COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS*
*
Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Thursday January 30th, 2014
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com
*
STORY BEHIND THE SONG*
*
Most songwriters keep a notebook of ideas or bits of information that might
become ideas for songs.
According to songwriter Kent Robbins - the idea for Charley's Pride's 1979
number one, "You're My Jamaica," came from a note he had written in his
notebook.
Robbins commented, " I kept seeing a little note I had written in my notebook -
about "When it gets colder- you're my ---"something." I had thought of "blanket"
or "furnace" and neither of those words fit. And one day I ran across the note
again and "Jamaica" just kind of jumped out at me. It fit and then I started
writing the song. I went down to a local travel agency for some travel brochures
so I could be sure I had the right images in the song. And I wound up with a
reggae kind of feeling in a summery song in the middle of winter."
The song was first recorded by John Ragsdale (Ray Stevens' brother.) The single
created very little interest but Charley Pride heard it, liked it, and decided
to record the song!
Charley Pride's RCA Victor single "You're My Jamaica" came on the charts July
14th, 1979 and was in the number one slot on September 15th.
It was Pride's 39th charted song - his 22nd number one - and was on the charts
for 15 weeks.*
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I heard about a Johnny Cash birthday celebration in Nashville. Do you have
any information?
A: The Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville is planning an inaugural Johnny Cash
Birthday Bash to celebrate what would have been Cash's 82nd birthday. The three
day event is set for February 28th thru March 2nd and will feature celebrity
guests.
Q: The radio guys mentioned a new live Oak Ridge Boys album. Do you have any
details?
A: "Boy's Night," the Oak Ridge Boys first full length official live concert
album, is scheduled for April 15th release.
Q: I heard something about a new album from Asleep At The Wheel. Do you know
anything about it?
A: Ray Benson, best known as the frontman for Asleep At The Wheel, has just
released a solo project titled "A Little Piece," his first release in almost ten
years.
Q: Skeeter Davis' The End Of The World" is my favorite recording. Do you
know who wrote that song?
A: Skeeter's 1962 number two hit was written by Sylvia Dee and Arthur Kent.
Q: I have a Willie Nelson record from back in the 70's titled 'You Ought To
Hear Me Cry." My dad says that song was on the radio by another singer. Is that
true?
A: The song was a # 69 hit for Johnny Bush in 1967, a #43 for Carl Smith in
1968 before Willie Nelson's 1977 version - which peaked at # 16.
Q: Faron Young had a duet record on a song about "Keeping Up With The
Joneses." Was the girl singer Dolly Parton?
A: That 1964 number 5 hit was a duet with Faron and Margie SIngleton.
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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:*
* 1950*
/ Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me/ - Eddy Arnold *
* 1958*
/ The Story of My Life/ - Marty Robbins *
* 1966*
/ Giddyup Go/ - Red Sovine *
* 1974*
/ I Love/ - Tom T. Hall *
* 1982*
/ The Sweetest Thing (Ive Ever Known)/ - Juice Newton *
* 1990*
/ Nobodys Home/ - Clint Black*
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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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*
HOW WE RUINED LUNCH HOUR IN DULUTH.*
By: Jack Blanchard
(I know I've told you this true story before,
but I wanted to hear it again.)
We were not recording stars,
and had no idea we would ever have hit records.
We were just three Florida musicians,
Misty, me, and our guitar player Doug Tarrant,
who somehow wound up in the north country in December.
Our booking was at the Black Bear Lounge in the Hotel Duluth.
Our dog, Brubeck, accompanied us on the tour.
He looked like a Jack Russell Terrier,
but he wasn't anything you could pin down.
Brubeck would not eat dog food.
He would eat cat food
or a foul smelling liver and garlic concoction that Misty cooked up for him.
He would also eat complete motel mattresses,
medium sized linoleum floors, and my better clothes.
We loved him!
Misty felt a need to dress Brubeck up like a rich lady's poodle.
He would be led through the lobby wearing a leopard print dog coat,
a hat, and four yellow boots,
at least one of which was always turned around
with the toe facing grotesquely backwards.
He would be shaking a rear leg trying to get rid of it.
This gets worse.
The hotel had a classy restaurant which was below ground level.
The sidewalk and snow covered grass
were exactly at eye level with the lunch crowd inside.
The place was packed with well-dressed business people enjoying their food,
when Misty's legs appeared in the far right window,
then the leash, and finally what looked like a dog in a pimp suit.
The pimp dog went right up to the restaurant window
and proceeded with what seemed to be a long overdue bowel movement.
Misty, totally embarrassed at being the focus of every eye in the crowd,
tried her best to look like she'd never seen this dog before in her life.
It didn't work, and Brubeck went earnestly on and on.
Then she made it worse by trying to drag him away
while he was still going.
A LOT worse!
The lunch hour business dropped off abruptly after that.
*
Jack Blanchard*
*http:// - http:///www.jackandmisty.net - http://www.jackandmisty.net
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*
TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY*
compiled by Bill Morrison*
*
1931 - *Harold Ralph Morrison, bluegrass musician, comedian,
born Highlonseome, Missouri.*
*1934 - *Melvin Endsley 1934~2004, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and
recording artist born Drasco, Arkansas.*
*1937 - *Jeanne Pruett was born Norma Jean Bowman, in Pell City,
Alabama. Joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1973.*
*1938 - *Norma Jean, born Norma Jean Beasler, rural Wellston,
Oklahoma.*
*1940 - *Jerry Bradley, music executive, born Nashville, Tennessee.
*
*1956 - *Doug Kahan of The Gibson Miller Band, was born in Detroit,
Michigan.*
*1956 - *Sun Records session pianist Jerry Lee Lewis played on Billy
Lee Rileys single Red Hot.*
*1958* - Merle Haggard was found guilty on a burglary charge in
California.*
*1966 - *Red Sovines Giddyup Go topped the charts.*
*1970 - *Tammy Cochran singer, songwriter, and Epic recording artist
born in Austinburg, Ohio.*
*1981 - *The American Music Awards were broadcast from Los Angeles.
Winners in the Country music category included Barbara Mandrell, The Eagles, The
Statler Brothers, The Gambler, /Kenny Rogers/ took home four
trophies.*
*1985 - *Randy Travis recorded his /first /#1 record for
Warner Records today. /"On The Other Hand"/ hit the charts in August,
climbed all the way to the top and remained on the chart for 35 weeks. Paul
Overstreet and Don Schlitz, two of Music City's finest wrote the song.*
*1988 - *Kathy Matteas first #1 Mercury single Goin Gone charted. Pat
Alger, Bill Dale, and Fred Koller wrote the song, and it remained on the chart
for 24 weeks.*
*1989 - *Willie Nelson received the Award of Merit from the American
Music Awards this evening*
*1994 - *Ott Devine 1910~1994, WSM executive, Grand Ole Opry manager,
died at age 83.*
*1996 - *BNA released John Andersons album Paradise. The album topped
out at #6 on the chart.*
*1996 - *RCA released The Essential Jim Ed Brown & The Browns.*
*2000 -* Travis Tritt performed at the Super Bowl pre-game show, and
Faith Hill sang the National Anthem.*
*2002 - *Freddy Fender was released from a San Antonio Hospital, after
successful kidney transplant surgery.*
Courtesy Bill Morrison:
<http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html>
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*
VIEW FROM THE FRONT PORCH*
By: Stan Hitchcock*
*
*It was a cold Winter in Northeast Missouri that year of 1959. It was
particularly cold in the large cardboard box, back in the alley, next to a
Dumpster and other discarded items of a small Missouri town. The Sheriff had a
report of someone living in this box, and went to check on it. Sure enough, the
six year old boy, small for his age but scrappy, and independent by having to
learn to live by his wits on the streets, was sleeping, curled up inside, with
an old Army blanket wrapped around him.
Two days later, the Sheriff called the Ranch in the Ozarks, where we took
homeless boys to live in love with other boys and people that really cared about
them. The Sheriff asked us if we would have room for one more boy that he had
foundand we really didnt have any room left in the old farm housewe had taken 7
boys already, but, we could never say no to a homeless boy. Brother Bob Johnson,
the Founder of the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, and his wife, Mary, drove up to
the little town to see if the boy wanted to come live with us at the Ranch. When
they got to the Sheriff Office this is what they found.
The boy was the son of the town drunk. His Mother had disappeared, soon after
his birth, and he had been living on the streets of this small town for about a
year. An abusive drunk of a father made the choice pretty easy for him, anywhere
was better than the knocking around that he had to endure in the shack his
father lived in.
Mary Johnson stood looking down at the little ragged boy, and as always, her
heart was broken by the life she imagined he had to live. Son, would you like to
come to the Ranch and live with us? The boy stood there with his head down, and
then raised it up and looked into the face of the woman who must have been an
image of a mother he had never known. Yes, maam he whispered, but Id like to say
goodbye to my Daddy first. Going out on the main street of town, the boy pointed
out that his father would be at one of the two bars in town. Brother Johnson
lifted him up to look into the front window of the first diveNo hes not in
there.at the second one, Yes, there he is.
Brother Bob opened the door and they stepped inside the dark space, where the
smell of booze, cigarettes, unwashed bodies and stinking bathrooms was strong
enough to knock you over. Sitting by himself, at the battered old bar, was the
bum that the boy called Daddy. Already drunk, at 10AM on this Winter day, he
didnt even look up when the boy gently tugged on his old coat to get his
attention. Daddy, Im going away to live with these folksI wanted to say bye The
drunken old man reached down and pushed the child away with the words, Get away
from me you little bastard. The stricken look on the boys face was all that
Brother Bob needed to pick him up and carry him out of the bar and bring him
home to the Ranch.
The boy flourished with the love at the Ranch. He became my shadow and followed
me everywhere, as I worked on the Farm operation that we had started with the
herd of Black Angus that Ralph Foster, the owner of radio station KWTO gave to
the Ranch. He was with me every step as we worked to build the first Ranch House
Dormitoryand as I drove the old antique Road Grader that someone had donated to
us, to build roads on the 110 acres of farm land, he loved to ride in the seat
beside me.
Two years later, I left the Ranch for a career in music in Nashville. By the
time I left the Ranch had grown to over 50 boys. It was the best three years of
my life, working with the boys, and I was blessed to have that opportunity.
The boy grew into a man and had a life, because some folks believed in the
purpose of the Good Samaritan story in the Bible. They were willing to get down
in the ditch, lift up the fallen ones and show them the love of Jesus Christ. We
who grew up to know the love and caring of a good Mother and Father are the
blessed.
Thank you Lord for the love of a Christian Mother and Father, and for the gift
of music that my Mother gave me by playing the piano and teaching me to sing
along. *
Stan Hitchcock*
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:*
*
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him
with all your heart and with all your soul. *
* Deuteronomy 4:29 (NIV)*
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