MARCH 2008

Dear CMP

The letters about the CMA Awards reminded me of a conversation with my son some years ago.

Keen on his pop music, Top Of The Pops was about to start on TV, but he wasn’t prepared to sit through it. Instead, he said he would record it so he could spin through all the dross, and watch anything worthwhile, which would then only take him a few minutes. He added that he knew that anyone wearing a face mike would be crap. The same applies to the Awards show.

It is ironic that the great Ray Price should rail against what these days is passed off as country music, and he’s right to do so. I’ve always loved Ray’s great honky-tonk stuff from the Fifties and early Sixties, which is beyond compare, and I have many of his albums on vinyl (and a few CDs).

The only time I saw Ray sing, however, was at a nigthtclub in Nashville in 1969. He was decked out in a tux, and was backed by a small orchestra. I seem to recall he was very much villified by many at the time for ‘modernising’ country music.

That’s the way it goes.

Peter Kirkpatrick

Dear CMP

Same old argument goes on year after year. What’s country and what’s not. So Paul Collins (Feb) thinks that what’s on the CMA show is pop flavoured rubbish and wants to stick with his Merle albums. Well, that’s fine. Who doesn’t enjoy Merle Haggard?

But there’s something a bit sad about not wanting or even accepting new music. If music stands still there’d be no new artists at all. Paul also likes Dwight Yoakam, but why listen to Dwight when you’ve already got Buck Owens albums? In fact, why listen to Merle when you could bring out your old Lefty Frizzell and Bob Wills records?

It’s because all good artists bring something new with them. You can’t ask them just to copy what’s gone before as there’d be no point in having new artists, and eventually the music would just die.

Nobody with half a brain would expect everyone to like everything on the CMA show but the music that’s played is just a reflection of what is successful now, which is what American country fans are buying. If they all bought Merle Haggard albums, he’d be on the CMA show as well.

There’s room for all sorts of country music but the awards show is to honour the people that are the most popular. Come to think of it, hasn’t Dwight made some rock stuff? Tut, tut.

Jennifer Watts

Dear CMP

I have been commissioned to write a new biography of Kris Kristofferson. I would like to hear from anyone with anecdotes about any aspect of his varied life and career in music, films and political activism. Kris attended Oxford University in the late 1950s, appeared at the 2is coffee bar in Soho and recorded briefly as Kris Carson. Recollections of these times would be particularly welcome.

Stephen Miller
aka_space@hotmail.com

Dear CMP

I have got every copy of Country Music People since the first issue and I would like some help. Some years ago I went to see Stu Stevens in concert. This was at about the time when he had an album on release called The Man From Outer Space. I would like to know where I can purchase any of his current CDs that are on release. Also, I would like to know if he still performs gigs. If so, do you know of any venues/dates?

I am also interested in music performed by Joe Sun and I would like to know if he has any albums on release. If so, where can I purchase them?

I have looked at various websites for these two artists and have drawn a blank. Please can you help me or point me in the right direction.

Anita Shimmings

You can find information about Stu Stevens on the MySpace website at www.myspace.com/stustevensthevoice but there doesn’t seem to be anything new available on Joe Sun at this time. If anyone has any information on what Joe is doing now, please get in touch with CMP.

Dear CMP

On the Mississippi Memories CD that CMP’s Ragged But Right label released quite a few years ago, Gary Lumpkin and Connie Lee Stich sing an “extended version” of Love Letters In The Sand. Can you (or one of your readers) give me some info on the new/old first verse that I never heard in any other version of the song. And if you seek out the lyrics to the song on the internet, the verse isn’t listed anywhere.

Per Kammersgaard

The verse is included in the sheet music of the song. Do any readers know of any recordings featuring it? Did Mac Wiseman sing the verse in his version?

Dear CMP

Martin Illingworth (Jan) is right on the money. It was fairly easy to predict what was coming so, like a good number of others, I gave the CMA Awards a miss. Most of what is labelled ‘country’ these days is pop flavoured rubbish and a real turn off. As eminent a person as Ray Price wants the perpetrators pursued for ‘passing off’ and he is right. It is showing in the sales figures, too, and David Allan (Dec) and others, whilst commenting on the falling sales of Americana , should be more concerned with the trends in other areas.

In fairness, the CMA did redeem themselves significantly in my eyes by rewarding Dwight Yoakam for his tireless and sterling efforts to spread the country message across the globe, and thank goodness he is the real deal.

We’ve got Dwight and, as the Alan Jackson song from a few years back says, all else you really need is a boxed set of Merle.

Paul Collins

Dear CMP

I was delighted to read your article about Gene Watson (Nov). In A Perfect World is a perfect CD in every sense of the word. Every song is a winner. I was lucky enough to see Gene in Ireland . He seems to be singing better (if that is possible) every time. It is a pleasure to meet him and he never forgets to come out and meet all his fans. There are many real good singers in country music, but Gene Watson is top of my list.

Margaret Brown

Dear CMP

I recently started listening to country music over the last few months. I have become a fan of Martina McBride and Reba McEntire and I was wondering if you could tell me if there were any UK addresses where I could write to for information on them. I have written to addresses in America with no response.

Stephen Hawes

These days, artist information is found primarily on the web. Martina’s is www.martinamcbride.com and Reba’s is www.reba.com. You can also purchase back issues of CMP for interviews.

Dear CMP

I am writing at the astounding review given by Jon Philibert of Deana Carter’s new album, The Chain (Dec). The album is an absolute gem, with Deana Carter’s gorgeous vocals bringing a new dimension to some great songs by Paul Simon, Kristofferson, Dylan and Neil Young, to name but a few.

The production is classy, and many of the songwriters – including Dolly Parton – drop by to add their vocals.

One of the finest albums of the year gets one star by Mr. Philibert, himself a songwriter who dismisses Neil Young’s songwriting talents as ‘dreary’ (!!!) and seems to share a similar opinion of those other great songwriters, Paul Simon and Dylan!

I give Deana’s album 6 stars out of 6 and Jon’s review 0 out of 6.

Clive Marcus

Dear CMP

Thanks for printing my letter about Dallas Frazier (Nov). I must point out that the Merle Haggard-like song he wrote was called California Cottonfields and not California Bloodlines which is a John Stewart song.

I note that the Raven label has issued a Johnny Paycheck CD consisting of TTJASI! and Armed And Crazy plus five bonus tracks from the Mr. Hag Paycheck album. I hope you will review it in your magazine. It complements the previous Raven release of Eleven Months And Twenty Nine Days/Slide Off Your Satin Sheets, plus the other songs from the Haggard tribute record.

Brian O’Connell

Dear CMP

After reading January’s edition of your magazine, I took notice of your Critics Choice and decided to buy Dwight Sings Buck, and what a great album it is! Also, I got Sarah Johns’ CD, Big Love In A Small Town which again is very good (not actually the song I thought it was, though!).

My favourite albums of last year were the Kellie Pickler and Bucky Covington debut albums, Clay Walker’s Fall, Kenny Chesney’s Poets And Pirates and Joe Nichols’ Real Things. My big disappoint-ment after him doing two great CDs, Honkytonk University and White Trash With Money, was Toby Keith’s Big Dog Daddy. I’ll think twice before getting his next album.

Also, is it me but although I like Brad Paisley, whenever I buy the CD it gets played twice (if it’s lucky!) and I just find his albums boring, although I do like his singles. Have you listened to his toilet seat song on YouTube. It is good so why wasn’t that included on 5th Gear instead of the silly bits he puts on a CD?

Janet Kitchener