I Hate Working Man Blues

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 6 Oct 2000 9:26 am

Put your blow torches away it isn't what you think!. I love the live version: the version from the 69 Album at Muskogee with Roy Nichols not James Burton on guitar. On the studio version some great producer thought it would be cute if someone would tap a little hammer every so often in the song. It sounds just like the "Chink" in the Three Stooges Shorts("Gee Moe") and it is driving me crazy, I am waiting for it in the song. Therefore I am looking for a live version any version without that damned hammer. can anyone help me locate such a version? Over and out, or should I say "Chink". Pete

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 6 Oct 2000 9:40 am

..Can't help you, Pete, but I'm LMAO at your post. We need a whole new set of emoticons now..one for "nyuk nyuk nyuk", one for "poke in the eyes", one for "why, I oughta..."..can the system support those, b0b?

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 6 Oct 2000 9:49 am

Hey, listen, man--it's a big job just gettin' by with 9 kids and a wife. If Hag needs to bring his day job of layin' spikes into the recording studio then where do you come off puttin' him down? You want he should sign up for welfare?

The producer also stuck this on "Working man can't get nowhere today".

While it never particularly bugged me before, because of you, I think it's going to distract me from now on. Yeah, it's kinda gimmicky, isn't it?

It's probably on "Live at Billy Bob's". <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jon Light on 06 October 2000 at 10:53 AM.]</p></FONT>

Dave Brophy · Post by **Dave Brophy** » 6 Oct 2000 10:31 am

One thing I've noticed with CD reissues of 50's and 60's recordings is that any kind of percussion instruments (tambourine,maracas,railroad spike)are annoyingly loud.
If it's on the original mono or stereo master,I guess they would have to filter the high end to get rid of this effect,and I haven't heard anybody do that.
Bear in mind that the original tapes were mixed to sound good on inexpensive AM radios and record players,both with very limited frequency response by today's standards.

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 6 Oct 2000 12:20 pm

Jon,sorry to have reminded you of the little studio trick and I never really noticed it either til I played the live version (which in my opinion kicks the hell out of the studio version). For what it's worth this falls into the same category as the problem I had with our local icecream trucks that have canned music on them. They both have a tinny version of "Turkey In the Straw" but only one actually plays the whole song!. One truck doesn't play the chorus. If I try to take an afternoon siesta the truck that doesn't have the complete version of "Turkey" always wakes me up. The things one notices as one descends into the maelstrom. Pete.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 6 Oct 2000 2:39 pm

Man, I just hate workin'.

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Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 6 Oct 2000 4:08 pm

Just try to remember that the "clinks" are about every 9 beats. Just try to not listen then.

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 6 Oct 2000 6:03 pm

...didn't they have those same metalic clinks in the line "That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang"?...

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 6 Oct 2000 6:47 pm

Get the CD Merle recorded live at Billy Bobs in Fort Worth. That is a great "live" CD in my opinion. The steel guitar playing of Norm cuts thru very well on all tracks.

Jude James Shiels · Post by **Jude James Shiels** » 7 Oct 2000 9:24 am

Sounds like a blacksmith making horseshoes. Is that the metaphoric sound of a working man?

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 7 Oct 2000 1:32 pm

If anyone has the capability of turning cassette tapes into CDs please E Mail Me..Peter.

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 8 Oct 2000 4:54 am

Pete, Sorry that I have nothing to add in the way of a potion to help you forget the little hammer doing its thing or an offer of another version of the song. I will say that for about 5 minutes I was incapacitated with laughter reading your post. My wife thought I was nuts or overly tired until she read it and also turned into a laughing machine. Thanks! Steve

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 8 Oct 2000 8:47 am

Every 9 beats? Wierd!

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 8 Oct 2000 9:24 am

b0b
As I understand it, the "clink" was supposed to occur every 4 beats, but a United Rail Worker's Union contract in place at the time would have made the cost of recording prohibitive. After long negotiations with Haggard's management, the Musician's Union, and the Rail Worker's Union, however, a lesser fee schedule for a "clink" every 9 beats was agreed upon.

A little known fact from the annals of American Trade Unionism.

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