Skillet Lickers

Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers (also: Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers ) was an American country band which has seen its greatest success in the 1920s and 1930s. The band is one of the earliest stars of Old- Time Music.

3.1 Influence and power
3.2 repertoire
3.3 style

4.1 Singles
4.2 albums
4.3 Recording Data 4.3.1 1926
4.3.2 1927
4.3.3 1928
4.3.4 1929
4.3.5 1930
4.3.6 1931
4.3.7 1934

5.1 Notes and references
5.2 External links

Career

In 1925, Frank Walker, the A & R manager of Columbia Records to Atlanta to there together a string band. He reached to the musicians Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett back the blind, who had already published some plates at Columbia. Together with the fiddler Clayton McMichen and the banjo player Fate Norris called the band Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers. The name was inspired by McMichens Lickskillet Band, with Tanner before 1920 already with the Atlanta Fiddler's Convention had occurred.

Their first record, which appeared in 1926 with Bully of the Town to the A-side and pass Around the Bottle on the B - side, exceeded all expectations. With over 200,000 copies sold, the single was one of the most successful new releases of the year and carried the group into a " star status ".

Achievements

The next release Watermelon Hangin ' on the Vine - Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane from September 1926 was almost as successful as the debut. In both titles for the first time took over Gid Tanner singing. This he should do regularly during the next few years, real singers but remained Puckett. Within a year, Gid Tanner and his Skillet advanced Lickers next to Charlie Poole and his North Carolina Ramblers most successful hillbilly musicians of that time. They denied appearances on WLS National Barn Dance and measured with the then sizes of show business by challenging the Fiddler of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee to the Fiddler's Contest. They also went on extensive tours and were only twice a year in the studio, where they recorded all the tracks of each year.

Their third single A Corn Licker Still in Georgia contained the first comedy routines under the direction Tanner, who was a talented entertainer. These varied music variant was extremely successful.

In the following time were all singles Skillet Lickers of hits, including Soldier 's Joy, Slow Buck and A Fiddler's Convention in Georgia. One particularly striking were the complementary fiddle deposits Tanners and McMichens and Puckett's guitar playing should serve the later bass players as a template. He was one of the first musicians who used the walking bass principle, ie according to pluck the strings one pitch (see Ride Old Buck to Water ).

Although the publications of the group about 20 percent of the total hillbilly -D series of Columbia, the publication series with Old-time music, accounted for, the members earned mainly money with their tours, they formed by the southern states and also in the North U.S. led. They toured among others, with Lowe Stokes, Bert Layne, Arthur Tanner and Bill Helms.

According to Helms, the band played mostly on Fiddlewettbewerben, which lasted three days: "These conventions would load Usually three days in one place, and the last night what Usually contest night - you fiddled off and They had prizes for guitar and banjo players. ... " ( " These events usually lasted three days, and on the last night normally the competition took place - it was his best on the fiddle, and there were prices for guitar and banjo player .... "). Although there was already silent film in the American South, the increasing popularity contests, so Helms enjoyed: " [ ... ] They that crazy about hillbilly fiddling and banjo picking and, man, you'd fill everyplace you went up " ( " they [the people ] were crazy about hillbilly music, and the events were always sold out. "). According to Helms, the band took on a night up to $ 400 a at a price of 25 cents for adults; Children paid 15 cents.

Decline and reformation

Although Clayton McMichen was not satisfied with the situation since the beginning of the Skillet Lickers, it was in 1930 predicted that the differences of the members were getting worse. Had McMichen along with Bert Layne, Lowe Stokes and a number of other musicians for Brunswick Records already taken 1928/1929 different jazz - oriented pieces, so now also showed with his new band, the Georgia Wildcats, the significant development for Western Swing. The traditional style of Skillet Lickers therefore was contrary to McMichens experimental sounds, so it was clear for him to leave the band.

In addition to the internal strife and the world economic crisis and the resulting poor situation of the music industry exacerbated the situation of the Skillet Lickers. Columbia has been hit hard by the crisis and tried on the band that were a guarantee for high sales and profit in recent years to improve their situation. On 24 October 1931, the last session of the Skillet Lickers was held. Actually Clayton McMichen the group had already left, mainly because of differences with the other musicians. Since he was but paid for by Columbia above average for his recordings, he took the offer because he had to feed a family now. On this last session in Atlanta Fate Norris was missing out until now unknown reasons, so Gid Tanner had to step in on banjo and this in turn was replaced by Bert Layne on fiddle. This resulted in a population with Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Clayton Mcichen (fiddle ), Lowe Stokes ( fiddle), Bert Layne (fiddle ) and Gid Tanner ( banjo).

For Frank Walker was clear from the beginning that the band would break at some point, because the characters were too different. The liberal McMichen, which focused primarily a fondness for jazz, and the conservative Norris had the largest differences. Tanner, who had to be arbiters often could hold together the band for six years, with trade-offs, then he also had to give up. McMichen said later in an interview said: " Two or three in there [the Skillet Lickers ] could not play" ( " two or three of them could not play " ) and that he did not like to play with them: "they just what about 30 years behind us, or 40, in the music business " ( " They halted in terms of music 30 or 40 years behind us ").

Despite the economic crisis and the sluggish sales, the Skillet Lickers were still extremely popular. As McMichen together with his new band in 1931 from Covington, Kentucky, went and performed at WCKY, Riley Puckett was introduced and appeared as " Skillet Lickers ". The owner of the radio station gave the band plenty of gigs in the area - at a concert visitors snake was even three blocks long. But McMichen and his band left WCKY to accept a lucrative offer at WLW. The missing musicians were replaced by Gid Tanner and Fiddler Bill Helms.

1934 signed Tanner at Bluebird Records and formed new Skillet Lickers with Riley Puckett on guitar, Ted Hawkins played on the mandolin, his brother Arthur on banjo and his son Gordon, who Fiddle. From their Session in San Antonio, Texas, comes her last and the largest hit Down Yonder. For Tanner, it was the last time that he entered a studio. However, appearances denied all members will continue in 1935 on radio station in Atlanta WJTL even together as a group.

The Skillet Lickers today

As part of the folk revival in the 1960s called Gid Tanner's son Gordon, the band his father back to life. Gid Tanner experienced this no more, he already died in 1960. Since the mid- 1980s, the Skillet Lickers Gid Tanner's grandson Phil under the name of Phil Tanner's Skillet Lickers are conducted. In 1992, Global Village Records on the album The Tanner Legacy Now, which includes new and old pieces. Even Phil's son Russel plays in the band. In this constellation, the Skillet Lickers continue to occur at folk and bluegrass festivals.

Skillet Lickers in 1988 were incorporated into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame.

Musical work

Influence and power

The Skillet Lickers are one of the most successful and influential bands of the hillbilly music. The String Band should greatly affect the bluegrass and folk musicians also provided for subsequent template represents the fiddle - playing McMichens and Tanner was at that time distinctive and even Puckett's guitar playing contributed to the special sound of music at. However, the Skillet Lickers were not professional musicians, only Riley Puckett earned his livelihood with the music; because of his lack of eyesight he had other options little. McMichen was a professional auto mechanic and Gid Tanner Farmer. About Fate Norris ' activities is not known, but it is likely that he was not a professional musician. In a small dialog before recording of the piece Nancy Rollin, which was recorded, Norris told by a company in which he was working ([... ] the company I am workin ' for ... ).

Repertoire

The repertoire of the Skillet Lickers ranged from old traditionals like Old Joe Clark, John Henry or Cotton - Eyed Joe on then modern pieces such as Wendell Hall's It Is not Gonna Rain No Mo ' or Vernon Dalharts Wreck of the Old Southern '97 to gospel arrangements like Do not You Hear Jerusalem Moan? or even marching songs such as It's a Long Way to Tipperary. However, the greatest proportion of their pieces set the traditionals pieces, the learned members in their youth by relatives or acquaintances. Some titles were melodic perfectly equal, only the text has been changed, as in Flatwoods and Cotton - Eyed Joe.

A special part of their repertoire made up the skits, which at that time was completely new and sold extremely well. The best known example is probably A Corn Licker Still in Georgia, which offered a total of 14 different parts, of which not all were published. The first two parts appeared in 1926, spread over A- and B-side. Here McMichen was often the narrator and so continued the story. Tanner, however, often mimed the clown, the jokes were in between for good or funny struck by his clumsiness.

A Corn Licker Still in Georgia has been completely re-released in its 14 parts on an LP of Voyager Records. The appearance received by the press consistently good reviews. According to Voyager of the sketch in the original, so from 1927 until 1930 to complete, over a million were sold times.

Style

The Skillet Lickers was one of the first string bands that has ever been recorded. Your "three- Fiddle - combination" of Tanner, McMichen and another Fiddler was previously not consistently and produced a " fuller " sound. For years, the theory has held that the Skillet Lickers only played with two fiddlers, but this was disproved. The confusion was caused by McMichen, who in interviews always later claimed that Tanner was as far removed deliberately from the microphone that shouted McMichen and Lowe Stokes. However, the statement was completely unfounded and probably built only on McMichens antipathy toward Tanner on.

In reality it was just the combination of three fiddlers who distinguished the songs of Skillet Lickers an average String Band. While McMichens and Tanner instruments were tuned up, played a third fiddle in the baritone. Who was ultimately the third Fiddler, is not known. Since it is usually not official - or just poorly run - gave Protocols of the recording sessions and vary widely, the statements of the members, only guesses can be expressed. According to Tony Russell, author of Country Music Records, Bert Layne was the third Fiddler in the first sessions. Over time, this may have changed since Lowe Stokes was partly also a member. In addition, other musicians like Ted Hawkins and Bill Helms come into question. Other sources Lowe Stokes as a permanent third Fiddler.

The second component of this sound acted Riley Puckett. His voice was clear and smooth tenor who was unmistakable. His skills on the guitar are reminiscent of a use as a bass. McMichen later told Puckett's role in the band: " Riley Proved the people wanted to hear singing. And if he did not sing on the records, why, They Did not sell much " ( " Riley showed us that people wanted to hear singing. And if he did not sing on the plates, then they sold not good " ).

Fate Norris is out listen very hard as a banjoist. He also used his instrument, strictly speaking, only as a rhythm instrument. But in the piece Polly Woddle Doo he can be heard as a singer in a stanza. Over time, also other members beside Puckett could be heard as a singer; Lowe Stokes sings in It Is not Gonna Rain No Mo ' two stanzas and Gid Tanner in the same piece in its high comic voice to the chorus.

Discography

Singles

Columbia recordings were re-released mid -1930s at Vocalion Records and Bluebird recordings at Montgomery Ward.

Albums

Since there were no LPs in the 1920s and 1930s, can only compilations and are listed here.

Recording data

This collection contains all of the Skillet Lickers sessions. Specified place and date, and occupation, and the recorded title. On many sessions Gid Tanner, Fate Norris and Riley Puckett have further titles included, but these are not included here.

1926

Atlanta, GA, April 17, 1926

Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Gid Tanner (fiddle / vocals), Clayton McMichen (fiddle ), Fate Norris ( banjo), Bert Layne (fiddle / vocals), Bob Nichols (unknown)

Hand Me Down My Walkin ' Cane; Columbia D- series
Bully of the Town; Columbia D- series
Pass Around the Bottle; Columbia D- series
Alabama Jubilee; Columbia D- series
Watermelon Hangin ' on the Vine; Columbia D- series
Do not You Hear Jerusalem Moan; Columbia D- series
Ya Gotta Quit Kickin ' My Dog Aroun '; Columbia D- series
Turkey in the Straw; Columbia D- series

Atlanta, GA, November 2, bis November 5, 1926

Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Gid Tanner (fiddle ), Clayton McMichen (fiddle ), Fate Norris ( banjo), Bert Layne (?) (Fiddle )

November 2

Polly Woodle Doo; Columbia D- Series / Regal Records
Rock Road to Milledgeville; unpublished
Uncle Bud; Columbia D- series

November 3

Dance All Night with a Bottle in Your Hand; Columbia D- series
She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain; Columbia D- series
I Do not Love Nobody; Columbia D- series
Hop Light Ladies; unpublished
I got mine; Columbia D- series
Shortening Bread; Columbia D- series
Old Joe Clark; Columbia D- series

November 5

My Boarding House on the Hill; unpublished
The Fate of William Cheek; unpublished
The Drunkard 's Courtship; unpublished
Do not Forget My Little Darling; unknown

1927

Atlanta, GA, March 28 bis March 29, 1927

Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Gid Tanner (fiddle ), Clayton McMichen (fiddle ), Fate Norris ( banjo), Bert Layne (fiddle )

March 29

Casey Jones; Columbia D- series
The Wreck of the Old Southern '97; Columbia D- series

March 28

Dixie; Columbia D- series
Run, nigger, run; Columbia D- series
The Girl I Left Behind Me; Columbia D- series
The Old Gray Mare; Columbia D- series
John Henry; Columbia D- series
Drink ' It Down; Columbia D- series
The Dark Town Strutter 's Ball; Columbia D- series
Peter Went A - Fishing, unpublished

Atlanta, GA, October 31, bis November 1, 1927

Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Gid Tanner (fiddle / vocals), Clayton McMichen (fiddle ), Fate Norris ( banjo)

October 31

Old McDonald Had a Farm; Columbia D- series
Bile The [ Them ] Cabbage Down; Columbia D- series
Big Ball in Town; Columbia D- series
It's a Long Way to Tipperary; Columbia D- series
Buckin ' Mule; Columbia D- series
Uncle Bud; Columbia D- series
Polly Wolly Doodly; unpublished

November 1

Johnson 's Old Gray Mule, Columbia D- series

1928

Atlanta, GA, March 28 bis March 29, 1927

Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Gid Tanner (fiddle ), Clayton McMichen (fiddle ), Fate Norris ( banjo), Bert Layne (fiddle )

Casey Jones; Columbia D- series
The Wreck of the Old Southern '97; Columbia D- series
Dixie; Columbia D- series
Run, nigger, run; Columbia D- series
The Girl I Left Behind Me; Columbia D- series
The Old Gray Mare; Columbia D- series
John Henry; Columbia D- series
Drink ' It Down; Columbia D- series
The Dark Town Strutter 's Ball; Columbia D- series
Peter Went A - Fishing, unpublished

Atlanta, GA, April 10, 1928

Hen Cackle; Columbia D- series
Cumberland Gap; Columbia D- series
Cotton - Eyed Joe; Columbia D- series
Black- Eyed Susie; Columbia D- series
Prettiest Little Girl in the Country; Columbia D- series
Slow Buck; Columbia D- series
Sittin 'in the Chimney Jam; Columbia D- series
Sal, Let Me Chaw Your Rosin; Columbia D- series

Atlanta, GA, 22, and October 23, 1928

October 22

Liberty; Columbia D- series
Nancy Rollin '; Columbia D- series
Old Dan Tucker; Columbia D- series
Devilish Mary; Columbia D- series

October 23

Pretty Little Window; Columbia D- series
Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss; Columbia D- series

1929

Atlanta, GA, April 8, 1929

Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Gid Tanner (fiddle ), Clayton McMichen (fiddle ), Fate Norris ( banjo), Bert Layne (fiddle ), Lowe Stokes ( fiddle), Arthur Tanner (?) ( Banjo)

Mississippi Sawyer; Columbia D- series
It Is not Gonna Rain No Mo '; Columbia D- series
Going On Down Town; Columbia D- series
Flatwoods; Columbia D- series
Never Seen the Likes gettin ' Upstairs; Columbia D- series
Show Me the Way to Go Home; Columbia D- series
Cotton Baggin '; Columbia D- series
The Rovin ' Gambler; Columbia D- series

Atlanta, GA, October 29, 1929

Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Gid Tanner (fiddle ), Clayton McMichen (fiddle ), Fate Norris ( banjo), Bert Layne (fiddle ), rest of the cast is unknown

Rocky Pallet; Columbia D- series
Soldier 's Joy; Columbia D- series
Rock That Cradle Lucy; Columbia D- series
There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight; Columbia D- series
Boneparte 's Retreat; Columbia D- series
Hell's Broke Loose in Georgia; Columbia D- series
Giddap Napoleon; Columbia D- series
Cripple Creel; Columbia D- series

1930

Atlanta, GA, 14, and April 15, 1930

Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Gid Tanner (fiddle ), Clayton McMichen (fiddle ), Fate Norris ( banjo), Bert Layne (fiddle ), Lowe Stokes ( fiddle), rest of cast unknown

April 14

Leather Breeches; Columbia D- series
New Arkansaw Traveller; Columbia D- series
Sugar in the Gourd; Columbia D- series
Georgia Wagner; Columbia D- series
Sal's Gone to the Cider Mill; Columbia D- series
Nigger in the woodpile; Columbia D- series

April 15

Devilish Mary; Columbia D- series
Soldier, Will You Marry Me? ; Columbia D- series

Atlanta, GA, 4 and December 5, 1930

December 4

Ride Old Buck to Water; Columbia D- series
Do not You Cray My Honey; Columbia D- series
Cacklin ' Hen and Rooster Too; Columbia D- series
Ricketts Hornpipe; Columbia D- series

December 5

Hand Me Down My Walking Cane; unpublished
Bully of the Town No.2; Columbia D- series
Broken Down Gambler; Columbia D- series
Possum up the Gum Stomp; unpublished
The Dark Town Strutter 's Ball; Columbia D- series
Peter Went A - Fishing, unpublished

1931

Atlanta, GA, October 24, 1931

Miss McLeod's Reel; Columbia D- series
Four Cent Cotton; Columbia D- series
Molly Put the Kettle On; Columbia D- series
Sleeping Lulu; Columbia D- series
Whistling Rufus; Columbia D- series

1934

San Antonio, TX, 29 and March 30, 1934

Riley Puckett (vocals / guitar), Gid Tanner (fiddle / vocals), Gordon Tanner (fiddle ), Ted Hawkins (mandolin ), Dan Hornsby (?), Wahrsch Arthur Tanner ( guitar [ ?] ), Rest of cast is unknown

March 29

Georgia Waggoner; Bluebird B- series
Mississippi Sawyer; Bluebird B- series
Back Up and Push; Bluebird B- series
Rufus; Bluebird B- series
Cumberland Gap on a Buckin ' Mule; Bluebird B- series
Hawkin 's Rag; Bluebird B- series
Skillet Licker Breakdown; Bluebird B- series
Cotton Patch; Blue board B- series
Ida Red; Bluebird B- series
Down Yonder; Bluebird B- series
Git Along; Bluebird B- series
Whoa, Mule, Whoa; Bluebird B- series
Tra La La La; Bluebird B- series
Hinkey Dinkey Dee; Bluebird B- series

March 30

Prosperity and Politics no. 1 & 2; Bluebird B- series
Practice Night with Skillet Lickers No. 1 & 2; Bluebird B- series
Tanner 's Hornpipe; Bluebird B- series
Soldier 's Joy; Bluebird B- series
Flop Eared Mule -; Bluebird B- series

Sources and links

Dobro Bassline#Walking bass Covington (Kentucky) Traditional music Gospel music

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