Janis Martin 1940-2007

Kingdom favourite Janis Martin died a fortnight ago, aged 67. As called by bookofjoe

I've had the RCA double LP of her on my desk since the last post about her, waiting to get to a record player, and the new needle turned up in the post day before yesterday. That album is the first one ripped to my hard drive.

She'd been due to play the Americana Festival in Nottinghamshire this summer, which would have surely seen her onstage with Rosie Flores. Janis sang on Rosie's '96 CD Rockabilly Filly along with Wanda jackson, and Rosie has championed her on the Rockabilly scene over the years.

According to her website Rosie and Janis were working on tracks for a Janis Martin CD earlier this year. I wonder if that went ahead?

Click, click ...

Actually YES! it did, news up on the Myspace fansite and features two songs from the album. Long White Cadillac and Sweet Dreams. Bittersweet as someone said in the comments. Great tracks though.

Speaking of great tracks. Here are a couple.

Let's Elope Baby 1956 from her first session for RCA
Good Love from 1958

Got Love If You Want It

So the story goes that after their first audition at Sun Records, Clyde Leopard and The Snearly Ranch Boys were playing at the Cotton Club, when Sam Phillips and Johnny Cash stop by and Johnny offers the band this song he's written. "Rock'n'Roll Ruby". At this stage Johnny Cash has released his second single (Folsom Prison Blues) and must feel on top of the world. Generous anyway. So the band record it and it's issued as by the singer Warren Smith. Piano player Smokey Joe Baugh is on top form, and the record deserves every one of it's rumoured half million sales.

It was issued on April 21st 1956.

You can hear Johnny Cash's quick demo at his RCS Discography. Scroll down to Additional tracks.
Warren Smith has a Sun Records Discography too.

His follow up was the offbeat rocker Ubangi Stomp, but it was the third single that rocked Warren's boat. "So Long I'm Gone" came out immediately after Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" and got precious little of Sam Phillips' promotional energy. Warren Smith took to buying up Lewis' single and smashing it in the record shops, while Lewis played it every time he found a Jukebox. Those Sun Records concert tours!! Must have been as mad as "Walk The Line" makes out.

So for his next single (ten months later) Warren (minus The Snearly Ranch Boys) now with ace Sun session guitarist Roland Janes, cuts a stomping version of "Got Love If You Want It" (see below) and must think the money is in the bag. But wait - it's wedged between Jerry Lee's "Great Bals Of Fire" and "Breathless" on the release schedule. And in the same DJ mail out is Johnny Cash's "Big River", Carl Perkins' "Glad All Over", Sonny Burgess' "My Bucket's got A Hole In It" and Roy Orbison's follow up to "Ooby Dooby".

I reckon Sam Phllips and Warren Smith would be having words by this stage. It's the only explanation for a track like "Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache" remaining unreleased, and Warren leaving the label a year later after only one more single release.

Buy a decent Warren Smith album




Slim Harpo was a crossover blues act that didn't crossover. Not in the charts anyway. According to The Blues Harp "By the time his first single became a Southern jukebox favorite, his songs being were adapted and played by White musicians left and right." Label mate Warren Storm covered "I'm A King Bee", on Excello, but that must have been later ... it begs the question "What was the first white cover of a Slim Harpo record? Any suggestions folks? Was it Warren Smith's Sun version?
Buy here and listen to some more tracks at Livin' Blues

Rock'n'Roll Ruby - Warren Smith
Got Love If You Want It - Warren Smith
Got Love If You Want It - Slim Harpo


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I Dig You Baby

I met Marvin Rainwater in 1980 in South Shields ... or was it Sunderland?
Shook his hand, got his autograph, told him what a great show he did. He was still full of surprise that not only did people remember him (or in my case, had heard of him) but they knew the words to his obscure Rockabilly records. He was all fired up to cut a Rockabilly record when he got home, and because he was in favour of the local brew, the record was going to be about Brown Ale.

When it came out the following year "Henrieta, Oklahoma" was a hit in Scandinavia, even though it wasn't about Brown Ale, and it did fair thump along.
Bear Family has the Rockin' Rollin' Rainwater CD (which has all the tracks mentioned here and also the early rockabilly numbers like "Hot and Cold") where you can do a search to see the other CDs by Marvin in their catalogue.

One interesting thing I didn't know about Marvin Rainwater, was that his second UK hit "I Dig You Baby" was recorded in the UK with Ken Jones and his Orchestra (as they used to call em - I love that feature of old R'n'B singles that say things like "with Vcl Group and Orchestra" when they mean a piano). This track features some great piano playing from Mr Jones, and the rest of the 'orchestra' are right on the button, too ... for Limeys ... And a great follow up to "Whole Lotta Woman" it is, perhaps "Dance You Daddy" was meant to be in the same groove - I never understood why it ws issued on MGM Rockabilly Vol2 when it's such a great Rock'n'Roll record. Apparently they only recorded one track in the UK, unless there's anything else on the Bear Family box set. Let me know if you find anything comparable.


Just up recently is Marv's Myspace site
and you can also leave a message for the man at his official site AND there's an interview from 1998 where he sounds on good form.

And of course, the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame



I Dig You Baby
Dance Me Daddy
Boo Hoo

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Janis Martin and Rachael Stokes

Now here's where I get to thank the internet.

I was going to post a couple of Janis Martin tracks (because she's great, of course) and her story is one of those 'what might have been' tales. With the backing of RCA Victor in 1956 and some great songs, the sassy 17 year old cut some kickin rock'n'roll tracks without making the chart dent she deserved. Touted as the Female Elvis might have backfired, but the airplay didn't. 750,000 sold on her first single. Both sides of which are included here. Drugstore was written by Janis herself, and RCA were keen on her rockin' image and put the rockabilly first in her music. Until the sales didn't follow on, and they tried other material. But her last RCA session was as rockin as her first.
So what happened. How come she isn't as famous as Brenda Lee or Wanda Jackson? Was it her manager?

No. Gigs in Europe allowed her to see her husband and she became pregnant and dropped out of the music scene til they were old enough to have a working mum. She's up and singin' all over nowadays and goes down a storm at rockin' clubs everywhere.
Have a listen:
Drugstore Rock'n'Roll
Will You, Willyum



So I was wondering if there was any footage of her on the old 'net and searched YouTube. Nothing early. But wait what's this. A young gal singing Janis songs in her bathroom. Sweet. And what a great voice. And she needs a band. Vegas area, are you listening? SHE NEEDS A BAND. VEGAS AREA.

Rachel Stokes is what I was searching for. That young rocker just ready to sing her heart out, and tear up the floor with the ... hmm .. let's try a different metaphor. Damn. Just go listen. Surprisingly my fave is "My Confession" - a ballad. I'm not big on fifties ballads usually, prefering to swing, or switch it up by the speakers, but hey! in her bathroom, and no production, and no flash, this is how the song was written (or should have been). It's straight up down to earth tell it like it is sophisticated and naive all rolled up and heart melting. Yes!

Don't take my word for it. Rachael is a Star!
Rachael Stokes You Tube Profile

There are some downloadable tracks over at her Myspace Site

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