BUDDY KNOX with THE BLUE THINGS, "JO ANN" C/W "DON'T MAKE A RIPPLE," RUFF 1001 (REL. 12/1964)

 

This is an upgrade of one of the earlier posts on Frank’s Jukebox. I’ve had requests to revive old posts from the Facebook days. They’re all still on there, but I don’t encourage you to visit that fascist-run site. As you may know, I left FB in January when its owner made his fealty to The Orange Stain and removed fact-checking algorithms from the site. Frank’s Jukebox has suffered a massive loss in readership as a result; I stand by my actions. I am not a fascist and I despise those who are—especially those who are wealthy and who can break our country in two like a child’s toy.

If you are still on FB, I encourage you to break the cord and leave. Yes, I know it’s a vital way to stay in touch with elderly friends and relatives. But it’s a poisoned well, and there are other ways to communicate with people you care about. They existed before FB and they’re still good. Think about it; decide which side of history you want to be on. That’s all I’ll say right now.

Buddy Knox was one of the West Texas teens who helped rockabilly find its berth on the mainstream pop charts in 1957. He was the Gerry Marsden to Buddy Holly’s Lennon and McCartney; an inferior songwriter and performer who radiated enough charm to get by, despite his often-weak material. I like Knox’s Roulette Records singles well enough, but without the passion I feel when I hear Buddy Holly’s work. Knox did what he did well, and he managed to keep things going into late 1964, when his contract with Liberty Records, where he’d recorded since 1960, expired.

Knox’s Liberty singles are mediocre. Under producer “Snuff” Garrett, he suffered the same modern, bland formula productions as Midwestern Holly acolyte Bobby Vee. Garrett’s productions were a universe away from the earthy rock ‘n’ roll of “Party Doll,” Knox’s debut record and a major pop hit in 1957. With the revival of interest in first-line rock ‘n’ roll that swept into America with The Beatles and other groups in ’64—a group called The Hullaballoos had a minor chart hit with their version of “Party Doll”—the stage was set for original rock ‘n’ roll artists to get a second wind.

Knox went to Amarillo, Texas label Ruff Records, run by Ray Ruffin, a one-time Holly imitator, to get some of his mojo back. Also in the studio were a young Beatles-inspired rock band from Kansas, The Blue Things. Uncredited, they give Knox the most authentic sound he’d had since his charmingly crude debut seven years before. Knox brought two new songs to the table and the results are spot-on. No cutesy arrangements; no pizzicato strings; nothing streamlined. It’s the best record of his career.

“Jo Ann” kicks off with Blue Things leader Val Stecklein’s strummed acoustic guitar; then the rest of the band kicks in with a powerful, rugged sound. Knox’s Texas drawl works well with this Midwestern band, who also do backup vocals. The bluesy, urgent song offers a beautiful vehicle for this second-string singer to return to his roots. The group’s lead guitarist Mike Chapman offers an acoustic 12-string solo break that’s ideal for the song and its sound.

Knox might have staged a comeback with “Jo Ann,” but a small-time label was ill-equipped to promote their wares to the world. It did get an incoherent Cash Box review, seen below, but that wasn’t enough to make a difference.

“Don’t Make a Ripple” is a rough-hewn attempt to get back to Knox’s pop sound. The Blue Things take a more active role in their background vocals and a livelier pace suggests the West Texas sound well. Chapman’s brief electric guitar solo evokes the style of Buddy Holly and the group’s drummer Rick Larzalere attempts to channel Jerry Allison, Holly’s drummer and one of rock’s greatest percussionists. The results are appealing and lively and I wish Knox had stuck with this approach for more than one record. 1965 saw him signed to Reprise Records and back to his old bland shenanigans.

Knox’s first Reprise 45 was a pallid update of “Party Doll,” minus any of the spark heard in today’s single. He became a country artist and continued recording into 1970 for United Artists. Afterwards he worked with smaller labels and toured the European rockabilly revival circuit, where he was well-received. He worked that angle well for the rest of his performing days and passed on from cancer in 1999.

Tomorrow: I forgot post #1887, so we’re going back to post that. It’s an excellent record by soul group The Valentinos; a 1963 Sars Records platter that matters!