“Mama Says Its Naughty” The Maddox Brothers & Rose.

“Mama Says Its Naughty” The Maddox Brothers & Rose. 

Released 28th March 2025 

Record Label- Atomicat Records (ACCD155) 

Series Subtitle: The California Acetates And More 

Format: Three CD mini-box set 

Songs: Ninety-Three 

Compilation/ re-issue Producer, Liner Notes: Mark Armstrong 

Artwork: Urban Zotel 

Acetate Mastering: Heiko Schulz at the Black Shack Recordings Studio 

Mastering: The Studio That Time Forgot, El Paso Texas 

Reviewed by Terry Mead; 01 /05/2025 

The Maddox Brothers and Rose were an American country music group active from the 1930s to 1950s, consisting of four brothers, Fred, Cal, Cliff, and Don Maddox, along with their sister Rose; Cliff died in 1949 and was replaced by brother Henry. 

The triple Maddox Brothers and Rose CD anthology sub-titled Mama Says' It's Naughty, Atomicat Records (ACCD 155) contains 93 songs from the rollicking family. The running order also including solo recordings from Rose, Fred, and Cal Maddox, plus Rosie & Retta duets. The recordings featured are mainly the up-tempo titles, and were recorded between 1947-1962, and  seven unreleased acetates are included. The Maddox Brothers and Rose were the "Most Colourful Hillbilly Band In the Land." 

The Maddox family's raunchy recordings blended rhythm and blues, and country music titles, and through this amalgamation, rockabilly was in an embryotic development. The Maddox's fast-paced songs and brush fire shows ignited every concert hall they performed in. Fred Maddox was fond of saying the Maddox's were always "ten years ahead of ourselves" his sister Rose would snap back with the retort "twenty!" Mama Says' It's Naughty, Atomicat Records (ACCD 155) confirms their point of view in music!  

Album  Review: To review each track in its entirety would take from now to Christmas so let’s have a look at some of them more obscure numbers. From CD1 the first track “I Couldn’t Believe It Was True”  is a western/gospel cross over from the early days of 1947, “Navajo Maiden” gives us the full works from the Indian sounding repertoire, “Mean And Wicked Boogie” is an variation of Hank Swatley’s Oakie Boogie, “Time Nor Tide” is a soft easy ballad that flows along followed by the square dance sound of “Gosh I Miss You All The Time”, worth a mention is the sing along tune “Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down” the perfect number to have a knees up to. Rose teams up on vocals with Cal & Don on “Just One Little Kiss” a quirky western swing affair.” Oklahoma Sweetheart Sally Ann”  & “Its Only Human Nature” both acclaimed to the Maddox Bros in 1950 give us an inkling into the future of this talented family with their deep-rooted southern sound. “Texas Guitar Stomp” is an instrumental that certainly is a stomper of musical magic. “New Step It Up And Go” emphasis on the word “New” here added from Blind Boy Fullers 1940 “Step It Up And Go” a more bluesy number than the Maddox’s western version. “South” is another tune that portraits the musical skills of the Bros especially the slide guitar. So, to the last track on CD1 a demo with crackles “Tell Me You Care” one out of the coset and dusted off a very traditional tune. 

Moving onto to CD2 the party starts with a cracking tune sung by Rose accompanied by some neat banjo & slide, a couple of traditional Hillbilly numbers follow then we get to “Meanest Man In Town” with Fred on vocals a typical drinking number. Rose is back on the next one “Hangover Blues” a raunchy jolly beefed up tune. “A Little Red Caboose” credited to Carolyn Bradshaw who dated Elvis in the early days is a Hayride piece with some master strokes of energy. The title track of this complication “Mama Says Its Naughty” is a lively affair that has all the family participating on the vocals. “You Won’t Believe This” has Fred and Rose giving us a duet on starting up a family with some quirky lyrics. Track 19 is a cover of Marvin Rainwaters “I Gotta Go Get My Baby” which the Maddox Bros give a more Hillbilly feel to it. This is followed by a tongue in cheek number “The Hoot-Owl Melody” a fun filled tune. “I'm Gonna Be Loved Tonight” see’s Rose teamed up with sister-in-law Retta for a duet. “Wild, Wild Young Men’ is up next a cover of Ruth Browns 1953 song , which is also rocked up and covered by Johnny Carroll in 1957 under the title “Wild Wild Woman”. Two self-credited tracks to Rose follow “No More Time” and “ I've Got Four Big Brothers (To Look After Me)” which are both neat lively little numbers. Tracks 26 & 27 see Rose and Retta duetting on a couple of nice ballads. ”Hey Little Dreamboat” comes across as rocking bopping tune,CD2 ends like CD1 with a demo of “Georges Playhouse Boogie”. 

So, the final CD moving into the rock n roll era, although we start off with a more traditional number  “Away This Side Of Heaven”, a solo track from Rose follows “False Hearted” a jumped up jolly little tune that will have you buzzing. After a few more traditional tracks we come to “The Death Of Rock And Roll” not what I was expecting more of a fun version of “Mean Woman Blues” hence the emphasis on the word “Death”. “Looky Over” gives us an Insite into Roses adaption into a rockabilly style as does “Stop Whistlin' Wolf”. The Bros “Ugly And Slouchy” is a full harmonising tune with a more Western approach. After several raunchy tunes from Rose, she gives us “Custer's Last Stand” a lament to the battle of Little Big Horn. Track 17 needs no introduction “My Little Baby” one of my favourite tracks of her’s, “I'm Happy Every Day I Live” is a more back to the roots number with a lively beat. Tracks 22-27 are recorded on Flat-Get-It  Records 1961/62, a Country label from Norwalk, California, featuring the Maddox Bros only as Rose had gone solo by then, mostly tongue in cheek numbers with a more country flare. The last four tracks are demos and different takes on previous songs. 

To Summarise the life and works of The Maddox Bros & Rose packed into three CD’s a collection to be treasured and preserved. It is important to listen and learn from the likes of these guys as these were pioneers from a by gone era, but your copy now its money well spent. 

Track List: 

CD01 

01 Maddox Bros. & Rose I Couldn't Believe It Was True (Arnold, Fowler) 4 Star 1947 

02 Maddox Bros. & Rose Milk Cow Blues (Uncredited) 4 Star 1948  

03 Maddox Bros. & Rose Whoa Sailor (Thompson) 4 Star 1948  

04 Maddox Bros. & Rose Navajo Maiden (Uncredited) 4 Star 1948  

05 Maddox Bros. & Rose Mean And Wicked Boogie (Uncredited) 4 Star 1948  

06 Maddox Bros. & Rose Sweet Little You (Wilkins) 4 Star 1948  

07 Maddox Bros. & Rose Move It On Over (Uncredited) 4 Star 1948  

08 Maddox Bros. & Rose New Muleskinner Blues (Uncredited) 4 Star 1948  

09 Maddox Bros. & Rose Time Nor Tide (Uncredited) 4 Star 1948  

10 Maddox Bros. & Rose Gosh, I Miss You All The Time (Uncredited) 4 Star 1948  

11 Maddox Bros. & Rose Philadelphia Lawyer (Uncredited) 4 Star 1949  

12 Maddox Bros. & Rose Last Night I Heard You Cryin' In Your Sleep (Williams) 4 Star 1949  

13 Maddox Bros. & Rose Honky Tonkin' (Williams) 4 Star 1949  

14 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) Why Don’t You Haul Off And Love Me (Rainey) 4 Star 1949  

15 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) George's Playhouse Boogie (Maddox Bros., Rose)4 Star 1949 

16 Maddox Bros. & Rose Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down (Uncredited) 4 Star 1949 

17 Maddox Bros. & Rose You've Been Talking In Your Sleep (Locklin) 4 Star 1949  

18 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Cal) I Love The Women (Rogers) 4 Star 1950  

19 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocals Rose, Cal & Don) Just One Little Kiss (Maddox Bros., Rose) 4 Star 1950 

20 Maddox Bros. & Rose Water Baby Blues (Lindsay) 4 Star 1950  

21 Maddox Bros. & Rose Oklahoma Sweetheart Sally Anne (Maddox Bros., Maddox) 4 Star 1950  

22 Maddox Bros. & Rose It's Only Human Nature (Maddox Bros., Maddox, Fell) 4 Star 1950  

23 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocals Maddox Trio) Cowboy Bugle Boy (Bertelero) 4 Star 1951 

24 Maddox Bros. & Rose Texas Guitar Stomp (Stevenson) 4 Star 1951 

25 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) Alimony (Ross, Huddleston) 4 Star 1951  

26 Maddox Bros. & Rose  (vocal Don) New Step It Up And Go (Stevenson) 4 Star 1951 

27 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Fred) Shimmy Shakin' Daddy (Lindsay) 4 Star1951  

28 Maddox Bros. & Rose South (Moten, Charles, Hayes) 4 Star 1951  

29 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocals Maddox Trio) I Want To Live And Love (Walker, Sullivan) 4 Star 1951 

30 Maddox Bros. & Rose I Don’t Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes) (Williams) Demo 2024  

31 Maddox Bros. & Rose Tell Me You Care (Unknown) Demo 2024 

CD02 

01 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again (Lulu Belle, Scotty) 4 Star 1951 

02 Maddox Bros. & Rose Eight-Thirty Blues (Venable) 4 Star 1952  

03 Maddox Bros. & Rose I'll Make Sweet Love To You (Mack) Columbia 1952  

04 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Fred) Meanest Man In Town (Uncredited) 4 Star 1952 

05 Maddox Bros. & Rose Hangover Blues (Stevenson) Decca 1952  

06 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) The Hiccough Song (O'Neil) Columbia 1953  

07 Maddox Bros. & Rose No Help Wanted (Carlisle) Columbia 1953  

08 Maddox Bros. & Rose Kiss Me Quick And Go (Landress) Columbia 1953  

09 Rose Maddox A Little Red Caboose (Bradshaw, Evans) Columbia 1953  

10 Maddox Bros. & Rose Why Not Confess (Stevenson) Decca 1953  

11 Maddox Bros. & Rose Mama Says It's Naughty (Stevenson) 4 Star 1954  

12 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) I'll Never Do It Again (Tuttle, Rice, Stonehead) 4 Star 1954  

13 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) I've Stopped My Dreaming About You (Wilkins) 4 Star 1954  

14 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Fred & Rose) You Won't Believe This (Rose, Maddox) Columbia 1954 

15 Rose Maddox Marry Me Again (Rose, Maddox) Columbia 1954  

16 Rose Maddox I Wonder If I Can Lose The Blues This Way (Miller) Columbia 1954 

17 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) You've Been Talking In Your Sleep (Locklin) 4 Star 1954  

18 Maddox Bros. & Rose Baby (vocal Rose) You Should Live So Long (Wilkins) 4 Star 1954  

19 Maddox Bros. & Rose I Gotta Go Get My Baby (Rainwater, Adelman) Columbia 1955  

20 Rosie And Retta The Hoot-Owl Melody (Tholen, Carpenter) Columbia1955  

21 Rosie And Retta I'm Gonna Be Loved Tonight (Wooley) Columbia 1955  

22 Rose Maddox Wild, Wild Young Men (Nugetre) Columbia 1955  

23 Maddox Bros. & Rose No More Time (Maddox, Rose) Columbia 1955  

24 Maddox Bros. & Rose I've Got Four Big Brothers (To Look After Me) (Maddox, Rose) Columbia 1955  

25 Rose Maddox Hasty Baby (Thoxel, Maddox) Columbia 1955  

26  Rosie And Retta Was There A Teardrop (Ragsdale) Columbia 1955  

27 Rosie And Retta Wild Wind (H&R, Maddox) Columbia 1955  

28 Rose Maddox Tall Men (Adapted From "Cindy") (Darby) Columbia 1956  

29 Rose Maddox Hey Little Dreamboat (Escamilla) Columbia 1956  

30 Maddox Bros. & Rose Old Black Choo-Choo (Fell, Maddox) Columbia 1955  

31 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) Georges Playhouse Boogie (Maddox Bros., Rose) (Demo 1)  2024  

CD03 

01 Maddox Bros. & Rose Away This Side Of Heaven (Fell, Maddox) Columbia 1956 

02 Rose Maddox False Hearted (Atchison) Columbia 1956 

03 Maddox Bros. & Rose I'll Find Her (Barton, Maddox) Columbia 1956 

04 Maddox Bros. & Rose Wish You Would (Crow, Swalley) Columbia 1956 

05 Maddox Bros. & Rose Paul Bunyan Love (Kangas) Columbia 1956 

06 Maddox Bros. & Rose The Death Of Rock And Roll (Arr., Maddox) Columbia 1956 

07 Rose Maddox Looky Over There Columbia 1956 

08 Maddox Bros. & Rose Stop Whistlin' Wolf (Twomey, Wise, Thomas) Columbia1957 

09 Maddox Bros. & Rose  Love Is Strange (Smith, Baker) Columbia 1957 

10 Maddox Bros. & Rose Let Me Love You (Collins) Columbia 1957 

11 Maddox Bros. Ugly And Slouchy (Wayne) Columbia 1957 

12 Rose Maddox  Take A Gamble On Me (Escamilla, White, Woodland) Columbia 1957 

13 Rose Maddox Old Man Blues (Escamilla, Maddox) Columbia 1957 

14 Rose Maddox I’ll Go Steppin’ Too (James, Organ) Columbia 1957 

15 Rose & Cal Maddox Gotta Travel On (Clayton) Black Jack 1959 

16  Rose Maddox Custer's Last Stand (Wayne, Maddox) Capitol 1959 

17 Rose Maddox My Little Baby (H & R, Maddox) Capitol 1959 

18 Rose Maddox I'm Happy Every Day I Live (Troxel, Maddox) Columbia 1959 

19 Rose Maddox Honky Tonkin' (Williams) Columbia 1960 

20 Rose Maddox Move It On Over (Williams) Columbia 1960 

21 Rose Maddox Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down (Cox, Van Ness) Columbia 1960 

22 Fred Maddox Who's Gonna Chop (Rad., Arr., Maddox) Flat-Get-It 1961 

23 Fred Maddox For Old Times (Stoval, George, Baugh) Flat-Get-It 1961 

24 Cal Maddox My Only Girl (Maddox) Flat-Get-It 1961 

25 Cal Maddox Hey Bill (Maddox) Flat-Get-It 1961 

26 Fred Maddox  Peepin Through the Keyhole (Woolie) Flat-Get-It 1962 

27 Fred Maddox  Truck Drivin' Man (Fell) Flat-Get-It 1962 

28 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) It‘s Only Human Nature (Maddox Bros, Rose, Fell) Demo 2024 

29 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Maddox Trio) Please Come Back (Little Darling)(Unknown) Demo 2024 

30 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) Tell Me You Care (Unknown) Demo 2024 

32 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Fred) Meanest Man In Town (Unknown)Demo 2024 

31 Maddox Bros. & Rose (vocal Rose) Georges Playhouse Boogie (Maddox Bros., Rose) (demo 2) Demo 2024 

Band Bio: 

The migrant family from Boaz, Alabama initially found laborious work as itinerant fruit and vegetable pickers in the San Joaquin Valley. Having settled in Modesto, they heard tales from musicians about how much money they earned performing and the family developed their musical ability in order to earn more money and have fun doing what they enjoyed. In 1937 they performed on the radio, sponsored by a local furniture store and the honed their skills. Their musically talent and aspirations were developing, but were placed on hold from 1939 to early 1946 due to WW11.  

The Maddox Brothers and Rose comprised of four brothers; Fred, Calvin, Donald, Cliff (who died in 1949) who was replaced by brother Henry, and their sister Rose. Initially they were a trio with Fred, Cal and Rose calling themselves "The Alabama Outlaws.” They opened their radio shows with George's Playhouse Boogie and closed each show with their theme song I Want to Live and Love, which typified the raucous fun and spirit of their shows. 

The story kicks into a high kick when the  brothers returned from WW11 and in 1946  the Maddox Brothers and Rose hooped and hollered into full swing. Visually they were eye catching dressed in their custom made Nudie suits, long before others caught onto his dress making skills. They were equally famous for their outlandish wardrobes, onstage hijinks and captivating harmonizing, and their exuberant performances caused people to stop their dancing and just stare!  

In 1947, they recorded for Four Star Records and they stayed with the company until 1951 when they signed with Columbia Records. By the mid-50s, Rose was beginning to look towards a solo career. In 1957, she signed with Capitol Records and about that time the Maddox Brothers disbanded. Their recordings were embellished with playing from top session musicians who adored their recording's with their dexterous musicianship.The musical Boaz, Alabama-bred families style was ahead of its time, they played hillbilly music, which had elements of rockabilly, and rock and roll before the genres were performed. Although they had little commercial success they were influential on many performers. 

The album is housed in an attractively designed cardboard sleeve, specially designed to avoid the use of plastic and be environmentally friendly. The album has a stunning design by artist Urban Zotel, sleeve notes from reissue producer Dee Jay Mark Armstrong, and songs mastered for the best possible sound by our mastering team Heiko Schulz at the Black Shack Recordings and our El Paso, Texas, Studio.  

Atomicat Records endeavours to use some lesser-known and for some, perhaps more obscure titles and adds something unexpected to every album. The album is ideal for Dee Jays to fill the dance floor with, and for home listening or while cruising around and scaring the neighbourhood. You are listening to music from the past and preserving the future! Atomicat Records 'Often imitated, never duplicated."  

All that remains is to say, "Crank up the volume and dig these musical gems." 

Dee Jay Mark Armstrong Bühl, Germany 

Don’t forget to check out our new website with reviews, links to vendors and much more  at https://www.slapthatbass.online/album-reviews