Re: Albini Rant
Speaking of great rants, has anyone got a copy of that "How to make a major label album" rant that Ken Irwin from Rounder wrote and Jeff Wall posted to the list a few months back? Allen Baekeland *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Re: trivia help
Which Louis Jordan tunes made the country charts during the 1940's? Apparently, there were three. yep, at least in the top 40. "ration blues," #1 for three weeks; "deacon jones," the b-side (#7); and is you is or is you ain't (ma' baby), #1 for 5 weeks. all charted in 1944. source: billboard. bill f-w Welll...to be precise, these three songs made Billboard's "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records" chart, in the year it was inaugarated, 1944. and to quote from Joel Whitburn's "Top country singles 1944 -1988" - "In 1944, after the unprecedented success of Al Dexter's 'Pistol Packin' mama' the year before, Billboard began taking the music seriously enough to start its first tabulation of best-selling 'folk' music. The magazine wasn't too certain about what, exactly, constituted 'folk' music and frequently included black hot string combos such as the Four Clefs in that category." Other RnB performers on the chart that first year included Nat King Cole and Lucky Millinder, but by the following year's charts, RnB had pretty much disappeared. The name of the chart was changed to Country Western in 1949. None of which proves or disproves the popularity of black music with white audiences at the time. Allen Baekeland *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Re: Mandy Barnet, again
Don Yates: Not only is Mandy's new one the best album of its kind since Shadowland, but for my money, it's much better. I'd agree. Overall, the song selection is much stronger on Barnett's album, and the Nashville sound hommage is employed with much more 'subtlety'. Though I wonder whether this is because two thirds of the songs are produced by Harold Bobby Bradley alongside Barnett, rather than Owen Bradley himself. I find myself preferring their work. Jon Weisberger: I think Barnett's got a deeper affinity for the Bradley/Patsy Cline sound than lang did. Well, this is probably due to Barnett's stage experience. There's also the simple reason of how geography affects a singer's vowels sounds. Rural Alberta's a long ways from Virginia. lang's strongest country album was Absolute Torch N' Twang, anyhow, and I'll rate her version of Three Days over Barnett's take on her debut. Allen Baekeland *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Re: Big Star
Robin wrote: I forgot about Tommy Hoehn. Back in the late 70's I was managing a Sam Goody's in New York City, and two guys from another Memphis pop band, the Scruffs, were working there. They turned me onto Hoehn and a record he put out at the time, which I remember as being pretty good. As I recall, it was done at Ardent, home of Big Star (and Jim Dickson, producer extraordinaire). Losing You to Sleep, from 1978. Great pop album, and one I wish I still owned. Chilton plays on it too. Allen Baekeland *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Re: X in L.A.
We're booking the Calgary Folk Festival right now (July 22-26), and we wanted to get X but the price was prohibitive - that damned Canadian/US exchange rate being the main problem. So we did the next best thing...booked John and Exene separately with their respective bands, and they've agreed to do a workshop together. More details on the final lineup in about two weeks. Allen *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Playlist - Boot Heel Drag 3/23
I rarely post playlists for my show, but I thought the bluegrass content this week might interest some of you folks. The show was dedicated to Charles Sawtelle. Theme: Bob Wills Texas Playboys - Boot Heel Drag Wynn Stewart - Heartaches For a Dime Willie Nelson _ I'm Not Trying to Forget You Anymore The Gourds - January 6 Tex Ritter Johnny Bond - The Governor the Kid Kitty Wells /Johnny Wright 80th birthday tour in town March 26: Kitty Wells Webb Pierce - Oh So Many Years Johnny Jack - Poison Love Johnny Wright - Walkin, Talkin, Cryin, Barely Beatin Broken Heart Kitty Wells Red Foley - We Made a Mistake Kitty Wells - I Gave My Wedding Dress Away Neko Case - Duchess Jimmy Murphy - We Live a Long, Long Time to Get Old Delmore Brothers - Nashville Blues Grievous Angels (Ont.) - Hot and Dusty Monday Hot Rize - Walkin the Dog Hot Rize - Empty Pocket Blues Del McCoury - I've Endured Bill Monroe - Heavy Traffic Ahead Flatt Scruggs - Pike County Breakdown Jimmy Martin -You Don't Know My Mind Doyle Lawson Quicksilver - Happy on My Way Fred J. Eaglesmith - Don't You Try and Change My Mind Stanley Brothers - Hey, Hey, Hey Doc Watson Ronnie McCoury - Black Mountain Rag Delia Bell - Coyote Song Randy Scruggs - Soldier's Joy Jim Jesse - Nobody But You Reno Smiley - I Know You're Married Earl Taylor His Stoney Mountain Boys - Ruby Are You Mad Heartbreak Hill - Bluegrass Stomp Allen Baekeland *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Re: SXSW report (long)
Head to panel discussion on Hank Williams. Most fascinating aspect was contributed by Greil Marcus, who talked about a movie that fancifully described the last show Hank played. "Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave", featuring the great Sneezy Waters, from Ottawa, as Hank. Based on the play written by Maynard Collins which toured North America from 1977 to 1993. Waters nailed the role, winning kudos from people like Minnie Pearl and Wesley Rose for his portrayal. Waters also recorded a fine album of Williams covers in 1981. *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Jim Cuddy on Jeff and Jay
From an interview this week in a local rag with Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo: "You can get tired of rocking, it can seem forced, because it's harder to do than stand up on stage and be melancholy. It's so much easier to sum up the integrity of your pain than it is to channel some joy. Let's say, two bands like Wilco and Son Volt. I love both these bands, but I cannot watch a whole Son Volt concert. I think 'Fuck, smile, Jay. It's not so bad. You're getting 15 thousand bucks and there are all these people here. What could be so awful?' And so Wilco appeals to me more because there's a much more rambunctious, detailed spirit. " Regards, Allen Baekeland *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Re: Charles Sawtell-RIP
I am very sad to inform you that Charles Sawtelle died Saturday night at 8pm Pacific Time. Very sad news. My parents are close friends of Charles' folks, Dan And Polly...big-hearted people, salt of the earth, and immensely proud of their son. I'll be praying for them tonight. Allen B. *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
RE: Melba Montgomery, still going strong??
J.W. mentions: "If You Ever Want My Lovin'" - Sara Evans - a decent song. It seems to me that Ms. Evans has borrowed a lot of Melba Montgomery's singing style. The most blatant example is Cupid, the duet with George Jones on No Place That Far, where she sounds exactly like Melba. I attended a BMG promo shindig here last week featuring performances by Sara Evans, the Warren Brothers (great stage presence; one of them even did some buckdancing...but their songs are generic, flatulent "heartland" rock , not country in the slightest) and Keith Glass Russell DeCarle from Prairie Oyster. The whole thing was filmed by CMT for their "Hot Ticket" concert series. Evans was, as Jon noted a while back, solid as a rock and plenty country. As she is a couple of months pregnant there were a lot of one-liners on the level of "she's gonna be the next big thing in country music", etc. If she is the next big thing, that's okay by me - great voice, good songs, engaging onstage presence and her love of traditional country isn't just lip service. The surprising highlight of the show was a duet by Evans and Keith Glass of Fastball's "The Way", recast with a big heap of twang. I'd mostly ignored this song on the radio - the first few times I heard it I assumed it was Squeeze - but throw in a dobro and now I can't get it out of my head. Allen Baekeland *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Re: Reported today: How one band survived trends
By the mid-1980s, band members were clearing less than $100 a week each and making their own albums on a shoestring. Players came and went. Twang content: For a 5-year stretch in the mid-90's the bass player in the Numbers Band was my good friend Bill Watson, currently part of that swingin' ensemble Hillbilly Idol. Bob Kidney also toured with the Golden Palominos, when Syd Straw was the lead singer. Allen *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
