In this week's episode we're featuring a delightful compilation on Johnny Dollar (yes that was his real name), put out in 1982: Down Life's Highway. Despite the vague album artwork and even more general liner notes, don't be fooled: this is a quality ten song collection of solid (mostly long forgotten) honky tonk gold. Every single song on this album was originally recorded for Chart Records between 1968-1971 (in this reviewer's opinion, Dollar's strongest career output) and there are no duds to be found. High-energy honky tonk with plenty of truck driving tunes, there's a lot of Del Reeves to Dollar's material but the latter remains a lot more obscure outside of rockabilly and hardcore country fans. Take a trip Down Life's Highway with Johnny Dollar and enjoy some cracking traditional country music laced with clever, catchy writing and Lloyd Green's steel guitar work.
HOUR 1:
1. Johnny Dollar – Wild Cherry (1969)
2. Johnnie Lee Wills – Lazy John (1963)
3. Johnny Dollar – Truck Driver’s Lament (1969)
4. Johnny Dollar – Meeting Of The Bored (1969)
5. Johnny Dollar – I’ve Got To Stay High (1968)
6. Johnny Dollar – Big Wheels Sing For Me (1969)
7. Herold White – Somewhere In A Barroom (early 70s)
8. Conway Twitty – Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart (1966)
9. Buck Owens – Everlasting Love (1959)
10. Chuck Cordelo – My Heart Can’t Stand This Hurt Anymore (60s)
BUMPER: Buck Owens – Orange Blossom Special
11. Alan Jackson – The Thrill Is Back (2000)
12. Hank Snow – I’m Gonna Bid My Blues Goodbye (1977)
13. Hank Snow – Jimmie The Kid (1953)
14. Max D. Barnes – Heaven On A Freight Train (1980)
15. Hank Snow & Jimmie Rodgers Snow – When Jimmie Rodgers Said Goodbye (1953)
16. Jimmie Rodgers Snow – How Do You Think I Feel (1954)
17. Jimmie Rodgers Snow – The Milk Cow Blues (1956)
HOUR 2:
1. Bonnie Owens – Souvenirs (1965)
2. AUSSIE INJECTION: Reg Lindsay – If I’da Known I Was Gonna Live This Long (1978)
3. AUSSIE INJECTION: Reg Lindsay – When My Truckin’ Days Are Done (70s)
4. CW McCall – Classified (1975)
5. Johnny Dollar – The Rain Falls In Denver Tonight (1969)
6. Johnny Dollar – Changing Her Thinking (1969)
7. Johnny Dollar – Big Rig Rolling Man (1968)
8. Dennis Ivey – I Can’t Stop Loving You (To Save My Wife) (70s)
9. Eddy Arnold – A Full Time Job (1952)
10. Jimmy Martin – Skip, Hop And Wobble (1957)
BUMPER: Bob Wills – San Antonio Rose
11. Hank Thompson – Oh Mary Don’t You Weep (1975)
12. COUNTRY COVERS: Dick Curless – Rattlesnakin’ Daddy (1995)
13. COUNTRY COVERS: Allen Frizzell – Long Black Veil (2008)
14. COUNTRY COVERS: Dane Stinit – That Muddy Ole River (Near Memphis, Tennessee) (1967)
15. SHOT OF STEEL: Wayne ‘Red’ Yeager – Tears In My Eyes (1960)
16. Justin Moses & Shawn Lane – Looking For A Place (2021)
17. Johnny Dollar – Other Seeds To Sow (1969)
18. Johnny Dollar – Highway In The Sky (1971)
HOUR 3: If That Ain’t Country’s Year In Country Music - 1974
1. Red Steagall – No Thanks, Boys
2. Lois Frizzell – Let Your Loving Do The Talkin’
3. Moe Bandy – Honky Tonk Amnesia
4. Moe Bandy – I Just Started Hatin’ Cheatin’ Songs Today
5. The Seldom Scene – Traveling On And On
6. Gene Davis – Haulin’ Steel
7. Gene Davis – Letter To A Trucker’s Wife
8. Tony Booth – Fishin’ On The Mississippi
9. Chris LeDoux – The Bucking Machine
10. La Costa – Take Control
BUMPER: Buck Owens – Orange Blossom Special
11. Dave Dudley – Counterfeit Cowboy
12. Merle Haggard – Things Aren’t Funny Anymore
13. Merle Haggard – Honky Tonk Night Time Man
14. George Kent – Honky Tonkin’ Soul
15. Howard Crockett – The Calling
16. Mel Tillis – Scarlet Wings
17. Margie Singleton – Jesus Is My Pusher