New British Country Sales Online Shop

Mervyn J Futter has just launched an online shop in a bid to help British acts sell their product online. "We're very excited about our new venture," said Mervyn. www.mjmusicshop.co.uk is the site where you can link up. The
site aims to promote British Country Music and allow all acts working the circuit to have their product available for sale 24 hours a day online. Most major credit cards are accepted. Orders can also be place using credit cards
by telephone and fax.

"The message is Support our British Country Acts and Buy British" he went on to say. "We feel this is a great step forward for British Country Music and a much needed and welcome boost for our hard working Country acts. We already have many acts listed in
the shop area and we hope people will support us and help to pass the word around."

Strait To Release 'LIVE' CD

George Strait's first-ever live album is expected to be released in early Autumn. Country Music Television says Strait, who has released two live videos, recorded the set in a performance earlier this year. The live compact disc will come out during Strait's 21-date tour scheduled to begin September 12th.

Delbert McClinton Finishes Album

Following up the Grammy-winning 'Nothing Personal', Delbert McClinton anticipates a Sept. 24th release for his new album 'Room to Breathe'. One of the album’s songs, “Lone Star Blues,” features guest vocals from The Flatlanders, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, among others.

McClinton wrote or co-wrote all 12 songs on the album and co produced with Gary Nicholson. "I like this new one a lot,” McClinton says. “I think we did a good job of following 'Nothing Personal'. This one picks you up at the end of that last one and takes you through the stuff going through my head since then. And there are some new twists that I’m very anxious for people to hear."

Dirt Band Makes Another Circle

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will release Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. III Oct. 1. Randy Scruggs and the band produced the set, which will include contributions from Sam Bush, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Iris Dement,Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Taj Mahal, Jimmy Martin, The Del McCoury Band, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Tony Rice, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Dwight Yoakam. The original Circle album, from 1972, was recently reissued in a 30th Anniversary Edition.

The Sound Of Houston, Texas

The D Records Story Continues On Bear Family

Two further sets detailing the history of Houston's D Records, covering the period from August 1960 to June 1965, are now available from Germany's Bear Family outlet. Founded by the legendary Harold W. "Pappy" Daily in 1957, this historically important label initially gained success with such singles as the Big Bopper's Chantilly Lace, Harry Choates' Jole Blon and James O'Gwynn's Talk To Me Lonesome Heart – and then furthered its reputation with releases from such as George Jones, Willie Nelson, Claude Gray, Glenn Barber, Hardrock Gunter and Leon Payne. At the same time Daily worked licencing deals for some of his artists with the major labels.

The Complete D Singles Collection Vol. 4 (BEAR FAMILY 15835 DI)

(4 cd’s – 113 tracks)

The Complete D Singles Collection Vol. 5 (BEAR FAMILY 15836 DI)

(4 cd’s – 121 tracks

Continuing its chronological reissuing of all the D singles, these new sets commence with "I Dare You To Love Me/City Life" by the little known Dessie & Roger Faulkner (D1159, released on August 28, 1960) and conclude with the third single from singer- songwriter Danny Harrison, Beware Of Her Little Fool/Hush Little Baby (D1271, released June 9, 1965).

The 230 recordings between these two releases cover a wide diversity of artists, more widely unknown than known, but all keeping to “Pappy” Daily’s basic intention of D Records existing as a country label – and, in the main, the “Texas honky tonk” style of country music. The only exception to the rule were regular releases from polka bandleader Ernie Kucera (obviously, popular with the Germanic regions of South Texas) though his late 1961 single Rose Blossom Waltz/Lost Love Polka was to be his swansong.

Initially the new decade saw the D releases continue at a steady speed, but things started to slow down by mid 1962 with only 11 singles coming out the following year. By then the “big” names had departed the label but D still produced some singles that have gained “classic” status over the years, like Tony Douglas’ Shrimpin’ and Bill Carter’s Shot Four Times And Dyin’, both featured in the first of these two collections.

Among the other more familiar names in this set are famed dj Bill Mack, writer of Blue and still broadcasting in the Dallas area; Johnny Dollar and Earl Scott, both scoring several chart hits on various labels during the remainder of the decade; former Bob Wills’ steel guitarist Herbie Remington; and Bill Wilbourne, who was to enjoy a handful of modest chart entries on United Artists when teamed with Kathy Morrison.

A couple of artists who later pursued industry careers are Marty Martel, whose Someday You’ll Be True is cited as “one of the strongest and slickest D singles”, and Richie Johnson, who twice recorded the narrative Grand Ole Opry In The Sky as well appeared under the name “Cousin Louie” (and recorded the bizarre, jazzy Opry Star).

More musical cross cutting came from the Musical Mountaineers (bluegrass) and Link Davis (cajun), while such as Perk Williams, Dessie Faulkner (one of the few female singers to be found on D at this time) and Mac McGee turn in solid country performances. And there’s an unusual tribute record (to Johnny Horton) with Nick Williams’ Springtime In Heaven.

The more familiar names to be found in the second box set include Billy Parker, the Tulsa based dj who has also recorded frequently over the years; cajun swing fiddler Harry Choates, whose music was more representative of neighbouring Louisiana; Doyle Grisham, to become far more successful as a steel guitarist than as a vocalist; Jim Eanes, by no means a bluegrass purist, showed off his skills as a honky-tonker with Crazy Dreams; Don Adams, who would later have albums out on Musicor and Atlantic; Durwood Haddock, whose minor chart successes came the following decade via several independent labels; and Red River Dave, forever displaying his skills at tackling topical themes with We’ll Bury You (an answer to Krushev’s notorious UN pronouncement) and Moon Over The Wall (In East Berlin).

George Jones provides a couple of Christmas songs, recorded some years earlier; Al Dean and Johnny Dollar continued longterm association with D Records while newcomers Jack Newman, Tex Wayne, Billy Western, Booth Kinner and Danny Harrison kicked off their relationships with the label. Harrison, together with his cousin Audrey, provided a rare gospel outing with The Lord’s Masterpiece while Hershal Garflunkey (obviously a pseudonym) supposedly brought comedy to D with Parrott Song.

And, in this collection, there are more appearances by female artists (Bonny Lee, Fay Frymire and Milta Peterson among others, though none – like their names – are particularly memorable) while Betty & Walt Riddle (the older brother of George Jones associate, George Riddle) was one of the very few, but certainly exceptional, duet teamings.

Overall the sets reflect the sound of East Texas, where steel guitars and fiddles take prominence, creating swing, ballads and country shuffles for the dance floors and juke boxes of the area.

Among the 234 tracks in this collection are several unissued items although, for the majority of listeners (especially in the UK and Europe), most of the tracks would be unknown in the first place. Kevin Coffey provides the background information on the record label alongside details on the artists – ranging from a mere paragraph to a couple of pages, dependent upon material available following his research – and complimented with photographs and reproduction of the singles’ labels.

BEAR FAMILY SPOTLIGHTS WEST COAST PIONEER

4 CD ’s + DVDCover Wesley Tuttle’s Career

To the contemporary country music fan, the name Wesley Tuttle probably means little, if nothing, at all. Yet he was one of the major forces in popularizing the sound of West Coast country music during the immediate post-war years. Now Germany’s Bear Family rectifies the situation by packaging all of this artist’s commercial and transcription recordings in a 4 cd box set along with a dvd containing “soundies” and a movie.

WESLEY TUTTLE Detour (Bear Family BCD 16416 EK)

Although Wesley Tuttle is closely identified with the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley area for most of his life, he was born in Lamar, a small township in southeastern Colorado. The Tuttle family moved out west when he was three years, his father - a versatile, confident man – determined to build a new life for his family. On their travels father, mother and young son spent a lot of their time singing together which, Tuttle maintains, would provide him the “exposure to music and harmony singing that would later allow him to song all parts in trios and quartets”. By the age of twelve he had made his radio debut on KNX, a major station in Los Angeles, and two years later was to be heard regularly on Stuart Hamblen’s “Covered Wagon Jubilee” on KMTR. With musical ambitions foremost in his mind, he had little time for education and, eventually, he dropped out of school to pursue a career that led him to work with several different groups on several different radio stations. By the late 1930s he was maintaining a hectic schedule that comprised appearances with Stuart Hamblen and His Lucky Stars (KMTR), Jimmy LeFevre and His Saddle Pals (KRKI and dances), Jack LeFevre and The Outlaws (KFWB and dances) and The Beverley Hill Billies (KMPC) as well as being an occasional stand-in for the Sons Of The Pioneers (KFWB).

The radio work inevitably led on to the other prime source of exposure for many of the West Coast based country singers, the Hollywood western movies and the doors opened for Wesley Tuttle when, as a member of the Jimmy Wakely Trio, he appeared in a succession of Charles Starrett and Tex Ritter productions. The recording opportunities followed naturally and, after Ritter, he became the second country artist to be signed to the newly created Capitol Records. Then, with his second single release, With Tears In My Eyes, he topped the Country Charts, giving him one of 1945’s biggest selling records. More national chart successes was secured the following year with Detour, I Wish I Had Never Sunshine and Tho’ I Tried (I Can’t Forget You). Even greater audience appreciation came when he enjoyed headlining status (alongside a major production role) in the pioneering West Coast television country music shows Town Hall Party and, later, Ranch Party.

“Detour” brings together all Tuttle’s commercial and transcription recordings for Capitol, plus his brief sojourn with Coral, totaling 113 tracks covering the period 1944-1955. The transcriptions featured Tuttle with his band the Texas Stars while the commercial releases called upon such as Johnny Bond, Jack Rivers, Merle Travis, Cliffie Stone, Eddie Kirk, Joe Maphis and Speedy West to provide a sound that fitted equally well with the artist’s smooth ballads, uptempo honky tonk offerings and his occasional yodels. Marilyn Tuttle also lent her voice to several of her husband’s recordings and it was a 1954 duet, Never, which saw the Tuttle name make its last ever chart entry. Shortly afterwards he became an ordained minister and, from then on, Wesley and Marilyn Tuttle made only non-secular recordings.

Also included in this collection is a DVD (NTSC: Region O) featuring the movie Song Of The Sierra, in which Tuttle played a support role to star Jimmy Wakely, and four "soundies", Red River Valley (a duet with his wife), When Pay Day Rolls Around, Strawberry Roan and Yodelin’ Boogie. The box set is completed with an 84 page book that featured a recently research biography penned by Packy Smith, drawing upon comments by the artist, a wealth of photographs and full discography. Tony Byworth

Johnny Cash, Gunter Gabriel & Others On Bear Family Release

The Man In Black – The International Johnny Cash (Bear Family BCD 16601 AR)

In celebration of Johnny Cash’s 70th birthday, Germany’s Bear Family Records has come up with a compilation that’ll delight the superstar’s diehard fans as well as finding a particular welcome in the European marketplace. Titled The Man In Black – The International Johnny Cash, this 26 track collection – adding up to a crammed 74.28 minute playing time brings together Cash’s German and Spanish language recordings, alongside Cash songs translated and recorded by his longtime friend Gunter Gabriel.

There are also one-off German language appearances from Bruce Low, Kurt Stelly, Jurgen Herbst, Donald Wolf and Ralph Bendix.

Like several other country music artists, Johnny Cash recorded a number of his U.S. hits in a foreign language as a means of further developing his career in the respective countries, but in the case of Germany he also recorded a trio of original German songs, In Virginia, Kleine Rosmarie and Besser So, Jenny-Joe.

The eleven Gunter Gabriel tracks (five of which have never been available before) are recorded in virtually the identical style of the Cash originals, as are the offerings from the other artists. Gabrielle also turns in a non-Cash song with Shel Silverstein’s Johnny Cash Concert, and the writer himself makes an appearance with the amusingly frantic "A Front Row Seat To Hear Ole Johnny Sing." The only other English language track is the Cash original Man In Black.

Accompanying the cd is a 60 page booklet, with lyrics, photographs and notes (in English and German) by Peter Lewry (editor of the Man In Black magazine and author of the recently published Cash chronicle I’ve Been Everywhere), Gunter Gabriel, actor Volker Lechtenbrink and Bear Records’ founder Richard Weize, who cites Cash as a major influence in developing both his music appreciation and his much acclaimed record label.

The Man In Black – The International Johnny Cash is the latest in a series of Cash releases from Bear Family, representing many stages in his amazingly creative 47-year career.

New Album From The Brooklyn Cowboys

The hard-drivin', twang-rockin' Brooklyn Cowboys follow up their critically-acclaimed CD, DOIN' TIME ON PLANET EARTH, with the 14-song disc "DODGING BULLETS." To be released on September 10th, on LEAPS Recordings. The project, was written and produced by the Brooklyn Cowboys.

The Cowboys are as follows: Songwriter/guitarist Walter Egan ("Magnet and Steel"), pedal steel wizard Buddy Cage (NRPS, Dylan), bassist Jeff "Stick" Davis (Amazing Rhythm Aces, Al Green), keyboardist Michael Webb (Stacy Earle, Allison Moorer, Pinmonkey), songwriter/ vocalist/guitarist Brian Waldschlager (5 Bucks, Shinola) and songwriter / drummer Fredro Perry (group founder).
Preshias. Staff Writer Nashville Music Line

Ray Price To Audium Records

Country Music Hall of Fame member Ray Price has signed with Audium Records, with his first album scheduled for an August 27th release. Titled 'TIME', the album was produced by Fred Foster and features many of Nashville's famed "A" team session players including Harold Bradley, David Briggs, Jimmy Capps, Buddy Emmons, Buddy Harmon, Bob Moore and Pete Wade.

"We are extremely excited about working with Ray Price," said Nick Hunter, President of Audium Records. "We pride ourselves on being a true country music label and with the addition of Ray Price and his project to our roster, that couldn't be more evident."

Eddy Raven Returns With Live Set