Gotta Have Faith

A Brief History of Papa Top's West Coast Turnaround

It all began one drunken night at the P&H Cafe as former actor Chris Davis , and John "Sticky" Stivers, the shit-hot guitar player for Memphis' storied surf band Impala wept into their beers and lamented the fact that there just weren't any real honky tonk bands in the Bluff City. Though both Stivers and Davis were closely affiliated with the Midtown rock scene, they put their cards on the table, confessing their secret love for artists like Wynn Stewart, Ray Price, Webb Pierce, and Buck Owens. They joked about starting a country band over pitchers of warm beer and shots of Maker's Mark. Shortly thereafter Davis bumped into John Whittemore (of Neighborhood Texture Jam and The Tearjerkers) at a free George Jones concert at the Midsouth fair. Upon hearing yet another truly great Memphis guitar slinger express an interest in playing hillbilly music, Davis started working the phone; putting together a motley ensemble of sophisticated rednecks. A few months later The West Coast Turnaround--named for the most infamous variety of trucker speed--was tearing up the Memphis clubs. But in spite of nearly instant popularity in a city starved for traditional Country music, something was missing.

About a year after the boys started playing they added female vocalist Faith Wallace to the lineup. Faith had been singing for a rock and roll cover band called Two Faces, but wanted to go Country. Easy on the eyes and with a voice that sounds like a cross between Kitty Wells and Tammy Wynette, she proved to be the missing piece. She quickly became the heart of the band, and an audience favorite with her covers of Harper Valley PTA, and D-I-V-O-R-C-E and her wonderful vocal contributions to originals like Pathways of Sin and Daddy Drinks Because You Cry.

Over the years Papa Top's West Coast Turnaround has played with such traditional Country and Rockabilly heroes as BR549, Johnny Dilks, Dale Watson, and Jason and the Scorchers. And in spite of the groups proclivity for singing about slipping around, and divorce they've become quite popular on the Midsouth wedding circuit--- who could have seen that one coming? The WCT got its start playing at Kudzu's and the P&H, but today they are more likely to be found at The Hi-Tone, Young Avenue Deli, Murphy's or The Buccaneer. As far as anybody knows they are the first and only band to ever play Harpo's Lounge on Hwy. 51, a roadhouse that proudly claims to be the most redneck place in the universe. So needless to say, they'll play just about anywhere

The West Coast Turnaround Today

Chris Davis & Faith Wallace--Vocals
John "Sticky" Stivers-- Guitar
John Whittemore-- Pedal Steel & Baritone Guitar
Clint Wagner--Fiddle
Baker Yates--Bass
Mark Jordan-- Drums.