COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS
Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Wednesday November 28th , 2012
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com
STORY BEHIND THE SONG
A lot of singers have found hit songs on other singer's records and according to Glen Campbell, his 1977 number one, "Southern Nights," was one of those tunes!
Glen commented, "I was out at Jimmy Webb's house looking for songs and he played me Allen Toussaint's record of "Southern Nights." I had asked Jimmy if he had heard any songs by other writers that he really liked."
Campbell says he loved the song and sent a copy to his record producer, Gary Klein. According to Klein, he liked the melody and the "feel" of the song but could not understand the lyrics.
Klein credits Campbell's opening guitar licks as a big plus for the success of the record.
Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single, "Southern Nights" came on the country music charts January 29th, 1977 and was at the top of the list on March 19th - and stayed there for two weeks.
It was Campbell's 39th charted song and his 5th number one.
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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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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I found some old 78 rpm records with labels worn off in my dad's barn. One of them is a guy singing "Please Don't Let Me Love You." Do you know who had that record?
A: "Please Don't Let Me Love You" was a # 4 hit for George Morgan in 1949 and a # 9 hit For Hank Williams in 1955.
Q: A friend of mine used to sing a song about "Once You've Had The Best." He said it was a big hit on the radio years ago but didn't know who had the record. Do you know?
A: "Once You've Had The Best" was written by Johnny Paycheck and was a # 3 hit for George Jones in 1973.
Q: I love the old song "Lonely Women Make Good Lovers." Who had the hit record on that song?
A: It was a #4 hit for Bob Luman in 1972 and a # 4 hit for Steve Wariner in 1984.
Q: A guy on a local Saturday night jamboree sang a song about "Oklahoma Sunday Morning." He said he learned it from a Glen Campbell record. Do you have any information on that recording?
A: "Oklahoma Sunday Morning" was a # 15 hit for Campbell in 1972.
Q: Do you know who had the hit record on the song "Looking Back To See?"
A: The song was a top five for Goldie Hill and Justin Tubb and a top ten for The Browns--both in 1954 and # 13 hit for Buck Owens and Susan Raye in 1972.
Q: Back in the 70's - there was a girl singer named Connie Eaton -who had several hit records - some of them were duets with a guy. Was that Eddie Rabbitt?
A: Connie Eaton placed seven songs on the country music charts from 1970 thru 1975 - two of which were duets with Dave Peel.
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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:
1951
Slow Poke - Pee Wee King
1959
Country Girl - Faron Young
1967
It's the Little Things - Sonny James
1975
Rocky - Dickey Lee
1983
Holding Her and Loving You - Earl Thomas Conley
1991
Shameless - Garth Brooks
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HARD TIMES IN HOUSTON.
By: Jack Blanchard
Just a short time before this true story starts we were performing concerts
with major stars, such as Merla Haggard, Jerry Reed, B.J. Thomas,
Tom T. Hall, Faron Young, Charlie Pride, Boots Randolph,
George Jones and Tammy Wynette, and others.
We were never anybody's opening act,
but either "stars" or "special guest stars".
The agents' contracts called it "100% billing".
We also did television with Jackie Gleason, Dick Clark, Carol Channing,
Mama Cass Elliot, and on and on. This was in the 1970s.
Then things changed.
UPSTATE NEW YORK:
In the 1980s we were doing a few country shows,
but mostly booking our trio in jazz and light jazz lounges in the North East,
and just about breaking even.
When we were playing at a Hyatt hotel on the New York State Thruway
a man approached us with an offer of sixteen weeks in Houston, Texas.
We were relatively happy where we were,
but a sixteen week contract is more security...
we thought.
HOUSTON:
First of all, two thirds of the audience hated us
because we weren't a cover band, as they were used to.
One woman yelled out at the end of our set,
"They didn't play ONE SONG I know!"
We had our handful of fans so we worked to them,
but it was a rough start and turned out to be a bad omen.
The temperature was 105 and humid.
We were living in our motor home on a gravel site
behind an RV parts store, the T-pipe on our sewer broke
and there was nobody to fix it but me.
It had to be done. so I slid under the rig on the gravel
and some weeds I didn't recognize as poison ivy.
It was a Sunday and the parts store was closed,
but Misty saw a couple of guys in there and banged on the door.
They refused to sell her anything,
but she found the part, threw the money on the counter and left.
That evening I wound up in the hospital
with the worst case of Poison Ivy they'd ever seen.
Then I got a phone call from my sister Val that our mother had just died.
I went to work the next night anyway.
We had a drummer that was an 18 year old spoiled brat,
but was a passable jazz player for our New York State gigs.
He was also a jazz snob and hated country.
He said things like "Jack, you can't pay me enough to play that."
He was rude to us, and I started to drink from all the pressure.
Before then I had never used alcohol while working.
We'd rented a junk heap from the Rent-a-Wreck Company...
On a Sunday we decided to get away by taking a drive to Galveston.
First we got arrested.
The cop said that if we worked in Texas for more than a few weeks
we had to have a Texas driver's license.
Also we were charged with having an outdated license tag.
We had assumed that a good license plate came with the rented car.
We finally got to Galveston and the car died forever.
There were no cell phones then,
so I found a pay phone and called Rent-a-Wreck.
No answer. It was Sunday.
We somehow got a bus back to Houston, and called them the next day
to pick up the car and give us a replacement.
Then the floods came.
It rained continuously for many days and people were driving under
railroad overpasses, getting into deep water, and drowning.
Misty couldn't get to our jalopy from the Walmart door,
and asked a nice elderly lady to take her to our car.
Misty felt guilty when the high water ruined the lady's carpeting.
Time ground on.
Every night on stage was torture,
and the finance company was looking for our motor home.
We were several months behind on payments.
and trying to catch up.
They knew we were in Texas from a check we'd sent.
One night I drank too much
and said some insulting things about the house band.
They were a really fine group that played opposite us,
and I was wrong. Everybody liked them, and I'd made our situation worse,
if possible.
When we finished our contract there,
we sent the drummer home to annoy his parents,
and headed for the Louisiana border to throw GE Finance off our trail.
VINTON, LOUISIANA:
Just across the line there was a KOA campground outside of Vinton
where we were stranded for over a month.
From the campground, Misty would ride her fold-up bicycle
into town to get groceries.
Our only company there was a big family of Gypsies
that we seemed to meet all over the country.
A job in Arkansas and a stop at a pawn shop got us out of there,
but trouble came with us.
HOME:
It got better in the 1990s, and much better after that.
I never had a drinking problem again.
I think it was just an ordeal we had to go through.
If there's an afterlife, somebody owes us an explanation.
We're still doing our music, just recorded a new CD album,
and life is looking good.
Jack Blanchard
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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY
compiled by Bill Morrison
Robert Lunn, Grand Ole Opry comedian, born 1912.
November 28, 1925 George D. Hay presented the debut broadcast of "The WSM Barn Dance," later to be re-named "The Grand Ole Opry." The broadcast originated from the WSM studio. Fiddler, Uncle Jimmy Thompson, was the first artist to perform.
Doodle Owens, songwriter, born Waco, TX 1930.
Bob Wills recorded "San Antonio Rose," 1938.
Eddy Arnold married Sally Gayhart 1941.
Hal Horton, age 55, Dallas DJ and show promoter, died 1948.
Hank Locklin debuted on the Opry 1953.
Grandpa Jones released "Hip Cat's Weddin'," 1960.
Carrie Rodgers, widow of Jimmie Rodgers died 1961.
Ilya Toshinsky, of Bering Strait, vocals/guitar/banjo born in Russia 1977.
Paul Davis' single "Cool Night" charted 1981.
Marty Stuart joined the Grand Ole Opry 1992.
Gary Allan and Danetta Day were married in Aiken, SC in 1998.
"CMA 40TH" a TV special aired on CBS-TV celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Country Music Association, in 1998. More than 200 Country Artists were in attendance.
EMI released "The Capitol Years: Ode to Bobbie Gentry" 2000.
Courtesy Bill Morrison: http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html
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I'm the Doug Davis with the "Country Music Classics" logo.
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Why is Charlie short for Charles if they are both the same number of letters?
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