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INDEX
No.1--"The Grand 'Ole Opry Story"
No.2--"The Jack Guthrie Story"
No.3--"Jr. High School-'40's"
No.4--"School In The "30's"
No.5--"The Bobby Garrett Story"
No.6--""The Ray Price Story"
No,7--"The Merle Travis Story"
No.8--"There's a Song Out There"
No.9--"The Hank William's Show"
No.10-"The Loretta Lynn Show"
No.11-"The Louisiana Hayride Story"
No.12-"The Saga Of The Titans"
No.13-"The Trash Of The Trailer Park"
No.14-""American Football"
No.15-"Birthday Bash"
No.16-"Another '30's Story"
No.17-"The Perfect Gig"
No.18-"A Singer Named Walker"
No.19-"The Passion Fruit Story"
No,20-"The Horses In My Life"
No.21-"Happy Tax Day"
No.22-"Fireballs"
No.23-"The Jim Reeves Story"
No.24-"Guitar Pickin'"
No.25-"The Softball Game"
No.26-"Old Time Pottery"
No.27-"The Drty Dozen"
No.28-"Old Time Pottery Land
No.29-"A Deck of Card"
No.30-"My Sweet Tyler Rose"
No.31-"Diva"
No.32-"Old-New Country"
No.33-"The Pink Glass Story"
No.34-"A Texas Honky Tonk In "39"
No.35-"My Retail Sales Job"
No.36-"The Changing of The Girls"
No.37-"My Grandfather, Rufus Dudley"
No.38-"A Country Joke"
No.39-"T For Texas, T For Tennessee"
No.40-"A Honky Tonk In Texas"
No.41-"Old Parlor Game"
No.42-"It's The Style, Not The Song"
No.43-"Here's The Difference"
No.44-"My experience With "Pot"
No.45-"I like Blue Grass, But..."
No.46-"What Key?"
No.47-"Is It Country?"
No.48-"Gas Wars"
No.49-"Our First Big Adventure"
No.50-"More Thirties"
No.51-"Love At First Sight"
No.52-"The 2:00 AM Recording Session"
No.1 " The Grand Ole Opry Story"
When we were living in Clovis, NM, I attended the NCO Academy at Newport News, Va. ('68), and Eva flew up to attend the graduation ceremony.(She received the "Road Runner Award" for traveling the greatest distance.) On the way back, we drove through the Smokies for the first time. We headed West through Knoxville and on to Nashville. We had never attended the Opry, and as we came into town, I saw a sign that said "Old Hickory" and I asked Eva if she would like to stop and see the show. She said that it's always sold out and that you have to get the tickets in advance. Well, I said that I would like to at least see where it is. She said ok, so we went by. I went to ask if maybe there might be a couple of tickets left. There was none so we just walked around and looked. We turned around the corner of the building into what looked like an alley and there was Brother Oswald standing and talking to others. I eased up a little closer and he spoke and said where have I seen you before. I told him that I had been in Bien Hoa when they came over for some shows. He asked if we were there for the show. I said that we were just passing through and didn't have any tickets. That was about all that was said and we walked back to the front. We stood around for a while and decided to leave. I told Eva that I had to try one more time before we left. I went to the window and asked if anyone had cancelled out and she said yes, a couple just did. Now I'm not saying that Oswald had anything to do with it as I never saw him do anything, but we got to see the opry for the first time. The thing I remember first was the tobacco, or snuff odor when we first walked in. The show was good, but the thing that amazed me was the way the bands changed over for the different artists without a "hitch". Jay
No.2 "The Jack Guthrie Story"
I graduated from Pampa High School in 1947. For one of the rewards, besides a trip to Carlsbad Caverns, we were treated to a personal hour with Jack Guthrie and his guitar. He was the first artist that I had close contact with and he sang these songs that I also sang at that time:
Oklahoma Hills ~ When The Cactus Is In Bloom ~ Shame On You ~ I'm Brandin' My Darlin' With My Heart ~ Careless Darlin' ~ Oakie Boogie ~ Chained To A Memory ~ I Still Love You As I Did In Yesterday ~ Ida Red
~ San Antonio Rose and others. He was on my short list of favorites along with Ernest Tubb, Jimmy Wakley, Wesley Tuttle, Red Foley, Clyde Moody and Tex Ritter. Of course I liked all of them back then but these were my pick. Jack had a unique voice, as did these others. I liked songs like these, but Eva liked songs like The Old Lamplighter, The Gypsy, All of Me and others. Life was good. Jay
No.3 "Junior High School-40s"
I remember we had to make a newspaper, complete with news, comics, and a cross word puzzle and I didn't realize until I finished mine that the black blocks were perfectly symmetrical even though I didn't plan it that way. I have always liked to draw cartoons, so the comic section was easy to do. Everybody was assigned to do things with the hands, like clay modeling, both by hand and on a turn-table. Wood-burning and leather craft were also available. All the toys in the 30's were either wood or metal and; "made in Japan", on a toy, was usually of poor quality and very thin tin. Tinfoil was used a lot. Most of the movies were either Westerns or "Dick Tracy" type and these usually had a boat-chase scene with the very nice Chris Craft, wooden speed boats built out of Mahogany with chrome all over them. Our neighbor, Mr. McClung used to build these very high quality craft and we used to dream about driving one. The best we could do was take an apple crate and make a "car", and made the clutch and brake using "Prince Albert" tobacco cans and we used a Levi-Garrett snuff can for the starter peddle. We took a broom stick and nailed a syrup bucket lid on the end and drove it in the ground for the steering wheel. It was stationary, of course, and the "driving down the road" was "imaginary". They were very good on gas. I remember Mr McClung's son had a real motor in a neat looking car with a red and white marble ball on the stick shift, and we used to run along behind him, hoping we might get a ride. Billie Jean Andrews was the prettiest girl around , (before I met Eva), and "Buster", (McClung) let her ride very often!. "Medicine Shows" were common back then and the "Dr" would have a "cure-all' tonic that he sold for drinking, rubbing on, to stop pain and itch. Skin disorders were common; Styes, boils, risens, etc. Folks, I enjoyed the early days and I can't ever remembering being hungry due to nothing to eat. and I got a "dollar watch" one christmas and was in "hog heaven"........... "Tin Can Shinney" was a good game and we used a small Carnation milk can and hit it with a stick and tried to get it in a hole. Marbles and tops were favorites.
No.4 "School in the Thirty's"
Well; here we go: I started in the first grade in 1935 at a 4 room school in the small community of Swan, Texas. We had one room for the first and second grades, one for the third and fourth, and the other for the fifth and sixth. The fourth was a lunch room. The common sandwich was fried egg, (everybody had "yard chickens") and we also took left-over biscuits from breakfast with jelly or sugar cane syrup in them. A good "lunch box" was a half gallon syrup bucket as it came free with the syrup and had a readymade handle. The first and second grade was taught by "Miss Ruth" and "Miss Hatty Bell Crone". The only other one I remember was "Mrs Parker" in the sixth. As I look back, I think it was an advantage to have two grades in the same room as you could get a head start on the next one if you had a "lag" in your studies. We had a "two-holer and a path" out back, a wood stove in each room and we also had a "gathering room" upstairs where we had a stage with an "oilcloth: curtain that rolled up and down. It had "Sam R. Hill Lumber" on it. Back then, everyone was given parts in plays. They used to have someone bring animals and tell about them. For about 45 minutes each day, we also had "Sunbeam", that was held in the Baptist church across the road where we learned about the bible and what it means to be honest and friendly; and also went to "singing school" after supper if we had a way to get there. We learned hymns from the Baptist Hymnal and also some Blackman Bros. and Stamps- Baxter quartet gospel songs. We very seldom had money for the Westerns on Saturday afternoons but Mr Casey, who owned the "Joy" theater used to let us come in for a bunch of wild "Sweet William" flowers that probably died in about an hour. I think he did it so we could see our favorite Cowboys. I could go on and on but this gives you an idea of what it was like in the early days. No locks on doors back then, and you always walked with your eyes to the ground, looking for pennies as you could get 2 pieces of candy and a toy for one. Oh yes, I got hooked on country by the broadcasts from Old Mexico on those "umpteen" thousand watt statons on a radio powered from the car battery. We also could pick up the "Opry" real clear in East Texas. (also in Pampa). Everybody had to work in the Rose fields back then.
No.5 The Bobby Garrett Story
I was at the Evergreen Ballroom in Washington State in the early Sixties. Hank Thompson was the headliner that night. Hank was doing his thing and had the place jumpin' with that great band he had back then. A young girl came to the Bandstand (I was as close as I could possibly get), and I heard her say, "can't you play any Rock music? Hank looked like he was about to tell her that they didn't do any Rock and he happened to
look to his left and caught Bobby's eye. Bobby over heard her when she asked and gave Hank a little wink; then Hank told her, "I think we might could do one just for you, Honey".then Bobby glanced at somebody behind, and I never heard
anybody work a steel bar like he did on that number! Many lead guitarist would have been proud of him that night;Rock or Country
No.6 The Ray Price Story
When Hank left, Ray Price tried to take up where Hank left off. (this is the way I know it) He, (Ray), tried to do his songs the way Hank would do them and he never could quite get things going. The "Drifting Cowboys" had the "band sound", but folks wouldn't accept anybody doing that style but Hank. I don't know what happened, but somebody must have told Ray to come out with his own style and not to do it like Hank would. Well, you know the story from here; Ray went on to become,(in my opinion) one of the best country singers ever. (Hank Thompson too, but a different style.)
No.7 The Merle Travis Story
I love Chet's pickin', and who doesn't; but when Merle picked, it was something very special! I can't explain it, but it's like his pickin' had "soul". (I don't know any other word for it.) The one, and only, time I got to see him "Live" was at a club in North Sacramento one night. He came as a solo act, but with the house band as back-up. I wasn't the only one that liked him as the club was packed and after all the seats were sold, they kept on selling them and we were crammed shoulder to shoulder. The dance floor was, to; so no dancing when he picked. He would pick "anything" that was requested. He started the show with a lively tune and I saw right away that they could in no way keep up. He realized the situation so he reach down to the volume knob and gave it a slight turn and played all the rhythm and lead to his stuff. What a night! Did the vocals too.
Hank Thompson took his style for his pickin'. My kind of entertainers. Jay
No.8 There's a Song Out There
Since Nashville is fast becoming the "hot" country place and the weekend bands are fast becoming a thing of the past, we need someone out there to "immortalize" all the great "Country" singers in a song. I don't mean each one, but as a "group." I know there are some songs like "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes", but the story needs to be told how the older" Stars are fast leaving us and how the few that are left are being cast aside for the "Big Bucks". I don't know about you, but the ones I grew up were a damn sight better entertainers that most of the glazed over, "Big Stage" ones of today and seemed more accessable. Now, I enjoy a lot of the music of today, however, most of the numbers are "belittled" by the Grand Productions they have to put together in order to "sell" it. I don't know how to say it, but the "Era" of the ones that could relate to the fans and satisfy a crowd with just 4 or 5 piece band are the ones I'm talkin' about. The Great stars of movies have the "Walk of Stars" in Hollywood for them.
No.9 The Hank Williams Sr. Show
Special Request;
Scene: Tyler, Texas High School
When: 1948 (lots of shows that year)
What: Hank Williams Sr. performance with the Drifting Cowboys. I
couldn't wait for that night to
come so I got to the school around 6:00 PM. To my disappointment, every seat was already taken, (nobody used them anyway) and a few people were standing. I don't guess they had any fire regs back then or else they just "gave-in" to the pressure from all us fans. By the time "Show-Time" rolled around, (8:00 PM), we were standing shoulder to shoulder and others were outside looking through the windows. I can't remember if there was a "warm-up" band but they sure didn't need one. Everybody was anxious to see and hear Hank. I remember he was wearing a white suit trimmed in black with a white hat. His coat appeared to be a bit large. When he finally walked to the mike, (unassisted), you could not hear a word of his song for the
ear-splitting noise of us. After he sang a few songs, everybody spontaneously started yelling
"Lovesick Blues; Lovesick Blues". (I never saw him get the slightest bit disturbed at all of us drowning him out with our noise.) He sang a couple more and as I think back, I think he was getting a "charge" out of our being so impatient to hear the "Blues". When it came time for "The Song", he hunkered down to the mike even a little lower than usual, (cuttin' up with us). If I remember right, the steel kicked of with a Jimmy Rodgers yoddle then Hank came in with "I got a feelin' called the Blu-u-ues oh lord since my baby said goodby--" then after we voiced our approval, everybody hushed up and listened to the song. I get carried away when I tell about it and it seems I'm back there one more time. Folks, He cast a spell that was electrifying! It's impossible to write everything exactly as it happened, but I had to try.
No.10 The Loretta Lynn Story
Farwell is a small town in west Texas, so small it has "entering" and "leaving" on the same sign. Loretta was scheduled to perform there at the high school in the sunner of '67. We were living at Clovis New Mexico at the time, which was a few miles west of there. We drove over there to see the show and the weather was hot as a pistol. The show kicked off and after a while the announcer said that Loretta was having a problem and may not be able to perform. Well, her sister Peggy Sue was with her so she took over and sang a while. At that time, she had out "I'm Dynamite So Please Don't Light the Fuse". after a while, Loretta came out assisted by the arm. She was soaking wet from the heat, (no AC). and wiping her face with a wet rag. She took the mike and put on a great show, Afterwards, gave her a standing ovation. I got to "tour" the bus which was parked outside the school. This was the first time I had seen her since Tacoma in 1960.
No.11 The Louisiana Hayride Story
In 1949, Eva and I attended the Hayride. I remember Slim Whitman was on as a "One-Man" band; Webb Pierce was on, I think it was his debut night, Red Sovine was there and others. In those years they would put your ticket stub in a box and sometime during the show, they would have someone draw out one. They had a number on it and if it matched yours, you could go to the stage and enter a "Name That Song" contest. When they drew one and called out the number, Eva screamed out that it was her number. I told her to go on up to the stage. She said for me to go as I new quite a few songs. I went up and they played some songs and I went all through the list until they came to "Texas Sand". I had not heard that one and the other person named it so we won second prize. The first prize was a string of pearls. Our second prise was a bunch of stuff. An oil change of Humble Esso Motor oil, a weeks supply of Holsum bread, a large can of "Louisanne" coffee, a large bottle of "Johnny Fair" pancake syrup, a "Gold" colored leather billfold for Eva, and I can't remember the rest, but we thought the second prize was better than the first one.
No.12 "The Saga Of The Titans"
(To the tune of "The Wabash Cannon Ball")
From the empty stands of Houston,
To Nashville, Tennessee;
Bud Adams brought his football team,
To folks like you and me.
At first there was resistance,
From the homefolks near and far;
They didn't take to the Texans,
Comin' in without guitars.
They finally played at Vandy,
And Memphis Tennessee,
Where no one came to cheer for them,
It sure was plane to see;
The folks that lived around these parts, Were hooked on college games,
But, finally seen the light you see,
And the "Titans" is their name.
At first the fans didn't like the name,
And offered some of these,
Like "Hound Dogs" or "The Whisky Jugs",
And they were hard to please.
When they heard "Titans" was the name,
They tried to run and hide;
But now that they are on the top,
They take the name in stride.
Now they have finally found a home,
With a brand new place to play;
All the fans are cheering now,
So there's nothing left to say.
It sure feels good to finally have,
A team to call our own,
It was a long hard fight to bear,
But smooth sailin' from now on.
Writ by hand on a greasy paper bag by Jay
No.13 "The Trash Of The Trailer Park Rap"
"I was pickin' up trash from the trailer park when I heard a guitar "twang;
It sounded mighty strange so I knocked on the door and a girl was 'a pickin' that thang;
She said "C'mon in and set a spell and take a load off of your feet"; And she said "Country" aint all we pick,
here on the trailer street.
She was a pickin' some "Rap" and to my surprise, she said she liked that stuff;
I got out of there, mighty fast as that "Rap" was 'a gettin' too rough. Now if you ever go down to the "Trailer Street", put your cap-bill, to the back;
Then you'll be welcome if your clothes dont fit; down there by the tracks.
Jay
No.14 "American Football"
Let's see now.....American football.....It's really very simple to explain. You have the boys of two familys that are fuedin' and instead of shootin' and fightin', they put on this stuff that will keep them from gittin' hurt, and then they try like heck to hurt one another any way. They hold this in a cow pasture with lots of cow patties and they try to run to the other ones gate while one of them has a-holt of a hog blatter. They must be mighty good as everybody tries to get it away from the one who has it and everybody tries to run as fast as they can without steppin' in the patties. Every once in a while, one of them gets real mad and tries to kick the hog blatter real hard. Each family has their own friends who dress in the color of their boys so they wont hurt the ones on their side. Jay
no.15 Birthday Bash
My BD was the 3rd of Feb. and no big deal. Eva gave me a nice present, (I wont tell what), and all the kids called and that was that. Well, needless to say, I haven't been "Honky Tonkin'" lately and don't know what's out there. on Saturday, the 5th, I got a call from my youngest son after lunch, and he said they were taking us out for my birthday. He told me it would be at "Big Daddy's" Rib Place and Saloon. They had only been open two weeks. Now Tyler is dry so it surprised me some-what. We walked in and it was just like I had been "transformed" back to the old days! Here is a huge dance-hall with a "Big Stage", with all the lighting and "built-in" sound system. The hanging lights were shaped like cowboy hats. I couldn't believe this was real. The owner told us that the band starts at 9 pm. It brought back lots of good memories. We had dinner, good B-B-Que ribs and Bud. After we ate, here came this line of people, one with a cow bell and another with a cake. I was overwhelmed. The "Fender Benders" kicked off at 9 and had a great sound; stuff that I wasn't familiar with, but good. When they started the second set, they played about three and then the mc said; "Folks, we have a special guest with us tonight. Let's everybody give it up for-----Jay Langford. My son got me by the arm and stared to the stage and several folks joined in and walked with us. I was very humbled by it all and they asked what I was going to do. By that time, I was caught up in the hoop-la and said "Louisiana Man" in "D". There was no stopping me then so I started a 4-4 beat and the guys joined in. I gave a cajun yell aaaaaeeee and every body joined in. They all must have been drunk, as they yelled for one more. The only thing I could think of was "Pride", so they kicked it off. Folks, I was in "Hog-Heaven". The owner, Don Write, told me he wanted to put an array of my old band pics, the first on his soon-to-be "Wall of Pics", of country bands and stuff. He said now don't bring any "Old Codger" ones as he wanted some when I was younger.(ha) Best birthday party I ever had. Jay.
No.16 Another "Thirties" Story
The "setting" is the 1930's and patches on clothes are commonplace; shoe shops are everywhere and a real fine pair of "ropers cost $40.00, hand made, and having shoes "half-soled" is a way of life; some people with sedans are sawing the backs off so they can use them to haul stuff to make a living as they can't afford a truck; Spotlights are standard equipment on cars; some Cadillacs and Packards have a built-in air hose and a can of tube patching was standard; Grandma's lye soap is in most homes; "Fix Flats" signs are everywhere; gasoline wars are on-going and it has been as low as 9 cents a gallon; "Ethyl" and "Lemon-cracked" are types of gasoline; You had to wait for the gas to be "hand-pumped" in a "see-thru" tank that is marked with gallon measurements on the side and is hosed to your tank by gravity; Dirigibles are seen overhead almost every day; "Grinding the Valves" was done at intervals by almost all auto owners; German ships are loading scrap metal at the shipyards every day;movies are made almost weekly, (mostly western), using a cowboy star, some extras, and some horses and shown every Saturday; "Serials" are shown with the movies, a chapter each week, either "Deadwood Dick" with George O'Brien, "Flash Gordon" with Larry "Buster" Crabb, or "Red Ryder" and "Little Beaver"; almost every kid has a "store-bought" or home-made gun; smoking corn silk or coffee rolled up in a thin paper and some are "dipping" using a mixture of Cocoa and sugar as snuff; some kids have a "War Bonnet" or a headband with a turkey feather stuck in it; radio and the newspaper are very popular; "Big-Little books are traded; comics are 10 cents; "Ising glass" is used as windows in cars; some have curtains that roll down: Most cars that are heading home from town have a block of ice on the bumper; most modest homes have "open-faced" gas heaters with asbestos backing; asbestos siding was on over half of these houses; Leaded paint was used on most all homes; "Free" natural gas was available to residents that lived at the "gas fields; Hershey bars were melted most of the time when you bought one as there were very few air conditioners in neighborhood stores.
No.17 "The Perfect Gig"
Here's my idea of the perfect dance night. First, the band would consist of Five total pickers'. The first would be the front man who would be the main singer and could pick lead guitar; next, there would be a"fretless" bass whiz who could sing and that would be his total job unless you wanted to present a comedy skit; then there would be a drummer with a little "rock" experience who could handle the Latino" beats and could sing; the steel picker would be patterned after Jimmy Day. This would be his sole job unless, by chance he could handle the keyboard. The fiddle picker could also pick the mandolin. (It would be nice to have Johnny Gimble) Somebody would be able to sing in Spanish and somebody else in Cajun.
The Dancehall would be in the Houston, Texas area, but not too close in, and would be about 50,000 sq ft. with a hardwood floor. The stage would be about 2ft high so you could hear what the fan wants. Leemur would be on one side, and, if that description of Scott is correct, he would be on the other. There would also be a lady bouncer that weighed around 115 lbs who had been trained in martial arts. The sound board operator would also operate the stage lighting and each band member would have a personal set of lights. I believe Variety is the basic ingredient in a 4 hour gig. The ads would include the Latino and Cajun themes along with the Country. A female member would be icing on the cake. Requests would be honored after the first set.
I have come pretty close to this set-up but not quiet. Jay
No.18 "A Singer Named Walker"
When i was in Okinawa, there was this singer that worked with us some. He said Billy Walker was his name, and even had a newspaper clipping telling about his appearance on the Opry. Now I have seen Billy at Wichita Falls, Texas in the early 50's so I knew that it wasn't THE Billy Walker. In one of my letters home, I mentioned that a Billy Walker worked with us some. Well, my Mom and Dad lived at Carthage, Texas, about 40 miles from Shreveport. She saw in the Panola Watchman that Billy Walker was one of the stars at the Hayride. She wrote me about it and here's what happened. She got excited and they went to see him. After his part of the show, she went to the stage and asked if she could talk to him as her son played in the band with him. She was politely escorted backstage and was introduced to him. She said that it was nice to meet somebody that was in her son's band in Okinawa. She said Billy was puzzled by all this but was very nice about it. She said he talked to her for quite a while and explained that it had to be somebody else. We got a "kick" out of it. I let "the other" Billy Walker wear my hand-made Kangaroo boots one night an he talked me out of them for $10.00. He had a strange way of changing the strings on his Martin guitar. When he changed them, he would take his knife and cut them along the bridge with the tension still on them. He was a very good singer.
No.19 "The Passion Fruit Story"
When we were in Hawaii on our 21st anniversary, we rented a car, ($12.00 a day), and "toured" the whole island of Oahu in the 5 days we were there. Along the way we were amazed that "goodies" were growing everywhere. We shared an alligator pear and saw the harvest of the pineapple and went to see a famous waterfall. On the walk back, we found some passion fruit growing on vines and stopped to enjoy some. Folks, I believe they hit the nail on the head with that name as it sure did work! I don't think that the walk along the"silvery" beach at 10:00 o'clock at night had anything to do with it. Jay PS; Don Ho singing the "Hawaiian Wedding
Song" was one of the highlights.
No.20 The Horses In My Life
I am sitting here this morning thinking of the past and this subject comes to mind;
"Flossey"
In '35, I was 6 years old and, when I could "scrape up" the ten cents, (or a bunch of wild flowers), to get a ticket, I would go to town, (Tyler, Texas), with my two uncles, Bert and Wid. This would take place on Saturdays and the two "best" theaters were the "Majestic" and the "Joy", as they were the ones that showed the Cowboy movies. I saw those horses that the stars rode and would dream of riding one. Now during this time, my Dad worked for One Dollar a day, from daylight to dark, so money was almost non-existent.
This one day, my Dad told me to take a trip with him. We drove up to a house and got out and he knocked on the door and a voice called "Come in". We went in and I could see my Dad give him some money. Then we went out to the barn and there stood a small "paint" pony with a saddle that had the "covers" on the stirrups with leather thongs hanging down and a Martingale attached to the bridle. All the leather work was tooled and it had some of those Mexican conchos on it. I thought that was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I never knew what my family "gave up" for me to have that horse.
"Old Selum"
I would like it when we would visit my grandparents in Upshur County as my "Pappy", as we called him, had a horse that he would let me ride. He was a "roan" color and was very gentle. I would never have to "guide" him as he knew a route to go and would walk real slow as he knew I wasn't a very good rider. He was like one of the family. When he died, we were very sad.
"Old Dan"
He was a spirited horse so I never got to ride him but I remember very well one day when my cousin, W H, was visiting and Old Dan was tied to a post. I had a stopper gun that we used to play "cowboys" with and W H told me to "punch" him and see if he will jump. I did and the next thing I remember was when I "came to" on the bed. Old Dan had put his hind foot in the middle of my stomach. Lesson learned!
"Bullet"
This was a grey Mustang horse that the county commissioner was "pasturing" on my uncle's wheat farm in Pampa Texas. I was 13 at the time and Bullet had to be handled very carefully. I was riding one day and spotted a old gas heater in a draw that had been discarded. I thought of how cold it was in my room so I threw my rope around it and started to pull it up out of the draw. Well, it was hung on something and when it came loose it snapped toward us and Bullet took off like a ------ and before I could get him calmed down, that heater was useless. Another time , I was riding him and leading another horse. When I led him into the corral, I reached over to remove the bridle. I slipped it of of his ears but he had a grip on the bit. I yanked on it and it hit Bullet on the neck and I was on the ground. It must have knocked me out because when I came to, I was in a room and I was reaching out. Mom saw me and asked what I was doing. I told her I needed to wash my face with some water. She told me that I was in the bedroom.
"Beans"
This was a paint horse that had been retired from a circus and could do tricks like take off your hat and throw it on the ground, and count to a number you said. He was also quite "impish", like when you were leading him, he would push you in the back.
"Dusty"
This horse had a lot of good and bad traits. She could run like the wind but you couldn't stop her until she got ready. I was riding her one day and felt like "airing it out" so I leaned forward and nudged her and she took off. Now the wheat fields in the panhandle of Texas are a "section" and they measure a mile on each side, the perfect place to run. Well, we were rapidly coming to a fence so I pulled back on the reins and she went faster. When we came to the fence, I braced for a jump but she placed all four feet and turned. I kept going. Didn't get hurt as the ground was pretty soft. The owner of the horse heard about it and came out to the house one day with a "Mozo", bridle which had a soft sheep skin strap that went across the nose with no bit. He said for me to put that on Dusty and then he got on and urged her to run. She obliged and took off full speed. He yelled "Whoa, Dusty" and then he pulled on the reins real hard and she finally stopped. The Mozo had cut off her breathing so she had no choice. He said the Mozo was the way the Mexicans used to train a horse to obey your commands. There's more about this horse but for now;.... Jay
No.21 "Happy Tax Day"
(to the tune of Sixteen Tons)
Well I picked up my pen and I opened the book; I chose my form and I started to look;
I followed the rules and figgered it out. I owed more money and there was no doubt. (cho)
You work 16 hours and that ain't enough, It seems "keepin' up" is gittin' mighty rough; You load 14 trucks for the boss each day. And he wants 1 more for the same olepay. If you see me comin' better- step aside, The I-R-S took it outta my hide,
Didn't leave any money for a case of beer; I won't break even 'til the end of the year. (cho)
You work 16 hours and that ain't enough, It seems "keepin' up" is gittin' mighty rough; You load 14 trucks for the boss each day; And he wants 1 more for the same ole pay. Jay PS; Writ by hand on a greasy paper bag)
No.22 "Fireballs"
Guess what! I was talking to George Tomsco (an original member of the "Fireballs") and he mentioned that Dan Trammell, (another original member) lived somewhere around the East Texas area. So I got on my trusty Webtv and and located him in Longview, Texas. We talked about the "old Buddy Holly days" for about 2 hours. I didn't know it but he was with Sonny James for a few years after he left the "Fireballs". (Those of you that don't know about the "Fireballs", they had "Sugar Shack" and "Bottle of Wine" in the sixties.) By the way, Dan hasn't picked in over 30 years. (His health was the reason.) Thought those of you who liked the old sixties type rock would like to hear about this. Jay
No.23 "Jim Reeves"
This description of Jim's show at Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio, Texas in the early 50's may upset some fans but it's as I saw and heard it. Now I like Jim's voice and had a reason to be a little biased "for" him as he was my brother-in-law's first cousin.... The night of his show, we all got to the NCO club early so we could get a good seat. It was set up outside on the patio so more people could attend. Well, the "crew" spent a long time getting everything "just right". Jim came in about 5 minutes before the time and picked up his guitar and then checked the mike and went into a "cursing rage" and there were kids there with their parents. He didn't like the way the sound was set. As every body knows it is different "outside". Well, a lot of folks left. I lost my respect for him as did many others. I think Jim had a great voice and have enjoyed his songs.
No.24 "Pickin"
I am a country boy and I have played in "local" bands all my life. I've picked most all types of music and enjoyed it. I enjoy playing "Harlem Nocturn", "Shadow of your Smile", "Take Five", "Old Mountain Dew", "Ebb Tide", "Mansion On The Hill", "El Rancho Grande", Crazy Arms", "I wish I had My First Wife Back", "Walk Me To The Door", "Walking The Floor Over You", "Claire De Lune" and most. All this arguing over what is what to me really doesn't matter unless you try and play "Bach's 5th movement" in a Honky Tonk in El Paso without some chicken wire in front of the stage. Jay
No.25 "Softball Game"
When we were in Tacoma Wn., our squadron gave their annual picnic and hired our GI, (General Idiot), band to play for it. We had a soft ball game after the dance,(on dirt), and it was the Officers against the lowly enlisted guys. Well, since I was in it, we very quickly fell behind. I finally got a hit and took off like a bat-out-of-hell for first base. After the third step, I felt something "pop" and went to the ground. Well, I was through for the game. We were "behind" so the steel player's girl, Becky, said, "I can take Jay's place". Well, the First Sergeant said that he would "bend the rules" and let her be on the "enlisted" team. He asked her what position did she want to play and she said that she could pitch. Well, our pitcher had given up what seemed like a hundred runs so he said, "Go get 'em girl". Well,and I'm not kiddin', the officers never got another hit! We, at least, made the game respectable. Becky was the first one to get her tent ready when we went camping one night after our gig at the Ft. Lewis NCO club. It was foggy and we had to go over Snoqualmie pass and didn't realize that it was very high and the road was very narrow until we had to return home the next day. That's the time when we tried to catch the big salmon by jumping in and "grabbling" with or hands. Folks, I have had a lot of good experiences playing music. "A good feeling" Jay
No. 26 "Old Time Pottery Story"
Folks, I don't know why, but things just seem to happen where ever I am. Now who would expect much from working in a retail store. Well, here's something that did.........
When we were living in Tennessee, (20 miles out of Gatinburg), I had been working on the house, (We bought it partially finished), and finally got it in pretty good shape and I was getting restless. I saw an ad in the Gatlinburg paper that they needed some help in opening an "Old Time Pottery" store in Pigeon Forge. My wife is a Floral Designer, and they were looking for one to work in the "silk flower" department when they opened. She has done this all her life and she is like me; she loves to do that as much as I like to pick and grin. She said she would like to apply and so we went where they were taking applications.She was hired on the spot, and I was hired to help get it ready to open. Well, as it wound up, there were 12 initial employees to set up shelves etc. Well, they were planning an opening day celebration so I had this "urge" to write a story about it. My wife was called in to make some arrangements, (flowers), for opening day, and there was another designer working with her so she told "him" that I had written a story about the occasion and that I played the guitar. He talked to me about it and I found out that he is a singer. (We eventually became good friends, (but not TOO friendly), Needless to say, he was not a "logger" or "Iron Foundry" man.To make a long story shorter, we decided to set up some music and play every hour through the day. There were many folks there and some were well "heeled", but they were asking for "Honky Tonk" songs and one elderly lady, (I was 62 and she was older than me) asked for Hank's "Six Pack To Go" a couple of times. Well, here is the song and story.
No.27 "The Dirty Dozen Song"
Now we are the twelve charter members,
Of The Old Time Pottery,
We signed on with "Boss Man" Sam,
Not knowing how it would be.
There's Chris and Greg, Andy and Jim,
And don't forget ole Bud,
There's Scott and Mike, Alan and Jay;
The man they call "The Stud".
There's also Mark, James and George,
And Glenn to complete the crew;
We're all for one and one for all,
And we done it all for you.
Now James is gone and so is ole George,
And Glen has hit the trail,
He went on down to Texas,
And we hope he's not in jail.
We always did the best we could,
And we opened up on time,
But Sam's the one who "headed" the crew, And kept us all in line, Now if anybody should ask you,
Who caused this store to be;
Tell 'em 'twas the Dirty Dozen,
of Old Time Pottery".
(note; Jack was the owner; Sam was his asst.; Doug was the store manager; Charlie was the asst, store manager.)
No.28 "The Old Time Pottery Land Story"
Once upon a time, there were three bears. There was "Sammy" bear, "Dougy" bear, and "Charlie" bear. One day, the greatest bear of them all; "Jacky" bear; told "Sammy" bear that he wanted him to open an Old Time Pottery in a far and distant land. He told Sammy bear to take Charley bear and go forth to the new land and that he had sixty days in which to accomplish the feat. So Sammy gear and Charley bear set off on the journey to the far and distant land. When they arrived there, they immediately selected some of the finest "shelf craftsmen" to assist them. Thus was born the original "Dirty Dozen". There was "Sweet Scott", "Macho Mike", "Slim Jim", "Steady Alan", "Grouch James", "Big Bud", "Guitar Man Greg", "Kissin' Chris", "Gorgeous George", "Jolly Jay", "Help Me Glen, "Handy Andy", and "Sharp Mark". Jacky bear came and began the search for the wisest bear in the distant land. Having put many wise ones to the test, he finally found the perfect choice; "Dougy" bear. Then along came "Goldie Locks Valery", and the Old Time Pottery" team was complete. With skillful guidance, Sammy bear directed the team and soon was born a new Old Time Pottery store.
No.29 "A GI Narritive"
(This was written long, long ago by a soldier)
During the North African campaign, a bunch of soldier boys had been on a long hike and they arrived in a little town called Cascina. The next morning being Sunday, several of the boys went to Church. A sergeant commanded
the boys in Church and after the Chaplain had read the prayer, the text was taken up next.
Those of the boys who had a prayer book took them out, but this one boy had only a deck of cards, and so he spread them out. The Sergeant saw the cards and said, "Soldier put away those cards." After the service was over, the soldier was taken prisoner and brought before the Provost Marshall. The Marshall said, "Sergeant, why have you brought the man here?" "For playing cards in church, Sir." "And what have you got to say for yourself, son?" "Much, Sir." Replied the soldier. The Marshall said, "I hope so, for if not I shall punish you more than any man was ever punished."
The soldier said, "Sir, I've been on the march for about six days, I had neither Bible nor prayer book, but I hope to satisfy you, Sir, with the purity of my intentions." With that, the boy started his story: ..You see Sir, when I look at the "ACE", it reminds me that there is but one God;
..And the "DEUCE" reminds me that the Bible is divided into two parts; The Old and the New Testaments;
..And when I see the "TREY", I think of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;
..And when I see the "FOUR", I think of the four Evangelists who preached the Gospel. There was Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; ...And when I see the "FIVE", it reminds me of the five wise virgins who trimmed their lamps. There were ten of them, five were wise and were saved. Five were foolish and were shut out; ...And when I see the "SIX", it reminds me that in six days, God made this great heaven and earth; ..When I see the "SEVEN", it reminds me that on the seventh day, God rested from His great work;
..And when I see the "EIGHT", I think of the eight righteous persons God saved when He destroyed this earth. There was Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives;
..And when I see the "NINE", I think of the lepers our Saviour cleansed. And nine out of the ten didn't even thank Him. ...When I see the "TEN", I think of the Ten Commandments God handed down to Moses on a tablet of stone;
..When I see the "KING", it reminds me that there is but one King of Heaven, God Almighty;
..And when I see the "QUEEN", I think of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is Queen of Heaven;
..And the "JACK" or "KNAVE" is the Devil; ...When I count the number of spots on a deck of cards, I find 365, the number of days in a year; ..There's 52 cards, the number of weeks in a year; ...There's 4 suits, the number of weeks in a month; ...There's 12 picture cards, the number of months in a year; ...There's 13 tricks, the number of weeks in a quarter; ...So you see, Sir, my pack of cards serves me as a Bible, Almanac and Prayer Book.
"And friends, this is a true story, because I was that soldier." Recorded by T. Texas Tyler
No.30 "My Sweet Tyler Rose"
I've rambled 'round this old world,
And seen a lot of women;
Some were sunnin' on the sand,
And some were even swimmin'
There were some just hangin' 'round,
Askn' for a drink,
I believe they wanted something more;
At least that's what I think.
(cho)
My Sweet Tyler Rose is a lady;
And none can compare to her charm;
I feel like a King on a throne,
When my Tyler Rose--- takes me by the arm.
Now I've seen some that looked just fine,
And some that weren't so nice;
Some as hot as the desert sun,
And some as cold as ice.
But, none of them could compare,
To my Sweet--- Tyler Rose,
She's as sweet as honey,
From her head down to her toes;
(cho)
My Sweet Tyler Rose is a lady;
And none can compare to her charm;
I feel like a King on a throne,
When my Tyler Rose--- takes me by the arm.
She can make an apple pie,
Fry a chicken up just right;
Folks come knockin' at the door;
When they find It's "Tex-Mex" night;
They don't leave until they ask,
"Is there any more?"
And when the answer's; "it's all gone",
They head toward the door.
(cho)
My Sweet Tyler Rose is a lady;
And none can compare to her charm;
I feel like a King on a throne,
When my Tyler Rose--- takes me by the arm.
No.31 "Diva"
Folks; I like some opera productions, however, "DIVA" is the wrong word for the beautiful "County Ladies" in our music. They are much above that! Country music is different, in that, it is sung with "soul" as a basic ingredient. The same with Blues singers. (Ella, Hank, Jimmie, T-Bone, BB, etc. Now, Opera's basic ingredient is who can sing the highest, loudest, and longest. Folks that use "Diva" to describe female Country singers are not Country. Just maybe a few of the ladies may fit the Diva category, but shouldn't be "branded" with the word "Country". Jay PS; I am not stuck in the past. I love new "Country" music.
No.32 "Old-New Country"
I grew up during the COUNTRY music era and was in "Hillbilly Heaven" with all the "firsts" that was happening during the "40's and '50's,however, I do not think the Country of today has to sound like that. I wish it was possible for the young artists to have a choice of recording their OWN "Country" sounds instead of the "copy-cat" stuff that is out today! They would get much more self satisfaction out of it if they were allowed to present their own style. The result would be many more easily recognizable singers. Now, we have posted many words on what is and what ain't Country. I say that if the SINGERS had a choice of their own, we would find out quickly what is country. I know that the ole dollar is controlling the production today, but just think, if the artist could choose what instruments they use, there would be new styles brought forth. I think it would be just as exciting now as it was in the past. I personally think that singing is a personal trait that comes from the person's ability and preference. Jay; The ole soapbox is still a good way to get the word out!
No.33` "The Pink Glass Story"
In the 30's, we were going home from the big city of Tyler, about 5 miles. Dad said that he was about out of Sorghum syrup. We stopped at Jimmy O. Hill's store at the edge of town. He had sampled the syrup with the blade on his pocket knife, (that's the way everyone "tested" it), and had put the lid back on and said this is OK. Mr. Hill came over and said; "Jube", that was his nick name and every body knew each other, "I want you to look at this new glass that we just got in." It was pink with ridges going around it. As my dad reached for it, Mr Hill drew back just a little and dropped it. It made a loud ringing sound and bounced off the cement floor. Everybody jumped and Mr Hill started laughing and said it was unbreakable and you get a free one with a box of Mother's Oats. I remember it well as we were scared that we would have to pay for a broken glass and nobody had much money. We kept that glass for years. You may ask what has this got to do about anything, and I answer, "nothing"
Jay
No34 "A Texas Honky Tonk In '39"
My Grandfather had a gas station in the '20's and '30's. I can remember that at times, gas was 9 cents a gallon. He did repair work on farm implements and made horse shoes and tools in his black smith shop and worked on wagons and trucks in his garage. He had already started growing roses, and as it turned out, it was more profitable than the station.
He gathered the family together and announced that he was closing the store and was growing roses full time. He said it would take lots of hard work from everybody but that enough money would be coming in for all the family. Well, he cleaned out the store and sold most of the stock and rented the building to Mrs. Watts. She was a well-traveled widow woman with two girls by the name of Evelyn and Ernestine.. I remember she owned a "Whippet" car that had to be pushed when she wanted to start it. She had a sign made that said. "Mrs. Watts Place". She brought in a juke box and some tables and a large ice box. Back then, there were "Ice Men" that delivered door to door. It soon became a gathering place for the men. The only women I remember were the two daughters. I learned a lot of stuff from the youngest whose name was Ernestine.
Now the store was real close to the house so we got an earful of the talk and the music. Most of the music was the Bob Wills type. I could hear "Ahh, Take it away, Leon", then the "Steel Guitar Rag". I used to dream that I was in a band.
Well, after a few weeks, the fights started happening as the men would work hard labor for one dollar a day and they were easy to get "riled" up, so my Grandfather moved them out, but not before I had learned the words to most of the songs.
Folks, can you imagine working from daylight 'til dark for one dollar? This is another page from the past and the way it was back then. Jay
No.35 "My Retail Sales Job"
Some of you have read about my job with the "Old Time Pottery" store in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. where we "set up" a country show with the Floral Designer" with mics and speakers and electric guitar.............. After we got the store stocked and ready to open, I was having so much fun that I decided to stay on for a while. I was assigned to the "dinnerware" section. I had just sold this lady a set or nice dishes and had opened the box to make sure that everything was in there. She was checking the contents with me and I said that it was all there. She said oh no, there's no cream and sugar bowls and no Turkey platter and I told her that those items were optional and if she wanted those, she would have to pay extra. She went into "Orbit" and the more I tried, the more she screamed. I knew I had to do something so I walked up to her and said, "Honey, if there's anything I like, it's a strong-willed woman." She looked funny and said, "really?", and I said "you bet, and I have always felt that way." She simmered down and became very obligeable.(is that a word?) I went back and got the extra dishes she wanted and said, " take these with Old Time Pottery's compliments". Would you believe she wound up insisting that she pay for them and I wound up with the management's approval. I liked that job because I was in contact with folks from all over the country that were on vacation. By the way, when I told Eva about this she said, "Did you really do this?" Jay.....PS: bet you can;t guess what the next story will be about!
No.36 "The Changing Of The Girls"
Now I respect the ladies, but this one time, the devil made me do it. In late 1947, after I had moved from Pampa, Texas in June of that year, (I met Eva in '48), one of the guys that I grew up with in the '30's, and I were dating the Boulter sisters, Onys Mae, and Betty. This one night as we were on the way to Arp, Texas to pick them up, Buster said, "Jay, how do you like Onys Mae and I said she is a nice girl. I asked him how did he like Betty? He said , "She's ok". We rode a little farther on the 12 mile trip from Tyler and he said, "How do you like Betty? I said that she was nice. I asked him how he liked Onys Mae and he said, "I really like her, would you like to go with Betty tonight? I said that Onys was my girl. He said that we all know each other well so why don't we swap out just for tonight? Well, we did and I never felt right about that night as we dated that way for a while. The girls didn't object, but it wasn't long 'til we went down different paths. Folks, we were never serious about each other and we all were good friends.
After I met Eva on that hayride, nothing else mattered after that. Her mother had put her long, dark brown hair up in braided rows and she was sooo pretty! I think she fell for that western Gabardine suit that I had on.
Jay...PS; I just talked to one of the girls, Frances Chambless, that was on that hayride and she said that she fell off the wagon and almost got run over and I didn't even know it happened!
No.37 My Grandfather, Rufus Dudley"
I loved both my grandfathers, but since I lived just down the road from my mother's father, I spent more time with him. He was very talented and could do most any job that required some college engineering courses. I used to watch him form hot steel and iron from the "forge", with an anvil and a heavy hammer and end up with a part that looked like it had been machined. He was a "finishing" carpenter and help build the barracks at Amarillo, Texas in the early '40's. He wore an old felt hat and when he was building a house to be later sold and moved he used a flat pencil and kept it stuck behind the headband.
I don't remember this, but I have been told about it many times. When he had the gas station, one of the products he sold was Kerosene, (we used to call it "coal oil"), and was much in demand as folks used it for cooking, lighting, and treating wounds from stepping on a nail in a board. Any way, as the story goes, I had watched him fill cans for people many times. I had turned on the spigot and let all the coal oil runout. Grandad found me there by the barrel and got a little concerned about his oil being out on the ground. Mom told me that he asked me why I had run it all out and that my answer was; "I'll put it back if you want me to."
I remember one time when he may have saved a lady's life. We had been to Kilgore to sell roses and was on the way back when we saw a car on the side of the road. Grandad slowed down and said he was going to see if they needed any help. He walked to the car and I heard a man talking really mad and cussing him He came back to his Studebaker truck and reached in the glove box and took out his "High Standard" 22 pistol. He went back and I saw a lady that was injured with her clothes torn. He pointed the gun and said something that I couldn't hear and the man jumped in the car and took off. I don't know exactly what happened but we took the lady home. I think this happened around 1935. My Grandma Dudley died in the early '60's, and left him alone. We were living in Tacoma Wa. and after about a year, we heard that he just re-married. He was 82 at the time and they moved to Oklahoma. She was a member of the Church of Christ and he used to hide his bottle in a little space under the stairwell. Dad told me he went to visit and granddad was on the roof patching it.
I remember the old blue tin cup that he drank from. He used it for his coffee in the morning as well as his nightly "hot toddy" He grew up in the 1800's and he always ate his peas with a knife, as back then, it was "proper" to do so.
He used to have me to line up some aggate marbles on a log and he would shoot them with a 22 rifle. He said that even though his boys, (there were three of them), were all in WW !!, that he could beat them shooting.
No.38 "A Country Joke"
Setting: Jay had just come off the farm and had never seen bananas............
Patsi: "Jay, what's wrong, you don't look so good?
Jay: "Aww, I tried one of them things called "banana" and it made me
sick."
Patsi: "That doesn't sound right; bananas are good for you."
Jay: "That may be but they don't taste so good, and beside; it's all
cob."
No.39 "T For Texas-T For Tennessee"
If I remember right, in the 30's and early 40's, the country music in Texas was "Swingin'. At the same time, The Opry music was more like "Mountain" and "Folk" styles. I liked to listen to both. There was more comedy in the Tennessee music and I liked the "Crook Bros", "Gulley Jumpers", "Fruit Jar Drinkers" and all. I remember that I thought that Tennessee was a long way from Texas and wondered if I would ever get to go there to see the Opry.
=A0=A0 I could never do the "Clogging" and I think that it was more suited as an "exhibition-type", done by a few, while the Texas "Two-Step" was more inclusive to the patrons. I was drawn to learn the muslc with a good dance beat. There was something about the "four-four" bass and drums that "grabbed" my "soul" and I had to see if I could play it. When they added just a line or two of the brass in there, I thought it was even better! The "Honky Tonk" style sure sold a lot of beer, especially when coupled with the salted pop corn and peanuts.
I never studied which type generated the most fights; the Texas style with the Beer, or the Tennessee style with the "Shine", but I have played at places where I was told of the days when they had "Spotters" sitting in the rafters with "scatter guns"
Jay
No.40 "A Honky Tonk In Texas"
On any given night, I have reached the pinnacle of happiness on-stage in a Texas Honky Tonk; corn meal on the hardwood floor; no air
conditioning, ceiling fans above; plenty of ice-cold Lone Star
longnecks; a good guitar with the strings even along the fretboard; a good amp; a good steel picker; a good fiddle picker; a good bass picker; a good drummer and those Texas cowboys with their ladys and no closing time! It doesn't get any better that this!! These days may be gone forever, but those memories linger on!! I just wish that everyone could experience this at least one night. Jay
No.41- "Old Parlor Game"
Before TV, there were several games that were played. I remember one of them was called,"Grandma Hum-Bug sent me to you." Folks would sat in a circle and the first would say to the one on the right; "Grand Ma Hum-Bug sent me to you." The one on the right would ask; "What for to do?" The first would answer; "Pat one hammer like I do", and would pound a fist on the knee in rhythm. The one on the right would then pat one hammer and turn to the one on their right and say the same, and the next one would ask "What for to do?" and the answer would be, "Pat two hammers like I do." and would pat two fists on both knees. It would keep going around until the one that could pat the most hammers would win the prize; usually a stick of home-made "pulled" taffy candy. Can anybody else think of more?
No.42-"It's The Style, Not The Song"
I know it takes a good song and a good delivery, (arrangement and vocal), to result in a great hit; one that will entice the most folks to buy it. However, to me, the delivery is much more important. For instance the song "Roly Poly". It's about a little fat boy that eats everything in sight. Not much of a theme but if you take Ray Price and Jimmy Day, or Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan and put them together in a driving swing beat, It's a knockout cut. The same with "Rag Mop". A song about spelling the name out to a good beat. I love to read good novels and stories, but when it comes to a dance tune, you could have Vince, Alan, George, Garth, Kate Smith, Sammy Davis Jr, Frank or any Hank, and the "meaning" of the words instantly become secondary. I apologize to all you songwriters as we have to have you!!! I am just saying that you can take mediocre lyrics and with the right delivery it becomes an enjoyable dance tune or good listening sound. This is only my own take and is in no way putting your take down. I love all the great songs, no matter what style. Dean Martin's country songs were great. Well, that's enough for now. I would probably go broke if I was in The Business. Jay
No.43-"Here's The Difference"
Country:
Raised up poor or close to it;
Picked for years on the back porch;
Sold "shine" to make some money;
Hitch-hiked to Nashville with no money;
Worked at washing dishes;
Worked at roofing houses;
Borrowed clothes to wear for the first performance;
Lucky enough to get some one to hear them;
"Made it" with talent;
Hot New:
Got breast implant;
Dyed hair;
Sang Karaoke for a week or two;
Banker Dad bought lavish clothes;
Performed on Make Me a Star.
Learned to sing through "note adjuster";
Tagged on to Country to "make it";
Learned how to expose body without blushing;
Wore a "duster" and hat to audition;
Took acting lessons at the University of New York; Jay PS; All in fun
No.44-"My Experience With 'Pot'."
Folks, I have read posts about this subject and would like to say that I don't know too much about it. Having been in music all these years, I have been around it a lot. Now I have been drunk as a skunk on alcohol and smoked cigarettes in my younger days, so I'm not an angel. I have never had the desire to take any kind of drugs period! I have this "story" In the 70's:
We were playing at "Club 79" just out of Homer, La. I was a member of the "Renegade Upside Down Band". The name suggests the situation and songs by Janis Joplin and Otis Redding were common. There was this guest singer that performed every night. I have seen him "tipsy" on alcohol many times. This one night, the regulars had a "party" afterwards and invited all to join in. I grabbed a cool one and so did (I can't remember his name). They knew how I felt about things but went to work on Barry, (I just remembered his name). They always want you to "join in". He gave in. Afterwards; he pulled out in front of a vehicle without stopping and he was gone. I have no other comment on this subject. Jay
No.45 "I Like Blue Grass, But..."
To me, Blue Grass, and Mountain Music can get a crowd "in the mood" very quick. You hit a fiddle "breakdown" or a good hot banjo number and the "clogers' will hit the floor and the toes will tap. However, there's not much interest if you continue on with it except for the few that like nothing else and attend the "all-day" grass festivals. I enjoy doing "Rocky Top" or "Earl's Breakdown", (NOT "Fox on the Run"). The same goes for the "Schottish" or "Polka". (a little goes a long way). I know that some folks will disagree with this, but not the majority. Jay...PS; There's an art to picking the "5 String" and I've tried but couldn't hack it.
No.46 "What Key?"
Forget every rule except the basic one if it is a "vocal"! That rule is : Use the chord most comfortable for the singer, A "picker" should be able to perform in EVERY key....In instrumentals, you can work it out to conform to "brass" or "woodwinds". I find that they sometimes need to play in "the flats" in order to do their best work. This is from my experience of over 50 years. Jay
No.47 "Is It Country?
A good way to answer that question is to select 4 hours of material and present it to an audience in a Honky Tonk in Herford, Texas that is packed with cowboys that have worked hard all week and are ready to let off steam. After the 4 hour dance, if you get out with your life, then you can feel assured that the songs on that list are all Country!!!! Jay PS; some joints DO, (or did), have chicken wire in front of the stage. Some have at least two "hefty" bouncers that stand on the sides of the stage. Some folks get real testy when you don't know their favorite song. At the La Vista Ballroom in Clovis, NM, that wasn't enough so Tommy Haney stopped singing and started "bouncin" one night. What a show! I was an observer along with my trusty Navaho amigo.
No,48 "Gas Wars"
The purpose for the gas wars was to siphon off customers from your competitor so you could make money by selling other stuff when they came in for the gas. In fact, at 9 or 10 cents a gallon, they could have very well been losing money. I remember the 9 cent sign was huge with a large red "9" on it. If they had a flat spare, you could get that business while they were there. Hands on service brought in customers also. The attendants always carried a wisp broom and a rag in their pockets to clean out the floorboard and wipe off the dash. People always drove with the windows down unless it was raining or cold. I wonder how many people have rode to town sitting on the fender a-straddle the head light. Max speed during wwll was 35 mph. Gas was rationed so we used the liquid "drip" from the cross-country natural gas lines . It was illegal as the govt. didn't get and tax from it. We would use the yellow coloring from margarine to put in it so it would look "legal".
No. 49 "Our First Big Adventure"
I was just thinking about the past as nothing much going for me on the group and I thought of the "Texas To California" venture n 1952. I thought some of you would be interested in hearing how it was to live back in the old days.
Eva and I both grew up in Texas without any "frills" and had only been in 3 or 4 adjoining states and so when I had decided to enlist in the Air Force in November, '51, we faced an unknown adventure. We had bought a small house and were making payments on it. When I was attending Basic Training, and thereafter, Tech School at Wichita Falls, Texas, we knew we had to make plans for a different kind of life. It was both scarey and exciting. I was working at the Crescent laundry and drycleaning plant in Tyler before I joined-up, and was driving their truck to and from work so we didn't have to replace our broke-down '36 Ford sedan. We were thinking that we had to sell the house and get some sort of car. We found this man that wanted the house but didn't have much money but did have a pretty good car to trade in. We wound up taking the car as our part and it turned out OK. Having been told that our first assignment would be at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento, California, we got a free map at the gas station. (they were complimentary at the time as was all the service items when you went in for gas). We didn't have much traveling money at the time, (neither did the three other couples that were going to travel with us), so we thought that the straightest route would take less gas. We drew a straight line from Texas to California and picked the roads closest to that line. There were lots of things that happened on the road such as when we went through Las Vegas and Eva didn't agree to visit the gambling joints as they were the "den of iniquity" and so we had a spat over that, and then at the Hoover Dam when we met this couple during a walk on top that were from Sacramento. When they found out that we were going to be living there, they gave us their number and said they had a small house for rent but that they were headed east on a vacation and wouldn't be back for three weeks. Money was getting mighty scarce so eating was secondary to gas. We left the dam and didn't know that the route we chose took us through some less inhabited areas so service stations were few and far between. The road we were on had no downhills and we were getting close to running on fumes. The gage was on empty and we were still going up hill. I could see what looked like a top and I though if we could only get over it, we could coast down the other side. Well, believe it or not, the engine started to cough but I could see the top better now and we only had a short distance to get over it. As the engine was beginning to "konk-out" and the car was slowing to a walk, we eased over it at about 5 mph! Then we started picking up speed and we coasted 6 miles down the other side to a small town and pulled in at a gas station. (I still think Eva's prayers helped). After we filled the tank, we found a cafe and could only afford one egg and a piece of toast each. By the way, the other couples were all some where else as we got separated some how. We got back on the highway and it started getting more narrower and it was getting darker. As we rounded a sharp curve there was the largest porcupine I had ever seen. It was as high as the hood of the car and I just missed him. After another mile or two we came to a "small" sign that said "Yosemite National Park" We later found out that we were entering the East side that was very seldom used. We eventually came to a one-lane road that was on the side of a cliff. Lucky we didn't have to pass any cars.
After going through the park,(at night), we wound up on a decent road and we were getting hungry. We came up behind a pickup with a load of baskets of large red apples, I told Eva to see if she could find a coat hanger to straighten out and maybe I could pass colose enough to "stick" one of the apples but she said we would have to tough it out until we could get some food. We had a good laugh over it and it took our minds off of the hunger.
After we got to Sacramento, we found a two room apartment that belonged to a local doctor and rented it. After having been invaded by the lady of the house a couple of times, (without knocking), we decided to see if Cliff and Deanie, the couple we met at the dam, were back so after a call, they were so we moved in to their little house until we could find us a place. They wouldn't take any money for the nearly two months we were there.
Folks, I could go on but I know this is getting old so will end it here. We still talk about that trip and the almond tree in the yard at Cliff and Deanies.
Jay.....PS; My first pickin' job was at a place called the "Okie Boogie" that was
owned by some folks that had moved from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl days.
No. 50 "More Thirties"
Having had lots of "thinkin' time" on my hands and finding the info on Cowboy Slim, some more things from the past come to mind: 1934- I recall that my Mom somehow managed to enter me in the first grade when I was 5 years old. The minimum age requirement was 6 and it was 5 months before my 6th b'day.
1936- This was the year of the Texas Centennial that was held at the Texas State Fair grounds in Dallas. I remember seeing all the odd side shows including seeing a man with no arms or legs fix a cigarette, open a penny box of matches, strike the match and light it, all by using his lips! Another was having my picture made with a 60 year old lady, (and she was beautiful), and I had to look "down" into her face and I was 7. I don't know if it was a degrading word or not but she was called a midget. It was a "tintype" pic. and I carried it for years until my billfold wound up in the washer.
1939- This was the year of the New York Worlds Fair and there was a picture of the "spire and sphere" in every news print around the world. I also remember that my Dad was a salesman for the Ford Motor Company that year and one night he drove one of the new '39 demonstrator cars home and took us for a ride. I remember most cars came equipped with a spot light and you could light up a tree-top with it. You can imagine the thrill of a new car after the old jalopies we could afford.
Another happening that year was the time we drove to Galveston and took a 21 mile trip on an excursion ship and when we returned, we were watching a German freighter loading scrap iron and my Dad, being somewhat of a diplomat, arranged a tour of the ship. I was 10, but the Captain offered me a sip of German beer and gave me a coin called a phoenig, (may not be right), that I carried for years. I didn't dream that that load of scrap would be a part of Hitler's war machine and that Europe and our boys would be getting some of it back for free! Please excuse this rambling, but I wanted to share some of the past with my friends.
Jay PS; "Hot coffee and your temper are a lot alike; be patient and they will both be OK."
No. 51 "Love At First Sight"
Eva and I met on a hayride in 1948 and she sang an I picked. We got around to sharing a stick of Juicy Fruit gum and from then on, I knew she was the one I was going to marry. She looked exactly like the actress Ann Blythe. My mind was so in a whirl that it didn't dawn on me that she might not want me! Her family lived up on a sandy hill and I borrowed my friend's jeep that had a blade on the back, and came over one night and graded that hil for about 2 hours so I could be sure that I could get to her house. She told me later that her Dad woke up and said; "What in the hell is the county doing working on the road at night?" (He was the best 5-string picker I ever heard.) I could tell you a lot but this is not the place. Now don't get me wrong; I was a "yearning" young boy, but I wasn't about to do anything to mess this up. Neither one of us had a pot to "P" in of a window to throw it out of, but here we are over 50 years later and still lovin' every minute of it! Jay
No. 52 "The 2:00 AM Recording Session"
Folks, I don't claim to be "overly endowed" in the brain department and I was unsuccessful in learning Algebra II, Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" or Homer's "Illad", but what I do have is the drive and love for music. Many years ago, I had a little tape recorder, and as Eva sings all the harmony parts, I was trying to figure out how to record her doing all the parts on a tape simultaneously, (whew). I tried for days to do it but no luck. This one night, we had already gone to sleep and all of a sudden, I jumped up and woke her up and asked her if she felt like singing. It had come to me the way to do the recording. It took me about 10 minutes to "kill" the erase circuit and we were in business. I tried to get four-parts on there but the soprano was too weak, so we did three parts to a lullaby my aunt had written.
"Close your sleepy eyes, rest your weary head; Angels standing by, to guide you the whole night through. Dream your little dreams, scheme your little schemes, As I say a prayer, for God to keep my darling one. Lulla-lulla-by, lulla-lulla-by, lulla-lulla- lulla-lulla-by." By: Ruth Langford
Jay
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