Loretta on Letterman

Mark Tomeo · Posted 4 May 2004 10:53 am

So did anybody see Loretta Lynn on Letterman last night? She was part of a punk rock band which included White Stripes' guitarist Jack White and a bunch of other players, including a guy I didn't recognize playing an S10 Sho-Bud.
I'm going to withhold judgment on the entire proceeding while I ask myself the question, "What is it Loretta hears that I'm missing?"
But I'd be interested in other opinions at large.

jlsmith48 · From: blackwell ok usa

My personal opinion is that: WHAT THE HELL IS SHE THINKING?? That gig SUCKED big time.I was embarrased for her and the image of Country Music in general.

J D Sauser · From: Wellington, Florida

Maybe she was thinking it may be good for business.
Maybe she was thinking her manager was right when he told her it would be good for business.
But maybe she is just not in the business of thinking, at least that may be what she thinks.

As I didn't see the "show", I think the same.

...J-D.
Yes, I had a bad day today

[This message was edited by J D Sauser on 04 May 2004 at 01:31 PM.]

Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

It's amazing what folks'll do to be current. I can't imagine that is is ever a good idea to do it though. I love Loretta to PIECES!! but that tune the way they did it on that show was just flat wrong. Some here on the Forum gave the CD a four star rating so I hope it was done with a musical standard closer to Loretta's. The singing and playing with her last night sounded OUT to me. What woud be awesome is if people like those we have here on the SGF would produce a record for Loretta Lynn.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

In my case, it's always been my wife.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

I have been hearing the CD that LL cut with the White Strips guy. It is playing a lot on college FM stations. She is not played much at all on the top 40 country stations here SO that is why you saw her on Letterman with a Grammy winning sidekick. You won't see her on Letterman singing Coal Miners Daughter, but you will see her with this bunch doing whatever they are doing. I do like her vocals still, very strong.

John Pelz · From: Kettering, Ohio, USA

Bill, I think you nailed it right on the head!

scott murray · From: Asheville, NC

she's obviously gonna catch some flak for pairing up with the White Stripes, but this is the best thing to happen to our instrument in quite a while.

The White Stripes are HUGE right now, and Jack White, at the peak of his stardom is championing one of the greatest traditional country artists in history.

Unlike Robert Randolph, whose elevation of the pedal steel removes it from tradition, Jack White is celebrating tradition by producing and performing with Loretta.

Loretta is willing to try some "harder" sounds, too... which is cool. It's important that generations come together and strike a common chord.

Seeing Jack White and the "Do-Whatters" (great name BTW) in traditional outfits on the tube with the legendary Loretta is a very good thing.

The White Stripes are what's hip now. And they're celebrating Loretta and classic country. I'd bet a million bucks that Jack, Loretta, and everyone on this Forum's opinion of contemporary country music is pretty much the same.

Let's see what happens next.

[This message was edited by scott murray on 04 May 2004 at 10:12 PM.]

Dave Horch · From: Frederick, Maryland, USA

I saw it and wondered what the hell she was thinking. I was embarrassed for her. Really.

[This message was edited by Dave Horch on 04 May 2004 at 10:04 PM.]

Jack Francis · From: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

I caught her "ACT" and felt sorry for her playing with that pitiful buncha of would be musicians.

What could she be thinking...kinda like an old ballplayer joining a barnstorming team travling around trying to be relevant.

I only lasted through her first verse before changing channels...maybe I'm unfair and somehow they made a song of that....uhh,stuff!

Dag Wolf · From: Bergen, Norway

I didn`t watch this show but one of the main newspaper here in Norway had Loretta on their front page today (Tuesday).

She got great reviews for her last album (a 5 on the dice) that obviously had the White stripes involved on it.

Here`s a link if you read Norwegian

http://bt.no/kultur/musikk/article256500

I haven`t heared the album myself.

Dag

[This message was edited by Dag Wolf on 05 May 2004 at 12:13 AM.]

[This message was edited by Dag Wolf on 05 May 2004 at 12:16 AM.]

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Regardless if her traditional country fan base likes it or not,
she has most likely made a start at a new younger fan base.

Since her original fan base is shrinking... this is not so bad an idea.
If a major current act wants to show it's roots by bringing her back into the public view,
that is very cool of them IMHO.
They wouldn't have done it if they didn't like what she used to do.

That said, I think if she wants to do something and is enjoying herself,
who are we to say;
oh no that's not you.
It may be a long way from Coalminer's Daughter,
but she is a grown up she can make her own decisions.

And the likelyhood of her getting on national TV like Letterman in her traditional mode was nil.
She has a new album to plug, and you do that in the best way possible,
even if that's not appreciated by her older fan base.
If the album is good they will buy it anyway.
But now she adds a new younger bunch of buyers too.

As far as I am concerned she can do what ever her little heart desires in music.
If she wants to experiment more power to her.

She is a real talent and has earned the right to do as she pleases.

And they DID have a Sho-Bud on stage.
Was it mixed up?

Many traditionlists didn't like The Dead and many other rock country acts of the last 40 year.
But they were largely responsable for keeping country in the eyes of the young,
when it would have faded away long ago.

And they did it because they LIKED it, but they also did it their way, and made no bones about it.

There are many of us on the forum who are steelers because of Cage, Garcia and Young.
Not BE, Lloyd, Pete, and many others.
We found them later, because of the rocker contingent bringing them to our attention.
Once we found them we realized what we were missing.
Without them I would never have come to like Lefty Frizzel, Hank Snow or Hank Thompson.

I haven't seen the show, but hope someone will post an mp3 of it. I don't normally get Letterman here.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 05 May 2004 at 01:47 AM.]

Mark Switzer · From: Los Angeles California, USA

So does anyone know who the steel player was? I thought he sounded good even if the whole presentation was sorta goofy. Maybe with me it`s the taste that`s first to go.
Mark

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

Uggghh...Jack White ! As a rock guitarist, I have no props to give him. Bands like "The White Stripes" is why I decided to get back to my roots and started learning to play PSG. This is a guy that was voted #12 in "Rolling Stone" rag-azine's top 100 of all time. By way of comparison, Ed Van Halen was rated around #71.Jack White doesn't have the chops that EVH used to give rock guitar a shot in the arm in the late 1970's. Just more proof that the mass marketing machine can turn the most mediocre artists' into the next big thing. In my day(15 yrs.ago), "The White Stripes" would have been laughed off the stage at the "Battle of the Bands" competition at the local high school. I'm sorry if my post offends anyone,it's just my opinion. Everybody has 'em.

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

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Woulda, shoulda, coulda---White has a Grammy and sells a gillion records. When are you going to understand that talent and the ability to play have no bearing at all on how pop artists are ranked. Popularity, cool factor, effect on chicks, etc.---THAT is what gets you #17 in some commercial rag.
I saw this guy on the Grammys and liked his edge. I did not even consider if he was a good player or not.
You can rag Jack and Loretta all you want but your rag is negated by the fact that the CD is being played on the radio and there they were on a national TV show. She hasn't had this kind of press and exposure for her so called REAL country with that E9 crying stuff all over it in a long time.

Bring on George Jones and some gangster rap group!!!

Walter Stettner · From: Vienna, Austria

Dustin,

Thanks for your words - I agree 100%!

I have noticed the same pattern over and over again in recent years - some cool and hip "wannabe" musicians (trademark: you have to have long enough guitar straps to play the three cords on the guitar somewhere around your knees!) pick some old musicians with a name, styles of days gone by or old songs everybody knows, team up and all of a sudden they get the reognition they need to increase their sales and get into the big times (would Letterman invite the White Stripes without LL?).

Robbie Williams covers Frank Sinatra, Madonna covers Don McLean and now the White Stripes team up with Loretta Lynn. I don't think this is of any lasting importance for the music business...

Kind Regards, Walter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

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Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I think there would be more "dignity" in just retiring!

Erv

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

There is music that is art, and music that is business, sometime the two can overlap.
Not often enough, but I can like the product of both ways, if not the totalities of either.

Hardcore "artists" often make fine music and eat poorly.

Other lesser lights do have the talent to understand the business and IT's paremeters
and can put together an ACT that is successful in a business sense.

Maybe Loretta doesn't need to put food on the table playing, but I bet it doesn't hurt either
to have another round of royalty checks.
I am sure she didn't see nearly enough or a fair share of the cash from her big hits, and the usual hangers on and "managers" etc, I am sure siphoned off a lot.

Still who quibled when Dolly started a 3rd career in bluegrass. Not her core audience.
Even though it sure doesn't sound like her gig with Porter.

Maybe a few indecorus, but public exposures will be the difference between the back bins in 6 months or a good selling run for her new CD and a Grammy shot.
Another fresh career, and less worry about pure dignity.

If I could choose between being a dignified elderstatesman of my art and remaining a bit theadbare and stayiomg at home exceptr for aoocasional oldies revivals,
or a fresh career doing something new...
I think ; hang the dignity, I wanna play and get bookings.

Since when did dignity have that much to do with the music business?

I sure never thought those 60's-70's hairdoos on lady country stars were dignafied,
even if the lady and the voice under them sure was.
But THAT was the business then.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 05 May 2004 at 08:03 AM.]

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

It's too bad that Loretta is getting this kind of advice. IMHO the music she made in her heyday is now anti-establishment, as relates to the current Nashville rock/pop amalgamation, and therefore cool. Wanda Jackson, and others, have found that there is a new young audience that appreciates and is discovering their roots. I've only heard one track from the new album, on the local "Americana" radio station. What I heard was Loretta's distinctive voice over some very tired rock progression. I suppose that White thinks he's doing her a favor by introducing her to his audience, but the approach is not well thought out and the combination just doesn't click. He needs a better education of why Loretta was (can still be) great and a better understanding of how to make C&W work in a rock context. It could work, but not the way he's going about it. [Edited for spelling].

[This message was edited by Tim Whitlock on 05 May 2004 at 09:05 AM.]

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

CASH--Johnny that is. Look what he did up until the day he died. Retire??!?!?

Greg Simmons · From: where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave

Bring back Willie TV

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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website

Greg Vincent · From: Folsom, CA USA

I agree that the Letterman performance didn't really work. Poor Loretta almost had to scream to be heard over the fuzz guitar (and fuzz steel!).

But I think Jack White's heart is in the right place. -GV

Greg Vincent · From: Folsom, CA USA

[This message was edited by Greg Vincent on 06 May 2004 at 07:36 AM.]

Mark Herrick · From: Bakersfield, CA

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

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?

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