COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS
Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Friday, April 13th, 2012
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com
STORY BEHIND THE SONG
According to Larry Gatlin, he wrote Johnny Rodriguez' 1975 number one, "I Just Can't Get Her Out Of My Mind" one night in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Gatlin commented, "I was in Terre Haute, Indiana to sing at the CBS Christmas party. After the party, I went back to The Holiday Inn and everything was closed down….the bar….everything was closed. So I wound up going to my room and after sitting around for a while, I wrote that song."
"I had just met Johnny Rodriguez and he was a hot item at the time so I played the song for him and he loved it. And that's how it happened!"
Rodriguez' Mercury single, "I Just Can't Get Her Out Of My Mind" entered the country music charts February 8th, 1975 and was at the top of the charts the week of April 5th. The record was produced by Jerry Kennedy and was on the charts for 12 weeks.
It was Johnny's 8th charted song and his 4th number one.
^^^^^^^^^^
A T T E N T I O N: R A D I O S T A T I O N S:
Our short form daily radio features, "Classic Country First" and "Story Behind The Song" are now available to radio stations. (NOT AVAILABLE TO INTERNET STATIONS)
Both features are available at no charge.
For information, email me at classics@countrymusicclassics.com
^^^^^^^^^^
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I heard Marty Robbins son sing on one of the old country music TV shows. Did he make any records?
A: Ronny Robbins placed four songs on the country charts between 1978 and 1984. One of the four, "Those You Lose," peaked at # 62 in 1984.
Q: Are you familiar with a Johnny Paycheck song, "You Touched My Life?" I heard it on the radio a couple of times many years ago.
A: "You Touched My Life" was the flipside of Paycheck's 1971 hit, "She's All I Got."
Q: Ray Price's "Crazy Arms" is my favorite record. I read somewhere that they used two bass fiddles on that record. Is that true?
A: According to Buddy Killen, an acoustic bass and an electric bass were used on the recording of "Crazy Arms."
Q: Mel Tillis' "Good Woman Blues" is my dad's favorite record. Do you know who wrote that song?
A: "Good Woman Blues" was written by Ken McDuffle
Q: I know that "The Race Is On" was a George Jones hit but didn't some group have a hit on that song years later?
A: "Race Is On" scored a top 5 for Sawyer Brown in 1989. Jones' hit was in 1964.
Q: "The Orange Blossom Special" has been recorded by dozens of people but did anybody ever have a hit record on that song?
A: "Orange Blossom Special" was a # 3 hit for Johnny Cash in 1965, # 26 for Charlie McCoy in 1973 and # 63 in 1974 for Johnny Darrell.
^^^^^^^
Your comments, suggestions, gripes, etc. concerning this newsletter---are welcome. Email to:Classics@countrymusicclassics.com
^^^^^^^^^^
NUMBER ONE ON THIS DATE:
1951
The Rhumba Boogie - Hank Snow
1959White Lightning - George Jones
1967
Walk Through This World with Me - George Jones
1975
Always Wanting You - Merle Haggard
1983
We've Got Tonight - Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton
1991
Down Home - Alabama
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
WHEN COUNTRY SHOWS CHANGED.
By: Jack Blanchard
In the 1970s country music shows featured a whole string of stars.
Often the number of major artists on a show was ten,
and they advertised them as "Country Music Cavalcade"
or "Country Star Parade".
There were older stars and younger stars, all in it together.
It was fun, and a whole lot of entertainment for the crowds.
Around 1980 we were told by our agents that things were changing.
The artists with current hits were considered "major artists",
and everybody else was "marginal" or "minor".
The major artists and their agents were demanding ALL the money,
and marginal artists were not getting booked,
including some pioneers and icons of the genre.
The days when we had shared show bills with Merle Haggard, Charlie Pride,
Boots Randolph, Jerry Reed, Roy Clark, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom T. Hall,
Grampa Jones, George and Tammy, Archie Campbell, and all the others...
those days were at an end.
We struggled around America through the 80s,
playing some places where our fans came to see us,
and other places where nobody knew who we were... not even the owners.
We would go from a Jack and Misty concert in Dayton to a jazz club in Schenectady.
Our early musical experience helped us to survive.
Where and when Misty and I started out you had to know the old standards...
pop and jazz songs from about about 1920 through the forties and fifties.
Working at piano bars we had to know all the ancient singalong songs,
barbershop songs, Irish songs, and other ethnic favorites.
Having to learn all these kinds of music was an education that came in handy later.
We have jammed with some of the best country bands,
even playing jazz with Ernest Tubb's band at the E.T. Record Shop.
Originally, Misty and I were both piano players.
There weren't many good electronic keyboards then.
During the seventies we were very much into the new analog equipment.
We found that with a small combo and the new keyboards
we could sound more like our recordings, and do it all live.
Here's an example where we used just three keyboards and our drummer.
Misty sings a good old standard ballad.
On her two keyboards she plays piano, backup vocals, brass, etc..
On my keyboard I do acoustic bass and rhythm guitar.
Click this link to listen: http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=9551212
This kind of stuff saved our lives when times got tough.
Jack Blanchard
The Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan Home Page: http://jackandmisty.com
Restoration and mastering studio: 407 330 1611.
CD Baby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/jackmisty
^^^^^^^^^^^^
TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY
compiled by Bill Morrison
1926 - William Thomas 'Tommy' Crank, singer, songwriter, promoter, producer, and disc jockey, was born in the mountainous region of Jackson County, Kentucky.
1936 - Milton Brown 1903~1936, age 32, Western Swing superstar, and band leader of the Musical Brownies, died in Crystal Springs, Texas, as the result of a car wreck he was involved in five days earlier.
1946 - Red Foley debuted as host of the Grand Ole Opry' s Prince Albert show.
1951 - Hank Snow topped the charts with "The Rhumba Boogie."
1952 - Sam Bush, Bluegrass master musician, born Bowling Green, Kentucky.
1959 - Johnny Horton's Columbia single "The Battle of New Orleans," / "All for the Love of a Girl," was released today. The record charted two weeks later, and went to #1 in mid-May and held on for 10 weeks. Johnny Horton is not a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1959 - George Jones topped the charts with "White Lightning."
1963 - Bill Anderson' s "Still," went to #1.
1963 - Buck Owens first #1 hit "Act Naturally," charted.
1964 - Roger Miller won five Grammys, at the Seventh Annual Grammy Awards.
1967 - George Jones' single "Walk Through This World With Me" was #1.
1967 - Johnny Cash recorded "Cisco Clifton's Fillin' Station" in Nashville. Dow Law produced the session, and Cash wrote the song. Session personnel included: Johnny Cash~vocals & guitar; Luther Perkins~guitar; Marshall Grant~bass; W.S. Holland~drums; Bob Johnson~banjo; The Carter Family~backing vocals.
1970 - The Academy of Country Music awarded Marty Robbins, their "Man of the Decade Award."
1975 - Merle Haggard topped the charts with "Always Wanting You."
1981 - Guy Willis 1915~1981, of The Willis Brothers, died at age 65. The Willis Brothers, Guy, Skeeter, and Vic joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1946. They were originally called The Oklahoma Wranglers, and backed Hank Williams on his first ever-recording session in Nashville. Guy Willis was laid to rest in the Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery, in Nashville.
1983 - Sheena Easton and Kenny Rogers duet "We' ve Got Tonight" topped the country charts.
1985 TNN debuted "Grand Ole Opry Live" on television.
1986 - Johnny Dollar 1933~1986, singer, songwriter, and guitarist died at the age of 53.
1987 - Johnny Cash released his debut album with Mercury Records "Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town." Dropped by Columbia Records after almost three decades of hits, John was happy to be back on a major label. This album became The Man In Black' s 50th chart album, remaining on the charts for six months. John' s long time friend Cowboy Jack Clement produced the album.
1992 - Liberty Records released Linda Davis' self titled album.
1999 - Sire Records released Mandy Barnett' s album "I' ve Got a Right to Cry."
2002 - Kenny Chesney' s "Young" debuted on the charts.
2002 - Diamond Rio's Arista Records single "Beautiful Mess" hit the Country chart today. The song went to #1. Diamond Rio was the CMA Vocal Group of the Year in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1997. This very talented group became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 1998.
2005 - Randy Travis won his sixth Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association, when "Passing Through" was named Country Album of the Year.
Courtesy Bill Morrison: http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In response to many requests, YES I am on Facebook and you are welcome to become a friend—UNLESS you are one of those that posts photos of your grandkids or your pet cat every other day. I don't have the time or interest for that. SO—if that's what you do on Facebook.. just forget me !
I'm the Doug Davis with the photos of the guitars.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Aren't the 'good things that come to those who wait' just the leftovers from the people that got there first?
^^^^^^^^^^
If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE from this newsletter, send a blank email to countrymusicclassics-off@milepost1.com
^^^^^^^^^^^^
No comments:
Post a Comment