by Robert Wilkinson
We have a musical weekend packed with some amazing tunes! Today’s the birthday of two legendary talents and a unique voice! Get ready for some classic music!
Our first set features the legendary music of one of the grandfathers of country music. Jimmie Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933), aka “The Singing Brakeman,” The Blue Yodeler,” and “The Father of Country Music,” was a legendary singer and songwriter who created the foundations for country music. While working for the railroads in the 1920s, he decided to audition in 1927 and the rest is history.
He toured with Will Rogers, recorded with Louie Armstrong, and wrote some songs that are considered classics. He died of TB at 35, and was one of the first three people inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Here are a few of his greatest!
Here are three from the movie short The Singing Brakeman.
Here’s one I used to perform. It’s a classic!! “Waiting For A Train”
Now for some original recordings. Here’s his first song from 1927, “The Soldier’s Sweetheart”
From 1928, “I’m In The Jailhouse Now”
From 1929, “Frankie and Johnny”
From 1930, “Mule Skinner Blues” which we’ll follow with “Blue Yodel #9” and “Pistol Packing Papa”
From 1933, “Mississippi Delta Blues”
Here’s his last song just before he died. “Years Ago”
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Now for the Queen of Country music, Ms. Patsy Cline (September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963). She was a pioneer of women in country music, and by her early death she was acclaimed as one of the most important voices in all of popular music. She was one of the first women solo artists inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and left an amazing legacy. And of course, she died in a plane crash, another in a long line of legends who went down that way.
First, a rare tv clip of Patsy performing her first hit in 1957! From the Bradley studios, “Walkin’ After Midnight”
Going back to 1955, Patsy’s first tv appearance on the Grand Old Opry! “A Church, A Courtroom, and Then Goodbye”
From the Tex Ritter tv show in 1957, “I’ve Loved and Lost Again”
From 1962, a great television performance of the classic “She’s Got You”
Released in 1961 backed by the Jordanaires, the studio version of “I Fall To Pieces”
From February 1963 on The Glenn Reeves Show,, here’s Patsy in one of her last live performances sending up her hit “I Fall To Pieces”
Also from 1961 at The Grand Old Opry, here’s a great audio-only send up of the Willie Nelson song she made into a smash hit! “Crazy”
From 1962, the upbeat “When I Get Through With You” (It sounds like someone was listening to “Dream Lover” and “Dreamin’” when they were writing this.)
From that same year, “Imagine That”
From 1963, one of her last tv appearances! “Leaving On Your Mind”
Also from 1963, her live version of the Bill Monroe classic, one of Elvis’ first and biggest! “Blue Moon of Kentucky”
We’ll close this tribute with one of her biggest! For your enjoyment, the legendary voice of Patsy Cline giving us her amazing performance of the classic “Sweet Dreams”
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Our last birthday celebration goes out to one of my favorite voices of the rock era, Mister Sal Valentino. A pioneer of Bay Area folk rock, Sal Valentino (September 8, 1942) fronted the Beau Brummels, one of the most exciting bands of the era!
They were produced by Sly Stone (yes, THAT Sly Stone), and set the pace in the Bay Area for much of the sound that followed. It is suspected that if their record label Autumn hadn't collapsed when they were at their peak, they would have made it to the top of the top. Today I’ll focus on his time with the Beau Brummels, and save his solo stuff for next year.
They released this in late 1964, months before the Byrds released "Mr. Tambourine Man." The Beau Brummels set the pace for the folk rock wave to come! From Shindig in 1965, Sal fronting their first big hit “Laugh, Laugh”
Set to the same footage, here’s the original studio version of “Laugh, Laugh”
Also from the first album, a tune that sounds like a “Beatles meets surf music” style. Lip-synching on Shivaree, “Still In Love With You Baby”
Here’s another I used to perform. It was their second big hit in 1965, and here they are again very live on Shindig giving us the haunting “Just A Little”
Here’s the original studio version of “Just A Little”
Released in the Summer of 1965, this charting folk rock gem anticipated the sound of many other California bands who followed. Another one that charted in 1965, here’s the original studio version of “Tell Me Why”
Here's the "B" side of "Tell Me Why," with lush folk harmonies which no doubt influenced Marty Balin."I Want You"
When they reunited in 1975, they did another version of this great tune! “Tell Me Why”
The live 1965 performance is gone, so here’s the studio version of “Sad Little Girl”
From the Hullaballoo television show, a totally lip synched “performance” to the studio version of the song, drenched in reverb and delay. “Don’t Talk To Strangers”
Here’s how it actually sounded on the radio in late 1965! And yes, it does borrow a Byrds riff and creates an exciting tune. “Don’t Talk To Strangers”
From the 1966 sci-fi comedy movie Village of the Giants, the Beau Brummels performing “When it Comes To Your Love” and “Woman” (which is not the song written by Paul McCartney for Peter and Gordon, and sounds suspiciously like it slightly rips off “She’s A Woman” and “She’s About A Mover,” itself an inside-out replica of “She’s A Woman.”)
Album time! Here’s their first with 12 tunes. Introducing the Beau Brummels
Here’s a full album titled The Beau Brummels Volume 2 which has many of what’s posted above with some other really good tune! Put it on and enjoy this 14 song set. The Beau Brummels Volume 2
Here’s one of my favorite albums of all time! This was a different incarnation than the previous one. This was one of those albums which made 1967 unique and magical, and features several members of the Wrecking Crew backing the Brummels. If you want a great time, this is it!
Triangle – the entire Beau Brummels album
We’ll close the show with a few from that great 1967 album, beginning with the first track, the infectiously upbeat “Are You Happy,” followed by the next album track, “Only Dreaming Now,” and we’ll close side one with the Merle Travis classic “Nine Pound Hammer.” We’ll move into side two of the album with the leadoff tune, the very mystical “Magic Hollow,” move to the haunting “The Wolf of Velvet Fortune,” and for the the closer, their version of Randy Newman’s rocking and irreverent arrangement of “My Old Kentucky Home – Good Night!”
For our encore, I found the full album Bradley’s Barn, The link will take you to the first song of the playlist, and will autoload as each ends. Enjoy this late 60s masterpiece! Bradley’s Barn - the entire album
Yours was the music of my lifetime! Thanks to all of you for all you gave us.
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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