Bob Wills' Texas Playboys Recorded Live May 21, 2000, Featuring Legendary Western Swing Vocalist Leon Rausch and Grammy Award Winner Tommy Allsup
Leon Rausch "Close To You" SR-7627
A 20 Song Salute To The Music Of Cindy Walker
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Bob Wills' Texas Playboys Band SET TWO Recorded Live August 09, 2002, Featuring Legendary Western Swing Vocalist Leon Rausch and Grammy Award Winner Tommy Allsup
Bob Wills' Texas Playboys Band SET ONE Recorded Live August 09, 2002, Featuring Legendary Western Swing Vocalist Leon Rausch and Grammy Award Winner Tommy Allsup
Bob Wills' Texas Playboys Recorded Live May 21, 2000, Featuring Legendary Western Swing Vocalist Leon Rausch and Grammy Award Winner Tommy Allsup
Leon Rausch, "Close To You" A 20 Song Salute To The Music of Cindy Walker
Leon Rausch, "Deep In The Heart of Texas" A 20 Song Western Swing Collection
1998 Studio Release
"Millions have enjoyed Leon Rausch as 'the voice' of Bob Wills Texas Playboys. Now let Leon touch you with his own special brand of country, western and swing vocals."
LEON RAUSCH "Close To You" A 20 Song Salute To The Music Of Cindy Walker Volume #1 / SR- 7627 ©
SOUTHLAND RECORDS ® is a registered trademark of Southland Records, Inc. All Rights Reserved
1. Close To You
2. That Would Sure Go Good
3. In The Misty Moonlight
4. Hotline
5. The Little Blue Bonnet Bar *
6. Ruidoso *
7. You Don't Know Me
8. You're From Texas
9. I'm A Music Man *
10. Bubbles In My Beer
11. Inseparable From My Heart
12. The Day You Left Me
13. I Don't Care
14. Tucumcari Woman *
15. Take Me In Your Arms And Hold Me
16. Don't Be Ashamed Of Your Age
17. The Heebee Jeebee Blues *
18. China Doll
19. Two Glasses, Joe
20. On Silver Wings To San Antone
LEON RAUSCH "Close To You" A 20 Song Salute To The Music Of Cindy Walker Volume #1 / SR- 7627 ©
The Musicians:
Leon Rausch vocals; Tommy Allsup & Rich O'Brien guitars; Tom Morrell steel guitar & dobro; James Belkin & Bob Boatright fiddles; R.D. "Curly" Hollingsworth piano; Mark Abott acoustic bass; Greg Hardy drums; Dave Alexander trumpet; Greg Waits trombone; Glen Rothstein clarinet; Rob Dixon, Chris O'Connell & Tommy Allsup harmony vocals
Pamela Irwin digital audio engineer ASC-Sumet Studios, Dallas, Texas; Tommy Allsup final mix & mastering supervisor; Jim Falzone digital master engineer at Venus Productions, Nashville, Tennessee.
Produced by Leon Rausch and Co-Produced by Tommy Allsup for Konawa Music Productions
Executive Producer Steve Reed
for SOUTHLAND RECORDS ® is a registered trademark of Southland Records, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Page 2 of the CD Booklet:
"To Whom It May Concern: READ THIS IN SLOW 4/4 RHYTHM, AKA 'SWING'
All the adjectives have been used to describe Cindy Walker and Leon Rausch, so here I go. After more than 50 years in the music business and making records since 1956, I've had the opportunity to record with over 300 major artist, and get a fair barometer on what it takes to make a record.
HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THIS PROJECT IN FIVE (5) EASY STEPS:
1. When you go in to make a record you need a song, preferably a good song or songs.
2. Then you need someone to sing or perform the song or songs.
3. Then you match musicians to the performer - in this case Western Swing.
4. Then you book a good studio and engineer.
Now, just like a great chef preparing a fine meal, you have All The Ingredients for a Great Recording Session. So here's what I'm trying to tell you. You've got 20 songs written by one of, or quite possibly the best writer ever. You've got the best singer of Western Swing Music. You've got some of the best musicians in the country. So, just sit back and enjoy this Salute To The Music Of Cindy Walker."
Tommy Allsup, Grammy Award Winner
"Musical Success starts with a Great Song. Leon Rausch's brillant idea for selecting great songs, just start with the catalog of Cindy Walker Treasures. Stop and think about this fact: No one had ever put together a complete recording project of Cindy Walker tunes prior to Leon Rausch's "Close To You" A 20 Song Salute To The Music Of Cindy Walker. Leon mentioned his concept to Cindy and she suggested Leon consider five new songs never before recorded, along with some songs that had not received much exposure. She even mentioned that some of her 'Great Standards' were not recorded the way that she had written them, and would like to hear them recorded more like her original demo's (just one example - Bubbles In My Beer). Leon had just obtained Ms. Cindy's blessing on his project, the rocket fuel that it took to get his mission off the ground! Leon soon presented this concept to me and I'm sure I've never heard a better musical concept or idea-EVER! (Volume #2 Soon) Leon called and invited the "Very Best In The Business" to be part of his vision. Tommy Allsup left his 'Musical Finger Prints' all over this project. THANK YOU, Tom Morrell, Rich O'Brien, and Dave Alexander for all of the EXTRA EFFORT!! The alias of the 'A-Team Pickers' appear on the tray card, and we could not have made this happen without the creative efforts of so many talented musicians and Pamela Irwin. A Special Thanks To Everybody Listed! Thanks again Leon, for making my job easy and allowing me to have so much fun!
Steve Reed, Executive Producer for SOUTHLAND RECORDS ®
Page 3 of the CD Booklet:
"I feel like I just hit the TEXAS LOTTERY knowing
Cindy Walker, and having the good fortune to get to record twenty of Cindy's wonderful songs including hits from days gone by and some BRAND NEW songs, done for the first time. This collection of Cindy's fabulous music has bee a dream of mine for many years and to finally have the opportunity to realize my dream, with the help of some fantastic western musicians aaat the studio where we did Bob Will's last recording "For The Last Time" back in 1973 makes me feel like these last 45 years I've been singing for a living has made every minute of it worthwhile. God Bless Cindy Walker - My Friend."
"Do any of you guys out there have trouble waking up in the morning? I mean, does it take you about an hour to come haflway to your senses or are you real grouchy? You know, stuff like that. Well old Wolf has the cure for that particular ailment, and here it is. One morning, several years ago, I had opened one eye. I was gonna wait around for about thirty minutes or so before I tried the other eye. No sense in getting in a hurry about these things. The phone rang (yeah, I know, another phone call, but hey, it's true). Okay, growling at no one in particular, I picked it up and tried for about three minutes to find my ear. Didn't make me any difference, right ear or left ear, just as long as it was an ear. This very pleasant sounding lady said 'Is this Tommy Morrell?' I thought 'Oh no, I'm going to be sold a truckload of aluminum siding before I get both of my eyes open.' Then she said 'This she said 'This is Cindy Walker.' Well folks, that's all it took. In about 1/10th of a second I was sitting straight up in bed and in full command of what few senses I had at my disposal. That's my presciption. Get a phone call from Miss Cindy. It'll work every time.
About a month ago, someone asked me to descibe Cindy. Without even thinking, I said 'Energetic, sharp as a tack, heart of gold, etc.' Come to think of it, you could describe her songs that way: charming, melodic, down to earth with a touch of class, and on and on. That's still Cindy. She is her songs and her songs are her. That's all that a great songwriter can hope to be. This is an album of about twenty of her best. She has only written 2,890 more. Whew!
Oh, by the way, there's a pretty good singer crooning these little ditties. I think that his name is Leon Ralph or something like that. You might want to keep your eyes, or rather your ears, on him. He might just be the next George Strait."
Page 4 of CD booklet
Cindy Walker, Country Music Hall Of Fame Inductee, September 24, 1997
The Dress, by Cindy Walker
In the 1980's my mother bought me a dress...for a BMI affair... and she said, "When they put you in The Hall Of Fame...that's the dress...I want you to wear"...and, I said, "Oh, mama...The Hall Of Fame...Why, that will never be"...and the years went by...but my mother's words...remained in my memory...and I know...tonight...she'd be happy...
Tho she's gone now...to her rest...but I think of all...that she did for me...and, tonight... I'm wearing that dress!...
LEON RAUSCH "Close To You" A 20 Song Salute To The Music Of Cindy Walker Volume #1 / SR- 7627 ©
Leon Rausch / Bob Wills' Texas Playboys Band
Books
Leon Rausch
The Voice of the Texas Playboys
For three generations, millions of Western Swing fans---young and old---have listened to and been musically thrilled and entertained by Leon Rausch. He has vocalized the music of Bob Wills and Western Swing. Throughout the 270 pages of this book complete with more than 60 photographs depicting his colorful stage career, together with a complete discography of his recording, Leon's many fans - young and old, and musical admirers will be afforded a first hand opportunity to gain a greater insight not only into his warm and friendly personality, but also into his legendary vocal contributions to Bob Wills music and to Western Swing. Publisher: Swing Publishing Company
The Musicians & Fans Speak Out
"I think he was Bob Wills' favorite." Tommy Allsup, Grammy Award Winner
"Nobody can do it --- like Rausch. I rate him as a ten on a one to ten scale....the best singer there is." Eldon Shamblin
"I don't believe that any singer that Bob Wills ever employed exceeded his performance and ability to enrich a song." Al Stricklin
"I know that today Bob would be very proud of the contributions that Leon continues to make." Mrs. Betty Wills
"Leon Rausch is one of the greatest stylists of Western Swing music." Ray Benson, Asleep at the Wheel
"No other artist can sing many types of material with such ease and showmanship as Leon Rausch." Cindy Walker
"Leon Rausch was the best singer that Uncle Bob ever had." Dayna Wills
About The Author
John E. Perkins, Jr., is a retired professor of Economics from Texas Christian University. He has been a devoted fan of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys beginning in the late 1930's and has followed the career of Leon Rausch since the mid- 1960's when Leon and the Texas Playboys performed in a live television show from Panther Hall in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Leon Rausch Book, $29.95 plus $5.00 S/H, Autographed and Numbered
Autographed and numbered collector series hardcover book available from SOUTHLAND RECORDS ® PO Box 1547, Arlington, TX 76004-1547, (817)461-3280. order form
Leon Rausch / Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
Leon Rausch & Tommy Allsup, Grammy Award Winner
A 50 Song Tribute To The Music of Bob Wills on 3 Compact Disc Box Set
Bob Wills' Texas Playboys Band SET TWO Recorded Live August 09, 2002, Featuring Legendary Western Swing Vocalist Leon Rausch and Grammy Award Winner Tommy Allsup
Bob Wills' Texas Playboys Band SET ONE Recorded Live August 09, 2002, Featuring Legendary Western Swing Vocalist Leon Rausch and Grammy Award Winner Tommy Allsup
Bob Wills' Texas Playboys Recorded Live May 21, 2000, Featuring Legendary Western Swing Vocalist Leon Rausch and Grammy Award Winner Tommy Allsup
Leon Rausch, "Close To You" A 20 Song Salute To The Music of Cindy Walker
Leon Rausch, "Deep In The Heart of Texas" A 20 Song Western Swing Collection
Questions or Comments
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