Ken Burns' COUNTRY MUSIC Documentary

Charlie Rich is brought up briefly during discussion about Billy Sherrill in the '70s, and later they play the clip of him burning the envelope at the CMAs.

Seems like in a way the only reason they brought Rich up was to set up that clip later.

He got a really backhanded mention that at least one of those podcasters was pretty mad about. He was referred to in passing as an “R&B journeyman.”

Elvis gets quite a bit of airtime during the Rockabilly segment, which maybe goes on longer than it needs to, Doug Sahm nothing, even though the Texas Tornados are mentioned for a second at the tail end of the Freddie Fender segment, described as being created by Freddie along with Flaco Jimenez to promulgate conjunto music, which seemed to me to be close but not quite accurate

many xps - i have not heard of that podcast James, looks good.
i have downloaded first ep!

Doug Sahm nothing, even though the Texas Tornados are mentioned for a second at the tail end of the Freddie Fender segment, described as being created by Freddie along with Flaco Jimenez to promulgate conjunto music, which seemed to me to be close but not quite accurate

Yup. I also took exception to them setting up the Austin scene and not mentioning him when they were rounding up scenesters. Furthermore, they totally overlooked Willie Nelson's Atlantic period, which Sahm figured into somewhat heavily.

Thought there was too much Guy Clark tbh

And too much Rodney Crowell commentary as well tbh

But I guess he was grandfathered in to an automatic upgrade to more legroom and screentime for having once been part of the extended Carter/Cash Family.

B-b-but in that case, Nick Lowe wuz robbed! Unless he sent Elvis Costello as his proxy.

They didn't get into Carlene Carter as a recording artist either.

Guy Clark is pretty important as making a home base for all the Texas ex-pats in Nashville. Plus, thanks to Heartworn Highways, there's tons of footage of him and those guys doing their thing at that exact time.

Also does this series mention that Nashville was orignally yet another industrial hub, to which the music biz was a graft that took a while to take: swarm of migrants from the Asheville axis, after the establishment of monster station WSM--but I've also read that country was often not the top format in local radio, during the mid-to-late 20th Century at least, because many of the people who moved to town for work were more attached to music of their home states--another reason for countrypolitan etc, smooother less rootsy sounds, although some of that was also for Southerners who had escaped ro were trying to escape from rougher roots.

Roy Clark also talking about having bib overalls and 2 tailored tuxedos.

Two tuxedosbib overalls and a microphone

Call BR-549 to find out where it's at!

https://img.discogs.com/Q1ARpqwtzO3n20ex8xCVV_GbSW4=/600x593/smart/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/A-1623841-1366102122-3075.jpeg.jpg

Lol

Podcast says KB started working on this eight years ago, think I heard.

The Dillards weren't in this, huh?

They were standing behind Rodney Crowell so you couldn’t see them

*Ahem* https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/glen-campbell-museum-nashville-rhinestone-stage-869072/

james i am obsessed with that damn holding things together podcast

Cool. I just started listening. I listened to Rebecca's radio show first instead.

Aka, Honky Tonk Radio Girl

they drop some great info

like Jimmie Rodgers being huge amongst a tribe in Kenya thanks to missionaries

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/chemirocha-how-an-american-country-singer-became-a-kenyan-star

You never heard of the Chemirocha before? I envy you finding out about that for the first time

So if I read correctly, major label recording didn’t hit it’s stride in Nashville until 1957, when Steve Sholes using Elvis money and momentum to instruct Chet Atkins to build the new studio RCA studio, with presumably the incident mentioned in the series about Decca not moving to Dallas and Owen Bradley building their new studio happening around the same time

Ugh “its” not “it’s”

Obviously there was recording on before that, some of it in WSM’s Air Castle Studio, not sure where else exactly.

This gives a pretty good idea of the timeline:
https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/nashville-recording-industry/

This too: http://sportsandentertainmentnashville.com/the-history-of-music-row-60-years-of-greatness/

and this: http://www.scottymoore.net/studio_mcgavock.html

i see PBS is already shipping DVDs

and the library has ordered 'em

I read somewhere that the 1927 landmark Bristol sessions were recorded there (Bristol TN, not UK, which would have been innaresting) when Nashville was mostly known as a minor-ish industrial town---this article seems pretty accurate, from what I recall (no I wasn't there):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_sessions

Right. I think the it is stated in many places, including this doc, that this was the first significant recording of this music in the South.

By which I think I mean a one-two punch of the Fiddlin’ John Carson recordings in Atlanta and then the Bristol sessions.

If you liked the doc, the companion book is essential. Probably my favorite thing on TV all year.

Seems like the companion book has extra stuff that’s not in the show.

Just noticed Tommy Duncan imitating Robert Johnson.

Well, good morning, Captain!

This is your old pal Gene Autry calling. I was just passing through town and thought I’d call to see how y’all were doing.

They didn't get into Carlene Carter as a recording artist either
Is her father ever even mentioned?

I don't think so. They just brought up that June was married when she and Johnny first got together.

Somewhere (I hope) I've stiil got an ancient twofer CC CD, Blue Nun/Musical Shapes, from her Nick Lowe era, with other members and colleagues of Rockpile, I think: good but could use re-masterting, as I thought even when it first came out. Later she worked with Al Anderson, who had left NRBQ and moved to Nashville--okay songwriter, though I preferred his guitar, with which she and he ripped it up on Austin City Limits.
Best album of hers I've heard is 2014 Carter Girl, where she folds elements of the Family sound and karma into her own rolling thing. At first I really liked the 2017 Mellencamp offering featuring her, Sad Clowns and Hillbillies---he's a painter of such---but later it seemed kind of stupid, because of his mannerisms, which he actually sounded happy with, even though I've liked several of his albums.
(They prob didn't mention the Mellenplate formula of denim pop country, since that was mostly post-'96, when the hats were starting to come off.)

They just brought up that June was married when she and Johnny first got together.
They were both married iirc?

To other people, I mean

Yes. Figured it went without saying.

my interest started to flag when they were goin in to Hank Williams Jr. and Roseanne Cash careers but then they tied it all up nicely with Pancho and Lefty

i haven't seen this but: rosanne cash rules and king's record shop changed country music. is it just boringly rendered

The episode they focus on her in is by far the longest one, and to be honest, they could have moved both her and/or Hank Jr. to the next one for better effect.

ahhh. jeez i gotta start watching this already

I think all the eps are streaming for free on the PBS site now, so dig in!