Merle Haggard - Tally Records

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 23 Aug 2000 11:26 am

In the process of selling off a record collection I came across 4 Merle Haggard records, one recorded with Bonnie Owens on the Tally label, started in part by Lewis Talley and Fuzzy Owen. The songs include "Sing A Sad Song" and other early hits and the fidelity, timing and intonation of the whole band and singers is incredible. In fact they were later picked up, as is by Capitol and sound as good as the later Capitol stuff done in a real studio. According to what I've been able to glean from the net, Tally records was in 3 different locations, starting in a garage and ending up in a house. In all cases it appears that these records were made on a MONOTRACK tape recorder fed by a 3 TRACK mixer! Blows away most of the overproduced music I can hear today anywhere else. Listening to these, they are so listenable, the music is so good you'll never miss the lack of 90+ db recording equipment, Hilton pedal, anti-detuning Legrande III and all the marvels that we have today. Loretta Lynn's releases on Zero Records were just as good. Todays hat acts really can't sing. These records see record list have no computer corrected voices but they do have singers and good songs. There has got to be more talent in a country as populated as this.

Greg

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 23 Aug 2000 1:17 pm

Amen!

I hold Merle in unreasonably high esteem as a singer, songwriter and musician. It seems that part of his talent was surrounding himself with trusted people who really knew music and the music business. Louis Tally and Fuzzy Owen are two of his early collaborators who helped launch his career with Capitol.

Right now I’m starving for some new Hag releases. Not just new recordings of old tunes. Anyone else feeling that way?

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HagFan

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 23 Aug 2000 5:36 pm

Greg, are you trying to say most of the old stuff sounds better than most of the new stuff?

I know of SEVERAL people here who are going to jump right on that one!

George Rozak · Post by **George Rozak** » 23 Aug 2000 6:40 pm

Greg, are you trying to say most of the old stuff sounds better than most of the new stuff?

I'd certainly agree with this statement. I really cann't stomach most of the new stuff that I hear.

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 24 Aug 2000 5:11 am

I have listened to some of the re-issue of Merle's stuff and agree...

The re-issue junk isn't even close to what the original mix stuff is.

I couldn't believe it was same people,(I really don't think it is) as the players styles were too different from the original sound tracks.

If a label is going to re-issue an albun, lets just re-issue what we are acustomed to hearing from the artist, not some P@#$-poor attempt to put a New York acid rock bend to it.

BTW, I trashed the new re-issue CD after paying $15.98 for it, I couldn't believe how bad it was.

Jude James Shiels · Post by **Jude James Shiels** » 24 Aug 2000 6:24 am

If you mean the 43 Greatest Hits Bill, I got an exchange for it after listening only to about 5 songs. I'm afraid that rerecordings will obscure the originals for people who wonder why Merle is held in such high esteem. That record reeks of going through the motions, the sound isn't nearly as natural feeling as the originals either.

Neil Hilton · Post by **Neil Hilton** » 24 Aug 2000 7:42 am

you bet, Merle's original cuts on the little old Talley label in Bakersfield are fantastic, I see "Please Mr DJ" is one that is included, I love that song, and as you mention Ron, the vocals that Merle delivered at that young age(approx 25) in '63 are so very, very good, with that simple "garage"-sounding mix that that Talley works had.

A couple of years ago, I came across a copy of the full album "Just Between the Two of Us" - duets with Bonnie, bought it for $4 out of a box of rummage albums!!! That whole album is solid old Talley-sound and is great, great, great!
ps - in the same box, I also grabbed Hank Thompson live album recorded at the Golden Nugget in vegas in the early 60's - another $4 for that one. can't imagine a better way to have broken up a $10-bill!!! - Neil

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 24 Aug 2000 8:56 am

HagFans,

Get the "Live at Billy Bob's Texas" CD. It's loaded with classics, but it would almost seem that the CD was recorded for the Steel Guitar Forum.

I can think of 5 or 6 tunes featuring fantastic steel where the originals have virtually none. (Today I Starting Loving You Again, Hungry Eyes, I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink, Ramblin' Fever, and Okie From Muskogee) Even "Big City" picked up some great fills in the later verses.

Merle Haggard and Norm Hamlet at their very best. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention the fantastic guitar work of Redd Volkhart.

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HagFan

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 24 Aug 2000 9:27 am

Redd Volkaert's (spelling?) CD is one of my top 10 favorite CD's. His version of Merle's "Strangers" is great and you get to hear Jim Murphy playing along on C6th. They managed to capture some good raw sound without taking the edge off, kind of like what you'd hear it they were jammin' at a club. The Dynamic range of the sounds on this CD is terrific and there's good frequency response (lot's of clean highs and tight bass with a lot of punch) without having the cymbals make that high hash noise so prevalent on CD's. I wish this was available on HDCD. Of course I wish Jim was a little higher in the mix. These guys (Redd and Jim Murphy) fit together a lot like Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant. Maybe if Redd had worked with Merle a few more years a new style would evolve and Merle could reinvent his sound and come up wit a CD that's as listenable as Redd's, given that it wasn't recorded in a major studio and the producer just layed back like Ken Nelson. Of course you've got to have the songs too. I can't belive Merle and his buddies are tapped out of good songs.

Greg

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 24 Aug 2000 9:51 am

Ron Page Said
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>I hold Merle in unreasonably high esteem as a singer, songwriter and
musician.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Impossible!

Steve Allison · Post by **Steve Allison** » 25 Aug 2000 9:15 am

Gee, why can't I get my 32 pedal, anti- detuning, electronically tuned, multi-effected, signal processed, 40,000 watt rig, to sound like that old cheap 8 string, 4 pedal, cable operated, 45 watt 12 inch speaker, with the DeArmond foot feed, black diamond strings, and drug store hook up cables?

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 26 Aug 2000 2:04 pm

I just heard Merle just registered as a Democrat!

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 31 Aug 2000 3:54 pm

Yeah, right!

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HagFan

Adrian Wulff · Post by **Adrian Wulff** » 31 Aug 2000 10:12 pm

Does anyone have the Hag boxed set put out a few years ago? I've found a couple of his late seventies albums in bargain bins and love them. Roy Nichols is the best. He puts a lot of swing and syncopation in his solos. Top 40 country pickers should listen to him instead of the bad 80's rock guitar that comes out in their playing.

Adrian Wulff · Post by **Adrian Wulff** » 31 Aug 2000 10:12 pm

Does anyone have the Hag boxed set put out a few years ago? I've found a couple of his late seventies albums in bargain bins and love them. Roy Nichols is the best. He puts a lot of swing and syncopation in his solos. Top 40 country pickers should listen to him instead of the bad 80's rock guitar that comes out in their playing.

Neil Hilton · Post by **Neil Hilton** » 1 Sep 2000 6:31 am

Adrian - yes, if your collection of Hag albums is relatively light, the box-set "Down Every Road" would be a great $45 for you to invest. 4 CDs with 20+ songs per. It really is a good collection and mix of work from him spanning his career to date - starting from the Tally single "Skid Row" from 1962. That first CD is particularly good if you don't have any of the old Capitol albums from the mid- late-60's..... classic stuff that will genuinely live forever. - Neil

Ron · Post by **Ron** » 1 Sep 2000 9:19 am

OH you hag fans!!!!! I love it!!!!!! I love the new sound manily because I built the "ROBRO" (Dobro)that Norm plays now and has had for the last 6 years. Yes they have lots of electric garbage they didn't have back then but in spite of it all they sound good. I think I have heard Merle has 10 albums in the can just waiting to release on this new lable. Lets hope it happens. His latest two cds you need to hear. Cabin in the hills and Two old freinds. Listen to Norm on the Bobro !!!He is fantastic!!!!! Lots of steel to and RED-------------wow!!!1

RON

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Ron · Post by **Ron** » 1 Sep 2000 9:44 am

Greg

Listed for sale on E-Bay was Merls 501 Blue record athat sold for $48.00!! What a find you have!!

RON

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Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 21 Sep 2000 6:59 pm

"Sing a sad song" was Hags first record in 1963. Went to 19 on Billboard. Wynn Stuart wrote it and wanted to record it but couldn't find a lable. Later on Wynn got his break and it was his first release also. But what made them great was Mooney played on both. On Hags they put what i'd call violins with the steel and messed it all up. But on Wynns' it is probably the best steel break i"ve ever heard. It's pretty much the same but you can hear it.
Bob Carlson

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Uff Da Meg[This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 21 September 2000 at 08:01 PM.][This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 21 September 2000 at 08:06 PM.]

KEVIN OWENS · Post by **KEVIN OWENS** » 21 Sep 2000 9:04 pm

In 1963 Wynn Stewart had been making records for almost 10 years. Merle was his bass player and heard him sing the song. Merle then asked Wynn if he could cut the song (one of the first things he cut, if not the first on Tally).

Kevin

ESnow · Post by **ESnow** » 21 Sep 2000 11:45 pm

Just wondering what you guys think these 3 albums are worth. Merle Haggards Strangers and Friends "Honky Tonkin'",Getting to Know Strangers and Merle Haggard-Introducing My Friends The Strangers which has (Stealin Corn) on it. They are all original releases on LP. These are priceless to me just wondered how many copys are still out there.