C O U N T R Y M U S I C C L A S S I C S
Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Tuesday January 25th, 2011
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com
STORY BEHIND THE SONG
According to Hank Cochran, a lot of his songs came from a chance remark in a conversation with another writer and George Strait’s 1985 number one, “The Chair,” was one of those tunes!
Hank commented, “Me and Dean Dillon wrote “The Chair” on my boat. We had started writing something and my wife was laying down in the back bedroom and she heard what we were working on and she told us that there was already a hit by that title…..of whatever we were writing about. He or I either one listened to the radio so we didn’t know. So when she told us that, Dean said, “Well excuse me.”
And I said, “Yeah, you got my chair.”
So he threw in a line and I threw in a line and I told him to wait a minute. I’ve got the end for the song so I want to go to the end of the song and work toward the front. So you just keep doing what you’re doing and we’ll meet in the middle and put them together. And we wrote that song quicker than you can sing it.”
Strait’s MCA single “The Chair” came on the country music charts September 21th, 1985 and was at the top of the charts on December 21st.
It was George’s 14th charted song and his 7th 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.
Both features are available at no charge thru barter.
For information, email me at classics@countrymusicclassics.com
^^^^^^^^^^
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
QUESTION: I heard on the radio that Johnny Cash was being inducted into The Hall Of Fame. I thought he was already in there.
ANSWER: Johnny Cash was recently inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He has been a member of The Country Music Hall Of Fame since 1980 and The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame since 1992.
QUESTION: Do you know anything about something called a “throwdown show?” The radio folks were talking about it.
ANSWER: “Country Throwdown” is a 16 day tour that begins May 27th in Philadelphia and includes Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, and Lee Brice. More dates are expected to be added.
QUESTION: When I was going thru my old albums, I found a few by Wanda Jackson. Is she still around and if so - does she still perform?
ANSWER: Wanda Jackson is still around and is currently promoting her new album, "The Party Ain't Over.” Wanda will also guest on TBS' "Conan" Tuesday night.
^^^^^^^^^
“Country Music Classics” is made possible only by donations from subscribers like you. If you enjoy receiving this newsletter, please support us by sending a check payable to “Country Music Classics” for any amount to:
Doug Davis—Country Music Classics—3702 Pleasant Grove Road-Texarkana, Texas 75503. Or use PAYPAL ( http://www.paypal.com ) and donate (via your account or their secure credit card site) directly thru our email address (classics@countrymusicclassics.com). Thank you.
If you wish to make a contribution but do not have a Pay Pal account, you may use any major credit card and donate thru our secure Pro Pay account.
^^^^^^^^^^
QUESTION: A friend of mine used to sing a song about “remind me that I’m leaving.” He said it was a Ronnie Milsap song but I have never heard it. Have you?
ANSWER: “Remember To Remind Me That I’m Leaving” was the flipside of Milsap’s 1975 # 4 hit, “Just In Case.”
QUESTION; My uncle used to talk about living next door to Marty Robbins as a child. He said the neighbor’s last name was Robbins and their little boy sang. This was in Maryland. Could that have been true?
ANSWER: Very unlikely! Marty’s last name was Robinson and he was raised in Arizona.
QUESTION: I used to enjoy the Mosby’s concerts in California. Were they married?
ANSWER: The Mosby’s were actually Johnny Mosby and Janice Irene Shields. They were married from 1958 thru 1973.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Your comments, suggestions, gripes, etc. concerning this newsletter---are welcome. Email to:Classics@countrymusicclassics.com
^^^^^^^^^^
Just received the January issue of International Traditional Country Music Fan Club newsletter. Beecher O’Quinn Jr. and staff do an great job of promoting traditional country music. This issue includes an article on Eddy Arnold and the one and only Glenn Douglas Tubb. Check out their web site at www.itcmfc.com. Mailing address is 101 Cripple Creek Road-Watauga, Tennessee 37694.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
NUMBER ONE ON THIS DATE:
1945
I’m Wastin’ My Tears on You - Tex Ritter
1953
I’ll Go On Alone - Marty Robbins
1961
North to Alaska - Johnny Horton
1969
Daddy Sang Bass - Johnny Cash
1977
I Can’t Believe She Give It All to Me - Conway Twitty
1985
How Blue - Reba McEntire
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THE SEBRING MYSTERY SOLVED?
By: Jack Blanchard
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Jack Blanchard's MUSIC HOSPITAL can make your old records sound new,
and your new recordings sound better.
Contact Jack Blanchard's MUSIC HOSPITAL restoration & mastering studio.
Email: musichospital@jackandmisty.com
Telephone: 407 330 1611.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
We may have solved an old mystery.
In a column I once mentioned that we never wanted to go back to Sebring.
Readers wrote in wondering what we had against Sebring.
Let me explain...
We've made friends and have been well received by audiences in forty-nine states,
but our ventures into the Sebring area of Florida
were like like narrow escapes from the twilight zone.
Anyway, we're going to try it one more time,
for a reunion with old friends who have settled there.
I hope the townsfolk don't read this and get their chainsaws ready.
Several years after our string of hits, we played two engagements,
one in Sebring and he other in nearby Frostproof.
The first one, in Sebring, was a hotel restaurant and lounge.
A major hurricane was heading toward Central Florida at the time,
and we had a four-week contract.
A house for us to stay in was part of the deal.
The audiences loved us, but the management hated us.
We never found out why. It was a mystery...
until now.
The audiences were very receptive to our music, stories, and humor,
but the owner started looking at us funny,
and we noticed whispering among the help.
Not good signs.
By the first weekend the management was openly hostile.
The owner yelled at me in front of the crowd
that we should know better than to sing our song "'COWS' in a STEAK HOUSE!"
Sunday night the hurricane began, and there was a strange knock on the house door.
The knock of doom.
We were fired, and they were not going to honor the contract.
They took the house keys.
We had to move our stuff out of the house,
and get all of our heavy equipment out of the lounge "immediately".
They began building a case against us.
The owner told the agent: "You sent us starving musicians!
They said they were starving in front of witnesses!"
(We had remarked that we were hungry after the drive, and were going to buy dinner.)
They also said: "They did improper material and threatened to ruin our business!"
I began to feel that they didn't like us.
The friendly U-Haul dealer rented us a trailer with over a hundred leaks and holes
and we moved in the dark... in the stormy outer bands of the hurricane.
While we were struggling our equipment out of the club,
a waitress asked me what our future plans were.
I said this: "My main goal is to get out of Sebring."
Until now we had no idea why they acted so weird,
but we think we may have uncovered a clue.
Last night Misty and I were talking about how hard it had been to quit smoking.
She was going cold turkey and I was burning my tongue with a pipe.
She mentioned that during the terrible week in Sebring
she had no cigarettes in the house,
and when I'd go into town she'd get some of my pipe tobacco,
roll it up in a paper towel, and try to smoke it.
They looked like gigantic marijuana joints, as in a Cheech and Chong movie.
She would smoke these huge blunts out in in the backyard
so as not to set the house on fire.
We looked at each other with light bulbs over our heads,
and we said almost in unison: "That must be why they got rid of us!"
The neighbors thought she was smoking enormous amounts of dope on a daily basis,
and they complained to the hotel guy!
A few years later we were booked in Frostproof on New Years Eve.
It was even worse than the Sebring fiasco,
and we were lucky to get out alive.
We're going to dinner with our friends in a few weeks,
and we have to drive through Frostproof to get to Sebring.
We hope they're not waiting for us along the road with their Transylvania torches.
Jack Blanchard
Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan...
Grammy Nominees. Billboard's Country Duet of the Year.ASCAP and BMI Awards. ^^^^^^^^^^^^
TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY
compiled by Bill Morrison
1923 - Rusty Draper 1923~2003, singer, and guitarist was born Farrell Draper, Kirksville, Missouri.
1924 - Wesley Webb “Speedy” West 1924~2003, pedal steel guitar pioneer, born in Springfield, Missouri. Inducted SGHF 1980.
1932 - Claude Gray singer, songwriter, and guitarist nicknamed “The Tall Texan” born Henderson, Texas. Claude’s first chart single was “Family Bible” written by Willie Nelson, and released on Mercury in March 1960.
1938 - The Dixon Brothers recorded “Wreck On The Highway.”
1945 - Tex Ritter’s “I’m Wastin’ My Tears On You” topped the charts.
1950 - Lazy Jim Day recorded “When I Worked On The Farm.”
1954 - Marty Robbins released “My Isle Of Golden Dreams" b/w/"Aloha Oe.”
1955 - Mike Burch drummer for “River Road” was born on this date.
1956 - RCA released Elvis Presley’s debut single on their label. Three months later the kid from Memphis had his first #1 record.
1963 - Disc jockey “Cactus Jack Call,” was killed in a car wreck. On March 3rd, a fund raising show for his family was held in Kansas City. It was on the trip back to Nashville on March 5th, that Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and Randy Hughes, were killed in a plane crash, near Camden, TN.
1969 - Johnny Cash’s single “Daddy Sang Bass” w/Jan Howard topped the charts.
1970 - The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS-TV included guests Ray Charles, George Gobel, and Gloria Loring.
1975 - Gene Watson made his chart debut with “Bad Water.”
1975 - Johnny Russell and Lawanda Lindsey were featured guests on "Hee Haw."
1982 - The American Music Awards were presented this evening. Winners in the country category included Willie Nelson, Anne Murray, The Oak Ridge Boys, Barbara Mandrell, and Kenny Rogers who took home three trophies.
1985 - Reba McEntire’s “How Blue” topped the charts.
1989 - Laura Lee McBride 1920~1989, age 68, recording artist, and Bob Wills’ first female vocalist, died in Bryan, Texas from cancer. Laura Lee was the daughter of Tex Owens, and her aunt was Texas Ruby. Laura Lee was known as “The Queen of Western Swing.” She was inducted into the Western Swing Hall of Fame in 1989.
1989 - The Judds RCA/Curb album “Heartland” was certified Platinum by the RIAA
1992 - Emmylou Harris joined the Grand Ole Opry.
1992 - Tracy Lawrence’s single “Sticks and Stones” became his first #1 hit.
2000 - Rebel Records released Mike Auldridge’s album “This Old Town.”
2000 - King released “David Frizzell Sings Lefty’s Greatest Hits.”
Courtesy Bill Morrison: http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I SEE THE LORD
In flaming sunset glow, in moonlight on the snow,
Dashing waves upon the shore, I see the Lord and I adore!
On purple mountains high, in rainbows in the sky,
Flowers around my door, I see the Lord and I adore!
In little birds that fly, and bunnies all so shy,
Kittens on the floor, I see the Lord and I adore!
In pine trees, oh so tall, where raindrops softly fall,
Where mighty eagles soar, I see the Lord and I adore!
Bernice Laux
^^^^^^^^^^
If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE from this newsletter, send a blank email to countrymusicclassics-off@milepost1.com
^^^^^^^^^^^^
No comments:
Post a Comment