Who wrote â€œsouthâ€ by Spade Cooley?

Regan Branch · Post by **Regan Branch** » 26 Nov 2019 9:31 am

Buddy Merrill played it the best as far as Iâ€™ve heard but I want to know who wrote it? Did spade Cooley?

John Herb · Post by **John Herb** » 26 Nov 2019 10:12 am

As far as I know the song "South" is a jazz composition from the 1920s. The Buddy Merrill version is defiently based on the Cooley one, but the Cooley arrangement of "South" was most likely arranged by his accoridian player/arranger Larry "Pedro" DePaul.

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 26 Nov 2019 10:41 am

"South"
(B.Moten / T. Hayes)

https://archive.org/details/78_south-su ... ia0093752a

Brad Malone · Post by **Brad Malone** » 28 Nov 2019 5:38 pm

"South" was a big instrumental in the mid to late 50's...Buddy Merrill did a great job on his four neck steel...Buddy never gets enough credit...IMHO.

Chris Clem · Post by **Chris Clem** » 29 Nov 2019 5:37 am

Here is a version of Joaquin Murphey playing it with the Plainsmen in 1946.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcqryMQ0gBA[/url]

Regan Branch · Post by **Regan Branch** » 29 Nov 2019 1:50 pm

Brad Malone wrote:"South" was a big instrumental in the mid to late 50's...Buddy Merrill did a great job on his four neck steel...Buddy never gets enough credit...IMHO.

SERIOUSLY, Iâ€™ve spent the week introducing old TEXAS JAZZ MUSICIANS IN THEIR 60s who Buddy Merrill is. I think he should be just as popular as Leon or herb but he never released a really good Western swing album that Iâ€™m aware of. His hawaiian album is great but nothing like the performance in that popular video of him playing south.

Regan Branch · Post by **Regan Branch** » 29 Nov 2019 2:01 pm

Chris Clem wrote:Here is a version of Joaquin Murphey playing it with the Plainsmen in 1946.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcqryMQ0gBA[/url]

Ok so Jauquin Murphey is a new name to me. Was that Cooleys primary steel player? Iâ€™ve been wondering who is the herb/leon of the spade Cooley band

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 29 Nov 2019 3:10 pm

Regan,

Hopefully Michael Johnstone will chime in, he has a vast knowledge of Joaquin, produced a great CD of him and took care of him in his final years.

Ron Hogan · Post by **Ron Hogan** » 29 Nov 2019 9:46 pm

Jerry Byrd also has a version of SOUTH on one of his albums.

Ron Hogan · Post by **Ron Hogan** » 29 Nov 2019 10:10 pm

Jerry Byrd also has a version of SOUTH on one of his albums.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 30 Nov 2019 9:18 am

Regan Branch wrote:Jauquin Murphey is a new name to me.

You should definitely acquaint yourself with Joaquin's music. He brought the non-pedal steel guitar to another level in the early postwar era. Virtually everyone who has come down the pike since counts him as a huge influence.

Noel Boggs followed Joaquin in the Cooley band. He also did a turn with Bob Wills. Slightly more obscure is the tragic Vance Terry, who played with Billy Jack Wills and Jimmie Rivers. Highly recommended.

Regan Branch · Post by **Regan Branch** » 11 Dec 2019 10:04 am

I have acquainted myself with Jauquin now. Thanks for the suggestion

However, I can't find Herb Remington's "Steelin Memories" for the life of me. That's one I'd love to get my hands on.

Dave Mayes · Post by **Dave Mayes** » 11 Dec 2019 12:08 pm

Regan,
There's a copy of "Steelin' Memories" on the "World of Books" website.

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