The Legend-News

Ten Years After
Nine years have passed since the release of the -- so far -- last original C.W. McCall composition, "Comin' Back For More" from the album The Real McCall: An American Storyteller. This year, 1999, is the 25th anniversary of the release of "Old Home Filler Up An' Keep On A-Truckin' Café", the song that started it all; and next year will be the 25th anniversary of The Greatest Hit "Convoy".

Bill Fries has stated that he doesn't intend to start recording again, and Chip Davis is probably too busy with Manneheim Steamroller. But the world needs some new C.W. songs. I don't mean parodies; I mean real outdoor-trucking-funny-sad songs like the real ones. And since Bill & Chip can't do it, that leaves the work to us.

I've written some bad poetry -- no, you can't read it -- and I've composed only two musical compositions that are even remotely hummable, but this is a challenge that I've got to try. By the end of this year, I intend to write a new "C.W. McCall" song, an homage to The Best Damn Singer-Songwriter Of The Seventies.

This is gonna come back to haunt me, I'm sure. :)

Letters To Ed.
Twenty-eight people have actually joined the Other Wild Places mailing list. Obviously, they're the Best of the Best. :) This past week, I was wondering just who was out there, so I asked. It's a diverse group.

In no particular order, I've heard from

• Bradyn Breon-Drish of Iowa, "though not the western part (darn)".
• Brian, a.k.a. "Shyeagle", from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Greg Hembry.
• Brady "Waferdog" Klejeski of Carpentersville, Illinois, which is about fifteen miles south of Wonder Lake, the home of Yours Truly.
• Jan Asle of Sele, "...a small place in southwestern Norway, just south of Stavanger."
• Chip Williams of North Carolina.
• Bob Norton, who lives "'beyond the boondocks' south of Edgewood, New Mexico. Bob likes four-wheel drive vehicles. A lot. Edgewood's in the Four Corners area of Utah/Colorado/New Mexico/Arizona, a.k.a. "C.W. McCall Territory".
• Marshall, a.k.a. "Crocuta".
• Todd Balcom, a "'displaced New Englander' living near Orlando, Florida, and owner of a '65 Corvette Sting Ray convertible. One of the last of the 'good' models, IMHO.
• Carlos Werner Heinzelmann, from Joinville, in the state of Santa Catarina, in the United States of Brazil. Yes, folks, there is another United States.
• Ken "Yellow Jacket" Thompson, of Arizona. Ken hates the opening music of Windows 98.
• "They Call Me" Bruce (a.k.a. "Rainman"), currently of Naperville, Illinois, but moving to Kenosha, Wisconsin Real Soon Now.
• Matt Bokan of Knoxville, Tennesse, who says that southeastern Colorado is his real home.
• Steve Gibb of Inverness, Scotland, who will soon be moving to the U.S.A. Nice ski slopes over there, Steve. I once buzzed a couple in a Royal Navy helicopter.

In light of these responses, I'm pretty sure that somebody's reading this stuff that I write. And this proves that there are a few people with too much time on their hands, myself included. :)

Surfin' With The Rubber Duck
The Duck's taking the week off, 'cause he's still recovering from a cold that he caught last week. The Moral of The Story: don't surf without your suit.

Song A’ Th’ Week
I had asked about the OWP members because I was wondering just how far the influence of C.W. McCall had spread; this week's theme is 'It's A Small World'. Fans from anywhere in the U.S. of A. aren't surprising, but Norway and Brazil? Not exactly places that you'd associate with C.W. fans, but good taste can be found almost everywhere.

When I selected the week's theme, I thought of this song. And in another of those wow-ain't-this-weird-coincidences, I first posted the lyrics to this song one year ago today. Well, now it's officially a Song A’ Th’ Week.

I've Trucked All Over This Land

(Bill Fries, Chip Davis)

From the album Wolf Creek Pass.