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Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Crazy Words Crazy Tunes - The Saloonatics

 

If My Baby Cooks As Good As She Looks

Crazy Words
Crazy Tunes
The Saloonatics
1929 Cadillac Dual Cowl Phaeton from the collection of Dr. T. C. McDaniel
Bethlehem STEREO BS-10,001
Distributed by Starday-King Records Inc. - Cincinnati, Ohio
1969

From the back cover: The story behind the Saloonatics, and this album goes much further. This recording is the accomplishment of an ambition for two men who have been in all phases of the music industry for many years.

Saul Striks plays piano and sings; Ralph Guenther plays bass and banjo and also sings. They are the nucleus of the group presented here. Saul was with a group called "Somethin' Smith and the Redheads" from 1947 to 1960 and was on all the hit records produced by that group during those years. Ralph was a recording musician for King Records in Cincinnati for many years, and participated in the recording of many hits.

Saul And Ralph knew each other, but never worked together. After a severe injury to Saul, which forced him to stop traveling, friends brought Saul and Ralph together again, and insisted that they should work together. The group, which began as an experiment, soon became an outstanding attraction in Cincinnati.

The next stop was recording, the reason behind this was that Saul and Ralph had been on hit records before, but had never received credit for what they did on the records. They were anonymous.

Here are two experienced professionals who are finally getting the recognition they deserve. The musicianship obvious in the piano and banjo playing, is enhanced by the unique singing of both men. Saul plays the piano and Ralph plays the banjo. Saul sings "Me And My Shadow," "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby" and "Red Silk Stocking." Ralph sings "Vo-Do-Dee-O-Do," "I Get The Blues When It Rains," "Just Because," "Lock My Heart," "San Francisco Bay Blue," "Columbus Stockade Blues," and the original song with the improbable title, "If My Baby Cooks As Good As She Look, I'll Be Hungry All The Time."

To this combination of happy musicians, another element was added O. B. Masingill, a great arranger with many hits to his credit, was brought in to build the musical framework in which the talents of Saul Striks and Ralph Guenther could best be shown. O.B. added a band of all-star recording musicians, and conducted the sessions as well as writing the arrangements.

Crazy Words Crazy Tunes
Red Silk Stocking And Green Perfume
I Get The Blues When It Rains
Sweet Georgia Brown
Rock-A-Bye Your Baby
Just Because
If My Baby Cooks As Good As She Looks
Me And My Shadow
San Francisco Bay Blues
The Columbus Stockade Blues
I'm Gonna Lock My Heart And Throw Away The Key
Goofus

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