Ernie Chaffin, "Don't Ever Leave Me" c/w "Miracle Of You," Sun 320 (rel. 4/1959)
This is the fourth and last Sun Records single by Ernie Chaffin, whose first two releases were revolutionary in their manipulation of country music's DNA. "Feelin' Low" (Sun 262) and "I'm Lonesome" (Sun 275) are masterpieces of daring, adventurous material and performance. They are as striking and game-changing, in theory, as Elvis Presley's five singles for the label. Unlike Elvis, Chaffin's approach, co-created with songwriter/steel guitarist Pee Wee Maddux, didn't create a response.
The records were well-received and got good reviews in the trade magazines, but beyond that, their influence ceased. Chaffin's third Sun 45 is a dull affair: straight country-pop material poisoned by the dreaded Gene Lowery Singers. It was an unfortunate step back after the giant strides of the previous records.
Sun 320, issued in April 1959, was a last attempt to explore the promise of those two records. The more outré elements of "I'm Lonesome" were smoothed out, as if Maddux and Chaffin felt they'd over-reached and wanted to get a solid country hit. Just enough of the unusual, intense approach remains to make the A side compelling.
"Don't Ever Leave Me" lacks the weird chord changes of "I'm Lonesome" but keeps the thick, tense sound. Maddux's steel guitar duets with Chaffin's sincere vocal and churning acoustic guitar strums. It's a solid country song but aspires to nothing more. That might have been enough to get some chart action, as disc jockeys had perhaps tired of the Nashville Sound approach by 1959.
"Don't Ever Leave Me" lacks the weird chord changes of "I'm Lonesome" but keeps the thick, tense sound. Maddux's steel guitar duets with Chaffin's sincere vocal and churning acoustic guitar strums. It's a solid country song but aspires to nothing more. That might have been enough to get some chart action, as disc jockeys had perhaps tired of the Nashville Sound approach by 1959.
Ignored by the music press, the single may have gotten some local plays but was a flop and Sun let Chaffin go; Sam Phillips couldn't afford to float promising artists as he had a few years earlier. It's become a hard-to-find (yet inexpensive) record, while the other three Suns sit in the 20 to 50-dollar range.
Due to Windows' flaws, I can't upload another image to this post, so here's the link; click on it to hear this song.
"Miracle of You" is a country-pop item with a subdued vocal chorus that is just there enough to register with the listener. Kudos to whomever mixed this recording; they did listeners a kindness. Maddux, who wrote both sides, is absent on steel guitar; an electric guitarist takes his place.
Might this have been an attempt to get a pop hit? Zero innovation as a song, but Chaffin's performance is winning and expressive. While it's sad to realize this was the singer's last stand with Sun Records, and that the songs fail to equal or better those of the first two singles, it's a decent normal country-pop outing and had commercial appeal. Phillips let some promising records slide in 1959; his attention was on Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash, who made the label steady income.
Chaffin continued to record, but only for small labels. His 1960 single "Phantom Rider" is a weird one and worth looking up on YouTube. Well worth getting is the 2008 Bear Family CD Laughin` And Jokin` - The Sun Years, which gathers all available material from the Sun tape vaults and has great liner notes by Canadian roots musician Hank Davis.
Tomorrow: Sylvia Robinson of Mickey & Sylvia fame delivers a sublime pop-soul twin-spin via a 1964 Sue Records single. One of the best records you'll hear this week!
Yeah, these are two kinda standard Country songs. The pedal steel on "Don't Ever Leave Me"' sometimes hits so high a note that it sounds to me like a theremin. Yikes! You're probably right about DJs being bored by these simple country tunes in 1959. Chaffin's voice reminds me of the character actor Roscoe Ates' voice. Ates was most often seen in B westerns and usually a stammering comic foil. Still, all in all, these ARE nice recordings.
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