RED SIMPSON
Not Just A Truck-Driving Hitmaker
Bear Family Release 5 CD Box Set
In the relatively short-lived period when truck driving songs enjoyed great chart popularity, Red Simpson was one of the big four – the others being Dick Curless, Dave Dudley and Red Sovine. Although he had never driven a truck, he won conviction for the genre with songs like Roll Truck Roll, Diesel Smoke Dangerous Curves, Country Western Truck Drivin’ Singer and his biggest contribution to the movement, I’m A Truck. Now probably more forgotten than remembered, Bear Family Records salutes the singer by not only spotlighting his truck driving songs but his complete recorded repertoire from 1957 to the year that he retired from touring, 1984, in a 165 song, 5 cd collection that not only includes his Capitol Records tracks but also material from several independent labels.
RED SIMPSON – HELLO, I’M RED SIMPSON
(Bear Family BCD 16944 EK)
Red Simpson may have charted truck driving songs, and popularized the image of life on the road, but his talents were far, far broader. As a member of the West Coast’s Bakersfield community, he was at the center of the vibrant honky-tonk scene that spawned Buck Owens and Merle Haggard – and wrote hits for both of them! He was a multi-instrumentalist who composed hundreds of songs and earned a reputation as one of the area’s most respected and successful songwriters. He was Bakersfield’s answer to Harlan Howard but “never really gotten his due” said his 1980s duet partner Lorraine Walden. “Buck and Merle became big stars, but Red held his own. He could write a ballad better than just about anybody”.
Joseph Cecil Simpson (or, Joe, as the family called him, even after everyone else knew him as Red) was born in Higley, Arizona – the youngest in a large family that was constantly on the move, always on the lookout for a better way of life. It was such ambition that led the Simpson’s to settle in the Arvin Migrant Camp, Weedpatch, on the outskirts of Bakersfield in 1937, three years after his birth. (The camp later gained notoriety after John Steinbeck spent time there, researching his novel “The Grapes of Wrath”). Later, with enough money saved, the family brought property in an area known as “Little Okie” and it was there, at the age of five, that the youngster first sang in public – in the front room of a house used as a church and dubbed “Red” by a Pentecostal pastor.
Red Simpson’s route into the music business came via his brother Thomas (known as “Buster”, nineteen years his senior) who joined The Orange Blossom Playboys, the band of Bill Woods, long regarded as the father of the Bakersfield music scene. He was inspired by both his brother and Woods and when he was old enough to make some money shining shoes, he hung out at the various clubs in the area, getting the opportunity to meet up with such artists as Hank Williams and Tex Ritter.
After serving in the Navy where, in his spare time, he taught himself to play guitar, fiddle and mandolin, Simpson worked occasionally as a backup musician in the bands of Woods and newcomer in town, Buck Owens, until he found steady club work himself. By the mid ‘50s he was regularly visiting Capitol’s recording studios, hanging out with Bakersfield musicians that producer Ken Nelson was using on his artists’ sessions. Around the same time he started as a songwriter and got his first cut with Sad, Sad Saturday Night recorded by Johnny Taylor on the Bakersfield based Fire label. A step further up the ladder came when The Farmer Boys, on Capitol, cut his Someone To Love and, in 1957 he made his own recording debut on Tally with Sweet Love c/w Dolly Blues although the single was released under the name Glen Ayers, the drummer who paid for the session! “That was kind of a surprise” Simpson admitted. “I didn’t know what he was gonna do. Ol’ Glen was a con man but I said, what the hell, it’s a record!”. Appealing more to the teen market, he laughingly called both songs junk although Billboard gave the single a moderate review.
He didn’t return to the recording studios for a further five years, after gigging in Ridgecrest (113 miles in the desert) and working the round of live country music shows on television. He cut the novelty Big Bank Robbery for LA based Lute Records, which had hit previously with another novelty, Alley Oop by the Hollywood Argyles. Produced by Leon Hart, it has become the singer’s rarest record. In 1963 Hart produced another single, One Day With My Baby, this time released on his own Millie label and the artist was billed as “Red (Suitcase) Simpson” because he was regularly with a suitcase full of his original songs. Sung to the tune of Six Days on The Road, it was something of an answer to Dave Dudley’s big hit and, although he wouldn’t have known it at the time, foreshadowed his success in the truck driving genre.
The move into the songwriting big-time came via Buck Owens who, first, recorded his original King Of Fools in 1962 and gave him his first chart hit two years later with Close All The Honky Tonks, though it was the Charlie Walker “cover” that went Top 20. Around the same time the recently parole Merle Haggard recorded his You Don’t Have Far To Go (as the B side of Tommy Collins penned Sam Hill). Hag subsequently recorded the song three more times. Owens continued to record a mass of Simpson’s songs including The Band Keeps Playin’ On, Let The Sad Times Roll on, (I Want) No One But You, Gonna Have Love, Kansas City Song and Sam’s Place (which gave the writer his first number one). In one year alone, 1965, Owens recorded 19 Simpson compositions and, at the same time, he brought him in as a musician on his Capitol sessions. That’s when producer Ken Nelson started watching him.
In August 1963 Dave Dudley’s Six Says On The Road rocketed up the charts. A few months later Jimmy Martin and the Willis Brothers had chart success with Widow Maker and Give Me Forty Acres respectively, and followed up wit albums that featured more trucking material. Ken Nelson realized the growing popularity of such material and wanted to get into the act. That when the multi-talented Cliffie Stone (musician, tv host, music publisher and A&R at Capitol) suggested Red Simpson and, although his recording session didn’t include any trucking songs, the second visit to the Capitol Recording studios (December 6, 7 and 8) was comprised wholly of such material. These included Truck Drivin’ Man, Nitro Express, Big Mack, Truck Driver’s Blues, Six Days on The Road and Roll Truck Roll, the last title being chosen as the first single. But even before that made its chart debut, followed by the eponymous album, the singer was back in the studio cutting songs for a second album (“The Man Behind The Badge”), albeit this comprised both truck and police themes. The next chart single – The Highway Patrol – came from this collection which was followed by Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves.
Unfortunately Red Simpson’s product failed to sell in any great quantity and he was dropped from the label in 1968, around the same time falling out with Buck Owens because of the latter’s hardnosed approach to business. He then increased his working involvement with Haggard as a band member as well concentrating on his writing with Cliffie Stone’s Central Songs music publishing company. (The fifth disc in this collection includes eleven acoustic demos made for the company, none of which have ever been previously released).
In 1971 he recorded tracks for Gene Breeden’s Portland Records, one of the songs being Hello, I’m A Truck (written by Bob Stanton, a postman from Granger, Washington) which created an immediate radio buzz. Capitol acquired the master and re-signed Simpson as an artist. It gave him the biggest hit of his career, peaking at #4 in the Billboard charts and followed by another eponymously titled album. Simpson remained with Capitol for two years and revisited the charts a couple more times with Country Western Truck Drivin’ Singer and Awful Lot To Learn About Truck Drivin’ and, among his album releases, was the festive offering “Truckers Christmas”.
His departure came at the time the label’s county division was officially moved to Nashville in an effort to move it from hillbilly to a more contemporary image although he didn’t help his profile as he wasn’t driven by the need to be a star. According to record owner Breeden, “he wouldn’t do major bookings … he’d rather drink with his buddies. And when he did do a show, he’d arrive in town the night before and sit in with bands at the local bars. The club owners would complain because it was cutting into their business. People weren’t going to pay to see Red’s show when they could catch him sitting in with the local bands.”
Back with Portland Records, the new association kicked off with the novelty single Streakin’ The Opryland Park. Next came Truck Driver’s Heaven (based on the 1950s hit I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven), which was picked up by Warner Bros, and his final chart entry, another novelty The Flying Saucer Man And The Truck Driver.
Besides presenting all his commercial releases (alongside Capitol and Portland, several other independent labels like Ambassador, Cougar and 51-West), this box set also includes all the unreleased Capitol masters and 18 previously unissued demos, adding up to a total of 165 recordings. It also offers the opportunity to hear the writer’s own versions of songs that Buck Owens recorded.
Accompanying the cds is a 108 page hardcover book in which author Scott B. Bomar details the Simpson career, drawing upon interviews with the artist himself as well as Gene Breedon, Merle Haggard, Buddy Mize, Ken Nelson and Fuzzy Owen among others. The text provides valuable insight into the songs and the recordings as well as Simpson’s relationships with both Owens and Haggard, his happy and dark days, and personal life. It is extremely well illustrated with photographs, many previously unpublished and from rare sources, and is completed with a discography.
And, in the USA, the “Hello, I’m Red Simpson” box set was greeted with great aplomb as it tied in with Red Simpson’s 78th birthday on March 6 and, two days later, a “Tribute to Red Simpson” concert was staged at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield. Then he’ll be Bakersfield’s Ambassador at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame when the “The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and California Country” exhibition opens on March 23 (running through December 2013).
For more information on the Red Simpson box set and other Bear Family releases, please contact Yvonne Saunders at Rollercoaster Records, Rock House, London Road, St. Mary’s, Stroud, Glos GL6 8PU. phone: 01453 886252; fax: 01453 885361; e-mail: von@rollercoasterrecords.com
Please note that Bear Family Records are imports and product is made available for media use at a special price. For more details, please contact Rollercoaster (as above).
HELLO, I’M RED SIMPSON (BCD 16944 EK) – Full Track Listing.
DISC ONE: Sweet Love • Dolly Blues • Big Bank Robbery • Big Bank Robbery, Part 2 • One Day With My Baby • Dippy Daddle Love • Jeannie With The Light Brown Cadillac • George For A Day • I’ve Just Lost You • Ukulele Bailey • Truck Drivin’ Man • Truck Driver’s Blues • Six Days On The Road • Give Me Forty Acres • Nitro Express • My Baby’s Waitin • Motivatin’ Man • Highway Man • Big Mack • Happy Go Lucky Truck Driver • Runaway Truck • Roll Truck Roll • The Highway Patrol • The City Police • Sidewalk Patrol • Rules Of The Road • Dreams Are Made For Fools • I Fell In Love With You • I’m Gonna Write Momma For Money • I’m Actin’ Like My Old Self Again • I Just Cry A Little • It’s My Last Night In Town • There Ain’t Nothin’ Happenin’ To Me • The Big Bank Robbery
DISC TWO: You’re Under Arrest • County Sheriff • Workin’ For The Highway Patrol • Johnny Law • Sheriff Sam • Bad Man Highway Patrol • I’m Turnin’ In My Star • 25 Years On Patrol • Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves • Black Smoke A-Blowin Over 18 Wheels (That’s Home Sweet Home) • Truck Daddy • I’ll Be Goin’ Home To Momma • A Tombstone Every Mile •Piggyback Blues • Take Me Home • Born To Be A Trucker • Jacknife • Truck Drivin` Fool • Sleeper, Five-By-Two • Old Sam • He Reminds Me A Whole Lot Of Me • Party Girl • Mini-Skirt Minnie • Honky Tonk Women • The Lonely Old House • Happy Travelin’ Man • I’m A Truck • Where Love Used To Be • Knights Of The Road • Drugstore Truck Driver • Road Rhythm • Motel Joe
DISC THREE: Good Old Truckin’ On • Truckin’ Man • Just Kept On Truckin’ • Gas, Food And Lodging • Lady Of The Road • Country Western Truck Drivin’ Singer • You’re The First • Truckin’ On Down The Road • Ole Ben • Hold On Ma’m (You Got Yourself A Honker) • Fur Coats And Fancy Clothes • Certainly a The Ballad Of Billy Jones • Those Forgotten Trains • You’re All Over My Mind • Jericho Jones • Milesaver Man • Awful Lot To Learn About Truck Drivin’ • You Still Got A Hold On Me • Gas, Food And Lodging • Feelin’ Like Tarzan • Truckin’ Trees For Christmas • Blue Blue Christmas (For This Truck Drivin’ Man) • Christmas Wheels • The Old Christmas Truck • Toys For Tots • Santa’s Comin’ In A Big Or Truck • Dad Will Be Home For Christmas • Little Toy Trucks • Gone Home For Christmas • Out On The Road For Christmas
DISC FOUR: Bill Woods From Bakersfield • Bull-Shippers • I’m A Pretty Good Man • Blackboard Of My Heart • Honky Tonk Ladies • Loverman • Squirmin’ • Yip Yip • If The World Ran Out Of Diesel • Gordon’s Grocery Store • Truck Drivin’ Man And Wife • Your Truck Drivin’ Man’s Comin’ Home • Streakin’ The Opryland Park • Love Has Never Done A Lot For Me • Bull-Shippers • Message From Home • Inflation • It Ain’t Even Halloween • Truck Driver’s Heaven • The Flying Saucer Man And The Truck Driver • I Miss You A Little • Longest Run • Benny And Me • Sam’s Place • Take Me Into Your World • The World Keeps Turning Around • We’re Back To Strangers Again • Gonna Have Love • Ain’t It Something • Close All The Honky Tonks • We Split The Blanket • I Had A Girl Like Her One Time • Kansas City Romeo
DISC FIVE: Just Call Me Texas • Trophies • Buffalo Beauty • Don’t Touch My Hat • Lady Lookin’ For Love • Me And Ole CB • Looking At The World Through A Windshield • I’ll Have Another Cup Of Coffee (Then II Go) • Movin’ On • 18 Wheels Hummin’ Home Sweet Home • Truck Drivin’ Son Of A Gun • Drivin’ My Life Away • Dear Mr. President • Ronnie, Baby • Lucky Ole Colorado • Time Changes Everything • The Flying Saucer Man And The Truck Driver • Lady Of The Road • A Little Bit Of Her • You Put My World Back Together • Living For You • World Full Of Love • You’re A Better Man Than Me • Poco • The Lonely GI • Ship Of Love • I Ain’t Found Me One • Play The Guitar Softly • Honky Tonks And Heartaches • Walkin’ Out Backwards • Ill Have To Live Without You • I’m Gettin’ Over A Heartache • Here Again, Gone Again • Don’t Think I Will • Here Today Gone Tomorrow Daddy • She Belongs To You