Category: Music

Those singin’ cowboys!

Speaking of TCM (Turner Classic Movies), last week they were featuring singing cowboys. Give a listen to this tune by Hank Penny, one of the Texas Swing kings, whose career overlapped with the birth of Rock and Roll.

http://youtu.be/X2crGr44JVU

There’s a bit of everything in this — big bands, boogie woogie, R&B , and rockabilly. The sound of Bill Haley and his Comets is right in there.

My pet peeve about Pop music historians is that Rock and Roll is often called black music, as if it all came from rhythm and blues. And it just ain’t so. The whole point of what became rock and roll is that it’s a mix of everything that came before, and the singing cowboys are a much a part of the legacy as any other ingredient. Elvis was great for multiple reasons, but one of the most important was that he was a sponge of influences. When he was asked what kind of music he liked, he’d say he liked everything, and he meant it.

Here’s another one by Penny. Swing it, boys!

http://youtu.be/rTvh-UJrfNI

Special Guest Post – D.F. Rogers on the groovy sounds of ’68

This is a message from Denro that I thought would make a good blog post.

I found a DVD while searching for something else and this was on it. I’ll search to see if more songs from it are on youtube.

Let’s travel back to 1968 with the Groove-meister himself, Ed Sullivan! This is a nice use of late 60s video effects – clever, colorful and uncluttered. A perfect slice of ’68 in sound and vision – “SO SIXTIES!” Ah….

http://youtu.be/69RWdwNgTPE

Warning – not the full selection – probably to stop from being pulled from youtu.be…

Oh, okay, this one was on the DVD, too.

Note prominent use of cowbell! Plus, they appear to be playing “live”, although the cowbell has a lot of echo. Where the heck are they playing???

http://youtu.be/niDmkXnWdVA

Hey, I can almost recreate the whole DVD!

The reason why The Union won the Civil War! Pastel Uniforms! Appears to be a “live” vocal with a pre-recorded backing track. Have to give the Sullivan show people credit for keeping the sets colorful and contemporary. We saw Gary Puckett – “live” – a “long” 18 years after this was made – which was a “short” 25 years ago.

http://youtu.be/1e3pl1kmkOA

Okay, I’m getting it all! This one is on there too – with a LIVE full band/orchestra – complete with a leader who is really into it. I’m hoping they leave the ending in – Ed Sullivan REALLY liked Tom Jones. Nuff said?

http://youtu.be/PUmi46hVh9U

D’oh! They clipped it! No Ed!!!

Hey, I’m doing it! Five for Five so far. Here’s another one. How was this not a #1 song? Dennis, what happened? I do think John Travolta borrowed his suit for SNF! Plus, there is only one Mike Love. Fresh from his stay in India [with the Beatles – dograt]!

http://youtu.be/8s5WCDcmGq4

One more to go from the 1968 portion…can I find it? Yes!

They cut out Ed’s introduction! Ed has some serious sideburns. It’s from a Jan 1969 show, when Crimson and Clover was #1, but they play “Mony Mony” – “just like the record.” Hmm, they also cut out Ed’s short conversation with Tommy, where Ed thinks he’s a local New York boy! Everyone knows he’s from Niles, Michigan. 😉

http://youtu.be/TV-kjJLvbhE

I guess I’ll have to bring the DVD over so you can see the full clips in all their 1968 Ed Sullivan Psychedelic Glory!