Nathan Abshire- "Lemonade Song"

                                                    
The 1960's were the beginning of a Cajun Cultural renaissance. Interest in more traditional Cajun music emerged after years of Rock, Pop and Country influence and one of the leaders was a accordion pioneer; Nathan Abshire.

Nathan's popularity rose in the late 1940's recording for the Khoury's label. The label slowly faded out of the Cajun music scene and the beginning of the 1960's found him recording for J.D. Miller. While Nathan and his new band made some great recordings on the label; Nathan wasn't happy with Miller's antics.

By 1963, he wanted out. Floyd Soileau had started up a label and was having success releasing traditional Cajun music. Nathan approached Floyd about recording for Swallow Records in the mid 1960's. Sadly, Nathan was still under contract with Miller at this time. Nathan ended up hiring a lawyer to get out of contract with Miller to record with Floyd.

Floyd Soileau recalls:

“I went to see him when he was working at the Basile dump, People were starting to cover ‘Pine Grove Blues’ and I researched the song at BMI but couldn’t find it. Khoury never registered the song but Nathan had recorded it as ‘Pinegrove Blues’ for J.D. Miller. He registered it at BMI, but wasn’t paying Nathan royalties. I told Nathan that if he signed a publishing contract with me, I could get him his writer’s royalties. I took him to a notary and he put his X on a contract. I cleared the song with BMI. J. D. contested it, but I had a contract. J.D. claimed his got burned in fire. But Dewey Balfa, who played on the Miller sessions, said nobody signed anything with J. D.”

So in the 1965, Nathan gave recording another try. He assembled a band who had recorded with him earlier in the decade. Dewey Balfa had recorded before as a Pine Grove Boy and had a good working relationship and friendship with Nathan. Their musical careers would continue till Nathan's death. Junior Benoit and Thomas Langley were also mainstays in Nathan's band at this point.

In 1966 they entered Floyd's and recorded a number of sides at the Swallow studio in Ville Platte. Nathan knew he needed to cut some 45's to help with local bookings, so at this session; Nathan and the Pine Grove Boys reworked a song Columbus Fruge had recorded in 1929 as "Point Clear Blues". 

Moi j'aime cousin et moi j'aime cousine mais j'aime mieux la cuisinière.  
Samedi, ce soir, moi courir au bal, je m'ai saoulé comme un gros cochon. 
Dimanche matin, il est tout manière malade,
Passez lui le verre à limonade.

L'hiver arrive, l'hiver arrive, ton p'tit nég a pas de couverte,
Samedi, ce soir, l'ai courir au bal, je m'ai saoulé comme un gros cochon,
Dimanche matin, j'ai tout manière malade, 
Passez moi le verre à limonade.

Moi j'aime cousin et moi j'aime cousine mais j'aime mieux la cuisinière.  
Samedi, ce soir, moi courir au bal, moi saoulé comme un gros cochon. 
Dimanche matin, il est tout manière malade,
Passez moi le verre à limonade.

Nathan had paid tribute to earlier pre war Cajun songs before. He had transformed the Segura  Brothers "Mosquito Ate My Sweetheart" into "La Valse De Holly Beach"and turned "Fe Fe Ponchaux" into the "Musical Five Special". Previously, Leroy Broussard had recorded a version of the "Lemonade Song" in 1957 for Goldband, but it seems Nathan's version is the most well known version and rightfully so.

From 1965 to 1972 Nathan recorded for Swallow Records with great success and it seems these recordings are what he's best remembered for. Nathan hit his stride as a recording artist in these years, turning out a string of remarkable records for the Swallow label.

Floyd Soileau remembers:

“That was when I had my first little studio. “We did some things with the Balfas and some with other musicians Nathan rounded up.  If you sold 1,500 copies of a Cajun single, then you jumped up and shouted ‘Hooray.’ Most of Nathan’s singles did 1,500 to 2,000, with a lot being sold to juke box operators."

With this new success, Nathan appeared with Dewey Balfa and The Balfa Brothers at the Newport Folk Festival in 1967. Along with Dewey , Nathan devoted much of his time in the 1960's and 70's to promoting Cajun music through appearances at festivals, colleges, and schools throughout the United States. Nathan stayed with Swallow until the mid-1970's when Soileau slowed down his recording activities.

                                      

AND HIS PINE GROVE BOYS (10170, 10173 & 10175)
V-1/acdn, Dewey Balfa, Dewey Balfa and Will Balfa (fdl), Darius LeBlanc, Junior
Benoit (g), Thomas Langley (d)
Swallow Studio, Ville Platte LA: 1966



Resources
Picturing the Cajun Revival: Swallow Records, Album Art, and Marketing
Early Cajun Music Blog
https://64parishes.org/entry/dewey-balfa

Nathan Abshire and the Pine Grove Boys- Popcorn Blues

By 1958, the recording career of Nathan Abshire and the Pine Grove Boys recording career with Khoury's was coming to a end. The last three of their records on Khoury's would be that of a new band that Nathan would use until the band called it quits. The market for Cajun music was moving from the big nightclubs that were operating seven nights a week to just having weekend dances. Clubs that didn't have space or money for bands could have a good jukebox full of the latest Cajun records.

At this time, Floyd Soileau was recording and releasing Cajun music. J.D. Miller had put a hold on releasing Cajun music on his label in favor of recording country and blues. Floyd not having his own studio at the time, saw the opportunity and used Miller's studio to his advantage to record his artists. It didn't take Miller long to figure out he needed to be back in the Cajun music market.

Knowing Nathan Abshire could still sell records, Miller quickly signed him to a contract. Soon he had Nathan and the Pine Grove Boys in the studio. Miller knew how to make quality recordings at this point and had the best studio to do just that. In fact some of the best recordings of Nathan and the Pine Grove Boys come from this period. This was a change for Nathan in the sense that most of the recordings he did for Khoury's were recorded in radio stations. Miller's studio in Crowley would mark the first time Nathan had been in a real studio.

Nathan's first release for Miller was in 1959 on the Cajun Classics label. The following year, Nathan kick started off Miller's new 45 label, Kajun Records. Kajun 500 was "Popcorn Blues" backed by "Broken Hearted Blues" and as far as one to kick off the label; it's hard to beat. Junior Benoit's guitar kicks off the song followed by Nathan's accordion. While other Cajun musicians had been experimenting with incorporating the new rock and roll sound into their music, this is Nathan's first attempt at it. Also on board with the new band was Robert Bertrand who has a great fiddle solo on "Popcorn Blues", while Ed Juneau handles the vocals with Nathan. The call and response vocals they use on the track are similar to the vocal recordings of "Pine Grove Blues".

J'ai étais au bal hier au soir. (Ici dans la village?)
J'ai étais au bal hier au soir. (Ah, mon vieux cochon!)
On a mangé du tac-tac!
On a mangé du tac-tac. (Vous-autres a pas emporté un tit brin, vieux nègre?)
C'est des pacanes à Nonc Edouard qu'il est si bon en pralines.
Je m'ai saoulé hier au soir. (j'croyais t'avait dit t'avais arreter d'boire, mon vieux nègre!)
Je m'ai saoulé hier au soir. (C'est ça qui amener dans l'finir!)
On a mangé des grillots!
On a mangé des grillots.
Je m'ai saoulé hier au soir.
Je vas me saouler à soir encore. Ah ouais!
J'ai été au bal hier au soir. (Toi tout seul, Nathan?)
J'ai été au bal hier au soir. (Pense t'amené ta gamine avec toi, hein?)
On a mangé des grillots. (Comment t'as fait ça mon nègre? T'as pas d'dents!)
On a mangé des grillots. (Ta vielle t'as oté un tit brin, hein?)
C'est des pacanes à Nonc Edouard qu'etait si bon en pralines.
Je m'ai saoulé hier au soir. (Ah, tu devrait arreter d'boir, mon nègre!)

Je m'ai saoulé hier au soir.

Sadly, Nathan was never happy after signing a contract with Miller. Nathan and his new drummer and vocalist, Thomas Langley, were against any interference from Miller when they recorded. It has been noted by another recording artist for Miller, Kate Webster, that Miller was a strong personality and ruled the studio. Nathan and Langley tried standing up to him to keep the Cajun music pure, but Miller had other ideas that he would have the band try. 

While there was plenty of drama surrounding these Miller recordings, some of the Pine Grove Boys best recordings were done at the studios in Crowley. At this point Miller knew his way around a recording studio, the proper microphone set up and how to set the recording levels. His expertise in the studio would show on these Kajun releases from in 1959 to 1964.

It all came to a head and soon Nathan was at Floyd Soileau's trying to record. Floyd told Nathan thee was nothing he could do and that Miller had a iron clad contract with him. Nathan and his band were frustrated and Nathan didn't record for two years. Nathan ended up having to get his own lawyer and after negotiations, he was finally free to record elsewhere.

Resources
Early Cajun Music blog
Ron Yule-Cajun Dancehall Heyday
Bryan L - lyrics

Release Info:

KR 200 Popcorn Blues ] Kajun 500
KR 201 Broken Hearted Blues ] Kajun 500

Terry Clement and the Tune Tones- French Blues

Terry Clement was born May 5, 1934. Growing up, Terry and his brothers (Purvis and Grant) all played musical instruments. Terry grew up idolizing Nathan Abshire and soon took to playing the accordion. Purvis learned the fiddle, while Grant became a great guitar player by the age of 12. They were some of the youngest playing French music and had to work hard finding work playing as the older players held them in contempt.

Their first record was "Diggy Liggy Lo". The song gave the band the boost it needed for better bookings and higher pay. In the late 50's and early 60's, it was tough for Terry and his band. Rock and Roll and Swamp Pop put Cajun French bands out of work. To survive, Terry and his brothers started playing rockabilly for Miller.

By the 1960's J.D. Miller had more than five 45rpm labels. It is rumored that he even had over 100 labels. Jukebox owners wouldn't put on alot of one label on their jukeboxes. Miller, always the entrepreneur; found ways to get the records out there. Terry and his brothers rock and roll sides are lively and upbeat and carried the same energy with them they had on the Cajun French sides. During the early 1960's Terry and his brothers recorded on multiple 45 labels for Miller.


By 1961, Terry Clement's musical hero was also recording for J.D. Miller. Nathan Abshire was recording for Miller's Kajun label at this time. Terry had sides out on Rocko, Zynn and Cajun Classics during this era. Although many details aren't known, we do know in 1961, Terry got to record with Nathan on the Zynn label. They did a upbeat number of Nathan's "French Blues" with Nathan on accordion. Nathan originally recorded "French Blues" with the Rayne Bo Ramblers in 1935 on the Bluebird label.


On the record its Terry Clement and the Tune Tones, featuring Terry, Purvis Clement on fiddle, Nathan Abshire on accordion, Grant Clement on guitar, Linus Simar on steel guitar and Ronnie Goudreaux on drums. Nathan's accordion playing on the song is strong as during this era he was in his prime. The experience must have had a profound effect on Terry and his brothers recording with their musical idol. After Nathan's passing they recorded a tribute album on Miller's revived Kajun label to Nathan. It was recorded in 1984 and is highly recommended.

Resources
Liner notes- Crowley Two Step by Bruce Bastin
Lyle Ferbrache- Acadian All Star Special
Wade Falcon- Early Cajun Music blog

Shorty (Vorris) Leblanc- Boss Cajun

Vorris "Shorty" Leblanc was born in Jefferson Davis Parish on Christmas Eve of 1923. At a early age he took notice of Cajun music being played around him. He soon became accomplished on numerous instruments and taught himself music without reading or writing the music. His nickname came about from the fact that his brothers were over 6 feet tall and he was under that height.

He bought his first accordion, a Sterling, while stationed in Europe during WWII and brought it home with him. During the late 1940's he played with Iry Lejeune and others throughout the area and in 1951, when the Laccassine Playboys split; Shorty replaced Iry on accordion. In 1955 they disbanded and Shorty played with other musicians in the area including Alfred Cormier, Jay Stutes and Charlie Babineaux.

In the late 1950's, he joined Cleveland Crochet's Hillbilly Ramblers, playing a brand of Cajun music blended with some country and pop tunes. In 1960 the group recorded "Sugar Bee" which broke into Billboard's top 100. Following the hit, the group was renamed the Sugar Bees and began to play many bookings in the area. The group was so popular that a West German film company came to Lake Charles in 1963 and made a 30 minute film featuring the band. As a follow up to the hit, the group recorded many sides on the Goldband label in the next couple of years. Included in these recordings was "Boss Cajun".



"Boss Cajun" was recorded in 1961 at Goldband Studios. The band was essentially the Sugar Bees on the recording. Shorty played accordion with Cleveland on fiddle, Jay Stutes on steel guitar, Charlie Babineaux on guitar, Bradley Stutes on bass and Clifton Newman on drums. It features Shorty's great accordion work and rocking guitar work from Charlie Babineaux. The song is similar to Nathan Abshire's "Lake Charles Two Step" recorded in 1950. Shorty's "Boss Cajun" is still played by many groups today.

By 1963, Shorty left the Sugar Bees and formed his own group. They later became the Acadian Aces with Cliff Newman on drums, Benny Martin on guitar, and Jay Stutes on fiddle.  Shorty also recorded with Jimmy C. Newman on his album, Folksongs of the Bayou. 

Resources
Ron Yule- Cajun Dancehall Heyday
with thanks to Winnona Landry for information about her father.
Johnnie Allan- Memories Volume One
Micheal Dupuy

Nathan Abshire- Hoola Hoop Two Step

The end of the 1950's left Cajun musicians in a comprising situation. The years before found south Louisiana independent labels like Khoury's, Feature and Goldband finding success with their Cajun recordings. But by the end of the decade these labels were finding success in other genres.

J.D. Miller was one of those. By the mid fifties he was recording not only Cajun French but was recording more blues and swamp pop sessions. He was recording blues for Excello, rock and roll and R&B for his Rocko and Zynn labels.

Miller's interest in recording Cajun music again might have been sparked by the success that Floyd Soileau was having with Swallow records. At any rate, Miller started recording Cajun music again in 1959. And with the entrance back he grabbed one of the biggest recording artists for his new label. 

Nathan Abshire had recorded for Khoury's from the late 40's to the 50's. His last recordings for Khoury were in 1959, with "Cannonball Special" and "Red Rock Waltz". George Khoury was finding success with blues, R&B and swamp pop as well. His Cajun recording had slowed down to a trickle with some of his last Cajun recordings done by Pee Wee Broussard in 1959. But as far as Nathan, he was far from done.

After a uneventful decade since the success of "Pine Grove Blues" in 1949, Nathan saw his fortunes improve when he recorded for Miller during the early sixties. He had a modern Cajun band lineup augmenting his stunning accordion work. He went on to have a fine series of releases for the Crowley record man, whose production skills were as good as ever. On these recordings he brought the blues and honky tonk and released some of his more rock and roll output.

Miller started Cajun Classics with Nathan releasing the first sides on the label. He brought along a familiar friend in Dewey Balfa to these recordings. On Cajun Classics 101 he recorded "Hoola Hoop Two Step." Nathan was a big fan of The Segura Brothers. On Khoury's, he had reworked their song "A Mosquito Ate My Sweetheart" into "La Valse De Holly Beach". He did the same with his first recording on Cajun Classics. He reworked the Segura's "Rosalia" into "Hoola Hoop Two Step". The Segura's "Rosalia" itself was derived from Amede Ardoin's "Les Blues De Voyage". Nathan always seemed to have a way into reworking old classics and making them relevant.


Miller recorded some of Nathan's best material in the 1960's. He proved that he was still a driving force in Cajun Music. In his Miller recordings he brought back "Pine Grove Blues" with a new updated version. He reworked some old classics and introduced some new songs as well. But by 1965 he had left Miller and signed with Floyd Soileau's Swallow records. His Miller recordings seems to be overlooked for some reason, as his Swallow recordings are more well known. But the Miller years for Nathan are a definite high point in his career.
                             

Resources
Early Cajun Music Blog
John Broven-South To Louisiana
Thanks to Wade Falcon

Terry Clement and The Tune Tones- Teenage Rock

Terry Clement was born May 5th 1934 in Evangeline, Louisiana. His interest in music came from his family who were all musicians. He grew up loving Nathan Abshire and The Pinegrove boys.

He and his brother started their first band in 1949 as The Clement Brothers. Their first show was at the Silver Dollar Club in Crowley. They called themselves the Rhythmic Five and patterned their music after Nathan Abshire.

Terry first recorded for J.D. Miller's Feature label. Their first big song on the label was "Diggy Liggy Lo" in 1954. Terry's brother Purvis could not speak French all that well so he used "diggy,diggy,do" during some of song passeges and the hit was derivived from that.

In 1960 Terry recorded for Miller's rock and roll label; Rocko. The label started life as Rocket  in 1958 and was aimed at the rock and roll market. After recording rock and roll and swamp pop for Rocko, Miller began using the label for a harder form of R&B. Terry recorded for various Miller labels such as Cajun Classics, Zynn and Kajun. 

Terry was one of the most versatile performers recording artists to come out of south Louisiana. He recorded not only Cajun french sides but also recorded some great rock and roll sides.

It was a difficult time for Cajun music as Terry remembers-
                              
"Rock and Roll and swamp pop almost killed the cajun music clubs. Nobody wanted French bands. To survive we started playing rockabilly and swamp pop."





Terry Clement and the Tune Tones released "Sugar Bee" backed by "Teenage Rock" in 1960 on Rocko 517. The A side is a take on the Goldband hit of the same name. The B side is a rock and roll instrumental similar to the cuts Goldband was releasing. With its driving beat and accordion melody it is a fusion of Cajun and rock and roll that a lot of artists were blending at the time. On the label for the 45 it lists the author of the song as J. West. But this was one of a couple of pseudonyms that belonged to one Joseph D. Miller.

After his 1960's recordings for Miller, Terry's next release for Miller wasn't until the 1980's for the Kajun label. In 1984 Terry released a tribute album to Nathan Abshire on Miller's Kajun label. In addition to his recordings for Miller, he also did recordings for Khoury and Goldband.  He was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 1993.

                                   
                                      Terry Clement and The Tune Tones
                                                  Rocko 517
                                               "Teenage Rock"
                                         Recorded 1961 in Crowley,La.



Resources
Acadian All Star Special
Early Cajun Music blog
John Broven- South to Louisiana

Nathan Abshire and the Pinegrove Boys- "Pinegrove Blues"

"

Diving right in with one of the popular recordings of the 45 era. Nathan Abshire and the Pine Grove Boys's recording of "Pine Grove Blues" for J.D. Millers Kajun label.

Nathan had recorded the song a couple times before. Nathan's 1935 recording "One Step de Lacassine" with the Rayne Bo Ramblers for  Bluebird is similar in melody. In 1949 he recorded it for the O.T. label, then again in 1960 for Khoury's. In 1951, he tried to recreate his success with the recording "Pine Grove Blues #2" on Khoury's label (#611) to no success.

In 1959, Nathan Left Khoury's and signed with J.D. Miller's Cajun Classics in Crowley. J.D. Miller saw the demand for cajun releases.
In 1946 he opened his recording studio in Crowley. He started the Fais Do Do label then Feature. In 1959 he started a new label called Cajun Classics focusing on cajun releases. A year later he started Kajun.

He recorded 2 sides for Miller's Cajun Classics label. In 1960 he released a string of new sides on Miller's Kajun label. These recordings from 1960 to 1964 represent some of the best of Nathan's middle period work.

This version of the Pine Grove Boys included Ed Juneau, Junior Benoit, Robert Bertrand, Darius LeBlanc and Thomas Langley.
They recorded some new songs but ended the session with a new upbeat version of "Pine Grove Blues".  Out of all the versions he recorded of the song, it seems this is the one people remember more. 

By the 1960's rock and roll had moved in and its influence can be felt on a number of the late 50's and 1960's cajun recordings. But on this recording, Nathan had a modern Cajun band lineup to go along with his stunning accordion work. Miller's productions during this era seems have a unique sound to them as evidenced in his cajun and blues recordings from this era. 

The song appears in 1967 for Swallow, in 1970 for a field recording in New York, in 1972 and in 1978 for La Louisiane.  


In 1978 the Flyrite label released a collection of Nathan's Kajun recordings. Nathan Abshire and the Pinegrove Boys- The Legendary Jay Miller Sessions Volume 13 can still be found online and is must for cajun music listerners.

Resources

Early Cajun Music Blog

John Broven- South To Louisiana