Music Deaths: George Frayne, You Might Know Him Better as Commander Cody

GEORGE FRAYNE, 77

Died 26 September 2021

Vocalist / keyboard player.  Performed under the name Commander Cody.  His group was the His Lost Planet Airmen.  Who says Western Swing is dead!!!

Of course, he had that huge remake hit "Hot Rod Lincoln," his only Top 40 hit.

Other great songs by him

"Lost in the Ozone"

"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)"

"Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar"

"Seeds and Stems Again"

A real Stoner's Paradise.

Music Deaths: Ray Pennington, Wrote 'I'm a Ramblin' Man' for Waylon Jennings

RAY PENNINGTON, 86

Died 7 October 2020

Country/ Western Swing singer/songwriter.  Wrote hit country song "I'm a Ramblin' Man" which Waylon Jennings took to #1.  He also released his own version of the song which went to #29 on the country charts in 1967.  Definitely fo back and listen to Waylon Jennings' version.

Also wrote a great country drinking song "Bubbles in My Beer."

"This Song Don't Cares Who Sings It"

(Turn Me Loose and) Let Me Swing" with Swing Shift Band.  Willie Nelson also sang it and did a job that would have made Bob Wills smile.

I'd never heard of him.

Give him a listen on You Tube. Kind of neat to hear his version of "I'm a Ramblin' Man" and then Waylon's.

Music Deaths: Leon Rausch of Bob Wills & Texas Playboys

LEON RAUSCH, 91

Died May 14, 2019

Was the voice of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.  He was the lead vocalist on all those Western Swing Music songs by the band from the 1950s into the 1960s.

After Bob Wills died in 1975, Mr. Rausch continued to tour.

Western Swing Music was recognized as Texas' official state music in 2011.

Asleep At the Wheel: One of My Favorites

From Reuters.

Like they say, "Western Swing Ain't Dead, It's Asleep At the Wheel."

And I have about ten of their CDs to show I'm a fan and have seen them once in a great show at Woodstock, Illinois' Opera House.  Now that was some big fun.

And, they've been singing those great Western Swing songs for 42 years ever since front man, 6'7" tall Ray Benson, started the group in 1970 in, get this, Paw Paw, West Virginia.  Back  then, he had no idea the group would still be around, though I believe he is the only original member and it has had a bit of a revolving door for other members.

In the process, they have wracked up nine Grammy Awards, released more than 25 albums, recently performed with Willie Nelson, and even released an album with him.

Two years ago, the band celebrated its 40th anniversary and Benson's 59th birthday, at an invitation-only party March 16th in Austin.  I was NOT invited.

In 1970, the band opened for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna.

In 1973, Asleep At the Wheel moved to Austin, Texas, at the invitation of Doug Sahm and Willie Nelson.

Of course, featuring Western Swing as they do, they play a lot of Bob Wills music.

Bob Would Be So Proud.  --RoadDog

Answers for yesterday's WHICH CAME FIRST:

Pressure Cooker (1690), Zipper (1893),  Pop-Up Toaster (1930), Electric Blender (1963)

Asleep at the Wheel

Here is what the Woodstock Opera House had to say about Asleep at the Wheel:

"Asleep at the Wheel, the nine-time Grammy winning Kings of Western Swing, is on the road and out touring behind their latest record, Reinventing the Wheel; the follow-up to the critically acclaimed, Grammy-winning, Gold-selling album, Ride with Bob.

The band's newest member, Elizabeth McQueen, brings her acting, vocal and guitar-playing ability to the fold and truly gets the Wheel back to band-leader Ray Benson's original "revue concept". Asleep at the Wheel's live set features everything from traditional Western Swing, country, blues and jazz with a cool retro edge and a good dose of humor. This is one ride you won't want to miss."

Setlist- June 29th- Woodstock Opera House

1. Miles and Miles of Texas
2. Get Your Kicks on Route 66
3. Don't Fence Me In
4. I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine
5. Eliza Jane
6. Sitting on Top of the World
7. Take Me Back to Tulsa
8. (I'm an) Old Cowhand from the Rio Grande
9. Your Mind is On Vacation and Your Mouth is Working Overtime
10. The Cape
11. This Old Cowboy
12. Pancho & Lefty
13. I Guess My Heart Just Settled Back to Earth
14. You're My Sugar (But, You're Never Sweet to Me)
15. Am I Right or Amarillo
16. San Antonio Rose
17. Faded Love
18. We're the Texas Playboys from the Lone Star State
19. Wonderful World
20. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
21. Hot Rod Lincoln
22. House of Blue Lights

encore

1. Big Balls in Cowtown
2. Happy Trails

Mighty Good Show!

That Pretty-Well Sums It Up for Me. --RoadDog

Asleep at the Wheel- Part 3- Western Swing Ain't Dead, It's Asleep At the Wheel

They then did a song by the Blind Boys of Alabama called "The Cape" and dedicated it to all who have at one time that all they had to do was tie a cape around them and fly. There was then an extended jam on their jazzy take of "This Old Cowboy".

AATW had recently been out on the road with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price in an oldies revue. They did a great take on Willie and Merle's "Pancho & Lefty" and a new one by Willie called "I Guess my Heart Just Settled Back to Earth". PBS will be airing the show of these country stalwarts in August. Ray Benson said they just backed them, but he thinks they did a pretty good job.

Next up was the hilarious "You're My Sugar (But You're Never Sweet to Me)" which was sung by the girl, Elizabeth McQueen and the fiddle player. One line went, "That new fur coat you bought me just got up and walked away."

From the new album came a great play on words song, "Am I Right or Amarillo". The fiddler did a lot of playing on this song. Ray said this was a big hit in that panhandle town. They then stayed in Texas with "San Antonio Rose" complete with Bob Wills-style "Oh Yeahs". You'd almost swear the Texas Playboys were there in the house. Then came "Faded Love" sung sad enough to make tears well up in your eyes. Shivers down my spine on, "I miss you darling, more and more each day."

Next was Bob Wills' theme song "We're the Texas Playboys from the Lonestar State". Ray said you can check out some cuts from their "Ride With Bob" album at ridewithbob.com, but doubted that Bob Wills ever had a .com.

Then Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" and Choo Choo Ch'Boogie". That's right, "Take me right back to the track, Jack!" This was all calls, boogie-woogie piano, and sax. One of their best songs.

Next to last song of the show was "Hot Rod Lincoln" Ray did a long solo guitar play and later there were flashing lights and sirens at the point where they got pulled over. Ray went into an account of what happened at that point. And it just continued to get worse. Everything he said just got him into more trouble with the cop. "Busted in Mundelein again" brought a big laugh as that is a nearby town. But occifer (trouble), I was operating this vehicle Asleep at the Wheel (more trouble). Here's our latest CD in form of a bribe (even more trouble). Then he got thrown into jail and his dad was called to throw his bail. And he said, "Son, you're going to drive me to drinking if you don't stop driving that hot-rod Lincoln." This brought down the house.

The last song was the "House of Blue Lights".

The first encore was "Big Balls in Cow Town" and then "Happy Trails".

I went to the table where they were selling souvenirs at near the end of the first encore so as to beat the rush. I wanted to buy the new album "Reinventing the Wheel" but didn't when I was told it would be $20, a bit too much. I did buy two bumper stickers, including one that said "Western Swing Ain't Dead, It's Asleep at the Wheel".

Listened to AATW's greatest hits CD on the way home.

I partied with AATW. --RoadDog

Asleep at the Wheel Part II- cont. from June 30th

The band came on the stage, and with no banter, launched immediately into "Miles and Miles of Texas", one of my favorites. Ray Benson looks a lot like current country star Trace Atkins, both are tall with deep voices and long pony tails. Besides Benson on lead guitar, there was an upright bass, a steel guitar (also played the sax), a woman on guitar, drummer, and another man who played mandolin, fiddle, and guitar. They were very tight in their sound.

The second song, we boogie-woogied down the Mother Road with "Get Your Kicks on Route 66". Ray, the fiddle player, and the girl took turns singing it. This really got the crowd going. AATW 's (Asleep at the Wheel) version is, to my way of thinking, the very best of all of the seven or eight hundred versions of the song. If it doesn't get your toe to tapping, you've got a dead toe.

Then, they played "Don't Fence Me In". From their newest album, "Reinventing the Wheel", they played "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine". The girl took the lead on this one. Ray still calls them albums and he talked about a new play he and the band were involved in about Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. They're still looking for someone to play the role of Bob Wills. Ray says he's too old and doesn't look like Bob so he can't play the part.

Next song was "Eliza Jane" with the fiddle player doing the Bob Wills calls. Then, Ray showed his guitar chops on the bluesy "Sittin' On Top of the World." Watch out Buddy Guy! Roy can do his licks.

Then "Take Me Back to Tulsa"-one of my favorites and, off the new album, "I'm an Old Cow Hand from the Rio Grande". AATW put a lot of songs that'd been wanting to perform on this new collection. "Your Mind is on Vacation and Your Mouth is Working Overtime" was hilarious as the title would suggest. With lines like, "If silence was golden, you couldn't raise a dime," how could it not be. At one point, Ray was singing as deep as the member of the Oak Ridge Boys on "Elvira".

To Be Continued.....

Western Swing Ain't Dead, It's AATW!!! --RoadDog

Asleep At The Wheel--Live in Woodstock, Illinois

"Western Swing Ain't Dead, It's Asleep at the Wheel." That's what it says on the bumper stickers, tee shirts, and brochures. If there is a band anywhere that better represents this genre of music, I'd sure like to know who they are.

Ray Benson's band since 1970 had the packed Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois, rocking and swinging for almost two hours during their show last night. I was in one of probably the worst seats in the place, made even worse by the lady with the "big hair" that sat in front of me, but even then, I had a good view of the center of the stage and stage right.

I hadn't bought my ticket until about two weeks ago, the day of my first encounter with one of those 17 year cicadas. The couple next to me bought just the day before, and that is why we were in the "cheap seats" even though all seats were the same price, $28. If they come back, I will get my tickets right away. First row in the balcony will be my choice.

While waiting to go in, I walked around the beautiful town square and saw a lot of the sites from the film "Groundhog Day" that starred Bill Murray. Most of it was filmed right here in Woodstock which stood in for Punxsutawney, Pa., something that still irks the good folk there.

There is a Stage Left room attached to the Opera House (which was originally Woodstock's City Hall built in the 1890s). They were having an open mike night with some good performers.

The couple next to me were from Woodstock and had lived there for 22 years. She agreed with me that Illinois Route 47 is a nightmare as far as traffic, and they avoid it whenever possible. Fortunately, they know a lot of ways around it. She drives Bull Valley Road every day during the school year since she is a teacher at West McHenry High School. This is one of the most beautiful drives anywhere in Illinois.

Her husband had been an extra during the filming of "Groundhog Day". He said he was behind Andie McDowell in one scene at Gobbler's Knob, and had had to do about twelve takes on one scene by the bed and breakfast.

The show started right at 8PM, as advertised (I always hate it when you have to wait an hour or more for a performer to start their show). Ken Wilkins was the opening act and did a solo show for about 20 minutes. He said he played most Wednesdays at Stage Left and, after hearing him, I plan to see him. He has a great voice and included yodeling.

The Show will be continued.... --RoadDog