Warren Joseph Schexnider was born in Vermilion Parish in 1937. Being that his father was a drummer, Warren fell into music at an early age, picking up the sticks and standing in for his father at 15. Storm is considered a pioneer of the Swamp-Pop sound, which features a blend of Cajun signatures with an overlay of R&B. Warren was greatly influenced by Fats Domino, which was the inspiration for his first group, The Wee-Wows. Continuing to play drums, in 1956 Storm formed The Wee-Wows a name Storm decided on because crowds would yell WEE WOW during their set. They were a cover band playing everything from Fats Domino to Elvis to Hank Williams.
Storm changed the name of his group to the Jive Masters, when Storm signed a contract with Jay Miller. Warren also changed his name from Schexnider to Storm as to fit on the record easier. The name supposedly came from a 50s star name Gale Storm. With this new contract Warren also picked up the microphone and started singing for the group. Amazingly Storm’s first single was a hit. It was recorded in 1958 for Miller’s Nasco label. The “Prisoner’s Song” b/w “Mama, Mama, Mama,” hit #81 on the Billboard charts and sold 250,000.
The Prisoner’s Song was a cover of a 1920s hillbilly tune. Guy Massey, however transcribed by his brother Robert, originally copyrighted the song. Robert F. Taylor, a prisoner, who in Blakely, Georgia county jail, carved The Prisoner’s Song into the wall of his cell. The version of this tune sung by Vernon Dalhart is rated as a 1920s all time best seller, selling seven million copies worldwide. The Dalhart version charted for thirty-two weeks, twelve of those weeks at #1.
Storm did continue to play as a session drummer playing with heavy blues musicians of the day including: Lazy Lester, Lightnin’ Slim, Slim Harpo and many others, not to mention a short time with The Shondells. In 1964 Storm joined up with the rising “Crazy Cajun” empire, which is the reason for this post. Meaux put Warren Storm singles on the Tear Drop, Pic 1 and Sincere labels. In 1965 via Huey Meaux, Storm recorded a cover of the 1958 tune by Larry Williams, “Slow Down.” Williams recorded for the Specialty label as a replacement to Little Richard, who had given his life to GOD and left the music industry behind. Williams is mainly remembered as a recording artist who influenced the increasing Rock & Roll movement, which he did mainly with his original tune “Bony Maronie.” “Slow Down,” in the mid sixties was already a rediscovered hit, for the masses, being that the Beatles covered the tune in 1964 for their Something New LP and Long Tall Sally EP.
In 1967 Storm recorded the “Prisoner’s Song” once again, this time for Meaux’s Sincere label, and not as a 78, as the original, but as a 45. This recording took place at Huey’s own Pasadena Studio, “Pasadena Sounds” professionally known as Recording Service Studio, Inc. I am not sure where “Slow Down,” was recorded I can only assume while on the road, but don’t have the resources to back it up. It could have been recorded at Gold Star, which Storm did record at numerous times, for Meaux didn’t build his studio, “Pasadena Sounds” until late 65. I personally enjoy the less successful “Slow Down” for it’s upbeat R&B qualities rather than the “Prisoner’s Song,” slower tone, not to mention the great scream and BBBBB (motor boat noise) half way through, “Slow Down” in which Storm gives a great rendition of Williams’ original. Storm went on through out the seventies and eighties and nineties recording and touring and was inducted into both Louisiana and Texas’ Music Hall of Fame. He actually still, to this day, plays 200 nights a year.
LISTEN: Warren Storm – Slow Down
LISTEN: Warren Storm – Prisoner’s Song
