I remember being in NYC broke,homesick,locked out of my hotel room for non-payment, and dejected. That day I wrote "Georgia Pines".

This song was straight from the heart. I was surrounded by concrete and steel, longing for fresh air, green trees and farmland.

When I did get back to Dothan, I sang it to John Rainey Adkins and he loved it. He helped me finish it. Later, I recorded it with Wilbur

Walton. I am honored that the Germans call it "The Hymn of The South". I'm sure Wilbur feels the same......Buddy

PS I'm looking forward to the European release. God bless Jim Dickinson.....May he rest in peace.

MADRE UNIVERSAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEkHAtFpR8g

Here's the YouTube video to the song that WAS COPIED by the Yardbirds in order for them to write STROLL ON. It features Beck & Page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_JqJY5z0T8&feature=related

Hi Roberto,

www.myspace.com/playgroundrecordingstudio
Greetings from Playground. I'd like to thank you for the kind words on the passing of our friend Jim Dickinson.http://www.zebraranch.com/

For your readers who may not be as familiar with Jim's work there is a link at the bottom of the page that has some various videos compiled on one page.
http://www.livefrommemphis.com/theintruder/974-im-just-dead-im-not-gone
I have not posted an epitaph. How do you sum up a 40 year relationship? We produced a lot of records and projects together, everything from low budget porn film scores to The Replacements and Toots and the Maytals. When I was beginning to go through old tapes at Playground, he was the one who identified Wilbur for me. He couldn't call his name but said.. "That's the guy who sang 'Georgia Pines'!"





When I sent him the Wilbur record "Mr. RedBud" he was ecstatic. He loved Wilbur's voice and particularly Wilbur's falsetto notes, which he claimed were the highlights of the record.

Speaking of "Georgia Pines" we have a release that should be available by Sept. 1, that is the Beaverteeth cut of "Georgia Pines" with Charlie Silva on vocals. The CD also includes an instrumental track of "GP" as well as a track sung by Jimmy "ORION" Ellis and Jimmy Louis. All vocals are sung to the Beaverteeth track which was recorded in 1972. The CD is unique in that from the very first tape transfer all of the production work is done in high resolution at 96k. We did this CD in conjuntion with a couple of European guys who love the song. German mastering enginneer "Marc Vick" took my transfers and cleaned up the tracks and sent them back to me and I did the remix and then he re-mastered them all in hi-resolution until the final CD transfer. Basically what this means is that we get to hear these cuts in the highest quality available. The cuts include John Rainey on guitar, David Adkins on gut string and other instruments with Jimmy Dean on bass. The Europeans are calling it "The Hymn of the South". I have included attachments from the CD art.



Thanks again for all that you do for Southern Music

Best
Jim Lancaster
Playground Recording http://www.playgroundrecordingstudio.com/

ps I have also include a Dickinson/Lancaster picture from the Orpheum in Memphis mid 70's

Jim Dickinson on piano and Jim Lancaster on bass

"Dr. Womack sounds like an excellent choice for membership on the Birmingham School Board. I hope he wins in a landslide and leads that august body to even greater heights than they have yet achieved. It would be a stepping stone to higher political office for this young man, and he seems to have all the necessary requirements for leading our city and county."B'ham News blogger
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/metro.ssf?/base/news/1250669741264760.xml&coll=2.

Hey y'all~
All the good citizens of Zero, NW FL have heard Jim Dickinson play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9zkX-vQ7IY
whether they know it or not.
Jim passed away last Saturday. He was 67.
http://www.examiner.com/x-20368-Little-Rock-Entertainment-Examiner~y2009m8d19-Memphis-musician-Jim-Dickinson-dead-at-67

The legendary MEMPHIS Musician/Singer/Songwriter/Producer and father to The NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALL-STARS died peacefully in his sleep last night according to his old right hand man and The Chairman of The MFV Board of Directors JIM LANCASTER of PLAYGROUND STUDIOS.

We will miss JIM very much !

Love & Respect !
wwwwwwwwwwwwwyker

John D. Wyker aka SAILCAT
MIGHTY FIELD of VISION FOUNDATION
www.MFVR.com
Worldwide NET RADIO 24/7
http://www.playgroundrecordingstudio.com/

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 8:27 PM, Frank Tanton <notnat@graceba.net> wrote:

Hi Robert,
I'm ready... Where's Jimmy... Hey Jimmy. call me...

Amos Tindell brought me some original Webs 45's and some pictures... I'll post them on line soon...

btw... I really enjoyed the images of Mike's work...

thanks

Hey Robert, here's an updated Mix of the latest tune from "Frank's Garage"

featuring David Adkins on lead Guitar...

http://www.ourstage.com/play/track/AJIXAWMUZMSG-friends-into-lovers

Monday, October 01, 2007

"We are learning, as has every generation passing before us, that memories gain value when those who make them leave us."
COURTNEY HAYDEN


BEAVERTEETH
John Rainey Adkins, Charlie Silva, Frank Tanton, David Adkins
Kenneth Griffith [courtesy of Frank Tanton http://www.myspace.com/thebopcats]


BEAVERTEETH
Kenneth Griffith, Frank Tanton, Charlie Silva, David Adkins, John Rainey Adkins
[courtesy of Frank Tanton http://www.myspace.com/thebopcats]

Tommy Browning (DHS Class of '67) & Casher

Here is another song I produced, that David Adkins played on featuring Mitch Goodson on Vocals... Written by our friend Danial Casher...

http://www.ourstage.com/play/track/RYEOHNIIVKPB-the-bottle

Read the conclusion of Alistair Cooke's AMERICA (1973) this evening & the text was so powerful and so profound that it shook me. I googled Alistair on YouTube & lo' and behold there was Alistair on the screen repeating word for word the conclusion of his great book.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RmmhUejouY&feature=related


I enjoy watching Jimmy Page & Jeff Beck on YouTube. Here's the scene in the 1966 movie BLOW UP where Beck destoys his guitar by smashing its neck into his Marshall amp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHNL5_2LspE


STROLL ON
by The Yardbirds

Strollin' on,
'Cos it's all gone,
The reason why.
You made me cry,
By tellin' me,
You didn't see.
The future bore,
Our love no more.
If you want to know,
I love you

so,
And I don't want to let you go.

I'm strollin' on,
Gonna make you see.
I'm strollin' on,
You'll find you really love me.
I'm strollin' on,
Be your turn to cry.
I'm strollin' on,
You wish you'd never lied.
You're going to change your mind,
But you ain't gonna find,
Any more of my kind.

I'm strollin' on,
'Cos it's all gone,
The reason why.
You made me cry,
By tellin' me,
You didn't see.
The future bore,
Our lovin' no more.
If you want to know,
I love you so,
I don't want to let you go.

I'm strollin' on,
Gonna make you see.
I'm strollin' on,
You'll find you really love me.
I'm strollin' on,
Be your turn to cry.
I'm strollin' on,
You wish you'd never lied.
You're going to change your mind,
But you ain't gonna find,
Any more of my kind

Friday, August 01, 2008

Roberto,

I hope that I am using the email address that you requested.

It was a pleasure to attend the Cowboy's show sponsored by The Dothan Class of '68.
The bands ~The Bopcats,
Mitch Goodson and the Capers and
Wilbur Walton Jr. and the Strange Gang all sounded very good,
All of the folks that I met from the Class of 68 were genuinely all great folks.
I think we should all consider ourselves lucky that we grew up in a time when there was a musical revolution in progress and there was still a bit of HOPE left in the world.

We didn't have to deal with a cheap deadly, easily available drug called crack.

Our children, who grew up with VCRs, iPods and video games and instantly available news reports were not as fortunate as we were. Our children also grew up in a musical time that was haywire... 95% of radio stations were being program managed by some corporate suits.. Playlists were (and still are) programmed by corporate giants and Brittany Spears and many other meaningless mediocre acts were being shoved down their throats. As Great a song as "Georgia Pines" is.... It would have been buried in obscurity and would never gotten any air time just 5 or 6 years after it's release. It certainly would not have been a regional hit. Today there are no such things as regional hits.. There are internet phenomenal hits.

The performance on July 27th, 2008 was inspirational for every one involved at Playground.

It was a visual realization of some of all of our combined efforts.

When I say "Our" that includes YOU, Robert Register, who through your constant blogging have helped promote this music that we all cherish and love because it was so much a part of lives as teenagers. It is still as valid today as it was in the sixties. "Georgia Pines" is a classic song that will endure.

Now, as my good friend and co-producer Jim Dickinson points out.. the largest market and slice of the American population is between the ages of 55 and 70 years old.

Should we choose to, we have the ability to change the face of American popular music again.

To do this we would all have to participate in purchasing products (CDs and Videos) of the music that we cherish. Our slice of the American population would have to once again join together as one voice and demand from the corporate programmers that they play music we enjoy whether it is by an older established artist or a younger artist who has remained loyal to their musical roots. We are the largest segment of the American population but we purchase the fewest amount of records. This can all change with motivation. Should we become a viable record buying force once again.. we could literally change the face of American popular music.. one more time.

Please accept my personal thanks for organizing this event. Should any of the 68 Class want a copy of the CD that I made for this event they may contact me via email as we don't have this product for sale on our website site and it is only made for the Class of 68. The CD includes a radio Ad for the Flamingo with Beaverteeth, It also includes at least 3 Beaverteeth songs with Charlie Silva, 4 unreleased songs by Wilbur from 1973, a Concrete Bubble cut and several cuts from the original Playground Rhythm section from 1969 that Included John Rainey and David Adkins, The original "Georgia Pines" cut is also on the CD, There are some other cuts by artists who were accompanied by Dothan Musicians. I believe that John Rainey Adkins is playing guitar on each cut. Contact me at bassace123@aol.com

Thanks again Roberto.. you are a champ

Lancaster and the Playground Team



CHIEF BIGWATER




You missed a peak experience of a lifetime if you missed THE 40TH REUNION JAM.
JAMES OTT, founder of THE FLAMINGO, enjoyed Wilbur's entire performance.

Those in attendance have already begun to express their appreciation for the performance.

r~

I wanted to thank you for all the work you did putting Sunday together.
It was great music and fun to see "OUR" old bands again.

Gosh! They sounded the same as before!

F. and I stayed to hear them all.

It was great fun!

Thanks again,
Barbara

The following images are courtesy of Michael McCarty~








MADRE UNIVERSAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEkHAtFpR8g

The following five images are courtesy of Michael McCarty

1969


My name is yours, your name is mine, we are the class of 1969.
In this we were cast, in this we will last for all of our years.

We are the sixties, the royally crowned of the rocked and rolled.
No discos for us, No Donna Summer, no dancing ball of lights.

No fortunate son; anti-Vietnam, Kennedys and King shot dead.
Man on the moon, one significant step, and one very giant leap.

Beatles sing the Abbey Road, John and Yoko say I do; love, drugs,
And happiness, the Concorde takes its fast flight in the blue sky.

Mets win the Series, Joe Namath says, and the Jets beat the Colts.
Enter Richard Nixon, enter Led Zeppelin, and unzip Jim’s Doors.

Hurricane Camille strikes, the Manson cult too, My Lai is public.
Golda Meir is golden woman, and we’re all hooked on a feeling.

I see a finger, or two, spaced out for the entire mad globe to see,
And hippies on a farm in New York rocking, loving and dancing.

Creedence Clearwater, Janis, and Jimi, and Joan, Sly and family too.
Cocker seized on stage, and the Jefferson airplane flying O so high.

All that’s left after the years is the Blood, Sweat, and Tears of time
And The Who of you and me, the you of me, and the me of you.

We are not the Grateful Dead, and we are not the Rolling Stones.
We are the thankful living, thinking living, and the living thankful.

So tonight with our heads up, hearts open, and hands held high,
And with our first and second fingers divided all about the house…

We say to the world what we said forty years ago, say again now,
What we want most of all, what we wish most of all, what we pray,
What we need more than anything in this big, wide, world of war…
Peace. Peace. Peace.

So here’s to you Mrs. Robinson,
Jesus loves you more than you will know.












John invited you to:

John Allen Cassady to talk about his father Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Jerry Garcia, and More!

When:
Sunday, September 06, 2009
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM PDT

Where:
The Art House Gallery
2905 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705

Come Celebrate this day with me!

- John



Leon Russell doing STRANGER IN STRANGE LAND
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjy7RAu8TJ4


CHEVY 6
Chevy 6 circa 1975 (L-R) Brian Smith, Kenny Smitherman, Benji Burford, O'Neil Smitherman (drums), Mike Grayson
image courtesy of http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=1301352355 & http://www.myspace.com/mrbassguy

George Wallace Jr's First Single

article courtesy of
http://alabamalama.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

George Wallace Jr's First Single

George C. Wallace III (also known as George Wallace Jr.) is the only son of Alabama Governors George Corley and Lurleen Wallace. George Wallace Jr. had his own his political career, during which he served as Alabama's State Treasurer and on the Alabama Public Service Commission. As a young man he also had something of a musical career as frontman for his own garage band. George Wallace Jr.'s bandmate John Botts writes about them playing at father George C. Wallace's political rallies and that "while Lurleen was being treated for her cancer, she would often call the boys while they were rehearsing, place the phone by her hospital bed, and enjoy their music until she fell asleep."

George Wallace Jr's first record was released circa the mid-60s. The A side is an ode to his politician parents:


Side B, an ode to a "Little Blue Pill".



Though I haven't found a discography, I know that there are also several releases by George Wallace Jr. on MGM. According to a Huntsville Times article from 2008, George Wallace Jr. is now enjoying his life away from politics. Besides working on writing a book he says he is also playing music so, maybe his musical career is not over yet.

Many thanks to George Hadjidakis for the label scans and sound clips.

Posted by Sylvia

Morocco


I believe that's Madrid