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Got airplay? I can get on on FM dial and streaming live on BAKERSFIELD AND BEYOND Midnight release of first track from KICK-ASS COUNTRY CD Dr BLT performing "live" tonight at the Element Lounge Alien cowboy sighting/odd sci-fi encounter on Buck Owens Blvd. My pick for best song of the prior decade. And yours? EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! A songwriter, a Stranger, and a Buckaroo invite you to make music for the homeless THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND OF CHRISTMAS multi-artist recording project for the homeless: Update Am I just a dreamer? Why I'm soooo not threatened by Taylor Lautner August 06 September 06 October 06 November 06 December 06 January 07 February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09 December 09 January 10 February 10 March 10
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Welcome to the latest edition of Bakersfield Sound Trivia Quest. I'm Dr. BLT. I'll be your blog n roll host. Today's questions are embeded in the song fragment you are hearing if you've hit the play button on the play station located in the top left-hand corner of this blog thread. But here's the tricky part: You can answer the questions introduced in this fragment, and still not win. In a few moments, there will be a longer song fragment introduced at Bakersfield Sound Underground. That longer fragment will include 2 more questions. You'll find that here:
You must answer all 4 questions correctly in order to be pronounced the winner. The winner will win a personally autographed copy of From Buck Owens Blvd. to Merle Haggard Drive CD. All you have to do to collect the prize is to show up at that CD release party (not the one to be held next Saturday, but the one yet to be scheduled, likely sometime in July). The brand new recording of One Hand on my Bible/the other on my Gun, has just made it's debut over at Art of the Mix. One Hand on my Bible/The other on my Gun It features Hank Ray on guitar, Reggie Langendorfer on bass and Jerry Rothberg on drums. Check it out and let me know what you think the chances are of getting airplay on this one.
I've Got on Hand on my Bible/the other on My Gun Dr BLT words and music by Dr BLT © 2008
I'm not that kind of doctor, so this, in no way, represents a professional recommendation, a professional opinion, or a recommendation of any kind for that matter. It's just me sharing a personal discovery. I'm the king of sinus pain. I've tried everything for sinus headaches. Nothing worked until I grabbed a couple of my wife's midol tablets, made for women, at that time of month when Aunt Flo comes for a visit. It absolutely crucified the headache and killed the pain within about 20 minutes. How about the rest of you that suffer from sinus headaches, or headaches of any kind? What does, and doesn't work for you? Most of us have friends, but where those friends are found, and who those friends are can sometimes come back to haunt us. I like Obama, as a person, though he and I don't share political views, and I don't think his ideology is not as extreme as some of the friends he's associated with. It appears to me, however, that he's traditionally had too much sympathy for those views, and those who hold such views, at least in the past, for my mind to be 100% re-assured by his replies, and his other efforts to distance himself from those "friends." What do you think? Does his past associations make a difference to you? In the game of blog n roll, I supply the topic, and the tune. You supply the talk. I've just introduced the topic. The lyrics to the new Dr. BLT parody of a Garth Brooks classic are posted here. The song is from my forthcoming CD, Right Wingers Need Love Too Part 2. But to actually hear what the song sounds like, you'll have to go underground. That's a transparent trick to get you to visit my new blog site, but hey, at least it's transparent :) Hear the song here: I've Got Friends in Low Places Glenn Pogatchnik, a personal friend of mine, and a friend of Merle's as well, who is known as "The Ambassador of the Bakersfield Sound," and runs the popular blog site, That Bakersfield Sound has let me know that Merle Haggard is in need of our prayers for his health. Glenn shared more information, but I don't feel at liberty to pass it on until I am certain that it would not violate Merle's privacy or the privacy of his family. Let's all pray for one of our own, one who has made this city, and this world, a better place with the richly poetic story-telling songs he gave us---songs that come right from his heart, and songs that touch ours. They'll look for any sign of a slip-up, smell it like blood and go after you, sometimes on a very personal level--no questions asked. They'll single you out among others who have voiced the same opinion, sometimes in ways much less tactful and much less sensitive. I'm talking about blog sharks. They know who they are. If the fins fit, wear them. I recently shared my initial impressions of some of the articles written by once Bakersfield Californian entertainment writer, Chris Page, at a blog thread here and over at Bakersfield.com I did not formulate my impressions as a definitive statement about Page's character. My statement was honest. It was a statement I later learned from a commenter who was Chris's friend that Chris would have appreciated, even in a blog about his death, one he would have even encouraged. It was an impression others shared, though apparently in rare moments, that according to Andy Kehe, Bakersfield Californian writer via his article on Chris in today's paper. Kehe referred to it as his "cocky side." I didn't even attribute my impression his character, at least not in my comments, but restricted my impression to his writing. I said I experienced some of his articles as having a certain "arrogantly, smugly sarcastic tone" to them. Though, according to Kehe's article, my impression seems to have been shared by others whom he worked with closely, and those who knew him better than I did, 3 bloggers (I believe all of most, if not all conducted their verbal attacks over at Bakersfield.com) went for blood when I expressed my initial impressions of his writing. Kehe said he was "Humble more often than not..." and so apparently I caught him at his worst, on a bad day or two. Unfortunately, that turned me off and prevented me from wanting to get to know him better. Upon reading the comments of Chris's close friends and family members, I came to realize that there was a side to Chris that I missed out on because I had dismissed him according to my first or second impressions of him. It was a side of him I found so moving and touching that it made me cry. They lost their brother, their friend, their mentor. I lost the opportunity to know his bigger, better side. I now understand it was a profound loss of mine. That's what caused me to weep. I could have built a bridge against what I perceived, at the time, to be a wall. But I don't like the sight of walls. They are cold and ugly to me. So I built my own cold, ugly wall. The lesson I learned from all of this, is contained in this NOTE TO SELF: Don't let what I perceive to be a wall, prevent me from building bridges to apparent wall builders. Maybe my lesson could also be your lesson. Oh, yeah, and then there's one more lesson to be learned here: NOTE TO SELF and others who are tactful, respectful, yet honest: BEWARE OF SHARKS IN THESE WATERS! In case you hadn't notices, gas prices have been spiraling out of control. Is this driving you out of control? Here's a brand new, bakobilly TM protest song that will, hopefully, fuel your passion for protesting the high cost of driving. Once that passion has been fueled, share your plan right here, right now, or where the song debuted early this morning: new Bakersfield Sound Underground post
Oh, I almost forgot, if you're not going underground, your not going anywhere! I call it America Off the Hook. What Memorial Day message are you getting from this? Post those in the comments section below if you would. Also, if you can guess where I took this photo on my iPhone, you can win an mp3 copy of my song, Red, White and Blue, from the CD One September Mournin' .
Wait! It gets better. If you know the answer, post it here at Bakersfield Sound Underground, and you'll win one of my biggest blog n roll hits ever: Merle Hasn't Lost His Fightin' SIde. Check out the details here. Dr BLT Memorial Day Photo/Song Contest Ready? Set? Blog n roll! I've never interviewed a friendlier, more hospitable interviewee than Bakersfield's own Jim Shaw, of the Buckaroos, quintessential recording engineer during some of the most productive days to come out of the history of the Buck Owens Studios. Jim Shaw not only plays great keyboards. He managed Buck Owens and the Buckaroos for many years (and still manages the Buckaroos), plays keyboard for the Buckaroos, and has been involved in producing some of the greatest recordings by Buck and others. A few years back, I had the pleasure of interviewing him and that interview was published in various publications. Now the interview has gone underground. If you missed it the first time around, you can discover it for the first time. If you caught it then, you can re-visit it at the all-new Bakersfield Sound Underground blog site now, right here: Remember, if you're not going underground, you're not going anywhere! The significance of The Buck Owens Studios Farewell Session, lies not in the fact that it was the last solo project to be completed at the old Buck Owens Studios (which became Fat Tracks, and then Pig Studio). Moreover, it matters not that I was the solo artist who recorded the last solo project, recorded in its entirety and engineered by Nick Forcillo on April 2, 2008... Catch more of the details, and here the first single from the EP at this Bakersfield Sound Underground thread: First Single from Last Solo Project And remember this: If you're not going underground, you're not going anywhere! t was one heck of a lot of fun, and we nailed down about 1/2 of a brand new CD. If you're curious about this recording session held smack dab in the middle of this long weekend, visit Bakersfield Sound Underground via this link: http://www.bakersfieldsound... And remember, if you're not going underground, you're not going anywhere! Welcome to Bakersfield Sound Trivia Quest. I'm Dr. BLT, and I'll be your host for the trivia quest question of the day. You know the question if you read the subject line. But do you know the answer? I wrote and recorded this song this morning before work, but the vocals are overpowered by the music, so I'll have to re-mix it and release it on Friday. There's a line missing in the following lyrics, because to include that line would be to give away a trivia question I plan to post on Friday. Here are those lyrics:
The Winnin' Candidate words and music by Dr. BLT copyright 2008
some said the winnin' candidate would be black some said the winnin' candidate would be a woman but when it comes to rock and roll and blues the winnin' candidate is you
the winnin' candidate is you the winnin' candidate is you the winnin' candidate is you
you sang Lionel Richie in a way that no one else has ever sung before you did what Buck would do you ____________________________
you did it you did it you made it looks like you made it though Simon favored someone else it's true the winnin' candidate would be you
I'm a Country Punk words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008 I'm a country punk with a punch-drunk lunch in the back seat of my chevrolet got a cowboy hat a Sid Vicious tat and a safety pin-up girl what can I say
Chorus: I go to Jerry's Pizza every night when I'm not at Trout's torn between scorn and heart that's torn with a hootenanny holler and a shout
I'm a country punk black and white like a skunk Johnny Rotten was a friend of mine got a redneck tan tour across the land with a cowboy kinda sorta punk rock band (chorus)
Between Maces Springs and Bristol is my favorite rock-strewn trail that's where we jam, yeah me and my band every time we're released on bail (chorus) If any of you have ever known a close friend or family member that has suffered with cancer, or if you have been a survivor yourself, you'll understand that it's always sad when somebody suffers. It doesn't matter if that person has a different point of view, or that the person may have rubbed you the wrong way in the past. When one person suffers, we should all rally around the person and support him or her. Shortly after hearing about the news that Senator Kennedy had brain cancer, I was listening to the Ralph Bailey Show, and noticed that Ralph had nothing but positive things to say about the Senator. And I know that Ralph's politics and those of Kennedy's rarely gel. But Ralph got it right. You don't kick a man when he is down. You remember him in your thoughts and prayers and you wish him the best. That is the sentiment behind the song posted here.
Pain Knows no Politics words and music by Dr. BLT copyright 2008
pain knows no politics let's pray for Kennedy pain knows no politics and disease is just disease put aside your foolish pride faith is the remedy pain knows no politics let's pray for Kennedy
I'm a mid-western man I am a prairie boy so it's no big surprise that the left gets me annoyed but in time of trouble, lord it just ain't about me pain knows no politics let's pray for Kennedy
this I plead this I plead just say a prayer get on bended knee this I plead this I plead let's say a prayer for Edward Kennedy
It's the "I Wish it were the Cousin Herb's Trading Post Show" Show, starring Buck Owens and Don Rich
Welcome to the "I Wish it were the Cousin Herb Trading Post Show" Show. I'm your host and today's VJ, Dr. BLT. Today we're featuring a you tube video clip that stars Buck Owens and Don Rich singing together again------no, not the song, "Together Again," but singing together again on stage for your listening pleasure. The song they are singing is Love above and Beyond the Call of Love.
Ladies and gentlemen------I give you Buck Owens and Don Rich. PS: If you can't get the video to work, try this link: http://people.bakersfield.c... 700, 620 )">
He's one of the most promising Bakersfield Sound-grounded artists of our time. He's rising up from the underground with style, attitude, contagious charm and charisma. Is he the next Buck Owens? He modestly denies that he is, but he's the next Jeff Michaels, and that may just be the winning ticket. Jeff Michaels makes Bakersfield Sound Underground history by being the very first interview ever posted here:
http://www.bakersfieldsound... If you aren't going underground, you're not going anywhere! There may be a few names history will remember that I've forgotten, so forgive me if you happened to have made REAL history here and I left you out. HISTORY HUMBLED ME HERE. It's keeps humbling me every time my ego tries to take center stage. Fate was trying to tell me something when I couldn't get enough lightening on this photo I took of myself. I was being overshadowed by REAL history. Of course my disdain for fame is no secret (ha ha), but I feel sorry for anybody who came here to record at the last minute in hopes of being a significant part of the history that the old place represents. Unless you've created a masterpiece here, you'll be forgotten. Position in line doesn't matter to history. Only art does. IT'S HISTORY VS. HYPE. Those of us who got our boots in the door at the last minute (whether for noble or narcissistic reasons) better leave any hopes of making history at the very door we stepped into at the last minute. We must prepare ourselves, instead, to be humbled by the REAL history of the old place Buck created from an old movie theatre. You won't be remembered simply by being the last one, or even among the last ones to record here. Your work must stand on its own---like the works of Buck Owens and Homer Joy. Your work must stand upon against years of devoted engineering skills that Jim Shaw put into the place, your work must rise to the level of the tireless efforts of Korn. These are giants. They are tough acts to follow. At the very least, us last-minute-foot-in-the-door soldiers will be a mere footnote. Unless our intent was, (or has become) to shine a light to shine upon the hard working heroes of yore who made REAL history here, we'll be reduced to the level of fools fading into the dark of night. Are you history or hype? I don't want to be a footnote, do you? Let's learn from the giants that came before us and make new history. http://people.bakersfield.c... 700, 620 )" id="firstimg"> larger view
I've held a few here before, but now I've taken them underground. Today, at http://www.bakersfieldsound... we'll be holding the first ever Underground Buckaholics Anonymous Meeting. I'm Dr. BLT, and I'll be your group facilitator. The only requirement to attend the blog meeting is to admit that you're a Buckaholic and tell us in the comments section what you're doing to support your habit. You'll even be introduced to the Buckaholics Anonymous theme song. Come as you are. We won't judge you for being a Buckaholic. We'll support you in your efforts to embrace the inner Buckaholic in you. Oh, one more thing to remember: If you're not going underground, your not going anywhere. Now that might sound like an odd combination, but when you go underground, you open yourself up to all sorts of odd combinations in the name of experimentation. Today, I've released my re-make of Modern English's Melt with You, and I've presented a challenge to listeners to take it to the next level by doing their own Kern County country rock version of the song, with a little Bakersfield Sound retro flavor in the mix. But you don't have to be an experimental artist to get something out of what I've posted at Bakersfield Sound Underground today. You'll also have the opportunity to respond to some questions of a psychological nature that have been drawn from the lyrics to Melt with You. Remember, if you're not going underground, you're not going anywhere. Welcome to Twitty Tuesday. I'm Dr BLT. I'll be your host. Today we're going to take an up close and personal look at the lyrics to Conway Twitty's big hit, Hello Darlin': Hello darlin' nice to see ya It's hard to be friendly with someone who has betrayed you, or somebody that has not only left you unforgiven for something terrible that you've done, but someone whose inability to forgive you eventually led that person to walk out the door. The question is, why would somebody cause so much pain to a loved one, that the loved one would walk? Then again, did the person simply use the wrong you committed as an excuse for leaving you in the dark? Renounce post-Freudian psychological theorist, Henry Murray believes that we produce tension in relationships just so we can go about trying to reduce that tension. In other words, we all have an unconsious need for drama in our lives.
Henry Murray believes that physiological processes are central to functioning, and central to the understanding of dysfunction. And, in terms of physiological phenomena, sleep and appetite are a couple of the first things to be impacted by emotional distress. Tears are a mechanism of release, the lachrymal paroxysms are instrumental to the recovery process. The problem is, most men have a problem with the association between crying and weakness. As I said once in a song, singin' is a man's way of cryin' and this song goes a long way towards releasing "man tears." Murray would look at these lines as an expression of what he referred to as "prepotency." It has to do with that certain urgency or importuning insistence that often accompanies an unfulfilled need. The memories Twitty is attempting to lose in this song represent what Murray would refer to as "press." Press is short for "pressure." Press can have its origins in the enviornment, or in events from the past that form a representation in memory. Memories are most often emotionally-charged. The more intimate the memories, the more intense the pain, when the object of that intimacy leaves the scene. What we get, in Murray's terms, when the need for intimacy meets the pressure (in this case, generated by emotionally-charged memories in this case), is something he calls "amalgamation." Now, how does childhood development fit into the mix, according to Murray? Well, childhood experiences and the memories they produce can lead to various complexes. For example, the trauma of birth, involving an abrupt exit from the security of the womb can contribute to what Murray described as a "Claustral complex." If a child is mollycoddled for too long, letting go of the "oral complex (sensual enjoyment associated with sucking from the breast and other transitional objects)," can produce trauma that rears its ugly head in adult intimate relationships when an unhealthy dependency is followed by what is perceived as unbearable rejection or abandonment. Hello Darlin' is much more than a love letter. It is an attempt to reduce the tension that comes from being unforgiven, rejected and abandoned by the object of one's love. The degree of success one will have in reducing that tension will, in most cases, depend on the degree to which unresolved childhood conflicts rear their ugly heads to intensify and complicate things. Sadly, when prepotency is at an overwhelming high level, when urgency is greatest, and when solicitous insistence on rapprochement is greatest, the search for resolution or the effort to find tension-reduction represents an ineffably illusive quest. The moral of the story, if you haven't figured it out by now, is this: Do your best to create a safe, secure enviornment for your child or children. When children feel secure, they grow up better equipped to handle the bumps on life's treacherous road. On Thursday, May 15, I'll stop the world, just long enough for you to melt with this! This one is for all of you experimental nu bako sound artists out there. I'm beginning a brand new series on Thursday, May 15 at the all new Bakersfield Sound Underground blog site. It poses a series of challenges to artists interested in carving out a whole nu bako sound TM by fusing the Bakersfield Sound of yore with myriad other genres, including 80s rock, Seatle-based grunge, punk, post-punk, new wave, alt rock, and something I refer to as experiMETAL TM. On Thursday, I plan to release my re-make of I'll Stop the World (and Melt with You) by Modern English. There's no fusion involved with my re-make. That will be your job, and your first Nu Bako Sound TM Fusion Challenge. My song will appear on the future CD, 8Tease. Your nu Bako TM re-make will be linked over at Bakersfield Sound Underground, and here. You will take this song, add a little bit of Bakersfield Sound flavor, either as a DJ mix, or a whole new altered cover of the original tune. So, what do you say? Are you up for the challenge? Remember, if you're not going underground, you're not going anywhere. So check out the new contest Thursday at:
Bakersfield's Next Buck talent contest: Deadline extended, rules explained, your questions addressed
If any of you are requiring a more complete explanation about Bakersfield's Next Buck talent contest, or you would like an update, including the announcement of a deadline extension, then you'll want to check out the latest post over at Bakesfield Sound Underground. Remember, if you're not going underground, you're not going anywhere! The Farewell Session CD Release Party When?: Saturday, June 7 at 7 pm. Where? Russo's Books at the Marketplace on Ming Avenue in Bakersfield, California What? A CD release party to welcome aboard the release of the EP, The Farewell Session, recorded at the home of the old Buck Owens recording studio, aka Fat Tracks, aka Pig. Recorded on Wednesday, April 2, 2008, in the last days of the old place---the very same place that the songs pay tribute to. The songs are a tribute, not only to the place, but to the rich history created there, and the giants that once considered it their stomping grounds. The studio management went to great lengths to afford me privacy for this session, going the extra mile by insisting that the session be closed to TV cameras, a favor they didn't do for other acts that were also working on noteworthy last minute projects there. I assure you, it wasn't a matter of favoritism, it had to do with their respect for the uniqueness of my project as a tribute to the old place and to the giants that made music there. So, they kept me free from distractions, and I was able to avoid the media circus that followed the news of the closing of the studio. When you attend the CD release party, you will hear Phat Chance, a song written when I was in doubt as to my chances of getting in the door to record this tribute; The Last Man Standing, and Walls of Sound are Fallin'. I will also be recording The World is Coming to an End, which pays tribute to the closing of World Records, another historic musical landmark in Kern County. At the party, you'll also hear songs from past and future Dr BLT CDs. Be there. Celebrate history with me. Watch here, and over at http://www.bakersfieldsound... for updates. Happy Mothers Day! Faith of our Fathers is one of my favorite hymns, but it's hard to find a hymn that honors our mothers, unless it's about the mother of Jesus himself. Good morning everybody! Any Eddie Arnold fans out there? If you'd like to hear Tennessee Plowboy, and witness the debut of my new tribute to Eddie Arnold, and/or if you'd like to know who the winner of our last Bakersfield Sound Trivia Quest question is, visit the brand new blog site known as Bakersfield Sound Underground: http://www.bakersfieldsound... It's from the CD Dr BLTributes. Stay tuned at: http://www.drblt.net And God bless!
R.I.P. Eddie Arnold! This song was inspired by a local blogger who has been consistently critical of me, and it hasn't really been very constructive criticism either. Instead of responding in kind, I believe that it is incumbent upon the attackee in situations like this, to try to reach out, put forth an olive branch, and ask the person nicely to change for the better, instead of simply attacking back. So, dizzyfingers, here is my olive branch. Peace. Out.
Take it Easy, Dizzyfingers words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008
take it easy, dizzyfingers pointin' fingers at my soul dizzy from that finger-pointin' stick to makin' rock n roll
Chorus: let's stand together let's band together all for one, one for all let's stick together don't make stormy weather let's unite or we'll all fall
take it easy, dizzyfingers like The Streets of Bakersfield "You don't me, but you don't like me," do you know the way I feel
Chorus: let's stand together let's band together all for one, one for all let's stick together don't make stormy weather let's unite or we'll all fall
I'm not perfect nor or you so we all must pay our dues here's to you dizzyfingers here's to you!
bakersfieldsoundunderground.com If I'm ready, and I'm willing to release it from my BuckarooM, warts and all. Otherwise, I'll smooth out the rough edges and deliver it a day or two (or maybe more) later. In the meantime, check out the lyrics and you reflect upon the legacy of Mr. Eddie Arnold. R.I.P.! Tennessee Plowboy words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008
Tennessee Plowboy you plowed the fields inside my mind with the songs that I've adored since I was young Tennessee Plowboy heard you passed away today well it seems that your work on earth is done
chorus: You made the world go away when it was painful you made the world stand up on its feet for you and now you've left this world with your golden treasure Tennessee Plowboy your work on earth is through
Tennessee Plowboy you plowed your way into our hearts somehow we thought that you'd never depart but now we know that you have gone away but one day we will join you anyway (chorus)
what was your secret you filled the world with charm your songs calmed all our fears when we were alarmed what do we do now that you're no longer here I guess will listen to your songs and cry a tear
Thank you wspalifornian, who identified the flaw that may have misguided many of you in the blog announcing the new bakersfieldsoundunderground blog site. Here is the link to the blog thread announcing the new blog site, with the link it contains, now wholly corrected: http://people.bakersfield.c...
And here is the direct link to the new blog site: http://www.bakersfieldsound...
that might not be enough for you to correctly identify this important figure in the evolution of the Bakersfield Sound. So, feel free to hit this link for more clues: http://www.bakersfieldsound... and be sure to Stay Tuned at: bakersfieldsoundunderground.com That's the new blog site that connects the Bakersfield Sound, old, with the nu Bako Sound of today and tomorrow. Welcome to Lyric today, Hear it Tomorrow. I'm your host, Dr. BLT, and, as Barry Mannilow said in a song he didn't write, "I Write the Songs." Without further ado, here are the lyrics to If I Only Had a little Eddie Arnold in Me, written this morning, right after I heard the news that Eddie Arnold passed away. If I Only Had a Little Eddie Arnold in Me words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008
if I only had a little Eddie Arnold in me I wouldn't be the underdog stuck on these bako streets I'd tour across the country I'd sail the 7 seas if I only had a little Eddie Arnold in me
If I only had his style, his grace his clean-cut country charm his elegance his folksy wit that shouts "I'm from the farm" my stalled career would take off I would leave my misery if I only had a little Eddie Arnold in me
just a little not much to ask for just a tidbit, just a trinket just a spot, a speck, dear lord there's only one more thing I need to set my music free all I ask is this just put some Eddie Arnold, lord, in me
I wish I had a little Eddie Arnold in Me I was a little bitty boy when he came on to the scene I heard the Cattle Call and wondered could this really be If I Only had a little Eddie Arnold in me bakersfieldsoundunderground.com is just getting off the ground, so please be patient. Also, your suggestions for making the blog site even better are always welcome. You'll find it right here: http://www.bakersfieldsound... My brand new blog site will feature interviews with up-and-coming rebels of country, country rock, Krock (Kern Country country rock), Bakersfield Sound-based post-punk/cow punk, and other related genres. The first interview to be posted there will be from Jeff Michaels. It will feature news and events related to the history and continuously evolving Bakersfield Sound movement. bakersfieldsoundunderground.com will be the host site for Bakersfield's Next Buck and other exciting Bakersfield-Sound-related contests. bakersfieldsoundunderground.com will feature my Bakersfield Sound-based blog n roll, my unique style of original-song-fortified blog posts, only in this case, the blog n roll threads will be exclusively devoted to the history and continuing evolution of the Bakersfield Sound. You'll keep abreast of the people, places and faces associated with both the old Bakersfield Sound and those of the new burgeoning Bakersfield-Sound-based-experimental music that was born of it, something I call nu Bako, or the new Bako Sound. You can talk, gossips and rock here. The BAKERSFIELD SOUNDoff series that was introduced here, will be featured there, so you can have a BAKERSFIELD SOUND soap box to stand on and shout. There will be a series called Bakersfield SoundWAVES, and an advice column called BAKERSFIELD SOUND Advice from the Krock Doc. More features will be added as the site continues to grow. You're really not going anywhere unless you're going underground. So grab and shovel and dig this with me!
There has been some confusion surrounding that issue, so I just wanted to make that clear. Think outside the Buck box, or "the bux." You can be a solo act, a band, a male, a female or a duo. For more information on Bakersfield's Next Buck contest, visit this link:http://people.bakersfield.c...
Some of you are really intent on succeeding as a Kern County country rocker, aka a "krocker." The recipe for success is really quite simple. It's contained in the song you are free to sample hear today (by hitting play on the play station above). It's from the forthcoming CD, From Buck Owens Blvd. to Merle Haggard Drive, scheduled for release on July 4, 2008. For more information visit this:
http://www.drblt.net tAll You Need is 3 Chords and a Heartache words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008 all you need are 3 chords and a heartache to be a country star in this town all you need are 3 chords and a heartbreak that is all it takes to get around chorus: I get around all over town I play in honky-tonks and 2-bit bars I get around with just a heartache 3 chords and a heartache takes me far all you need are 3 chords and a heartache to be the next Buck Owens yes it's true all you need to be the next Merle Haggard are 3 chords and a heart filled with the blues (chorus) The photo you see here of me in front of the old Buck Owens studios is one I initially apologized for because it was too dark. Now I understand the symbolism it contains. The photo of me is dark, because I am woefully insignificant in relation to the rich history associated with this old place. I can laugh at my silly investment in the race to be last now, but at the time I was caught up, I took it all very seriously. As the old Sweet song goes, "Everybody wants a piece of the action." I have a lot of respect for the honesty that Iron Outlaws show when they include themselves in what they describe in the Buck Owens studio documentary, as a last-minute struggle for artists to be the very last to record at the famous Buck Owens recording studios. I too, allowed myself to get caught up in what I now regard as a vain pursuit to be the last. In a way, it's good, because it's a testimony to the energy, and rich history associated with the old place. But in a way, it represents a musical identity crisis among those who allowed themselves to get caught up in the vying for last position. It's okay to stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, but do we need to ride their coat tails? I think not. I'm not pointing any fingers, except at myself, but if this shoe fits, wear it with me. Then let's begin to look for what we, as musicians, have to offer this community, through our own uniqueness, not through somebody else's legacy that we happen to latch onto at the last moment. The Bible says that when we humble ourselves, then, and only then, can we be exalted. The journey towards humility is a long one for me, but today, I'm taking one step forward. Tomorrow, I may take two steps backwards, but I'm now concentrating on today. I'll try to approach my own CD release party with this in mind, though part of me still wants to get caught up in the struggle to be significant by riding someone eles's coat tails. Let's pay them a tribute for the legacy they left at the old studio, and then let's go out and make our own. Then, those of us who are believers need to work on the next step: giving all the glory to God, the Giver of Gifts. The First Shall be Last words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008
the Bible says the last shall be first but I see people fighting to be last the Bible says the first shall be last so why are we all fighting to be cast as the last man standing the last band standing the one man or band to still be there when all have come and gone we all want to hold on but the Bible says the first shall be last
the first was Buck himself we all pale next to him we wither like the grass we're blowin' like the wind we all want just a piece a piece of history just like the goldrush, we like fools we all rush in
I too must face the vanity within I too must let my pride be put aside we all should celebrate in them, not us we just happened to be riding on a dying bus the Bible says the last shall be first but I see people fighting to be last the Bible says the first shall be last so why are we all fighting to be cast as the last man standing the last band standing the one man or band to still be there when all have come and gone we all want to hold on but the Bible says the first shall be last If you're wondering what it takes to be the next Buck Owens, and I haven't provided enough clues for you in the audition song I wrote for that contest, maybe this song will help. It's called... All You Need is 3 Chords and a Heartache words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008 all you need are 3 chords and a heartache to be a country star in this town all you need are 3 chords and a heartbreak that is all it takes to get around
chorus: I get around all over town I play in honky-tonks and 2-bit bars I get around with just a heartache 3 chords and a heartache takes me far
all you need are 3 chords and a heartache to be the next Buck Owens yes it's true all you need to be the next Merle Haggard are 3 chords and a heart filled with the blues (chorus)
The deadline is June 30, but as we've learned from Pig studios, a deadlines and closing dates are never set in stone. But there's a chance you'll miss out, if you think you have what it takes to be Bakersfield's Next Buck, now is the time for you to show us what you've got. The audition song, by yours truly, entitled, If you Wanna Be the Next Buck Owens, is posted above. Sing along, then request an instrumental copy to practice with by emailing me at: drblt@drblt.net
Females and bands are also welcome to apply. Those who step outside the typical bounds of what may be considered country are welcome to audition. Post-punk-post-Korn krock bands are welcome to audition. Bakersfield's Next Buck, I know you're out there somewhere. Show us what you've got! Stay tuned at: drblt@drblt.net Some of you last-minute-in-the-door-seeking musicians desiring to secure your rightful place in Bakersfield Sound history at the home of the old Buck Owens studios (re-named Fat Tracks and, later, Pig) might have discovered an apparent contradiction that seems to violate the laws of fairness. More specifically, you may have heard that the management of the place seemed to have gone out of its way to supply me with extra protection from the last-minute-media circus surrounding the closing of the studio after a rich musical history associated with the old place. Even more specifically, you may have discovered that shortly after channel 17 called me (and, apparently, them, though unconfirmed) seeking to follow-up on my Farewell Session, the studio announced that no cameras would be allowed. You may have also heard that the rule only applied to my session, and not to the sessions of other musicians that scheduled recording time after the announcing of the studio's final closing date. From that, you may have fallaciously concluded that favoritism was involved. After all, why would I be the only artist granted protection from the media circus that followed the announcing of the studio's closing. And I understand why you would jump to that conclusion, but keep in mind, that you too are special for being among the last to record there. I was even greeted at the door by a couple of body guards the studio management apparently rented from Trout's. Maybe you guys got that part of the royal treatment too, I'm not sure. The conclusion I came to regarding the special conditions and the special policy concerning the media that seemed to apply only to me, and only to channel 17, is that they simply respected the meaning behind my session. They respected the fact that the lyrics of my songs actually paid tribute, and actually paid respect to the old place. So they allowed me the luxury of capturing the magic of the moment and the spirit of the studio in peace, without any distractions that would turn a tribute into a mere photo op. That's not to say that your music wasn't special. I won't assign any opportunistic motives to your efforts to squeeze in the door, just in the nick of time, but please understand that the studio was not trying to grant me favoritism by their special conditions. Please give the studio management, channel 23, and the Bakersfield Californian a break for not offering you the same consideration. And prepare for my forthcoming EP release party. It was tentatively arranged for May 31st, but my guitar player has to do a wedding that day. It will be at Russo's Books at the Marketplace. Stay tuned at: http://www.drblt.net Money talks. Money weilds influence. Is this city, and the local media, "Under the Influence" of Buck, or simply under the influence of the bucks Buck left behind? I've heard songs---really great songs, from the likes of Tuney Reeves and Jim Jones, that are firmly grounded in the very Bakersfield Sound that Buck sparked, but you'll never hear them on KUZZ radio. Now, if it were my recording, I could understand, as I frequently hit flat notes, and many of recordings are extremely weak in terms of recording quality. But I've heard some very professional, very catchy, very deftly written new songs, many recorded at Bakersfield School of Music and Recording, that received a response so cold, you could almost see icicles forming on the faces of the artists who were so flatly rejected. Good Kern County country rock music is going to waste here every day, with artists being instantly rejected at local venues and at local radio stations. That's why I'm determined to keep looking for The Next Buck Owens. But, since blog n roll is mostly about your talk, not my topic or my tunes, let me get off my soap box and let you get on it. It's as simple as that to win. Today's blog n roll trivia gift is the pleasure that comes with knowing that you have a huge fund of knowledge containing the history and continuing evolution of the Bakersfield Sound.
And when you're speaking of the BAKERSFIELD SOUND Trivia, nothing is trivial. Are you ready? Set? BLOG N ROLL! I don't remember what I was looking at (or, what I was on, no I'm kidding) when I took it, but I think it kind of transformed into something else. In today's blog n roll game, you will identify what you think it is, or what you see in the photo.
Ready? Set? Blog n roll! Imagine a resolution was put together to have the official name of our city changed from Bakersfield to Buckersfield, and city government officials were about to vote on the measure. If you were invited to a community forum to express your opinion on the resolution, would you attend? If so, what would you say? Support your answer. Ready? Set? Blog n roll! Blog n roll is all based on the three T's. In blog n roll, I supply the topic and the tune and you supply the talk. Today the subject is Getting High on high-calorie foods.
I looked it up on a table, and discovered, much to my dismay that my way of starting the morning would take 121 minutes of walking, 50 minutes of jogging or 36 minutes of swimming to burn off. I better start looking for my swim trunks. What about you? What is your food-based Achilles Heel? What high calorie food do you like to get high on? What do you do, if anything, to try to burn it off? Today's super-sized song sample (to play, hit the play bar on the play station at the top left above) features a song that was written (in front of Starbucks on Rosedale Highway near Calloway) and recorded yesterday, so I didn't have a chance to get my band, The Rolling Scones together to record it. It's called I Like to Get Sconed and it will soon be found on my forthcoming CD, From Buck Owens Blvd. to Merle Haggrd Drive. Stay tuned at: http://www.drblt.net
I Like to Get Sconed words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008
some people like to get stoned in the mornin’ I like to get sconed I love to have my Maple Oat Nut Scone I head on out to Starbucks every mornin’ don’t you know ‘cause everybody knows I like to get sconed
chorus: I like to get sconed I like to get sconed don’t call the cops on your brand new iPhone I’m not out droppin’ acid so just leave me alone everybody knows I like to get stoned
I tried to get some decongestant tablets for my nose these sinuses are killin’ me you know they made me sign my life away but no meth lab I own everybody knows I like to get sconed (chorus)
I don’t own bongs or needles I’m sober to the bone though plaque keeps buildin’ in my veins I know there could be better habits I’d look much better toned but everybody knows I like to get sconed
I had just received a near-failing grade on a High School Algebra exam and at the top of the sheet, the instructor (who, in my dream, was actually an 8th grade teacher I admired), wrote something to the effect of "I don't teach 2nd graders."
Once complete, I plan to add it to my forthcoming CD, Altar'd Hymns. Stay tuned at: http://www.drblt.net
BAKERSFIELD SOUND Trivia Quest: Name the last solo act to record at Buck's old studio aka Fat Tracks
Here are your choices: a. Buck Owens b. Blue Metal c. Dr BLT d. Iron Outlaws e. Tom Petty and Mudcrutch If you didn't happen to catch the front-page story about the closing of Buck Owen's recording studio, which eventually evolved into Fat Tracks, and, finally, Pig, I'd recommend that you check it out. If you go back to http://www.bakersfield.com/... s_oidt="0">http://www.bakersfield.com you'll find both the article, the original recording of Homer Joy's The Streets of Bakersfield, a song he wrote for Buck Owens that not only climbed to the top of the charts, but a song became a defining song for Buck, and for the Bakersfield Sound. If you're wondering why this EP, scheduled for release later this month, was not mentioned, keep in mind that my EP, though one of the final pages in the last chapter of the studio's history, pales in comparison to the collosal works of the parade of stellar artists mentioned in Shellie Branco's outstanding article featuring Homer Joy's picture. I hate to admit it, but I'm a rather insignificant, nearly invisible figure in the world of music that I love so much. Besides, after initially getting the green light, I had to tell a local TV station expressing interest in the Farwell Session, that I was just informed that the management didn't want any cameras present. It was better that way because it allowed me to approach the session as a way of paying tribute to the art, and the history associated with the place, while avoiding what could have developed into a false perception that I had planned the session as a photo op for publicity purposes. Yes, my Farwell session pales in comparison to the works that were recorded at this historic site prior to my last-minute arrival, but if you don't care, and you are curious to hear these tribute song, stay tuned here, and at my website: for more information on the EP release and accompanying CD release party. 'm honestly not trying to start a new fad. It's simply the boredom talking.
In blog n roll, I provide the tunes and the topic and you provide the talk. But every once in awhile we mix things up so they won't become too boring, or too predictable. In this case, I'm providing the art, if it could actually be considered art, in the mind of the art purest. The music you are hearing, is secondary, to accompany the visual music. If you want to hear my cover of the Beatles, Norweigen Wood, hit the play bar in the music play station above. It's from the as-yet-unreleased, unavailable CD, Putting the BLT in BeaTLes. I'm calling this series Accidents not Waiting to Happen, or simply, Accidental Art. I call this one Trout's Fishing because the photo was taken at Trout's, at Billy Mize' s birthday party. It was taken on my iPhone, and it is an accident. You too can become an iphone accidental artist. All you have to do is take some poor pictures and have an unsteady hand. It's cool, because, in a sense, fate is the impressionist artist. You simply open up your lense, and open your mind to the possibility of channeling fate itself. Here's where you come in. Tell me what you see as you look at the piece. This is not for the purpose of psychoanalysis of your art. It's simply for the sake of sharing and pooling personal impressions of the work. There's a second way you can participate, and that is by adding your own piece of accidental art. Are you ready? Set? Blog n roll! |