Hank Williams Covers at When You Awake - Part 2

I've put together another set of Hank Williams covers, which is now posted at When You Awake. The first set is still available there as well.

Here's one more for the road:

Skeeter Davis - I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) (buy album)

A Hot Rod Ford And A Two-Dollar Bill

Just in case you don't already subscribe to When You Awake (which is a must for fans of country, country-rock, western fashion, and twang of all kinds), head over there now to check out my guest mixtape of ten superb Hank Williams covers.

http://whenyouawake.com/2009/01/13/guest-mixtape-hank-williams-goes-twang/

Here's a bonus track to go with the mix:

The Replacements - Hey Good Lookin' (buy album)

Pick Guitars, Fill Fruit Jars...

Hey folks, head over to For The Sake Of The Song to check out my guest post about Jambalaya.

And here's a bonus version:

The Blue Ridge Rangers (a.k.a. John Fogerty) – Jambalaya (buy album)

Couldn't have said it better myself.

For an excellent review of the long-awaited album Hank Williams: The Unreleased Recordings, go to this post at Harry’s Music. (It tells you exactly why you must buy this box set.)

Harry’s Music is also where I found this great BBC clip:



By the way, it's been too long since I posted a Hank tune, so here goes:

Hank Williams – Pan American (buy album)

(Incidentally, the "Harry" in Harry's Music refers to this fellow. Check out Harry's Music when you have a chance. It's pretty cool.)

Thank You Friends!

Hey everybody, this is the obligatory one-year anniversary post! Yes, my first official post appeared here one year ago today. Kind of hard to believe I've made it for a full year, since I'm making this up as I go. Anyway, it's been lots of work, lots of fun, and very educational. Thanks to your comments and e-mails I've learned more about music in the last twelve months than ever before. And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks...

Posts: 181
Page views: 212,406
Biggest day: 2,398 views (September 16, 2008)
Most popular post: Who Invented Country Rock?
Most popular song: Caitlin Rose - Dead Flowers (buy) (info)

Big thanks to all of the bloggers who have linked over here and given me so many great tips and ideas over the last year! You know who you are.

Here are some of my favorite songs:

Little Richard - Settin' The Woods On Fire (buy)
Porter Wagoner - Settin' The Woods On Fire (buy)
Frankie Laine & Jo Stafford - Settin' The Woods On Fire (buy)
George Jones - Settin' The Woods On Fire (buy)
Jerry Lee Lewis - Settin' The Woods On Fire
The Flatlanders - Settin' The Woods On Fire (buy)
Hank Williams - Settin' The Woods On Fire (buy)

Comb your hair and paint and powder
You act proud and I'll act prouder
You sing loud and I'll sing louder
Tonight were setting the woods on fire

You my gal and I'm your feller
Dress up in your frock of yeller
I'll look swell but you'll look sweller
Setting the woods on fire

We'll take in all the honkey tonks
Tonight were having fun
We'll show the folks a brand new dance
That never has been done

I don't care who thinks were silly
You be daffy and I'll be dilly
We'll order up to bowls of chili
Setting the woods on fire

I'll gas up my hot rod stocker
We'll get hotter than a poker
You'll be broke but I'll be broker
Tonight were setting the woods on fire

We'll sit close to one another
Up the one street and down the other
Well have a time o brother
Setting the woods on fire

We'll put aside a little time
To fix a flat or two
My tires and tubes are doing fine
But the air is showing through

You clap hands and I'll start bowing
We'll do all the laws allowin
Tomorrow I'll be right back plowing
Setting the woods on fire

As always, my mission will be accomplished when everybody loves Tom T. Hall. (But I might give up before then.)

[P.S. If anybody has discovered any new favorite music as a result of this blog, please let me know in the comments. It would make my day. After all, that's why I'm doing this.]

Flying Burrito Brothers "Originals"

I've already posted the Safe At Home and Sweetheart Of The Rodeo "originals." Now it's time for the "original" versions of the covers recorded by The Flying Burrito Brothers during the Gram Parsons era (1969-1970).

[I realize that the Burrito's version of Wild Horses was released before The Stones' version, but it's still a Jagger/Richards composition, so that's close enough.]

These "originals" show the R&B/Honky-Tonk/Rock mixture that inspired the Burrito's innovative country-rock style.

From The Gilded Palace Of Sin:

1. Aretha Franklin - Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (buy)
2. James Carr - Dark End Of The Street (buy)

From Burrito Deluxe:

3. Conway Twitty - Image Of Me (buy)
4. Bob Dylan - If You Gotta Go, Go Now (buy)
5. Hank Williams - Farther Along
6. The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses (buy)

From Hot Burritos! Compilation:

7. Dave Dudley - Six Days On The Road (buy)
8. Buck Owens - Close Up The Honky Tonks (buy)
9. George Hamilton IV - Break My Mind (buy)
10. Merle Haggard - Sing Me Back Home (buy)
11. Merle Haggard - The Bottle Let Me Down (buy)
12. The Bee Gees - To Love Somebody (buy) (This one is great!)

More:

The Box Tops - Break My Mind (buy) (This version was released around the same time as George Hamilton IV's more well-known version of John D. Loudermilk's tune.)

Jerry Lee Lewis - Break My Mind (buy) (Included just because I like Jerry Lee so much.)

Sam Cooke - Farther Along (buy) (Here's a nice gospel rendition from one of the alltime greats.)

Mississippi John Hurt - Farther Along (buy) (And here's a rootsier version.)

See also:
The Safe At Home Originals
The Original Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

Guest Post at Cover Lay Down

Hey folks, please check out my Hank Williams-themed guest post over at Cover Lay Down.

[Click Here!]

Which reminds me that I haven’t posted a Hank song in quite awhile. Check out Hank’s versions of some of the songs I posted over at CLD:

Hank Williams – Wedding Bells
Hank Williams – Let’s Turn Back The Years
Hank Williams – The Devil’s Train
Hank Williams – Why Don’t You Love Me?

(buy album)

Favorite Country Artist Poll - Final Results!

And the winner is...

According to your votes, the top two favorite country artists of all time are Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. I can't argue with that. Hank received the most first place votes, but not enough to overcome Cash's across-the-board appeal. So Johnny takes the top spot. Not really a surprise.

1. Johnny Cash
2. Hank Williams

Hank & Co. arrive in Europe to entertain the troops.

About Hank, I can't say it any better than AMG:

Hank Williams is the father of contemporary country music. He was a superstar by the age of 25; he was dead at the age of 29. In those four short years, he established the rules for all the country performers who followed him and, in the process, much of popular music. Hank wrote a body of songs that became popular classics, and his direct, emotional lyrics and vocals became the standard for most popular performers. He lived a life as troubled and reckless as that depicted in his songs.

Hank Williams – Long Gone Lonesome Blues (buy album)
Hank Williams – I Can't Get You Off My Mind (buy album)
Hank Williams – A House Of Gold (buy album)



Johnny Cash was a true giant. He also gave probably the most enjoyable concert that I ever attended. The thing that comes to mind for me with Johnny Cash was his charismatic presence. All the top performers have a ton of it, but Johnny might have had the most. When Johnny Cash is playing, you pay attention.

Johnny Cash – Home Of The Blues (buy album)
Johnny Cash – One Piece At A Time (buy album)
Johnny Cash – "T" For Texas (buy album)



Thanks for participating in my poll!

Here are the final results:

1. Johnny Cash
2. Hank Williams
3. Merle Haggard
4. George Jones
5. Willie Nelson
6. Waylon Jennings
7. Townes Van Zandt
8. Patsy Cline
9. Emmylou Harris
10. Gram Parsons
11. Loretta Lynn
12. Buck Owens
13. Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys
14. The Louvin Brothers
15. Dolly Parton
16. The Carter Family
17. Steve Earle
18. Lucinda Williams
19. Dwight Yoakam
20. Gillian Welch
21. Doug Sahm
22. Jimmie Rodgers
23. Old Crow Medicine Show
24. Lyle Lovett
25. Iris Dement
26. Tom T. Hall
27. Lefty Frizzell
28. Ralph Stanley/The Stanley Brothers
29. Roger Miller
30. Marty Robbins
31. Tammy Wynette
32. Roseanne Cash
33. Kris Kristofferson
34. Jerry Jeff Walker
35. Randy Travis
36. John Hartford
37. The Flatlanders
38. Ray Charles
39. Jason & The Scorchers
40. Bill Monroe
41. Don Williams
42. Billy Joe Shaver
43. Charlie Rich
44. Hank Williams Jr.
45. Uncle Tupelo
46. Flatt and Scruggs
47. Hank Thompson
48. Guy Clark
49. Doc Watson
50. The Jayhawks
51. Gene Clark
52. Terry Allen
53. Son Volt
54. Alison Krauss
55. Kitty Wells
56. Robbie Fulks
57. Merle Travis
58. Webb Pierce
59. The Dixie Chicks
60. George Strait

Who was overrated?
Who was underrated?
Who was unjustly left off the list?

Sound off in the comments

Give Me Your List, Please!

I'm taking a break.

I'll be back in a month or so. Until then I’ll still be posting a few tracks over at Star Maker Machine and occasionally updating the sidebar here.

While I'm gone, you can check here for some great stuff on other blogs.

Now for the real purpose of this post: I love lists. I made one (below) and I want to see yours.

Please submit a ranked list of your top 10 favorite country artists/bands of all time. (Feel free to include explanations of your choices if you wish, or even an mp3 link, but all that's required is a ranked list.)

When the lists start coming in, the Classic Country Research Department here at STWOF will begin crunching the numbers. Then, after a month or so, I'll return with a highly entertaining and informative post about the results. It should be fun! And the more submissions the better, so let’s set a new record for the number of comments here.

Who’s eligible? Any country artist or band. (If in doubt, check AMG to see if the artist or band in question fits into any of these style categories. Feel free to include bluegrass, country-folk, country-rock, and alt-country performers. Note, however, that if you pick a performer who only occasionally dabbled in country styles, like Bob Dylan for instance, your vote should be based only on that artist’s country material. No extra credit for Like A Rolling Stone.)

I’m looking forward to reading your lists. Here’s mine (for the moment):

1. Hank Williams. No explanation necessary. He set the rules for all who followed.

Hank Williams – Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (buy album).

2. Tom T. Hall. A little high you say? Maybe. But this project is not about an objective view of accomplishments. It’s about individual favorites. Tom T. Hall’s funny and insightful songs really get me.

Tom T. Hall – The Year That Clayton Delaney Died (buy album).

3. George Jones. That voice. Nobody can deliver a country song like the possum.

George Jones - A Girl I Used To Know (buy album)

4. Merle Haggard. George had the voice. Merle had the attitude and he wrote a ton of brilliant country songs.

Merle Haggard – I Can't Hold Myself In Line (buy album).

5. Johnny Cash. The Man in Black might be the most enduring of the 1950's pop artists (including Elvis Presley). Cash made his name and his best material in 1950’s, but his legacy was sealed by the great work he did in the 1990’s. A true giant.

Johnny Cash – Drive On (buy album).

6. Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys. No music makes me happier than western swing. Bob’s band wrote the book on that style.

Bob Wills – Bring It On Down To My House (buy album).

7. Gram Parsons. The kid with a big trust fund wasn’t the greatest live performer, but he was also an innovator and a great songwriter responsible for an impressive number of classic tunes in his short life.

Gram Parsons – Brass Buttons (buy album).

8. Townes Van Zandt. I’m a sucker for Texas-based songwriting geniuses.

Townes Van Zandt – To Live Is To Fly (buy album).

9. John Hartford. See here for the explanation.

John Hartford – Back In The Goodle Days (out of print)

10. Buck Owens. Love that Bakersfield sound.

Buck Owens – Act Naturally (buy album)

Some more contenders for my list: Patsy Cline, The Flatlanders, Lefty Frizzell, Jason & The Scorchers, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb

I'm looking forward to reading your top ten lists!

Hank Cover Friday: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whinin' low
I'm so lonesome I could cry



I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawlin' by
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide its face and cry



Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That means he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry



The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry



The Cowboy Junkies' cover of I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, from their famous Trinity Sessions, is regarded as one of the best. I like the bass opening:

The Cowboy Junkies – I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (buy album)

Jimmie Dale Gilmore does a version in his classic West Texas twang:

Jimmie Dale Gilmore – I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (buy album)

One of my personal favorite Hank covers is Little Richard's unique rendering of the song:

Little Richard – I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (buy album)

And now for this week's sound effect: Whippoorwill call (mp3)

Hank Cover Friday: That Lonesome Whistle

Here are a couple of covers of one of my favorite Hank songs, (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle Blow. This song was co-written by Hank Williams and Jimmie Davis.

The Cash cover is the gold standard. Dylan's cover version comes from a radio interview he did in 1962 before his first album was released.

Johnny Cash – I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow (buy album).

Bob Dylan - Lonesome Whistle Blues (Note: The first few seconds are a poor recording, but the sound gets a lot better shortly after Bob starts singing.)

You can get the whole Dylan radio interview at the blog False 45th. It is very interesting and well worth checking out.

Also, I just found a great website for Hank covers: Hank Williams, Sr. - The Cover List. (Warning: Annoying background music.)

Here's a special sound effect for today's post: Steam Whistle

Hank Cover Friday* - You Win Again

Here's another one of the great Hank songs. The first version is by Johnny Cash, who needs no introduction:

Johnny Cash – You Win Again (buy album).

The second version is courtesy of Tim, who sent this over to me earlier this week. Jerry nails this tune:

Jerry Garcia - You Win Again (buy album).

(*I'm a day late posting this because I had to clean out my garage, but I got a few good post ideas listening to music while sorting out that mess, so stay tuned.)

The Original Almost Blue

In 1981, British rocker Elvis Costello went to Nashville to record a country covers album called Almost Blue. I wrote about it in an earlier post.

I recently picked up a copy of George Jones' 1965 album Trouble In Mind, which contains the original version of Brown To Blue that Elvis later covered on Almost Blue. This gave me the idea to put together all of the other "original" versions of the songs that inspired Costello. In some cases, the versions below are not truly the "original" versions (example Emmylou Harris, Johnny Burnette), but I think these are the versions that most influenced Elvis.

It turns out to be a pretty good collection of country tunes. Right now I'm really enjoying Sittin' And Thinkin' by Charlie Rich.

1. Hank Williams - Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? (buy album)
2. Patsy Cline - Sweet Dreams (buy album)
3. Loretta Lynn - Success (buy album)
4. The Flying Burrito Brothers - I'm Your Toy (Hot Burrito No. 1) (buy album)
5. Merle Haggard - Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down (buy album)
6. George Jones - Brown To Blue (out of print)
7. George Jones - Good Year For The Roses (buy album)
8. Charlie Rich - Sittin' And Thinkin' (buy album)
9. George Jones - Colour Of The Blues (buy album)
10. Emmylou Harris - Too Far Gone (buy album)
11. Johnny Burnette Rock'n'Roll Trio - Honey Hush (buy album)
12. Gram Parsons – How Much I Lied (buy album)

Hank Cover Friday - I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)

If you pinned me down and made me name my all-time favorite Hank song, I'd probably come up with this one. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) is one of Hank's most elegant and heartfelt compositions.

Here are two well-done covers for you to enjoy. First check out Linda Ronstadt's version from her country-pop years (with Emmylou singing backup).

Linda Ronstadt – I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) (buy album).

Next listen to Willie Nelson's superb reading of the song. He really gets everything out of this one, without showboating. He just lets the song do the work for him, nice and easy:

Willie Nelson – I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) (buy album).

Both albums featured today are good all the way through.

Hank Cover Friday - Your Cheatin' Heart

Enough with the niche artists! If I want to take this blog somewhere, I'm gonna need to bring out the big guns. So here they are. Three legends singing Hank's biggest hit:

Elvis Presley - Your Cheatin' Heart (buy album).


Patsy Cline - Your Cheatin' Heart (buy album).


Ray Charles - Your Cheatin' Heart (buy album).

I like all three. What's your favorite cover version of this song?

Hank Cover Friday: Honky Tonkin' (plus more Lost Highway) - Updated!

When you are sad and lonely, and have no place to go,
Call me up, sweet baby, and bring along some dough...

Honky Tonkin' is a straightforward honky-tonk hit. One of my favorite Hank Williams songs. There's really nothing to the words, and the melody is very basic, but Hank still made it a classic.

Here are four cover versions of Honky Tonkin' and a live version by Hank:

Joe Ely - Honky Tonkin' (buy album).

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Honky Tonkin' (buy album).

Townes Van Zandt - Honky Tonkin' (buy album).

The The - Honky Tonkin' (buy album).

Hank Williams - Honky Tonkin' (Live) (buy album).

If you've got another cover version we should hear, send it along...

And now for some bonus coverage, here are three more versions of last week's "Hank" song, Lost Highway (words and music by Leon Payne):

Hank Williams - Lost Highway (Live Radio Recording) (buy album).

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Lost Highway (buy album).

Jason & The Scorchers - Lost Highway (Studio Version) (buy album).

UPDATE!:

Here are a few more tunes sent over by my loyal readers. Richard sent over this one from The Maddox Brothers & Rose:

Maddox Brothers & Rose – Honky Tonkin’ (buy album).

Robert sent one from Leon Russell:

Leon Russell – Lost Highway (buy album).

Lance suggested Doug Sahm’s live version of Honky Tonkin’ from the 1972 Thanksgiving Jam at Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin. The whole show can be found, in two parts, over at Captain’s Dead. Check out the great set list.

Thanks guys!

A quick post about Jimmy Work (with Hank & Emmylou)

I just came across this extremely nice video:



Emmylou is so cool.

This classic song was written by a little-known, but very talented, man named Jimmy Work. Read his interesting bio at All Music Guide. Jimmy Work also wrote the song Tennessee Border, which was recorded by Hank Williams, among others.

Hank Williams - Tennessee Border (buy album).

Great song!

Hank* Cover Friday: Jason & The Scorchers - Lost Highway (Live)

You all know that Hank Williams was a top notch song writer. So it should come as no surprise that there are many great cover versions of Hank's songs. I was going to do a massive post of my favorites but decided instead to just let them trickle out one at a time. Friday seems like a good day for Hank covers, so let's get started with a real barn-burner from my favorite cow punk band:

Jason & The Scorchers – Lost Highway (Live) (buy album).

This one really captures the attitude that made Hank so great:

"I was just a lad, nearly 22, neither good nor bad, just a punk like you, but now I'm lost, too late to pay, just a-travelin' down that lost highway..."

Here's an extra-special bonus cover of a Jimmie Rodgers' blue yodel:

Jason & The Scorchers - Jimmie Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel (Unplugged) (buy album).

It's a real train song from a guy wearing a real train hat.

"I love the women, and I love them all the same.
I love the women, and I love them all the same.
I love the women, but not enough to give them my name."

These songs come for the excellent Jason & The Scorchers collection called Wildfires & Misfires: Two Decades Of Outtakes & Rarities.

Make sure you check back here every Friday for a new Hank cover (while supplies last).

*UPDATE!: Major goof today. Turns out Hank didn't write "Lost Highway" after all. All these years I was giving him the credit that should have gone to Leon Payne. Thanks to Kylis for pointing this out. I'm still counting this as a Hank cover because I suspect Jason & The Scorchers had Hank in mind when they recorded it. Next time I'll try to do my homework.

Setting The Woods On Fire Hype Mix!

This week my blog was added to The Hype Machine. I knew traffic would go up, but I was surprised by how much.

So, to welcome all my new readers (and give you an idea about what's going on here), I present the Setting the Woods On Fire Hype Mix!

SIDE A - Country/Folk
Gram Parsons – Return Of The Grievous Angel (buy album)
Johnny Paycheck - Georgia In A Jug (buy mp3 album)
Townes Van Zandt - To Live Is To Fly (buy album)
The Country Gentlemen - Fox On The Run (buy album)
Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys - Basin Street Blues (buy album)

SIDE B - Rock/Jazz
Thelonious Monk - In Walked Bud (buy album)
The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset (buy album)
Big Star - The Ballad Of El Goodo (buy album)
The Replacements - Can't Hardly Wait (Tim Version) (buy album)
Uncle Tupelo - Whiskey Bottle (buy album)

CD Only Bonus Tracks (from the patron saints of this blog)
Hank Williams – I Can't Help It (buy album)
Tom T. Hall - Don't Forget The Coffee Billy Joe (buy album)

Liner Notes: STWOF is currently in the middle of a series called "Those Jangly Eighties." (See the bottom of the sidebar for links to these posts). Once that wraps up, I'm going to start the search for the next Tom T. Hall. Also in the works is an Introduction to Jazz series, but that's a ways off.

Thanks for checking in!

>>>If you like STWOF, don't forget to subscribe to the feed<<<

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P.S. If you're looking for music, don't forget to check Elbows too. They've had STWOF on board from the start.

The Highway Fades To Black...

Read the story of Hank's last day here and here.

Check out these great songs about Hank. I especially like the Moe Bandy number. Good stuff:

The Blasters - Long White Cadillac (buy album)

Moe Bandy - Hank Williams You Wrote My Life (buy album)

The Blue Chieftains - I Think Hank Woulda Done It This Way (buy album)

David Allan Coe - The Ride (buy album)

For Hank's last hit song (before his death) see the Hank Song Of The Week at the bottom of this page.

The Death Car. Long but not white.