Floyd Cramer and his piano style

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

1. Rebound

This song was a hit when I was young, and I love the way that Floyd Cramer plays the piano in his own unique style. The pictures on this show are so beautiful, and I hope you enjoy them.

2. Last Date

This was his big hit when I was a teenager, and I wish I could play the piano as well as Floyd Cramer.

3. San Antonio Rose

I used to sing this song when I was a teenager, and I recently heard Floyd Cramer do this song on the radio, and I really loved it. It is so beautiful how the strings come in, then he goes back to the piano. It is one of my favorite love songs.

4. How to play ‘Last Date’

Last Date was a hit song when I was young, and I loved the way he played the piano. It was so different from anything I had heard before. When I play slow songs on the piano, I try to do a bit of his style. One day he came to our home town with Jim Reeves and Chet Atkins, but we were not allowed to go to shows. Some guys I knew went to the show, and the one guy started playing guitar like Chet Atkins, and his brother played piano like Floyd Cramer. They were so talented. I was busy trying to take off Jim Reeves. Many times I have wondered how things would have worked out if we had teamed up as a group.

5. Floyd Cramer, piano

The credit said this is Floyd playing on this version of “The Rose,” so I have included it here.

6. Judy – Elvis and Floyd

I just came across this song, and played it about 6 times. I enjoyed it so much.

7. Daddy sang bass

I had a record of Johnny Cash singing this song, and it brings back so many memories. My sister Valerie asked me to sing it at her wedding reception. It is one of my favorite love songs.

8. Cotton fields

This is a great sing-a-long song.

9. Green green grass of home

This is one of my favorite love songs when I sing and play the piano. I sang it many times at Portal Village in Port Colborne.

10. Faded Love – with Pat Daisy

A beautiful old song.

11. You’ve still got a place in my heart

I have heard Dean Martin sing this one.

12. I can’t stop loving you

I still think that everybody needs to be loved.

13. Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

Such a lovely song.

I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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Favourite Love Songs by Ned Miller

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

You belong to my heart – My favourite love song by Ned Miller

I heard this recording when I was young, and it felt so romantic to me. “While a million guitars are still playing.” Also words like: “It was a moment like this, don’t you remember, and your eyes blew a kiss, when they met mine.” I met a girl once who gave me the eye treatment, and I started dating her. After about a month she told me that her boyfriend was coming into town the next night. That flipped me out. I thought I was her boyfriend. Anyway, it was fun while it lasted.

From a Jack to a King

This was a hit song when I had my first girlfriend, and this song was an encouragement to me because I was so shy and scared. “For just a little while I thought that I might lose the game, then just in time I saw the twinkle in your eye.”

Dusty Guitar

I loved singing and playing the guitar when I was young. One girlfriend felt that I loved the guitar more than I loved her. Then one night at a church camp, I forgot the guitar outside during the night, because I was spending time with her. And it rained. She was so happy, because it meant that I loved her more than the guitar.

Do what you do do well boy-’live’

Ned’s version got deleted, so I have put in this version. ‘Drifter’s Caravan’ ‘live’ at a fun fair. This was kind of like a signature tune for me when I was young. I loved the beat and the good clean message.

Do what you do do well

I see his version is back on the net, so you can listen to both versions if you wish. All the songs I sang in public, I learned off by heart, so I still remember all the words of hundreds of songs like this, and this is still one of my favourite love songs. ” I think Ned Miller wrote all his own love songs. “Thanks old Chap!”

I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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Bette Midler

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

The Rose `live`

Here is Bette Midler in a beautiful live performance, singing one of my favourite love songs. Recently this song has been gripping me. There are some very interesting words in that song, like: “love is a hunger, an endless aching need.” She says that the soul afraid of dying never learns to live. Other words are so interesting to me, like people think that love is only for the lucky and the strong. Many times in my life I have thought that the people in Hollywood must be the luckiest people in the world, and that everything goes great for them.

Having written songs myself I am always curious as to who wrote the song. I found out that this song was written by Amanda McBroom.
So I went to her website and read her story about how she wrote the song, and found it very interesting. She says how the song came to her while driving the car. This has happened to me many times, that is why I always have a pen and paper in the car just in case inspiration hits me. She had to race home and rush to the piano to write it.

Wind beneath my wings

Many years ago I worked at Damelin School in Johannesburg, and I often heard Bette Midler sing this song on the canteen duke box. The kids must have loved this song. It reminded me of how many times other people have helped me in my life, but often when I was a singer, I got all the glory, and they didn’t get any. There have been so many people in my life that I have admired, but never got to tell them. So I want to say “Thank you” to you all. They have been the wind beneath my wings, and this is one of my favorite love songs.

Under the boardwalk

She has such a nice voice, and is so natural in her singing and presentation. Falling in love under the boardwalk!

The glory of love

When I was a little boy, my mother used to sing this song: `You`ve got to win a little, you`ve got to lose a little, you`ve got to let your poor heart break a little, that`s the story of, that`s the glory of love.`

In my life

This is very nice, with such beautiful pictures.

Bette Midler – In this life, I was loved by you `live`

This is a very nice song.

My one true friend

Another very lovely song. We all make mistakes, and learn from them. It is hard to find true friends.

The gift of love

Wonderful song. She wants love more than diamonds.

Stay with me Baby

An incredible `live` performance.

From a distance

Bette Midler sings: “From a distance, you look like my friend, even though we are at war.” It reminds me of a book I read when I was young. It was stories by D.L.Moody. I remember the one story going something like this. One night a soldier in the American civil war, had his rifle sights on an enemy soldier on guard duty on a wall. He was about to shoot, when the soldier on guard duty started singing a hymn. Then he felt he couldn’t shoot him because he was his brother in the Lord.

Many years later the soldier was on a ship going across the ocean, and was attending a church service on the ship. One man got up and told how one particular hymn meant a lot to him. He told how he was on guard duty during the civil war, and how he was feeling so scared, then he started singing a hymn, and how a peace came over him. So the other soldier stood up and told how he had him in his sights and was about to shoot him, when he started singing the hymn.

All the wars on earth seem so senseless. I recently read a book on Scotland’s history. So much fighting and killing. The same is true for every country. Why can’t everybody just live in peace? We need more love and less war!

I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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Trucker Songs

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

East bound and down

When I think of truck songs, the first song that comes to mind is the one in the Smokey movie sung by Jerry Reed. I love that driving beat and the banjo picking. The first time I saw the Smokey and the Bandit movie was in Johannesburg, South Africa. We had just returned from a trip to the States, and it made me want to go back. When we were first in the States, we were in South Carolina, and some guys had a CB radio. It tied in so well with that movie. The people seemed so free and easy, just like in the movie. However, I don’t agree with everything in the movie. I personally do not drink beer.

Six days on the road

When we first visited the States we heard this song advertised on the TV. I had never heard of the song or Dave Dudley before, but we just heard that last line, and I was hooked on it. It became one of my favorite songs.

Trucker song about Teddy Bear

When we immigrated to Canada I was working as an assistant superintendent at an apartment building. One day I was fixing something in a tenants apartment and the lady was playing this song. I loved it, and later got a recording of it. Real heart touching human drama.

On the road again

I couldn’t resist putting old Willie in here with his traveling song, although I guess his was in a big bus, not a truck. But it is that same feeling of blue skies and the open road.

The Legend

“He’s gonna to go to glory riding 18 wheels.” That line was in my mind, and as I looked for that song I find that Jerry Reed has passed away. Sorry to hear that. I hope he went to Glory. Jesus said He is the only way to the Father, and I want everyone to be saved. Why don’t you say a prayer now, and give your heart to Jesus? Then you will go to Glory too.

Phantom 309

Here’s a spooky song I heard on the radio once, and found it just now. Hope you enjoy it.

I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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Favourite Afrikaans Love Songs

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

  1. Boeremusiek – Hartseer en verdriet

    Ek verlang na die Boeremusiek. Mooi fotos van Durban.

  2. Boeremusiek – Namakwaland

    Dit laat my dink toe ons in Namibia was. 

  3. Dankie – Lance James

    Hy het ‘n mooi brief vir my geskryf.

  4. Die stem

    Ek kyk altyd vir die Springbokke op die rugby. 

  5. Draf maar aan ou rypert – Jim Reeves

    Ek was ‘n paar keer by Jim Reeves se plek daar in Nashville. 

  6. Ek sal jou nooit vergeet nie – Virginia Lee

    Sy sing so mooi. 

  7. Geboorteplasie – Jim Reeves

    Ek verlang na die ou dae en die plaas.   

  8. Sarie Marais – A Favourite Afrikaans love song

    Ek het ook hierdie lied gesing.  

  9. Stap saam met my deur die land van son – Min Shaw

    Min Shaw het ons een keer genooi vir koffie by haar huis.

  10. Suikerbossie – Ian Roberts en Orkes

  11. Tussen treine – Richard van der Westhuizen en Lochner de Kock

  12. Ver in die Ou Kalahari – Charles Jacobie

    Ek verlang na die ou dae in die bosveld.        

  13. Verre Land – Jim Reeves

Ek verlang na Uvongo en die see. 

Ek het ook ‘n evangelie webwerf:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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Moon Love Songs

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

When my blue moon turns to gold again

This is one of my favorite ‘moon love songs’ as sung by the king. This is Elvis ‘live’ on TV. I have to abbreviate the main word, otherwise they say I am trying to “milk” the search engines.

There’s a new moon over my shoulder

A friend of mine lent me the Jim Reeves LP when I was young, and I really loved some of the songs. I also loved the Slim Whitman version, but I cannot find it on the net.

Dark Moon

I see this song as a romantic song. In the old days people worshiped the planet out there as a god, that is why we have Monday in our calendar. I notice that the song was written by Ned Miller.

Moon Love Song about the Bay

This song is featured many time, but I have to put it in this section too.

Moolight and roses

I am not sure if this is featured anywhere else.

A lot of the songs I had listed on my website have been deleted from the internet. I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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Train Songs

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

A thing about trains

Johnny Cash sings this song about his son wanting to ride one. I am glad to say that I rode one with my son from Germiston to Johannesburg when he was little.

Wreck of number 9

I heard this song by Jim Reeves when I was a teenager, and it made me think of a story I heard. The station master in Bulawayo sent a locomotive to Botswana, and in the middle of the night he woke up realizing that there was one coming in on the same line from Botswana. I was told that his hair turned white overnight as he realized there was going to be a head on collision. We all make mistakes in life, but some are bigger than others, and some are fatal.

Wayward wind

This song is featured elsewhere, but it fits in with this subject.”I guess the sound of the outward bound, made me a slave to my wandering ways.” They say that at one point in history the station in Bulawayo was the longest in the world. I may be wrong, but I think it was Frank Ifield that gave the Beatles their big break by letting them appear on his show.

My love affair

This is one of my favorite love songs. It is also featured elsewhere, but again, it fits in with my feelings for the old steam machines.

Waiting for a train

I used to love singing this song. I had recordings of it by Jim Reeves and Charles Jacobie, but I can’t find their recordings on the internet. It became real to me when I was in Nashville, and only had a very little bit of money. The song says: “My pocket book is empty, my heart is full of pain.”

Blue Train of the heartbreak line

I just thought of this song that I have in another section. This one of the early songs I used to sing that got me into the business.

Life’s Railway

I used to love singing this song too. When I was a teenager a friend at school invited me to go on holiday with him to Botswana, and we rode the train there and back. It was very exciting. In fact we stayed with his uncle who had a store next to the train line in Mahalapye. I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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Holiday Love Songs

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

Summer Holiday

Some of the nicest memories are being by the beach in Margate, Natal, South Africa. Every couple of years our parents would take us to the sea. There was such a nice vacation feeling down there. I saw the Cliff Richard movie of ‘Summer Holiday’ on TV in Canada in about 1980 . It was fun.

Ag Pleez Deddy

This was a hit song when I was a kid. I particularly like the verse where it says: “Ag pleez Deddy won’t you take us off to Durban, it’s only eight hours in the Chevrolet. Spans of sea and sand and sun, and fish in the aquarium, it’s a lekker place for a holiday.” We lived in a land locked country, so to go to the sea was a very big thrill. Unfortunately I don’t approve of some of the words in the song. When I sing it, I change the words. Here is Jeremy Taylor sing a part of his song.

Love letters in the sand

I mentioned this one in Pat Boone’s page, but it fits in here too. It is still one of my favorite love songs. I often used to quote an English poet and say: “I long to go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky, and all I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by.” I have just found out that the poet’s name in John Masefield, and he says: “I must go down to the sea again.”

Surfing USA

I was working at a sign writing shop in about 1959 when I first heard this song. It seemed so fantastic. I had never heard of the Beach Boys before. This is one of the all time great songs.

Beyond the reef – Andy Williams

I heard Andy sing this song on the radio, and bought the record.

Hawaiian Beyond the reef

The pictures on this version are so beautiful. Such beautiful sea scenes. Anyway, you can click on many different singers doing this song.

Blue Hawaii by Elvis

I have the movie and a tape of this, and it is nice.

Blue Hawaii – Billy Vaughn

I like the pictures in Billy’s version. Nice music too.

Moonlight Bay

This song is on other sections too, but it reminds me of vacation time by the sea.

Every day’s a holiday

Go to Florida

Margate pictures

I mentioned earlier how our parents used to take us on vacation to Margate in South Africa, so I have put on a link here so that you can see some of the places where I have been. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Some of the songs that I listed on my sites have been taken off the net due to copyright problems or something. I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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Jimmy Dean

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

Jimmy Dean’s song To a sleeping beauty

I had a record of Jimmy doing this love song to his daughter. It really touched my heart. At the time I didn’t even have a daughter. Songs just affect me so much. He is singing to her while she is sleeping. Then at the end of the song he says: “Tonight I kissed a princess, and I feel like a king.” The pictures with this song are very nice. There are numerous versions on the net. It is so great to have computers and internet. These things were science fiction when I was a kid!

I.O.U.

I first heard Jimmy sing this song ‘live’ on TV in Vancouver back in 1976, and later bought a record of it. It is very touching. The pictures with this song hit very close to home for me. There are a number of versions with pictures. All are very nice.

Farmer

Actually the first song I heard Jimmy sing was about “Big John,” although at the time I didn’t know who the singer was. The next two songs I heard were, “The farmer and the Lord,” and “You’re not home yet.” So I associate him with those two songs.

I had a record of Jimmy Dean singing Stuart Hamblen’s song: “This old house,” but I can’t find it on the net.

You’re not home yet

This is one of my favorite songs, but I couldn’t find Jimmy’s version. I also had a record of Porter Wagoner singing the song. Someone said once that the song was based on a true story of a missionary who went to Africa, then on the way back, it was President Roosevelt who was on the ship and got all the praises as he disembarked. Apparently he had been to Africa on a hunting trip. In Jimmy Dean’s version it went something like this: “And as the old fellow walked down the gangplank, he cast his eyes to the sky and said: ‘God, did you forget.’ And it seemed like a little voice inside the old preacher said: ‘No son, I didn’t forget, but you must remember, that you’re not home yet.’” I think is more realistic than the sky opening up. The message is that our reward is not of an earthly nature, but of an eternal value.

I am sorry to find that he has passed away. Some of his songs have been taken off the net. I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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Jerry Lee Lewis

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Admin

Great balls of fire

“Too much love, drives a man insane.” Words of wisdom from Jerry Lee Lewis! I remember as a kid hearing a piano song on the radio where a guy was singing “Great balls of fire,” but I didn’t know who the singer was, or what he was singing about. Many years later I heard a Jimmy Swaggart record where he was talking about his cousin. I was confused. I had a comic when I was a kid of Jerry Lewis, and I got the two mixed up. Later it became clear. Jerry Lee Lewis was Jimmy Swaggart’s cousin who had a lot of hit records in America. Jerry Lewis was an actor who teamed up with Dean Martin at one stage in their careers. Of course, years later the movie “Great balls of fire” came out which made everything clear.

I’ll sail my ship alone

Jerry Lee Lewis’ songs sold by the millions back in the fifties. I remember having this record in the 80′s. “I’ll sail my ship alone, and when it starts to sink then I’ll blame you.”

Jerry Lee Lewis – Gather round children

However, as is the case with many of the American singers, I first heard them singing gospel songs. I bought a record in Pretoria in about 1971 called “In loving memories.” It is a song about his mother’s funeral. “In loving memories we gather. In loving memories on this sad day, in loving memories forever, until we meet beyond the shining river.” The song I had linked to, got taken off the internet, so I have replaced it with him singing ‘Gather round children.’

Precious Memories

That was a fantastic record. It inspired me to want to play the piano in public. Before that I only played for myself, but with Jerry’s exuberant style, it did something to me, that got me playing in public. Just swing it old chap! One song particularly grabbed my fancy. “Let me tell you brother, that my God’s not dead.” I sang it two days ago in a church. There is another song that he sang with his sister, but I can’t remember the name. I wrote the words out and sang it for a few years, but I left all my song books in Africa, so it is gone from my memory. Another great song he sang was “He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.” That song is featured on the Dottie Rambos section because she wrote it. Those great songs on that record are not available on the internet, so I have put this one on that I found just now, where he is talking about his past. It really touched my old heart.

Too much to gain to lose

“Too much to gain to lose” was also on the record, but I found some other people’s version on the internet. Some words are a little bit different. I seem to remember Jerry singing: “Somewhere up ahead there’s cool clear water, and defeat is one word I’ll never use.”

 My God is real

Hey, I used to sing this song when I was young. I wish I could play piano like Jerry!

Will the circle be unbroken?

I am guessing that this video is of Johnny Cash’s memorial service. Very nicely done.

Jesus will be there

This song was on his record with his sister singing with him. It was a great blessing to me. “Now I’m waiting for the harvest of the seeds that I have sown, for I know that they will bring me to the right hand of God’s throne. I love those words.”

I also have a Gospel web site. If you want to check it out, go to:  http://countrygospelandbible.com/

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