Description
The story of ‘Sugar Bee’ – the first time ever a Cajun song entered the Billboard pop charts 2‐CD (Digisleeve) with 36‐page booklet, 38 tracks. Total playing time approx. 90 min.
* Long overdue: the complete recordings of Cajun fiddler Cleveland Crochet on Bear Family, including all surviving alternate versions and the originally unreleased masters.
* In 1961, a Cajun song made it onto the Billboard pop charts for the first time: Sugar Bee climbed to #80.
* These recordings were made between 1954 and 1963 for Folk‐Star, Khoury’s, Goldband, Lyric and Swallow in Louisiana.
* As a bonus, we provide all solo recordings by band members Shorty ‘Vorris’ LeBlanc (accordion) and Jay Stutes (steel guitar), accompanied almost without exception by Cleveland Crochet’s Sugar Bees.
* Cajun expert Michael Hurtt wrote the liner notes.
* Background information by Chris Strachwitz (Arhoolie Records) and others.
* Many previously unpublished photos.
* A must for all fans of country music, Cajun, blues and original rock ‘n’ roll. In the history of U.S. popular music the name Cleveland Crochet will forever be associated with the recording of Sugar Bee, the first single of the Cajun genre from Louisiana to enter the Billboard pop charts in 1961, making it to position No. 80.
Cleveland Crochet’s father was a Cajun musician himself. Born in 1911 in Hathaway, Louisiana, Junior built his first fiddle out of a cigar box when he was twelve. He was already almost forty years old when he formed his band, the Hillbilly Ramblers, in 1950, initially performing regularly every Saturday night at Cajun dances at the Shamrock or Moulin Rouge in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and later playing throughout eastern Texas and southwest Louisiana. However, music long remained a minor part of Cleveland’s life. He earned his living as a steelworker until his retirement in 1970.
This overdue tribute to Cleveland Crochet’s complete musical legacy includes all of the recordings he made for Folk‐Star, Khoury’s, Goldband, Lyric and Swallow between 1954 and 1963 ‐ including all alternate versions and originally unreleased recordings that have survived. In addition, the Bear Family CD includes all solo recordings by later band members Shorty ‘Vorris’ LeBlanc (accordion) and Jay Stutes (steel guitar), accompanied almost without exception by Cleveland Crochet’s Sugar Bees, as he also called his band.
We were able to get Cajun expert Michael Hurtt to provide the liner notes. Michael previously wrote the accompanying blurb for our CD of recordings by Vin Bruce (BCD16895).
Additional background information comes from Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz, among others. The extensive booklet provides many previously unpublished photos. We are sure: this album is a must for all fans of Country Music, Cajun, Blues and original Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Track listing:
CD #1:
01 Deedle‐E‐Deedle‐D‐Da (Keep Knockin’) ‐ Cleveland Crochet
02 Big Boy Waltz ‐ Cleveland Crochet
03 Sha Meon Waltz (Chere Meon) ‐ Cleveland Crochet
04 Midnight Blues (Blues De Minuit) ‐ Cleveland Crochet
05 Sugar Bee (Goldband 1106) ‐ Cleveland Crochet
06 Sugar Bee (alt. edit / early fade out) ‐ Cleveland Crochet
07 Drunkard’s Dream ‐ Cleveland Crochet
08 Sweet Thing ‐ Cleveland Crochet
09 Hound Dog Baby ‐ Cleveland Crochet
10 Come Back Home Little Girl (Midnight Blues) (Goldband 1120) ‐ Cleveland Crochet
11 Midnight Blues (Long Long Note On My Door) (alt. take)
(Lyric 1001) ‐ Cleveland Crochet
12 Telephone Port Arthur ‐ Cleveland Crochet
13 Kaw Liga (Goldband 1128) ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
14 Kaw Liga (alt. take) ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
15 La Valse De Soldat (Soldier’s Waltz) ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
16 Boss Cajun (Mayou De Cajun) ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
17 La Valse De Chagrin ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
18 Coming Home ‐ Jay Stutes & The Sugar Bees
19 Not My Fault ‐ All The Sugar Bees feat. Doris Mott
20 Waltz Of A Broken Heart ‐ Cleveland Crochet
CD #2
01 Good Morning Blues ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
02 Good Morning Blues (alt. edit) ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
03 Wedding Day (Demain Moi Je Va M’arier) ‐ Cleveland Crochet
04 Playmates ‐ Jay Stutes & The Sugar Bees
05 La Branche De Mon Murier (Waltz Of The Mulberry Limb)
Jay Stutes & The Sugar Bees
06 Mariez‐vous Donc Jamais ‐ Jay Stutes & The Sugar Bees
07 Forgot I Was Married ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
08 My Little Cabbage ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
09 Time And Time Again ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
10 Three Years Waltz ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
11 Rambler’s Lonely Dream ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
12 Tears Of Sorrow ‐ Vorris ‘Shorty’ LeBlanc & The Sugar Bees
13 Listen To My Heart ‐ Cleveland Crochet
14 Country Women ‐ Cleveland Crochet
15 Sugar Bee ‐ Jay Stutes & The Swamp Pickers
16 Come Back Home Little Girl Ja‐ y Stutes & The Swamp Pickers
17 Hey! Boss Man ‐ Jay Stutes & The Sweet Licks
18 Sweet Lick ‐ The Sweet Licks
GENRE: Cajun/Swamp/Blues/Rock’n’roll/Hillbilly
BARCODE: 5397102175985
