Classie Ballou made his recording debut as the guitarist on Boozoo Chavis’ first single, “Paper In My Shoe,” the record that literally put zydeco music on the map. The story behind this kit-bashing of stylistic nuances is a rock ‘n’ roll moment that must be savored. Eddie Shuler, who’d decided to record Chavis for his Goldband label, hired Ballou’s band to back him, naturally assuming that with the best R&B combo in the area, he couldn’t go wrong. But, as Shuler classically concluded in John Broven’s South To Louisiana, “I didn’t know it, but Ballou’s band had never heard of zydeco music, let alone played it. Ballou’s boys just couldn’t dig Boozoo’s music and Boozoo didn’t know they weren’t with him!”
After eight hours of utter frustration someone had the brilliant idea of fortifying Chavis with a little liquor and things finally began to take shape until suddenly, through the control room door, Shuler heard what he describes as “a collassal crash” in the middle of an otherwise decent take. When he opened the door, he relates, “There lay Boozoo. He had fallen off his stool but managed to keep his accordion in the air, not missing a note!” Months later, Shuler released the cut-crash and all—on a whim, and lo and behold, an entire genre was born.
Boozoo aside, this strange clashing of musical sensibilities marked the beginning of a wild career for Classie’s band the Tempo Kings, already renowned in Lake Charles for their storming version of Gatemouth Brown’s “Okie Dokie Stomp.
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