Question about Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk"

[Pete70s]

I think Ed or Dave would most likely know the answer to this..

According to all the Billboard books, BOTH parts 1 and 2 made up the double-sided hit, yet on some compilations, only the part 2 side appears. I remember having the song (both parts) on one of those "Oldies But Goodies" albums on the Original Sound label, but the two parts were seperated (even though they were on the same album side) by the fade at the end of part one and the "hard start" of the sax at the beginning of part 2.

Well, I got a collection from Time Life of R&B classics, and "Honky Tonk (parts 1 & 2)" is listed as one track on the disc. I thought it would go straight through without the "interruption" of the fade out at the end of part 1, but unfortunately, the first part fades out completely and there is a couple of seconds of silence before the familiar sax riff kicks off part 2.

So here's my question: Has the full version of "Honky Tonk" ever appeared anywhere "uninterrupted"? I understand the limitations of vinyl 45's in the 50's, and the need to break the track in half to accomodate, but was there ever a Bill Doggett album or collection that does NOT fade, but just segues right into part 2?

I picture a room full of 50's teenagers dancing to the record, then as the song fades out the whole room just freeze-frames while one person goes to flip the record over, and the room resumes dancing.

[H2IZCOOL]

pete70s said:

I think Ed or Dave would most likely know the answer to this..

According to all the Billboard books, BOTH parts 1 and 2 made up the double-sided hit, yet on some compilations, only the part 2 side appears. I remember having the song (both parts) on one of those "Oldies But Goodies" albums on the Original Sound label, but the two parts were seperated (even though they were on the same album side) by the fade at the end of part one and the "hard start" of the sax at the beginning of part 2.

Well, I got a collection from Time Life of R&B classics, and "Honky Tonk (parts 1 & 2)" is listed as one track on the disc. I thought it would go straight through without the "interruption" of the fade out at the end of part 1, but unfortunately, the first part fades out completely and there is a couple of seconds of silence before the familiar sax riff kicks off part 2.

So here's my question: Has the full version of "Honky Tonk" ever appeared anywhere "uninterrupted"? I understand the limitations of vinyl 45's in the 50's, and the need to break the track in half to accomodate, but was there ever a Bill Doggett album or collection that does NOT fade, but just segues right into part 2?

I picture a room full of 50's teenagers dancing to the record, then as the song fades out the whole room just freeze-frames while one person goes to flip the record over, and the room resumes dancing.

I am not aware of any compilation that includes a non-interrupted version of Honky Tonk. Then again, I haven't been looking for any. I have the original 45.

What I can tell you though, is that I remember that the radio stations played only Part 2 back then. In fact, I'm surprised to see that both sides are listed as the hit. Back then other than on my own 45, I only heard part 1 once or twice when a DJ would say 'hey! there IS a part 1; would you like to hear what it sounds like?' And he'd play about 15 seconds of it.

My guess is that Parts 1 and 2 were always completely separated - like two chapters of a book - not like other music that was just divided to accomodate a 45. But that's an opinion, not a fact.

[Pete70s]

h2izcool said:

pete70s said:

I think Ed or Dave would most likely know the answer to this..

According to all the Billboard books, BOTH parts 1 and 2 made up the double-sided hit, yet on some compilations, only the part 2 side appears. I remember having the song (both parts) on one of those "Oldies But Goodies" albums on the Original Sound label, but the two parts were seperated (even though they were on the same album side) by the fade at the end of part one and the "hard start" of the sax at the beginning of part 2.

Well, I got a collection from Time Life of R&B classics, and "Honky Tonk (parts 1 & 2)" is listed as one track on the disc. I thought it would go straight through without the "interruption" of the fade out at the end of part 1, but unfortunately, the first part fades out completely and there is a couple of seconds of silence before the familiar sax riff kicks off part 2.

So here's my question: Has the full version of "Honky Tonk" ever appeared anywhere "uninterrupted"? I understand the limitations of vinyl 45's in the 50's, and the need to break the track in half to accomodate, but was there ever a Bill Doggett album or collection that does NOT fade, but just segues right into part 2?

I picture a room full of 50's teenagers dancing to the record, then as the song fades out the whole room just freeze-frames while one person goes to flip the record over, and the room resumes dancing.

I am not aware of any compilation that includes a non-interrupted version of Honky Tonk. Then again, I haven't been looking for any. I have the original 45.

What I can tell you though, is that I remember that the radio stations played only Part 2 back then. In fact, I'm surprised to see that both sides are listed as the hit. Back then other than on my own 45, I only heard part 1 once or twice when a DJ would say 'hey! there IS a part 1; would you like to hear what it sounds like?' And he'd play about 15 seconds of it.

My guess is that Parts 1 and 2 were always completely separated - like two chapters of a book - not like other music that was just divided to accomodate a 45. But that's an opinion, not a fact.

Wow, that's interesting, Ed! I always thought that the two parts didn't sound THAT much different, and if you listen closely to the fade at the end of part 1, it seems to end right where part 2 kicks off. I wonder why Billboard lists both sides as the hit, maybe back in '56 it was too unusual for a part 2 side to chart on it's own, so they listed both just as a formality.

[djdave]

Funny--I SWEAR I have it downloaded in my Media Player without interruption, but I'll have to wait till sometime after Thanksgiving to be sure. Oddly, I thought it was a Time-Life compilation--but perhaps "1956"?

[H2IZCOOL]

pete70s said:

h2izcool said:

I am not aware of any compilation that includes a non-interrupted version of Honky Tonk. Then again, I haven't been looking for any. I have the original 45.

What I can tell you though, is that I remember that the radio stations played only Part 2 back then. In fact, I'm surprised to see that both sides are listed as the hit. Back then other than on my own 45, I only heard part 1 once or twice when a DJ would say 'hey! there IS a part 1; would you like to hear what it sounds like?' And he'd play about 15 seconds of it.

My guess is that Parts 1 and 2 were always completely separated - like two chapters of a book - not like other music that was just divided to accomodate a 45. But that's an opinion, not a fact.

Wow, that's interesting, Ed! I always thought that the two parts didn't sound THAT much different, and if you listen closely to the fade at the end of part 1, it seems to end right where part 2 kicks off. I wonder why Billboard lists both sides as the hit, maybe back in '56 it was too unusual for a part 2 side to chart on it's own, so they listed both just as a formality.

I've had a chance to look at my oldest Whitburn (1970) and it does list just Honky Tonk - not Honky Tonk part 2. I guess we'd have to look at the actual '56 charts to see what is listed. I don't have them. Dave?

But as far as a part 2 charting on it's own: Just two years later in the summer of '58, Topsy Part II by Cozy Cole (another instrumental) hit the charts and peaked at #3. About a month later, Topsy Part I (which was indeed on the other side of the 45) hit the charts and got as high as #27.

[djdave]

The original Billboard "Top 100" charts from 1956 list it as "Honky Tonk", but the "Best Sellers" and "Juke Box" charts from the same time DO list it as "Honky Tonk Part 2" listed over "Honky Tonk Part 1", meaning that side 2 was requested more by customers and played more by patrons.