LIVE FROM LONDON
(MCA MCF-2722)
1975
Produced by Colin Chandler & Peter Robinson for BBC Radio
Recorded live at The Hippodrome Golden Green, London, February 12/1975
My name is Wally Whyton. Along side me is my colleague David Allen. Whearher you are listening in the United States of America or Canada or the continent of Europe or here at home, we warmly welcome you as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Guesting tonight live in London "The Bill Anderson Show" featuring the Po' Boys, Jimmy Gateley and Mary Lou Tunner. Now meet the man himself Mr Bill Anderson.
1. Medley:
DON'T SHE LOOK GOOD
(Jerry Chesnut)
« © '72 Tree Publishing, BMI »
She was on her way out of your life when I found her not knowing which way to turn
She's forgotten the feeling of two arms around her
But it didn't take her long to learn
You had new worlds to conquer so you didn't want her or anything crampin' your style
But don't she look great in the new dress I bought her
And don't she look good when she smiles
Did you really think you were so all important she couldn't get by on her own
Did you really think losing you would destroy her and that's why she kept hangin' on
She stuck to her promise and talked to her conscious she did all she could for a while
Then picked up the pieces and she started livin'
Now don't she look good when she smiles
Don't she look good in a new dress I bought her
And the new way that she wears her hair
She's in a new world and she's not the same girl she knows now that somebody cares
You can't believe that the same girl you let go could change so in this little while
But don't she look great in a new dress I bought her
And don't she look good when she smiles
Oh don't she look great in a new dress I bought her
And don't she look good when she smiles
**********
IF YOU CAN LIVE WITH IT (I CAN LIVE WITHOUT IT)
(Bill Anderson)
« © '73 Tree Publishing, BMI »
You say you've found another another you love better
You say you're gonna leave me pack up and go
You don't wanna hurt me but you've just gotta have him
And how will I take it you want to know
Well if you can live with it I can live without it
If you can face your conscience I can face my pride
If you can live with it I can live without it
Cause I did the only thing I could do baby I tried
[ guitar + fiddle + steel ]
Can you really take your rings off without feeling kinda dirty
Can you really kiss him while you're wearing my name
Can you run your fingers all across his body
Without missin' me a little and feeling ashamed
If you can live with it...
**********
Thank you so very much ladies and gentleman where ever you might be listening around the world on behalf of country music and the Grand Ole Opry and BBC and the Po' Boys and everybody in the world I want to say Welcome to one of the most exciting nights that country music has ever known. And now I would like for you folks to get together and give a great big Country Club welcome to the pretties thing your going to see on the stage here all night tonight.
2.
POOR SWEET BABY
(Bill Anderson)
« © '75 Tree Publishing, BMI »
[ Mary Lou Turner ]
I knew this morning as soon as the phone rang that crazy woman had hurt you again
That's why I told you to come on over
The coffee is warm so are the arms that you fit so nicely in
Poor Sweet Baby Poor Sweet Baby did my baby spend another sleepless night
Poor Sweet Baby come to mama
Let Mama love your pain away and make everything alright
If she don't love you why don't she let a real woman light your fire
Your too big a boy to go to bed hungry and the way that I need you
I could feed you anything your heart desires
Poor Sweet baby Poor Sweet Baby did my baby spend another sleepless night
Poor Sweet Baby Come to mama
Let mama love your pain away and make everything alright Poor Sweet Baby
**********
(Wally) Mary Lou Tunner with The Po' Boys
(Bill) We'll move right along with the music right now. I hope that maybe this will be a song you will enjoy. I was trying to think tonight as we made up the program of different songs that might fit tonight. And since it seems almost impossible that we can be standing in London, England and they can be listening to us all over the world. I thought the title of this song was kind of appropriate. It's called A World Of make Believe.
3.
WORLD OF MAKE BELIEVE
(Pee Wee Maddux - Mario Carpenter - Pete McCord)
« © '59 Embassy Music, BMI »
I make believe I make believe that you're here with me yes I do
I make believe I make believe that you'll always be my very own yes I do
I guess I'm all wrapped up in a world of make believe
I make believe I make believe every time the phone rings that it's you yes I do
I make believe every time that there's a knock on the door
I make believe it's you yes I do baby
I guess I'm all wrapped up in a world of make believe
And yet faith can move mountains and behind even the darkest cloud the sun can shine
(If you'll make believe) if you'll just make believe
Then I'll be there with you and all of our dreams will come true
And we'll both live in a world of make believe
And we'll both live in a world of make believe
**********
(Bill) Here is a song that goes back about fourteen years. But, I swear I think it a truer song today than it was fourteen years ago, it's called Po' Folks.
4.
PO' FOLKS
(Bill Anderson)
« © '61 Tree Publishing, BMI »
There's a whole lotta people lookin' down their noses at me
Cause I didn't come from a wealthy family
There was ten of us livin' in a two room shack
On the banks of the river by the railroad track
We kept chickens in a pen in the back and everybody said we was po' folks
My daddy was a farmer but all he ever raised was us
Dug a forty foot well struck thirty-six gallons of dust
Salvation Army give us clothes to wear a man from the county came to cut our hair
We lived next door to a millionare but we wadn't nothin' but po' folks
We was po' folks livin' in a rich folks world we sure was a hungry bunch
If the wolf had ever come to our front door he'd've had to brought a picnic lunch
My grandaddy's pension was a dollar and thirty-three cents
That was ten dollar less than the landlord wanted for rent
The landlord's letters got nasty indeed he wrote get out but pa couldn't read
And we was too broke to even pay heed but that's how it is when you're po' folks
[ harmonica ]
We was po' folks livin' in a rich folks world we sure was a hungry bunch
If the wolf had ever come to our front door he'd've had to brought a picnic lunch
But we had something in our house money can't buy
Kept us warm in the winter cool when the sun was high
For whenever we didn't have food enough and the howlin' winds would get pretty rough
We patched the cracks and set the table with love
Cause that's what you do when you're po' folks and we wadn't nothin' but po' folks
My mom and my dad was po' folks my brother and my sister was po' folks
My dog and my cat was po' folks and even the po' folks was po' folks
**********
(Wally) You got some rather nice duty to do don't you Bill?
(Bill) Yes, I do Wally, you know 1975 marks the fifty birthday of the oldest continuos radio show in the history of American radio. It was in November of 1925 that an old bearded fiddle player named Uncle Jimmy Tompson came into the studio of WSM. And he fiddled and as they say now he fiddled the taters off the vine. And there was an announcer there named George D. Hay. George D. Hay was called "The Solemn Old Judge" and just prior to Uncle Jimmy Tompson coming on the air there had been a program of classical music on the air "Grand Opera" and George D. Hay ways a little upset because the conductor at the Grand Opera said that there is no place in the Classics for realism.
And when he came on with Uncle Jimmy Tompson, he said, "Ladies and Gentlemen you have heard Grand Opera without realism, now you are going to hear something real 'The Grand Ole Opry'." And he gave it a name and it's fifty years old in 1975.
(Wally) Shall we wish it happy birthday?
(Bill) I think we should I think we should be the first people in the world. This is like being the first person to wish somebody a Merry Christmas, you know a way ahead of time, because the birthday is not actually until the month of November. But one of the reasons that we got this program tonight is so that all of usway over here thousands of miles away on the other side of the world, can send birthday greetings back to the Grand Ole Opry.
And is everybody in good voice ? Can you'll sing in the key of G ? Alright to the Grand Ole Opry here we go.
Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Grand Ole Opry Happy Birthday to you
And may I take this opportunity while I have this forum of the BBC and AFN
To invite any of our friends from England, Great Britain, from Europe or anywhere
In the world, when you come to America don't just go to New York or Los Anglos. Come down to God's Country, come down to Tennessee
And see us at the Grand Ole Opry. Cause we would love to have you.
6.Medley:
I LOVE YOU DROPS
(Bill Anderson)
« © '66 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
They're not teardrops just sincere drops
They're I love you drops cause I love you (I love you)
They were on my pillow when I woke up this morning
They were on the letter I tried all day to write
And just a little while ago I saw them falling on your picture as I kissed it goodnight
I love you drops I miss you drops hurry home drops you've been gone so long drops
They're not teardrops just sincere drops
That say I'm lonesome and I love you (I love you)
[ guitar ]
Never knew this heart could hurt the way it hurts for you
Never lived so many lifetimes in a week
Why don't you come back to me the way you said you would
And kiss these little crystals off my cheek
I love you drops I miss you drops hurry home drops you've been gone so long drops
They're not teardrops just sincere drops
That say I'm lonesome and I love you (hurry home) I love you (I love you)
**********
QUITS
(Bill Anderson)
« © '71 Tree Publishing, BMI »
We couldn't call it love cause it really wasn't love anymore
Yet we couldn't call it hate cause there's no way to hate
Someone you've loved so much before
We couldn't call it livin' cause it wasn't still alive
We couldn't call it dead cause it refused to die
We ran out of anything to call it so we called it quits
Quits quits we called it quits it sounds like the easy way out but oh when it hits
The longer you live with someone you can't live with the harder it gets
We called it magic then we called it tragic finally we called it quits
It's always been harder to fall out of love than fall in
I don't know where I'm goin' but I doubt if I'll ever forget where I've been
We couldn't call it happy though it was for a while
We couldn't call it sad cause it taught us both to smile
For luck for a better word to call it we called it quits
Quits quits we called it quits it sounds like the easy way out but oh when it hits
The longer you live with someone you can't live with the harder it gets
We called it lovely then we called it lonely finally we called it quits
We called it magic then we called it tragic finally we called it quits
**********
(Wally) Bill I think you are going to introduce our next guest aren't you?
(Bill) Yes I am Wally, Ladies and Gentlemen say hello to Jimmy Gateley
7.Medley:
HEAVENLY SUNSHINE
(Glenn Sutton - George Richey)
« © '68 Al Gallico Music, BMI »
[ Jimmy Gateley ]
Your love is heavenly sunshine you fill my heart with your sweet love so divine
Heavenly Sunshine Heavenly Sunshine you make me happy because your love is mine
You make me happy because your love is mine
**********
SWEET LOVIN'
(P.T. Waller)
« © '75 Tree Publishing, BMI »
[ Jimmy Gateley ]
Sweet sweet lovin' warms my heart inside sweet sweet lovin' keeps me satisfied
I touch Heaven when your arms reach to hold me tight
You give me sweet sweet lovin' every night sweet lovin' every night
**********
8.
I GET THE FEVER
(Bill Anderson)
« © '66 Tree Publishing, BMI »
Every time I hear the midnight trains rollin' out to the open plains
A sense of freedom fills my veins I get the fever
Every time I sparrow flies up into the endless skies
Something down inside me cries I get the fever
I get the fever to pack up and leave here wander wild like the wind
This town's too full of mem'ries of cruel love
And I can't stand it seein' her with him
Every time I hear a buddy say he's put lots of dust and clay
Between him and yesterday I get the fever
[ piano ]
I get the fever to pack and leave here and I think maybe I'll do just that tomorrow
This town's too full of mem'ries of cruel love
Everywhere I turn there's pain and sorrow
Every time I hear a buddy say he's put lots of dust and clay
Between him and yesterday I get the fever
I get the fever I get the fever I get the fever
**********
(Bill)I'd like to go back to the very beginning of Bill Anderson's career, which was in the late 1950's. I was working as a disc jockey in a little radio station in the town of Commerce, Georgia, and our shown incidentally is being heard on a station where I used to work, WNGC in Athens, Georgia. I want to say hi to those people. It was while I was working down there that I first started writing songs. And if it hadn't been for this song right here I'd still be down there playing disc jockey or picking peaches or washing cars or something for a living. But thank goodness for this, I hope you'll remember it and I hope you'll enjoy hearibg it tonight.
(Wally) Bill, agreat big one from Bill Anderson and the Po' Boys.
9.
CITY LIGHTS
(Bill Anderson)
« © '58 TNT Music, BMI »
The bright array of city lights as far as I can see
The great white way shines through the night for lonely guys like me
The cabarets and honky tonks their flashing signs invite
A broken heart to lose itself in the glow of city lights
(Lights that say forget her name) in a glass of cherry wine
(Lights that offer other girls) for empty hearts like mine
They paint a pretty picture of a world that's gay and bright
But it's just a mask for loneliness behind those city lights
The world was dark and God made stars to brighten up the night
Did the God who put those stars above make those city lights
Did he make a place for men to cry when things don't turn out right
Are we just supposed to run and hide behind those city lights
(Lights that say forget her love) in a different athmosphere
(Lights that lure are nothing) but a masquarade for tears
They paint a pretty picture but my arms can't hold them tight
And I just can't say I love you to a street of city lights
**********
10.
JESSICA
(Richard Betts)
« © '73 Unichappell Music, BMI »
[ instrumental ]
**********
(Bill) And now that you have met the Po' Boys once again may I introduce our poor girl to you who travels all over the world with The Bill Anderson Show, singing her latest release called Tomorrow.
11.
TOMORROW
(Bill Anderson)
« © '75 Tree Publishing, BMI »
[ Mary Lou Turner ]
What a wonderful thing that our love would have been tomorrow
What a pity that our dreams didn't stay around to see tomorrow
But your love has gone away and our dreams vanished too
Starved for so many things I intended to do
I'm alone with a love I meant to give to you tomorrow
I'll be the woman that you want tomorrow I got to many things to do today
Tomorrow I'll have lots of time to love you and I let it go another day
I promised all the love you'd need tomorrow
Say all the words you crave to hear me say
And somewhere in your lonely waiting hours
You packed your hungry heart and went away
What a wonderful thing our love would have been tomorrow
What a pity our dreams didn't stay around to see tomorrow
But your love has gone away and our dreams vanished too
Starved for so many things that I intended to do
I'm alone with a love meant to give you tomorrow
Yes your gone today and our dream gone astray
There were still so many things that I intended to do
I'm all alone with a love I meant to give you tomorrow
**********
(Bill) Back home a lot of people will ask us when we have made our over seas tours. If we do anything different when we perform overseas. And I am reminded of the story of the very first time that I ever came to Great Britain. And everybody told me "Bill when you go on stage don't do any of your narration's. Don't do ant of your talking records." And that scared me because that's about all I know how to do. When we get to a very difficult part in a song and I can't sing it, then I stop and recite it. See that's what I have done for years. I guess maybe it is still a little strange when you're not used to it. A newspaper reporter over here wrote in a news paper onetime. He said "Bill Anderson has a courious little habit of pausing in the middle of his songs to recite little poems. Some of which would make a greeting card blush."
But I have to tell you just about the most requested song that I have when I come over here is a narration. It's a story and I would like to share it with you tonight.
It's called The Golden Guitar.
12.
GOLDEN GUITAR
(Curtis Leach - Betty Gary)
« © '65 Saran Music, BMI »
I happened to walk into a honky tonk one night down in New Orleans
Up above the bar hung a big guitar like none I'd ever seen
The neck was set with diamonds and though the strings were old
Like Kings of Sound they wound around six keys of solid gold
A man stepped up beside me his breath was strong with wine
He said you know that guitar once belonged to a mighty close pal of mine
He used to play it right here I forget the year around '45 I think
Ha I could tell you quite a story friend if you'd care to buy me a drink
[ ac.guitar ]
Well I possessed by every weakness that takes a man a fool
I bought a round he drank it down and then he rocked back on his stool
He said yeah I remember now it was '45 alright
He just returned from the Great War that's where he lost his sight
His buddies gave him that guitar at the time it was simple and plain
He added the gold and the diamonds as he played his way to fame
He was doing a show in Shreveport the night he received a call
To come appear on the Grand Ole Opry the greatest show at all
[ ac.guitar ]
I was driving him to Nashville it was cold and misting rain
The signals flashed and the whistle screamed I swear Mister I never saw that train
I heard the doctor tell him just after he used his knife
You're lucky son it was just your arm it could have been your life
But he died that night life just demanded more than he could give
I think he couldn've made it he just lost his will to live
But this world's loss is heaven's gain and tonight he's still a star
He plays with a band of angels that's my son's golden guitar
**********
(Bill) A great old song that Johnny Cash wrote and made popular a few years ago, sung beautifully by Ms. Mary Lou Tunner. The song is called I Still Miss Someone. Welcome back Miss Mary Lou Tunner.
13.
I STILL MISS SOMEONE
(Johnny Cash - Ray Cash Jr)
« © '58 House Of Cash, BMI / Unichappell Music, BMI »
[ Mary Lou Turner ]
At my door the leaves are falling the cold wild wind will come
Sweet hearts world bide together but I still miss someone
I go out on a party to look for a little fun
But I find a garden corner cause I still miss someone
Oh I never got over those blue eyes cause I see them everywhere
And I miss the arms that held me when all the love was there
I wonder if he is sorry for leaving what we begun
And the someone somewhere for me but I still miss someone
At my door the leaves are falling the cold wild wind will come
Sweethearts world bide together but I still miss someone
Oh I never got over those blue eyes
**********
(Bill) I could think of no more appropriate song than this one. Since there hearing us around the world. Jimmy Davis said one time, "When people are singing there not fighting." That's why the world needs a melody.
14.
WORLD NEEDS A MELODY
(Red Lane - Larry Henley - Johnny Slate)
« © '71 Tree Publishing, BMI »
[ Bill Anderson Show ]
The world needs a tune it can hum hmm mmm the world needs a guitar it can strum
The world needs a melody it can sing sing sing sing now let's all sing together
In the sweet bye and bye we shall meet on that beautiful shore together
The world needs a bell it can chime chime chime chime
The world needs a drum to keep the time
The world needs a melody it can sing sing sing sing now let's all sing together
We'll fly away O'Glory we'll fly away together
The world needs a reason to clap it hands
[ clapping ]
The world needs a leader for its band
The world needs a melody that it can sing sing sing sing now let's all sing together
Give us that old time religion give us that old time religion hmm hmm together
In the sweet bye and bye give us that old time religion
In the sweet bye and bye give us that old time religion
[ clapping ]
The world needs a melody that it can sing sing sing sing together together together
**********