I quit smoking over thirty years ago, and even though the urge hung around for a surprisingly long time I eventually got to the point where I didn't miss it. And I can confidently say that I still don't, but I realized something the other day - I kind of miss the gadgety aspect of the cigarette lighters I used to carry. Regular visitors to the GMC will remember that I'm all about gadgets and gizmos (even referring to myself as Inspector Gadget in a recent piece ) so it probably [...]
In this segment we briefly turn our focus on some of the individuals featured on this mix and the 1950/51 compilation . Pictured on the cover is the 1952 Cadillac in which Hank Williams died of heart failure on New Year's Day 1953, aged 30 (though he always looked much older than that). His was the first of a series of young celebrity deaths that created legends for all times. Among the more unexpected names in country must be that of Ole Rasmussen , a western swing bandleader who with [...]
After a hiatus of a few months we return to the history of country music. In the last narrative instalment ( Volume 4 ) we noted the rise of female country singers; some of them will feature in this mix, which covers the years 1950-51, and its follow-up, 1952-53. In the course of the 1950s we will also review country's contribution to rock & roll, and discuss some of the artists featured. What follows then is a brief overview of country music in the 1950s. [...]
As before, this album refers to artists and songs featured on both 1940s compilations. The importance to country music of Ernest Tubb 's Walking The Floor Over You cannot be underestimated. It was not the first honky tonk record, nor the first to use the new-fangled electric guitar. But it was the first really big hit to use electric guitar solos, performed by Fay 'Smitty' Smith, and is considered the breakthrough record for honky tonk music, a label that was variously used for different genres, but now [...]
Tex Williams : Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) [ purchase ] Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) was conceived as a novelty song. Usually, that means that it might sell some, but the song will then be forgotten. Indeed, this is Tex Williams' only real claim to fame. But the song has endured, and many artists have covered it over the years. Perhaps this is a testament to the talent of the song's author, one Merle Travis. Travis was basically an unknown when he wrote Smoke! Smoke! Smoke!, but he would later [...]
[ There are 18 MP3s in this post. All but one feature gratuitous yodeling. Some even include bird impersonations. Don't say you weren't warned. ] Applied chaos theory in the information age? Whatever you want to call it, it happens to me quite frequently. Stuff somehow makes its way onto my hard drive, and I have no clue where it came from. So I had this MP3 compilation called "Yodel!" lying around for a while, and the title and artist information all seemed very suspicious. (Like [...]
The first time I heard a hillbilly mambo song, I knew I'd stumbled onto something worth further investigation. The combination of fiddles and steel guitars with mambo-centric lyrics and spirited grunts made for goofy and irrepressible fun. For better or worse, I started seeking out such records and buying them whenever I was lucky enough to stumble upon one. Turns out there was a small wave of such discs released in the 1954 and 1955 time frame, when the mambo was dominating dance floors across America. Who knows, if these records came to life 3 or [...]
"If I owned Hell and Texas I would rent out Texas and live in Hell" - Philip Henry Sheridan "Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me." - George W. Bush No long commentary today, just a few great western swing tunes to kick off the weekend. Bob Wills - New San Antonio Rose.mp3 Tex Williams - Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette).mp3 [...]
When I first heard the music of Bob Wills playing on my grandmother's big old Magnavox Hi-Fi cabinet, I couldn't help but add a little bounce to my walk. Western swing came into being during the 1920s and '30s as the string bands of the Southwest blended a bit of cowboy, polka, pop, and jazz with their regular repertoire of old-time dance music. The string bands of Texas and Oklahoma added pianos, saxophones, drums, and most importantly, the steel guitar to get that full, rich sound popular with the Big Bands of the late '30s and pre-war '40s. [...]
Once again, thanks for all your drinking suggestions. I'm overwhelmed, but in a very good way. I'll be taking submissions until the bitter(s) end, so keep 'em coming if you've got 'em. The panel of judges is selected, including a very special guest, so thanks to all those who volunteered. Now. It's the other Tex. Tex Williams was probably best known for the classic "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That
Dirty trucker. Mother trucker. Where the truck have I been? I'm back, and as a gift, I'm going to revisit a familiar Mountain theme and obsession to make it up to all y'all. We love us some good tasty truckin' music, we sure do, and we've already ranted ad nauseum on the topic already. So kick back for a bandwidth-busting half a cd mix of rubber burning, white line chasing, diesel
Geezer Music Club
Keep the Coffee Coming
Any Major Dude With Half A Heart
Star Maker Machine
WFMU's Beware of the Blog
Old Blue Bus
bigrockcandymountain
SABRINA JOHNSTON + TIEFSCHWARTZ
American Idol Finalists: where are they now?
Check Out: Curren$y feat. Big K.R.I.T. & Wiz Khalifa – “Jef Life”
