Country Oldies 1950-1979

1957 is my favorite...and I was only 7

"it was a very good year". Patsy was in her prime.
DonM

Larry, wow great find!
Man, I love 'classic' country. Thanks!

Thanks Larry for putting that up. I listened to a few from 1950 and it took me back to some great days when I was a working musician. I quit playing pro in 1957 and went back to college and never worked full time as a musician again. Just here and there and now and then. thanks again,
Best to you and yours. We been sharing music for a lot of years you and I
Bebop

Speaking of 1957, a great year for Chevy. Who here has never been a part of the '57 Chevy Belair?



Is that Bebop on the piano?

Thanks Larry...I've been a fan of Country music for as long as I remember...I played in several Country bands over my lifetime, and they were some of the best times I had playing.

I still remember one of my early gigs, when I was playing piano for this Country singer who had been on the scene for sometime...I hadn't played much Country, and he kept saying I was "playing too much!"

He used a line that will forever be etched in my my mind, and which kept me busy playing Country long after he passed.

It was, "Son, sprinkle a little pie-anna over the top, please!"

I spent many, many hours listening to Floyd Cramer until I could get that signature slip-note style down properly.

In my opinion, Country music requires a lot of discipline, and it's hard for some players, because, it's so simple.

Thanks for bringing back some great memories.

Ian

1957 I was playing with a rockabilly band in Kansas city and commuting to work in a brand new 1957 chevy Hardtop. It was one fast car for those days with the overdrive tranny. I wish I still had it
bebop

Bebop

In 1957 I was a 17-year-old kid in the U.S. Navy. I enlisted in September of that year, a few weeks prior to my 17th birthday (lied about my age to get in), got out of boot camp, which back then was 16 weeks, and was sent to the U.S.S. Newport News. Met up with some guys, formed a rock band, I played lead guitar with an electric 6-string I purchased from a pawn shop for $20--a lot of money back then. Traveled all over the world on that ship, played rock-a-billy music in places where we couldn't speak a word of the local language, got paid very little, stayed drunk, had a ball! WOW--sure brings back some fond memories.

Gary

I had a '57 Chevy. 2-door hardtop, Yellow with white top. It would scream. Got about 7 miles per gallon and lots of girls.
DonM

Where were you in '57 ?

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Ian, any new Country Styles on the T-4, not available on the S910, that you find particularly good?

Gary, my fellow swabby, do you use a custom style for Patsy Cline, and After Midnight and Crazy on your 3000?

While you're on the subject...have any of you ever heard of the song: Don't Let the Blues Make You Mad? It was a well-known C&W song back in those days. I've looked all over for it, scoured the Net, Googled it and all I could come up with is a version by Dean Martin. Anyone remember the original singer or know anything about the song?

New styles are kinda nice...

Country Straits...perfect for Dire Straits' "Walk Of Life"

Modern Pickin...works for The Boxer, and a lot of John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot material. also, nice for City Of New Orleans.

Cali Country...nice for the Eagle's tunes, like "Lyin' Eyes".

Country Blues...a fast type blues (at 189 bpm)...I use it for "Oh Lonesome Me".

Pickin' Swing....anything with chicken pickin'.

Larry, this T4 is a beauty...in my opinion, it is what the T3 should have been, although the latter certainly has it's dedicated supporters. The Tyros4 allegedly has a faster processor...whatever the differences inside, the T4 has that sweet sound I like.

Ian

PS...I had a coal black 56 Chevy 210 two-door sedan with a 265 V-8 and "three on the tree" 3-speed manual. It had "Thrush" mufflers on it's dual exhausts.

I sold it to buy a 1949 Cadillac Coupe De Ville with Hydramatic and hydraulic powered windows and seat.

Both awesome cars.

Larry, For "Crazy" I prefer the 12-8 Ballad, "A" variation, tempo of 72 and play my own intro. At the bridge I switch to the "C" variation and sing that part in two-part harmony using the Harmony-M.

For Walking After Midnight I use the Country Swing style, tempo of 100, "B" variation, second intro.

Cheers,

Gary

I was 14 in '57, and had 45 rpm records of most of these songs. Probably still have most of them. Sure brings back memories of old times and old friends. Gotta listen to '58 next.
I actually perform probably 80 percent of these old songs.
DonM

Me too, Don. I've been listening to them play for hours while doing other chores to get ready for tonight's nasty weather. What's really neat is it stirs the brain's cobwebs and tells me I should be playing some of those songs more often. Damned those songs are still great to listen and dance to.

Gary

"Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky"
We're having a bad day here too. 71 degrees and humid to boot!
I've been out charging the batteries on my bass boat. They are moving into shallow water already.
DonM

You really know how to hurt on old guy. The sleet began about 4:30 p.m., snow began about 6 and it took me two hours to drive 42 miles home from tonight's job. Just another fun day in Paradise.

Gary

We grilled hamburgers on the patio and sipped a little wine with our dinner. Temp got close to 80 by late afternoon.
Bad news is we had to run the air conditioner for a while tonight and have already mowed the grass once.
DonM

I might burn a steak on the grill this evening, but first I need to get the snow cleaned off the deck so I can get to the grill. C'mon 2012!

Gary

With all that global warming you're having up there, you shouldn't even need a grill. Just throw some meat on the driveway.
DonM

Woke up to a nice white 2" snow blanket this morning.....
but now since the sun is out most is all gone here down the shore..winter ain't over yet..

This little guy will probably argue with Al Gore about global warming!



Temperatures are going down to the teens tonight. Might hit 35 tomorrow, though--a regular heat wave.

Gary

47 today clear bright blue skies. Beautiful red mountains. The Grand Mesa the largest flat-top mountain on Earth in my back yard with 6 foot of snow if I want to go up to 10,000 or so feet.

When we don't call this Grand Junction, we call it paradise most of the time. However sometimes I have to rent movies and have pop corn and hot chocolate.

WHAT A GREAT LINE...."Just Throw Yer Meat On The Driveway (LOL).

Mason, that sounds like the perfect first country song collaboration for us!

Russ (closet country "scribe") Lay

Well, Boo, I so long for that climate in the summer!

Haha, you got a point, I think that could be a hit. In my town.

O.K. Here it is so far. I will record it Wednesday night because I left all my gear at the club.
Needless to say, this was just what rolled out of my nearly empty, tired, used-up head at 2 a.m.

Throw Your Meat On the Driveway – Don Mason 2-23-11

[prelude, no rhythm]
[1] You may think that it gets hot in your home town.
But I have some news to share with [5] you.
If you [1] open your mouth, and you're not from the [4] South,
Then [1] neighbor, you don't [5] even have a [1] clue.
[verse 1, start rhythm]
It ain't [1] hot unless the [4] statue on the [1] corner starts to sweat.
And your radiator boils but the [5] car ain't started yet.
You've [1] got a big beer gut and she [4] has a big ol' butt
But [1] cut-off jeans is as [5] dressed up as either of you [1] get.
[chorus]
There's a [4] barbeque tonight, [1] beneath the town hall light,
And we won't even need to build a [5] fire.
Oh we'll [4] drink a beer or two, and [1] slug some old home-brew,
And pick and grin til [5] we can't get no [1] higher.
You . . just . . . [4] throw your meat on the driveway,
I don't [1] care if it's possum, steak or [5] skunk.
By the [4] time it's through sizzlin', and the [1] mornin' dew is drizzlin,
we'll all be gettin' [5] over gettin' [1] drunk.
[ride or turnaround]
[verse 2:]
When the [1] bottom of your feet can't [4] stand to touch the street,
And the [1] corn on the stalk is poppin' [5] right there in the field.
When the [1] cotton has all died, and the [4] wells have all run dry,
We will [1] still find a [5] way to get us [1] by, 'cause . . .

[Repeat chorus]

Feel free to make it better, or worse, according to perspective. You'll notice I've already used all three chords.
DonM

Do you want it Country, OR Western..?

Not sure if we got BOTH kinds over here!

About to enter first grade and drooling over '57 Chevys. At that age I had this uncanny ability ( it's long gone) to recognize makes and models of cars.

Love music from this era as well, especially country. Weird up until a few years ago, I never cared for country music.

Very nice find Larry

Thanks for making my day a lot better, Don. Gotta' drive to the boat now and clean off 6 inches of snow.

Gary

Toss a couple flattened ninths in there and make it JAZZ!
DonM

Mason, you just keep out-doing yourself with fantastic, higher levels of brilliant silliness. Reminds me of an all-time favorite, "Shel Silverstein".

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS...you're good enough to WORK WITH ME (LOL)!

Russ (SCREW HUMILITY) Lay

Russ, you will have to keep it clean, no four-letter words like you just used. Imagine saying "work" to a musician.
Of course I wouldn't want you to say "play with me" either.
Maybe we can "gig". I like frog legs.
DonM

I surrender to the master. Thought I was the "bwana of BS".

Now I'm not so sure!

Russ

Wait while I diminish this fifth...

In 57 I was 12 and had been playing in an Officers Club in Fairbanks, Alaska (Ladd AFB)for a year. Pop tunes were mainly by former country artists...Ferlin Husky...Bill Haley...Carl Perkins...Marty Robbins...the tunes, like Rock Around The Clock and many others were just slightly altered country pieces.

Truth be told, even though I make a claim as a jazzer, I've put many years on the country bandstand.


Russ (Buck) Lay

WHAT FUN! This is, in large part, what keeps me around here.

Thanks so much to the participants and to all those who put up with the silliness!


Russ

Against my better judgment, but I promised . . .
I actually tried to do this song at the end of the night. I forgot to do the complete chorus first time through, and did a ride too soon, and I didn't phrase a few things the way I had intended. Oh well, it takes nerve to post your bad stuff, but here it is because I'm sure I will never do it again. BTW, there were only a couple of friends left in the audience at this time.

http://donmasonmusic.com/Silly%20Song/

Be gentle.
DonM

Don...
It's a weiner!
Eddie

I LOVE IT! Screw-ups and all--it's definitely a wiener.

Thanks,

Gary

I'M NOT WORTHY...I'M NOT WORTHY...I'M NOT WORTHY!

Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for "Gentleman Don",...the heir apparent to the Shel Silverstien legacy!

Tell you what: I'll be proud to play that one with you when we get together.

Music is best when there is an element of fun in it, occasionally.

Mason, you're "cool as the drool on an Eskimo's tool"!


I'm saving this one!


Russ (the tool) Lay

Well, if you insist on saving it, I'll redo it when I get a chance. Thanks,
DonM

Nice job as always Don....Thank you for sharing.
Roland E50 sounds great.

I told myself when I first played with DonM that I knew three Guitar players personally that played their Guitars as good as Don could play Guitar on the keyboard, and one of them also played great Jazz.

I'd bet a lot of money that there are Guitar players that the public think are great, even though the players themselves wish they could play their Guitar as good as DonM can play it on the keyboard.

Don, cool!!! Now let me have 'nother slab of ribs!!

Don the structure of that song reminded me of this one also..

Thanks, it was just a pretty much standard 3-chord country song that's been done many times before. It would be easy enough to add some variety or something to make it special. This was just off the cuff improv.
DonM