Swing music question. Western

John in Covina · Sep 4, 2008

Not sure if this is the right section to ask this but, I was interested to see a bit on Spade Cooley in a PBS show called either "Things That Aren't Here Anymore" or "More Things That Aren't Here Anymore" both of which are about famous or important or well loved places that aren't here anymore for the Los Angeles area.

One thing was Spade Cooley's Show which may have been on both TV and radio was a big hit across the nation. While I took it to be cowboy music at first, he had an orchestra and played various Western (Style) Swing Music. That's kind of interesting, I didn't recall hearing about this distinction of Swing. On Amazon looking up Spade I found that Tex Williams also did Swing in a Western style.

Is this Western Style more Kitsch or do people still enjoy it and use it for dancing?

What other artists had Western Swing in their repitoire?

What are the more famous titles in the Wetern Swing Genre?

Dinerman · Sep 4, 2008

For a good modern western swing band that sounds straight out of the '40s, take a look at the Quebe Sisters. I saw them earlier this summer. Amazing talent.

carouselvic · Sep 4, 2008

Bob Wills & his Texas Playboys

Bob Wills is considered the father of western swing. Also called Texas swing.

carouselvic · Sep 4, 2008

I am going to keep an eye out for the Quebe Sisters. I am very fond of Hot Club of Cowtown.

JohnnyGringo · Sep 4, 2008

Western Swing Ain't Dead...

As they say, "WESTERN SWING AIN'T DEAD, IT'S ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL!" Ray Benson and the entire Wheel "Gang" are multi-Grammy award winning performers in this wonderful, very-much alive genre of music. Ray Benson has been doing his part to keep this style of swing alive for over thirty years, and he and the band are one of the very best live bands I've ever seen. Please check them out here:www.asleepatthewheel.com

Wesne · Sep 4, 2008

Also, check out Asleep at the Wheel for a modern take on Western Swing. They've been around quite a while with some modest commercial success as basically a Bob Wills tribute band.

Edit: I see I was composing my replay at the same time you were posting yours, JohnnyGringo. Great minds and all, I guess...

JohnnyGringo · Sep 4, 2008

Apparently so...

BeBopBaby · Sep 4, 2008

I listen to the Jivin and Smilin: Kings of Western Swing cd set a lot:

http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Western...r_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1220549022&sr=8-11

It's a nice all-around intro to the genre of western swing. My favorite artists include Bob Wills (the king of western swing - you can't go wrong starting with Bob!), Tex Williams and Milton Brown.

On a side note - Spade Cooley killed his wife by beating her to death in a drunken rage because she was going to divorce him. Her murder was extremely gruesome and became a large scandal.

Amoungst other things, Cooley believed his wife was having an affair with Roy Rogers and that she partcipated in sex cults. Most likely Cooley was delusional from drinking and popping pills. He suffered a heart attack while he was delivered his prison sentence, survived, served 8 years in prison and then died from another heart attack.

Cooley's life was also inspiration for a re-occuring character in James Ellroy's wiritngs.

Cooley's music is some of the best western swing ever made, but I can't help but think of what he did to his wife when I hear hear his music.

bigshoe · Sep 4, 2008

Bob Wills " The King of Western Swing".:eusa_clap

I met my wife of 21 one years when I asked her dance to "Take me back to Tulsa" For an introduction check out the album "Riding with Bob" by Asleep at the Wheel. In my shop one of the few reasons for my terminating your butt is if you turn down my Bob Wills or don't take your hat off when I have Patsy Cline on.:rage:
Tom

KittyT · Sep 4, 2008

from allmusic.com:
Western Swing was the most eclectic form of country music and in its free-wheeling diversity, it set the stage for rock & roll. Based in traditional string band music, Western swing also incorporated traditional pop melodies, jazz improvisation, blues, and folk, creating a wildly entertaining and eclectic form of American music. Bob Wills and Milton Brown popularized the genre in the '30s, and Wills became known as the father of the genre, since he remained popular for several decades, during which he had a remarkable string of hit singles. Although it sometimes faded away from view, Western swing remained popular throughout the 20th century, occasionally experiencing upswings in popularity, such as in the early '70s and the early '90s.

carouselvic said:
Bob Wills is considered the father of western swing. Also called Texas swing.

And now, also called "hillbilly swing".

It's still alive and well and people listen to it and dance to it (LIKE ME!).

Some great modern bands to check out: the Spurs (Boston's own!), Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, Wayne Hancock, Junior Brown, Ace Brown and His Ohio Valley Boys... Ace is probably the most authentic sounding modern Western swing artist around right now. Go check out his myspace page for a listen.*

For traditional stuff, Bob Wills, Leon MacAuliffe, Lefty Frizzell, Tex Williams, the Light Crust Doughboys....

* I'd like to add that these artists write original material and aren't considered "tribute bands" in any way.

BeBopBaby · Sep 4, 2008

Also, if you're looking for more modern music, The Pine Valley Cosmonauts made a really good Bob Wills tribute cd called The Pine Valley Cosmonauts Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills. I listen to this cd when I'm in my car a lot, it's good driving music.

Babydoll · Sep 4, 2008

JohnnyGringo said:
As they say, "WESTERN SWING AIN'T DEAD, IT'S ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL!" Ray Benson and the entire Wheel "Gang" are multi-Grammy award winning performers in this wonderful, very-much alive genre of music. Ray Benson has been doing his part to keep this style of swing alive for over thirty years, and he and the band are one of the very best live bands I've ever seen. Please check them out here:www.asleepatthewheel.com

My Christmas present last year from The Mister was to go see Asleep at the Wheel at The Broken Spoke for their holiday show. Fantastic band!!

BeBopBaby · Sep 4, 2008

More about Bob Wills - he's one of the grandfathers of rock n' roll. He was the first to incorporate drums into country western music. He caused quite a stir on the Grand Ol' Opry when he refused to perform without his drummer (the folks at the Opry thought the drumming was too raucous) and was never invited back. But, country music forever had a beat after that and eventually turned into rock and roll. Wills was playing beats very similar to 50s rock and roll in the 1930s.

LawnFlamingo · Sep 4, 2008

Tennessee Ernie Ford had a few really good hillbilly swing songs as well... really dance-able.

BeBopBaby · Sep 4, 2008

KittyT said:
And now, also called "hillbilly swing".

I know this is splitting hairs and I hate to pigeon-hole generes, but I always considered hillbilly swing to be a little different from western swing. I always thought hillbilly swing was a little more country and rock and roll with a swinging beat, where as western swing had a little more big band to it. I consider bands like Sid King and the Five Strings to hillbilly swing, but not western swing.

KittyT · Sep 4, 2008

BeBopBaby said:
I know this is splitting hairs and I hate to pigeon-hole generes,

Yeah, I hate to really pigeonhole genres too. In the end, it's all pretty much the same thing. This is like trying to argue whether or not Buddy Holly was rockabilly or 50s pop - futile.

On a separate note, there's a pretty detailed history of the roots of Western swing at http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=19:T736

carouselvic · Sep 4, 2008

Really there is only two kinds of music....good and otherwise.

Paisley · Sep 4, 2008

My aunt danced with Spade Cooley one night. She and my uncle went to the Palladium in LA, but she was too young to get in. They went somewhere else (I can't recall where) and Cooley was playing. She and Cooley danced two songs there, and my uncle decided that was enough.

Forgotten Man · Sep 4, 2008

The Lucky Stars...

Today, we have a band here that go by the name "The Lucky Stars" and they play authentic 40s and early 50s Western Swing. Western Swing is fun to dance to, I've danced to it plenty whenever the The Lucky Stars play... they dress period, they use vintage instruments, and just have that sweet sound and look of the early western swing movement.

Check them out on this site:

http://www.theluckystars.com/

They're great guys, they hold true to the fashion and play even nicer!

As for originals, Bob Wills was mentioned, also Hank Williams was fun with his number one hit "Hey Good Lookin'" and so on.

I enjoy the original western swing mostly, and when the Lucky Stars play... It's a simple, sweet style that speaks of California's early days... when it still was the "Wild West" in many ways.

Hope that helps John!

Lefty · Sep 4, 2008

KittyT said:
Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys

+100

Swing music question. Western

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