JAY HAGGARD & THE JUBILEERS BAND, "I WILL ASK, I WILL PLEAD" C/W "I WANT YOU NOW HONEY DOLL," DAJA 502 (REL. 7/1958)

There musta been something in the water in Turner, Arkansas. Singer/songwriter Jay Haggard hailed from this rustic remote and made a handful of, shall we say, eccentric rockabilly 45s. I snagged my copy of today’s record from “Skippy’s,” as I call a record store in a gentrified hipster neighborhood in Portland’s urban Southeast.

I found several scarce oddball 45s there in my first visit since the store blocked off their seven-inch records with steel pipe three years ago. I’d heard the owner re-thought that winning business strategy and, with caution, I entered his store once again.

This single didn’t have a price or a sleeve. It looked beat-up (all “Skippy’s” records tend to) but since it came from the dollar box, and I knew it was a rockabilly item (you can just tell with some records) it was a mild risk. It needed a deep cleaning to remove dust, grime and general poor care that had plagued it since it was new in 1958. There was a high chance one or both sides would skip (hence my nickname), but for a buck, I’ll take the chance.

These two sides suggest that Haggard was a cotton-topped granddad with respiratory issues. Photos of him show an able-bodied young man, perhaps in his late 20s, with the raw-boned look of an Appalachian. He recorded as James C. Haggard, as J. C. and as Jay. All were to no avail. I would guess his records sold well on his home turf, and that the Daja label was his own. Since zero information exists on his life, a few mild guesses are all I’ve got—save the record. Oh, yes, the record.

Brace yourself. This is one zany-sounding performer. His band, The Jubileers, are red-hot, and they help balance out the sweaty, cockeyed vocal approach of our boy Jay. He gives both songs an out-there quality that reminds me of those song-poem records where some outlier sent in his goofy poem and bored studio musicians set it to music, made a handful of copies, and charged the no-doubt-thrilled lyricist for a stiff fee. Running one’s own record label is the next step up; it took some cash outlay but Daja, with a mailing address of Los Angeles, was one of hundreds that sprang up in the r&b/rock ‘n’ roll era.

‘Nuff said; here we go.

“I Will Ask, I Will Plead” pits a killer band against Haggard’s er, haggard vocal performance. The drummer and lead guitarist are stellar; the latter takes a grade-A solo with searing string bends, dense harmonies and two choruses in which to do their stuff. Said six-stringer is a disciple of the Hank Garland style and comes off like a rougher version of that Nashville cat. Ditto for the drummer, who channels his inner Buddy Harman like mad—dig his energetic fills!

This side of the record has a repeat-loop skip at the tail end of the music. I’ve done an edit that causes a smooth, if abrupt, finale. I was in suspense as I played both sides: will it skip? When will it happen? Is it fixable? Yes, yes, and yes. Whew!

>>> Hear it HERE! <<<

Just another new release...la la la...

“I Want You Now Honey Doll” seemed like it might be the hottest side, to judge from its title. It’s a tad more subdued—just a wee bit. Our guitarist uses some amplifier trick to make his instrument sound like an electric organ; a piano’s added to the mix. In-between Jay’s gruff rants and pleas, this duo turns up the heat. The guitarist plays a coaxing riff throughout the record. With a more generic vocalist, this might be considered a rockabilly classic. It still kinda is, but its unique vibe made it a Saturday record through and through!

>>> Hear it HERE! <<<

Haggard made his two singles in 1958, after which time he either left music or was institutionalized. Thank goodness he got to make some records!

Tomorrow: proto-soul with Larry Paul, via a scarce 1959 Mala Records 45.