[Dick Stewart notes: Damn, HK. That's what I had been saying all along, but your take expresses my feelings spot on as you blokes would say: The echo effects do play an effective role in putting the listener into the period of time, as echo was novice and all the rock-and-rollers loved it. And Sonny's vocalization on "Sweat Perfume" is to me the best I've heard: these songs are coming from his heart. Chas's artwork easily tells the story of the title song. It was a sketch of genius. Although it's not a big seller yet, I do feel that the potential is there. Sonny deserves it. Anyway, on behalf of Sonny, Chas and me, many thanks for the take, Compadre.]

Dick

. . . . .

Dick:

A hearty thanks to each and every one of you who has taken your time to send me an e-mail about my health. For those who did not know . . . . on Friday - after Thanksgiving - I had a major heart attack. I say "major" because the doctor clearly looked me in the eyes and said " Had you not have come in - we would NOT be having this conversation right now." The Veteran's Hospital here in Indianapolis is one of the best facilities in the country. Inside of 35 - 40 minutes after my arrival to "Emergency," the job was done and I was lying in MICU on the 6th floor recovering. They inserted a stent to expand my artery and two balloons.

Four hours later, they had me up walking around the room. The next day, I walked several laps around the department having conversations with the other patients. Some were not as fortunate as I. Do me a favor ....... please mention "Johnny" in your prayers tonight. His lungs are full of blood clots. Another was a young veteran, who upon coming home from a war zone [had] studied and became a minister, is now comatose, lying in the room next to where I was. His wife leaned heavily on Susie and me while we were there. Pray for them please . . . so many are still there. I CAME HOME! They did not! These are all veterans, my friends. [They are] guys who went in place of YOU to do YOUR job. Please remember them in your prayers tonight. They need it.

I am feeling wonderful. In fact, better then I have in months. Thank you so much for your e-mails. Thank you for your prayers. They mean so much.

Ronnie Haig (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

. . . . .

Sweet Perfume / The Parting Dance / Whatll You Have / Long Time With The Wine / Call Me Lucky/ Rock-Ola Ruby / Hide And Watch / We Passed By Here (El Morro)

Producer: Sonny West; Lance Records; 17:47

Born in 1937, the rock-n-roll singer and songwriter, Sonny West, wrote two of Buddy Hollys biggest successes, Oh Boy! and Rave On. He became disillusioned at being cheated out of royalties by Holly's manager, Norman Petty. He turned to servicing jukeboxes and only performing locally. Since Paul McCartney acquired Buddy Hollys publishing catalogue, West has seen some decent royalties at last. This incidentally is not the same Sonny West who worked as a bodyguard for Elvis. In 2002, Rollercoaster Records compiled a CD of his work including two favourites with rock-n-roll fans, Sweet Rockin Baby and Rock-Ola Baby (no doubt a favourite on the jukeboxes he was servicing).There have been a couple of gig albums, Clovis Sessions, 1956-1958 and West Texas Wind, and now comes a seven-track mini-album, which is available for download on Amazon.

Two of the songs, What'll You Have and A Long Time With The Blues, had been written for Holly. If Holly had lived, Im sure he would cut What'll You Have as it has the light-hearted beat, innocence and playful lyric that he loved - What'll you have, Il'l have you. A Long Time With The Wine is formulaic but is a good country ballad. The best song is about a roustabout in the oil fields looking back on his women in Sweet Perfume and there's a good song about trying to get a girl to stay, The Parting Dance. Call Me Lucky is up-tempo rockabilly and Hide And Watch is a lonesome ballad in the vein of Hank Williams. We Passed By Here is a tribute to a monument near his home. Its hard to say if there is any future for these songs but he should pass What'll You Have to Imelda May.

Spencer Leigh

Country Music People (Street Date November 24, 2011

. . . . .

Hi Compadre,

Just wishing you and you family a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. I hope you've fully recovered now. No news to convey at the moment,but I'm expecting the guitar loan certificates to be available soon. They have to coincide with the exciting new website for TBHGF that is presently being constructed.

Take care.

Best regards,

Peter Bradley

Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation

. . . . .

Hi Dick,

I intend to order five books from you. Would you be able to sign them and mention a particular person? One is Rusty York, an old Rocker and the others have all been DJ's and in broadcasting all their lives. If you are willing to do this for me where should I send their names, etc?

I certainly enjoyed this book. I'm seventy-seven now and I must admit I prefer Clyde's music to the first Rock 'n Roll I remember. I've come to like most soft rock. I hate rap! Love Big Bands!

Hoping to hear from you soon.

Roger J Schloss

. . . . .

Thanks, Dick, I hope I can keep going strong like you!

David Anthony (Australia)

[Dick Stewart notes: David, my Compadre. I have no doubt that you will. Just keep being the person that you are and play one of Davies tracks every day. (Knowing that you're a fan of The Knights, too, play one of their tracks each day, too, ha, ha, ha.]

. . . . .

Dick,

[Sid Holmes comments to Randy Steeles threat to close down the Rockin 50s Board]: They have too many posters who continue and will continue to clash. Let's hope they don't move over to yours as a lot of those people are hardcore, set in their ways and take comments/opinions way too serious. At least you get to see who everyone is...including lots of foreigners who don't think the same as Americans.

Sid Holmes (guitarist and co-found of The Cavaliers)

[Dick Stewart notes: I was surprised that Randy made the threat, and its a moderated board. I guess he just got sick and tired of getting so many negative posts, and began to wonder if the negativity was really worth keeping the board going. I no longer post on his board, as Ive been officially banned, because I have a tendency (like you) to tell it like it is and I hate hero worshiping; but then I still like Randy. There is one thing that still puzzles me about his falling out with Griggs a few years back. He told me that he despised Bill over something that I don't want to get into right now, and said that he would never patch things up with him again, no matter what. It's possible that Sharon intervened and played a major role in renewing their friendship vows. Randy, however, never gave me a satisfactory answer as to how they got back on track. Anyone out there know? Keep in mind that Randy at one time considered Bill a two-timing, disloyal rat. With Griggs, everything came in second to Buddy Holly, according to Randy, and it had an effect on Grigg's overall integrity.]  

. . . . .

SONNY WEST SWEET PERFUME

To relegate Sonny West as a footnote in Buddy Holly's chronology is both simplistic and wrong. West may well have co-authored "Rave On" and "Oh Boy" which Holly took to the bank but Sonny West remains a unique artist in his own right. His 2011 seven-song CD Sweet Perfume being aural proof.

As one of the first wave of Texan Rockabillies West waxed one of the genres finer double-sided 45s Sweet Rockin Baby b/w Rock-Ola Ruby in 1956. The single announced him as an integral component of the West Texas Sound. Like Holly, West's groove was informed by both Country and Blues, which he reinforced with warm tenor vocal that is possibly the missing link between Holly and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

Rather than recycle his past West chose to record Sweet Perfume solo with just his rhythmically strummed acoustic guitar evoking a sound thats equal parts Folk and Rockabilly. The title track is a sly humoured ode to the Texas oil fields and would the kind of song James Deans Jett Rink may have sung as he drove past the derricks. Its also a song Joe Ely may wish to cover.

On the strength of "Rave On" and "Oh Boy" Buddy Holly began to embrace West as a songwriter. Just prior to Holly's premature death, West began composing two songs that he felt were right for Holly: What'll You Have and Long Time With The Wine, but after Holly's passing West abandoned the tunes. Recently he completed both songs for inclusion on Sweet Perfume and both are truly Hollyesque in their blend of toughness and tenderness. In Long Time with the Wine echoes of The Beatles emerge, ample evidence of the influence Texas Rock-N-Roll had on the Fab Four.

Although often tagged as a Rockabilly West is a something of a Bluesman at heart, Hide And Watch reveals his love of Jimmy Reed while Call Me Lucky, which inserts a fragment of Rock-Ola Ruby, and The Parting Dance are loping Texas Blues.

The CDs closer "We Passed By Here (El Morro)", a Border Music inspired mystical narrative worthy of The Flatlanders truly consolidates Wests rep as one of Texas finer song communicators.

Some fifty plus years after "Rave On" and "Oh Boy", West has not only endured but still has much to say about what he's seen and lived. Sweet Perfume is the evidence this West Texan still has plenty of songs in him yet.

Michael Macdonald

Melbourne Australia 2011

. . . . .

Good Morning, Dick,

A good friend of mine Pete Carroll , Suprised me with an early Christmas present . A website for my book , Words Of Love 1959 -2009 . Take a look at the site , and tell me what you think . Please forward to your friends and family .....
http://wordsoflove59-79.jimdo.com/`Have A Great Day.

 Wishing You Only The Best In 2012,

Your Friend

Gary L Clevenger

. . . . .

Hi Dick,

It was great talking to you a couple of weeks ago on the phone.  I knew that I had to have more than one of your CDs.  So, I dug through my entire CD collection and actually found that I have three of your CDs.  Two of your CDs weren't in the studio, since I was actually listening to them for fun. I just love your music.  At any rate, we have "Surfin the Web", "In Progression", and "King Richard's Stew".  

Let's keep in-touch.  I hope to be using your music in the near future again.  We have just been a heck of a grind with this economy the way it is.  You might say we are trying to keep our heads above water and avoid a "wipeout"! 

I hope all is well with you!

Best regards,

Jeffrey Lehmann

Barnstormer Productions

Specializing in Travel, Adventure, and Informational Content!

Home of the multi Emmy & Telly awarded "Weekend Explorer" travel series.

Back to Top?

Sonny West Sweet Perfume (Lance Records)

Accompanied by an acoustic guitar, Sonny cuts a striking unplugged pose on Sweet Perfume.

Sonny West may not be a household name, but even the most casual radio listener recognizes his songs and would quickly agree how remarkably important his contributions to the music world are. 1956 was the year he entered the rock and roll sweepstakes, with Rock-Ola Baby, a righteous rockabilly number he composed and recorded, which was pressed on Norm Pettys Nor-Va-Jak label. Shortly thereafter, Sonny wrote and recorded Oh Boy! and Rave On, that reached the keen ears of Buddy Holly, who relayed his own spectacular versions of the tunes to vinyl, and as they say the rest is history. An honest to goodness rock and roll pioneer, that's Sonny and here he is, gifting us with a brand new album demonstrating his indelible talents.

Accompanied by an acoustic guitar, Sonny cuts a striking unplugged pose on Sweet Perfume. Though the context is bare boned, the music electrifies. Sonnys grizzled vocals gush with confidence and a warm and fuzzy feeling. Two of the songs on the disc, What'll You Have and Long Time With the Wine, were initially penned by Sonny in 1958, with the intention of turning them into demos and presenting them to Buddy Holly for possible recordings. But unfortunately, that was not to be, as we're all aware of the plane crash that killed Buddy, along with Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, in February of 1959. A neat and nifty pop slant, couched by well developed and memorable melodies, reside within both What'll You Have and Long Time With the Wine. In a parallel universe, these tunes which were an ideal fit for Buddy, would have arguably granted him further hit singles.

The title track of the album is a country fried rockabilly piece, while Hide and Watch is splattered with some brash blues buttered licks, and a ghostly glare illuminates the haunting Tex-Mex tinted We Passed By Here (El Morro). Sonny's chops are in tip top working order, and he performs and sings the material with a concentrated intensity. But the tone is natural and relaxed, and you can tell Sonny had a great time recording Sweet Perfume. Produced by Dick Stewart, lead guitarist of Albuquerque, New Mexico's premier instrumental surf rock combo, the Knights, owner of the Lance label and editor of the Lance Monthly, Sweet Perfume is an intimate and organic affair. This is authentic roots rock, and whats even better is that it is brought to you by a fellow who was responsible for inventing the stuff. Sonny West has staged a triumphant comeback with "Sweet Perfume," and I sure look forward to hearing a whole lot more from the living legend in the very near future!

www.lancerecords.com

. . . . .

Seven-Inch Vinyl by Donald Riggio (Outskirts Press)

Not only does Seven-Inch Vinyl take the reader on an educational rock and roll ride, but the political events of the era are covered in depth as well.

Its April 1953, and a young soldier, stationed at Fort Knox, is getting ready to be shipped off to Korea. At a nearby gas station, he meets an elderly African American man, strumming the blues on a guitar, and is immediately hypnotized by the dirty, dusty sounds he hears. Living there in town is a teenage boy, a junior in high school, who can sing like nobody's business and yearns for the day when he can leave home and become the shining star he is meant to be. Traveling to Ohio, we encounter another teenager, a girl who dreams of fairytale romance and pens poetry. So begins Seven-Inch Vinyl, a thrilling piece of fiction that vividly captures and traces the birth of rock and roll up until the end of the sixties. Along the way, you're introduced to a bevy of other characters, whose personalities are so rich and colorful that you'll feel as if they are real. A slick harmony combo, a girl group, a manufactured teen idol, a rebellious folk artist, Mafia punks, sex, love and payola mingle side by side with interesting results.

Not only does Seven-Inch Vinyl take the reader on an educational rock and roll ride, but the political events of the era are covered in depth as well. The joy of having hit records and being successful are given plenty of space in Seven-Inch Vinyl, but the nasty elements of fame also play a key role in the book. Inflated egos, bickering about money and soured relationships further inhabit the landscape. Donald Riggio is an excellent writer and his knowledge and insight of rock and roll is impressive. A great story altogether, stocked with an array of surprising twists and turns, Seven-Inch Vinyl is destined to produce tears of both laughter and sadness.  A truly fine read it is! 

www.outskirtspress.com

. . . . .

Various Artists Its A Happening! (Cicadelic Records)

A superb summary of the sights and sounds of the sixties, It's A Happening! is indeed happening!

It's a known fact the garage rock combos of the sixties were dominated by guys, but there were a few females here and there who had their own likeminded bands and were just as serious about getting their music out there as their male counterparts. Saluting the Texas scene, It's A Happening! contains a splendid sampling of some of the girl musicians who cruised the local circuit back in the day.

Juiced with psychedelic imagery and paisley laced textures to match, the billowy bluster of Today Is Just Tomorrows Yesterday by the WordD (and no, that is not a typo) is a flower pop classic of the first degree. The band also takes the stage on You're Always Around, which swells and sparkles with angelic harmonies and gorgeous melodies. Crisscrossing silky smooth pop perspectives with a jagged garage rock angle, the WordD proposed a mighty cool pitch. Changing the title and some of the lyrics of Younger Girl to Younger Boy, Friday and the Girls render this delicate song with unabashed eagerness, charging it with a springy bounce largely absent from the original recording by the Lovin Spoonful.

Hailing from the home of Buddy Holly, the Lubbock based Heart Beats rock it good on  covers of  Time Won't Let Me (the Outsiders) and Little Latin Lupe Lu (the Righteous Brothers), while original songs like Satisfied and Everywhere are executed with unity and assurance. The twin specters of Judy Collins and Joan Baez permeate the air on a series of spine-tingling tunes from  Linda Pierre King, who wrote much of the material she performed. Her mesmerizing vocals beam with vibrancy, as passion runs deep. Hard Lovin Babe, Tiny Sparrow and Blackness register as select gems to be had, where renditions of the Kingston Trios Scotch and Soda and Bob Dylans Don't Think Twice (It's Alright) and Blowin' in the Wind serve as nice tributes to Lindas further influences. A superb summary of the sights and sounds of the sixties, It's A Happening! is indeed happening!

www.cicadelicrecords.com

. . . . .

Polyphony Without Introduction (Gear Fab Records)

All the core components of progressive rock occupy every groove on the album, from layers of sweeping synthesizer flourishes to spacey guitar solos to intricate, complex arrangements.

The early seventies saw the advent of a new musical genre called progressive rock, and Polyphony, a band from the state of Virginia, were one of the pioneering practitioners of the far out formula. Initially released on the Eleventh Hour label in 1972, Without Introduction, would be the groups sole album, but what an album it was! Now reissued on Gear Fab Records, the disc, decades on, still sounds astonishingly futuristic.

All the core components of progressive rock occupy every groove on the album, from layers of sweeping synthesizer flourishes to spacey guitar solos to intricate, complex arrangements. Shifting chord changes, unconventional hooks and surrealistic, fantasy type lyrics also wallpaper Polyphony's extended essays. The jamming is tight and frisky, and the vocals, which project a British bent, are fluid and lovely. Bushels of bombastic flash additionally pierce the environment, which naturally goes with the territory but unlike the majority of bands peddling progressive rock, Polyphony didn't overindulge to the point of mindless noodling. A whiff of psychedelic freakiness further jackets the groups challenging material, not to mention dots and dashes of symphonic beauty. Procol Harum, Deep Purple, King Crimson and Yes no doubt inspired Polyphony to do what they did, but rather than blindly parroting these acts, the band ambitiously composed their own script. Flush with numbing movements that stretch boundaries to unlimited heights, Without Introduction is a textbook example of progressive rock.

www.swiftsite.com/gearfab

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