If it's Tuesday, it must be a fill-in -- 1/8/2013

Randall Hylton
(1/8/1945-3/19/2001)

Confession time:  sometimes, I really have no idea of what music I'm going to play on the radio, especially when doing a fill-in show.  Such was the case today, but a quick bit of research about an hour before the fill-in show began let me know that there were LOTS of playing options for music on the 8th of January.  

• One Elvis Aron Presley -- The King -- was born on January 8, 1935.  To that end, the Gibson Brothers were kind enough to write and record a sort of "What if?" song about Elvis and one of his first girlfriends, Dixie Locke, on their "Help My Brother" CD.  (Playing Elvis's version of "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" would have been nice, too, but that recording was not in our WHUS library.  Alas.)  
  
   
• It's the 8th day of January.  Is there really a better day to play the old instrumental, "The Eighth Of January?"  I don't think so.  Playing that song is also a good excuse for a little history lesson:  On January 8, 1815, Major General Andrew Jackson sealed his place in history by leading his rag-tag army of the fledgling United States against 8,000 much better organized and equipped British troops at the Battle of New Orleans.  Jackson may have made a name for himself in New Orleans, but the battle was unnecessary, as the Treaty of Ghent to end the War of 1812 had been signed on December 24, 1814.  (Click here for more information on the Battle of New Orleans from the Library of Congress website).
  
  
• The wonderfully talented Bluegrass songwriter, Randall Hylton, would have celebrated a birthday today, as well (born on January 8, 1945).  During his much-too-short life, Hylton wrote and published more than 200 songs that have been recorded by a good number of BG performers.  While fourteen songs written or co-written by Randall Hylton were played during the show today, my list of "must play" songs exceeded the time I set aside to play them.  In all likelihood, a few more of those Hylton tunes may hit the WHUS airwaves on Sunday's Bluegrass Cafe.
  
  
• So many "Best of 2012" lists ranking just about anything you can imagine have appeared over the last month or so.  While I didn't assign numbers to rank my favorite Bluegrass recordings we received at WHUS during 2012, I have put together a list of 2012 favorites that is currently posted on the WHUS website.  If you're curious to know what CDs and performers are on my list, click here.
  
  

Hope you enjoyed something you heard on the radio today, and that you'll consider joining me once more on Sunday afternoon at 4PM for another edition of Bluegrass Cafe.

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED; RANDALL HYLTON WRITTEN OR CO-WRITTEN SONGS ARE BLUE.

• The Eighth Of January / Rhonda Vincent / Destination Life / Rounder
• Dixie / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
• Viva Las Vegas / The Grascals with Dolly Parton / The Grascals / Rounder
• One Day Late And A Dollar Short / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
• Blue Blue Day / Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show / Take Me Back / Pinecastle
• Hobo Bill's Last Ride / David Peterson / Simplicity / Self-Produced
• You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / Road Into Town / Patuxent Music
• Time / Kathy Kallick Band / Time / Live Oak Records
• In The Pines / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / The King And The Father / MME
• No Doubt About It / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Cuts, 1955-1959 / JSP Records
• Sweetest Love / Stanley Brothers / Selected Sides, 1949-1953 / JSP Records
• Is It True / Jim & Jesse / First Sounds:  The Capitol Years / Capitol
• Maybe You Will Change Your Mind / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / Gusto
• Mayberry / Randall Hylton / True Stories, Tall Tales...And Lies / Copper Creek
• Sawmill Road / Lost & Found / Down On Sawmill Road / Rebel
• Don't Expect To Walk Back In / Larry Stephenson & Mark Newton with John Starling / Live At Mr. B's / B's Records
• Be Good To My Little Baby Girl / Aaron McDaris with David Parmley / First Time Around / Pinecastle
• Country Poor And Country Proud / Adcock, Gaudreau, Waller & Gray / The Country Gentlemen Reunion Band / RadioTherapy Records
• Pulleybone Gaden / Randall Hylton / True Stories, Tall Tales...And Lies / Copper Creek
• Cumberland River / Dailey & Vincent / Dailey & Vincent / Rounder
• The Boatman / Seldom Scene / Dream Scene / Sugar Hill
• Rough Edges / Wildfire / Uncontained / Pinecastle
• 32 Acres / Special Consensus / 25th Anniversary / Pinecastle
• The Likes Of You / Country Gentlemen / The Sugar Hill Years / Sugar Hill
• Gravel In Your Shoes / Spinney Brothers / Tailor Made / Self-Produced
• Room At The Top Of The Stairs / Longview / Deep In The Mountains / Rounder
• Memories That We Shared / Johnson Mountain Boys / Let The Whole World Talk / Rounder
• Going To Georgia / Charlie Sizemore / Heartache Looking For A Home / Rounder
• Gypsy, Joe & Me / Missy Werner / Drifting And Dreaming / Self-Produced
• Dirt Roads / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / Raincoe Music
• Gonna Be Movin' / Balsam Range / Trains I Missed / Mountain Home
• The Power Up Above / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Traveled / Mountain Fever Records
• Prayer Bells Of Heaven / Marty Raybon / Southern Roots & Branches / Rural Rhythm