The 100 Greatest Bands of all time - #64 Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

In the days before rock and roll was born, the biggest musical genre in America was swing. The big bands had people dancing all over the country in the 30s and 40s. In the early 30s, Bob Wills and Milton Brown created something a little different with a band called the Light Crust Doughboys. The fusion of jazz with country music became what was called Western Swing. In 1933, Bob left the Doughboys and formed the Texas Playboys in Waco. They became the dominant practitioners of the genre and had multiple hits over the next three decades. Bob Wills played the fiddle and led the band calling out the players by name and interjecting those wonderful falsetto proclamations. Ah-ha! Tommy Duncan was a fantastic singer. Leon McAuliffe was one of the finest steel guitar players of all time. Al Stricklin played hot piano. Bob made sure to keep his band filled with the best players of the day. There is very little that makes me happier than listening to the great sounds that these fellas produced. Like Waylon Jennings said, “Bob Wills is still the king.” Ah-ha Yess!!!

The Steel Guitar Rag from way back in 1936. Leon McAuliffe played the hell out of that steel guitar.

Chicken in the bread pan, peckin' out dough.
Granny, will your dog bite? No, child, no.

Ida Red, Ida Red
I'm a plumb fool 'bout Ida Red.

A lot of folks have recorded this song over the years, but nobody did it better.

Fantastic live performance of one of Bob's biggest hits.

Moon in all your splendor, know only my heart.
Call back my Rose, Rose of San Antone.
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart.
Speak once again of my love, my own.

Bob, Tommy, and the boys were featured in a great many Westerns back in the 30s and 40s. Love this song.

Take Me Back to Tulsa. Is it just me or does that singer look like Corey from Pawn Stars?

This is a good one.

Here's those boys again. Ah-Haa!

This song strikes me as being quite relevant to the youth of today.

My favorite Bob Wills song.

Stay all night, Stay a little longer.
Dance all night, Dance a little longer
Pull off your coat, throw it in the corner
I don't see why you don't stay a little longer.

and we conclude our look at Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys with the beautiful love song Faded Love.