Comments on: Great Country Songs from the 1970s, Pt. 7

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:14:44 +0000

Having seen Hank perform live on several occasions, I can assure you that he was THAT good. He released five (5) instrumental albums including REMINISCING in 1966, which was a duet album with Chet Atkins. Chet never did duet albums with any guitarist who was not among the elite (Les Paul, Tommy Emmanuel, Lenny Breaux, Mark Knoffler, Jerry Reed)

By: Mike K

Mike K — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:36:02 +0000

Gary Stewart is one of my favorite artists (he lived just a few miles away from me before he passed away), but my favorite song is “I See the Want to in Your Eyes,” which was on the same album as the three songs you mentioned. I am also partial to “Snuff Queen” off his first (and only) MCA album.

Brady – You aren’t crazy for liking “it’s Me Again Margaret.” “I’ll be there with a fried chicken, a weed-eater and some peach preserves.” I always liked that song, as well as the one about the Shriner’s convention.

I think Ragged Old Truck is my favorite Billy Joe Shvaer song, but that one might not have been in the 70’s.

Thanks, Paul, for another great list.

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:42:14 +0000

Uh, yeah, Brady, Snow did at least one instrumental album. He had good tone and great taste in constructing solos, but his picking certainly wasn’t very advanced; there’s nothing wrong with that at all – playing what fits is arguably the most important thing in an instrumentalist, and what Hank played certainly fit his general style – but IMO, to favorably compare his abilities to those of Urban and Paisley is ludicrous.

For those who enjoy Ray Stevens, he’s still going strong, with a new album out that’s being sold exclusively at Pilot truck stops for a while.

By: ACcountryFan

ACcountryFan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:49:11 +0000

A #3 peak on the Billboard country chart for Ray Stevens with “The Streak” was a big deal as far as country music airplay was concerned. The fad was more in step with the pop audience…college students…as to why it rocketed up to #1 in a matter of weeks. I think it hit #1 on the Hot 100 in it’s fourth or fifth week on the chart. Ray was at the time crossing over from pop to country, going back and fourth every release, and the single struck a chord with country audience’s in a way his previous novelty songs never did. His comical songs and his love ballads were charting higher on the Hot 100 and Easy-Listening charts long before he decided to take his country music direction seriously in the late ’70s.

I’m a die-hard Ray Stevens fan by the way and proud of it. :D :D

Red Sovine did a song once called “It’ll Come Back” which had a similar little girl back-up group that was used on “Daddy’s Girl”. I like Sovine but i’m not a die-hard fan, though. Whenever I’d hear “I Can Help” I used to think it was an early Oak Ridge Boys song and it wasn’t until several years ago I found out who sang it.

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:17:07 +0000

I have “Billy, Get Me A Woman” on a CD. The first time I heard it, I burst out laughing. Joe Stampley put out some awesome music in the 1970’s. As for Nat Stuckey in the 1970’s, I always loved his version of Tony Joe White’s “Old Man Willis”.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:06 +0000

Top notch stuff as usual Paul. Always glad to see Wynn Stewart and Red Simpson get a mention for us big fans of the Bakersfield sound. I’ve never considered Billy Swan’s “I Can Help” to be a country song what with the organ part and all, but I’ve always liked it. Country artists with last names like Sledd, Strunk, and Stuckey should have considered a more reasonable stage last name like say “Twitty”! (lol)

There is a classic country request radio show from Kentucky I listen to on Friday nights sometimes and one of their most requested songs is Red Sovine’s “Daddy’s Girl”. Still a bit syrupy, but nothing like “Teddy Bear”!

By: Brady Vercher

Brady Vercher — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:49:26 +0000

I can’t remember whether I found it or if it was given to me as a birthday gift, but when I was a kid, I listened to a Ray Stevens casette tape with “The Streak” on it over and over. I still slip a “It’s me again, Margaret” in every once in awhile and people look at me like I’m crazy.

Billy Joe Shaver had quite a few great songs back in the 70s, but most of them were better known in the hands of other artists. If I remember correctly, everybody wanted a piece of “Ride Me Down Easy.”

I bought a copy of The Essential Gary Stewart a long time ago for a copy of “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles)” and was pleased to find some other material comparable in quality.

Cool anecdote about Hank Snow being a top notch guitar player. I never hear his name mentioned in that regard.