George and Earl
George and Earl | |
---|---|
General information | |
Genre (s) | Country music , rockabilly |
founding | 1954 |
resolution | 1956 |
Founding members | |
George McCormick | |
Earl Aycock |
George and Earl was an American country and rockabilly duo .
Career
Beginnings
George McCormick (born June 16, 1933) and Earl Aycock (born 1930) first met through Martha Carson , a country singer with whom McCormick worked. In 1954, Aycock introduced himself to Carson in Birmingham , Alabama , and was soon accepted into the Carsons backing band, in which McCormick also played. A few months later the two began performing as a duo. “Earl liked Carl Smith,” McCormick later recalled, “my favorite was Hank [Williams]. That's one reason Earl and I sounded good together; our styles had a nice blend. " Earl took over the main vocals and McCormick accompanied him with a tenor harmony.
Record deal and Opry
During Martha Carson's appearances at the Grand Ole Opry, George and Earl also got the opportunity to present themselves on the show. The duo quickly became an audience favorite and Opry manager Jack Stapp seriously considered hiring George and Earl as a separate group. Backstage at the Opry, the two met Dee Kilpatrick, then A&R manager at Mercury Records , in 1955 , who was looking for a duo and was actually on his way to Alabama. George and Earl took the chance and played for Kilpatrick, who signed the two and arranged a session in February.
Their first single was released in April of the same year with Got Anything Good b / w Can I . The subsequent single, Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes, in June showed great promise with good sales until Carl Smith recorded the song for Columbia Records and made it a hit. Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes was to remain the duo's greatest success.
The End
Over the next few months, George and Earl recorded eight more titles; many of them had a rockabilly twist . In 1956, Done Gone / Better Stop, Look and Listen was their only real rockabilly single. The title became their best-known piece and is now popular with rockabilly collectors. Contrary to the usual procedure, this time the single was not recorded with Hank Garland on guitar, but with Joe Edwards. McCormick later justified this with the fact that Edwards could play better rock'n'roll. After Done Gone , Aycock and McCormick split as Aycock stayed in Houston. There he was active as a DJ and recorded a single with the small all-star label. McCormick stayed in Nashville and worked as a background musician. In 1985 the LP Going Steady With The Blues was released by Bear Family Records , which contained twelve solo songs by McCormick and six with Aycock.
Discography
year | title | Label # |
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1955 | Can I / Got Anything Good | Mercury 70605X45 |
1955 | Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes / Goin 'Steady With The Blues | Mercury 70632X45 |
1955 | Don't, Don't, Don't / (All You've Given Me Is) Heartaches | Mercury 70683X45 |
1956 | Cry Baby Cry / Take A Look At My Darlin ' | Mercury 70773X45 |
1956 | Done Gone / Better Stop, Look and Listen | Mercury 70852X45 |
Web links
- George and Earl on Hillbilly-Music.com
- Audio samples
- Going Steady With The Blues ( Memento from March 23, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ^ Charles K. Wolfe: Going Steady with the Blues (1985), Bear Family Records