Take It Away The Leon Way!

Leon's big chance came in 1933 when W. Lee O'Daniel wanted a steel guitar in the Light Crust Doughboys, which included Bob Wills on fiddle. Being in such short supply, the sixteen-year-old Leon was given a shot at the job.Wills also bought the still teenaged Leon an amplified instrument, which enabled him to 'compete' in volume with other instruments in the band and play solo choruses. It was by exploring the possibilities of the steel guitar that the famous "Steel Guitar Rag" was born. Leon had made up the tune whilst with the Doughboys, and subsequently Bob Wills incorporated an augmented version into his dance hall repertoire. When it was first recorded with the Texas Playboys in 1936, Wills added the memorable words, "Look out, friends, here's Leon. Take it away, my boy, take it away!" And ever since, "Take it away, Leon!" has been the self-appointed McAuliffe catch-phrase.Featured here are rare studio recordings from the 1950s, showcasing the very polished Western Swing style of Leon McAuliffe and His Cimarron Boys, with an added final bonus track from 1950 written in tribute to that famous line "Take it away, Leon!".