Deeper Merle Travis

Merle Travis’ influence on country music cannot be ignored. Along with a select few entertainers of the mid-century, he bridged the hillbilly and Appalachian folk institutions to the Golden Age of Country. His influences were not only the ‘picking style’, but also his keen sense of populist stories told from the front lines.  We’ll hear from and early influence, Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers, as well as those he influenced. All songs written by Merle and some performed by Merle himself. Our show will also feature Merle Travis interview excerpts from the sixties.  It’s a Friday morning collection of the very best of Merle Travis.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Merle Travis I'll See You In My Dreams The Guitar Picker CD3 (1951-53) Amazon
3Joe Maphis & Merle Travis Alabama Jubilee Country Guitar Thunder (Joe Maphis & Merle Travis 1977-1981) Amazon
4John McEuen Merle Travis Story Live in L.A. Amazon
5The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Cannonball Rag Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2 Amazon
6The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Dark as a Dungeon Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 1 Amazon
7The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Doc Watson and Merle Travis: First Meeting Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2 Amazon
8Willie Nelson Dark As A Dungeon Country Music Amazon
9Tennessee Ernie Ford Dark As A Dungeon Masters 1949-1976 [Disc 2] Amazon
10Willie Nelson Sixteen Tons Remember Me, Vol. 1 Amazon
11The Platters Sixteen Tons The Magic Touch: An Anthology Amazon
12James & Bobby Purify 16 Tons The Best Of Amazon
13Hank Penny Merle's Buck Dance Swinging Hollywood Hillbilly Cowboys Amazon
14Merle Travis Introduction / Nine Pound Hammer Ash Grove 12/9/1966 Amazon
15The Kentucky Colonels Nine Pound Hammer Appalachian Stomp: Bluegrass Classics Amazon
16The Country Gentlemen I Am a Pilgrim On the Road (And More) Amazon
17Johnny Cash Loading Coal [Album Version] Ride This Train Amazon
18Merle Travis Start Even Hot Pickin' [Disc 2] Amazon
19Merle Travis No Vacancy The Guitar Picker CD1 – Divorce Me C. O. D. Amazon
20Ernest Tubb So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed Steelin' It: The Steel Guitar Story Amazon
21Gid Tanner, Clayton McMichen, Riley Puckett, Lowe Stokes, Fate Norris Possum Hunt on Stump House Mountain, Part 1 Lead Kindly Light Amazon
22Bill Frisell Cannonball Rag (Merle Travis) Guitar In The Space Age Amazon
23Johnny Bond Divorce Me C.O.D. Swinging Hollywood Hillbilly Cowboys Amazon
24Tex Ritter Everybody Likes A Little Lovin' High Noon Amazon
25Tex Williams & His Western Caravan Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) Capitol Records' From The Vaults, Volume 5 – Roots Of Rock 'N' Roll – 1944-53 Amazon
26Spade Cooley & His Orchestra Steel Guitar Rag Spadella! The Essential Spade Cooley Amazon
27Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys With Merle Travis Wildwood Flower Swing West – vol 2 – Guitar Slingers Amazon
28Merle Travis Philosophy Hot Pickin' [Disc 2] Amazon
29Merle Travis Too Much Sugar For A Dime Hot Pickin' [Disc 2] Amazon
30The Everly Brothers Muskrat Walk Right Back: The Everly Brothers on Warner Bros. Disc 1 Amazon
31Doc Watson/Merle Watson Smoke, Smoke, Smoke Black Mountain Rag Amazon
32Tennessee Ernie Ford That's All Masters 1949-1976 [Disc 3] Amazon
33Ricky Skaggs Sweet Temptation Favorite Country Songs Amazon
34Merle Travis When My Baby Double Talks To Me Hot Pickin' [Disc 2] Amazon
35Merle Travis When Rosie Riccoola Do The Hoola Ma Boola The Guitar Picker CD1 – Divorce Me C. O. D. Amazon

Tragic Country Tales

Tales of lonesome saddles, lost loves, broken hearts, and lonely rooms…a mood, a tone, and short vignettes so common among those themes of country music. We’ve got that and much more in this week’s episode of Deeper Roots. Performances from Grandpa Jones, The Stanley Brothers, Lefty Frizzell, Mel Tillis, and many others, will take us on a ride on a country road, drinking new wine from an old jug. That will also include stories of highway mishaps, the bottom of the bottle, and a mystery of the Tallahatchie Bridge. Friday solemn sounds from the past century on Sonoma County community radio.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Bobbie Gentry Ode To Billie Joe Billboard Top Pop Hits: 1967 Amazon
3Elvis Presley Don't Cry Daddy Always on My Mind Amazon
4Tammy Wynette D-I-V-O-R-C-E Country Legends Amazon
5Hank Williams I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 24 Greatest Amazon
6Bobby Bare Jeannie4s Last Kiss (1963) All American Boy – CD 2 Amazon
7Doc & Merle Watson The Tragic Romance Ballads From Deep Gap Amazon
8David Grisman w/Alan O'Bryant Tragic Romance Life Of Sorrow Amazon
9Grandpa Jones Tragic Romance Makes The Rafters Ring Amazon
10The Stanley Brothers Tragic Love An Evening Long Ago: Live 1956 Amazon
11Lefty Frizzell The Tragic Letter (& Wayne Raney) 1965 Life's Like Poetry (Disc 3) Amazon
12Red Fox Chasers Wreck On The Mountain Road People Take Warning [Disc 1] – Man Vs. Machine Amazon
13Esco Hankins Wreck on the Highway 1947-1951 (Warped 4732) Amazon
14Vernon Dalhart The Wreck Of The Old '97 American Roots- A History Of American Folk Music: [Disc 1] Amazon
15Lefty Frizzell Long Black Veil Columbia Country Classics, Vol. 3: Americana Amazon
16Mel Tillis Life Turned Her That Way 36 All Time Greatest Hits Amazon
17Mary Gauthier Mercy Now Mercy Now Amazon
18Townes Van Zandt Waiting Around to Die Legend: The Very Best Of Townes Van Zandt Amazon
19Vern Gosdin Chiseled in Stone Chiseled in Stone Amazon
20Ray Charles & Willie Nelson Seven Spanish Angels The Many Sides Of Willie Nelson [Cd 3 "Duets"] (1992) Amazon
21James King He Stopped Loving Her Today Three Chords & The Truth Amazon
22Lucinda Williams Sweet Old World Sweet Old World Amazon
23Dwight Yoakam I Sang Dixie Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room Amazon
24Willie Nelson Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain Artist's Choice: Sheryl Crow Amazon
25Merle Haggard Sing Me Back Home The Lonesome Fugitive: The Merle Haggard Anthology 1963-1977 [Disc 1] Amazon
26Red Foley Old Shep Smoke on the Water / Hillbilly Fever Amazon
27Walter Brennan Old Rivers Classic Country Great Story Songs [Disc 2] Amazon
28Charlie Louvin Wreck on the Highway Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs Amazon
29Doc & Merle Watson The Wreck of The Old #9 Ballads From Deep Gap Amazon
30Faron Young Hello Walls Hello Walls / The Young Approach Amazon
31Merle Haggard If We Make It Through December (2006 Digital Remaster) Hag: The Best of Merle Haggard Amazon
32Johnny Cash Hurt Unearthed, Vol. 5, Best Of Cash On American Amazon

 

Lies and Liars

A notorious theme in our world today. But it’s not like there is a thin line between truth and lies in the end. The line is clearly defined and yet people would rather imagine anything but what is clearly painted before them. Our show today looks at what the worst often looks like. Dirty lies, white lies, poison lies, and all of those falsehoods made in earnest or in self promotion. There are those who proudly wear the color of lies and hate to remind us that vigilance is more important now than ever. Call out the lies. This week, we look at it through the gospel lens with Sister Rosetta Tharpe, swim into the rock oldies pool with The Knickerbockers, swing soft and winsome country with Carl Smith and The Carters, and we’ll also bring in some contemporary sounds including tracks from Mavis Staples, David Olney, and Robert Ellis. I don’t know about you but I’m sick about what’s happening.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Mavis Staples We Go High If All I Was Was Black Amazon
3Fats Domino Telling Lies Out Of New Orleans, Vol. 4 Amazon
4Sister Rosetta Tharpe No Room In the Church for Liars Precious Memories Amazon
5Sister Rosetta Tharpe Let That Liar Alone ABC Of The Blues Vol 43 Amazon
6Reverend A. Johnson Let That Liar Pass On By 1950s Gospel Classics Amazon
7Radio Yesterday Lights Out Flashbacks # 6: Hitler & Hell Amazon
8Martha Fields Southern White Lies Southern White Lies Amazon
9Laurie Lewis And The Right Hands Let That Liar Alone (Featuring Tom Rozum, Patrick Sauber, Harley Eblen & Andrew Conklin) The Hazel and Alice Sessions Amazon
10The Carter Family You Better Let That Liar Alone Carter Family, vol. 2: 1935-1941 (Disc 3) Amazon
11David Olney No Lies One Tough Town Amazon
12Rosalie Allen Hitler Lives Flashbacks # 6: Hitler & Hell Amazon
13Carl Smith Wicked Lies Kisses Don't Lie Amazon
14The Nashville Bluegrass Band The Biggest Liars in Town Home of the Blues Amazon
15Flatt & Scruggs Poison Lies The Stanley Brothers: Selected Sides 1947-1953 [Disc 2] Amazon
16Les Paul & Mary Ford Lies Bye Bye Blues/Les and Mary Amazon
17Cyndi Lauper Lies A Hat Full Of Stars Amazon
18The Roosevelts Tell Only Lies The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn Amazon
19Ian Gomm Dirty Lies Summer Holiday Amazon
20The Castaways Liar, Liar Good Morning Vietnam [Soundtrack] Amazon
21The Knickerbockers Lies Nuggets Sampler 1965-1968 Amazon
22Tex Grande & His Range Riders Hitler's Reply to Mussolini Flashbacks # 6: Hitler & Hell Amazon
23Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers Tellin' Lies The Eyes of Texas Amazon
24John Hartford Politic Hamilton Ironworks Amazon
25Mimi & Richard Farina House Un-American Blues Activity Dream Generations of Folk, Vol. 2 Protest & Politics Amazon
26Dar Williams/Doug Wainoris/G.E. Smith/Steve Holley/T-Bone Walk All Men Are Liars Labour of Love: The Music of Nick Lowe Amazon
27J.J. Cale Lies The Very Best of J.J. Cale Amazon
28Frankie Boots And The County Line Pack Of Lies Frankie Boots And The County Line Amazon
29Neko Case Lonely Old Lies The Virginian Amazon
30Johnnie Taylor Running Out Of Lies Lifetime: A Retrospective Of Soul, Blues & Gospel 1956- 1999 [Disc 3] Amazon

The Object of My Affection

It’s a free form episode that follows the American songbook stream of musical consciousness from the early twentieth century right up through some contemporary sounds. A river of rhythm and song…. doo wop shoo wops, the 88 key bounce of boogie woogie, master jelly roll bakers, and sweet confections for you on a warm summer Friday morning from the West County studios of KOWS radio. Performances will include Les Paul, Peggy Lee, Levon Helm, The Adderly Brothers, Jesse Winchester, and a couple dozen more of your favorites. Settle in for a free form collection of memories and musical gems from the past century with your host, Dave Stroud.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Mavis Staples We Go High If All I Was Was Black Amazon
3Fats Domino Telling Lies Out Of New Orleans, Vol. 4 Amazon
4Sister Rosetta Tharpe No Room In the Church for Liars Precious Memories Amazon
5Sister Rosetta Tharpe Let That Liar Alone ABC Of The Blues Vol 43 Amazon
6Reverend A. Johnson Let That Liar Pass On By 1950s Gospel Classics Amazon
7Radio Yesterday Lights Out Flashbacks # 6: Hitler & Hell Amazon
8Martha Fields Southern White Lies Southern White Lies Amazon
9Laurie Lewis And The Right Hands Let That Liar Alone (Featuring Tom Rozum, Patrick Sauber, Harley Eblen & Andrew Conklin) The Hazel and Alice Sessions Amazon
10The Carter Family You Better Let That Liar Alone Carter Family, vol. 2: 1935-1941 (Disc 3) Amazon
11David Olney No Lies One Tough Town Amazon
12Rosalie Allen Hitler Lives Flashbacks # 6: Hitler & Hell Amazon
13Carl Smith Wicked Lies Kisses Don't Lie Amazon
14The Nashville Bluegrass Band The Biggest Liars in Town Home of the Blues Amazon
15Flatt & Scruggs Poison Lies The Stanley Brothers: Selected Sides 1947-1953 [Disc 2] Amazon
16Les Paul & Mary Ford Lies Bye Bye Blues/Les and Mary Amazon
17Cyndi Lauper Lies A Hat Full Of Stars Amazon
18The Roosevelts Tell Only Lies The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn Amazon
19Ian Gomm Dirty Lies Summer Holiday Amazon
20The Castaways Liar, Liar Good Morning Vietnam [Soundtrack] Amazon
21The Knickerbockers Lies Nuggets Sampler 1965-1968 Amazon
22Tex Grande & His Range Riders Hitler's Reply to Mussolini Flashbacks # 6: Hitler & Hell Amazon
23Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers Tellin' Lies The Eyes of Texas Amazon
24John Hartford Politic Hamilton Ironworks Amazon
25Mimi & Richard Farina House Un-American Blues Activity Dream Generations of Folk, Vol. 2 Protest & Politics Amazon
26Dar Williams/Doug Wainoris/G.E. Smith/Steve Holley/T-Bone Walk All Men Are Liars Labour of Love: The Music of Nick Lowe Amazon
27J.J. Cale Lies The Very Best of J.J. Cale Amazon
28Frankie Boots And The County Line Pack Of Lies Frankie Boots And The County Line Amazon
29Neko Case Lonely Old Lies The Virginian Amazon
30Johnnie Taylor Running Out Of Lies Lifetime: A Retrospective Of Soul, Blues & Gospel 1956- 1999 [Disc 3] Amazon

Answer Songs

Answer songs. A novelty of the music business that has always had a place but it truly exploded, becoming habit-forming with the advent of Top 30 radio in the fifties and sixties. Seldom was there an answer song that responded to a question that was not a big success. This week on Deeper Roots, it will be a ’round robin’ of ‘question followed by answer’ songs including the obscure (which about 99% of the so-called answer songs were). You’ll be treated to the sounds of Tennessee Ernie Ford, Muddy Waters, Rufus Thomas, Dodie Stevens, and Elvis (of course) on a summer Friday in West Sonoma County.

 

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Ernest Tubb Rainbow At Midnight The Texas Troubadour ([Disc 1] – Walking The Floor Over You (The Hits Vol.1) Amazon
3Slim Bryant and his Wildcats/Lost John Miller Answer to Rainbow At Midnight Answer to Rainbow At Midnight Amazon
4Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys The Wild Side Of Life Vintage Collections Amazon
5Kitty Wells It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels The Complete Country Hits Amazon
6Hank Locklin Please Help Me, I'm Falling Nipper's Greatest Hits: The 60's. Vol. 2 Amazon
7Skeeter Davis (I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too The Essential Skeeter Davis Amazon
8Tennessee Ernie Ford Sixteen Tons Vintage Collections Amazon
9Patsy Montana 16 Pounds Best of Answer Songs vol 2 Amazon
10Merle Haggard Okie From Muskogee Capitol Collector's Series Amazon
11Lowell Levinger Hippie From Olema Get Together- Youngblood Classics Amazon
12Big Mama Thornton Hound Dog Blues Masters Vol. 3: Texas Blues Amazon
13Rufus Thomas Bear Cat Living The Blues – 1953-1954 Blues Classics Amazon
14Elvis Presley Little Sister Elvis' Golden Records (Volume 3) Amazon
15Lavern Baker Hey Memphis Best of Answer Songs vol 2 Amazon
16Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight Elvis' Golden Records (Volume 3) Amazon
17Dodie Stevens Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight Ultimate Collection Amazon
18Claude King Wolverton Mountain Classic Country Amazon
19Jo Ann Campbell (I'm the Girl From) Wolverton Mountain Cameo Parkway 1957-1967 Disc 2 Amazon
20Roy Drusky & Priscilla Mitchell Yes Mr. Peters Talking on the Telephone Vol. 2 Amazon
21Justin Tubb & Lorene Mann Hurry Mr. Peters Talking on the Telephone Vol. 2 Amazon
22Muddy Waters (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues Amazon
23Bo Diddley I'm A Man 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection – The Best Of Bo Diddley Amazon
24Muddy Waters Mannish Boy The Definitive Collection Amazon
25The Dominoes Sixty Minute Man The Dawn Of Doo-Wop Vol. 4: Doo-Wop Dancin' Amazon
26Billy Ward & the Dominoes Can't Do Sixty No More Rhythm 'N' Blues: Early Doo Wop 1943-55, vol. 2 Amazon
27The Bobbettes Mr. Lee Atlantic Vocal Groups – [Disc 3] – The Rock 'n' Roll Era Amazon
28The Bobbettes I Shot Mr. Lee Atlantic Vocal Groups – [Disc 4] – Group Revival Amazon
29Neil Sedaka Oh! Carol All Time Greatest Hits Amazon
30Carole King Oh Neil Best of Answer Songs vol 1 Amazon
31Sam Cooke Bring It on Home to Me Greatest Hits Amazon
32Carla Thomas I'll Bring It Home To You Gee Whiz & Other Hits Amazon
33Ben E. King Stand By Me Heatin' Up Amazon
34Damita Jo I'll Be There Best of Answer Songs vol 1 Amazon
35Ernie K-Doe Mother-In-Law Absolutely the Best Amazon
36Paul Peek Brother-In-Law Best of Answer Songs vol 2 Amazon