PAUL VIDAL PRESENTS JOE MAPHIS - THE BACK UP SESSIONS.

JOE & ROSE LEE MAPHIS

US DISCOGRAPHY & SESSIONOGRAPHY

Part 3 : THE BACK-UP SESSIONS

This will be a listing of Joe's recording sessions for other artists - organized by artist. Needless to say, it will never be complete, but I'll do my best to update it all the time. With many thanks to : Alex Frazer-Harrison, Al Johnson, Michel Ruppli and the late Harry Shields.
Joe Maphis was one of the most in demand guitar players on the West Coast during the '50s and his versatilty led to his playing on countless Country, Rockabilly, Rock'n'Roll & Pop sessions. He can be heard on numerous releases on labels as diverse as Intro, Columbia, Liberty, Imperial, Ebb or Capitol.
Whatever the musical style, he was always reliable and the sound of his guitars, dobro or fiddle enlightened many otherwise average tracks.

© PAUL VIDAL * Privas, France * 2004 -2024

JOHNNY BOND
COLUMBIA 4-21186
RHCO-10617 Sweet Mama Tree Top Tall
RHCO-10618 Put A Little Sweetnin' In Your Love
COLUMBIA 4-21187
RHCO-10616 Thanks
CO-50314 I Dreamed I Searched Heaven For You (Joe's not featured here)
COLUMBIA 4-21243
RHCO-10763 Firewater
CO-48674 Old Man Blues (Joe's not featured on this side)
COLUMBIA 4-21294
RHCO-10764 Stealin'
RHCO-10765 My Darlin' Lola Lee
COLUMBIA 4-21335
RHCO-10766 I Lose Again
CO-49767 Everybody Knew The Truth (Joe's not featured on this side)
COLUMBIA 4-21383
RZSP-33350 Louisiana Swing
RZSP-33353 Jim, Johnny & Jonas
COLUMBIA 4-21424
RZSP-33477 Carolina Waltz
RZSP-33479 Somebody's Pushin'
COLUMBIA 4-21448
JRZSP-33476 Livin' It Up
JRZSP-33478 Remember The Alamo
COLUMBIA 4-21494
RZSP-33351 Six Of One, Half A Dozen Of The Other
JZSP-37609 Loaded For Bear (Joe's not featured on this side)
COLUMBIA 4-21521
JRZSP-33723 The Little Rock Roll
JRZSP-33725 I'll Be There
COLUMBIA 4-21565
JRZSP-33957 Lonesome Train (duet vocal with Skeets McDonald)
JRZSP-33960 Laughing Back The Heartaches
COLUMBIA 4-40934
JRZSP-40152 Sick, Sober And Sorry (duet vocal with Lefty Frizzell)
JRZSP-40154 Lover By Appointment (duet vocal with Lefty Frizzell)
COLUMBIA LP CL-1072 'TOWN HALL PARTY'
XLP-42097 Oklahoma Waltz (duet vocal with Bobby Charles)
XLP-42098 Wait For The Light To Shine
-> Unissued Columbia recordings featuring Joe Maphis on guitar :
RZSP-33352 Lover By Appointment (from a February 22, 1955, session)
JRZSP-33724 The Man From Texas (from a February 1956, session)
JRZSP-33726 Blues In Nothing Flat (from a February 1956, session)
JRZSP-33958 Don't Take It Away (from an August 28, 1956, session)
JRZSP-33959 Look Behind You (from an August 28, 1956, session)
20th FOX 156
K80W-7512 The Long Tall Shadow
K80W-7513 Gold Rush
-> A first, unissued, version of 'Gold Rush' was cut with Joe on June 15, 1959.
20th FOX 231
L80W-2234-1 A Kid Named Bill
L80W-2235-1 Jealous Lead
REPUBLIC 2005
1008 Hot Rod Lincoln
1009 Five Minute Love Affair
-> A third title was cut with Joe at that May 25, 1960, date and released only on Republic EP 100 :
1010 Funnybone
REPUBLIC 2008
1029 The Way A Star Is Born
1030 X-15
-> 'X-15' was first tried at a September 1, 1960, session but left unissued. The above version was recorded on September 29, 1960.
REPUBLIC 2010
1028 Side Car Cycle
1031 Like Nothin' Man
REPUBLIC 2022
1082 Sadie Was A Lady
1083 Buck's Private Lament
STARDAY 678
6974 Hot Rod Surfin' Hootlebeatnanny
6975 Don't Mama Count Anymore
STARDAY 690
6973 My Wicked, Wicked Ways
6976 Bachelor Bill
STARDAY 7021
6052 Barrel House Bessie
6968 Hot Rod Lincoln
STARDAY SLP 345
7686 Side Car Cycle
7687 X-15
7688 The Great Figure 8 Race
7689 Johnny's Camptown Races
7690 Fastback
7691 Junior Johnson
7692 Fireball
7693 Around And Around The Figure 8
7694 Ben Dewberry's Final Run
7695 Wreck Of The Old 97
7714 Johnny Overload
7715 Highway Man
7716 Ridge Route
7717 Old Mack

JIMMY BOYD
COLUMBIA 4-21571
JRZSP 33951 Rockin' Down The Mississippi
JRZSP 33953 Crazy Mixed-Up Blues
-> A fabulous, underrated single, with some of Joe's stinginest rockabilly breaks-both sides.

JOHNNY BURNETTE
FREEDOM F-44011
FR-118 Me And The Bear
FR-119 Gumbo
-> Also featuring Eddie Cochran on guitar. Excatly who plays what is still unclear.
See 'Eddie Cochran Backup Sessions - Part 1' for more info

THE BURNETTE BROTHERS
IMPERIAL X-5509
IM-1485 Warm Love
IM-1488 My Honey
-> This February 5, 1958, session, produced two more marvelous rockers propelled by Joe's unstoppable guitar and the Burnettes' wonderfully staccato harmony vocals, and officially unearthed by RockStar Records in England on the LP, 'We're Having A Party' (RSR LP 1017, 1988) and later included on their CD, 'The Burnette Brothers' (RSRCD 005, 1994).
IM-1486 Boppin' Rosalie
IM-1487 Do Baby Do
-> Was 'Boppin' Rosalie' intended to be 'Boppin' Rose Lee' ?!?

TONY BUTALA
TOPIC 8002
TC-103 Look At Him, Look At Her
TC-104 My First Real Romance
-> 'Look At Him...' is a 'teen rocker' as they say which contains a very great - sudden and surging - solo by Joe.

THE COLLINS KIDS
COLUMBIA 4-21470
RHCO-33565 Hush Money
RHCO-33568 Beetle Bug Bop
COLUMBIA 4-21514
RHCO-33714 The Rockaway Rock
RHCO-33716 Make Him Behave
COLUMBIA 4-21543
RHCO-33713 I'm In My Teens
RHCO-33715 They're Still In Love
COLUMBIA 4-21560
RHCO-33962 Rock And Roll Polka
RHCO-33964 My First Love
COLUMBIA 4-40824
RHCO-33961 Go Away, Don't Bother Me
RHCO-33963 Move A Little Closer
COLUMBIA 4-40921
RHCO-40157 Hop, Skip And Jump
RHCO-40155 Young Heart
COLUMBIA 4-41012
RHCO-40333 Heartbeat
RHCO-40335 Party
COLUMBIA 4-41087
RHCO-40331 Hoy Hoy
RHCO-40334 Mama Worries
COLUMBIA LP CL-894
RHCO-33711 You Are My Sunshine *
RHCO-33712 Missouri Waltz
RHCO-33721 Walking The Floor Over You
* Also features Gene Autry, Carl Smith and others on vocals.
COLUMBIA LP CL-1072 'TOWN HALL PARTY'
RHCO-40306 Just Because
-> Unissued Columbia recordings featuring Joe Maphis on guitar and first released on Bear Family BFX 15074, then reissued on Bear Family BCD 15537 :
RHCO-33566 I Wish (from an October 4, 1955, session)
RHCO-33567 The Cuckoo Rock (from an October 4, 1955, session)
RHCO-40156 Soda Poppin' Around (from a March 13, 1957, session)
RHCO-40158 Shortnin' Bread Rock (from a March 13, 1957, session)
RHCO-40332 Hot Rod (from an August 21, 1957, session).

DON DEAL
CASH 1028
1028-A Broken-Hearted Fellow
1028-AA Cryin' In One Eye
-> See 'Eddie Cochran Backup Sessions - Part 1' for more info.

BOB DENTON
DOT 45-15743
MW-10732 Playboy
MW-10733 Skinny Minnie
DOT 45-15833
MW-10732 Playboy
MW-11064 24 Hour Night
-> Another gem of a single, with Joe at his bluesiest on '24 Hour Night'.
-> See 'Eddie Cochran - Back Up Sessions - Part 2' for more info and pics.

TERRY FELL
X-0069
E4LB 4458 Let's Stay Together Till After Christmas
E4LB 4459 (We Wanna See) Santa Do The Mambo
X-0078
E4LB 4460 Get Aboard My Wagon
E4LB 3038 You Don't Give A Hang About Me (Joe's not featured on this side)
X-0114
E4LB 4461 He's In Love With You
E4LB 3039 Mississippi River Shuffle (Joe's not featured on this side)
-> On these sides, Joe plays mostly rhythm guitar since the soli are taken by the fiddler, the steeler and the pianist. His strong strumming is easily spotted although he didn't yet use his famous, soon-to-be-built Mosrite.
->Terry Fell had a good write-up in the first issue of Country'n'Western Jamboree in March 1955. We learn that he was born in Dora, Alabama, on May 13, 1921.When he was only a year old, his family moved to Cullman, Alabama, where he was raised. After he finished high school, he decided to try his luck in California. He got a steady job as pressman at the Tru-Flex Rubber Company in Los Angeles while writing songs and singing on the side. He recorded for a host of small labels before being signed to X, a sub of RCA Victor in 1954. His first release, 'Truck Driving Man' c/w 'Don't Drop It' (X-0010, with Speedy West on steel) was the first C'n'W outing on this newly formed label - and a big hit, with cover versions by Red Sovine (Decca), Betty Amos (Mercury), Tommy Sands (RCA) and even Wilbert Harrison (Savoy). Terry is a talented musician and plays guitar, harmonica, bass and mandolin. It's him who played that furious harp in 'Truck Driving Man' that some consider one of the earliest truck drivers songs which would be so much in vogue in the sixties. At the time of the article, X-0069 and X-0078 had been released and Terry lived in Norwalk, some 15 miles from L.A., with his wife, Florence, and daughter, Sandra. Still, he kept his work at the plant, 'just to be safe' he said. Terry was proud that Freddie Hart had recorded 'Please Don't Tell Her' which he co-wrote, and that Red Foley had recorded his own composition, 'Never'. One thing he couldn't know then and that we can add now, is that another prodigious talent named Eddie Cochran, who had just started his career as part of The Cochran Brothers, would also cut 'Never' plus another of his songs, 'Cradle Baby', two years later.
The complete X and RCA recordings of Terry Fell were compiled by Bear Family on CD in 1993 (BCD 15762).

THE FOUR PREPS
CAPITOL

EDDIE COCHRAN & JOE MAPHIS with ERNIE FREEMAN & HIS BAND
HOLLYWOOD EP 1068
Fast Jivin'
-> Not exactly a back up session, rather a meeting and battle between two giants, with Eddie Cochran not yet 18 years old at the time, most probably early 1956. It was also issued on a Starday EP (#258) under the title, 'Country Rockin' & Flyin', and under the pseudonym of Buddy Dee. It's not too surprising because Don Pierce, who was now running the Starday label in tandem with Pappy Daily, was also the head of Hollywood Records in L.A. The track, edited to 1'45 on the above releases, was much longer in fact and the full version first appeared on a RockStar CD ('Don't Forget Me', RSRCD 014 in 1998). The tune became the backing track for a Jerry Capehart-sung 'Rockin' & Flyin' not long afterwards. Frankly, the full length version is an INCREDIBLE instrumental and a real piece of history because we can witness the burgeonning Eddie Cochran Rock'n'Roll guitar style, already very inventive and full of youthful energy, and at the same time taste the early experiments of Joe Maphis with the new idiom, superbly constructed and very polished but just as exciting. Magical.
-> See 'Eddie Cochran - Back Up Sessions - Part 2' for more info and pics.

THE GEORGETTES
EBB 125
125 X Love Me Like A Fool
125 Oh Tonight

CHARLES LEE GUY, III
CAPITOL T/ST 1920 'THE PRISONER'S DREAM' ''
The Prisoner's Dream-Shackles & Chains-They're All Goin' Home But One-The Wall-21 Years-Folsom Prison-The Prisoner's Song-Cigarettes, Whiskey & Wild, Wild Women- Send A Picture Of Mother- Cold Gray Bars-Wishin' She Was Here Instead Of Me-Doin' My Time

SALTY HOLMES
4-STAR 1752
884-105 Mama Blues
884-106 Harmonica Boogie Shuffle (co-written by Joe)

WANDA JACKSON
CAPITOL F-3485
15586 I Gotta Know
15585 Half As Good A Girl
CAPITOL F-3575
15904 Silver Threads And Golden Needles
15919 Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad
CAPITOL F-3637
15890 Baby Loves Him
15587 Cryin' Thru' The Night
CAPITOL F-3941
15903 Honey Bop
17581 Just Queen For A Day (Joe's not featured on this side)
-> Originally unissued from her first Capitol session on June 8, 1956 and later released on the superb French compilation, 'Rock'n'Roll At The Capitol Tower' (2C 184-81970/71)
15584 Step By Step
-> See 'Wanda Jackson At The Capitol Tower' for more info and pictures.

THE JODIMARS (Marshall Lytle, Joey D'Ambrosia, Dick Richards)
IM-1453 Be My Love Tonight
IM-1454 Bring Along Your Love
IM-1455 Honey Baby
IM-1456 Hip Shakin' Baby
-> This unissued Imperial session from January 1958 was first released on RockStar RSRCD 007 in 1994. With Joe are Gene Garf (piano), James Kirkland (bass) and Ritchie Frost (dms). For some reason, 'Hip Shakin' Baby' and 'Be My Love Tonight' (both written by The Burnette Bros) would be recorded by Roy Brown on March 6, 1958, and released as Imperial 5510. The guitar player on Roy's record, as well as on the originally unissued 'We're Goin' Rockin' Tonight', was Justin Adams.

GRANDPA JONES
MONUMENT 25-7-8528
J7W 3426 The Valley Of The Never Do No Good
J7W 3428 A Dollar Short
-> Also recorded at that July 22, 1971, session and released on LP :
J7W 3427 Four Stone Walls
-> Rose Lee Maphis is featured on background vocals. Joe & Rose Lee would later appear on several CMH albums cut by Grandpa in the '70s.

ROSE MADDOX
CAPITOL

SKEETS MC DONALD
CAPITOL F-2523
11584 It's Your Life (Joe plays fiddle here)
11593 Baby I'm Countin' (Joe plays fiddle here)
CAPITOL F-2696
11583 Walking On Teardrops (Joe plays fiddle here)
11594 Look Who's Cryin' Now (Joe plays fiddle here)
CAPITOL F-2774
12338 I Love You, Mama Mia (Joe plays fiddle here)
12170 Remember You're Mine (Joe's not featured on this side)
CAPITOL F-2885
12358 But I Do (Joe plays fiddle here)
12195 Your Love Is Like A Faucet (Joe's not featured on this side)
CAPITOL F-2976
12339 Smoke Comes Out My Chimney Just The Same (Joe, fiddle)
12357 Each Time A New Love Dies
CAPITOL F-3378
15017 It'll Take Me A Long, Long Time
15019 Fallen Angel (Are You Sorry ?)
CAPITOL F-3461
15463 You Oughta See Grandma Rock
15464 Heart Breakin' Mama
-> These top rockabilly sides feature Eddie Cochran on lead guitar but Joe Maphis can be heard on second guitar. This session was probably cut around - or not long after - the time of that famous guitar battle between Eddie and Joe with the Ernie Freeman band.
CAPITOL F-3525
15020 Somebody
15764 You Gotta Be My Baby
CAPITOL F-3600
15018 Don't Push Me Too Far
15765 You Better Not Go
CAPITOL F-3679
16585 I Am Music
16588 Keep Her Off Your Mind
CAPITOL F-3741
16586 Welcome Home (Joe plays guitar on this side only)
13774 Your Sweet Love Is Gone (Joe's not featured on this side)
CAPITOL F-4095
30295 What Am I Doing Here ?
30296 What I Know About Her
CAPITOL F-4147
30294 Baby Wait
30293 What A Lonesome Life It's Been
-> All Skeets are superb records but this one is among my absolute personal favorites. The songs and the guitar sounds (Maphis & Roy Nichols) are first class.
CAPITOL LP T 1040 'GOIN' STEADY WITH THE BLUES'
18605 Forth Worth Jail *
18606 Hawaïan Sea Breeze
18607 Blues In My Mind
18608 Yard And A Half Of Blues
18613 Gone And Left Me Blues
18614 Lost Highway
18615 My Room Is Crowded
18616 You're There
18618 Goin' Steady With The Blues *
18619 I'll Sail My Ship Alone *
18628 Tomorrow Never Comes *
18629 I'm Sorry Now
* These tracks were selected for Capitol EAP 1-1040.
-> One of the great, all-time Country music albums, with wonderful guitar work from both Joe & Buck Owens. The untouchable Capitol Tower sound from 1958 !
-> Unissued Capitol recording featuring Joe Maphis on guitar, later released by Bear Family (BFX 15195, then BCD 15937) :
16587 I Can't Hold A Memory In My Arms (from a February 12, 1957, session)

RICKY NELSON
IMPERIAL X-5483
IM-1451 Stood Up
IM-1452 Waitin' In School
IMPERIAL X-5935
IM-1392 If You Can't Rock Me
IM-1835 Old Enough To Love (Joe doesn't play on this song, it's James Burton on lead)
IMPERIAL LP 9048 'RICKY'
IM-1423 Am I Blue
IM-1412 Baby I'm Sorry
IM-1409 Boppin' The Blues
IM-1410 Your True Love
IM-1422 True Love
IM-1391 Be-Bop-Baby (alternate take - Joe doesn't play on it)
IM-1390 Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (alternate take - Joe doesn't play)
IM-1411 Honeycomb
IM-1413 I'm Confessin'
IM-1425 Teenage Doll
IM-1424 Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
IM-1392 If You Can't Rock Me
-> An earlier version of 'If You Can't Rock Me' was first issued in 1991 on CDP-7-95219, 'The Best Of Rick Nelson-Vol. 2', in the EMI Legends Of Rock'n'Roll series. Joe doesn't play on it. Likewise, he doesn't play on any version of 'Be Bop Baby' and 'Have I Told You Lately...'.

EMMY NOBLE
LIBERTY F-55122
45-LB-814 Little Willie
45-LB-815 I Done Done

LAURA LEE PERKINS
IMPERIAL 5493
IM-1466 I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Lovin'
IM-1468 Kiss Me Baby
DETOUR DT-4502
(IM-1465) DE 102 Come On Baby
(IM-1467) DE 101 Gonna Rock My Baby Tonight
-> Four terrific sides from that stunning female singer & pianist, cut on January 10, 1958, with the usual Imperial house band led by Joe Maphis. Why the latter two titles were shelved is anyone's guess but fortunately, ace sound engineer and fine judge in music, Boppin' Bob Jones, released them on his short-lived but exceptional Detour label in England in 1981. All four titles plus those from Laura Lee's next (and last) Imperial session were later compiled onto a Bear Family CD. 'Gonna Rock My baby Tonight' is a real powerhouse rocker !

TEX RITTER
CAPITOL

HANK THOMPSON
CAPITOL T 975 'DANCE RANCH'
I Wouldn't Miss It For The World
Klishama Klingo
CAPITOL F 3850
17597 If I'm Not Too Late
17598 Just An Old Flame
CAPITOL F 3950
17596 Li'l Liza Jane
17599 How Do You Hold A Memory
-> All the above tracks come from a September 25, 1957, session.
CAPITOL T/ST 2154 'IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME'
Here Comes Santa Claus
52166 Gonna Wrap My Heart In Ribbons
It's Christmas Every Day In Alaska
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Blue Christmas
Silver Bells
It's Christmas Time
52172 I'd Like To Have An Elephant For Christmas
White Christmas
52178 Little Christmas Angel
52179 Mr & Mrs Snowman
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
-> Hank's Xmas album was recorded over three sessions - June 8, 9 & 10, 1964.
CAPITOL T/ST 2274 'BREAKIN' IN ANOTHER HEART'
Paper Doll
There's No You
You Always Hurt The One You Love
September In The Rain
Till Then
That's All There Is To That
Breakin' In Another Heart
How Do You Hold A Memory
Don't Take It Out On Me
I'd Never Have Found Somebody New
It's Better To Have Loved A Little
Just An Old Flame
-> The above LP was cut in three sessions - December 16, 17 & 18, 1963.
CAPITOL 5344
52882 Life's Sweetest Moment
52883 I'm Gonna Practice Freedom
CAPITOL 5422
52884 Then I'll Start Believing You
52885 In The Back Of Your Mind
-> The above two singles were cut on September 29, 1964.

LEROY VAN DYKE
DOT

NICK VENET
IMPERIAL X-5522
IM-1566 Love In Be-Bop Time
IM-1567 Honey Baby
-> Before becoming a top record producer and talent scout for Capitol, Nick Venet (pronounced 've-nay', the French way in fact) cut some nice records under his own name, the best being by far and large the above. Joe's scintillating solo on the top side is the ultimate lesson in rockabilly guitar.
-> Also recorded at that hot April 2, 1958, session but still unreleased :
IM-1564 Darlin' Sue
IM-1565 Baby Doll

JIMMY WALKER
INTRO 6024
RR 1708-2 If I Can't Have You
RR 1709-2 Out Of Money, Out Of Place, Out Of Style
INTRO 6025
RR 1707-2 High Geared Daddy
RR 1710-3 Runnin' Fast

Backstage at Town Hall Party : Joe Maphis, Eddie Dean, Rose Lee, Tex Ritter, Tex Williams. From Joe's own scrapbook.