History of Hi Hat Square Dance Music

By Buddy Weaver (2014)

First Hi Hat Records ad from SIO 12/63

From the 1950's through the early 1960's, MERL OLDS, was producer of SETS IN ORDER RECORDS, a subsidiary of the famous square dance magazine owned by BOB OSGOOD. A prominent square dance caller and round dance teacher in the Los Angeles, California, Merl along with his wife Deliah, began using musicians who played for the Hollywood studios, to create their own record company. In 1963, HI HAT DANCE RECORDS premiered.

While Merl no longer produced SIO RECORDS, he continued his working friendship with Bob Osgood by doing the monthly music review service for SETS IN ORDER MAGAZINE.

Jimmie Bryant with Speedy West

The Hi Hat sound came from a variety of west coast musicians. Square dance band leader JACK CARTER brought the traditional fiddle sound accented by hot guitar playing by JIMMIE BRYANT. Bryant was called the fastest guitar in the west.

A unique jazz sound came from DICK CARY, a famous horn player.

As many round dance classics were produced as square dance hits. Some of the biggest name square dance callers recorded for Hi Hat, including DICK HOULTON, RED BATES, ERNIE KINNEY, LEE SCHMIDT, and TOMMY CAVANAUGH.

Art Barduhn

Buddy Merrill

Neil Levang

Sets In Order ad, Dec 1965

Sets In Order ad, May 1966

Sets In Order ad, Sep 1965

Sets In Order ad, Apr 1967

Joining Hi Hat Records in 1965, ERNIE KINNEY would go on to record 130 vocals on the label.

In 1976, ERNIE and LANI KINNEY acquire Hi Hat Square Dance Records (the Round Dance label is split off to another owner). Under the Kinneys, additional record labels are added - BLUE RIBBON RECORDS (1976), ELK RECORDS (1984), and DJ RECORDS (1993). The Kinneys created the only-one-of-its-kind records with "karaoke" music on 45-RPM vinyl, with a square dance caller singing on the flip side.

The Kinneys also pioneered the vocal recordings of patter for 2-couple squares. Now even groups that couldn’t get a whole square could enjoy dancing to the best callers in the world.

In 2010, the Kinneys were honored by CALLERLAB with Life Membership for outstanding service to the square dance organization. They join a very small list of Gold Card Holders. Pictured below are Buddy Weaver, Ernie Kinney, and Lani Kinney.

Del Casher is on the internet
at: http://www.delcasher.com/

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

The musical sound of Hi Hat under the Kinneys started with guitarist DEL CASHER. A protégé of LES PAUL, the Casher musicians created the hottest selling square dance music of the seventies and eighties.

A side note to Del Casher and Hi Hat Records: his name was mis-spelled as "Katcher" on the first record label and remained in error for three decades.

2009 Japan Hi Hat Festival Staff:
Wada, Ozaki, Blume, Yaoko, Weaver, Crawford, Nishimura, Yaoko

BUDDY and DEBRA WEAVER became owner/producers of Hi Hat Records in 2004. Under the Weavers, Hi Hat Music became one of the first square dance companies to offer CDs and MP3, saying "goodbye" to vinyl records.

The signature music for many years has been provided by HIROSHI YAOKO, a popular caller and line dance teacher from Tokyo, Japan. In 2016 the new sound of Hi Hat singing calls will feature a Bluegrass style of music along with Mr. Yaoko's stylings on hoedowns. The new year also welcomes new staff callers to Hi Hat Music.

Under the direction of MASARU WADA, a prominent caller in Japan, the FIRST HI HAT MUSIC FESTIVAL was held in Tokyo, the fall of 2009. (staff is pictured at right). The 2nd Festival was held in conjunction with the LAUGHLIN RIVER ROMP in the fall of 2011 and the 3rd Festival was done in Tokyo, January 2014. (staff pictured below)

2014 Japan Hi Hat Festival Staff