From:   "jean.marc.pezet
Date:  Fri Aug 23, 2002  3:07 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You: Jack Earls
 
JACK EARLS (By Shaun Mather & Jean-Marc Pezet)

Born 23 August 1932, Woodbury, Tennessee

Jack Earls is currently one of the top draws on the
rockabilly circuit, with a wild stage act full of drive
and enthusiasm - the same ingredients that made up his
only Sun single, the great "Slow Down". Whilst it did
nothing at the time, ever since the rockabilly revival of
the '70s it has been celebrated as a classic and is
everything that we love about Sun Records.
Jack Earls represents the stereotype of the Memphis
rockabilly: he participated in Elvis' "Mystery Train" Sun
session (apparently providing his copy of the Junior
Parker single for the lyrics), he recorded himself for
Sam Philips during the heydays of the label, between 1955
and 1957 and had his SUN single released in the middle of
a bunch featuring Carl Perkins, Billy Lee Riley, Sonny
Burgess, Roy Orbison and Warren Smith.

Although he was born in Woodbury, Tennessee, he grew up
in Middle Tennessee in Nashville, then Manchester. As
with most folk in the area he listened to country music
and formed a band after moving back to Memphis in
1949 when joining his brothers, working for local
bakeries. By 1950, he was married and a family soon
followed. As a way to increase the family income,
Jack started a band playing mainly hillbilly in local
honky tonks.

Jack auditioned at Sun in the summer of 1955 with Sam
Phillips being impressed by his impassioned vocals but
not so enamoured with the band.
Later in the year he returned with a group that included
Bill Black's brother, Johnny Black on bass, together with
Danny Walquist on drums and Warren Gregory on guitar.
They cut "Hey! Jim", "When I Dream and A Fool For
Lovin' You".

By late 1955, Elvis had gone to RCA, and Sam Philips was
busy with both Carl Perkins with "Blue Suede Shoes" and
Johnny Cash with "Folsom Prison Blues". All Jack's
recordings were put on hold and when his single was
issued, "Hey Jim" has been withdrawn in favour of "Slow
Down" (apparently Earls sat up all night in his Buick
Roadmaster writing it), cut at a later date . The single
didn't chart but did very well locally, selling around
40 -50 000 copies, earning Jack $2500 in royalties.

Earls worked full-time in a bakery and although he was
signed to Stars Inc. with most of the other Sun artists,
he was unable / unprepared to tour and push the song. It
was probably this that caused Sam to issue no other
singles despite another four sessions for Jack Earls and
the Jimbos as they were now called. He was approached by
Meteor and King but declined the offers.

He kept his day job in Memphis for a while, still
performing, and eventually moved to Detroit getting a job
at Chrysler. He recorded sporadically during the 1970s
with a single issued on Don Rader's Olympic label.
He finally found fame (if not fortune!) when appearing
for the first time in England in 1996. His performance at
Hemsby in October 1999 was a real triumph.
Jack Earls's sessions for Sun are raw rural Memphis
rockabilly and stand head and shoulders with the best
examples of the genre.

Recommended listening:
"Let's Bop" - Bear Family BFX 15273 (vinyl)
"Hey Slim Let's Bop : His Complete SUN Recordings" Charly
CPCD 8197

More info: http://www.rockabillyhall.com/JackEarls.html