John Bult – “Julie’s Sixteenth Birthday”

You know, I swore I wrote about this album already but I guess I never got around to it, but here it is, what is supposed to be one of the most talked about private pressing albums around, why? Once again, because the cover art. People tend to look at the cover and assume it’s some older gentleman trying to pick up a girl on her sixteenth birthday from some seedy bar, or some other perverse ideas. But, in actuality, the cover is about the titular track, which is about a father who decides to drink and drive. So, this was released in 1981, and it was later re-issued in 1985 by producer Teddy Broussard, who unfortunately cut John Bult out of the deal. I’ve listened to this one quite a few times, and it is a pretty solid country album.

So, it opens with the title track, “Julie’s Sixteenth Birthday” and it’s a touching song, about a father who is drinking at a bar with his friends, and decides to go home to see his daughter for her birthday, before being persuaded by his friends to continue to drink, and then he drives home, and while driving home he continues to drink, because he keeps a bottle under the seat. He wakes up in a hospital, and guess who is there? The friend! His friend, Lou, asks Jim what he can do, and he tells him about how he had a drunk driving accident… in which he kills his own daughter on her sixteenth birthday, but it goes “Jim, save your breath. Because when you meet her in Heaven, you can tell her yourself…” boom. Instant chills. Incredibly sad song, but also, very good. So, now that the title track is out of the way, we go onto the song “Travelin’ On a One Way Street” and it’s a slower paced country track, with some good backing vocals and it’s a break-up song, I think? Sounds like one. I kind of get those Randy Travis vibes from this one. “I Just Want to Love You Some More” comes next, and it’s another slower paced country song, I really do enjoy the piano playing and the steel guitar that is on this album, it’s a very nice accompaniment to John’s vocals. “Just Say When” comes next, and it opens with some pretty nice guitar playing, and John keeps up with his slow paced, Randy Travis-esque country, not a bad song though. “Same Ol Way” closes the A-side, and it’s a faster paced song, but it is a very nice change of pace from what the album has been so far, John delivers a wonderful A-side.

B-Side! It opens with “A Fire Never Burns Twice the Same” and the guitar playing, harmonica and John’s vocals just are all fantastic together. I like this song, it’s got a pretty nice tune to it. “It’s Different With You” comes next, and it’s back to that slower paced, Randy Travis-esque vibes to it, and it’s enjoyable just some songs like this, you just really have to be in the mood for it. “Is it Too Late” comes next, and it’s a bit more upbeat, but still keeping to that style we’ve had most of the album. I feel that John sings from his heart, and a lot of his songs come from someone who has experienced a lot of hurt and heartache in life, he just sounds to be a little… hurt. “Don’t Wake Me Until It’s Over” comes next, and you know, this one I like. The backing vocals on it are pretty good. The album closes with the track, “Half as Much” which is another one of my favorite by John Bult, it’s a fantastic song and it’s not slow, it’s not too fast, and it’s delivered beautifully. An absolute classic, which is probably why Teddy Broussard released this as the B-Side to the “Julie’s Sixteenth Birthday” single.

Catalog Number:
DSR 4981

Credits:
Lead Guitar & Rhythm Guitar – Randy Connor & Freddy Pate
Bass Guitar – Robbie Springfield
Drums – Randy Reeves
Piano – Rick R.P. Harold
Steel Guitar & Fiddle – Tommy Melder
Vibes – Glenn Adams
Background Vocals – Glenn Adams, Laurie Rutherford & Darrell Puett
Photography – Vic Monsour (Monsour’s Photography, 1632 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA. 70601)
Studios – Master-Trak Sound Recorders, Crowley, LA. & Ludwig Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX
Engineers – Mark Miller & Tommy Melder
Mastered at M.C. Rather at Columbus Studios, Nashville, TN. 

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The Bobby Lalonde Band – “Forty Shades of Blue” Holy Cow – Four Big Hits Terri Gibbs – “I’m a Lady” Showdown – “Welcome to the Rodeo”