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THE HISTORY OF HI HAT SQUARE DANCE MUSIC
By Buddy Weaver (2010) (up-dated 2012)

1963-1976

From the late 1950's to the early 1960's, Merl Olds, was producer for Sets In Order Records, a subsidiary of Sets In Order Magazine.  A prominent square dance caller and round dance cuer in the Los Angeles area, Merl along with his wife Deliah, began using talented Hollywood musicians to play square and round dance music for their newly formed company.  In 1963, Hi Hat Dance Records premiered and  while Merl no longer worked for SIO Records, he continued to do record reviews for SIO Magazine.

  First Hi Hat Records ad from SIO 12/63

Providing the new sound was Dick Cary, jazz trumpet and alto horn player, pianist, and arranger.  Also playing was Joe Leahy, another jazz player who started his career with Les Brown and His Band Of Renown.  Plus Jimmy Bryant, one of the most talented guitarist in the Hollywood entertainment industry.

  Dick Cary      Jimmy Bryant with Speedy West

Many of the big name callers of the sixties enjoyed a long recording partnership with Hi Hat Records:

DICK HOULTON from California

RED BATES from Massachusetts

LEE SCHMIDT from California

TOMMY CAVANAUGH from Great Britain

DICK WEAVER from Hawaii (Buddy's Dad)

Joining Hi Hat Records in 1963, ERNIE KINNEY would record 130 vocals in thirty-eight years with Hi Hat.

His list of hits include: "DEVIL WOMAN", "EL PASO CITY", "FOOLS FALL IN LOVE", "COME TO ME", "MISTY", "GREEN GRASS OF HOME".

  ERNIE KINNEY

1976-2002

In 1976, Merl Olds split Hi Hat into a separate round dance label and square dance label, selling each to new producers, Pete Metzger and Ernie Kinney, respectively.  Under new ownership, the Hi Hat Square Dance sound was guitarist Del Katcher, a protégé' of Les Paul. 

In the twenty-six years that Ernie owned and produced Hi Hat Records, he was the first to create 2-Couple called records for home dancers that didn't have a whole square; the first to create records with music along with harmony vocals so that every caller could have full back-up singers; the first to create a label of karaoke records, music by the full band and sung by square dance callers.

Joining the Hi Hat Records staff was Bronc Wise, Tom Perry, Mike Sikorsky, and Jerry Schatzer - a few of the most popular callers of the day.

The Hi Hat sound changed again in 1981, when Ken Carlton was enlisted as arranger/musician.  The KC studio was the first to introduce electronic percussion to square dance music, where the rhythm was generated by a computer using recorded samples of live musicians.  Within five years, all square dance record companies would be using sampled percussion.

The Hi Hat recording staff changed again with Joe Saltel, Dan Nordbye, Deborah Carroll-Jones, Tom Miller, Wayne McDonald, and Kip Garvey joining the label.  In 1991, Ernie invited Buddy Weaver to join the Hi Hat Records staff.  Hi Hat is the only square dance music company that had both father and son as staff artists, in this case separated by twenty five years.

     Ernie and Lani Kinney receiving the Callerlab Gold Card from Buddy Weaver (2010)

Under Ernie Kinney's supervision, Hi Hat Records added sister labels - Blue Ribbon Records in 1976, ELK Records in 1984, and DJ Records in 1993.  The ELK label is the first "karaoke" record label with square dance callers doing the vocals on the flip side.  ELK also produced cassette and CD releases featuring the Hi Hat Pioneers, a quartet of callers singing cowboy songs.  The last members of the quartet are Ernie Kinney (leads), Tom Perry (baritone), Buddy Weaver (tenor), and Wayne McDonald (bass).

2004-present

In 2004, Buddy Weaver, producer of Blue Star Music, acquired Hi Hat Records.  Remaining autonomous, New Hi Hat Records debuted with a new staff of callers and new musical sound.  Now, modern electronic arrangements done by Japanese caller, Hiroshi Yaoko are featured.  New hits are made with "Glory Hallelujah", "You Are My Sunshine", "Ghost Riders Hoedown".   New Hi Hat Records (along with Blue Star Records) are among the first square dance labels to offer vinyl and CD formats; with the close of the vinyl era, the label name graduated to - New Hi Hat Music.

In the fall of 2009, the First Japan Hi Hat Fesitval was held in Tokyo, featuring calling talent from the US, Canada, Sweden, and Japan.  

Japan Hi Hat Festival Staff - Wada, Ozaki, Blume, Yaoko, Weaver, Crawford, Nishimura, Yaoko

Another music label is re-activated and Bob Cat Music begins re-releasing the most popular, classic Hi Hat Records on CD and MP3.  Begun in 2010 using original studio reel-to-reel tapes that have been restored, the musicians come alive with digital media.  Lending their vocals to the best music in square dancing, is the top traveling callers in square dancing.

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