Mr. Songwriter – Harlan Howard

We’ll be honoring the songwriting prowess of Harlan Howard this week on Deeper Roots. A country songwriter and performer whose career spanned six decades and wrote some of the classic songs of the Golden Age, turning formula into phrasing and stories of true life as he saw it. After a few minor successes, his song Pick Me Up on Your Way Down became a No. 2 hit for Charlie Walker in 1958 and Heartaches by the Number for Ray Price the following year,his name appeared at the forefront of songwriting talent of the time. His songs were performed by everyone from Merle Haggard to The Kingston Trio and Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. This week’s show will feature songs written by Harlan Howard and we’ll get to hear him perform many of his own. He  coined the oft-quoted phrase “Three chords and the truth”. Tune in for the festivities.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Porter WagonerHarlan Howard Medley1964-1965 (Warped 6508)Amazon
2Charlie WalkerPick Me Up On Your Way DownColumbia Country Classics Volume 2: Honky Tonk HeroesAmazon
3Rodney CrowellAbove And Beyond (The Call Of Love)Playlist: The Very Best Of Rodney CrowellAmazon
4Bobby BareThe Streets Of BaltimoreThe Essential Bobby BareAmazon
5Kingston TrioEvergladesMade In The USAAmazon
6Waylon JenningsNashville RebelOnly Daddy That'll Walk the Line: The RCA Years Disc 1Amazon
7Brenda LeeToo Many RiversThe Brenda Lee Story: Her Greatest HitsAmazon
8Patsy ClineI Fall To PiecesLifetime Of Romance: Falling In Love [Disc 2]Amazon
9Patsy ClineHe Called Me Baby20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection – Classic Patsy ClineAmazon
10Tennessee Ernie FordShe Called Me BabyMasters 1949-1976 [Disc 3]Amazon
11George JonesYou Comb Her HairThe Best Of George Jones: 1955-1967Amazon
12Ray CharlesBustedGenius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection Disc 3Amazon
13Joe SimonThe Chokin' KindThe Soul Story, Vol. 1 [Disc 1]Amazon
14Buck OwensSweet ThingThe Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'Amazon
15DerailersI Don't Believe I'll Fall In Love (Today)Reverb DeluxeAmazon
16Wynn StewartHeartaches For A DimeCome On – Gonna Shake This ShackAmazon
17Buck OwensI've Got A Tiger By The Tail (Original Mono Single Version)Buck 'Em: The Music Of Buck Owens (1955-1967)Amazon
18Harlan HowardI Can't Stand It1959-1963Amazon
19Harlan HowardMy Baby's His Baby Now1959-1963Amazon
20Al BrumleySomeone's Gonna Get HurtThe Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'Amazon
21Ray PriceHeartaches By The NumberColumbia Country Classics Volume 2: Honky Tonk HeroesAmazon
22Guy MitchellHeartaches by the NumberYour Hit Parade -1959Amazon
23Burl IvesCall Me Mr. In-Between [Single Version]20th Century Masters :The Millennium Collection: Best of Burl IvesAmazon
24Patsy ClineFoolin' AroundPatsy Cline StoryAmazon
25The Collins KidsSoda Poppin' AroundHop, Skip & Jump [Disc 1]Amazon
26Waylon JenningsGreen RiverOnly Daddy That'll Walk the Line: The RCA Years Disc 1Amazon
27Johnny CashThe WallThe Essential Johnny Cash 1955-1983 Disc 2Amazon
28Jan HowardEvil on Your MindDecca Country Classics 1934-1973Amazon
29Lefty FrizzellShe's Gone, Gone, GoneLook What Thoughts Will DoAmazon
30Emmylou Harris/George JonesAll Fall DownFriends in High PlacesAmazon
31Jim ReevesI Won't Forget YouEssential Jim ReevesAmazon
32Harlan HowardBe Just a Little Meaner1959-1963Amazon
33Rosanne Cash Featuring Elvis CostelloHeartaches By The Number (Feat. Elvis Costello)The ListAmazon
34Waylon JenningsThe Chokin' KindThe Essential Waylon Jennings [2007] Disc 1Amazon
35The Little WilliesStreets Of BaltimoreThe Little WilliesAmazon
36The TractorsPick Me Up on Your Way DownTrade UnionAmazon

Broken Hearts For Sale

It’s theme time once more. We’ve got songs about the broken hearts, tears, and childhood souvenirs…but mostly broken hearts. Lost love, faded love, and remembering old love letters from the book of broken hearts featuring country, soul, and rhythm, all from the past century. Join in for some classic country from Don Williams and Billy Walker, brassy vocals from Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday, late movie Elvis, and a couple of rockabilly legends named Sonny Burgess and Warren Smith. And don’t miss out on Mary Wells, Jimmy Ruffin, Tom Petty, and The Louvin Brothers this week. It’s all there…a common theme in songwriting for being relatable, illustrative, and purposeful in its singular stories of love and loss. Tune into KRJF 92.3 FM, Sonoma County Community Radio with your host Dave Stroud this Friday evening at 9 Pacific.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1John PrineSouvenirsSouvenirsAmazon
2Anita CarterA Pair of Broken Hearts (with Hank Snow)Warped 5627 – Anita Carter – 1956 – 1962Amazon
3Willie NelsonMy Broken Heart Belongs To YouIt Always Will BeAmazon
4Don WilliamsSome Broken Hearts Will Never MendThe Definitive CollectionAmazon
5Charlie WalkerBroken Hearts Will Haunt Your SoulCharlie Walker – 1959-1964Amazon
6Billy WalkerYou're Gonna Pay With A Broken HeartWhirlpool – Gonna Shake This Shack TonightAmazon
7Hank WilliamsMen With Broken HeartsBeyond The SunsetAmazon
8Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley BoysTake A Look At This Broken Heart Of MineThis Broken Heart Of MineAmazon
9Johnny & Jonie MosbyLine of Broken HeartsMake a Left and Then a RightAmazon
10Warren SmithBook Of Broken HeartsPoint Of No Return: The Liberty Records Story 1962Amazon
11Johnny CashStory of a Broken HeartThe Sun Country BoxAmazon
12Sean McConnellAnother Song About A Broken HeartSecondhand SmokeAmazon
13Tom PettyOnly a Broken HeartWildflowersAmazon
14Sonny BurgessOne Broken HeartRock n' Roll LegendAmazon
15Elvis PresleyOne Broken Heart for SaleElvis Double Features: It Happened at the World's Fair & Fun in AcapulcoAmazon
16Doug C & The BlacklistedWorking On My Next Broken HeartHit and RunAmazon
17The ContessasBroken HeartBasement Beehive: The Girl Group UndergroundAmazon
18Jewel PaigeI'm Left With A Broken HeartJazzin' The Blues Vol. 3Amazon
19Peggy LeeAll Dressed Up With A Broken HeartThe Capitol Collector's SeriesAmazon
20Billie HolidayYou Can't Lose A Broken HeartThe Ultimate Collection [Disc 2]Amazon
21Nat King ColeYou Can't Lose A Broken HeartChronological Classics: Nat King Cole 1949Amazon
22Sam BrowneHappy-Go-Lucky You and Broken-Hearted MeHits of '32Amazon
23Cleo BrownGive A Broken Heart A BreakComplete Recorded Works (March 1935 – June 1935)Amazon
24The CadillacsBroken HeartFor Collectors Only (Disc 1)Amazon
25The Five Blind Boys Of AlabamaBroken Heart Of MineOh Lord, Stand By Me / Marching Up To ZionAmazon
26Nat Hall With The Mellow 3A Broken Hearted ClownRare Soul: Groove & Grind 1963-1973 [Disc 3]Amazon
27Mary WellsCan You Fix It (My Broken Heart) (Previously Unreleased)Looking Back 1961-1964Amazon
28The MiraclesBroken Hearted [Single Version]The 35th Anniversary CollectionAmazon
29Jimmy RuffinWhat Becomes of the BrokenheartedMotown: The Classic Years Disc 1Amazon
30Al GreenHow Can You Mend a Broken Heart?More Greatest HitsAmazon
31k.d. langTrail of Broken HeartsRecollection CD 1Amazon

Shelter In Place

Six months later…’nuff said, right? Deeper Roots finally gets around to the theme of pandemic protection by staying at home until things stabilize. We were all put out when it looked like six weeks and here we are talking months, not weeks. Patience and commitment. Something we have to work on. But we’ve got music to comfort us. Our heritage is rich with an incredible catalog of works; from country classics to the raw country blues, soul from Motor City and the Eastern Seaboard, jazz from New Orleans and KC, and everything in between. Just look (or listen) back. This week’s Deeper Roots features songs about keeping safe in shelter with fresh sounds from the digital bins. Warren Zevon, Jim Reeves, Wynonie Harris, The Alphabetical Four, Kitty Wells, and Buddy Miller will be featured. No need to put on your helmets (or tin foil hats) or to duck and cover. But you might want to get out the vote!

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Jakob Dylan & Fiona AppleIn My RoomEcho In The Canyon: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackAmazon
2Dill Jones TrioFour Walls And One Dirty Window BluesThe Chiaroscuro Songbook, Vol. 1Amazon
3Irma ThomasThese Four WallsIrma Thomas: A Woman's Viewpoint: The Essential 1970s RecordingsAmazon
4Willie NelsonHello WallsMr. Record Man – The Early Singles As & BSAmazon
5Jim ReevesFour WallsEssential Jim ReevesAmazon
6Jeff Beck And Johnny DeppIsolationIsolation (Single)Amazon
7Billy Vera & The BeatersI Can Take Care Of MyselfBy Request: The Best Of Billy Vera & The BeatersAmazon
8Warren ZevonSplendid IsolationI'll Sleep When I'm Dead (An Anthology) [Disc 2]Amazon
9WhiskeytownEmpty Baseball ParkFaithless StreetAmazon
10Buddy MillerShelter MeUniversal United House Of PrayerAmazon
11Jerry Jeff WalkerTime to Stay HomeHill Country RainAmazon
12Charlie RichBehind Closed DoorsSuper HitsAmazon
13Bob DylanShelter from the StormBlood on the TracksAmazon
14Rodney CrowellShelter From The Storm [Album Version]The OutsiderAmazon
15Lone JusticeShelterUltimate Collection: Maria McKeeAmazon
16Ray LaMontagneShelterTroubleAmazon
17Joe CockerShelter MeUltimate CollectionAmazon
18The Deadly GentlemenLocked UpThe Bastard MasterpieceAmazon
19Dave AlvinAll by MyselfCommon Ground: Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill BroonzyAmazon
20Charline ArthurI'm Having A Party All By MyselfWelcome To The ClubAmazon
21Alphabetical FourI'm Gonna Walk Right in and Make Myself at HomeComplete Recorded Works 1938-1943Amazon
22Wynonie HarrisDrinkin' By MyselfPlayful BabyAmazon
23Garnet MimmsA Little Bit of SoapThe Best of Garnet Mimms: CryAmazon
24Stonewall JacksonI Washed My Hands in Muddy WaterSinglesAmazon
25Porter WagonerI Washed My Face in the Morning Dew & Dolly Parton1967-1968 (Warped 6797)Amazon
26The Deadly GentlemenHello, ApocalypseThe Bastard MasterpieceAmazon
27David OlneyMister Stay At HomeWhen The Deal Goes DownAmazon
28The Beach BoysIn My RoomEndless SummerAmazon

Saucy Rhythm Serenades

Rhythm & Blues is the order of the day. Join Dave Stroud for an entertaining blast of fresh sounds from the well of the past century. What’s old is always new if you haven’t heard it, right? The playlist this morning features songs about the night time from Ray Charles, honeydripper rocking from Big Joe Turner, doo wop serenades from the The Jive Bombers, bluesy torch sounds from Erma Franklin, and so much more. We’ll stretch the boundaries of R&B with Elvis, Lonnie Johnson, and a few more as we take on some saucy serenades and unruly pleas from performers from the thirties to the early sixties. All without malice of forethought, I assure you. Tune into Sonoma County Community Radio every Friday morning at 9 Pacific.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Tarheel Slim & Little AnnAnything For You (W. Little Ann)The Robin & Fire YearsAmazon
2Big Joe TurnerMy Little HoneydripperBig, Bad & Blue: Anthology [Disc 3]Amazon
3Elvis PresleyDirty, Dirty FeelingThe Essential 60's Masters I [Disc 1]Amazon
4Roy HamiltonCrazy Feelin'Oxford American 10th Anniversary Music Sampler, [Disc 1]: "Future Masters" [Oxford American, 2008]Amazon
5The LarksOoh… It Feels So GoodThe Dawn Of Doo-Wop Vol. 4: Doo-Wop Dancin'Amazon
6The Harlem HamfatsLittle GirlHarlem Hamfats Vol. 1 1936Amazon
7Lonnie JohnsonIt Feels So Good Pt. 2 (w/Spencer Williams)Complete Recordings Vol. 4Amazon
8Blue Lu BarkerDon't You Make Me HighFlashbacks #1 Drug Songs 1917-1944Amazon
9Big Joe TurnerDon't You Make Me HighBig, Bad & Blue: Anthology [Disc 3]Amazon
10State Street SwingersDon't Tear My Clothes No. 2 (C-1768)State Street Swingers (1936-1937)Amazon
11Irene ScruggsMust Get Mine In Front (Pm 13023, L-499-2)The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume 2 (1928-1932)Amazon
12Sam CookeSoothe MeThe Wonderful World Of Sam CookeAmazon
13The Jive BombersBad BoyCry-BabyAmazon
14Ray CharlesNight Time Is the Right TimeThe Birth of Soul Disc 3Amazon
15Nappy BrownI'm Getting LonesomeNight Time Is the Right Time [Disc 1]Amazon
16Ruth BrownI Want To Do MoreRuth Brown: The Definitive Soul Collection [[Disc 2]]Amazon
17Julia LeeThe Curse Of An Aching Heart (06-13-47)1947Amazon
18Erma FranklinPiece of My HeartSomething to Believe InAmazon
19Miss BakerYou'd Better FindRhythm & Blues Goes Rock & Roll/Volume 2 [Disc 5]Amazon
20Billy Ward & The DominoesMy Baby'S 3-D (10-12-53)1953-1954Amazon
21Rosco GordonReal Pretty MamaLet's Get High (B)Amazon
22Gladys HillPlease Don't Touch My BowlSleazy Rhythm & Blues Vol. 3Amazon
23Lil GreenWhat's The Matter With LoveRomance In The DarkAmazon
24Nellie LutcherHe's a Real Gone GuyJumpin' Like Mad: Cool Cats & Hip Chicks Non-Stop Dancin' [Disc 2]Amazon
25Ruth BrownI Want To Do MoreR & B Years 1955 V.2 [Disc 2]Amazon
26Big MaybelleIt's a Sin to Tell a LieThe Very Best Of Big MaybelleAmazon
27Clarence "Frogman" HenryI Told My PillowMore Dirty Laundry: The Soul Of Black CountryAmazon
28Louis Jordan & His Tympany FiveA Man Ain't A ManVol. 3-Blues RootsAmazon
29Rose Marie McCoyDippin' In My BusinessVoodoo Voodoo: Feisty Fifties FemalesAmazon
30Julia Lee & Her Boy FriendsYou Ain't Got It No MoreKansas City Blues 1944-1949 Disc 2Amazon
31Ruth BrownI Wanna Do MoreMiss Rhythm Greatest Hits And More Disc 2Amazon
32Wynonie HarrisWasn't That GoodLovin' MachineAmazon
33The Johnny Otis Rhythm & Blues CaravanTurn The Lights Down LowRhythm And Blues Caravan [Disc 3]Amazon
34Louis JordanIt's Full Or It Ain't No GoodThe Chronological Louis Jordan 1945-1946Amazon
35Lil GreenNo Baby, No Body But YouThe R&B Years – 1942-45 [Disc 3]Amazon