Kitty Wells, RIP

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1. howard says:

   July 16, 2012 at 11:29 pm

   i’m embarassed to admit that i didn’t even realize that she was still alive, so it came as a double shock: what a great song in particular and what a giant overall.

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   • howard says:

     July 17, 2012 at 12:32 pm

     don slack, who does a great country music show on thursday evenings on kexp (which is available online and maintains a 2-week archive), is going to do a tribute to wells this week, which i’m sure will be worth checking out.

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2. Substance McGravitas says:

   July 17, 2012 at 12:33 am

   She was great.

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3. Pinko Punko says:

   July 17, 2012 at 12:48 am

   This month seems to have a cluster of 90 year old greats. These are the very last of many cultural eras. Super great voice.

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4. Henry Holland says:

   July 17, 2012 at 1:08 am

   On a more session musician note, the excellent Motown bass player Bob Babbitt died today.

   The Pittsburgh-born Babbitt’s most notable bass performances include “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” (by Stevie Wonder), “War” (by Edwin Starr), “The Tears of a Clown” (by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles), “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and “Inner City Blues” (by Marvin Gaye), “Band Of Gold” (by Freda Payne), “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)“, and Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) (by The Temptations).

   He participated in hundreds of other hits, including “Little Town Flirt” by Del Shannon, “I Got a Name” by Jim Croce, “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & the Pips, “Scorpio” by Dennis Coffey & the Detroit Guitar Band, and “(The) Rubberband Man” by The Spinners.

   RIP Awesome Bass Player Man

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   • Erik Loomis says:

     July 17, 2012 at 1:20 am

     The keyboardist for Deep Purple also died today.

     The day the music died. If only these three played in a band together.

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   • Fats Durston says:

     July 17, 2012 at 6:51 am

     Holy shit, awesome session man indeed: “Somebody’s Been Sleeping In My Bed,” “Give Me Just A Little More Time,” “Mind Body And Soul,” and “Smiling Faces.”

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   • Kathleen says:

     July 17, 2012 at 3:44 pm

     So sad to see another Funk Brother pass.

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5. M. Bouffant says:

   July 17, 2012 at 1:32 am

   Ha, beat you guys to something for once, & w/ different videos. I’ll share the song HTA answered.

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   • Erik Loomis says:

     July 17, 2012 at 1:46 am

     Society went to hell once we lost the tradition of answer songs.

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     • M. Bouffant says:

       July 17, 2012 at 1:55 am

       Wanted to be sure I wasn’t imagining answer songs. Wiki sez:

       Today, this practice is most common in hip hop music and filk, especially as the continuation of a feud between performers; the Roxanne Wars was a notable example which resulted in over a hundred answer songs. Answer songs also played a part in the battle over turf in The Bridge Wars. Sometimes an answer record imitated the original very closely and occasionally a hit song would be followed up by the same artist.

       I don’t even want to know what “filk” is.

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       • M. Bouffant says:

         July 17, 2012 at 1:58 am

         The last example in the Wiki is from 2002. That’s as good a date as any for society going all to hell.

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       • Walt says:

         July 17, 2012 at 4:19 am

         Liz Phair’s album Exile in Guyville is supposedly a song-by-song answer to Exile on Main Street.

         A “filk” is a folk song with anachronistic lyrics, typically on some super geeky subject, like “Lady Greensleeves” rewritten to be about James T. Kirk.

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         • rea says:

           July 17, 2012 at 7:44 am

           Liz Phair’s album Exile in Guyville is supposedly a song-by-song answer to Exile on Main Street.

           I’ve heard that said many times, but an actual song-by-song comparison of the two albums doesn’t work too well.

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           • Bill Murray says:

             July 17, 2012 at 8:38 am

             OTOH Liz Phair has certainly said that she did this.

             http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/he-said-she-said-how-liz-phair-took-the-rolling-stones-to-guyville-20100521

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         • Western Dave says:

           July 17, 2012 at 9:40 am

           Filk songs are what people sing at Comicon.

           Reply
6. creature says:

   July 17, 2012 at 7:16 am

   Back in my youth, wgen I had more time and less responsibility, I poured over album sleeves and music magazines. I sought out all those connections between performers- the session musicians that really put the ‘good stuff’ in a recording. Bob Babbitt was the badass bassist, for, like everybody. Jon Lord, his Deep Purple stuff notwithstanding, worked with some great session people to create a beautifully diverse musical legacy. Kitty Wells was always one of those country performers who hit all the numbers for a Nashville artist to hit, to be a Nashville artist. All will be sorely missed, and yes, an era is coming to an end.

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   • Bill Altreuter says:

     July 17, 2012 at 8:13 am

     John Lord was playing keyboards on the Kinks’ You Really Got Me. How cool is that?

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   • Erik Loomis says:

     July 17, 2012 at 10:17 am

     I don’t think you need to say “Deep Purple stuff notwithstanding.” That was a really good band in its early years.

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7. rm says:

   July 17, 2012 at 1:36 pm

   Answer songs are an old tradition.

   Reply