Dickie McBride And His Ranch Hands

Western Swing Band Members: Vocals: Dickie McBride Electric Guitar: Dickie Jones Steel Guitar: Herb Remington Electric Mandolin: Clyde Brewer Piano: Loran "Mitch" Mitchell Guitar: Aubrey "Red" Greenhaw Bass: Walter "Buck" Henson One of country music's first pop crooners an done of the most prolific western swing vocalists, Dickie McBride was born in New Baden, Texas in 1913. Heavily influenced by Milton Brown, McBride joined former Brown sideman Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers in Houston in the fall of 1936 and sang on numerous Bruner sides through 1938, including the original hit version of Floyd Tillman's classic "It Makes No Difference Now." He fronted the Texas Wanderers during 1939 following Bruner's departure, recording with them and under his own name for Decca that year. After the group traveled to Hollywood to appear in the film "Village Barn Dance," McBride and fiddler Grady Hester left to form the Village Boys. Broadcasting on Houston's KTRH, recording for Decca, the band in time evolved into one of the best and tightest pre-WWII western swing groups and and recorded classics like "Tulsa Twist." McBride served in WWII briefly in 1942-1943 and after his return the Village Boys evolved into Dickie McBride & The Music Macs; McBride married and teamed with vocalist Laura Lee Owens and the duo recorded for the short-lived local label Arco circa 1947, then disbanded and spent much of the next two years on the West Coast. They toured occasionally with Bob Wills and returned to Houston in mid-1950, combining forces with Dickie Jones to form the Ranch Hands. McBride signed to local distributor Sam Ayo's Ayo label in the fall of 1950, recording eight sides, only four of which were released before Ayo folded. Laura Lee recorded separately for Sol Kahal's Freedom label. "I Don't Get No Lovin'" was co-written by McBride and his father-in-law, the cowboy singer Tex Owens (of "Cattle Call" fame) and was the hottest of the four released Ayo sides. Although still characteristically laid-back, McBride proves he can do more than croon here and the all-star Ranch Hands are in top form, with some great, swinging steel-guitar-mandolin ensemble work, driven by bassist Buck Henson and rhythm guitarist Red Greenhaw, split by solos from former Texas Playboy steel star Herb Remington (who had married McBride's step-daughter), pianist Loran Mitchell and, making a rare appearance on electric guitar, Dickie Jones. The Ranch Hands had a daily television show through the mid-1950's and signed to MGM in 1951, with releases credited to Laura Lee and Dickie McBride. The group disbanded at mid-decade, but the McBrides recorded for Daffan and other labels into the 1960's. Dickie McBride died in 1971, in the same week and at the same hospital as Bob Dunn; Laura Lee remained active until shortly before her death in 1989. Former Ranch Hands Clyde Brewer and Herb Remington still perform together in Houston's long-lived Original River Road Boys.