
2. In the Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music By Nicholas Dawidoff
3. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.music.country.classic/Hh9-IIB9nt4
4. May 21, 1965 Lake Charles American-Press from Lake Charles, Louisiana · Page 5

Find:

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

"Madame Saustin" - Sandy Austin

When Cajun music was brought back to life after WWII, the old classics served as perfect catalysts for emerging artists.  For example, several of Joe Falcon recordings were copied by musical performers after the war.   One of his early tunes "La Valse de Madame Sosten" ended up being covered by dance hall Cajun musicians such as Lawrence Walker and string band Cajun musicians such as Sandy Austin and his Kajans.

Oh, Madame Sosthène, mais, donnez-moi Alida,

La seule moi j'aime tant, mais, depuis l'âge de quatorze ans,

Quand même tu ne veux pas, faudra toujours toi tu viens,

Mon toujours été ton vieux nègre, à pas longtemps, pour ça t'as fais.

Corpus Christi Times
Jun 15, 1951

"Sandy Austin" was actually Abe Manuel Sr., a stage name he started using in 1950.  After he and his brother Joe stopped playing with Harry Choates, they would travel to places around east Texas billed as "Sandy Austin and His Kajans" or "Sandy Austin and His Texans" at places like "The Riviera" club in Corpus Christi.  Meanwhile, his brother could be found across town, billed as "Joe Austin: The Fiddlin' Frenchman and All the Cajuns".  Steel guitarist Carrol Broussard, who played with Manuel during much of this period, recalls:

He used the name Sandy Austin while he was in Corpus Christi.  When his brother Joe joined him, they went under the names Sandy and Joe Austin.  When they left the area they didn't use the name anymore.... No one ever said why they called themselves that.1  

Carrol Broussard, Curly "Pee Wee" Maples, Abe Manuel,
George Duhon, Joe Manuel, Benny Fruge
Corpus Christi, Tx,
Dec 1950

However, years later, western swing researcher, Andrew Brown, tracked down Abe and found out the truth:

There were five Abe Manuels in Lake Charles.  And man, I was getting everybody's bills.  My credit wasn't all that good, but it wasn't that bad, either.  I just said, "Look, I've got to get off of the name Abe Manuel.  Call me something else."   And somebody jumped up and said "Sandy Austin".  I don't know how in the hell they wound up with "Sandy Austin".2   

Oh, Mrs. Sostene, well, give me Alida,

The only one I like so much, well, since the age of 14,

Even though you do not want me to, I'll come visit,

I'll always be your old man, it wasn't long ago, that you've done this.

Recorded at the Corpus Christi Radio KWBU Studio during their long-term booking at a club in the area, O.T. Records co-producers, Virgil Bozeman and Bob Tanner, had already worked with Choates in San Antonio and had scheduled this early 1951 session with Abe's band to record "Madame Saustin" (#113).2  Abe's had his brother Joe on guitar and Lake Charles natives, George Duhon and Crawford Vincent, on bass and drums.  Tanner and Bozeman had Abe backed up by the "king of the steel willie", Skillet Garner, on steel guitar.   

By 1951, he was performing with Adolph Hofner and his Pearl Wrangles in central Texas and later, traveled the country with Lefty Frizzell before returning to Lake Charles in late 1953.2  By the mid 1950s, he had formed the Louisiana Hillbillies.

1. Louisiana Fiddlers By Ron Yule
2. Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings, Vol. 2. Liner notes.

Release Info:
OT 5 (113A) Scrambled Eggs | O.T. A-113
OT 6 (113B) Madame Saustain | O.T. B-113

"Cherie Ba Sate (Little Sweetheart)" - Joe Manuel

Between 1946 and 1948, Harry Choates and his Melody Boys recorded dozens of tunes.  But after the break-up of his original group, the Manuel brothers, Joe and Abe, ventured out and formed their own groups with similar style.  Joe Manuel was born into a musical family north of Basile. Although his father, Adam, was an accordion player, Joe played Cajun music often without an accordion throughout his career. In the late 1940s, Abe and Joe Manuel who had performed with Leo Soileau and Harry Choates played more contemporary requests and styles dictated by the listeners and dancers.  Joe's band appeared on the radio on stations like KWSL in Lake Charles.  Following his tenure with Choates, he teamed with his brother Abe in the Rockola Playboys and as Sandy and Joe Austin in Corpus Christi, Texas.  But by 1949, he had his own group, The Louisiana Nighthawks.1

Joe Manuel

Hey, bassette, il y a pas longtemps, ouais, 

Tu m'as laissé, 'tit fille, pour t'en aller, 

Pour t'en aller, ouais, avec un autre, 

Avec un autre, ‘tit fille, j'mérite pas ça, vilains 
manière.

Hey, bassette, observes-toi bien, ouais, 

Tous les malfaits, ‘tit fille, ça tu m’as fait il y a pas longtemps,

Tu m'as quitté pour roulailler, ouais, 

Pour t'en aller, ‘tit fille, j'mérite pas ça.

Opelousas Daily World
May 20, 1949

The location for this recording is unknown however, it's quite possible given the sounds on the recording, it was held across the street from the Silver Star Club in Sulphur; the same place Hackberry Ramblers recorded for DeLuxe. During the session, he recorded a waltz he entitled "Chérie Bassette", misspelled as "Cherie Ba Sate". (#6039); not to be confused with the more well known recording by J.B. Fuselier.  His band comprised of probably Eddie Caldwell, Abe Manuel on fiddle, Dusty Rhodes on steel guitar, and Crawford Vincent on drums. 

Hey, short girl, over there, not long ago, yeah,

You left me, hey, little girl, you went away,

You went away, yeah, with another,

With another, little girl, I didn't deserve that, your naughty ways.

Hey, short girl, take a good look at yourself, yeah

All the terrible things, little girl, that you did to me, over there, not long ago,

You left me to go run around, yeah,

You went away, little girl, I didn't deserve that.

1. Cajun Dancehall Heyday by Ron Yule
2. Lyrics by Jordy A and Herman M
3. NOTE: Possibly "Cherie Ba Sate" and "Creole Hop" are in reverse on 78 pressing.

Release Info:

D 946 Cherie Ba Sate 6039-A DeLuxe
D 947 Creole Hop 6039-B DeLuxe

"I've Got Your Heart Locked Up" - Abe Manuel

Abraham "Abe" Manuel provided some of the earliest fiddle playing recordings during the 1940s and 1950s.   Although never gaining the same popularity as Harry Choates, his imitation of the Cliff Bruner style carried him into the 1950s, allowing him to start his own band, the Louisiana Hillbillies.   By 1954, the group worked with J.D. Miller and his Feature label to record "I've Got Your Heart Locked Up" (#1086).

Ton petit cœur, il est barré dedans l’armoire,

Dans l’armoire de mon amour, mais, jolie fille,

Il y a pas longtemps, tu m’as promit de me soigner, 

Et m'aimer, mais, pour toujours, mais, jolie fille.

Ton petit cœur, il est barré dedans l’armoire,

Dans l’armoire de mon amour, mais, jolie fille,

Mais, moi, j'connais un jour avenir, t’auras du regret,

Pour ça t'as fait, mais, z-avec moi, il y a pas longtemps.

Lake Charles American Press
Jul 1, 1954

In the early 1940s, he played with Leo Soileau at the Avalon Club in Basile, follwed by playing with varios bands and country musicians during the 1940s, including Chuck Guillory, Carrol Broussard, Harry Choates, Ralph Richardson, Pee Wee Maples, and Ferrell Benny Fruge.  By the 1950s, he was playing alongside the Hackberry Ramblers at the Silver Star Club.  His 1954 lineup included  Jerome Stubbs or Dottie Vincent on guitar, Bradley Stutes or Dusty
Rhodes on steel guitar, Merton Thibodeaux on bass.

Your little heart, it's locked inside the closet,

In the closet of my heart, well, pretty girl,

Not long ago, you promised to look after me,

And love me, well, forever, well, pretty girl.

Your little heart, it's locked inside the closet,

In the closet of my heart, well, pretty girl,

Well, I know one day in the future, you'll regret this,

For what you've done, well, with me, not long ago.

Abe would go on to play with many country giants before settling in to play with his own family band later in life.  He periodically played on KWKH Shreveport "in the Louisiana Hayride days".1

1. Louisiana Fiddlers By Ron Yule
2. Lyrics by Jordy A

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

"Since The Age Of 14" - Joe Manuel

Joe Manuel and his brother Abe Manuel became one of the early Cajun string band groups before WWII.  Their father, Adam Manuel, was an accordion player who taught his sons some of the early Cajun songs he had learned. They had their first stint working alongside Leo Soileau's group and meeting people like Harry Choates, particularly in places like the Avalon Club in Basile.1  However, Joe's major claim to music was his beginnings playing guitar with Leo's contemporary, Harry Choates.   He recorded with Harry from 1946 to 1948, singing and playing banjo.  His wife, Johnny Smirle Manuel, played piano.

Depuis l'âge de quatorze ans,

Moi, j'ai roulé manche à manche,

(Avec) ma jug au plombeau,

Oh, mais, malheureuse.

Eh, 'tite fille, 

Le soleil après se coucher,

Mon cheval, il est p'us là,

Et parti à Grande Chenière.

Quand, moi, j'étais petit,

Mais, moi je braillais pour les patates,

Asteur, moi, je suis grand, 

Mais, moi, je brailles pour les veuves.

Eh, p'tite fille,

Toi, t'après m'quitter,

Moi, je mérite pas ça

oh, mais, malheureuse.

Oh that sounds good,

Come in ((boys??)...

That's pretty.

Quand, moi, j'étais petit,

Mais, moi je braillais, mais, pour les patates,

Asteur, moi, je suis grand, 

Mais, moi, je brailles, mais, pour ces veuves.

Eh, p'tite fille,

Toi, t'après m'laisser,

Moi, je mérite pas ça,

oh, mais, malheureuse.

B.D. Williams, Ralph Richardson, Abe Manuel,
Lenny Benoit, Pop Benoit, Joe Manuel 1
Courtesy of Ron Yule

However, after a falling-out with Harry, the group fell apart, and Joe went on his own forming his Melody Boys during the 1950s.   Once formed, the group would record an old Cajun tune called "Since The Age Of 14" (# 102) on Eddie Shuler's Folk-Star label. His brother, Abe Manuel Sr., toured alongside Lefty Frizzel around Nashville.  Manuel's tune was a play on Leo Soileau's "Quand Je Suis Bleu".  It was a song borrowed from the lyrics of Dennis McGee's 1930 recording of "Les Blues Du Texas" and captured by Alan Lomax in 1934 as "Depuis L'âge de Quinze Ans" during a field session.  The French word 'manche' translates directly to 'handle' or 'sleeve', however, in this context, the unique Cajun phrase "manche à manche" is understood to mean "from road to road", alluding to someone wandering around aimlessly, like a hobo.

Since the age of 14,

Well, I have rambled,

From one road to another,

(With) my pommel jug,

Oh, well, oh my.

Hey, little girl,

The sun has gone this evening,

My horse, he's no longer there,

And I am leaving for Grande Chenière.

When I was small, well,

I would beg for potatoes,

Now, that I'm grown,

Well, I beg, well, for the older women.

Hey, little girl,

You, yourself, have left me,

I don't deserve that,

Oh, well, oh my.

When I was small,

Well, I would beg, well, for potatoes,

Now, that I'm grown,

Well, I beg, well, for the older women.

Hey, little girl,

You, yourself, have left me,

I don't deserve that,

Oh, well, oh my.

Grande Chenière is a small villiage in south Louisiana located in Cameron Parish situated on the Mermentau River.  While the name directly translates to "oak grove", in Louisiana, the term "chenière" applies to a ridge of relatively high ground surrounded by swampland and covered with oak trees.2  "Les veuves" directly translates to "the widows", but in Cajun French, it often refers to lonely, single, and often older women.  By the 1950s, Leo's tune became Elise Deshotel and Dewey Balfa's "La Valse De Bon Baurche".  Manuel's tune is not to be confused with Dennis McGee's "Two Step De La Ville Platte", more commonly known as "Depuis L'âge de Quinze Ans". 

1. "Cajun Dancehall Heyday" by Ron Yule
2. Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns ... By Clare D'Artois Leeper
3. Lyrics by Jordy A and Stephane F

"Allons A Lafayette" - Harry Choates

America’s Cajun craze reached its apex in 1946 after Harry Choate's "Jole Blon" went national.  In the fall, Quinn enticed Choates back to the studio, insisting on straight-forward Cajun music. He was shocked at the response he got and urged Harry to get into the studio to record more traditional Cajun tunes, thinking he was on to something. Choates cut "Allons A Lafayette" (#1319) for his third session later that year with Bill Quinn's Gold Star label.  Clearly influenced by the music he heard as kid, Joe and Cleoma Falcon's music had a huge impact, especially "Lafayette". Harry himself played not only the fiddle, but also the guitar and what he jokingly called "an Abbeville Air Compressor" which was the Cajun accordion.5   Harry's version of the song is the first to be recorded with the fiddle and without an accordion.  

Allons a Lafayette c'est pour changer ton nom,

Comment mais on va t'appeller? Madam Cannaille, comme moi,

Tite fille tes trop mignonne pour faire ta criminelle,

Pour quoi te fait pitié, oui mais, jolie fille.

Allons a Lafayette pour voir les 'tites francais,

C'est, mais, se aimables, (z)'aimaient, mais, l'amuser.

Hey petit fille (pour)quoi t'après ma quitté,

Quoi tu fait quitté oui c’est criminelle.

Billboard Magazine
March 15, 1947

His group now contained seven members in which they would play dance halls between Louisiana and Texas.  Esmond Pursley on guitar, Abe Manuel Sr. on guitar, Joe Manuel on vocals and banjo, B.D.Williams on bass, Curzy Roy on drums, and Johnnie Manuel on piano.  Choates stayed with The Melody Boys, who recorded two dozen songs for Gold Star Records in 1946-47, primarily to promote his live performances. For one session, Choates had to buy a fiddle from a pawn shop on the way to the studio, having absentmindedly left his regular instrument with a woman he’d spent the night with.

Let's to go Lafayette, to change your name.

What will we call you? Mrs. Mischievous, like me.

Little girl, you're too cute to be this bad,

For you are pitiful, oh yeh, pretty girl.

Let's go to Lafayette to see the little french ones,

They're kind, lovable, however fun.

Hey, little girl, why are you leaving me?

Why are you pitiful?, Yeh, it's terrible.

Lake Charles American Press
Feb 19, 1947

In 1959, Pappy Daily acquired the Gold Star masters and re-released the song on their label as "Allons A Lafayette" (#273) on 78RPM and on D Records 45RPM (#1023).  It was very likely that Harry Choates had no idea that "Jole Blon" had made him a national celebrity. He was perfectly content to play his Texas and Louisiana night spots. In 1947 (some say 1948), at the Lake Charles Coliseum, two Grand Ole Opry performers who later become immortals, Ernest Tubbs and Minnie Pearl, had stopped in Lake Charles while on tour and were in the crowd.  When they heard Harry, Tubbs was overwhelmed and pleaded with Harry to come to Nashville.  Harry's drummer Curzy Roy could not believe what he was hearing. Harry refused, telling Tubbs that Nashville was 800 miles away... just too far to travel.1 

  

1. Poor Hobo: The Tragic Life of Harry Choates, a Cajun Legend by Tim Knight
2. http://www.amoeba.com/music/artist/64745/bio
3. Devil In The Bayou - The Gold Star Recordings
4. Lyrics by Jerry M, Bryan L, and Marc C
5. http://therecordlive.com/2009/12/16/harry-choate-and-jolie-blon-cajun-musics-founding-father/

Release Info:
Allons A Lafayette | Gold Star 1319-A

Port Arthur Waltz | Gold Star 1319-B

ST2295 Allons A Lafayette | Starday 273
ST2302 Drag The Bow | Starday 273


Find:
Harry Choates ‎– The Fiddle King Of Cajun Swing (Arhoolie, 1982, 1993)

Devil In The Bayou - The Gold Star Recordings (Bear Family, 2002)
Cajun Champs (Arhoolie, 2005)