Dude Martin - transcriptions (by Steve Hathaway)

by Steve Hathaway

DUDE MARTIN - MacGregor & Sollie transcription sessions

DUDE MARTIN & HIS HILLBILLIES

Although MacGregor paperwork logged this group as Dude Martin & his Hillbillies at a time when Martin & his band were appearing on Oakland radio as Dude Martin & his Nevada Nite Herders, initial releases bore no artist credit whatsoever and only a small fraction of the sides recorded were ever pressed under the Hillbillies name.

10-inch 78rpm discs were issued, at least initially, as all of the earliest MacGregor & Sollie discs apparently were, without song titles or artist credit on labels. Later pressings of some of these early discs may bear title and artist credit, however. Remaining 10-inch discs were issued issued as by Dude Martin Cowboy Group (some releases may simply bear the credit “Cowboy Group”).

Releases marked † are 16-inch, 33⅓rpm, multi-track radio transcriptions issued under the pseudonym The Okies. These are reissues of earlier 10-inch issues. MacGregor used the Okies pseudonym for recordings by several other groups, too, and releases under this name included not only recordings by Martin but also recordings by the Colorado Hillbillies and Al Clauser & his Oklahoma Outlaws.

Indeed, at least one Okies release (MacGregor LB 2281) contains no songs by Martin at all. Remaining 16-inch transcriptions were issued as by Dude Martin & his Westerners (or in the apparent singular case of LB. 546 as by Dude Martin & his Hillbillies).

There are possibly further 16-inch transcription releases not detailed here.

A number of recordings made on March 1937 by Al Clauser for MacGregor, and on March 19 at MacGregor’s Hollywood studios for Brunswick-ARC, were issued by MacGregor under Martin's name (as by Dude Martin & Cowboy Group). Since these are not actually Dude Martin recordings, they are not detailed here. See the separate Al Clauser discography for details.

Personnel listed for each session is based on aural evidence and surviving documentary evidence, and many details have been confirmed by Barbara McSwain Colton, Dude Martin's sister, who performed with the band as a vocalist during this period. Vocal credits are not given on labels nor in any surviving paperwork. Those listed here have been established through aural identification. Thus vocal ID’s are listed only for recordings in the possession of the compiler.

28 September 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California.

Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal¹; Curtis T. (Ted) “Sage” Wolff, fiddle; Shorty Burke (David Brissell), bass/vocal; Happy Gordon (Earle Teasdale), vocal².

MATRIX	TITLE	10-inch 78rpm	16-inch 33⅓rpm
MS 1701	Big Corral ¹	177	LB 2159A†
MS 1702	There's A Blue Sky ²	178	LB 556
MS 1703	Ragtime Cowboy Joe	179	LB 574
MS 1704	Charlie Brooks and Nellie Dare ¹	180	LB. 546
MS 1705	Strawberry Roan¹	181	LB. 546
MS 1706	Eleven More Months And Ten More Day ¹ ²	182	LB 556
MS 1707	Tumbling Tumble Weeds	183?
MS 1708	Riding Down The Old Texas Trail ²	184?	LB 556
MS 1709	Rounded Up In Glory	270	LB 574
MS 1710	Ridin' Home²		LB 556; LB 565
MS 1711	Moonlight On The Prairie ²	249	LB 565
MS 1712	Carry Me Back To The Lone Prairie	250?
MS 1713	Little Girl Dressed In Blue	unissued?
MS 1714	Swiss Yodel	unissued?
MS 1715	High Toned Dance ¹	185?	LB 2159A†

NOTES; Question marks indicate that there is uncertainty as to whether original takes or remakes of these recordings made on 30 Oct 1935 were issued. Surviving MacGregor paperwork on desposit at the Library of Congress is sometimes difficult to decipher with absolutely certainty regarding the particular session at which some masters were recorded, and which takes were pressed for issue, etc.

Identification is made more difficult by the fact that many of the songs are unavailable for audition at this point. It appears possible from paperwork, though unlikely, that the remake (“A” takes) of both MS 1707 & 1714, for example, were recorded at the above session. It appears far more likely that they were cut at the same time other remakes were made, on October 30. Also, it seems likely

that a first version of MS 1715 was recorded at this date, though a handwritten notation on the master sheets would appear to indicate that the master recording ultimately used was recorded on October 30, despite the lack of “A” take designation that the other October 30 remakes were assigned.

It is also seems that in some cases that two different takes were issued in some cases, one version in the 10-inch 78rpm series and another on later 16-inch 33⅓ discs. For instance, it appears as if MS 1716 was issued on LB 565, while MS 1716 A may have been used for the original 10-inch issue. Similarly, the original take MS 1708 is on LB 556 but it is uncertain whether the original 10-inch issue used MS 1708 or MS 1708 A. Until it is possible to audition the recordings in question, the exact details of some issues will remain unanswerable.

14 October 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California

Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal¹; Curtis T. (Ted) "Sage" Wolff, fiddle; Shorty Burke (David Brissell), bass/vocal³; Happy Gordon (Earle Teasdale), vocal².

MS 1716	Chisholm Trail ¹ ³	186?	LB 565
MS 1717	Home On The Range	253?
MS 1718	Git Along Little Dogies ¹	254	LB. 546
MS 1719	Goodbye Old Paint	255
MS 1720	Clementine	256
MS 1721	Hand Me Down My Walking Cane	257?
MS 1722	When The Work’s All Done Next Fall	258
MS 1723	Cowboy Jack	unissued
MS 1724	Red River Valley ¹	260
MS 1725	Cowboy’s Nightmare ¹	261
MS 1726	Little Old Sod Shanty	262?
MS 1727	Roll On Silvery Moon	263
MS 1728	Seeing Nellie Home	264
MS 1729	Lonesome Valley	265
MS 1730	Cowboy’s Dream	266
MS 1731	Valley Of Dreams

30 October 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California

Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal; Curtis T. (Ted) "Sage" Wolff, fiddle; Bud McDonald (James Kness), bass/guitar/ vocal⁴; Ralph Jordan, vocal⁵/guitar/bass.

MS 1707 A MS 1708 A MS 1712 A	Tumbling Tumble Weeds Riding Down The Old Texas Trail Carry Me Back To The Lone Prairie	183? 184? 250?
MS 1713 A	Little Girl Dressed In Blue ⁵	251?	LB 565
MS 714 A	Swiss Yodel	252?
MS 1715 (A?)	High Toned Dance ¹	185?	LB 2159A†
MS 1716 A MS 1717 A	Chisholm Trail Home On The Range ⁴	186? 253?	LB. 546
MS 1721 A	Hand Me Down My Walking Cane ¹	257?	LB 645
MS 1727 A	Roll On Silvery Moon	262?
MS 1728 A	Seeing Nellie Home	263
MS 1729 A	Lonesome Valley	264
MS 1732	Rolling Stone	267
MS 1733	Kingdom Comin’ ¹	268	LB 2159†
MS 1734	Nevada Memories	269

NOTE: MacGregor LB 645, on which “Hand Me Down My Walking Cane” (MS 1721 A) appears pseudonymously, was devoted to Rhubarb Red & his Rubes and other recordings on the same disc are by this group, not Martin.

As mentioned above, it appears from MacGregor’s listing of Dude Martin masters that the issued version of "High Toned Dance" (MS 1715) was recorded at the above session, despite lacking any "A" take designation to indicate this.

(MS 1734) released on 269 as “Stars Are Shining Bright In Old Nevada”

14  December 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California.

Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal; Curtis T. (Ted) "Sage" Wolff, fiddle; Harry T. (Ted) "Hezzie" Johnson, accordion; Bud McDonald (James Kness), bass/guitar/vocal; Ralph Jordan, vocal⁵/guitar/bass.

MS 1735	Little Ah Sid ⁵	317	LB 2159†
MS 1736	Chime Bells	318
MS 1737	Little Brown Jug ¹	319	LB 2159†
MS 1738	Little Shirt Me Mother Made For Me ¹	320	LB 2159†
MS 1739	Old Joe Clarke ⁵	321	LB 2159A†
MS 1740	Camptown Races ⁵	322	LB 2159A†
MS 1741	Little Joe The Wrangler ¹	323	LB 2186†
MS 1742	Gold Coast Express	324
MS 1743	When Round Up Time Is Over ¹	325	LB 796†
MS 1744	My Niobrara Gal	326
MS 1745	The Old Mill Wheel	327
MS 1746	Boots and Saddle	328	LB 574
MS 1747	Buffalo Girls	329	LB 2159A†
MS 1748	Chicken Reel	330	LB 2159†
MS 1749	Mrs. Mcleod’s Reel	331	LB 2159A†
MS 1750	The White Coekade-	332	LB 2171†
MS 1751	Listen To The Mockingbird	333	LB 2159A†
MS 1752	Oklahoma Blues ⁵	334	LB 796†
MS 1753	Wreck of the Old 97 ¹	335	LB 796†
MS 1754	Twenty One Years ¹	336	LB 796†
MS 1755	Old Time Religion⁴	337	LB 2159†
MS 1756	Golden Slippers	338	LB 2186†
MS 1757	Get Away, Old Man, Get Away	339
MS 1758	The Cowboy's Reel	340	LB 2171†
MS 1759	Soldier's Joy	341	LB 2171†
MS 1760	Bury Me ’Neath The Willow⁴	342	LB 2171†
MS 1761	When The Roses Bloom For The Moonshiners	343
MS 1762	New River Train ¹	344	LB 2171†
MS 1763	Southern Home ⁵	345
MS 1764	4000 Years Ago ¹	346	LB 2186†

15  February 1935 MacGregor & Sollie Recording Studios, 865 Mission Street, San Francisco, California.

Dude Martin (John S. McSwain), leader/guitar/vocal ¹; Curtis T. (fed) "Sage" Wolff, fiddle; Harry T. (Ted) "Hezzie" Johnson, accordion; Ralph Jordan, guitar/bass/voeal⁵; Happy Gordon (Earle Teasdale), bass/vocal².

MS 1765	Oh Susannah ¹	499	LB 2282†
MS 1766	Goodbye, My Lover, Goodbye ²	500	LB 2186†
MS 1767	Soulwood Mountain ¹ ²	501	LB 2186†
MS 1768	One More River To Cross ¹ ²	502	LB 2171†
MS 1769	Jim Crack Com ¹	503	LB 2070†
MS 1770	Walk In Jerusalem Just Like John ¹	504	LB 2069†
MS 1771	Birmingham Jail ¹	505	LB 2171†
MS 1772	Cowboy's Meditation ⁵	506	LB 2069†
MS 1773	In The Days of' 49	507
MS 1774	Sweet Betsy From Pike ¹	508	LB 2186†
MS 1775	Jesse James ²	509	LB 2070†
MS 1776	Dear Evelina ²	510	LB 2070†
MS 1777	Goin’ Down To Town ¹	511	LB 2186†
MS 1778	The Midnight Special ¹	512
MS 1779	Oklahoma Sweetheart ¹	513
MS 1780	Hear Dem Bells ¹	514
MS 1781	Nelly Was A Lady	515

MS 1782	The Letter Edged In Black	516
MS 1783	Hallelujah I’m A Bum	517
MS 1784	Irish WashelWoman (Hoe Down)	518
MS 1785	The Dying Cowboy	437
MS 1786	She Sleeps Beneath The Daisies	438
MS 1787	I Wish I Was Single Again	439
MS 1788	Rocky Mountain Express	440
MS 1789	Ridin’ That Old Crooked Trail	441
MS 1790	Will You Love Me When My Hair Has Turned To Silver	443
MS 1791	Round-Up In The Sky	444
MS 1792	Take Me Back To Dream By The Old Mill Stream	445
MS 1793	Kickin’ Mule	446	LB 2070†
MS 1794	The Girl Who Played Injun With Me	442

THE OKIES - MacGregor transcriptions, c. 1940-mid 1940s.

Early in its transition from reliance on 10-inch 78rpm discs in its radio transcription service to a more common issue of such material on 16-inch, 33⅓rpm multi-track discs, which appears to have occurred around 1940, the C.P. MacGregor transcription company pressed a number of items under the name The Okies. However, no suchgroup existed, at least not as a recording group for MacGregor. The Okies discs were, in fact, reissues of earlier recordings by different artists that MacGregor collected under The Okies banner. Used in this series were recordings by Dude Martin from 1935–6, recordings by Al Clauser from 1937, and by the Colorado Hillbillies from 1938.

Listed below are known issues under The Okies name, with explanation of the source of the various recordings used.

TITLE ISSUE # MacGregor LB 2069 (026) Hillbillies Request	ACTUAL ARTIST Colorado Hillbillies	ORIGINAL MASTER # MS 3219	ORIGINAL 1322
Cowboy's Meditation	Dude Martin	MS 1772	506
Walk In Jerusalem Just Like John Old Joe	Dude Martin Colorado Hillbillies	MS 1770 MS 3202	504 none?
MacGregor LB 2070 (031) Dear Evelina	Dude Martin	MS 1776	510
Eighth of January	Colorado Hillbillies	MS 3204	1310
Kicking Mule	Dude Martin	MS 1793	446
Jim Crack Corn	Dude Martin	MS 1769	503
Jesse James	Dude Martin	MS 1775	509
MacGregor LB 2159 (0140) Chicken Reel	Dude Martin	MS 1748	330
Little Ah Sid	Dude Martin	MS 1735	317
Old Time Religion	Dude Martin	MS 1755	337
Little Shirt That Mother Made For Me	Dude Martin	MS 1738	320
Little Brown Jug	Dude Martin	MS 1737	319
Kingdom Coming	Dude Martin	MS 1733	268
MacGregor LB 2159A (0139) Listen To The Mocking Bird	Dude Martin	MS 1751	333
High Toned Dance	Dude Martin	MS 1715	185
McCleod's Reel	Dude Martin	MS 1749	331
Big Corral	Dude Martin	MS 1701	177
Buffalo Gals	Dude Martin	MS 1747	329
Camptown Races	Dude Martin	MS 1740	322
Old Joe Clark	Dude Martin	MS 1739	321

MacGregor LB 2171 (0142) One More River To Cross	Dude Martin	MS 1768	502
Birmingham Jail	Dude Martin	MS 1771	505
Soldier's Joy	Dude Martin	MS 1759	341
Bury Me Beneath The Willow	Dude Martin	MS 1760	342
White Cockade	Dude Martin	MS 1750	332
The Cowboy's Reel	Dude Martin	MS 1758	340
New River Trail	Dude Martin	MS 1762	344
MacGregor LB 2186 (0141) Sweet Betsy From Pike	Dude Martin	MS 1774	508
Four Thousand Years Ago	Dude Martin	MS 1764	346
Goodbye My Lover Goodbye	Dude Martin	MS 1766	500
Sourwood Mountain	Dude Martin	MS 1767	501
Golden Slippers	Dude Martin	MS 1756	338
Goin' Down To Town	Dude Martin	MS 1777	511
Little Joe The Wrangler	Dude Martin	MS 1741	323
MacGregor LB 2187 (0160) Eighth of January	Colorado Hillbillies	MS 3204	1310
Lonely Rider Grey Eaglenone Blue Eyed Ellen	Colorado Hillbillies Colorado Hillbillies Colorado Hillbillies	MS 3209 MS 3203 MS 3210	1315 none? 1316
Zeb Tumey’s Gal	Colorado Hillbillies	MS 3221	1324
Liza Jane	Colorado Hillbillies	MS 3211	1317
MacGregor LB 2281 (????) Cackling Hen	Colorado Hillbillies	MS 3216	none?
Kitty Wells	Colorado Hillbillies	MS 3217	1321
Massa’s In The Cold, Cold Ground	Al Clauser	MS 2805	989
Haste To The Wedding Old Joe Clarke Wait For The Wagon	Al Clauser Colorado Hillbillies Colorado Hillbillies	MS 2802 MS 3202 MS 3208	983 none? 1314
MacGregor LB 2282 (0241) Arkansas Traveller 983 Gal I Left Behind Me	Al Clauser Colorado Hillbillies	MS 2282 MS 3214	1320
Cowboy’s Dream	Colorado Hillbillies	MS 3206	1312
Shack By The Railroad Track	Colorado Hillbillies	MS 3207	1313
Oh Susannah	Dude Martin	MS 1765	499
MacGregor LB 796 (1337) Oklahoma Blues	Dude Martin	MS 1752	334
Wreck of the Old 97	Dude Martin	MS 1753	335
When Round Up Time Is Over	Dude Martin	MS 1743	325
Twenty One Years	Dude Martin	MS 1754	336