Archive for the ‘Country Music’ Category

And The Lovebirds Sang

July 3, 2023

They met in the Los Angeles Airport in November of 1970 whilst waiting for a flight to Tennesse. She, pretty much known as a backup singer, was going to Memphis, he, a singer/songwriter who was a much bigger persona on the music scene, was enroute to Nashville. In flight something must have happened. Something must have clicked. When they landed in Memphis, he departed the plane with her. I guess he must have continued on to Nashville in time for whatever he was going there for in the first place, because he was really making bank on his songs.

By 1973 they were married, and they released the first of their three duet albums. It’s not entirely clear which came first, the marriage or the recording, but they both happened in ’73.

They went to Los Angeles to make this record, and they used HER producer, David Anderle. He softened his gruff voice and became a blended harmony. She felt right at home and let ‘er rip. Many people say it is her album. He did it for her. I say it doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter because they are Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. The album is Full Moon, and if you would like to get in on the ground floor bidding just click the picture.

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The Same, But Different

June 5, 2023

Let us now consider The Statler Brothers. That link will take you to their blog where you can read all about what they have to say about their selves. Harold Reid has passed away, but I do believe his brother Don might even still tinker with the marketing aspect and all.

Since I am just coming off of deconstructing The Oak Ridge Boys, I thought I might do the same for The Statler Brothers. Where The Oaks started as pure Gospel, The Statler Brothers always injected Gospel Music into their Country Music. They were not, however, always The Statler Brothers. Two of them aren’t even brothers, and the two that were, were named Reid, not Statler.

Back in 1948 four guys got together in Staunton, Virginia and started singing Gospel as The Four-Star Quartet, later changing their name to The Kingsmen. They were the Joe McDorman, Harold Reid, Phil Balsley, and Lew DeWitt. The what and the why about the mysterious Mr. Dorman is elusive. Why did he quit? Was he fired? Nobody seems to be saying. What we do know is that he was replaced by Harold’s brother Don in 1960, and he was never a Statler Brother. These guys knocked around Virginia doing Gospel until a rock and roll group called The Kingsmen hit the national charts with “Louie Louie” in 1963, necessitating a name change.

Thus, The Statler Brothers were born. Luck for them it was a box of Statler Brand tissues they saw when they were looking for a name. Can you imagine the lack of success a singing group called The Kleenex Brothers would have had? Worse yet, how about The Puff Brothers?

As luck would have it, they caught Johnny Cash’s eye, and for the next eight years, from 1964 until 1972, they worked as his opening act and backup singers. They wrote a song called “We Got Paid By Cash” as tribute to the part Johnny had played in their career. In 1966 “Flowers On The Wall” hit the charts and it all took off.

Lew DeWitt took ill in 1982 and retired. He was replaced by Jimmy Fortune. The Statler Brothers retired in 2002. Lew DeWitt passed on in 1990. Harold Reid passed on in 2020.

Here is The Statler Brothers 1972 release “Country Music “Then and Now”. Side 1 is then; Side 2 is now. If you would like to own it simply click the photo and cast your bid.

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Y’all Come Back Saloon

May 23, 2023

Y’all came back. I am honored. Welcome.

Now I’ll take a little time to talk about what the industry, or maybe their fans, or maybe just the infamous “they”, call the Oak Ridge Boys “First Country Album”, Y’all Come Back Saloon.

Here is where the four guys who had nothing to do with the founding of The Oak Ridge Quartet, who changed their name to The Oak Ridge Boys, all the while singing gospel music with a twang, ended up. There were quite a few guys who sang, recorded, and performed under those names, but none of them where these guys. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, go back and get educated. I have already talked about how they have to hire musicians in order to make an album because all they do is sing. I’m not saying none of them can’t play, I’m saying that if they do, it’s just not good enough.

These four modern day Oaks haven’t written on this album either. Don’t write, don’t play, never founded the outfit, hmmmm……….. It all comes back to my question; How in the world can these guys have any pride in calling themselves by what was an already established name performing to high accolades and recognition?

Here are some of the people who actually write the music because I believe that it is sacristy to ignore what boils down to the other third of the talent. It takes the singers singing, the musicians playing, and the song writers writing good songs to make these corporate musical machines work. Some of the names you probably don’t know that helped make this album what it is are, Sharon Vaughn, Gerry House, Bob Morrison, Jimbeau Hinson, Buzz Cason, Alan Rhody, Michael Huffman, Allan Chapman, Sterling Whipple, and Chick Rains.

Now if you think you might want to be the next owner of the first Oak Ridge Boys “country” album, just go ahead and click on that album cover. You’ll be whisked off to Vulture’s Vinyl eBay shop where you can put in a bid. Thanks for dropping in, and y’all come back, ya hear.

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The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived

May 15, 2023

The year before “Together” was released, “The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived” was released. That’s a little confusing since we already know that these Oak Ridge Boys have been releasing albums since 1974. As if that wasn’t enough, there were other Oak Ridge Boys, who were not these Oak Ridge Boys, who were around in 1945. Now do you see why I have a problem with bands that continue to use a name long after an original founding member leave?

At any rate, this former Gospel Group released “The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived” in 1979. It only hit number five on The Billboard Top Country Album Chart, but obviously the money machine that was The Oak Ridge Boys made enough.

What do I mean when I call it a money machine? That’s a deep rabbit hole, but let’s go down shall we. Unlike a group of musicians who come together to create something, a money machine is assembled by what I call the others. That’s the Producers mainly. He’s the guy who assemble the singers who can sing, but just don’t quite know what to sing. He also has to get them song, written by people who are good at writing words and music but usually can’t sing. Once they got the songs, they have to find the musicians because the singers don’t play, or if they are like me, can’t sing and play at the same time. While it is true that even bands that sing and play what they themselves have written still need recording engineers and managers and such, they usually have a lot more say as to what direction they want to go in.

Following that line, you should know that not a single instrument on this album was written by an Oak Ridge Boy. Ah, but the Producer, Ron Chancey, knew who to get. He knew who had the money-making chops. On acoustic guitar he got Jimmy Capps, Jerry Shook, and Chip Young. He got Bobby Thompson strummin’ on the old banjo. I doubt if he could have done any better than Joe Osborn on bass. He combined that with Kenny Buttrey on drums for a no miss rhythm section. I’m sure he was deeply aware of the fact that he had one of the best when he hired Reggie Young to handle the electric guitar work. Everybody who needed a fiddler needed Buddy Spicher back then. He rounded up a bunch of horns and strings, too. You just have to put ambience on money making record. Perhaps this is the first time you are hearing some of these names. I can guarantee you that even if you don’t know their names, you have heard their playing.

As always, if you click the picture, it will whisk you off to my shop, where you can take a chance at becoming to next owner of this fine record.

As Always,

The Vulture

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Talking About the Oak Ridge Boys

May 11, 2023

It’s curious that the entertainers who are out there today playing gigs and recording new music are called “The Oak Ridge Boys“. I’m not really a fan of those who profit off of keeping a band’s name once there are no original members left. That’s the music industry for you though.

They were originally called “The Oak Ridge Quartet”. They were playing the Grand Ole Opry in 1945, and by the mid-1950s Time Magazine had dubbed them one of the top drawing Gospel Groups in the nation. That’s right I said Gospel Groups. Not a secular note was passing their lips. They released their first recording in 1958. The lineup at that time was Smitty Gatlin, Herman Harper, Ronnie Page, and Tommy Fairchild. In 1959 they added member Willie Wynn effectively becoming a Quintet. Gary Trusler came in 1960 but only stayed a year. In1962 Ronnie Page left, and Gary McSpadden came in.

The name change to “The Oak Ridge Boys” happened in 1963, and the lineup was Smitty Gatlin, an original member, Herman Harper, an original member, Willie Wynn, who came aboard in 1959, Gray McSpadden, who came aboard in 1962, and Tommy Fairchild, an original member. Gary McSpadden was replaced by Jim Hammill in 1964. You got all that?

The first member of the current lineup, William Lee Golden, came along in 1965 when Jim Hammill left. The second member of the current lineup, Duane Allen, showed up a year later in 1966 and that made the group a sextet for that year. In 1967 Smitty Gatlin was gone. The 1967 and ’68 lineup consisted of Herman Harper, Willie Wynn, Tommy Fairchild, William Lee Golden, and Duane Allen. Well, Herman Harper left in 1969, and Noel Fox climbed aboard. This lineup held until 1973 when Tommy Fairchild departed and Richard Sterban joined. In 1974 the last of the originals were gone, and Joe Bonsall joined. That means that the current lineup of William Lee Golden, Duane Allen, Richard Sterban, and Joe Bonsall fleshed itself out in 1974.

The first recording this version put out was 1974’s “The Oak Ridge Boys”. They were still definitely a Gospel Group, but they had a certain chemistry that was driving the Gospel purists away. In 1977 they released what is know as their first Country album, “Y’all Come Back Saloon”. The fusion of Country and Gospel were nothing new, but The Oaks, as they are affectionately known to their fans, had an exceptional brand of it. They successfully crossed over.

Pictured here is their 1980 release “Together”. This is called their fourth Country album. It was produced by veteran producer Ron Chancy, who has worked with many artists over the years. It produced a number one hit with “Trying to Love Two Women”. It’s an ironic tune about cheating, but for the former Gospel singers, I guess once they went country it was no holds barred. If you click on that picture, it will take you to the auction in my Vulture’s Vinyl eBay Shop where you can vie for the chance to become it’s new owner.

Thanks for dropping in.

The Vulture

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