Country music history is littered with examples of strange and bizarre tales that explore the darker side of life. Here I want to take a brief look at the history surrounding these surprising recordings and the strange fascination that they present for 21st century collectors.
As a record collector anything unusual always stands out and these dark, sinister and sometimes downright macabre records are no exception to that rule. In fact, amongst collectors some of these records are now highly collectable and in some cases demand hefty price tags.
Most of the traditional country murder ballads seen in country music, those such as 'Knoxville Girl' or the 'Hills of Roan County', have descended from popular folk songs of the period. Interestingly many of these are actually European in origin having traveled across to America with early settlers. Many of the country musicians who are now remembered for these songs would have first heard them in childhood, from family members or alike. In some cases they've been responsible for catapulting the song to fame, but in most cases the songs were already known as traditional 'old-timey' music.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s this tradition of dark country material was well established. A few contemporary artists would start to add their own compositions to this fascinating sub-genre. I thought I'd explore a few of the more popular examples, including both the contemporary and the traditional
Eddie Noack would record a couple of notable murder ballads in his career. Although Eddie was known by friends to be something of a gentle giant some of his songs explore some particularly dark themes. His songwriting abilities are seen even within his early material; I would urge you to check out his Starday sides, which often contain witty lyrics and a clever approach to storytelling.
However there are two songs we are more concerned with here, with 'Psycho' being the one that is most well remembered. Despite being a prolific songwriter Noack wasn't actually responsible for the writing of 'Psycho,' which actually came from the pen of Leon Payne. The record was originally released on K-Ark and suitably backed with the clever 'Invisible Stripes', a song about a man who gets out of prison and struggles to get back on the straight and narrow.
Recorded not long after 'Dolores' was perhaps intended as a sort of sequel. A song about a serial killer murder with the spine chilling twist in the final verse when you realise that the man telling the tale is the killer himself. Though neither this nor 'Psycho' made a groundbreaking effect on the market at the time of release both are desirable records today. Copies of 'Psycho' are often sort after, even on a reissue label.
'Knoxville Girl' is probably one of the most iconic murder ballads and has been recorded by artists including The Wilburn Brothers, Jimmy Martin and Stonewall Jackson to name but a few. Arguably the best known version of the song is by brothers Ira and Charlie Louvin. The close harmonies and the gentle instrumental accompaniment that you'd associate with a love song, give the song truly harrowing quality. The listener is lulled into a false sense of security until the second verse;
She fell down on her bended knees, for mercy she did cry
Oh Willy dear, don't kill me here, I'm unprepared to die
She never spoke another word, I only beat her more
Until the ground around me within her blood did flow.
Knoxville Girl as sung by The Louvin Brothers (Trad.)
The story of 'Knoxville Girl' follows a graphic account of man who beats and kills his girlfriend and throws her body in the river. Charlie Louvin re-recorded the song several times in his career, which apparently became the most requested song that they had ever recorded. When asked to allude to the popularity of the song he put it down to a fascination listeners as they tried to work out the motive behind the crime.
I think this statement captures the appeal of the country death ballad as a whole. It's the same morbid fascination we get when we watch a serial killer documentary or true crime drama. It's such an alien concept to us that we want to understand what drives a person to do this.
Though Ira and Charlie learned the song from their mother, the most popular theory as to the origins of the popular folk song is that it came from the English town of Oxford. Over time the lyrics have been altered and at some point in the late 19th Century it crossed the Atlantic.
Imitating the Johnny Cash approach 'Shot Four Times and Dying' was the biggest commercial solo success that Bill Carter would have in his recording career. First being recorded for legendary producer Pappy Daily's 'D' Records and then later being picked up by the national MGM label.
The song is about a man who breaks from his prison cell to make a bid for freedom to the train line he can see from his window (there's always a train line nearby, have you ever noticed that?) A vindictive prison guard shoots him in his tracks as he recounts the event from his death bed. Grisly stuff, I think you'll agree. Shortly after the release of this record Carter found and joined country gospel group The Christian Troubadours as a vocalist and bass player.
It is perhaps no surprise that Bill Carter went on to such a long and prosperous career in music when you consider his introduction. As a young child Carter used to tune into the Grand Ole Opry on the radio and then after getting the chance to sing on KGHI at a young age he was hooked. Role on the 1950s and Western Swing legend Bob Wills invited Carter to sing with him. The rest, as they say, is history.
'It's Nothing To Me' is another example which has grown in popularity in recent years, it tells of a man sat at a bar over to see his ex-lover with another man. The song is told through the eyes of an onlooker who tells the man not to go over to her, he does and the resulting quarrel ends with the first man being shot.
There you are stretched out on the floor, buddy
Now you see what you made him do
And tomorrow someone will bury you.
Here they come to take me off to jail, buddy
It's Nothing To Me written by Pat Patterson
In the Sanford Clark version you can hear an unusual technique having fiddle bow being dragged along the strings of the steel guitar, creating an unearthly and eerie feel to the record. When you pair this with the use of the gunshots and the way that Clark places emphasis on the word 'buddy' at the end of each line, creates something truly sinister. Whilst the Sanford Clark will set you back a three figure amount, the stripped down Loy Clingman original recorded for Arizona label Liberty Bell Records - and later available on Dot Records - is still relatively affordable in comparison.
Other personal favourites I have heard include 'The Diamond Bracelet' by Ron Jordan on Jalyn Records. 'The Mammoth Cave Secret' by Charlie Stewart which is similar in tone to the aforementioned 'Knoxville Girl' and the remorseful tale of a man who killed in self defense from Truman Mulkey's 'Turn Around and Run' on Cotton Records.
Eddie Noack Promotional Photograph, Box 3, Folder 4, Andrew Brown Texas Country Music Collection, Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries, Houston, TX.
'Eddie Noack - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' Bear Family Records CD Box Set, Liner notes by Andrew Brown BCD 17142 CH
Charlie Louvin Interview Pt 1 - Smoke Music Archive
Texas Music - Story Behind The Song: "Psycho" by Coy Prather
Bill Carter Interview - Christian Servant Magazine - 2016
Every effort has been made to contact the relevant copyright holders.
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