Rumored to be the subject matter of the tune “Long Tall Texan”, the 6′6 tall Orville “Bennie” Hess was allegedly involved in the famed recording of “Jole Blon” by Harry Choates at Gold Star Studio.
In Andrew Bradley and Roger Wood’s book House of Hits there is evidence of a possible partnership formed between Bill Quinn (original owner of Gold Star), Bennie Hess and Frank Sanborn. This partnership, if factual, created the Gulf Record Company, Bill Quinn’s first record label. This relationship leads to a stronger possibility that Hess was in on the “Jole Blon” recording, an original Gold Star Records recording. This original recording was dropped in 1946, the same year that the Gulf Record Company seized all recording.
In early 1956 Hess formed the Spade Label in Houston, where he would record some of the best rockabilly to ever come out of Texas. In 1956 Hess met Vern Pullens at a radio station in Mississippi and decided to add him to the Spade roster. Pullens was from Picayune, Mississippi, where he was a brick layer by trade and musician in his free time.
On the 27th of September in 1956, Pullens came to Houston to record his first single “It’s My Life” / “Bop Crazy Baby.” A few sources claim that Doyle Jones engineered this recording. This first recording is considered to be one of the best rockabilly singles of all time and is highly sought after by record collectors across the globe.
I was lucky enough to turn this track up in a pool hall in Eagle Lake, Texas, which had been in the hall’s juke box for years. Pullens later recorded for Pappy Dailey’s D Records and The Big Howdy label. I personally like the “It’s My Life” side of this single for its almost moody, tough greaser quality. Vern Pullens passed away in 2000 from cancer.
LISTEN: Vern Pullens – Bop Crazy Baby
LISTEN: Vern Pullens – It’s My Life
