Sunday, October 26, 2008

Playlist 10/26/2008 - Jim's Dad's Birthday

We had another sports-shortened show -- only 15 minutes because the UCONN women's soccer game went into double overtime -- but we squeezed in a few songs, including a 1962 Kenny Roberts-Elton Britt duet on WWVA, before our birthday tribute to Jim's dad who celebrates on October 27th.

Jim's dad and mom are in the photo with Red Rooster Party host Jim Jr. in his mom's lap. Two cousins are looking on.

You can hear it again at this link --> listen



Song (Year) / Artist / Album / Label

  • Hattie Dalton Old Red Rooster Party Introduction (1994)
  • I Looked Down The Line And I Wondered (1939) / The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet / Complete Recorded Works Vol. 3 / Document
  • Things Are Getting Rough All Over (1952) / Hank Penny & His California Cowhands / The Penny Opus #1 / Jasmine
  • Cannonball Yodel (1962) / Kenny Roberts and Elton Britt / Then and Now / Longhorn
  • Happy Birthday to Jim (2007) / The Bristol Boys / Live at WHUS 28 October 2007 / transcript
  • Jealous Hearted Me (1936) / The Carter Family / In The Shadow of Clinch Mountain / Bear Family

Monday, October 20, 2008

Playlist 10/19/2008 - Kenny Roberts: King of the Yodelers


Happy Birthday, Kenny Roberts!

We are very fortunate to have a music legend living nearby in New England. Kenny Roberts, King of the Yodelers, though born in Tennessee, grew up near Athol, Massachusetts, and got his start in music while a teen in New England working with Yodeling Slim Clark, and then the Down Homers.

WW2 interrupted things for a while in the 1940s, but along the way Kenny trained his wartime replacement, Bill Haley (yes, THAT Bill Haley), who relinquished the job when Kenny returned. Kenny then recorded a beautiful 78 RPM picture disc on the Vogue label, "Out Where The West Winds Blow," that introduced his future wife and songwriter, the beautiful Bettyanne, to his unbelievable singing voice.

A string of solo songs followed on the Coral label (a division of Decca) that included the huge hit "I Never See Maggie Alone" which reached the #9 position on the pop charts in 1949 and #4 on the country charts, followed by "Choc'late Ice Cream Cone."

Kenny won the World Championship Yodeling title at Madison Square Garden in 1964 singing the most amazing version of "She Taught Me To Yodel" that has ever been sung.

Kenny celebrated his 82nd birthday on October 14, so we celebrated on RRP by replaying an interview we had with Kenny two years ago after his 80th birthday, and then topped it off by having Kenny join us live at the end of the show.

If you missed it, you can go here to listen.

Kenny loves to get letters and frequently responds. You can write to Kenny and Bettyanne at:

Kenny Roberts
165 Allen Street
Athol, MA 01331

Kenny and Bettyanne also have e-mail which is not quite as reliable as snail mail:

kennybett (at) verizon.net be sure to replace the (at) with "@"

Songs played during the interview:

Kenny Roberts' first recording...


Out Where The West Winds Blow (1946) / Kenny Roberts and the Down Homers / Vogue 78RPM Picture Disc


Kenny said he sold over a million of this next song which was also his biggest hit. It reached #9 on the pop charts and #4 on the country charts...


I Never See Maggie Alone (1949) / Kenny Roberts / Jumpin' & Yodelin' / Bear Family


This next song is probably the most amazing demonstration of yodeling you will ever hear...


She Taught Me To Yodel (1953) / Kenny Roberts / Jumpin' & Yodelin' / Bear Family


Kenny's wife, Bettyanne, is a fine songwriter and singer. She wrote and performed the following song about an adopted child...


Pretty (1988) / Bettyanne Roberts / The Singer - The Songwriter / self-released


The following song was nearly as popular as "Maggie." Kenny performed it regularly on his children's television shows...


Choc'late Ice Cream Cone (1950) / Kenny Roberts / Jumpin' & Yodelin' / Bear Family


Kenny still performs and records occasionally, and still retains his wonderful voice. The following song is one of his later country recordings...


Those Pretty Eyes (1988) / Kenny Roberts / Then and Now / Longhorn



Happy Birthday, Kenny Roberts!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Playlist 10/12/2008 - The Earl & Jeff Show














We had two outstanding guest DJs picking the music for this show: Earl Dunton from Willimantic (left in the picture) and Jeff Perkins from Canterbury (on the right). They selected the "guest DJ" premium during the WHUS Radiothon back in April, and finally got the opportunity to do their thing on this show.

What a show it was! The guys brought some excellent music to RRP that covered everything from classic country to modern retro-folk.

We liked what they did so much that we may just have them back sometime in the future.

You can listen to The Earl & Jeff Show using this link to our main site ---> listen

For the playlist below, Earl's selections are in red, and Jeff's in blue.

Title (Year) / Artist / Album / Label

  • Hattie Dalton Old Red Rooster Party Introduction (1994)
  • The Preacher And The Bear (1937) / The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet / Complete Recorded Works Vol. 1 / Document
  • Daddy's Girl (1975) / Red Sovine / The Best of Red Sovine / Tee Vee Records
  • Sink The Bismarck (1960) / Johnny Horton / Classic Country Golden 60s / Time Life
  • Breezing Along with the Breeze (1926) / Johnny Marvin / Breezin' Along With The Breeze / Living Era
  • So Is Your Old Lady (1926) / Johnny Marvin / Breezin' Along With The Breeze / Living Era
  • Daddy Sang Bass (1969) / Johnny Cash / Classic Country 1965-1969 / Time Life
  • Teddy Bear (1976) / Red Sovine / The Best of Red Sovine / Tee Vee Records
  • No Restricted Signs (Up In Heaven) (1946) / The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet / Rock My Soul / Living Era
  • Shadrack (1946) / The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet / Rock My Soul / Living Era
  • I've Got A Tiger By The Tail (1965) / Buck Owens / Classic Country Golden 60s / Time Life
  • Okie From Muskogee (1969) / Merle Haggard / Classic Country 1965-1969 / Time Life
  • Heaven's Radio (1940) / The Carter Family / Chicago, New York City 1940-1941 / JSP
  • There'll Be No Distinction There (1940) / The Carter Family / Chicago, New York City 1940-1941 / JSP
  • Is The Blue Moon Still Shining? (1991) / Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick / Hand-Picked 25 Years of Bluegrass / Rounder
  • Every Time You Say Goodbye (1992) / Alison Krauss / Hand-Picked 25 Years of Bluegrass / Rounder
  • Peekaboo Waltz (2002) / Alan Jabbour, James Reed, Bertram Levey / A Henry Reed Reunion / self-produced
  • Ebenezer (2002) / Alan Jabbour, James Reed, Bertram Levey / A Henry Reed Reunion / self-produced
  • Budapest Breakdown (1979) / Pilgrim / Silver Lady / LP self-produced
  • Phantom 309 (1968) / Red Sovine / The Best of Red Sovine / Tee Vee Records
  • Cluck Old Hen (2004) / The Ebony Hillbillies / I Thought You Knew / self-produced
  • Time To Learn (2004) / The Ebony Hillbillies / I Thought You Knew / self-produced
  • Cool Water (c.1960s) / Sons of the Purple Sage / At Western Campfires / Somerset
  • Harper Valley P.T.A. (1968) / Jeannie C. Riley / Classic Country 1965-1969 / Time Life
  • Hard Times (2005) / Skip Gorman / Mandolin In The Cow Camp / Old West
  • Sitting in the Stern of a Boat (2005) / Skip Gorman / Mandolin In The Cow Camp / Old West
  • Funny Face (1972) / Donna Fargo / Classic Country 1970-1974 / Time Life
  • The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A. (1972) / Donna Fargo / Classic Country 1970-1974 / Time Life
  • Goodnight (2000) / Tom (Sauber), Brad (Leftwich) & Alice (Gerrard) / Holly Ding / Copper Creek
  • Jaybird, Cherokee Shuffle (1990) / Bill Spence with Fennig's All-Star String Band / The Hammered Dulcimer / Front Hall Records

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Playlist 10/5/2008 - Nick Reynolds, Children's Songs, Classic Country

Hi Folks.

We were preempted again as seems to be the case nearly every week during UCONN soccer season, but we managed to slip in an hour's worth of RRP.

We paid tribute to recently-departed Kingston Trio member Nick Reynolds by playing two of the Kingston Trio's biggest hits that Nick happened to sing, and played earlier songs from whence the Trio's versions came.

We also debuted a recently-released CD from the Yazoo label of children's songs from the early 20th century, and we finished with some good ole early and classic country, including an earlier 1935 version of "You're Bound To Look Like A Monkey" from Milton Brown (dedicated to the WHUS sports crew, of course) to augment the 1952 Hank Penny version we played two weeks earlier, and squeezed in some Delmore Brothers tunes and a great country song from RRP friend Kenny Roberts.

Tune in next week when Jeff and Earl, two great listeners, will be picking the tunes and shooting the bull.

Thanks for listening.

Jim & Marti

Title / Artist / Album / Label

  • Massa's In The Cold, Cold Ground (1937) / Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet / Complete Recorded Works Volume 1 / Document
  • The Ship That Never Returned (1966) / Sara & Maybelle Carter / Sara & Maybelle Carter / Bear Family
  • Wreck Of The Old Southern 97 (1924) / Vernon Dalhart / Country Music Pioneers on Edison / Document
  • M.T.A. (1959) / The Kingston Trio / Collector's Series / Capitol
  • Tom Dooley (1964) / Doc Watson / The Essential Doc Watson / Vanguard
  • Tom Dooley (1958) / The Kingston Trio / Collector's Series / Capitol
  • I Am Just What I Am (1938) / Homer Briarhopper (Homer Lee Drye) / The Story That The Crow Told Me Vol. 1 / Yazoo
  • Pretty Little Pink (1929) / Bradley Kincaid / The Story That The Crow Told Me Vol. 1 / Yazoo
  • King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-me-o (1929) / Chubby Parker / The Story That The Crow Told Me Vol. 1 / Yazoo
  • Hop Along Peter (1938) / Fisher Hendley & His Aristocratic Pigs / The Story That The Crow Told Me Vol. 1 / Yazoo
  • Blue Yodel (1927) / Jimmie Rodgers / Howdy - 25 Hillbilly All-Time Greats / Living Era
  • Red Wing (1927) / Riley Puckett / Howdy - 25 Hillbilly All-Time Greats / Living Era
  • Hey, Good Lookin' (1952) / Hank Williams / American Music Legends Volume Two / Cracker Barrel
  • You're Bound To Look Like A Monkey (1935) / Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies / Daddy Of Western Swing / Proper
  • In The Blue Hills Of Virginia / The Delmore Brothers / 1940-1941 / JSP
  • Make Room In The Lifeboat For Me (1940) / The Delmore Brothers / 1940-1941 / JSP
  • A Mighty Pretty Waltz (1952) / Kenny Roberts / Jumpin' & Yodelin' / Bear Family