In my post about the Welland garage rock recording studio, Canland, I mentioned that producer Mike Addario also recorded some country and western LPs. I intended to immediately follow up that post by discussing them, but time slipped away. It's a good thing it did, because since then, I've discovered another LP that was likely to have been recorded there. That one will have to wait, though. Today, I want to discuss two albums recorded by the Willoughby Ramblers, Niagara's original old-time band.
The Willoughby Ramblers were formed in 1950 in the Township of Willoughby. The group originally consisted of five members. The leader, Gordon Zacharchuk, better known as Sundown Jim, was born somewhere in Western Canada, but settled in Willoughby. He played the rhythm guitar and was also a vocalist. Lee Clattenburg, the fiddler, was from Eastern Canada. He had twenty-five years of fiddling experience. Leo Daudlin, the accordionist, was also described as an 'accomplished musician' prior to joining the band. His brother, Roland Daudlin, was the lead guitarist. Finally, John Zaturski, the drummer, came from Ottawa and was said to have been envied by many drummers.
These five members were the personnel on the group's first album, which was self-titled.
The album was recorded at Addario's Concept Recording Studios - in other words, his parents' basement. Such a location might have been perfect for garage rock recordings, but it wasn't ideal for a band of this nature. The entire album has a lo-fi sound, and all the instruments tend to blend together. Imagine listening to the band playing while you're standing outside the studio door, and you can get a sense of what this sounds like. That's not to say it's a bad record - it's definitely a unique listening experience.
The album begins with the band's signature tune, "Boil The Cabbage Down," which leads into a selection of waltzes, polkas, reels, and other old time music. Two of the songs feature vocals, "Together Again" and "Rubber Dolly". Unfortunately, "Rubber Dolly" suffers the most from the amateur recording techniques, as it seems to have been recorded with only a single microphone. As a result, it's nearly impossible to hear the vocals, and some of the instruments are lost as well. "Together Again" sounds much better.
The cover photo and design were done by Archie Hood, who business was located at 97 Burgar Street. Mike Addario recorded the album, and either he or Zacharchuk may have produced it. The LPs were pressed by RCA. The only detail that's not known is when it came out. The only reference to time in the liner notes is the statement that Lee Clattenburg has been playing the fiddle for twenty-five years. If he did indeed spend all those years with this band, the album would have been released in 1975, but that seems unlikely. It's more likely to have come out in the mid-to-late 1960s.
The Willoughby Ramblers didn't stop at just one album, however. Some time later, they returned to Concept Recording Studios to make another:
By the time this second album was released, there had been two membership changes. Lee Clattenburg and Roland Daudlin were gone, replaced by Ralph Atkinson (of Caistor Centre) on fiddle and Joe Godin (of Welland) as lead guitarist. According to the liner notes, these changes were well-recieved by the group's thousands of fans.
The album follows generally the same formula as the group's first, but contains a few more modern songs. Unfortunately, this includes what is probably the worst song they ever recorded: a cover of "Spanish Eyes", written by Bert Kaempfert, which the band fumbles their way through. The other tracks are great, however. Once again, two songs include vocals, those being "There Goes My Everything" and "Born To Lose".
The sound quality of the album is greatly improved, making it sound like a professional recording, on par with Addario's usual standard. The back cover states that it was recorded on August 25th, 26th, and 27th, but omits the year. The cover design and photography are again done by Archie Hood, who also seems to have improved his skills.
Both of these albums sold well, and as a result, they are still quite commonly found around the Niagara Region. Sundown Jim and the Willoughby Ramblers spent many years as Niagara's dominant band in this genre, but were eventually displaced by another up-and-coming local group, led by Walter Ostanek - who would go on to win several Grammys and record over 40 albums. To my knowledge, the Willoughby Ramblers only recorded these two, and they don't seem to have made any singles. The band returned to the spotlight in 2008 to perform at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Willoughby Historical Society, but their lineup for that performance is unknown. Since then, they have been quiet.
The Willoughby Ramblers' signature track, "Boil The Cabbage Down", is available on the compilation CD "The Niagara Vinyl Collection", which can be purchased here.
