The Light Crust Doughboys occupied a very unusual niche in popular music. They were a western swing band from Texas, created and organised in the early 1930s by the Burrus Mill and Elevator Company in Saginaw, Texas, in order to promote the company’s brand of Light Crust Flour on radio, and link that to advertising.
The company’s president Lee O’Daniel, a natural showman, was at the heart of the strategy and often travelled to perform and record with the group. They became major stars and their recording career in their original incarnation lasted for around a decade. They recorded prolifically, and this 54-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from their releases on Vocalion and Okeh from this era.
It features western swing versions of classic country, folk, blues, jazz and pop songs like “Waiting For The Robert E. Lee”, “Washington And Lee Swing, “El Rancho Grande”, “Sittin’ On Top Of The World”, “Chinatown My Chinatown”, “Birth Of The Blues”, “It Makes No Difference Now”, “My Blue Heaven” and many more. It features ace western swing musicians Jim Boyd, John Parker, Cecil Brower, Kenneth Pitts, Dick Reinhart, Marvin Montgomery and others. They were pioneers of the western swing genre, and this is a hugely entertaining set.
CD 1
1. BEAUTIFUL TEXAS Lee O'Daniel & His Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 2621) 1933
2. BILL CHEATHAM Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 2892) 1934
3. PRAIRIE LULLABY Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3017) 1935
4. EL RANCHO GRANDE Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3017) 1935
5. WALTZ YOU SAVED FOR ME Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3065) 1935
6. RURAL RHYTHM Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3069) 1935
7. IN A LITTLE GYPSY TEA ROOM Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3069) 1935
8. MY MELANCHOLY BABY Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3141) 1935
9. MY BLUE HEAVEN Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3141) 1935
10. I LIKE BANANAS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO BONE Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3238) 1936
11. I'M A DING DONG DADDY FROM DUMAS Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3239) 1936
12. UNCLE ZEKE Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3310) 1936
13. HAPPY COWBOY Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3345) 1936
14. WHEN THE MOON SHINES ON THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3403) 1936
15. BLUE GUITARS Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3610) 1937
16. ROLL ALONG JORDAN Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3867) 1937
17. DUSKY STEVEDORE Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3867) 1937
18. JUST ONCE TOO OFTEN Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 3926) 1937
19. WAITING FOR THE ROBERT E. LEE Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4216) 1938
20. THE BIRTH OF THE BLUES Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4216) 1938
21. SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4261) 1938
22. STUMBLING Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4326) 1938
23. SLOW DOWN, MR BROWN Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4468) 1938
24. IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE NOW Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4559) 1938
25. PUSSY, PUSSY, PUSSY Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4560) 1938
26. BABY, GIVE ME SOME OF THAT Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4638) 1938
27. DIRT DISH RAG BLUES Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4701) 1938
CD 2
1. BLUE EYED SALLY Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4702) 1938
2. GULF COAST BLUES Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4921) 1938
3. WEARY BLUES Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4921) 1938
4. MAMA WON'T LET ME Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4973) 1939
5. WE MUST HAVE BEER Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4973) 1939
6. THINKING OF YOU Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 4974) 1939
7. MAMA GETS WHAT SHE WANTS Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5039) 1939
8. WE FOUND HER LITTLE PUSSY CAT Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5092) 1939
9. YOU GOT WHAT I WANT Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5092) 1939
10. I'LL KEEP ON LOVING YOU Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5120) 1939
11. BEER DRINKING MAMA Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5201) 1939
12. HORSIE KEEP YOUR TAIL UP Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5227) 1939
13. CARELESS Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5307) 1939
14. IN OLE OKLAHOMA Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5308) 1939
15. TEXAS SONG OF PRIDE Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5308) 1939
16. JAZZBO JOE Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5357) 1939
17. CATTLE CALL Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5413) 1939
18. ALICE BLUE GOWN Light Crust Doughboys (Vocalion 5535) 1940
19. SOUTH Light Crust Doughboys (Okeh 5610) 1940
20. CRIPPLE CREEK Light Crust Doughboys (Okeh 5653) 1940
21. IF YOU'LL COME BACK Light Crust Doughboys (Okeh 5696) 1940
22. MEAN MEAN MAMA Light Crust Doughboys (Okeh 5752) 1940
23. GOOD GRACIOUS GRACIE Light Crust Doughboys (Okeh 5821) 1940
24. DON'T LIE TO AN INNOCENT MAIDEN Light Crust Doughboys (Okeh 6216) 1941
25. FIVE LONG YEARS Light Crust Doughboys (Okeh 6286) 1941
26. BEAR CREEK HOP Light Crust Doughboys (Okeh 6349) 1941
27. SWEET SALLY Light Crust Doughboys (Okeh 6594) 1942