Hancock Family Song Box Session 2008-06-09
West Texas Music, Lubbock Music Scene, Comparing Lubbock and Liverpool in the same time era, early Rock scene
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Hancock Family Music Box Session
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: June 09, 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Interviewer: Andy Wilkinson
Length: 323 minutes
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1:
1940’s-50’s, Buddy Holly, Saw Elvis play in Lubbock, Rockabilly, He heard Elvis and wanted a sound like that, After WWII, Tommy Played clubs in the 40’s, Super underground, Keep the booze in the boot, and under the table, Rough scene, Squeaky- went to the Korean War, Tommy Hancock and the Roadside Band, Bloody Bucket Clubs- nickname for the rainbow club, Fence built around the stage, Elvis, Buddy Holly drew in the high school crowd, Eventually Rock n roll became more popular than country, At the time, Tommy loves Jerry Lee Lewis- funny, The Cotton Club, Little Richard, The only place big enough to make money in Lubbock, All bands played there, The Mayfield Brothers- Herford, CT, KFCL- Radio Shows- 50’s, Pop Ekles, Tommy – Sundays, Gigs at the drive in, Band stood on the concession stand, Tommy’s band would play at the Old Homesteader, Rodeos- Dance, “No dancing in the town, unless the rodeo is in town”, Seagraves- the best place for a good dance, Glass-arama- Mid 50’s, Circle 13, Saturday afternoon, Charlene was hired for Tommy’s band, More of a lounge rather than a club, Had all the personalities of a honky tonk, Cops would plant Whiskey in his dressing room, Was working on his Masters degree, they wouldn’t let him, Go back to Tech, It was the club for unappreciated musicians, Phenomena, Club owners would burn each other’s club, The Glass-arama got burned, Club 87 burned the cotton club, Tommy grabbed the song box out, Moved up the street to club LaRue, for New Years Eve, After Tommy went to Law School, They read the Red Testaments in the Bible, He called James, and said as far as I am concerned, This situation is over, A couple weeks later, his dishwasher shot him, Lubbock, Early 60’s, Whenever there was music, everyone would come, The bootleggers put up liquor stores and BBQ joints, Lubbock became more popular, after WWII, GI bills, And the soldiers could get a house loan easily, Music starts to change during this time, Western Swing, Rock N Roll, Young people- rock n roll, KLLL- Country Music, Jimmie Peters, Had a record, sounds like Conway Twitty, Died in a car wreck- early 80’s, Well received in San Antonio, Band, Dick Barnett, Tommy, Charlene, Wally Jr., Mid to late 60’s, 1970’s, Cowboy scene, Hippies came out, All smoking dope, Hippies wore cowboy hats, Cowboys started growing their hair out, They all became one, Cowboys, Starched jeans, Starched shirts, Boots, Hats- you can tell what town a cowboy is from, Based off of their hat, and how it was creased and knotted etc…, Wanted to see other places, New Mexico, San Francisco, Tommy talks about LSD, How does Lubbock compare to the other cities, It was torn, A lot of people left due to those reasons, “Lubbock or Leave it”, The loop was built, Trees started growing in, after the tornado, they planted a bunch, The only place that had trees was McKenzie Park, Times have changed, Bands can’t get in to clubs for free anymore, Technology has affected changes too
Tape 1, Side 2:
Warm up song, It is in Spanish, U’s, Uncle Pen, And the Spanish song they warmed up with, W’s, When – Just Williams, Waiting for Train- Jimmy Rogers, Wait on the corner- Leroy Van----,Wake up Blue Suzy, Walk Along, I walk the line- Johnny Cash, Wild Blood- Jerry Chesnutt, Andy reads the lyrics, Walk through this world with me, Walking the floor over you, Who at my door is standing, I wanna live- Glen Campbell, Wine Drinker- Dean Martin, I want to be wanted- Bob Thatcher, I washed my hands, Wayward Wind, We still play rock and roll, Were goin’ fishing Saturday night, Wine Spooty Ottie, Weary Blues- Ray Price, What is life without Love, What is love without you, West Texas Waltz, What about you, Bo Dilly, Recently passed away, He and Tommy were good friends, He grew weed for his friends, His wife was white
Tape 2, Side 1:
W’s Continued, Song is sang from the end of the last tape, What about you- Jerry and Sky, What am I living for, A song from Jerry Lewis, What now my love- Willie Nelson- 1967, When Irish eyes are smiling, When your smiling, What’s he doing in my world- Eddie Arnold, Will you be satisfied- Jimmy Skinner, Jimmy Skinner, From Cincinnati, Do not know too much about him, W’s, When my money ran out, Wine, Women, and songs- Al Dexter and the Troopers, Wylie and Jean, When the nights are young- Butch Hancock, The cotton woods are turning green, He wrote all four seasons, but only recorded this one, Ironic- Andy wrote a song about cotton woods being yellow, When the night are cold, When the world has turned you down – Earnest Tub, Will the circle be unbroken, Why don’t you haul off and love me, Where the soul never dies, Wichita Lineman, Whiskey River, Whispering Grass, Whispering Pines, Window Shopping- Hank Williams, Whistle My Love, White Silver Sand, White Sport Coat, Why should we try anymore, Who’s Lonely Now, Who’s Sorry Now-Connie Bennett, Whoa Sailor, Whole Lot of shaking going on, Why Baby Why, Will the circle be unbroken, Windmills and Water tanks, With this ring, I thee wed, Winds of a dove, With out a port of love, Wondering, Wolvertine Mountain, I wouldn’t change it if I could- Jones, Wreck of the ole 97’, Wreck on the Highway, Trash on the highway
Tape 2, Side 2:
Tracy, Tracy Lamar Olon Hancock, Lamar- stage name- Heavy Lamar, Olon- middle name from her dad, Born in Lubbock, Grandparents, Paternal grandparents-, Grandpa- Dallas, Step Grandpa- Austin, Parents, Mom- Leman, Dad- Lubbock, Mom- education- 7th grade, Dad- graduated high school, went to some college, Grew up, Lubbock, Cresta, NM, Denver, CO, Siblings, 5 sisters, 2 brothers, Childhood, Exceptional, Work, Played in a band, Worked in bars, Financial standing, Middle class, Education, 6th grade, Some college, Current occupation, Run the family business, With Connie and Charlene, Marital status, Not married, Children, 29 years old, Music backgrounds, 12 yrs old- 1972, Guitar- 1st instrument, Currently- accordion, piano, guitar, violin, Family played music, Guitar- brother, Drums- brother, Steele guitar- Connie, Guitar, Tambourine- Holly, Key board- mom, Base, Violin- dad, Guitar, 1972, Start of music career in the church, Music styles, Heavy metal, Nortenna Spanish, Spanish, Sad songs, Some country, Funk, Techno, Bands, Supernatural Family Band, Tejano group (with sister and mom), Self, Playing, Professional and fun, Recordings, On going story, Hired as an individual for many different gigs, Speaking Spanish, Started speaking Spanish as a little girl, First time Connie heard Tracy sing, She was trying to sing opera, And they don’t know where that came from either, Country Radio, Dad was in that mode, when Tracy was trying to learn how to read, She does not remember that aspect of it though, Cotton Club, Remembers going every once in a while, Had to hang out up stairs, Helped cleaning up, Doesn’t remember the music, Remembers more visuals, like the scene, The darkness and the light on the stage, New Mexico, Started singing in Spanish, Told the family she only wanted to speak Spanish, In Cuesta, it did not matter if you spoke to Spanish, They were about 4 out of 10 white students in school, The teachers spoke Spanish, Unique experience of cultures past, She learned it compared to the Tex-Mex like in Texas, She listened to a Spanish radio station, Being the minority, Wished she fit in, Friends- not aware of their musical lives, Waking up, Dad would play Boogie Oggie, Performing, Felt the vibe of singing Spanish songs in a Spanish crowd, In Red River, she was unaware of the people’s feelings, Not the “traditional” Spanish music, Resistance, From the Spanish people, because she did not play the Traditional Ranchera music, And probably because she was white, Denver, Capital Hill, Predominantly Black area, She took to the music quickly, Wants to know what her voice would sound like, With a Spanish band, Which song is next, They never know what song she will sing next, For example: a traditional Spanish song, then an Aretha, Franklin song, then an old country song, Its crazy, Synthesizer, The first country band in Denver, with a synthesizer, Maybe even the first one in the country, Arp – rudimentary, buttons, Playing for herself, She likes to work on melodies, Spirituality, Learned the knowledge, She learned how connected music is to the breath, Band Conflicts, Mama and Dad taught them a lot about communication, Austin, Tex Mex music had a German influence, Attitude from the Spanish people, still just as bad in Texas, As it was in New Mexico, She decided she was black, American music and culture- so many different cultures in The music, Everything is influenced by everything, Modern Mexican Music, Anything goes, Similar to the fashion industry, The American influence is so engrained in them, Grand mommie, Adobe Hacienda, 4 part harmony, Charlene’s mom, She passed away the next weekend, The Tejano Dames, Dames bothered people, Especially Tommy, Flaco Jimenez, Toured overseas with him
Tape 3, Side 1:
Continued talk with Tracy, Tejano Dames, Tomas, Introduced them to Johnny, Johnny, Hugh music fan, South Central Round Rock, Had an ear for good music, Loved Salsa music, Ended up working with Caesar Chavez, Gave her the confidence to start her own, Spanish solo album, He passed away suddenly before the record was finished, Together seven years, Johnny Torrez- had a smile like a Cheshire cat, He was a comedian and writer, Real good host, Introduced Jay Leno on the Johnny Carson show, He told Connie he was going to make her sister’s dreams come true, When he got sick, she would sing in Spanish to him, One song, “Never Let Me Go” – she sang to him, The first time she sang it that was the only take she could do, Norteno Music, The language drew her in, “border” music, It’s what you grow up around, Her natural Spanish, Thinks it has to do with a past life, She just feels it in her soul, She wishes everyone would learn Spanish in this country, It will bring everyone together, we are too divided now, They were the first Anglo band to play in a few cities in Mexico, Tejano Dames, In the Big Bend area, The area of misfits, They fit in over there, Steve Jordan
Tape 3, Side 2:
Y’s Song Box, Yall Come- Arlee Duff, You’re a little doll, Yesterday- Beetles, You ain’t woman enough-Loretta Lynn, You know I am still in love with you, You are my Sunshine- Jimmy Davis, Gene Autry, Tommy doesn’t like him, Charlene does, Y’s continued, You and again, You belong to me- Chilton Price, Circle 13- Dude Ranch- 15 years old, You don’t know how much I love you, You don’t know my mind- Jimmy Skinner, You got me movin, You nearly lose your mind- Earnest Tub, You made me live love and die, Your under arrest- Ray Price, Your cheatin heart, You were just lookin over my shoulder, Your heart is too crowded, Your heart belongs to me- Rick Pierce, Your mama don’t dance, Story of 2nd song box, Tommy went to Presidio, Tejano Band, Split the song box
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