I recently caught a TV tribute to Willie Nelson that was taped around his 80th birthday for CMT's "Crossroads" series. The show was hosted by Jack White and featured a bunch of guest artists, including Sheryl Crow, dueting with Willie on a standard called "Far Away Places." I somehow didn't know this lovely ballad, written in 1948 by the husband-wife team of Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer. (They also wrote "Candy," which became a hit for Big Maybelle.) "Far Away Places" was first recorded by Bing Crosby and then followed by many others. Willie and Sheryl Crow have recorded a version for his new album of duets with various women singers ("To All the Girls," available on iTunes). But I prefer WIllie's solo version, which I found on his 1979 album with Leon Russell, "One For the Road."
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October 2013
October 26, 2013
October 06, 2013
Remembering Freddy Fender
Back in 1998, I had the fortune to attend (and write about) one of the few live performances by Los Super Seven, the ad hoc Tex-Mex supergroup that included Freddy Fender (above), Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, and accordion legend Flaco Jimenez. Their first album (which would win a Grammy) was mostly a collection of somewhat obscure Spanish-language border songs. When the concert started, Rosas—playing the role of resident musicologist—introduced each song with details about its origin (e.g., Veracruz, Tamaulipas, etc.) and style (e.g., huapango, polka, etc.) Finally, it came time for Fender's turn and Cesar prodded him: "Freddy, tell the folks a little about this song. Where's it from?" And Fender said: "Mexico! 1-2-3-4..." That was the irrepressible Freddy Fender. This Saturday (Oct. 12), at the Ford Amphitheatre in L.A. there will be a concert tribute to Fender, featuring Rick Treviño (another Super Seven alum) and Los Texmaniancs. (Fender died in 2006 from lung cancer at the age of 69.) Calling all LA Tex-patriates: get thee to the Ford. Here's that song Freddy so eloquently introduced, which he recalled hearing for the first time in the 1950s in a small cantina in Matamoros.
October 04, 2013
Classic Pop: Badfinger
The use of Badfinger's "Baby Blue" in the final scene of the final episode of "Breaking Bad" was a perfect pop culture pastiche: a song written 40+ years ago that seemed made for this moment. And here's a revelation: that recording was produced by Todd Rundgren! Anyway, I dug out my Badfinger greatest hits CD and made another discovery: band members Pete Ham and Tom Evans also wrote "Without You," which would later become a huge—if somewhat bombastic—hit for Harry Nilsson. Here's Badfinger's original, followed by a rarity: Nilsson's spanish-language version!