The Legend-News
Ed.itorial
Blather from the guy what writes this thing.
According to some radio talk show item that I heard on Saturday, the most weight that a person can gain in one day — and that's even if you keep stuffing yourself at every possible moment — is one-half pound. Okay, so why do I feel like the turkey made me pack on five? Three days later and I'm still wearing tight pants. (Okay, who whistled?) Half-pound, my… oh, yeah, that's where it didn't go. Please excuse me while I go down another quart of water. — Ed.
Surfin' With The Rubber Duck
He makes bath-time lots of fun.
The water's gettin' cold out there, so the Duck's been huddling with the Canadian geese on the sunny side of the pond, which means that he's been lazy
A lot of C.W. McCall fans ask "Where can I buy his records?". The Duck's usual answer is "Find a used record shop." But while crusing the bitstream last week, the Duck discovered Collectables Records, who specialize in — what else? — old records. And curiously, they have their own label, also called "Collectable Records"; and on that label they have a 45 rpm, 7-inch single of "Convoy" backed by "Roses For Mama". Now you could buy the CD release of C.W. McCall's Greatest Hits, which has both of those songs. But if you've got a urge to listen to vinyl, here's your chance for $2.50.
Colleen's Classic Country USA is a syndicated radio show that plays the oldies. Yes, that means pre-Garth Brooks. Anyway, Colleen has a Classic Country Poll on her web site, and this week's question is "What is your all-time favorite truck driving song?" Since you're a C.W. McCall fan, you ought to know that "Convoy" is in 4th place as of Sunday night, the leader being Red Sovine's "Teddy Bear". The Duck thinks that you ought to vote "early and often" as they say in Chicago.
The Duck notes that on a few pages of this web site (C.W. McCall: An American Legend, of course) there's a glossary that explains some of the terms that are used in a song. Have you ever wondered what the Brits find puzzling in the song "Convoy"?. Then head over to Cybertrucker's World and check out their explanation of "Convoy". (Click the "Enter" image on the first page, then scroll down a bit for the link to "Convoy".) Like the Duck says, "anyone who links back to TechRen.Net must be a nice person".
C.W. McCall Tour 2002
Down and around and around and down
Yeah, it's still in the planning stages. Nothing new to report this week.
Old Home Café
Back where it all began
When we last left C.W. and T. Tommy, they had just talked about and played "Black Bear Road", the title song from C.W.'s (then) latest album, Black Bear Road. (16 November 1976)
[C.W.] Thank you.
[T. Tommy] Hold on just a minute, we have a message here about Beechnut Chewin' Tobacco, the finest in the world, then we'll be back, okay?
[Yes, this is a real radio commercial. — Ed.]
[Sung]
You know a man's world is small
And gettin' smaller ev'ry day
But there are certain things you still do
You still say what you think
You still pay for the drinks
And Beechnut's the tobacco you chew
Weird ideas takin' hold
Kids won't do what they're told
Who knows what this old world's comin' to?
But you keep your face to the wind
You don't quit on a friend
And Beechnut's the tobacco you chew
[Spoken]
Seems like a man's world just isn't the same anymore; but some things you can still trust, like Beechnut Chewin' Tobacco. Beechnut just keeps on gettin' better. Beechnut's a lot moister these days, with more taste, less stems. Today's Beechnut: fresher, longer-lasting flavor. You oughta try it.
[Sung]
Girls in bars, girls in pants
A man just don't stand a chance
But there's still ways to show 'em who's who
You treat your dogs with respect
You keep your traps oiled and checked
And Beechnut's the tobacco you chew
[T. Tommy] C.W., you like pretty girls?
[C.W.] Uh, well, does a duck have flat feet?
[T. Tommy] I knew it! I knew it! Well, I got one here named Kathy O'Shea. You remember the big record that Elvis had, called "Help Me"?
[C.W.] Yeah.
[T. Tommy] Well, at the same time that he recorded it, Kathy O'Shea recorded it. It was about a year ago, maybe?
[C.W.] Uh, huh.
[T. Tommy] Well, of course, Monument [Monument Records. -- Ed.] just immediately yanked her -- I have a few copies of it, and I'm sure a lot of disc jockeys around the country do -- but they yanked it off the market immediately when Elvis came out with it. So now they have re-released it like a year later. Now I want you to listen to this gal sing a great version of "Help Me". Kathy O'Shea.
[Song: "Help Me", by Kathy O'Shea. Yeah, I could transcribe it, but this is a newsletter about C.W. McCall. You can hear the song when we burn the entire week of T. Tommy and C.W. McCall onto CD.]
[T. Tommy] Isn't that nice?
[C.W.] Yeah, it's real pretty.
[T. Tommy] We got a message. We'll be right back, okay?
[At this point, there's a break for local commercials. -- Ed.]
[T. Tommy] Shall we do a song by the Silver Fox?
[C.W.] Aw, why not?
[T. Tommy] Here's Charlie Rich. "All Over Me".
[Song: Charlie Rich, "All Over Me". Is there an echo in here? — Ed.]
[T. Tommy] Tough man there. Boy, and he's bad news.
[C.W.] I know.
[T. Tommy] Music City News. Speaking of news, here's something we want to talk to you about. We're not talkin' about Charlie; Charlie is doin' okay. He, um, well everybody have a problem sometimes, you know. Here's the word about Music City News, the finest newspaper about all the music industry in Nashville and the rest of the country, okay?
[T. Tommy plays a taped commercial for Music City News. He's the announcer in the commercial.]
[Break for local commercials.]
[T. Tommy] C.W. McCall is co-host with us today. All this week, as a matter of fact, and this being the latter part of November we were talkin' about Kathy O'Shea and the pretty girls. Later on today, we got a pretty girl comin' come visit with us, too.
[C.W.] All right.
[T. Tommy] Her name is Jackie Blackman.
[C.W.] Jackie Blackman.
[T. Tommy] Yeah. She's so beautiful, I wish I was about thirty-five years younger, C.W.
[C.W.] Well.
[T. Tommy] Then I would go to Mister Blackman's house — he lives in Mobile, Alabama, I understand — and I'd pick moss off the trees, you know, and hang it over the door and things like that.
[C.W.] [Laughs] All right!
[T. Tommy] Shall we do this song?
[C.W.] Okay.
[T. Tommy] "The Silverton".
[C.W.] "The Silverton". That's about…
[T. Tommy] What does this consist of?
[C.W.] Well, that's about a little train, maybe some of the folks out there have ridden on that train. It's called The Silverton, and it's the last narrow-gauge operating train in the U.S.A.
[T. Tommy] I'll be dogged. You know, I was just sittin' here thinkin'. You don't talk as fast when you and I are talkin' as you do on these records.
[C.W.] Yeah, it's a funny thing. You know, I have to get psyched up for those.
[T. Tommy] Do you?
[C.W.] Yeah, I have ta get in the mood to do that, 'cause usually I'm kinda tongue-tied. But I'm written myself into a corner on a number of occasions, you know…
[T. Tommy] I see.
[C.W.] …and they're hard to do those things live, you know…
[T. Tommy] I would imagine.
[C.W.] …yeah, after you rehearse 'em and rehearse 'em and rehearse 'em.
[T. Tommy] This is the story of "The Silverton". C.W. McCall.
Song A’ Th’ Week
Words without music. Call 'em poems.
Chug! Chug! Toot! Toot! Off we go!
The Silverton
(C.W. McCall, Bill Fries, Chip Davis)
From the album
Black Bear Road
She was born one mornin' on a San Juan summer
Back in eighteen and eighty and one
She was a beautiful daughter of the D and R G
And she weighed about a thousand ton
Well, it's a-forty-five mile through the Animas canyon
So they set her on the narra gauge
She drank a whole lot a' water
And she ate a lot of coal
And they called her the Silverton (Silverton train)
[Chorus]
Here comes the Silverton, up from Durango
Here comes the Silverton, a-shovelin' coal
Here comes the Silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow
Well, now listen to the whistle in the Rock Wood cut
On the high line to Silverton town
And you're gonna get a shiver
When you check out the river
Which is four hundred feet
straight down
Take on some water at the Needleton tank
And then a-struggle up a two-five grade
And by the time you get your hide
Past the Snowshed slide
You've had a ride on the Silverton (Silverton train)
[Chorus]
Here comes the Silverton, up from Durango
Here comes the Silverton, a-shovelin' coal
Here comes the Silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow
[Musical interlude here. Nice violins, and the kettle drums boom well.]
[Chorus]
Here comes the Silverton, up from Durango
Here comes the Silverton, a-shovelin' coal
Here comes the Silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow
[If the next line seems a bit familiar, you're correct. Chug-chug, toot-toot, off we go.]
Now, down by the station, early in the mornin'
There's a whole lot a' people in line
And they all got a ticket
On The Train To Yesterday
And it's a-gonna leave
on time
Well, it's a forty-five mile up the Animas canyon
So they run her on the narra gauge
She takes a whole lot a' water
And she needs a lot of coal
And they call her the Silverton (Silverton train)
[Chorus]
Here comes the Silverton, up from Durango
Here comes the Silverton, a-shovelin' coal
Here comes the Silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow
[Fade out]
Here comes the Silverton, up from Durango
Here comes the Silverton, a-shovelin' coal
Here comes the Silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow
Here comes the Silverton, up from Durango
Here comes the Silverton, a-shovelin' coal
Here comes the Silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow
Old Home Café
Part Two
[C.W.] Yeah, a great train.
[T. Tommy] Story's a great… if Tom T. Hall didn't already have the name, I would rename you "The Storyteller".
[C.W.] All right. Well, you know, I could take that.
[T. Tommy] Tom's got some funny stories, too, but
[C.W.] I like Tom T. Hall's work very much.
[T. Tommy] Yeah, fantastic writer. Hold on a just a minute, C.W. We got a message here; we'll be right back.The Legend-News is Copyright 2001 TechRen Enterprises. "Uh, guys? This thing's counting down." Thanks to Bill Fries and Chip Davis for the words and music.