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
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com
STORY BEHIND THE SONG
According to Harlan Howard, his songwriting buddies thought "She Called Me Baby" was a dirty song, but he thought it was just an intimate tune about a couple of kids at a drive-in movie on a Friday night—and nothing dirty about it.
Ferlin Husky considered recording the song but turned it down. So Harlan recorded the song, which wound up in an album for Capitol records, which never got noticed.
Then some 12 years after he wrote it, "She Called Me Baby" made it to the top of the country music charts for Charlie Rich—but only after setting on the shelf for ten years, having been produced ten years earlier by Chet Atkins. After Charlie Rich began having hits for Epic Records, RCA began pulling those old masters out of the closet and releasing them.
"She Called Me Baby" hit the country music charts September 28th, 1974 and was at the top of the list the week of December 7th.
It was Rich's 18th charted song and his 7th number one. It also scored a #47 on the pop charts,.
Charlie Rich placed 45 songs on the country charts between 1968 and 1981.
He died in 1995 at the age of 62.
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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 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
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Question: My uncle says that somebody else had a hit record with Bobby Bare's hit, "Detroit City", but it was under another name. Is that true?
Answer: True! Billy Grammer had a #18 hit with Bares' "Detroit City", but Grammer's version was titled "I Wanna Go Home". Both hits were in 1963.
Question: Among my dad's old records was a song called "Crying In the Chapel" by Rex Allen. My aunt says there were other versions of the song. Do you have any other information?
Answer: "Crying In the Chapel" was a #4 hit in 1953 for both Rex Allen (at right) and Darrell Glenn. The song was written by Glenn's father. Elvis Presley scored a #3 pop hit on the song in 1965.
Question: I thought that "Back In The Saddle Again" was one of Gene Autry's most famous songs, but our local radio station says the recording never made the charts. Do you know why?
Answer: Gene's (at left) recording of "Back In The Saddle Again" didn't make the charts because there were no record charts in 1939 -- when that recording became popular. The song did become his signature song and the theme song for his radio and TV shows.
Question: When Johnny Cash first started out in music, he had a skinny guitar player who never smiled. Do you know his name?
Answer: Cash's original guitar player was Luther Perkins. Luther died in a house fire in 1971.
Question: Our local radio station played a Faron Young record the other day and they talked about some artists' biggest number one records. What does that mean? How can one number one be bigger than others?
Answer: They were probably referring to how many weeks the record was in the number one spot and how many total weeks on the charts. In the case of Faron Young, that would have been his 1958 # one, "Alone With You," which was in the number one slot for 13 weeks and on the charts for a total of 29 weeks
Question: One of my cousins is a huge Statler Brothers fan and says they won the CMA award every year in the 1970's Is that true?
Answer: The Statler Brothers won the CMA Vocal Group of The Year in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1984
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Your comments, suggestions, gripes, etc. concerning this newsletter---are welcome. Email to:Classics@countrymusicclassics.com
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NUMBER ONE ON THIS DATE:
1946
You Will Have to Pay - Tex Ritter
1954
Bimbo - Jim Reeves
1962
Walk on By - Leroy Van Dyke
1970
Baby, Baby (I Know You're a Lady) - David Houston
1978
What a Difference You've Made in My Life - Ronnie Milsap
1986
Never Be You - Rosanne Cash
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I'm still reading "Jim Reeves: His Untold Story." I have re-read Chapter 7--"Mexican Joe" three times. It includes the story that Reeves really didn't want to record the song because it only had two chords—but seven verses. The chapter also reveals all the info about the actual recording session that took place at KWKH Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana in January 1952.
This 660 pager is a treasure of Jim Reeves information and you can order at: www.jimreevesbook.com
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THE OPTIMIST.
By: Jack Blanchard
Denver Omlit was an optimist through and through.
He and his neighbor Ed were admiring Ed's new Corvette convertible.
"I knew you could do it", said Denver, "because you set your goal,
pictured it, believed it, and went after it."
Ed said, "I won it in a lottery."
Not to be dismissed so easily, Denver said
"You believed in your heart that you had the winning ticket."
Ed said,
"With all the crime in this city, I'm scared something will happen to it.
I never owned anything this expensive before."
"Think only positive thoughts", Denver said,
"and nothing bad can happen to your car.
Ed said, "You think you can do anything if you believe it?"
Omlit said, "You're reality is a product of your thoughts."
Ed was thinking a violent thought about Denver right then.
"OK. Let's see you fly", said Ed.
"I don't want to fly", said Denver.
"But you could, if you set your mind to it, right?"
"Yes, definitely. You are what you think", said Denver.
"Then prove it, bigmouth!" said Ed.
The optimist wasn't around for several days,
and then he was seen on the roof of their seventeen storey building,
carrying out several large items toward the Forty-seventh Street side.
The items were:
two light-weight balsa surfboards,
a large cardboard carton,
and a garbage bag with something lumpy in it.
He took a can of quick drying spray glue from the bag,
and sprayed both sides of the boards.
Then he dipped the boards into the box one-by-one,
and brought them out covered with feathers.
He leaned the boards on the foot high wall at the roof's edge,
and while they dried he got some other equipment from the box...
a football helmet, goggles, and two rolls of industrial duct tape.
He put on the helmet and goggles first,
because according to his plan it would be difficult later.
A crowd was gathering down on the street.
He turned back toward the roof entrance door and clapped his hands twice.
Three musicians came out,
carrying a bass drum, and accordion, and a police whistle.
They gave a raggedy fanfare as a young lady in a bathing suit twirled out,
did a circus curtsey like a magician's assistant,
and began duct taping the feathery wings to Denver's arms.
The bass drum beat slowly to raise the suspense.
From the garbage bag, the assistant retrieved a bullhorn,
and held it to Denver Omlit's mouth as he spoke to the crowd below.
"If a bird can do it with a brain the size of a pea,
I can do it with my wonderful pineapple of a brain.
I believe with all my heart that I can fly."
He spread his wings with a flourish and stepped of the roof.
As he fell straight down he pep-talked himself.
"I can do it! I can soar like a mink!"
He looked down and saw the flagpole on the 14th floor.
It was coming at him right between the legs.
He hit it like a wishbone and the flag staff broke off
and started falling with him.
"Embrace the pain", he shouted! "The pain is our friend!"
At the tenth floor his pants caught on a window air conditioner,
ripped off, and flew away.
"Ah, that breeze feels good", he yelled!
The flagpole and the air conditioner had slowed his descent slightly,
and he imagined he had planned it that way.
At the fifth floor, the optimist said "So far, so good."
The updraft was gathering under his football helmet,
causing a slight parachute effect.
He hit a small window awning on the third floor,
and then the big awning at the street entrance to the building.
It became a trampoline that bounced him toward the street,
where Ed's Corvette convertible was parked... with the top up.
The convertible top crushed nicely,
affording Denver a comfortable landing in the red leather upholstery.
The above account is reported here
exactly as it was presented at Ed's trial for killing the optimist.
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
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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY
compiled by Bill Morrison
1893 - Dennis McGee 1893~1989, Cajun fiddler, and recording artist born Bayou Marron, Louisiana.
1899 - Howard Doc Hopkins 1899~1988, singer, banjo, and guitarist of the "Cumberland Ridge Runners" born in Wallins Creek, Harlan County, Kentucky.
1900 - Clayton McMichen 1900~1970, champion fiddler, bandleader, born Allatoona, Georgia.
1928 - James O'Gwynn, "The Smilin' Irishman of Country Music," born Winchester, Minnesota.
1937 - Patsy Montana recorded "I Wanna Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart."
1937 - Teddy Lundy born Galax, Virginia.
1942 - Dave Rowland "Dave & Sugar," born Sanger, California.
1945 - Bob Willis recorded his hit "Rolly Poly."
1953 - Grammy winner Lucinda Williams born Lake Charles, Louisiana.
1958 - Buddy Holly & The Crickets appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.
1958 - B. James Lowry, session guitarist was born on this date.
1959 - Goebel Reeves, age 59, died in Long Beach, California.
1960 - Janice Rogers files for divorce from Kenny Rogers. They were married in 1958, and have one child Carole Lynne.
1962 - Leroy Van Dyke's single "Just Walk On By," topped the charts.
1963 - Skeeter Davis' biggest hit of her career "The End of the World" made Billboard's Top 100.
1971 - Tammy Wynette, George Jones, and Billy Jo Spears were featured guests on "Hee Haw."
1974 - Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jody Miller, Tommy Overstreet, and Larry Scott were featured guests on "Hee Haw."
1979 - The CBS-TV series "Dukes of Hazard" debuted, featuring the hands and voice of Waylon Jennings. The final show aired July 26, 1985.
1980 - Kristine Oliver of "Sweethearts of the Rodeo," married Leonard Arnold.
1981 - Barbara Mandrell's ABC album "The Best of Barbara Mandrell" was certified Gold by the RIAA
1992 - Hillary Clinton, appearing on CBS-TV during the presidential campaign, made a comment about Tammy Wynette that caused the country music super-star to fight back. Hillary later apologized to Tammy, for the comment.
1997 - Super Bowl XXXI featured Mary Chapin Carpenter during the pregame show in the Voodoo Capital of America. a.k.a. New Orleans.
2001 - Reba McEntire made her Broadway debut with the starring role in "Annie Get You Gun."
2005 - Roy Clark announced that he will be taking a medical leave of absence during the first six months of the year, to recuperate from hip surgery scheduled in February.
Courtesy Bill Morrison: http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html
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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.
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
BY THE SEA
I walked alone beside the sea: And as I walked there seemed to be,
An unseen Friend walked by my side as I wondered at the changing tide.
He rules the sea, the sky, the land, the moon and stars hear His command.
All else, but man, joins His melody of love and faith and harmony.
His gentle voice spoke from the sea, "Be not afraid, just follow Me."
I noticed not the time or way as we walked and talked that day.
I lingered there until the sun dipped in the sea, and day was done.
My cares, my fears all slipped away, because I walked with Him that day.
I hurried home, by duty called, all seemed right within its walls.
My hope renewed, tears washed away because I talked with God that day.
Grace Holt Litchfield
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