New mama Koola, a 9-year-old western lowland gorilla, cradles her baby after giving birth at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
Posted on 09/06/2004 8:00:06 PM PDT by LaDivaLoca
New mama Koola, a 9-year-old western lowland gorilla, cradles her baby after giving birth at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
Smoke billows from Mount Asama, one of Japan's largest and most active volcanoes, after its first eruption in 21 years earlier in the week.
BTTT!!!!!!
BTTT!!!!!!!
I'm keeping track of your anecdotes! Thanks!
This is my writer's version of "16 Tons":
I write 16 puns, and what do I get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.... ;)
MA #50
Good afternoon, Fawnn!
Good afternoon, Fawnn's MOM!
TOM #100
TOM #150
Nice forearms in that picture. But, I'm still sorta getting deja vu all over again on your tagline. ;)
Whew!! Had a very busy morning at work but things are slowing down enough for me to go back and say Good Afternoon to ya! :o)
In those days the Nashville local would not allow rehearsals before a sesion. In a session four new songs were learned from scratch and recorded .. all in 3 hours. That is 45 minutes a song.
In those days there were lots of side men on the road with name performers who carried their own bands, but only a hand full of session musicians. The pay was 300 dollars for a 3 hour session and double pay for the leader.
Many of the Session musicians and singers were doing 3 or 4 sessions a day. The Blackwoods brothers and the Anita Kerr singers were on lots of records. Grady Martin the great lead player would not work a session unless he was the leader. He kept guitars and amplifiers in each studio so he could just walk from session to session. Grady was making 2,400 dollars a day. Many weeks he made 15,000 dollars or more. He was so busy he gave his agent power of attorney to pick up his checks at the union hall and deposit them for him.
There was a west coas tbased instrumental act called Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant. Speedy played steel and Jimmy played lead guitar. They did a lot of western swing. I think it was in '61 that Jimmy came to town during the convention. Grady had put his guitar away. There were no sessions during the D.J. Convention and Grady just wanted to hang out with friends and not play for 4 or 5 days. Jimmy Bryant started on Wednesday challenging Grady to a play off. Grady kept refusing. On Saturday night Grady was in Tootsies and Jimmy cornered him. They got out the guitars. Grady told Jimmy to start. Jimmy who was known for speed took off on a very very fast jazz riff. It was very complex and fast as could be. It was an original Jimmy Bryant creation. We figured Jimmy had spent weeks working it out just so he could show up Grady.. After a couple of choruses Grady said I have the lead and doubled the tempo. He played Jimmys original riffs back to him at double speed and never missed a note. At about half way through the second chorus, Jimmy grabbed his case and his guitar and walked out the back door.
Jimmy Bryant had proved to all that he was not even a pimple on Grady's rump. Grady was a fantastic talent and years of playing 12 to 15 hours a day, had made him very fast and very good.Jimmy and Speedy went back, to paraphrase Buck Owens, to the streets of Bakersfield.
Buddy Emmons was the top steel player back then. I think Speedy knew he was not in Emmons class. Bryant sure found out he was not even close to being a Grady Martin.
Here is another story you might find interesting.
Chet Adkins and some other performers were working the Iowa State Fair in the mid 50s. After the show was over a man came up to Chet and begged him to come out to the fair grounds parking lot to hear two boys sing.
The man kept insisting. Chet recognized the mans name. He knew he had done radio shows on the Ceder Rapids Iowa station. So Chet, being a nice guy, walked out to hear two teen age boys sing. They blew Chet away. He offered them an RCA Victor recording contract on the spot. And that is how Don and Phil Everly, the Everly Brothers, got signed to RCA victor records. Chet finally figured out why the Dad had him come to the parking lot. The family only had money enough for one ticket to the fair. So the Dad came in and talked Chet into coming out to hear the boys.
Once back in Nashville Chet called Boudeleau and Felice Bryant. Chet commissioned them to write Don and Phil some songs. Bye Bye Love, Wake up little Suzzie, and Cathy's Clown were just few of the tunes the Bryants wrote for Don and Phil.
When Cathy's Clown came out.. every D.J. in the nation got a promotional letter each of three weeks before it was released. On the release date evry jock got a copy on the Song presesd on gold colored vinyl. Sadly I did not keep my "Gold" record of Cathy's Clown. It was a big hit. When I left that station I did not take my Gold Cathy's Clown with me.
That hind site is indeed 20-20..
I am so glad you like this music -- I love it myself. One of my favorite albums. I'll try to post a different song from the album tonight when I'm home!! I wish these guys would put out some more albums!! The group includes Mark Knoffler or Dire Straits fame...
Very interesting Tator!! I love Chet Atkins! What great stories you have!
MINE
MINE
MINE
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