TENNESSongs:
Todd Steed And The Suns Of Phere – Todd Steed is a local legend who used to play in a band called Smokin’ Dave and The Primo Dopes. He used to work at a cool used music store when I started college. I still see him around sometimes. His songs on this compilation come from the album, “Knoxville Tells.†The album is part mash note, part diary, and part diatribe about life in our scruffy little city, Knoxville, TN.
01. Radio Towers: Sharp’s Ridge houses most of the broadcast towers for our radio and TV stations. Since I live within five miles of The Ridge, it’s hard to get decent reception on my home stereos. The Ridge used to be a “pickle park†and site for drug deals, but the cops have put a stop to both activities.
02. New Knoxville Girl: Knoxville’s downtown has been the source of much political and economic debate ever since the early 80s. No one can ever agree upon how to revitalize the area. Meanwhile, the nearby “Old City†section prospers with an ebb and flow of businesses surviving on college student dollars amid a stronger base of diverse service-oriented and manufacturing industries.
03. Ryan Adams – Tennessee Sucks: I don’t know much about Ryan Adams, but I do know that he’s perfectly captured the lazy feel of a nothing-to-do summer day in TN (of which I had plenty while growing up).
04. Oneida – Tennessee: Oneida…is a band from Brooklyn, New York. This track is from the band’s “Steel Rod†EP. Oneida…is a one-stoplight town about 50 miles from Knoxville. Oneida…is also the name of a Native American Indian tribe:
In December, 1777, the Continental Congress gratefully addressed the Oneidas in these terms:
Hearken to what we have to say to you in particular: It rejoices our hearts, that we have no reason to reproach you in common with the rest of the Six Nations.
We have experienced your love, strong as the oak, and your fidelity, unchangeable as truth. You have kept fast hold of the ancient covenant-chain, and preserved it free from rust and decay, and bright as silver. Like brave men, for glory you despised danger; you stood forth, in the cause of your friends, and ventured your lives in our battles. While the sun and moon continue to give light to the world, we shall love and respect you. As our trusted friends, we shall protect you; and shall at all times consider your welfare as our own.
Journals of the Continental Congress 9:996
The State of New York expressed its appreciation of the Oneidas on September 3 of the same year:
"Resolved, that the Oneida Nation are the allies of this State and that we shall consider any attack upon them as an attack upon our own People."
--Public Papers of Governor George Clinton 2:272
05. Steve Earle – Copperhead Road: You probably know this song already, but it had to be included since it specifically mentions Knoxville. The secluded East TN mountains, prohibition, and abject poverty combined to make moonshining a pretty common “hobby†for many residents. The remains of a moonshine still used to stand on a creek bank not far from my mother’s current house. Moonshiners aren’t as numerous as they used to be, but you can still buy moonshine at certain bars if you know how to ask right. As Mr. Earle explains, marijuana “farming†is the more popular occupation nowadays.
06. Indigo Girls – Nashville: A bittersweet song about the highs and lows of life in Music City. This song comes from “Rites Of Passage.†I like Nashville more each time I go there.
CHOAD. Hank Snow – I’ve Been Everywhere: America’s one-time-favorite singer of Traveling Songs hailed from Nova Scotia! This is Choad’s song because it seems he’s lived in or traveled to most everywhere! Oh, and here’s all the places mentioned in the song:
“Been to Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota
Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota
Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma
Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma
Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo
Tocopilla, Barranquilla, and Padilla, I'm a killer
Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana
Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana
Monterey, Ferriday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa
Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa
Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake
Grand Lake, Devil's Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake
Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika
Shefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport
Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond Du Lac, Davenport
Idaho, Jellicoe, Argentina, Diamontina
Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean, sir
Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravellburg, Colorado
Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, Eldorado
Larrimore, Atmore, Haverstraw, Chattanika
Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika
Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City
Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City, what a pity…â€
08. Lyle Lovett – I’ve Been To Memphis: Remember when he was married to Julia Roberts? Me neither. Like Hank, Lyle has been to several places. This jazzy number is from his excellent and hardly country-sounding “Joshua Judges Ruth.â€
09. Johnny Rivers – Memphis, Tennessee: This is one of those songs with a “surprise†ending. I had a version by Elvis Presley, too, but, frankly, Johnny’s is better.
10. Beastie Boys – Johnny Ryall: Memphis is mentioned briefly here, so that was a good enough excuse for me to include the Beasties.
11. Prince – Alphabet St.: “LoveSexy†wasn’t the best Prince album ever, but this song proved more funky than I remember it being back in 1988. And the “Tennessee†part was sampled and used to good effect by ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT a few years later. I put AD’s “Tennessee†song on a previous swap, so that’s why it’s not included on this one.
12. Paul Simon – Graceland: Yes, we’re still stuck in Memphis. I’ve been in front of Graceland, but I didn’t really have any interest in going inside. From the album of the same name.
MIKEY. Glenn Miller Orchestra featuring The Andrews Sisters – Chattanooga Choo-Choo: I was ordered to include this song by the Tennessee State Historic Society. Okay, now I’m just making shit up. Anyway, I do like it. I chose it as MikeyG’s song mostly because the “G†in Glenn Miller finished off the Mikey part. Also, I like to imagine Mikey dressing up as an Andrews Sister and pulling off a remarkable karaoke version.
14. Tennessee Ernie Ford – Sixteen Tons: Oddly enough, Tennessee Ernie is from Nova Scotia, too. Ha! Actually, he was born in Bristol, TN, and worked as a DJ in Knoxville (and Atlanta) in the early 40s. He soon moved to California where he became known as “Tennessee Ernie†on his radio show. The song doesn’t mention TN, but mining is still one of the state’s largest industries.
15. Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed – Tennessee Stud: A mostly instrumental version of the country classic. I try to include Chet Atkins in swaps whenever possible. And Jerry Reed rules more than most people realize.
16. Todd Steed And The Suns Of Phere – The World’s Unfair (Since 1982): Knoxville has always struggled with its identity. It wants to be a city, but can’t leave its country roots behind. The 1982 World’s Fair was supposed to put the city on the map (in bigger letters than it had been before, I suppose). Indeed, the Knoxville fair was one of the last World’s Fairs to “make†money, and it was very popular, but it left behind a lot of problems and scandal as well. And besides a memorable appearance on “The Simpsons,†the dull, brassy Sunsphere stands as a haunting reminder that Knoxville still hasn’t quite made it to wherever the hell it is we’re supposed to be.
17. Osborne Brothers – Rocky Top: Pity the poor fool who buys a ticket to his alma mater’s football game only to find that he is sitting next to the visiting University of Tennessee’s Pride Of The Southland Band, for that poor fool will hear “Rocky Top†about 100 times over the next three hours.
IVY. Robinella and The CCstringband – Tennessee Saturday Night: Primer: a “brogan†is a heavy work boot; a “fiddle†is a violin; to “go native†means to remove all of one’s clothing. Here’s some detailed information on one of our local favorites from allmusic.com:
Robinella and the CCstringband is the brainchild of mandolinist Cruz Contreras, who formed the group's precursor, the Stringbeans, in 1997 while attending the University of Tennessee at Knoxville as a jazz piano major. The bluegrass band's co-founder was singer/guitarist Robin Ella Tipton, and it also featured other UT students Jay Clark, Clint Cagle, and Joel Keebler. Adding jazz elements to their sound, the Stringbeans attracted local attention, but not enough to keep Clark, Cagle, and Keebler from departing when they finished school. Contreras and Tipton married, and by 1999 they had reconfigured the group, adding Billy Contreras on fiddle, Steve Kovalcheck on electric guitar, and Taylor Coker on upright bass, to form Robinella and the CCstringband. The group built up a following around Knoxville and released its first album, Robinella and the CCstringband [2000] (2000), and its second, No Saint, No Prize (2001), on independent Big Gulley Records. They were then signed to Columbia Records, which released an EP, Blanket for My Soul, selecting tracks from their earlier records, in December 2002. Gaining national exposure by touring the country opening for Kasey Chambers, the band released their first full-length major-label CD, Robinella and the CCstringband [2003], in May 2003.
I chose this track for Ivy because I thought she’d like the idea of a bluegrass-based country-jazz band fronted by the “Hill-Billie Holliday.â€
19. Johnny Cash – Tennessee Flat Top Box
20. Johnny Cash – Tennessee Stud: I could hardly put together a collection of TennesSongs without some good ol’ JC. The first one is older. The second one is newer; it was recorded live at The Viper Room in Los Angeles and released on “American Recordings†in 1994.
21. George Jones – Tennessee Whiskey: If you don’t like Country music, then you better leave now. The Head Chef that I used to work under a long time ago would always make everyone in the kitchen shut up when this song—HIS SONG—came on the radio.
22. Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves – Tennessee Waltz: Patsy sings; Jim plays. There are large bells on “The Hill†at the Univ. of TN campus that play this tune at the end of the day.
23. Robert Earl Keen, Jr. – Leaving Tennessee: You are now leaving Tennessee, please restore your sister to her original, upright position and spit out your tobacco before crossing the state line. We hope you’ve enjoyed your stay. Y’all come back now, ya hear?
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