On This Day in 1950 at Nashville’s Castle Studio, Hank Williams Recorded One of Only Two Songs in His Legendary Catalog to Feature Drums

On this day (August 31) in 1950, Hank Williams entered Castle Studio in Nashville and recorded “Moanin’ the Blues.” Later that year, it became his fourth No. 1 single. The song’s sorrow-soaked vocals and Williams’ yodeling and falsetto vocals help this track fit perfectly with the rest of his catalog. However, it stands out from his other major hits because it features drums in the arrangement. Throughout his career, he only worked with a drummer on two songs. Only one of them went to No. 1.

Today, seeing a drummer in a country artist’s backing band is no more remarkable than seeing a guitarist or bass player. However, that wasn’t the case in the early days of the genre. In fact, just six years before Williams recorded “Moanin’ the Blues,” drums were banned at the Grand Ole Opry. Bob Wills had to play hardball to get Opry management to allow his drummer to perform. Even then, they wanted him to play from behind the curtain. They–like many fans–believed that drums didn’t belong in country music.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1947, Hank Williams Recorded the Single That Set the Bar for Future Success]

Hank Williams Was Ahead of His Time

Drums wouldn’t become standard in country recordings until the Nashville Sound emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Grand Ole Opry didn’t allow visible drum kits until the mid-60s. So, in a way, Hank Williams and producer Fred Rose were ahead of their time. At the same time, everything else about the song was fairly traditional. As a result, they had their feet in two worlds when they recorded this song.

They didn’t make a habit of adding percussion to their recordings, though. “Kaw-Liga” was the only other track Williams recorded with a drummer. The recording session that yielded that song took place in September 1952.

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