Category: country music

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Why I Switched from Sirius XM to Pandora for Folk & Country


I recently changed my music source from Sirius XM to Pandora. As an avid fan of Folk and Country Music, it turned out to be a wise decision. Now, I can listen to my favorite recording artists singing songs from the 60’s through the 90’s. And lately, several of those songs are appearing on this blog.

Like the previous song I posted here, “Silver Skies Blue” captured my attention almost immediately. I had never heard it before because, prior to Pandora, I had never listened to Judy Collins’ music the way I do now. In addition to Silver Skies Blue, I’ve posted several of Judy’s cover and original songs including: When I Was a Girl In Colorado, Suzanne, and Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye.

The album “Silver Skies Blue” features songs by Collins and Ari Hest, who also performs with his polished guitar play and powerful, deep voice that complements Judy’s higher one perfectly. The album, released in 2016, earned Collins her first Grammy nomination in 40 years.

Here’s my cover.

Solo Version

Enhanced Version

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Country Classic: ‘When You Say Nothing At All’


“When You Say Nothing At All” is a country music song with a storied past. Written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz, the song was picked up by Keith Whitley. He loved the song when he first heard it, and wasn’t going to let it go to another recording artist. Whitley had learned his lesson when he passed on another Overstreet-Schlitz song that became a hit for Randy Travis. This time around, “When You Say Nothing At All” became a major hit for Whitley when he introduced it in 1988 on his “Don’t Close Your Eyes” album. Sadly, Whitley passed away a few months later at the age of 33.

As an interesting side note, Schlitz and Overstreet created the song after an unproductive day in the studio. While strumming their guitars, they sang about coming up with nothing at all, which led to the song’s lyrics. They didn’t think the song was anything special, but history proved them wrong.

Country Singer Allison Krause and her band, Union Station, reintroduced the song in 1995 on a tribute album to Keith Whitley. “When You Say Nothing At All” became their first top 10 country hit.

Here are my covers.

Solo Version

Enhanced Version

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The Beauty of ‘Talking In Your Sleep’ by Gordon Lightfoot


“Talking In Your Sleep” is not exactly a happy song. I chose it for the guitar background and the melody, both of which I find quite beautiful. I’m a long-time fan of Gordon Lightfoot, and I’ve covered many of his songs on this blog. However, this song is not as well known as many of Lightfoot’s others, and I hadn’t listened to it in decades. But the song kept popping up on the Pandora stations I’ve been listening to lately, and it captured my attention immediately.

“Talking In Your Sleep” is a touching, country-folk song written and performed by the Canadian singer-songwriter. Reprise Records released the song in 1971 on Gordon’s 6th album, Summerside of Life. It became a moderate hit, reaching #64 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Charts and #19 on the Canadian RPM charts. In case you were wondering, RPM stands for the title of a popular Canadian music trade journal called Records, Promotion, Music.

Moderate hit or not, “Talking In Your Sleep” rings my doorbell. I hope it will ring yours as well. My mentor, Jerry Lamberth, calls it “a wonderful song,” and one of the first lessons he posted on his site, Jerry’s Guitar Bar. With Jerry’s tutelage, I’m playing the song close to Lightfoot’s original.

Solo Version

Enhanced Version

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Nanci Griffith’s ‘I Wish It Would Rain’: A Musical Treasure


Despite its somewhat foreboding title and subject matter, this Nanci Griffith song is upbeat and fun to play. “I Wish It Would Rain” was released by MCA in 1988 on Nanci’s 6th album titled “Little Love Affairs.” I hope you enjoy listening to the song as much as I enjoy playing it. I’m including a video of Nanci Performing in the late 1980’s. Just look at her beautiful smile. Here’s my cover.

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Inspired by Emmylou Harris: ‘Heaven Only Knows’


Here’s another song, written by Paul Kennerly and made famous by Emmylou Harris, called “Heaven Only Knows.” The song was released on Emmylou’s 1989 album, “Bluebird.” The song reached #16 on the Hot Country Music Chart.

Since I’m a newcomer to the Country Music Scene, I’d never heard of Paul Kennerly before. He’s an Englishman who has written 30 published Country Music songs. (I guess there are stranger things that abound in our world). I don’t recall Kennerly’s name being mentioned in connection with any of the songs I’ve covered here. Be that as it may, he has written two powerful songs that Emmylou Harris has brought to my attention. I covered the other song, “Born to Run,” in my previous blog.

“Heaven Only Knows,” as performed by Emmylou and her band, features a driving beat, compelling lyrics, and the recording artist’s beautiful, singular voice.

Here’s my cover with digital backup.

AI Image of Paul Kennerly Performing Live

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‘Born to Run’: The Country Music Version


While searching for a video of Bruce Springsteen playing his iconic hit “Born to Run,” I stumbled upon a video of Emmylou Harris singing “Born to Run.” Now, here’s the fascinating surprise: Emmylou is singing an entirely different song written by Paul Kennerly. And this song really rocks. Released in 1982 as the second single from Harris’ album Cimarron, “Born to Run” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Emmylou Harris sings like an Angel. She is a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. I put Emmylou into my Hall of Fame alongside other Angels by the names of Eva Cassidy, Nanci Griffith, Linda Ronstadt, and Kate Wolf.

Here’s my cover of Paul Kennerly’s “Born to Run.”

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Why Emmylou Harris Inspires Generations of Fans


“Long May You Run” is written by Neil Young. The song came alive for me when I heard Emmylou Harris and her band perform it. Now in her seventies, Emmylou is still beautiful and sings like an angel, as attested to in the video I’ve included.

After hearing Miss Harris’ version of the song, I began listening to many of her other reels on YouTube. She is a consummate, unique performer, not to mention beautiful. Emmylou’s music has remained consistently excellent throughout her forty-year career. Willie Nelson is quoted as saying, “There are two types of people in this world…those who love Emmylou and those who have not met her.”

Harris has released more than twenty-five albums. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Here’s my cover.