COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS
Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Wednesday March 6th , 2013
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com
STORY BEHIND THE SONG
Ideas for a lot hit songs have come from TV shows and according to songwriter Bobby Braddock - George Jones and Tammy Wynette's 1976 number one, "Golden Ring" was one of those tunes!
Braddock commented, "I remembered seeing a TV show about the life of a handgun that was first sold to a hunter - then to a policeman - and was then used to rob a liquor store - then was sold to someone else for home protection - and was finally shown in the hands of a two year ld child -who was standing in a chair and pointed the gun at his head."
"I decided to try to adopt that same concept to the life of a wedding ring - but I just couldn't finish it - so I called Rafe Van Hoy and told him I was trying to finish the song to play for George and Tammy - who were scheduled to record in just a few hours."
Van Hoy then called his mother - who worked in a wholesale jewelry story - to gather some information about rings and some ring terminology he might be able to use.
As the story goes - Braddock was out of town and Van Hoy produced a demo on the song - which was played for record producer Billy Sherrill - who recorded the song with George and Tammy a few days later.
The Jones/Wynette single "Golden Ring" came on the country charts June 5th, 1976 and was at the top of the charts on August 7th. The single was on the charts for 15 weeks.
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I heard about Larry Gatlin in a Texas Heritage something or other. What is that?
A: Larry Gatlin has been added to Sunday's 8th Annual Texas Heritage Songwriter's Hall Of Fame Awards in Austin. Ronnie Dunn and Roger Miller will be honored this year.
Q: I heard on the radio about a Willie Nelson adopt a horse project. Do you have any information?
A: Willie Nelson and Habitat For Horses are reinstating the Willie Signature Horses series. Willie has adopted 75 horses from Habitat For Horses - a non-profit organization that promotes and secures the safety and well being of all horses.
Q: Do you have any information about Reba McEntire in a boxing match? There was something about it on the TV news.
A: Reba will emcee Celebrity Fight Night XIX March 23rd In Phoenix, Arizona. Reba will also auction dinner for four at her Beverly Hills home with herself and husband Narvel Blackstock - with proceeds going to the Mohammed Ali Parkinson Center.
Q: My daughter heard on TV that the Judds will be on "Dancing With The Stars." Is that true?
A: Wynonna Judd has confirmed that she (and not both Judds) will join ABC-TV's "Dancing With The Stars" as a contestant.
Q: "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" is one of my favorite songs. My brother says that Waylon Jennings sang that song on some old TV shows. Did he record that song?
A: The song was a track in Waylon's 1973 "Lonesome, On'ry And Mean" album.
Q: My brother in law used to sing a song about "freckles and polliwogs." He said it was on the radio back in the 70's. Do you have any information on such a song?
A: "Freckles And Polliwog Days" was a number 26 hit for Ferlin Husky in 1974.
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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:
1945
I'm Losing My Mind Over You - Al Dexter
1953
Kaw-Liga - Hank Williams
1961
Don't Worry - Marty Robbins
1969
To Make Love Sweeter for You - Jerry Lee Lewis
1977
Heart Healer - Mel Tillis
1985
Baby Bye Bye - Gary Morris
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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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FAREWELL TO AN OLD FRIEND.
By: Jack Blanchard
Winnie has been through a lot of adventures with us,
over many years... good times and bad
It's hard to say goodbye.
I don't know if you get attached to "inanimate objects", but we do.
After they've been with you a long time,
they have personality and feelings.
Winnie was never inanimate until her last few years.
She was always on the go,
scurrying across 48 of our big beautiful states
from one show to the next.
Winnie is short for Winnebago, our home away from home.
We adopted her when she was gloriously new,
with zero miles on her odometer.
But eventually she got old, and when we had her towed away
It was like having your dog put to sleep.
Many famous stars have joined us at Winnie's kitchen table.
One morning I was in the bathroom when Misty called to me:
"Jack, George and Tammy are here."
Among the other visitors were Waylon Jennings, Grandpa Jones,
Archie Campbell, Skeeter Davis, Faron Young,
Conway Twitty, and on and on.
Winnie should have been bronzed and put in the Hall of Fame.
There should have at least been a funeral ceremony.
Can bagpipes play country music?
Maybe we're crazy, but we said some teary goodbyes,
patted her walls affectionately,
and thanked her for the years of fun and comfort.
We left before she was towed away by a wrecker...
probably to a junkyard.
We couldn't watch.
We still feel sad when we think of her, and even a little guilty.
Winnie was a big part of our life.
She took care of us, and the very least I could do was write this.
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Hi Doug,
Did you ever print anything in your recent newsletters about the new Patsy Cline CD that I produced, called "The Divine Ms. Cline"? Given the fact that Tuesday was the 50th anniversary of her death, I thought it appropriate to inquire.
I got the idea to do this when I saw that Universal released a CD of rather bad audio from some of Patsy's TV performances which have been available on YouTube free for years. And I was astonished that MCA put out a CD of retreads featuring a REFRIGERATOR MAGNET with Patsy's photo on it, as an inducement to get 20,000 Wal-Mart customers to buy the same old, same old. I thought this pathetic and I felt that Patsy deserved better.
So "The Divine Ms. Cline" features 20 NEW overdubs of some of Patsy's best studio tracks, which have been stripped down, her vocals given 24-bit digital remastering for greater clarity than ever before, and then combined with tasteful new instrumentation. I used some of the top musicians, singers and orchestrators, from Nashville to Europe, for this project -- including CURRENT members of the Grand Ole Opry band. The sound quality is stunning. You can hear Patsy better than ever before...GUARANTEED; it sounds like she is in the room with you.
With all due deference to her producer Owen Bradley, on a lot of Patsy's original recordings, various instruments and/or the Jordanaires actually overshadowed her at times. We got rid of all this and built new accompaniment that puts Patsy back in the vocal spotlight. For instance, on "Crazy," — which is the #1 most-played jukebox hit of all time — I got rid of the Jordanaires and just showcased Patsy with a beautiful jazz piano and new strings. I decided to give "You Belong To Me" a country feel, with steel guitar. On "San Antonio Rose," I used dobro, steel, EG and twin fiddles.
There are also 6 previously unreleased, live "in concert" performances by Patsy that have never been commercially available. So a total of 26 tracks. Plus a colorful, 16-page booklet with fascinating details of her life.
You can hear audio samples at: www.patsyclinemusic.net
Thanks!
Larry Jordan
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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY
compiled by Bill Morrison
1904 - Clifford Raymond Carlisle 1904-1983, singer, songwriter, guitar, dobro, and steel guitar player of The Carlisles, was born in Mount Eden, Kentucky. As one half of the brother duet, Cliff and Bill began their professional career in 1929 on the Louisville based Carlisle Family Saturday Night Barn Dance. The show was broadcast over a local radio station.
1905 - Bob Wills 1905-1975, born James Robert Wills, in Limestone County, Texas. He would come to be known as "The King of Western Swing."
1909 - Floyd "Salty" Holmes 1909-1970, of "The Prarie Ramblers" born in Glasgow, Kentucky.
1922 - Carl Sauceman 1922-2005, of the Sauceman Brothers was born in Green County, Tennessee. Carl was a singer, guitarist, and bass player who, along with brother John Paul Sauceman were known as the Sauceman Brothers. They were early pioneers of Bluegrass music.
1925 - Jean Chapel 1925-1995, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist born Opal Jean Amburgey in Neon, Kentucky. Along with her sisters Bertha and Irene in the late 1930's and '40's they appeared as The Sunshine Sisters, and later were billed as The Coon Creek Girls while they were cast members of the Renfro Valley Barn Dance. After moving to the WSB Barn Dance in Atlanta, they called themselves the Hoot Owl Holler Girls.
1926 - A. J. Band and his Barn Dance Team appeared on the WSM Barn Dance this evening. It would be their last appearance.
1928 - Don Stover 1928-1996, Bluegrass banjo, was born today
1934 - Red Simpson, Capitol Recording artist, songwriter, and guitarist, born in Higley, Arizona. Red charted his first hit single on Billboards Country charts in 1966, with "Roll Truck Roll" written by Tommy Collins.
1934 'Äì Ray Walker of the "Jordanaires" (1954-1982) was born in Centerville, Mississippi.
1937 - Douglas Flint Dillard, of "The Dillards," born in East St. Louis, Illinois. The Dillards appeared frequently on the Andy Griffith Show as the Darling Family.
1953 - Hank Williams topped the charts with "Kaw-Liga," almost two months after his death.
1953 - Tari Hensley Mercury recording artist, born Tari Hodges in Independence, Missouri.
1954 - George Jones released "No Money In This Deal," b/w "You're In My Heart." The single did not chart.
1958 - Marty Robbins recorded "Kaw-liga" in Nashville. Hank Williams & Fred Rose wrote the song, and the session was produced by Don Law. The session personnel included: Marty Robbins-vocals & guitar; Grady Martin-guitar; Hillous Butrum-guitar; Jack Pruett-guitar; James Farmer-steel guitar; Marvin Hughes-piano; Floyd Chance-bass; Louis Dunn-drums.
1961 - Ralph Mooney released "Moonshine," and "Release Me," (Instrumentals) in 1961.
1964 - Skip Ewing, singer, songwriter, and guitarist born Donald Ralph Ewing in Red Lands, California.
1968 - Buck Owens' Capitol album "Best of Buck Owens" was certified gold by the RIAA.
1969 - Jerry Lee Lewis' single "To Make Love Sweeter for You" was #1 on Billboard's Country charts. The song was written by Jerry Kennedy and Glenn Sutton, and released on the Smash label. This was "The Killer's" 3rd #1.
1974 - Jim Stafford's MGM single "Spiders & Snakes" was certified Gold by you know who.
1975 - Johnny Rivers' Imperial albums "A Touch of Gold Volume II" and "Johnny Rivers' Golden Hits" were both certified Gold by the RIAA today.
1976 - Emmylou Harris' first #1 single "Together Again" charted 1976.
1976 - The Bellamy Brothers single "Let Your Love Flow" debuted on Billboard's Top 40 Chart.
1980 - A big day for "The Red-Headed Stranger." Willie Nelson's Columbia album "Willie Nelson Sings Kristofferson" was certified Gold by the RIAA, and his "Willie Nelson & Family Live" album was certified Platinum.
1981 - Dolly Parton's RCA Victor album "9 to 5 and Odd Jobs" was certified Gold by the RIAA.
1983 - CMT, the Country Music Television network, broadcast their first program today.
1990 Warner Records released Travis Tritt's first album "Country Club."
1999 - George Jones purchased a pint of vodka, and headed for his home near Nashville. A short distance from his home, he reached for something inside his SUV, while talking on his cell phone. George crashed his new Lexus SUV, into a concrete bridge. His heart stopped beating twice in the ambulance enroute to the hospital. He spent the next eleven days in the ICU, near death.
2000 - Scotty Moore Elivis' first guitar player was inducted into the R&RHOF.
2003 - George Jones was presented with the 2002 National Medal of Arts Award by President George W. Bush, at the White House.
2005 - Doug Supernaw, age 44, was arrested in Bryan, Texas.. The singer was charged with Public Intoxication and Fleeing a Police Officer. Supernaw was arrested in 2002 on felony charges of Assaulting a Police Officer. That case was set to be tried on March 31, 2005.
2005 - The Nashville Palace went out of business. Randy Travis was working as a dishwasher at the Palace, when he was discovered by Warner Bros. Records. The Nightclub has reopened under new management, and features top name entertainment, most from the Grand Ole Opry.
2007 - MCA Nashville released Gary Allen's "Greatest Hits" CD today. The CD went Gold by November.
Courtesy Bill Morrison: http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html
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