Traditional Country Music on YouTube Traditional Country Music on YouTube Country music was a regular feature on 60's and 70's TV a long time before the days of CMT. Unfortunately that wasn't the case during the 40's and 50's so we've been denied many would be classics, but let's be grateful for small mercies. A lot of the early tv shows have been cropping up on YouTube and below are just some of the highlights. Charlie Rich - The Most Beautiful Girl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzBt-2jQ3Iw Taken from the Dean Martin Show in 1974, the clip shows the Silver Fox rambling around a veranda in Hidden Valley, California. He doesn't look completely at home but you get the feeling that he never did unless he was fishing on the Mississippi. Marty Robbins and June Carter - Music, Music, Music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es3L_lijiYY The best part of this is the comedy sketch at the beginning with both Marty and June being naturals with a gag. From the mid 50's, the humour is "of the day" but poor old June's singing is poor, whatever the day. There's a quick snatch of a young Floyd Cramer sat at the piano. Conway Twitty - (I Can't Believe) She Gives it All To Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8VDI1nRRMc A great song, a great performance and some great lamp-chop siddies. You gotta love the way Conway interacts with the camera - you can just feel him trying to get into the minds and knickers of the women viewers. It's okay having the look and the sneer, but you gotta have the voice to back it up, and Conway does. Faron Young - It's A Great Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4O_NUSe-Bw Faron's bright yellow Nudie suit comes to life in technicolour. The great Gordon Terry looks perty as ever on the fiddle. Great clip. Tom T. Hall & The Storytellers - Ravishing Ruby http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP1Jo9bjGpQ From May 1973 we get to see the old Storyteller looking spledido in Mexican poncho and hat. A great performance on one of Tom T Hall's finest. Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings - The Singing Star's Queen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05wxF8xLsyc First aired on March 25th, 1970 this clip features JC and WJ reminiscing about their time sharing an apartment near Nashville in the late '60s. The song is a funny number about those times and is a real blast. Hank Snow - Music Making Mama from Memphis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnO-oLYiOM4 From the Perry Como Show in the black and white 50's the picture quality may be suspect but the music and the historical value more than make amends. Tommy Vaden is on fiddle and I think that's Cedric Rainwater on bass. Webb Pierce - In the Jailhouse Now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKa1_A1jHfs Even with the help of Red Sovine and Teddy Wilburn, poor old Webb still sounds flat, but what a sound it is. A great performance with steel and honky tonk guitar competing with the loud suits. A classic. Jim and Jesse - When I Stop Dreaming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtD1nltX5 Excellent harmonising on this tribute to Louvin Brothers. Taken from the much missed Wembley Country Festivals, this one from 1981. The Wilburn Brothers - Hard Times & Blue/Blue Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNClV62ibO4 The producer might have taken the phrase "back porch picking" a bit far but it's a great performance from the guys who pull out all the stops despite the gold silk shirts. Shaun Mather March 2008 Back to the "Top 10 Lists" Main Page