Country A Go-Go

With Debbie D

Country All-Stars - Marie - Jazz From The Hills

Jimmy Gray - Chicksville U.S.A. - Destination Lust 

Bobbie Gentry - Fancy - Fancy

Jean Shepard - My Mama Didn’t Raise No Fools - Capitol Records 45

Dion - Kickin’ Child - Columbia Records 45

Barrence Whitfield - Irma Jackson - Holding Things Together: The Merle Haggard Songbook

Country All-Stars - Sweet Georgia Brown - Jazz From The Hills

Kitty Wells - Delta Dawn - Country Soul Sisters

Everly Brothers - Lucille - A Date With The Everly Brothers 

Charley Pride - Kiss An Angel Good Morning - The Best of Charley Pride Vol. 2

Claude King - Tiger Woman - Country’s Greatest Hits

Bob Aden - Women’s Lib? - Americountry Records 45

Thumbs Carllile - Candy Girl - Roger Miller Presents Thumbs Carlille

Loretta Lynn - The Shoe Goes On The Other Foot Tonight - Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’

Willis Brothers - Women’s Liberation- Starday Records 45

Danny Cox - Revolution At My House - Danco Records 45

Red Simpson - Mini-Skirt Minnie - Capitol Records 45

Lester Flatt - I Can’t Tell The Boys From The Girls - RCA Records 45

Joe Maphis - Lorrie Ann - Fire On The Strings

Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue - Greatest Hits

Nancy Sinatra - Get While The Getting’s Good - Country Soul Sisters

George Jones & the Jones Boys - A Girl I Used To Know - Country Classics

Stoney Edwards - She’s My Rock - Dirty Laundry - The Soul Of Black Country

Judy - She Can Have You - Volume 3 - The 60’s

Jim & Jesse - Farewell Blues - The Jim & Jesse Story

Booze

 

With Mark Ehmcke

1. White Lightnin' - George Jones

2. Three Sheets In The Wind - Johnny Bond

3. Milk and Alcohol - Dr. Feelgood

4. One Scotch One Bourbon One Beer - Amos Milburn

5. Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee - Jerry Lee Lewis

6. Little Old Wine Drinker Me - Dean Martin

7. Beer Bottle Mama - Andy Reynolds and His 101 Ranch Boys

8. Whisky In The Jar - Thin Lizzy

9. Here I Am Drunk Again - Lattie Moore

10. Mountain Dew - Charlie Rich

11. Red Red Wine - Neil Diamond

12. Bottle of Wine - The Fireballs

13. Ain't It Funny (What A Little Drink Can Do) - Johnny Bond

14. Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps - Splodgenessabounds

15. Cocktail For Two - Art Tatum Trio

16. Honky Tonk Wine - Jerry Lee Lewis

17. Chug-A-Lug - Roger Miller

18. Summer Wine - Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra

19. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) - The Doors

20. I Am A Cider Drinker - The Wurzels

21. Corn Liquor - Southern Culture on the Skids

22. Drinking All My Troubles Away - Paul Howard

23. What A Tavern What A Town - Johnny Bond

24. Moonshine Minnie - Charlie Rich

25. Drink Up and Go Home - Bobby Bare

26. The Piano Has Been Drinking - Tom Waits

If You Don't Like Kristofferson

Jack Sanders: The Viet Nam Blues

Anita Carter: Loving Him Was Easier

Al Green: For The Good Times

Sam Baker: Sugarman

Kris Kristofferson with Joan Baez: The Taker (wr. with Shel Silverstein)

The Everly Brothers: Casey's Last Ride

Sammi Smith: Help Me Make It Through The Night

Faron Young: Your Time's Comin' (wr. with Shel Silverstein)

Jerry Lee Lewis: Once More With Feeling (wr. with Shel Silverstein)

Roger Miller: Jody And The Kid

Tompall & The Glaser Brothers: Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)

Hank Williams, Jr.: If You Don't Like Hank Williams

Janis Joplin: Me And Bobby McGee

Perry Como: For The Good Times

Waylon Jennings: Casey's Last Ride

Sammi Smith: I've Got To Have You

Johnny Cash: Sunday Morning Coming Down (live at Folsom Prison)

 

Smokes

 

With Mark Ehmcke

1. Tobacco Road - The Nashville Teens

2. Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) - Johnny Bond and his Red River Valley Boys

3. Wacky Tabacky - NRBQ

4. (As Long As They've Got) Cigarettes In Heaven - Oasis

5. Smoking In The Boy's Room - Brownsville Station

6. Wildwood Weed - Jim Stafford

7. When I'm In My Tea - Jo-Jo Adams

8. Nicotine - Vikings

9. Illegal Smile - John Prine

10. Cigarette - Ben Folds Five

11. Let's Quit Smoking - Super Furry Animals

12. Marijuana Hell - Ron Nagle

13. Cigarettes and Coffee - Otis Redding

14. Dad Blame Anything A Man Can't Quit - Roger Miller

15. Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray - k.d. lang

16. Cigarette Of A Single Man - Squeeze

17. Nicotine Fit - The Society

18. Last Cigarette - Dramarama

19. Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) - Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen

King Of The Road

"Every day is Saturday to a dog"

Roger Miller
Man Like Me
The Wrong Kind Of Girl

Mrs. Jim Reeves

 A couple of years ago, my buddy Robert got me this pocket date book off of eBay as a Christmas present, because of the Hatch Show Print logo. The only writing in it (other than what appear to be some notes made while doing a crossword puzzle) was the two-page spread seen below.

 Examining this, I realized that it seemed to have some connection to country legend Jim Reeves; my initial assumption was that it had belonged to Jim's manager or some other close

associate, who was making notes toward figuring out what to give Jim and Mrs. Reeves for Christmas a half-century ago. A subsequent perusal of one of my vast collection of postcards would lead me to a different conclusion.

Mary Reeves (1929-1999)

After Reeves' death in 1964, his wife Mary  dedicated most of the rest of her life to preserving Jim's legacy , both by releasing a great many overdubbed posthumous recordings, Norman Petty-style (some perfectly good, others notably less so--- also like Petty's Buddy Holly products), and by operating a Jim Reeves Museum in Nashville for over 20 years. At some point during that period of time, the souvenir shop sold postcards of the widow Reeves, one autographed specimen of which was in my possession.

Comparing her signature to the notebook, I concluded that the book had been hers, and that the "Mrs. Reeves" in the book was in fact her mother-in-law!

Judge for yourself... it's not an absolutely perfect match, but the 20-plus year gap between the two documents, added to the different nature of a signature and scribbled notes would explain that adequately in my view.

So that's the story of my "Holy Relic", as I currently understand it. Regrettably,if this actually was Mary's, it was likely released into the world when her second husband sold off all of her property and all rights to Jim's recordings and name when she went into a rest home. Her obituary has the sad details.

Here's Mary in happier times:

And here's the man himself:

(written by his old buddy Roger Miller)

James Travis Reeves
(August 20th 1923- July 31st 1964)

Postscript: For any Hatch Show Print fans here in the Athens, GA area, American Letter press: The Art of Hatch Show Print is in town at the Georgia Museum of Art until November 26th.

Roger Miller & Thumbs Carlisle

Long Boards N' Long Horns

 

With Rick Hamilton

Los Straightjackets - Hombre Concord Music

Slim Whitman - Cattle Call EMI

Rose Maddox - Down to the River Big A Media

The New Shadows - Peace Pipe Central Park Records

The Centurions - Bullwinkle Del-Fi

Marty Robbins - Big Iron Warner Music Group

Roger Miller - You Don’t Want My Love RCA Victor

Duane Eddy - This Guitar was Made for Twangin Reprise

The Jokers - Sabre Dance Cardinal

Susan and the Surftones - Spaghetti Beach Acme Brothers records

Tex Owens - Walking in the Sunshine of our Love Minstrel Music

Les Jaguars - Guitare Jet Merlin

Eddy Arnold - Cuddle Buggin’ Baby Acrobat Licensing

Cliff Bruner - Truck Driver’s Blues Decca

The Journeymen - Surfer’s Blues JB Production

Junior Brown - 409 Curb Records

The Lively Ones - Rumble Rhino

Al Dexter and His Troopers - Meet Me Down in Honky Tonk Town Columbia

Pounded by the Surf - Aloha Chino Hillls Cave Punk

Vaughn Monroe - Ghost Riders in the Sky Orchard Music

It's Roger Miller Month on the Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban

Live in Houston March 14, 1961

Joe Tex's Green Green Grass Of Home

Yesterday, Dr. Filth put up a fine post examining the intersection of the worlds Joe Tex and Roger Miller, which reminded me of another Joe Tex effort that came out of the country field.

The Green, Green Grass Of Home begins with a man happily recounting his eagerness to return to the familiar comforts of home after a long absence. There is, however, a catch. As the song unfolds, we learn the man is actually a Death Row prisoner and he's only been dreaming of going home. In reality, he is to be executed the following morning.

It's become something of a standard in the years since 1965 when singer Johnny Darrell released the original version of the song, followed almost immediately by Porter Wagoner's definitive interpretation, in which he added an extra layer of intensity by doing the final verse as a recitation. Tom Jones took the song to #1 in the UK in '67 and Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Hank Snow, among many others, also recorded memorable versions.

So, all that said, check out Joe Tex's moving version of The Green Green Grass Of Home, performed live on Spanish television in 1968.

The Needle Drop - Episode 2: We've Already Gone To The Dogs

With Richard Sibello

(music bed) Red Prysock - Hand Clappin'

Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton - Hound Dog

Mickey Lee Lane - Shaggy Dog

Vince Everett - I Ain't Gonna Be Your Low Down Dog No More

Roger Miller - Water Dog

Ronnie Self - Ain't I'm A Dog

(music bed) Georgie Fame - Beware Of The Dog

Jimmy McQuade and The Unique Echos - Booga-Ka-Do (Boogaloo - The Karate Dog)

Junior and The Classics - The Dog

Lou Lawton - Doing The Philly Dog

Dorothy Williams - Watchdog

Eddie Bo - Every Gog Got His Day

(music bed) The Sonny Knight Quartet - Be True To Your Dog

Jimmy Reed - Buy Me A Hound Dog

Little Robbie - Let Me Out Of The Doghouse

Harry Deal and The Galaxies - Salty Dog

The Trophies - Walking The Dog

The Del Counts - Bird Dog

(music bed) The Fireballs - Bulldog

Gamma Goochee - I'm Gonna Buy Me A Dog

The Stray Cats - Dig Dirty Doggie

The Mighty Hannibal - Jerkin' The Dog

Lewis Clark - Dog (Ain't A Man's Best Friend)

The English Setters - It Shouldn't Happen To A Dog

Bill Haley and The Comets - Two Hound Dogs

Rufus Thomas - Somebody Stole My Dog

(music bed) The Raging Storms - Hound Dog

The Cramps - Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?

Homer and Jethro

Ballad of Roger Miller

Super Swingin' Surfin' & Sunshine 60's Summer Mix

Today's Ichiban mix comes from Boss Jock Gareth Jones!  Check out his monthly on Dandelion Radio.

Jingle
Harpers Bizarre - Come To The Sunshine
The Sunrays - I Live For The Sun
Mamie Van Doren - Bikini with No Top On The Top
The Pentagons - Down At The Beach
Ernie Maresca - Down On The Beach
Steve Douglas & The Rebel Rousers - Surfer's Twist
Kay Bell & The Tuffs - (The Original) Surfer Stomp Pt. 1
Bruce Johnston -Surfin' Round The World
Hal Blaine & The Young Cougars - (Dance With The) Surfin' Band
The Petticoats - Surfin' Sally
The Surfettes - Sammy The Sidewalk Surfer
Little Pattie - He's My Blonde-Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Guy
Jingle
Diane Ray - Please Don't Talk To The Lifeguard
Ronnie Fuller - Do The Dive
Don Brandon - Doin' The Swim
Bernadette - The Slosh
The Honeys - Shoot The Curl
Break
Eddie Rambeau - Summertime Guy
Gary Usher - Three Surfer Boys
The Supremes - Surfer Boy
Ronny & The Daytonas - Beach Boy
Sea Shells - Love Those Beach Boys
The Beach Boys - All Summer Long
Break
Harmony Grass - Summer Dreaming
The Fantastic Baggies - Summer Means Fun
Jingle
The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City
Roger Miller - In The Summertime
Dave "Baby" Cortez - Summertime (Cha-Cha-Cha)
Jo Ann Campbell - A Kookie Little Paradise
Break
Jingle
Herman's Hermits - Sunshine Girl
Shirley Bassey - Sunshine
Jingle
Lesley Gore - Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows
Sunny Four - Goodie Good Ice Cream Man
The Chiffons - Three Dips Of Ice-Cream
Lulu & The Luvvers - Chocolate Ice
Break
Jingle

Super Swingin' Surfin' and Sunshine 60's mix

With Gareth Jones Dandelion Radio

Jingle

Harpers Bizarre – Come To The Sunshine (1967) Warner Brothers

The Sunrays – I Live For The Sun (1965) Tower

Mamie Van Doren – Bikini With No Top On The Top (1964) Jubilee

The Pentagons – Down At The Beach (1960) Donna

Ernie Maresca – Down On The Beach (1962) Seville

Steve Douglas & The Rebel Rousers – Surfer’s Twist (1962) Crown

Kay Bell & The Tuffs – (The Original) Surfer Stomp Pt.1 (1961) Dot

Bruce Johnston – Surfin’ Round The World (1963) Columbia

Hal Blaine & The Young Cougars – (Dance With The) Surfin’ Band (1963) RCA Victor

The Petticoats – Surfin’ Sally (1963) Challenge

The Surfettes – Sammy The Sidewalk Surfer (1964) Downey

Little Pattie – He’s My Blonde-Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Guy (1963) His Master's Voice

Jingle

Diane Ray – Please Don’t Talk To The Lifeguard (1963) Mercury

Ronnie Fuller – Do The Dive (1965) Joli

Don Brandon – Doin’ The Swim (1964) Dot

Bernadette – The Slosh (1962) Beach 5

The Honeys – Shoot The Curl (1963) Capitol 

Commercial Break

Eddie Rambeau – Summertime Guy (1962) Stateside

Gary Usher – Three Surfer Boys (1963) Dot

The Supremes – Surfer Boy (1964) Motown

Ronny & The Daytonas – Beach Boy (1965) Stateside

Sea Shells – Love Those Beach Boys (1964) Goliath

The Beach Boys – All Summer Long (1964) Capitol

Commercial Break

Harmony Grass – Summer Dreaming (1969) RCA

The Fantastic Baggies – Summer Means Fun (1964) Imperial

Jingle

The Lovin’ Spoonful – Summer In The City (1966) Kama Sutra

Roger Miller – In The Summertime (You Don’t Want My Love) (1965) Mercury

Dave “Baby” Cortez – Summertime (Cha-Cha-Cha) (1966) Roulette

Commercial Break

Jingle

Herman’s Hermits – Sunshine Girl (1968) MGM

Shirley Bassey – Sunshine (1966) United Artists

Jingle

Lesley Gore – Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows (1963) Mercury

Sunny Four – Goodie Good Ice Cream Man (1969) Epic

The Chiffons – Three Dips Of Ice-Cream (1969) Laurie

Lulu & The Luvvers – Chocolate Ice (1965) Decca

Commercial Break

Jingle

Two More Things About Jim Reeves

    (1) This didn't really fit into my previous piece, but I didn't want  to abandon it: Reeves was and remains a HUGE star in certain other countries, including Great Britain, Germany and Norway, but especially  so in South Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. If I may quote from Wikipedia:

"Robert Svoboda, in his trilogy on aghora and the Aghori Vimalananda, mentions that Vimalananda considered Reeves a gandharva, i.e. in Indian tradition, a heavenly musician, who had been born on Earth. He had Svoboda play Reeves' "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" at his cremation."

(I'd like to note that this was entirely unsolicited, unlike Stephen Seagal's promotion to "reincarnated lama" status. I don't anticipate that any such honors will be bestowed on Trace Adkins or Lady Antebellum any time soon.)

     A year or two ago, I was playing a Roger Miller album at work when a young South Asian woman walked up to the counter and asked if it was Jim Reeves. In talking to her, I learned that while she wasn't that knowledgeable about Reeves, that her parents and other family members were big fans, and that her aunt had gone to the Jim Reeves Museum while on vacation in America. Back home in either Pakistan or Sri Lanka (I forget which), this was seen as a big enough deal that she was asked to write an article for the local newspaper about her experience.

    (2) On a more personal note, my grandfather was not a major music fan (he didn't own more than a dozen records and a handful of 8-tracks), but his two favorite singers were Jim Reeves and Jimmy Rodgers. He had spent some time as a hobo in the 1930s, and as a result, this was his favorite song by either of them:

I still prefer my grandfather's off-key rendering of it, but Jim does it pretty well, too.

The (Filipino) Kingsmen

Not as good as the American Kingsmen when they recorded "Louie Louie", but better than a lot of their later work. And probably better than the gospel Kingsmen, but I'll have to admit that I've never actually listened to them, just snorted with irritation when I found them filed in the "oldies" section (other irritants: black Roger Miller, reggae Donovan, the reggae Wailers, and, of course, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons).

More Phun Phrom The Philippines: a commenter on a previous post sent us this link to a cool Tagalog cover of "Long Tall Sally." Thanks, Pat!

The Crazy And The Cool

Let's have Ichiban's boys of May 2011 set the stage for you.

Homer & Jethro - Ballad Of Roger Miller (mp3)

Roger Miller - This Town

"Things are so bad the weeds won't grow"

The Higher We Get The More Informal We Are

Do Wacka Do!
Roger Miller hamming it up on TV in 1966.
Complete with genius Thumbs Carlisle sportin' a nifty Batman shirt!!!

(Excuse the picture-less first 10 seconds or so)

Editor's note: see the entire show here!

Country A Go-Go

 

With Debbie D

The Frontiersman - Hi-Pardner

The Gee Cees - Buzz Saw Twist

Bonnie Owens - My Hi-Fi To Cry By 

Wilda Humphrey - Hot Pants 

Kenni Huskey - Number One Heel

Baldemar Huerta Con Los Romanceros - No Seas Cruel 

The Ventures - Guitar Twist

Gene O’Quin - I Don’t Know Anything About Love

Marvin Rainwater - Hot And Cold

Chuck Berry & His Combo - Brown Eyed Handsome Man

Shirley Jean Wiley - Long Tall Sally

Sunny Gale - Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad

Speedy West - Rippling Waters

The Hombres - Let It All Hang Out

Loretta Lynn - The Pill

Stoney Edwards - You Can’t Call Yourself Country

Roger Miller - Invitation To The Blues

Flatt & Scruggs - Folsom Prison Blues

Thumbs Carlisle - Hold It

Maddox Bros. & Rose - Milk Cow Blues

Texas Wanderers - Waitin’ At the End Of The Road

Arthur Smith - Guitar Boogie

Eddie Bonds - Rockin’ Daddy

Million Dollar Quartet - Paralyzed

Jim & Jesse - Farewell Blues 

Kenny Rogers - Daytime Friends