Close your eyes while listening to this 1960 single by the Psychos and you'd likely think you were hearing the more famous Bill Black's Combo. Both were from Memphis, with Black's combo recording prolifically for the Hi label while the Psychos' recorded output seems to consist of this one single for the rival Fernwood label.
Future Country Hall of Famer Jack Clement started Fernwood, his first label, with friend Slim Wallace in 1956. Clement didn't stick around for long. He quickly departed for Sun Records where he worked with Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and other artists at the groundbreaking label before being fired by Sun head Sam Phillips in 1959.
Fernwood, meanwhile, continued on under the leadership of Scotty Moore, famous as Elvis Presley's guitarist. Moore was made vice-president of the company and produced most of the sessions. The company's one significant hit was Thomas Wayne's Tragedy in 1959. In fact the "A" side of the Psychos' single is an instrumental version of Wayne's chart success.
Moore sold his interest in Fernwood in 1960 and he, too, went over to Sun. It's unclear whether he was still at Fernwood when the Psychos recorded Tragedy/Mack the Knife.
Mack the Knife
Mack the Knife by the Psychos has appeared on at least two CD anthologies -- Fernwood Rock 'n' Roll (Stompertime, 1999) and the recently-released Big Shot: The Fernwood Records Story 1957-1962 (One Day Music).
Fernwood Rock 'n' Roll is long out of print on CD but is available via download. New CD copies of Big Shot can be had very cheaply via Amazon. It's not available for download.
You'll probably only want one of these compilations as there is considerable duplication of tracks.
Strangely the "A" side of the Psychos' 45, the instrumental of Tragedy, doesn't appear on either CD. So here it is from YouTube courtesy of VinylNostalgia.
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