Listen here
Bill Boyd, born in 1910 and raised on a farm in Texas, survived the hard times of the Depression by getting work performing on radio as well as working on the farm. He was a singer and guitarist, a fan of early hillbilly star Jimmie Rogers, and became one of the pioneers of the style which became known as Western Swing when he formed his band The Country Ramblers in the early 1930s. With his own radio show in those days, called “The Bill Boyd Ranch House”, he recorded well over 200 sides for the Bluebird and RCA labels from his 1934 debut through into the 1950s, when the careers of Bill and his brother Jim started to wind down.
This 54-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A and B sides from his releases on the Bluebird and RCA-Victor labels from across his career. It features his US country hits “Shame On You” and “New Steel Guitar Rag”, along with western swing classics like “Under The Double Eagle”, “Wah-Hoo”, “Fan It”, “Beaumont Rag” and “I’ve Got Those Oklahoma Blues”, offering a selection of both vocal and virtuoso instrumental performances. It is naturally a highly selective compilation from his large body of work, and only crosses over to a small extent with Acrobat’s existing single-CD Bill Boyd Collections “Saturday Night Rag 19934-36” (ACRCD132) and “Lone Star Rag 1937-39” (ACRCD145).
He was a ground-breaking artist and this is an enjoyable overview of his recording career.
Tracks
CD 1
1. RIDIN' ON A HUMPBACK MULE Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 5608) 1934
2. RIDIN' OLD PAINT AND LEADIN' OLD BALL Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 5667) 1934
3. I'M GONNA HOP OFF THE TRAIN Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 5740) 1934
4. ST LOUIS BLUES Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 5828) 1935
5. MAMA DON'T LIKE NO MUSIC PLAYIN' HERE Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 5855) 1935
6. SONG BIRD YODEL Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 5894) 1935
7. GOING BACK TO MY TEXAS HOME Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 5923) 1935
8. UNDER THE DOUBLE EAGLE Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 5945) 1935
9. I CAN'T TAME WILD WOMEN Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6068) 1935
10. WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN AGAIN Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6085) 1935
11. BOYD'S BLUES (WEARY BLUES) Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6109) 1935
12. WAH HOO Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6308) 1936
13. GOOFUS Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6328) 1936
14. THE EYES OF TEXAS Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6384) 1936
15. RIVER BLUES (READY FOR THE RIVER) Jesse's String Five (Bluebird 6443) 1936
16. I NEED ONE SWEET LETTER FROM YOU Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6486) 1936
17. BEALE STREET BLUES Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6492) 1936
18. PUT ME IN YOUR POCKET Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6670) 1936
19. SHOW ME THE WAY TO GO HOME Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6715) 1936
20. YOU CAN'T COME IN Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6772) 1936
21. SHE'S DOGGIN' ME Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6889) 1937
22. BEAUMONT RAG Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 6959) 1937
23. LITTLE WOODEN WHISTLE Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7053) 1937
24. FAN IT Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7128) 1937
25. SISTER LUCY LEE Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7189) 1937
26. CROSS EYED GAL ON THE HILL Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7299) 1937
CD 2
1. THAT'S WHY I'M JEALOUS OF YOU Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7435) 1937
2. I'LL FIND YOU Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7507) 1937
3. YOU'VE GOTTA SEE MAMA EVERY NIGHT Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers ( 7521) 1937
4. YOU'RE JUST ABOUT RIGHT Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7531) 938
5. NEW STEEL GUITAR RAG Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7691A) 1937
6. I'VE GOT THOSE OKLAHOMA BLUES Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7754) 1938
7. FROSTY MORNIN' Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7800) 1938
8. WON'T YOU PLEASE COME HOME Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7910) 1938
9. HERE COMES PAPPY Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 7940) 1938
10. I GET THE BLUES FOR MAMMY Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 8053) 1939
11. HOME IN INDIANA Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 8125) 1939
12. DRINK THE BARREL DRY Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 8394A) 1940
13. SWING STEEL SWING Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 8721) 1941
14. THEY GO GOOGOO GAGA GOOFY OVER GOBS Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 8747) 1941
15. JITTERBUG JIVE Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 8787) 1941
16. ROLLING DOWN THE GREAT DIVIDE Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 8885) 1941
17. MY BIRMINGHAM ROSE Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 9014) 1942
18. SHAME ON YOU Bill Boyd and his Cowboy Ramblers (Bluebird 30-0530A) 1945
19. NEW SPANISH TWO STEP Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 20-1907A) 1946
20. PALACE IN DALLAS Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 20-2172) 1947
21. DON'T TURN MY PICTURE TO THE WALL Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 20-2562) 1947
22. I'M WRITING A LETTER TO HEAVEN Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 20-2697) 1947
23. PULL DOWN THE SHADES AND LOCK THE DOOR Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 20-2960) 1948
24. NEVER BREAK YOUR PROMISE TO A WOMAN Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 20-3067) 1949
25. TOO BLUE TO CARE Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 21-0000) 1949
26. LONE STAR RAG Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 21-0045) 1949
27. PASS THE TURNIP GREENS Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 21-0109) 1949
28. YES YOU DID Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers (RCA-Victor 21-0164) 1950
