Gene Watson’s Peers within the country music industry believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much so that Gene is regarded by many of them as ‘the singer’s singer’ – and rightly so!
All of Gene Watson’s Peers, who were contacted by The Gene Watson Fan Site, during 2014, were most gracious with their time and words.
It is here, within this special part of The Gene Watson Fan Site, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), which he submitted to this site on Tuesday 30 September 2014 / Thursday 2 October 2014.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
This quote was submitted on Tuesday 30 September 2014 / Thursday 2 October 2014.
‘I am actually not that familiar with Gene’s music itself as I should be!
I have heard a few of his songs and always liked them in the past, but the man’s reputation I am very familiar with.
I have heard so many singers that I know over the years, from Vince Gill to others, say what a great singer they think Gene is. Most agree that he is one of the most under-rated artists, one of the best, and one that should be way past many others as far as being recognised for his talents.
I have also always heard, from both promoters and promo people, and others, who have worked with him, that Gene is a great guy, a hard worker and a hot singer with good songs.
I have always heard great things about him as a person who is ‘a great guy…he is a humble guy, who doesn’t act like a star’.
Gene does have a unique tenor voice, as all familiar with him know, but his great reputation and respect within the industry (and from his fans) is also a testament to the man, something even more difficult to attain than awards’
Thank you, John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), for your support of Gene Watson.
About John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)…
John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), who was born on Wednesday 19 December 1945, was a teenage Disneyland Magic Shop magician three years before he became a founding member of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and discovered that he liked being in front of people.
In his last months of high school, ‘music’ showed up and put John McEuen on stages of the area’s many folk clubs. Playing solo and with others (Michael Martin Murphey, Jose Feliciano, and his first group, Wilmore City Moonshiners) would lead to Grammy Awards and entertainment business recognition, and a list of fans around the world, from a career that would span more than forty-five years.
In 1966, when a bunch of guys playing together at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, where John McEuen was teaching banjo in Long Beach, California joined forces as Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a jug band, which headed out to play everything from folk music to rock music to country music.
With Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John McEuen recorded thirty-four albums, including the Platinum-selling, ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ (United Artists Records, 1972), which was instigated by John McEuen, and produced by John McEuen’s brother, William Eugene ‘Bill’ McEuen (1941 – Thursday 24 September 2020).
According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ (United Artists Records, 1972) is ‘one of the most important recordings ever to come out of Nashville’.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ (United Artists Records, 1972) is recognised as a music milestone and an integral part of Americana history, and was inducted into The Library of Congress as ‘one of America’s most important historic recordings’.
Multi-instrumentalist John McEuen ventured into varied musical genres simultaneous with band pursuits, making six of his own albums and producing ten others.
Taking his music and other talents to different formats, including television specials (writing and producing), film scoring, unusual award winning albums and concert production, John McEuen received recognition and awards in all the fields.
Keeping up an active concert schedule, both solo and with his lifetime partners in Nitty Gritty Dirt Band music, John McEuen also won a Grammy Award for ‘Best Bluegrass Album’ for his production of Steve Martin’s ‘The Crow – New Songs For The 5-String Banjo’ (Rounder Records, Rounder 2009), which featured a number of special guests, including Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Earl Scruggs (Sunday 6 January 1924 – Wednesday 28 March 2012), Tim O’Brien, Tony Trischka and Mary Black.
John McEuen’s love of acoustic music history and being onstage is evident to all those who see him putting his banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, lap steel and piano together with songs and comedic storytelling.
In 2010, John McEuen was honoured with ‘Best In The West Award’ by The Folk Alliance.
After participating in over 10,000 interviews, John McEuen started his radio show, ‘Acoustic Traveller’, on Sirium XM’s ‘The Village’. The music John McEuen performs today evolved from early inspiration from seeing The Dillards in his native southern California, along with music he made going down that early road with various artists.
Initially searching for a path to showbusiness in 1965, with borrowed money, John McEuen booked Bob Dylan for a concert in a Long Beach high school auditorium. The show sold out!
John McEuen paid back the loan and bought a new banjo.
By 1970, John McEuen convinced his brother, who was then manager/producer of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, to also manage high school buddy Steve Martin, with whom John had worked with in Disneyland’s Magic Shop; John McEuen recalled that ‘Steve says he learned a lot of banjo from me. I could just steal notes off records quicker was all, and he has written some of my favourite banjo tunes. But, I think, I learned more from him, and not all music’.
During the course of his illustrous career, John McEuen has played over eight thousand shows around the world.
John McEuen has performed and/or recorded with an amazing array of artists, including the following:
• Dolly Parton
• Willie Nelson
• Bill Wyman
• Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003)
• Marshall Tucker Band
• Steve Martin
• The Smothers Brothers
• Rowan & Martin
• Clint Eastwood
• Crystal Gayle
• Michael Martin Murphey
• Tammy Wynette (Tuesday 5 May 1942 – Monday 6 April 1998)
• Bill Monroe (Wednesday 13 September 1911 – Monday 9 September 1996)
• Earl Scruggs (Sunday 6 January 1924 – Wednesday 28 March 2012)
• Lester Flatt (Friday 19 June 1914 – Friday 11 May 1979)
• Leon Russell (Thursday 2 April 1942 – Sunday 13 November 2016)
• Pete Seeger (Saturday 3 May 1919 – Monday 27 January 2014)
• Vassar Clements (Wednesday 25 April 1928 – Tuesday 16 August 2005)
• Jose Feliciano
• Sissy Spacek
• Tommy Lee Jones
• Andy Williams (Saturday 3 December 1927 – Tuesday 25 September 2012)
• The Band
• The Doors
• Foreigner
• John Denver (Friday 31 December 1943 – Sunday 12 October 1997)
• Kenny Rogers (Sunday 21 August 1938 – Friday 20 March 2020)
• Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Doobie Brothers
• Hootie & The Blowfish
In 2013, John McEuen received this quote about him from none other than Garth Brooks:
‘I went to see The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in college at Gallagher Arena. A bunch of guys in the dorm pooled our monies together and threw in an extra buck a piece to pay one of the guys to sleep out for tickets. We got front row. We were having the time of our lives when, during a fiddle solo, John McEuen leaped over the monitors and past the edge of the stage and landed in between John Mathiason and me. John McEuen never missed a lick of that solo. That moment is forever etched in my soul’
In March 1967, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band saw the release of their self-titled debut album, ‘Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’ (Liberty Records, 1967), which was produced by Dallas Smith; the album debuted on the Billboard Top Pop Albums Chart on Saturday 8 April 1967, peaked at No.161 and remained on the chart for eight weeks.
The single, ‘Buy For Me The Rain’ (written by Steve Noonan and Greg Copeland) b/w ‘Candy Man’ (written by Reverand Gary Davis), debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart on Saturday 8 April 1967, peaked at No.45 on Saturday 6 May 1967, and remained on the chart for seven weeks.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s self-titled debut album, ‘Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’ (Liberty Records, 1967) included ‘Dismal Swamp’, which was written by John McEuen and William Eugene ‘Bill’ McEuen (1941 – Thursday 24 September 2020), and was a fast bluegrass instrumental, John McEuen’s banjo dominating the song, which also featured violin.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s self-titled debut album, ‘Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’ (Liberty Records, 1967), also included the following tracks:
‘Euphoria’ (written by George Remailly)
‘Melissa’ (written by Jackson Browne)
‘You Took The Happiness (Out of My Head)’ (written by R. Regan)
‘Hard Hearted Hannah’ (written by Jack Yellen, Milton Ager, Bob Bigelow and Charles Bates)
‘Holding’ (written by Jackson Browne)
‘Song To Jutta’ (written by Bruce Kunkel)
‘I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate’ (written by Armand Piron)
‘Crazy Words, Crazy Tune’ (written by Jack Yellen and Milton Ager)
‘You’re Gonna Get It In The End’ (written by Mick Takamatsu, James Hendricks and Fred Olsen)
Personnel involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s self-titled debut album, ‘Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’ (Liberty Records, 1967), included the following:
Bruce Kunkel (guitar, kazoo, washtub bass)
Jeff Hanna (washboard, sandblocks, guitar, comb, kazoo, phinius)
Jimmie Fadden (harmonia, washtub bass, phinius, kazoo, cigarette)
Ralphy Barr (guitar, kazoo, washtub bass, bubbles)
Les Thompson (mandolin, kazoo, washtub bass, phinius)
John McEuen (banjo, washtub bass)
In September 1967, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band saw the release of ‘Ricochet’ (Liberty Records, 1967), which was produced by Dallas Smith, but it failed to make the Billboard album charts.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Ricochet’ (Liberty Records, 1967) included the following tracks:
‘Shadow Dream Song’ (written by Jackson Browne)
‘Ooh Po Pe Do Girl’ (written by Jeff Hanna)
‘Coney Island Washboard’ (written by Hampton Durand, Jerry Adams, Ned Nester and Aude Shugard)
‘Put A Bar In My Car’ (written by Davis and Smith)
‘It’s Raining Here In Long Beach’ (written by Jackson Browne)
‘I’ll Search The Sky’ (written by Jeff Hanna)
‘Truly Right’ (written by Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley)
‘Tide of Love’ (written by Greg Copeland and Steve Noonan)
‘Happy Fat Annie’ (written by Bruce Kunkel)
‘I’ll Never Forget What’s Her Name’ (written by Harvey Gerst and Mike Kollander)
‘Call Again’ (written by Bruce Kunkel)
‘The Teddy Bear’s Picnic’ (written by John Walter Bratton and Jimmy Kennedy)
Personnel involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Ricochet’ (Liberty Records, 1967) included the following:
Jeff Hanna (guitar, mandolin, washboard, vocals)
Jimmie Fadden (guitar, harmonica, washtub bass, vocals)
Ralph Barr (guitar, clarinet, vocals)
Les Thompson (guitar, mandolin, vocals)
Bruce Kunkel (guitar, kazoo, vocals)
John McEuen (banjo, guitar, mandolin, washtub bass)
In June 1968, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band saw the release of ‘Rare Junk’ (Liberty Records, 1968), which was produced by Dallas Smith. In an attempt to update their sound, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band included electric instrumentation on the record, but it still was a commercial failure.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Rare Junk’ (Liberty Records, 1968) included the following tracks:
‘Mournin’ Blues’ (written by Tony Sbarbaro)
‘Collegiana’ (written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields)
‘Willie The Weeper’ (written by Grant Rymal, Walter Melrose and Marty Bloom)
‘Cornbread & Lasses (Sassafrass Tea)’ (written by Lloyd George and Roland Sullivan)
‘These Days’ (written by Jackson Browne)
‘Sadie Green, The Vamp of New Orleans’ (written by Gilbert Wells and Johnny Dunn)
‘Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jibe’ (written by Dick McDonough)
‘End of Your Line’ (written by Farrell)
‘Reason To Believe’, which was written by Tim Hardin (Tuesday 23 December 1941 – Monday 29 December 1980)
‘Hesitation Blues (Oh! Baby Must I Hesitate?)’ (written by Billy Smythe, Scott Middleton and Art Gillham)
‘A Number & A Name’ (written by Steve Gillette and Tom Campbell)
Personnel involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Rare Junk’ (Liberty Records, 1968) included the following:
Ralph Barr (electric guitar, clarinet, acoustic guitar)
John McEuen (piano, plectrum banjo, five-string banjar)
Jeff Hanna (washboard, tambourine, drum, guitar, harmonica, electric guitar, other rare junk)
Jimmie Fadden (tube, jug, mouth harp, harmonica, washtub bass, drums)
Les Thompson (guitar, mandolin, electric bass, tambourine, plectrum banjo)
Bruce Kunkel (guitar, mandolin, violin, fiddle, electric bass, string bass)
Other musicians who contributed to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Rare Junk’ (Liberty Records, 1968) included the following:
Bernie Leadon (guitar on ‘Reason To Believe’)
Johnny Sandlin (drums)
Paul Hornsby (piano)
Rodney Dillard (Dobro)
In February 1970, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band saw the release of ‘Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy’ (Liberty Records, 1970), which was produced by William Eugene ‘Bill’ McEuen (1941 – Thursday 24 September 2020), and reached No.66 on the Billboard Top Pop Music Albums Chart in 1970.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy’ (Liberty Records, 1970) included three tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart:
‘Mr. Bojangles’, which was written by Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) (No.9, 1970)
‘House On Pooh Corner’ (written by Kenny Loggins) (No.53, 1971)
‘Some of Shelly’s Blues’, which was written by Michael Nesmith (Wednesday 30 December 1942 – Friday 10 December 2021) (No.64, 1971)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy’ (Liberty Records, 1970) also included the following tracks:
‘Prodigal’s Return’ (written by Kenny Loggins and Dann Lottermoser)
‘Cure’ (written by Jeff Hanna)
‘Travelin’ Mood’ (written by James Waynes)
‘Chicken Reel’ (traditional)
‘Yukon Railroad’ (written by Kenny Loggins and Dann Lottermoser)
‘Livin’ Without You’ (written by Randy Newman)
‘Clinch Mountain Backstep’ (written by Ruby Rakes)
‘Rave On’ (written by Norman Petty, Bill Tilghman and Sonny West)
‘Billy In The Low Ground’ (written by Les Thompson)
‘Jesse James’ (traditional)
‘Uncle Charlie Interview’ (written by Uncle Charlie)
‘Opus 36’ (written by Muzio Clementi)
‘Santa Rosa’ (written by Kenny Loggins)
‘Propinquity’, which was written by Michael Nesmith (Wednesday 30 December 1942 – Friday 10 December 2021)
‘Uncle Charlie’ (written by Jimmie Fadden)
‘Randy Lynn Rag’, which was written by Earl Scruggs (Sunday 6 January 1924 – Wednesday 28 March 2012)
‘Swanee River’, which was written by Stephen Foster (4 July 1826 – 13 January 1864)
‘Uncle Charlie Interview No.2 / Spanish Fandango’ (traditional)
Personnel involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy’ (Liberty Records, 1970) included the following:
Les Thompson (electric bass, mandolin, electric guitar, vocals)
Jimmie Fadden (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, washtub bass, vocals)
Jeff Hanna (rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, washboard, percussion, vocals)
Jimmy Ibbotson (rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, lead electric guitar, electric piano, drums, conga, accordion, vocals)
John McEuen (banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, accordion)
Additional musicians who contributed to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy’ (Liberty Records, 1970) included the following:
Bill Cunningham and Maurice Manceau (guitar, keyboards, vocals)
Jim Gordon (horns, keyboards)
Mike Rubine and John London (bass)
Byron Berline (violin)
Russ Kunkel (drums)
Additional musicians who contributed to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy’ (Liberty Records, 1970), but were not credited on either the LP or CD version of the album, included the following:
Chris Darrow (guitar, violin, vocals)
Ralph Barr (guitar, vocals)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy’ (Liberty Records, 1970) was released on CD in 1994 with the title ‘Uncle Charlie & His Dog’ on the spine.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy’ (Liberty Records, 1970) was re-issued on CD in 2003 and included two additional tracks, ‘Mississippi Rain’ (written by Lottermoser) and ‘What Goes On’, which was written by John Lennon (Wednesday 9 October 1940 – Monday 8 December 1980), Paul McCartney and Richard Starkey, along with new liner notes written by Robyn Flans.
In January 1972, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band saw the release of ‘ All The Good Times’ (United Artists Records, 1972), which was produced by William Eugene ‘Bill’ McEuen (1941 – Thursday 24 September 2020), and included the following tracks:
‘Sixteen Tracks’ (written by Jeff Hanna and Jim Ibbotson)
‘Fish Song’ (written by Jimmie Fadden)
‘Jambalaya (On The Bayou)’, which was written by Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953) / this track reached No.84 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1972
‘Down In Texas’ (written by Eddie Hinton)
‘Creepin’ Round Your Back Door’ (written by Jimmie Fadden)
‘Daisy’ (written by Jim Ibbotson)
‘Slim Carter’, which was written by Kenny O’Dell (born Kenneth Gist Jr.) (Wednesday 21 June 1944 – Monday 27 March 2018)
‘Hoping To Say’ (written by David Hanna)
‘Baltimore’ (written by Jim Ibbotson)
‘Jamaica Say You Will’ (written by Jackson Browne)
‘Do You Feel It Too’ (written by Richie Furay)
‘Civil War Trilogy’ (written by Walter McEuen)
‘Diggy Liggy Lo’, which was written by Joseph Denton ‘Jay’ Miller (Friday 5 May 1922 – Saturday 23 March 1996)
Personnel involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘ All The Good Times’ (United Artists Records, 1972) included the following:
Jeff Hanna (arranger, guitar, vocals)
Jimmie Fadden (arranger, drums, guitar, harmonica, vocals)
John McEuen (arranger, guitar, steel guitar, vocals)
Jim Ibbotson (drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals)
Les Thompson (arranger, bass, guitar, vocals)
Additional musicians involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘ All The Good Times’ (United Artists Records, 1972) included the following:
Randy Lynn Scruggs (Monday 3 August 1953 – Tuesday 17 April 2018) (acoustic guitar)
Norman Blake (Dobro)
Ellis Padgett (acoustic bass)
In November 1972, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band saw the release of ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ (United Artists Records, 1972), which was produced by William Eugene ‘Bill’ McEuen (1941 – Thursday 24 September 2020), and included four tracks, which were released as singles:
‘I Saw The Light’, which was written by Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953) (No.56, 1971) / this track featured guest vocals from Roy Acuff (Tuesday 15 September 1903 – Monday 23 November 1992)
‘Honky Tonkin’, which was written by Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953) / this track was released as a single in 1972, but it did not chart
‘Grand Ole Opry Song’, which was written by Hylo Brown (Thursday 20 April 1922 – Friday 17 January 2003) (No.97, 1973) / this track featured lead vocals from Jimmy Martin (Wednesday 10 August 1927 – Saturday 14 May 2005)
‘Tennessee Stud’, which was written by James Corbitt Morris (known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood / Jimmie Driftwood) (20 June 1907 – Sunday 12 July 1998) / this track, which was released as a single in 1973, and did not chart, featured lead vocals from Doc Watson (Saturday 3 March 1923 – Tuesday 29 May 2012)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ (United Artists Records, 1972) also included the following tracks:
‘Keep On The Sunny Side’, which was written by Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Delaney Carter (15 December 1891 – Monday 7 November 1960) and Gary Garett / this track featured lead vocals from Mother Maybelle Carter (Monday 10 May 1909 – Monday 23 October 1978)
‘Nashville Blues’, which was written by Earl Scruggs (Sunday 6 January 1924 – Wednesday 28 March 2012)
‘You Are My Flower’, which was written by Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Delaney Carter (15 December 1891 – Monday 7 November 1960)
‘The Precious Jewel’, which was written by Roy Acuff (Tuesday 15 September 1903 – Monday 23 November 1992) / this track featured lead vocals from Roy Acuff
‘Dark As A Dungeon’, which was written by Merle Travis (Thursday 29 November 1917 – Thursday 20 October 1983) / this track featured lead vocals from Merle Travis
‘Black Mountain Rag’ (traditional; credited to Thomas Magness)
‘Wreck On The Highway’, which was written by Dorsey Murdock Dixon (14 October 1897 – Thursday 18 April 1968) / this track featured lead vocals from Roy Acuff (Tuesday 15 September 1903 – Monday 23 November 1992)
‘The End of The World’, which was written by Fred Rose (Floyd Jenkins) (24 August 1898 – Wednesday 1 December 1954)
‘Sunny Side of The Mountain’ (written by Byron Gregory and Harry McAuliffe) / this track featured lead vocals from Jimmy Martin (Wednesday 10 August 1927 – Saturday 14 May 2005)
‘Nine-Pound Hammer’, which was written by Merle Travis (Thursday 29 November 1917 – Thursday 20 October 1983) / this track featured lead vocals from Merle Travis
‘Losin’ You (Might Be The Best Thing Yet)’, which was written by Edria A. Humphrey and Jimmy Martin (Wednesday 10 August 1927 – Saturday 14 May 2005) / this track featured lead vocals from Jimmy Martin
‘You Don’t Know My Mind’ (written by Jimmie Skinner) / this track featured lead vocals from Jimmy Martin (Wednesday 10 August 1927 – Saturday 14 May 2005)
‘My Walkin’ Shoes’, which was written by Jimmy Martin (Wednesday 10 August 1927 – Saturday 14 May 2005) and Paul Williams / this track featured lead vocals from Jimmy Martin
‘Lonesome Fiddle Blues’, which was written by Vassar Clements (Wednesday 25 April 1928 – Tuesday 16 August 2005)
‘Cannonball Rag’, which was written by Merle Travis (Thursday 29 November 1917 – Thursday 20 October 1983)
‘Avalanche’ (written by Millie Clements)
‘Flint Hill Special’, which was written by Earl Scruggs (Sunday 6 January 1924 – Wednesday 28 March 2012)
‘Togary Mountain’ (written by Walter McEuen)
‘Earl’s Breakdown’, which was written by Earl Scruggs (Sunday 6 January 1924 – Wednesday 28 March 2012)
‘Orange Blossom Special’, which was written by Ervin Thomas Rouse (19 September 1917 – Wednesday 8 July 1981)
‘Wabash Cannonball’, which was written by Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Delaney Carter (15 December 1891 – Monday 7 November 1960)
‘Lost Highway’, which was written by Leon Payne (Friday 15 June 1917 – Thursday 11 September 1969) / this track featured lead vocals from Jimmy Ibbotson
‘Way Downtown’ (traditional, Doc Watson) / this track featured lead vocals from Doc Watson (Saturday 3 March 1923 – Tuesday 29 May 2012)
‘Down Yonder’ (arrangement by Doc Watson)
‘Pins & Needles (In My Heart)’, which was written by Fred Rose (Floyd Jenkins) (24 August 1898 – Wednesday 1 December 1954) / this track featured lead vocals from Roy Acuff (Tuesday 15 September 1903 – Monday 23 November 1992)
‘Honky Tonk Blues’, which was written by Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953) / this track featured lead vocals from Jeff Hanna
‘Sailin’ On To Hawaii’ (written by Beecher Kirby)
‘I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes’, which was written by Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Delaney Carter (15 December 1891 – Monday 7 November 1960) / this track featured lead vocals from Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Delaney Carter
‘I Am A Pilgrim’ (traditional) / this track featured lead vocals from Merle Travis (Thursday 29 November 1917 – Thursday 20 October 1983)
‘Wildwood Flower’, which was written by Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Delaney Carter (15 December 1891 – Monday 7 November 1960) / this track featured lead vocals from Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Delaney Carter
‘Soldier’s Joy’, which was written by John McEuen and Earl Scruggs (Sunday 6 January 1924 – Wednesday 28 March 2012)
‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’, which was written by Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Delaney Carter (15 December 1891 – Monday 7 November 1960) / this track featured lead vocals from Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Delaney Carter, Jimmy Martin (Wednesday 10 August 1927 – Saturday 14 May 2005) and Roy Acuff (Tuesday 15 September 1903 – Monday 23 November 1992)
‘Both Sides Now’ (written by Joni Mitchell)
‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown’, which was written by Earl Scruggs (Sunday 6 January 1924 – Wednesday 28 March 2012)
‘Warming Up For The Opry’
‘Sunny Side’
‘Remember Me’ (written by Scotty Wiseman)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ (United Artists Records, 1972), which was originally released in 1972 as a three LP album set, was remastered and re-released in 2002 as a two CD set; the original album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry of America Association (RIAA) on Thursday 6 November 1997, indicating shipments of 500,000 copies.
In September 1975, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band saw the release of ‘Symphonion Dream’ (United Artists Records, 1975), which was produced by William Eugene ‘Bill’ McEuen (1941 – Thursday 24 September 2020), and included the following tracks:
‘Winter White (Wind Harp)’ (wtitten by Jimmie Fadden)
‘Raleigh-Durham Reel’ (written by John McEuen, Jeff Hanna, James Ibbotson and Jimmie Fadden)
‘The Battle of New Orleans’, which was written by James Corbitt Morris (known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood / Jimmie Driftwood) (20 June 1907 – Sunday 12 July 1998)
‘Bayou Jubilee’ (written by Jeff Hanna)
‘Sally Was A Goodun’ (written by John McEuen, Jeff Hanna, James Ibbotson and Jimmie Fadden)
‘Hey, Good Lookin’, which was written by Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953)
‘Classical Banjo 1 / Malaguena / Classical Banjo 2’ (written by John McEuen and Ernesto Lecuona)
‘Daddy Was A Sailor’ (written by Jimmie Fadden)
‘Sleeping On The Beach’ (written by Jimmie Fadden)
‘Santa Monica Pier’ (written by John McEuen)
‘Ripplin’ Waters’ (written by James Ibbotson)
‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’, which was written by Boudleaux Bryant (Friday 13 February 1920 – Thursday 25 June 1987) and Felice Bryant (Friday 7 August 1925 – Tuesday 22 April 2003)
‘Mother of Love’ (written by Ken Edwards)
‘The Moon Just Turned Blue’ (written by John David Souther)
‘Got To Travel On’ (written by Paul Clayton, Larry Ehrlich and Dave Lazar)
‘Joshua Come Home’ (written by James Ibbotson)
‘Solstice (Wind Harp)’ (written by James Ibbotson)
‘Symphonion Montage’ (written by James Ibbotson)
Personnel involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Symphonion Dream’ (United Artists Records, 1975) included the following:
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
John McEuen (guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, steel guitar, vocals)
Jimmie Fadden (guitar, harmonica, drums, vocals)
Jeff Hanna (guitar, drums, vocals)
Jimmy Ibbotson (guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, vocals)
Contributing artists involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Symphonion Dream’ (United Artists Records, 1975) included the following:
Les Thompson (bass, guitar, vocals)
Leon Russell (Thursday 2 April 1942 – Sunday 13 November 2016) (piano, keyboards, synthesizer, drums, chimes, gourd, vocals)
Linda Ronstadt (vocals)
Gary Busey (drums, timbales, bells, cowbell)
Paul Harris (piano)
Alice McEuen, Kae McEuen, Rae Hanna, Jim Ratts, Mary McCreary and Mary Stevens (background vocals)
In June 1978, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band saw the release of ‘The Dirt Band’ (United Artists Records, 1978), which was produced by Jeff Hanna, and included two tracks, which were released as singles:
‘In For The Night’ (written by Ed Sanford and John Townsend) / this track reached No.86 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1978
‘For A Little While’ (written by Bob Carpenter and David James Holster) / this track was released as a single in 1978, but it did not chart
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘The Dirt Band’ (United Artists Records, 1978) also included the following tracks:
‘Wild Nights’ (written by Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden)
‘Lights’ (written by Rick Roberts)
‘Escaping Reality’ (written by Casey Kelly)
‘Whoa Babe’ (written by Jimmie Faddden)
‘White Russia’, which was written by John McEuen and William Eugene ‘Bill’ McEuen (1941 – Thursday 24 September 2020)
‘You Can’t Stop Loving Me Now’ (written by Jeff Pollard)
‘On The Loose’ (written by Jeff Hanna)
‘Angel’ (written by Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden)
Personnel involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘The Dirt Band’ (United Artists Records, 1978) included the following:
Jeff Hanna (vocal, electric guitar, percussion, guitars)
Jimmy Fadden (harp, vocals, syndrums, national guitar, percussion)
John McEuen (lap steel, banjo, acoustic guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, fiddle, Dobro)
Bob Carpenter (piano, organ, background vocals, accordion)
Al Garth (sax, fiddle, horns, guitars, percussion, clarinet, recorders, electric piano)
Merle Bregante (drums, percussion)
Richard Hathaway (bass, guitars, percussion)
Additional musicians involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘The Dirt Band’ (United Artists Records, 1978) included the following:
Mickey Thomas (scat vocals)
Leon Medica (bass, guitars)
Micheal McDonald, Rosemary Butler, Jan Garrett and A. Haden Gregg (background vocals)
Al Kooper (Arp strings)
Bobby Mason (electric rhythm guitar)
Bryan Savage and Denny Christensen (horns)
Whoa Jane Cicero (percussion)
Greg ‘Fingers’ Taylor (harp)
In July 1979, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band saw the release of ‘An American Dream’ (United Artists Records, 1979), which was produced by Jeff Hanna and Bob Edwards, and included two tracks, which were released as singles:
‘In Her Eyes’ (written by Roberts) / this track was released as a single in 1979, but it did not chart
‘An American Dream’ (written by Rodney Crowell) (No.58, 1980) / this track also reached No.13 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1980, No.45 on the Australian Kent Report Chart in 1980, and No.3 on the Canadian RPM Chart in 1980 / the original version of this track was recorded by Rodney Crowell, who included it on ‘Ain’t Living Long Like This’ (Warner Bros. Records, 1978)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘An American Dream’ (United Artists Records, 1979) also included the following tracks:
‘Take Me Back’ (written by Jeff Hanna, Jimmy Fadden and Richard Hathaway)
‘Jas’moon’ (written by Jeff Hanna, Richard Hathaway, Merle Bregante, Al Garth and Bob Carpenter)
‘Dance The Night Away’ (written by Bob Carpenter and David James Holster)
‘New Orleans’ (written by Guido Royster)
‘Happy Feet’ (written by Merle Bregante and Al Garth)
‘Do You Feel The Way I Do’ (written by Jeff Hanna and Jimmy Fadden)
‘What’s On Your Mind’ (written by Jeff Hanna, Richard Hathaway and Merle Bregante)
‘Wolverton Mountain’, which was written by Merle Kilgore (Thursday 9 August 1934 – Sunday 6 February 2005) and Claude King (Monday 5 February 1923 – Thursday 7 March 2013) / the original version of this track was recorded by Claude King, who included it on ‘Meet Claude King’ (Columbia Records, 1962); Claude King’s version of the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for nine weeks in June / July 1962, No.6 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1962, and No.3 on the Billboard Easy Listening Chart in 1962
Personnel involved in the recording of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘An American Dream’ (United Artists Records, 1979) included the following:
Jeff Hanna
Jimmie Fadden
Al Garth
Richard Hathaway
John McEuen
Merel Bregente and David Peters (drums)
Richard Hathaway and Leon Medica (bass)
Jeff Hanna, Jimmie Fadden, John McEuen, Jeff Pollard, Tony Haselden and Bobby Mason (guitars)
John McEuen (banjo, mandolin, Dobro, lap steel guitar)
Jimmie Fadden (harp)
Al Garth (violin)
Al Garth, Bob Carpenter, Rod Roddy and Al Kooper (keyboards)
Bobby Lakind, Merel Bregante and Bobby Campo (percussion)
Linda Ronstadt (harmony vocals)
Horn Section
Al Garth (saxophone)
Bobby Campo (trumpet, cornet)
Funky Lester (Bari)
Al Garth (horn arrangements & solos)
• Visit John McEuen’s official site at johnmceuen.com
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• Visit Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s official site at nittygritty.com