Del McClinton (songs by Howard Hausey, part 1)

Here's a new series consisting of songs written by Howard Hausey. Everybody have heard the Hausey songs Johnny Horton recorded: Honky Tonk Man, Whispering Pines, All Grown Up, Sugar Coated Baby, Ole Slew Foot. Hausey was a prolific songwriter and he also recorded as Howard Crockett and many local Texas artists recorded his songs in early 1960's.

I start up with Del McClinton's recording of Dunkirk from 1962. I guess Hausey had Johnny Horton in mind when writing the song as it thematically reminds of Horton's hit Sink The Bismarck. Howard Crockett made a demo recording of the song in late 1950's and it can be heard on Bear Family's fine Crockett CD Out Of Bounds.

This London 45 is one of the very first records of Del(bert) McClinton. He was 21 when recording this. Music publishing is by Le Bill Music, so it's more than possible that it was produced by Major Bill Smith in Dallas, Texas. Co-writer was John Whitten, who worked with Hausey a lot in the early 1960's. On the flip side of the record is a pretty lame teen ballad, Angel Eyes written by Marvin Montgomery, another Dallas music legend.

Delbert McClinton's discography can be found on the excellent WangDangDula page.



Hear Dunkirk by Del McClinton.