The Steel Guitar Forum

I am looking for recording with Ralph Mooney on them. I know of some of the Wynn Stewart and a couple of Buck Owens. Is there a complete discography of which records he played on? Or can anyone tell me of some specific albums he is on. Thanks.

Gary:

Unfortunately, the first 10 years or so of Ralph's career has not surfaced in LP form. I don't think anyone has attempted to document everyone he recorded with before the late 50s. I am not sure who all he recorded with, but I don't think any of the LPs he is known to be on were released before 1958 or 1959, maybe even later.

He supposedly spent time with Merl Lindsay and The Oklahoma Night Riders when Lindsay was based in Southern California (late 40s, maybe early 50s), but I don't know if he ever recorded with that band.

He did a lot of session work into the early 60s for "unknown" local LA artists who never made an LP--it's all on 45 rpm and mostly for small labels.

I believe he did some sessions with Skeets McDonald on Capitol in the late 50s. The original McDonald LP "Goin' Steady With The Blues" is difficult to find, but the tracks have been reissued.

I'm not sure, but that is likely him on at least some of the recordings on Bobby Austin's two LPs for Capitol. As far as I know, they have never been reissued.

He did several great singles with Jan Howard (without Wynn Stewart) on Challenge around 1960. I don't think these have been reissued.

He had a 45 rpm release under his own name on Challenge circa 1960 called "Moonshine". Good luck finding an original, but you might be able to locate an LP or CD on which it was later reissued.

Here is one must have, by a classic country singer who passed away maybe 30 years ago. Ralph is all over it. Nearly all of the songs were recorded in LA around 1960:

http://tinyurl.com/ku9mry

I think the LP he did with James Burton in the mid 60s is also available on CD. It is called "Corn Pickin' and Slick Slidin'" if I recall correctly.

And here is a pic of Ralph with a Rickenbacker in 1947 that you may not have seen:

Good info Mitch! Did Moon ever work with Red Simpson?

As Mitch mentioned most of Ralph's early stuff was released on 45s. There's Buck and Merle's early LPs. Bonnie Owens' LPs have some nice Mooney stuff on them. Bear Family released some a box set on her recently. Some of Rose Maddox stuff from the early sixties ("Stand Up Fool", "Bluebird, Let Me Tag Along") has Ralph on it. I think those in the Bear Family box set one Rose. If you don't mind 45s then see if you can find a copy of Rose's "Step Right In/The Bottom Of The Glass" on the UNI label. Mooney does some nice playing on that one.
I think there's a compilation CD with Don Deal's "Cryin' In One Eye/Broken Hearted Fellow" out. Those two songs have some early playing by Mooney.

Mooney also did some recording with a few Oklahoma guys like Red Zellner and Bobby Barnett in the early sixties. He recorded a few when he was working in Vegas with Wynn. With guys like Norm Owens and Ernie Cosse.


If you don't mind hunting for 45s, here's some recommendations of nice ones with Mooney playing on them.
Shorty Bacon-Ten Times the World-Impact label
Roy Counts-Temptation-Commerce label
Jimmy Doyle-One More Night With You-POP label
Bobby Durham-Queen of Snob Hill-Capitol label
Any Jack Tucker on the Toppa label
Eddy Drake on the Toppa, Candix or Hawkeye labels
Johnny and Jonie Mosby on the Toppa label
Ernie Cosse-Put Yourself In My Shoes-Show label
Bobby Austin's Challenge label 45's plus "Castle of Love" and "House For Sale". These two weren't released as Challenge 45s. They were released on compilation LPs later.