From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Tue Feb 3, 2004  1:30 am
Subject:  This Is My Story : Luke McDaniel

LUKE McDANIEL a.k.a. JEFF DANIELS (By Shaun Mather)

Born 3 February 1927, Ellisville, Mississippi
Died 27 June 1992, Mobile, Alabama

Luke McDaniel, like many a good singer was born in the good ole southern
state of Mississippi, in Ellisville on February 3, 1927. He started in music
as a mandolin player, and was influenced by hillbilly singers like The
Bailes Brothers. He formed his own band and turned professional in 1945.
He opened for Hank Williams in New Orleans in the late 40's and appears
to have become hooked on the lonesome sound of Hank. In 1952 he recorded
"Whoa Boy" for Trumpet Records in Jackson, Mississippi as well as a tribute
single, "A Tribute To Hank Williams, My Buddy". The Trumpet records were
all high quality hillbilly, but as with many at the time, showed him at this stage
as little more than a Hank Williams clone. I'm not knocking him, I love his
Trumpet stuff, it's just that he hadn't developed his own sound yet.

In 1953 he was introduced to King Records by fellow artist Jack Cardwell
(The Death of Hank Williams/ Dear Joan). He joined King but failed to
register any hits despite half a dozen fine singles."Money Bag Woman" was
particularly strong, fusing his hillbilly with a rhumba beat. When the King
contract expired, he went back to New Orleans where he recorded for the
Mel-A-Dee label. He worked under the alias Jeff Daniels and recorded his
Mel-A-Dee tracks at the legendary Cosimo's Studio with the pick of the
city's black musicians. Only one single was released, the great "Daddy -O
Rock" coupled with "Hey Woman".

In 54 he joined the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport and became a part of the
touring Hayride show. It was no doubt here that he saw Elvis Presley and
started to move towards a more rocking sound. Around this time, McDaniel
wrote "Midnight Shift" under the pseudonym of Earl Lee, which Buddy Holly
would later record. In 1956 Elvis and Carl Perkins urged McDaniels to submit
a demo to Sam Phillips. Sam was impressed and signed McDaniel to a contract
with Sun Records. It's unsure whether he cut two sessions or just one at Sun
(either Sep 56 or/and Jan 57). Nothing was issued though, as Sam and Luke
had a financial disagreement. The unissued Sun sides have now seen the light
of day thanks to reissue labels like Charly Records. "My Baby Don't Rock"
sounds like a Sonny Burgess track with Martin Willis' sax to the fore and
a firecraker solo from Roland Janes. "High High High" is another high class
song in the best traditions of Sun. "Uh Babe" is more seminal-Sun rockabilly
with Jimmy Van Eaton on fine form behind the skinned boxes. "Go Ahead
Baby" is more exciting bop and sounds like a cross between Hayden Thompson
and Gene Simmons.

As a songwriter he got some cuts by George Jones and Jim Reeves, but he
was destined to fail as a singer in his own right. He recorded singles for the
Big Howdy label, sometimes under the name "Jeff Daniels". Highlight is the
manic "Switch Blade Sam", a frontrunner in anyone's bad boy rockabilly top
ten. The other side was the original of "You're Still On My Mind", better
known in the versions of George Jones and the Byrds.

There are two versions of the great "Foxy Dan". Make sure you get the
1960 Astro recording, which is superior to the version on Big Howdy that
was released in the 1970s.

Disillusioned by the early 60s he left the business to start his own trucking
business - another great hillbilly singer that just couldn't get the right
breaks.

SUN stuff comes from either one or two sessions from either Sep 56 or/and
Jan 57.

Recommended listening;
Daddy-O-Rock - Hydra BLK 7715 (vinyl) - 1996. But where the fluffycats
is a proper CD release?