Missing From Country Music Hall of Fame (Updated 2017 Inductees)

The process to get into the Country Hall is somewhat similar to the Rock Hall.  A nominating committee of 12 puts forth 10-20 names, which are voted on by 100 (or so names).  One act is chosen from 3 categories every year: Veterans Era (40 years after achieving "national prominence").  Modern Era (20 years after achieving "national prominence").   Non-Performer, Songwriter and Recording/Touring Musician categories rotate every 3 years.

Below are a list of artists, session musicians, songwriters, etc., that have yet to be inducted as of February 2018.

Lynn Anderson
Asleep At The Wheel
Clint Black
Brooks & Dunn
Tony Brown
Archie Campbell
June Carter Cash
Rosanne Cash
Ray Charles
Rodney Crowell
Dean Dillon
Steve Earle
Joe Ely
Freddy Fender
Dallas Frazier
Crystal Gayle
Mickey Gilley
Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Johnny Gimble
Vern Gosdin
Guy Clark
Johnny Horton
Judds
Buddy Killen
Jerry Lee Lewis
Patty Loveless
Lyle Lovett
Maddox Brothers and Rose
Jimmy Martin
Anne Murray
Gram Parsons
Johnny Paycheck
Curly Putnam
Eddie Rabbitt
Jerry Reed
Charlie Rich
Don Rich
Linda Ronstadt
Doug Sahm
Billy Joe Shaver
Ricky Skaggs
Stanley Brothers
Ray Stevens
Gary Stewart
Tanya Tucker
Townes Van Zandt
Jerry Jeff Walker
Gene Watson
Dottie West
Keith Whitley
Hank Williams Jr.
Dwight Yoakam


Suggestions, etc.  email:  tmlane12@gmail.com

Playlist for 3/28

Ray LaMontagne - Ouroboros
Rihanna - Anti
Emitt Rhodes - Rainbow Ends
The Move - s/t   ('68)
Three Decades of Classic Novelty Hits - Various  (Eric Records)

Top 20 Poll of The Smiths

Time for another Poll, this one on the Smiths.  A superb band.  Near the top of my fave's of the 80's.  

Rank the Top 20 songs plus list their 5 best albums (compilations included).

1.  How Soon Is Now

2.  Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

3.  Panic

4.  Girlfriend In A Coma

5.  There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

6.  Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

7.  This Charming Man

8.  Boy With The Thorn In His Side

9.  Bigmouth Strikes Again

10. Shoplifters Of The World Unite

11. Plesae, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want

12. Hand In Glove

13. Ask

14. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

15. William, It Was Really Nothing

16. Shakespear's Sister

17. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

18. Sheila Take A Bow

19. Queen Is Dead

20. I Know It's Over

Albums

1.  Queen Is Dead

2.  Smiths - s/t

3.  Sound Of The Smiths

4.  Louder Than Bombs

5.  Strangeways Here We Come

email:  tmlane12@gmail.com

Playlist for 3/22

Wolfmother - Victorious
Love - False Start/Out Here/Four Sail
BJ The Chicago Kid - In My Mind
John Scofield - Past Present
Peter Frampton - Acoustic Classics

Playlist for 3/18

Frank Zappa - Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar
Hamilton - Cast Recording
Cecile McLorin Salvant - For One To Love
Snarky Puppy - Sylva
Steeldrivers - Muscle Shoals Recordings

Should Have Been A Top 10 Hit - Poll (2016)

This is from a Facebook group I'm part of called H&z Rock's I.R.S.  They do a Poll every year asking which songs should have made the Top 10.  You can list as many as you want.  I was going to stop at 100, but then became shocked  to find out some songs I thought were Top 10's (Five Satins, Skyliners, etc.) didn't make it.  Eventually I had to stop because the list could have gone on forever, but I'm open for suggestions.  I also tried not to list too many songs by one artist (Elvis, Elton John, etc.) that missed the Top 10. 

1.  Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
2.  Solitary Man - Neil Diamond
3.  Tiny Dancer - Elton John
4.  Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again - Fortunes
5.  Take It Easy - Eagles
6.  Always and Forever - Heatwave
7.  At Last - Etta James
8.  Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead
9.  In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett
10. I Melt With You -  Modern English
11. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Prince
12. To Love Somebody - Bee Gees
13. Wonderful World - Sam Cooke
14. Baby I Need You Loving - Four Tops
15. I Only Have Eyes For You - Flamingos
16. God Only Knows - Beach Boys
17. This Magic Moment - Drifters
18. Try A Little Tenderness - Otis Redding
19. Way You Do The Things You Do - Temptations
20. Respect Yourself - Staple Singers
21. Ooh Baby Baby - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
22. I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan
23. Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel - Tavares
24. Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
25. What I Like About You - Romantics
26. In The Still Of The Nite - Five Satins
27. Don't Make Me Over - Dionne Warwick
28. Sex Machine - James Brown
29. Operator - Jim Croce
30. Holiday - Madonna
31. Disco Inferno - Trammps
32. Tutti-Frutti - Little Richard
33. I Saw Her Standing There - Beatles
34. Since I Don't Have You - Skyliners
35. Reet Petite - Jackie Wilson
36. I Only Want To Be With You - Dusty Springfield
37. Hold On I'm A Comin' - Sam & Dave
38. SOS - Abba
39. By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Glen Campbell
40. Super Freak - Rick James
41. All My Loving  - Beatles
42. In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
43. Fever - Little Willie John
44. For The Good Times - Ray Price
45. It's A Shame - Spinners
46. Wild Night - Van Morrison
47. Lies - Knickerbockers
48. Treat Me Nice - Elvis Presley
49. Piano Man - Billy Joel
50. Maybe Baby - Buddy Holly
51. Walking In The Rain - Ronettes
52. But It's Alright - J.J. Jackson
53. Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
54. Sincerely - Moonglows
55. Forget Me Nots - Patrice Rushen
56. So Very Hard To Go - Tower of Power
57. Just What I Needed - Cars
58. Our Lips Are Sealed - Go-Go's
59. River Deep-Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner
60. Love The One You're With - Stephen Stills
61. Wild World - Cat Stevens
62. Listen To The Music - Doobie Brothers
63. Baby I Love Your Way (live) - Peter Frampton
64. Into The Night - Benny Mardones
65. Different Drum - Linda Ronstadt
66. This Old Heart Of Mine - Isley Brothers
67. Wishing You Were Here - Chicago
68. Undun- Guess Who
69. Just Like Me - Paul Revere & The Raiders
70. Faithfully - Journey
71. Free Ride - Edgar Winter Group
72. Time Has Come Today - Chambers Brothers
73. I've Been Lonely Too Long - Rascals
74. Tired Of Being Alone - Al Green
75. You Are My Lady - Freddie Jackson
76. Strange Magic - ELO
77. That's The Way Of The World - Earth, Wind & Fire
78. Games People Play - Joe South
79. Summer Rain - Johnny Rivers
80. One Of A Kind (Love Affair) - Spinners
81. My Mistake - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye
82. Rock and Roll All Nite (Live) - Kiss
83. Let's Spend The Night Together - Rolling Stones
84. Blue Bayou - Roy Orbison
85. Tuesday Afternoon - Moody Blues
86. Steppin' Stone - Monkees
87. So Far Away - Carole King
88. Itchycoo Park - Small Faces
89. Any Day Now - Chuck Jackson
90. People Get Ready - Impressions
91. It's My Life - Animals
92. Let's Have A Party - Wanda Jackson
93. Kentucky Rain - Elvis Presley
94. Killer Queen - Queen
95. I Saw The Light - Todd Rundgren
96. Having A Party - Sam Cooke
97. I'm Into Something Good - Herman's Hermits
98. Oye Como Va - Santana
99. Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting - Elton John
100. Slow Ride - Foghat
101.  Tequila Sunrise - Eagles
102.  This Is It - Kenny Loggins
103.  Sad Sweet Dreamer - Sweet Sensation
104.  Waiting On The World To Change - John Mayer
105.  (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
106.  Misunderstanding - Genesis
107.  Fool (If You Think It's Over) - Chris Rea
108.  Green, Green Grass Of Home - Tom Jones
109.  I Can't Stand The Rain - Ann Peebles
110.  Bad Luck - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
111.  Viva Las Vegas - Elvis Presley
112.  More Love - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
113.  Through The Years - Kenny Rogers
114.  Look Of Love - ABC
115.  Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross
116.  Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys
117.  Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
118.  Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash
119.  Young Hearts Run Free - Candi Staton
120.  Flash Light - Parliament
121.  Bitter Sweet Symphony - Verve
122.  Somebody To Love - Queen
123.  Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
124.  It's A Miracle - Barry Manilow
125.  Every Time I Think Of You - Babys
126.  Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry
127.   Love Takes Time - Orleans
128.   Barracuda - Heart
129.  Rockin' Roll Baby - Stylistics
130.  Serpentine Fire - Earth, Wind & Fire
131.   Bluer Than Blue - Michael Johnson
132.  Look Through Any Window - Hollies
133.   Baby Blue - Badfinger
134.   White Wedding - Billy Idol
135.  Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins
136.  Sunny Afternoon - Kinks
137. Pay To The Piper - Chairmen of the Board

email:  tmlane12@gmail.com

Playlist for 3/13

Earth, Wind & Fire - Electric Universe
Mavis Staples -  Livin' On A Hight Note
George Jones - Picture of Me/Nothing Ever Hurt Me
Willie Nelson - Summertime
Loretta Lynn - Full Circle/Coal Miner's Daughter/Fist City/Don't Come Home A Drinkin'/Your Squaw Is On The Warpath
Rick Springfield - Rocket Science

Playlist for 5/11

Procol Harum - s/t, Shine On Brightly, Home, In Concert with Edmonton Symphony 1971

R.I.P. George Martin

The "Fifth Beatle".  No question that George Martin guided the Beatles along their amazing journey with Production flourishes that were laced with genius touches.
But in remembering Martin, I'm going to list 20 excellent non-Beatles productions.  Before 1962, Martin made a name for himself producing Comedy, Classical, show tunes, etc.  But when he met the Beatles everything changed.  Yet, even during the Beatles heyday, Martin was still producing other artists.

Below is a ranked list, of albums and singles that George Martin produced (or co-Produced) during and after his run with the Fab Four.

1.  "Live and Let Die" - Paul McCartney
2.  "Goldfinger" - Shirley Bassey
3.  Tug Of War - Paul McCartney
4.  "Sister Golden Hair" - America
5.  "Ferry Across The Mersey" - Gerry and the Pacemakers
6.  "Say Say Say" - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
7.  Blow By Blow - Jeff Beck
8.  "Bad To Me" - Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas
9. "Tin Man" - America
10. "Night Owls" - Little River Band
11. "You're My World" - Cilla Black
12. Wired - Jeff Beck
13. "Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" - Jimmy Webb
14. "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" - Gerry and the Pacemakers
15. "Daisy Jane" - America
16. All Shook Up - Cheap Trick
17. "Take It Easy On Me" - Little River Band
18. "No More Lonely Nights" - Paul McCartney
19.  American Flyer - s/t
20. Apocalypse -  Mahavishnu Orchestra
21. "Candle In The Wind 1997" - Elton John
22. "Portrait of My Love" - Matt Monro
23. "Morning Desire" - Kenny Rogers
24. "How Do You Do It" - Gerry and the Pacemakers
25. "Lonely People" - America

email:  tmlane12@gmail.com

R.I.P. John Morthland

There have been quite a few books that have played a part in my musical journey across the genres.  Books written by Greil Marcus, Dave Marsh,  Peter Guralnick, Nelson George, record review ones by Robert Christgau, The Rolling Stone History of Rock books.  And many others.

Near the top of that list was 1984's Best of Country Music by John Morthland.  A wonderful history of Country Music up to that point, told through reviews of what Morthland considered the genres best 750 records.   No other book written on Country music shaped my views like that one. And in 1984 my knowledge of that genre, when it came to its history, wasn't that great.

John Morthland died yesterday.  I was friends with him on Facebook and was always delighted at what he recommended on his page.

Morthland did much more than write about Country music.  He wrote about other genres for Rolling Stone and Creem.  Edited a Lester Bangs anthology.  

Read this Interview  from the early 00's for a better bio.

But make sure you track down the Best Of Country Music.  It can be had for a great price at the usual places.  Oddly enough, the book was never updated nor reissued.

email:  tmlane12@gmail.com

Playlist for 3/5

Miles Davis - At Newport 55-75
Vince Gill - Down To My Last Bad Habit
Bonnie Raitt - Dig In Deep
Wynonna & The Big Noise - s/t
Luther Dickinson - Blues & Ballads
James Hunter Six - Hold On

Rock Hall Wish List (Updated 2017 Eligibles)

For those of you on Spotify, here's a link  Rock Hall Wishlist
to my Rock Hall Playlist, which has a song or two by every act listed below.

Listed in alphabetical order:

Afrika Bambaataa
Ashford & Simpson
B-52's
Bad Company/Free
Bangles
Barry White
Ben E. King
Big Star
Billy Preston
Billy Ward & The Dominoes
Bon Jovi
Brook Benton
Captain Beefheart
Cars
Chaka Khan
Chantels
Charley Patton
Chic
Chubby Checker
Chuck Willis
Clovers
Commodores
Conway Twitty
Cure
Cyndi Lauper
De La Soul
Def Leppard
Depeche Mode
Devo
Dionne Warwick
Dire Straits
Doobie Brothers
Doug Sahm/Sir Douglas Quintet
Duran Duran
ELO
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emmylou Harris
Eric B. & Rakim
Gap Band
Gary "U.S." Bonds
Gil Scott-Heron
Glen Campbell
Go-Go's
Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Brothers
Harry Nillson
J. Geils Band
J.J. Cale
Janet Jackson
Jerry Butler
Jim Croce
Jimmy Buffett
Joan Baez
Joe Cocker
Joe Tex
Johnny Burnette & The Rock & Roll Trio
Johnny Winter
Jordanaires
Journey
Judas Priest
Junior Wells
Kate Bush
Kool & The Gang
Kris Kristofferson
LL Cool J
Link Wray
Little Feat
Los Lobos
Lou Rawls
Love
Luther Vandross
MC5
Marvelettes
Mary Wells
Mitch Ryder
Monkees
Moody Blues
Motorhead
Mott The Hoople
Neil Sedaka
Neville Brothers/Meters
New Order/Joy Division
New York Dolls
Ohio Players
Pat Benatar
Patsy Cline
Patti LaBelle
Paul Revere & The Raiders
Pearl Jam
Pet Shop Boys
Peter Tosh
PJ Harvey
Procol Harum
Raspberries
Replacements
Richard Thompson/Fairport Convention
Rick James
Roxy Music
Shangri-La's
Sinead O'Connor
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Smiths
Sonic Youth
Sonny & Cher
Sonny Boy Williamson II
Spaniels
Spinners
Steppenwolf
Steve Earle
Stylistics
Teddy Pendergrass/Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes
Thin Lizzy
Three Dog Night
Todd Rundgren
Tommy James & The Shondells
Toots & The Maytals
Tribe Called Quest
Turtles
War
Warren Zevon
Whitney Houston
Willie Nelson
Wynonie Harris
Yes
Zombies

email:  tmlane12@gmail.com

Music Years Of My LIfe: 1976

This was the year.  1976.  Many things happened that birthed my love of music in 1976.  We had two AM Top 40 radio stations on the Monterey Peninsula.  Every week, both published a Top singles weekly chart.  There wasn't much difference between the two, but I picked them up whenever I had a chance.  These charts proved handy, because I still hadn't read a copy of Billboard.  Interesting note:  one of those stations would give away the weekly Top 10 if you were the lucky caller and could name them.  I happened to win twice.

At this stage I knew all about the Billboard charts because I listened to Casey Kasem's American Top 40.  We moved to California in 1975.  Before that AT40 was on the Armed Forces Network in Germany.  I heard it every week.  But when we moved that became more of a chore.  The only station that played the show was in San Francisco, and my radio had problems picking up its signal.  Still, I did the best I could.  I'd often catch the show at different points, but I always listened as long as I could.  And I kept a journal where I wrote down as many of the hits I would hear every week.  But it wouldn't be until the summer of '77 until I got my hands on a copy of Billboard.  I've been an off and now on again subscriber ever since. It was the first magazine I ever subscribed to (until Rolling Stone in 1978).

In 1976 I'm twelve years old and AM radio was the only frequency I visited.  I knew of FM radio.  We had a local Gospel/Soul channel on FM that my sister would check out. It would play R&B hits you never heard on the Pop charts.  It was another ear-opener.  And she also listened to an FM station out of San Jose that would play the latest hits. But on my own, I was still an AM listener.

I should also point out how important American Bandstand and Soul Train were to my musical upbringing.  Both came on back-to-back on Saturday mornings.  I would catch them when possible, when not playing sports or doing something else.  Soul Train was the bigger revelation, since they showed and played records that didn't always cross over to the Pop charts. 

But one night I was flipping through the AM dial and came upon an Album countdown show.  The only way I knew of the best selling albums was through my local paper, which published the weekly Billboard Top 20 albums and singles.  The show was called the National Album Countdown, a weekly Top 30, and it had just launched in '76 (ran until '85).  Because of my paper's Top albums list, I knew of these albums, and most had singles in the Top 40.  But there were others.  Names I didn't know like Bob Marley, Jeff Beck, a Bob Seger live album, Led Zeppelin's Presence.  What was this and why haven't I heard of any of it?  I still hung on to AM radio even after this revelation, but I finally figured out what FM radio was all about.  It would be a few years before I started listening to AOR, but that barely remembered Countdown show would make my Hall of Fame of syndication.

 And little did I know then, but I was hearing the future of Classic Rock radio.  In 1976 radio was filled with Peter Frampton, Boston, Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, Kansas, Fleetwood Mac, Steve Miller, Heart, ELO,  Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Seger, Queen, Steely Dan, Eagles, Aerosmith, etc. 

Yet, every thing that happened during this year had a bearing on how I became a music junkie:  winning the Top 10 weekly singles, the AM radio countdown sheets, that lone R&B station in my town,  my continued pursuit of American Top 40, the National Album Countdown.

What all of this did was shape my eclectic listening tastes that I now have.  It was a glorious musical year.  A Bicentennial year also. But my love of AM Top 40 was birthed in 1976.  Which is why I still love most of the chart hits from the last Golden Age of Top 40 radio.  The 1970's.

For those of you on Spotify, I've put together a playlist of my favorite songs of 1976:
1976 Spotify Playlist

email:  tmlane12@gmail.com