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:: The Hills of Kentucky ::

:: Anybody's Baby ::

Johnny Bond, (no relation to Eddie Bond) who made his fame and fortune in Hollywood by way of Oklahoma is unfortunately best known for the comical, drunken album covers he posed for for the Starday label during the 1960s. These easy to find records are not very good representations of what Johnny Bond was capable of and the kind of material he produced in eras gone by. In the early 1940s he accepted an invitation from Gene Autry to move to California and work as a singing cowboy in films, and to perform on Autry's Melody Ranch radio show. He secured a contract with Columbia, and recorded with them for about 15 years. He wrote many classics, including "Cimarron" and "I Wonder Where You Are Tonight", which were covered by countless country and crossover artists. Yet during his time with Columbia, he never recorded an album. Only after his career was considered pretty much over did he start to produce albums rather prolifically. His Starday catalog is filled with humorous drinking songs, including the biggest hit of his career, "Ten Little Bottles".

As far as I can see, these two songs have never been released on CD, and they're good examples of the kind of material Bond was having great success with during the later '40s, and showcase his fine songwriting abilities as well. He continued to record and perform until his death in 1978 in Burbank, CA at age 63.


Mike

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