Sollie Paul Williams (August 23, 1917 – October 11, 1985), known professionally as Tex Williams, was an American Western swing musician from Ramsey, Illinois. He is best known for his talking blues style; his biggest hit was the novelty song, "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)", which held the number one position on the Billboard charts for sixteen weeks in 1947. "Smoke" was the No. 5 song on Billboard's Top 100 list for 1947, and was No. 1 on the country chart that year. It can be heard during the opening credits of the 2006 movie Thank You for Smoking.
Life and career
Williams started out in the early 1940s as vocalist for the band of Western Swing king Spade Cooley, based in Venice, California.
Williams' backing band The Western Caravan numbered about a dozen members. They attained an enviable level of fluid interplay between electric and steel guitars, fiddles, bass, accordion, trumpet, and other instruments (even an occasional harp). At first they recorded polkas for Capitol Records with limited success. That was changed by the success of "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke" written in large part by Merle Travis.
Podcasts:
Tex Williams
ALBUMS
- On the Air 1947-1949 released: 1997
- 1946-1951 released:
- Vintage Collections released:
- Western Swing Nostalgia released:
On the Air 1947-1949
Released 1997- Theme: Smoke Smoke Smoke
- What's the Matter With You
- Texas Playboy Rag
- Don't Telephone, Don't Telegraph
- Spanish Two Step
- The Spanish Fandango
- The Palace Stomp
- Careless Love
- [untitled]
- Don't Come Cryin' to Me
- San Antonio Rose
- Theme: Smoke Smoke Smoke
- The Covered Wagon Rolled Right Along
- I Found a New Baby
- Brush Those Tears From Your Eyes
- Who Clipped Samson's Hair
- Swanee River
- Careless Love
- The Caravan Ride
- The Riverside Stomp
- One O'Clock Jump
- Steel Guitar Rag
- Please Don't Leave Me Any More
- Three Way Boogie
- She's a Real Gone Oakie
- South / Smoke Smoke Smoke
1946-1951
- The Big Print Giveth
- Brother Drop Dead
- Leaf of Love
- Last Go-Round
- Close the Door Richard
- Won't You Ride in My Little Red Wagon
- Don't Come Cryin' to Me
- Slam My Door
- Tell Me How Lonely You Can Get
- Steel Guitar Rag
- Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)
- New Panhandle Rag
- Irma
- Hot Dingy Dongy
- Minor Boogie
- Who Clipped Samson's Hair
- Western Avenue
- Scale Boogie
- Red Ball Whistle
- Palace Stomp
- Down by the Railroad Tracks
- Texas in My Soul
- No Vacancy
- Cattle Call
- Please Don't Leave Me
- I Let My Wife Support Me
- Columbus Stockade Blues
- What's the Matter With You
- Tho' I Tried
- When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again
- Roly Poly
Vintage Collections
- Smoke!, Smoke!, Smoke! (That Cigarette)
- I Got Texas in My Soul
- Fiddle Time
- The Leaf of Love
- Wild Card
- Brother, Drop Dead !
- On the Double
- Won't You Ride in My Little Red Wagon
- Suspicion
- Caravan Ride
- Western Jamboree
- My Confession
- That's What I Like About the West
- The Campbell's Are Comong
- I Lost My Gal From Texas
- Never Trust a Woman
- Steel Guitar Rag
- Downtown Poker Club
- You Can't Break My Heart
- My Window Faces the South
Western Swing Nostalgia
- Don't Come Cryin' to Me
- Tell Me How Lonely Can You Get
- Blue Danube
- Dusty Skies
- Red Wing
- Cool Water
- Ragtime Accordion Joe
- The Covered Wagon Rolled Right Along
- Beethoven's Minuet
- My Adobe Hacienda
- Tulsa Trot
- Brother, Drop Dead
- Minor Boogie
- When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again
- Devil's Dream
- Between You and the Birds (And the Bees and Cupid)
- Kansas City Rag
- Caravan Rambler
- Slam My Door
- Close the Door Richard I Just Saw the Thing
Born: 1917-08-23
Died: 1985-10-11
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If It's All The Same To You
by: Tex WilliamsIf it's all the same to you I'll be leaving in the
morning
I'll be going to some different place it's all I know
to do
I have thought the whole thing through cause I can't
feel the doubt a forming
And I'll be leaving in the morning if it's all the same
to you
It's so hard to bear the thought you might be changing
Especially that you want another man
But I've never been that kind to try arranging
Something that's just not in your plan
So if it's all the same to you I'll be leaving in the
morning
Though my life will be an empty road and lonely without
But don't spare me any feeling tell me what your
thoughts are forming
And I'll be leaving in the morning if it's all the same
to you
[ steel ]
I have tried to give you hope and understanding
But there must be something you want I don't have
If you've no need to take the treasure that I'm handing
Then I guess it's best we'd take a different path
And if it's all the same to you I'll be leaving in the
morning
I can't make it on my own alright it seems the thing to
So let sit down and talk in reason but you should take
it as a warning
Cause I'll be leaving in the morning if it's all the