Ric Cartey, "Heart Throb" c/w "I Wantcha to Know," RCA Victor 47-6828 (rel. 1/1957)
Ric Cartey has been a good-luck charm for me. Three times in the past, after seeing a battered-to-death copy of one of his in-demand rockabilly platters (at an absurd price) I've turned away to discover an under-priced record that's made my day. Thus, I figured I'd never lay hands on a playable single by this Atlanta, GA artist.
That cycle has been broken. Here's the second RCA-Victor release by this Peach State rocker who delivered some of the wildest sounds ever issued on that uptight mainstream label. "Heart Throb" is the essence of the first wave of rock 'n' roll--regional, unconventional and unique-sounding.
Ric Cartey burst upon the music scene in the latter half of 1956 with "Young Love," a song he created the tune for from a poem written by Carole Lowery, daughter of Atlanta music maven Bill Lowery--a perfect entree to a recording contract. Lowery produced the debut version of this pop standard and a terrible recording, with Cartey singing his melody off-key to painful effect.
Much better was the primitive acoustic rockabilly of "Ooh-Eee," penned by Jerry Reed, future Nashville star. Reed and Cartey were both 19 when they first worked together. RCA-Victor wanted "Young Love" access, so they signed Cartey, who was a close fit for their other rock 'n' roll acts. Cartey's out-there sound came closest to the Sun Records/Elvis format. At this time, no guardrails were in place; rock 'n' roll artists could do whatever they pleased and it was deemed commercial (tho' most record execs felt it was garbage).
Today we'll hear Ric Cartey's second Victor 45, recorded at the tail end of 1956 and issued at the start of '57. Like his prior single it was recorded at a Decatur, GA facility owned by the Georgia School of Technology--the home of many early sides produced by Bill Lowery, who shepherded a generation of Georgia artists. With Jerry Reed pickin' acoustic guitar atop Cartey's band The Jiv-a-tones, "Heart Throb" is a moody mover with a heavy, erotic performance by Cartey, who becomes a rockabilly Jim Morrison for two minutes.
Reed's hard-edged picking, over a relentless single chord and minimal, muddy percussion, drives this intense, almost X-rated performance guaranteed to terrify parent's groups, tea socials and church bazaars across the American heartland. Cash Box declined to review or report on it. As "Young Love" became pop hits for Sonny James (on Capitol) and gay film star Tab Hunter (on Dot)--a source of helpful income to Cartey for years--"Heart Throb" came and went with little notice. It has become a canonical rockabilly performance, for obvious reasons. This is music that wants to steal your hubcaps and take your teenaged daughter out to Lover's Lane in a beat-up jalopy.
That cycle has been broken. Here's the second RCA-Victor release by this Peach State rocker who delivered some of the wildest sounds ever issued on that uptight mainstream label. "Heart Throb" is the essence of the first wave of rock 'n' roll--regional, unconventional and unique-sounding.
Ric Cartey burst upon the music scene in the latter half of 1956 with "Young Love," a song he created the tune for from a poem written by Carole Lowery, daughter of Atlanta music maven Bill Lowery--a perfect entree to a recording contract. Lowery produced the debut version of this pop standard and a terrible recording, with Cartey singing his melody off-key to painful effect.
Much better was the primitive acoustic rockabilly of "Ooh-Eee," penned by Jerry Reed, future Nashville star. Reed and Cartey were both 19 when they first worked together. RCA-Victor wanted "Young Love" access, so they signed Cartey, who was a close fit for their other rock 'n' roll acts. Cartey's out-there sound came closest to the Sun Records/Elvis format. At this time, no guardrails were in place; rock 'n' roll artists could do whatever they pleased and it was deemed commercial (tho' most record execs felt it was garbage).
Today we'll hear Ric Cartey's second Victor 45, recorded at the tail end of 1956 and issued at the start of '57. Like his prior single it was recorded at a Decatur, GA facility owned by the Georgia School of Technology--the home of many early sides produced by Bill Lowery, who shepherded a generation of Georgia artists. With Jerry Reed pickin' acoustic guitar atop Cartey's band The Jiv-a-tones, "Heart Throb" is a moody mover with a heavy, erotic performance by Cartey, who becomes a rockabilly Jim Morrison for two minutes.
Reed's hard-edged picking, over a relentless single chord and minimal, muddy percussion, drives this intense, almost X-rated performance guaranteed to terrify parent's groups, tea socials and church bazaars across the American heartland. Cash Box declined to review or report on it. As "Young Love" became pop hits for Sonny James (on Capitol) and gay film star Tab Hunter (on Dot)--a source of helpful income to Cartey for years--"Heart Throb" came and went with little notice. It has become a canonical rockabilly performance, for obvious reasons. This is music that wants to steal your hubcaps and take your teenaged daughter out to Lover's Lane in a beat-up jalopy.
Billboard's more sober reportage is level-headed and sincere. Without the showboat verbiage of rival Cash Box, they offer a more down to earth account of how early rock 'n' roll was regarded when new.
"I Wantcha to Know" makes a pretense at the then-current Elvis sound, with a vocal chorus that sounds a bit ghastly. Cartey's manic performance, with his heavy Southern accent, puts paid to any comparison. It almost sounds like Bullwinkle Moose trying out rock 'n' roll, with Boris and Natasha as his back-up band.
Jerry Reed's zesty picking does its thing once again on a side that, perhaps, was intended as the more commercial, radio-friendly portion of 47-6828. Alas, it was not to be. I'm sure this got airplay in the Southeast coastal areas, but it way too out-there for a mainstream that could embrace Elvis and who contributed to his turn towards pop music rather than rock 'n' roll.
Jerry Reed's zesty picking does its thing once again on a side that, perhaps, was intended as the more commercial, radio-friendly portion of 47-6828. Alas, it was not to be. I'm sure this got airplay in the Southeast coastal areas, but it way too out-there for a mainstream that could embrace Elvis and who contributed to his turn towards pop music rather than rock 'n' roll.
Highly recommended is Bear Family's 2017 CD The Complete Ric Cartey (BCD 17556), a lavish digipack presentation with an informative booklet and plenty of pix, unissued tracks and little-known later items from this fascinating performer's songbook.
P.S.: my record luck has not been jinxed by finding a Ric Cartey 45; last night I won an eBay auction for a rare and in-demand Detroit girl-group single for 50 dollars below its market price. I credit Ric Cartey with this continued good fortune.
Tomorrow: Wanda Jackson at her rockin' best with a fab 1957 Capitol Records classic!
Two really way out rockin' numbers! I found myself thinking Carty wasn't quite serious and was doing his Elvis impression tongue-in-cheek—but adding Jerry Reed's twangy, earthy Leadbelly-esque gee-tar I think redeems these songs as rock/americana and makes them rise above just more dismissable not-very-good rockabilly songs.
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