Just got the box set "King of the Road: the Genius of Roger Miller" and it has some great cuts from "Trip in the Country" featuring Buddy Emmons.
It also had these great pics: one with Buddy Emmons and a Fender 1000, and another with a different unmanned Fender (could it be one that Buddy '"left" on the bandstand? )
The first photo with BE has no year or credit. The other photo is captioned as "Roger in his prime, performing at a WVOK-sponsored show in Birmingham in the summer of 1964."
Who's the fiddle player? Might be Dale Potter, but I can't quite tell.
That's fine looking axe Roger's playing. That Trip in the Country record is one of my all-time favorites. Tall, Tall Trees, When 2 Worlds Collide, etc.
"Trip in the Country" is one of the greatest country albums ever cut. It almost sounds like a demo - no fancing mixing or overdubs -just great players playing great. Sounds better than anything on the radio today. And... it has all the steel guitar licks you would ever need to play any job with anybody for the rest of your life.
Buddy! In 58 I saw you carry a Fender "800?" from the Ryman & thru Tootsies, & across the street to the record shop, then in 64 I saw you at a Stockyards show in Denver, you were with Price, & Brumley, "with Buck" took me up on stage & flipped your Emmons over to show me the bottom & said, "this is what I'm getting' Roy Orbison was also on that show! Just some great old memories of mine! Thanks! au Wsssheeew!
The LP is not available any more. I have "Best Hits" of Roger Miller CD that has a bunch of stuff INCLUDING all the cuts from "A Trip in the Country." Got it at Scottys about 10 years ago.
THAT record along with Charly Pride Live are must listens fror anyone learning. I said so in my book. And now they are available again.
whoopie!
When one thinks of Roger Miller, "Dang Me" and "Trailers for sale or.....", etc. come to mind.
NOT "A Trip in the Country". This is an outstanding recording of Roger M with superb backing by Buddy E. Mighty easy listening. Roger's singing is smooth and soft. Buddy's playing is soooo complimentary to Roger's singing. Of course what else is new, Huh?
I found my recording in an old Zayre's store for 75 cents about 30 yrs ago. It is worth thousands to me now. Sure wish it was still available for you guys. This is one recording you will treasure if you had it.
"Trip in the Country".....now theres yer "how to" record for steel guitar! I found my copy in '75 or "76 & wore it plum out
I do have it on cassette & listen to it from time to time & am still amazed at everyones playing on there. If a steel could play itself, I think it would sound like E on that recording
.....mc
Here's playing to match Roger Miller: clever and engaging. Check out this (C6?) ride: click here <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 07 May 2002 at 10:51 AM.]</p></FONT>
Okay, here's a classic example of copyright ethics:
This album, "Trip in the Country," is currently unavailable, and just try to find an old lp copy...good luck! (Same goeas for the "Best Hits" issue Winnie Winston mentions?) Some of the tracks with Buddy Emmons are on the box set, but just some.
So...is it ethical for fans to sell (or even give?) duped copies of the original, unavailable album to each other? Is it ever okay to give away other people's hard work?
I'd be delighted to buy a commerically produced re-release and reward that effort with my $ to help encourage MORE great "oldies" to be made available...but I don't have that option.
I think that Roger Miller didn't tour with a steel player, his main guy was Thumbs Carlisle (spell that how you like, there's abut three ways to do it), and Buddy joined in 1968 on bass.
Most article say that Buddy moved to CA to join Miller in '69, but Buddy has posted that it was 1968, so I'd go with that. Plus he was on some 1968 Hollywood sessions.
Anyway, if there's a steel onstage with Miller in '64, well it's most likely from the house band or the opeing act rather than part of Miller's band.
The 1970 Miller LP is a cool one, I haven't seen or heard a copy in a while, but then I like Roger's material right through the 1960s and I suspect he'll be reissued in various forms besides the box set. (I hope)
What I'm interested in is the pic of Roger Miller as 'sideman' with Charlie Walker and Buddy Emmons on steel. The question is, who's he a sideman for...Charlie Walker?
The interesting thing is that Roger was with Ray Price's Cherokee Cowboys as was Walker and Emmons. Is it really a shot of the Cherokee Cowboys opening for Price?
My local vintage vinyl shop here in Helsinki has "Trip In The Country" for $5, it's been there for months. I haven't bothered, cause I have that cd of it. But I think I'll go get it today! ( eat your heart out!! )
Jussi
Great record, I bought one back in the 80's for about $20 from Tower records in NYC. I went digging for it this morning and much to my suprise, not only did I find that record but also Ernest Tubb On Tour with the Troubadours which is recorded Live..!! Forgot I had that one.
The days is off to a good start...maybe I'll quit now .
tp
Jason: The shirt I'm wearing looks like it's from the Ernest Tubb days. Roger and I never worked together with Ray Price but Shorty was on the band when I first took the job. Short's shirt is different than mine, so the picture could have been taken at a package tour with Ray, Ernest, and Charlie. A lot of times the headliner would furnish the band for the acts that didn't carry one. This could have been one of those jobs where nobody got paid for backing and I flipped a coin with the alternate steel player and lost.
I looked for the "Trip In the Country" record as a CD for several years. I did find that Mercury has released most of the cuts from that album on a CD called "The Best Of Roger Miller, Volume 1,Country Tunesmith". I believe it has almost all the cuts that the vinyl record has.Pete.
Hi Buddy, yeah that makes a lot of sense to me, the clothing didn't seem to match, but it seemed a rather interesting combination of talent that had worked with Price at some stage.
Thanks for the lowdown.
Thanks, Peter, for that tip on the re-issue CD. There are so many repackaged Roger Miller CDs, it was great to know exactly which one to find (on eBay).
Yeah, Buddy's steel playing is great on this: clean and clear, with great taste and restraint. I'm also taken with how great the rhythm section sounds: very straight ahead and simple. The singing and song writing material really takes center stage. It would be so cool if some of today's producers would take a cue from this classic approach. I think it might actually cut through the clutter and be distinctive. When was the last time you heard a recording with just a rich, clean and "fluttery" snare locked in with a simple bass part for that swinging 2/4 feel? I know...too old fashioned and not commercial. Maybe some of the "alt.country" bands could try this...?
Let me double ratify Bob's endorsement of the Country Tunesmith CD that Pete recommended. Thanks for the tip Pete, 'cause there's plenty of Roger Miller CDs out there. I got mine yesterday from CDNOW.
This CD collects tunes from several of RMs' albums and includes 11 from A Trip In the Country, which features the A team of Buddy Emmons, Buddy Spicher, Tommy Jackson, Pig Robbins, Bob Moore, Buddy Harman, Harold Bradley, Pete Wade and Ray Edenton. What's not to like. I second Cal's review. Big E is splendid and the band is the model for most of the bands I play in.
The tunes are all RM's, but most were recorded by others like Jim Reeves, Faron Young, ET, Claude Gray, Merle Haggard and Ray Price. Incredible selection and it doesn't include any of the popular novelty tunes. Good liner notes too (can you tell). Just an abbreviated list and a salute to Roger Miller:
Tall Tall Trees
That's the Way I Feel
My Ears Should Burn (when fools are talked about)
Invitation to the Blues
When A House is not a Home
Half A Mind
When Two Worlds Collide
Don't We All Have the Right
Less and Less
Husbands and Wives
Train of Life
Old Toy Trains
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