| NEW! The Volume 3 Carolina Cotton album is now available as a download from CD Baby and iTunes. (CDs are unavailable). For those of you who would like to look at the liner notes (and in larger print), we provide the following info below:
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Carolina appeared on many radio shows during her career in the 1940s-50s. Some of her best known were for the Armed Forces Radio Service. This album features many of those favorites. Most were recorded at the legendary Radio Recorders in Los Angeles.
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Melody Roundup showcased many Western and Hillbilly acts. They often re-aired earlier radio broadcasts of live club performances. From 1945-46, Carolina was in the Deuce Spriggens Orchestra (she was married to Deuce at the time). They were made up of former members of Spade Cooley's band. "When Pay Day Rolls Around" & "Cachita" were likely rebroadcasts of their live KFI Radio show "Cavalcade Of Western Music" from the Santa Monica Ballroom (Western Palisadses), which manager Bobbie Bennett ran. Bennett got the Spriggens band signed to do Columbia B Westerns with Ken Curtis, before the studio heard them! Bobbie's husband, Eddie Bennett, was the pianist of the Orchestra.
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When Carolina's marriage with Deuce and their band both dissolved in 1946, she joined the cast of the AFRS Ranch House Party. Also on the show was her friend Ken Curtis, who she just made 4 B Westerns with. Others appearing on the show were: MC Cottonseed Clark, comic Herkamir Holker, and at least 3 different bands through dozens of episodes. The cast sometimes performed elaborate themed skits, including Lil' Abner, the opera Carmen, and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage accompanied Carolina on many of the songs: "Farolito", "Grandma's Old Arm Chair", "Happy On The Prairie", "Oh Romeo", "Yodel Your Troubles Away", "Blue Eyes" and "Popcorn Polka". The Plainsmen (former bandmates from the Deuce Spriggens Orchestra) played on "The Cowboy's Life" and "Foggy Mountain Top". Later programs featured the band Art Wenzel & His Ragtime Cowboys.
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By 1950, Miss Cotton began entertaining the servicemen overseas for the holidays. And before long, the Armed Forces Radio Service again got in touch with her...this time to have her own radio show. It was called Carolina Cotton Calls. During its run from 1952-54, it proved to be one of the most popular shows on AFRS. At least 131 episodes were produced. Like the previous Armed Forces radio programs, this show's house bands featured some amazing musicians. The first group included the one and only Walkin' Talkin' Charley Aldridge (aka Charlie Aldrich). Also in the band were Johnny Paul, Frank Tacach, Abner Wilder, and Art Wentzel (from the AFRS Ranch House Party). They're playing on "Naughty Yodel", "Sugar Hill" and "Cimarron". The Rhythm Riders included Joe Maphis, Darol Rice, George Bamby (from The Plainsmen), Slim Duncan, Mike Barton. They perform on: "Alpine Milkman Yodel", "All I Do Is Dream Of You", "After You've Gone", and "Sally Get Your Hocake Done". In later episodes, The Saddle Kings were the band, featuring Hank Caldwell from The Plainsmen, Jimmy Widener, fiddler Hal Metzger, Bud (Hobbs?), and possibly Eddie Bennett.
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Personal Album was another show made exclusively for the Armed Forces Radio Service. The music was more intimate, with jazz players softly accompanying the featured guest. Carolina appeared on one of the episodes, singing the beautiful "Bless Your Heart".
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One of the non-AFRS radio shows for the Military was the Navy Country Hoedown. The Yodeling Blonde Bombshell appeared on 3 episodes. Carolina sang her signature song "Three Miles South Of Cash (In Arkansas)" with many performers over the years. We couldn't resist including yet another version in this album! This time she sang the song with Ernest Tubb, backed by the Texas Troubadors.
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During the Golden Years of Western entertainment, Carolina Cotton sang and yodeled her way into the hearts of radio audiences worldwide. And her music continues to be enjoyed for generations to come.
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SONG SELECTIONS:
1) When Pay Day Rolls Around (Nolan), KFI Western Cavalcade Of Western Music poss. recorded at the Western Palisades Ballroom musicians: Deuce Spriggens Orchestra
2) Cachita (Martin, Sancristobal), KFI Western Cavalcade Of Western Music poss recorded at the Western Palisades Ballroom musicians: Deuce Spriggens Orchestra 3) Grandma's Old Arm Chair (Carr), AFRS Ranch House Party #22 recorded at Radio Recorders, Fall 1946 musicians: Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage
4) I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes (Carter, Marcotte), AFRS Ranch House Party #36 recorded at Radio Recorders, Fall 1946 musicians: Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage
5) The Cowboy's Life AFRS Ranch House Party #37 recorded at Radio Recorders, Fall 1946 musicians: The Plainsmen
6) Yodel Your Troubles Away (Spencer), AFRS Ranch House Party #33 recorded at Radio Recorders, Fall 1946 musicians: Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage
7) Oh Romeo AFRS Ranch House Party #33 recorded at Radio Recorders, Fall 1946 musicians: Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage
8) Happy On The Prairie AFRS Ranch House Party #23 recorded at Radio Recorders, Fall 1946 musicians: Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage
9) Foggy Mountain Top (Carter), AFRS Ranch House Party #40 recorded at Radio Recorders, Fall 1946 musicians: The Plainsmen
10) Farolito (Lara), AFRS Ranch House Party #22 recorded at Radio Recorders, Fall 1946 musicians: Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage 11) Naughty Yodel (Baron, Van Dyke), Carolina Cotton Calls #7 recorded at Radio Recorders, 1952 musicians: Charley Aldridge, Johnny Paul, Frank Tacach, Abner Wilder, Art Wentzel
12) Cimarron (Bond), Carolina Cotton Calls #8 recorded at Radio Recorders, 1952 musicians: Charley Aldridge, Johnny Paul, Frank Tacach, Abner Wilder, Art Wentzel
13) Sugar Hill Carolina Cotton Calls #7 recorded at Radio Recorders, 1952 musicians: Charley Aldridge, Johnny Paul, Frank Tacach, Abner Wilder, Art Wentzel
14) All I Do Is Dream Of You (Brown, Freed), Carolina Cotton Calls #61 recorded at Radio Recorders, 1952-54 musicians: The Rhythm Riders (Darol Rice, George Bamby, Slim Duncan, Joe Maphis, Mike Barton)
15) After You've Gone (Layton), Carolina Cotton Calls #62 recorded at Radio Recorders, 1952-54 musicians: The Rhythm Riders 16) Popcorn Polka AFRS Ranch House Party Christmas recorded at Radio Recorders, Fall 1946 musicians: Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage
17) Walking My Baby Back Home (Turk, Ahlert), Carolina Cotton Calls #62 recorded at Radio Recorders, 1952-54 musicians: The Rhythm Riders 18) Bless Your Heart (Drake, Stride, Enston), AFRS Personal Album musicians: unknown
19) Sally Get Your Hocake Done (Carolina Cotton Calls #62 recorded at Radio Recorders, 1952-54 musicians: The Rhythm Riders 20) Alpine Milkman Yodel Carolina Cotton Calls #57 recorded at Radio Recorders, 1952-54 musicians: The Rhythm Riders
21) Three Miles South Of Cash (In Arkansas) (Cotton), Navy Country Hoedown #4 musicians: Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours
22) Carolina Cotton Calls #89 (AFRS) recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, ca. 1953-54 musicians: The Rhythm Riders
NOTES: + The musicians are presumed to be some of Nashville's well-known session players. They may have included Owen Bradley, Jerry Byrd, Jack Shook and Ernie Newton.
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These songs were carefully restored with the latest digital technology. Occasionally the sound quality varies, so as not to compromise the integrity of the original recordings.
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VOLUME 3 SONG SAMPLES:Visit the CD Baby store to hear samples from the Volume 3 album!
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