Johnny Cash and John Hartford playing a medley of Bill Monroe bluegrass songs: “Muleskinner Blues”, “Columbus Stockade”, “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and “Uncle Penn”.

(from wikipedia) Hartford, who wrote the song Gentle On My Mind,was known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore. Hartford performed with a variety of ensembles throughout his career, and is perhaps best known for his solo performances where he would interchange the guitar, banjo, and fiddle from song to song. He also invented his own shuffle tap dance move, and clogged on an amplified piece of plywood while he played and sang.

There’s an almost complete solo concert by John Hartford, from (I think) the mid 1970s, at this page: Ramblin. And here is a link to a playlist (10 videos) of John performing solo without an audience, a DVD titled Learning to Smile All Over Again (date unknown, I’m guessing around 1990).

Steam Powered Aereo Plane (Hartford) – John Hartford and the Hartford Stringband

Wrong Road Again (Allen Reynolds) – Philadelphia Folk Festival 1987

Gentle On My Mind – Glen Campbell and John Hartford

By the Time I Get to Pheonix – 1967

By the Time I Get to Phoenix reached #3 on the U.S. Pop charts in 1967. Written by Jimmy Webb, it was made famous by this recording by Glen Campbell. It was the first of three huge hits the Campbell had with songs written by the great tunesmith Webb, two of which reached number one, the third peaking at number two on the pop charts; a fourth reached number 28. The song has  become a standard and is reportedly one of the most covered songs in history.

Wichita Lineman – 1968

Two versions: the first is a staged television apppearance for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour which aired on November 3, 1968. The second, I believe this one is from the late 70’s, has Campbell fronting an orchestra. Unfortunately the volume is quite low on the live clip with the orchestra.

Galveston – 1969

Where’s the Playground Suzie? – This song reached #28 but I think for many it is as timeless as the other Webb songs recorded by Campbell in the sixties.

Honey Come Back – 1970

Campbell’s 1974 album Reunion: the songs of Jimmy Webb features eight new Jimmy Webb compositions, including the following two.

Just One More Time

The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress – a much later live version

Highwayman - Jimmy Webb introduced the song himself on his 1977 album El Mirage. When Campbell recorded the number a couple of years later it became the title track of his 1979 release.

1966

(That’s What You Get) For Lovin’ Me (Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman) Waylon’s first top ten hit.

What Makes a Man Wander (Harlan Howard) – This song was track ten (of twelve) on Jennings’ major label debut album Folk-Country.

Nashville Rebel (Harlan Howard) – The third studio album by Waylon Jennings for RCA Victor includes songs from the soundtrack to a movie called Nashville Rebel, written and directed by Jay Sheridan. Wikipedia says the album “is” the soundtrack. But although Jennings as the lead character performed more songs than the others, there were a number of other acts involved. Loretta Lynn, Porter Wagoner, Faron Young, Tex Ritter, Sonny James, and the Wilburn Brothers also contribute performances to the movie. The following clip is of one of five numbers done by Jennings in the film. The album, on the other hand, has twelve songs including a cover of The Beatles’ Norwegian Wood. Five tracks are credited to Sheridan. These may be instrumental background music.

1967

Walk On Out of My Mind (Red Lane) – This song reached #5 on the country charts, the second in a series of five straight top ten hits for Jennings in 1967 and ‘68. During this period he recorded three albums per year. This song was released in ‘67 though it wasn’t released on an album until July 1968 on his second LP of the year Only the Greatest.

Mental Revenge (Mel Tillis)- The youtube provider says this television appearance was in 1966. It’s possible, but the single wasn’t released until 1967. The song appeared on the 1968 album Jewels. It was typical for the single to be released in the year before the album. A darkly comic lyric by Mel Tillis.

1968

Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line (Ivy Bryant)  The song reached #2, the highest position a Jennings recording would reach until 1974 when he topped the chart with two consecutive singles.

a. On a country music TV program. The video begins with an interview.

b. On the Johnny Cash show. Second song is Chuck Berry’s Brown Eyed Handsome Man.

1969

Me and Bobby McGee (Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster) The song which ultimately became more closely associated with Janis Joplin than with anyone else who recorded it, was not released in any form by Jennings on record through 1973 as far as I can tell (unless I missed it). Roger Miller and Kenny Rogers & the First Edition were the first and second, respectively, to record it, both in 1969.

Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Chuck Berry), the only single to be released from the album Waylon (1970) was a #3 hit on the Billboard country chart. In Canada it became his third #1 hit.

1971

Good Hearted Woman (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson) – The album of the same title was one of two 1972 releases, Ladies Love Outlaws was the other, which transformed Jennings’ perceived image into one of the was responsible for transforming Jennings’ image into that of one of the most conspicuous representatives of the outlaw country movement.

a. The particular gig from whence comes this next video, recorded at the Grand Ole Opry in 1978, was later released as a VHS movie with the title The Lost Outlaw Performance, in 1994 (according to Amazon).

b. Waylon and Pals

1972

Sweet Dream Woman (Chip Taylor, Al Gorgoni) – A fine song from the album Good Hearted Woman

1973

You Asked Me To (Billy Joe Shaver, Waylon Jennings) – This performance appears to be from around 1972-73. A commenter at the youtube source says he was there (although he’s uncertain of the year) and places the concert at Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin TX. It’s the earliest footage of Jennings that I’ve seen where his hair is long and he isn’t clean-shaven.

The song appeared on the album Honky Tonk Heroes (released July 1973) an album notable for, among other things, the fact that Billy Joe Shaver wrote or co-wrote all of the songs except the final track, a ballad, We Had It All.

We Had It All (Troy Seals, Donnie Fritts) – A slide show with pictures of Waylon and Jessi Colter.

Waylon Jennings Biography (from CMT.com with additional images added by me)

Waylon Jennings was born in the hardscrabble West Texas town of Littlefield on June 15, 1937. He learned to play guitar and snagged a disc jockey job at a Littlefield station while still a boy. In 1958 he moved to Lubbock, where he worked as a DJ and met rising star Buddy Holly, with whom he toured and played electric bass during 1958 and 1959. It was Jennings who gave up his seat to the Big Bopper (J. P. Richardson) on the doomed 1959 plane flight that took the lives of Holly, Richardson, and singer Ritchie Valens.

The disaster stunned Jennings and it took him several years to regain his momentum. But his time with Holly had been pivotal: “Mainly what I learned from Buddy,” Jennings recalled, “was an attitude. He loved music, and he taught me that it shouldn’t have any barriers to it.” After working West Texas radio again, Jennings began performing at a bar called J. D.’s in Phoenix, Ariz. There he began to craft a sound that combined his aggressive Telecaster electric guitar style, his rough-edged vocals, and an eclectic repertoire that often borrowed from rockabilly, rock and folk.

And it was there that Nashville-based Bobby Bare, then a country hitmaker for RCA Records, heard Jennings and immediately called RCA producer Chet Atkins. Although Jennings had already recorded some country-folk sides for A&M Records in Los Angeles, A&M agreed to let Atkins sign him, and his first RCA session took place in March 1965.

Over the next five years, Jennings won mainstream country stardom with hits like “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line,” “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” and “The Taker.” Though it wasn’t typical of his work, his rendition of “MacArthur Park” (recorded with the Kimberlys), won a 1969 Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group.

Despite his achievements, the high-spirited Jennings chafed under Nashville’s typical production process, in which salaried staff producers chose song material and session musicians and recorded artists in company studios. Gradually he won the right to choose his own songs, producers, and sidemen (often his road band), in the process turning out albums like 1973’s Lonesome, On’ry and Mean and Honky Tonk Heroes, which showcased the hard-hitting, stripped-down music he much preferred to pop-tinged Nashville Sound productions. Hit singles such as “I’m a Ramblin’ Man” and “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” also exemplified his hard-charging, rock-influenced style. In 1975 he won CMA’s male vocalist of the year award.

By this time Jennings was extending his audience to embrace hordes of college-age fans, who flocked to see him at venues including Willie Nelson’s free-wheeling outdoor music festivals at Dripping Springs, Texas. In 1976, both artists soared to even more dizzying heights with the RCA release Wanted! The Outlaws. Featuring Jennings, Nelson, Tompall Glaser, and Jennings’s wife, Jessi Colter, it became the first country album to be certified platinum. By the turn of the 21st century, 13 additional Jennings albums (including duet projects) had sold half a million copies or more.

As the ’70s progressed, Jennings and Nelson recorded duet albums and crossover hits like “Luckenbach, Texas” and “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” which won a 1978 Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. Jennings himself rode high on the charts into the late 1980s, chalking up No. 1 singles including “I’ve Always Been Crazy,” “Amanda,” “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” and “Lucille (You Won’t Do Your Daddy’s Will).” During many of these same years, the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard — for which Jennings wrote and sang the theme song and served as offscreen narrator — further popularized his sound and the trademark image of his leather-covered guitar.

While Jennings was selling albums in numbers previously associated with rock stars, his excessive lifestyle also resembled those of many rock icons. Substance abuse eroded his career for a time, but he eventually beat this problem and stabilized his personal life. He set an example for others by completing his high school equivalency diploma, and has spoken to schoolchildren about the importance of staying in school.

The singer continued a scaled-down but no less creative career, recording for MCA and Epic during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and touring into 1997. With Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, Jennings gained another No. 1 smash with 1985’s “Highwayman,” title cut for a gold-selling Columbia album. (The foursome recorded two follow-up albums and also made limited concert tours.) In addition to important albums reissued by RCA and by Buddha Records, he recorded new albums for RCA, Ark 21 Records, and a children’s album titled Cowboys, Sisters, Rascals, and Dirt (Sony Wonder, 1993). Other achievements include motion picture and TV movie roles and a televised documentary on cowboys that aired on TNN.

Jennings won election to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and died on February 13, 2002, at his home in Arizona. His and Colter’s son, Shooter Jennings, also pursued a career in country music.

All songs, words and music, written by Hank Williams, Sr. unless otherwise noted.

1951

Cold, Cold Heart / I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You)

On the second song Hank is accompanied by one of the Anita Carter. The song was a #1 for Hank on the country charts, his fifth. In the same year of its release Tony Bennett recorded a very successful pop version which remained on the chart for 27 weeks and reached #1.

I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You) was released as a B-side to the song Howlin At the Moon. The two sides reached #2, and #3 respectively.

Howlin’ At the Moon

Hey Good Lookin’ Although Cole Porter wrote a song with the same title and similar lyrics, Hank was given full credit for his rewrite which was a #1 hit.

Baby, We’re Really in Love – A George Jones cover of this popular Williams tune.

Crazy Heart (Maurice Murray, Fred Rose) – Among the many songs credited to Fred Rose are two he co-wrote with Hank Williams, Kaw-Liga and I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, both recorded Hank in late 1952. Kaw-Liga was released just after Hank’s death with Your Cheatin’ Heart as the B-side.

1952

Honky Tonk Blues

Half As Much (Curley Williams)- A #2 hit. Here’s a biography of Curley Williams at hillbilly-music.com.

Jambalaya (On the Bayou) -Hank’s seventh #1 hit. – wikipedia tells why the writing credits are uncertain,

With a melody based on the Cajun song “Grand Texas”, some sources, including Allmusic, claim that the song was co-written by Williams and Moon Mullican, with Mullican uncredited but receiving ongoing royalties.

Settin’ the Woods on Fire (Fred Rose, Ed Nelson)

You Win Again - Embedding disabled. Click on the title for a montage of color film footage and photos of Hank.

Kaw-Liga

“Kaw-Liga” is a song about a wooden Indian, Kaw-Liga, who falls in love with an “Indian maid over in the antique store” but does not tell her so, being, as the lyrics say:

Too stubborn to ever show a sign,

Because his heart was made of knotty pine.

Backed by the Drifting Cowboys, Hank Williams recorded the song in Nashville in September, 1952 and the single was released posthumously in January 1953 on the MGM Records label. It remained No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart for 14 weeks and reached No. 23 on the pop charts. The flipside, Your Cheatin’ Heart, remained No. 1 on the country chart for 6 weeks.- wikipedia, adapted

Your Cheatin’ Heart

1947

Move it On Over (Hank Williams Sr.)

1948

Honky Tonkin’ (Williams)

I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin
I wouldn’t let my Dear Saviour in
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Praise the Lord I saw the light

I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

Just like a blind man I wandered along
Worries and fears I claimed for my own
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord – I saw the light

I Saw the Light (Williams)

1949

Lovesick Blues (Cliff Friend, Iriving Mills)

Published in 1922, Lovesick Blues was first recorded by Jack Shea on Vocalion 14333. This recording contains a verse that no later versions include. Emmett Miller recorded it on Okeh 40465, September 1, 1925. He re-recorded it on June 12 1928, accompanied by his Georgia Crackers (which included Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, and Leo McConville). On November 26, 1926, blues singer Bertha “Chippie” Hill recorded a different song titled Lovesick Blues (Okeh 8453). The song was a minor hit for her. The first country music version of the song was by Rex Griffin (Decca 5570), September 25, 1939. The song’s most recognizable version did not come until 1948, with Hank Williams’ hit rendition. Though Williams had scored a few hits prior to “Lovesick Blues,” the song was the first of many number one hits on Country radio for the singer. – wikipedia, adapted

Wedding Bells (Claude Boone)

You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave) – w.m. Hank Williams

My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It (Clarence Williams)

1950

I Just Don’t Like This Kind of Living (Hank Williams) – cover by George Jones

Long Gone Lonesome Blues (Hank Williams) – This song was the second of ten #1 hits for Hank. Wikipedia lists 36 top ten hits.

a. the single

b. First, unrehearsed, live performance of the song for radio station WSLI in Jackson, MS

CMT news writes about this live performance:

In one of his most unguarded moments on record, Hank Williams unexpectedly broke into a new, unrehearsed song while visiting Jackson, Mississippi radio station WSLI on the morning of February 21, 1950. The new “hillbilly music” star had just finished singing “Lost Highway” and “I’m A Long Gone Daddy” backed by a local band that disc jockey Farmer Jim had assembled for Hank’s live radio performance. Next, on the spur of the moment, Hank felt like singing a new song and launched into “Long Gone Lonesome Blues.” He had written and recorded the song a few weeks earlier, but hadn’t planned on performing the tune publicly until it was released by MGM Records the following month or so.

“Boys, I don’t know much about this myself,” Hank warned the band over the airwaves. “I don’t know where I’m gonna stop myself. So, if I stop, y’all stop, too.” No one knew the song except Hank, and even he wasn’t sure he could remember it all. It could have backfired terribly; instead it turned out pretty well. One way or the other, Hank didn’t care.

Hank’s off-the-cuff performance that day offers a glimpse of what makes him the most powerfully iconic figure in country music, and it sheds some light on why we may never see a singer of his caliber again.

Why Don’t You Love Me Like You Used to Do (Hank Williams) – This song was another #1 hit for Hank. The B-side: A House Without Love. The embedding was disabled on this live recording (probably a radio performance — there is a small audience response at the end) of Hank and the Drifting Cowboys, so click on the title to view it.

Moanin’ the Blues (Hank Williams) – live performance at the Grand Ole Opry of his latest single

(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend is a country and cowboy-style song. It was written on June 5, 1948 by Stan Jones. A number of versions were also crossover hits on the pop charts in 1949. The ASCAP database lists the song as “Riders in the Sky” (title code: 480028324[2]), but the title has been varied numerous times, such as “Ghost Riders”, “Ghost Riders in the Sky” or even “A Cowboy Legend”.

The song is about a cowboy who has a vision of red-eyed, steel-hooved cattle thundering across the sky, being chased by the ghosts of damned cowboys. One warns him that if he does not change his ways he will be doomed to join them, forever “trying to catch the Devil’s herd across these endless skies”. The song’s story has a marked resemblance to the northern European mythic Wild Hunt. -wikipedia

1. Vaughn Monroe

2. Johnny Cash

3. Marty Robbins

4. Frankie Laine

In 1967 Dolly Parton was asked to replace country vocalist, Norma Jean as the co-host of the syndicated country music television show The Porter Wagoner Show, alongside country star, Porter Wagoner. Together the pair recorded 12 albums together under RCA Records, and had a series of Top 10 hits on the country charts from 1967 to 1976. Their 1980 release Porter and Dolly was comprised mostly of earlier unreleased material from the period 1967-74. – adapted from wikipedia

Singles

1967

The Last Thing On My Mind (Tom Paxton) – This was Porter and Dolly’s first single. It reached #6 on the country singles music chart (Billboard).

They have fun with this one. About 3/4 way through he gives a funny howdy to Hank Snow, then they continue to goof a bit till the end. Short and sweet, 1:47.

1968

Holding On to Nothin’ (Jerry Chestnut)

a.

b.

We’ll Get Ahead Someday (Mack Magaha)

1969

Always, Always (Joyce McCord)

Just Someone I Used to Know (Jack Clement)

From The Porter Wagoner Show, 1970.

Yours Love (Harlan Howard)

1970

Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man (Dolly Parton)

Better Move It on Home (Ray Griff)

1972

Together Always (writer: N/A)

1974

Please Don’t Stop Loving Me (writer: N/A)

1975

Say Forever You’ll Be Mine (Dolly Parton)

1980

Making Plans (Johnny Russell, Voni Morrison)

Others, non-singles:

Before I Met You (Charles L. Seitz, Joe Lewis, Elmar Rader) -The song was copyrighted in 1955. I don’t know anything about the history of the song except that Earl Scruggs, Bill Anderson, and Charley Pride are among other artists to cover the song. This performance is from the Porter Wagoner Show in 1972.

Run That By Me One More Time (Fred Foster, Arthur Hancock, Jimmy Lambert) – The Porter Wagoner Show, 1973

]]> http://justcountry.wordpress.com/2009/08/14/porter-wagoner-dolly-parton-duets/feed/ 0 doc porter-dolly-opry-late60s porter-dolly-opry-2 Tillis-Wagoner-Prophet-Dolly porteranddolly-laugh Porter&Dolly-69-Always-Always http://justcountry.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/wild-horse-photo-gallery-2/ http://justcountry.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/wild-horse-photo-gallery-2/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:07:55 +0000 doc http://justcountry.wordpress.com/?p=2781 ]]>

Tecumseh Valley (Van Zandt) – Townes Van Zandt with Nanci Griffith – 1993

Silver Stallion (Lee Clayton) – The Highwaymen – 1990