Loretta on Letterman

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 5 May 2004 9:14 am

You won't see her on Letterman singing Coal Miners Daughter, but you will see her with this bunch doing whatever they are doing.

And:

(would Letterman invite the White Stripes without LL?)

I don't think this is entirely correct. I believe the Letterman show regularly books a variety of artists who happen to be playing in the city at the moment if their (the band's) schedule allows. (And, as I recall, Loretta plays NYC at least once a year.) I just saw the same band on, I believe, the "Today" show this morning. I only caught the last couple of verses, but it appeared that this performace was all Loretta and very traditional. The instrumentation was mostly acoustic this time. No "fuzz steel"

For what it's worth Letterman has had Asleep at The Wheel on several times and I believe Ray Benson has sat in with the Late Show band on a couple of occasions...[This message was edited by Mark Herrick on 05 May 2004 at 10:16 AM.]

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 5 May 2004 11:40 am

I'm almost certain that, given the White Stripes' popularity right now, they've been on Letterman before, sans Loretta Lynn. But I can't say for sure, if I'm up that late, I watch Leno!
As for Letterman's band, they've had all knids of folks sitting in over the years, and they're to be commended for that.
And who was the band that Tammy Wynette recorded with back in the 80's? Had some ridiculous video, where she was dressed up like the May Queen?

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 5 May 2004 8:43 pm

of course Letterman would have the White Stripes on w/o Loretta. They're huge right now. They played the Grammys and were nominated for more than one award.

I'm no fan. Jack is way too primitive and Meg just flat sucks, but they do have energy and fire, so good for them. Better them than some hairband or Britney clone.

They love roots music: blues and country. Most kids nowadays have NO CLUE who Loretta Lynn is. You think a rerun of 'Coal Miners Daughter' on the USA network is gonna do the trick?

Like I said, I'm no White Stripes fan, but God bless Jack White for his love of traditional music, and his elevation of the great Loretta Lynn back into the spot light, when he could just as easily be selling himself during this 15 minutes of fame.

And cheers to Loretta for taking her chances with a younger crowd and a rougher sound.

Life is good.

KENNY KRUPNICK · Post by **KENNY KRUPNICK** » 5 May 2004 9:22 pm

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 6 May 2004 1:05 am

Sorry I missed both shows.
GO Loretta!

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 6 May 2004 5:01 am

I heard a cut from Loretta's new disk, they played it on XM radio last nite. I think it was named "Have Mercy on Me" or something like that. Definitely not of the Loretta genre that I'm used to. Sounded like she was trying to be Janis (Joplin). Hopefully the rest of the CD has something better on it than that.

Dustin Rigsby · Post by **Dustin Rigsby** » 7 May 2004 4:40 am

to retcop88: Garth Brooks covered Kiss' "Hard Luck Woman". Does this count?

to Bill Hatcher: I understand all of that,passed the bottle with a few supposedly "cool bands" with pretty hair. I'm only 32 years young.You're right,the ones with the most talent are usually the most poor. Milli Vanilli also won a Grammy and sold gillions of records,looked cool, and the chick were diggin' 'em . They also said they were better than Pelvis Presley too.At least he did his own singing !

to Walter Stettner: No problem man,just stating a belief that the public at large will buy just about anything that Sony jams down thier throat. Used to be that labels believed in Artist development. Nowadays,atleast in the pop and rock world,if your first record don't go platinum, you get dropped and are in debt to the recording industry snakes,I mean label.

P.S. I wonder if Poisen still has that endorsement deal with Aquanet Hair Spray.

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D.S. Rigsby
Carter Starter and various six string toys

edited for spelling error[This message was edited by Dustin Rigsby on 07 May 2004 at 05:42 AM.]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 7 May 2004 8:16 am

I never cease to be amazed by the success of mediocre talents. I didn't see the Letterman show in question, but I have listened to the last 3 CD's from "White Stripes". I fail to see why they excite anybody. Their music could best be classified at "garage rock". There is some variety, but little polish. (To me, there is a big difference between "raw" talent and "amateur" efforts.) They have no outstanding singers (not even a "good" one, come to think of it), rather low instrumental skills, and nothing that would differentiate them from the thousands of teens who play for kicks...

...in basements and garages around the world.

Steve G · Post by **Steve G** » 7 May 2004 8:43 am

Moon is gone. Maybe she is just having fun.

Steve

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 7 May 2004 12:03 pm

Maybe Loretta made a bad desion...maybe not.
But she has done an awful lot for Country music and Im gonna sit back and just see what she does next...Hey Loretta,love you more than my Irish Setter......

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Sho-Bud ProII
"there's been an awful murder, down on music row!"

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 7 May 2004 1:47 pm

Yeah, "garage rock" pretty much sums it up. But it's nothing Ruggsy and Pete Wade couldn't fix.

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Cal's Corral

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 8 May 2004 1:59 am

Garage rock has it's charms, and polish isn't one of them.
It's not supposed to be.
The origins of rock were not all that polished either in compartison to what we expect these days..

But no amount of marketing will make a group that makes no audience connection at all become a hit.

Most of us here are not likely to be that audience.
But it certainly does exist.

A well rounded musical ear is leaned, not inborn,
so we at our general ages with our much greater musical input over time,
can't expect most 15-20 year olds to have the same amount of musical listening time / education.

If Lorretta wants to and can make a connection with her grandchildren's friends, more power to her.

Ref another thread Barney Kessel played with Sonny and Cher and the Beach Boys I KNOW a lot of jazz people thought that was only slumming.[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 08 May 2004 at 03:02 AM.]

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 10 May 2004 11:27 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>

Bring back Willie TV <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't know if you get RFDTV in Canada. Last week they started running the old Wilburn Brothers show. This past weekend had George & Tammy on along with Loretta, and Hal Rugg & Buddy Spicher did a great version of "Raisin' the Dickens".
RFDTV also airs "The Porter Wagoner Show" and "PoP Goes the Country".

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 11 May 2004 5:46 am

Didn't catch Loretta on Letterman, but I've now heard three cuts from the CD on the local college radio station. It's alt country, which is mostly young former rockers playing garage rock with an edgy country twist. I play in a rockabilly/alt country band. I love to bring this stuff into rock clubs and play for the young people. Most of them have never had the thrill of hearing an Emmons push/pull honking through a big old Fender tube amp. They are just used to hearing whiney steel mixed by Nashville way in the background and coming through a car radio. They like us raunching it up much better than they would like a slick Nashville group (and it's a good thing, 'cause we ain't).

The new twist with the White Stripes is that they have a real old line country star fronting them. Loretta sounds way better than the Stripes do. There is some pedal steel on some tracks, but I don't think anybody from the Forum is gonna be asking for the tab for any of it. Yeah, it's nothing like Conway and Loretta and Hughey. Maybe it's more entertainment than music (well, except for Loretta). It's not for traditional country fans, it's for young rock fans, and the Stripes seem to be doing pretty well with that crowd. So I say, yeah keep on, and you go, Loretta!