Lawrence Walker- "Evangeline Waltz"

                                        

 

George Khoury was a business man from Lake Charles who owned a record shop. He got into releasing records by financing Virgil Bozeman's OT Records. Soon he started his own record label, calling it Khoury's. Operating out of his record shop, he soon was attracting Cajun musicians from East Texas and south Louisiana.

With his new business, he started off with the recordings of Lawrence Walker. Lawrence's popularity was well known around south Louisiana at this time as he was filling up the local dancehalls. Khoury signed Lawrence before Nathan Abshire as he knew Lawrence's intense accordion would rival Nathans's.

So in 1950, Lawrence emerged from retirement and stated recording for George Khoury. That first session produced two records. They sold well enough and the following year; Khoury had him back in the studio. Lawrence did something different than what his competitor Nathan was doing; he added a hypnotic drum beat to his songs. This session produced what would be his biggest seller; "Evangeline Waltz".

J'sus assis dans la port de ma maison, après pleurer,

J'sus après pleurer pour tu t'en reviens à rejoindre ton nègre,

Oui, chère 'tit monde, quand t'as quitter d'la maison,

Tu m'as dit tu pouvais, mais, p'us m'aimer,

Oh, yé yaille, mon cœur me fais mal.  

J'ai p'us personne à la maison, mais, pour m'aimer.

Oui, chère 'tit monde, si tu voudrais t'en revenir,

J'te pardonnerais pour tout ça que tu m'as fait,

C'est d'voir, aujourd'hui, j'ai p'us personne pour m'aimer

J'sus moi, tout seul, après mourir dedans l'chagrin.

Oh, bébé, mon chère 'tit bébé,

J'ai p'us personne à la maison, mais, pour m'aimer.

J'sus assis dans la porte de ma maison, après jongler,

J'sus après jongler si jamais tu va revenir,

Oui, chère 'tit monde, quand t'as quitter d'la maison,

Tu m'as dit tu pouvais, mais, p'us m'aimer.

Lawrence and his band play top notch here, doing a bluesy waltz. His band at the time consisted of U.J. Meaux on fiddle, Demus Comeaux on guitar, Junior Benoit on steel and Lawrence Trehan on drums.

While most pressings started off with a run of 500 copies, its safe to say "Evangeline Waltz" had multiple pressings.  Even when Khoury started focusing on rock and roll and country sides later on, he would reissue his big sellers on the new 45 rpm medium. The only two Cajun artists he reissued on 45 rpm was Nathan Abshire and of course; Lawrence Walker.

Lawrence's sound became the prototype of what Khoury's records were to sound like.  His success on Khoury's  prompted George Khoury to sign Nathan in 1951 and even had him to stick with the formula that Lawrence had created. He would go on to record for the label until 1955. Even then Lawrence would try to keep up with the times, even recording up tempo English songs.

Years later when Chris Strachwitz was compiling a Khoury's recording compilation, George Khoury was insistent on having Lawrence's "Evangeline Waltz" on it saying:

"Make this at once- will pay you for your trouble. Don't let no one have Evangeline Waltz!"

                                        

Session info

V/acdn, Ulysse Joseph (U J) Meaux (fdl), Demus Comeaux (g).Valmont ‘Junior’ 

Benoit (st-g), Lawrence Trahan (d)

Lake Charles LA; (possibly Goldband Studio) 1951

A Evangeline waltz Lyric/Khoury’s 615

Resources

Wade Falcon- Early Cajun Music Blog

Liner notes to Cajun Honky Tonk Vol 1 & 2

Blackie and the Moonlight Serenaders- "La Robe Barre"

George Khoury created the Khoury's label in 1950. He recorded such greats as Nathan Abshire, Lawrence Walker and Dewey Balfa on the label's 600 series. The label had success with these and other artists until the late 1950's.

By the time George Khoury started  his 700 series, he had little or no interest in Cajun music. The  series started off with Nathan Abshire and included Cleveland Crochet. But then songs like Cookie and the Cupcakes "Mathilda" hit, leaving George interested in other genre's.

In 1959, Khoury had a even bigger hit with Phil Phillips's "Sea Of Love". He would only release two Cajun records that year, one being by Pee Wee Broussard and the other being by Lawrence "Blackie" Fruge.

Blackie grew up on a very musical family. His father, Lawrence Fruge played the fiddle and accordion as well. He formed a family band, The Tee Mamou Playboys, in 1950. Blackie moved to Lake Arthur in the 1950's where he worked as a paint and body man while playing music on the side.

 In 1959 he and the Moonlight Serenader's recorded "La Robe Barre" at the KJEF radio station in Jennings. The song was a cover of a J.B. Fuselier song recorded in 1938.

Blackie's uncle, Ernest Fruge, had played in the 1920's with Dennis McGee; who had originally recorded the song with Amede Ardoin as "Madame Atchen". It was later covered by Leo Soileau as "Embrace Moi Encore". Leo's version could have possible influenced J.B. Fuselier's version he recorded as "La Robe Barre" in 1938.

Joining Blackie on the recordings was his brother Joseph on guitar, his sister Eula Mae Fruge on bass, Voylen "T-Boy" Esthay on fiddle, Mayeuse Manuel on accordion and Lewis Scott on steel guitar. The KJEF studio in Jennings was also used by Tan Benoit to record a session for Hot Rod Records.

Blackie would go on to record with Milford Simon on the Cajun Jamboree label in the late 1960's. In the 1970's, he recorded for C.E. Diehl's Circle D label in Jennings.

                                        

Session Info:

BLACKIE & THE MOONLIGHT SERENADERS (725)

Lawrence ‘Blackie’ Fruge (v-1/g), J U Fruge (v/g), Voylen ‘T-Boy’ Esthay (fdl),

Mayeuse Manuel (acdn), Eula Mae Fruge (b), Lewis Scott (st-g)

KJEF Radio Station, Jennings LA: 1959

KH 553 La robe barre-1 Khoury’s 725

Resources:

http://www.bopping.org/the-khourys-label-cajun-concern/

Early Cajun Music blog

Conversations with Micheal Fruge

Ron Yule- Cajun Dance Hall Heyday

Pee Wee Broussard - " La Valse De Bons Amies"

The end of the 1950's were difficult times for recording Cajun artists. They found themselves having to adapt to current trends. Lawrence Walker recorded upbeat rock and roll songs in English for La Louisianne, Terry Clement recorded rock and roll for Rocko, Nathan added electric guitar and a rock beat to his Kajun recordings. Plain and simple, the times were changing. But some artists kept their traditional sound.

Pee Wee Broussard was one that kept his traditional sound. He had recorded three records for Miller on his Feature label in 1953. His records popped up again when he recorded one record for Stagg's in 1958. And he recorded for Khoury's in 1959.  George Khoury had recorded many of the legendary Cajun dancehall artists starting in 1950.

George Khoury started off his 700 Series with Nathan Abshire in 1956. But in the following years he wasn't concerned with releasing much Cajun music. He would issue one out every once in a while to keep sales up, but that was only one or two. Artists that had once been popular for Khoury's; they left to other labels to find exposure. Nathan left and recorded with Miller and Lawrence left and went to Floyd Soileau to record.

One music ad in the Daily World out of Opelousas shows how the times were. Pee Wee's Khoury's 45's were up against some pretty big names. George Jones's "White Lightning", Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans" and Chuck Berry's "Memphis Tennesse" were all big sellers and at top of the charts. The only other Cajun record released on Khoury's that year was Lawrence "Blackie" Fruge's "Elton Two Step".

Pee Wee recorded "La Valse De Bons Amies" during the height of those recordings. It was backed with "New Iberia Stomp" and featured Leon Credeur on fiddle, Ellie Arceneaux on steel guitar, Jules Broussard on guitar and Adam Meaux on drums. It would be released on Khoury's 720 and it would be his last recording on the label; also one of the last Cajun recordings Khoury put out.

Pee Wee kept his job during his early recording days, continuing his day job as a automobile mechanic at Charlie Lamar's Mechanic Shop in Lafayette. He found a new avenue to get his music out on KLFY radio and television. In 1963 he recorded 2 records for La Louisianne Records. He continued to play and influence other artists over the years. In 1974 he recorded the song again with Leeman Prejean under the title "La Valse De Tout L'Mone" on Swallow records.

Resources
Early Cajun Music blog
Micheal Dupuy
Memories-Johnnie Allan

Pee Wee Broussard and His Melody Boys- "Perradin Twoster"

Chester "Pee Wee" Broussard was born February 20, 1920 in Henderson La. Early on, he started a band with his brothers called the Youngsville Playboys. Later on he formed The Melody Boys and started recording for Feature Records out of Crowley. By 1955 Miller wasn't releasing Cajun music. In 1959, Pee Wee and his band released a 45 rpm for Khoury's Record Label out of Lake Charles.

But by the end of the 50's it was obvious. The influence of Rock and Roll was taking a toll on Cajun music sales. George Khoury wasn't too interested in Cajun music, as R&B was mainly selling. 

In 1959, "Mathilda" was released on Khoury's Lyric label, causing a surge in Rock and R&B recordings. Khoury would occasionally issue out a Cajun record to keep sales up. One of his last Cajun records to be released on the label was Pee Wee Boussard and His Melody Boys-"Perradin Twoster".

"Perradin Twoster" is a cover of a old Angles Lejeune song called "Perrodin Two Step" which Angles recorded with Dennis McGee in 1929. The song is known as one of the more difficult accordion instrumentals and continues to be a favorite. Happy Fats used the melody in his "Rayne Breakdown" as did The Jolly Boys of Lafayette on "Jolly Boys Breakdown".

Recorded in 1959, Pee Wee is joined by Leon Credeur, Ellie Arceneaux, Jules Broussard, Joe Fabacher and Adam Meaux. The group would go on to record one more record for Khoury's in 1960. 

Following 1960, the remainder of the Khoury catalog would consist of poor selling R&B and Swamp pop. By 1966, after a long period without a hit, Khoury ended his recording activities. Pee Wee and His Melody Boys would go on to record a couple sides for La Louisianne in 1963 and 2 records thru the 1970's and 1980's on Bee Records.

                             Pee Broussard and His Melody Boys-"Perrain Twoster"
                                                          Khoury's 709
                                  Goldband Studio, Lake Charles,La 1959

                                                 Resources
                                             Lyle Ferbrache- Acadian All Star Special
                                             Early Cajun Music Blog
                                             John Broven-South To Louisiana
                                             additional info thanks to-
                                             Betty Broussard