“The Advertiser” (UK) 30 October 2009
Mark Wills career began at the age of seventeen when he won a talent competition in Mariette, Georgia. Encouraged, Mark performed locally before moving to first Atlanta and then Nashville to work as a demo singer. It was in “Music City” that he impressed the producers Keith Stegall and Carson Chamberlain who recommended him to Mercury Records. The debut album, self titled, released in 1996, yielded two top ten hits, “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Places I’ve Never Been”. The second album, “Wish You Were Here” was certified platinum and produced the hits included “I Do”, “Don’t Laugh At Me” and “Wish You Were Here”. Wills was presented with the “Top New Male Vocalist” award by the Academy of Country Music. And the hits kept on coming with “Loving Every Minute”, “19 Something” (Number one in 2003), “High, Low And In-Between” and “When You Think Of Me”. Wills left Mercury in 2004 and did not sign for another label until 2006 when he contracted to Clint Black’s Equity Music Group. Mark did not achieve much success here. His debut album was repeatedly held back until the Tenacity label acquired it and, released in 2008, the album produced the hits “The Things We Forget” and “Entertaining Angels”. Mark re-recorded a number of his hits for “2nd Time Around”, an album that features all the hits reported above plus the superb “Crazy White Boy”, “Back At One”, “Back On Earth”, “Time Machine” and “Don’t Take It Out On Me”. Listening repeatedly to this album I cannot help but wonder why major labels are not vying for the signature of Marks Wills, one of modern country music’s great performers. www.markwills.musiccitynetworks.com
Happy birthday to Kinky Friedman who will be sixty-five tomorrow. Kinky, from Rio Duckworth in Texas, cut his first record in 1967 under the name of King Arthur and the Carrots before joining the Peace Corps. Back in the world of music Kinky formed a new band, The Texas Jewboys, and recorded a catalogue of the most bizarre titles in any genre of country music. He sang about toilets (“Men’s Room In L.A.” with Ringo Starr as the voice of God), nasal problems (“Old Ben Lucas” with Eric Clapton playing Dobro) and racial intolerance (“They Don’t Make Jews Like Jesus Anymore”). Some titles cannot be repeated in a family newspaper. In spite of this Kinky did perform on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Friedman did have a serious side which he displayed on his “Sold American”, a song that was successful for Tompall and the Glaser Brothers. The talented Mr. Friedman is also a successful detective novelist. On Sunday (1 November) Whispering Bill Anderson will be seventy-two years young (Happy birthday Bill). Still performing today, Bill was equally successful as a writer with artists ranging from Ray Price to Ken Dodd enjoying hits with his songs. Remember there are stars in the southern sky.
“The Advertiser” (UK) 6 November 2009
Intelligent lyrics, melodic ballads, beautiful performances both vocally and instrumentally – what more could one ask? All this can be heard on “Genuine”, the current album from German song stylist Sylkie Monoff. The award winning singer/writer spends her time in both her native country and Nashville where she collaborates with songwriters who have provided material some of “Music City’s” hottest stars. With thirteen totally original Monoff originals “Genuine” blows like a breath of fresh air on a country scene that is threatening to become somewhat stale. Selecting tracks for illustration is very difficult for each and everyone is worthy of special mention but pushed hard I would cite my favourites as “Can’t Be Worse Than L.A.” (a song I feel destined to become one of my all-time favourites) and “Right At Hello”, with the Native American chant, provided by War Scout, at the beginning and conclusion of the track evoking strong memories of the wonderful Buffy Sainte Marie. This really is one hell of an album, and I do not say that about many contemporary country artists, one deserves to be a big, big success. www.sylkiemonoff.com
Congratulations to Stonewall Jackson who celebrates his seventy-seventh birthday today (6 November). Jackson was somewhat unique in that he was the first artist without a recording contract to join the “Grand Ole Opry” though shortly afterward he was signed to Columbia Records in 1958 and debuted with “Don’t Be Angry With Me”. The song was not a chart success but it did open the door for the follow-up, “Life to Go”, to make number two. Jackson’s golden years were the late 1950s and 60s a period that yielded such great hits as “Waterloo”, “BJ The DJ”, “A Wound Time Can’t Erase”, “Me and You And a Dog Named Boo”
Also celebrating a birthday today is Guy Clark. Guy, one the most influential singer/writers to emerge from Texas, never really achieved the success or recognition he deserves as a singer though his songs, recorded by other artists have been hits, particularly “Desperados Waiting For A Train” (for both Jerry Jeff Walker and David Allan Coe) and “The Last Gunfighter Ballad” (Johnny Cash). If you have yet to experience the talents of Guy Clark I do urge you to seek out his Sugar Hill albums “Old No.1” and Texas Cookin’”.
Other birthdays today include the late Doug Sahm. Texan Doug was a child prodigy who went on to play literally dozens of instruments establishing himself in several musical areas; blues rock, country and Tex-Mex. He hit the pop charts leading The Sir Douglas Quintet on “She’s About A Mover” before becoming a leader of the Tex-Mex movement with Augie Meyers, Flaco Jiminez and Freddy Fender, collectively The Texas Tornados. Doug died on 18 November 1999 aged forty-eight.
Remember there are stars in the southern sky.