Andrew Cormier and the Rambling Aces- "Seventy Three Special"

                                         

Andrew Cormier was born in 1936 and raised in Church Point. Growing up, his father played the harmonica. On New Year's Eve he would go to his grandmother's house where they played the accordion, mandolin and guitar. He grew up working as a sharecropper on Roy Horecky's land. He grew tired of Roy and his slave driving ways and went to Texas.

He found a job driving trucks and delivering freight for his brother-in-law in Beaumont. While in Texas, his brother-in-law took him to a dance to see C.J. Broussard and the Band Busters. C.J. was playing the drums and Tan Benoit was playing the accordion. But later on C.J. and Tan got into a fight and Tan was fired, leaving Andrew to play the accordion.

Andrew went on to play at the 73 Club in Winnie where he met Huey Meaux, who was a barber at the time. At the time the original Rambling Aces consisted of Harry Trehan, Roland Ledet, Hillman Doucet, but Andrew soon took over the band. Rodney LeJeune soon joined the group after Hurricane Audrey pushed him into Texas to find work.

By 1958, the Rambling Aces in Winnie consisted of Andrew, Rodney LeJeune,Roland Ledet, Chat Deville, Aaron Higginbotham with Huey Meaux on drums. The group cut their first record for Floyd Soileau's Swallow Records. "The Seventy Three Special" and "Dans La Misere" was recorded at KPAC radio station in Port Arthur and sold a astounding 500 copies. 

Hey tite monde, moi je assis moi tout seul

Plus personne pour m'aimer moi tout seul

comment je vas faire

Oh malheureuse moi je assis sur l' borde mon lit 

Mon chaplet dans ma mains apres prier pour tu t'en viens

Oh tite fille moi je assis moi tout seule

Moi j' aimerais tu t' en viens une autre

fois avant mourir

Oh chere tite couer moi je assis moi

tout seul

Moi j'aimerais tu t’en viens nous rejoinde

au seventy-three

At this point Huey wasn't just the drummer for the group, he was acting as the manager for the group. He was the one who got in touch with Floyd Soileau at Swallow Records. Floyd recalls:

"Huey was a disc jockey in Texas and he played some of our music over there on that radio station. Then he decided he wanted to make a little bit of money as a booking agent for these bands, and so he started recording them at the radio station and he wanted a label to put it on, so he sent me the copies of the tape and said "If you want to put 'em out, you can put 'em out." So, I did."

Andrew would cut two more records for Swallow before joining Huey Meaux's Crazy Cajun label. Andrew and the Aces went on to set the standard for the Texas dancehall scene, playing at the Rodair Club for 28 years.

One night at the Rodair Club, Andrew's idol, Lawrence Walker, came to see Andrew play. Andrew remembers:

He called me 'Tit Boy. I asked him, "Nonc Lawrence, do you want to play a couple of songs?" He said, No, not now." So I played a couple songs and then Lawrence got on the bandstand and told me, "I'd never thought when you was a kid that you'd pick up on my style."

Cajun musician and historian, Michael Dupuy reports that there are two recorded versions of this song with different lyrics and instrumentation.

Resources

Thanks to Michael Dupuy for help and guidance

Lyrics- Michael Dupuy

John Broven- South to Louisiana

Ann Savoy- Cajun Music Vol 2.

photos-Ann Savoy: Cajun Music Vol 2

interview with Floyd Soileau

Session info

HUEY MEAUX - ANDREW CORMIER AND THE RAMBLING ACES

(Jin 104 and 106)

Andrew Cormier (v-2/acdn), Rodney LeJune (LeJeune) (v-1/d), Shaw-ee Deville

(fdl), Aaron Higginbotham, Roland Ledet (g), unknown g

KPAC Radio Station, Port Arthur TX: 1958

J8OW 7466 Seventy three special-2 Jin 104

Marc Savoy and Dallas Roy with the Rambling Aces- "Prison Waltz"

In the 1940's Cajuns moved to East Texas cities like Port Arthur to follow the work demand. They brought their language and culture with them, playing at clubs around the area. The Rambling Aces played at many of these surrounding clubs including the Rodair Club.

During the 1950's and 1960's the climate in the US was perfect for independent operators. Huey Meaux of Crazy Cajun Records was one of them. Huey Meaux had convinced Floyd Soileau to release The Rambling Aces on Jin Records with their first release selling around 500 copies.

After a stretch with Soileau, The Rambling Aces began recording for Huey Meaux's Crazy Cajun label. Huey had started the label and the first several releases were those of the Rambling Aces. As they began recording and releasing their music, their popularity gained. Fans in Louisiana would make the 300 mile round trip to the Rodair Club in Port Acres on any given Saturday night. With the Rambling Aces, Meaux was involved as a manager and master of ceremonies at club dances. 

Marc Savoy was born near Eunice and growing up he fell in love with the accordion. When he was 12 he made one out of household items. Later on his father bought him a new accordion from the Sears Roebuck catalog. When he wasn't playing it, he was disassembling and reassembling it to see how it worked. Marc first met Andrew Cormier in 1964 when he made the trip to east Texas to hear the band at the Rodair Club. Marc was impressed by the musicianship of the band and with Andrew. The two hit it off and a life long friendship was formed.

Marc recorded with The Rambling Aces in two sessions. The first was in 1963 and the second was in 1964. While Andrew was primary accordion player for the Aces; Marc is the accordion player for these 2 sessions. The session in 1964 produced a number of recordings, including the "Prison Waltz".

On the recording were Dallas Roy on vocals, Rodney Lejeune on guitar, Marc Savoy on accordion, Walter Miller on fiddle, Raymond Cormier on steel guitar and Lionel Blanchard on bass guitar.

Dedans la prison, assis dessus mon lit,
après jongler à toi, tite fille comment j'vas faire.
O yéyaie, mon cœur est tout brisé 
après jongler à toi, catin, mais moi, j'm'en vas.

Hé, petite fille, quoi faire t'es comme ça? 
Aujourd'hui t'es après me quitter, 
'tite fille, tu veux plus me voir. 
Oh yéyaie, mon cœur est tout cassé,
dedans de la prison, comment j'vas faire?

This version is similar to "Prison Waltz" by Cleveland Mire recorded in 1951 and Lawrence Walker's "Creole Waltz". While there are many instances of the same melody used for different songs, the lyrics can vary. Canray Fontenot used a similar melody on "Les Barres De La Prison" which itself was based on Douglas Bellard and Kirby Riley's "La Valse La Prison" recorded in 1929.The Hackberry Ramblers recorded  a version of the song, "La Valse De Prison" in 1938.

Resources
Marc Savoy
Micheal Dupuy
John Broven- South To Louisiana
Wade Falcon-Early Cajun Music blog
lyrics- Stephane G.