COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS
Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Thursday January 7th, 2016
Email: djdclassics@gmail.com
STORY BEHIND THE SONG
Songs – especially hit songs – come from many different sources and as the story
goes – Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard's 1983 number one "Pancho And Lefty" came
about because Willie's daughter brought a copy of the Emmylou Harris album
"Luxury Liner" to the recording session and played Townes Van Zandt's recording
of "Pancho And Lefty" for Willie and Merle.
A couple of oddities that occurred during that session included the problem of
getting the "instrumental bridge" just right. According to Willie – both he and
super picker Grady Martin tried it but it didn't sound right so the guitar work
you hear on the bridge is that of producer Chips Moman – who reportedly
multi-tracked several guitar parts to complete the recording.
And the second oddity: Willie and Merle only actually sang together on the final
line of the song and Merle sang the last verse.
After completion – Epic Records held up releasing the album for a year – then
released "Reasons To Quit" as the first single from the LP and finally released
"Pancho And Lefty" in early 1983.
Merle and Willie's Epic Records single "Pancho And Lefty" came on the country
music charts April 30th, 1983 and was at the top of the charts on July 23rd.
It was produced by Chips Moman, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson.
The song was written by Townes Van Zandt and was on the charts for 21 weeks.
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Still cleaning out storeroom and found a box of 20 country music magazines -
mostly 60's and 70's -Country Song Roundup - Country Music Stars - Music City
News - Country Weekly - Country Music Magazine - etc - all still have covers and
in fair condition.- no pages torn out - I'll ship the whole box to you for $80
- I'll pay the postage. Email to djdclassics@gmail.com
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I read about a new Hank Williams Sr. exhibit that is available. Do you know
where?
A: The exhibit is made possible by The Google Cultural Institute - which
hosts exhibits and collections from more than 60 famous cultural institutions
and is now hosting the Hank Williams exhibit in its entirety - online. The
exhibit goes deep into the legacy of the Williams family with the photos and
stories detailing many stops along Hank's life both personal and professional.
One such example is the Western Union telegram he sent his record producer Fred
Rose announcing the birth of his new son, Hank Williams Jr. To view - go to:
<https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/exhibit/family-tradition-the-williams-family-legacy/nwJyEalr-lV0LQ?projectId=performing-arts&position=0%3A0>
Q: The radio guys mentioned Loretta Lynn talking about why she wrote the songs
she wrote. Is that interview available?
A: The interview was with Billboard Magazine in which Loretta tells how she
actually paved the way for today's female country artists by tackling
contraception, divorce and the hard side of motherhood — topics that were
considered taboo at the time, especially for a woman. Lynn says she wrote songs
about those topics because "nobody had done it, for one thing, and I thought it
should be done. A woman shouldn't be looked down on. There wouldn't be one on
the way if it wasn't for a man, would there?" In her 1975 hit "The Pill," lyrics
such as, "This old maternity dress I've got / Is going in the garbage / The
clothes I'm wearing from now on / Won't take up so much yardage" got Lynn banned
from several radio stations — but they also got her on the charts and helped
open doors for women in music. "I think I've done quite a bit," Lynn reflects.
"I'm probably one of the girl singers who have helped other girl singers get in
the business, because it is harder for girls to get on labels and be out
there."
Q: Do you know anything about something being celebrated at Sun's Studios in
Memphis, Tennessee? My daughter says there was a mention of it in the newspaper.
A: Sixty-six years ago (Jan. 3, 1950) was an historic day for country music,
although no one was aware of it at the time. It was on that day that the famous
Sun Studio — home of future recordings from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry
Lee Lewis, among others — opened in Memphis, Tenn. Sam Phillips, a radio
engineer at Memphis radio station WREC-AM, opened Sun Studio — originally named
Memphis Recording Service — at 706 Union Ave., along with his good friend and
assistant, Marion Keister. Phillips also opened Phillips Records with his friend
DJ Dewey Phillips (no relation), but they failed to produce any hit records.
Following the failure of Phillips Records, Sam Phillips began providing
recordings for other labels, including Chess Records and Modern Records. But in
1952, Phillips again launched his own label, this time calling it Sun Records,
with much more success. The label recorded then-up-and-coming artists such as
B.B. King and Rufus Thomas, who gave the label their first big hit with
"Bearcat" (although a copyright infringement lawsuit over the song and its
similarity to Presley's "Hound Dog" took all of the proceeds from the single).
By 1953, the Prisonaires, a group who had received permission to leave prison to
record "Just Walkin' in the Rain," helped Phillips gain notoriety and led an
18-year-old Presley to head to Sun Studio to record two songs: "My Happiness"
and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin." The story differs on why Presley
recorded the songs — some say that they were a gift for his mother and while
others say that he wanted to hear what his voice sounded like when recorded —
but either way, he got the attention of Phillips, who invited Presley back to
his studio, this time to record "I'll Never Stand in Your Way" and "It Wouldn't
Be the Same Without You." After taping an impromptu jam session with Presley
singing "That's All Right," Phillips played the tape on his radio show, Red, Hot
and Blue, kicking off Presley's career as one of music's biggest stars. But as
Presley's popularity soared, Phillips realized that his small record label was
insufficient to market the up-and-coming star, and he sold Presley's contract
to RCA Records, where Presley stayed for his entire career. Although Sun Records
lost Presley, the money from the sale of Presley's contract (reportedly
$35,000), helped Phillips launch the careers of several other artists, including
Carl Perkins, Lewis, Roy Orbison and Cash, who released more than two dozen
albums on Sun Records. Sun Studio closed in the '70s but reopened in 1987.
Today, it operates as a recording studio and tourist attraction. More
information can be found at SunStudio.com.
Q: My dad used to talk about his next door neighbor years ago by the name of
Jimmy Gately. He said Gately was a musician who [performed with another guy
named Morrison who later worked with The Wilburn Brothers. I never heard of
either of these guys. Do you have any information?
A: Jimmy Gately and Harold Morrison performed as a duet act on radio in
Jamestown, North Dakota in the early 50's. They later moved to WWVA in Wheeling,
West Virginia and later to Springfield, Missouri and The Ozark Jubilee. Morrison
later became a regular on The WIlburn Brothers TV Show and Gately fronted Bill
Anderson's Po Boys Band. Morrison died in 1993. Gately passed away in 1985.
Q: I have heard about a Merle Haggard Festival in Muskogee. Do you have any
details?
A: The inaugural G Fest is scheduled for June 16-19, 2016, featuring Merle
Haggard, the Avett Brothers and the Turnpike Troubadours, among others. Old Crow
Medicine Show, and The Swon Brothers. G Fest is being presented by the Oklahoma
Music Hall of Fame, the City of Muskogee, the City of Muskogee Foundation and
Muskogee Tourism.
Q: My uncle lived in California years ago and he talked about a singer there
named Doye O'Dell. I've never heard of him. Have you?
A: Allen Doye O'Dell was born in Gustine, Texas in 1912 but made his mark in
California, starting with KTLA, one of the country's pioneer TV stations. Doye's
'Western Varieties' TV show was a Friday night staple for many years. Doye was
also an actor and besides appearing with Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers
in some of their late 1940s movies like Under California Stars, Doye appeared in
many movies with such names as Ronald Reagan, Jack Lemmon, Ava Gardner and many
more. He appeared in many late 50s and early 60s TV series like Maverick,
Sugarfoot and Empire. He had parts in two Billy Wilder movies, The Days of Wine
and Roses and Irma La Douce. Doye continued playing music and making personal
appearances into his 80s until a stroke forced him into retirement. Doye passed
away in 2001 at the age of 88.
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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 at no
charge.
For information, email me at djdclassics@gmail.com
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NUMBER ONES ON THIS DATE
1951
I Love You a Thousand Ways - Lefty Frizzell
1959
City Lights - Ray Price
1967
There Goes My Everything - Jack Greene
1975
The Door - George Jones
1983
Wild and Blue - John Anderson
1991
I've Come to Expect It From You - George Strait
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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY
1930
Born on this day in Maryville, Tennessee, was Jack Greene the country musician
nicknamed the "Jolly Green Giant". His best known song is the 1966 #1 hit "There
Goes My Everything." He died at home on March 14, 2013, from complications of
Alzheimer's disease two months after his 83rd birthday.
1943
Born on this day in Vienna, Missouri was country singer Leona Williams. She was
a backing musician for Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard, to whom she was married
between 1978 and 1983. She also charted eight times on Hot Country Songs, with
her only Top 40 hit being a duet with Haggard titled "The Bull and the Beaver."
1956
Johnny Cash started a regular Saturday night spot on the Louisiana Hayride,
broadcast from the Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
1959
Born on this day in Herrin, Illinois, was David Lee Murphy country singer,
songwriter, who scroed the 1995 US Country #1 hit "Dust On The Bottle."
1971
Lynn Anderson was at #1 on the country music chart with "Rose Garden." The title
track from her album stayed at the #1 position for four weeks. Anderson received
a Grammy Award for the song for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
Top of Form
Top of Form
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EULOGY FOR WARREN FINGERBIRD.
By: Jack Blanchard
"Ahem. Thank you, both of you, for joining me at the grave site
for this final service.
"Our dear departed friend, Warren Fingerbird,
retired from his government career as a Chicken Interrogator,
and decided to become a famous songwriter.
He had a minuscule talent, a generous ego,
and enough first-class ignorance to be a success.
"He flooded the market with his music.
He was the world's fastest songwriter writing over a dozen songs a day.
They weren't bad songs...just not good songs.
Warren had mediocrity down to a fine art.
"With about five hundred songs a month being recorded,
the odds were in his favor that somebody would buy one,
listen to it once, and then re-gift it to a friend at Christmas.
"He took other people's old hits and cleverly changed them around,
like 'Just a Kosher Waltz with Thee', and 'Crab Diver'.
"Although his songs weren't very good they began making him a profit,
which he enjoyed boasting about to other songwriters, just to make them cry.
"He hired young singers and musicians to try to make his music modern,
but even with all the new technology, it still sounded like The Lawrence Welk
Show blew up. Warren loved that sound.
"He had not the slightest doubt of his musical genius, and maybe that was his
secret of happiness.
"Warren was not crazy except for occasionally thinking he was a penguin,
and he was not a bad person, but there were musicians
who dreamed of the sweetest ways to kill him.
One of those was to take him down to the river and baptize him to death.
They called this "Holy Boarding".
"Warren received insults with as much manic glee as he dished them out,
and that is why we are grateful to him for making this evening possible.
Thank you."
Jack Blanchard
http://jackandmisty.net
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VIEW FROM THE FRONT PORCH
By: Stan Hitchcock
Well, here we are... the first week of the brand new year. It's too blame cold
to sit out on the Front Porch and drink my coffee, so here I am, all snug and
warm in my hideaway...office...pieces of my life depository...music...
fishing room. It's where I hive up like an old bear when the cold winds start
howling outside, still stuffed full of all the Christmas goodies, surrounded by
guitars and fishing poles with lures tied on just a'waitin' for a warm winter
day to venture out on another adventure. Pictures on the wall to remind me of my
music life before fishing took over, my old Stetson with the hole wore in it,
the Carl Smith Roping saddle next to my work area, the old 1830 double barrel
black powder shotgun hanging on the wall, my collection of In-fisherman
magazines in their rack, read and reread time and again, my beautiful hand-made
Russ Filbeck Rocking Chair, that Russ made for me some years ago, as a reminder
of a troubled boy coming to live at the just started Boys Ranch, and who now is
a renowned chair maker in California who makes Museum quality chairs for former
Presidents...and old hillbilly singers like me. It stands as the most prized
possession far above any music or tv award I ever received. On the couch,
sleeping soundly, is a dog to love and who believes that you can handle about
anything that comes up, thereby giving you a sense of confidence...where others
might see you as just another old man...the dog sees you as a champion...so who
you gonna believe? Why, the dog of course.
Wintertime, for me, is a time to take stock of where you are in life, to work on
refining and polishing your old rough and ragged self, to both seek and give
forgiveness for past slights, slips or wrongs...including even forgiving
ourselves for not living up to the high standards that God expects and we seek
to fulfill. To fail occasionally keeps us from becoming too Holier Than Thou,
too prideful and reminds us that it is only through the Grace Of God that gives
us Strength to Stand, that we can even keep on keeping on.
I have found that God gives us a sense of humor, to learn to laugh at ourselves,
and encourage others to laugh with us. Man, I ain't got time to spend on gloom
and doom, I still got some living to do...fish to catch...songs to
write...stories to relate...and more treasures to find to fill up my special
room, like a pretty stone that has been worked by some long ago artisan, an
antique fishing lure or another old guitar that needs tuning.
I have determined to watch less Bad Breaking News, worry less about National
Politics, love more, grump less, pet my dogs and cat more often and tell them
how important they are to our lives, for while they might not understand all the
words, they understand the affection, continue to search Scripture for answers
to everyday events, tell the Truth even when it hurts, to seek Wisdom instead of
wealth or fame, to keep my guns cleaned and oiled and my fishing rods freshly
lined and reels lubed and most of all....to show my Wife and Partner just how
much she is appreciated and loved. and that her "good woman-ness" is worth more
to me than A House Of Gold-A Boat Of Silver-and an unlimited Gift Card to Bass
Pro and Cabela's...now Friends and Neighbors...that's lovin' some, ain't it?
www.hitchcockcountry.com -
http://www.hitchcockcountry.com
BLUEHIWAYS TV is on Dish Network Channel 73
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone,
the new is here!
– 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
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