By the early 1940s the crooners had begun to make their mark, with Jimmie Davies — future Democrat governor of Louisiana — having led the way. Many of them had toiled and crooned in the 1930s. But with a world war slowly engulfing the globe, the market wanted, and got, romance. More than that, men took their country songs with them to the army and disseminated the music among their fellow soldiers. Country music thus found new fans, and its leading singers — Roy Acuff, Gene Autry, Red Foley, Tex Ritter, Eddy Arnold — gained a national audience. In 1945, [...]
You probably wouldn't guess that someone born as Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski would become a country music star. But even though his real name contains a clue to his original musical background, it would be his stage name - Pee Wee King - that would be remembered by fans. And even though he was a skilled accordionist and a good singer, he's probably most remembered for his songwriting talents. Many of the best country songs that he wrote or co-wrote also crossed over and became pop hits. Songs like "Slow Poke," recorded by Doris Day and [...]
"He ain't dead, he's just asleep" - Bob Dylan Aside from the usual harassment, that comes to my inbox daily from publicists, bloggers, special new acts with myspace pages, and eletro-DJ dudes from faraway places like Estonia and Omaha asking me to be a shill for things I couldn't possibly interested in, I've been getting a number of emails from friends and actual readers of this blog asking me where the hell I've been. Well, sometimes a man just needs to--as today's artist in spotlight, Gene Autry would say--drift along with the tumbling tumbleweeds. Well, [...]
The titles of posts in this series may be a bit confusing. They will refer to the timespan covered in the mixes. But this post looks at the era from about 1930 to about 1941. The next post will include the 1937-41 mix, but the text will be a sidebar to this article, also referring to 1930-41. I hope that nakes sense... Record sales collapsed dramatically with the Depression, with sales dropping from 104 million in 1927 to just 6 million in 1932. Some records still sold prodigiously, [...]
Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy holiday! Be sure to add the following classic tunes to your playlist to enjoy while sipping your cocoa (secretly spiked with Bailey's of course), cheers! MP3: Wham! - Last Christmas or zShare MP3: The Kinks - Father Christmas or zShare MP3: Gene Autry - Frosty the Snowman or zShare MP3: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - All I Want for Christmas or zShare MP3: Dean Martin [...]
YES! Whip out the cocoa and gather the grandparents, cause its time for the Holiday Classics to begin the GFP Holiday Hash season.Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms [mp3] (iTunes)Baby It's Cold Outside - Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting [mp3] (iTunes)You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Thurl Ravenscroft [mp3] (iTunes)Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Frank Sinatra [mp3] (iTunes)Donde Esta Santa
No Coffee Easter is complete without old Gene and Peter! MP3 File yousendit
Threads: Guns! Guns! Guns!John Cale, Gun.Nas, I Gave You Power.Gene Autry, Guns and Guitars.Cat Stevens, I'm Gonna Get Me a Gun.Julie Brown, The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun.Ray Ellington Quartet, I Didn't Know the Gun Was Loaded.The Bobbettes, I Shot Mr. Lee.Jimmie Rodgers, Pistol Packin' Papa.Al Dexter, Pistol Packin' Mama.Lulu, The Man With the Golden Gun.Blondie, Rifle Range.Bradley Kinkcaid,
Many Oklahomans were nominated, but only three came away winners at The 51st Grammy Awards tonight. Kings of Leon , which includes Oklahoma-born members Matthew and Nathan Followill, won their first Grammy Award: Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals - "Sex On Fire" The band was also nominated for Best Rock Album for Only By The Night and Best Rock Song for "Sex On Fire". Carrie Underwood [...]
Christmas music, y'all!! Some classics, some re-workings, and two of my favorites from Sufjan Stevens. Andy Williams - "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" Nat King Cole - "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)" Dean Martin - "Baby, It's Cold Outside" Gene Autry - "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" Frank Sinatra - "Jingle Bells" Brenda Lee - "Rockin' Around [...]
My family is big on the Christmas season - choosing a tree, cookie decorating, first sledding tracks, etc. Vermont makes the cheer pretty contagious, with blankets of snow and a multitude of Rockwellian scenes. The frustrating part for me has been locating the perfect soundtrack. I've purchased an embarrassing number of really bad holiday compact discs. Each time I purchase a new one I hold out that it will have classic tunes, a jolly spirit, and perhaps some interesting newbies. Sadly they seem to be rife with absolutely annoying tracks (Wham, Kenny G, Chipmunks). This [...]
I try to post up a holiday mix each year, but since my mixer is broken and I've been a little ill... I asked funny guy Joey Kern to step in and grace us with his cherished holiday classics instead. You might recognize him as the "He's already pulled over" guy from Super Troopers , one of the victims of Cabin Fever , or as the shirtless "Shirts Jokum" in The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang . He's also in the [...]
The Duchess is headed back to work today, after three months of hanging with Duke Jr. and Mini-Duchess. Sad day for her. Busy day for The Duke. Gene Autry ∞ Back In The Saddle Again More: Date Appropriate Songs
Outono Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass, 'Tis Autumn. Françoise Hardy, Autumn Rendez-vous. Hugh Hopper and Richard Sinclair, Long Lingers Autumn Time. The Moody Blues, Forever Autumn. Gene Autry, When Golden Leaves Are Falling. Chet Atkins, The Red Leaves of Autumn. Yves Montand, Les Feuilles Mortes. Jerry Lee Lewis, Autumn Leaves. Ahmad Jamal Trio, Autumn Leaves. Lena Horne, Autumn in New York.
I am sitting on my porch on a 95 degree (Fahrenheit)/ 35 degree (Celsius ) evening here in Austin. I've spent pretty much every night over the past month like this. Listening to music, drinking beers, enjoying the heat and pretty much soaking up a particular lifestyle that I've become accustomed to. Tomorrow I leave Texas which has been my adoptive home for the past 4 1/2 years. I am on my way back home to Ireland to start the next stage of my life. I am very much looking forward to being closer to my family [...]
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I am back in town. Chairlift are coming to town. Coincidence? Absolutely.
