TIME LIFE ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF HANK WILLIAMS: THE LEGEND BEGINS

This Unique Package Includes The Very First Recordings Of Williams At Age 15 Plus Recordings From His First Syndicated Radio Series in Restored Audio and Much More

Fairfax, VA (July 11, 2011) —– Time Life and the Estate of Hank Williams announced today the September 13, 2011 release of newly discovered historic Williams’ recordings that are meticulously restored with state of the art technology.  Hank Williams: The Legend Begins is a 3-CD package that offers one disc entitled “Rare And Unreleased,” which contains the earliest recordings of a 15-year-old Williams and four songs from a home recording in 1940. The other two CDs are from Williams’ first syndicated radio show in 1949, Health And Happiness, that have been restored using the technology that earned so many plaudits for the Grammy nominated project, The Complete Mother’s Best Recordings….Plus! This highly developed sound technology delivers Williams’ performances as they were originally heard more than sixty years ago.

“Talk about a discovery!,” exclaims Hank’s daughter, Jett Williams. “The first recording of my dad when he was fifteen was given to me decades ago, and then the 1940 home recordings followed a few years later.  My husband Keith and I finally got up the nerve to get with the best sound people in Nashville to see if we could salvage these extraordinary recordings.  It worked! We did it! What a special treat for music lovers around the world to listen to the talent of an evolving genius.  These recordings are a God send and very special to me and Hank’s fans.”

“Hank continues to speak to and entertain us across the generations,” says Mike Jason, Senior Vice President of Retail, Time Life.  “These recordings give us a rare and special insight as this American music giant begins his career.”

What an incredible experience to hear Hank Williams’ first recordings as a teenager of Fan It and Alexander’s Ragtime Band.  This is the first time they have been heard since 1938 when Williams recorded them.  Williams had started building a local following in Montgomery, Alabama at the time and the songs display an incredible confidence at such a young age.  On these early recordings Williams is joined by his long-time pal and accordionist, Pee Wee Moultrie.

A 1940 home recording shows how much Williams’ voice had matured in two years when he rocks out to four classics of American music; Freight Train Blues, New San Antonio Rose, St. Louis Blues, and Greenback Dollar.  The songs ultimately ended up in the possession of Jett Williams, and the tunes show a wide range of musical styles from an ancient Appalachian song to popular charted hits of the era.

By 1949, Williams had two major hits under his belt and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry.  It was at this time he recorded his first syndicated radio series, The Health And Happiness Show.  The program’s name was tied to the sponsor of the show…..Hadacol, a patent medicine that contained 12% alcohol. Forty-nine songs from the show have been restored on Hank Williams: The Legend Begins which gives superior quality to these historic CDs. The shows include songs, like Tramp on the Street, that he never performed elsewhere.

Also included on the “Rare and Unreleased” CD is an additional program.  The  March Of Dimes show features several songs and a touching monologue from Williams, in which he talks about the fear of polio that blighted every summer in the early 1950’s; in particular, he expresses his concern that Hank, Jr. might contract the disease. Williams died shortly before the cure was announced that ended the scourge.

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Check out www.hankwilliamsmothersbest.com and receive the latest news, free downloads, and Special Offers on the Mothers Best deluxe box set.

This is something special.  More to come…

Saguaro put a special playlist together summarizing some of our current and past releases.

Track Listing:
Edwin McCain – Walk With You
Blind Boys – Perfect Peace
Patty Loveless – Busted
Susan Ashton – Revelation Song
Collin Raye – She’s With Me
Rebecca Lynn Howard – Sing Cause I Love To
Adam Hood – Buzzes Like Neon
Tanya Tucker – Love’s Gonna Live Here
Hank Williams – Hey Good Lookin’

Today we have a very special announcement about Hank Williams the movie. The movie will be based on Hank’s biography established by writer Collin Escott and will include music from the the Unreleased Recordings box set. The movie will be produced by Marc Abraham.

Read about it in Variety by clicking HERE.

You can now preorder the Hank Williams Unreleased Recordings Vinyl LP at Amazon. There will also be an MP3 version of this available as well.

Track Listing

Side A (Lovesick Blues/On Top of Old Smoky/Columbus Stockade Blues/The Prodigal Son/The Mother’s Best Song/Theme/Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain)

Side B (Lovesick Blues/Have I Told You Lately That I Love You/The Mother’s Best Song/Sally Goodin/When the Saints Go Marchin’ In/Theme/Dust on the Bible)

Buy HERE

• Tanya Tucker exceeded the 1k friends mark on Facebook this week. She has a lot of Norwegian fans. Can someone out there explain that phenomonen?
• Tanya is expected to perform June 10 at Fan Fair (CMA Music Festival) and sign for the GAC table on June 11
• Saguaro unveiled a new Tanya Tucker track this called “Big Big Love.” Hear it again.
• Saguaro may also unveil the Tanya Tucker iPhone application to pre-release streams from the new album. Would you download the Tanya app?
• Collin Raye is also set to perform at Fan Fair and is signing for GAC as well. Collin is just returning from a successful 1 week tour in Ireland. If there are any Irish fans out there, please let us know how you enjoyed the show.
• Collin Raye’s “You Get Me” is still the most popular track from Never Going Back.
• Pre order the new Adam Hood Deluxe Version album which includes 7 new bonus tracks. Download on Amazon MP3.
• The new Patty Loveless record is set to release September 29th. Expect a sound much like Mountain Soul.
• Hank Williams The Unreleased Recordings is now available for digital download excluslively on Amazon MP3. That’s 54 tracks for only $27.99 and synchs right up with iTunes upon download. Download here.

Now exclusively on the Amazon MP3 store is Hank Williams The Unreleased Recordings, 54 tracks for only $27.99. All tracks are DRM-free which means they are transferrable and playable across computers and MP3 players like iPods or iPhones.

Product Description on Amazon Page
At the peak of his career in 1951, Hank Williams recorded 143 songs for the Mother’s Best Flour Company. Hank sang with his regular studio band and recorded his hits as well as many songs he never recorded commercially anywhere else. From this amazing legacy, Time Life is proud to release this historic 3 CD, 54 track collection drawn from the very best of the Mother’s Best recordings.

Hank Williams – Gospel Keepsakes
By Brian Turpen

When the name of “Hank” is spoken in country music circles, nearly everyone immediately thinks of the legend, Hank Williams Sr. There is absolutely no denying his immortal stature. And when thinking of Hank, the vast majority of the average country music fans will recall his many successful popular tunes. Most may not know or realize the actual importance that gospel music played in both Hank’s life and career. In fact, most scholars would agree that it was gospel music that first sparked Hank’s interest in music.

In the Deep South during Hank’s youth, many were deeply tied to religious lifestyles, with their first music experiences being gospel. That is exactly where Hank’s first taste of music came from. His first and fondest memories were that of a very young boy enthusiastically singing gospel hymns while his mother Lillie played organ at the Mount Olive West Baptist Church. Years later in a rare interview with Jazz journalist Ralph J. Gleason of the San Francisco Chronicle Hank stated, “My earliest memory is sittin’ on that organ stool by her and hollerin’. I must gave been five, six years old and louder’n anybody else.”

Lillie encouraged Hank’s interest in singing. In the midst of the depression, as a single parent, she scraped together a few dollars and for two years straight she sent him to a Gospel shape-note singing school at the Oak Grove Methodist Church in Avant, Alabama.

Black church music also entered his young life too, as he could hear their music from his Georgiana home. Hank is said to have once commented to a boyhood friend while listening to the black church singing, “One day, I’m gonna write songs like that.”

The hymns Hank learned and heard colored his approach to music as nothing else ever would and those experiences would help shape Hank’s musical career. There is little question that Hank developed an early understanding and enthusiasm for gospel music, which was huge part of the background of his earliest days. The old hymns helped to teach him what he would need to know about writing and performing music. The melodies should be simple and the words plain spoken. Hank also learned how to express sincere feelings and to sing them as if salvation rested upon it. He came to appreciate the warm feeling components of a spiritual song. Gospel music would remain with Hank throughout his life.

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