COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS*
*
Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Thursday October 23rd, 2014
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com
*
STORY BEHIND THE SONG*
*
According to Rosanne Cash - her 1981 number one, "Seven Year Ache," came about
as the result of an argument with her husband at the time - Rodney Crowell.
As the story goes: Rodney and Rosanne started the argument while dining at a
French restaurant on Ventura Blvd. but she had started writing the song before
the argument.
She commented, "The song began as a very long poem and it took me six months to
write it. But I refined the poem and the inspiration from the argument into the
song "Seven Year Ache."
Her Columbia Records single "Seven Year Ache" came on the country music charts
February 21st, 1981 and made it to the top of the charts on May 23rd.
It was her 4th charted song and her first number one.*
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I heard on the radio about a statue of Johnny Cash in California. Do you
have any information?
A: Federal and state funds have been awarded for the construction of a Johnny
Cash Trail and Overpass in Folsom, California and officials are planning a $3
million dollar fundraising drive to pay for a planned two acre park near the
bridge and a 40 foot tall steel statue of Cash.
Q: Do you know anything concerning Alan Jackson now working for Kubota Tractor
people?
A: Kubota Tractor Corporation has contracted to sponsor Alan Jackson's 25 year
career celebration. Jackson recently appeared at Kubota's Dealer's Meeting in
Nashville.
Q: I have heard that Charlie Daniels is planning a series of concerts in
Virginia. Do you have any information?
A: The Charlie Daniels Band is scheduled to perform in Salem, Virginia for the
two day Blue Ridge Music Festival at Salem Stadium May 30th thru 31st, 2015.
Q: I have a tape of Buck Owens singing a song about "It Tickles." When did he
record that song?
A: "It Tickles" was a track in the 1964 "Buck Owens Sings Tommy Collins"
album.
Q: Have you ever heard of a song about "What To Do About The Moonlight?" My
dad used to sing that song.
A: "What Are We Gonna Do About The Moonlight" was a number 10 hit for Hank
Thompson in 1949.
Q: Do you remember a song about "Breakfast With The Blues?" It was on the
radio years ago.
A: "Breakfast With The Blues" was a number 11 hit for Hank Snow in 1964. The
song was re-released in 1977 and peaked at number 96.
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Your comments, suggestions, gripes, etc. concerning this newsletter---are
welcome. Email *to:
*Classics@countrymusicclassics.com
* ^^^^^^^^^*
* NUMBER ONE ON THIS DATE:*
*1947*
/Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)/ - Tex Williams *
*1955*
/Love, Love, Love/ - Webb Pierce *
*1963*
/Loves Gonna Live Here/ - Buck Owens *
*1971*
/How Can I Unlove You/ - Lynn Anderson *
*1979*
/All the Gold in California/ - Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers
*
*1987*
/Fishin in the Dark/ - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band*
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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 feature, *Story Behind The Song* is
*now available to radio
stations.
NOT AVAILABLE TO INTERNET STATIONS)
The feature is available at *no charge*.*
For information, email me at
*classics@countrymusicclassics.com
*
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*THE CONTRASTS.*
By: Jack Blanchard
I was rereading a very complimentary review of one of our records.
The reviewer said this:
"It's one of the best songs Jack has written
in his long career as a songwriter."
I read the write-up about a dozen times
due apparently to a self-esteem problem.
Then I started to think "What's wrong?
I should be happier than this."
Digging through my cluttered ego,
I think I found the problem.
It was the phrase "his long career".
That's it? That was the career?
Somehow I've always thought of myself as an up-and-comer,
expecting to break into a career at any moment.
I didn't know I was actually having one...
a long one.
I guess any musician who gets through life
without resorting to a day job,
can call it a career.
How could I have had this alleged long career
when I still feel 27 years old inside?
It must be insecurity
when I take a compliment as an obituary.
Peggy Lee sang a famous song titled "Is That All There Is?".
I know the song is good,
but I always avoided listening to it.
When it comes on, I mentally cover my ears and sing Jingle Bells,
fake a coughing fit,
or just leave the room.
Some songs cut too close to the truths we don't want to hear.
I write sad songs about life and death,
so who am I to talk?
But if I'm in the later chapters of a long career,
where's my mansion?
My big bank account?
Misty and I were never Nashville insiders,
and we never got paid for most of our efforts,
but for some reason we still love our work,
and will never retire.
We're waiting for some excitement...
a tour...
the Big Break.
Retirement to me is like endless recess.
We have too much left to do.
We'd like to move to Cortland, New York.
It's beautiful country,
they have a Country Music Hall of Fame,
and there's an apple named after the town.
So why not?
Or maybe Tennessee or California, Australia or Buffalo.
Somewhere to see new or old things.
Have an adventure.
I know Misty and I have been doing this for a lot of years,
and yet it seems like one year.
We've had unbelievable fun,
and some real hell along the way.
The bad times made the good times taste better.
It's the contrasts.
Jack Blanchard*
*_http://_www.jackandmisty.net* - http://www.jackandmisty.net-UNAS
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T*ODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY*
Compiled by Bill Morrison*
Johnny Carroll, Rockabilly/vocals/keyboards, born Cleburne, TX 1937.
Dwight Yoakam born Pikeville, KY 1956.
Johnny Cash made a guest appearance on the Burl Ives TV show 1959.
Roy Acuff Jr. debuted on the Grand Ole Opry 1965.
Johnny Cash performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC 1968.
Duane Mack "Junior" Bryant Jr., "Ricochet," born Pecos, TX 1968.
Mother Maybelle Carter, age 68, died _1978_. Inducted CMHF
1970.
Gospel Road, a movie produced by Johnny Cash in Israel, premiered in Nashville
1972.
George Strait's "Easy Come, Easy Go" becomes his 25th #1 Billboard hit
1993.
Asleep At The Wheel released their "Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills & The
Texas Playboys"
1993.
Deja Disc released Wayne Hancock's debut album "Thunderstorms and Neon Signs"
1995.
The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 75th Birthday in _1999_. Dolly
Parton and Vince Gill, hosted the show.
Rusty Kershaw, age 63, died 2001.
George Strait's single "I Hate Everything" topped the charts 2004.
*
Courtesy Bill Morrison:
*<http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html*> -
<http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html>
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*
VIEW FROM THE FRONT PORCH
By: Stan Hitchcock*
*
We, who were living the Classic Country dream, in the 50s, 60s and 70s, learned,
early on, to sing our songs, play our music and do our entertaining, under
extreme, and often, very unusual circumstances. Shoot, we didnt care, we just
wanted to do our shows, hit the road and go do another one somewhere
else. *
It didnt seem so strange to be standing on the top of the projection booth, at a
drive in theater in the middle of Illinois, in March, 1964, cold wind blowing
across the parked cars, a semi-frozen drizzle coating all of us with a thin
sheet of ice, playing our old country songs to the cars. Windows rolled up,
heaters going full blast, just the front window cracked to let the little drive
in speaker stay hooked to it, windshield wipers providing the beat for the
drummer, and when the song was finished.horns honking in a crescendo of
appreciation. The Wilburn Brothers, Loretta Lynn, Harold Morrison for comedy,
me, for my little country songs.all on the roof of that building, using a ladder
to get to the top, fire of electric current popping out of the mikes when you
got too closefreezing our country butts off, but glad to be there, even though
we could not see one face behind the wet windshields, but doing our gig like big
boys and girl. Fun times in the country.
Bobby Lord told me of the time, in the early 60s, that he was booked to play a
Rodeo in Oklahoma. He and the band arrived and the promoter showed them to the
stage.a flat bed farm wagon, hooked up behind a John Deere tractor. The
musicians that Bobby had brought from Nashville, including Hal Rugg on steel,
started setting up their equipment as best they could, and got ready to play.
When it was show time, the announcer said, And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, all
the way from Nashville, Tennessee and The Grand Ole Opry, The Bobby Lord Show!!!
The tractor, which had been idling, getting ready, lurched forward, and started
across the bumpy surface of the Rodeo arena. If you can imagine the
consternation of these fine pickers, trying to hold on to all their equipment,
and Bobby trying not to fall off the wagon and mess up his stage suit by landing
in some Bull crap, about like trying to ride a trampolinewhen the tractor
reached the approximate center of the arena, it jerked to a sudden stopsending
everyone to the very edge of the wagon, holding still to their precious
instruments and amps, with a double hundred foot orange extension cord trailing
behind. Now friends, that is show biz at its very best. Hal told me he never did
get his steel in tune during the show, and then, after the last song, they had
to make the return journey.
I was playing a show at the Imperial Room, in Tampa, Florida in 1970, the
premiere show place in the whole region. The Imperial Room had a huge dance
floor, all in front of the stage, and the Florida folks did like to dance to
country music. It was a Saturday night, and although I did not know it at the
time, Saturday nights were big for Professional Wrestling in Tampa. I had
already done two shows and was into my third and last set at Midnight, singing
my latest record, I looked to the back of the lounge and saw a group of men
coming in.not just regular size menhuge menbig old hairy muscle bound brutes,
followed by little bitty old hairy muscle bound midgets. The crowd, who were
dancing to my song, saw them coming and kinda parted like the Red Sea for Moses.
I kept singing.they kept cominglining up on either side of the dance floor.big
old brutes kinda swinging to the beat of the music.and then they proceeded to do
something I had only heard about.Midget Tossing. A big guy would pick up one of
the little peopleswing him back and forth a few times to get the feel of itand
then, to the beat of my song.throw the little fellows all the way across the
dance floor to the waiting wrestlers on the other side, who would catch them as
easily as catching a baby bird falling out of the nest. Every time the song
would come to the end.they would holler for more, and throw another little
fellow across the room. Finally, after about 20 minutes of the same song, and 20
minutes of Midget Tossing, they gathered themselves up and quietly walked out
the door. That pretty well did it for our showwho could follow that act? Midget
Tossing, Hitchcock music doing the soundtrack, just another night in Classic
Country Music.
Then there was the one night in Kansas City, at Genova's Chestrnut Inn, where
all the Opry Acts worked on Weekends for years....I was booked there on a night
when Mr. Genova decided to try something new....Country Music and STRIPPERS! At
the end of my first set...as the steel guitar was hitting the last lonesome
chord...the Dressing Room door burst open and out ran four semi-naked ladies,
swirling and gyrating, twirling little tassels on their almost naked
breasts...causing the good Classic Country audience to gasp in surprise..and
many of them to head for the Exits..including my old Uncle Clifford and his then
girlfriend, Ida, who was the Church Secretary at the Assembly Of God Church. I
like to have never lived that little Show down.
*Stan Hitchcock
www.hitchcockcountry.com* -
http://www.hitchcockcountry.com
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:*
*
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage
one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will
be with you. *
* 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)*
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