Here's a little little seven inch flexidisc, titled "Singing Rice-Ipes", containing seven songs about all of the wonderful things you can make with rice, featuring Johnny Cash, among others, singing brief ditties in support of Riviana foods (here spelled "Rivianna"), makers of Minute Rice and a number of other rice prodects. This disc came along with an album, released by Columbia Special Products, titled "Nashville Chowdown", and also came with a list of seven recipes ("Rice-Ipes"), one for each of the dishes described in the seven songs. Neither the album nor the recipe sheet made their way to my collection, unfortunately.
I am not much of a fan of the country music made in this era (this was released in 1970, and my interest in country dies out with the decline of Roger Miller's career, a few years earlier), and admit up front that I only recognize Johnny Cash, who is the lead singer on three of these tracks. Presumably, the other four tracks also feature Columbia Records talent - feel free to chime in with the names of these vocalists.
(ADDENDUM 7/9/15 - As pointed out by a couple of listeners (and as something I actually wondered about, but did not add to my original text), it appears that this is not actually Johnny Cash (or other famous singers), but rather, impersonators. Why Columbia would risk alienating the stars on their own label is a mystery to me, but this appears to be the case.)
Some of these items sound darn tasty, although I find the idea of making pancakes with rice really unpleasant.
All but one of the songs song run well under two minutes, most under 90 seconds. The first four songs are on side one, and the other three on side two (which is in considerably worse shape than side one - I did my best with the surface noise).
3.) Cripple Creek Casserole (MP3)
Found a copy on eBay (one of several)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nashville-Chowdown-Carter-Family-Marty-Robbins-Lefty-Frizzell-w-Rice-Recipes-/351333109242?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51cd15cdfa
Appears to be complete....Recipes sound yummy!
Posted by: LarryWaldbillig | June 30, 2015 at 05:56 PM
I couldn't get the danged player to cooperate, so's I D/L'ed the first track & listened to it. Now, unlike you, Senor Purse, I have always been a huge Johnny Cash fan.
I was amazed whilst hearing the Houston Hash number... WOW, Johnny never sounded so great! As I listened further, I keenly evaluated the singing... I have come to the conclusion, that this is a Johnny Cash impersonator. I don't by any means mean any disrespect, because this fellow does such a fine job of sounding EXACTLY like Cash. But, he just sings all too perfect, for it to be Johnny Cash. I don't know who the hell he is, but my hats off to him. Every nuance, every phrasing technique. Wow. But that aside, this is one bitchin' song! I mean, Johnny Cash sing about some broad makin' him up a heapin' helpin' of Houston Hash.... YEAH!!!!
I will now have to D/L all the remaing trax & give them a listen...
Posted by: Timmy | June 30, 2015 at 09:19 PM
I don't think any of these "Rice-ipes" songs were performed by any of the big names listed on the LP cover. Looking at the eBay listing provided by LarryWalbillig, what we seem to have is a two-record set. Record 1 is a collection of popular songs by a bunch of Columbia Records' country music artists, and record 2 has these seven Rice-ipes songs performed by studio musicians in various country styles.
The LP clearly lists what performer does which song on disk 1, but there are no credits of any kind on the Rice-ipes disk, no performer credits, no publishing, and no assertion of performance rights, which tells me it's all promotional, work-for-hire material.
I gotta agree with Timmy--"Houston Hash" is definitely NOT Johnny Cash, but is someone trying to sound like him. Record 1 is the premium you got for your buck-and-a-half plus proof of purchase (or whatever), and the Rice-ipes came along with it.
Posted by: John Hazelton | July 06, 2015 at 07:03 PM
Based on the comments by Timmy and John H. (and also, my own questions, which I didn't mention in the article originally), I have updated this post to indicate that the singer here is probably not Johnny Cash, nor are the others most likely anyone well known.
Bob
Posted by: Bob Purse | July 09, 2015 at 11:44 AM
I personally wouldn't dare to state that the singer of 'Houston Hash' is an impersonator instead of Johnny Cash singing this song. Listen to Johnny Cash on his own show about the same time 'Houston Hash' was recorded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iphXYvS5Nj0
Comes pretty close,doesn't it?
Found a nice site with more details on the records. Very nice website by the way.
http://www.zeroto180.org/?p=328
And to top it off, found an New York Times article about the music director Arnold Brown who was involved in the recording sessions. Dancer Fitzgerald Sample was an advertising agency, now incorporated in Saatchi.
ADVERTISING; Music Director Retires At Dancer Fitzgerald
By Philip H. Dougherty
Published: July 10, 1984
Arnold Brown has been involved in the selection of some of the century's most-often-heard melodies as music director for Dancer Fitzgerald Sample since 1967.
But now Mr. Brown has moved into retirement, no doubt humming Toyota's ''Oh, What A Feeling,'' ''Gentlemen Prefer Hanes,'' ''Lifesavers, a Part of Living,'' and, the most relevant, Peter Paul Cadbury's ''Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut.''
Maybe there's someone in this world who could answer this question for sure. Was this Johnny Cash singing 'Houston Hash' and two more songs during this advertising campaign? Was Riviana maybe one of the sponsors of the tv show? Or was there a brilliant Johnny Cash impersonator who has been hiding his light under a bushel for so many years?
Posted by: tom | July 14, 2015 at 07:01 AM