Ferlin Husky - Country Music Hall of Famer (aka Terry Preston, Simon Crum)

Ferlin Husky - Ferlin Eugene Husky (December 3, 1925 – March 17, 2011) performed "both kinds of music: Country AND western," as the Blues Brothers movie line goes.  Actually it cut across the regional sub-genres of traditional country, honky honk, western ballads, spoken recitations, rocakabilly, blue grass,  and semi-pop country.  I reckon Ol' Ferlin had a couple dozen top 20 hits on the country charts from the early fifties all the way up to the mid-seventies.  Some reports even say he had "matinee-idol looks."  From this provile view - I'd have to agree he looks pretty hot.  Robert Duvall covered his hit song Wings of a Dove - for his country movie Tender Mercies.

Anita Bryant - really. Really?

Really?

Off Broadway - they did not Stay in Time, this time

Off Broadway - do you remember this band?  If you are nto from around Chicago - you probably don't.  They were are regional act - with one semi-national hit song.  Formed in 1977 in Oak Park, IL -Off Broadway released its debut album, On, on Atlantic Records in 1979.   The hit single was "Stay in Time,"  which made it to #51 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Off Broadway released a follow-up album, Quick Turns, below - also on Atlantic in 1980.  Off Broadway toured for three years before breaking up in 1983. In 1996, four of the bandmembers reunited under the name Black on Blond. But they then reclaimed the name Off Broadway. In 1997, the band released a new album, Fallin' In, in 1997; they followed it with the live album Live at Fitzgeralds - local bar famous for life music - in 1998.

Who's next - with an overdue shout out to the late, great Nicky Hopkins

The Who's Who's next.  We have all seen the iconic front cover - one of the best and most memorable in the annals of rock and roll.  But the back cover is quite intriguing.  See the photo I took of it below - cropped.  I paid a whopping five bucks for this record last Sunday at a record show.  It is on anyone's Must Have list.  Look down for the separate and notable paragraph, it reads, "Special thanks to Nicky Hopkins who played Piano on "Song is Over" and "Getting in Tune," and Dave Arbus who played violin on "Baba O'Reilly."  This summer I read an autobiography on Nicky Hopkins.   It was a fun read - but the author seemed a bit too intent on just counting how many tracks (compared to others) Nicky played on on various records.  And how well he was thanked (or not) by Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Kinks, the Stones et al.  This record was made mostly at London's famed Olympic Studios.  Click on the title post to listen to Nicky's gorgeous opening notes and stay to the end to him him pound away.  For my money - it's his best work as sideman or otherwise.  My pad Dante will present a Guest Post on this record and what it means to him.

Fall Garage Sale Season: Caribou Ranch Recording Studio

The one on the right is an album by America.  Called Hideaway - I got it at a garage sale last Saturday for a dollar.  It was the only record I bought that day - having hit 8 or 8 sales on that gorgeous day.  It was prododuced by the great George Martin.  Besides the BEATLES of course - Martin worked with many other top acts - Jeff Beck, Gary Glitter, Ultravox, Kenny Rogers, and Cheap Trick.  These two records today above, and many other great records were made at Caribou Ranch studios, in Nederlander, CO.  Caribou Ranch was a famous recording studio that was built by producer James Guercio in 1972.  It was a converted barn on  this ranch property.  Gobs of great records were made at this studio it was damaged in a fire in March 1985.  The band Chicago was managed by Guercio and they made 5 records here: VI, VII, VIII, X, and XI.  EWF made records here too.  In 1972 Joe Walsh and Bill Szymczyk were making the aptly named Barnstorm here too.  Plus RIck Derringer's Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo.  And of course Elton's album called Caribou, CFABDC, and Rock of the Westies.

The Great Jerry Jeff Walker

Jerry Jeff Walker wrote Mr. Bojangles, which I mentioned a month or so ago on this here blog.  I am reposting this album because I wanted to show off the inside cover of his album called just plain Jerry Jeff Walker I think.  I read that Jerry Jeff was in a noteable band in Texas called The Lost Gonzo Band.  Formed in 1973, besides Walker, it included Michael Martin Murphey, and Ray Wylie Hubbard.  The original members were Bob Livingston, Gary P. Nunn, John Inmon, Kelly Dunn, Tomas Ramirez and Donny Dolan.   The LGB released three albums in the 1970s.  The semi-defunct band reunites occasionally for concerts and they played at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2008 and Dosey Doe's Coffee House (Houston) and the Saxon Pub (Austin) in 2010.

Fire - Ohio Players

 Ohio Players - Fire

Ohio Players are overdoing it here on this cover.  Their Taste of Honey is a much better (provocatively) album cover - artistically speaking.   This one - Fire is the second record they had on the Mercury imprint.  It was recorded right here at Chicago's Paragon Studios - which I think is still a fully functioning recording studio in operation.   This is the overall 3rd of 5 OP albums available in quadraphonic (4-channel stereo).  You can hear the the single "Fire" on the TV show called Hell's Kitchen.  Fire also was on the pop album charts for a few weeks back in late 1974/early 1975.

The Outlaws - Hurry Sun Down

What a whirlwind of live music for me.  I just saw 4 live bands within 24 hours - at 3 venues, two outside.   Friday after work at Berhoffs Okterbfest, then Libido Funk Circus played at the ULC's annual fall party, check out their bass player: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjT3paJyVqE.  Then Sat. afternoon I rode my bike to a park to see the Bad Dads, and some other band at beer tent fundraiser.  On to this record: my favorite Outlaws song is There Goes Another Love Song.  Actually it's one of my all-time favorite songs, regardless of bands.  It's just sweet (the lyrics, the high, bright major chords, harmonized vocals) that it just seems like a rough and tumble band like the Outlaws wouldn't have created it. They are more Green Grass and High Tides, Hurry Sundown, etc.  I was lucky to have gotten to see band founder and lead guitarist Hughie Thomasson - he was filling in with Lynyrd Skynyrd at the time - at an outdoor show called Ribfest in Naperville.  The debut album might make it onto my Their First Album was their Best list. Hurry Sundown was produced by Bill Szymczyk.