HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Moon Mullican

Country Western pianist, Moon Mullican, worked in a variety of musical genres including blues, jazz and rock n roll. Born Oscar Luther Mullican on 29 March 1909 in Polk County, Texas, of Scottish descent, Moon played the family organ as a child. He probably picked up the nickname "Moon" from a dominoes game called Shoot the Moon which he played with his family. Moon began working clubs as a teenager in 1926, having left home for Houston at age sixteen. Ten years later he recorded his first titles in San Antonio with Leon Selph's Blue Ridge Playboys.

Russell's 'Country Music Records' has Mullican's initial recordings dated on November 20, 1936, with Selph on fiddle, Floyd Tillman on electric guitar, Herman Standlee (guitar / electric guitar), Gus Plant (banjo), Chuck Keeshan (guitar) and Hezzie Bryant (upright bass). Mullican performed variously at piano and/or vocals. Some of those titles were:

   Anything (ARC 7-06-55; Vocalion 03526)
   Blue Monday (Vocalion 03589)
   Swing Baby Swing (ARC 7-04-72; Vocalion 03460)
   Georgia Pines (ARC 7-05-53; Vocalion 03481)
   Ain't You Kinda Sorry Now (ARC 7-05-53; Vocalion 03481)

Record catalogue, 45 Worlds, has eight of those twelve tracks with the Blue Ridge Playboys issued in 1937:

   Can't Nobody Truck Like Me / Whose Honey Are You (Perfect 7-03-66)
   Anything / Gimme My Dime Back (Vocalion 03526)
   That Old Fashioned Way / Take Me Back to West Texas (Vocalion 03558)
   Blue Monday / You're as Pretty as a Picture (Vocalion 03589)

'Gimme My Dime Back' Moon Mullican (piano) w Leon Selph's Blue Ridge Playboys

Mullican's fifth recording of first session

20 Nov 1936 in San Antonio Matrix SA2542 ARC Issues 7-06-55 / Vocalion 03526

Violin / vocal: Leon Selph Banjo: Gus Plant

Guitar: Chuck Keeshan / Herman Standlee / Floyd Tillman (electric)

Upright bass: Hezzie Bryant

Composition: Leon Selph

For a collection of titles from Mullican's first sessions see the 2004 Bear Family issue the Floyd Tillman anthology, 'I Love You So Much It Hurts', on BCD 16415 FL [Discogs]. As for Selph, Mullican would support him again on piano only on September 5 of 1939 in Houston for 'You're My Darling' / 'Your'e My Precious Little Girl'.

Come fiddler, Cliff Bruner, on September 13 and 14, 1938, in San Antonio for titles with Bryant, Bob Dunn at electric steel, Leo Raley on electric mandolin, Joe Thames at banjo and Dickie McBride on guitar. With Mullican again at piano and vocals variously, Bruner's outfit recorded such as 'Ease My Wearied Mind' / 'My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean' (Decca 5610 / 5638) on the 13th and 'Old Joe Turner Blues' / 'When You're Smiling' (Decca 5660) on the 14th.

'Old Joe Turner Blues' Moon Mullican w Cliff Bruner’s Texas Wanderers

14 Sep 1938 at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio

Matrix 64509-A Decca 5660

Violin: Cliff Bruner Mandola: Leo Raley

Banjo: Jo-Jo Thames Steel guitar: Bob Dunn

Piano / vocal: Mullican

Guitar: Dickie McBride Upright bass: Hezzie Bryant

Composition: W.C. Handy 1916 ?

'When You’re Smiling (the Whole World Smiles with You)'

Moon Mullican w Cliff Bruner’s Texas Wanderers

14 Sep 1938 at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio

Matrix 64510-A Decca 5660

Violin: Cliff Bruner Mandola: Leo Raley

Banjo: Jo-Jo Thames Steel guitar: Bob Dunn

Piano / vocal: Mullican

Guitar: Dickie McBride Upright bass: Hezzie Bryant

Composition: Mark Fisher / Joe Goodwin / Larry Shay

A couple sessions later on August 26, 1939, Moon and Bruner put away 'such as 'Truck Driver Blues' / 'I'm Tired of You' (Decca 5725). What the automobile was to rock, so was the train to country music. The country genre also issued the first truck driving anthem which was 'Truck Driver Blues'. That arrived perhaps ten months before the first film to feature long haul drivers in the trucking industry, that 'They Drive By Night' starring Humphrey Bogart and George Raft which was released on 3 August 1940 [IMDb]. Moon later backed Bruner on several sessions to as late as April 15, 1941, for such as 'Jessie's Sister' / 'My Time Will Come Some Day' (Decca 5974).

'Truck Driver Blues' Moon Mullican w Cliff Bruner’s Texas Wanderers

26 August 1939 at the Rice Hotel in Houston

Matrix 66303-A Decca 5725

Violin: Cliff Bruner

Banjo: Jo-Jo Thames Steel guitar: Bob Dunn

Piano / vocal: Mullican

Guitar: Dickie McBride Upright bass: Hezzie Bryant

Composition: Ted Daffan

'I'm Tired of You' Moon Mullican w Cliff Bruner’s Texas Wanderers

26 August 1939 at the Rice Hotel in Houston

Matrix 66304-A Decca 5725

Violin: Cliff Bruner

Banjo: Jo-Jo Thames Steel guitar: Bob Dunn

Piano / vocal: Mullican

Guitar: Dickie McBride Upright bass: Hezzie Bryant

Composition: Ted Daffan

Mullican joined Bob Dunn's Vagabonds in Houston on September 5 of 1939 for such as 'Basin Street Blues' (Decca 5733). Again, string bassist, Hezzie Bryant, was in on those among others. Mullican then joined Bryant, Bruner and Dunn on August 29 of 1939 to support Tillman on the likes of 'I Didn't Know' / 'Don't Be Blue' (Decca 5741). Joining them were Leo Raley on electric mandolin. The next day (August 30, 1939) Mullican, Bryant, Raley and Buster Jones (electric steel) supported vocalist, Buddy Jones, on 'Hold It a Little Longer' / 'Rockin' Rollin' Mama' (Decca 5731), et al. Mullican would back Jones on several dates in 1940 and 1941.

'Rockin' Rollin' Mama' Moon Mullican (piano) backing Buddy Jones

30 August 1939 at the Rice Hotel in Houston

Matrix 66341 Decca 5731

Steel guitar: Bob Dunn

Guitar: Buddy Jones Upright bass: Hezzie Bryant

Composition: Buster Jones

Come the Modern Mountaineers on February 13, 1940, that configuration presenting Buddy Ray (fiddle), JD Standlee (electric steel), Johnny Thames (banjo), Aubrey Greenshaw (guitar) and Bill Mounce (string bass) on such as 'Rackin' It Back' / 'It's All Over Now' (Bluebird 8437).

Mullican joined the Texas Wanderers in Houston in April of 1940 for a couple of sessions to result in such as 'Pipeliner's Blues' / 'Rackin It Back (Decca 5831). The Texas Wanderers consisted at that time of Buddy Ray (fiddle), Cameron Hill (electric guitar), Johnny Thames (banjo), Red Greenshaw (guitar) and Bill Mounce (string Bass).

'Pipeliner's Blues' Moon Mullican w the Modern Mountaineers

4 April 1940 at the Rice Hotel in Houston

Matrix 92010 Decca 5831

Violin: Buddy Ray Steel guitar: Bob Dunn

Banjo: Jo-Jo (John Johnny) Thames

Piano / vocal: Mullican

Guitar: Cameron Hill (electric) Upright bass: Hezzie Bryant

Composition: Mullican

It was May 4 of 1940 when Mullican joined the Sunshine Boys in Saginaw, Texas, with Jimmy Thomason (fiddle), Billy Mack (electric steel), Merle Shelton (guitar) and Grundy Harbert (string bass) to string along 'Pipe Liner's Blues' / 'Coo-Se-Coo' (Okeh 05669), etc..

In April of 1941 Mullican hooked up Charles Mitchell and his Orchestra with Bruner at fiddle for 'Jersey Side Jive' / 'The Sun Has Gone Down on Our Love' (Bluebird 8716), et al. Bruner, Mullican, et al, joined Mitchell again on October 10 that year for 'Little Star of Heaven' / 'I Dreamed of an Old Love Affair' (Bluebird 8935), etc..

In May of 1941 Mullican backed vocalist, Jimmie Davis, on such as 'I Hung My Head and Cried' / 'Just Because (of You Little Girl) (Decca 5978). Joining him in that session were Jim Hewlitt (trumpet), Charles Mitchell (electric steel), Cliff Bruner (electric guitar), Tex Swain (guitar) and possibly Hershel Woodal on string bass.

Mullican joined Slim Harbert's Okeh Boys in March of 1942 for a string of unissued titles like 'Fruit Wagon Gal' and 'Lulu Lou'. One track, 'Brown Bottle Blues' eventually saw release in 1982 on the album by various, 'Okeh Western Swing' (Epic 37324).

Mitchell and Mullican backed Davis again on July 27, 1942, for the likes of 'What's the Matter with You Darling' / 'What Happened' (Decca 46038).

'What's The Matter With You Darling' Moon Mullican (piano) backing Jimmie Davis

27 July 1942 in NYC

Matrix 71215 Decca 46038

Steel guitar: Charles Mitchell

Composition: Eddie King / Jimmie Davis

It was 1945 when Mullican formed his own band, the Showboys. He began recording name titles for King Records in 1946. 45 Worlds shows 'Lonesome Hearted Blues' / 'It's a Sin to Love You Like I Do' released in October, 'New Pretty Blonde (New Jole Blon)' / 'When a Soldier Knocks and Finds Nobody Home' issued in December. "New Pretty Blonde' rose to #2 on the Country chart. Another of Mullican's Top Ten titles was 'I'll Sail My Ship Alone' reaching #1 in 1950 to become his best-selling issue overall. Mullican maintained a Top Twenty presence on the popularity charts to 'Ragged But Right' in 1961 at #15. Mullican's seven Top Ten releases:

    Jan 1947   New Pretty Blonde (New Jole Blon)   #21 Pop #2 Country
   July 1947   Jole Blon's Sister   #4 Country
   May 1948   Sweeter Than the Flowers   #3 Country
   1950   Goodnight Irene   #5 Country
   1950   Mona Lisa   #4 Country
   March 1950   I'll Sail My Ship Alone   #17 Pop # 1 Country
   1951   Cherokee Boogie (Eh-Oh-Aleena)   #7 Country

'New Pretty Blonde' ('New Jole Blon') Moon Mullican and the Showboys

Oct 1946 at the Cliff Herring Studio in Ft. Worth

Matrix K2165 King 578

Violin: Cotton Thompson / Ralph Lamb Steel guitar: Acie Peveto

Piano / vocal: Moon Mullican

Upright bass: Reggie Ward Drums: Richard Prine

Composition: Traditional Cajun waltz

First recorded as 'Ma Blonde Est Partie' by the Breaux Brothers in 1929

'Foggy River' Moon Mullican and the Showboys

C February 1947 at the Herzog Studio in Cincinnati Matrix K2412-1 King 578

Violin: Red Herron Steel guitar: Slim Aderhold

Piano / vocal: Moon Mullican

Guitar: Jethro Burns (lead) / Homer Haynes (rhythm)

Composition: Fred Rose

'I'll Sail My Ship Alone' Moon Mullican

15 March 1949 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood Matrix K2881

King 830 / Maple Leaf 25-195 / Quality K-4015 / Gusto SG-114

Violin: Joseph Joe Holley / William Billy Wright Steel guitar: Noel Edwin Boggs

Piano / vocal: Moon Mullican

Guitar: Cameron Hill / James Jimmy Wyble Bass: Glynn Duncan

Composition: Henry Bernard / Morry Burns / Barry Mann / Henry Thurston

'Moon's Tune' Moon Mullican

15 March 1949 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood Matrix K2882

King 830 / Maple Leaf 25-195 / Quality K-4015

Violin: Joseph Joe Holley / William Billy Wright Steel guitar: Noel Edwin Boggs

Piano / vocal: Moon Mullican

Guitar: Cameron Hill / James Jimmy Wyble Bass: Glynn Duncan

Composition: Henry Bernard / Morry Burns / Barry Mann / Henry Thurston

'Goodnight Irene' Moon Mullican

3 July 1950 at the King Recording Studio in Cincinnati Matrix K3071

King 894 / Quality K-4002 / Parlophone GEP-8794

Violin: Ralph Lamb Steel / guitar: Mutt Collins

Piano / vocal: Moon Mullican

Bass: Clarence Mack ? Drums: Richard Prine

Composition: Wikipedia

'Well, Oh Well' Moon Mullican

3 July 1950 at the King Recording Studio in Cincinnati Matrix K3071

King 894 / Quality K-4002 / Parlophone GEP-8794

Violin: Ralph Lamb Steel / guitar: Mutt Collins

Piano / vocal: Moon Mullican

Bass: Clarence Mack ? Drums: Richard Prine

Composition: Henry Bernard / Tiny Bradshaw / Sydney Mann

Mullican became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1951. in 1952 he co-wrote 'Jambalaya (On the Bayou)' with Hank Williams. King issued the album, 'Sings His All-Time Hits' in 1955. Come 'Sings and Plays 16 of His Favorite Tunes' in 1959, 'Instrumentals' in 1962, 'Playin' and Singin'' in 1963, 'Mr. Piano Man' in 1964 and 'Good Times Gonna Roll Again' in 1966.