The Garden Spot Programs, 1950

Last updated
The Garden Spot Programs, 1950
The Garden Spot Programs, 1950.jpg
Compilation album CD, LPby
ReleasedMay 20, 2014
RecordedFebruary 1950
Genre Country
Length45:42
Label Omnivore
Producer Colin Escott, Cheryl Pawelski

The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 is a compilation of four fifteen-minute radio shows recorded by country music singer Hank Williams for Naughton Farms in February 1950.

Contents

After discs containing four shows were found in 2013 by music archivist George Gimarc, the 24 tracks were remastered and released by Omnivore Recordings. The release won a Grammy Award for Best Historical Album.

Content

In February 1950, Hank Williams recorded a series of fifteen-minute radio shows, commissioned by Naughton Farms, a plant nursery out of Waxahachie, Texas. Instead of the Drifting Cowboys, Williams was backed by a band assembled for the job. The sixteen-inch transcription discs were sent to radio stations across the United States to be broadcast along with commercials for the nursery. [1]

In 2013, recordings of four of the shows were found by record collector George Gimarc which originally came from KSIB-AM in Creston, Iowa. Gimarc notified Williams biographer Colin Escott and together they contacted Cheryl Pawelski, founder of the reissue label Omnivore Recordings. Escott and Pawelski met with William's daughter, Jett Williams, who cleared the release. For the re-master and restoration of the tracks, Omnivore hired audio engineer Michael Graves. [2]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
PopMatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg

The 24-track album was released by Omnivore on May 20, 2014, on CD and digital LP. The liner notes of the album were written by Escott, while the packaging included pictures from the author's personal collection. [3] The release won Best Historical Album during the 57th Grammy Awards. [4]

Allmusic rated the release with four stars out of five. The reviewer noted that while the band that backed Williams did not complement him as did his usual band, the singer "sounds strong and inspired". [5] PopMatters rated it with eight points out of ten, qualifying the performances as "more than polished and heartfelt ... downright chilling." [6]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."The Garden Spot Jingle"0:30
2."Lovesick Blues"3:15
3."A Mansion on the Hill"2:46
4."Fiddle Tune"0:52
5."I've Just Told Mama Goodbye"2:35
6."Closing/Oh! Susanna"0:53
7."The Garden Spot Jingle"0:29
8."Mind Your Own Business"2:32
9."Lovesick Blues"2:52
10."Fiddle Tune"0:34
11."At The First Fall of Snow"3:25
12."Closing/Oh! Susanna"0:57
13."The Garden Spot Jingle"0:29
14."I Can't Get You Off of My Mind"2:41
15."I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes)"2:28
16."Fiddle Tune"0:35
17."Farther Along"2:53
18."Closing/Oh! Susanna"1:18
19."The Garden Spot Jingle"0:29
20."I'll Be a Bachelor 'Til I Die"2:22
21."Wedding Bells"3:36
22."Fiddle Tune"0:28
23."Jesus Remembered Me"2:32
24."Closing/Oh! Susanna"4:11

Chart performance

Chart (2014)Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)43 [5]

Footnotes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Williams</span> American singer, songwriter, and musician (1923–1953)

Hiram "Hank" Williams was an American singer-songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. Williams recorded 55 singles that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, five of which were released posthumously, and 12 of which reached No.1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucinda Williams</span> American musician, singer and songwriter

Lucinda Gayl Williams is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, Ramblin' on My Mind (1979) and Happy Woman Blues (1980), in a traditional country and blues style that received critical praise but little public or radio attention. In 1988, she released her third album, Lucinda Williams, to widespread critical acclaim. Regarded as "an Americana classic", the album also features "Passionate Kisses", a song later recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter for her 1992 album Come On Come On, which garnered Williams her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. Known for working slowly, Williams released her fourth album, Sweet Old World, four years later in 1992. Sweet Old World was met with further critical acclaim, and was voted the 11th best album of 1992 in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of prominent music critics. Robert Christgau, the poll's creator, ranked it 6th on his own year-end list, later writing that the album, as well as Lucinda Williams, were "gorgeous, flawless, brilliant".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connie Smith</span> American country music artist (born 1941)

Connie Smith is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity has been noted between her vocal style and the stylings of country vocalist Patsy Cline. Other performers have cited Smith as influence on their own singing styles, which has been reflected in quotes and interviews over the years.

"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Hank Williams that was first released in July 1952. It is Williams' most recorded song. Named for a Creole and Cajun dish, jambalaya, it spawned numerous recordings and has since achieved popularity in several different music genres.

"Cold, Cold Heart" is a country music and pop song written and first recorded by Hank Williams. This blues ballad is both a classic of honky-tonk and an entry in the Great American Songbook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey, Good Lookin' (song)</span> 1951 song written and recorded by Hank Williams

"Hey, Good Lookin'" is a 1951 song written and recorded by Hank Williams, and his version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2003, CMT voted the Hank Williams version No. 19 on CMT's 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music. Since its original 1951 recording it has been covered by a variety of artists.

The Grammy Nominees was a series of various artists compilation albums, released from 1995-2020, celebrating the best of the music industry. Albums were released before the airing of the annual Grammy Awards. All of the songs on the albums were Grammy nominated in the year released. Other Grammy series albums were briefly issued for rap nominees (1999–2001) and Latin nominees (1998–2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Saw the Light (Hank Williams song)</span> 1948 single by Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys

"I Saw the Light" is a country gospel song written by Hank Williams. Williams was inspired to write the song while returning from a concert by a remark his mother made while they were arriving in Montgomery, Alabama. He recorded the song during his first session for MGM Records, and released in September 1948. Williams' version did not enjoy major success during its initial release, but eventually it became one of his most popular songs and the closing number for his live shows. It was soon covered by other acts, and has become a country gospel standard.

<i>Damn Right, Rebel Proud</i> 2008 studio album by Hank Williams III

Damn Right, Rebel Proud is the fourth studio album released by American country music artist Hank Williams III. It was released on October 21, 2008. The album was released in two separate versions, one being a censored release for major retailers, the other is uncensored. The album was released through Curb's revived Sidewalk Records label. This is Hank III’s most successful album to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Williams discography</span>

Hank Williams' discography is composed of 41 singles and 2 ten-inch LPs released during his six-year career; as well as posthumous work including: singles, compilation albums and previously unreleased material. During his lifetime, Williams placed 30 songs on Billboard's Top C&W Records, while he had eleven number one hits.

"You Win Again" is a 1952 song by Hank Williams. In style, the song is a blues ballad and deals with the singer's despair with his partner. The song has been widely covered, including versions by Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, the Grateful Dead, Charley Pride, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones.

"Honky Tonkin'" is a 1947 country music song, written and recorded by Hank Williams. His song went to #14 on the Billboard country music chart in 1948. In 1982, it became the sixth chart topping single for Williams' son, Hank Williams Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Graves (audio engineer)</span> American audio engineer, born 1968

Michael Graves is an American mastering engineer. He specializes in audio restoration and audio preservation. Graves is a five-time Grammy award-winner and a fourteen-time Grammy nominee. He is widely considered one of the best audio engineers in his field. Country singer Hank Williams' daughter Jett praised Graves' work on her father's Grammy-winning album The Garden Spot Programs, 1950, calling it "the best restoration I’ve ever heard before, the 1% of 1% of restoration engineering."

<i>Blaze of Glory</i> (Game Theory album) Game Theory album

Blaze of Glory is the 1982 debut album from Game Theory, a California power pop band founded by guitarist and singer-songwriter Scott Miller. After Miller's death in 2013, the album was reissued by Omnivore Recordings in a remastered edition with 15 bonus tracks which was released on CD and vinyl in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omnivore Recordings</span> American independent record label founded 2010

Omnivore Recordings is an independent record label founded in 2010. It specializes in historical releases, reissues and previously unissued vintage recordings, as well as select releases of new music, on CD, vinyl and digital formats. Omnivore Recordings is a part of Omnivore Entertainment Group LLC, which also incorporates sister companies Omnivore Music Publishing and Omnivore Creative, which provides A&R and art direction/design consulting for recording artists, artist estates, and other record labels.

Cheryl Pawelski is an American record producer and record-company executive. Since 2010, she has been one of the founder/owners of Omnivore Recordings, a Los Angeles-based record label specializing in historical releases, reissues and previously unissued vintage recordings, as well as select releases of new music.

<i>Dead Center</i> (Game Theory album) 1984 compilation album by Game Theory

Dead Center is a compilation album from Game Theory, a California power pop band fronted by guitarist and singer-songwriter Scott Miller. Initially released in France on Lolita Records in 1984, a newly remastered version was released on CD on November 24, 2014 on Omnivore Recordings.

<i>Third</i> (Cait Brennan album) 2017 studio album by Cait Brennan

Third is the second studio album by Cait Brennan, released by Omnivore on April 21, 2017. The follow-up to 2016's critically lauded Debutante, Third was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, in the same studio and using many of the same instruments Big Star used during its Ardent heyday in the early 1970s.

<i>The Complete Warner Bros.–Seven Arts Recordings</i> 2018 compilation album by Vince Guaraldi

The Complete Warner Bros.–Seven Arts Recordings is a double CD compilation of songs by American jazz pianist/composer Vince Guaraldi released by Omnivore Recordings on July 6, 2018. It contains 30 tracks, containing remastered versions of Guaraldi's complete recorded output for Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, plus four bonus tracks.

Colin Escott is a British music historian and author specializing in early U.S. rock and roll and country music. His works include a biography of Hank Williams, histories of Sun Records and The Grand Ole Opry, liner notes for more than 500 albums and compilations, and major contributions to stage and television productions. Honors include multiple Grammy Awards and a Tony Award nomination.

References