Christmas and country music go together like peas and carrots. It's that time of year where Santa corrals up his steeds, puts on his spurs, and delivers presents to all of the good little cowpokes who have never heard of, much less seen, snow. Don't mind that flask of shine that Santa has stashed in his leather vest. It's hard work delivering present all over the world! And if you are an extra good little rocker, Santa may bring you a new steel gee-tar for Christmas. Yeee-Haw! Brenda Lee - I'm Gonna Lasso [...]
Want to celebrate this Halloween country style? Head on down to the Hexagon Bar come Monday night for the Hot Roxx Halloween Hoedown Hextravaganza.
In the slipstream of Johnny Cash came what would become known as the Outlaw Movement, an informal response to Nashville’s easy listening, corporate and safe style, often recorded in Texas, reviving the honky tonk sounds of Hank Williams with strong lyrical content. Starting in the mid-’60s with singers like Bobby Bare, Tompall Glaser and Johnny Darrell, the sub-genre’s standard bearers would include Waylon Jennings and his wife Jessi Colter, Willie Nelson (after he grew his hair), Kris Kristofferson, Leon Russell, Billy Joe Shaver, Hank Williams Jr, Jerry Jeff Walker and Gram Parsons. More traditionally-minded country stars, many mentored [...]
It's always fun to take a look at those performers who made a specialty of story songs, especially the kind that are sentimental to the point of cheesiness - which includes most of them, I guess. It's territory I've visited before - for example, T. Texas Tyler's "Deck of Cards" - but today's subject is Red Sovine, who had a long career in country music but made his name with story songs that spoke directly to truckers. Like many country music stars, Woodrow Wilson 'Red' Sovine was born poor in heartland America - in [...]
Michael Tomasky at The Guardian asks his readers to "Name us a song or two that all "right-thinking people" would dismiss as sentimental but that you love. And be bold and unapologetic!" I'll start off with Neil Diamond's " Forever In Blue Jeans " a top 20 hit from 1979, seen here performed in concert for a CBS special in 2009. I could list you hundreds of reasons why all "right thinking people" should not only dismiss this bit of sentimental drivel, but should actively hate it. Instead, I'll limit [...]
I have to admit this tenpack formula is a rather lazy affair, but heck, it´s summer, right? Let´s milk it some more then. Today we´re going completely country, with a varied selection of originators, outlaws and outsiders of the genre. So take that rocking chair outside, pour yourself a tall cool one (may I suggest the Lone Star brand?) and "sing a little bit of these working man blues..." Merle Haggard - Workin´ Man Blues MP3 Louvin Brothers - Let Her Go, God Bless Her MP3 [...]
Motor/Mouth is a bi-weekly series featuring WFMU staff and their rides. This installment puts Debbie D. ( Debbie Does WFMU ) behind the wheel. Main form of transportation: 1999 Ford Ranger. Mileage: 79.236. Where did you get it? Macon, GA. What made you pick it? It had been repossessed and was affordable. How long have you owned it? 9 years. How [...]
![Trucker Music Week Continues: As Promised, Here's Red Sovine [The Vault]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1463007_lg.jpg)
I have to thank commenter "disinterested 3rd party" for taking note of my Red Sovine-related tag the other day and giving me an excuse to post about one of my favorite artists of all time. The baritone-voiced Sovine wasn't an exceptionally talented singer, but through persistence and being in the right place at the right time he managed to make for himself a quality career with stretches of some of the most entertaining country songs I've heard. Sovine is best known these days for his songs about trucking—fair, considering those were his [...]
There are bad songs about being lonely at christmas, and great songs. Here are a few of the great tearjerkers. Suggestions on this theme are welcomed (comments!). Prince - Another lonely Christmas Brenda Lee - Christmas will be just another lonely day George Jones - Lonely Christmas call Adam Faith - Lonely pup in a christmasshop KT Tunstall - Lonely this Christmas Emotions - What do the lonely do at Christmas Red [...]
After a day of indolence yesterday I am back on the horse, so to speak, to bring you our favourite time-wasting indulgence: the Five Friday Favourites. I can't think of anything more tedious and unfair on Friday than being expected to actually do the work which we are paid to sit at our desks and do, so I spend the day pottering about on the internet, sorting out artwork for Toad releases, playing silly computer games, and keeping a nice Photoshop rendering ready to pop up onto my screen should anyone happen to walk by. What are [...]
Hopefully, Kliph won't mind if I hop on his Red Sovine bandwagon and post a couple of MP3's that will add a little extra context to his post from earlier today . The post discusses the hilarious feedback he received from a trio of sisters who sang with Red back in the early 1970's. Several years ago, I went on a major bender and bought all the Red Sovine 45's I encountered. As a result, I have one of the records Red and the girls cut lying around, I figured I'd go ahead and post [...]
George Morgan - The Man Behind The Wheel (3:30) Red Sovine - The Woman Behind The Man Behind The Wheel (2:30) Cletis & The City Cousins - The Man Behind The Woman Behind The Man Behind The Wheel (3:17) More info about Cletis & The City Cousins can be found at their MySpace page . And someone (not Red, who died in 1980) has put up a Red Sovine page [...]
A couple of weeks back, Debbie blogged on the topic of the "jody grind" phenomenon, wherein a military soldier (or sometimes a prisoner) is the victim of a cheating mate back home. The term originated as informal shorthand for "Joe The Grinder," a mythical character in jazz and blues tunes who was known for making time with the wives or girlfriends of far away military men. Though most jody songs may well have their roots in jazz, blues, and soul music, there are also quite a few country jody songs. In my ceaseless efforts to [...]
Here's a collection of three songs about a little crippled boy and the truck drivers who loved him. The CB radio craze conspired with Red Sovine's penchant for mawkish 18-wheeler-oriented recitations to make this one of the surprise hits of the mid-70s. Even more surprisingly, Diana Williams' amateurish sequel was picked up by a major label and became an international hit. John Texas Rocker unsuccessfully attempted to jump on the TB bandwagon with his unauthorized sequel, but seemed to be too preoccupied with having Teddy Bear interact with the star of a previous Sovine hit, "Phantom 309," to advance the [...]
:: Is There Really A Santa Claus :: :: Christmas Love Song :: Christmas and sad-sack country music goes together like bourbon and eggnog— it’s often sickly sweet going down, sticks with you and, if done right, packs a punch. And the king of Country Christmas Tear-Jerkers is none other than the late, great Red Sovine, who isn’t afraid to dredge up every hoary cliché to provoke a reaction.
When I was a young boy, I dreamed that one day I would grow up and drive behind the wheel of a great 18-wheeled truck. Me and "The Bandit" would deliver ice cold beer to the thirsty people of America. I'd have a mustache and the chicks would dig me. And I'd have a little buddy chimpanzee riding along with me enjoying the freedom of the open road. Well, that dream never came true for me. And like many of my career [...]
1957 what a beautiful world this will be Charles Mingus, Haitian Fight Song. The Spaniels, You're Gonna Cry. The Pastels, Been So Long. Carol Lawrence, I Feel Pretty. Art Pepper, Red Pepper Blues. The "5" Royales, Dedicated to the One I Love. Red Sovine, Juke Joint Johnny. Mal Waldron, Nervous. Buddy Holly and the Crickets, I'm Looking For Someone to Love. Thurston Harris and the Sharps, Little
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