The following is the liner note for the original pressing of this album. After all theseyears, Rex and Noelene can still sing and play and they still keep it country. Please read on..... Rex & Noelene Franklin: “Silver Bell” - Liner Notes from Original Pressing of this CD I am very honoured to have been invited by my good friends Rex & Noelene Franklin to write the liner notes for this very special album. For on 25th November this year of 2005, Rex and Noelene will celebrate having been singing together for 50 years! That is certainly a special achievement – not only because half a century is more years than most performers ever dream of, but also because in that time, Rex and Noelene have never given in to the pressures of the pop world. The Country Music industry around the world owes a debt of gratitude to these grand troubadours for preserving the genre in one of its purest forms through all those years. HOW IT ALL STARTED Rex of course was singing as a young boy. Born 25th September 1935, amongst his earliest musical recollections are his solo jaunts into the hills to practice yodelling like the great Harry Torrani!! He grew to love the music of some of the great pioneers of country music including New Zealand’s own Tex Morton and Australia’s Buddy Williams and Slim Dusty. At the age of 15 he bought his first guitar and struggled for years to learn to play it from a Tex Morton songbook and some Buddy Williams 78s. In 1947 Rex first sang in public at a Salvation Army day in Norsewood. Ever a lover of the guitar and a long time devotee of the music of Hank Snow, Rex first sang with his guitar in 1953, the year in which he and two other musicians formed the Ruahine Ramblers. Developing his singing and playing, Rex continued to make public appearances and on 30th May 1954, in Palmerston North, when competing in a talent quest, he met his future wife, Noelene Anderson, who was also taking part. Then on 25th November 1955, at a Women’s Institute meeting in Ormondville, Hawkes Bay, Rex and Noelene sang together in public for the first time, under the stage name of The Sun Valley Trail Singers. A SUCCESSFUL COUNTRY MUSIC CAREER Rex had made his first recordings for the TANZA label in January of that year. He and Noelene went on to build a substantial following through appearances on radio. That led to occasional further recordings and eventually to the famous Viking record label with whom they were to record a string of fine singles, EPs and LP albums. The substance of those early recordings was of much the same type as what you hear on this new album - a mix of country standards and some new songs written in the traditional country style. The word spread as far away as the UK and the USA of the duo who were recording some of the great old songs of country music in the traditional style when everyone else seemed to be influenced by rock’n’roll and pop. I can recall as a young collector in England in the early 70s struggling hard and paying high prices to obtain some of those coveted “Sun Valley Trail Singers” EPs! Through the 50s and into the 60s, Rex and Noelene continued to travel around, singing and spreading the word on country music. In the late 60s, Rex began broadcasting as a radio country music disc jockey and this built his following even further, as did his New Year talent quests which also became very popular. He continued to broadcast regularly until 1975, when “improvements” to the structure of broadcasting in New Zealand forced him off air for a number of years. The touring continued though – at times with a band - and occasional recordings made. 1980 saw Rex and Noelene visit Australia where they discovered just how popular they had been in that beautiful country for all those years. On returning to New Zealand, Rex joined a country band for a while as a guitarist. He and Noelene continued to make appearances together through the years. In 1999 Rex and Noelene’s Viking recordings were at long-last made available to a truly global audience when the much revered German record label, Bear Family released two extensive CDs containing a total of 63 hitherto rare tracks from the 50s and 60s. These releases not only delighted their legions of fans and collectors but also belatedly gave formal acknowledgement to Rex and Noelene’s importance in the wider world of country music. REX & NOELENE TODAY Today, Rex and Noelene present their own radio show and Rex writes for Moore Country magazine. They still love to entertain on stage and have recently been featured on TV. Through all these years, Rex and Noelene have met, worked with and interviewed on radio many of the other great names of country music including Tex Morton, Slim Dusty, Hank Snow, Buddy Williams and Mother Maybelle Carter. They have enjoyed the applause and ovations of devoted audiences at their concerts and they have won awards and enjoyed numerous popular records. Their most memorable moment in all this? The Professional Country Music Awards in 1988 when Rex and Noelene were presented with the New Zealand Country Music Pioneer Award. THE SONGS ON THIS ALBUM As you would expect, there are some grand old favourites on this album in the form of “My Happiness”, the Stuart Hamblen gospel classic “It Is No Secret”, the much recorded Jimmy Wakely favourite “One Has My Name, The Other Has My Heart”, Carson Robison’s western evergreen “There’s A Bridle Hanging On The Wall”, Hank Williams’ immortal “I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You” and others. Perhaps pride of place amongst the standards though must be claimed by “Rockin’ Alone In An Old Rockin’ Chair” which gave Tex Morton so much success all those years ago! Then there is the more recent Paul Thorn composition recording – with tongue firmly in cheek – the problems of failing male virility in “I’m Gonna Go To Viagra Before It Falls”. Rex’s superb guitar playing can be heard throughout behind the vocals and on the instrumental tracks but is showcased in “Silver Bell”, “and “Riverbank Ramble”. On the vocal tracks you can hear Rex and Noelene both in solo spots and in those famous country harmonies for which they are renowned. I know you will enjoy this collection of 14 straight-down-the-line country songs performed by Rex and Noelene. IN SUMMARY So then, here is a musical celebration of Rex and Noelene Franklin’s 50 years of singing together. And what better celebration could there be for two legendary performers who love nothing more than to entertain their fans with simple, honest country music? Thank you Rex and Noelene for allowing me to be a part of your album. May you continue to perform for many years more! ©2005 PAUL HAZELL Freelance Country Music Writer and Broadcaster