Red Rhodes/Cal's Corral

[John Alexander]

Recent posts on Red Rhodes got me wondering - does anyone know of any video recordings of "Cal's Corral"? It was a Los Angeles-based country music TV show that went on for about 3 and a half hours every Sunday afternoon for a while in the mid-60s, I'd guess 1964 -65. Various vocalists and players performed, usually backed by the show's "house band" - Red Rhodes and the Star Routers (later, Red Rhodes and the Detours). Red's playing was way up front, and he sounded and looked great playing his Fender guitar. It was my introduction to hearing, and later wanting to play, pedal steel guitar. Earlier threads have touched on this show - I was just hoping some video might have turned up in the meantime.

[Wayne Franco]

I was born in the L.A. area (Burbank). Seems Cal Worthington was always around somewhere.

[Fred Jack]

No video but I do have a audio of a live early morning show where Cal does all the ads and Ralph Mooney and Gene Davis were in the band. Probably about 59-60.

[Ron Davis]

I was born in the L.A. area (Burbank). Seems Cal Worthington was always around somewhere.

Ol' Cal Worthington is still on tv, out here in Cali, dealin' cars.

[Stu Schulman]

Cal has a huge dealership up here in Anchorage,His son runs it.

[Gregory Mills]

My Father was on Cal's Corral many times with Ralph and Gene. Chuck Mills if any one remembers..He and Gene were The Hollywood Hillbillies. They were both on the one and only Cal's Corral album. Please let me know if you get any video...

[Billy Tonnesen]

Every Band had a half hour segment on the show. It moved from Cal's Dodge Dealership on Slauson Ave to the upstairs Huntington Park Ballroom on Pacific Blvd. There was no elevator and you had to haul your equipment up the outside back stairs for two flights. It was somewhat a Nightmare getting the previous Band off and the new Band on.
It was very small stage. Sammy Masters worked for Cal coordinating the Bands. I worked on the show at differen't times with Jack Tucker and Johnny & Joanie Mosby. Got to back up Willie Nelson when he was wearing suits and ties. Just about all the major Clubs in So.Calif. sent their Band to the Show.
I remember Gene Davis and Chuck Mills quite well. I went to see them once in Las Vegas when they were playing at a little club called "The Cocky Cactus" on the outskirts of Town. I can also remember helping Barbara Mandrell at 12 years old get her four necked Wright Steel Guitar up those back steps. Cal would also have live Bands at Midnight on Channel 13 when the time slot was cheaper. The wonderful thing about playing on TV for Cal was that Union Scale for a half hour was $12.00.

[Gregory Mills]

Hey Billy, trying to send a pic from the Coc

ky Cactus days, and one from the Jack Tucker Band, Chuck on steel and Gene on Tele...
Got them in the wrong spot but you get the picture...Let me know if you got....

[John Alexander]

Thanks for the responses - Wow, I had no idea the show went back as far as 1959 or 1960, or that Cal Worthington is still doing his TV ads. Interesting also to learn some of the details about the show, who was on it etc.

The other guy besides Red Rhodes who particularly got the attention of my adolescent brain at the time was Al Bruno on lead guitar, whom I only saw on the show once or twice, and have not heard him since. He was terrific.

I sure would like to see some of those Cal's Corral shows again!

[Jason Odd]

I think Cal's may have started as early as 1955, if not earlier.
In the early to mid 60s there were other bands and regulars, Danny Michaels & The Rebel Playboys, The Gene Davis Band, Wynn Stewart's Band, Billy Armstrong, the Dale Bennett Band, etc.
Sammy Masters was of course quite the regular, and the Bluegrass band were the Golden State Boys and The Country Boys, later known as the Kentucky Colonels.

The show finished some time around 1966, maybe '67 at the latest. Depends who you talk to. Al Bruno moved to LA in the mid 60s, so that sets the timeline for those shows with Al on guitar.

Sammy Masters told me that they never taped the show, Cal thought it was too expensive, and realistically at the time, who'd have thought that anyone would want it.

That cat who owns the Star Route TV show from '64 won't even answer emails. Gene Davis, The Collins Kids and Glen Campbell are in just about every episode of that one!.. and it's just siting in the vaults. That is, aside from the Johnny Cash footage he licenses out every now and then.

[Bob Tuttle]

When I worked with Danny Michaels in the early '60s at the Hitchin' Post in Gardena, we played the Cal's Corral Show a number of times. That was so long ago I can't remember many of the details, but I remember it being quite a hassle to change bands and get set up to play.

[Stephen Silver]

I wonder is ole Cal ever did eat that bug?

I grew up in Huntington Park until I was 11. My folks never watched his shows, but occasionally I did.

SS

[Wayne Franco]

I was way to young to get in but my mom would go out there a lot. She liked to hang around there. I remember Clarence and Roland White in the Kentucky colonels would play out there a lot. Same era. I bet a lot of bands from this time played there also

Something that sticks in my mind is the little airport out there with all the old B-24 bombers. We would go out there and crawl around in them.

Wayne

[Tracy Sheehan]

When I worked with Danny Michaels in the early '60s at the Hitchin' Post in Gardena, we played the Cal's Corral Show a number of times. That was so long ago I can't remember many of the details, but I remember it being quite a hassle to change bands and get set up to play.

Bob i have been trying to remember something for a long time. Wasn't it the hitching post in Gardena where Shorty Bacon and his brother played? This was in the early 60s as i remember,but my memory is shot when it comes to time.
And did you know the Horton Bros who played at the Old Skylite club in Compton i think it was. they also played on Cals coral. Tracy

[Bob Tuttle]

Tracy, I didn't know the Horton Brothers. The Bacon boys did play at the Hitchin' Post. In fact I played there with Bill Bacon for a little while. I forget about some of the things that occurred "way back when", until someone reminds me of them.

[Wayne Franco]

I use to go down to compton to a place that had all kinds of acoustic instruments and accessories. Seems like it was a store in someones garage. A very magical place at the time. It was during a time when my favorite bluegrass band played called the Joplin Forte. Great band with Dennis coats, banjo, Gary Carlson (i think) on guitar.

Anyways the Hitch'in post I am referring to was in the San Fernando valley in Pacoima going towards San Fernando.

[Tracy Sheehan]

Thanks for the responses - Wow, I had no idea the show went back as far as 1959 or 1960, or that Cal Worthington is still doing his TV ads. Interesting also to learn some of the details about the show, who was on it etc.

The other guy besides Red Rhodes who particularly got the attention of my adolescent brain at the time was Al Bruno on lead guitar, whom I only saw on the show once or twice, and have not heard him since. He was terrific.

In 1979 I met some guys from LA who had played on the show - they came to Jackson Hole Wyoming backing up one of the Gatlin brothers. I wish I could remember the name of the steel player, who spent an afternoon hanging out at my place - maybe he is on this forum.

I sure would like to see some of those Cal's Corral shows again!

John check your PM. I tried calling you today and my PM to you came back. Tracy

[Tracy Sheehan]

Tracy, I didn't know the Horton Brothers. The Bacon boys did play at the Hitchin' Post. In fact I played there with Bill Bacon for a little while. I forget about some of the things that occurred "way back when", until someone reminds me of them.

Thanks Bob. Think i was playing in Apple Valley at the time. as you said,been a long time. tracy

[Billy Tonnesen]

The "Hitchin Post" most of us are referring to was owned by Al Royer and was located at Western Ave. and Redondo Beach Blvd. in Gardena, Ca.

[Herb Steiner]

This is wild to think about, but discussions like these make me, in some perverse way, sentimentally reminiscent of my years in Los Angeles, learning how to play music for a living.

(insert audible *sigh* here)

[Ron Whitfield]

LA is a great place to be from.

[Skip Edwards]

Memory Lane is not a well-lit road, Herb.

Seriously, I also miss the days when you could play 5 sets a night 6 or 7 nights a week, and earn a living doing it.
And of course, the on-the-job training that you got while you were at it.

I kinda also miss not being young enough to be able to endure 5 sets a night...

[Stu Schulman]

I played the Hitchin' Post a few times ,they had a TV camera on the parking lot [rough neighborhood] One time we watched a guy get in his Corvette and he must have thought that he was in reverse ...revved it up an jumped one of those concrete dividers and took out the front end of the car in front of him.Good times.

[Jason Odd]

From my notes on the club, taken from info from forumites, via recollection and press clippings-adverts from the time:


THE HITCHING POST
15531 S. Western Ave.
Gardenia

1950s-60s owner: Al Royer and was located at Western Ave. and Redondo Beach Blvd, Gardenia.
1964 owner: Morrie Shapiro. 1964 - Open seven nites a week, Thursday and Sundays are guest nights.

1956: Teddy Wilds led his own band at the Hitching Post in Gardenia in the mid 50s. Billy Tonnesson was the group’s steel player.

1960 house band: Gene O' Quin, Johnny Davis (guitar), Blackie Taylor (steel), Hank Ross (bass), Shorty Bacon (lead guitar, vocals) and unknown drummer.
1962 House Band: Shorty Bacon Band with Ed Bacon (bass), and Billy Bacon.
Joe Casey recalls, “Ed Bacon played bass, very seldom sober, an open hole Kay. Billy, had an ES 335 Gibson guitar, he called it Big Red. Billy and His band played the Shamrock out on the PCH during the week and the Hitching Post Thurdays and Sundays with Jimmy (The Valley four) Moore on Drums. Bill had his own spot on Cals Corral.
Bill Bacon takes over the house band for four nights a week. Shorty moves to THE RANCH.
In 1962 the Sundays were special guest spots for the likes of Bob Regan Lucille Starr, the Golden State Boys, etc.

1962 House Band: Bill Bacon Band with Dave Knight and Johnny Davis.

1963 House Band: Shorty Bacon Band with Bill Bacon. Shorty Bacon, steel player Bo Pete, and Bill Bacon on bass guitar at the time.

1963 House Band: Danny Micheals Band with Danny Michaels and Bob Tuttle on steel. This group evolved into Danny Michaels & The Rebel Playboys with Bob Boydd (bass), Jerry Stephenson ‘aka Jerry Stevens’ on steel guitar and drummer Billy Jay Nixon. This group moved to George’s Roundup.

1964 House Band: Glenn Garrison and His Band. Saturday afternoons feature Bill Bacon And His Band, also on the late shift Monday nights. 9pm to 2am. In 1964, the Sunday afternoon jam sessions, hosted by Bobby Griggs and band.

1965 house band: Unknown, but included Al Bruno (guitar) and Jerry Stevens (steel).

1969 House Band: Manny Santiago, Jesse Owens, with Johnny and Randy.

There were of course other Hitching Post Clubs as mentioned in this topic earlier.
There was a Hitchin' Post in Lancaster in the 70s, one in Oakland in the 50s into the 60s, a featured act in the late 50s was one Gene Duncan, who may be the same guy who worked with Jimmie Rivers in Northern CA.
There was also a Hitching Post in Lancaster in the early 60s.

J.


Bob, will have to update my info on you, Bill Bacon Band at the Hitching Post. cheers

J.

[Stu Schulman]

Jason,I played the same Hitchin' Post in Gardenia in about 1980,Not sure of who owned it by then.Funky neighborhood for sure!