Tommy Blake

Thomas LeVan Givens, *14-09-1931 Dallas, TX, +24-12-1985

2nd version

By Richard Weize, Praguefrank, Thieu Van De Vorst
SESSIONS
Early 1956 KWKH Radio Station Studio, 327 Texas St., Shreveport, LA – Tommy Blake and Rhythm Rebels (Carl Adams [gt], Sonny Trammell [steel], Eddie Hall [bass], poss. Dobber Johnson [fiddle])
001 KOOLIT Buddy B-107/ BCD 16797
002 IF I’M A FOOL Buddy B-107/BCD 16797
15 April 1957 [14:00-17:00] RCA Victor Studio, Methodist Television, Radio and Film Commission, 1525 McGavock St., Nashville, TN – Tommy Blake and The Rhythm Rebels (Carl Adams [gt], Eddie Hall [gt], Buddy Killen [bass], Farris Coursey [drums], Floyd Cramer [piano]. Producer: Chet Atkins)
003 H2-WB-0683 HONKY TONK MIND [THE WOMAN I NEED] RCAunissued/CMF-014 BCD 16797
004 H2-WB-0684 FREEDOM 47-6925/ BCD 16797
005 H2-WB-0685 MISTER HOODY 47-6925/ BCD 16797
006 H2-WB-0686 ALL NIGHT LONG RCAunissued/CMF-014 BCD 16797
18 August 1957 Sun Studio, 706 Union Ave., Memphis, TN - Tommy Blake and The Rhythm Rebels (Carl Adams [gt], Eddie Hall [bass], Jimmy Van Eaton [drums] + The Singing Sons: Elijah Franklin, John Franklin, Andre Mitchell, Johnny Pryor. Producer: Jack Clement)
007 U-266 FLAT FOOT SAM Sun 278/BCD 16797
008 U-267 LORDY HOODY Sun 278/ BCD 16797
ca. March 1958 Sun Studio, 706 Union Ave., Memphis, TN - Tommy Blake (solo. Producer: Sam Phillips)
009 BALLAD OF A BROKEN HEART Sun unissued/BFX 15211 BCD 16797
010 DIESEL TRUCK unissued/ BCD 16797
011 WINDOW OF MY HEART unissued/ BCD 16797
012 CHUCKIE unissued/ BCD 16797
013 LITTLE LOVELIGHT unissued/ BCD 16797
014 I STILL LOVE YOU unissued/ BCD 16797
015 MY ALICE FAYE unissued/ BCD 16797
016 I DIG YOU BABY unissued/va Sun Box-106 BCD 16797
017 YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT unissued/Sun Box-106 BCD 16797 BCD 16311
BEAR FAMILY BCD 16311 THAT'LL FLAT GIT IT VOL.16/ ROCKABILLY FROM THE VAULTS OF SUN RECORDS (GER, 1999)
15 March 1958 Sun Studio, 706 Union Ave., Memphis, TN - Tommy Blake and The Rhythm Rebels (Carl Adams [gt], Eddie Hall [bass], Jimmy Van Eaton [drums]. Producer: Sam Phillips)
018 U-312 SWEETIE PIE 300/ BCD 16797
019 SHAKE AROUND 614 / BCD 16797 [t.1] unissued/ BCD 16797 [t.2] unissued
16 March 1958 Sun Studio, 706 Union Ave., Memphis, TN - Tommy Blake and The Rhythm Rebels (Carl Adams [gt], Ed Bruce [gt], Roland Janes [gt], Sid Manker [gt], Stan Kesler [bass], Jimmy Van Eaton [drums], Jimmy Wilson [piano]. Producer: Sam Phillips)
020 U-313 I DIG YOU BABY Sun 300/ BCD 16797
021 YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT 614/ BCD 16797 [t.1] unissued/ BCD 16797 [t.3] unissued/ BCD 16797
1958 Dee Marais Studio, Shreveport, LA – Tommy Blake (Carl Adams [gt] + more unknown musician. Producer: Dee Marais)
022 COOL ALLIGATOR WLP-8874/ BCD 16797
023 I’LL BE FREE WLP-8874/ BCD 16797
1959 Dee Marais Studio, Shreveport, LA – Tommy Blake (unknown musicians. Producer: Dee Marais)
024 9593/CP-2438 THE HANGING JUDGE Recco 1006/ BCD 16797
025 9594/CP-2439 F-OLDING MONEY Recco 1006/ BCD 16797

Spring 1962 unknown – Tommy Blake

026 THREE CHEERS FOR THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE Chancellor CW-101

027 I GOTTA BE SOMEWHERE Chancellor CW-101
ca 1962 unknown – Van Givens

028 BACKDOOR TO HEAVEN 4 Star 1765

029 I TRY HARDER  4 Star 1765
1964 unknown – Van Givens (Shreve-Nash Production)

030 SRP 7013 TEXAS LOVIN‘Aetna 103641

031 SRP 7014 GALVESTON  Aetna 103641

Mid 1965 unknown – Van Givens

032 B213A WHO THREW THE WATER (ON MY SPARK OF LOVE) Bragg B 213

033 B213B I TRY HARDER - 64
ca late 1965 unknown – Van Givens (Producer: Pappy Daily)

034 ZTSP 106340  DREAM TRAIN Musicor MU-1145

035 ZTSP 106341 TO EACH HIS OWN Musicor MU-1145

Spring 1967 unknown – Van Givens

036 SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINNERS (SATURDAY NIGHT SINGER) Paula 271

037 WAITIN‘ IN THE WAITIN‘ ROOM Paula 271

Fall 1967 unknown – Van Givens (Producer: Stan Lewis)

038 SL 1282 I WANT TO GO HOME Paula 284

039 SL 1283 STOP KICKING MY HEART AROUND Paula 284
040 SL 1290 DROOPY CHRISTMAS TREE 286

041 SL 1291 DADDY‘S BABY BOY 286

ALBUMS
White Label WLP-8874 Tommy Blake and Gene Wyatt: Koolit; F-Olding Money; Cool Aligator (unissued); I'll Be Free (unissued) + Gene Wyatt tracks - 97
Bear Family [GER] BCD-16797 Kool-It, The Sun Years plus: Flat Foot Sam; Honky Tonk Mind (Woman I Need); Koolit; Freedom; All Night Long; Shake Around; I Dig You Baby; Ballad Of A Broken Heart; You Better Believe It; Mister Hoody; Sweetie Pie; Diesel Truck; Shake Around; I Dig You Baby [vers. 2]; F-Olding Money; Window Of My Heart; You Better Believe It; Shake Around [vers. 2]; Chuckie; If I'm A Fool; Lordy Hoody; You Better Believe It [vers. 2]; Little Lovelight; Cool Alligator; I Still Love You; My Alice Faye; I'll Be Free; You Better Believe It [vers. 3]; The Hanging Judge – 07 (complete 1956-8)

SINGLES
Buddy (1956)
B-107 Koolit / If I‘m A Fool – 56
RCA Victor (1957)
47-6925 Mister Hoody / Freedom – 05-57
Sun (1957)
278 Flat Foot Sam / Lordy Hoody – 14-09-57
300 Sweetie Pie / I Dig You Baby – 06-58
614 Shake Around / You Better Believe It (released in France)
Recco (1959)
1006 The Hanging Judge /$ F-Olding Money $ - 11-59
Chancellor Country (1962)
CW-101 Three Cheers For The Red, White And Blue / I Gotta Be Somewhere – 06-62 (rev. June 9)
4-Star (1962?) as by Van Givens
1765 Backdoor To Heaven / I Try Harder – 62?
Aetna (1964)
No. 103641 Texas Lovin‘ / Galveston – 64
Bragg (1964) as by Van Givens
B 213 Who Threw The Water (On My Spark of Love)  / I Try Harder – 08-65
Musicor (1966) as by Van Givens
MU-1145 Dream Train / To Each His Own – 02-66
Paula (1967) as by Van Givens
271 Sunday School Beginners / Waitin‘ In The Waitin‘ Room – 05-67 (rev. May 6)
284 I Want To Go Home / Stop Kicking My Heart Around – 11-67 (rev. Nov. 11)
286 Droopy Christmas Tree / Daddy‘s Baby Boy – 11-67