Night Train To Nashville

[Matthew]

I know I've lived a deprived life because I never realized that Nashville even had a R&B scene before I got this compilation. It's fun to hear all these people I never knew existed before, plus, it's just great music. Some of the highlights: A rocking Skip's Boogie by Kid King's Combo. This wild cat named Esquerita doing Rockin' the Joint. A couple of blues by Christine Kittrell. This is what a comp. should be all about -- music that needs to be brought back into public view. Don't be afraid to pick it up if you come across the cd. I bought the lp version, and the sound is primo.

I'm going to have to find me some recordings of this Esquerita guy -- amazing!

[paul secor]

Sounds interesting. What label, Matthew?

[J.A.W.]

Lost Highway Records. It's available from CDUniverse.

[Matthew]

It's interesting that this is being sponsored by The Country Music Hall of Fame, and there's even an EXHIBIT. Here's a track list:

Night Train To Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970 (CD)

Track Listing

CD One

1. Cecil Gant "Nashville Jumps"

2. Rudy Green & His Orchestra "Buzzard Pie"

3. Kid King's Combo "Skip's Boogie"

4. Christine Kittrell "L&N Special"

5. Christine Kittrell "Sittin' Here Drinking"

6. The Prisonaires "Just Walkin' in the Rain"

7. The Varieteers "If You and I Could Be Sweethearts"

8. Arthur Gunter "Baby Let's Play House"

9. Little Hank (Crawford) & the Rhythm Kings "Christene"

10. Louis Brooks & His Hi-Toppers with Earl Gaines "It's Love Baby (24 Hours

a Day)"

11. The Marigolds "Rollin' Stone"

12. Gene Allison "You Can Make It If You Try"

13. Esquerita "Rockin' the Joint"

14. Audrey Bryant "Let's Trade a Little"

15. Roscoe Shelton "Say You Really Care"

16. Larry Birdsong "Somebody, Somewhere"

17. Jimmy Beck & His Orchestra "Pipe Dreams"

Bonus Tracks

Little Richard WLAC commercial

Earl Gaines "White Rose"

CD Two

John Richbourg: WLAC air check

1. Shy Guy Douglas "Monkey Doin' Woman"

2. Etta James "What'd I Say" (live)

3. Johnny Jones & the Imperial 7 "Really (Part 1)"

4. Frank Howard & the Commanders "Just Like Him"

5. Arthur Alexander "Anna"

6. Joe Henderson "Snap Your Fingers"

7. Ruth Brown "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (Nashville version)

8. Sam Baker "Something Tells Me"

9. Bobby Hebb "Sunny"

10. Joe Tex "I Want To (Do Everything for You)"

11. The Hytones "Bigger and Better"

12. The Avons "Since I Met You Baby"

13. Joe Simon "The Chokin' Kind"

14. Clifford Curry "She Shot a Hole in My Soul"

15. The Valentines "Gotta Get Yourself Together"

16. Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson "Soul Shake"

17. Johnny Adams "Reconsider Me"

18. Robert Knight "Everlasting Love"

[Jim Dye]

Can't wait to check out the CD and the exhibit!

If anyone is interested, my local cool record store also has copies of this on vinyl!

Edited June 3, 2004 by Jim Dye

[John L]

There is some nice stuff on this collection, although I don't know if it all amounts to much of a case for Nashville as being a major center for creativity in R&B. There is some dead weight, some strong performances from artists who have dubious Nashville connections, and no single identifiable "Nashville sound" through it all.

That said, it is a lot of fun. I especially got a kick out of "Little" Hank Crawford's first recording and the first record by one of my true heros: Freddie Waters as lead singer of the Hytones.

Freddie Waters was a true Nashville native, one of the greatest singers to come from that or any other city. These two masterpieces get VERY heavy play in my pad:

Edited June 4, 2004 by John L