T. Texas Tyler (born 20th June, 1916)

[john poole]

T. Texas Tyler, billed as “The man with a million friends”, born David Luke Myrick one hundred years ago today - 20th June, 1916 outside Mena, Arkansas [died 28th January, 1972]

Best known for writing / adapting and first recording ‘Deck of Cards’ (1948) later a UK hit for Wink Martindale in 1959, 1960, 1963, and 1973. Anyone less than fond of ‘Deck of Cards’ is probably best advised to avoid T. Texas Tyler’s musically similar follow up hit ‘Dad Gave My Dog Away’

‘Black Jack David’ (1946) - the first post-WWII recording of the song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMU1bjG9oHE
Stanley Walker - lead guitar; Carl Mosher - steel guitar

‘My Bucket’s got a Hole in it’ (1949) - his version was released one week prior to Hank Williams’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tudB1RM-ETA
with some nice lead guitar, possibly played by Jimmy Pruett who (together with steel guitarist Joaquin Murphey) received a name-check on ‘Guitar Boogie Woogie’ by T.Texas Tyler & the his Oklahoma Melody Boys (1946)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owk2mFB7cPM
http://www.hillbilly-music.com/artists/ ... p?id=13263
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquin_Murphey

Clarence Williams copyrighted ‘My Bucket’s Got a Hole in it’ in 1933 but an earlier version exists by Tom Gates & his Orchestra (1927); and earlier that year, ‘To-Wa-Bac-a-Wa’ being an instrumental by Louis Dumaine’s Jazzola Eight (1927)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAmHShcKVww

Lil Johnson's version (1937) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luHdqy6ahz4
Others who sang about holes in their bucket included Washboard Sam, Louis Armstrong, Ricky Nelson and many more including of course Harry Belafonte

‘Deck of Cards’ had an 18th/19th century British origin. The Rev. J.C. Burnett had the earliest recorded version on the theme as ‘The Gambler’s Doom’ (1927)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv3yexWNZy8
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rev-jc-b ... 0000469923

‘Black Jack David’ also goes back a long way to Scotland ca. 1600 - the Carlisles recorded a version in 1939 but T.Texas Tyler was first to copyright his arrangement. The Carter Family also had an early version (1940)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m_9aqwrj3I

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Texas_Tyler

[NormanD]

‘Deck of Cards’ had an 18th/19th century British origin. The Rev. J.C. Burnett had the earliest recorded version on the theme as ‘The Gambler’s Doom’ (1927)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv3yexWNZy8

As an aside (prompted by the video of this), Document Records is going through critical business difficulties, and is trying to remain in existence. You can find out the full story, but it's largely as a result of being burnt by its major distributor.

It's likely to go over to digital only, and in the meantime is selling off most of its existing CD stock at £1.99 a throw. So, please support them, especially if you want the Rev. J.C. Burnett track
http://www.document-records.com/

[uiwangmike]

Red River Dave wrote and recorded The Red Deck of Cards in 1954, occasioned by the prisoner exchange that followed the Korean War armistice.
http://www.authentichistory.com/1946-19 ... _Dave.html
Red Sovine adapted the song for the Vietnam War, but the changes are quite minimal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o9l1Z1UGtw

I like TTT's version of Remember Me, originally done by Lulu Belle & Scotty. (The clip also has a good biog.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=debAVpTCl_s

[NormanD]

"They arrived in a town called Sai-gon..." with a population then of about 2.5 million.

Reminds me of an old joke, the punchline of which goes:

'Is this London?"
"Yes, mate."
"Then where do you want this delivery of wood?"

[john poole]

As an aside (prompted by the video of this), Document Records is going through critical business difficulties, and is trying to remain in existence. You can find out the full story, but it's largely as a result of being burnt by its major distributor.

It's likely to go over to digital only, and in the meantime is selling off most of its existing CD stock at £1.99 a throw. So, please support them, especially if you want the Rev. J.C. Burnett track
http://www.document-records.com/

Yes and allow plenty of time to scroll through their catalogue with hundreds of CDs still available. This is the Rev. Burnett one with the 'The Gambler's Doom'
http://www.document-records.com/fulldet ... =DOCD-5558

I've been looking for, but can't find online Sly Stone's 'Deck of Cards' as recorded in the mid 60s and later released on a 1970s cash-in LP
http://badcatrecords.com/BadCat/STONEsly.htm

But here's Prince Far I -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pXzf0cdEvA

[NormanD]

A UK parody from David Frost
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwN4Je8RELY

[NormanD]

And a really funny version from the great folk comedian, Les Barker:

During the North African campaign of the 7 years Franco-Prussian War of the Spanish Succession, a bunch of soldier boys had been on a long hike and found themselves in Macclesfield.
The next day being Sunday, they went into a church. One of the Franco Prussians saw one of the soldier boys take out a deck of cards, and said: 'Soldier; put away those cards."
The next day, the soldier was taken before the Provost Marshal. The Marshal spoke to the Franco Prussian, saying "Frank, why have you brought this man before me?
"For playing cards in church, Sir.
"What have you to say for yourself, son?"
"Much, sir," said the soldier.
"I hope so; for if not, I shall punish you more than any man was ever punished."
The soldier replied: "Well sir, when I see the ace, I think of what they call frozen water in Cheltenham.
When I see the two, I think of the two stomachs of half a cow.
And when I see the three, I think of the number of horsemen of the apocalypse when Pestilence is having a day off to run in the 2.45 at Ascot.
And when I look at the four, I think of the number of legs on part of a centipede.
When I see the five, I think of the number of trotters on a pig, and a spare one we've got in the fridge.
When I look at the six, I think of the number of votes Norway have got in the entire history of the Eurovision Song Contest.
When I look at the seven, I think of the Ten Commandments.
When I see the eight, I think of the number of trotters on a pig, cos I've just ate 'em.
When I think of the nine, I think of the number of trotters there would be on three horses if they were all pigs and had a leg missing.
When I look at the ten, I think of the number of Lords a-leaping some swine left on the doorstep after Christmas.
And when I see the Jack, I think of the number of trotters on a pig if it's left overnight in a car park in Brixton.
When I see the Queen, I think perhaps I'm in the wrong bus queue.
And when I see the king, I think: What's Elvis doing working in Tesco?
And when I see the four suits, it reminds me how many suits I'd have in the wardrobe if I had another four, and a wardrobe.
When I add up the number of cards, it comes to fifty-two, the number of weeks in the last half of last year and the first half of this year.
There are twelve picture cards, the number of eyebrows on six armadillos.
When I add up the spots, it comes to three hundred and sixty five, and I am reminded of a small bottle of Thousand Island dressing.
So you see, my deck of cards serves me as both a bauble and an Armagnac.
And folks, this story's true; I know; I read it in the Sun.