Sleepy LaBeef (b. Thomas Paulsley LaBeff, July 20, 1935,
Smackover, Arkansas) is a first-generation American rocker whose music has never
lost its edge and unbridled passion. Sleepy performs a wide variety of American
Roots music, including country blues, gospel, fifties rock and roll and
bluegrass.
Sleepy LaBeef became the ultimate rockabilly survivor, his
live performances retaining the same raw power as he approached his eighth
decade that they had in the years when he was among the music's pioneers. He
was born Thomas Paulsley LaBeff in Smackover, AR. The 6'7" singer has
heavily lidded eyes which make him appear half-asleep, hence his nickname. He
was raised on a melon farm and grew up hearing both country and blues music.
LaBeef moved to Houston at age 18, working at several odd jobs before beginning
to sing gospel music on local radio shows. Soon he was working with a band of his
own at local bars, and he appeared on the Houston Jamboree and Louisiana
Hayride radio programs.
The new rockabilly style fit his blazing voice perfectly,
and in the late '50s he recorded about a dozen sides in that style for various
labels. His first single, "I'm Through," was released in 1957 on
Starday. Sometimes he was billed as Tommy LaBeff or Sleepy LaBeff. LaBeef moved
to Nashville in 1964 and soon was signed to Columbia. In the 1960s he recorded
mostly straight country music. His sixth single for the label, "Every
Day," provided LaBeef with his chart debut in 1968, and after moving to
Shelby Singleton's Plantation label in 1969, he hit the Top 20 with his version
of "Blackland Farmer," Frankie Miller's heartfelt ode to the soil.
The late '60s also saw the towering baritone's film debut in
the bizarre Southern drive-in horror musical The Exotic Ones; LaBeef played a
swamp monster.LaBeef moved to Sun Records in the mid-'70s after Singleton
acquired that original institution of rockabilly, and there he reconnected with
his rockabilly roots. Singles such as "Thunder Road," "There
Ain't Much After Taxes," and "Boogie Woogie Country Girl" saw
little chart action but helped form the beginnings of the LaBeef legend as his
indefatigable touring exposed audiences to his wildman energy.
LaBeef remains more popular in Europe than in the U.S. and
appeared at England's Wembley Festival twice. Among his U.S. fans was
soul-music historian Peter Guralnick, who saw LaBeef perform in Massachusetts
in 1977 and praised his performances in a widely read article. That plus the
general revival of rockabilly around 1980 at the hands of such groups as the
Stray Cats paved the way for the emergence of Sleepy LaBeef, rockabilly
revivalist.
He signed to Rounder in 1981 and released It Ain't What You
Eat (It's the Way How You Chew It) in the U.S. and in Europe. The live album
Nothin' but the Truth gave CD buyers a taste of the booming vocals and slashing
guitar that had made LaBeef a prime club attraction. LaBeef returned to regular
recording in the mid-'90s, releasing several more albums on Rounder: Strange
Things Happening (1994) and I'll Never Lay My Guitar Down (1996) contained a
variety of country and blues tunes and revealed the depth of LaBeef's musical
experiences. Four years later, he issued Tomorrow Never Comes, which featured
guest vocals from Maria Muldaur.
Compilations of the numerous unissued tracks from earlier in
LaBeef's career began to surface in the early 2000s, and by that time Sleepy
was nothing less than a rockabilly legend.
Despite having to undergo heart surgery in 2003, LaBeef
still maintains an active touring schedule into the twenty-first century. In
January 2012, LaBeef traveled to Nashville to record a film a live concert and
record in historic RCA Studio B, all produced by noted bassist Dave Pomeroy. A
documentary/concert DVD,Sleepy LaBeef Rides Again and soundtrack CD was
released on April 22, 2013 by Earwave Records.
As significant as his recording career has been, it is the
live Sleepy LaBeef that is important. Today, at 81, Sleepy still performs and
plays with such energy that people a third of his age are annihilated when they
attempt to keep up with him. LaBeef was the twenty-fifth inductee into the
Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
(info mainly All
Music Guide)
1 comment:
For Sleepy LaBeef – Early Rare and Rockin go here:
http://www20.zippyshare.com/v/40470914/file.html
01 Baby Let's Play House
02 Don't Make Me Go
03 All Alone
04 I'm Through
05 Lonely
06 All The Time
07 All The Time - [alternate]
08 Lonely - [alternate]
09 I Ain't Gonna Take It
10 Little Bit More
11 Ballad Of A Teenage Queen
12 You're So Easy To Love
13 I Wish I Was The Moon
14 The Ways Of A Woman In Love
15 Home Of The Blues
16 Can't Get You Off Of My Mind
17 I Found Out
18 Turn Me Loose
19 Ridin' Fence
20 Ride On Josephine (Wayside version)
21 Walkin' Slowly
22 Tore Up
23 Lonely (Wayside version))
24 Ride On Josephine (Picture version)
25 Lonely (Picture version)
26 Drink Up And Go Home
27 Teardrop On A Rose
28 A Long Time To Forget
29 Goodnight Irene
30 Leave Me Alone With The Blues
31 Oh So Many Years
32 Somebody's Been Beatin' My Time
33 Just A Closer Walk With Thee
34 I Won't Have To Cross Jordan Alone
A big thank you to Jake @ the Jukebox City blog for link.
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