"Louisiana Boogie" - Harry Choates

Cajun swing fiddler Harry Choates never worried or cared about he daily trials and tribulations of life.  Such things as far as he was concerned could be drowned in a liquor bottle.  Harry was addicted to the music.  The feelings of others were of no concern to him.  After the breakup of his first band, he continued to find recording opportunities; this time for Macy Henry's label with a song called "Louisiana Boogie" (#134). 

In this April 1950 recording session, he re-purposed an old Breaux Brothers 1929 recording of "Vas Y Carrement", better known as "Step It Fast".  Although not an actual "boogie woogie" tune, he took the quick paced melody and make it even faster, giving it a Texas swing flavor. 

Moi laisser, pour t'en aller,

Moi, j'connais, j'mérite pas ça,

Quoi t'as fait, ce pas de rien,

Eh, ça m'fait de la peine.

Eh petite, vilain moyens,

Moi j'connais, ça m'fait de la peine,

Moi j'connais, ça m'fait de la peine,

Quoi t'as fait, mais, pauvre vieux nègre.

B.C. Jennings, Harry Choates,
unknown, unknown
1948
Joe Watson Collection

No longer with his original Melody Boys, he regrouped with Macy Henry's studio musicians at the ACA Recording Studio in Houston, Texas accompanied by Earl Rebert on steel guitar, possibly Sue Romero on bass, and possibly Louis Oltremari on piano.   Fellow side musician, Roland "R.A." Faulk accompanied Harry to Macy's Recording Studio in Houston in April of 1950.  Although not on the recordings, R.A. was now considered a part of Harry's band.  He witnessed the decline of a musician's musician during the recording session. He could still play his fiddle, but the alcohol had taken its toll.  It was as if Harry was just going through the motions recording, so that he could earn enough money to tide him over until the next time.1  

I'm leaving, for you left me,

I know, I don't deserve that,

What you've done, it's nothing,

Hey, it's not worth it.

Hey, little one, (your) naughty ways,

I know, it's not worth it,

I know, it's not worth it,

What you've done, well, (to your) poor old man.

According to Tim Knight, whenever Harry would report to Macy's studio, he would sit against the wall with elbows resting on his knees, his much traveled fiddle crooked in his arm. Usually he was drunk, but he could still play.1  Although he performed with Jesse James & His Gang on radio station KTBC after the disbanding of the Melody Boys in 1951, Choates suffering ended a few months later.

Macy herself was a strong, steadfast lady who used the subtitle, "Queen of Hits", showing off her female proprietress which was rare for the time.  When Joe Bihari (of Modern Music's Bihari brothers) decided to check on his inventory at Macy's distribution shop, she exploded, telling him:

I paid for those records.  They're mine. Get your ass out of here!

By June 1951, many of Macy's signature artists moved to Modern Records and Aladdin Records ending the Macy's label production.

1. Poor Hobo: The Tragic Life of Harry Choates, a Cajun Legend by Tim Knight
2. http://therecordlive.com/2009/12/16/harry-choate-and-jolie-blon-cajun-musics-founding-father/
3. Blues Encyclopedia edited by Edward Komara
4. Mojo Hand: The Life and Music of Lightnin' Hopkins By Timothy J. O'Brien
5. Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues By Roger Wood
6. Billboard Magazine, Aug 13, 1949
7. Billboard Magazine, Jul 2, 1949
8. http://www.rootsandrhythm.com/roots/NEWSLETTER%20130/newsletter130_blues_6.htm
9. http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/labels_five.html
10. Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers By John Broven
11. Jim Reeves: His Untold Story By Larry Jordan

Release Info:

ACA 1556 Louisiana Boogie | Macy's 134-A

ACA 1560 What's The Use | Macy's 134-B

Find:
Cajun Capers: Cajun Music 1928-1954 (Proper, 2005)

"What's The Use" - Harry Choates

In 1947, Charles D Henry and Macy Lela Henry opened up a shop to distribute music to people of south east Texas.   In downtown Houston, they hired a young Steve Poncio to help stock their shelves with records at their new facility United Record Wholesalers.2  But once wartime shellac was no longer rationed, independent record companies began to pop-up, taking advantage of the talent in their local regions.  Soon, Steve and Macy decided to create their own label with Steve as general manager.   By 1949, the label took off as Macy's Recordings. 

It was April of that year when he got word that Macy wanted him to record for her.  He was already contracted to Bill Quinn, but that never was a consideration for Cajun fiddler Harry Choates.  He jumped in his vehicle and headed to the ACA studio to meet other musicians lined up such as Earl Rebert on steel guitar, possibly Sue Romero on bass, and possibly Louis Oltremari on piano accordion.   There, he recorded the poignant "What's The Use" (#134), a fatalistic predetermination that he was killing himself with every drink he took.1 

Toi t'après m'a laissé,

Avec une autre tu m'a quitté,

Oh, moi, j'connais mérite pas ça, haha.

Oh, quoi ta fais, mais, ça ta fais

Moi, j'connais, mais, chère 'tite fille,

Moi, j'espoire, mais, quelle espoire, mais, chère mignonne.

Il y a pas longtemps, tu voir tu regret,

Chère 'tite fille, pour quoi ta fais,

Oh, moi, j'connais t'as fait de la peine.

Liberty Vindicator
Oct 19, 1950

According to Port Arthur musician, Roland "R.A." Faulk, he remembered the Macy sessions with Harry. On the way to Houston, Harry was driving and was pulled over in Liberty, TX for speeding in a school zone. Harry told the officer that he had bad brakes and would have them fixed as soon as possible.  The police officer told Harry to drive to the nearest repair shop and have the brakes tended to, and he would follow along in his patrol car.  When the officer was content that Harry had made arrangements to have his brakes repaired, he drove away leaving Harry and R.A. parked in the front of the brake shop.  As soon as the police was out of sight, Harry started up his Ford and drove through the back door of the shop on his way for his recording date at Macy's.1  

You, you are leaving me,

With another, you left me, 

Oh, I know I don't deserve that, haha.

Oh, what you've done, well, that you've done,

I know, well, dear little girl,

I hope, well, what hope is there, well, dear little cutie,

There it won't be long, you'll see you'll regret,

Dear little girl, for what you've done,

Oh, I know you hurt me.

Undecided on the song title, ACA ledger notes show the alternate French title "C'est pas la peine", misspelled as "Sapala Pan".3  Poncio and Macy's most notable recordings came that same year with her experimental zydeco recording of Clarence Garlow's "Bon Ton Roula" and Lester Williams's "Wintertime Blues".  Macy took advantage of the industry's "double payola" where during this period, deejays were paid to play a Macy's record and then paid extra not to plug the competition.  Once Steve left to create United Recording Distributing Co. a year later and her husband's health began to fail, Macy closed her business.

1. Poor Hobo: The Tragic Life of Harry Choates, a Cajun Legend by Tim Knight
2. Roadkill on the Three-chord Highway: Art and Trash in American Popular Music By Colin Escott
3. Audio Company of America, Master Book, 1950-1951

Release Info:

ACA-1556 Louisiana Boogie | Macy's 134-A

ACA-1560 What's The Use | Macy's 134-B

Find:
Harry Choates: Five-Time Loser 1940-1951 (Krazy Kat, 1990)
Cajun Fiddle King (AIM, 1999)

"Oh-Meon" - Harry Choates

By 1951, Cajun western swing fiddler Harry Choates' career was cut short.  After Choates' death, some of his obscure recordings were released on other Texas based labels.   Originally recorded for Bill Quinn's Gold Star Records in 1950, it seems it was released on Hummingbird afterwards.  Hummingbird Records out of Waco, TX and was managed by H.M. Crowe, a former executive for Decca Records and Houston record distributor for Gold Star.  "Oh-Meon" (#1011) seems to be a one of many un-released 1947 Gold Star recordings that labels such as Hummingbird, Starday, and D Records latched onto and began to issue.  Harry used the popular Cajun melody made famous by Leo Soileau and Mayuse Lafleur in their 1928 recording of "Your Father Put Me Out".  

Mon tout seul, pour t'en aller, pour t'en aller, petite,

Oh, cherie, moi j'connais, j'mérite pas ça.

Oh, mignonne, moi j'connais, il y a pas longtemps,

Oh, cherie, moi j'connais, ça me fais pitié.

Church Point News
Aug 17, 1948

"Meon" was a common phrase Harry used in his lyrics; the corrupted form of the French word "mignon", which in this reference means "cutie". While some of the un-released material were clearly done at Gold Star studios, others were recorded at an unknown location.   Even some of his tunes were later overdubbed by a backup band called Kentucky Slim and Southerners.  It's unknown if Hummingbird even used Gold Star's facilities to manufacturer their sides.  These mysteries leaves researchers with little knowledge of the recording's band members other than possibly Mateo Garza on bass and either Pietro Marchiando or Louis Oltremari on accordion.

I'm all alone, for you've left, for you've left, little one,

Oh, dearie, I know, I don't deserve that.

Oh, cutie, I know, it won't be long,

Oh, dearie, I know, that made me pitiful. 

After Daily of "D" Records purchased the Goldstar masters in 1955, he began re-releasing his music including on the "D" label in 1961. 

1. House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios By Andy Bradley
2. "Harry Choates: Devil in the Bayou".  Liner notes.

Release Info:
HB-1011A Big Woods | Humming Bird 1011-A
HB-1011B Oh-Meon | Humming Bird 1011-B


Find:
Harry Choates: Five-Time Loser 1940-1951 (Krazy Kat, 1990)
Cajun Fiddle King (AIM, 1999)
Devil In The Bayou - The Gold Star Recordings (Bear Family, 2002)

"Gra Mamou" - Harry Choates

Harry Choates was the total and complete musician and entertainer. All of this life he ate, drank and slept music. It is sometimes very difficult to unravel the facts and myths surrounding the life and times of the man who wrote what has been called the Cajun national anthem, “Jolie Blon.” What Jimmy Rogers was to country music, Harry Choates was to French music.2

Originally recorded in 1928 by Leo Soileau and Mayuse Lafleur, the Victor recording "Basile Waltz" is a staple of Cajun music, with a variety of names given to the melody.  Leo had renamed the tune "Le Gran Mamou" in the 1930s, re-recording it as a string band song and played the tune for years across the Louisiana dancehalls.   Harry, an avid fan of Leo's music had joined his band in the early 40s, covering all their tunes.  Harry used this opportunity to cover Leo's signature song. 

Hé ha ha, hé hé hé

Oh mais ça t’as fait ton bon vieux chien.

S’en aller dans Grand Mamou, mais jolie fille,

C’est pour voir ma jolie mignonne, petite fille, joli petit cœur,

Hé petite fille, hé ha ha, oh mais quoi t’as fait à ton papan.

Oh toi, quoi, tit monde, chérie,

Quoi t’as fait à ton pauvre vieux nègre,

Ça me fait de la peine, je ne mérite pas ça,

Hé petite, villaines manières,

Oh mais moi, je connais ça sera pas longtemps.

Hé villaines manières, quoi t’as fait ton pauvre vieux nègre,

Ça sera pas longtemps, ha ha.

Helen and Harry Choates

Between 1946 and 1949, Harry had a successful career pushing his swinging style of Cajun music with his group called the Melody Boys.  But after internal issues broke the band apart, Choates continued searching for any recording opportunities he could find.  He found an upstart recording label run by Charles and Macy Henry in Houston, Texas.


By 1950, Harry entered the ACA Studios of Bill Holford with a new set of musicians and re-record the tune as "Gra Mamou" (#124) on the Macy's label.  Copying the same tactic Leo Soileau and Bluebird Records did by changing the name to "Le Grand Mamou", it's possible he could avoid any conflicts with song copyrights on a separate recording label.  The song featured Frank Juricek or Earl Rebert on steel guitar and possibly Louis Oltremari on piano, but by this time, most of Harry's second band were unknown.  It's most likely these were studio musicians that Henry used to back Harry up on the session.

Hey, ha ha, hey heh hey,

Oh well, what you did to your old dog.

Going to Grand Mamou, well, pretty girl,

It's to see my pretty cutie, little girl, pretty sweetheart,

Hey little girl, hey ha ha, oh well, what you've done to your dad.

Oh why, my little everything, dear?

What have you done to your poor old man?

It hurts me, I don't deserve that,

Hey little one, your naughty ways,

Oh well, I know it will not be long.

Hey, your naughty ways, what did you do to your poor old man,

It will not be long, ha ha.

It must have sold well since Harry was back in the studio later that year recording "Answer to Gran Mamou" however, for unknown reasons, the follow-up was never released.  Either done previously at Goldstar and later sold to Hummingbird or done at a Houston studio in 1951 for Hummingbird, Harry re-recorded the tune as "Big Mamou" (#1012).   

Oh mais, moi, je connais, mais malheureuse,

Quoi t’as fait mais avec moi, je mérite pas ça, chérie,

Hé petite, mais, joli cœur,

Oh mais, moi, je connais ça sera pas longtemps.

Oh, mais chère petite,

Moi, je connais mais ça t’as fait il y a pas longtemps, malheureuse,

Hé ha ha, hé hé hé, oh pour ça t’as fait ton pauvre vieux chien.

Oh yeah.

Tenor banjoist and Port Arthur resident Ivy Gaspard, who toured with Choates, recalled the Cajun music of southeast Texas:

This area was a hotbed of good musicians. You had as many good musicians here as you had anywhere. Some of the dancers who would come to our dances were amazed; they’d never heard French music played the way I played it on tenor guitar but (really) I was playing western swing. I didn’t care to play French, ’cause the musicians weren’t that good. They’ve got some good French musicians now but Harry’s the one who put the idea in their heads how to play that kind of music. Before that, French music, I hated to play it ’cause it was just the same thing over and over and over. But I didn’t mind playing French music with Harry ‘cause he had that beat.1

Oh well, I know, oh my,

What you've done, well, with me, I don't deserve that, dear,

Hey, little one, well, pretty sweetheart,

Oh well, I know it won't be long.

Oh, well, dear little one,

I know , well, that was done not long ago, oh my,

Hey ha hah, hey heh hey, oh, that you've done to your poor old dog.

Oh yeah.

Gra Mamou - 1950 - Macy's

Big Mamou - 1951 - Hummingbird

1. http://www.offbeat.com/articles/harry-choates/
2. http://therecordlive.com/2009/12/16/harry-choate-and-jolie-blon-cajun-musics-founding-father/?mobile=true
3. Lyrics by Jordy A and Carol B

Find:

Harry Choates: Five-Time Loser 1940-1951 (Krazy Kat, 1990)
Cajun Fiddle King (AIM, 1999)

Cajun Capers: Cajun Music 1928-1954 (Proper, 2005)

"She's Sweet Sweet" - Harry Choates

After 1946, Harry Choates ended up recording his music with a variety of labels in Texas. After WWII, shellac material was commercially available, cheaper than before, and small independent record companies began appearing.   A Houston-based department store owner named Macy Henry who was selling records in their store decided to create her own label along with her husband Charles and general manager Steve Poncio.  Originally, Macy ran a department store based in Houston, Texas (unrelated to the famous New York department store) and in 1948, they began distributing records for other labels, such as Modern Music, including their back catalog material; even having an office in Dallas.  

In 1949, they created "Macy's Recordings: Queen of Hits". They used Bill Holford's "Audiophile Custom Associates" (ACA) Studios in Houston to record the music because the place was known for its high quality sound.  Bill only had a Raytheon 4 channel mixer and an Ampex mono recorder but became one of the most sought out engineers.9  Macy's released country sides with a noticeable undertow of Western swing, and even the most straightforward hillbilly material from the label featured solid songs, expert picking, and sympathetic A&R work. 

Launching his professional music career in Cajun bands led by Leo Soileau and Leroy "Happy Fats" LeBlanc, Choates formed his own group, the Melody Boys, in 1946. The same year, he rewrote the classic Cajun tune, "Jolie Blonde," for his daughter, Linda, and recorded it for the Gold Star label. Choates became known as "the fiddle king of Cajun swing." 

Oh, chère toutoute, moi je connais t'as pas fais bien,

Ton pauvre vieux nèg' ça fait pitié.

Moi je connais, je mérite pas ça.

Hey, chère toutoute, mais moi je connais,

Moi je connais t'as pas fait rien

Mais avec ça, ça fait longtemps, malheureuse.

Oh, chère toutoute,

Oh mais malheureuse, mais quoi t'as fais ton pauvre nèg'

Mais quoi t'a fais, ça fait de la peine.

Oh, chère toutoute, t'as pas fais rien,

T'as pas fais (rien), chere,

Oh, moi je connais mais ça t'as fais ça fais pas rien.

Oh, malheureuse, oh joli cœur,

Oh, mais moi je connais,

Mais moi je connais sera pas longtemps.

Moi je connais sera pas longtemps, vilaine manière.

Red Fabacher, Ronald Ray "Pee Wee" Lyons,
Johnnie Mae Smirle, Harry Choates,
Amos Comeaux, Curly Maples

The label only lasted two-and-a-half years however, they would host a variety of music from R&B to country to Cajun. The label launched the careers of several important Texas blues and country and hillbilly artists including country superstar Jim Reeves, Lester Williams, Clarence Garlow, Smokey Hogg.  Their biggest hit would be Lester Williams' song "Winter Time Blues". In 1950, They recorded the Cajun fiddler Harry Choates several times including the hot western swing number "She's Sweet Sweet" (#158).  With possibly Earl Rebert on steel guitar, possibly Louis "Pee Wee Hall" Oltremari on piano and possibly Sue Romero on bass, the tune is typical of the Cajun swing music of the era.  In it, Harry describes a lover feeling sorrow for the way a relationship has turned, knowing he has to leave, possibly blaming her for having "bad manners". 

Oh, my precious one, I know you're not doing well,

Your poor ole little one, it's pitiful,

I know, I do not deserve this. 

Hey, my precious one, I know,  

I know you did not do anything 

But, it's been unpleasant for a long time,

Oh, my precious one, 

It's unfortunate for you, poor little one,

But, what you're going to do, that will hurt. 

Oh, my precious one, you do not have to do anything

You did not do anything, dear,

Oh, I know but you do not have to do anything 

Oh, miserable, oh pretty heart, 

Oh, I know, 

But, I know I will not be long. 

I know I will not be long, you having bad manners.

1. Blues Encyclopedia edited by Edward Komara
2. Mojo Hand: The Life and Music of Lightnin' Hopkins By Timothy J. O'Brien
3. Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues By Roger Wood
4. Billboard Magazine, Aug 13, 1949
5. Billboard Magazine, Jul 2, 1949
6. http://www.rootsandrhythm.com/roots/NEWSLETTER%20130/newsletter130_blues_6.htm
7. http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/labels_five.html
8. Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers By John Broven
9. Jim Reeves: His Untold Story By Larry Jordan

Find:

Cajun Fiddle King (AIM, 1999)

Harry Choates: Five-Time Loser 1940-1951 (Krazy Kat, 1990)