Here’s some of the choicest sections of Americana and roots music for August 30th, 2019.
Titles are linked to a source to purchase that may contribute to this site and help us keep doing
what we do. Enjoy the great bounty shared by these fine talented folks.
See the full Wanted! – Notable Americana and Roots Music Releases for 2019 list here.
Sheryl Crow – ‘Threads’
Sara Evans and The Barker Family Band (Live from City Winery Nashville)
Here’s some of the choicest sections of Americana and roots music for August 23rd, 2019.
Titles are linked to a source to purchase that may contribute to this site and help us keep doing
what we do. Enjoy the great bounty shared by these fine talented folks.
See the full Wanted! – Notable Americana and Roots Music Releases for 2019 list here.
Tanya Tucker – ‘While I’m Livin’ ‘
Vince Gill – ‘Okie’
Dalton Domino – ‘Songs From the Exile’
Jason Hawk Harris – ‘Love & the Dark’
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys – ‘Toil, Tears & Trouble’
Michael Cleveland – ‘Tall Fiddler’
Esther Rose – ‘You Made It This Far’
Leslie Stevens – ‘Sinner’
Croy and the Boys – ‘Howdy High-Rise’
Erin Enderlin – ‘Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night’
In tribute to the memory of singer/songwriter David Berman Swedish roots duo First Aid Kit has released two songs; the original “Strange Beauty†and their rendition of Berman’s band Silver Jews’ “Random Rules.â€
In speaking about David Berman and their homage to his life and legacy, Klara Söderberg says: “I think a lot of people were as shocked as I was upon hearing the news of David Berman’s passing. It didn’t seem real. It left me completely devastated. So I wrote the song ‘Strange Beauty’ to try to make sense of my feelings.†She continues, “‘Random Rules’ is a long time Berman favorite of ours and a song we always thought we would record if we ever made a cover album. It holds some of the greatest lyrics ever penned and shows the genius of David Berman. We hope the songs can be some kind of comfort.â€
After struggling for years with addiction Berman died by suicide on August 7, 2019, in Brooklyn, New York.
Hear the solemn and sparse “Strange Beauty†and their rendition of “Random Rules†swell as Silver Jews’ below.
Insurgent country artist Cody Jinks will release his next independent LP ‘After the Fire’ on October 11th, the album is the first to be released via the Texas songwriter’s own label, Late August Records.
Last April Jinks posted photos from West Texas’ Sonic Ranch studio, where he recorded his last three albums – Adobe Sessions, I’m Not The Devil and Lifers – teasing new music on the way.
This is one release Casa Twang will be looking forward to this coming fall.
After the Fire
Ain’t a Train
Yesterday Again
Tell ’em What It’s Like
Think Like You Think
William and Wanda
One Good Decision
Dreamed With One
Someone to You
Tonedeaf Boogie
Kelsey Waldon has released a lyric video for “Sunday’s Children,” he second single from her upcoming Oh Boy! Records release “White Noise/White Lines.”
The song is a Southern-fried soul-song urging awareness, unity, and understanding and to accept each other’s differences and look for “universal truth.”
It’s a cool song and Waldon pulls it off without beating the listener over the head with an overt partisan sermon. That’s a rare thing in these times.
The first single from the album, “Anyhow,” was released in early July.
Light in the Attic Records continues its Lee Hazlewood archival series with 400 Miles From L.A. 1955-56, a collection of previously unknown demo recordings that reveal the talents of the late songwriter, producer, and artist from a very early stage in his career. (out Sept. 13th on CD/vinyl and digitally),
Lost for over 60 years, these recently unearthed recordings find Hazlewood in Phoenix, AZ, honing his songwriting skills as he shuttled himself back and forth on a Greyhound bus to Los Angeles in hopes of landing a hit song. These early sketches and unheard gems further expand on Hazlewood’s influential recorded history, adding a new first chapter to his legacy that comes a full decade before his song “These Boots Are Made For Walking†became a smash hit for Nancy Sinatra.
A songwriter by trade, Hazlewood kept for himself the songs that weren’t snatched up by larger-profile artists (such as “Houston†by Dean Martin and “This Town†by Frank Sinatra), yet never quite achieved the success in his own time that others had with his compositions. He would go on to be discovered and recognized by latter-day champions in Beck, Sonic Youth, Jarvis Cocker and Spiritualized, who appreciated Lee for his unique sonic gifts as a producer and writer.
A natural wanderer, Lee lived a big life, serving for the U.S. Army in the Korean War, working as a radio DJ in Phoenix, Arizona, setting up Viv Records in the ‘50s, producing hits for Duane Eddy and Sanford Clark, working as a big-shot L.A. producer in the ‘60s, signing Phil Spector to his Trey Records label and prematurely announcing retirement in the wake of the mid-‘60s British invasion. He didn’t: Nancy Sinatra came along, the hits started flowing and he continued producing characterful solo albums into the ‘70s.
Starting in 2012, Light In The Attic became the official custodians of the Lee Hazlewood musical legacy, launching their archival series with The LHI Years: Singles, Nudes & Backsides (1968-71). In 2015, they garnered a GRAMMY nomination for Best Historical Album with their release of There’s A Dream I’ve Been Saving: Lee Hazlewood Industries 1966 – 1971 (2014).
The LP and CD packages contain new liner notes by Hazlewood guru Hunter Lea, featuring an interview with Arizona music historian John Dixon. The Light In The Attic Online Exclusive Bundle (available only at LightInTheAttic.net) is pressed on colored vinyl and includes a treasure trove of Hazlewood collectibles created especially for this release: a travel journal, 18â€x 24†silkscreen print, shot glass, and a set of “Labels of Lee†drink coasters, all crafted in cooperation with the Hazlewood estate.
Track Listing:
1. Cross Country Bus
2. The Woman I Love
3. Five Thousand and One
4. Lonesome Day
5. A Lady Called Blues
6. Five More Miles to Folsom
7. Fort Worth
8. The Old Man and His Guitar
9. Peculiar Guy
10. Long Black Train
11. I Guess It’s Love
12. It’s An Actuality
13. Buying On Time
14. The Country Bus Tune
15. Long Black Train
16. Run Boy Run
17. Big Joe Slade
18. Son of a Gun
19. Georgia Chain Gang
20. Look At That Woman
21. Peculiar Guy
22. The Railroad Song
23. Six Feet of Chain
24. Trouble Is A Lonesome Town
Few artists are less willing to rest on their laurels than Sturgill Simpson.
In his latest gutsy move, Sturgill Simpson announced last weekend at San Diego’s Comic-Con that his upcoming new album, “Sound & Fury,” will be paired with an anime film of the same title to be released simultaneously on Netflix. The anime
is written and directed by CG studio Kamikaze Douga founder Jumpei Mizusaki.
Simpson emerged as part of an outlaw country resurgence the release of his second LP, “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.” Much like the original outlaw country pioneers, Simpson was taking control of the trajectory of his career resulting in fans and media accolades as the mainstream country radio did what they always do and shied away from the risky weirdness of “Turtles All the Way Down.”
Simpson doubled-down on following his contrarian muse with 2016’s “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” a loosely assembled concept album with songs inspired by his time in the Navy. The album moved further from the jet-fueled honky-tonk that defined his early career and embraced his love of rock, soul, and psychedelia. ironically Simpsons’ least country album went on to win the 2018 Grammy for Best Country Album.
With this latest announcement, Simpson remains (place genre here) most interesting agent of disruption. He steadfastly refuses o play by Music City rules or typical music career rules in general.
We will all be able to hear and see the latest stop on this sailer’s (pirate’s?) journey when “Sound & Fury” is released in September.
It’s been a long stretch waiting for new music from Sturgill Simpson. Well, folks, the wait is over.
For those concerned that Simpson might jettison his Country Gold classic country sound, take comfort in
“The Dead Don’t Die” a standalone single off the soundtrack from indy filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s upcoming zombie flick of the same name.
The sound is a melancholy sweetness that warms the heart and brings a tear to all lovers of barroom serenades.
Sure the subject matter is weird, but with Simpson’s smooth croon delivering the weirdness, I’m in!
Before he was a household name Hank Williams was playing late-night road stops, honky-tonks, and early morning radio shows. He, and did many musicians of the time, defined the word hustle.
October 1949, two years before the better-known Mother’s Best Flour radio programs, Hiram King “Hank” Williams recorded eight live-to-disk 15 minute radio programs for distribution to radio stations for promotion.
The name of these programs were billed as ‘Health and Happiness’ shows. The name came from the original sponsor of the programs, the patent medicine company Hadacol Corporation. But the sponsorship was not to be, the Hadocol company went broke leaving the show’s producer removed all of the corporation’s identity from the shows and left blank spaces on recordings to insert a future sponsor name to be inserted at a later date. (More details on that in the press release below)
Contemporary recordings have only been found on ebay since a 2-CD edition of the ‘The Health and Happiness Shows’ was last available the storied Lost Highway Records, but it’s been long out of print since Lost Highway folded a few years back.
Well kids, good times are back again!
From the press release:
On June 14, 2019, BMG will release The Complete Health & Happiness Shows for the first time on vinyl. The 49-track, three-LP set or two-CD contains the eight Health & Happiness episodes in their entirety. Included are performances of his breakout 1949 hits “Lovesick Blues,†“Wedding Blues,†“Mind Your Own Business,†and “You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave),†along with such other iconic Williams tunes as “I Saw the Light,†“I’m a Long Gone Daddy,†and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.†(The last song actually came out after the program was recorded in the fall of 1949 but before the show was broadcast in the spring of 1950.)
The set was produced by Cheryl Pawelski, Colin Escott and Michael Graves have produced, written notes and mastered the new set respectively, alongside the rest of the team that was responsible for the Best Historical Album for 2014, The Garden Spot Programs, 1950.
In addition to the amazing performances, this archival collection contains the earliest recorded evidence of the Nashville-era incarnation of Williams’ backing band, the Drifting Cowboys. Sessions for the Health & Happiness Show were done at Nashville’s WSM studios on two successive Sundays in October 1949. They were recorded directly to acetate, which were then duplicated onto 16-inch vinyl discs for distribution to radio stations. For The Complete Health & Happiness Shows, this material has been freshly transferred, restored and mastered from these original 16″ transcription discs.
Escott’s extensive and informative liner notes not only offer illuminating insights on Williams’ music and Health & Happiness Show performances, but he also provides a quite fascinating story about the program itself. The show’s sponsor was Hadocol, an elixir created by a Louisiana state senator named Dylan LeBlanc who aggressively touted for its curative power. While the tonic had some vitamins and minerals, its main ingredient was alcohol. To increase his product’s popularity, LeBlanc staged massive publicity campaigns. These stunts included the Hadocol Caravan, a traveling roadshow whose wildly eccentric bills included Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Jimmy Durante, and Hank Williams. The Hadacol craze imploded spectacularly in 1951 due to huge debts and federal investigations.
Thankfully one positive byproduct of Hadacol PR blitz was The Health & Happiness Show. As Escott states in his liner notes, “the audio quality of his transcriptions equaled, if not surpassed, his commercial recordings.†Williams would go on to do the transcription radio show The Garden Spot in 1950 for sponsor Naughton Farms (these were issued by Omnivore Recordings in 2014), and the Mother’s Best show for WSM in 1951.
The Hadacol scandal did little to damage Hank Williams’ career. Between 1950-52, he continually topped the charts with such now-iconic tunes as “Why Don’t You Love Me,†“Cold, Cold Heart,†“Jambalaya (On the Bayou),†and “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive.†Released in November 1952, “World Alive,†proved to be all-too prophetic as he passed away on New Year’s Day 1953 from heart failure brought on by alcohol and drugs. He was just 29 years old. The Health & Happiness Show sessions capture Williams at a unique moment of time, when he was a rising star still hungry for success and performing at the top of his game.
RECORD ONE: SIDE ONE
Oct 1949 – Health & Happiness Show 1
Happy Rovin’ Cowboy (Theme)
Wedding Bells
Lovesick Blues
Old Joe Clark (featuring Jerry Rivers)
Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies (featuring Audrey Williams)
Sally Goodin’ (featuring Jerry Rivers)
Oct 1949 – Health & Happiness Show 2
Happy Rovin’ Cowboy (Theme)
You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave)
RECORD ONE: SIDE TWO
(There’s A Bluebird) On Your Windowsill (featuring Audrey Williams)
A Tramp On The Street
Sally Goodin’ (featuring Jerry Rivers)
Oct 1949 – Health & Happiness Show 3
Happy Rovin’ Cowboy (Theme)
I’m A Long Gone Daddy
I’m Telling You (featuring Audrey Williams)
Bill Cheatham (featuring Jerry Rivers)
RECORD TWO: SIDE ONE
When God Comes And Gathers His Jewels
Sally Goodin – Jerry Rivers
Oct 1949 – Health & Happiness Show 4
Happy Rovin’ Cowboy (Theme)
Lost Highway
I Want To Live And Love (featuring Audrey Williams)
Bile Them Cabbage Down (featuring Jerry Rivers)
I’ll Have A New Body (I’ll Have A New Life)
RECORD TWO: SIDE TWO
Fingers On Fire (featuring Bob McNett)
Sally Goodin’ (featuring Jerry Rivers)
Oct 1949 – Health & Happiness Show 5
Happy Rovin’ Cowboy (Theme)
A Mansion On The Hill
There’ll Be No Teardrops Tonight
Wagner (featuring Jerry Rivers)
The Prodigal Son
Sally Goodin’ (featuring Jerry Rivers)
RECORD THREE: SIDE ONE
Oct 1949 – Health & Happiness Show 6
Happy Rovin’ Cowboy (Theme)
Pan American
Lovesick Blues
Arkansas Traveler (featuring Jerry Rivers)
I Saw The Light
Sally Goodin’ (featuring Jerry Rivers)
Oct 1949 – Health & Happiness Show 7
Happy Rovin’ Cowboy (Theme)
Mind Your Own Business
RECORD THREE: SIDE TWO
Wedding Bells
Cotton Eyed Joe (featuring Jerry Rivers)
I’ve Just Told Mama Goodbye
Sally Goodin’ (featuring Jerry Rivers)
Oct 1949 – Health & Happiness Show 8
Happy Rovin’ Cowboy (Theme)
I Can’t Get You Off My Mind
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
Fisherman’s Hornpipe (featuring Jerry Rivers)
Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine
Sally Goodin’ (featuring Jerry Rivers)
Whether cutting his teeth as an in-demand session musician for the likes of The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Simon & Garfunkel, The Righteous Brothers, Merle Haggard and so many more as part of The Wrecking Crew, to his rein of the 70’s country charts as a solo performer few artists represent country / pop crossover success like Glen Campbell.
On June 21st Capitol/UMemn will celebrate Campbell’s incredible career with an expanded edition of his long-out-of-print, career-spanning box set (originally released in 2003.)
Glen Campbell – The Legacy [1961-2017] is a four-disc anthology reflecting his storied six-decade career chronicling his hits as well as his late-career renaissance with songs from 2008’s Meet Glen Campbell, 2011’s Ghost On The Canvas, 2014’s soundtrack to his revealing and emotional documentary, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, and 2017’s Adiós, released shortly before he passed away from complications from his long, public battle with Alzheimer’s.
The box set includes a stunning 60-page booklet and updated liner notes by well-known music scribe Joel Selvin who wrote the original liners.
Opening with “Turn Around, Look At Me,†Campbell’s first single released in 1961 shortly after he moved to Los Angeles from Albuquerque to break into the music business, Glen Campbell – The Legacy [1961-2017] includes songs from nearly all of the sixty plus album’s he released in his lifetime, providing an outstanding overview of this influential, rare talent.
The collection traces his early evolution from early career bluegrass tune “Kentucky Means Paradise,†the honky-tonk oldie “Too Late To Worry – Too Blue To Cry,†Buffy St. Marie’s protest anthem “Universal Soldier†and “Guess I’m Dumb,†written and produced by his friend Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys who Campbell substituted for on tour when Wilson bowed out, to his first works with producer Al De Lory, who helped him hone his signature sound with the song that would kickstart his recording career and put him on the map: the 1967 John Hartford-penned masterpiece “Gentle On My Mind.†As Joel Selvin writes in his illuminating liner notes, “Despite a modest chart performance, ‘Gentle On My Mind’ did turn out to be the definitive record of Campbell’s career, the point where he not only took charge of his own artistic destiny but became his own creation.â€
The next hit was a song that would end up being a turning point for him. “By The Time I Get To Phoenix†which both introduced a new lush sound for Campbell and a shined a spotlight on a little known songwriter from Oklahoma named Jimmy Webb. The song, which along with “Gentle On My Mind,†helped him make history at the 1967 GRAMMY® Awards by sweeping the song and performance awards in both the pop and country and western categories, was a crossover success that spent an incredible six months on the charts and catapulted Campbell to fame. It also began a fruitful lifelong partnership between the musician and songwriter that would last more than five decades and include some of Campbell’s biggest hits such as “Wichita Lineman†and “Galveston,†which kicks off disc two.
The late ‘60s and early ‘70s were especially prolific for Campbell who, in between starring in his hit TV show “The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour†and becoming a movie star opposite John Wayne in the western “True Grit†(of which he recorded the Oscar-nominated theme song) and his feature film follow-up, “Norwood,†released four albums in 1970 and three more the following year. The Legacy collection includes many of the tracks released during this period including Webb’s “Where’s The Playground Susie,†and “MacArthur Park,†“I Wanna Live†(a number one country hit), and several songs recorded with labelmate Bobbie Gentry including “Let It Be Me,†Scarborough Fair/Canticle,†and the Everly Brothers hit, “All I Have To Do Is Dream.†There’s also Campbell’s version of Roy Orbison’s “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream),†the sweeping Gordon Lightfoot-penned title track from his album “The Last Time I Saw Her†and a medley with Anne Murray of “I Say A Little Prayer/By The Time I Get To Phoenix.
The second half of the box set features Campbell’s trademark song “Rhinestone Cowboy,†which earned him his first number one record and became his theme in many ways, and his sprightly spin on Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights.†More than four decades later Campbell’s rendition of “Southern Nights†would prominently feature in the film and soundtrack to “Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2†introducing a whole new generation to his music. Other highlights include “God Only Knows,†Campbell’s beautiful take on Brian Wilson’s opus, “Sunflower,†a breezy #1 hit written by Neil Diamond and “Highwayman,†which eight years after recording the Jimmy Webb song, Campbell would introduce to Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. They not only used the name for their supergroup but also won a GRAMMY®.
The final disc of the collection, which includes Campbell showcasing his love for gospel and his faith with a stirring live rendition of “Amazing Grace,†and flexing his incredible guitar skills on “Classical Gas,†has been expanded to include songs from his albums released in the 2000s. Included from his acclaimed 2008 album, Meet Glen Campbell, which saw the icon tackle contemporary and classic songs, is his inspired covers of the Foo Fighters “Times Like These,†Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)†and Jackson Browne’s “These Days.†2011’s Ghost On The Canvas is represented with a spirited take on the Paul Westerberg song of the same name while 2013’s See You There is represented with “Waiting On The Comin’ Of My Lord.â€
The last song Campbell ever recorded was “I’m Not Gonna Miss You.†This touching goodbye to his family and fans co-written by him and producer Julian Raymond and recorded with members of The Wrecking Crew, is one of the many high points that round out the box set. The song featured in the documentary “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me,†which chronicles Campbell’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and his final tour, won the GRAMMY® Award for Best Country Song and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards. The retrospective culminates with three songs from Campbell’s bucket list album Adiós, recorded while fighting his disease and released in 2017 to universal acclaim: a banjo-filled take on “Everybody’s Talkin,’†country weeper “It Won’t Bring Her Back†and the bittersweet title track, which brought Campbell’s career full circle by reuniting him one last time with his lifelong collaborator Jimmy Webb.
Glen Campbell – The Legacy [1961-2017] pays honor to Campbell’s exceptional legacy and celebrates the timeless music of one of the best singers and musicians the world has ever known with a lovingly compiled, comprehensive collection that is a must for longtime fans and anyone who wants to learn more about Glen Campbell’s singular musical journey.
GLEN CAMPBELL – THE LEGACY [1961-2017] TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
1. Turn Around, Look At
2. Kentucky Means Paradise (The Green River Boys featuring Glen Campbell)
3. Too Late To Worry – Too Blue To Cry
4. Universal Soldier
5. Guess I’m Dumb
6. Burning Bridges
7. Just To Satisfy You
8. Less Of Me
9. Gentle On My Mind
10. Crying
11. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
12. Tomorrow Never Comes
13. Hey, Little One
14. I Wanna Live
15. Turn Around And Look At Me (New Version)
16. The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde
17. Let It Be Me (Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry)
18. Scarborough Fair / Canticle (Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry)
19. Wichita Lineman
20. Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife
21. Reason To Believe
DISC TWO
1. Galveston
2. Where’s The Playground Susie
3. If This Is Love
4. True Grit
5. Try A Little Kindness
6. Honey, Come Back
7. One Pair Of Hands
8. All I Have To Do Is Dream (Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry)
9. Everything A Man Could Ever Need
10.It’s Only Make Believe
11. Pave Your Way Into Tomorrow
12. MacArthur Park
13. Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
14. The Last Time I Saw Her
15. I Say A Little Prayer / By The Time I Get To Phoenix (Medley) (Glen Campbell & Anne Murray
16. The Last Thing On My Mind
17. I Knew Jesus (Before He Was A Star)
18. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
19. Houston (I’m Comin’ To See You)
20. Bonaparte’s Retreat
21. The Moon’s A Harsh Mistress
DISC THREE
1. Rhinestone Cowboy
2. Country Boy (You Got Your Feet In L.A.)
3. Arkansas
4. Don’t Pull Your Love / Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (Medley)
5. Southern Nights
6. Sunflower
7. God Only Knows
8. I’m Gonna Love You
9. Can You Fool
10. Highwayman
11. Somethin’ ’Bout You Baby I Like (Glen Campbell With Rita Coolidge)
12. Any Which Way You Can
13. I Was Too Busy Loving You
14. Faithless Love
15. A Lady Like You
16. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (Glen Campbell With Steve Wariner)
17. I Have You
18. If These Walls Could Speak
19. Unconditional Love
20. She’s Gone, Gone, Gone
21. Show Me Your Way (Glen Campbell & Anne Murray)
22. Only One Life
23. Somebody Like That
DISC FOUR
1. You’ll Never Walk Alone
2. People Get Ready
3. Amazing Grace
4. Lean On Me
5. Times Like These
6. These Days
7. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
8. Ghost On The Canva
9. Waiting On The Comin’ Of My Lord
10. I’m Not Gonna Miss You
11. Everybody’s Talkin’
12. It Won’t Bring Her Back
13. Adiós
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