Sammy Masters
Encyclopedia
Sammy Masters is an American
rockabilly
musician
.
KTUL
in Tulsa with Bob Wills
. When he was 16 his family moved to California
, and Masters began playing in country
groups in the Los Angeles
area alongside Spade Cooley
and Ole Rasmussen
. He recorded his first solo
single
, "Lost Little Nickel in the Big Juke Box" on Cormac Records in 1950, and followed it with "Crazy River". After these were released Masters served in the Korean War
in the Army
, where he often performed for fellow soldiers.
In 1954, he returned to California and signed with 4-Star Publishing as a songwriter
and demo tape recorder. Patsy Cline
recorded
his "Turn the Cards Slowly" for a minor hit
. Interested in furthering his chances at a successful career in rockabilly, Masters recorded "Pink Cadillac" and "Whop-T-Bop" with guitarist Jimmy Bryant
and released them on 4-Star in 1956, but neither sold well. Follow-ups "Angel" and "Jodie" were no more successful, even after Masters's touring schedule and television
appearances on The Jack Benny Show and Town Hall Party
. His contract with 4-Star ended in 1957, and he wrote for American Music
for a few years before signing with Lode Records in 1960. Lode issued "Rockin' Red Wing" that year, which became a regional hit in Los Angeles and was picked up by Warner Bros. Records
for national distributions. It eventually reached #64 on the Billboard Hot 100
. It gave Masters his only appearance in the UK Singles Chart
when it peaked at #36 in June 1960. His next single, "Golden Slippers", was released nationally by Dot Records
, but it was not a success, and neither was "Pierre the Poodle", his last release before losing his recording contract
.
He became friends with Willie Nelson
in 1961, and his song "Who Can I Count On?" became the B-side
to Nelson's "Crazy
", a multplatinum smash for Patsy Cline
. In the wake of "Crazy"'s success, singers such as Bobby Darin
and Wayne Newton
covered "Who Can I Count On?". That same year Masters founded his own label, Galahad Records, which was not a vanity label
, though Masters did release an album
, May the Good Lord Bless You and Keep You, in 1964, as well as a few singles, on the label. He co-hosted a television program on KCOP in the 1960s and 1970s, and increasingly found work in TV production in the following decades.
In 1997, Masters signed with Dionysus Records and released Everybody Digs Sammy Masters with Deke Dickerson
and Ray Campi
, hoping to make a comeback on the rockabilly revival scene in Europe and Japan
. He toured in both areas at the end of the decade.
* Version of original "Pink Cadillac" with additional drums
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Career
Masters showed skill in music from an early age. At age 12 he debuted on the radio stationRadio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
KTUL
KTUL
KTUL, virtual channel 8, is the ABC-affiliated television station in Tulsa, Oklahoma, owned by Allbritton Communications Company. KTUL broadcasts from its studios on Lookout Mountain in west Tulsa...
in Tulsa with Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
. When he was 16 his family moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and Masters began playing in country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
groups in the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
area alongside Spade Cooley
Spade Cooley
Donnell Clyde Cooley , better known as Spade Cooley, was an American Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality...
and Ole Rasmussen
Ole Rasmussen
Ole Rasmussen may refer to:*Ole Rasmussen , Danish footballer who played 41 Danish national team games*Ole Rasmussen , Danish footballer who played two Danish national team games...
. He recorded his first solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Lost Little Nickel in the Big Juke Box" on Cormac Records in 1950, and followed it with "Crazy River". After these were released Masters served in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, where he often performed for fellow soldiers.
In 1954, he returned to California and signed with 4-Star Publishing as a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and demo tape recorder. Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
his "Turn the Cards Slowly" for a minor hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
. Interested in furthering his chances at a successful career in rockabilly, Masters recorded "Pink Cadillac" and "Whop-T-Bop" with guitarist Jimmy Bryant
Jimmy Bryant
Jimmy Bryant was a prominent American session guitarist. He was billed as "The Fastest Guitar in the Country".-Biography:Ivy J. Bryant, Jr. was born in Moultrie, Georgia, the oldest of 12 children...
and released them on 4-Star in 1956, but neither sold well. Follow-ups "Angel" and "Jodie" were no more successful, even after Masters's touring schedule and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
appearances on The Jack Benny Show and Town Hall Party
Town Hall Party
Town Hall Party was an American country music radio and television show broadcast over KXLA-AM, Pasadena, California, KFI-AM, Los Angeles, California, and KTTV-TV. The first radio broadcast was in the autumn of 1951.Promoter William B...
. His contract with 4-Star ended in 1957, and he wrote for American Music
American Music
In general, American music may refer to music of the Americas or music of the United States.Specifically, American Music can refer to:* American Music Records* American Music * "American Music," a song by the Violent Femmes...
for a few years before signing with Lode Records in 1960. Lode issued "Rockin' Red Wing" that year, which became a regional hit in Los Angeles and was picked up by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
for national distributions. It eventually reached #64 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It gave Masters his only appearance in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
when it peaked at #36 in June 1960. His next single, "Golden Slippers", was released nationally by Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
, but it was not a success, and neither was "Pierre the Poodle", his last release before losing his recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
.
He became friends with Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
in 1961, and his song "Who Can I Count On?" became the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to Nelson's "Crazy
Crazy (Willie Nelson song)
"Crazy" is a ballad composed by Willie Nelson. It has been recorded by several artists, most notably by Patsy Cline, whose version was a #2 country hit in 1962....
", a multplatinum smash for Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
. In the wake of "Crazy"'s success, singers such as Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
and Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
covered "Who Can I Count On?". That same year Masters founded his own label, Galahad Records, which was not a vanity label
Vanity label
A vanity label is an informal name given sometimes to a record label founded as a wholly or partially owned subsidiary of another, larger and better established record label, where the subsidiary label is controlled by a successful recording artist, designed to allow this artist...
, though Masters did release an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, May the Good Lord Bless You and Keep You, in 1964, as well as a few singles, on the label. He co-hosted a television program on KCOP in the 1960s and 1970s, and increasingly found work in TV production in the following decades.
In 1997, Masters signed with Dionysus Records and released Everybody Digs Sammy Masters with Deke Dickerson
Deke Dickerson
Deke Dickerson is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.After playing in several local rockabilly bands, Deke formed The Untamed Youth at age 17 in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri...
and Ray Campi
Ray Campi
Ray Campi is a distinguished musician often called The King of Rockabilly. Campi's trademark is his white double bass, which he often jumps on top of and "rides" while playing....
, hoping to make a comeback on the rockabilly revival scene in Europe and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He toured in both areas at the end of the decade.
Singles
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | "Lost Little Nickel" / "May I Call You Darlin’?" | Cormac Records |
| 1956 | "Pink Cadillac" / "Some Like It Hot" | 4 Star Records |
| 1956 | "Pink Cadillac" / "What’s Up" | Modern Records * |
| 1956 | "Whop-T-Bop" / "Flat Fleet" | 4 Star Records |
| 1956 | "Whop-T-Bop" / "2 Rock-A-4" | 4 Star Records |
| 1957 | "Angel" / "My Heart Is A Hobo" | 4 Star Records |
| 1957 | "Tall Grow The Sycamores" / "The Drifter" | Decca Records |
| 1958 | "Jodie" / "If I Could See The World" | 4 Star Records |
| 1958 | "Whop-T-Bop" / "2 Rock-A4" | Moonglow Records |
| 1958 | "Pink Cadillac" / "Some Like It Hot" | Moonglow Records |
| 1959 | "Rockin’ Red Wing" / "Lonely Weekend" | Warner Bros. Records |
| 1960 | "Rockin’ Red Wing" / "Lonely Weekend" | Lode Records |
| 1960 | "Charolette (In The Pink Corvette)" / "Golden Slippers" | Lode Records |
| 1960 | "Charolette (In The Pink Corvette)" / "Golden Slippers" | Dot Records |
| 1961 | "Never" / "Pierre The Poodle And The Puppy Dogs" | Lode Records |
| 1962 | "Stick Around Joe" / "Remind Me Baby" | Galahad Records |
| 1963 | "All Alone In San Antone" / "Roses Remind Me Of You" | Galahad Records |
| 1964 | "I Fought The Law (And The Law Won) I Fought the Law "I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of The Crickets and became popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, which went on to become a top-ten hit for the band in 1966 and was also recorded by The Clash in 1979... " / "A Big Man Cried" |
Kapp Records |
| 1964 | "Louisiana Jane" / "Barcelona Baby" | Kapp Records |
| 1965 | "You Can Have Her" / "You Can Have Her" (instrumental) | D&D Records |
EPs
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | EP
|
Sammy Masters Label (4 Star Records) |
| ca. 1958/1959 | EP
|
4 Star Records |