On Sunday's show, we celebrated two notable musical anniversaries, as well as played a few songs for a February holiday that happens this coming Friday...
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The original 1966 cover -- not too Beatles-esque, is it? |
First, the musical anniversaries. Unless you've been away from all media for the last several months, you're likely quite aware that it was fifty years ago -- specifically, on Sunday, February 9, 1964 -- that the Beatles made their American television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show," and the world of rock and roll music was set on its ear. Truth to be told, the Beatles were THE band to impact so many of today's musicians and fans of great music, and while the Beatles clearly were not Bluegrass performers, they sure impacted a whole bunch of Bluegrass musicians. It's hard to imagine a "little" band comprised of four working class lads from Great Britain could cause such a big stir, but they sure did, didn't they? To mark the 50 year anniversary of their Sullivan show appearance, we put together a set featuring Bluegrass covers of several Beatles tunes, including three selections from the classic 1966 "Beatle Country" recording by the Charles River Valley Boys.
The second musical anniversary came more as on-the-fly programming. While
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Happy 100th Birthday, E.T. ! |
checking the show's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WHUS.BluegrassCafe), I came across another post by New York broadcaster Bill Knowlton, who had observed that February 9th would also be the 100th birthday of the Texas Troubadour, Ernest Tubb. Now, Ernest Tubb was definitely not a Bluegrass performer, but again, several of his songs have been covered in the Bluegrass world. In fact, several years ago, the Osborne Brothers recorded an entire album in tribute to E.T., so we chose two songs from that project ("The Ernest Tubb Song Folio" on Pinecastle Records), as well as covers of two other Tubb songs by the Johnson Mountain Boys and IIIrd Tyme Out.
As Valentine's Day comes up this week, it seemed appropriate to play a few positive Bluegrass love songs. Those were provided by several different performers, including the Lynn Morris Band, Traver Hollow, the Spinney Brothers, Lost & Found, Reno & Smiley, Tony Holt & the Wildwood Valley Boys, and Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band, among others.
And, of course, we made room in the show to play a bit of newer music, as well, particularly from 2014 recordings released by Rhonda Vincent, the Easter Brothers, Blue Highway, Frank Wakefield & Taylor Baker, and Ralph Stanley with Ralph Stanley II. Great stuff!
Hope you have a great week, and we'll look for you at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in Framingham, MA this coming weekend. If you're going to be at the festival, stop by the Showcase Stage area to hear some great upcoming regional bands...and perhaps you can say hey to me, too...
Join me next Sunday, too, won't you?
Amy
REQUESTS ARE RED.
- Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
- Talk To Me Lonesome Heart / Larry Stephenson with Connie Smith & Marty Stuart / 20th Anniversary / Pinecastle
- You're In My Heart / Weary Hearts / By Heart / Flying Fish
- Rose Of My Heart / Traver Hollow / By Request / Self-Produced
- My Heart Skips A Beat / Lynn Morris Band / The Lynn Morris Band / Rounder
- What A Wonderful Life / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
- Daisy A Day / Lost & Found / Love, Lost & Found / Rebel
- Sweethearts In Heaven / Reno & Smiley / On The Air / Copper Creek
- I Know That You Know (That I Love You) / Tony Holt & the Wildwood Valley Boys / Lost Highways & Treasured Memories / Old Heritage Records
- Reflections Of Love / Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band / Reflections Of Love / Rebel
- Love Of The Mountains / Lost & Found / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
- No Lawyers In Heaven / Charlie Sizemore / Heartache Looking For A Home / Rounder
- Amelia Earhart's Last Flight / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
- The Streamlined Cannonball / Balsam Range / Papertown / Mountain Home
- East Tennessee Blues / Bristol Boys / All Aboard With The Bristol Boys / Self-Produced
- Don't Let Your Deal Go Down / Lost & Found / Across The Blue Ridge Mountains / Rebel
- Country Boy / Lost & Found / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
- Big Blue Raindrops / Del McCoury Band / The Streets Of Baltimore / McCoury Music
- Too Many Rivers / Del McCoury Band / The Streets Of Baltimore / McCoury Music
- Help! / Charles River Valley Boys / Beatle Country / Rounder
- What Goes On / Seldom Scene / A Change Of Scenery / Sugar Hill
- Nowhere Man / Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers / Shades Of The Past / Sugar Hill
- I Saw Her Standing There / Charles River Valley Boys / Beatle Country / Rounder
- Yesterday / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel
- Don't Pass Me By / Lou Reid, Terry Baucom & Carolina / Carolina Blue / Webco
- Eight Days A Week / Larry Stephenson Band / Can't Stop Myself / Webco
- I Feel Fine / Charles River Valley Boys / Beatle Country / Rounder
- Walking The Floor Over You / Osborne Brothers / The Ernest Tubb Song Folio / Pinecastle
- Waltz Across Texas / Johnson Mountain Boys / At The Old Schoolhouse / Rounder
- Thanks A Lot / IIIrd Tyme Out / IIIrd Tyme Out / Rebel
- Drivin' Nails In My Coffin / Osborne Brothers / The Ernest Tubb Song Folio / Pinecastle
- Busy City / Rhonda Vincent / Only Me / Upper Management Music
- Beer Barrel Polka / Frank Wakefield & Taylor Baker / Frank Wakefield, Taylor Baker & Friends / Patuxent Music
- Wild Bill Jones / Ralph Stanley & Ralph Stanley II / Side By Side / Rebel
- We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds / Rhonda Vincent with Daryle Singletary / Only Me / Upper Management Music
- Buy A Ring, Find A Preacher / Gibson Brothers / They Called It Music / Compass Records
- Talk Is Cheap / Blue Highway / The Game / Rounder
- What Made Milwaukee Famous / Sideline / Session 1 / Mountain Fever Records
- If I Could Only Win Your Love / Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen / At Edwards Barn / Rounder
- Slow Down (You'll Hit A Moose) / Stan Keach & Friends / Cry Of The Loon & Other Original Songs About Maine / Ayuh Records
- Wild Mountain Honey / Junior Sisk & Joe Mullins / Hall Of Fame Bluegrass! / Rebel
- The Hangman's Daughter / Nightflyer / Nightflyer / Kang Records
- Goodbye Mary Jane / NewTown / Time Machine / Pisgah Ridge
- Let The Hallelujahs Roll / Easter Brothers / I'd Do It All Again / Pisgah Ridge
- He Took Your Place / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Sides, 1950-1952 / JSP Records
- I Like To Hear 'Em Preach / Paul Williams / A Tribute To Jimmy Martin / Koch Records
- On The Right Side / Flatt Lonesome / Flatt Lonesome / Pisgah Ridge
- Land Up In The Air / Special Consensus / 35 / Compass Records
- A Crown He Wore / Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Threads / Open Road
- Call His Name / Johnson Mountain Boys / Working Close / Rounder
- I'll Be No Stranger There / Seldom Scene / A Change Of Scenery / Sugar Hill
- Lord Build Me A Cabin In Glory / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1957-1958 / JSP Records
- Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder