Don Bowman

7-30-09 Don Bowman

7" ALL AMERICAN BOY, THE RCA US 47-8916

1965? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

LP ALL NEW DON BOWMAN, THE MEGA US M31-1015

1972 13 TRKS the “Hello DJ” album

7" DIRTY DON LARDBUCKET US #0000

1972? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" FOR LOVING YOU / BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE RCA US 47-9415

1965? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, w / Skeeter Davis

7" FREDA ON THE FREEWAY / GIDDY-UP DO-NUT RCA US 47-8811

1965 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP FRESH FROM THE FUNNY FARM RCA US LPM 3345

1965 12 TRKS mono – still lookin’ for a stereo copy, folks!

LP FROM MEXICO WITH LAUGHS RCA US LSP 3795

1967 10 TRKS stereo

LP FUNNY FOLK FLOPS RCA US LSP 3920

1968 12 TRKS stereo

LP FUNNY WAY TO MAKE AN ALBUM RCA US LSP 3495

1966 12 TRKS stereo

7" GRADUATION DAY / WRONG HOUSE RCA US 47-8588

1964? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" HELLO D.J. ('BLEEP') / ('STRAIGHT') MEGA US 615-0062

1972? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" HOMECOMING / POETIC JUSTICE MEGA US 615-0083

1972? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" HOUSE OF THE SETTING SUN RCA US 47-9617

1969? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" I FELL OUT OF LOVE WITH LOVE RCA US 47-8506

1964? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

7" I OWE IT ALL TO YOU, CHIT AKINS RCA US 47-9949

1970? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" LITTLE BAD DAN / IGMOO GNP US GNP 170

1973? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

LP LONE STAR - SIX PAK Vol. 1 (V.A.) LONE STAR L-4600

1978 12 TRKS with the Geezinslaws etc.

7" ON THE ROAD TOO LONG LARDBUCKET US UR 2135

1980 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

LP OUR MAN IN TROUBLE RCA US LSP 2831

1964 12 TRKS stereo

7" POOR OLD UGLY GLADYS JONES RCA US 74-0133

1971? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

7" POWER TOOL SONG / WILLON AND WAYLEE LONE STAR 701

1979 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP RECORDED ALMOST LIVE RCA US LSP 3646

1967 12 TRKS stereo

7" SAN FRANCISCO SCENE, THE RCA US 47-9576

1967 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

LP STILL FIGHTING MENTAL HEALTH LONE STAR L-4605

1979 10 TRKS

LP SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PRISON RCA US LSP 4230

1969 7 TRKS stereo

7" SURELY NOT / DEAR SISTER RCA US 47-8990

1966 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

7" TOP TEN, THE / HOW COME IT IS RCA US 47-9783

1969 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

LP WHISPERIN' COUNTRY RCA US LSP 4295

1970 11 TRKS Bill Anderson song parodies

The first I ever heard of Don Bowman was when “Hello DJ” got played on the ‘lectric radio in the early 70’s. It was a mildly ‘dirty’ record for the day, and I found it amusing – being a big fan of ‘novelty’ records. I went to Wallach’s Music City and got a 45 of “Hello DJ”, which I proudly own to this very day. I guess Mr. Bowman actually used to be a DJ…him ‘n’ fellow Texan Waylon Jennings.

I knew (and know) very little about country & western 50’s/60’s/70’s comedy records – and I’d really like to know more about records by people like Stringbean, Lonzo & Oscar, Homer & Jethro, The Geezinslaws, Junior Samples et al.

At swap meets in the 80’s & 90’s, I discovered that there were Don Bowman LP’s before “Hello DJ”! I also somehow stumbled upon the info that Don Bowman was a writer of lyrics – for people like Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings…a songwriter! I found a Homer & Jethro album that had a song on it called “Owed to Don Bowman” – wha? I also discovered that there are H&J LP’s with Don Bowman songs on ‘em. Don Bowman actually wrote for Homer & Jethro!

The RCA LP’s are uniformly pretty good. A good mixture of profane, silly and inexplicable. Only about a decade ago, if one tried to look up Don Bowman on the internet, nothing at all came up. These days, if one Googles “Don Bowman”, it reveals that there is, in fact: http://www.donbowman.com/ - with a little more of the story present there.

About 10 years ago, I remember posting something on a C&W music bulletin board – “Any info on Don Bowman would be appreciated” or words to that effect – and a gentleman in Texas got in touch with me, saying that he knew Don – who was / is still alive in Texas etc. I think it transpired that Mr. Bowman was supposed to call me – which, of course, never happened. I’m going to guess he’s on the elderly side, these days.

And I’m just tickled pink that he actually released records on the fictitious Lardbucket record label – the label that is mentioned by name in “Hello DJ”! I do believe this particular material ended up on Willie Nelson’s Lonestar label.

All of the above records are delightful, silly C&W comedy records – well worth seeking out. If you know of any Don Bowman records not on this list, please drop me a line.