Re: [Harp-L] Rockabilly Harmonica

[Spschndr@xxxxxxx]

Don't think I saw this mentioned: Something worth looking for is the stuff 
Jerry McCain did in the late 1950s.  For those splitting hairs, I guess this is 
probably not technically rockabilly, but the fact is that for a brief period 
(mainly about 1955-57, I think) rock and roll was being made by and for African 
Americans, and Jerry McCain wrote and recorded a number of songs in the style 
that was selling, live and on wax; he really rose to the challenge of the 
change in the market.  If you can imagine early amplified Little Walter meeting 
early Little Richard, on steroids . . . this is some of the farthest-out roots 
music I have ever heard, particularly the homenade demos McCain did for 
Excello in 1955 that mostly never made it to the studio.  Terrific overdriven guitar 
and harp tones, crazed lyrics with vocals thru the harp mic, frenetic tempos 
with the beat pushed to insane degrees on some of the demos, which I assume 
gives us an idea of how this stuff sounded live, back in the day.  The harp role 
is affected by McCain being the bandleader rather than a sideman, but if you 
want an inspirational blueprint for a harp-led psychobilly band, look here.  

Gary Primich has recorded relatively subdued versions of a couple of the demo 
tunes, but you need to hear the originals.  Apparently White Label Records 
issued the demos in Europe in the 1980s as an album called Choo Choo Rock; I got 
them on Excello CD 3009, That's What They Want: The Best of Jerry McCain, 
which came out in 1995 and adds McCain's Excello singles, including straight 
blues and swamp pop as well as the toned-down studio versions of a couple of the 
rock 'n' roll tunes, along with the complete demos.  I haven't looked to see 
whether that's still in print, but these tunes are worth finding, especially if 
you only know McCain from the instrumental anthem "Steady."  Amazing music.

Some Sun Records stuff: FWIW, Frank Frost's 1962 Sun Records instrumental 
"Jack's Jump" sounds to me like an harp instrumental version of Junior Parker's 
"Mystery Train," if that fits what you're looking for.  Believe it's Paula 
Records that reissued that in the US, but what I have is a Charly Records reissue 
CD called Jelly Roll King.  Some people would argue that rockabilly's origin 
lies in Junior Parker's Sun sessions, but I don't think Junior put any harp on 
those recordings.   James Cotton did put harp on "Hold Me in Your Arms" when 
he covered that song on Mighty Long Time (Antones ANT 0015CD); not sure if 
there's harp on the Sun original.  Pretty sure Ronnie Hawkins did a cover of Carl 
Perkins' "Matchbox Blues" with with King Biscuit Boy playing amplified harp on 
it around 1970, but I'm not sure where you could find that; I knew it from a 
Duane Allman anthology LP on Atlantic that my brother had.  If KBB played harp 
on an entire Ronnie Hawkins album, that might be exactly what you're looking 
for, I would think.

Stephen Schneider