Happy Birthday, Vern Gosdin!
One of my favorite singers, Vern Gosdin, turns 74 on Tuesday. I’m always looking for an excuse to push his music on people anyway, so let’s make this the first ever Country California Giveaway. The prize is a new copy of Vern Gosdin’s Super Hits. This giveaway isn’t sponsored or anything; I just want to treat someone to one of my favorite albums.
All you have to do to enter is comment with:
(1) Your favorite Vern Gosdin song, album, memory, etc., OR
(2) Something funny (doesn’t have to be Gosdin-related)
Entries must be in by midnight (PST) on Monday. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Tuesday. Since this blog is young and doesn’t have many readers yet, your chances of winning are pretty darn good. Enter now!
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8/5/08 – Happy birthday, Vern!
And the first name out of the hat is… Trailer! Drop me an email with your address and I’ll get this CD out to you ASAP.
To everyone else (i.e. Dan, Libby, and sometimes Paul), thanks for playing. More giveaways are most likely in the distant future, so it’s back to business here for the time being. New posts coming later today or early tomorrow. See you then.
Prefer email? Nothing wrong with that!
My favorite Vern Gosdin song is “Set ‘Em Up Joe”, Vern’s tribute to Ernest Tubb and two of ET’s songs “Walking The Floor OVer You” and “Two Glasses,Joe”
I’ve been listening to Vern Gosdin for 30+ years although I’ve never had the opportunity to see him live. He has made good recordings every step of the way, including some excellent recordings with his late brother Rex
Oh, Vern and I go way back. He used to cat-sit for me. Dated my sister, actually. Really an amicable fellow.
Laziest attempt to win something ever? Yup. Sorry; it’s late and I spent all day moving.
Short and sweet reply: My favorite Gosdin song is “Chiseled in Stone.” What a moving song.
I like the odds. :) I’ve never heard a Vern Gosdin song – that I know of anyway. I know…
Please delte me from the drawing – I already have these songs
It’s a great set with which to indroduce someone to “The Voice”
Done, pwd. It would be an excellent introduction, as you said, but it’s also pretty handy as a one-stop place for some of his best songs. Let me know if you decide you want back in.
It is difficult to say which are Verns best songs, Unlike a lot of artists who start with major labels and then wind up on independent labels, Vern started his solo career on Warner Brothers and then was on minor labels AMI and Compleat for an extended period before making his way over to major label Columbia. While my two favorite songs “Set ‘Em Up Joe” and “Chiseled In Stone” were on Columbia, I think as a whole his best recordings came during the AMI and Compleat years.
Thanks for the interesting label history, Paul. Out of curiosity, what are a few of your favorite songs from the AMI and Compleat years?
Thanks for the CD, man! An email is on the way.
Correction – the Warner Brothers sides were actually marketed under the Electra label (same corporate family – the compilation CD of this material was issued on WB). Also there were a few singles on the Ovation label, most notably “Dream of Me”, an excellent song.
On AMI Vern recorded the classic “Today My World Slipped Away”.
On Compleat the list of great songs is large: “If You’re Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right” , “Way Down Deep”, “I Can Tell By The Way You Dance (You’re Gonna Love Me Tonight)”, “Slow Burning Memory” and a terric remake of the Joe Maphis classic “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (and Loud, Loud Music)”. Also song great tracks not released as singles such as “Tennessee Courage” and a version of the Pete Seegar-penned “Turn,Turn,Turn” that received some airplay in some markets.
AMI went under a long time ago and Vern recut several of his AMI songs while on Compleat. Laser Light issued two CDs (IT’S NOT OVER and FRIDAY NIGHT FEELING) of the AMI material, this may be available on-line but neither CD includes “Today My World Slipped Away”