In a Honky Tonk Mood

Performer: Ray Price
Distributor: City Hall

Notes: Includes liner notes by Paul Pelletier. Personnel: Tommy Jackson (fiddle). When Hank Williams died in 1953, Ray Price--then a burgeoning country-music star--was considered by many to be Williams's true successor. After all, Price sang a lot like Williams and hired many of the Drifting Cowboys (Williams's own band) to back him up. However, Price's straight-up honky-tonk period was short lived. As the 1960s dawned, Price gradually made the transition from gritty barroom music to pop-oriented, or "countrypolitan," ballad singing. Nonetheless, IN A HONKY TONK MOOD captures Price's early period well. The album presents Price crooning about love's loss, lonely nights, and hard-tested faith. The latter is best epitomized by "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley" and "The Old Rugged Cross," both of which feature the Jordanaires, a popular vocal group of the era, best known for their work with Elvis Presley. Other songs such as the upbeat "Steel Guitar Jubilee" and "Back Up and Push" feature the instrumental talents of the now-legendary Cherokee Cowboys.

Texan country singer Ray Price got the best possible start by having Hank Williams himself for a mentor. After Williams's death, Price began using Hank's Drifting Cowboys as a backup band and performing in a remarkably similar style. After putting together a new band to find his own sound, he essentially invented the 4/4 country shuffle, replacing the traditional country 2/4 beat. This combination of honky-tonk and Western Swing both influenced a whole school of country and helped pave the way for rockabilly. Besides his voluminous body of solo work, Price was also known for his latter-day collaborations with Willie Nelson, whose "Night Life" had been an early-'60s Price hit.

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