As
before mentioned, we had this early (G)Nashville connection with the Washington
Squares. Apparently, the label really wanted to try to pair us with David
Malloy as producer and sometime co-writer and so, we were flown down south to
have a writing/recording session.
It was
really cool, to go anywhere first of all -- I love adventure! -- but best of
all, we were sent on a creative mission. Joy. We arrived in the middle of a hot
day and were sent, pronto, to our motel on the outskirts of town. That day, we
poked around the neighborhood and found a very silly pastime at a nearby
recording studio for the public that was basically a karaoke setup. . . people
came in to record vocal tracks to their favorite songs, then received a copy of
the recordings on a cassette tape.
I think
it was the Barbara Mandrell recording studio or somesuch. . . but we had such a fun time there. I
recorded “Stand By Your Man” and “You Ain’t Woman Enough”; Tom recorded “Like a
Virgin” (what can I say? He was a big Madonna fan and it was a riot!); Tom and
Bruce recorded “To All the Girls I Loved Before” (a total crack up -- Bruce did
a silly voice, more like Ricky Ricardo on helium rather than Julio Iglesias);
and Bruce recorded “Your Cheatin’ Heart.”
If
there is any way I can find those recordings on that ancient cassette I carried
around for years, I’ll certainly try to salvage it and convert to digital (I
promise!).
That’s
where I’d say the country roots of The Washington Squares were born. . . I’d
always loved classic country music, and had friends who were country music
writers and bonafide southerners (Stephanie Chernikowski, the photographer, and
her friends, Martha Hume and Chet Flippo). I don’t know if Tom was much into
country music, but I know that Bruce loved Hank Williams and lotsa rockabilly.
. . probably a lot of the early Sun Studio sessions.
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