Clifford Joseph Trahan, known the world over as Johnny Rebel, cemented his place in musical infamy with a series of recordings made in the turbulent 1960s. As the kids say, if you know, you know. These records might be considered offensive to some readers and funny to others. Some may find them to be both at the same time. Whatever the case, they have already been extensively written about far better than I can do, so I’ll keep that part of his career brief.
From 1966 to 1970, he cut several singles on the Reb Rebel label out of Crowley, Louisiana. After a few listens, one might have a moment and say, “Holy smokes, these songs are racist!” Mr. Trahan/Rebel would later claim to have never been a member of the Ku Klux Klan or any such organization and was only trying to cash in on the tumultuous times, recording what he referred to as “party records.” The records fell into obscurity only to later be revived by bootleg recordings, The Howard Stern Show, and, even later, internet music file-sharing sites and YouTube. I first heard these songs as a high school freshman on a tape that sounded like a dub of a dub of a dub. Trahan would never perform these songs live and would resume his attempted career as a recording artist. And goddamn, if he didn’t lay down some bangers! Here, I present to you my favorite non-racist tracks cut by Johnny Rebel. All were recorded under various pseudonyms.
“The Garden Song” Filthy McNasty (no release date available)
A playful yarn about a man feuding with his neighbor. After settling the score by sneaking into his garden to stomp, defecate, and masturbate on his nemesis’s vegetables, he goes home to discover said neighbor bedding down with his wife. This song is toe-tapping funny, containing such lines as: “I fucked up his eatin’ and he ate up my fuckin’…”
“Pop Top Cans” Johnny Blaine (1969)
What country singer would be worth a shit without recording a good ol’ fashioned drinking song? This number tells the tale of a hard-working, heartbroken man looking to drown his sorrows in some cold suds. This song would not seem at all out of place being sung by other honky tonkers like Faron Young, Vernon Oxford, or Conway Twitty.
“Keep A Workin’ Big Jim” Johnny Rebel (1967)
Trahan’s ode to New Orleans District Attorney and OG crackpot Jim Garrison. Garrison was the only person to ever bring an indictment against someone for conspiring to murder President John F. Kennedy. The shoddy case against Louisiana businessman Clay Shaw would end in an acquittal and forever mar Garrison’s reputation, tagging him as a corrupt nutjob. Written two years before Shaw’s trial and 23 years before Oliver Stone would immortalize the case in a wacky and wildly entertaining movie.
“Black Magic” Jericho Jones (1959)
It’s funny to think that, with all of its lasting impact, rockabilly’s heyday was only about 4 years long. All the rage in the late 50s, a whose-who of country singers cut rockabilly tracks. From those just getting their feet wet (Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, Buck Owens) to established greats (Webb Pierce, Wynn Stewart, Patsy Cline), everyone wanted a piece of this new hot sound. Well, everyone except George Jones. He was forever embarrassed by his rockabilly recordings and claimed later to use the records as frisbees whenever he came across them. Ol’ Pee Wee Trahan jumped on the same bandwagon and did a mighty fine job at it. Equal parts wild and spooky.
“Lonely Street to Hell” Johnny Pee Wee Blaine (1963)
I love country music. I really, really love creepy country music. Songs of despair and guilt and sorrow. Lonely streets, dark barrooms, decrepit motel rooms. Sin with little chance of salvation. Narrow is the gate and wide is the path to destruction. Mr. Rebel nails it on this number. Please forgive him for at least a few of the n-words.
