» MUSIC WEEK AUGUST 27. 1977

task from some critics for moving m away from country roots — ^ reaction similarly met with another artist he's currently producing George Hamilton IV, when ihc Reynolds: breaking away single Wonder Who's Kissing Her Mow was released. "That really annoys me. It's been a bit quiet for George charlwise in the States, but he's had too much from the Nashville style success for him to be overlooked. He's a very important figure in and is referred to in rates recording studios and Reynolds currently as one of Nashville's produced Lee's million selling our country as an ambassador. My hottest properties. As a producer he EDITED by singles Patches and I Saw Linda aim is to get him a bit more down to first came into the limelight with the TONY BYWORTH Yesterday. Then, after another spell earth because I felt that his earliest solo recordings of Don in Memphis, the trio was once again recordings had been rambling a bit Williams on the fledgling JMI label, reunited as Clements set up his JMI and, once again, to gather material and is now claiming attention with "I guess my chief gripe was with label in Nashville. that is a little bit different and the output of , an Nashville's Grand Ole Opry which "I needed to leave Memphis at backed with a solid rhythm section. artist destined for the great pop had chosen to become a museum that time though," Reynolds adds. "To say thai I wonder Whose breakthrough. As a songwriter, piece because of its stuffy "1 had been living in Memphis and Allen Reynolds Kissing Her Now is or isn't country titles like Dreaming My Dreams requirements, its lack of flexibility was into pop music, but pop was is ridiculous. It was written back in (recently gaining top sales for and its lack of vision. The big stars moving into the acid thing and I Crystal Gayle. To date Rcinno1 the 1909 and they didn't call songs cither Marianne Faithful in Ireland), like Merle Haggard and Eddy couldnt't get any songs. That's my subsequent three years. . y .^ country or pop in those days. Somebody Loves You and Catfish Arnold had performed on the Opry real trade ... I need songs. I need has produced four albums with Miss "You must do things differently John stand out amid a considerable for many years and those that did songs that 1 can sing, I can get my Gayle and has displayed her otherwise you'd be continually in a catalogue of much-covered hit were frequently not allowed to teeth into and that I can remember. versatilitv with a wide range of hit rut. one time, songs. perform their hit songs in the So I started listening to country singles that have included Wrong when he was undcrfire for that same Reynolds' success has been drawn manner in which they had recorded radio in Memphis about a year or so Road Again, Somebody Loves You, thing, said: 'Country is in the singer from a combination of factors, the them. But what these people were before 1 made the move to Nashville One More Time (Karneval) and I 11 . . . it's in the heart and mind of the two most important being a very forgetting that the country audience because that was the only place I Do It All Over Again. With her singer, and he's free to do whatever distinctive sound and the recording had bought Bing Crosby records could get songs. latest album release. We Must song he likes to sing'." of material that doesn't necessarily right alongside Jimmie Rodgers in "That really summed up the Believe In Magic (United Artists And that well states the case for fit within a predictable formal. Too the Thirties and they had never been feelings about the narrow- UAG 80108), even greater versatility Allen Reynolds' direction as a often, he feels, country music runs as limited in their choice of music mindedness of Nashville at that is displayed with the inclusion of producer. It's also a continuation of along a stereotyped pathway. and thinking as Nashville had time. 1 felt that if I really needed songs from the pens of Cole Porter the aims that he first set for himself "At the time I went to Nashville, decided they were. songs, then there must be lots and and Sylvia Tyson as well as a when he arrived in Nashville at the and became a pan of Jack Clements' "If JMI's reaction was against lots of people out there who needed number of Nashville's leading beginning of the decade. Moreover, JMI organisation, well known artists anything, it was against Nashville in and loved songs just as much. You names. the way that Nashville dictated the could call it an MOR audience, "I don't want to put any he argues, if artists did not present — many with Hail of Fame calibre limitations on her, but all the variety within their work then they names — were putting out singles manner in which a country record crossover pop or whatever, but a would become predictable and, in with everybody expecting them to should or should not be cut." great market was being over- material that she has recorded we sell 25,000 copies at the most." Allen Reynolds — a native of looked." have both agreed upon. Overall, the end, boring. At that point they Reynolds explains. "And 20,000- Memphis, Tennessee — had spent Within its relatively short lifespan though, she's just a great singer who would cease to be entertainers 25,000 copies of an album were also many years working within various JMI Records was an extremely has wide musical exposure in her because, simply, they would no considered satisfactory sales. Well I aspects of the music business before successful operation, having drawn background. She's Lorctta Lynn's longer be entertaining. wasn't prepared to be satisfied with settling in Nashville in 1970. songwriters Bob McDill and little sister which has given her "Frequently, in the music those kind of sales, Originally, as a teenager in the late into its ranks; considerable musical experience in business, there's that stage an artist "Of course many artists possessed fifties, he joined forces with Dickie formed a band of regular country, but her idols as a teenager — or anybody else for that matter — that distinctive country twang and Lee and cut a few sides for the Sun scssionmen (which gave the first included Lesley Gore and Brenda has to face between success and rural dialect and that, naturally, Label. Next the duo teamed up with insight of an Allen Reynolds Lee. In getting to know Crystal at greatness," Reynolds adds. "Thai's would cause limitations of sales. But Jack Clements, an engineer at Sun, "sound"); and the establishment of the beginning 1 became quickly when careers, artistically, are broken there were also many artists who and moved to Beaumont, Texas, within the country aware that she liked a lot of different as the artist wants to make a lot of didn't possess those intonations. where Clements set up his own charts. things, and we were able to work money by opening up his own "I had first met Don during the together on the development of her publishing company, writing his last days of the Pozo Seco Singers voice and style, It's rather like an own songs and putting them all on when he and Susan Taylor were actor who has got to know how to his albums. But it's rare when the working a few dates together. Then analyse his performance." songs are able to stand up for he had moved back to Texas and The reaction to Reynolds' work themselves — loo often they're very joined his father's furniture with Crystal Gayle has been very predictable. Any person who has business. But he was real miserable favourable although there have been become an artist of stature owes his about it and wanted to get back into occasions when he's been taken to public something better than that." the music. Susan started recording for us and persuaded me to talk with Don. He joined the outfit very shortly after we had talked, starling out first as a writer with material like Don't You Believe and The Shelter Of Your Eyes, and then as a / recording artist. He contributed very greatly to JMI's success and, when he left to join ABC/Dot after two albums, his absence was one of the KENNY ROGERS, Kenny Rogers, United Artists UAS 30046 reasons why the company came to a OL' WAYLON, Waylon Jennings, RCA PL 12317 r// ^ halt. RAMBLIN'FEVER, Merle Haggard, MCA MCF2805 In many ways the collapse of JMI SHE'S JUST AN OLD LOVE TURNED MEMORY, Charley Pride helped Reynolds' status as a RCA PL 12261 producer. Without the commitment IF YOU WANT ME. Billie Jo Spears, United Artists UAS 30071 to one particular recording outlet, he VISIONS, Don Williams, ABC ABCL 5200 LIVERPOOL COUNTRY music singer George C. Smith, who has been was able to seek out work as an LET'S GETTOGETHER, Tammy Wynette, Epic EPC 82026 attracting plenty of attraction, has been captured by Decca. Smith is seen independent producer and his first 50 ALL TIME COUNTRY HITS, Various Artists. Pickwick 50D> here at his contract signing with (left to right), Michael McDonagh, head of assignment came from United 300 Artists' Nashville chief Larry Butler SONGS OF KRISTOFFERSON, Kris Kristofferson, Monumen press and promotion, manager Brian Fleet wood and Peter Goodchild, MNT 82002 director of marketing. who was looking for a producer for BEST OF CHARLEY PRIDE VOL3, Charley Pride, RCA LSA 3283 A RETROSPECT. Linda Ronstadt, Capitol CAPSP 102 DON WILLIAMS' GREATEST HITS VOL. 1, Don Williams, AB( WE COVER Don Wiiams set for ABCL5147 NEW HARVEST. FIRST GATHERING. Dolly Parton. RCA P iiEomd tour of iritiin 12188 COUNTRY 14 S,NG Merle Ha ar MERVYN CONN has announced Guildhall, Portsmouth (19); ABC, 15 ' gg d. Capitol CAPSP 101 that ABC recording artist Don Belfast (20 & 21); Odcon, UAG30108 MAGIC. Crystal Gayle. United Artists "(OUHM MUSIC PEOPIE" Williams will commence his second Hammersmith (22); Gaumont, 16 ^P^ELIND FRIEND, Hoyt Axton, MCA MCF2803 Is the largest selling British tour next month. He will be Ipswich (23); ABC. Peterborough 17 Jim & Jess accompanied by his musicians (24); Theatre Royal, Norwich (25); 18 vnn^DcYOU RE MY BEST FRIEND, Don Williamse. DJM DJMABC 22067ABCL 5177 CountryMusic Danny Flowers and David New Theatre, Oxford (27); Odeon, 19 publication in Britain. Williamson. Taunton (29); Colston Hall, Bristoi 20 raper ROSIE, Gene Watson,FRIEND Capitol' ^T^ndv, E-ST11597 C8S L82«37 Our ABC figures prove it. Also scheduled for appearances (30); Stadium, Dublin (October 1); on the tour arc Barbara Fairchild, and Princess Theatre, Torquay (2). Distributed to newsagents by: whose album Mississippi (CBS Don Williams, whose last album Surridqe Dawson 82020) is currently available in — Visions — achieved gold sales TOP SELLiiO SSI POUTS (Produclidti) Ltd. Britain, and the British duo Lynch status in Britain on the day of its and Lawson, recent successful 136-142 New Kent Road. S.E.I. release, has a new album scheduled COllJmbia KC 34695 Other Trade outlets or contenders on ATV's New Faces at the time of the forthcoming tour. SCORmoZSs^ subscriptions direct show. In addition Anchor Records will from the publishers The venues set for the tour are: also be releasing a double album Country Music Press Ltd. Empire, Liverpool (Sept. 15); Town featuring Williams, Roy Clark, BritainfbasedonhMle^'i'n 1,10. C;.ountry Music Association (Gr Powerscroft Road. Footscray. Hall, Middlesborough (16); Freddy Fender and Hank Thompson While the abovp alh.i sPecialist country music shops in the I Sldcup, Kent. Tel. 01 300 7535 Coventry Theatre (17); Pavilion in concert. This was recorded last be noted that manw ^ COnsistent filers in all shops, it sho Theatre, Bournemouth (18); May at New York's Carnegie Hall. areas wh.chwMch maym not,sts be re reflected3'ster above in the average CMA (GB) sales Chart in spec PAGE 10