WAYLON JENNINGS – THE LOST NASHVILLE
SESSIONS
SESSIONS
A new album from Waylon Jennings is a major
event in Country music, even if the tracks originated in 1970. On July 13 of that year, Jennings was booked
to record a few songs at a studio named Music City Recorders in Nashville. The studio was owned by Scotty Moore who is
best remembered as the guitarist who worked with Elvis Presley on his early
hits on the Sun label.
event in Country music, even if the tracks originated in 1970. On July 13 of that year, Jennings was booked
to record a few songs at a studio named Music City Recorders in Nashville. The studio was owned by Scotty Moore who is
best remembered as the guitarist who worked with Elvis Presley on his early
hits on the Sun label.
Jennings’ sessions at Music City Recorders
were part of a series of 15-minute programs sponsored by the United States
Armed Services. The programs were then transferred to vinyl discs and sent out
to approximately 2,000 radio stations to encourage recruitment. Jennings was just one of several Country
artists who appeared in these programs that featured the artist singing a few
songs with a small backing group of musicians and talking to the show’s host.
After a brief rehearsal, each song was usually recorded in a single
‘take.’
were part of a series of 15-minute programs sponsored by the United States
Armed Services. The programs were then transferred to vinyl discs and sent out
to approximately 2,000 radio stations to encourage recruitment. Jennings was just one of several Country
artists who appeared in these programs that featured the artist singing a few
songs with a small backing group of musicians and talking to the show’s host.
After a brief rehearsal, each song was usually recorded in a single
‘take.’
Virtually none of those vinyl discs remain
in existence because radio stations would usually play them on-air one time and
then simply discard them. Fortunately,
the original master tapes remained virtually undamaged and were recently found
by Thomas Gramuglia of Country Rewind Records who realized that Waylon Jennings
still has a large following of loyal fans.
in existence because radio stations would usually play them on-air one time and
then simply discard them. Fortunately,
the original master tapes remained virtually undamaged and were recently found
by Thomas Gramuglia of Country Rewind Records who realized that Waylon Jennings
still has a large following of loyal fans.
The tapes were dusted off and assigned to
Grammy Award winning producer and musician Robby Turner whose job it was to
enhance the recordings to “21st Century audio standards” while maintaining
the spontaneous feel of the original session. This was a labor of love for
Turner who knew Jennings personally and had played and toured with him for many
years.
Grammy Award winning producer and musician Robby Turner whose job it was to
enhance the recordings to “21st Century audio standards” while maintaining
the spontaneous feel of the original session. This was a labor of love for
Turner who knew Jennings personally and had played and toured with him for many
years.
The fourteen tracks kick off with a version
of “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line,” the uptempo song that reached Number Two
on the Billboard Country charts for Jennings in 1968, followed by “The Chokin’
Kind,” a heart-wrenching ballad perfectly suited to his soulful voice.
of “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line,” the uptempo song that reached Number Two
on the Billboard Country charts for Jennings in 1968, followed by “The Chokin’
Kind,” a heart-wrenching ballad perfectly suited to his soulful voice.
Several of the tracks are what you’d
expect: versions of his then-recent hits such as “Stop the World and Let Me
Off” and “Green River” plus the two mentioned above. But on this album we get
to hear him put the Jennings spin on “Macarthur Park” and “Love of the Common
People,” possibly Jennings’ favorite of all the songs he recorded. In his
autobiography, he says of that song, “The lyrics were especially meaningful,
for a poor country boy who had worked his way up from ‘a dream you could cling
to’ to a spot in the working world of country music.”
expect: versions of his then-recent hits such as “Stop the World and Let Me
Off” and “Green River” plus the two mentioned above. But on this album we get
to hear him put the Jennings spin on “Macarthur Park” and “Love of the Common
People,” possibly Jennings’ favorite of all the songs he recorded. In his
autobiography, he says of that song, “The lyrics were especially meaningful,
for a poor country boy who had worked his way up from ‘a dream you could cling
to’ to a spot in the working world of country music.”
Among my favorite tracks here: “Anita
You’re Dreaming,” a song written by Jennings and Don Bowman that barely made a
dent in the charts in 1965, and the rarity “Young Widow Brown.” It is also a thrill to hear his version of
“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” written by fellow ‘outlaw country’ artist, Kris Kristofferson.
You’re Dreaming,” a song written by Jennings and Don Bowman that barely made a
dent in the charts in 1965, and the rarity “Young Widow Brown.” It is also a thrill to hear his version of
“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” written by fellow ‘outlaw country’ artist, Kris Kristofferson.
These ‘lost’ sessions have been found and
restored to delight Waylon Jennings’ longtime fans – and perhaps turn on a new
generation who will discover his music via this album.
restored to delight Waylon Jennings’ longtime fans – and perhaps turn on a new
generation who will discover his music via this album.
Full disclosure: At the request of Country
Rewind Records’ Executive Producer Tom Gramuglia, I wrote the album liner notes
for “Waylon Jennings: The Lost Nashville Sessions.”
Rewind Records’ Executive Producer Tom Gramuglia, I wrote the album liner notes
for “Waylon Jennings: The Lost Nashville Sessions.”
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Cd Review by Preshis Harris for Country Music News International