| The Allen Brothers | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Alias: | The Chattanooga Boys |
| Origin: | Sewanee, Tennessee, United States |
| Genre: | Old time, Country |
| Years Active: | 1920s-1930s |
| Label: | Columbia, Victor, Vocalion |
| Past Members: | Austin Allen Lee Allen |
The Allen Brothers (Austin Allen, February 7, 1901 – January 5, 1959 and Lee Allen, June 1, 1906 – February 24, 1981) were an American country music duo popular in the 1920s and 1930s. They were nicknamed "The Chattanooga Boys" since many of their songs mentioned Chattanooga.[1]
The brothers were born and raised in Sewanee, Tennessee and they both learned to sing and play musical instruments, Austin played the banjo while Lee concentrated on the guitar and kazoo.[1] As they grew up they were influenced by local jazz and blues artists such as the guitarist and Mississippi river boat performer May Bell and the street singers the Two Poor Boys.[2] By the early 1920s, they were performing in small coal-mining communities in the South doing medicine shows and Vaudeville onstage.[1]
They received a recording contract on Columbia Records and recorded for the first time on April 7, 1927.[3] At this first session they recorded "Salty Dog Blues" which became their first hit selling around 18 000 copies.[4] "Bow Wow Blues" was another notable recording of that time, as it was later placed by music historians in the dirty blues category.[5] [6] Columbia, by mistake, placed one of their recordings in the "race" series (reserved for black artists) instead of its "hillbilly" series. The brothers threatened to bring a lawsuit against Columbia but in the end they decided to move to Victor Records instead. Working with the A&R man Ralph Peer - who had been instrumental in bringing both Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to fame - the Allen Brothers recorded their biggest hit "A New Salty Dog" in 1930. Due to the Great Depression, the brothers had to abandon their musical career in 1934.[1] Although they were successful and sold more than other hillbilly groups - more than 250 000 copies altogether - they could not make a living from their music.[7]
Austin moved to New York and both brothers went to work in the construction business. In the 1960s, when the Allen Brothers were rediscovered by folk revivalists, Austin had already died in South Carolina in 1959 but Lee appeared onstage a few times in Tennessee.[1]
| Matrix | Title | Record # | Recording date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 143927 | "Free a Little Bird" | Unissued | April 7, 1927 | |
| 143928 | "Wedding Bells* | Unissued | April 7, 1927 | |
| 143929 | "Salty Dog Blues* | Columbia 15175-D | April 7, 1927 | |
| 143930 | "Bow Wow Blues" | Columbia 15175-D | April 7, 1927 | |
| 145112 | "Chattanooga Blues" | Columbia 14266-D | November 4, 1927 | |
| 145113 | "Coal Mine Blues" | Unissued | November 4, 1927 | |
| 145114 | "Beaver Cap" | Unissued | November 4, 1927 | |
| 145115 | "Laughin' and Cryin' Blues" | Columbia 14266-D | November 4, 1927 | |
| 146150 | "Ain't That Skippin' and Flyin' | Columbia 15270-D | April 20, 1928 | |
| 146151 | "Cheat 'Em* | Columbia 15270-D | April 20, 1928 | |
| 146152 | "Monkey Blues"" | Unissued | April 20, 1928 | |
| 146153 | "Ain't That a Shame* | Unissued | April 20, 1928 | |
| 47167 | "Frisco Blues" | Victor 40003, Bluebird B-5224 | October 15, 1928 | |
| 47168 | "Tiple Blues" | Victor 40003, Bluebird 5104 | October 15, 1928 | |
| 47169 | "Free a Little Bird" | Victor 40266, Bluebird B-5668 | October 15, 1928 | |
| 47170 | "Skipping and Flying" | Victor 40266, Bluebird B-5772 | October 15, 1928 | |
| 47171 | "I'm A Diamond from the Rough" | Unissued | October 15, 1928 | |
| 47172 | "Meet Your Mother in the Skies" | Unissued | October 15, 1928 | |
| 47173 | "Prisoner's Dream" | Victor 40210 | October 15, 1928 | |
| 47174 | "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight" | Victor 40210 | October 15, 1928 | |
| 62589 | "I've Got the Chain Store Blues" | Victor 40276 | June 5, 1930 | |
| 62590 | "Jake Walk Blues" | Victor 40303k, Bluebird B-5001 | June 5, 1930 | |
| 62591 | "The Enforcement Blues" | Victor 40276 | June 5, 1930 | |
| 62592 | "Reckless Night Blues" | Victor 40303, Bluebird B-5224 | June 5, 1930 | |
| 62593 | "New Chattanooga Blues" | Victor 40326, Bluebird B-5380 | June 5, 1930 | |
| 62594 | "Shanghai Rooster Blues" | Victor 40326, Bluebird B-5668 | June 5, 1930 | |
| 62991 | "Price of Cotton Blues" | Victor 23507 | November 22, 1930 | |
| 62992 | "I'm Always Whistling the Blues" | Victor 23507, Bluebird B-5104 | November 22, 1930 | |
| 62993 | "Roll Down the Line" | Victor 23551, Bluebird B-5700 | November 22, 1930 | |
| 62994 | "Old Black Crow in the Hickory Nut Tree" | Victor 23551, Bluebird B-5448 | November 22, 1930 | |
| 62995 | "No Low Down Hanging Around" | Victor 23536, Bluebird B-5448 | November 22, 1930 | |
| 62996 | "Maybe Next Week Sometime" | Victor 23536, Bluebird B-5165 | November 22, 1930 | |
| 62997 | "A New Salty Dog" | Victor 23514, Bluebird B-5403 | November 22, 1930 | |
| 62998 | "Preacher Blues" | Victor 23514, Bluebird B-5820 | November 22, 1930 | |
| 69319 | "When You Leave, You'll Leave Me Sad" | Victor 23567, Bluebird B-5702 | May 20, 1931 | |
| 69320 | "Chattanooga Mama" | Victor 23567, Bluebird B-5470 | May 20, 1931 | |
| 69321 | "It's Too Bad for You" | Victor 23631, Bluebird B-5872 | May 20, 1931 | |
| 69322 | "Slide Daddy, Slide" | Victor 23590, Bluebird B-5317 | May 20, 1931 | |
| 69325 | "Moonshine Bill" | Victor 23631 | May 20, 1931 | |
| 69326 | "Pile Drivin' Papa" | Victor 23578, Bluebird B-5772 | May 20, 1931 | |
| 69327 | "Shake It, Ida, Shake It" | Victor 23607, Bluebird B-5165 | May 21, 1931 | |
| 69328 | "Roll It Down" | Victor 23590, Bluebird B-5317 | May 21, 1931 | |
| 69329 | "Mother-In-Law Blues" | Victor 23607, Bluebird B-5380 | May 21, 1931 | |
| 69330 | "Unlucky Man" | Victor 23623 | May 21, 1931 | |
| 69331 | "Laughin' and Cryin'" | Victor 23623, Bluebird B-5533 | May 21, 1931 | |
| 69332 | "Monkey Blues" | Victor 23578, Bluebird B-5820 | May 21, 1931 | |
| 61386 | "Glorious Night Blues" | Victor 23707, Bluebird B-5701 | February 17, 1932 | |
| 61387 | "Misbehavin' Mama" | Unissued | February 17, 1932 | |
| 61388 | "Inspiration" | Victor 23678 | February 17, 1932 | |
| 61389 | "Crossfiring Blues" | Victor 23692, Bluebird B-5872 | February 18, 1932 | |
| 61390 | "I'll Be Here a Long, Long Time" | Victor 23662, Bluebird B-5702 | February 18, 1932 | |
| 61395 | "It Can't Be Done" | Victor 23662, Bluebird B-5533 | February 18, 1932 | |
| 61396 | "Windowshade Blues" | Victor 23692, Bluebird B-5701 | February 19, 1932 | |
| 61397 | "Maybe Next Week Sometime" | Victor 23678, Bluebird B-5700 | February 19, 1932 | |
| 61398 | "Free-Wheeling Blues" | Unissued | February 19, 1932 | |
| 74805 | "Fruit Jar Blues" | Victor 23756, Bluebird B-5001 | December 5, 1932 | |
| 74806 | "Lightning Bug Blues" | Victor 23805 | December 5, 1932 | |
| 74807 | "Warm Knees Blues" | Victor 23805 | December 5, 1932 | |
| 74808 | "My Midnight Man" | Unissued | December 5, 1932 | |
| 74809 | "Red Hot Rambling Dan" | Victor 23786 | December 5, 1932 | |
| 74810 | "Won't You Come Home?" | Unissued | December 5, 1932 | |
| 74811 | "When a Man's Got a Woman" | Victor 23773 | December 6, 1932 | |
| 74812 | "Rough Neck Blues" | Victor 23756 | December 6, 1932 | |
| 74813 | "Slipping Clutch Blues" | Victor 23773 | December 6, 1932 | |
| 74814 | "Here I Am | Unissued | December 6, 1932 | |
| 74815 | "Please Pay in Advance" | Victor 23786 | December 6, 1932 | |
| 74816 | "Allen's Lying Blues" | Victor 23817 | December 6, 1932 | |
| 74817 | "So Straight, My Lad | Unissued | December 6, 1932 | |
| 74818 | "Midnight Mama" | Victor 23817 | December 6, 1932 | |
| 16095 | "Baby When You Coming Back Home" | Vocalion 02853 | October 3, 1934 | |
| 16096 | "Long Gone from Bowling Green" | Vocalion 02817 | October 3, 1934 | |
| 16097 | "Red Pajama Sal" | Vocalion 02817 | October 3, 1934 | |
| 16098 | "New Deal Blues" | Vocalion 02890 | October 3, 1934 | |
| 16107 | "Mercy Mercy Blues" | Vocalion 02874 | October 5, 1934 | |
| 16108 | "Padlock Key Blues" | Unissued | October 5, 1934 | |
| 16109 | "Daddy Park Your Car" | Vocalion 02853 | October 5, 1934 | |
| 16110 | "Salty Dog, Hey Hey Hey" | Vocalion 02818 | October 5, 1934 | |
| 16111 | "Hey Buddy, Won't You Roll Down the Line" | Vocalion 02818 | October 5, 1934 | |
| 16112 | "Allen Brothers Rag" | Vocalion 02939 | October 5, 1934 | |
| 16046 | "Skippin' and Flyin'" | Vocalion 02939 | October 6, 1934 | |
| 16047 | "Tipple Blues" | Vocalion 02891 | October 6, 1934 | |
| 16048 | "Mary's Breakdown" | Vocalion 02891 | October 8, 1934 | |
| 16049 | "Can I Get You Now" | Vocalion 02890 | October 8, 1934 | |
| 16050 | "The Prisoner's Dream" | Vocalion 02874 | October 8, 1934 | |
| 16121 | "Drunk and Nutty Blues" | Unissued | October 8, 1934 | |
| 16122 | "Misbehavin' Mama" | Vocalion 02841 | October 8, 1934 | |
| 16123 | "Midnight Mama" | Vocalion 02841 | October 8, 1934 | |
| 16124 | "I'm in Here a Long Long Time" | Unissued | October 8, 1934 | |
| 16125 | "Chattanooga Mama" | Unissued | October 8, 1934 |