from the KTEP Folk Fury broadcast of 28 Feb. 2009
Zoomer Roberts: vocal and harmonica
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Zoomer here. I usually include some lesser-known items in tribute shows. This is one of the songs Buddy Holly recorded in Nashville for Decca in 1956. It was also done by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in the early 1970s. It's not a great song, but it's fun. Originally, the line "brother, there just ain't no ifs" appeared in three consecutive verses, and I thought once was plenty, so I did a minor re-write wherein Annie drives your car off of a cliff and reeks of liquor and illicit sex the next morning. Another line -- "when you're at the morgue identifyin' the stiff / you'll know that Annie was a-workin' on the midnight shift" -- was left on the cutting room floor.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Everyday
from the KTEP Folk Fury broadcast of 28 Feb. 2009
Zoomer Roberts: vocal and harmonica
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
This should've been titled "Every Day." I just want you to know that I know that. Typically, we didn't try to sound like the record, but we held on to the wonderful bridge, each chord a fourth above the previous one, and the penultimate chord a semitone above the dominant. The same progression played backwards is the basis for "Hey Joe" by the Leaves and/or Jimi Hendrix.
Zoomer Roberts: vocal and harmonica
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
This should've been titled "Every Day." I just want you to know that I know that. Typically, we didn't try to sound like the record, but we held on to the wonderful bridge, each chord a fourth above the previous one, and the penultimate chord a semitone above the dominant. The same progression played backwards is the basis for "Hey Joe" by the Leaves and/or Jimi Hendrix.
Peggy Sue Got Married
from the KTEP Folk Fury broadcast of 28 Feb. 2009
Zoomer Roberts: vocal and harmonica
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Before embarking on what would be his last tour, Buddy recorded some voice-and-guitar demos of his latest compositions, including this sequel to "Peggy Sue." Coral records overdubbed additional accompaniment and issued the songs scant months after his death. Later on, Holly's one-time producer, Norman Petty, re-dubbed the tapes -- this time with the Fireballs providing the backing. Still later, the Hollies produced their own hybrid version of this song, while Buddy's original recording surfaced in a movie of the same name.
Lyrically, not much is going on here -- but it must be remembered that it was written by a young man for an even younger audience. It's doubtful that Buddy envisioned this song being sung by old people half a century after the fact!
Zoomer Roberts: vocal and harmonica
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Before embarking on what would be his last tour, Buddy recorded some voice-and-guitar demos of his latest compositions, including this sequel to "Peggy Sue." Coral records overdubbed additional accompaniment and issued the songs scant months after his death. Later on, Holly's one-time producer, Norman Petty, re-dubbed the tapes -- this time with the Fireballs providing the backing. Still later, the Hollies produced their own hybrid version of this song, while Buddy's original recording surfaced in a movie of the same name.
Lyrically, not much is going on here -- but it must be remembered that it was written by a young man for an even younger audience. It's doubtful that Buddy envisioned this song being sung by old people half a century after the fact!
Bluebirds Over the Mountain
from the KTEP Folk Fury broadcast of 28 Feb. 2009
Zoomer Roberts: vocal and harmonica
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
For whatever reason, I heard the Beach Boys' version of this song before I heard Ersel Hickey's original or Ritchie Valens' cover version. Melodically, it's quite catchy, so we slowed it down a little, added a couple of chords, and played up its strengths. The recurring "bluebirds over the mountain / seagulls over the sea" paints a lovely picture. Feel the sea breeze on your face while you nurse your broken teenage heart! Valens -- dead at age 17 -- never got too old to sing this.
Zoomer Roberts: vocal and harmonica
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
For whatever reason, I heard the Beach Boys' version of this song before I heard Ersel Hickey's original or Ritchie Valens' cover version. Melodically, it's quite catchy, so we slowed it down a little, added a couple of chords, and played up its strengths. The recurring "bluebirds over the mountain / seagulls over the sea" paints a lovely picture. Feel the sea breeze on your face while you nurse your broken teenage heart! Valens -- dead at age 17 -- never got too old to sing this.
The Preacher and the Bear
from the KTEP Folk Fury broadcast of 28 Feb. 2009
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Although The Big Bopper wrote several successful songs, he got this one from Phil Harris, who salvaged it from traditional sources. It was a good vehicle for the Bopper's manic delivery. We patterned our version after that of Jerry Reed, who was also manic, but more accessibly so. There are a number of old songs about preachers hunting on the Lord's Day, and this one contains elements of "signifyin' " which is widespread in the African-American oral tradition and probably a precursor of rap. In my case, country + rap = crap, but it was fun!
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Although The Big Bopper wrote several successful songs, he got this one from Phil Harris, who salvaged it from traditional sources. It was a good vehicle for the Bopper's manic delivery. We patterned our version after that of Jerry Reed, who was also manic, but more accessibly so. There are a number of old songs about preachers hunting on the Lord's Day, and this one contains elements of "signifyin' " which is widespread in the African-American oral tradition and probably a precursor of rap. In my case, country + rap = crap, but it was fun!
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