"America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band"
Lonesome, Onry and Mean was watching a YouTube of Merle Haggard's "Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)" recently and, as he introduced the song, Merle commented that the inspiration for the song was the Maddox Brothers and Rose. According to Hag, "No one remembers the Maddox Brothers and Rose anymore, but I do."
Well, Merle's not the only one who remembers them. LOM's uncle Jack Manning of Odessa was a huge fan of the band that came to be called "America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band" - if you don't believe it, look at the print underneath their name on most of their records - and it wasn't uncommon to hear their albums being spun at his house in the 1950s.
LOM always thought the band was funny and borderline crazy.
The ultimate party band and masters of risqué roadhouse-ready double entendre, they had these playful, imaginative, utterly magnificent song titles that captured the spirit of honky tonk as well as anything out there:
- "Shimmy Shakin' Daddy"
- "Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down"
- "Bring It On Down To My House Honey"
- "Burrito Joe"
- "Hold That Critter Down"
- "I'm a Little Red Caboose (on the Choo-Choo Train of Love)"
- "Kiss Me Quick and Go"
- "Meanest Man in Town"
- "Mama Says It's Naughty"
- "That'll Learn Ya Durn Ya"
- "You've Gotta Have a License"
- "Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me"
The band also cut a demo of "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain" in 1947, although it wasn't released until 1976.
Along the way they found time to, if not invent, then perfect the hillbilly novelty song with tracks like "The Hiccough Song," "The Hoot-Owl Melody," and a huge crowd favorite that became one of their signature pieces, "The Donkey Song."
