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Single Of The Day-Johnny Duncan “Play Another Slow Song”

Greetings from Asheville, where good music is always on the turntable, like today’s Single Of The Day.  1980 had just dawned, and Johnny Duncan was on a streak of nine straight top ten singles.  Could his first release of the new decade make it ten?  In a word, no.

“Play Another Slow Song” hit the charts in February and would only climb the a high of seventeen.  Interestingly, it did start a string of three consecutive singles by Duncan to peak at seventeen, though.  A slow song that features the spoken word, during the verses, and singing only on the refrain.  As to why it’s performance didn’t live up to the previous releases, my theory goes like this; It was his third straight slow song to be released as a single.  All three of those releases have a very similar sound, though not quite cookie-cutter.  I think that by the release of the third single (this one), people were tiring of the same sound, desiring to hear something different.  In addition, the overall sound of the format was changing, as the more Pop-infused style was becoming more prevalent.

The song, itself, isn’t bad.  It’s one I’ve always liked, though perhaps, not to the same level as his biggest hits.

Your thoughts?

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Classic Album Review-Tanya Tucker “Delta Dawn”

Greetings from Asheville, where the good music flows, all the time.  It’s Classic Album Review time, and today’s edition places the spotlight on the debut release from then-thirteen year old Tanya Tucker.  Delta Dawn, both the album and the single, introduced Tanya to the Country music audience in 1972, starting a career that will surely culminate with induction into the Country Music Hall Of Fame (something that arguably should have already happened).

Columbia released the album in October, and somewhat surprisingly, it only peaked at thirty-two on the Country bestsellers list.  Three tracks charted on two singles; the title cut, and the double-sided hit follow-up.

“Delta Dawn” is the lead-off track.  Released as Tanya’s debut single in May, 1972, the single raced into the top ten, peaking at six, by Summer’s end.  Of the fifty-eight Country 40 singles that Tanya has amassed, this is still one of her best, in fact, I like her version better than the 1973 Pop smash by Helen Reddy.

The album is heavy on covers (something still fairly typical in the 1970′s, especially with the CBS labels, Columbia and Epic), but “New York City Song” isn’t one of them.  This original is a nice piece of Country-Pop, lyrically falling into the vast collection of songs about Southerners in the North, wishing to go back South.  But unlike many, this is a good take on that oft-used theme.

Jerry Reed wrote “Smell The Flowers”, which has a feel not unlike the later Mac Davis hit, “Stop And Smell The Roses”.  It’s a lite, airy, feel-good number.  Nothing fancy, just solid.

“If You Touch Me” is a cover of Joe Stampley’s first hit, and while in a couple of spots, Tanya sounds like she was trying to imitate his vocals, overall, it’s a cover that she pulls off, rather well.

Even after several listens, I still can’t decide if I like her take on the Johnny Paycheck hit “He’s (She’s) All I Got”.  I’ll just say neutral, here.  Bouncy rhythm, as expected.

Side two opens with one of the double-sided second hit, “The Jamestown Ferry”.  It’s easy to see why DJ’s had trouble deciding which side to play.  This track is a great performance of a really good song.  In fact, I actually like this track slightly more than the flip, “Love’s The Answer”, which is nothing to sneeze at, in itself.

It’s hard to imagine a thirteen year old voice being able to effectively sell a song such as the George Jones hit “Loving You Could Never Be Better”.  However, credit to Tanya Tucker for doing just that.  One of the best album tracks on the disc.

Technically, you can’t call her take of “Soul Song” a cover, since the album hit the market about the same time as Stampley’s single.  Again, one of the best album tracks on the disc.

“Love’s The Answer”, again, a song that a thirteen year old should not be able to sell, but again, she does with a vocal work that sounds older than the actual age.  Paired with “The Jamestown Ferry”, the single peaked at five.

Had “The Happiest Girl In The Whole U. S. A.” not been a hit for Donna Fargo, it’s easy to see Tanya Tucker’s version becoming one.  Comparable to the original, a fine track to listen to.

The album wraps with Tanya’s take on what I consider the greatest song ever written in Country music, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”.  The way Hank Williams wrote this song, it comes out great, no matter the vocalist, yet some versions outshine others.  Tanya gives a great  performance to wrap this disc.

Delta Dawn is still on the market, both as a CD and MP3 download.  Used copies are relatively inexpensive; most I saw were under $10.

I have to give the title cut the Standout Track, with my Hidden Gem pick being her especially nice take on the George Jones hit, “Loving You Could Never Be Better”.  My neutrality on “He’s All I Got” slots it as the Weakest Track.

Overall, this was a good debut for a young lady who go on to a lengthy career, spanning, so far, four decades.  The voice is mature beyond it’s years, and she’s already seemingly found her vocal style, unlike many artists on their first releases.  I have to rate this one a 4 out of 5.

Your thoughts?

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Single Of The Day-Jody Miller “Queen Of The House”

Greetings from Asheville, where good music is always found on the turntable, in the CD player, or in the MP3 player.  Today’s Single Of The Day is the first hit single from Jody Miller.  1965, the year, Summer the season, and “Queen Of The House” the record.  Jody had made her debut in 1964 with a single titled “He Walks Like A Man”.  That single failed to make an impression on the Country audience, but did get some minor Top 40 airplay, as the single briefly charted on the Hot 100, only peaking at sixty-six.  Her second single, “They Call My Guy A Tiger”, didn’t chart, anywhere.  But that third release got Jody’s career in motion.

Today, answer songs are a rarity, and when one does get released, it rarely draws any attention.  But in the 1960′s, it was different, and if the song was good enough, then air play and possibly even a hit, was a very real possibility.  And such is the case, here.  One of the biggest hits in America during the first part of 1965 was Roger Miller’s “King Of The Road”, a number one Country hit and top ten Pop hit.  Just weeks after “King Of The Road” ended it’s run at number one, Jody Miller’s answer was starting to break at both Country and Pop radio, and by Summer’s end, Jody had her first hit, as it climbed to five on The Country side, while peaking at twelve on the Pop side, and even climbing into the top five on the Adult Contemporary lists.  Exact same melody as the Roger Miller classic, the lyrics detail the daily life of a wife and mother.  Lyrically, one of the better “answer” songs you will find; it’s whimsical and lite, but not silly.  It’s certainly not one of those “answer” songs that make you say, “Ugh”, and immediately turn the dial.  No, this one is how they should be written.

As for Jody’s performance, a very fine one, indeed.  Jody was a very good vocalist, whose career, I’ve always wondered, might not have reached it’s full potential because of her label affiliation.  Though this single was released on Capitol, most of Jody’s hits came during her time with CBS’ Epic label.  And during her tenure, CBS also had on Epic and Columbia; Tammy Wynette, Lynn Anderson, Barbara Mandrell, and a young Tanya Tucker.  One has to wonder if her releases didn’t always get the promotion from the label that they deserved.  It’s just a thought.  What about your thoughts?

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Show Recap…

Last Thursday’s show can be heard, by going to the Ultimate Twang page on the Asheville Free Media site, just click on Ultimate Twang.

Also, click here, to see last Thursday’s playlist.

The Archive Is Up!

If you missed yesterday’s show, the archive version is available at the Asheville Free Media site.  Just click on the title, or here, to go to the page, then scroll down to stream link and click listen, in order to hear the higher quality version on Windows Media, Media Monkey, etc.  You can also scroll down past the weekly list of playlists and click listen, as well.  You can also see the full playlist, there, plus I will have it posted, here, in the next day or so.

Single Of The Day-Loretta Lynn “Trouble In Paradise”

Greetings from Asheville, where good music is always found on the turntable, in the CD player, or in the MP3 player.  Today’s Single Of The Day, comes from the list of number ones for Loretta Lynn, 1974′s “Trouble In Paradise”.

“Trouble In Paradise”, despite it’s lofty peak, is a record that I think gets overlooked in Loretta’s career.  Why? I think there’s a few reasons; it’s a good song, but not the same level as “Coal Miner’s Daughter” or “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’”.  That leads into my next thought; the sheer number of hits Loretta Lynn had.  Out of sixty-nine Country 40 singles, fifty-one hit the top ten, while sixteen would peak at number one.  With that many hits, some are bound to be overlooked, as time goes on.  One other reason that may play a part, is that the next single is one that created a large amount of controversy, “The Pill”.  It seems that, often, when you have a single that either is a huge hit or has lots of controversy (and sometimes, both), the records that came out immediately before and after, can get buried in the avalanche.

Still, it’s a catchy little number with a bit of a beat to it, and there’s certainly nothing to complain about, concerning Loretta Lynn’s vocal work, it’s as good as ever, here.  Released in late Summer by MCA, it would become Loretta’s twelfth number one single.

So, while it may not enjoy the same lofty status as her top classics, it’s still a song worthy of more respect than it gets.

Your thoughts?

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Here’s A Reminder…

…new show, today at 4p EST.  3 hours of classic country music, and you can hear it, no matter where you are, by simply going to the Asheville Free Media website and clicking listen, in the upper right hand corner.  Join us!

Single Of The Day-Eddy Arnold “Before This Day Ends”

Greetings from Asheville, where good music is always found on the turntable, in the CD player, or in the MP3 player.  Your Single Of The Day for today, is an Eddy Arnold release that has long been buried into the far reaches in the musical memory banks of most fans.

Sometimes, you have to wonder just what record company execs think.  For instance, why would you issue a single on a song that was just recently a hit for another artist in the same genre?  Now, granted, there was a time when having an artist cover another’s hit was the norm; in fact, until the mid-to-late 1950′s, it wasn’t unusual for multiple versions of a song to chart at the same time on the same chart.  For instance, in 1952 and 1953, there were no less than four versions of “Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes” that made the Country top ten.  And I know of at least one more version that was on the market, but failed to chart.  Five versions of “Candy Kisses” made the top ten in 1949, while a sixth fell just short.

By the 1960′s, though, this practice was becoming increasingly scarce.  Yet, RCA Victor decided to try it with Eddy Arnold on today’s Single Of The Day.  And the result was not a big hit single.

“Before This Day End” had just become a top five Country hit for George Hamilton IV (who was still with ABC-Paramount, at the time) in the Fall of 1960.  Yet shortly after the Hamilton version peaked, RCA issued Eddy Arnold’s version.  Eddy’s disc debuted in January, 1961, and did crack the Country 30, peaking at twenty-three.  Eddy’s version is as good as the George Hamilton IV version (I like both, really well), and has a very similar overall sound, in arrangement and tempo (which is medium).  I think, though, that similarity may be one of the reasons why Eddy’s version didn’t do as well.  If his version had sounded entirely different, it might have worked.  In fact, the next time RCA tried that with Eddy, it did work, when they issued his single “Misty Blue” in the Spring of 1967, not long after Wilma Burgess’ version had peaked.  Whereas her version  peaked at four, the Eddy Arnold version peaked at three.  Wilma Burgess could take solace, though, in that her record spent 16 weeks on the Country 40, to only 14 for Eddy Arnold’s version.

Your thoughts?

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Classic Album Review-Ronnie Milsap “A Legend In My Time”

Greetings from Asheville, where good music is always found on the turntable, in the CD player, or in the MP3 player.  Today’s Classic Album Review is a 1974 effort from Ronnie Milsap, featuring what I think is one of his most powerful hit recordings.  That recording also happens to be the album’s title, A Legend In My Time.  Released by RCA in December, the album featured two singles, the Don Gibson-written title cut, as well as a cover of the 1940′s Al Dexter classic “Too Late To Worry, Too Blue To Cry”.  The album peaked at four on the Country bestseller lists, while cracking the Pop 200, with a high of one thirty-eight.

“The Busiest Memory In Town” is a fine album track, featuring a great whining steel guitar (sounds like some of those vintage Conway Twitty tracks).  This is slow, great country!

“Too Late To Worry, Too Blue To Cry” was a 1944 #1 hit for Al Dexter and His Troopers.  A great record, to be sure, but for my money, no one can touch Ronnie Milsap’s version.  Simply outstanding!  The slow blues mixed with country just enhances this track’s quality to a new level of greatness, even thirty-seven years after it’s release.  Someone please explain to my why this only peaked at six in the Spring of ’75.

However, the album’s title track may well rank (in my opinion) as Ronnie’s best performance, ever.  Of course, the song, itself, is simply classic, but the way Ronnie Milsap sings it is nothing short of incredible.  Someone who didn’t know that the song was already several years old, would swear that it was written specifically for Ronnie Milsap.  This one did hit number one in early 1975.

Good song.  That’s the best, easiest description of “The Biggest Lie”.  You have to love the song’s hook, of the man who lies to everyone about his wife’s whereabouts, but none comparable to the one he tells himself at night.

“Country Cookin’” is a lite, feel-good fare that mainly gives each instrument a chance to be highlighted.  Nothing fancy, but kind of fun to hear.

The cut that kicks off side two may well be the album’s Hidden Gem.  ”She Came Here For The Change” is a sound and lyrical content that is reminiscent of Ronnie’s second hit, “That Girl Who Waits On Tables”.   Very similar, but not same-sounding.

Most will be familiar with “I’ll Leave This World Loving You” from the great number one version by Ricky Van Shelton in 1988.  Ronnie’s version would have been a great single, as well.  A little slicker in production than the more traditional styling of Van Shelton, it makes little difference in the finished product.

“I’m Still Not Over You” is not the same song that Ray Price hit with in 1967, but rather a more, straight-ahead piece of Country music that also merits Hidden Gem consideration.  Great composition, and of course, did Ronnie Milsap ever have a bad vocal performance? No.

Next, it’s a cover of the Olivia Newton-John hit, “I Honestly Love You”.  Not bad, but it’s one of those songs that got burned out when it was a hit, and even thirty-some years later, some of that burn effect still lingers, for me, at least.

The album wraps with “Clap Your Hands”.  A bouncy little track that isn’t the album’s strongest track, but it’s not a bad track.  Nice end to the disc.

No longer in print, I have to say the pricing of used copies caught me by surprise, being higher than I would have expected, as most copies I found were over ten dollars, including an 8-track, released in RCA’s ill-fated Quadraphonic sound, listed at $35.

Both singles from the album were outstanding pieces, but I have to give the title cut the Standout Track.  I give “She Came Here For The Change” the Hidden Gem nod.  And though the song “I  Honestly Love You” still has some burn-out effect for me, I hesitate to call it the Weakest Track, since it’s not a bad song and this version isn’t bad, at all, either.

Overall, you can make a pretty strong argument for this being Ronnie Milsap’s best album.  I’ll stop short of saying that, but I have no problem in stating it’s definitely in the top five on my list.  I rate it a 4.5 out of 5.

Your thoughts?

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