Country Casanova
Encyclopedia
Country Casanova is the third album
by the band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
. It was released in 1973 on Paramount Records
.
The album was originally available on LP
and 8-track, and later cassette
. In 1991, it was released on CD
, however, it was pulled, and put into "out of print" status after a very short time, and is, as a result, quite rare and hard to find in this format. Prices for this album on the used market can be seen at $200.00 or more. The CD re-release was issued by MCA Records
, and, unfortunately, suffers the typical "compact disc, compact price" shortcomings. The front cover art is untouched, however, the picture originally appearing on the rear cover is gone, instead it is on the inside cover.
Country Casanova is highlighted by the band's classic cover version of "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)." Their cover version of "Everybody's Doin' It" reportedly got them banned from some country music stations because it includes the word "fuckin'" repeated several times, band leader George Frayne claimed in the liner notes of Too Much Fun: The Best of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. The original song was a 1937 Western Swing
recording by the Modern Mountaineers, a Texas band. It, too included "fuckin'" in the lyric, a trick pulled by pianist-vocalist Smokey Wood. Cody copied the original arrangement at a slightly faster tempo and removed the original's reference to "darkies."
(suicide doors) The car is backed up to a fence, and there is a donkey off to the left of the car. According to The Commander, the Donkey's name was also George. The Lincoln belonged to the famous Rock & Roll photographer Jim Marshall
, who was the photographer who took the picture for the album cover.
(double decker) in its past life. The bus is pulled off to the side of a road...somewhere...and to the right of the bus, in the background, you can see what looks like a blue and white Ford pickup truck cruising down the road. If you notice, Commander Cody can be seen holding a drink of some sort in this picture. Band members are displayed left to right, front to rear, as noted: Andy Stein (fiddle, saxophone) Billy C. Farlow (Lead Vocal) (both sitting on an instrument case) behind them, standing, left to right, we have Bill Kirchen (Lead guitar and banjo, lead vocal on "My Window Faces The South" and "Honeysuckle Honey") (On original the LP release, as well as the MCA CD issue of this album Kirchen's name is spelled "Kircher", which is incorrect.) Lance Dickerson (Drums) Bruce Barlow: (Fender and Stand-up Bass) John Tichy: (Rhythm Guitar and Lead Vocal on "Shall We Meet" and "Sister Sue") Bobby Black: (Pedal Steel guitar and Dobro) Commander Cody: (Piano and Lead Vocal on "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! That Cigarette").
* Indicates songs that the band never performed live.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is an American country rock band founded in 1967. Core members included founder George Frayne, John Tichy, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen, Andy Stein, Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow, Lance Dickerson, and Bobby Black....
. It was released in 1973 on Paramount Records
Paramount Records (1969)
Paramount Records was a record label started in 1969 by Paramount Pictures after acquiring the rights to the name from George H. Buck. The previous label with the same name had been unconnected to Paramount Pictures. The new Paramount label reissued pop releases by sister label Dot Records, which...
.
The album was originally available on LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
and 8-track, and later cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
. In 1991, it was released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, however, it was pulled, and put into "out of print" status after a very short time, and is, as a result, quite rare and hard to find in this format. Prices for this album on the used market can be seen at $200.00 or more. The CD re-release was issued by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, and, unfortunately, suffers the typical "compact disc, compact price" shortcomings. The front cover art is untouched, however, the picture originally appearing on the rear cover is gone, instead it is on the inside cover.
Country Casanova is highlighted by the band's classic cover version of "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)." Their cover version of "Everybody's Doin' It" reportedly got them banned from some country music stations because it includes the word "fuckin'" repeated several times, band leader George Frayne claimed in the liner notes of Too Much Fun: The Best of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. The original song was a 1937 Western Swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
recording by the Modern Mountaineers, a Texas band. It, too included "fuckin'" in the lyric, a trick pulled by pianist-vocalist Smokey Wood. Cody copied the original arrangement at a slightly faster tempo and removed the original's reference to "darkies."
Album cover
The album cover shows George Frayne, a.k.a. "The Commander", leaning against a White 1962 or 1963 Lincoln ContinentalLincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is an automobile which was produced by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from 1939 to 1948 and again from 1956 to 2002...
(suicide doors) The car is backed up to a fence, and there is a donkey off to the left of the car. According to The Commander, the Donkey's name was also George. The Lincoln belonged to the famous Rock & Roll photographer Jim Marshall
Jim Marshall (photographer)
James Joseph Marshall was a photographer, often of rock stars...
, who was the photographer who took the picture for the album cover.
Back cover
The back cover of the album features the band standing in front of their tour bus, which was a 1950s Greyhound ScenicruiserPD-4501 Scenicruiser
The GMC PD-4501 Scenicruiser, manufactured exclusively for Greyhound Lines, was a three-axle monocoque two-level coach used by Greyhound from 1954 to the 1970s...
(double decker) in its past life. The bus is pulled off to the side of a road...somewhere...and to the right of the bus, in the background, you can see what looks like a blue and white Ford pickup truck cruising down the road. If you notice, Commander Cody can be seen holding a drink of some sort in this picture. Band members are displayed left to right, front to rear, as noted: Andy Stein (fiddle, saxophone) Billy C. Farlow (Lead Vocal) (both sitting on an instrument case) behind them, standing, left to right, we have Bill Kirchen (Lead guitar and banjo, lead vocal on "My Window Faces The South" and "Honeysuckle Honey") (On original the LP release, as well as the MCA CD issue of this album Kirchen's name is spelled "Kircher", which is incorrect.) Lance Dickerson (Drums) Bruce Barlow: (Fender and Stand-up Bass) John Tichy: (Rhythm Guitar and Lead Vocal on "Shall We Meet" and "Sister Sue") Bobby Black: (Pedal Steel guitar and Dobro) Commander Cody: (Piano and Lead Vocal on "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! That Cigarette").
Track listing
- "Country Casanova"* (Billy Farlow, Michael J Richards) – 2:38
- "Shall We Meet (Beyond the River)"* (Billy Farlow, John Tichy, Andy Stein) – 4:21
- "My Window Faces The South" (Jerry Livingston, Mitchell Parish, Abner Silver) – 1:54
- "One Man's Meat (Is Another Man's Poison)"* (John Tichy, Bruce Barlow, George Frayne, Billy C. Farlow) – 2:46
- "Everybody's Doin' It" (George Frayne, Bruce Barlow, Andy Stein, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen, Lance Dickerson, John Tichy, Bobby Black) – 2:05
- "Rock That Boogie" (George Frayne, Bruce Farlow) – 2:48
- "Rave On!" (Norman PettyNorman PettyNorman Petty was an American musician, songwriter, and pioneer record producer who helped shape modern popular music, including pop and rock....
, Bill Tilghman, Sonny WestSonny WestSonny West is a rock and roll-musician. West wrote and recorded both "Oh, Boy!" and "Rave On" on the Atlantic label in the late 1950s...
) – 2:12 - "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! That Cigarette" (Merle TravisMerle TravisMerle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
, Tex WilliamsTex WilliamsSollie Paul Williams , known professionally as Tex Williams, was an American Western swing musician from Ramsey, Illinois....
) – 3:41 - "Sister Sue" (John Tichy, Bruce Barlow, Andy Stein, Billy C. Farlow) – 2:41
- "Honeysuckle Honey"* (Michael J Richards)– 2:30
Personnel
- George Frayne (Commander Cody) – piano, keyboards, vocals
- Billy C. Farlow – harmonica, vocals
- Bill KirchenBill KirchenBill Kirchen is an American rockabilly guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the guitarist with the original Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen from 1967 to the mid 1970s, although, in reality, his time with the Commander accounts for only a portion of his career...
– guitar, vocals - John Tichy – guitar
- Lance Dickerson – drums, vocals
- Bruce Barlow – bass, vocals
- Andy SteinAndy SteinAndy Stein is a saxophone and violin player in the United States best known for his appearances with the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. He is also known for the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band on the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" and the movie. He has played on a...
– violin, saxophone - Bobby Black – steel guitar, vocals
Production
- Stephan Jarvis – producer
- Jim MarshallJim Marshall (photographer)James Joseph Marshall was a photographer, often of rock stars...
– photographer