Charlie Louvin passes away.

January 26, 2011

Charlie Louvin, entertainer, singer, and all around good guy.

Gone to Heaven to sing for God.

Rest in Peace Charlie.

Thanks for the music.

Released in 1994 by Bear Family Records of Germany this CD has some great tunes on it.

Here is the song list for this CD;

1. Crying My Heart Out Over You

2.Fools Like Me

3. Garden Of Shame

4.Dog Eat Dog

5.If Teardrops Were Pennies

6. Holding On With Open Arms

7. Take Me Back To Jackson

8. Don't Let Me Cross Over

9. Blue Eyes and Waltzes

10. My Joy

11. Precious Memories

12. I Hope We Walk The Last Mile Together

Nothing on this CD that hasn't been released on an LP or a 45 but there is some great stuff here. Carl was a great ballad singer and there are no deviations from that here.

I hope you will support Bear Family Records and buy this CD so that they will be able to continue to bring us some great old Country music on CD that no one here in the States thinks will sell. Of course, all of the big labels here in the states are owned by the japs now so money is the only thing that matters, but that is another rant.

Keep on Honkytonkin !

Mo

Honky Tonkitis

On the CMH label, released in 1980 with a lot of songs that have been released before. By now, Carl and Pearl's career had really slowed down. Alot of the songs on this LP are re-issues that were on some of their Columbia records.

The first song on the LP is "Motel Song", the only single released from this LP. It was backed with "Blues Stay Away From Me". "Honky Tonkitis" is a re-release yet its changed up pretty well. It sounds nothing like the original but its still a great tune!

"My Joy" is a great song that finds Carl in great voice. That powerful voice that he has is very prevelant. This song is about a Daddy who misses his little girl and takes her to run off with her but he changes his mind and takes her back home. My favorite tune on the LP.

The song list is:

Side 1

Motel Song

Honky Tonkitis

My Joy

I Never Had The One That I Wanted

If Teardrops Were Pennies

Blues Stay Away From Me

Side 2

Don't Let Me Cross Over

Mrs. Right's Divorcing Mr Wrong

I'm So Afraid of Losing You Again

Paul's Saloon

The One You Slip Around With

I Hope We Walk The Last Mile Together

The musicians on this LP are Jimmy Capps guitars, Buddy Harman drums, Dave Kirby on guitars, Billy Linneman on Bass, Jeff Newman on Steel Guitar and Dobro, Pete Wade on guitars, Bruce Watkins on Banjo and Fiddle and Jerry Whitehurst on Piano.

Another great record by Mr. and Mrs. Country Music! If you're in the mood for some REAL Country, this is it!

Until next time, Keep on HonkyTonkin'!

Mo

Carl Butler late in life

This is a picture of Carl late in life, about the time he was singing with a gal named Nancy Anne.

I've been a Country Music fan all of my life (51 years) and to that I owe a debt of gratitude to my Grandma Mumaw. She is a little old Kentucky hill girl and loved her Country music, a love she passed on to me. Somehow though, the music of Carl and Pearl Butler had eluded me. I had never heard of them. Fast forward to about 1999, a friend of mine, Jim Nelligan, of http://jjphotostudio.net/ loaned me his copy of the movie: "Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar" which can be found here: http://www.purecountrymusic.com/product/SECOND-FIDDLE-TO-A-STEEL-GUITAR/dvds Carl and Pearl are in this movie and they sing their number one hit record, "Don't Let Me Cross Over" and "Just Thought I'd Let You Know". Well I just fell in love with Carl and Pearl's singing. I started buying their LP's on EvilBay as well as their 45's and various pictures and other memorabilia.

A few months later my friend Jim and I are talking about this movie and I mention Carl and Pearl and how much I like their music. Jim says, "well, you know that their former lead guitar player lives in Marion don't you?" Well of course I didn't, lol. Jim gave me his phone number and for some reason I waited like a year to call the man.

Out of the blue one evening I decided to give the former lead guitar player a call and see if he would talk to me about Carl and Pearl. He was shocked that anyone even remembered who Carl and Pearl were! He was in the middle of giving a guitar lesson and asked to call me back. I don't think I really expected him to call me back but he did. We talked for about four hours on the phone and he had me laughing off of my chair with tales of being on the road with Carl and Pearl.

Here is a picture of my new friend, former Carl Butler and Pearl lead guitarist, Don Unterfer.

Thank you for your stories of Carl and Pearl, Don, I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me about them and sharing your memories. More than that though, I appreciate the friendship that we have developed in the past couple of years. I thank ya "cuz".

Until next time, Keep on Honkytonkin !

Here is a picture of Carl with E.T. on the right and I believe Stu Phillips in the middle. Stu was a Canadian Country Music star before coming to Nashville. Stu and his wife Aldona operate Long Hollow Winery in Goodlettsville, near Nashville. He is also an ordained Minister in the Episcopal Church and a member in good standing at the Grand Ole Opry. This picture was taken by the great Opry Photographer (for 32 years), Les Leverett and is used with his permission. Thank you Les, I appreciate that very much!

This photo of Carl Butler and Pearl is from about 1971 or 1972 when they were recording for Chart records. They only recorded one LP with Chart, "Temptation Keeps Twisting Her Arm". Three singles were released from this LP. In October of 1971, they released "Temptation Keeps Twisting Her Arm" b/w "I'm So Close To Loving You". In April of 1972 they released "She Didn't Come Home" b/w "Two Of A Kind" and sometime in 1973 they released "Heartaches For Lunch" b/w Fifteen Years Ago". Yup, Fifteen Years Ago, the same song that Conway made famous.

Aren't those suits just too cool? Carl and Pearl were definately the flashiest couple in Country Music.

If you get the chance, go to one of the on line auction sites like Ebay or even go to Amazon.com or Alibris.com and search for some of Carl & Pearl's music. If you like your Country REAL, it doesn't come any more real than them.

Until next time, Keep On Honkytonkin!

Mo