Notifications
Clear all
Topic starter
19/09/2019 1:08 pm
I hope if anyone have an interest in music history, particulary country and Nashville, will watch the PBS series going on, Ken Burns, COUNTRY MUSIC Documentary. Done decade by decade from the late 1800's, into the 2000's, it is an 8 part series, (the first four have shown this week, the next four will start this coming Sunday.) is an amazingly researched series, very factual and amazingly detailed. And always entertaining.
A funny part is seeing things I have always said, like the "Divisions in country music." Today, there is an undending conversation going on among writers, artists, publishers, and the general public about "what is country." Country radio and artists today have very little to do with what country music was when they grew up. But what I have always said and know is it has ALWAYS been that way. And this series points out from the beginning of the genre we refer to as "COUNTRY" that began with a record called "THE BRISTOL SESSIONS" in 1927. That is considered "THE BIG BANG" of country music.
It was many artists, recorded by a man named Ralph Peer, who recorded various local artists from the hills of Tennessee in the little town of Bristol Tenn./Virginia. (The state line is down the middle of the street.) Among those local and regional musicians, were Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family. Those records would go on to sell 4 million records during the depression and make superstars out of the Carters and Jimmie Rodgers. But they argued over which was "country." The appalachian hillbilly music, popularized by the Carters, or the delta blues coming out of the black people in Mississippi, that Jimmie brought in.
And that argument goes on today. Throughtout the series it is pointed out. Texas Swing, being considered "Big Band music", people like Marty Robbins, considered "Pop Singers, and not country. and it goes on today. The fact is, it is ALL country music, and while it may not fit our definitions, it certainly is that.
As it was once explained to me by the president of MCA records, hit producer and mogul, Tony Brown, "If Country writers write it, Country artists record it, country publishers publish it, country labels release it, country press writes on it and most importantly, country AUDIENCES EMBRACE IT.... IT'S COUNTRY.
I hope anyone with an interest in music history and finding out how we got where we are today, will check it out. You can do an
internet search and find out where you can see it. "Ken Burns, "Country Music."
Hope you'll tune it in.
MAB
PS: Jimmie Rodgers was my Grandmother's second cousin. So I come by this honestly.
This topic was modified 5 years ago by Mabbo
Marc-Alan Barnette
Topic starter
27/09/2019 5:35 pm
MY TAKE ON THE KEN BURNS COUNTRY MUSIC SERIES
Well, last night was the final episode of the Ken Burns PBS “Country Music” documentary, and I have to say I am at the least, as impressed with it as I have been on every Ken Burns documentary. Starting with THE CIVIL WAR, through BASEBALL, THE ROOSEVELTS, WORLD WAR II, VIETNAM, and on and on, I’m pretty much firm in the Ken Burns camp. Again, sir, well done.
Having said that, I notice people on the web with their own takes and while most seem to be positive, there are always personal biases we all bring to it, and people that feel there was “too much this or that…. And “why was my friend/person/colleague skipped….” Etc. it is true you can’t please everyone. In something with the scope and literally millions of stories and people, songs and events, it is impossible to include everything and everything. You have to give the best overview that you can. And I think they did a great job.
With myself and, I think a lot of people from our Nashville community, there are going to be a lot of personal experiences. Each night we watched as people, places and things from our own life experiences are flashed on the screen. Stories we heard or experienced turned out to be different than we heard or experienced them. This is normal. Sort of like being at a party and one person starts a story and by the time it gets to you, it is totally different. Hey, it happens.
I’m just glad we have a pretty damn good narrative of our business, our town, our forefathers and our present and future participants.
*For me, it was quite personal. From finding out some things about my distant relative, Jimmie Rodgers, that I heard from my Father’s Mother, who was Jimmie’s second cousin, to remembering my Father’s stories of singing at the Ryman in his early years as a gospel quartet singer in the 1950’s and 60’s, there was a lot to bring back memories for me.
*With each successive night, I would see more and more people that I personally had a connection with. And like anyone who was around history making things, sporting events, National calamities, wars, or whatever, we never quite realize it until we see it from a broader perspective. Because at the time, we were just around things in a very small way. My entire relationship with this town and business is from a very small part, but it is a part nonetheless and it has been pretty fun to see a little larger picture.
*There was a lot of “Oh… so that’s who that was..” in this. I would see pictures or hear stories of people that I had connections or conversations with but never really knew it at the time. Billy Sherril, for instance, the producer who discovered Tammy Wynette and George Jones, who produced my first cut, “THAT’S WHERE IT HURTS” a song I wrote with Ron Muir and my Dad, Grady Ross Barnette, was featured prominently. He just happened to be walking down the hall going to the bathroom when he heard my song at Tree publishing and wanted to put it on the new project with Shelby. It was featured in a WILLIE NELSON/KRIS KRISTOFFERSON TV Movie of the week, “ANOTHER PAIR OF ACES” where Willie, Kris and Actress Sela Ward, two-stepped to the song. My Dad was one of the worlds biggest Willie fans, so seeing that was surely on his “bucket list” and getting our names in People magazine, had to be a lot of fun for him. And he used to rib me about “I don’t know what’s so hard about writing songs.” He had only written ONE. Pretty good track record.
*People like hit publishers Bob Beckam, who actually offered me a deal twice, but I was unable to do it because I was in another deal.
*Seeing the amazing Amy Kurland and the Bluebird featured so prominently and took me back to the days of my audition and then all the shows I did there. Standing outside the window to see an artist I was sent to see by my ASCAP rep TOM LONG. The guy was ASTOUNDING! And even more than that, I remembered the five minutes of conversation we had after his set when he talked to me outside.
And reminded me of a song of MINE that he had been interested in. That guy was GARTH BROOKS. And that was the night he got signed. I had told his manager I was “Holding on to the song, “CAN’T BLAME NOBODY” for myself as an artist! (OPEN MOUTH, INSERT BOTH FEET!) “Hey Garth, I’m still holding on to that song if you want to do it! LOL!”
*The “weird at the time” advice I got from TOWNES VAN ZANDT, who told me I needed some “WANK WANK” in my song after hearing me one night and complimenting me on the song. I thought he was just badly inebriated but would find out months later that “Wank Wank” is a noise you make running your hands up the strings and hitting it with a percussive effect. Gives a “PUSH” to the song. I use it to this day and pass it along to my students. Thanks Townes.
*The night I performed before this guy on a Steven Farmer writer’s night at the Commodore. He was pretty depressed, talking about his frustration with the business, having been known by everyone, played on everyone’s records but not being able to break through as a singer. He was going to give it one more try before giving up the artist thing. Then he played his “last ditch song.” “NOBODY ANSWERS WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.” That was Vince Gill.
Being able to write, do shows with, hang out and become friends with Larry Butler, Grammy Producer, writer of “Hey Won’t You Play Another somebody done somebody wrong song.” Richard “Don’t it make my brown eyes blue” Leigh, Wood Newton, Jimbeau Hinson, Jon Imms, Chas Sandford, and on and on with people who had such a huge impact on music. Yeah we were all there too.
The night that I ran into Chuck Cannon, and Billy Dean, at Gibson Guitar Café’, and they were asking me to go to “SEANACES” a particularly popular Iris bar at the time, and I thought they said “SHONEYS”.I wasn’t hungry. They ended up writing a huge hit song that night. Forks in the road.
*Having back-up singers like Heather and Jennifer Kinley step up and become Superstars. Watching my friends like Chuck Cannon, Stephanie Smith, Jimmy Stewart, go on to have enormously successful careers. And watching Jimmie, as he got a cut with his dream artist, Keith Whitley, on his song, BROTHERLY LOVE, and being so excited, then being dashed when Keith battling demons, died before finishing it. Then being excited again ,when, they brought in Earl Thomas Conley a year later and finishing the song and taking it to number one, two years after Keith’s death. And when Jimmy brought in a new writer to sit in with us in a round at Douglas. That was Toby Keith.
*Seeing your friends succeed, and then many who moved home. Troy McConnel, Clint Bullard, who are as good as it gets as writers and artists, but ended up going other places and carrying on there. Being in so many places, and often being so close, yet not quite THERE, but still being able to have amazing experiences you can always look back fondly on and be grateful for being there.
The hundreds of shows, special events, thousands of songs, late night guitar pulls, parties, benefits, all the people I’ve met and had enormous fun and great experiences. That’s what we’ve all had. And seeing this documentary fuels a lot of our own memories. We’re all just very fortunate3 to have been able to play small parts in this drama we call COUNTRY and NASHVILLE. I guess we could all do our own documentaries. But I’m just glad we had this one.
Thanks all.
MAB
Marc-Alan Barnette
15/11/2019 9:05 pm
What you've got there is the beginnings of a very interesting biography, Marc. Thanks for sharing it. That Garth Brookes thing must burn. It's a shame hindsight comes after the ship has sailed. I imagine that sort of missed opp thing comes along a lot in Nashville. Doh!
J
https://soundcloud.com/jennystokes-nz
http://evansandstokes.com
https://www.facebook.com/evansandstokes/
Topic starter
18/11/2019 8:30 am
Hey Jenny,
It gets pretty funny. I just got back from the FRANK BROWN SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL in South Alabama and North Florida. It is around 185 of the top
Nashville songwriters, monster hit writers, up and coming artists, and a ton of people in between. It's like a "family or high school reunion" for the biggest writers on the planet, all gathering for ten days. This is the 35th year and my 25th involved with it. Every hit writer I've ever worked with, Grammy Winners, number one writers top ten, etc. I met them all down there.
And it gets really funny with surprises. This year legendary writer Mac Davis (I believe in music, In the Ghetto, Watching Scotty Grow, Stop and Smell the Roses, and hundreds more) and Don Schlitz (The Gambler, and most of the hit songs of the 90's and 2000's) just happened to be there, show up and do the open mic. LOL! They were there to do shows and it was a thrill for the general public to see legends who wrote the songs they grew up on.
All through it, the locals treat us amazingly, serve food, hospitality, and roll out the red carpet for us. It's the one place the Songwriters are the stars.
Every day someone was reminding me of some place they saw me, some song I was doing, record company and publishers that had talked about me. My name pops up everywhere and many of then have tons of stories that I didn't know or even know about. I won some awards that I didn't know existed. I got cuts that didn't make the final project. Songs that I wrote thirty years ago that STILL are played in boardrooms and pitch meetings. And I just got cuts on legendary artists, THE IDES OF MARCH (Vehicle) and Shaun Murphy (Back up singer for BOB SEEGER and LITTLE FEAT) so I tend to pop up in a lot of funny places. Gets really funny when they tell stories about you that you were there but don't quite remember them like they are told.
And of course, on my 9 times I performed down there, all tend to end up on Facebook and You Tube. Every day there were new videos posted, weird camera angles, lighting, etc. Some good, some not so good. But it's all a lot of fun and an honor to be involved with. Rubbing elbows with the hit makers give you some insights to the business, the behind the scenes, and reality in this business. Quite enjoyable and eye opening.
A lot of fun and something every songwriter should experience.
MAB
Marc-Alan Barnette
Topic starter
18/11/2019 8:51 pm
Hey Jenny,
Well yes, and no. It is "open" as it does allow for submissions, but there are a LOT of people who want to play and who show up. At 35 years it is just about the oldest and most established songwriters festival in the US. People come from all over the world, this year we had them from England, Australia, Denmark, and Finland, and pretty much every state, really throughout the south. There is a pecking order, and there are some ways to get on the Festival, most by just showing up first.
There is an "open mic" each day at the FLORABAMA LOUNGE (sits on the state line of ALABAMA and FLORIDA and is ground zero for everything that happens at the Festival.) and anyone who gets there in time, usually 22-25 people a day can play. First come, first perform, so it is just a matter of getting there and being ready to sign in and go.
There are around 185 invited writers, most who have been playing there for years. Most are notable writers with hits, writers or record deals, local and regional people, and those who are KNOWN by the festival goers. I'm sort of a "triple threat" as I am from Alabama, and considered a "home town entity." Live in Nashville and have had cuts, and hits in my own way, and have performed in that area during the actual season, so I am also known as a "local" with a fairly strong following. My biggest problem is not getting to all the songs people know me for. Everyone has their favorite, which is a good problem to have, but you can't do everythign or I'd just be playing all the time. And while most people get two-three shows, I routinely haved 6-8.
They have around 20-22 venues, ranging from intamante listening rooms, large party rooms, beach bars, civic center type rooms. Between 2-4 shows a night except for a few which will have 8-10 hours of different shows every hour. And these are all attended by packed, listening audiences, as well as just normal beach goers. It is off season, and so it is a huge event for the area, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars to resturants, bars, hotels, condos, golf courses, etc. that wouldn't be there. Even in the winter, it is usually 70-80 degrees during the day with a few days of cold. It can get brutal.
Around 600 people will submit to play and there will be some picked from that. But mostly it's going to be the festival veterans who are drawing the audiences, and those get the prime spots. The best thing to do is just show up, be a part and hang out. The shows are amazing, and eveyrone can rub elbows, with some of the most famous writers in history. This year the surprise apperance by Mac Davis, was a huge deal. Most of us got our inspiration from a televison show Mac did in the 70's where he would come out in front of a live audience and make up three songs on the spot. Many of us got our first exposure to songwriting from that. And we all wanted to get our picture taken and tell him how much we appreciated him. An amazing writer.
I'll put a couple of press things after this post. But if your friends would like to find out about it, FBSIF.com will take them to the web site. It is a trip that every songwriter who really wants to do this should make at least once. An amazing experience.
MA B
Marc-Alan Barnette
Topic starter
18/11/2019 8:53 pm
Marc-Alan Barnette
Topic starter
18/11/2019 8:54 pm
Here's my little take on all this:
https://www.facebook.com/marcalan.barnette/videos/10162492413035640/UzpfSTY3NTk1MDYzOTozMDYwNjExMjk0OTk0MTQ6MTA6MDoxNTc1MTg3MTk5Oi02Mzg0ODQ0NTkyNzYwODk0ODcx/
Marc-Alan Barnette
Topic starter
18/11/2019 8:58 pm
Here's something funny that came up on my Facebook feed. (Always seems to happen during my Frank Brown festival days.)
This is a video on a song I wrote for country superstar, DAVID BALL. The song, TOO MUCH BLOOD IN MY ALCOHOL LEVEL" was written by myself and Wood Newton, who produced David on this. It's one of those occassions where the origional version of the song was VERY DIFFERENT than the final product. David is an AMAZING country singer and very well known.
A few months after this video was shot, the owner of the record label, died of Cancer, and the entire label folded just as the song was climbing up the charts. Somebody posted it on Facebook and I had forgotten about it.
Marc-Alan Barnette
Forum Statistics
18
Forums
2,755
Topics
8,910
Posts
3
Online
33.7 K
Members
Latest Post: A LOVING CHRISTMAS WITH YOU Our newest member: DavidgfeKit Recent Posts Unread Posts
