George Jones Great folk Singer

Subject: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 01 May 10 - 11:11 PM

Just thought I would title this to P...s a few folks off.
I was in my workshop this evening and decided to do a clean up. In doing so I looked at an old tape player I had stored away. Well a hour later I had the bugger all set up then went into my collection of tapes over the years and started to play the ones of George Jones. I love this man. He has to be one of the top morbid singers we have that is still alive. I mean this lad has written and sung(purchased from writers as well) tear jerker's that will make a grown man cry. In listening this evening I wondered if most of them were in reference to Tammy

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: olddude
Date: 01 May 10 - 11:15 PM

agreed he is the real deal 4 sure

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: catspaw49
Date: 01 May 10 - 11:43 PM

Tell ya' Beer.....We've had several other threads about the Possum and on every one I have said the same thing:

He's certainly the best at something.

A friend and I were talking a few years ago and agreed that whenever you hear George, you visualize some guy sitting alone in the back of a smokey, dark, honky-tonk, a .357 stuck in his belt. He is listening to George Jones and staring at a little, worn, wallet-size picture of a woman, crying in his beer......and as the song ends he blows his brains out.

Now I'm not sure how you classify that type of performer, but whatever it is, George is at the TOP!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 01 May 10 - 11:46 PM

I just looked up his age Olddude, and this young lad he could be with us for a while yet. Born September 12th 1931.
May he he on singing.
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Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 01 May 10 - 11:58 PM

Right on Spaw. This George is a breath of death air. There were a great number of singers who sang (and are still doing so in a way.)songs of heartaches but George has and will always be the best. Oops!!, Hank Williams is there as well. If memory serves me right a great number of Hanks songs were written about Audrey(sp.). Does anyone know if it is the same with George and his "X".
Not that it matters except that it would explain a lot about the pain in his songs.
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Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 02 May 10 - 01:23 AM

Add me to the list of George Jones fans.

Russ (Permanent GUEST)

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: scouse
Date: 02 May 10 - 05:49 AM

There's nothin' quite like George singin' "It was a good year for the Roses," Brings a lump in the ol' throat every time I hear it.Even over here in dear "Cloggieland." he's well thought of!! Long live George.
As Aye,
Phil.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: kendall
Date: 02 May 10 - 05:56 AM

He is one of the all time greats alright, but a folk singer?

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,mauvepink
Date: 02 May 10 - 06:43 AM

As someone who is not bothered whether it is folk or country and western singing (as I see them both as very similar in many ways) the thread title does not mess with me. Whatever it is he does sing he sings it very well (Vern Gosdin has an extremely similar voice and style).

It's a great pity the man's life has been so full of troughs as well as peaks. Those around him often suffered and Tammy Wynette certainly had a rough ride. You listen him and her sing their songs and it's like a true life story put to music. I have no idea who to feel sorry for the most but tend to side with Tammy obviously.

His songs can bring tears to me in moments, no matter how many times I have heard them, and yet he was also a great showman too... when he shown up. His "No show Jones" parody song tells it as it was.

Great singer, great showman, great songwriter. I hate it that I love his pains and hurt. There is something about him that just touches nerves others don't. It seems his last wife, and manager, was more successful at saving him from self desruction than the other two. His first marraige lasted a year, his one to Tammy Wynette was tumultuous (mostly for her), and his relationships with drugs and alcohol have not been good ones either.

Despite all this I still love his singing and his songs. He is so truly unique and there is irony in his voice when you hear him sing "Whose gonna fill their shoes". I'm not sure who will fill his.

In summary one would love to see and hear him. Meet and chat to him. I doubt you would jump at the chance to marry him but, if you did, all you would want to do is save him. He is worth saving without doubt and I hope his troubled days are well behind him

mp

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: oldhippie
Date: 02 May 10 - 08:26 AM

"Wild Irish Rose" is a favorite George Jones song.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 02 May 10 - 08:58 AM

Very well said mp.
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Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Bobert
Date: 02 May 10 - 10:02 AM

"In some of my songs
I have casually mentioned
the fact that I
like to drink beer..."

My kinda folkie, too...

B;~)

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,bankley
Date: 02 May 10 - 12:50 PM

Number 1.. he's now hitting 7 decades of recording..
Tom Ghent told me a funny story about Tammy Wynette calling up at Tom's studio looking for George and ranting on "I know he's there, don't lie to me"
but he wasn't... ha, ha... maybe he climbed up his orange tree with a bottle of vodka or took the rider/mower to the bar... both true stories

I always wanted to hear him do something with Van Morrison.. that would be killer stuff..

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: evansakes
Date: 02 May 10 - 01:21 PM

We went to Nashville for a few days on our way back from Folk Alliance in Memphis back in February.

Late one night our host led us down the dark alleyway behind the Ryman Auditorium...whenever George was appearing at the Grand Ole Opry between sets he frequently made the 20 yard dash between the stage door of the (dry) Ryman and the back door of Tooties, the nearest (wet) honky tonk.

Before dashing back he invariably found time to sing a quick song with whichever band was onstage...

He Stopped Loving Her Today

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 May 10 - 03:13 PM

Regarding "He Stopped Loving Her Today"......When he first got the song he didn't want to do it because he felt it was too depressing and so sappy that nobody would like it. Even George can be wrong. I mean, he was right.....its complete crap! However, it shows his ability with the classic honkytonker to "put it over" and he does it like no one else.

I always enjoyed the novelty songs especially watching George do them back in the day. Here's a couple of examples:

White Lightnin' ...Great facial expressions.

The Race Is On ...A flattop surrounded by pompadours

I used to think he was around 6 foot but George is about 5'7" and some attribute part of his attitude and temper as a young man to "Short Man Syndrome."


Spaw

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Smedley
Date: 02 May 10 - 06:47 PM

He's such a great singer he makes genre divisions irrelevant. One of the best singers ever. The way he bends a tune and turns a single syllable into several notes - phenomenal. 'Bartender's B;ues' is my favourite.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST
Date: 02 May 10 - 07:16 PM

Yup, whatever you call his style of music, no one ever did it better. I guess you could argue for folksinger if you wanted to.

Has anyone heard him play recently? I saw him on one of the late night shows a while back and it was pretty bad. I wondered if it was just an off night, technical problems, or whether George is finally showing his age.
- Phil

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 02 May 10 - 07:30 PM

I've said it before, but hearing George Jones makes you understand why country has been called the white man's blues.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 02 May 10 - 11:44 PM

Dead on Dave. And Smedley, very well said.
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Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: evansakes
Date: 03 May 10 - 07:10 AM

OK so 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' is sentimental claptrap but it's GREAT sentimental claptrap.

Plus how many songs have a key-change BEFORE the first chorus?

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,mauvepink
Date: 03 May 10 - 07:37 AM

Try finding his "Wino the Clown" or his and Tammy's "Golden Ring" or their "Elusive Dreams"

Sentimental? Undoubtedly.

Claptrap? NEVER!

If you like comedic presence try finding "The Coevette Song"

The man can sing something so irreverent and then tear your heart out while your sides still ache!

Still. I guess I am biased ;-)

mp

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,mauvepink
Date: 03 May 10 - 07:40 AM

...."If you like comedic presence try finding "The Coevette Song"
"

Should have said "The Corvette Song"

sorry

mp

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 03 May 10 - 10:26 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq8u8fQ0Fag
Thanks for bringing up this song mp.
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Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 04 May 10 - 05:55 PM

Y'know, I like George Jones. And Willie Nelson. And Mel Torme. And Frank Sinatra. What in hell does "folk" have to do with it? It's not, after all, a mere euphemism for something you happen to like. A word should have a meaning.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,iancarterb
Date: 04 May 10 - 11:31 PM

I tend to agree with Dick Greenhaus. but I must admit the only live appearnace of George Jones I ever saw was quite by chance in the audience at Union Grove in '64 or '65. He did absorb and use trad music!

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 05 May 10 - 12:43 AM

I seen him perform live a couple of times. Great the first time but a bit wine sopped the second. I love most of his songs but my favourite ones are Wild Irish Rose and Open Pit Mine. Open Pit Mine is the only song of his that I sing in public, an early hit that many have forgotten.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Darowyn
Date: 05 May 10 - 03:19 AM

He sings some of the most archetypally miserable Country songs ever.
I should hate it- but the fact is he does it brilliantly, and however sentimental the lyrics, he can make them sound sincere and moving.
I listened to a lot of George Jones a couple of years ago to get the musical feel of his style, because I had been asked to play the Steel Guitar part on a recording of "Hell Stays Open All Night Long".
The songs are very cleverly put together when you look into them, and that title is a wonderful way of telling someone to push off.

Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Brakn
Date: 05 May 10 - 03:21 AM

"She Thinks I Still Care"

great title even.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Acorn4
Date: 05 May 10 - 04:41 AM

I've got a recording of him doing a song called "The Rock" which is really brilliant, though I'm unsure of who wrote it.

The song that Kenny Rogers wrote for Tammy Wynette called "Sweet Music Man" is infinitely better than D.I.V.O.R.C.E .

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: evansakes
Date: 05 May 10 - 04:51 AM

"She Thinks I Still Care" ....as you say great title and great song but the subtle beauty of course is in the 'I'm Not In Love' irony that underlies the entire song

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,999
Date: 05 May 10 - 02:57 PM

`and as the song ends he blows his brains out.

Now I'm not sure how you classify that type of performer, but whatever it is, George is at the TOP!!!`

I`d call it a show-stopper fer sure.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Acorn4
Date: 05 May 10 - 03:23 PM

The way he adds the coloratura to the notes makes him a bit of a male equivalent of Dolly!

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,bankley
Date: 05 May 10 - 06:22 PM

When he dies, I'm gonna get drunk... maybe for more than a day..

maybe he'll outlive us all...

but when I go, I want to die like Grandpa... peacefully in my sleep..








not like the passengers in his car..

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 05 May 10 - 07:03 PM

He may have a face like a washboard road, a liver you could use for a doorstop and hair that would stand up to a twister. But, whatever else you might say, the man can flat out make you believe he has lived what he sings.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 05 May 10 - 07:18 PM

And nobody's mentioned the fact that George Jones isn't a horse!

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: beeliner
Date: 05 May 10 - 08:23 PM

He is one of the all time greats alright, but a folk singer?

I am probably one of the very few here old enough to remember when BILLBOARD listed the C&W charts as "Folk" and the R&B charts as "Race".

The Henry Gibson character ("Haven Hamilton") in Robert Altamn's Nashville was supposedly based on Jones.

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,bankley
Date: 05 May 10 - 10:07 PM

and I always thought it was Hank Snow and his toupee

but categories live up to their name... rigid

Ol'Possum is not that

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 05 May 10 - 10:48 PM

I forgot about that with Hank Snow. Good one Ron. Lol.


One of the best things about Mr Jones is that he is "FOLK". I never meant it to be in his music (It is there though.). I meant it in the way we look at a neighbor and say, "their good country folks" or "their good folks". Most of the responses in this thread stated exactly that without even knowing. We all love George because we can all relate to him as we walk through life. No, it ain't easy this road of many branches and for the majority of us all we have seen or have experienced some of what George sings about. This is what makes him a great country singer and in my books one of us "Folks".
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Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 05 May 11 - 11:20 PM

This is very strange. I was in my workshop an started playing G.Jones tapes. I got to thinking that maybe I'll see what is happening on threads of him. Then I found that I had started a thread not that long ago.
If you look at the last post you will see that a year ago, an hour later I posted. A coincidence for sure. Mr. Jones will be 80 years young come this September. Anyone know if he is still doing shows?
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Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 May 11 - 12:00 AM

There are some videos from 2011 on YouTube and I know he's touring some because he's gonna' be about 25 miles south of me in a week or so.   I can't make it but I wish like hell I could!

Spaw

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: open mike
Date: 06 May 11 - 02:36 AM

Didn't he have a car wreck a while back where he hit a bridge and was in critical condition for a while?

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 06 May 11 - 08:12 AM

I was curious so I did a little looking. Here is a cut and pasted article.
"Country singer George Jones was in critical condition Saturday after he smashed his sport-utility vehicle into a bridge near his home while talking on a cell phone to his stepdaughter.
   Jones, 67, lost control of his Lexus while rounding a curve on Highway 96, a curvy, heavily-traveled two-lane road, and hit the bridge abutment, state police said. Police said Jones was not wearing a seat belt."

Not wearing his seat belt and talking on his cell is not a good mix.

To bad you can't make that on Spaw. Soooo close.

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Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 06 May 11 - 08:20 AM

Great country singer, his album Lonely Street is my favourite. He was often b illed as 'Maybe George Jones' in his hard drinking days, because depending on his state of sibriety would often depend on whether he turned up at all! Amazing he's still going. I'm sue many of the songs had Tammy in Mind

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Beer
Date: 06 May 11 - 09:01 AM

Here is a song that I think Mr. Jones would do an exceptional good version of.


I DON'T REMEMBER LOVING YOU
(Harlan Howard / Bobby Braddock)

John Conlee



I don't remember loving you
And I don't recall the things
You say you put me through
You tell me that you've had
A guilty conscience for so long
You say that you walked out on me
You say you did me wrong
Well, I just don't see how that could be true
'Cause I don't remember loving you

I don't remember loving you
You might talk to my doctor
He drops by each day at two
I get a funny feeling
When I look into your eyes
There's something in your smile
That gives my stomach butterflies
You must look like someone I once knew
But I don't remember loving you

CHORUS
I don't remember loving you
I heard you mention children
Did you say there's one or two?
You say I quit my job
And then I drank myself insane
You say that I ran down the highway
Screaming out your name
Well, that's not the sort of thing that I would do
No, I don't remember loving you

I don't remember loving you
I absolutely positively
Know that can't be true
But everyone I know here in this place
Is really strange
If you'll hand me my crayons
I'll be glad to take your name
In case I run across that guy you knew
But I don't remember loving you

I don't remember loving you
And I don't recall the things
You say you put me through
You tell me that you've had
A guilty conscience for so long
You say that you walked out on me
You say you did me wrong
Well, I just don't see how that could be true
'Cause I don't remember loving you

Subject: RE: George Jones Great folk Singer
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 06 May 11 - 01:52 PM

Open Pit mine was the song that made me a Possum fan about 50 years ago. It is still my favourite of his with Wild Irish Rose a close second.
Open Pit Mine