thanks! i'll always be glad i was around at the tail end of this time to see the last of the weird old country music before it turned into the hideous zombie it became for decades later.
It’s an insightful piece. I think I’m finally starting to understand the Roger Miller joke at the end of Eugene Chadbourne’s recording of “You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd.”
Roger is one of my favorites and he definitely falls into the "too strange to live, too rare to die" category of people. He could write stuff like Do-Wacka-Do and then turn around and write something kike "One Dyin and a-Buryin." Just a complete genius of a writer. Definitely looking forward to checking out this video.
I used to teach at a music camp around Nashville with this guy who'd played guitar in Roger's band at one point and he had all kinds of funny stories about him, but I remember him telling me that they toured Japan once. They were playing Tokyo and the audience was very well mannered, many of them dressed in cowboy getups, and would clap for the songs, but Roger was telling jokes too and was annoyed that they weren't laughing. So he says to my friend, "Let's just play one more and get the hell outta here, these people have no sense of humor." My friend humorously had to explain to Roger that they didn't speak probably didn't speak English and that's why his jokes weren't landing.
Now is morning in Brooklyn NY, and I’m loving your excellent essay. Watched first minute of video. This evening, I’ll watch the full hour…..vs mindlessly scrolling through Netflix, etc.
The section starting 'Ralph Emery was the anchor of Nashville’s broadcasting universe' and ending with 'He also, according to everyone who knew him at the time, had been awake for about a week straight on amphetamines' is repeated in the post.
Well, when Glen Campbell says you are a party animal.....
Dang me! Love me some Roger Miller.
thanks! i'll always be glad i was around at the tail end of this time to see the last of the weird old country music before it turned into the hideous zombie it became for decades later.
Fantastic!!
Great photo of Roger Miller. He looks like Joe Strummer.
It’s an insightful piece. I think I’m finally starting to understand the Roger Miller joke at the end of Eugene Chadbourne’s recording of “You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd.”
That was great! Thank you. Let’s hear some of your honky-Tony now!
Roger is one of my favorites and he definitely falls into the "too strange to live, too rare to die" category of people. He could write stuff like Do-Wacka-Do and then turn around and write something kike "One Dyin and a-Buryin." Just a complete genius of a writer. Definitely looking forward to checking out this video.
I used to teach at a music camp around Nashville with this guy who'd played guitar in Roger's band at one point and he had all kinds of funny stories about him, but I remember him telling me that they toured Japan once. They were playing Tokyo and the audience was very well mannered, many of them dressed in cowboy getups, and would clap for the songs, but Roger was telling jokes too and was annoyed that they weren't laughing. So he says to my friend, "Let's just play one more and get the hell outta here, these people have no sense of humor." My friend humorously had to explain to Roger that they didn't speak probably didn't speak English and that's why his jokes weren't landing.
I wish I had your good luck charm, and you had a doo wackadoo, wackadoo, wackadoo, wackadoo, wackadoo.
Thank you for this!
Now is morning in Brooklyn NY, and I’m loving your excellent essay. Watched first minute of video. This evening, I’ll watch the full hour…..vs mindlessly scrolling through Netflix, etc.
The section starting 'Ralph Emery was the anchor of Nashville’s broadcasting universe' and ending with 'He also, according to everyone who knew him at the time, had been awake for about a week straight on amphetamines' is repeated in the post.
Roger Miller, what a rebel - i can see why my spouse isnt crazy about him now, lol - fabulous article.
Editor alert: there is a section of paragraphs in here twice - copy/paste double maybe..
PS: the video recording is such a treasure of a time capsule - even the news hasnt much changed