EAGER BOY
Thomas Johnson – who became known as the Lonesome Drifter – got a poem from an insurance salesman in his hometown of Bastrop, LA called “N----r Boy”, about someone who had big plans for his life. Johnson changed the title to “Eager Boy”, though in the original, the lyrics have a real poignancy: After listing his dreams in the verses, including wanting to become Senator and maybe even President – just like the current President Barack Obama – the chorus line is: “But everybody treats me like a toy / Because I’m just a n----r boy”.
Thomas Johnson told Mira Smith that he didn’t want his own name on the record. She asked him what he did want, and he gave her the name the Lonesome Drifter, adapted from the name of Hank Williams’ band The Drifting Cowboys and also another name used by Williams, Luke the Drifter. So “Eager Boy” was released on the brand new label K Records, though it was actually the flip side “Tear Drop Valley” that finally won the Drifter his spot on the Louisiana Hayride. (The Norton Records label on some of their albums is adapted from the one used by K Records, with “Norton” or a big “N” instead of a “K”, and with the same orange color).
The liner notes on the Lonesome Drifter LP – written by Kicks and Norton Records co-founder Billy Miller – says of his best known song: “‘Eager Boy’ epitomizes full throttled rockabilly – a cocksure lead vocal and trigger-happy guitar riding atop a solid slap bass rhythm”. He continues: “‘Eager Boy’ arguably stands as rockabilly’s high water mark, rightfully commanding a king’s ransom among today’s collectors”. As an example, in the week ending May 20, 2010, the original “Eager Boy” 45 was the third highest selling vinyl record on eBay, bringing an astounding $5,100.69.
No matter how great they are, the problem with reissuing music from obscure artists like the Lonesome Drifter who have only one or two singles to their name is that there usually aren’t a lot of songs in the vault to pick from. The Eager Boy album does include three different versions of both sides of his first single, “Eager Boy” and “Tear Drop Valley”; I might add though that I didn’t mind hearing a one of them. However, the other 11 songs on the album are equally astonishing and could have easily formed the basis of a colorful career.
(May 2011)
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