Country music from a fan's point of view since 2008
The title track was the first of three singles released off of John Conlee’s third album Friday Night Blues, which came out in May 1980. The excellent mid-tempo ballad tells the story of a lonely housewife desperate for the affection of her oft-absent husband:
He’s been working all week
he’s got mental fatigue
and that old couch sure looks fine
All week he’s been gone
she’s been sitting alone
slowly going out of her mind
As he kicks off his shoes for the six o’clock news
she’s getting all prettied up
Oh she’s wanting to boogie
he’s wanting to lay there
she’s got the Friday night blues
And the Friday night blues
they get in your shoes and
they work to get you down
Oh and there ain’t a lady that I ever knew
who didn’t need her a night on the town
But the hills and the bills and a week’s worth of deals
has got him feeling more than used
Oh, he’s kicking his shoes off she’s putting hers on
she’s got the Friday night blues
there once was a time she was top of the line
her nights like teenage dreams
Now it’s operas at noon,
dancing round with her broom
talking to the washing machine
Oh, the girl down the street
says her old man is neat and
she makes it sound so true
Now she’s feeling lonely thinks
she’s the only one
with the Friday night blues
It’s a great story song that deservedly peaked at #2. The follow-up single, “She Can’t Say That Anymore,” a ballad about a cheating man, matched it. The alluring, yet much slower, “What I Had With You” stalled at #12.
“Honky Tonk Toys” is the story of a mother, her daughter, and the bar they call home:
Annie Mae Johnson gave birth to a child
In a room, at the back of this bar
She named her Rainbow, cause she came at midnight
In the light of a blue neon star
Rainbow brought sunshine to Annie Mae’s life
While Annie served drinks to the boys
She’d sit on the floor, in the back of this bar
And play with her honky tonk toys
And there were honky toys, like beer tops and beer clocks
But her most favourite toys of all
Was a beer carton cradle and a table cloth blanket
And a little brown beer bottle doll
Rainbow turned eighteen, two summers ago
Old enough to go out on her own
She wanted to know, what her Daddy was like
So she left her honky tonk home
Annie Mae still loved the man she divorced
Til he became Rainbow’s first choice
Now all that’s left, of Annie Mae’s Rainbow
Are three little honky tonk toys
And there were honky toys, like beer tops and beer clocks
But her most favourite toys of all
Was a beer carton cradle and a table cloth blanket
And a little brown beer bottle doll
The song, which was later covered by Red Sovine in 1980, is typical of its era, complete with the horrid twist. It’s certainly memorable.
Conlee is quizzical on “Old Fashioned Love,” questioning whatever happened to the idea of making a life-long commitment to someone. He follows with the splendid “Misery Loves Company,” a classic barroom anthem for the down and depressed. Conlee’s hot streak continues on “Let’s Get Married Again,” which finds a couple headed towards the ultimate reconciliation.
A nice dose of fiddle and twang provide the backdrop on “When I’m Out of You.” A strong conviction from a man to his woman is at the heart of “We Belong in Love Tonight” and “Always True” is about a man’s steadfast loyalty to his lady.
Friday Night Blues is a splendid album from start to finish, without a single throwaway track in the bunch. Conlee’s sound was beginning to change by the end of the decade. He was still retaining the producing prowess of Bud Logan, but his album’s, especially this one, aren’t suffocated by heavy orchestration. The songs are given their rightful place and are allowed to shine, just like they richly deserve.
Grade: A+
Adam’s self-titled debut was recorded in 1994. There isn’t much information about it online, so I surmise it was possibly a self-release to sell on tour.
Opener ‘Bad Luck With Women’ is a relaxed mid-tempo number, with warm fiddle although other aspects of the instrumentation are a bit tinny. The up-tempo ‘Sick And Tired Of You’ is pretty good vocally with Adam able to show a bit of personality, but a brassy backing is not especially country. ‘Heartbreak Side Of Town’ is a somewhat dull song with 80s style keyboards and dated backing vocals.
Early in his career, Adam was forced to rely on a high proportion of covers.
I very much enjoyed his take on Tom T. Hall’s ‘Old Dogs And Children And Watermelon Wine’, which Adam delivers with a laidback charm. It also benefits from some tasteful steel guitar. Also good is a cover of the Jim Reeves classic ‘He’ll Have To Go’. A very retro arrangement suits the song, and Adam shows off the deepest part of his voice impressively. Another strong effort is his narration of the Red Sovine truckdriving story song ‘Phantom 309’.
Adam covers Conway Twitty with ‘I May Never Get To Heaven’, well sung but given a rather old fashioned string arrangement and backing vocals. The sexy and catchy ‘Tight Fittin’ Jeans’ works better for Adam.
He copies the crooning side of Elvis Presley with ‘It’s Now Or Never’; quite pleasant but far from original. He can’t match the vocals of Marty Robbins on ‘You Gave Me A Mountain’ and frankly struggles.
Tamworth in New South Wales is the Nashville of Australia, and the site of Australia’s premier country music festival. ‘Tamworth Blues’ is an amusing song about a hopeful country singer on the outs with his wife and performing at the festival, and either recorded live or affecting to be (I suspect the latter), with crowd sounds and singalong. I enjoyed the track, and felt it was a are glimpse of the real Adam on this album.
The record closes with ‘Cheryl Moana Marie’, a New Zealand pop hit from the 60s.
Elsewhere Adam had not quite found his own voice, sounding as if he is copying the original artists on the covers. This debut showed promise for the future, but the odd sounding production on several tracks does it no favors. It is almost impossible to find anyway, out of Australia. Luckily, much better music was to come.
Grade: C+
August 1970, saw the release of the fifth Porter and Dolly duet album in Once More. The album featured five songs that Dolly had a hand in writing, plus two fine songs from the Don Reno and Red Smiley songbook, perhaps not so surprising since Porter’s fiddle player Mack Magaha had spent years playing with Reno and Smiley
The album opens up with “Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man” co-written by Dolly with her aunt Dorothy Jo Hope about the Reverend Jake Owens, Dolly’s maternal grandfather, who was a Pentecostal minister. Surprisingly, this would be the only single released from the album, reaching #4 on Record World, #7 on Billboard and #12 on the Canadian country chart. The song has the feel of an old-time gospel song and remains one of my favorite Porter & Dolly songs.
Daddy was an old time preacher man
He preacher the word of God throughout the land
He preached so plain a child could understand
Yes, Daddy was an old time preacher man
He told the people of the need to pray
He talked about God’s wrath and judgement day
He preached about the great eternity
He preached hell so hot that you could feel the heatYes, Daddy was an old time preacher man
Aunt Leanona would get up to testify
And we’d sing “In The Sweet By And By”
The we’d sing “I’m On My Way To Canaan Land”
Yes, Daddy was an old time preacher man
This is followed by a magnificent cut on the Reno and Smiley classic “I Know You’re Married But I Love You Still” a song that Mack Magaha wrote with Don Reno. The song, a quintessential forbidden fruit song was a staple of the Reno & Smiley repertoire for years and has been covered as an album track by many country artists. The duo of Bill Anderson and Jan Howard had a minor hit with the song as did Red Sovine.
The day I met you my heart spoke to me it said to love you through eternity
I know exact you were another’s pride I vowed I always be close by your side
I love you Darlin and I always will
I know you’re married but I love you still
You broke a heart dear that would die for you
I’d give the world if I could be with you
“Thoughfulness” is a modest ballad written by Dolly’s uncle Bill Owens. The song is a little subdued compared to most of the duo’s material but it makes a nice album track.
“Fight and Scratch” is one of those humorous ‘bickering couples’ songs that Dolly excelled in writing. I think it would have made for a good single but perhaps RCA was leery of issuing too many novelties as singles.
Fight and scratch fight and scratch that’s all we ever do
There surely must be more to love than to fight and scratch with you
You you to fight and scratch with you
Well you just bought a foal last month now you want a wig
It looks like you couldn’t understand my paycheck ain’t that big
Well what about the dough you lose in them poker games downtown
I figured you’d mention that smart aleck
Yeah and that brand new boat and that fishin’ gear
But no uhhuh I don’t reckon that’d count really
Fight and scratch fight and scratch…
Louis Owens wrote “Before Our Weakness Gets Too Strong” is a straight ahead country ballad, a let’s not cheat song. I’m guessing that Louis Owens might be one of Dolly’s kin.
“Once More” was the last top ten chart hit for the King of Country Music Roy Acuff back in 1958. Later the Osborne Brothers recorded the song for Decca. Porter and Dolly harmonize nicely on the song, but their recording sounds tame compared to the Acuff and Osborne versions. I think if the song had been considered as a single, the duo would have put more muscle into this Dusty Owens (no kin to Dolly) song.
Once more to be with you dear
Just for tonight to hold you tight
Once more I’d give a fortune
If I could see you once moreForget the past this hurt can’t last
So I don’t want it to keep us apart
Your love I need say you’ll love me
And say you’ll give me all of your heart
Joe Babcock’s “One Day At A Time” is neither the same song has Marilyn Sellars gospel hit from 1974 and nor is the same song that Don Gibson hit from that same year. This song is a reflective song about the way to approach life.
Dolly wrote “Ragged Angel”, another one of those doomed children songs that Dolly apparently needed to write as a catharsis. It’s a good song but the lyrics are nothing special. What is of interest is the exquisite Porter and Dolly’s vocal harmonies, which are a little different than their usual fare.
“A Good Understanding” is one of Dolly’s compositions, which suggests a marital relationship in which the ground rules were agreed upon in advance. The opening lyric suggests that this might have been an open marriage but as the lyrics unfold a more traditional relationship is revealed.
The album closes with the Don Reno composition “Let’s Live For Tonight”. While still sticking with usual bluegrass array of instruments, Reno and Smiley probably were the bluegrass group whose music most closely resembled the country music of its era.
Bob Ferguson is listed as the producer on this album, but I suspect that Porter Wagoner carried the bulk of the production duties. There is a characteristic Porter Wagoner & The Wagonmasters sound that permeates all of Porter’s RCA records. That isn’t a bad thing because it made the production of Porter’s records sound different that the vast majority of RCA product, but I am sure that it must have gnawed at Dolly at least a little, because if you removed Dolly’s voice from the duet albums you would have a Porter Wagoner record that sounded incomplete, needing another voice or voices. I like this album quite a bit but for whatever reason, this album is not quite as exuberant as some of their prior (and future efforts). I’d give this a B+ but a little more emphatic treatment of a couple of the songs would have turned this into an A.
1956 (Sales): Crazy Arms/You Done Me Wrong — Ray Price (Columbia)
1956 (Jukebox): I Walk The Line/Get Rhythm — Johnny Cash (Sun)
1956 (Disc Jockeys):Crazy Arms — Ray Price (Columbia)
1966: Think of Me — Buck Owens (Capitol)
1976: Teddy Bear — Red Sovine (Starday)
1986: Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her — George Strait (MCA)
1996: Don’t Get Me Started — Rhett Akins (Decca)
2006: The World — Brad Paisley (Arista)
2016: H.O.L.Y. — Florida Georgia Line (Republic Nashville)
2016 (Airplay): H.O.L.Y. — Florida Georgia Line (Republic Nashville)
1956 (Sales): Crazy Arms/You Done Me Wrong — Ray Price (Columbia)
1956 (Jukebox): Crazy Arms/You Done Me Wrong — Ray Price (Columbia)
1956 (Disc Jockeys):Crazy Arms — Ray Price (Columbia)
1966: Think of Me — Buck Owens (Capitol)
1976: Teddy Bear — Red Sovine (Starday)
1986: On The Other Hand — Randy Travis (Warner Bros.)
1996: Daddy’s Money — Ricochet (Columbia)
2006: The World — Brad Paisley (Arista)
2016: H.O.L.Y. — Florida Georgia Line (Republic Nashville)
2016 (Airplay): Church Bells — Carrie Underwood (Arista)
1956 (Sales): I Want You, I Need You, I Love You/My Baby Left Me — Elvis Presley (RCA)
1956 (Jukebox): I Walk The Line/Get Rhythm — Johnny Cash (Sun)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): Crazy Arms — Ray Price (Columbia)
1966: Think of Me — Buck Owens (Capitol)
1976: Teddy Bear — Red Sovine (Starday)
1986: Until I Met You — Judy Rodman (MTM)
1996: Daddy’s Money — Ricochet (Columbia)
2006: The World — Brad Paisley (Arista)
2016: H.O.L.Y. — Florida Georgia Line (Republic Nashville)
2016 (Airplay): Lights Come On — Jason Aldean (Broken Bow)
Country singer Josh Turner is shown in Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 9, 2007. At a time when much of Nashville seems to be retreading classic rock and pop, Turner has found success with sticking to traditional country music. While he’s not the only country singer with a traditional sound, he’s one of the few selling millions of records. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
1956 (Jukebox): I Forgot to Remember to Forget — Elvis Presley (Sun)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): Why Baby Why — Red Sovine & Webb Pierce (Decca)
1966: Waitin’ in Your Welfare Line — Buck Owens & The Buckaroos (Capitol)
1976: Good Hearted Woman — Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson (RCA)
1986: Think About Love — Dolly Parton (RCA)
1996: I’ll Try — Alan Jackson (Arista)
2006: Your Man — Josh Turner (MCA)
2016: Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
2016 (Airplay): Break On Me — Keith Urban (Capitol)
1956 (Sales): I Forgot to Remember to Forget/Mystery Train — Elvis Presley (Sun)
1956 (Jukebox): I Forgot to Remember to Forget — Elvis Presley (Sun)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): Why Baby Why — Red Sovine & Webb Pierce (Decca)
1966: Waitin’ in Your Welfare Line — Buck Owens & The Buckaroos (Capitol)
1976: Good Hearted Woman — Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson (RCA)
1986: You Can Dream of Me — Steve Wariner (MCA)
1996: Wild Angels — Martina McBride (RCA)
2006: When I Get Where I’m Going — Brad Paisley with Dolly Parton (Arista)
2016: Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
2016 (Airplay): Dibs — Kelsea Ballerini (Black River)
1956 (Sales): I Forgot to Remember to Forget — Elvis Presley (Sun)
1956 (Jukebox): <Why Baby Why — Red Sovine & Webb Pierce (Decca)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): Love, Love, Love — Webb Pierce (Decca)
1966: Waitin’ in Your Welfare Line — Buck Owens & The Buckaroos (Capitol)
1976: Good Hearted Woman — Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson (RCA)
1986: There’s No Stopping Your Heart — Marie Osmond (Capitol/Curb)
1996: Bigger Than The Beatles — Joe Diffie (Epic)
2006: Jesus, Take The Wheel — Carrie Underwood (Arista)
2016: Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
2016 (Airplay): Backroad Song — Granger Smith (Wheelhouse)
1956 (Sales): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Jukebox): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): Why Baby Why — Red Sovine & Webb Pierce (Decca)
1966: Waitin’ in Your Welfare Line/In The Palm of Your Hands — Buck Owens & The Buckaroos (Capitol)
1976: The White Knight — Cledus Maggard & The Citzen’s Band (Mercury)
1986: Makin’ Up For Lost Time — Gary Morris with Crystal Gayle (Warner Bros.)
1996: Bigger Than The Beatles — Joe Diffie (Epic)
2006: Jesus, Take The Wheel — Carrie Underwood (Arista)
2016: Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
2016 (Airplay): Home Alone Tonight — Luke Bryan feat. Karen Fairchild (Capitol)
1956 (Sales): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Jukebox): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): Why Baby Why — Red Sovine & Webb Pierce (Decca)
1966: Giddyup Go — Red Sovine (Starday)
1976: Sometimes — Bill Anderson & Mary Lou Turner (MCA)
1986: Hurt — Juice Newton (RCA)
1996: (If You’re Not In It For Love) I’m Outta Here — Shania Twain (Mercury)
2006: Jesus, Take The Wheel — Carrie Underwood (Arista)
2016: Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
2016 (Airplay): Home Alone Tonight — Luke Bryan feat. Karen Fairchild (Capitol)
1956 (Sales): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Jukebox): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1966: Giddyup Go — Red Sovine (Starday)
1976: Convoy — C.W. McCall (MGM)
1986: Never Be You — Rosanne Cash (Columbia)
1996: It Matters to Me — Faith Hill (Warner Bros.)
2006: Jesus, Take The Wheel — Carrie Underwood (Arista)
2016: Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
2016 (Airplay): Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
1956 (Sales): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Jukebox): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1966: Giddyup Go — Red Sovine (Starday)
1976: Convoy — C.W. McCall (MGM)
1986: Bop — Dan Seals (EMI America)
1996: It Matters to Me — Faith Hill (Warner Bros.)
2006: Jesus, Take The Wheel — Carrie Underwood (Arista)
2016: Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
2016 (Airplay): Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
1956 (Sales): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Jukebox): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): <Love, Love, Love — Webb Pierce (Decca)
1966: Giddyup Go — Red Sovine (Starday)
1976: Convoy — C.W. McCall (MGM)
1986: Morning Desire — Kenny Rogers (RCA)
1996: It Matters to Me — Faith Hill (Warner Bros.)
2006: She Let Herself Go — George Strait (MCA)
2016: Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
2016 (Airplay): Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
1956 (Sales): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1956 (Jukebox): Love, Love, Love — Webb Pierce (Decca)
1956 (Disc Jockeys): Sixteen Tons — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)
1966: Giddyup Go — Red Sovine (Starday)
1976: Convoy — C.W. McCall (MGM)
1986: Have Mercy — The Judds (RCA/Curb)
1996: Rebecca Lynn — Bryan White (Asylum)
2006: Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right — Billy Currington (Mercury)
2016: Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
2016 (Airplay): Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (Valory)
For most of the Classic Country era, the big four of country record labels were Decca /MCA, RCA, Columbia and Capitol. Of these labels, MCA/Decca has done the poorest job of keeping their artists’ catalogues alive in the form of reissues.
When speaking of the big four labels we will need to define terms.
MCA/Decca refers to recordings released on MCA, Decca, Brunswick and for some periods, Vocalion.
During the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Decca (later MCA) can be argued as having the strongest roster of artists. Such titans as Ernest Tubb, Red Foley, Webb Pierce, Conway Twitty, Jack Greene, Bill Anderson, Jimmy Martin, The Osborne Brothers, Bill Monroe, Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells and Loretta Lynn frequently dominated the charts with many strong second tier acts such as The Wilburn Brothers, Jimmie Davis, Roy Drusky, Jimmie C. Newman, Johnny Wright, Cal Smith, Bill Phillips, Crystal Gayle, Jeanie Seely, Jan Howard and Red Sovine passing through the ranks at various times. Crystal Gayle, of course, became a major star in the late 1970s and 1980s
In the early digital days MCA had virtually nothing of their classic artists available aside from some Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe and Conway Twitty discs. Then in 1991 they started their County Music Hall of Fame Series, showcasing artists elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, because of industry politics, their biggest stars, Webb Pierce and Conway Twitty, had not yet been elected.
Each of the discs contained fifteen or sixteen tracks or about 38 minutes of music. Many of the CDs featured artists who had not been on Decca for many years, and many featured artists who just passed through on their way to bigger and better things or had been bigger stars in the past. Among the CDS in the series were The Carter Family (on Decca 1937-1938), Jimmie Davis, Red Foley, Grandpa Jones (with Decca in the late 1950s – several remakes of King label hits), Loretta Lynn, Uncle Dave Macon (a real old-timer), Tex Ritter (1930s recordings), Roy Rogers, Sons of The Pioneers (with Decca during the 1930s and again in 1954), Hank Thompson (ABC/Dot recordings of the late 1960s and 1970s – MCA purchased the ABC & Dot labels – Hank never actually recorded for MCA/Decca). Floyd Tillman (1939-1944), Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells, Bill Monroe and Bob Wills (Bob’s best years were on Columbia and MGM). The Bob Wills recordings were 1955-1967 recordings on the Decca & Kapp labels – the Kapp recordings usually featured Nashville session players with no real feel for swing and are the least essential recordings Wills ever made.
Each of the CDs mentioned above are undeniably worthy, but are either inadequate or not representative of the artists’ peaks.
Some MCA/Decca artists have been covered by Bear Family, most notably Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells, Bill Monroe, Bill Anderson, Jimmy Martin and The Osborne Brothers. One could wish for more on some of these artists, but what is available generally is enough; however, it is expensive. Good two-disc sets would be desirable.
During the 1960s, Decca had their artists re-record their hits in order to take advantage of modern stereo technology, since for artists who peaked before 1957, such as Kitty Wells, Ernest Tubb, Webb Pierce and Red Foley, their biggest hits were recorded in monaural sound. An additional consideration for Ernest Tubb was that his then-current band was larger and better with musicians such as Billy Byrd and Buddy Emmons (to name just two) being members of the band. In the case of Ernest Tubb, the re-recordings were superior to the original string band recordings.
In the case of most other artists, I think the originals were better BUT for many years the original recordings were not available and listeners of my generation grew up hearing the stereo remakes whether on records or on the radio. Since the digital era began the stereo remakes have been unavailable except on Bear Family sets. It would be nice if the stereo remakes were available, and it would be nice if MCA/Decca artists were available on decent domestic collections.
Webb Pierce – several domestic releases of Webb Pierce’s hits are available but they generally contain about a dozen songs, all from the 1950s. There is a Bear Family set that covers up to 1958 – it’s great but it misses all of Webb’s lesser later hits. Webb was the #1 country artist of the 1950s according to Billboard, and while he slipped thereafter, he was still the sixth ranked artist of the 1960s with many hits, including a couple of Record World #1s. None of this has been released on CD. What is needed is a good three CD set gathering up Webb’s 1960s (and early 1970s) chart hits plus key album tracks and the stereo remakes of the fifties hits.
For as widely popular as she was. you would expect much of Barbara Mandrell‘s output to be available. Barbara moved from Epic to ABC/Dot and when ABC/Dot was absorbed by MCA, her music was issued on that label. Barbara had 30+ hits for ABC/Dot/MCA with many #1 and top five recordings. Currently, not much is available and she warrants a boxed set.
Jack Greene and Cal Smith both had fairly late starts to their solo careers. While there exist a few hit collections for each artist (on foreign labels), neither is very complete, leaving off key songs. For Cal Smith, since Kapp and MCA are both owned by the same company, a two disc set collecting Cal’s Kapp & MCA/Decca singles should suffice (possibly a single disc with about thirty tracks would be okay).
For Jack Greene, more is needed since Jack had over thirty chart singles for Decca and issued at least fourteen albums plus a hits collection while on MCA/Decca. Jack was a superior vocalist and his albums contain recordings of others’ hits that often were better than the original hits. While not a hit for Jack, his version of “The Last Letter” is the definitive recording of the song.
The Osborne Brothers were bluegrass innovators, developing an almost unique (Jim & Jesse were doing something similar) bluegrass and country hybrid with bluegrass instruments augmented by electric guitar, steel guitar and sometimes other amplified instruments. After leaving MCA/Decca for CMH and other labels, the Osborne Brothers went back to a more traditional bluegrass approach. Almost none of that classic hybrid material is available except for a gospel CD and an excellent but short (ten songs) collection titled Country Bluegrass which seems randomly put together. No bluegrass group ever has huge numbers of hit records on the country charts, but the Osborne Brothers did chart quite a few and they should be available domestically. I would think a single disc set of thirty tracks would be acceptable, although more would be better, of course.
Johnny Wright is better know as part of the duo Johnny & Jack (with Jack Anglin), but after Anglin’s death in 1963, Wright embarked on a successful solo career which saw the release of at least six albums on MCA/Decca plus twelve chart singles including the #1 “Hello Vietnam” , the first chart topper for a Tom T. Hall song. Johnny’s wife was Kitty Wells, and while he never reached her level of success as a solo artist, apparently it never bothered Wright as he and Kitty were married from 1937 until his death in 2011 at the age of 97. A good single disc collection would suffice here.
The bulk of Little Jimmy Dickens’ career occurred for another label, but his time on MCA/Decca saw the release of two albums of new material plus an album featuring remakes of his earlier hits. The Decca albums featured a staple of Jimmy’s live shows “I Love Lucy Brown” and an amusing novelty “How To Catch An African Skeeter Alive”. I think most of this would fit on a single CD.
Wilma Burgess was an excellent singer who came along about four decades too soon. While Wilma did not flaunt being lesbian, neither did she particularly hide it. Consequently, she never got much of a commercial push from her label. Many have recorded “Misty Blue” but none did it as well as Wilma Burgess. She recorded at least five albums for MCA/Decca plus some duets with Bud Logan, former band leader for Jim Reeves. A decent two disc set of this outstanding singer should be easy to compile.
I would like to see a collection on Loretta Lynn’s siblings, Peggy Sue and Jay Lee Webb. Since Loretta’s other well known sibling started on MCA/Decca as well, it should be possible to do a good two CD set of Loretta’s kinfolks. Jay Lee Webb’s “She’s Looking Better By The Minute” is an all-time honky-tonk classic.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, on a faraway planet similar to, yet very different from our own, existed a genre of music called Country Music. Within that genre was a subgenre know as Truck Driving Music, a subgenre mostly populated by big men with deep rumbling voices that sounded of too many cigarettes and too much coffee consumed at 3 AM at truck stops and diners around the country. This subgenre was populated by legendary singers such as Dick Curless, Del Reeves, Red Simpson, and Red Sovine. The king of the genre, the man so loved by truck drivers that the Teamsters Union awarded him a gold membership card, was Dave Dudley.
Meanwhile back on our own planet, the genre of Truck Driving Music barely exists at all, at least to judge from what is played by radio and CMT. What we have instead is songs about ruttish young males with their pickup trucks searching for scantily-clad females. Most of it is garbage and almost none of it is memorable.
That the genre of Truck Driving Music exists at all is largely due to the efforts of one brave man, Dale Watson, who has issued three complete albums of Truck Driving Music, starting with The Truckin’ Sessions, issued in 1993. With this album Watson brings the feel of classic Truck Driving Music front and center for the first time in at least a decade and a half , or since the decline of the CB era.
Dale Watson wrote all fourteen of the songs on The Truckin’ Sessions, and while it might have been interesting to hear Dale’s take on some of the old classics of the genre, the product presented here is more than satisfactory , and is a worthy successor to the tunes of Dave Dudley, Red Simpson, et al.
Most of the songs on the album are taken at an up-tempo reminiscent of Dave Dudley’s “Six Days On The Road” or “There Ain’t No Easy Rides”; however, the overall feel of the album owes more to the ‘Bakersfield Sound’ of Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Speedy West and Red Simpson, than to anything produced in Nashville.
“Good Luck ‘n’ Good Truckin’ Tonite” opens the album with one of those up-tempo songs referenced above. This track is followed by “Big Wheels Keep Rollin’ ” a song which reminds me of the Merle Haggard classic “White Line Fever”
Big wheels keep rollin’
Feel the rumble ‘neath my feet
Big wheels keep rollin’
The feelin’s a part of me
This is followed by “Heaven In Baltimore” an upbeat number about the girl waitin for him in Baltimore. The arrangement is similar to the ‘freight train’ sound that Buck Owens used during the 1960s.
Heaven in Baltimore
Heaven in Baltimore
Put the pedal to the metal
She’s waitin’ by the door
My Heaven in Baltimore
“Have You Got It On” is a mid-tempo ballad featuring some really nice steel guitar work by band member Ricky (C-Note) Davis. In fact, Davis shines through the album.
I see you roving up by tough look side
You got a six foot Shakespeare stickin’ in the sky
You’re smiling at me from your side view mirror
We might be closer than we appearBabe, have you got it on?
Babe, have you got it on?
Come on, come on, come back
Babe, have you got it on?
“Makin’ Up Time” picks up the tempo as does “Flat Tire”, a song about a trucker stranded by a flat. The arrangement on this song would fit nicely onto many of Dave Dudley’s efforts.
“Drag Along and Tag Along” is a bluesy ballad in which Davis runs some steel guitar runs that remind one of Speedy West.
“Exit 109″ finds our hero being seduced by a female on the CB radio for a tryst, whereas ” Help Me Joe” tells the tale of a trucker far away from home who is fueled by coffee in his efforts to survive
“Everyday Knuckleclutchin’ Gearjammin’ Supertruckin’ Loose Nut Behind The Wheel” is a trucker’s self-description of himself and his life.
Stopped to grab a cup of Pick-Me-Up
At the Pink Poodle Coffee Shop
I had a pow-wow with a couple of pals
I said I’d meet there on the flip flop
We started tradin’ stories with a little added glory
You’d think we were made of steel
Just your everyday knuckleclutchin’ gearjammin’ …
“You’ve Got A Long Way To Go” is an older truckers words of advice to a young driver.
“Longhorn Suburban” is a mid-tempo ballad extolling the joys of the open road.
The up-tempo arrangement, reminiscent of Del Reeves’ “Looking At The World Through A Windshield”, belies the sad lyrics of “I’m Fixin’ To Have Me A Breakdown”, a tale of a truck driver whose girl has left him.
Despite the solitary nature of the job, most truck drivers are family men and the reason why they persevere is exemplified by “I Gotta Get Home To My Baby”. It’s a topic that has been dealt with many times, and Dale does it as well as anyone.
That big eyed smile and a long hard hug
That’s what I got waitin’ for me
Move out of my way
I gotta get there today
She’s got her heart countin’ on me
I really liked this album and the full and tight sound Dale’s band achieves with only four musicians. Because Dale plays his own lead guitar, he seems to let the steel guitar carry more of the melody lines than might otherwise be the case. Preston Rumbaugh plays bass and Brian Ferriby plays the percussion as it should be played – strictly to keep the rhythm.
Grade: an easy A+
For part seven of this series, as always, just some songs I liked, one song per artist, not necessarily the biggest hit, (although I feel free to comment on other songs by the artist).
“I’m Having Your Baby” – Sunday Sharpe (1974)
Female answer to a rather lame Paul Anka hit with the answer song being better (or at least more believable) than the original. Ms. Sharpe originally was from Orlando, FL, but seemingly has disappeared from view. This song reached #10 on Cashbox, her only Top 10 hit (#11 Billboard). A few years later she had one more top twenty hit with “A Little At A Time”.
“I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train” – Billy Joe Shaver (1973)
For a guy whose only two charting records charted at 88 and 80, and who can’t sing a lick, Billy Joe Shaver has had a heck of a career as a recording artist, issuing several acclaimed albums. Of course, his main claim to fame is as a songwriter.
“Slippin’ Away” – Jean Shepard (1973)
Jean took this Bill Anderson composition to #1 (Cashbox) reviving a career that Capitol had abandoned. Jean was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, an honor two decades overdue.
“Devil In The Bottle” – T.G. Sheppard (1975)
T.G. kicked off his career as a singer under the T.G. Sheppard name (real name Bill Browder, and recorded also as Brian Stacey) with consecutive #1s. T.G. would have fourteen #1 singles between 1975 and ’86, along with three more that reached #2 . He worked for Elvis at one point, before kicking off his solo career.
“Greystone Chapel” – Glen Sherley (1970)
This song first saw the light of day when Johnny Cash recorded it for the Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison album in 1968. At the time Glen Sherley was a prisoner at Folsom. This was his only chart record, reaching #63. In addition to this song, Sherley had several other songs he’d written recorded, most notably Eddy Arnold’s recording of “Portrait of My Woman.” Johnny Cash helped get Glen Sherley released from prison, and even had him as part of his road show for a while. Unfortunately, Glen Sherley was unable to adapt to life outside of prison, and committed suicide in 1978.
“Dog Tired of Cattin’ Around” – Shylo (1976)
An amusing tune, Shylo recorded for Columbia during the years 1976-1979. This single charted at #75. Columbia would release eight charting singles but none went higher than #63.
“I’m A Truck” – Red Simpson (1971)
A truck tells its side of the story:
There’d be no truck drivers if it wasn’t for us trucks
No double-clutching gear- jamming coffee drinking nuts
They’ll drive their way to glory and they have all the luck
There’d be no truck drivers if it wasn’t for us trucks.
Red’s biggest hit, in fact his only top 30 record, reaching #1 Cashbox/#4 Billboard. Simpson was from Bakersfield and co-wrote a number of songs with Buck Owens, many of which Buck recorded, including “Sam’s Place” and “Kansas City Song.” Junior Brown recently recorded Red’s “Highway Patrol.” Curiously enough, “I’m A Truck” was not written by Red Simpson, but came from the pen of Bob Stanton, who worked as a mailman and sent Red the song.
“Nothing Can Stop My Loving You” – Patsy Sledd (1972)
Great debut recording – it only reached #68 but unknown to Ms. Sledd, her record label was created as a tax write off, so that there was no promotional push for anyone by the label. The next single “Chip Chip” reached #33 but from there it was all downhill. Patsy was part of the George Jones-Tammy Wynette show for a few years.
“The Lord Knows I’m Drinking” – Cal Smith (1973)
Bill Anderson wrote it and Cal Smith took it to #1 on March 3, 1973. Cal only had four Top 10 records, but three of them went to #1. His biggest chart hit was “It’s Time To Pay The Fiddler,” but this song and “Country Bumpkin” are probably the best remembered songs for the former member of Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubadours. Cal actually changed a few of the words from what Bill had written, probably a change for the better.
“Mama Bear” – Carl Smith (1972)
Carl only had one Top 10 song after 1959 and this song wasn’t it, dying at #46. By the time this record was issued, Carl was 45 years old and his career as a recording artist was stone-cold dead but that doesn’t mean he quit making good records. Carl issued many good records in the 1970s, but only “Pull My String and Wind Me Up” and “How I Love Them Old Songs” would reach the top twenty. Read more of this post
Had Carl Smith and Goldie Hill been born 30 or 40 years later, they might have been like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw or lately Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert – the dominant married couple in country music. Carl Smith (1927-2010) was one of the biggest stars of the 1950s; much bigger than either Tim or Blake at their peaks. Goldie Hill was glamorous and talented, with a powerful and pleasing voice, unquestionably one of the three or four best female voices ever in country music history. Those were the days before sleek luxury tour buses and private jets made touring less of an ordeal, making it hard to raise a family. So when they married in 1957, it spelled the end of Hill’s career.
She was born Angolda Voncile Hill in Karnes County, Texas on January 11, 1933. Her brother Tommy Hill preceded her entry into country music, gaining prominence as a musician and songwriter. Goldie made her debut in 1952, joining her brother Tommy as a member in Webb Pierce’s band. That same year, when visiting Nashville with Pierce, she auditioned and was signed to Decca – the same label as Pierce – by Paul Cohen. Her first single, “Why Talk To My Heart,” backed with “Don’t Send Me No Roses,” failed to chart, but her second single, “I Let The Stars Get In My Eyes,” rocketed to the top, occupying the number one slot for three weeks in late 1952. It was an answer to “Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes,” a hugely successful record for four different artists: Slim Willets, Skeets McDonald, Ray Price and Perry Como.
Dubbed “The Golden Hill Billy,” Goldie continued to record successfully.
The country charts were only ten positions deep in 1952 and 1953; although none of her records in 1953 charted, they sold well. In 1954 she was paired with fellow Decca artist Justin Tubb, the son of the legendary Ernest Tubb, for some successful duets, including “Looking Back To See” (#4) and “Sure Fire Kisses” (#11). A duet of “Are You Mine” with fellow Decca artist Red Sovine reached #14 in 1955. In 1959, “Yankee Go Home”, also with Red Sovine, reached #17.
In 1957 Goldie married Carl Smith, who had recently divorced June Carter. Goldie toured briefly with the Phillip Morris Country Music Caravan, but left the show to tend to her growing family. This marked the end of her career as a live performer, although she did return to the recording studio for Epic Records in the late-1960s, issuing her last recordings. Her final chart appearance was in 1968 when “Lovable Fool” charted at #73.
Carl Smith and Goldie Hill remained married until her death on February 26, 2005 after a long battle with cancer. Carl had basically retired by the end of the 1970s and he and Goldie spent their later years raising quarter horses and living the life of ranchers. Goldie lived long enough to witness her husband’s enshrinement into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003 (about 20 years later than should have been the case). Had she not chosen family over career, she probably would have joined him there.
Every now and then CMT, Country Universe or someone else will count down the Greatest Women of Country Music. Goldie’s name usually is conspicuous by its absence or low ranking, but know this: none of them were better singers than Goldie Hill Smith, and few of them were as good.
DISCOGRAPHY
VINYL
Because Goldie pulled the plug on her career at such a young age, the number of albums she released was small, especially when compared to other artists of her generation. As best as I can tell, there were four studio albums issued on Decca (Goldie Hill, Lonely Heartaches, According To My Heart and Country Hit Parade) plus two reissues on Decca’s cheapie label Vocalion (Country Songs and Sings Country which were re-releases of Goldie Hill and According To My Heart respectively, but with songs deleted from each album. The Decca albums were released between 1960 and 1964 and the Vocalion reissues were from 1967-1968. By the time Decca released any of these albums, Goldie already had been off the road for several years.
Goldie returned to the recording studio in 1968 for Epic Records with two albums released: Goldie Sings Again and The Country Gentleman’s Lady. Both albums are captioned as being by Goldie Hill Smith.
Other than 45 and 78 rpm singles, that‘s it. Worse yet, none of her biggest singles are collected on the Decca albums (the titles don’t appear on the Epic albums either).
CD
The Ernest Tubb Record Shop currently has one CD available – Don’t Send Me No More Roses, a fifteen track collection of songs released in the 1950s on Decca consisting of non-charting singles, B sides and stray tracks. Not as easy to find, but you can find it is I Let The Stars Get in My Eyes released in 2005 by an obsessive compulsive group of Brits who specialize in keeping old, obscure and forgotten roots music in print, be it American and Canadian country music, Australian bush music or country music from New Zealand. The label is British Archive of Country Music. This album contains 24 tracks – all 15 of the tracks on the CD listed above plus nine more tracks (including all of her hits). Caveat – because BACM titles are released in limited quantities, you may have to wait while they press you a disc and they are released in the format of very high quality CD-R recordings. Browse the BACM website – you’ll be amazed at what you can find there.
My Kind of Country 