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Producing Country
The Inside Story of the Great Recordings
Series: Music / Interview
Sales Date: 2014-07-01
Legendary producers describe the making of country music's great recordings
Musicians make music. Producers make records. In the early days of recorded music, the producer was the "artists-and-repertoire man," or A&R man, for short. A powerful figure, the A&R man chose both who would record and what they would record. His decisions profoundly shaped our musical tastes. Don Law found country bluesman Robert Johnson and honky-tonk crooner Lefty Frizzell. Cowboy Jack Clement took the initiative to record Jerry Lee Lewis (while his boss, Sam Phillips, was away on business). When Ray Charles said he wanted to record a country-and-western album, Sid Feller gathered songs for his consideration. The author's extensive interviews with music makers offer the fullest account ever of the producer's role in creating country music. In its focus on recordings and record production, Producing Country tells the story of country music from its early years to the present day through hit records by Hank Williams, George Jones, Patsy Cline, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, and Merle Haggard, among many others.
Includes original interviews with producers Chet Atkins, Pete Anderson, Jimmy Bowen, Bobby Braddock, Harold Bradley, Tony Brown, Blake Chancey, Jack Clement, Scott Hendricks, Bob Johnston, Jerry Kennedy, Blake Mevis, Ken Nelson, Jim Ed Norman, Allen Reynolds, Jim Rooney, James Stroud, Paul Worley, and Reggie Young, among others.
Publication of this book is funded by the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Biographical Sketches
Overture: What Is a Record Producer?
CUTTING TRACKS: CAPTURING THE PERFORMANCE, 1927–1949
Various, RCA Country Legends: The Bristol Sessions, Vol. 1 (1927) and "A Satisfied Mind" (1954)
Various, Roots n' Blues: The Retrospective 1925–1950
Bill Monroe, The Essential Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys 1945–1949
Bob Wills, The Essential Bob Wills 1935–1947
Gene Autry, The Essential Gene Autry (1933–1946)
Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings (1936–1937)
Tex Ritter, "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" (1942)
The Maddox Brothers and Rose, America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band, 1946–1951
T. Texas Tyler, "Deck of Cards" (1946)
Tex Williams and His Western Caravan, "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" (1947)
The Dinning Sisters, "Buttons and Bows" (1947)
Merle Travis, Folk Songs of the Hills (1947)
Dale Evans, "Don't Ever Fall in Love with a Cowboy" (1949)
Interlude: The Producer as Director
TAPING TRACKS: CREATING THE PERFORMANCE, 1950–1966
Lefty Frizzell, Look What Thoughts Will Do (1950–1965)
Martha Carson, "Satisfied" (1951)
Hank Williams, "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" (1952)
Tex Ritter, "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)" (1952)
Kitty Wells, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" (1952)
Elvis Presley, "That's All Right" (1954)
The Louvin Brothers, "When I Stop Dreaming" (1955)
Ferlin Husky, "Gone" (1956)
Merle Travis, The Merle Travis Guitar (1956)
Elvis Presley, "Blue Moon" (1956) and Elvis Presley (1956)
The Million Dollar Quartet, The Complete Million Dollar Quartet (1956)
Billy Lee Riley, "Flyin' Saucers Rock and Roll" and "Red Hot" (1957)
Roy Orbison, The Sun Years (1956–1958)
Don Gibson, "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Oh, Lonesome Me" (1957)
Jerry Lee Lewis, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (1957)
The Everly Brothers, "Bye Bye Love" (1957)
Johnny Cash, "Home of the Blues" (1957)
Bill Monroe, "Scotland" (1958)
Buddy Holly, "Rave On" and "That's My Desire" (1958)
Del Wood, Rags to Riches (1959)
George Jones, "White Lightning" (1959)
Jim Reeves, "He'll Have to Go" (1959)
Buck Owens, "Excuse Me (I Think I've Got a Heartache)" (1960)
Brenda Lee, "I'm Sorry" (1960)
Floyd Cramer, "Last Date" (1960)
Hank Thompson, Hank Thompson at the Golden Nugget (1961)
Jim Reeves, "The Blizzard" (1961)
Elvis Presley, "Little Sister" (1961)
Patsy Cline, "I Fall to Pieces" and "Crazy" (1961)
Ray Stevens, "Santa Claus Is Watching You" (1962)
Bobby Bare, The Essential Bobby Bare (1962)
Ray Charles, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)
Dickey Lee, "Patches" (1962)
Hank Snow, "I've Been Everywhere" (1962)
Johnny Cash, "Ring of Fire" (1963)
Ernest Tubb, "Thanks a Lot" (1963)
Elvis Presley, "It Hurts Me" (1963)
Dave Dudley, "Six Days on the Road" (1963)
Patsy Cline, "Faded Love" (1963)
Brook Benton, On the Countryside (1964)
Roger Miller at RCA, Platinum and Gold Collection (1960–1961)
Roger Miller at Mercury, Golden Hits (1964–1969)
Merle Haggard and the Strangers, Strangers (1965)
Glen Campbell, Song Demos (1965) and "I Knew Jesus (Before He Was a Star)" (1973)
The Essential Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, The Essential Dolly Parton, and The Essential Connie Smith (1965)
Chet Atkins, "Yakety Axe" (1965)
Joe Tex, "Hold What You Got," (1965)
Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
Charley Pride, "The Snakes Crawl at Night" (1965)
Bob Dylan, "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" (1966)
Jerry Lee Lewis, "Memphis Beat" (1966)
Interlude: Studio Matters
MULTITRACKING: CONSTRUCTING THE PERFORMANCE, 1967–1991
Otis Redding, "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" (1967)
John Hartford, "Gentle on My Mind" (1967)
The Byrds, Younger Than Yesterday (1967)
Jack Reno, "Repeat after Me" (1967)
Jeannie C. Riley, "Harper Valley P.T.A." (1968)
Conway Twitty, "Next in Line" (1968)
Porter Wagoner, "The Carroll County Accident" (1968)
Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison (1968)
Dusty Springfield, Dusty in Memphis (1969)
Loretta Lynn, "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1969)
Roger Miller, "Me and Bobby McGee" (1969)
Elvis Presley, Memphis 1969 Anthology: Suspicious Minds (1969)
Ray Price, "For the Good Times" (1970)
Kenny Rogers, Kenny Rogers & the First Edition Greatest Hits (1971)
The Allman Brothers, The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East (1971)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972)
Al Green, "For the Good Times," I'm Still in Love with You (1972)
Charlie Rich, It Ain't Gonna Be That Way—The Complete Smash Sessions (1965–66)x
Charlie Rich, "Behind Closed Doors" (1973)
B. J. Thomas, "Hooked on a Feeling" (1973)
Don Williams, The Definitive Collection (1973)
Tompall Glaser, The Great Tompall and His Outlaw Band (1976)
Waylon Jennings, Lonesome, On'ry and Mean (1973)
Waylon Jennings, Honky Tonk Heroes (1973)
Willie Nelson, Phases and Stages (1974)
Dolly Parton, "Jolene" (1974)
George Jones and Tammy Wynette, "(We're Not) The Jet Set" (1974)
Eagles, Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975
The Earl Scruggs Revue, Anniversary Special (1975)
Tom T. Hall, "I Like Beer" (1975)
The Statler Brothers, "Flowers on the Wall" (1975)
George Jones and Tammy Wynette, "Golden Ring" (1976)
Jennifer Warnes, "Right Time of the Night" (1976)
Jerry Lee Lewis, "Middle Aged Crazy" (1977)
Crystal Gayle, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" (1977)
Anne Murray, "You Needed Me" (1978)
Mel Tillis, I Believe in You (1978)
Merle Haggard, Back to the Barrooms (1980)
George Jones, "He Stopped Loving Her Today" (1980)
George Strait, Strait Country (1981)
Merle Travis, Travis Pickin' (1981)
Reba McEntire, Unlimited (1982)
Hank Williams Jr., "A Country Boy Can Survive" (1982)
George Strait, "Amarillo by Morning" (1983)
George Strait, Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (1984)
Reba McEntire, My Kind of Country (1984)
Vern Gosdin, "I Can Tell by the Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight)" (1984)
Mekons, Fear and Whiskey (1985)
Reba McEntire, "Whoever's in New England" (1986)
Steve Earle, Guitar Town (1986)
Lyle Lovett, Lyle Lovett (1986), Pontiac (1987), and Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (1989)
Nanci Griffith, Kathy Mattea, "Love at the Five and Dime" and "Goin' Gone" (198687)
Dwight Yoakam, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. (1986)
Keith Whitley, "Miami, My Amy" (1986)
Restless Heart, Wheels (1986), and Alan Jackson, Here in the Real World (1989)
Merle Travis, Rough, Rowdy and Blue (1986)
Lucinda Williams, Lucinda Williams (1988)
Michelle Shocked, Short Sharp Shocked (1988)
Clint Black, Killin' Time (1989)
Kathy Mattea, "Where've You Been" (1989)
Kenny Rogers, Something Inside So Strong (1989)
Garth Brooks, Garth Brooks (1989)
Garth Brooks, No Fences (1990)
Suzy Bogguss, Aces (1991)
Marty Brown, High and Dry (1991)
Hal Ketchum, Past the Point of Rescue (1991)
Brooks & Dunn, "Brand New Man" (1991)
Pam Tillis, Put Yourself in My Place (1991)
Reba McEntire, For My Broken Heart (1991)
Jimmie Dale Gilmore, After Awhile (1991)
Interlude: The Writer as Producer—An Interview with Bobby Braddock
ENCODING TRACKS: COMPOSITING THE PERFORMANCE, 1992–PRESENT
Brooks & Dunn, "Boot Scootin' Boogie (Dance Mix)" (1992)
Wynonna Judd, Wynonna (1992)
Joy Lynn White, Between Midnight & Hindsight (1992) and Wild Love (1994)
John Anderson, Seminole Wind (1992)
Cowboy Junkies, Black Eyed Man (1992)
Iris DeMent, Infamous Angel (1992) and My Life (1993)
Eddy Arnold, Last of the Love Song Singers: Then and Now (1993), et al.
Nanci Griffith, Other Voices, Other Rooms (1993)
Various, Tulare Dust: A Songwriters' Tribute to Merle Haggard (1994)
The Mavericks, What a Crying Shame (1994)
John Michael Montgomery, "I Swear" (1994)
Lyle Lovett, I Love Everybody (1994)
Alejandro Escovedo, Thirteen Years (1994)
Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, Jumping from 6 to 6 (1994), Swingin' West (1995); The Derailers, Reverb Deluxe (1997)
Vince Gill, "Go Rest High on That Mountain" (1995)
The Bottle Rockets, The Brooklyn Side (1995)
Jerry and Tammy Sullivan, At the Feet of God (1995)
Herb Jeffries, The Bronze Buckaroo (Rides Again) (1995)
Blue Mountain, Dog Days (1995)
Faith Hill, It Matters to Me (1995)
Dwight Yoakam, Gone (1995)
Deana Carter, "Strawberry Wine" (1996)
Various, Rig Rock Deluxe: A Musical Salute to the American Truck Driver (1996)
Cowboy Junkies, Lay It Down (1996)
Trace Adkins, "Every Light in the House Is On" (1996)
Joy Lynn White, The Lucky Few (1997)
k. d. lang, Drag (1997), and Chris Whitley, Dirt Floor (1998)
Clint Black, Nothin' But the Taillights (1997)
George Strait, One Step at a Time (1998)
Emmylou Harris, Spyboy (1998)
Jim Lauderdale, Whisper (1998)
Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)
Robert Earl Keen Jr., Walking Distance (1998)
Jonboy Langford & the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills (1998)
Vince Gill, The Key (1998)
Randy Travis, You and You Alone (1998)
Dixie Chicks, Wide Open Spaces (1998) and Fly (1999)
Mandy Barnett, I've Got a Right to Cry (1999)
Hal Ketchum, Awaiting Redemption (1999)
The Derailers, Full Western Dress (1999)
The Bottle Rockets, Brand New Year (1999), and Shania Twain, Come on Over (1997)
John Prine, In Spite of Ourselves (1999)
Montgomery Gentry, Tattoos & Scars (1999)
Allison Moorer, The Hardest Part (2000)
The Yayhoos, Fear Not the Obvious (2001)
Tim McGraw, Set This Circus Down (2001)
Norah Jones, Come Away with Me (2002)
Montgomery Gentry, You Do Your Thing (2004)
George Strait, It Just Comes Natural (2006)
Various, Crazy Heart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2010)
Index
MICHAEL JARRETT is a professor of English at Penn State University, York. He is the author of Drifting on a Read: Jazz as a Model for Writing and Sound Tracks: A Musical ABC, and has spent an inordinate portion of his life in record stores.
"Producing Country doesn't seek to answer so much as to enlighten, with plenty of behind-the-scenes stories from the recording sessions that gave us a big chunk of our Nashville soundtrack. ... [L]ots of folks (interviewed in the book) offer wisdom on ways to enhance artistry, solve problems, encourage ingenuity, manage technology and motivate a roomful of disparate creative spirits. It's hard to say exactly what a producer is, but those are all things that a producer does."
~Peter Cooper, The Tennessean
""Works as a partial history of the changing dimension of recorded sound, from its origins as a 'record' of a particular performance to a sonic environment, aural sculpture in the hands of skilled producers and engineers.""
~David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express-Milwaukee Entertainment Magazine
""Jarrett's ethnography is to be praised for the wealth and breadth of its coverage, raising the volume of voices seldom heard.""
~Tom Greenland, Journal of Folklore Research
""In its approach to writing the history of country music recordings, Producing Country offers an interesting alternative to dry academic texts.""
~J. Farrington, Choice
""Jarrett has interviewed a cross section of country music producers. The interviews are relatively short, and focus on specific albums or songs. The interested reader can grasp the various styles of production and how they have evolved over the years. Overall this is a well-written guide to the way records have been made in Nashville, from around 1945 to the present day.""
~Portland Book Review
""Jarrett's book is valuable because it illuminates an exciting process that for too long has been veiled by industry protocol and ignored because of public indifference. Producing Country should inspire other scholars to look more deeply and more broadly into 'the inside story' of country music.""
~Ted Olson, American Studies (AMSJ)
""You would look long and hard to find a more readable contribution to the cultural studies, or country music, canon.""
~Tim Holmes, Record Collector Magazine
""Producing Country doesn't seek to answer so much as to enlighten, with plenty of behind-the-scenes stories from the recording sessions that gave us a big chunk of our Nashville soundtrack. [L]ots of folks (interviewed in the book) offer wisdom on ways to enhance artistry, solve problems, encourage ingenuity, manage technology and motivate a roomful of disparate creative spirits. It's hard to say exactly what a producer is, but those are all things that a producer does.""
~Peter Cooper, The Tennessean
""[Producing Country] really tells the story of the history of country music from the other side of the glass.""
~Eric Banister, Music Tomes
"This is a very readable and informative oral history of the evolution of country music recording. Few books have delved into the role that record producers have played in country music, and fewer still have allowed the record producers themselves to talk about the nuances of their recording processes in such revealing and fascinating detail."
~Paul Kingsbury, editor of The Encyclopedia of Country Music and Will the Circle Be Unbroken
"Jarrett's study opens the sound-proofed door of the control room where the pilots, chariot drivers, overseers—whatever you call them—steered the recording sessions that defined popular music. It's an impressive gathering of producers that unlocks the secrets of making records.""
~Michael Streissguth, author of Outlaw: Waylon, Willie, Kris and the Renegades of Nashville
"Michael Jarrett's large body of interviews with producers from the country music field is an extremely valuable addition to music history. The large scope of the book—including producers of archival country anthologies (i.e., the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers), to classic country and western of the '40 and'60s, to mainstream country from the '70s to today, to Americana/alternative country (including 1950s rockabilly and the 1960s-70s hybrid of country soul)—makes it an important tool for understanding the creation of some of C&W's classic records by its most outstanding artists. In addition, Producing Country provides evidence of the wide scope of country music, its changes in sounds and musical impact over nearly 90 years. Quite an achievement!""
~Holly George-Warren, author of Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry
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