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Published: September 24th 2011
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Today was the 'official' start to our holiday as we were beginning an 'escorted tour' (AKA a coach trip!) from Nashville to New Orleans. This was definitely a first for us and must admit we weren't sure what to expect. It was very reassuring to meet some people in the hotel lobby who were in the same boat (or coach) as us in more ways than one, as they too were coach tour virgins - and they were OK! They may of course have had a different view of us and perhaps we fulfilled all their worst nightmares about this holiday, but they managed to hide their true feelings if that was the case!
This tour was called a 'Musical Heritage' tour and today was all about Country music. We had a morning drive around the city and saw the Downtown area, with all the music bars, or Honky Tonks, where we'll stay at the end of our trip, the Bicentennial Park, Music Row where many great music publishers have their HQ along with a great number of Bible publishers (this is bible belt country) We had a tour guide caled Mary Lou (hello!) who seemed to know lots of
well known country stars personally and referred to the ladies as 'Miss' ( ' when Miss Tammy was alive' etc)
There is a real old world courtesy generally with people calling me 'ma'am' and John 'sir' all the time. Takes some getting used to, but I like it!
The big event this afternoon was to visit the Country Music Museum and Hall of Fame. We’re not at all knowledgeable when it comes to country music...... when we were both growing up it was the country songs in the charts that your grandmother liked! So we weren’t really expecting to get an awful lot from this visit.BUT we were surprised as it was great (and would have been REALLY memorable for country fans.) It was just done so well – a mix of interactive stuff, displays with instruments, outfits and memorabilia for just about every country music star from the year dot – including Elvis who began his career in country music. In fact we didn’t really have enough time to do the place justice because we also had a date at RCA Victor Studio B.
And this was the best bit of the day!
RCA Victor record
label originally rented rooms at the local Methodist church
(Trivia fact 1: to get the echo effect in the song, Elvis stood in the stairwell in the church basement to record the vocals on Heartbreak Hotel)
But they eventually built what became Studio B and it was so impressive to hear the records that came out of it.
Many artists were signed to RCA Victor but some were managed by another label but used Studio B to record their hits (EG Roy Orbison’s ‘Crying.’)
In the early 60’s Country met with the Blues and turned into Rock and Roll. This meant that traditional Country became less popular, so RCA Victor created a new Country style removing the steel guitars and using lavish orchestrations – and there were many hits like this recorded at the studios, including some by Jim Reeves (who my Grandma loved when I was screaming at the Beatles!) and others like Patsy Cline’s ‘Crazy.’ This became known as the 'Nashville Sound.’
Well, that was the intro but the best was yet to come as we then went into Studio B itself. There were instruments to look at and we got to hear
examples in recordings. For example a bell like instrument called a celeste that was played on Buddy Holly’s ‘Everyday.’
Elvis recorded for 13 years on the RCA Victor label and had some quirky recording techniques.
(Trivia fact 2: Elvis only recorded on a Sunday evening after 10pm, and often had the studio changed to fit in with the theme of the song. So, for example, on ‘Are you lonesome tonight?’ he had the studio in the dark. So we listened to the track with the lights switched off.....it was very goosebumpy to hear Elvis' voice and know he had recorded that song in this very room)
We had a great tour guide called Keith who obviously loved his job. He also loves Cilla Black!!!!
We got to sit at the Steinway piano often played by Elvis.....a real thrill!!
Studio B closed down the day after Elvis died but this was a complete coincidence.
It’s now reopened as a working recording studio and it's considered quite the thing to record there again..
Well, if that wasn’t a full enough day we spent the evening at the Grand Ole Opry which is an enormous concert
hall, watching a weekly radio show being recorded. We saw about 8 acts ranging from a yodelling 80 year old lady, to a bluegrass group, to some modern country acts. And all interspersed with the obligatory adverts. But it was an experience and probably an appropriate end to a very full and satisfying day.
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