Jack Scott, "Tall Tales" c/w "Flakey John," Groove 58-0049 (rel. 11/1964)
This was the last of five singles for RCA-Victor's revived Groove imprint. Once the province of Black vernacular music, Groove 2.0 (1961-65) was home to teen pop, a misguided segment of Charlie Rich's career, Black girl groups, reissues of '50s doo-wop and country. Thus, it was a good fit for Scott, and producer Chet Atkins respected the rocker's vibe and didn't force him to change (as he did to Charlie Rich).
Though the arrival of the British rock combos brought a revived interest in roots rock, the odds of an old-timer (teen-music-wise) to crack the charts was a long shot. This single represents an effort to enter the modern pop field; Scott put his balladeer side in his pocket and went full-force towards a novelty pop hit.
In "Tall Tales," he had a strong chance. Inspired by the common riff heard in "Bread and Butter" by The Newbeats and Rich's soon-to-be smash "Mohair Sam," this eccentric slice of country rock is delivered in a snide, nasal voice that might have been a spoof of Bob Dylan's signature drawl. The "blab blab blab" vocal hook is at first off-putting but soon becomes a delight. To a solid Nashville session backing (Ray Edenton [gt], Bob Moore [bass], Buddy Harman [drums], Hargus Robbins [piano] and The Jordanaires on backup vox), Scott relays this story of a windbag on the prowl with a sleepy-eyed stance.
It had potential to get on the charts; such records caught the ears of deejays, who still had the power of the purse in '64; hits would soon be decided in boardroom meetings and imposed upon DJs. It's become a cult item among fans and collectors, but copies seldom turn up. (The one in today's marquee, autographed by Scott, isn't mine; it was the clearest and most color-correct images I could scare up on the web.)
"Flakey John" is a rock 'n' roll update of the folk music classic "Lost John." Cash Box's description is random. This is a rockin' celebration of the village eccentric, whose wayward lass has distressed him. Our narrator encourages John to go back home and patch things up.
The massive sound of this side is joyous. Touches of the Nashville Sound are present on both sides, but don't hamper Scott's intentions and result in a mix of rock, country and pop that doesn't sound like anything else of its time. One foot in the past, the other touching the future's edge; that's always a good place for popular music to exist.
Scott moved to the main RCA-Victor label for three more singles which go into much less interesting country-pop territory; here, producer Atkins seems a bit lost, and Scott doesn't sound comfortable in this style. The rock 'n' roll eccentric heard on today's record suits him much better; he might have become the odd uncle of rock music as the 1960s rolled on. Instead, he lost touch with the youth market and soon retired from recording.
Tomorrow: wild boppin' rockabilly with some middle-aged-soundin' cat singin' his heart out, via a scarce 1958 Josie Records platter.
Both are fun songs. These seem a bit anachronistic for late 1964 but most country/country pop usually has a nostalgic feel to it to my ears. Scott is a dead ringer for actor Bobby Cannavale.
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