Betty McQuade - Midnight Bus (1961)

John D. Loudermilk - Midnight Bus (1960)

(John D. Loudermilk)
 USA
#27 Brisbane

B-side of Tobacco Road, single on Columbia.

This recording by the composer is not the original version of Midnight Bus. It came out after the release by Billy Graves (1959, see below).

John D. Loudermilk (1934-2016), from Durham, North Carolina, is renowned for the wit and musicality of his songwriting.

His best-known songs were made popular by other artists, but notable exceptions are his own recordings of Sittin’ In The Balcony (as Johnny Dee, 1957, #38 USA), Language Of Love (1961, #32 USA, #13 UK, #21 Australia), and Callin’ Dr Casey (1962, #4 Australia).

In my hometown of Durham, the Midnight Bus, that’s the way the kids used to elope. Now back before everybody had a car and those who either got pregnant or wanted to get married early, they just got on the bus and went down to South Carolina ’cause you could marry at 14 down there. So they’d get on the bus and get married and come back, the next day to tell all their friends, “Look, we’re married, ha ha!”

John D. Loudermilk, as told to Kees van der Hoeven

Loudermilk also told Kees that he had no idea his record had charted in Brisbane, and he was not aware of Betty McQuade’s version and the impact it had in Australia.

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To appreciate the full Loudermilk repertoire in detail, browse the 6 pages of Songs Written by John D. Loudermilk at Kees van der Hoeven’s JDL website. These are probably the better known recordings of his compositions (selected chart placings):
 • George Hamilton IV – A Rose And A Baby Ruth (1956)
 • Johnny Dee (= Loudermilk) – Sittin’ In The Balcony (1957)
 • Eddie Cochran – Sittin’ In The Balcony (1957)
 • Stonewall Jackson – Waterloo (1959, co-wr. Marijohn Wilkin)
 • Johnny Ferguson – Angela Jones (1960)
 • Mark Dinning – Top Forty, News, Weather And Sports (1961, #81 USA, #17 Australia);
 • The Everly Brothers – Ebony Eyes (1961)
 • Sue Thompson – Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) (1961, #5 USA, #46 UK, #6 Australia, #2 NZ)
 • John D. Loudermilk – The Language Of Love (1961, #32 USA, #13 UK, #21 Australia, #8 NZ)
 • Betty McQuade – Midnight Bus (1961); Australian cover version
 • Sue Thompson – Norman (1961, #3 USA, #4 Australia, #1 NZ); See also Norman-“Normie”
 • Sue Thompson – James (Hold The Ladder Steady) (1962, #17 USA, #6 Australia, #15 NZ)
 • John D. Loudermilk – Callin’ Dr Casey (1962, #83 USA, #4 Australia, #9 NZ);
 • George Hamilton IV – Abilene (1963)
 • Johnny Tillotson – Talk Back Tremblin’ Lips (1963)
 • The Nashville Teens – Tobacco Road (1964) many other versions including the original by Loudermilk (1959)
 • George Hamilton IV – Fort Worth, Dallas Or Houston (1964)
 • The Newbeats – Everything’s Alright (1964)
 • Sue Thompson – Paper Tiger (1964[USA]-1965, #23 USA. #30 UK, #3 Australia)
 • Dick & DeeDee – Thou Shalt Not Steal (1964)
 • Marianne Faithful – This Little Bird (1965)
 • The Casinos – Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (1967), many other versions
 • George Hamilton IV – Break My Mind (1967)
 •  Roy Orbison – Break My Mind (1969), many other versions
 • Marvin Rainwater – Pale Faced Indian (1959)
 • Don Fardon – (The Lament Of The Cherokee) Indian Reservation (1968)
 • Raiders – Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian) (1971)

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John D. Loudermilk’s songs in Australia

Loudermilk was familiar in Australia as a recording artist:
 • Charted #21 with Language Of Love (1961, #16 Sydney, #11 Melbourne, #17 Brisbane, #14 Adelaide);
 • Had a #4 hit with Callin’ Dr Casey (1962, #6 Sydney, #2 Melbourne, #10 Brisbane, #10 Adelaide, #6 Perth);
 • Just made the Top 40 in Melbourne with Road Hog (1962, #38 Melbourne);
 • Charted in Brisbane with his version of Midnight Bus (1960, #27 Brisbane) with Tobacco Road on the B-side.

Australians liked Loudermilk’s composition Top Forty, News, Weather And Sports (1961) with its good-humored references to current songs, events and personalities (I had President Ike up at the mike/ Singing, Are You Lonesome Tonight…). Recorded by Mark Dinning, it wasn’t a hit in the US (#81 Billboard), but it did better down here: #22 Sydney, #24 Melbourne, #16 Brisbane, #13 Perth | #17 Australia.

Sue Thompson had four Top 10 hits in Australia with Loudermilk compositions: Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) (1961, #6 Australia), Norman (1962, #4 Australia), James (Hold The Ladder Steady) (1962, #6 Australia), and Paper Tiger (1964[USA]-1965, #3 Australia). Only the first two charted Top 10 in the US.

Donna Gaye’s minor Australian hit Norman-“Normie” was Norman rewritten as a tribute to a local pop star.

And of course there was Betty McQuade’s version of Midnight Bus, a classic Australian record.

Audrey Arno - Der letzte Bus (Midnight Bus) (1959)

(John D. Loudermilk - Peter Lach)
 Germany

B-side on Polydor by German singer-actress (1942-2012), German lyrics by Peter Lach.

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