The Steel Guitar Forum

I love the last part of his Opry segment when he always finishes with a ballad. He usually introduces it saying "Here's a song you've probably never heard, because it was the flip side of a flop record I had one time" He's had some good ones. I wish you get a CD or something of his that was all ballads. Maybe someday someone will release one, I hope Jason

Hello Jason;
Lil' Jimmy or Ol' Tater can for sure sing them old ballads!!.I have often wondered why he never put out an album of all ballads myself..Funny he is more famous for what i call the "silly" songs..One of my favorite ballads by him is called
" I love Lucy Brown "....Knocked out COUNTRY-
it don't get much better..Anyways; thanks for bringing the topic up...Ron

Hi Jason,

He has an absolutley fabulous CD he recently cut (in 1964 that is -- his joke) that is called "Songs I Love to Sing". It has LOTs of good steel and has many ballads on it. CD has 24 songs.

Contact Ernest Tubb Record shops. You can't go wrong with this one.

Leroy

Hi Leroy Just drifted upon your reply about the Tater, I have long been a fan of jimmie Dickens. That guy can sing a ballad . I`m going to see if i can get that CD. Say I have a son who lives in Loveland, Co. North Franklin . Im going to see him the 14th of Aug. Do you play any where around there ? May get to see you

jonesgtrmn3@juno.com

One of my favorites,aside from,"Raggedy Ann", is one called,"When You're Seventeen (Life's A Fortune At Your Feet".) This'll bring a tear to a glass eye!

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What Smiley said.Plus Shopping for Dresses.With BE on steel.Tears me up.I should mention that the version with BE was done when TNN was doing Church Street Station.I'm a little to young to remember who played the original record.Not sure I've ever heard it.Bet ya"ll thought I only liked this new country crap. Actually I like some of all.And all of none. -----bb<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bobby Boggs on 26 June 2002 at 10:30 PM.]</p></FONT>

My favorite Tater ballad would have to be a tune entitled "I Leaned Over Backwards for You". I was turned on to it by a guy here in Virginia named Tee Meroney who played lead guitar for Dickens for a while in the 60's. He had a version on one of his own albums. Great song! I like the opening line of the first verse. It says: I'VE TURNED THE OTHER CHEEK TOO OFTEN, TILL MY HEART HAS BECOME BLACK AND BLUE...............

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney tuning.

My favorite, as with Smiley,next to Raggedy Ann, is " What Will I Do Now". These songs of his are better than 95% of the music coming out now that is supposed to be " country music"! Thanks for the info on the cd of Jimmy's songs, that will go on my short list of selections to purchase.

Leroy,
Thanks for the tip on the CD. I'll check that one out for sure. Jason

The "Tater" What a country giant, He is one of the tallest guys in good country music. My fovorite is "Life turned her that way"
Wayne

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Wayne Morgan
BMI D10 8x8, Nash 400,'63 Fender Super Reverbe,and '71 telecaster custom

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Wayne Morgan on 27 June 2002 at 06:52 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Wayne Morgan on 27 June 2002 at 06:53 AM.]</p></FONT>

"Life Turned Her That Way", "Seventeen", "I Leaned Over BAckward For You" are all on the CD. It's Great!

Robert, I do play around. Let me know as August 14th approaches and if I am playing, we'll make contact. I'll email my phone number.

L...

(Edited for date correction.)
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Leroy Riggs on 27 June 2002 at 08:36 AM.]</p></FONT>

Merle Haggard did a good cut on (Shopping for Dresses) also.

My favorites are My Eyes are Jealous, We Could and When Your House is Not A Home.
Perry

Perry,
It's funny you should mention,"My Eyes Are Jealous". For the people that aren't aware, this was the "B" side of "May The Bird Of Paradise..." by " 'Tater". It was written by none other than Jimmy Day. I have it by Jimmy (Day),that I recorded in a motel room,in Wilmington,Del.,back in '64±,when Buzz Evans & myself went down there (from Mass.) to see him playing w/ Ferlin Huskey. He told us that he,& Barbara,(his wife,at the time) had written it for their daughter. The "hook line" was,"My eyes are jealous of each other, for the beauty that each one beholds". Now,tell me that ain't some "heavy" stuff!

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I have always liked "Another Bridge to Burn"...

Tim R.

I talked with a steel player that played once for him on the opry. He said it was his greatest experience. Said when Jimmy Dickens walked out on the stage, you could feel the electricity flowing throught the stage. How many of us would give anything to back him up?

Daddy And The Wine is a great Little Jimmy song.

My favs are all those mentioned above plus "Concious" and "Take Me As I Am Or Let Me Go". I am pretty sure that the Great Walter Haynes did the record sessions on both songs.

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kd...and the beat goes on...


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Kenny Dail on 30 June 2002 at 07:36 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ron: Mega dittoes on "I Love Lucy Brown". A "goose bump" inducing ballad indeed. Did Tater ever record it?

You got it Gary!!!!..I just love that sloooow shuffle beat bahind that song..What a GREAT piece of work & Ol' Tater can flat
"tear it up" too!!.I have heard him sing it but i do not have a record by him with that song on it..I also like a lot of the other songs that are mentioned above but my favorite by him is still"I Love Lucy Brown" & "MY Eyes Are Jealous" is also another great one too- Thanks to my friend Smiley for the bit of trivia on the writer of that ballad-Man; Mr. Jimmy Day!!..It don't get no better that that!!.I have "gotta get" that CD!!....Ron
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ron Whitworth on 30 June 2002 at 08:45 PM.]</p></FONT>

Mr. Dickens recorded "I Love Lucy Brown" for Decca Records in 1967 (I think) on the album "Jimmy Dickens Sings" I own the album, but I don't have it here in front of me. "I Love Lucy Brown" was written by Dallas Frazier and to this day, Jimmy still sings it quite often. Connie Smith also recorded the song, retitled "I Love Charley Brown" with some of the lyrics changed (to a female point of view of course.) Her version has a great intro by Weldon Myrick. Jason

Smiley, the first time I heard Tater sing My Eyes are Jealous was at a house party in Honolulu. The band I was with was backing him on a weeks tour. We had just finished a show at the rodeo arena on a flat bed trailer in the rain. Jims Nudie suit would have fit a childs doll. Of course, he just made a big joke out of the situation. But I have goose bumps just remembering the feeling he put in that song.
Perry

P.S. Smiley. If my memory is still good, I believe Georgie Riddle was there at the time.
Perry

I have two Favorite ballads by "The Tater". "We Could". Walter Haynes on steel, and "Concience", Walter Haynes on steel.Jody.

I started this topic, and just realized I never did post my favorite JD ballads:
I'd Rather Sleep In Peace (Than Know You're Gone)
Death In The Family- written by Bill Anderson
Can You Build Your House (On Another Man's Grave)- written by Mel Tillis
Another Bridge to Burn- written by Harlan Howard
his version of "Farewell Party" is also great, done as a 4/4 shuffle!!!
I love all of his ballads though, IMO, I don't think there is a country singer out there who can put the emotion into a ballad the way he does. Jason