C&W, issued in 1977, was the only album from actress,
singer, dancer, and comedian Carol Channing (who sadly died earlier this year
just a couple of weeks shy of her 98th birthday) and Webb Pierce, honky-tonk
vocalist, songwriter and guitarist and one of the biggest country stars of the
1950s, whose band included such stellar musicians as pianist Floyd Cramer and guitarist-vocalist
Faron Young.
Referred to on the reverse of the album sleeve (twice, no
less) as “this unlikely duo”, the couple on the front of the sleeve look like
they’re going to a Hallowe’en party, not a recording studio. Carol brandishes
one of her toy guns as she walks arm in arm with Webb, whose badly dyed
bouffant makes him look like Johnny Cash impersonating Dracula. But it’s the
music inside that really grates.
Carol’s trademarked cracked voice is no match for Webb’s
baritone. Thank goodness the whole sorry assemblage only lasts for less than
half an hour. Issued by Shelby Singleton’s Plantation records, C&W includes reworkings of some of
Pierce’s big hits, but the pairing of country legend and Broadway superstar
just doesn’t come off. Bizarrely Channing and Singleton thought otherwise, and
Channing followed this album with another for the label, a collection of duets
entitled Carol Channing and Her Country
Friends.
In his later years, Pierce became known for his excessive
lifestyle. He had North Hollywood tailor Nudie Cohen, who had made flamboyant
suits for Pierce, line two convertibles with silver dollars. He built a $30,000
guitar-shaped swimming pool at his Nashville home which became a popular paid
tourist attraction — nearly 3,000 people visited it each week — causing his
neighbours, led by singer Ray Stevens, to file a court action against Pierce to
end the tours.
Here are a couple of tracks from this peculiar collection: Take Your So Called Love and Tennessee
Enjoy!
Reminds me of Hilda Baker....:)
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