The Story Of Country Music 02 - Jimmie Rodgers

[Dannys99887]

There's a nice clip on YouTube titled "Mother Maybelle Carter - Wildwood Flower" which begins with her talking about the Bristol sessions. Then she appears onstage (with Helen and Anita) and picks and sings Wildwood Flower. Nice closeups of her guitar work with the "Carter scratch" very much in evidence.

[Dannys99887]

With all the video available from her long career, why didn't the BBC show Mother Maybelle Carter DOING her signature "Wildwood Flower" rather than have Willie Nelson TALKING about it, and then mangling it as badly as he did on the guitar? The BBC made some bizarre choices of commenters on this series. Who in the BBC thought it was appropriate for Kris Kristofferson to tell us about country music history? Just for the Kristofferson fans I guess.

[HueyRocks23]

@Dannys99887 - Maybelle Carter wasn't available for comment. Something about dying 25 years before this documentary was made. That may have had something to do with it. On Kris Kristofferson: maybe because he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1985), the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1977) and the Country Music Hall of Fame (2004). Did you know he wrote "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"? For more information, go down to your local library, because knowledge is power!

[Dannys99887]

@HueyRocks23 I'm well aware of the date of Mother Maybelle's death. I met and talked with her. And I've visited her grave. I also know that there are tons of archival footage of her doing "Wildwood Flower" which the BBC might have used. But if they inexplicably wanted Willie Nelson to do it, they could have given him a second take to get it right. For the record, I don't appreciate your sarcasm, which is rude, and considering my knowledge of country music, entirely misplaced.

[Dannys99887]

@HueyRocks23 And you asked about "Sunday Mornin'..." Yes, I know that Kristofferson wrote it, and I enjoyed his story about Johnny Cash. (Clip 13 in this series). He's a great songwriter. But he has no credibilty at all as a commentator in this series, for example, on the subject of Acuff and old time country. There is archival footage of Mother Maybelle talking about her Carter Family career with AP and Sara. Instead, the BBC gave us Willie Nelson. Bizarre!

[HueyRocks23]

Sure, okay. Well, that's your opinion. There are many like them in the world. I take it you weren't a fan of the Nashville Sound (Clip 11 in this series).

[Dannys99887]

@HueyRocks23 Yep. Not a fan of the Nashville Sound. But maybe it was better than Texas honky tonk. At least it got rid of those steel guitar arrangements and nasal vocals of the Hank Williams' crowd. I'll listen to Jim Reeves all day, but I don't hear much country there. For me, country music began and ended with the Carters. Actually the BBC series covered the Carters very well. I just don't know why they chose old Willie to describe, and mangle, Maybelle's signature song....LOL.

[manso006]

Does anybody know what tune is being sung at 3:42?

[HueyRocks23]

@manso006 - Jesse Bradley & Group - Hammer Ring. And yes it's on Youtube. Enjoy!

[ATSF1927]

Great memories. I miss them both.

[SystemJammer]

The Carter family basically were still singing song with roots in Victorian ethics and sentimentality and gospel music; here comes Jimmie Rodgers and he's basically saying (you know): "I've got me a pistol and I've got me a gun and I'm gonna shoot your head off." LOLOL

[gombakhillbillies]

God bless you for putting this up!