More swing than Western

My introduction to Western swing music...

...came about when, in desperation, I took out an Asleep at the Wheel album from my local record library; there being nothing else even vaguely interesting available that day.

This set me off on a journey of discovery and eventually led me to some of my favourite music of any type or era.

But, what is Western swing?

Now, this is where it gets tricky. It's essentially a combination of blues, jazz, cowboy and old time music performed on string band instruments for dancing, often led by the fiddle. In the form that I find most appealing, it's swing jazz played with multiple electric instruments - guitar, steel guitar and, on occasion, mandolin - playing lines that you'd more usually expect to come from a horn section. To be more specific, it's the music that Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys were playing in the post war years 1946 and 1947.

At that time, the genre was on the decline and wartime measures to raise taxes had had an impact on venues. Clubs and ballrooms had a 30% levy imposed if they allowed dancing and, although this was eventually reduced to 20%, its negative effect on all forms of dance music and touring bands was severe.

However, as the biggest act in Western Swing, Wills' band continued to be very popular and sell records very steadily, although he'd cut down the size of the band, losing most of his horn players. Following a move to California, Wills signed a deal with the Tiffany Music Company to produce a series of transcription discs which would be sent to radio stations throughout the US. Some 458 tracks were cut, 360 of which were complete takes. The sessions took place during the band's down time and, by all accounts, were very good natured and relaxed affairs. The band featured, at various times and in various combinations, guitarists Eldon Shamblin and Junior Barnard, steel players Noel Boggs, Ray Honeycut and Herb Remington, and Tiny Moore on electric mandolin. It was these players who, along with the fiddles, made up the band's "horn section" and gave it its distinctive full and driving sound and its harmonised ensemble lines, as well as most of the improvised solos. Furthermore, it gave the band a wider range of tunes which allowed them to blow more freely than they otherwise might have done. Bob seems to be having a great time, urging the players on and laughing at the electric gymnastics.

Unfortunately, the project ended up a relative failure, with only a small number of radio stations ordering the discs. Tommy Duncan - Wills' vocalist and a big draw - quit the band. Wills' manager advised against issuing any more transcriptions as it was giving Duncan - now a rival act - too much publicity. Cliff Sundin and Clifton Johnsen (aka Cactus Jack) - the Tiffany Music Company's bosses - started to fall out over what Sundlin perceived as CJ's crooked dealings. One particular salesman with a drink problem started to go rogue and make deals that the company couldn't deliver on, as well as claim fake expenses. The two label bosses parted company leaving the concern in the hands of Sundin and Wills, the latter of whom had his own issues with drink. Attempts to revive the transcriptions project and release the material by Sundin came to nothing and, by the end of the decade, the recordings were locked away in Sundin's basement.

Inevitably, the transcription discs fell into collectors' hands and a trade in bootlegged recordings sprang up, until 10 LPs of the recordings were issued by the Kaleidoscope Records label over the course of several years, starting in 1982. Further compilations of unissued Tiffany recordings followed, although as far as I know there are still some tracks remaining in the vault.

So what about the music?

In the comments you'll find the link to a Hole-exclusive compilation of Tiffany tracks - 20 in all, and chosen to illustrate the jazzier side of the whole Kaleidoscope ten album set. They're also all instrumental, apart from a couple of tracks, and feature very hot solos on electric guitar, steel guitar, electric mandolin, as well as piano and fiddle.

Notable soloists include Herb Remington on steel, Junior Barnard on (distorted) electric guitar channeling Charlie Christian and Tiny Moore on 5 string solid electric mandolin.

If you thought that Western Swing was variations on San Antonio Rose, maudlin ballads and hokey old time square dance tunes, think again. This is some really ballsy stuff and it swings - as the late Alexis Korner would have put it - like a bitch. Indeed, although the material is a million miles away, nothing using electric instruments achieved quite such an intensity until the rise of the electric guitar in the mid to late 1960s. Yes, it really is that powerful at times, and it's music that's meant to be played LOUD!

Need a smile putting on your face?

Play this sucker!