Vern Gosdin - Louisiana Man
I'm back to kick off the Augusts of summer breeze with a milestone man.
This guy, though. Dubbed "The Voice" of modern Country music, he sure did know how to holler.
I discovered his music when I went through an insane Bakersfield Sound phase in the 2000s, and he's been a go-to ever since.
Especially his late 1970s albums on Elektra, produced by the acknowledged monarch of the Bakersfield stuff, Gary S. Paxton.
Here's a goofy-but-100%-true story, speaking of GSP: I was with my friend and his pal in a diner once in Palo Alto, and was professing my love of the Bakersfield Country galaxy of players.
My buddy's friend pulls out his flip phone and dials someone, then hands me the phone.
On the other end is Gary S. Paxton himself, somewhere in Missouri.
You hadda hear me gushing all over the poor guy, who for his part seemed thrilled to pieces that anyone knew his name or his music.
And one of Gary P.'s most beloved stars, with whom he made some of his most primo platters? Why it's Vern Gosdin, born this day in 1934.
Yes, there's even Vern Gosdin bootlegs, you know. More than one, even!
Like for instance this snazzy little preFM slab of vinyl, depicting The Voice in full, late-'70s form in front of a room full of worshipers at the old Lone Star Cafe in NYC.
Vern Gosdin
Lone Star Cafe
New York City, NY USA
March 1979
01 Break My Mind
02 'Til the End
03 Mother Country Music
04 It Started All Over Again
05 All I Want and Need Forever
06 Sarah's Eyes
07 Kentucky Woman
08 Hangin' On
09 God Made Love
10 Yesterday's Gone
11 You've Got Somebody
12 Never My Love
13 Louisiana Man
14 Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?
15 Daytime Friends
16 Ramblin' Fever
17 Good Hearted Woman
Total time: 49:25
Vern Gosdin - guitar & vocals
Ray Flacke - guitar
Kenny Malone - drums
Steve Schaffer - bass
rest of band ("Mother Country") personnel unidentified
FM announcer is Mike Fitzgerald
unidentified transfer of a Clayton Webster Corp. "Live from the Lone Star Cafe" preFM LP
commercials removed, retracked, slightly denoised, volume balanced and somewhat remastered by EN, August 2024
299 MB FLAC/direct link
299 MB FLAC/direct link
Vernon's been gone 15 years, but you wouldn't know that from the frequency of his tunes on my stereo system here.
I'll be back next Saturday with one of those insta-box sets that jump off when I gets carried away, but as for the now, you better not miss out on Vern Gosdin's just-completed 90th trip 'round that big ol' Country sun!--J.
8.5.1934 - 4.28.2009