House of Blue Lights

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 17 Dec 2003 3:37 am

I recently heard this song on a Seattle radio station. Somewhere I have an old 45 recording of this tune by Chuck Miller from the 50s. Quite a unique Boogie Woogie tune. It sounded somewhat bluesy and being about Detroit, I thought Chuck may be a Black man, but the B side is Leroy Van Dyck's
"The Auctioneer". I don't think so.

I have never seen a picture of Chuck Miller or heard of any of his other songs. Does anyone know anything about Chuck Miller?

Roger

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 17 Dec 2003 4:57 am

[This message was edited by Fred Shannon on 06 December 2004 at 01:24 AM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 17 Dec 2003 5:03 am

Don't know about Mr. Miller, but FWIW, if ya like the song, my group Beats Walkin' recorded it on our latest CD, "Bop-a-billy Swing!", available thru the Forum (end of shameless commercial)

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 17 Dec 2003 5:49 am

Chuck Miller was ( is???, I'm not sure if he's still with us ) a white guy. Yes, the same guy as in the link above. I have some of those compilation albums mentioned there and lot of the tunes are frantic piano boogies like House Of Blue Lights. There exists an out of print Chuck Miller LP too, which was released by some European company in the 80's. Great piano player and I really like his deep baritone voice too.

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 17 Dec 2003 6:15 am

Makes me want to "modulate" some ribs on to the grill!!

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 17 Dec 2003 6:28 am

(end of shameless commercial)

Is the tone adequate?<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/7_1_52.gif' border=0></a>

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 17 Dec 2003 7:23 am

Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have a good recording out of this song.
Erv

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 17 Dec 2003 8:52 am

I remember Merril Moore had a version of this on Capital in the early 50s. Could have been the late 40s, not exactly sure. I think Joe Byers was the steeler on Merrils version.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Tom Olson · Post by **Tom Olson** » 17 Dec 2003 2:47 pm

Commander Cody et al. did at least one version of "House of Blue Lights" too, and had many similar tunes on various albums. I'm not sure which album had "House of Blue Lights," but it seems like it was on one of their earlier albums. It had steel too, if I remember correctly -- maybe Bobby Black?

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 17 Dec 2003 10:54 pm

roger: you apparently have a reissue of chuck's version of the tune which he did for mercury in the mid 1950s. he did record "the auctioneer" in 1956, but it was not on the flip side of "house of blue lights". the original 45 of that song from 1955/56 has "can't help wonderin" on the flip side.

he did 2 LPs; the first for mercury around 1957 and another for imperial a few years later. he was a white jump blues/boogie piano player/singer in the general style of merrill moore or harry "the hipster" gibson. not as country as merrill, nor as jazzy or demented as harry.

fred: you got the right guy. miller recorded "rogue river valley" for capitol around 1954, and hoagy wrote it. some of his records of that time are with dave cavanaugh.

kenny: the notes to merrill's bear family 2 cd set credit steel to jack carpenter, whoever that is. recorded july 1953. speedy was on merrill's sessions from 1955/56.

miller was really an underappreciated guy and also cut great versions of "down the road a piece" and "idaho red", which cuts wade ray's version, no small feat. if i recall correctly, speedy plays on "idaho red".

obviously, he was a fan of freddie slack and ella mae morse, who did the original and unsurpassed version of "house of blue lights" in 1946.

i heard a second hand story that he was in hawaii in the 1970s, but i cannot recall if he is still with us.

[This message was edited by Mitch Drumm on 17 December 2003 at 11:00 PM.]

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 18 Dec 2003 2:38 am

Kenny,
I'm glad you brought that up. I have Merrill Moore's version of the aformentioned song,& since this was on Capitol Records,I kinda thought it was Speedy on steel. Joe Byers... hmm... I never heard of him. Can you give us more info on him?

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Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 18 Dec 2003 3:02 am

Hi Mitch, Man are you ever well informed on this music. Any idea where I could find a picture of Chuck Miller?

Somehow I thought Chuck was the original singer of "House of Blue Lights." I believe I bought the 45 record while I lived in Minneapolis, in the late 196os.

Roger

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 18 Dec 2003 8:57 am

Smiley, Joe Byers was a west coast musician in the 40s and 50s. I personaly never met Joe so I don't have any first hand knowledge of him. The only artist that I am aware of he worked and/or recorded with was Merrill, although I am sure there were others. He migrated to easter N.C. in the late 50s and I understand he has since passed away. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

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kd...and the beat goes on...