Skillet Lickers-Hawkins Rag-1934

When the music industry started to recover from the crash of 1929, Bluebird enticed the Skillet Lickers, who had disbanded in 1931, to gather one last time for a recording session in 1934. The new Skillet Licker line up consisted of mainstays Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett but now added Gid's son Gordon on fiddle and mandolin player Ezra "Ted" Hawkins. The group cut 22 sides in this final session and played some of the rarest and finest hillbilly string band recordings ever made. Quite a few of the recordings were old Skillet Licker favorites but were played out much more artfully than had been done in the almost informal sessions in Atlanta. The loss of Clayton McMichen on fiddle and Fate Norris on banjo seems to be more than compensated for by Gordon Tanner and the joyous sparkling sounds of Hawkins' mandolin. After the completion of this session. Gid went home to raise chickens, Gordon became a fiddle maker, and Riley struck out on his own working on radio shows, concert touring, and cutting even more records. Sorry for having to start this music so abruptly-outer edge of the 78 chipped.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• skillet
• lickers
• gid
• tanner
• riley
• puckett
• gordon
• ezra
• ted
• hawkins
• rag
• bluebird
• 1934
• 78s
• 78RPM
• string
• bands
• hillbilly
• mandolin
• fiddle
• guitar
• music

[ratherknotty]

This has to be classed as Bluegrass rather than Old Time!!!It really rocks.

[preservationhall01]

@ratherknotty How about "old time bluegrass" ? - it was done in 1934 after all. Thanks for commenting.

[ivanrorick]

The 1934 recordings are some of the best!

Some nitpicking: that guy at 0:47 is John Patterson, not Gordon Tanner. Gordon is the guy holding the fiddle bow on the right who is cut off from the picture in this video. Also, Gid is playing the banjo in this recording, not the fiddle.

[preservationhall01]

@ivanrorick Thanks for your info. I wasn't sure after I put this vid up if was really Gordon Tanner and who was playing what other than being sure of Ezra Hawkins on mandolin.

[Squarerig]

I have never heard them before and am most pleasantly surprised!Wonderful music and what a group!More than five stars!

[preservationhall01]

@Squarerig This group wasn't the original Skillet Lickers. If you care to hear the original group, Soldier's Joy is on this channel. Thanks for your comment.

[jim7684]

Fantastic adding this to my faves.

[stevegoldfield]

i have to laugh at the notion that it isn't old-time because it rocks. Where do you think bluegrass got its energy?

[ratherknotty]

The mandolin player must have influenced Bill Monroe just as The Delmore Brothers 1933 records and their Grand Ol' Opry appearances must have. Bluegrass is a fusion of everthing that went before + Bill Monroe + Earl Scruggs = Bluegrass. Bob Wills very first records are not far off Old Time fiddle.but instead it developed into Western Swing

[karaokegang]

Wow! I love the Skillet Lickers - Riley Puckett was a fantastic blind guitarist. I just happened upon these videos by chance.

[Cloud11892]

you guys should listen to the skillet lickers - run nigger run .

alot better than this shit....

[keepinguptheday]

What a stunning rag!!!

[ghostofchat77]

Take your shoes off! ;)

[chunhaylee]

the guitarist's thumping bass line is just flat out amazing.