Swallow records has just released a CD of Austin Pitre's great music. Here are notes from the insert:
"Austin's only album on Swallow Records, released in 1981, was compiled from 12 songs recorded and released as 6 singles over the years by Floyd Soileau on the Swallow label. The earliest single included on the album was from his first session in October 1950. It was Austin's first hit single as well: "Les Flumes (Flammes) D'Enfer" with Opelousas Waltz on the flip side. The songs: Two Step de Bayou Teche, Opelousas Waltz, Two Step a Tante Adele, Rainbow Waltz, Rene's Special, Grand Mamou Blues, Les Flumes d'Enfer, Chinaball Blues, Le Pauvre Hobo, Pretty Rosy Cheeks, Don't Shake My Tree, La Valse D'Amour. Later in 1996 Swallow Records re-issued the original vinyl lp on cassette tape and included 3 more recordings to the original 12 ... Chataignier Waltz, Jungle Club Waltz, and J'ai Cogner à Ta Porte."

This cd includes more Swallow singles, including the following: Lakeview Special, New Oakdale Waltz, Evangeline Playboy Special. It also includes several previously unreleased songs: C'est Trop Tard, Catin; Chère Tit Bassette; Pitre Special; I Know I'm to Blame; Quoi Mon J'vas Faire?; and You're the Only One for Me.

I had the original 1981 lp and had heard Lakeview Special and New Oakdale Waltz thanks to a 45 owned by a friend of mine, but I had not heard Jungle Club Waltz or J'ai Cogner à Ta Porte. Nor had I heard this version on the Swallow label of the Evangeline Playboy Special. I had that on another label in the early 1950s.

Jungle Club Waltz turns out to be a song I have from Austin Pitre on another label as La Valse de Chagrin from the early 1950s. On the cd there is some studio conversation added. Interesting dialog between Austin and Floyd on the placement of the mic for "Tit 'lan", i.e. Allen Ardoin, the marvelous fiddle player in the Evangeline Playboys at the time in 1966. J'ai Cogner à Ta Porte is from 1961 and the accordion player and singer is really Milton Molitor playing with the Evangeline Playboys band. One of the best things on the whole cd for folks like me who are crazy about Milton Molitor! Lakeview Special is a masterpiece. Shows some good French rocking and rolling! New Oakdale Waltz is a great tune that I don;t think too many bands played. I have only heard Maurice Barzas' Mamou Playboys do it.

The previously unreleased songs are very interesting. C'est Trop Tard, Catin, is the tune of a familiar country-western song but I can't put my finger on the title. Anybody recognize it? Chère Tit Bassette is more reminiscent of Iry LeJeune and Wilson Granger's Duralde Waltz than Chère Bassette by J.B. Fuselier. Austin plays some nice fiddle on that one! Pitre Special sounds like Pee Wee Broussard's M&S Special on the Fais Do Do label, also like Duson One Step by Louis Cormier and the Moonlight Playboys on the La Louisianne label. Quoi Moi J'Vas Faire appears on his Sonet lp 815 as Lake Hope Special. He used to play at a club at the Lake Hope campgrounds. All the previously unissued songs are quite interesting. Can't see why they weren't released. Was Austin Pitre a perfectionist or something?

It was a long time in the making (no CD in the 20+ years since they have been popular! an artist's contribution can fade from the culture's memory in that amount of time!!), so here's a tip of the hat to Swallow for putting this out now in its Cajun Pioneers series.