Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & the Cherokee Cowboys

by Paul Franklin, Vince Gill

Overview

When Vince Gill and Paul Franklin reunited to cut a sequel to their acclaimed 2013 album, Bakersfield, the intention was to mirror that record's construction by dividing it equally between two celebrated artists. As they gathered songs for the album, they realized that one artist had a deep songbook filled with underappreciated gems ripe for discovery: the Texas legend Ray Price. A revolutionary figure in 20th century country music -- he created the 4/4 shuffle beat that became synonymous with post-war country -- Price was a fixture on the charts from 1952 through 1982, cutting such enduring standards as "Crazy Arms," "For the Good Times," "Night Life," and "Heartaches By the Number." None of those songs are here. Gill and Franklin dig deep into Price's catalog -- the only Top Ten single of his that they cover is the folk standard "Danny Boy," which isn't generally associated with him -- and then set about to capture the spirit of his backing band the Cherokee Cowboys. That's not the same thing as a period re-creation. Although they play the Ray Price beat and show an equal facility with both barroom ballads and honky tonk two-steps, the duo aren't replicating recordings, they're merely working in a milieu. The result is warm, nuanced, and nourishing -- a record that feels old-fashioned because it focuses on instrumental interplay. Working with many musicians who played in the Cherokee Cowboys, the duo keeps things lively and relaxed, letting their guests stretch out in the groove. By emphasizing interaction, Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & the Cherokee Cowboys winds up as an unusually alive tribute album: it shows how old music can still sound fresh in modern contexts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	08/04/2023
Label:	Mca
UPC:	0602455563170

Tracks

1. One More Time
2. I'd Fight the World
3. You Wouldn't Know Love
4. Walkin' Slow (And Thinking 'Bout Her)
5. The Same Two Lips
6. Weary Blues From Waitin'
7. Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)
8. Sweet Memories
9. Danny Boy
10. Your Old Love Letters
11. Healing Hands of Time

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Vince Gill   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Electric Baritone)
Paul Franklin   Primary Artist,Guitar (Soprano),Guitar (Steel)
Andrea Zonn   Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Dennis Crouch   Bass,Double Bass,Bass (Upright)
John Jarvis   Organ,Piano,Organ (Hammond)
Tom Bukovac   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Greg Morrow   Drums
Wendy Moten   Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Steve Gibson   Bass,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Jerry Roe   Drums
Michael Rhodes   Bass,Bass (Electric)
Stuart Duncan   Fiddle
Derek Wells   Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Bobby Bare   Composer
Lance Guynes   Composer
Joe Allison   Composer
Vince Gill   Producer
Wayne Walker   Composer
Justin Niebank   Mixing,Engineer,Recording,Mixing Engineer
Mel Tillis   Composer
Ray Price   Composer
Mickey Newbury   Composer
Hank Williams   Composer
Willie Nelson   Composer
Dave Kirby   Composer
Andrew Mendelson   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
John Shearer   Photography
Marty Robbins   Composer
Hank Cochran   Composer
Craig Allen   Design
Mike "Frog" Griffith   Production Coordination
David Kirby   Composer
Karen Naff   Art Direction
Frederick Edward Weatherly   Composer
Matt Rausch   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Sarah Marie Burke   A&R
Kera Jackson   Art Producer
Derek Anderson   Illustrations
Paul Franklin   Producer