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I've worked with some of the legends of the Memphis sound, and Mississippi Blues, including Elvis' Guitarist James Burton, Stax legend Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, John Lee Hooker, and many others, and this song is a tribute to my Mom and Dad, who met in Memphis, during the war, and probably spent many romantic occasions at the Peabody Hotel, A landmark in this fun song, of one of the greatest cities in the history of American Music, and the birthplace of Rock and Roll.
My brother Chip Sanders, who incidentally was born in Memphis, sent me this lyric quite awhile back, and I thought it fit this new CD "Tweakin' Some Twang" I was working on perfectly.
Chip is also a piano player and released his first 45 RPM Single in the 60s, with some local success on the charts in Birmingham in the mid 60s with his band “The Ramblers”.
He took the title from those hot dog carts in the French Quarter in New Orleans. We grew up in Jackson Mississippi in the 1950s and Traveling to Memphis to stay at our Grandma's was an an incredible time in music, meeting Elvis, and his parents, in their home near our Aunt's house in a Memphis suburb. My grandmother's house was a block from Royal Studios, not far from the birthplace of Aretha Franklin. Our favorite radio experience in Memphis was listening to the black station, WDIA, with DJ, Rufus Thomas, whose daughter Vaneese Thomas is guest vocalist on another track on the new CD
My mom's first cousin was Art Sutton, one of the top jazz trombone players in Memphis with a house gig at the Peabody Hotel, often gigged with Bill Black, original Elvis Bass player, and managed Berl Olswanger Music, the top music store in town. Art's guitarist was Len Vernon, who was the guitar teacher to Steve Cropper and Elvis' Guitarist Scotty Moore, who's sound is nailed here by Nashville guitar superstar Brent Mason.
In 2004, I had a #9 blues hit song, "Foreclose on the House of Love" that was nominated at the blues awards in Memphis, and my family joined me there for a family reunion. This song is a Rockabilly fairy tale, Boy gets a "Get out of Jail Free Card" after a run in with a Mississippi Cop on Highway 61.
Boy meets Girl, Boy gets a record contract. My friend Butch Coulter is doing the Harmonica, Drums from Jim Riley of "Rascal Flatts" and Nashville guitar session superstar, Brent Mason who you've probably heard on a million country mega-hits.
lyrics
Cruisin’ through the Delta
Highway sixty one
Gigging down in Greenville
having too much fun
Reached and found my early times
Took a myself a drink
Mississippi trooper saw me
Wanna put me in the clink
Turns out he’s my ex wife’s cousin
loves to hear me play
Said “you comin to my house for breakfast boy
Then make yo getaway
Lucky dog, I’m a lucky dog
May just be prince charming
In a Mississippi Bull Frog
But tonight I feel like living
High Up on the hog
Bow wow wow yippee yay
I’m a lucky dawg
Well I finally got to Memphis
Had no place to stay
Met a girl on Beale Street
From some place far away
She said Johnny Lee I’m hungry
So I hailed a yellow cab
We had bbq at the rendezvous
And she picked up the tab
Flashed them big ol’ brown eyes
Pretty Little Southern Belle
Said “Baby I booked the penthouse
At the Peabody Hotel
Chorus
Somebody up there likes me
And I thank my lucky star
Got an angel on my shoulder
And My daddy’s old guitar
Yeah somebody up there likes me
And the world is mine tonight
I got a sweet young thing and a diamond ring
And a brand new Cadillac car
I’m a lucky dawg
Strollin’ down on Union
My Guitar in my case
Saw that yellow sun museum
And I check out the place
I could hear Johnny cash and ol’ Jerry Lee
And Carl Perkins sing
The spirit of the Delta calling me
I thought heard the king
They gave me an audition
Man he really dug my sound
He said sign right here on the dotted line Boy
Let’s go paint the town
Chorus
credits
from Tweakin' Some Twang,
released October 30, 2018
John Lee Sanders, Piano, Organ, Sax Section, Percussion, Vocal, Background vocal
Bruce Kaphan, Dobro guitar
Bach Norwood, Upright Bass
Brent Mason, Guitar
Butch Coulter, Harmonica
Jim Riley, Drums
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