Marty Robbins - Gunfight Ballads and Trail Songs

I was always fascinated by cowboy shows on TV when I was a kid. Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name" series etched very deeply in my mind. I must have watched the series 3 to 4 times. I guess that is the reason why I own so many country and western albums in my LP collection.

When I went hunting for LPs and saw a country and western LP album which I have not owned, I rarely let go the chance to own the LP. This album, Marty Robbins' "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Song" was pickup by me in this manner too.

Marty Robbins (1925 - 1982) is not strictly a country and western singer. He released country and western, pop, rock-and-roll and even Hawaiian songs in his entire recoding career. I owned several C&W and pop albums of Marty Robbins. However, I still prefer his C&W music than others. There was a presence of Latin guitar (I guess so as I am a really a novice in musical instruments) in quite a number of his songs and that made his music quite unique.

This album contains Marty Robbins' signature song "El Paso". This song reached number 1 position in Billboard's country singles and pop singles charts.

This album was released in 1959.

Song List:

Side A - Big Iron, Cool Water, Billy the Kid, Hundred and Sixty Acres, They're Hanging Me Tonight, Strawberry Roan

Side B - El Paso, In the Valley, The Master's Call, Running Gun, Down in the Little Valley, Utah Carol

Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man

My youngest brother, Boon Hooi, loves music. As far as CD collection is concerned, he thrashes me. I think he has more than 2,000 CDs in his collection. In fact, he introduced many singers to me. Tammy Wynette is one of the singers that I got to know from him.

He bought Tammy Wynette's CD, "Higher Ground", way back in late 1990s. During one of trips back to my hometown, he played that CD to me. After listening to just 2 or 3 songs of that CD, I simply fell for the Tammy Wynette's music. I also told him that I would look for more CDs of Tammy.

Subsequently, I did saw Tammy Wynette's CDs on music shops. However, all these CDs were having those few songs that I already owned. I was disappointed and thought I I would never have chance to listen to more songs of Tammy.

However, the situation changed when I started to collect LPs. Every now and then, an LP of Tammy surfaced and I just grabbed it. I have already owned 8 LPs of Tammy today.

This album, "Stand By Your Man" contains Tammy Wynette's greatest hit of the same name.

Song List:

Side A : (You Make Me Want To Be) A Mother, Another Lonely Song, Kids Say the Darnest Things, Love's The Answer, Bedtime Story, Stand By Your Man

Side B : Good Lovin' (Makes It Right), Reach Out Your Hand, Please Come to Boston, 'Til I Get It Right, My Man (Understand), There Goes That Old Steel Guitar, Help Me Make It Through The Night

Tammy Wynette - The First Lady

In the country and western (C&W) music world in the 50s and earlier, it was practically a man’s world. Male C&W singers completely outnumbered female singers. I could only utter the names of just 2 female C&W singers of that era, Patsy Montana of the 30s and Kitty Wells of the 50s.

In the 60s, the C&W music world was still dominated by male singers. However, there were more and more female singers that broke into the scene. In late 60s, there came a very successful one. Her name was Tammy Wynette.

Tammy Wynette (1942 - 1998) released her first singles, “Apartment No 9/I’m Not Mine to Give” in 1966. She scored her number 1 hit, “My Elusive Dreams”, in 1967. During the late 60s and early 70s, Tammy Wynette scored 17 number one hits on Billboard Country Chart. Due to her success in C&W music, she was accorded the title of “The First Lady of Country Music”.

Tammy Wynette has a coarse voice, a voice that could easily pluck the sentimental cords of our hearts. That was why she sang many songs of stormy relationship, failed marriage and loneliness.

This LP, “The First Lady”, was released in 1970.

Song List (I was unable to find this LP as it was hidden somewhere in my LP collection. When I find the LP again, I will amend the song list below if there is any mistake):

Side A - Run Woman Run, I Wish I Had A Mommy Like You, True And Lasting Love, I Never Once Stopped Loving You, Safe In These Lovin' Arms Of Mine, Sally Trash

Side B - My Daddy Doll, The Lovin' Kind, He's Still My Man, Buy Me A Daddy, Playin' Around With Love

Hank Thompson - Hank !

As I like to listen to oldies in general and classic country and western songs in particular, I spend a quite a bit of time listening to songs on YouTube. Whenever I found a singer or songs I liked, I would note down the name of singer or the title of the song in my little notebook. These notes became very helpful whenever I came across some unfamiliar singers when I went searching for LPs. Hank Thompson (1925 – 2007) is a country and western singer I first came across on YouTube.

Wikipeida describes Hank Thompson as “an American country music entertainer whose career spanned seven decades. He sold more than 60 million records worldwide. Thompson's musical style, characterized as honky tonk Western swing, was a mixture of fiddles, electric guitar and steel guitar that featured his distinctive, smooth baritone vocals. His backing band, The Brazos Valley Boys, was voted the top Country Western Band for 14 years in a row by Billboard.”

Hank Thompson released his first singles in 1946 and his first LP in 1952. This album was released in 1957.

Song List:

Side A - Hang Your Head in Shame, String of Pearls, The Gypsy, You'll Be the One, Don't Be That Way, Ole Napoleon

Side B - I Don't Want To Know, Prosperity Special, Someone Can Steal You from Me, Don't Look Now, Across the Alley from the Alamo, Don't Get Around Much Anymore

Song - Senja Di Kuala Lumpur

(Sung by Broery)

Ku cuba akan mengubah
cerita dalam lagu
kenangan ku yang indah bersama mu
ku menyusuri jalan
di kota mu yang megah
tak sedar siang telah menjelma senja

kan ku ingat...kan ku kenang
senja indah senja di Kuala Lumpur
kan ku bawa...kan ku simpan
senja indah senja di Kuala Lumpur

di bawah sinar bulan
cinta kita berpadu
berjanji akan sehidup semati
tiba saat berpisah
ku terima bisikan mu
berjanji menunggu kembali

kan ku ingat...kan ku kenang
senja indah senja di Kuala Lumpur
kan ku bawa...kan ku simpan
senja indah senja di Kuala Lumpur

setahun telah berlalu
tadi tiba surat mu
ku genggam dalam pernikahan mu

Broery - Senja Di Kuala Lumpur

Back in late 1990s, I worked in KL and left my wife and kids in my home town, Sungai Petani. So for several years, I had to travel back to my home town to be with them on weekends.

Since I drove back to my home town and returned to KL alone then, my car radio became my best companion. During those journeys, I usually tuned in to a radio station that played oldies and light music. One day, the radio station broadcasted a Malay song. The singer sang that melodious song with his silky-like and soulful voice. I fell for the song immediately. At the end of the song, I paid extra attention to what the DJ said and quickly jotted down the name of the singer, Broery, and the title of the song, “Senja Di Kuala Lumpur”.

For several years, my monotonous journey to and back from my hometown would become more enriching whenever this song was played over the radio station.

When I started my LP collection hobby in June 2006, this record naturally went into my earliest must-buy list. At the end of June 2006, I found Broery LP, “Senja Di Kuala Lumpur” and bought it right away.

This is the third LP that go into my collection. I still listen to this LP regularly nowadays.

Song List:

Side A - Senja Di Kuala Lumpur, Seandainya Aku Ni Raja, Mira, Setulus Cinta, Berdisko

Side B – Lahirnya Seorang Seniman, Din Teksi, Titiwangsa, Sepuluh Budak Hitam, Hey! (Dengarkanlah Bisikan Hatiku)

Bob Wills - Plays The Greatest String Band Hits

In September 2009, I posted a 2-part article (part 1 and part 2) about the mother of all country and western albums, "Wagon Wheels - Legendary Songs of the Old West". The album is still my most treasured album to date. In that album, I got to know so many legendary country and western singers of the 20s, 30s and 40s. One of the singers was Bob Wills (1905 - 1975).

There is only one Bob Wills' song in that album. The title of the song is "Cherokee Maiden". This song was in Bob Wills' singles released in 1941. I was quite amused by the funny sound made by Bob Wills in that song. I subsequently I looked up Wikipedia for Bob Wills and learned that the funny sound was termed by Wikipedia as "hollering and wisecracking". I don’t know whether the hollering and wisecracking enhance or spoil the songs but I know for sure that they add the uniqueness of Bob Wills to his songs.

Here's what Wikipedia describes about Bob Wills hollering and wisecracking, "Wills was known for his hollering and wisecracking. One source for this was when, as a very young boy, he would hear his father, grandfather, and cowboys give out loud cries when the music moved them. When asked if his wisecracking and talking on the bandstand came from his medicine show experience, he said it did not. Rather, he said that it came directly from playing and living close to Negroes, and that he never did it necessarily as show, but more as a way to express his feelings".

Bob Wills was a pioneer in American Western swing music. The note at the back cover of this album describes western swing music "enriches the country music field", "is rich in blue" and "provides a rich repertoire for dance engagements at countless auditoriums and dance halls". I find that the songs and music in this album are so easy going and I tend to tap my hands along when listening to the songs.

Bob Wills was a great fiddle player and band leader of The Texas Playboys. The album contains songs and music performed by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.

Song List:

Side A - Milk Cow Blues, Slow Poke, Song of the Wanderer (Where Shall I Go?), My Mary, Whose Heart are you Breaking now?, San Antonio Rose

Side B - Talkin' Bout You, Shame on You, No Letter Today, Pan Handle Rag, Brown Skin Gal