& Tommy Allsup
Tribute To Bob Wills
A 50 Song Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills
"Seven decades of Western Swing--Leon & Tommy are carrying on the tradition."
50 Songs Available 3 Compact Disk Box Set $41.99 plus $4.00 for S/H
SIMS Records (SRBS-100)
Compact Disk One
1. Faded Love 4:02; 2. Convict And The Rose 3:57; 3. Rosetta 2:47; 4. Mexicali Rose 3:10; 5. Lily Dale 3:27; 6. South Of The Border 4:13; 7. I Don't Know Why 3:58; 8. Old Fashion Love 3:14; 9. I Wonder If You Feel The Way I Do 3:39; 10. Cherokee Maiden 2:58; 11. My Mary 2:53; 12. I Wish Your Picture Was You 2:40; 13. You Don't Love Me But I'll Always Care 3:50; 14. Dusty Skies 2:46; 15. Bring It On Down To My House 4:01; 16. Yearning 3:11; 17. Why Do I? 2:19
Compact Disk Two
1. Blue Bonnet Lane 2:25; 2. The Waltz You Saved For Me 3:35; 3. My Life's Been A Pleasure 3:05; 4. Across The Alamo 3:09; 5. My Confession 3:07; 6. Spanish Fandango 2:25; 7. Ten Years 2:41; 8. That's What I Like About The South 2:39; 9. When You Leave Amarillo, Turn Out The Lights 3:18; 10. Bubbles In My Beer 2:17; 11. Brain Cloudy Blues 3:36; 12. Spanish Two Step 3:18; 13. Still Water Runs The Deepest 2:43; 14. Miss Molly 2:37; 15. Honeysuckle Time In The Valley 2:43; 16. The Warm Red Wine 3:35; 17. Four Or Five Times 4:32
Compact Disk Three
1. San Antonio Rose 3:58; 2. The Kind Of Love 3:22; 3. Deep Water 3:15; 4. I Can't Go On This Way 2;19; 5. Sugar Moon 2:30; 6. Party For The Old Folks 2:51; 7. Worried Over You 3:12; 8. Right Or Wrong 3:49; 9. Keeper Of My Heart 3:19; 10. Li'l Liza Jane 2:14; 11. King Without A Queen 3:57; 12. It's The Bottle Talking 3:49; 13. Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer) 2:37; 14. Blues For Dixie 3:22; 15. Goodnight Little Sweetheart 3:29; 16. Under The Double Eagle 5:1
The Band
Leon Rausch (vocals); Tommy Allsup (guitar, banjo, harmony vocals); Tom Morrell (steel guitar, electric guitar); Rich O'Brien (guitar, *fiddle The Warm Red Wine); Bob Boatright (fiddle); Buddy Spicher (fiddle, *electric mandolin San Antonio Rose); Curley Hollingsworth (piano); Tommy "Dee" Thatcher (drums); Mark Abbott (upright bass); Dave Alexander (trumpet); Glen Rothstein (sax, clarinet); "Tumbleweed Tex" (trombone)
I consider it a high honor and privilege to be one of the song writers whose songs are included in this history making music event album. A Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills (featuring Leon Rausch & Tommy Allsup) and featuring, also the greatest musicians of our time.
My heartfelt thanks too, to Russell Sims and Harold Hitt for making this truly wonderful dream come true. Sincerely, Cindy Walker
Russell Sims
In my opinion, when Bob Wills recorded "Roly Poly", that was the birth of Western Swing, The union of two music greats such as Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan can only happen once in a lifetime, and the contribution they have made to the music industry will be in our hearts and minds forever.
After four decades, Leon Rausch, Tommy Allsup and I are still collaborating together with as much dedication as we can possibly give to honor the "King of Western Swing" . We believe he is completely responsible for its genesis and for this reason we have given our time and efforts to bring to you our tribute to Bob Wills in this 50 song box set. Words cannot describe the loss I have experienced with the passing of such dear friends such as; Tommy Duncan, Leon McAuliffe, Keith Coleman, Cecil Briar, Glenn "Blub" Rhees, and Johnnie Lee Wills.
I would like to personally thank Tommy Allsup, the music director and Leon Rausch, whose heavenly vocals never cease to amaze us. Thanks to all the great pickers on the project; Tom Morrell, Rich O'Brien, Bob Boatright, Buddy Spicher, Curley Hollingsworth, Glen Rothstein, Dave Alexander, Tumbleweed Tex, Mark Abbott, Tommy Dee Thatcher and also to Bill Forshee, Buddy, Dewey, Gloria, & Maureen Miers. Special thanks to Ed Burnet, Cindy Walker, Harold Hitt; my partner, and Ruby and Diamond for their love and support. Russell Sims, Producer, Sims Records.
Born and raised in the great state of Missouri, it took Leon Rausch many years to become one of the greatest in the Western Swing field. He played with a number of bands during the lean years of his career, and the fifties saw him with a band in Oklahoma that would eventually travel the United States playing the music he loved .... In 1956, Leon was in Tulsa following his deep love and considerable talent for Western Swing music. One of the many breaks for Leon was when he met Mr. Bob Wills. Bob asked Leon to become a Texas Playboy as lead vocalist. Leon quickly accepted and joined Bob's band on St. Patrick's Day in 1958. From that point, big things started happening for the Missouri native. A few years ago, after Bob passed on, Betty Wills, his widow, decided to put together some dates for the Playboys. The band was called Bob Wills' Original Texas Playboys and their collective mission was to keep Bob's music alive! The members of this great band are some of Bob's greatest and most liked musicians. Yes, you guessed it, Leon was named the lead vocalist. Leon performed with the Playboys for the group's final concert, a sellout at Will Rogers Auditorium, Ft. Worth, Texas, on November 16, 1986. He still performs each year at Turkey, Texas, the hometown of Bob Wills. Bob Wills' Day is the last weekend in April. This huge event attracts Bob Wills fans from all over the world ... Having worked with the legends of our time in Country Music, Leon Rausch is a first-class strictly country artist. His smooth, solid voice and Western Swing delivery make him one of the more popular artists in the country. Leon has appeared with such artists as Glenn Campbell, Roy Clark, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Jim Reeves, The Sons of the Pioneers, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline, Mel Tillis, Roy Acuff, and many more. He has been featured on the TV shows, Austin City Limits, Nashville Now, and Texas Connection, several times, and was featured with the Playboys in a film for the Smithsonian Institute on Country Music history. Leon has traveled all over the world playing Bob Wills music including the Wembley Festival in London, reportedly the largest package concert in the World. Also overseas dates include several trips promoting Texas for the Texas Tourist Bureau.
Tommy Allsup, Grammy Award Winner
Tommy started his musical career in Claremore, Oklahoma in 1949 with the "Oklahoma Swingbillies". In 1950 he went to work with fiddle player Art Davis in Miami, Oklahoma; from there to the Cowboy Inn in Wichita, Kansas with singer, fiddle player Jimmy Hall. In 1952 and 1953, he moved back to Tulsa, Oklahoma to join the Johnnie Lee Wills Band. From 1953 to 1958, he had his own band, "The Southernaires" in Lawton, Oklahoma with homebase being the Southern Club.
In 1958, Tommy's career would take a different direction. On a trip to Clovis, New Mexico to record at Norman Petty's famous studio, he met the late Buddy Holly. In April, he started playing lead guitar with Holly and the Crickets. He continued playing with Buddy until the fatal plane crash that took Buddy's life, along with the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens. It was Allsup who flipped a coin with Ritchie Valens for a seat on the ill-fated plane.
After Holly's death, Allsup moved to California to join Liberty Records as A & R Director of all Country and Western product to begin producing the great Bob Wills' and the Texas Playboys. His association with Wills lasted through Wills' For the Last Time LP, recorded on December 3rd & 4th, 1973, Dallas, Texas, where Bob Wills recorded his first records in 1935. Allsup used some of the original Texas Playboys on the last recording (McAuliffe, Shamblin, Dacus, Strickland). Bob Wills directed the sessions from his wheelchair.
While at Liberty, Tommy would produce Tex Williams, Willie Nelson, Joe Carson, Warren Smith, Billy Mize, and Cliff Crofford. While there, he worked with great artists such as Walter Brennan, Bobby Vee, Johnny Burnett, Julie London, and Vickie Carr, who sang harmony with Bob Wills on the LP Bob Wills Sings and Plays. After leaving California, Allsup moved to Nashville to head up Metromedia Records in 1968. In 1972, he met Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel and produced their first LP for United Artist Records. Later he produced 4 LP's for Capitol Records with the group.
Tommy has been a big supporter of Western Swing music over the years. He has produced 5 LP's with the great Hank Thompson and his Brazos Valley Boys, 2 LP's with the Original Texas Playboys, and 2 CD's with the great Western Swing vocalist Leon Rausch on SOUTHLAND RECORDS ® Tommy has produced Swing LP's with Jody Nix, Curley Chalker, Mack Sanders, Johnny Bush, Willie Nelson, Tex Williams, and Billy Mize.
Tommy still lives in Nashville where he remains active in the music business. He has played guitar or bass on over 10,000 recording sessions. All of this is good enough for Tommy Allsup, who has no regrets. "I never really wanted to be a big star, I figured I'd leave that to someone else."
Several months ago on a dark and stormy night, I sat alone in my house, my feet propped up on a table, watching Perry Mason re-runs on my flip flopping, snow saturated 13" black and white TV. The sound was muted because I was listening to some old Wade Ray tapes on my boom box. Outside the lightning was flashing, the thunder was rolling and the coyotes were howling creating a surreal sound of a Western Swing monster movie. Through it all I heard the obnoxious ringing of my telephone. Fishing my last Camel out of my last pack, and draining the last drop from my last Ziegen Bock, I stumbled down the hallway cursing the infernal device that had so rudely interrupted my reverie. My dismay was not to last long as the voice on the other end of the phone said, "Want to do some recording?" "Where and when?" was my reply. "Sumet-Burnet Studio, Sunday through Thursday" was the response that came back over the line into my Western Swing infested ears. I quickly checked my calendar. It looked like two polar bears making love in a snowstorm. "Count me in" I said. The mysterious voice on the other end said, "Be there". Arriving several days later at the studio with my trusty ol' Bigsby in one hand and my ES-355 in the other, I poked my head into studio "A". The home of numerous historical recording sessions including Bob Wills' For The Last Time. "We're going to do fifty songs" were the first words that I heard as I sat my instruments down. I looked up into the grinning face of Tommy Allsup. My first thought was, "You gotta be kidding." My first words were, "Hoowegot", which in ebonics means, "if we're going to do 50 songs in 5 days we had better have some stud hosses." Tommy then proceeded to reel off a most impressive list of players. Rich "Badger" O'Brien, Bob Boatright, Mark Abbott, Tommy "Dee" Thatcher, my old heroes Buddy Spicher and Curley Hollingsworth. Plus a bunch of weird looking horn players. "Piece of cake" I thought, as my eyes slowly drifted back to the horn players. What all of my gibberish is leading up to is just this: Not only did we get all fifty songs cut, but when we got to the last one, the band was still smokin' strong! Therein lies both the mystery and the magic of the session. It's the only true test. My hat goes off to all the individuals involved in this monumental effort, especially to Russell Sims, Tommy Allsup, Leon Rausch and last but certainly not least, our engineer, Bill Forshee.
Rich O'Brien
If I couldn't play Western Swing music, I would probably have to sell brooms, or be a salt miner, or do something that ain't much fun. You see, I never was content with the dream of just playing music; I always wanted to play in a cracker-jack Western Swing band (For one thing, it goes best with my wardrobe). But I have since learned that we have to be careful what we ask for. For in December of '96, Tommy Allsup invited me to be a part of a superb Western swing orchestra. I felt like one of the Three Stooges in a Shakespeare play. First of all, Mr. Allsup himself was playing guitar, Tom Morrell was on steel, Buddy Spicher and Bob Boatright were on fiddles. With Curley Hollingsworth, Mark Abbott, Tommy Dee Thatcher, and a mysterious assembly of horn players rounding out the band, I concluded that the only way I could possibly be of any use would be as a singer ... Then I noticed that Leon Rausch was in the room. "So much for a singing career !" I thought. While I was trying to figure out just exactly what my contribution to the project was supposed to be, Russell Sims requested that I do a scratch vocal on The Waltz You Saved For Me so that the band could get familiar with the song. "Do it like the Old Man." he said. It wasn't until then that my job description became clear: my function, as was everyone's, was to make some music without stepping too far over into the serious side of things. The result of that recording session is a collection of Western Swing masterpieces. Personally, I had more fun on that five day session than on anything I'd ever done. As for the music, each song "has a smile on it". Otherwise, It wouldn't be Western Swing - and I'd be trying to sell you a broom.
Born on the Cherokee Strip in Perry, Oklahoma, Dave Alexander grew up with Western Swing. By age four, Dave was regularly sitting on the bandstand, while his father, Ashley Alexander, performed with the Western Swing greats, such as Bob and Johnnie Lee Wills and Leon McAuliffe. A fourth generation musician, Dave received his Bachelor of Music Degree from The University of North Texas. Following graduation, he created Dave Alexander Productions, a highly successful, Dallas/Fort Worth based, musical entertainment production company. Dave has performed on numerous record albums and toured internationally. In 1984, Dave was invited to perform at the White House for President Ronald Reagan's Inauguration. Since then he has personally entertained Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Prince Charles, Nancy Reagan and on numerous occasions, President George Bush. He was also selected to perform for the World Economic Summit in Houston, Texas in 1990 and he has performed the National Anthem for the World Champion Dallas Cowboys. Since 1991, Dave has had the distinct honor of opening and performing at The Houston Rodeo, the world's largest livestock show and rodeo. He is also the composer of the Houston Rodeo Theme Song. Along with his group, The Legends of Western Swing, Dave has worked with the biggest names in Country Music, opening for stars such as Garth Brooks, George Strait, Clint Black, and Reba McEntire. He is currently headlining concerts and festivals across the United States and Canada. When he is not on tour, traveling or performing he finds time to stay close to home with his family on a small acreage North of Dallas, Texas. During his off season, his hobbies include antique cars, horses, rodeo, and the State of Colorado. "What an honor to record with my hero, Leon Rausch. Leon is a good as it gets and then to have the finest Western Swing Musicians all in the same place at the same time is really incredible. I was taken back when Don Henley of the Eagles came in during the session to say hello to Leon and let him know he was a big fan of our music. It's a great feeling to be part of musical history"
Bill Mack "The Midnight Cowboy" CMA DJ Hall Of Fame Inductee, WBAP Radio 820 AM (Midnight to 5 AM)
Larry Scott, CMA DJ Hall Of Fame Inductee, KVOO 1170 AM(Midnight to 5AM)
"Seven decades of Western Swing--Leon & Tommy are carrying on the tradition."
50 Songs Available 3 Compact Disk Box Set $41.99 plus $4.00 for S/H
SIMS Records (SRBS-100)
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