Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter Distributed by BACKFORTY BUNKHOUSE PRODUCTIONS Home of the Backforty Roundup & CD Chorale 106 Roswell St Ruidoso, NM 88345 (575) 257-3955 Backforty Bunkhouse Publishing BMI Venue / Show Productions Western Music Radio Marketing www.backfortybunkhouse.com news@backfortybunkhouse.com www.myspace.com/backfortybunkhouse Joe Baker - Publisher January, 2008 The Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter is sent to over 500 email subscribers periodically and is growing every day. These are DJs, artists, and fans whose interests are Western Swing, Cowboy Poetry, Cowboy Heritage and Texas Honky Tonk music genres. We solicit your comments, suggestions and ways we may better serve you. If you do not want to receive this newsletter and want to be removed from our mailing list, reply to this email by entering UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject box of the email. Published By Joe Baker Cowtown Society of Western Music Hall of Fame Academy of Western Artists Disc Jockey of the Year. Cowtown Society of Western Music Disc Jockey of the Year Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame Membership Director Cowtown Society of Western Music Editor: Howard Higgins Bad Bob Rohan Prairie Rose CD Review by Joe Baker If you re a cowboy and you play western swing music, somewhere down the trail, in your heart and in your blood, you have got to record a cowboy album along the way. This is exactly what my friend Bob Rohan has done. Bob told me once, that this is what he wanted to do in some point in time and I'm really pleased to see Prairie Rose hit the trail. Rohan and I have been friends for a couple of years and he is as talented as anyone can find when it comes to swing music and although I've heard of all the musicians on the Prairie Rose CD and know that they are the best of the best, I also have two close friends that are playing with Bob and that being Liz Talley on drums and Harlan Kubos on the stand up bass. I have played every Prairie Rose track on The Backforty Bunkhouse Show and it is getting rave comments from my listeners. Along with Rohan, Kubos and Talley, there's Randy Meadows on guitar, Greg Lowry on the squeeze box and dobro, Jim Black on the ivories, Jim Moratto on the banjo and guitar, Brad Ottosen on ( I love this) the BUNKHOUSE bass. Ed Starkey heading up the electric bass, Ricky Davis on steel guitar, Ron Rebstock on the banjo, Joe Kirkpatrick on guitar and Curtis Davis on guitar. Of course you'll hear Bad Bob Rohan doing the vocals and sawing that fiddle. Although western music includes swing, cowboy and most Texas style honkytonk music, all are of their own genre of the industry, I know your going to love Bob Rohan's Prairie Rose album and I'm not afraid to say to all of you, that this may very well be album of the year. I'm proud of you Bad Bob, you nailed this one for sure. To purchase the Prairie Rose CD or other Bad Bob Rohan's CD's go to www.backfortybunkhouse.com Joe Baker's KNMB Top 10 Western Swing Albums 1. Robert Weeks I never Had The One I Wanted 2. Brady Bowen In My Spare Time, Vol.#4 3. Bobby Flores Neon Nights 4. Jerry Webb Red Lips and Honkytonks 5. Jeff Griffith If It Ain t One Thing It s Another 6. Bad Bob Rohan Prairie Rose 7. Joe Paul Clark Joe Paul Clark 8. Carolyn Martin Swing 9. Johnny Lyon The Austin Sessions 10. Johnny Johnson Angel s Don t Lie Joe Baker's KNMB Top Western Music/Cowboy Poetry Albums 1. Joe A Green Back to the Good old Days 2. Buckshot Dot One More Dance, DSJ Prod 3. Gil Prather Last of the Border Cowboys 4. Yvonne Hollenbeck Pieces Of The Past 5. Susan Parker She Rode A wild Horse 6. Andy Nelson Full Nelson Shoeing 7. Bar D Roundup CowboyPoetry.com 8. Gary Prescott Rough Country Wild Cattle 9. Jean Prescott Sweethearts And Carhartts 10. Yvonne Hollenbeck What Would Martha Do Western Swing Music Broadcaster s Association The Western Swing Music Broadcaster's Association is currently being formed by Joe Baker and Howard Higgins to provide information, produce events, festivals, promotional music for radio broadcasters, western swing bands and fans. Papers are being filed and it will soon be a 501(c)3 non-profit organization solely for the preservation and promotion of western swing music. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive website for play dates, disc jockey's, promoters, groups, bands and fans as the "go to" website for all the western swing music happenings throughout the world. Logos of the groups, radio, disc jockeys, businesses and other related genre's will be posted. There will be none other like it on the web so please consider joining the Western Swing Music Broadcaster's Association and become a part of history in the making. This is not cowboy or western music but WESTERN SWING, you will be able to use our logo on your websites and dues are just $15 per year or $250 for a lifetime membership, so let's all work together in making the WSMBA a reality. Contact WSMBA at: backfortybunkhouse@valornet.com. Joe Baker s Backforty Bunkhouse Show is broadcast on 100,000 watt KNMB, 96.7FM New Mexico s Bear & 100,000 watt KWMW, 105.1FM, Regional Radio W-105 every Saturday morning 6 am to 10 am In Ruidoso, New Mexico covering New Mexico & West Texas. Member: Western Music Broadcasters Association (WMBA).
Mike Gross WVOF-FM Fairfield, CT Swingin West Mike s Top 10 Picks Songs: 1. Here in Old Fort Worth- Jerry Webb 2. I Left the Best Part of Texas in Tennessee- Red Steagall 3. Lost My Baby Blues- Reid Wells & Segovia 1862 4. Texas to a T- Carolyn Martin 5. More Than I Ever Bargained For- Reid Wells & Segovia 1862 6. Texas Eyes- Cornell Hurd Band 7. She Loves to Dance- Stardust Cowboys 8. The Prettiest Girls in Texas- Brian Burns 9. Happy Daze- Chuck Cusimano 10. Gotta Keep Em Movin Along- Billy Mata Albums 1. Don t Ever Take Our Picture Down- River Road Boys 2. Swing- Carolyn Martin 3. Jumpin Time- The Time Jumpers 4. Here We Go Again- Red Steagall & Friends 5. Segovia Road- Reid Wells & Segovia 1862 6. Reinventing the Wheel- Asleep at the Wheel 7. Neon Nights- Bobby Flores 8. Scratchin the Surface- Ray Harrison 9. Domino Effect- Billy Mata 10. Old Boots New Steps- Wild River Band Mike Gross www.swingingwest.com New CD Titles At Backforty CD Chorale Joe Paul Clark - Joe Paul Clark Bad Bob - Bad To The Bow Bad Bob - Prairie Rose Bad Bob - Bad Bob And His Friends Cowboy Bills Top 10 Playlist Top 10 Most Requested Songs 1. Rodeo Wind - Dan Roberts 2. Momma s Don t Let Your Cowboys Grow Up to Be Babies - Robin English 3. Make Me a Cowboy Again for a Day - Don Edwards 4. Trail Boss - Devon Dawson 5. The Boots I Came To Town In - Becky Hobbs 6. Full Moon In Baghdad - Lynn Anderson 7. Osage Ride - Edna Mae Holden 8. The Boots Her Daddy Wore - Jean Prescott & Kip Calahan 9. Here In Old Ft. Worth - Jerry Webb 10. Old Faithful - R.W. Hampton Events The cowboy fun is still alive in Georgia in 2008. This is starting off a brand new year and we are looking forward to being in Dothan, Alabama on May 9-11 for the Johnny Mack Brown Western Festival and the Day of the Cowboy in Georgia coming up in July. It will be hard to top last year but, we going to give it the cowboy effort. So ya ll hang on for another great year! Cowboy Bill Can be contacted at: wilrand@comcast.net www.backfortybunkhouse.com Graham Lees Top 10 Songs and Albums HWD Radio United Kingdom Top 10 CDs 1 Timeless - Quebe Sisters Band 2 Elana James - Elana James 3 Swing - Carolyn Martin 4 Neon Nights - Bobby Flores 5 Hick Jazz - Jangles 6 I Never Had The One I Wanted - Robert Weeks 7 Crocus In The Snow - Stephanie Davis 8 Cowpokes, Horses & Old Glory - Palo Duro 9 Embers Of Time - Jean Prescott 10 Among My Souvenirs - Bobby Boatright Top 10 Songs 1 You Don Care What Happens To Me - Quebe Sisters 2 Exactly Like You - Carolyn Martin 3 Silver Bells - Elana James 4 A Stranger Was Here - Bobby Flores 5 Cold Wing Blow - Stephanie Davis 6 Room For One More Heartache - Robert Weeks 7 A Horse Called Music - Palo Duro 8 Going Away Party - Jangles 9 Each Night At Nine - Jean Prescott 10 Take The A Train - Bobby Boatright graham@grahamlees.co.uk O. J. Sikes s Western Music Time Hear stories about, and recordings by Roy Rogers, the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and others from the days of the silver screen cowboys. Request Line: 1-800-400-1503 Cowboy Up Joni Harms We ve Taken Bob Back to Tulsa R.W. Hampton You Don t Care What Happens to Me The Quebe Sisters Cowboy True Dusty Rogers Roll Out the Barrel Dan Roberts Where the West Remains R. W. Hampton El Dorado Robert Wagoner Buckle Up Dan Roberts Roly Poly The Quebe Sisters Two-Step Round the Christmas Tree Belinda Gail & Curly Musgrave www.bostonpete.com/ojsikes Around the Campfire 1. Astraddle a Saddle - Patty Clayton 2. What a Man's Got to Do - Brenn Hill 3. Oklahoma...Where the West Remains - R.W. Hampton 4. Every Horse I Ever Rode - Kevin Davis 5. Old Friends - Dave Stamey 6. The Gift: a Tribute to Ian Tyson - Various Artists 7. Ghosts of Tombstone - Trails & Rails 8. Keepin' Your Head above Water - Devon Dawson 9. Cowboy Promises - Rodger Maxwell 10. The West: Then, Now, Next - Jim Jones Marvin O'Dell Around the Campfire meoteo@aol.com www.cowboypoetry.com www.mountainannies.com www.duggcollins.com
Poets and Songwriters by Margo Metegrano, CowboyPoetry.com It s no surprise that one of the best recent anthems to cowboy life, Here s Looking at You, comes from a man who has spent most of his life in the saddle. How it came to be recorded did involve a few surprises. A stirring paean to the trail-driving cowboy, Here s Looking at You, recorded by Don Edwards on his Saddle Songs II, Last of the Troubadours, was written by top poet and respected horseman Joel Nelson. With that rare, timeless quality of taking the listener back in time while staying firmly rooted in the present, the song only enhances the sweep of the cowboy heritage. Like Michael Burton s The Night Rider s Lament, it resonates with so many of today s cowboys shared sense of having been born more than a hundred years too late, and leaves no question about what inspires a modern cowboy to follow the challenging, iconoclastic trail. While Here s Looking at You came from the pen of an extraordinary poet, it emerged as a song, not a poem. No one was more surprised than Don Edwards, who tells of his friendly skepticism when Joel Nelson told him he had written a song that he wanted Don to hear. Don admits he was thinking A song? Joel s a poet, and before he knew it, Joel had another surprise: he pulled out his guitar. Don says, I ve known Joel for twenty-five years, and I didn t know he played the guitar. His expectations weren t high. He went from skeptic to believer quickly. What followed was what Don describes as a song of marvelous purity, akin to the works of Don Hedgpeth, JB Allen, Badger Clark, Bruce Kiskaddon, writers able to make words with a hundred years wrapped into now. Don says that he couldn t get the song out of his mind, and he soon was in touch with Joel to talk about working with the song, saying that he didn t want to do anything to take away from the near-perfect words. Don's skillful arrangement makes it impossible to imagine any other tune working with the inspired lyrics. Known for his care in all of his work--with horses as well as words-- Joel Nelson had honed the lyrics before Don heard them. His original title was The Prototypes, and the handwritten first draft, written on a manila envelope, gives a telling view into how much of his own life and experiences are a part of the song. The first line in the recorded song is You rode the Goodnight-Loving. On the original draft, it is written first as, I rode the and then penciled in as We rode the.. But, as the lyrics go on, even in the first draft, fewer of them are changed. You can see that once the idea took hold, the story flowed. And it flows, likewise, from the voice and guitar of Don Edwards, gripping listeners and leaving them with the lasting echoes of its rich message, strong and true. Joel says that he began working on the song right after the Western Folklife Center s National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada in 2001. He said that As often happens, I leave Elko full of inspiration. It is the catalyst that makes inspiration come into fruition. He says that he wanted to pay tribute to and to recognize writers such as Charlie Siringo, Andy Adams, Teddy Blue Abbott, and Larry McMurtry. The last lines of the song were inspired by the passage by T. K. Whipple that introduces Larry McMurtry s Lonesome Dove, All America lies at the end of the wilderness road, and our past is not a dead past, but still lives in us. Our forefathers had civilization inside themselves, the wild outside. We live in the civilization they created, but within us the wilderness still lingers. What they dreamed, we live, and what they lived, we dream. The song reflects Joel Nelson s working life, expressing his spirit and that of the many others who ve taken their individual stand as cowboys and ranchers, choosing a life that might be hard to explain to many in today s world, but never to those who live it: It was a poor way to make a living And you threatened to quit but then When the herd bedded down at the shank of evenin You knew you d do it over ag in Through the thick and the thin You d do it ag in To all those keeping that life alive and sharing their stories in poetry and music, here s looking at you. Here are Joel Nelson's lyrics: Here s Looking at You You rode the Goodnight-Loving Went up the Chisholm too You trailed three thousand to Kansas City And you wintered with Teddy Blue Here s looking at you Here s looking at you You rode with Ranger Goodnight You helped him tame the land You learned the Llano Estacado Just as well as the back of your hand When you rode for the brand You rode for the brand You ve been three times to Sedalia With a cook and six-man crew You came dang near losing the herd and your hair To a passel of renegade Sioux But you saw it through You saw it through And you courted the dancehall beauties Till they picked your pockets clean If it happened once you let it happen twice Up in Dodge and Abilene And places between Every place in between From a heat wave in Palo Pinto To the frostbite on Raton Pass You looseherded cattle through a Southwestern drought In the quest for water and grass Alack and alas Huntin water and grass Then you trailed home the fittest survivors When the word came of late summer rain And you reveled in respite for weary riders And three pounds a day in gain The respite of rain And three pounds of gain You drove em up to Montana Over rivers swollen outta the bank You started out helping the wrangler s helper But you rise right up through the rank Through the dark and the dank You rose through the rank It was a poor way to make a living And you threatened to quit but then When the herd bedded down at the shank of evenin You knew you d do it over ag in Through the thick and the thin You d do it ag in Now a half-dozen generations Have mourned your passin on But you were just startin what still isn t over And your spirit saddles up in the dawn For you are not gone No you are not gone We see you in the Steeldust In the spark flyin' offfa the show Maybe we are here livin' what you never dreamed of But you lived what we never know Here's looking at you Here's looking at you Here's looking at you Cowboy Here's looking at you. Copyright 2001, Joel Nelson, Night Horse Songs, BMI, All Rights Reserved A version of this article appeared in the Winter, 2007 edition of The Western Way from the Western Music Association
Judy James Cowboy Jubilee Show Top Ten Cowboy Jubilee stations: KSQX 89.1 FM -Springtown and Weatherford, KMQX 88.5 FM - Mineral Wells, KEQX 89.1 -Stephenville, 93.7 FM in Granbury 93.3 in Graham. Saturday mornings from 7:30 to 9:30 David John The Beautiful Christmas Michael Martin Murphey Corn, Water, Wood Eli Barsi Christmas in the Canyon Stephanie Davis The Gift Yvonne Hollenbeck Christmas Quilt Belinda Gail/Curly Musgrave Wrapped in Glory Belinda Gail Mary Did You Know? Riders in the Sky Last Christmas Medley Sons of the San Joaquin I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Gene Autry Here Comes Santa Claus www.judyjames.com KGAF 10 Most Requested Songs Cass Reasor KGAF 1580 AM Gainesville, Texas (Freeze) 1. That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine - Gene Autry 2. All Around Cowboy - Les Gilliam 3. The Auctioneer - Justus & Montanas 4. Digging Billy - Jim Jones 5. Echoes Of The Trail - R.J. Vandygriff 6. Fair Blows The Wind - Judy James 7. Dining Out - Yvonne Hollenbeck 8. Bucking Horse Moon - Wylie/Wild West 9. Cowboy Saturday Night - Gary Prescott 10. Dancing With Daddy - Burson Family KGAF is on the internet at www.kgaf1580.com. LEESWING88 TOP TWELVE CDs Kountry Korral Magazine Bennerstigen, Sala, Sweden TOP TWELVE CDs 1 BOBBY KOEFER Thumbin It 2 BOB WILLS & His Texas Playboys Live In San Antonio 3 GAYLYNN ROBINSON Songs By A West Texas Songstress 4 JEFF GRIFFITH If It Ain t One Thing It's Another 5 JOHNNY JOHNSON Angels Don't Cry 6 KELLI GRANT Swing Like That 7 LUCKY TOMBLIN BAND Red Hot From Blue Rock 8 MIKE BLAKELY & Whiskey Traders Live At The Uptown 9 MILLER BROTHERS BAND- Miller Brothers Band 10 TEXAS PLAYBOYS Live In Pawhuska 11 TIME JUMPERS Jumping Time 12 TOM MORRELL & BOBBY KOEFER No Peddlers Allowed TOP TWELVE SONGS 1 Don t Mess With Texas Kelli Grant 2 Fat Boy Rag Swing Shift Band 3 I Wish It Was That Easy Going Home Curtis Potter 4 Leavin And Sayin Goodbye Time Jumpers 5 Old Cantina, The Mike Blakely 6 Ridin Down That Ol Lonesome Trail GayLynn Robinson 7 Snap Your Fingers Johnny Johnson 8 Sugar Moon Kelli Grant 9 That s Why There s Honky Tonks In Texas Chuck Cusimano 10 Time Changes Everything Lucky Tomblin Band 11 (Turn Me Loose And) Let Me Swing Pennington & Emmons 12 Waltzing With Judy Bobby Koefer Lillies Ohlsson Leeswing88@sheab.net The Big Fred Walker Show WOES 91.3 FM Mid-Michigan THE BIG FRED WALKER SHOW Internet Radio www.oe.k12.mi.us Wed. 4:00 to 6:00 PM and Sat. 9:00 to 11:00/PM EST. The Gospel Show is on Sunday 9:30 AM & 9:30 PM EST. For airplay send music to: The Big Fred Walker Show WOES, 2101 Cook Road, Owosso, MI 48867-8927 Top Ten Songs: 01 Ronnie Caywood I m The Man 02 Mike Siler Eleven Roses 03 Ross Maddox I Wonder Where You Are Tonight 04 Bobby Flores I Hate You 05 Carl Bitler You Can t Insure A House Of Dreams 06 Melba Montgomery Another Bridge To Burn 07 T. Jay Christian I Don t Care Where You Dig That Hole 08 Paul Alan Coons Everything She Touches (Turns To Love) 09 Elvis Presley After Loving You 10 Hank Williams Hey Good Lookin Top Ten CDs: 01 Jimmy & Jenny Eaves - Listening To The Bluebird Sing 02 Joe Paul Nichols - The Way It Was 03 Dusty Owens - The Final Touch 04 T. Jae Christian - Put Me Down Easy Lord 05 Justin Trevino - More Loud Music And Strong Wine 06 Liz Talley - Road To You 07 Nevada Slim & Cimarron Sue - Herds, Horses And song 08 Johnny Johnson - Angels Don t Lie 09 Kelli Grant - The Queen Of Swing/Swing Like That 10 Jody Nix - When it s all Said And Done Top Ten Gospel Songs: 01 Mike Siler What A Friend We Have In Jesus 02 The Flying W. Wranglers Comin Home To Jesus 03 Joe Paul Nichols Love is all You ll Ever Need 04 Belinda Gail & Curly Musgrave Place Where I Worship 05 Frankie Miller & Jimmy Eaves Faded Bible 06 Joyce Leonard - The Gospel Yoder 07 David Cline - Just A Closer Walk With Thee 08 Robert Weeks How Great Thou Art 09 Riders of the J-Cross-C Old Rugged Cross 10 Glenn Canyon Someday I ll Walk On A Richer Land djcountryone@charter.net Skeebo Norris KBAL Top Playlist www.kbalradio.com. San Saba, TX KBAL has purchased additional bandwidth to accommodate an unlimited listener base for our internet stream, everyone is welcome to tune in 365/24/7...Thanks to our "Big Kahua".. www.kbaladio.com "The Skeebo Show" 9 til noon...m-f...cst..."country Gold, Nashville Hits, and New Artists" Favorites Randy Brown- Hard Face to Face Asleep At The Wheel- with The Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra Bobby Flores- Neon Nights Jake Hooker- The Outsider Tommy Alverson- Country To The Bone Brady Bowen- In My Spare Time, Vol. III Carloyn Martin- Swing Mike Siler- Dreams of A Dreamer Jerry Webb- Red Lips And Honky Tonks Billy Mata- Domino Effect Joe Johns- If I Had Only Known Red Steagall- Here We Go Again
Bill McCallie s Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show Classical 90.5 WSMC-FM Chattanooga, TN Well we got off to a real western swing start to December with Kenny Sears and all the Time Jumpers Band live from the Station Inn in Nashville CD. I'll try to get the second half of that great CD into January's schedule. That is really a nice package which has two CD's and a DVD enclosed. Carol Martin and Dawn Sears do the vocalizing along with some of the finest musicians Nashville has to offer. Ranger Doug is a part of that "Monday Night" group and really rounds out a fine western swing outfit. The Colorado Wranglers with Vern Thompson were in Chattanooga for a show at the Tivoli Theatre so I played several cuts off their new CD to help WMBW promote the show. We featured "Christmas My Favorite Time of Year," I Can Still Hear Mission Bells Ringing", and I'll be Home for Christmas. I got down to see the show and the fellas did a great job entertaining a capacity crowd at the Tivoli. I accidentally stumbled into the great voice of Hank Cramer over the past month and featured his "Colorado Trail", "Someday Soon" and "Railroadin on the Great Divide". If you are a regular listener to Cowboy Jubilee, you will be hearing more from Hank Cramer on the show. He has a wonderful bass/baratone voice that is great for recording. Jodie Nix was in the playlist this December with "Cotton Eyed Joe", "Rubber Dolly", and "Big Mammou". I was in Augusta Georgia this past Thanksgiving and ran into my friend Little Roy Lewis of the Lewis Family gospel group and got to hear an impromptu concert with his daughter Lizzy Long on fiddle. A old gentlemen got up out of the crowd and walked on stage and joined them on the banjo. You may have heard of the banjo player...he was Earl Scruggs. Earl played some cuts from the Lewis, Long and Scruggs CD and needless to say brought the house down with his requested "Theme from the Beverly Hillbillies". MMM featured with some horse songs, "Ponies", "Ponyman", and Tennessee Stud. The month of December finished out with my traditional Christmas Show and After Christmas Special featuring various including Andy Wilkinson, Gene Autry, Don Edwards, David John and some Walter Brennan recitations, which always work well at Christmas time. We'll start off January with a phone interview with R W Hampton and feature his CD "Oklahoma, Where the West Remains". If you don't have that CD already, Tex Williams would say "Shame on You." You can tune into Cowboy Jubilee on the internet @three w's WSMC.org every Sunday evening at 6 EST. Heard from some listeners in Great Britain, Canada, and Australia this past month, so I guess we're gettin out there. In January we'll feature more of Hank Cramer's great voice and Dan Roberts new CD as well. Hope to hook up with Dan for an interview on the show. More Jody Nix, Bobby Flores, Asleep at the Wheel, Time Jumpers, and some Hot Club of Cowtown will be featured as well. Happy New Year to all and stay safe til next time. You Can Contact Bill at: bill.mccallie@gmail.com Sundays at 6:00 pm www.wsmc.org/webstream.html The Future of Western Music By Howard Staub What is the future of Western Music and Poetry and Western Swing Music? If Year 2007 is any barometer of the future, then all we need to do is look in the rear view mirror to see the true future of our beloved Western genre of entertainment. The fresh CDs that I received in Year 2007 reflect continued Western Artist output. Makes sense to me that the artist interest and listening audience will continue to exist and expand. The fresh CDs within the Western Swing Music genre that I've received are indeed fresh and not just rehash of 50 year old material. Fresh names, fresh groups and fresh listener growth in year 2008 are visible in my forward looking rear view mirror. The one single complaint I have with Western artists is their virtually lock step logic in marketing, merchandising and distribution. The genre is either Western or Cowboy! When I receive a fresh CD it is reviewed on my computer and Media Player provides me with the CD information. Track title, Track Number, track length, sometimes writer Credits ND then the GIANT failure to Merchandise correctly appears. The Genre should logically read; Western or Cowboy. Instead up comes "Country", or "American Folk", Folk", or "Roots", or "Bluegrass", or C&W"! Come on Artists, Producers, Distributors. You are your own worst enemies. Let's let the planet know about Western and Cowboy Music and Poetry and Western Swing Music! Collectively all parties concerned with production and distribution need to seek resolution of this misidentification of our Western and Cowboy heritage and devote effort towards educating the public. A brain storm. Wouldn't it really be something to see a Super Bowl halftime show of nothing but Western and Cowboy music? I am of the belief it could happen! How about Monday Night Football? Why not more exposure on the Western Channel on Satellite TV? The Cowboy way of life is BIG business in America and the entire World. Which foreigner are you personally acquainted with that doesn't know what or who a cowboy is? Have you looked at the many newsstand magazines dedicated to the Cowboy way of life? My magazine subscription base is numerous and the advertisements, feature articles and gathering reviews are many. Let's merchandise Western and Cowboy in 2008! In our electronic world, a Television (TV) set is as important in a home as a loaf of bread. Home computers are part of virtually everyone's lifestyle. NOT owning a computer in this upcoming eighth year of the 21st century is comparable to NOT owning a telephone in the 1950's. Yes, I am a realist. Consider this possibility. Why NOT a dedicated Western/ Cowboy XM Satellite radio program? Joe Baker, Step up to bat! If XM Satellite Radio received enough inquiries about their lack of programming Western/Cowboy Music and Poetry it could be made to happen. Become an activist and contact those electronic medias that you listen to and make known your displeasure with the lack of Western/Cowboy Music and Poetry programming. Do the same with your local radio station. Western/ Cowboy Music and Poetry is how I connect with my youth. Western/cowboy Music and Poetry is all about stories. Unlike the present day bubblegum music heard on the airwaves that is basically one sentence repeated over, and over and over, Western/Cowboy Music and Poetry has a readymade audience. Why? Because it is human nature to think! Western/Cowboy music and poetry cause one to think and remember. Good memories of family, relatives and places and "doing". Surely, we're all on the same wave length? Using the existing electronic media and outlets should be every artist and distributors goal in year 2008. Tain't rocket Science. Thanks for letting me dream out loud. Do some dreaming of your own AND engage yourself in conversation that makes 2008 the year of Western and cowboy music and poetry and Western Swing music. It's the same as professional sports. Just say "yes coach"! Enola Gay Mathews KSST Radio, Sulphur Springs, TX Juni Fisher Wild New Mexico Cowgirl David E Young "Hell Froze Over" Devon Dawson and Texas Trailhands "Red Silk Bandana" Bobby Boatright "Keep a Light in Your Window Tonight" The Desperados, Lyla Lou Hot Club of Cowntown "Way Down Yonder in the Cornfield" Jody Nix "Mama was the Rose of San Antone" Sourdough Dave Myres "Home Grown Tomatoes" Kevin Bounds "I'm a Cowboy Fool" Trudy Fair "Lady from 29 Palms" We're celebrating the history of the cowboy in Sulphur Springs in January with the 2nd annual Cowboy Chili Contest. If you think you make the best chili, just bring it on, in a crockpot, to the Hopkins County Civic Center on Friday January 25 at 6 pm. You might win the $200 first place prize! Everyone will be a winner with the best Texas chili to eat, and a great concert by David E Young band with Bobby Boatright on fiddle. Also Devon Dawson and Monty Teel will debut Monty's newest cowboy poetry set to original music. enolagay@ksstradio.net
Andy & Jim Nelson s C.O.W. Radio 5-Week Playlist 12/29/07, The Best of 2007 Kip Calahan Next Thing Smokin' Jean Prescott The Boots Her Daddy Wore Rex Allen & Don Edwards This Ain't the Same Old Range Dave Stamey The Bandit Joaquin D.W. Groethe The Bunny Poem Don Edwards Here's Looking at You 12/22/07, Christmas in COW Country Michael Martin Murphy Cowboy's Christmas Ball Baxter Black Faith in Christmas Wylie and the Wild West Christmas for Cowboys Kerry Deede In the Bleak Midwinter Stephanie Davis Let it Snow Jimmy Dean (S. Omar Barker's) A Cowboy's Prayer Waddie Mitchell Christmas Letter Chris Isaacs Luke Chapter 2 Jean Prescott Mary's Lullaby Cowboy Celtic Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 12/15/07, Boys Will be Boys Judy Coder and Pride of the Prairie Lose Your Blues & Laugh at Life Marvin O'Dell This Godforsaken Town Rex Allen/ Don Edwards Doggone Cowboy Riders in the Sky Here Comes the Santa Fe Audrey Hankins Nitro and the Nog Michael Hurwitz Rusty Old Spurs 12/8/07, Western Music Association Festival The Texas Trailhands Texas Canyon Dave Stamey Dusty Winds Tex Ritter Rye Whiskey Curly Musgrave & Belinda Gail El Fuego Les Buffham Cowboy Callin' Juni Fisher I Hope She'll Love Me 12/1/07, Cowboy Words Richard Espinoza Lie You to the Moon Jill Jones and the Lonestar Chorale Plains of St. Augustine Hank Snow Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain Stampede I Just Don't Look good Naked Anymore Jeff Carson Tumbleweed Tom Russell All This Way for the Short Ride Clear Out West Radio Show PO Box 1547, Pinedale, WY 82941 Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews by Jeri L. Dobrowski Anthologies collections of stories, poems or audio recordings are an excellent way to sample a variety of artists works without breaking the bank. Consider these: A generous 26 tracks are included on Cowboy Songs & Range Ballads: 25th Anniversary Album. Held each April at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, the music festival noted its silver anniversary in 2007. To celebrate, the BBHC assembled recordings from 24 years of live stage performances. That s both the good news and the bad news. There are gems among the titles, but a handful lack technical quality. Thank goodness somebody had the foresight to make the recordings! Skimming the list of performers, several are deceased; others, to my knowledge, never released a recording of their own. It s an amazing time capsule featuring, among others, Jim Bob Tinsley, Lyle "Wild Horse" Cunningham, Liz Masterson and Sean Blackburn, Otto Rosfeld, Gary McMahan, Joe Bain, Duane Dickinson, Howard Parker, Stan Howe and Kelly Wells, Kyle Evans, Jean Prescott, Gene Davenport, and Buck Ramsey, Richard Dillof and Amanda Ramsey. Described by the BBHC as "capturing the essence of cowboy music," the CD sells for $19.99 plus postage. For a complete track listing and audio clips, go to www.bbhc.org/events/cowboysongs.cfm. Write the BBHC at 720 Sheridan Ave., Cody, WY 82414; call (800) 533-3838. I first heard A Western Jubilee: Songs and Stories of the American West on a drive-hard-till-you-get-there road trip. It was well after midnight when my traveling buddy slipped it into the CD player. The tunes and tales added considerable interest to an otherwise uninteresting stretch of blacktop. Released by Western Jubilee Recording Company in 2004, it showcases artists in the company s catalog at the time. Don Edwards kicks off the 20 tracks with "The Old Chisholm Trail." He s heard several more times, solo and with special guests, including the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Waddie Mitchell. A poet, Mitchell recites on two additional tracks. The velvety harmonies of the Sons of the San Joaquin are featured on four tracks: "Sierra Nevada," "He's Runnin' out of Roundups," "From Whence Came the Cowboy" and "Unclouded Day." Red Steagall offers "My America"; David Wilkie & Cowboy Celtic deliver "The Drover Road to Amulree"; Katy Moffatt sings "The Brazos"; Wylie & the Wild West set Ogilvie s "Hooves of the Horses" to music; Glenn Ohrlin spins the tale, "International Glenn." Instrumentals by Rich O Brien fit nicely within the collection, as does "Velociraptor Rag" by Tom Morrell. Selling for $15, that s only 75 cents per track! (Shipping to U.S. addressees is free on website orders over $50). Order from Western Jubilee Recording Company, PO Box 9187, Colorado Springs, CO 80932; 1-800-707-2353; westernjubilee.com. Perhaps not technically an anthology, The Deadwood Songbook feels like one. Hank Harris, singer, songwriter and musician, presents 15 popular songs from the early days of historic Deadwood, S.D. A project of the Adams Museum & House, the collection reproduces the music of Deadwood s concert and dance halls at the turn of the century. Liner notes reveal that before a disastrous fire in 1879, "Deadwood boasted more entertainment venues than any town of its size in the nation." Some venues were honorable; others more lascivious. Regardless, Deadwood was filled with music day and night. "Spirituals, patriotic and political music, minstrel songs, ethnic samplings, opera and dance hall music converged on Deadwood streets during an era unlike any other." This is the music captured in A Deadwood Songbook. And what a grand compilation it is! A rousing "Short nin Bread" opens the show. "On Top of Old Smokey" brings it to a close. In between are "Gary Owen," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/Wade in the Water," "Camptown Races," "Red River Valley," "Dixie," and Yankee Doodle," among others. A second collection, The Deadwood Songbook II, further investigates early-day music of the Gulch. (Of the two, my own personal favorite is #I. But, what s not to like about "Goober Peas" and "Oh, Susanna/Polly Wolly Doodle", appearing on #II?) Both use instruments of the era: banjos, tambourines, spoons, hambone, wooden flute and Chinese pipa. The CDs sell for $16 each, plus postage. Shop for them on the Adams Museum web site: www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org. Contact the museum at 605-578-1714; 54 Sherman St., Deadwood, SD 57732. Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com. 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved Third Annual Cowboy Ball The Lincoln County Sheriff's Posse's 3rd annual Cowboy Ball was another huge success on December 15th as Jody Nix and his Texas Cowboy's provided top notch western swing and country dance music to a near sold out crowd again. Nix has played the annual event for the past three years. Thank you's goes out to all Sheriff Posse members who worked extremely hard to insure the success of the annual extravaganza. To the staff at the Alto Lakes Golf & Country Club, Relay For Life MTD Radio, Lincoln County Sheriff Rick Virden and to all the folks who purchased tickets, many of whom have attended for the past three years. An article appearing in the December issue of New Mexico Magazine also plugged the annual affair here in Lincoln County. Information on the 4th Annual Cowboy Ball will come on a later date.
SEATTLE WESTERN SWING MUSIC SOCIETY UPDATE By Bill Bailey Showcase for January 13, 2008 at Normanna Hall The first showcase of the new year got off to a roaring start with a chilly but sunny day and a large crowd. Our host band today was J.C. Smith with Scotch and Soda and they were really a crowd pleaser. Starting with J. C. Smith on guitar and vocals there was Paul Anastasio on fiddle, Rus Davis on fiddle, LeRoy Brigge on steel, Dave Wheeler on drums, LeRoy King on bass and vocals, Jim Neel on lead guitar, Judy Collender on keyboard and vocals and Gerry Creason on rhythm guitar and vocals. J.C. put together an impressive array of musicians and the music was great and the dance floor was full. When they finished their set it was time for the jammers to take over on the stage. On drums there was Gerry Adamus all the way here from Canada and great to see him. Wayne Franco was on steel, Darrell Anderson on fiddle, Larry Broad on guitar and vocals, Lloyd Hooper on bass and vocals. Lloyd called his daughter Cindy DeLeon up on stage to sing a couple of numbers. Then we ended up with four fiddlers on the stage.along with Darrell Anderson, there was Paul Anastasio, Rus Davis and they were joined by Gene Silberberg. Judy LeBlanc came on stage to sing a couple of songs for us. The jam took a break so we could draw for the Split the Pot prize. We had a good crowd so the prize would be a good one. The lucky winner was Lisa Thacker and she was very surprised and happy. Congratulations Lisa!! When the drawing was over all the jammers were still on stage and ready to start playing again. Gil Barbee took over on the drums and Woody Woods came on stage to join the rest of the musicians with his guitar and he sang a couple of numbers. Also singing a couple of songs was Sharyn Packwood. Sharyn is a hostess during our POWS weekends in Auburn. Last but not least was Kenny Owens with his guitar and his voice and he sang several songs and ended with Cattle Call. It was time for the host band to take over the stage to close out the showcase. Thanks go to J.C. Smith with Scotch and Soda. It was a wonderful day with wonderful music and great friends. Be sure to be here on Sunday February 10, 2008 for our Valentine showcase with host band Sandy Sanderson s Rhythm Riders Reunion Band. Contact Bill Bailey eagle032@aol.com www.seattlewesternswingmusicsociety Howard Staub s KOTS 1230 AM Deming, New Mexico Top Ten on "The Real West from the Old West" (Freeze) Cowboy/Cowgirl Music 1. Women in Texas Dan Roberts. 2. Room Full of Roses Call of the West. 3. I Didn't Know the Gun Was Loaded Patty Clayton. 4. Pickup Truck Café Brenn Hill. 5. Wild Horse Scotty & the Silverscreen Ranchands. 6. Hey Cowboy Tom Hiatt. 7. The Cowboy Ain't Dead Yet R. J. Vandygriff. 8. Al Valle de Animas Kip Calahan. 9. She Always Smelled Like Lilacs Jean Prescott. 10. The Cowboy & The Lady Cindy Rae. Cowboy/Cowgirl Poetry 1. As Birds Fly from the Next Yvonne Hollenbeck. 2. Spellbound on the High Lonesome Donna Hatton. 3. Pasture Cuisine Marci Broyhill. 4. Neighbor Thompson Linda Kirkpatrick. 5. The Bunny Poem DW Groethe. 6. Out Where the West Begins Jim Thompson. 7. Sheep Dip Salesman Biscuits O'Bryan. 8. The Flag Out On the Ranch Yvonne Hollenbeck. 9. Ranch Mother Susan Parker. 10. A Cowgirl's Rules for Happiness Andy Nelson. Swing Style Cowboy/Western Music 1. Keepin' Your Head Above the Water Devon Dawson 2. The Sweet Desert Rose Scotty & The Silverscreen Ranchands 3. Tennessee Saturday Night Carolyn Martin. 4. Roly Poly Flying J Wranglers. 5. Waltz of the Rainbow Eddy Harrison. 6. Lone Star Beer & Bob Wills Music Red Steagall/Toby Keith. 7. Big Blue Diamonds Lembo Allen. 8. Arizona Moon Ranch Romance. 9. Cowboy Connection Gil Prather. 10. Full Moon of Love Christina Ortega. Instrumental Music 1. The Blue Goose Texas Trailhands. 2. Judy's Waltz Junior Daugherty. 3. Old Sport Fiddlin' Johnny. 4. The Magnificent Seven Al Caiola. 5. Racin' Mary to the Ford Call of the West. Contact Howard at ShortStake@swnm.com Dugg Collins KFTI Western Swing Album Playlist Wichita, KS CD S FEATURED ON THE DUGG COLLINS SHOW. DON T SEE YOURS LISTED? MAYBE YOU HAVEN T SENT IT TO ME. Jumpin Time The Time Jumpers A Case of the Gimbles The Gimbles Elana James Elana James Wishing River Ginny Mac Faded Lights Jake Hooker Domino Effect Billy Mata Blanco County Bobby Flores Stay Out Late With The Lucky Stars Lucky Stars Salute To Bob s 100th Texas Playboys Western Boogie Dave Alexander Reinventing the Wheel Asleep At the Wheel Something To Swing To Jody Nix Alive And Swingin Dan T Chambers Strange Leighan Cortes Spare Time Vol 4 Brady Bowen Billy Keeble Sings Wynn Stewart Billy Keeble Don t Ever Take Our Picture Down River Road Boys dugg@duggcollins.com Backforty Bunkhouse Trivia Congratulations to Ronnie Caywood for the correct answer to December s Trivia Question. His name was drawn from over 40 correct answers submitted. He will be receiving the Triple CD Set Narration and Music of, The Bob Wills Story by James Holley. (3 hours of Western Swing History) December s Question: Who was Bob Wills left-handed fiddle player? Correct Answer: Joe Holley This Month s Trivia Question for Andy Nelson s CD, Full Nelson Shoeing. Question: When Farmers and Ranchers used to plow fields with horses or mules, who can tell us what Gee and Haw meant? Answers only accepted by email through Joe s website trivia form. Go to www.backfortybunkhouse.com and on the opening page click on the link to Trivia. It will take you to a page where you can enter your answer/s through a preset secure form. The winner will be determined by an independent drawing from a list of all correct answers. Remember to enter your answers by the form on Joe s website.
River Road Boys Celebrate 38th Year As A Dance Band January 19 marks the beginning of The River Road Boys' 38th year in business as an organized band, an accomplishment rarely seen or heard of these days. We are establishing a new home base after the closing of our former home base, The Sons of Hermann Hall, with a dance coming up on Saturday, January 19, at the K-C Hall, 607 E. Whitney Dr. in Houston. It's our first time to play there and we're hoping to get it kicked off to a successful start. The K-C Hall is located one block north of Crosstimbers and just west of I-45. It has a great old wooden dance floor, and, like the now-closed Sons of Hermann, it is another one of Houston's last remaining dance halls. Please call Clyde Brewer for reservations at (281) 356-7174, or the K-C Hall at (713) 694-2341. January 19 at the K-C Hall has other significant interest also. It will be Clyde Brewer's 78th birthday, so we'd love to have a whole bunch of folks there to help celebrate his 70+ years in the music business. Additionally, January 19 is the eve of our departure on the fantastic 7-day cruise on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Voyager of the Seas. Departing Galveston at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20th, we will be sailing to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, before returning back to Galveston on Jan. 27. Please check our website (www.riverroadboys.com) regularly for schedule updates and news about some exciting events coming up in the near future Hey folks, Western music disc jockey's love the roundup for the mega selections of great music and poetry. You sure want to get in the saddle for the Backforty Roundup's next issue. Contact roundup@backfortybunkhouse.com Cowtown Society of Western Music Update By Joe Baker Brady Bowen & Swing Country's New Years Eve Dance and the Cowtown Society Of Western Music's fundraising event in Jacksboro, Texas was a tremendous success for all. Blackeyed peas and cornbread was the menu for the December 31st gala. A big cowboy thanks and a tip of the hat to all the folks at the Jacksboro VFW for their hard work preparing the meal and hosting the dance and auction. The CSWM raised around $1,100 to benefit the Society's museum and hall of fame in Mineral Wells, Texas. The finest western swing music in the country was provided by Brady Bowen, Tommy Allsup, Bobby Koefer, Durwood Strube, Larry Reed, Wayne Glassen, Chris York, Neil Butler, Bobby Boatright, George Uptmore and Billy Doshier. All in all, the eleven piece band provided the best of the best in western swing music as the dance floor remained full throughout the evening to prove it. The Bob Wills 102nd Birthday Tribute March 2nd will again be held at the VFW in Jacksboro, Texas on Sunday afternoon featuring Brady Bowen and Swing Country. Watch your mailbox for more details and info coming soon. The Cowtown Society Of Western Music will also have an auction to support the hall of fame and museum in Mineral Wells, Texas. Contact Gary Beaver at 817-240-4580 or Joe Baker at 575-808-4111 or Email joe@backfortybunkhouse.com www.cowtown-swm.org Joyce Miller Treasurer - CSWM For more information, call 817-558-87580 or e-mail joyce@accentwholesale.com. "Toe Tappin" Tommy Tucker KRLC Radio Lewiston, Idaho (Freeze) Top Ten Western / Western Swing Albums 1. Stampede - You Asked For It 2. Horse Crazy - Western Moon 3. Sisters Of The Silver Sage - Swingin' & Trail Dreamin' 4. The Time Jumpers - 5. Gary Prescott - Rough Country, Wild Cattle 6. Wayne Nelson - Idaho Buckaroos & Badmen 7. Les Gilliam Trio - Harmony Of The West 8. David Anderson - Born To Be A Cowboy 9. Grady Lee - Way Out In The West 10. Nevada Slim & Cimarron Sue - Herds, Horses & Song Top Ten Pure Country Albums 1. Brenn Hill - What A Man's Got To Do 2. Royal Wade Kimes - Strikin' Matches 3. Nancy Thorwardson - Colorado Swing 4. Wylie & The Wild West - Bucking Horse Moon 5. Shiloh Sharrard - Don't Make Me Go To School 6. Lacy J. Dalton - The Last Wild Place 7. Lynn Anderson - Cowgirl 8. Don Edwards - Moonlight & Skies 9. Stephanie Davis - Crocus In The Snow 10. The Babcocks w/ Cowboy Joe - Appalachian Songbird Top 5 Country / Western Gospel Albums 1. Joni Harms - That's Faith 2. Les Gilliam - Where Could I Go 3. The Dreyer Brothers - All Or Nothing 4. Eli Barsi - Closer To Home 5. Various Artists - Covered In Crimson Top 5 Poetry / Story Albums 1. Andy Nelson - Full Nelson Shoeing 2. Sam DeLeeuw - Spreading Sunshine 3. Various Artists - Giving Back 4. Butch Martin - Of Pioneers & Cowboys 5. Van Criddle - Sixteen Horses New Adds Dan Roberts - Beyond The Brand David John & The Comstock Cowboys - Break It To The Country R.W. Hampton - Oklahoma! Where The West Remains Carolyn Martin - Swing Joyce Woodson - If I Hadn't Seen The West Call Of The West - Twilight On The Trail Jim Garling - Here Comes A Change & Cattle, Trails and Romance Comtact Tommy at tommy@idavend.com All Things Country Top Ten CDs Rowena Muldavin 1. GINNY MAC - Sweet Sentimental Dream 2. DALE WATSON - Little Darlin' Sessions 3. JEFF GRIFFITH - If It Ain't One Thing It's Another 4. DOTTIE JACK - I Can't See Texas From Here 5. WELDON MYRICK - The Other Side Of Me 6. JASON ARNOLD & THE STEPSIDERS - With Friends Like These 7. TOMMY HOOKER - Texas In My Soul 8. BOBBY FLORES - Just For The Record 9. ROGER WALLACE - Hillbilly Heights 10. MIKE CLIFFORD - The Heartbreak Grill & Bar All Things Country can be heard via Shoutcast or the website, www. heartlandpublicradio.org on HPR1 All Things Country email address rowena@classicheartland.com