Detour Records

Some time ago I posted a couple of LPs from the UK Detour Records reissue label – “Groove Jumping!” and “The Best of Doo Wop Classics Volume 2.” The “Groove Jumping!” post kicked off speculation among blog followers concerning the identity of other Detour releases, with The Hound reminding us of the follow up to “Groove Jumping!” and a couple of 45 rpm issues, dbtb weighing in with the info that volume 1 of “The Best of Doo Wop Classics” was a Du-Droppers LP and most recently Grant informing us that there was a Champion Jack Dupree LP on Detour.

Recently I came across an obituary for mastering engineer and founder of Detour Records, Bob Jones, in the June 2009 issue of Blues & Rhythm magazine. Written by Tony Burke, it includes a list of releases on Bob’s Detour label and I have taken the liberty of extracting the list from the very informative article.

"Boppin'" Bob Jones worked initially for Decca, then later for Pye where he was involved in re-mastering tapes for specialist reissue labels. For many years he was involved with Ace and also worked on Bear Family reissues. In the early 1980s he set up his own reissue label, Detour, releasing a limited number of LPs and singles which were distinguished by superb sound quality. Most of the material consisted of R&B and Hillbilly / Rockabilly from Groove and RCA, with issues being concentrated in two time periods, 1982-83 and 1987-89.
 

Juke Blues No. 11 Winter 1987/88

Ten LPs were issued:
In 1982 – “Ballroom King” by Pee Wee King. In 1983 – “Skeeter Davis Sings Buddy Holly,” and “Groove Jumping!” In 1987 – “Just Keep A-Movin’” by Hank Snow, “More Ballroom Kings” (a Hillbilly compilation), “Still Groove Jumping!” and the Champion Jack Dupree set “Shake Baby Shake.” In 1989 – “Hillbilly Hound Dawgs And Honky Tonk Angels,” “The Best Of Doo Wop Classics Volume 1 featuring The Du-Droppers (Bambalam!)” and “The Best of Doo Wop Classics Volume 2 featuring The 5 Keys and The Nitecaps.”

I have a vague memory that a Piano Red LP was in the pipeline, but it seems to have never been released.

Blues & Rhythm No. 38 August 1988

There were also some 45 rpm singles:

Cecil McCullough And The Border Boys - “Pick ‘Em Up And Shake ‘Em Up” / “Nothing Else,” Laura Lee Perkins - “Gonna Rock My Baby Tonight” / “Come On Baby,” Clarence Garlow - “Route 90” / “Crawfishin’” and Benny Barnes – “You Gotta Pay” backed with Les Cole – “Be Boppin’ Daddy.”

The Clarence Garlow single was a reissue of a Flair disc from 1953. Both sides were also on the early Ace (UK) LP “Texas Rhythm & Blues.”

Sources:

Tony Burke – Bob Jones obituary, Blues & Rhythm Magazine number 240, June 2009.

“Jump Man Jump” and “Midnight Hours” were downloaded from a posting of the "Still Groove Jumping!" LP on the cool “Twilightzone!” blog.

The Clarence Garlow tracks are from the Ace LP "Texas Rhythm & Blues." Both are now available on the Ace CD "Long Gone Daddies," a top notch comp of R&B and Rockabilly from the Bihari group of labels.

Juke Blues No. 12 Spring 1988