OC,SH NETWORK | member info HERE
Website 💗 YT channel 🚙 Twitter
Articles & Videos +SOON Photo Galleries
MARK M’s page: Benchmark AS & Security
[click post image(s) for larger size]
}
CD SHOWCASE MEMORIES
3 songs from the 1st hour (7p-8p) of my 12/02/1995 college radio show: Merle Haggard’s “If We Make It Through December”, Charlie Rich’s “The Most Beautiful Girl” & Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way”. This evening, I started mixing in some Christmas favorites. Also featured: Hot Rod, photographed by OC,SHer JAY B at Top Notch Hamburgers’ Hot Rod Night, Austin TX, 08/06/2016….
#1
“If We Make It Through December”
Merle Haggard
This song has become most-associated with (& played during) the holiday season; however, it originally hit the airwaves 10/27/1973 & spent 17 weeks on the country charts, 4 of those at #1. It crossed over & reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. During my childhood, I remember hearing this song all year long. Haggard was previously featured HERE; that will serve for historic details of & about Haggard. Meanwhile other familiar favorites include the similar tune “If We’re Not Back In Love By Monday” (1977; #2, 2 weeks) along with 1968’s “Mama Tried” (#1, 4 weeks; Hall Of Fame Grammy), 1969’s “Okie From Muskogee” (#1, 4 weeks; CMA Single Of The Year), 1970’s “The Fightin’ Side Of Me” (#1, 3 weeks), 1975’s “Movin’ On” (#1), 1977’s “Ramblin’ Fever” (#2, 2 weeks), 1980’s “Bar Room Buddies” (#1; duet with Clint Eastwood), 1982’s “Big City” (#1), & 1989’s “A Better Love Next Time” (#4; 1 of my favorites of his).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGDo1Jybs_I
#2
“The Most Beautiful Girl”
Charlie Rich
This song debuted 09/22/1973 (3 days after I was born) & spent 18 weeks on the country charts, 3 of those at #1; it crossed over & claimed #1 for 2 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This tune is this Colt AR-native’s most popular song; Rich, also an accomplished songwriter & pianist, 1st played jazz & blues, spearheading his own jazz group, The Velvetones, in the mid-1950s while in the US Air Force. His singing career spanned early-mid 1968 to mid 1981, featuring 9 chart toppers & 8 more Top 10 tunes, amongst over 40 releases. Other familiar favorites include 1973’s “Behind Closed Doors” (#1, 2 weeks), 1974’s “A Very Special Love Song” (#1, 3 weeks) & 1977’s “Rollin’ With The Flow” (#1, 2 weeks; 1 of my favorites of his). Known as “The Silver Fox”, Rich died of an acute blood clot, 07/25/1995.
#3
“Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way”
Waylon Jennings
I don’t think you can go wrong with any Waylon Jennings song, & that played into my frustration with choosing just 1 song from this artist for this evening’s broadcast. Who am I kidding? I could’ve featured 1 artist each hour! Anyway, this particular tune graced the airwaves starting 09/06/1975, spent 16 weeks on the country charts & claimed #1. The Littlefield TX-native singer-songwriter-guitarist is perhaps best-known as the narrator on CBS’ “Dukes Of Hazzard”, which was recently referenced in my mystery story, “Don’t Forget Schuster” HERE & featured previously HERE. His illustrious singing career began in mid-late 1965 & lasted through mid 1991, but it might never have happened. As part of the ill-fated “Winter Dance Party” tour in 1959, Jennings gave up his seat to the Big Bopper, who was then killed along with Buddy Holly & Ritchie Valens in the 02/03/1959 plane crash. Along with singing the theme to the aforementioned TV series, other familiar favorites include 1969-70’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” (#3, 2 weeks), 1974’s “I’m A Ramblin’ Man” (#1), 1978’s “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” (#1, 4 weeks), 1978’s “I’ve Always Been Crazy” (#1, 3 weeks), 1979’s “Amanda” (#1, 3 weeks), 1980’s “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” (#1), 1985’s “Drinkin’ & Dreamin’” (#2, 2 weeks), 1987’s “Rose In Paradise” (#1) & 1990’s “Wrong” (#5; his last Top 10 & 1 of my favorites of his). Jennings died of diabetes, 02/13/2002.