(1964) Epic ''Milk Cow Blues'' Scotty Moore

STUDIO SESSION FOR SCOTTY MOORE FOR EPIC RECORDS 1964 SAM PHILLIPS RECORDING STUDIO 319 7TH AVENUE NORTH, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE EPIC SESSION: UNKNOWN DATE(S) FEBRUARY/MARCH 1964 SESSION HOURS: UNKNOWN PRODUCER AND RECORDING ENGINEER - BILLY SHERRILL Published for Historical Reasons During one of Scotty's trips to Nashville, Billy asked him why he hadn't done an album of instrumentals. Why indeed? When Billy Sherrill suggested they do an album together for Epic Records, Scotty jumped at the chance. ''I'd like to take the credit for having the idea'', says Billy. ''I think Scotty was too shy back then to want to be the star of his own album. I had always admired Scotty's style. I think he had the most unique style of any guitar player in the world. He did it before anyone else did it, those rock and roll licks. I wanted to capitalize on the fact that he was the man who played the guitar that changed the world''. Billy Sherrill assembled an all-star cast for the session, which too place in late February or early March 1964. In addition to Scotty on lead guitar, he had D.J. Fontana and Buddy Harmon on drums; Boots Randolph on saxophone; Bill Purcell on piano; Jerry Kennedy on second guitar; Bob Moore on bass; and of course, the Jordanaires. ''MILK COW BLUES'' - A.S.C.A.P. - 2:19 Composer: - James "Kokomo" Arnold Publisher: - Leeds Music Incorporated Limited Matrix number: - XEM 77307 Recorded: - Unknown Date February/March 1964 Released: - 1964 First appearances: - Epic Records (LP) 33rpm Epic 33SX1680 mono THE GUITAR THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Reissued: - 1999 Epic Records (CD) 500/200rpm Epic 357145 mono THE GUITAR THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Side two starts with my favourite of the album, ''Milk Cow Blues''. It a real blast from start to finish with D.J. driving the thing along and some fine interplay between the guitars of Scotty and Jerry Kennedy. Instrumentals were big business in the early 1960s and with a bit of push from Epic this could easily have hit the Hot 100. "Milk Cow Blues" is a blues song written and originally recorded by Kokomo Arnold in September 1934. In 1935 and 1936, he recorded four sequels designated "Milk Cow Blues number 2" through number 5. The song made Arnold a star, and was widely adapted by artists in the blues, Western swing and rock idioms. Robert Johnson recorded a version of Sleepy John Estes' song, re-titled "Milkcow's Calf Blues", at his last recording session on June 20, 1937. It was released by Vocalion Records in September 1937 as the B-side to "Malted Milk." In 1941, Johnnie Lee Wills (younger brother of Bob Wills) recorded a version which was released the same year by Decca Records as "Milkcow Blues" by Johnny [sic] Lee Wills & His Boys. It was sung by Cotton Thompson. Bob Wills also recorded it on the Tiffany Transcriptions with a vocal by Tommy Duncan. The Wills/Duncan release "Brain Cloudy Blues" is heavily influenced by "Milk Cow Blues" too. Elvis Presley, on guitar, accompanied by Scotty Moore on guitar and Bill Black on double bass, recorded a rockabilly version retitled "Milkcow Blues Boogie" at Sun Records in November or December 1954. The arrangement was closer to Wills' version than to the Arnold original. Elvis begins the song as a slow ballad, then adds a spoken interlude by halting after the first four lines: "Hold it, fellas! That don't move me! Let's get real, real gone for a change," prompting the trio to kick it into rockabilly gear. Sun Records released the song as a single on January 8, 1955, with "You're a Heartbreaker" as the flipside. RCA Victor Records also released the single in December 1955. It was later included on Presley's 1959 album A Date with Elvis. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Name (Or. No. Of Instruments) Scotty Moore - Lead Guitar Jerry Kennedy - Guitar Bob Moore - Bass D.J. Fontana - Drums Buddy Harmon - Drums Boots Randolph - Saxophone Bill Purchell - Piano Vocal Chorus The Jordanaires consisting of Gordon Stoker, Neal Matthews, Hoyt Hawkins and Raymond Walker © - 706 UNION AVENUE SESSIONS - ©