Adam Hebert and his French band- "Ten Year Blues"

                                     

One record that has had some collectors baffled is Cajun Records #500. This particular release was released by Adam Hebert and issued on 78 rpm and 45 rpm.

Early Cajun music researcher, Wade Falcon, has wrote about the Cajun #500 released on 78rpm. That release contained "Homesick Waltz". But the Cajun #500 on 45 rpm contained different titles and the sound was definitely not the same as the 78rpm recording. But still we didn't know who put this out. Was it J.D. Miller? Was it Floyd Soileau?

First a bit of backstory. After returning home from the service, Adam Hebert joined the Veteran Playboys in 1946. The group was well received locally and even played on KSIG. In 1948, the group released one record on J.D. Miller's Fais Do Do label.

Afterwards the group split up. Alphee Bergeron continued on with the Veteran Playboys and Adam started his own group called the Country Playboys. But before the group recorded on Swallow Records, we have these two mysterious Cajun releases. While the 78 version is credited to Adam and Cleby Richard with the Welcome Playboys, the 45 version is credited to Adam Hebert and his French band.

As for the 45 rpm release of Cajun #500 we now know the truth. It seems Adam was ahead of his time. Instead of recording for a label during this time, Adam paid for the session and the records and put them out himself. He did this twice with with two different sessions with the same record number. He recalls:

"Well, this record, J.D. recorded for me at his studio in Crowley. I put up the money, and I had enough time, I went around and I sold it, and I sold them all. Miller charged me 35 dollars to cut it and send to the company, then I ordered so much.."

So it seems Adam had enough foresight to bypass recording for a label and pay for the sessions and records and put it out himself. "Ten Year Blues" would be the second release by Adam Hebert and recorded in 1958. In light of a new interview with Adam, he notes that the accordion player on the recording was not Cleby Richard, but Nathan Menard. I asked Floyd Soileau about this recording in a interview recently, he confirms what Adam said:

"That was a Jay Miller! He went to Miller's Studio. Jay had come out with different labels and what not, and maybe that one was recorded because he possibly because he wasn't too crazy about Hebert's recording.."

The lyrics tell the tale of a man sentenced to jail for ten years; being falsely accused by a lover. And after the ten years is up and he is released; the old lover sees him and starts to cry.

Dix ans, dix ans, c'est long pour espérer

Avec une pierre, tout le temps sur mon oreiller

Dix ans, dix ans, c'est long pour misérer

Mais pour quelque chose que moi j'avais pas fait

C'est toi qui m'as accusé, tu m'as condamné

Le juge était content de m'envoyer

Ils m'ont maltraité, quand même que je l'ai demandé

De m'pardonner, pour ça j'avais pas fait

Quand ils m'ont pardonné, après ces grandes années

Quand tu m'as vue, tu t'as mis à pleurer

Toi t'as réalisé, le mal tu m'avais fait

Et comment gros, que j'avais miséré

Adam kept busy selling copies of "Ten Year Blues". In fact he drove to Floyd's Record Shop in Ville Platte and sold him the last 150 copies. Floyd was impressed with the recording and with Adam's songwriting. Floyd recalls:

"I mean when Adam came to me, I was impressed by the stories of his songs. He was coming up with some great lyrics and some great songs."

Floyd was so taken with Adam, he signed him to a contract with Adam getting the royalties from his releases. And from then on he recorded only for Floyd and Swallow Records.

As for the Cajun label, Adam's two releases were the only ones on it. But the next year in 1959, Miller did start up a new label called "KAJUN".

Session info

ADAM HERBERT AND HIS FRENCH BAND

V/fdl with Nathan Menard (acdn), Dirk Richard (st-g), Wilfred Labie (g),

Willard Matte (mand), John ‘Boy’ Miller (d)

Crowley 1958

J8OW 4488 Ten year blues Cajun 500

Resources

Early Cajun Music Blog

Interview with Floyd Soileau

Ann Savoy- Cajun Music Vol.2

Lyrics- Cajun lyrics.com

thanks to Jesse Lege