03-8-10... Aren't Mondays a drag? Seems to be the most difficult day to get the brain kick-started, and the
attitude that starts the week trends throughout the week. So, since I know my brain has a desire to set me up for a sour mood, I rely on music to detour myself around a bad week. No radio. Something in between songs will piss me off... news, undoubtedly. Music alone will keep me happy, even if it's not necessarily uplifting music. Once I get past Monday with my spirits up, the rest the week follows suit.
Did I say something about a detour? Spade Cooley sings about one, and hopefully it will put you on the right track for your Monday. Detour
03-10-10... True faith is something not to be taken for granted. Right, Waylon Jennings? Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line
03-12-10... I wonder how many men and women who are far away from home can relate to this song. Far too many, and some are where they are for mistaken purpose, now freely admitted by one whose book is #1 seller on Amazon. Anyhow, this song by Mel Tillis is from a different war and different time, but the message is timeless for any soldier away from homeland. Stateside
Links to free, two-minute samples of these three songs are HERE
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Del Reeves Looking at Billboards
We've arrived to our month of March 2010 for recycling my blog posts.
03-1-10... Johnnie Lee Wills joined his brother Bob in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1934, playing tenor banjo on KVOO radio, thus becoming one of the six original Texas Playboys... as in... Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. For the next eight years the band grew in number, and exploded in popularity nationwide, but the onset of WWII saw many members joining the armed forces.
Bob took off for California and started a new band in 1942, while Johnnie Lee Wills stayed in Tulsa, switched instruments to fiddle and changed the band's name to Johnnie Lee Wills and All the Boys. What didn't change was the style and quality of music. Swing, western-style, and for the next 25 years they played dances at the Cain's Ballroom and broadcast six days a week on KVOO, making theirs the longest-running live broadcast in the nation at the time. Here's a prime example of the western swing sound, driven by some very talented musicians. Coyote Blues
03-3-10... This song here's been a chart-topper many times over. First recorded by George Jones in 1955, it rose to #4 on Billboard and became his first top-ten single. Later that year came this version, a duet by Red Sovine and Webb Pierce. Released end of December, it reached #1 first part of 1956, but don't feel bad for George. He co-wrote it along with Darrel Edwards, and assuming they set themselves up for many years of collecting royalties, they've done quite well with it. In years since it's hit the charts for big names like Hank Locklin and Charlie Pride, and is considered one of country music's classics, a lament of the spurned lover who simply cannot let go. Why Baby Why
03-5-10... Here comes a bona-fide, truck driver classic, and it's no mystery as to why. Those guys are always horny. Sadly, though, most of them today sport guts so huge and hanging over their crotches, I'm not sure how they find their hose so it can be finagled into relieving their pressure. That's what happens when conglomerates take over all the truck stops. Once a guaranteed stopping place for travelers of any ilk to get a healthy meal in a good, sit-down restaurant, now the conglomerate truck stops offer walk-up fast-food counters of the same variety to be found on any street in any town big or small. No wonder truck-driver bellies look like beach balls.
What does this have to do with a truck driving song? Not much. Just listen to the lyrics and reminisce over the good old days. From 1965, it's Del Reeves singing about Girl on a Billboard.
Two-minute samples of these three songs can be found HERE.
03-1-10... Johnnie Lee Wills joined his brother Bob in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1934, playing tenor banjo on KVOO radio, thus becoming one of the six original Texas Playboys... as in... Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. For the next eight years the band grew in number, and exploded in popularity nationwide, but the onset of WWII saw many members joining the armed forces.
Bob took off for California and started a new band in 1942, while Johnnie Lee Wills stayed in Tulsa, switched instruments to fiddle and changed the band's name to Johnnie Lee Wills and All the Boys. What didn't change was the style and quality of music. Swing, western-style, and for the next 25 years they played dances at the Cain's Ballroom and broadcast six days a week on KVOO, making theirs the longest-running live broadcast in the nation at the time. Here's a prime example of the western swing sound, driven by some very talented musicians. Coyote Blues
03-3-10... This song here's been a chart-topper many times over. First recorded by George Jones in 1955, it rose to #4 on Billboard and became his first top-ten single. Later that year came this version, a duet by Red Sovine and Webb Pierce. Released end of December, it reached #1 first part of 1956, but don't feel bad for George. He co-wrote it along with Darrel Edwards, and assuming they set themselves up for many years of collecting royalties, they've done quite well with it. In years since it's hit the charts for big names like Hank Locklin and Charlie Pride, and is considered one of country music's classics, a lament of the spurned lover who simply cannot let go. Why Baby Why
03-5-10... Here comes a bona-fide, truck driver classic, and it's no mystery as to why. Those guys are always horny. Sadly, though, most of them today sport guts so huge and hanging over their crotches, I'm not sure how they find their hose so it can be finagled into relieving their pressure. That's what happens when conglomerates take over all the truck stops. Once a guaranteed stopping place for travelers of any ilk to get a healthy meal in a good, sit-down restaurant, now the conglomerate truck stops offer walk-up fast-food counters of the same variety to be found on any street in any town big or small. No wonder truck-driver bellies look like beach balls.
What does this have to do with a truck driving song? Not much. Just listen to the lyrics and reminisce over the good old days. From 1965, it's Del Reeves singing about Girl on a Billboard.
Two-minute samples of these three songs can be found HERE.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Johnny Horton Rocks
02-22-10... One of the many fascinating aspects of music is interpretation of lyrics. Sure, Waylon Jennings claims he's a free spirit and is feeling the need to move on, but I wonder if what really happened is that the woman, knowing the weekend is over and she has things to do, told him to get his free-loading ass out of her house.
Waylon says it's Time to Bum Again.
02-24-10... You cannot change your environment without first changing your mind. This Gene Autrey penned song, done soulfully by Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys, is a fine example of what not to do. "I've lost her, oh, what can I do? I'll bet you're not happy if she's there with you." He's resentful. He's hurt, and as long as he thinks this way, he's never going to get over a woman who'll never again be what he wants her to be. He truly does have 20-20 Vision, and he's walking around blind.
02-26-10... It's no secret as to why Johnny Horton is in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. His pre-, "Battle of New Orleans" style rocked with the best of them, and his voice had range coupled with masterful control. This song from 1956 showcases what he could do. I'm a One Woman Man
You'll find two-minute audio samples of these three songs HERE
Waylon says it's Time to Bum Again.
02-24-10... You cannot change your environment without first changing your mind. This Gene Autrey penned song, done soulfully by Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys, is a fine example of what not to do. "I've lost her, oh, what can I do? I'll bet you're not happy if she's there with you." He's resentful. He's hurt, and as long as he thinks this way, he's never going to get over a woman who'll never again be what he wants her to be. He truly does have 20-20 Vision, and he's walking around blind.
02-26-10... It's no secret as to why Johnny Horton is in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. His pre-, "Battle of New Orleans" style rocked with the best of them, and his voice had range coupled with masterful control. This song from 1956 showcases what he could do. I'm a One Woman Man
You'll find two-minute audio samples of these three songs HERE
Friday, July 9, 2010
Rockabilly Haley
02-16-10... Yes, the Pone took a President's Day holiday, so I'll slip in a post-Valentine's Day love song on a Tuesday, courtesy of the Louvin Brothers. When I Stop Dreaming
02-17-10... Carl Smith has the perfect recipe for wooing females. Do you suppose that's how he persuaded June Carter into marrying him before she met and became June Carter (Johnny Cash) Cash?
Could be, but Carl Smith was one of the hottest country stars of the 1950's, charting more than 30 Top Ten hits. He wrote and sang ballads and honky tonk, and was damned good at it. Rather suggestive lyrics, too, considering the morals of the time. For example, Trademark
02-19-10... Resentment is a form of attachment, and because resentment always stems from another person or persons, resentment binds you to the very person or persons who caused your resentment. We're talking mental states here. Is that really what you want? Does it make sense to occupy your thoughts with the very thing you hate, the very person(s) who created it for you?
No, it does not make sense. You can have your resentment and make yourself prisoner to its source, or you can stop thinking about it, sever yourself from it and kiss it goodbye forever. Apply this concept to these lyrics and get a fresh perspective on a classic tune by Bill Haley and the Comets. See You Later Alligator
Links to these mp3 samples are HERE
02-17-10... Carl Smith has the perfect recipe for wooing females. Do you suppose that's how he persuaded June Carter into marrying him before she met and became June Carter (Johnny Cash) Cash?
Could be, but Carl Smith was one of the hottest country stars of the 1950's, charting more than 30 Top Ten hits. He wrote and sang ballads and honky tonk, and was damned good at it. Rather suggestive lyrics, too, considering the morals of the time. For example, Trademark
02-19-10... Resentment is a form of attachment, and because resentment always stems from another person or persons, resentment binds you to the very person or persons who caused your resentment. We're talking mental states here. Is that really what you want? Does it make sense to occupy your thoughts with the very thing you hate, the very person(s) who created it for you?
No, it does not make sense. You can have your resentment and make yourself prisoner to its source, or you can stop thinking about it, sever yourself from it and kiss it goodbye forever. Apply this concept to these lyrics and get a fresh perspective on a classic tune by Bill Haley and the Comets. See You Later Alligator
Links to these mp3 samples are HERE
Friday, July 2, 2010
Moon Mullican Boogies
02-8-10... So, I thought my know-it-all friend might have learned his lesson when he asked if I'd take the Jets over San Diego for five bucks. He learned nothing, asking me two weeks ago if I'd let him win back his five by taking New Orleans in the Super Bowl. Honestly, I had no preferences in either game. I just wanted to see high-quality, competitive football. I did, and now, he owes me ten. Just goes to show that nothing's for certain in this life, and nothing's ever for certain when it comes to sports. They are the "Aints" no more. Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints on their first-ever Super Bowl win.
One thing is for certain: do the crime and you'll do the time, either in prison or elsewhere. Stonewall Jackson learned it. He's still got Life To Go.
02-10-10... Look, I ain't sayin' I'm for or against her, but Sarah Palin's no dummy. Does anyone really think she needed those messages written on her hand to jog her memory? No. She knew it would keep her in the forefront of the news cycle for days on end. Four and counting... mission accomplished.
Johnny Cash has the best ingredients for what makes a music icon -- he writes memorable, sing-along melodies, and lesson-learning, story-telling lyrics. Here's one of hundreds from his library that fits the bill. Home of the Blues
02-12-10... The next several posts will be from records purchased at a yard sale upon which somebody'd spilled something on them. Soda, beer, piss, who knows and who cares? I'm into the music, and I'm not overly concerned with quality of the sound. (just in case you hadn't already figured that out!) Some of these titles are kinda hard to find, and I'm glad to have them in any format or condition.
First up is Moon Mullican, one of those nearly forgotten pioneers. By the time rock and roll had made the scene, Aubrey Mullican was in his 50's, but his piano and vocal stylings mixing black (Negro) blues of the South, western swing and honky tonk paved the way for soon-to-be megastars like Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, and Bill Haley. I suggest you Google his name and learn more, but I will share one little-known fact with you. He co-wrote Jambalaya with Hank Williams, but because of his contract with King Records he couldn't publicly take the credit, even though he did collect royalties on it.
I'll let his music speak for him. This here was his biggest chart hit, recorded in 1951, and if your toe doesn't tap there's something wrong with you. Some group did this song a few years ago. Don't remember who, but do remember it paled in comparison to Moon Mullican's version of Cherokee Boogie.
Links to these 2-minute mp3 audio samples are HERE
One thing is for certain: do the crime and you'll do the time, either in prison or elsewhere. Stonewall Jackson learned it. He's still got Life To Go.
02-10-10... Look, I ain't sayin' I'm for or against her, but Sarah Palin's no dummy. Does anyone really think she needed those messages written on her hand to jog her memory? No. She knew it would keep her in the forefront of the news cycle for days on end. Four and counting... mission accomplished.
Johnny Cash has the best ingredients for what makes a music icon -- he writes memorable, sing-along melodies, and lesson-learning, story-telling lyrics. Here's one of hundreds from his library that fits the bill. Home of the Blues
02-12-10... The next several posts will be from records purchased at a yard sale upon which somebody'd spilled something on them. Soda, beer, piss, who knows and who cares? I'm into the music, and I'm not overly concerned with quality of the sound. (just in case you hadn't already figured that out!) Some of these titles are kinda hard to find, and I'm glad to have them in any format or condition.
First up is Moon Mullican, one of those nearly forgotten pioneers. By the time rock and roll had made the scene, Aubrey Mullican was in his 50's, but his piano and vocal stylings mixing black (Negro) blues of the South, western swing and honky tonk paved the way for soon-to-be megastars like Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, and Bill Haley. I suggest you Google his name and learn more, but I will share one little-known fact with you. He co-wrote Jambalaya with Hank Williams, but because of his contract with King Records he couldn't publicly take the credit, even though he did collect royalties on it.
I'll let his music speak for him. This here was his biggest chart hit, recorded in 1951, and if your toe doesn't tap there's something wrong with you. Some group did this song a few years ago. Don't remember who, but do remember it paled in comparison to Moon Mullican's version of Cherokee Boogie.
Links to these 2-minute mp3 audio samples are HERE
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
