Johnny Paycheck, born Donald Lytle, recorded from 1958 to 1962 as Donny Young. He and his friend, fellow singer-songwriter Roger Miller, had much in common. Each paid dues as members (at different times) of Ray Price’s Cherokee Cowboys. Paycheck worked in George Jones’ band; Miller drummed for Faron Young. To make much-needed extra cash, both were among the singers anonymously recording country hits of the moment for the ultra-cheap LPs released by Nashville’s Starday label.
The Paycheck package assembles 29 well-produced recordings for Decca, Mercury, Paul Cohen’s short-lived Todd label, and Starday. All are interesting, but to characterize these as “some of the best records he would ever make” is debatable. Paycheck/Young was still working out his style, and most of the Decca and Mercury performances feature vocals slavishly imitative of either Jones (his major influence) or Young, depending on the song. The Starday cuts were conceived to clone a hit’s arrangement and vocal. Historic value aside, that’s an awful lot of mimicry for one CD. Paycheck’s glory days began in 1965 at Aubrey Mayhew’s Little Darlin’ label (where he took on the Paycheck name), followed by his early ’70s Epic hits, all superior to his later, contrived “Outlaw” phase.
Miller, his vocal style better defined, was far less imitative, his proficiency at ballads and upbeat tunes verified on these seventeen numbers making up his complete pre-RCA output. The earliest session, produced in 1957 by Pappy Daily during the brief Mercury/Starday alliance, and the two Decca singles are all Miller originals. “Jason Fleming” hints at his future direction. Though he’s merely adequate on most of the 1959-60 Starday covers, he manages to nail Wynn Stewart’s vocal on “Playboy”.
The sessionography is well done, though the fanzine-style notes on both sets fall far short of Bear Family’s usual authoritative documentation. It’s a given that Bear should have tackled comprehensive Miller and Paycheck boxes long ago. These discs are welcome, if only for completists.
