Cat. No. VV 1133: BOBBY LEE TRAMMELL ~ ARKANSAS TWIST. DEE JAY JAMBOREE DJ-LP 2036
USED VINYL RECORD. PART OF A COLLECTION NOW UP FOR SALE.
BOBBY LEE TRAMMELL WAS BORN ON A COTTON FARM NEAR JONESBORO, ARKANSAS INTO A FAMILY OF MUSICIANS. AS A HIGH SCHOOLER, HE PLAYED COUNTRY MUSIC AND WHEN CARL PERKINS AND JOHNNY CASH TOURED IN TRAMMELL'S AREA ON THE MIDDLE OF THE 1950s, PERKINS INVITED HIM TO SING A SONG AND TOLD HIM TO TALK TO SAM PHILLIPS, OWNER OF SUN RECORDS. THE MEETING CAME TO NOTHING, BUT BOBBY LEE MOVED TO LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA SOON AFTER IN HOPES OF LANDING A RECORDING CONTRACT. HE SAW BOBBY BARE PLAY AT A CARNIVAL AND CONVINCED BARE TO LET HIM COME ON STAGE FOR A FEW SONGS. LEFTY FRIZZELL, WHO WAS IN ATTENDANCE, ASKED BOBBY LEE TO OPEN FOR A SHOW AT THE JUBILEE BALLROOM. BOBBY LEE SOON WAS PERFORMING THERE REGULARLY, AND WON A REPUTATION FOR ELVIS PRESLEY-LIKE GYRATIONS AND WILDNESS ON STAGE THAT OCCASIONALLY CAUSED CONTROVERSY. BOBBY LEE IN HIS OWN WORDS SAID: "I WAS MUCH WILDER THAN JERRY LEE LEWIS OR LITTLE RICHARD".
EVENTUALLY, RECORD LABEL OWNER FABOR ROBISON SIGNED BOBBY LEE TO A CONTRACT AND HE RELEASED HIS FIRST SINGLE, CONTAINING THE SELF PENNED TUNES "SHIRLEY LEE" AND "I SURE DO LOVE YOU BABY". THE RECORDINGS INCLUDED SESSION MUSICIANS JAMES BURTON ON GUITAR AND JAMES KIRKLAND ON BASS. THE SINGLE SOLD WELL AND WAS PICKED UP FOR NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION BY ABC/PARAMOUNT. THE SONG NEVER HIT THE CHARTS, BUT MAY HAVE SOLD AS MANY AS 250,000 COPIES. RICKY NELSON COVERED "SHIRLEY LEE" SOON AFTER.
BOBBY LEE'S CAREER THEN WENT THROUGH A SERIES OF MISHAPS. DURING THE RECORDING OF HIS SECOND SINGLE , "YOU'RE THE MOSTEST GIRL", HE WAS BACKED BY AN ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS AND HE NEARLY QUIT HIS CONTRACT OVER THE DIFFICULT RECORDING SESSION. BOTH THIS SINGLE AND THE FOLLOW-UP, "MY SUSIE - MY SUSIE JANE" FAILED TO CHART, AND BY THE END OF THE 1950s, BOBBY LEE WAS PERFORMING STRICTLY LOCAL DATES IN CALIFORNIA. HE CONTINUED TO PERFORM AND RECORD INTO THE '60s AND THIS IS WHERE THE TRACKS ON THIS ALBUM ORIGINATED. BOBBY LEE LATER WENT INTO POLITICS.
THIS FOURTEEN TRACK ALBUM CONTAINS SOME OF THE WILDEST ROCKIN' PIANO TRACKS ON VINYL, ALL PENNED BY BOBBY LEE. THE SLEEVE IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION WITH SOME MINOR SHELF-WEAR ALONG THE EDGES BUT NO TEARS OR RING-WEAR. THE RECORD IS IN VIRTUALLY MINT CONDITION.
TRACK LISTING: Side 1 - Arkansas Twist / Carolyn / Come On Baby / It's All Your Fault / Sally Twist Part 1 / I Tried Not To Cry / Watch Me Do The Twist. Side 2 - Arkansas Stomp / I Like It / Sally Twist Part 2 / Bobby Lee Needs Love / Give Me That Good Lovin' / If You Ever Get It Once / New Danze In France.
12" VINYL RECORD
