November 2024 Wrap-Up

"Korn will break your heart". Episodes 027-030 highlights: unwrapped, behind the scenes, backstories, details + video links.

Hey folks,

as usual we’re a week or more in to a new month before I find the time to sit down and craft the newsletter. Thanks for hangin’ in there with me.

I’m comin’ right at ya from room 25128 at the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on a Monday night. I’m down here for our annual shows with Corb Lund during NFR and making the most of our two days/nights off. Earlier today, I recorded Episode 032 and I’m here now to break down Episodes 027-030 from November. I recorded most of the November shows in mid-October so it feels a bit distant to be revisiting these episodes here now.

Until a couple days ago when I flew down here, I’d been home in Winnipeg for a couple weeks and settling back in to my civilian life. I’ll admit it felt/feels great to be back home and off the road for a spell especially with my little girl changing and learning so much so quickly. It’s getting tougher to be away so often and I’m welcoming the idea of being local for the next handful of months.

I caught Dale Watson and his great band at a little dump on Fremont St. here in Vegas the night I arrived and it was nothing short of inspiring. Pure and true country music and a very tight show. I look forward to playing that same kind(s) of country music that moves me this Winter on the Lost Country dates. With the Corb Lund schedule set to pause until the Spring, I’ll be playing around Winnipeg a lot this Winter. Head to: www.seanburns.ca/schedule to peak at where I’ll be doing my thing.

Don’t miss our 2nd annual Lost Country Christmas next Thursday, December 19 at the Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club. We’ll be collecting non-perishables for Harvest Manitoba and are donating 75% of all ticket sales to the West Central Women’s Resource Centre. Tickets are available now at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-lost-country-christmas-in-support-of-west-central-womens-resource-centre-tickets-1083191608259?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Here we go…



EPISODE 027

I recorded Episode 027 from room 309 at the Hampton Inn in Gainesville, Georgia. We were there in October for a show at Boot Barn Hall, a massive room that was mostly empty… but it was a good show and nice to see Sunny Sweeney again as she and her guitar pickin’ partner, Harley opened up for us.

Episode 027 was the first in a string of theme shows; this one, a rip around the United States with some of my favourite regionally-specific songs. We went on a road trip down to Bakersfield before heading out to Tulsa and up to Detroit City; we sailed up the mighty Mississippi and cruised out to somewhere South of Round Rock Texas. It was a good one.

We kicked the broadcast off with Streets of Bakersfield by Buck Owens, a long-standing personal favourite and one you can count on being reintroduced to the Lost Country set list. We all remember Dwight Yoakam reviving Buck’s career in the late 80’s on the back of their duet version but what’s more interesting to me is the origin of the song. Streets of Bakersfield was written by a fella named Homer Joy and if not for his persistence, his is a name and this is a song we may not ever have heard.

Homer Joy signed on with Buck Owens Enterprises and Blue Book Music as a singer/songwriter in 1970. After nudging from Buck’s people, Homer agreed to record an album of Hank Williams songs on the condition that he would also get to record some of his own songs, too. After the recording, the studio manager told Joy that he'd forgotten that the Buckaroos were practicing for an upcoming tour, and that Joy would have to wait to record his original songs. Despite being bushed off over and over again, Homer wouldn’t take no for an answer and would return every morning at 8am to plead his case.

One night, Joy decided to take a walk around downtown Bakersfield, only to have the brand-new cowboy boots he'd been wearing give him blisters all over his feet. Joy stated: "[I] barely made it back to the car, and on top of that, I was still upset about everything, and I went back to my hotel room and wrote Streets of Bakersfield”.

The next morning the studio manager, out of frustration, grabbed a guitar off of the wall and gave it to Joy, saying, "Sing me one of the songs that you'd record if we could get some time to record it." As kind of an "in-your-face" gesture, Joy performed his eight-hour-old Streets of Bakersfield. Afterward, the studio producer went into the back of the studio, brought out Buck Owens, and had Joy play it again. Owens then said to the manager, "The Buckaroos have the day off, but you call them and tell them that we're going to do a recording session on Homer this afternoon.

Buck Owens first released a recording of the song in 1973 but let’s go to the source. Here’s how Homer did it back in 1972:

Oklahoma Hills is one of my favourites and is one that’s been cut by a laundry list of artists. As I mentioned on the broadcast, Ian Tyson’s take of it remains my favourite and I’d argue is the most interesting and well-done version out there. But hey, this is the Boots & Saddle Show newsletter and there’s no better place than here to share a handful of other beautiful country music singers singing this beautiful country music song…

Hank Thompson:

Jack Guthrie:

Red Foley:

Buck Owens:

Tommy Collins:

Bob Wills:

There was of course a few Texas songs for the episode and since I just saw him live, why not go to Dale Watson for a live version of South of Round Rock Texas:

A monumental and highly influential artist, Lefty Frizzell was one of the greatest voices in country music. Originally released as a single in 1963,Saginaw Michigan ended up being the title-track to Lefty’s 1964 album. I’ve loved this one since the first time I heard it in part due to relating to the song’s protagonist. My story is a little bit different but I’m still able to draw some parallels. It was 1997; I was in Grade 9 and had my very first real girlfriend. We came from sharply contrasting economical backgrounds and her very wealthy step-father Rick didn’t care much for the white trash kid sniffing around his nice house and as a result seemed to take pleasure in fucking with me. Looking back now I get it but it was confusing (and infuriating) that he insisted on calling me Scott every time he’d see me. I was never able to exact revenge on Rick the way Lefty’s character could in the song but it’s been almost 30 years and I’m over it now.

Brennen Leigh did a very nice version of Saginaw Michigan on her tribute record ‘Sings Lefty Frizzell’. Here’s stage versions of both artists tackling this great song:

After Lefty Frizzell took us to Saginaw, Michigan the episode closed with a 3-pack from Bobby Bare including this early hit, Detroit City. Check this 60 year old video of Bobby in Norway:

EPISODE 028

Episode 028 was recorded in room 320 at the Aloft Hotel in Buffalo, New York. I dig those Aloft rooms and was riding high after a great show in Buffalo that night opening for 49 Winchester. When I realized our road trip across the U.S.A consisted strictly of Male singers, I thought I’d even the score for Episode 028 a feature Female artists exclusively. It’s another good one; perhaps one of the best to-date highlighted by a 4-pack regional round-up consisting of cuts from Toronto’s famed (and former) Paragon Records.

I spun many of my favourite singers on the broadcast and if you’ve ever heard me speak of Tammy Wynette then you’ll know how hard she does it for me. There’s just something about her voice. Here she is with a live take on her hit, I Don't Wanna Play House:

I’ve said it more than once on the air… Loretta Lynn is on my Mount Rushmore of country music singers. Every inch of her voice and being is pure country. She could do it all - sing, write, perform. Her phrasing is second-to-none. One of the best we have - or will - ever see and hear. She didn’t write this one but for my money, it’s Loretta’s song:

I don’t remember how I first came across Margo Cilker but I was a fan immediately. My introduction to her music came via a live video of her performing her song Tehachapi, solo. For the life of me I can’t seem to track that one down but I did find another take riding in the same lane. Great song.

Another of the genre’s all-time giants is Patsy Cline. Patsy soars beyond being a country music singer to me. It’s something more and I’ve never been able to adequately articulate my feelings about her voice and impact. The band behind Cline here don’t really compare to the studio cats and even though she just kinda stands there singing, I still couldn’t (and wouldn’t dare) ask for more. It’s a privilege to have the ability to view and hear this:

EPISODE 029

Episode 027: all male artists.
Episode 028: all female artists.
Far as I could tell, the only move for Episode 029 was duets!
I really dug this one and enjoyed recording in room 202 of that Hampton Inn & Suites in Birmingham, Alabama. We’d opened for 49 Winchester that night at a big club called Iron City and had a good one to a mostly full house of about 700-800 people.

I tried to include some surprises and pairings off the beaten path but with this being our first ever duets episode since the re-launch, I was sure to include some predictable partnerships and songs. When we did it again down the line, I’ll dig a little deeper. It was tough to find live videos of most of the songs from Episode 029 but I’ve got a few nice options here.

You had to know you’d hear one from George & Tammy. And here they are doing it live:

I’ll admit, I’m not a big Dolly Parton fan and though she rose to stardom from her position on the Porter Wagoner Show, I don’t give the thin man from West Plains all the credit for her career. She was destined for stardom long before she replaced Norma Jean on Porter’s show in 1967. Porter may not have been the most beautiful country music singer, or the most handsome, but damn if he didn’t ooze a certain charm. Here’s a nice performance of Porter & Dolly doing the one we heard on the broadcast, Before I Met You:

I included some more modern-day (well, from the 2000’s) duets on the episode like this one here from best pals Sunny Sweeney & Brennen Leigh:

There’s a live version on YouTube of Robbie Fulks singing ‘Parallel Bars’ from his former weekly residency at The Hideout in Chicago but alas it was not Kelly Willis on stage with him there. Parallel Bars comes from Robbie’s year 2000 record, Very Best Of. It’s not a greatest hits record; maybe just the best he could do at that time… I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s been one of my favourite records for almost 25 years now. Damn.

Far as I can tell from my country music research, Robbie Fulks has performed in Toronto on just 3 occasions that range from February 1998 to June 2000. The most recent in this trio of performances came on June 23, 2000 at the Horseshoe Tavern. I wasn’t yet 17 but by this point I was a year in to my first job at the local country bar, The Corral in my hometown of Oshawa, Ontario. I spent a few nights a week there washing dishes, cleaning ashtrays and stocking beer fridges while making the $6.85 minimum wage. Wasn’t much but with the hourly + tips, I was a teenager who had cash. Being underage and working a shift at the bar that night, I couldn’t go to the Fulks show at the Horseshoe but my Dad was there and in his pocket was $40 of my money with strict instructions to bring back the South Mouth + Very Best Of, CD’s.

My Dad went to the merch table after the show and told Robbie he was there to grab the CD’s for his 16 year old son who was a fan who’d sent his own money for the albums. Robbie quipped back: “what’s he doing for money, selling crack?. With my age, geographical location and intimidating visual presence of my Father all in mind, there was no mention needed to Fulks about the other music I was listening to around that time… he just seemed to know… “Korn will break your heart”.

EPISODE 030

I banged out those three theme episodes in October while we were touring in the U.S and was back home in the basement at Boots & Saddle Headquarters for Episode 030. After our 30 day run in America concluded I had 72 hours at home in Winnipeg before heading back out for 2 weeks of shows in Alberta & Saskatchewan with Corb. Not a lot of downtime on that Canadian run so I welcomed the break in recording shows. But once that Canadian run wrapped, I arrived home eager to get HQ set back up to make radio.

Episode 030 was vintage Boots & Saddle - new/recent cuts, a tribute section and some regional cuts amidst a bunch of beautiful country music by beautiful country music singers. Our tribute was to the recently fallen, Angus Walker.

Angus Reynolds Walker was born August 27, 1939. Hailing from Port Hastings, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Angus Walker passed away on November 6th, 2024. Walker was a pioneer in Canadian Bluegrass and Country Music. Coined “Canada's Prime Minister of Country Music" and "The Cape Breton Rebel”, Angus was a vocalist & multi instrumentalist who recorded for Rodeo, Banff, and Boot Records.

He got his start at the age of 12, performing at local venues until 1953, when he became part of the Radio Rangers on CJFX Radio. After 1956, he appeared as part of the West Virginia Jamboree Show. Walker also participated and won the "CBC Talent Caravan", which was held at Saint Francis Xavier University. By the late 50’s, Walker was playing the upright bass, rhythm guitar and singing in various roles with The Birch Mountain Boys who consisted of Vic Mullen, Brent Williams, and Harry Cromwell. Walker and the group became one of the first performers of Canadian Bluegrass music in the early 1960s.

His career would see notable stops for recording and performing in Montreal (where as part of The Hackamores, opened for both Buck Owens and The Carter Family at the legendary Montreal Forum in 1964), Toronto, Alberta (where Dick Damron produced sessions for him) and in the early 70’s, some time in Hawaii.Walker began an indefinite hiatus from his music career due to medical issues in 1977 although he would occasionally record songs and perform.

In 1965 Walker won the RPM Gold Leaf Award (later known as the Juno Award) for "Most Promising Male Country Singer and in October of 2024, Walker was inducted into the Canadian Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

I played a few cuts featuring Angus on the broadcast including his regional hit Diesel Drivin’ Man. Here’s a more recent, raw live take of Angus and his truckin’ tune:

One of the stars of the La Honda Records label, Vincent Neil Emerson has recently released some singles and we heard Rodeo Clown on Episode 030. Personally, I wish they had found the budget to have Vincent dress as an actual rodeo clown in the ring instead of the stock footage but I guess ya can’t blame them. I guess…

Summer Dean is one of my favourite acts out there today. With her shit-hot Texas band, Summer sprinkles in an excellent selection of outstanding covers around songs from her pen to round out her show. It’s Texas as hell and I love it. Here’s Summer and her band from earlier this year with a bitchin’ live version of Clean up Your Act If You Wanna Talk Dirty to Me:

Part of the same regional round-up set of Texas Country as Summer was, we also heard from Miss Leslie. The band backing her here on this live version pales in comparison to the Texas cats with her on the studio version of Lie, Lie, Lie, but her performance and swagger behind the mic at this Norwegian Festival are fire.

Kimmi Bitter released her record Old School back in March of this year and on it are a couple real highlights of 2024 like this one we heard on the show, My Grass Is Blue. Here’s the official video:

Thanks for reading and listening, friends. I appreciate the support here on the newsletter and on the radio/podcast. Don’t be shy, send comments, questions, requests, complaints to: bootsandsaddleshow@gmail.com

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“All the best”.

We’ll chat later.

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