Country Music of the 1950-1960's

Just Because I'm a Woman by Dolly Parton
Don't Come Home a Drinkin' by Loretta Lynn
Cry, Cry, Cry by Johnny Cash
Walkin' After Midnight by Patsy Cline
Act Naturally by Buck Owens
Long Gone Lonesome Blues by Hank Williams
I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash
Then He Touched Me by Jean Shepard
Crazy by Patsy Cline
Bracero by Stu Phillips
Rocky Top by Osborne Brothers
Okie From Muskogee by Merle Haggard
Night Life By Ray Price
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels by Kitty Wells
There Stands the Glass by Webb Pierce


“Just Because I’m a Woman.” Dolly Parton, Just Because I’m a Woman. RCA, 4449 , 1968. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:giftxqugld6e. (April 6, 2010)

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Dolly Parton is such a popular face in country music, and has been for many years.  Her prominence in the field of the country music has deemed her the name "The Queen of Country Music".  She has had 25 #1 singles and 41 top-ten country albums (wikipedia).  The music of the Dolly Parton classifies what is considered country music in some way because she is so influential.
I chose this song because this song is a good example of what country music was back in the 1950's and 1960's. The instrumentation in the song is exactly what is country music, and what makes up the genre. The string instruments and also the slower pace of the song are what is popular and common in country music and the genre during this time period.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton.

“Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’.” Loretta Lynn, Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’. Decca, 113, 1967. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kjftxqw5ld6e. (April 6, 2010)

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Loretta Lynn is another famous woman from country music in the 1950's and 1960's.
I chose this song because it is very similar sonically to the song by Dolly Parton. The use of all of the string instruments classifies it in the genre of country music. Also, the somewhat slower tempo of the song, Loretta Lynn has a sort of twang to her voice that really adds to the sonic sound of the string instruments that makes it sound more like the country music that made up the genre during the 1950's and 1960's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretta_Lynn.

“Cry, Cry, Cry.” Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar. Get Back Records, 7503, 1957. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hifuxqrgldde (April 6, 2010)

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Johnny Cash was a very popular American singer and songwriter, and although he is most known for his country songs, his music spanned almost all genres (Wikipedia).  I picked "Cry, Cry, Cry" because it was one of the popular songs during this era, and coming from a singer who is very popular and well known across other genres of music.  Cash's deep voice and guitar make him have a very distinct country sound.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_cash

“Walkin’ After Midnight.” Patsy Cline, Patsy Cline. Decca, MCAD-25200, 1957. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:hpfyxqerldje (April 7, 2010)

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Patsy Cline is another female who is popular in the realm of country music.  Patsy Cline was one of the first to add the pop sound to her country music, although her career ended abrublty when she passed away at a young age.  I chose this song because I thought it had a very distinct sound and relates to some of the music that is considered pop music today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patsy_Cline.

“Act Naturally.” Buck Owens, The Best of Buck Owens. Rhino Records, 71816, 1964. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0jfyxqw5ld0e (April 7, 2010).

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Buck Owens taught himself to play guitar at the age of 13 after dropping out of school (CMT).  After that he found success in the scene of country music in California.  Owens was a guitarist and back-up singer for different singers and groups before he made it on his own, and forming his band the Buckaroos.  Owens started investing in entertainment properties and through Buck Owens Productions started his own television series, The Buck Owens Ranch Show and he also hosted Hee Haw with Roy Clark for some time (CMT).  I chose this particular song because it was one that was very popular in the 1960's and is still used today, like in the film Remember the Titans.  Because this a song that I was familiar with, unlike most others on the list, I found it interesting.  I also think that this song is exactly what country music is, between Owens' accent and the sound of all the different guitars that comprise the music for the song.
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/owens_buck/bio.jhtml.

“Long Gone Lonesome Blues.” Hank Williams, I’m Blue Inside. MGM, E-3926, 1961. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jpfuxqqgld0e. (April 6, 2010)
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Hank Williams quit school and started persuing his music career at the age of sixteen (CMT).  Even though he could not write or read much music, Williams did not let that hinder his musical talents.  Hank Williams uses the honky tonk sound in his music along with that of bluegrass
I used this song by Hank Williams because not only is the sound of the song country, but it also incorporated a sort of yodeling by Williams.  I found this interesting because the background music of the song, with the strings and the slower tempo are very country.

http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/williams_sr_hank/bio.jhtml, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Williams



“I Walk the Line.” Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar. Sun Records, 7503, 1957. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hifuxqrgldde. (April 6, 2010)

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I chose "I Walk the Line" because I am really drawn to the underlying beats and tones of the music in the song.  I think that Cash uses the beat to propel the song forward, even though I feel that his deep voice is very heavy with the music even though Cash tries to keep it light and flowing.
“Then He Touched Me.” Jean Shepard, Dear John. Laserlight, 12112, 1981. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fvfuxqugldae (April 7, 2010)

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Jean Shepard is known, especially since she is a female singer, of the large amounts of music she has produced in her career (CMT).  I chose this song because it was one of her hits during the time and I thought that the tune of the song was very similar to other songs that fall in the genre of country music.

http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/shepard_jean/bio.jhtml

“Crazy.” Patsy Cline, Patsy Cline Showcase. Decca, MCAD-87, 1961. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ajfpxqq5ld6e (April 6, 2010).

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I chose "Crazy" because I think that it has a different kind of sound that is not present in other country songs.  Cline's voice gives the song the country sound, but the music that composes the song give the song an almost jazz feel.  The high pitched piano in the backgroud is very different from other songs that classify as country music.

“Bracero.” Stu Phillips, Singing Stu Phillips. RCA, SP-3619, 1966. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wvftxqw5ldae (April 7, 2010).

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Stu Phillips is not only a popular musician from the 1960's but he is also an active member of The Grand Ole Opry.  Phillips is also an ordained minister, which I found to be an interesting fact (Wikipedia). "Bracero" means to laborer in English.  So Phillips is taking a risk in singing about the Mexican laborers and the work that they do.  I chose this song because Phillips has as deep, husky voice, like that of Johnny Cash, and I like the way it sounds.  I also think that this song is very different from country music, since the sound is more like that of a spanish song, since it is about the boarders and culture of the spanish people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stu_Phillips_(country_music)

“Rocky Top.” Osborne Brothers, Yesterday, Today & The Osborne Brothers. Decca/MCA, MCAC-119, 1968. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wjfixqr5ld0e (April 7 2010).

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The Osborne Brothers are a duo that were very popular and influential in the bluegrass music (Wikipedia).
I chose "Rocky Top" because it was their most famous and well known song.  The Osborne Brothers were also known for the instrumentation that they used in their music.  The sonic elements of "Rocky Top" and the different types of string instruments used are very country sounding.  I think it is interesting how many different instruments, like guitars and banjos, that are incorporated in the song and how these sounds play off of eachother.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_Brothers

“Okie from Muskogee.” Merle Haggard, Just Between the Two of Us/The Fightin' Side of Me. Beat Goes On, 597, 1966. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wbfrxqlaldke (April 7, 2010)

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Merle Haggard was the most important country singer to emerge in the 1960's.  His music is very influential in the genre of country music.  I chose this song because it was one of Haggard's most popular songs during the 1960's and it was a song that made Haggard famous.
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/haggard_merle/artist.jhtml

“It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” Kitty Wells, Country Hit Parade. Decca, D-78293, 1956. http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jjfyxqe5ldae (April 7, 2010)

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Kitty Wells was also know as being the "Queen of Country Music" (Wikipedia).  I just this song because after doing research this seems to be one of her most popular hits.  This song is exactly what I would classify as being country music.  Wells voice, and southern charm, along with the soundscape that is created by the song are exactly what country music sounds like when I think of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Wells
Artist: Webb Pierce
Title: There Stands the Glass
Album: Classic Country: 1950-1964
Year Released: 1999
Record Label: Decca
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5YEHNGB0rA
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Webb Pierce is an influential American honky tonk vocalist from the 1950's, and he charted more number ones than any other country musician during the decade of the 1950's. 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webb_Pierce