"Alons A Ville Platte" - Leo Soileau

As the Depression began to subside, RCA used their new Bluebird label to coax earlier Cajun musicians back into the studio.  In the winter of 1935, they reached back out to fiddler Leo Soileau and offered him to kick off a session in New Orleans.  It would be the first time Soileau stepped foot back in a studio and this time things would be different.  No longer did he front an accordion-led duo.   He was now the lead vocalist and fiddler in a four piece group called Leo Soileau And His Three Aces.  Originally a family ensemble lead by guitarists Floyd Shreve, Danny Shreve and their father, Olaf "O.P." Shreve, as their manager, they convinced Soileau with his RCA connections to lead the group. 

Allons à la Ville Platte,

Mais, jolie, jolie fille,

J'(ai) envie de s'en aller,

Là bas-à la Ville Platte.

Jolie, mais, jolie fille,

Jolie, mais jolie cœur,

Allons donc s'en aller,

Là bas à la Ville Platte.

[Mais], de la Ville Platte,

Ça dit que ça m'aime plus,

Moi, j'connais bien tout ça,

Jolie, mais, jolie fille. 

Oh, joli cœur,

Tu crois t'es très jolie,

Comment moi tu rejoindre toi,

Jolie, jolie fille.

Tu voudrais t'en revenir,

Avec, mais, ton vieux nègre?

Jolie, jolie fille.

Jolie, mais, jolie fille,

Après j'aimerais mon chère,

Tout ça juste faire pour toi,

Tout ça, je mérite encore.

Jolie, mais, jolie fille,

Pourquoi, mais, t'as fait ça,

Avec, ouais, ton vieux nègre?

Jolie, mais jolie cœur.

Jolie, 'tite fille,

Pourquoi, t'as fait ça,

Avec ton vieux nègre,

Jolie, mais, jolie cœur.

Soileau, a master of "French music" understood the importance of the Texas-style string band phase that was sweeping the area.  In a first for the genre, Soileau and the Shreves incorporated a jazz drummer, Tony Gonzales, in the group and invited Bill "Dewey" Landry on guitar.  

The Daily Advertiser
Aug 09, 1935

Down here, me and the Hackberry Ramblers were the only bands.  I noticed by the rhythm that the people were dancing.  When I was playing with accordion, we'd notice the "English" (style) was a bit more popular. I began to understand that's what they wanted. They wanted that guitar.  They wanted that rhythm. So, I started with two guitars, a standard and a straight rhythm guitar.... and a drum.  I sold that like hot cakes.1 

Riding on the influences of the popular Cajun tunes of the day, he took his drum-backed group to New Orleans in 1935 and they kicked off the entire session with a reworked version of Joe Falcon's 1928 "Lafayette" into "Alons A Ville Platte" (#2196), an ode to his home town.

Let's go to Ville Platte,

Well, pretty, pretty girl

I want to go away,

Over there to Ville Platte.

Pretty one, well, pretty girl,

Pretty one, well, pretty sweetheart,

Let's go away then,

Over there to Ville Platte.

Well, in Ville Platte,

She says that she doesn't love me anymore,

I know all of that well,

Pretty one, well, pretty girl.

Oh, pretty sweetheart,

You think you're very pretty,

How can I get back with you?

Pretty one, pretty girl.

You want to come back, 

Well, with your old man,

Pretty one, pretty girl.

Pretty one, well, pretty girl,

Well, why have you done that,

Yeah, with your old man?

Pretty one, well, pretty sweetheart.

Pretty one, pretty girl,

Why did you do that,

With your old man?

Pretty one, well, pretty sweetheart. 

References

1. http://arhoolie.org/leo-soileau-interview/
2. Lyrics by Stephane F

"A Ute" - Leo Soileau

Cajun fiddler Leo Soileau made a name for himself after waxing four sides for Victor Records in 1928.  He became the second Cajun recording artist after the Falcons and was the first fiddler to record for a major label.  After his partner Mayuse Lafleur died in a senseless tragedy, he continued to record until the Great Depression took hold.

Eh, bébé, éyoù toi t'es?

Pourquoi-donc toi t'es fais,

Jolie fille, avec moi,

Jolie fille, pour ton vieux nègre?

Eh, bébé, pourquoi-donc,

T'as fait ça à ton vieux nègre,

Jolie 'tite fille, faudra que tu viens,

Pour faire t'as fait avant longtemps.

Eh, chère, comment ç(a) se fait,

Ma jolie, t'as jamais vu,

J'vu jaimais, jolie fille, 

Pourquoi-donc tu t'en reviens pas?

Oh, chère, éyoù toi t'es,

Jolie 'tite fille, ton vieux nègre,

Cher tit monde, pour trop tard,

Tu viens pas t'en revoir ton nègre.

Ah, mon nègre, moi j'm'en va,

Oui, là-bas, z'à grand Crowley,

Oh, mon nègre, pour te rejoindre,

Pourquoi-donc tu fais tout ça?

Crowley Post Signal
Dec 9, 1935

By 1935, RCA's new Bluebird recording division contacted Leo about recording again and this time he assembled a string band group.  By 1936, Leo had been switched over from Bluebird to Decca Records where he used the opportunity to re-record two of his original Victor pieces, one entitled "A Ute (Where Are You)" (#17017).   A clear mis-spelling of the phrase éyoù toi, the song was a string band version of the classic Mayuse Lafleur song "Mama Where You At?".

Leo was backed by fellow guitarists Bill Landry, Floyd Shreve and probably drummer Tony Gonzales, all billed as the Four Aces of Crowley. The melody remained in the popular Cajun repertoire among area musicians until after WWII, when the song became more commonly known as "Hey Mom". 

Hey, baby, where are you at?

So, what have you done,

Pretty girl, with me,

Pretty girl, with your old man?

Hey, baby, so what,

You'd done that to your old man,

Pretty little girl, you have to return,

To do what you've done before long.

Hey, dear, how that feels,

My pretty one, you'll never see,

I'll never see, pretty girl,

So why don't you return.

Oh, dear, where are you at?

Pretty little girl, you old man,

Dearest everything, it's too late,

You won't return to see your man.

Ah, my friend, I'm leaving to ,

Yea, over there, to big Crowley,

Oh, my friend, you'll come back,

So why have you done all that?

1. Lyrics by Stephane F

Release Info:

NO-60795 A Ute (Where Are You) | Decca 17017 A

NO-60792 Je M'Ennui Ce Soir (I'm Lonesome Tonight) | Decca 17017 B

"Paroi Acadia Breakdown" - Leo Soileau

Leo Soileau was one of the giant figures in Cajun music history. His early recordings from the late 1920s are both powerful and emotive, and rank among the all-time classics of Cajun music. Great contributions to his music were made by legendary Cajun musicians and singers Mayeus LaFleur and Moise Robin.2  The bandleader prided himself on his diverse repertoire that catered to the ethnically diverse audience between southwest Louisiana and east Texas.1 Acknowledging the difference between country and Cajun:

It's more music to it--to me. You can play in different keys. That French music, it's just the one...just like that rock n roll.1

In the 1935 recording was done in Chicago, IL as his Four Aces Leo with Bill ‘Dewey’ Landry on guitar, Floyd Shreve on guitar, and possibly O.P. Shreve and Johnny Roberts on either drums, bass, or rhythm guitar.  The instrumental is a slower version of the Breaux recording of "Vas Y Carrement", better known "Step It Fast". 

For unknown reasons, Decca chose to market this for the French speaking market as well as the English speakers as well.   On their original release, the song is listed as "Pario Acadia Breakdown" (a mixture of French-English title referring to Acadia Parish) and on the re-issue, they gave it a new catalog number, renaming it to "Arcadia County Breakdown".  Oddly enough, the word parish is replaced with county and Acadia is misspelled. The same was done with the records flip-side recording: "Les Blues De La Louisiane" or "Louisiana Blues" respectively. 

Rayne Tribune
Oct 29, 1937

1. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
2. Leo Soileau - The Early Recordings of Leo Soileau CD.  Liner notes.

Release Info:

C-9975-A Les Blues De La Louisiane - Decca 17009 A Montgomery Ward M-4485

C-9988-A Paroi Acadia Breakdown - Decca 17009 B Montgomery Ward M-4485

C-9975-A Louisiana Blues - Decca 5116 A Montgomery Ward M-4485

C-9988-A Arcadia Country Breakdown - Decca 5116 B Montgomery Ward M-4485

Find:

Leo Soileau & The Four Aces (BACM, 2020)

"La Valse De Gueydan" - Leo Soileau

Old melodies such as "Jolie Blonde" were popular tunes that Cajuns picked up and learned during the turn of the century.   Melodies such as this one found it's way into pockets of isolated populations where unique names were given to the songs.  Leo Soileau's group took the original Breaux recording of "Ma Blonde Est Partie" and changed it slightly, giving it a new name, "Le Valse De Gueydan" (#2086). After the Hackberry Ramblers recorded the same tune in the same swing style as "Jolie Blonde", many musicians would later simply refer to Leo's version as "Jolie Blonde" as well.

In 1935 in New Orleans, Leo Soileau had his Three Aces group record the tune on Bluebird records under the watchful eye of Eli Oberstein.  The song was an ode to the small Cajun town of Gueydan.  While his Three Aces were fairly constant, occasionally Leo had other members record with him as well.   According to Happy Fats, Tony Gonzales was on drums and Bill Landry or Floyd Shreve was on guitar.  However, Preston Manuel recalls Sam Baker on drums and Jerry Baker on guitar.

Eh, jolie, moi je m'en vas dans grand Gueydan,

C'est pour voir, ma jolie petite fille,

Jolie cœur, je peux pas venir.

Eh, jolie, pourqoui-donc, mais, tu fait ça,

Avec ton vieux nègre, jolie petite fille,

Pourquoi-donc mais tu fais ça avec ton nègre?

Tu m’as laissée dans les misères,

Mais, jolie fille, pourquoi-donc,

Tu fait ça avec ton vieux nègre,

Et jamais j'avais cru quoi j'ai vu.

Tu ma dit, jolie fille.

Leo Soileau and the Three Aces
Floyd Shreve, Tony Gonzales, Leo Soileau, and Dewey Landry 5

Not to be confused with John Bertrand and Milton Pitre's recording of "Valse de Gueydan" or Amede Ardoin's "La Valse de Gueydan", it's the version of the melody in which most believe influenced Harry's famous 1946 recording of "Jole Blon".  After his father's death, around the late 30s, Choates joined Soileau's group on guitar and second fiddle for Leo's Aces with Joe and Abe Manuel, and Francis “Red” Fabacher. A great innovator in Cajun music, Soileau mentored Choates, who learned many of Soileau's stage tricks.   During Harry's time with Soileau's group, he was exposed to their song "La Valse De Gueydan".  


According to Happy Fats:

Harry had first performed the tune in Soileau's band but on his Gold Star recording he stepped up the key from G to A.  

Eh, pretty, I am going to big Gueydan,

It's to see my pretty little girl,

Pretty sweetheart, I can't return.

Eh, pretty, why have you done that,

To your old man, pretty little girl,

Why have you done that to your man?

You left me in misery,

Well, pretty girl, why have,

You done this to your old man,

And I never thought I'd see that.

You told me, pretty girl. 

The Three Aces' efforts were well received in the Cajun community.  Their version of the popular waltz was an instant success that prompted Bluebird to issue the record twice in their 2000 Cajun series.4

1. South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous By John Broven
2. Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 2 By Steve Sullivan
3. Label scan by University of Louisiana at Lafayette Cajun and Creole Music Collection - Special Collections
4. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
5. Country Music Originals : The Legends and the Lost: The Legends and the Lost By Tony Russell
6. Lyrics by Smith S

Find:

Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 3: The String Bands Of The 1930s (Old Timey/Arhoolie, 1971)
Jole Blon - 23 Artists One Theme (Bear, 2002)
Cajun Louisiane 1928-1939 (Fremeaux, 2003)
Cajun Capers: Cajun Music 1928-1954 (Proper, 2005)
The Beginner's Guide to Cajun Music (Proper/Primo, 2008)

"Si Vous Moi Voudrez Ame (If You'd Only Love Me)" - Leo Soileau

Leo Soileau was one of the first Cajuns to incorporate elements of commercial country music into Cajun music.2  Formed in 1934, Leo Soileau's Three Aces--although there were never less than four musicians--soon shot to the forefront of this embryo "Cajun country" movement.  Apart from the Cajun tradition, their major inspiration came from western swing, a cheerful, spirited amalgam of swing, blues, ragtime, and fiddle music that originated in Texas.1  

Tu m’as dit, jolie fille, tu p’us, mais chère,

Tu pouvais pas p’us m’aimer, chère,

Pourquoi donc, mais tu fais ça à ton vieux neg, chérie?

Tu vas me faire (mourir??), jolie.

Tu m’as dit jolie fille, tu pouvais p’us m’aimer,

Toi, maman, quoi faire t’as fait ça, chérie?

Tu m’as dit, jolie fille, pourquoi-donc, chérie,

Tu fais ça avec ton neg, chérie,

Tu m’as dit, joli cœur, que tu peux p’us m’aimer, chère.

Ohh, toi, ‘tit monde, jolie fille, criminelle,

Haa, toi ‘tite fille, ohhh, bébé.

Rayne Tribune
Dec 10, 1937

He learned to play fiddle from his father at around the age of 12 and was inspired by other local Cajun musicians such as Dennis McGee.3   

I'd steal his fiddle from under the bed and when I'd break a string, I'd get a whipping.  That's for sure!3

In early 1935, Soileau's string band, without an accordionist, but with the first drummer to play on Cajun sessions, made popular recordings such as "Si Vous Moi Voudrez Ame (If You'd Only Love Me)" (#4880 & #2194) which Bluebird co-issued on Montgomery Ward's label.  His Three Aces were composed of Floyd Shreve on guitar, Bill (Dewey) Landry on guitar, and Tony Gonzales on drums.  The smooth, rhythmic music was in sharp contrast to the raw folk sound of Joseph Falcon's performances.   However, "Voudrez" was eclipsed by the more popular tune on the flipside, "Le Gran Mamou". 

You told me, pretty girl, you could, well dear,

You couldn't love me anymore, dear,

Why then, well, did you do that to your old man, darling?

You are going to make me an old man, dear.

You told me pretty girl, you could love me,

You, little momma, why did you do that, darling?

You told me, pretty girl, why so, darling?

You did that to your man, darling,

You tole me, pretty sweetheart, that you could love me, dear.

Oh, you little everything, pretty girl, it's terrible,

Ha, you little girl, oh baby.

Leo Soileau and the Three Aces
Floyd Shreve, Tony Gonzales, 
Leo Soileau, and Dewey Landry

By  late 1935, he renamed his band to the Four Aces and signed with Decca, which had already signed Joseph Falcon and Amade Ardoin.  Working with a completely different company, many unaware of his previous recordings, he used the opportunity with Deccas to re-record the song in 1937.   His swinging tune became more well known as "La Blues de Port Arthur".  

1. South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous By John Broven
2. The Encyclopedia of Country Music
3. http://arhoolie.org/leo-soileau-interview/
4. Lyrics by Jordy A

Find:

Raise Your Window: A Cajun Music Anthology 1928 - 1941 (The Historic Victor-Bluebird Sessions Vol. 2) (CMF, 1993)

Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)

"Les Blues De La Louisiane (Louisiana Blues)" - Leo Soileau

Recorded in Chicago, IL, "Les Blues De La Louisiane" (#17009) has to be the bluesiest song Leo Soileau had during his decade of recording.   The instrumental allowed Leo to sit back and let his fiddle shine only accompanied by a simple guitar rhythm. 

For unknown reasons, Decca chose to market this for the French speaking market as well as the English speakers as well.   On their original 1935 release, the song is listed as "Les Blues De La Louisiane" and on the re-issue, they gave it a new catalog number, renaming it to "Louisiana Blues".  The same was done with the records flip-side recording: "Pario Acadia Breakdown" or "Arcadia County Breakdown" respectively.  While Leo played the fiddle, his backup guitarist could have been either Bill "Dewey" Landry, Floyd Shreve, or Floyd's uncle Olaf Perry "O.P." Shreve or Johnny Roberts, all who have played guitar with Leo at some point during this time.

Rayne Tribune
Sep 17, 1937

By the late 1930s, Leo had quite recording his group and took work playing in bars along the silver strip of Highway 90 playing in several dancehalls.  He even joined a group called the Daylight Creepers lead by Papa Cairo and backed by Bill Redlich, Erby Thibodeaux, and featured a guitar-playing new-comer to the Cajun music scene: J.D. Miller.   Miller would go onto be a key figure in the resurgence of Cajun music recordings after the war. 

Find:
Leo Soileau: Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 7 (Old Timey, 1982)
Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)

Leo Soileau & The Four Aces (BACM, 2020)

"Valse De Estherwood (Estherwood Waltz)" - Leo Soileau

Leo Soileau was a Cajun musician from Ville Platte that recorded the second Cajun group after Joe Falcon.  He recorded late 1928 with a bluesy accordion player named Mayuse Lafleur.   Leo kept recording traditional Cajun music with an accordion led duo until the end of 1929.  After string bands took over the airwaves in 1936, Louisiana saw bands like Leo Soileau's Aces changed from purely Cajun French songs to a mixed group of English and French tunes.   Leo used this session in New Orleans to record both styles.  In the wake of Ace' initial and influential recordings, Soileau continued to revamp extensively the sounds of commercial Cajun music. 

I had fiddle, piano, sometimes I had two guitars, a steel, electric mandolin, and saxophone and bass.   I have as much as eight piece bands.1 

Ohh, mais toi m'avais*, chère

Ohh, mais pourquoi, donc, bébé

Hé, mais toi p’tite fille, chère

Ohh, mais aussi loin bébé

Oh, mais toi m'avais*, chère,

Oh, mais pourquoi donc, mais, tu fais ça?

Hé, mais moi, je m’en vas à la maison

Oh, mais pour te rejoindre, malheureuse

Hé, tu m’as quitté moi tout seul

Ohh, pourquoi donc mais tu fais ça?

Leo Soileau (second, bottom row)

Image courtesy of Johnnie Allan & the 

Center for Louisiana Studies, 

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

His line containing "toi m'avais" is confusing.  The love interest either had his love or would have had his love.   It could very well be saying something else, sounding similar such as "t'as m'avoué" in which the love interest confesses to the person.  

His Four Aces consisted of  Bill ‘Dewey’ Landry on guitar, Floyd Shreve on guitar and a slew of other musicians.  Leo named his song "Valse de Estherwood" (#17016) after a town not far from his residence of Crowley, Louisiana.   Estherwood is a small community originally named "Tortue" after the Indian Chief Celestine La Tortue of the Attakapas nation.  It sits alongside the Trief bayou, which was named for Jean-Baptiste Trief, a mysterious person believed to have been one of Jean Lafitte's pirates.  In 1816, he was described as a "tall, dark, sinister-looking" man who wore large earrings like pirates once did.   The entire Mermentau River basin area was notoriously known for pirate activity.



There are several stories about how Estherwood got its name. A likely one is that it is the combination of two names: Wood, for a Dr. Wood who was once prominent in the area, and Esther, for the wife of a railroad executive. Another is the wood part may come from the fact that the trains stopped for fuel wood here.

Oh, well, you could've had me, dear,

Oh, well, why so, baby?

Hey, well, you little girl, dear,

Oh, well, so far away, baby.

Oh, well, you could've had me, dear,

Oh, well, why did you do that?

Hey, well, I'm going home,

Oh, well, to you you, oh my.

Hey, you left me all alone,

Oh, so why, well, did you do that?

1. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
2. Label scan by University of Louisiana at Lafayette Cajun and Creole Music Collection - Special Collections
3. Lyrics by Jordy A

"T'est Petite Et T'est Mignonne" - Leo Soileau

After his short stint recording traditional Cajun music with Mayeus Lafleur and then Moise Robin, Leo Soileau had run a few sessions with Bluebird before he agreed to record for Decca.   Never wholly committed to the old French repertoire, he was happy to mix it with hillbilly and popular songs, with their more varied tunes and chord progressions, and around 1934, he put together a band to play them.  In Chicago the following year, they recorded "You Are Little and You Are Cute" known as "T'est Petite Et T'est Mignonne" (#17008).  It was first recorded by the Fawvors entitled "T'Est Petite a Ete T'Est Meon".  Even earlier, Eddie Segura and Didier Hebert used the title in their melody called "You're Small And Sweet". 

The Four Aces, with guitarists Floyd Shreve and Dewey Landry and possibly drummer Tony Gonzales (but could be O.P. Shreve or Johnny Roberts), represented the new sound of Cajun club music, and not everybody was ready for it. 

T’es petite et t’es mignone,

Et t'es galeuse mais j’t’amie quand meme,

T’es petite et t’es galeuse,

C'est trop galeuse pour faire ma femme.

Oh la belle, t’es pas lavé,

Oh, oui, la belle, tu peux aller t’laver.

T’es petite et t’es mignone,

Et t'es galeuse mais j’t’amie quand meme,

T’es petite et t’es mignone,

T'es galeuse pour faire ma femme,

Oh la belle, t’es galeuse,

De trop galeuse mais j’t’amie quand meme.

Leo Soileau (fiddle), Tony Gonzales (drums)3

Tony Gonzales was a native of Crowley, Louisiana and good friends with Leo.   His brother, Roy, was an accordion player who earlier copied Jimmie Rodgers tunes and recorded them in Cajun french for Paramount records.2  Tony, who worked with jazz musicians, dramatically altered the sound of Leo's group by providing a firm and brash dance cadence on his rudimentary drum kit to complement the fluid interplay between voices.3

At their first session for Decca in Chicago in 1935, the engineer objected that the drums were blasting the cutting needle out of its groove.  The problem was solved by stacking pillows round the kit to absorb some of the reverberation.3  

"Well," said the engineer, "I'm learning something."1

Author Ryan Brasseaux makes the case that Tony Gonzales could have very well been the first drummer in country music, and by far, the first drummer in Cajun music.3  

You're small and you're cute,

And you're shabby, but, I like you anyways,

You're small and you're shabby,

(You're) too shabby to be my wife,

Oh, girl, you're not clean,

Oh, yeh, girl, you need to wash up.

You're small and you're cute,

And you're shabby, but, I like you anyways,

You're small and you're cute,

You're too shabbyto be my wfie,

Oh, girl, you're too jealous,

Too shabby, but, I like you anyways.

The word "galeuse" is an Cajun word to signify looking dirty or shabby.  Versions of the song would be recorded later by Harry Choates, Crawford Vincent and then even later by the Balfa Brothers. 

1. Country Music Originals : The Legends and the Lost: The Legends and the Lost By Tony Russell
2. Meeting Jimmie Rodgers : How America's Original Roots Music Hero Changed the ... By Journalist Barry Mazor
3. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux

"Le Gran Mamou" - Leo Soileau

While there was no single style of Cajun fiddling, the musician who did the most to revitalize the instrument, and who also played a central role in the 1930s in both the popularization and modification of Cajun music, was Leo Soileau.7 Before stepped into Victor's Bluebird studio to record "Le Gran Mamou", he had previously recorded the tune in Atlanta with his former partner, Mayeus Lafleur.  Back in 1928, he called it "Basile Waltz".  It was the flip side to his famed "Mama, Where You At?" recording.   But after Lafleur's death, Leo created a new band in 1934, called the Three Aces, with two guitarists and a drummer.  The accordion was dropped from the lineup and the new sound was Cajun country music.  His Three Aces were composed of Floyd Shreve on guitar, Bill (Dewey) Landry on guitar, and Tony Gonzales on drums.  While the song has slight similarities to the Joe Falcon recording of "Aimer Et Perdre (To Love and Lose)" recorded in 1928, however, it comes much closer to Cleoma Breaux's recording of "Ma Valse Prefere".

Oh mais s'en aller dans grand Mamou, 

C'est pour voir ma jolie petite chère.

Oh mais toi, t'es mon chéri,

Moi je connais je mérite pas ça mais toi t'as fais,

Avec moi, il y a pas longtemps malheureuse,

Faudra que tu regrettes pour ça t'as fait malheureuse.

Oh, toi 'tite fille cherie, 

Moi je connais je mérite pas ça, mais toi t'as fais, 

Jolie fille, pour ton vieux nég', mais ça t'as fait, 

Tu vas pleurer mais il sera trop tard.

Oh, toi 'tit monde chéri, 

Moi je m'en vas dans grand Mamou, malheureuse,

Quand même tu veux t'en revenir, joli petit monde,

Moi, je veux pas que tu t'en reviens (z')avec moi.

Leo Soileau and the Three Aces
Floyd Shreve, Tony Gonzales, 
Leo Soileau, and Dewey Landry 6

Mamou, labeled as "The Cajun Music Capital of the World", was located near many of the dance halls in which Cajun musicians played in.  "Grand Mamou" refers to the large, mammoth (mamou) prairie where many Cajuns and colonial French settled during the 18th century.  By the late 19th century, the melody had become popular with old-time fiddlers such as Doxie Manuel,

I remember "Grand Mamou" as far back as 1895.  When I used to play for fais-do-do, it was just a sad, very sad waltz with no words. Suddenly, it would stop being sad and people would holler "ah, ha, ha" and would stomp their feet 'till the kerosene lamps would flicker and nearly fall off the table.8   

Like several of RCA Victor's Bluebird label, they were also pressed on the Montgomery Ward label. After the beginning of the depression, Montgomery Ward got into the cut rate record business. Montgomery Ward released records from 1933 through 1941 with their own label however, they didn't actually have a recording studio. A lot of the companies had labels that only sold in certain department stores, or at a discount. Some were extremely inexpensive and some were done under pseudonyms.  These were apparently pressed by Victor and made available through their mail order catalog.  Most of the discs they issued seem to be from Victor, though they did get material from other labels. Even Sears had their own label called Silvertone.

Oh, well, I'm going to big Mamou,

It's to see my pretty little darling.

Oh, well, you, you're my darling, 

I know I do not deserve this, but, you've done that,

With me, it's not been long I've been unhappy,

You will regret why you've made me unhappy.

Oh, you dear little girl,

I know I do not deserve this, well, what you've done,

Pretty girl, to your old man, well, it's been done,

You're going to cry but it'll be too late.

Oh you little world of mine,

I am going to big Mamou, oh my,

Anyway, you want to return, pretty little world of mine,

I do not want you to come back to me.

Twisting the familiar French language repertoire with the drummer's back beat, adding healthy doses of western swing, and in turn applying that recipe to American standards, Soileau's group essentially defined the Cajun string band sound.1  Oddly enough, he'd re-use the same melody in "La Bonne Valse" in 1937.  The song itself would carry itself throughout Louisiana as "Grand Basile", "Basile Waltz", "Grande Mamou", and "Big Mamou".  It would be recorded by Harry Choates twice, Link Davis, Clifton Chenier, Aldus Roger, Dewey Balfa, Eddie Shuler and many more.   Over time the song would be interchangeably known as both Basile and Grand Mamou.

1. Louisiana Music: A Journey From R&b To Zydeco, Jazz To Country, Blues To Gospel, Cajun Music To Swamp Pop To Carnival Music And Beyond by Rick Koster
2. The Encyclopedia of Country Music
3. http://www.mainspringpress.com/book_MW.html
4. http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/an-interview-with-78-rpm-record-collector-gary-herzenstiel/
5. http://jopiepopie.blogspot.com/2014/01/basile-waltz-1928-gran-mamou-1935-big.html
6. Country Music Originals : The Legends and the Lost: The Legends and the Lost By Tony Russell
7. Southern Music/American Music By Bill C. Malone
8. "Come On Back To Big Mamou" by Diane Farrell. The Ville Platte Gazette (Ville Platte, Louisiana) 02 Jul 1953
9. Lyrics by Stephane F
10. Image by Devon F

Find:
Le Gran Mamou: A Cajun Music Anthology -- The Historic Victor-Bluebird Sessions, 1928-1941 (Country Music Foundation, 1990)
Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)

"Hackberry Hop" - Leo Soileau

The 1935 Bluebird recording of Leo Soileau and his Three Aces' "Hackberry Hop" (#2086) consists of Leo Soileau singing and playing fiddle, Floyd Shreve on guitar, Bill (Dewey) Landry on guitar and Tony Gonzales on drums. The Hackberry Hop was a melody which was recorded much earlier in 1928 and 1929.  Like many traditional Cajun and black Creole compositions, it possesses an extremely complex genealogy, reflected in part by the various renderings of its title.3  It's based on Cleoma Breaux's "Ils La Volet Mon Trancas" and the Breaux brother's "T'as Vole Mon Chapeau".  All three of these songs will be used as the source for the post-war song "Hip et Taïaut" made popular by Harry Choates, Abe Manuel, Bobby Page, Link Davis, Moise Robin, Doug Kershaw, Jimmy Newman and others.  

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon traineau, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon traineau, chere,

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon capot, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon capot, chere,

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon capot, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon capot.

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon traineau, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon traineau, chere,

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon capot, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon capot, chere,

C’est les fille des Bosco, chere, qu’a vole mon gilet, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon gilet, chere.

C’est les fille des Bosco, chere, qu’a vole mon gilet, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon gilet, chere.

Danny Boulet, Jerry Baker, Leo Soileau
Bheul Hoffpauir

Image courtesy of Johnnie Allan & the 

Center for Louisiana Studies, 

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

According to Lomax, it is thought that such phrases as “Whoopie Ti Yi Yo!” found in the Western classic “Git Along Little Doggies” is derived from the exclamation “Hip et Taïaut” and its variations that were heard in the Cajun prairies.  Black Creole versions of the song bear the titles "Les Haricots Sont Pas Sales" and "Zydeco Est Pas Sale".3 

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my sled dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my sled, dear,

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my hat dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my hat, dear,

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my hat dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my hat, dear,

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my sled, dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my sled, dear,

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my hat dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my hat, dear,

It's the daugher of Bosco, dear, that stole my jacket, dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my jacket, dear.

It's the daughters of Bosco, dear, that stole my jacket, dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my jacket, dear.

Bosco is a small community in south Louisiana, near Sunset.  It is not on most maps.  Bosco became famous locally in the 30s when it became on of the first oil fields in the state.4  Referencing the "daughters of Bosco" as "he" is confusing.   According to annotator Catherine Blanchet:

I do not know why the singer did not make the pronoun agree in number and gender with the noun it stands for.  He probably didn't even notice he hadn't.  Words are secondary in this music, anyway.4 

Some recent research has alluded to the fact the song may be the precursor to Clarence Garlow's "Route 90", Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" and the Beach Boys' "Surfin U.S.A.".

1. Label scan by University of Louisiana at Lafayette Cajun and Creole Music Collection - Special Collections
2. http://jopiepopie.blogspot.com/2014/01/ils-la-volet-mon-trancas-1934-hackberry.html
3. Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues By Shane K. Bernard
4. Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 3: The String Bands Of The 1930s.  Liner notes. 
5. Lyrics by Jerry M and Stephane F

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 3: The String Bands Of The 1930s (Old Timey/Arhoolie, 1971)
Gran Prairie: Cajun Music Anthology, Vol. 3: The Historic Victor Bluebird Sessions (Country Music, 1994)
Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)
J'ai Ete Au Bal - Vol. 1 (I Went To The Dance) (Arhoolie, 2011)