Will the Real Dave Dudley Please Sing is supposed to show the many sides of Dudley's artistry, and the cover sports photos of Dudley in three personas: the city sophisticate, the country gentleman, and the truck-driving son-of-a-gun. The truck-driver image fittingly appears last in the order, since only two songs, "Through Hell and Half of Georgia" and "I Can See You in the Windshield," concern trucks. Apparently, the "real" Dave Dudley is a country crooner, if the preponderance of such material on the album is any indication. One of these songs, "Fly Away Again," became Dudley's last major hit, but he is remembered mainly for his truck driving country songs, and few listeners will care to hear his renditions of pop songs like "Fools Rush In." The one hidden gem is Tom T. Hall's humorous "Tulsa Telephone Book," on which Dudley's swaggering vocal performance sounds like a cross between Elvis Presley and John Wayne.
Mr. Chuck Eastman Chuck Eastman Artist Management 1717 West end Building, Suite 800 Nashville, Tennessee 37 203
Dear Chuck, just wanted to drop you a few lines to say what a pleasure it was meeting and talking with you and Dave while you were in San Antonio. I only wish you stay could have been longer. Dave sure put on one hell of a show at Gary Caffery's club, the KBUC people who were there are still talking about it ! And Coming Down, well, what can I add to the great things everyone else has said about it! We're all wishing Dave the best. He deserves it, he's paid his dues and it's time he cashed in. Many thanks for bringing him down our way. As you may remember, we discussed the possibility of my writing liner notes for Dave's next album, I would consider it a privilege to do them. Dave is a fine artist, and the way things are going for him, there's no end in sight, he just keeps going up and up and... Hope to see you'll again soon. Keep us posted and we'll do all we can for Dave. He's a special kind of man! Sincerely.
DAVE DUDLEY
WILL THE REAL DAVE DUDLEY PLEASE SING
Mercury SR-61351October/1971
Produced by Jerry Kennedy
Jerry Kennedy - guitar/dobro/sitarRay Edenton, Chip Young - rh.guitar
Harold Bradley - bass guitar
Pete Drake - steel
Bob Moore - bass
Buddy Harman, Kenneth Buttrey - drums
Hargus Pig Robbins - piano
Charlie McCoy - harmonica/organ/vibes
George Tidwell - trumpet
Background vocals:
The Nashville Sounds
Recorded:
May/1971, Mercury Custom Recording Studio, Nashville
1.
THROUGH HELL AND HALF OF GEORGIA
(Jack Barlow - Bobby Fisher) « © '72 Barlow Music, BMI »Down in Macon Georgia there's a woman waitin' for my six foot frame
I got her picture in my mind as I head down the turnpike out of main
I'd better think of something else or I might stick my rifle through the floor
I'll go through hell and half of Georgia till I hold her in my arms once more
Now I don't mean no disrespect to the states I travel through all the time
I just get awful anxious till I put myself back on that Georgia line
Roadsigns they all look the same until I see those Macon City lights
I been through hell and half of Georgia but she'll make it worth my life tonight
[ guitar ] I coast down through grapevine a glass of it they call a load of wine
I know I oughta sleep some but baby's hot and heavy on my mind
Don't need no help to get me back and I won't lose no time along the way
That old Jimmy understands that if we're runnin' late there'll be the devil to pay
Took on the fuel in Nashville and Chattanooga's what the last sign said
My hardest drivin's over and the half of Georgia's lyin' straight ahead
I've breezed straight to Atlanta and only have a few more miles to go
I've gone through hell and half of Georgia now I can count the minutes till I'm home
Ah look at all them pretty Macon City lights
And I'm thinkin' about that pretty Macon chicks whose gonna make my night tonight
And the second thing I'm gonna do is shut off my rig easy big guy
**********
2.
I WON'T MENTION IT AGAIN
(Cam Mullins) « © '71 Seaview Music, BMI »I know you're tired of being all I ever wanted
You'll no longer feel the love I have for you
What happens now what will I do with all these mem'ries
And the dreams of all the things we'll never do
But I won't mention it again I won't think about tomorrow
Just let it happen live each hour day by day
But let me tell you before you go how much I love you
Then I won't mention it again I won't mention it again
I feel my life has reached an early sign of autumn
In my heart the leaves are falling love is cold
And everything that once was warm and new is gone now
Leaving nothing but this hunger in my soul
But I won't mention it again...
**********
3.
FOOLS RUSH IN
(Johnny Mercer - Ruby Bloom) « © '61 WB Music, ASCAP »Fools rush in where angels fear to thread
And so I come to you my love my heart above my head
Though I know there's danger there
If there's a chance for me then I don't care
Oh fools rush in where wise men never go
But wise men never fall in love so how are they to know
When we met I felt my life began
So open up your heart and let this fool rush in
[ harmonica ] When we met I felt my life began
So open up your heart and let this fool rush in
**********
4.
GET THE BEST OF LIVING
(Jerry Tuttle) « © '71 Wormwood Publishing, BMI »Well I'm a goin' down the road with worries on my mind
I gotta lot of troubles I'm leavin' behind
Oh yes I'm goin' just to see what I can see
I'm gonna get the best of living before living gets the best of me
I hear the crowds are happy in Dallas and Fort Worth
I gotta find what's goin' on before I leave this earth
Oh yes I'm goin' just to see what I can see
I'm gonna get the best of living before living gets the best of me
I been around this town so long wastin' my life away
I think I've done my share of work and now I'm gonna play
I been missin' all the thrills I know I've gotta find
I feel like I need a shot of Potion No 9
I'll go to San Francisco drop my worries on the way
I hear there's lots of pretty girls surfin' in LA
Oh yes I'm goin' just to see what I can see
I'm gonna get the best of living before living gets the best of me
[ harmonica ] Oh yes I'm goin' just to see what I can see
I'm gonna get the best of living before living gets the best of me
I'm gonna get the best of living before living gets the best of me
**********
5.
THERE YOU ARE AGAIN
(Dave Dudley) « © '72 Southern Arts Music, BMI »About the time I put myself in fairly decent shape there you are again
About the time I go to bed and finally fall asleep there you are again
About the time that I stop seeing your face everywhere
And I think that I may live again
When I think that I've forgot the color of your hair there you are again
I stay busy to forget that I was once a love of yours
And I hope that I can be the same old way I used to be before you came along
About the time I think that I can put you from my mind
Without you the world won't end
About the time I start to smile and think I'm feeling fine there you are again
[ violin ] About the time I think that I can put you from my mind...
There you are again
**********
6.
I CAN SEE YOU IN THE WINDSHIELD
(Dave Dudley) « © '72 Southern Arts Music, BMI »I can see your face upon the windshield as I'm rollin' through the night
You're sittin' by a fire with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around you tight
This is just a short run and I'll be home in just a week or two
But I can see you in the windshield it reminds me that you love me
And soon I'll be coming home to you
Well I saw you in Chicago in a truckstop on a cold and rainy night
And when that waitress smiled at me honey you looked really out of sight
As I rolled into Toledo I thought I'd stop and sleep a wink with you
I can see you in the windshield it reminds me that you love me
And soon I'll be coming home to you
[ harmonica ] I thought I saw you walkin' down a busy avenue in Philly Town
And the way that you were a walking I guess you know I had the gear way down
I know I'm only dreamin' but she sure did look an awful lot like you
I can see you in the windshield it reminds me that you love me
And soon I'll be coming home to you
Well today I'll make my turn around and soon I'll be headed north to you
The weather's gettin' awful bad but I know that I can pull her through
I recall that fuzzy blanket and I know that there is room for two
I can see you in the windshield sittin' by the fire
And I'm coming home to give some love to you
I can see you in the windshield sittin' by the fire
And I'm coming home to give some love to you
**********
7.
FLY AWAY AGAIN
(Dave Dudley) « © '71 Southern Arts Music, BMI »Well here we are in the same old gate there's always time we have to wait
Cause the airplane's never ready and it gives you time to ask you'll be back when
Well we both know that I don't know we only know I will come home
But I'll always have to fly away again
I know it doesn't come out right for you it's not the kind of life
For you have to save love and keep on waitin' for a moving man
I know you hope the time will come I won't say goodbye and run
But I'm yours before I fly away again
[ strings ] Go ahead and try to smile it makes it better for a while
I know you feel the way I do your misty eyes tell me you'll wait till then
Our time together's not enough it's the same thing for our love
But I'm yours before I fly away again
We hear the engine's whining now when all the time it's wrong somehow
Your misty eyes have turned to sad and I'll tell you I love you once again
I've got your picture in my mind I will until the end of time
I'm yours before I fly away again
[ strings ] Well here we are in the same old gate there's always time we have to wait
Cause the airplane's never ready and it gives you time to ask you'll be back when
**********
8.
HALF A LOVE
(Kris Kristofferson - Daisy Tanksley) « © '71 Careers Music, BMI »I've known so long what's going on behind your smiling eyes
But I don't leave cause all my pride is gone
It's not that you're deceiving me with all your pretty lies
Baby half a love is better than none
You don't know what it means to live in dreams you know have died
Our share love you don't dare to leave alone
But I have found my pride is drowned in tears I have to hide
And baby half a love is better than none
Half the time I know that I should leave
But I just can't convince myself to go cause I know
When passion's flame has died in shame you'll find your way back home
And baby half a love is better than none
And baby half a love is better than none
**********
9.
ME AND BOBBY McGEE
(Kris Kristofferson - Fred Foster) « © '69 Combine Music, BMI »Busted flat in Baton Rouge aheaded for the trains
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained
Took us all the way to New Orleans
Pulled my old har'poon out of my dirty red bandana
Blowed it low while Bobby sang the blues
With the windshield whipers slappin' time
And Bobby clappin' hands we finally sang up every song that driver knew
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
And nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free
Feeling good was easy Lord when Bobby sang the blues
And body that was good enough for me
Good enough for me and Bobby McGee
From the coal mines of Kentucky to the California sun
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Standin' right beside me Lord through everything I done
And every night she kept me from the cold
Then somewhere near Salinas Lord I let her slip away
Looking for the home I hope she'll find
And I'd trade all of my tomorrows for a single yesterday
Holdin' her body close to mine
Freedom's just another word...
**********
10.
PUT YOUR HAND IN THE HAND
(Gene McLellan) « © '70 Blackwood Music, BMI »Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the waters
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself then you can look at others differently
Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee
Every time I look in the Holy Book I wanna tremble
When I read the part where a carpenter cleared the temple
For the buyers and the sellers were no different fellers than what I profess to be
And it causes me to shame to know I'm not the man I should be
Put your hand in the hand...
Mama taught me how to pray before I reached the age of seven
And when I'm down on my knees that's when I'm close to heaven
Daddy lived his life two kids and wife you do what you must do
He showed me enough of what it takes just to get me through
Put your hand in the hand...
**********
11.
TULSA TELEPHONE BOOK
(Tom T. Hall) « © '70 Newkeys Music, BMI / Unichappell Music, BMI »Have you read any good telephone books lately
If you ain't then let me recommend one
I've already read that Tulsa telephone book through thirteen times
If you don't know any last names it ain't much fun
Well I was in Tulsa and didn't have anything going
And she was in Tulsa and didn't have anything on
She said my name is Shirley and I said my name is Dave
I woke up the next morning and she was gone
Readin' that Tulsa telephone book will drive a man insane
Especially if that girl you're looking for has no last name
I got to find her and tell her I don't want our love to end
So I'm readin' that Tulsa telephone book again
[ piano ] All of the Tulsa operators know my voice now
They must know how long I've been alone
If you see a girl named Shirley with some ribbons in her hair
Tell her that she's wanted on the phone
Readin' that Tulsa telephone book...
I keep on readin' that Tulsa telephone book again
I'm readin' that Tulsa telephone book again
**********
