> Next up for discussion--honky-tonk diction. Why the heck do singers like Buck
> Owens and early Paycheck add an "ell" to words that don't have them? Like, "I
> ain't nell-ver..." They don't talk like that in southern Ohio (Paycheck's
> stomping grounds), and I bet they don't in Bakersfield, either.
Makes it easier to come down off the first syllable without sounding
harsh. Start on a high note on the first syllable and come down a fifth
with the word "Ne-ver" and then try it with "Nell-ver."
Kinda like singing "year" instead of "here" when you've got the tenor part
in B. Greases up the skillet a bit.
Speaking of Jones and Paycheck: Paycheck played Van Howard to George for
some time, and it's been argued that some of Jones' weirdest phrasing was
a direct result of trying to anticipate what Paycheck was gonna do, or
vice versa. John Weisberger, correct me if I'm wrong..
--
Geff King * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * http://www2.ari.net/gking/
"Don't let me catch you laughin' when the jukebox cries"
- Kinky Friedman, "Sold American"
