MERRY CHRISTMAS TO JESSI FANS ... and CHATTING WITH THE GREAT KEN MANSFIELD

As the good cheer and unique joy of Christmas approaches, this is clearly an ideal time to wish everyone the safest, most blessed, and peaceful holiday season, along with a New Year filled with abundance and opportunity. It is also exciting to report that, in the past two weeks, I had a chance to speak at length with none other than Ken Mansfield --author, musician, producer, industry executive, and Christian lecturer extraordinaire. As many fans will recall, Ken produced Jessi's first four classic Capitol albums in the 1970s, including (of course) landmark tracks like "I'm Not Lisa", "What's Happened to Blue Eyes", "Storms Never Last" and other hits. During this period of fruitful collaboration, Ken rightfully garnered a multitude of rave reviews, awards, and award nominations for his efforts with Jessi (and with Waylon as co-producer of her tracks). Many fans will likewise remember that Ken produced Waylon's extraordinary 1976 classic Are You Ready for the Country? album. These successes, however, are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg in terms of Ken Mansfield's litany of accomplishments within the recording industry; his important association with a little band known as "The Beatles" deserves considerable mention, too.

Nevertheless, it is difficult to overemphasize Ken's contribution to the shaping of the mid-1970s outlaw-country "sound". One of the best ways to delve into that extraordinary history is to read the forthright and gripping accounts written by Ken himself! A superb trilogy of books gives testimony to the considerable artistic legacy of this man, along with a moving and potent narrative detailing Ken's Christian spiritual journey. The books can be purchased from a number of sources, but it is perhaps most convenient to peruse them and purchase them via Mr. Mansfield's official Amazon.com page. These days, Ken is a compelling and in-demand speaker, travelling nationally and internationally to witness to Christian groups about his conversion experience and how this grace-filled spiritual vision reflects back, in terms of perspective, upon his work as a star-maker in the often punishing entertainment industry.

Given the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, along with Ken's already hectic professional schedule, I was particularly thankful for his time when it came to talking about Jessi and her 1970s heyday. In an amiable hour of phone discussion, Ken had only the highest praise for Jessi and Waylon; his deep respect for these two, as both artists and individuals, is palpable. We covered a lot of territory, some of which was noted in his trilogy of books (another reason to buy those gems) and we explored a few more obscure aspects of the artistic process of working so closely alongside Colter and her posse. I am hoping to secure an in-depth interview with Ken some time after the New Year, if schedules permit, but suffice it to say that Ken graciously shed a great deal of light upon Jessi's rise to mid-1970s stardom. Among other things, Ken talked about the watershed moment when he first saw Jessi Colter performing on an episode of Hee Haw in the early 1970s. Indeed, Ken had tuned-into that particular episode because he wanted to watch the show's headlining star ...Waylon! Ken had already been a great admirer of Waylon's work, but he had never heard of Jessi, who he presumed to be the Hee Haw episode's featured "girl singer" du jour; he did not know that Jessi was associated with Waylon, at that time.

Mansfield was floored by his musical hero, Waylon Jennings, but equally intrigued by this beautiful and talented young lady at her piano. Being a man with no small measure of industry influence, Ken recounted how he made immediate inquiries into Jessi's identity, possible management status, etc. Upon learning that Jessi was, in fact, married to Old Hoss, he figured that Colter would already be well represented by some agent or production entity. As it turns out, she wasn't. To his delight, Ken received a phone call not long afterward and the pleasant voice on the other end of the line greeted him with the (perhaps prescient) words: "Hello, Ken. I'm Jessi Colter."

A powerful professional relationship was born at that juncture and the rest is history, for we all know how Jessi's "I'm Not Lisa" took the entire nation by storm in 1975, along with her debut album, I'm Jessi Colter (which went to No. 1 in Cashbox, No. 4 in Billboard), and her subsequent recording successes -- crossover chart appearances with hits like "What's Happened to Blue Eyes" and "You Ain't Never Been Loved" and monster-selling albums like Jessi and Diamond in the Rough. Ken was also quick to acknowledge the crucial reaction of Capitol Records VP (and fellow industry legend) Al Coury, who listened to the four-track demo Ken produced on Jessi and "nearly fell off his chair," agreeing to sign her on-the-spot. Mr. Mansfield also gave high praise to Jessi for her confidence and professionalism in the studio. Even before she became a star, she believed in her one-of-a-kind, original music and didn't want a lot of superfluous bells & whistles when it came to recording.

"Jessi was no-nonsense in the studio," said Ken during our conversation. "We brought in her little piano and she played and sang her heart out. She didn't want any overdubs or anything, which is why on her records you hear this amazing, very real voice."

Ken also spoke briefly with me about Jessi's seminal but underappreciated Mirriam album of 1977, as well as his wish that the label had released Jessi's incomparable original version of "Storms Never Last" as a single in 1975. "I absolutely believe it would have been another million-seller for her," he said. I wholeheartedly agreed with him on that one.

All in all, it was a pleasure and an honor to speak with this exemplary gentleman, and I do hope to flesh-out the experience with a formal interview transcript after the New Year, as mentioned. Ken was open to the idea of sending him some "Jessi Questions" within that context, so we will see what may be seen in the near future. Until then, if you want one of the most compelling "inside looks" at the making of the music you love, along with geat stories about so many other big-name artists and industry "powers", I would encourage you to purchase one or all of Ken's books. He apparently also has what sounded to me like his most extraordinary project ever in-the-works, too; we'll keep readers posted when Mr. Mansfield feels ready to reveal more. If anyone out there is interested in welcoming Ken as a powerful, uncompromisingly Christian speaker for your church, or as a speaker for your corporate organization/event, check out his www.AuBaycom.com multi-media site.

For now, let me wrap-up this entry by reemphasizing my gratefulness for Ken Mansfield's time, generosity, and enlighteningly positive words about our beloved Jessi (and Waylon). The next installment of Jessi's bio will show up on the blog after the New Year, and hopefully a transcripted interview with Ken shall follow in due course. Let me wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Jessi, her loved ones, her associates, and to all of Jessi's and Waylon's and Shooter's fans at home in the USA and elsewhere. Godspeed and God Bless! ~Ian

JESSI BUSY AS EVER: Promoting Upcoming Waylon Tribute (VOL. II) and Singing with Hank Jr. for the Country Music Hall of Fame

The next portion of my Jessi Bio (dealing primarily with Mirriam Johnson's life and work in the "Duane Eddy Years" and her first meeting with Ol' Waylon) will arrive as soon as I get my Christmas shopping done, which of course will be mere moments away. NOT. In any event, Jessi the Lady has been busy this December, still working on her own projects and contributing to great causes. Notably, she has been in Nashville with Shooter and a number of other artists, gearing-up for the eventual release of the second volume in the official Jessi-approved Waylon tribute album, and also helping old friend Hank Williams Jr. in a benefit to raise money for the Country Music Hall of Fame. One of Nashville's most beloved columnists, Hazel Smith, dishes wonderfully about a recent visit with Jessi, and fans can be privy to the details by following this link: http://www.cmt.com/news/hot-dish/1675728/hot-dish-jamey-johnson-gives-jessi-colter-a-20-bill-for-scratch-paper.jhtml

More to come, friends. As mentioned, 2012 is going to be a busy year for Jessi, Shooter, their fans, and Waylon's legions of fans. Stay tuned and enjoy safe and blessedly happy holidays!

JESSI's BIOGRAPHICAL ESSENTIALS, PART II

This is not a good day to peruse the Jessi-Bio. I spent over two hours composing the "Part II" of Mirriam Joan Johnson's early life, liveliness, and legacy, and my wicked, wicked, WICKED pc just flopped like a dead squirrel as I was finishing the piece.
I wrote some exceptional insights about Mirriam's early years, gleaning nuances about that powerful & peculiar "pentecostal style" in terms of her piano playing at Mama Helen's church. Yes ... I plumbed some depths, and am flummoxed. Blogspot used to "save" drafts. I guess they are pissing me off.

In any case, I am devastated by the loss of all that I wrote about Mirriam Johnson's (Jessi Colter's) early fusion of influences. Namely, I went into detail about the tradition of Pentecostal muscianship, the socio-cultural background of Mesa, AZ, and the juicy amalgamation of church-y styles that 11-year old Mirriam must have incorporated into her "sound" by the time she reached the mere brink of her teens.

I went on (with references) about how she was duly sheltered as a young lady (from the skunky honky tonks) but was encouraged in reasonable directions as a young woman by her Mama.

Being totally pissed at the services of blogspot, I noted that Mirriam Joan Johnson gained a fabulous local reputation as a prodigy in Mesa, was guided under the watchful and worthy love-shroud of Mama & Papa Johnson, but still became intuitive and fabulous enough to merit a "smuggler" scenario. Mirriam's sister, Sharon, had married wheeler-dealer producer "Cowboy" Jack Clement, and Jack was "in thick" with twangy guitar superstar Duane Eddy. Though she had particpated-in and won a number of regional singing/songwriting contests, Mirriam was a bit interested in auditioning for Eddy.

Willie Nelson has made more than one semi-nasty remark about Jessi Colter, and we aim to take him to task for his comments (Yes, I am going to rake Willie up one side and down the other), but "lack of ambition" cannot be a slogan wrapped around Mirriam Joan Johnson circa 1960-61. Mirriam's brothers had to secrete her out of the house into a "bar" (Oh MY! That was CLEARLY off Mama Helen's radar), but Mirriam, who could sing like a bird, as we all know, caught Eddy's eye and ear, on that particular evening, and she also caught the very first wave of a tide that would bring her toward shores she had never dreamed of.

The rest of my previously stunning bio was related to Mirriam Johnson's  hypothetical conundrum, as a youngster:

"I suppose I am something of a prodigy. Mama's flock requires me to have a Gospel soul, and I have one, and this sort of pentecostal "soul" requires emphatic piano-playing. Plus, they like soft, roadhouse-y flourishes at-the-edges of hymns, when they break to speak in tongues. I can do that, which makes my piano-playing style rather funky and unique. But I also want to write my own songs, and I think I can take-on the world in that regard, if I want. Do I want it?"

I will revisit Mirriam's development as a very young singer, songwriter, and Evangelical Gospel chanteuse in the next installment. My two-hour "version" was obviously much better and more elaborate. Bear with us.

(Grrrrrrr.....)

Amazing News: Jessi's Autobiography is reportedly in-the-works ... New Album Rumored for 2012

The next installment of my Jessi Colter-bio will arrive as soon as I find time amidst all of my other projects, but until then Colter fans ought to be galvanized by the following news: Jessi has been hard at work on her autobiography -- crafting her life-story at home in Arizona and sometimes in the town of Normandy, near Nashville. The autobiography is confirmed by a recent article about the Jennings estate's indefatigable business-manager, Nikki Mitchell, in the Shelbyville Times Gazette. The article is entitled Ready for the Country? and can be read at http://www.t-g.com/story/1784482.html. As if this news was not exciting enough, a new Jessi Colter studio album is rumored for 2012. In interviews related to the promotion of the latest Jessi & Shooter-approved Waylon Jennings tribute album, Jessi notes that she has been working with Lenny Kaye and a slew of peers for the past three years. The disc is expected to be released by Scatter Records. No matter what the case may be, the idea of Jessi's memoirs reaching the public is particularly extraordinary. Her life has been as adventurous as that of her beloved husband, and with all due respect to the beloved and wonderful Waylon ... I expect Jessi remembers a lot more of the key moments. It would be the musical autobio of the decade, if well-written and candid, and we already know that Jessi is a straight-shootin' and admirably articulate woman. Stay tuned, Colterians!

JESSI COLTER: The Biographical Essentials (PART ONE)

The woman who would become known to the world of pop, country, rock, and American roots music as "Jessi Colter" entered the world on May 25, 1947 (or 1943, according to sources we dismiss due to Jessi's seemingly eternal youth and sexiness) as Mirriam Johnson, the sixth child of seven children born to Helen Johnson of the Mesa, Arizona "neck of the world". Mama Helen (a formidable, hard-working woman of European ancestry) was not only a full-time homemaker for her delightful brood, but an ordained evangelical/Pentecostal minister and feisty preacher with her own church and congregation. Papa Johnson was a one-time racing-car builder, inventor, and entrepreneur who, with his lovely wife, owned copper and turquoise mines sequestered near a lodge-style family camp near the Gila River, deep in the Arizona desert. Remember these things as we outline our story of Jessi Colter's unique beginnings: faith; family; fast cars; and the kinds of wide-open, mystically lonesome Western desert spaces that can often be the domain of genuinely maverick American "outlaw" personalities.

That inimitable, pioneering Western lifestyle formed the foundation of a loving family guided by the strong hand of Mother Helen's unshakable faith. These were key factors in the development of Jessi Colter's character. Throughout her adult life, Jessi has been known as a woman of class, sass, grace, independence, and a sizzling sense of humor as wry and dry as the desert sands from which she seemingly sprung. She is a woman of the American "West" and, though fame has enabled her to travel the world and light-up everything from concert stadiums and record company offices to glitzy Nashville, New York, and LA soirees, her identity will always be authentically linked to the gorgeous-but-arid land of her birth, and to the faith that permeated her stark and very "deep in the West" Arizona upbringing. It has always amazed me that some folks think that the only people who dwell in "the country" are to be found in the South. Sorry, honey -- that is Establishment Nashville smoke & mirrors, along with a lot of other twisted territorial foolishness. Authentic rural music is defined by whatever off-the-beaten path, outside-the-big city, hardscrabble outskirt and otherwise backwater American region can be found. Nashville is about as "country" as Times Square. Yet it has been the mecca for giddy artists who craved acceptance and who were subsequently eaten-up and spit-out. This, good friends, is why the term "outlaw" was even applied to country & western music to begin-with. Listen and learn from the likes of Waylon Jennings and his posse. Even so, every outlaw worth his or her salt tends to take a circuitous route on the journey to "find themselves" and gorgeous Jessi Colter was no exception.

There can be little doubt that children in large families often find wonderfully strategic ways to make themselves heard and to demonstrate their usefulness. Kids are resilient in this regard and the creative child can employ particularly effective methods in order to secure the attention and love that all normal children need and desire. Little Mirriam Johnson proved herself quite useful indeed; Mama Helen's church congregation needed a piano player and, when Mirriam demonstrated a swift talent for tickling the ivories soon after lessons commenced at age seven, a prodigy was just around the proverbial corner. Within four years, the scene must have looked portentous, like something out of a rollicking (but evangelistic) rock & roll bio-flick: Helen preaching God's love and the holy words of Scripture to her tongue-speaking flock, churning them into a crescendo of hallelujahs and prophetic exaltation, while, at the nearby upright piano, 11 year-old Mirriam was just beginning to strike the first, authoritative notes of a Gospel nugget like His Eye is On the Sparrow. The kid could play, and, with the help of God and the spirit-filled orchestration of Mama Helen, that church swooned and swayed with the searing brand of intense "soul" that has been the bedrock and constant wellspring of some of the greatest American musical artists of our time. Mirriam Johnson had soul -- and she came by it the real way ... hard work, innate talent, and instilled inspiration. No one had to "attach it to her" years later in some industry boardroom at the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood.

An eleven year-old girl striking the keys and filling a room, filling hearts with the wonderfully aching chords and melodies of soul-stunning Gospel music -- Gospel music up at the sharp end. That was only the beginning, folks, but what a beginning it was!

(STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO)

Before We Go Any Further: KEN MANSFIELD IS GETTIN' HIS DUE!

The Jessi Colter biography that I am crafting is going to be the sort of bio that she herself would hopefully deem worthy. There are so many awful and ill-researched, cobbled-together treatments of her life and career out there (Wikipedia's being the worst) that the time has come for a more extensive and accurate account. In any event, my stab at it will be far better than it would be if there were still three dozen record-company potentates hovering around her. Imagine the days when swarthy, cigarette-puffing, executive industry trolls were gathered in a dreary conference room, trying to figure-out Jessi's music:

"Is she pop? Is she country? She sure looks good. How should we market her?"

At least they knew she was good enough to make them buckets of money. That being said, I am convinced to this day that Capitol did not have a clue in terms of properly marketing the amazing Jessi for the longterm, and they made a lot of mistakes, but we'll explore that issue later, and in considerable detail.

You all may wish to hear that Waylon was the stalwart and "dedicated producer" from the proverbial get-go when Jessi hit it very, very, very big in 1975, but that may be just a little bit inaccurate. Waylon was a fabulous artist of (ahem!) some ambition and verve, on his own, but there are indications that he was not necessarily as overjoyed as one might think when wifey's songs exhibited a potential chance to upstage him. After all, "Jessi" had been a faithful wife, companion, and struggling artist for years. Artists, by nature, can often be competitive. It should not surprise us that Jessi's capacity to gain fame, hit songs, and albums of her own presented Waylon with a challenging new dynamic; it would be an interesting mountain-to-climb for any couple.

The scenario was not one of unabashed jealousy, in any event. There were "issues", indeed, but at the end of the day, Waylon wanted Jessi to fly, and Jessi lived her life to make sure that Waylon "flew". Suffice it to say that, when Waylon heard four of Jessi's original songs all gussied-up for the Capitol bosses, he knew his gal was going to be a star and had to take a big gulp for various and understandable reasons.

Amid all of this, Ken Mansfield was the one who secured those four initial demos for his Hometown unit, and he worked the boards and ruled the studio roost. Namely, he produced.

Ken is as much a gift to humanity these days, in terms of spiritual strength and direction, as he was to making a classic Jessi Colter album (or three) back in the mid-1970s -- albums that would survive the test of time. Ken Mansfield remains a legend, in our purview ... and we will be exploring all of the reasons WHY.

For purposes of temporary summation, however, Ken was (and remains) a charming and gifted man who managed the Beatles and possessed a talent for making "surrounding talent" erupt. Ken had Nashville by the cojones in the mid 1970s, and one of his greatest achievements was producing Jessi, and her 1975 I'm Jessi Colter album, which probably no one expected to do anywhere near as well as it did, but which ended-up spending about a year on charts around the world, and made even sardonic Waylon sit up and take notes. How could that album have been so good? Moreover, how could the 1976 follow-up (Jessi) have been even better?

There are many questions that Ken may answer, and we might get to that point, hopefully, but for the time being we honor Ken, his brilliance, and the superb, well-written books he has written about his incomparable journey thus far. Trust me: many stars "of yore" want to spill their memories and do have not a clue when it comes to delineating their life histories within the context of their own brains. Ken, however, is a strikingly talented writer and his books stand out as exquisite documents. He is currently a beloved and successful pastor (and we love our pastors) but he has tantalizing insights regarding some of the most crucial aspects of Jessi's career history, more than anyone now living, I think, and we revere him de facto for his excellence. Believe me -- every song he produced for Jessi will be parsed and analyzed on this blog.

Buy Ken's books here and here and here ...

If it sounds like I may indeed be angling for a Jessi-specific interview with Ken, I am. His history with Colter will hopefully be lavished upon readers as if delivered via flying red carpet, but the crucial thing is that observers understand that all three of Ken's books are better than they perhaps deserve to be; I cannot overemphasize the fact that Mr. Mansfiled is a compelling writer. The superior quality of his accounts should not surprise us, given that Ken is a man who has always apparently made it a point to work with the best.

We shall delve further into the unique contribution of Ken Mansfield regarding Jessi Colter's musical legacy, and he has indeed documented some very intriguing things -- including what Waylon did and did not want for his wife's career trajectory, at least at the outset. Stay tuned, good friends, and once again: buy Ken's outstanding trilogy of books by clicking on the links above. You will be astonished by the scope of this man's incredible journey as a professional and as an individual seeking answers on the vast horizon of life.

JESSI COLTER BIO (UNAUTHORIZED, UNOFFICIAL & THE BEST ONE YOU'LL READ TIL SHE WRITES ONE HERSELF)

Jessi Colter.

Depending upon the year in which you were born, what type of music you like (or the type of music your parents like/liked ... God Rest Their Souls, if they are in the "liked" category), or your basic knowledge of the history of various late 20th-century "alternative pop" musical movements, the name of Jessi Colter might be familiar to you. If it is not, it ought to be, and that is just one of the purposes of this forthcoming biography.

Jessi Colter was a truly major American recording artist for perhaps a six year span, at best, beginning in 1975. She attained a brief but unquestionable "superstar" status that is both enigmatic and tantalizing specifically because of an almost detectable decision, on her part, to walk away from a glaring limelight that she did not enjoy, a stardom she did not desire, and an industry that -- amost appallingly -- did not fight to understand and nurture her exceptional artistry ... even as she was making millions of dollars for that industry.

In her 45-year career thus far, Jessi Colter has released only nine solo studio albums*. Never the less and quite significantly, four or maybe five of those nine albums can be legitimately described as "classic" American recordings of superior caliber (I'm Jessi Colter, Jessi, Mirriam, Out of the Ashes, and a bit less likely ... Diamond in the Rough). Time-capsule worthy material. Most artists are lucky if they can produce just one 4-to-5-star original effort! Jessi, as mentioned, has at least four or five in the bag -- six, when you count the "Outlaws" album", and she isn't finished by any means. Keep in mind that her 2006 release 'Out of the Ashes' generated critical raves to rival the best of her 70's heyday.

Jessi Colter was indeed a crucial presence on that collaborative album that made undeniable history as a landmark boot-squashing statement of artistic independence. On the Wanted: The Outlaws album, Jessi Colter helped her fellow mavericks explode and then redefine the parameters of a claustrophobic, insular, often hypocritical musical genre ... a genre that claimed to include all of the wide-open, far-flung musical "contributions" of the American continent, but which was ironically tied, bound, and gagged to one city and to its interests: Nashville. As both a groundbreaking "crossover" and "outlaw" artist, Jessi Colter paved a big way for artists creating "sounds" outside the status quo, and American country music has since flourished when it has ventured into this territory (while remaining original). Colter paved the way for a veritable red-carpet of successful artists, precisely because Jessi Colter was so big doing the thing she was doing. There is documentation behind this, as if it were not evident enough to the Good Soul that looks back and wonders what made those great days of American Music actually tick.

Jessi Colter helped change the face of a genre, for the better. And her music remains true -- resurgent, revitalized, beguilingly ahead-of-its-time, perhaps more relevant than ever. Moreover, she is still creating, supposedly.

Jessi Colter is, of course, today best-known as the faithful wife and singing sidekick of uber-character/troubador Waylon Jennings. Though this is indeed an accurate appraisal of her career "status", it is also very much incomplete in terms of portraiture. Jessi Colter was, in fact, the bigger seller, more prolific songwriter, and brighter national/international "star" than her towering husband for a little while.

The great thing about Jessi Colter's career was that she burst bright and brilliantly, sometimes almost in spite of her glorious husband's "issues" and then she retreated from the very industry that sought to pigeon-hole them both ... in order to dedicate herself to her beloved husband (and, indeed, to the elaborate solving of his issues). But there is much more to be told than that.

We are indeed about to tell the Jessi Colter Story. Stay tuned.

*Jessi's 1990s kids' album will be discussed separately

Lame Liner-Notes Notwithstanding, 3-Album Jessi Colter Release is a MUST-HAVE!

I received the much-anticipated, remastered, reissued 3-album Jessi Colter set from Amazon a few days ago and can report that the project is absolutely gorgeous from start to finish ... with one horrific exception. More about that in a minute. As indicated in prior entries, there has been a relative flurry of Jessi Colter classic 1970s album reissues on CD, beginning with the two-fer by Raven Records (I'm Jessi Colter + Diamond in the Rough + 3 tunes from That's the Way a Cowboy Rocks and Rolls) and now by BGO Reissues (I'm Jessi Colter + Jessi + Diamond in the Rough). The former set, which offered 23 songs and the entirety of Jessi's uber-classic Capitol debut disc, is the less attractive of the two offerings, all things being considered. The latter is superior because it is includes Jessi's first three superb Capitol albums in toto (on two compact discs), in chronological order, more lavishly packaged than the Raven product, and notably "remastered from the original tapes"; the Raven product's packaging does not make this claim).

More than anything else, the BGO product gives us the crucial sequence of Jessi Colter songs exactly as they were released to her fans from Spring 1975 to July 1976, with pristine, digitally remastered audio quality, lots of sexy Jessi-photos and a nice slip-case. The photos are all derived from the three original album covers and sleeves, each obviously rendered in their stand-alone photographic glory, i.e. you get the clean photos of Jessi without the album credits superimposed. The cover (seen above) features Jessi famously attaching bling from the back cover-shot of I'm Jessi Colter. The insert-booklet features shots from both the I'm Jessi Colter album front-cover and the Jessi album sleeve -- the gorgeous sepia head-shot of smiling Jessi-in-profile and the Jim Moffit "parchment" artwork listing all of the songs from Jessi and each song's musical motif ('Without You' = Trouble, 'Hand That Rocks the Cradle' = Maturity, etc.). The jewel case's tray-card preserves the wonderful Jim Moffitt painting of Jessi in-the-woodlands that graced the back cover of Jessi, only without the album credits in the mix. I always loved that painting and thought it captured the almost mystical ambiance of an album I still consider to be Jessi's artistic masterpiece (though just by-a-hair ... after Out of the Ashes and Mirriam).

The liner notes provided with the BGO collection are, unfortunately, an abomination. For a three-album reissue of this significance, the folks at BGO might have paid their staff writer to do a little more than pull inaccurate information from the web in such a clearly disinterested, disoriented manner. The guy possibly didn't give much of a rip, stating a few dry statistical facts about Jessi's career and then meandering down every possible tangent by following Wiki-links about other artists. For example, in "writing" about Jessi's early days as a songwriter alongside Duane Eddy, our intrepid investigator notes that Dottie West recorded one of Jessi's songs in 1965. He then apparently googled Dottie West and started giving us a completely unnecessary run-down of Dottie's recording career. Huh? This sort of extended "walkabout" occurs with almost every mentionable individual connected with Jessi's records (session players, producers, coffee-brewers, you get the picture). Jessi's actual music and style are never really discussed. This was not the case with the Raven reissue's liner-notes, where the writer obviously took time to analyze Colter's music, influences, and impact before rendering insightful commentary.

Research, people. It's called research! One of the things that has always annoyed me is the underestimation of the great Jessi Colter, and the BGO package's lousy liner-notes only magnified that irritation, but the musical legacy preserved is beyond reproach, and that is what matters most. Moreover, I will be correcting any "underestimation issues" with my upcoming Jessi-bio, which I swear is indeed upcoming. I simply need to organize it and find a window of time in which to lay it out here on the blog. My bio of Jessi and analysis of her music is based upon extensive research and citation of legitimate sources ... not sloppy Wikipedia hen-scratch.

Buy the BGO three-fer collection here, at Amazon, or at your preferred online retailer. Who knows how many they will print? To have these immaculate Jessi Colter classics in such polished-up, contemporary media format is a Godsend, folks. And please wait patiently for the Jessi-bio. I promise that it will be fascinating, and that it will shine a powerful light upon this iconic outlaw-lady's important (and too often overlooked) contribution to original American roots music. Cheers for now, y'all.

One of the Most Incisive Reviews of Jessi's 2006 Masterpiece 'Out of the Ashes'

Jessi garnered a towering heap of fabulous reviews for her Don Was-produced 2006 slice-o-grace, Out of the Ashes. One of the most incisive is featured below -- written by Mark Desrosiers of PopMatters on February 28, 2006. Desrosiers gets a few things wrong in his review, e.g. that Jessi has "never been taken seriously by critics" (OH HELL YES SHE WAS, at least in the early-going), but his overall review is accurate and probative and witty, to boot. Read and enjoy, and buy the freaking incredible album ASAP, by clicking on this link. My own review of that great record will be forthcoming (and it will be more incisive than this one), but Colter fans must wait. I have stories to tell, friends, and all of it must begin with the comprehensive Jessi Colter "bio" I am close to completing for this blog. The bio will be the most extensive yet in Colter's regard (research is everything and sources will be scrupulously cited), and it will not be like any "write-up" you may ever have seen about Jessi Colter in the past.

After that, we (or I) will start diving deep deep deep into the music. ALL of the music will be proffered ... along with anecdotes and Jessi Colter stories that will make you want to pick wildflowers and sing soft, sad songs.Trust me. Meanwhile, enjoy Desrosiers review, keeping in mind that I am going to pick him APART for not giving enough credit to the incomparable Ken Mansfield and (of course) Waylon for their unique contributions to the Sparkling Jessi-Brilliance of the 1970s.

Jessi Colter: Out of the Ashes

It was probably true love, that day in 1969 when Miriam Eddy (recently divorced from Duane) married Waylon Jennings, the world’s luckiest man (having given up his plane seat to the Big Bopper on February 3, 1959). Certainly, it wasn’t for money or fame: Jennings was then a hepatitic has-been, thousands of dollars in debt, experiencing a career drought that no doubt springloaded his transformation from sideman to outlaw pioneer (along with Miriam’s transformation into a honky tonk heroine named Jessi Colter). Well anyway, to make a very very long story short, Jessi Colter spent three decades as Waylon Jennings’s wife, recorded some records along the way, and now she’s alone (Waylon having had the gall to peg out just before Valentine’s Day 2002). Out of the Ashes is her first adult record in 20 years, and as far as I can determine, the first ever concept album by a widowed former outlaw. As such, it’s a mix of tomfoolery and the sublime, with a little gunplay and squeaky bedsprings in there too.

Critics have never taken Jessi Colter seriously, and I’m guessing most outlaw fans did more fantasizing than theorizing about her recorded work. From “Suspicious Minds” through “I’m Not Lisa” and even up to the children’s records she put out in the 1990s, Colter really did seem like a shapely, beautiful, safe ‘n’ sane “outlaw”, more a raven-haired response to Olivia Newton-John than Patsy Montana reincarnated among us. So this record is a surprise: a handful of great songs, sparingly produced by Don Was, and Colter’s voice has never sounded more powerful and broad. I should point out that, whatever her motives, this is not a record cynically aimed at the alt-indie crowd, Loretta-Lynn style. In fact, Out of the Ashes more often seems a pious attempt to honor her late husband (and his maker), while confronting the reality of her own widowhood. The fact that this reality clearly includes vigorous sack time with god-knows-who (definitely not her memories) just makes the record that much more engaging.

Something’s been freed up inside Colter: I hear no more producers or spouses pulling strings and fogging lenses. She’ll listen hard to Jesus, sure, but now’s her chance to write and sing without fear or favor. That eager grappling at decades of pent-up wisdom (let’s not forget being something of a dutiful sex symbol) gushes forth in places like “You Took Me By Surprise” (wherein the sexagenarian widow growls “rock me gently” as if the sheets were still damp), and “You Can Pick ‘Em” (one whore after another). But the centerpiece of the record, the bit that takes your breath away even as someone’s watch alarm beeps Moldy-Peaches-style into the microphone at one point, is “So Many Things”. The piano drips down like a thawed stalagtite, a cello buzzes like a solemn bee, and Colter herself seems bewitched by the one thing the song is really about: memories of lovemaking. I think the cavernous rawness of this tune is what led Shooter Jennings to remark that the whole record is “dirty and messy like an early Rolling Stones record.” Well, a son’s love can exaggerate mom’s achievements, but this is certainly starker (and sexier) than anything she’s ever recorded. Even “I’m Not Lisa” (the smash hit with a co-respondent’s name in the title) seems cheery and baroque in comparison.

There are some bizarre moments, though. The exuberant cover of Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” makes me wonder if her physician has prescribed some kind bud for her glaucoma or something. “Starman”—about getting laid by stars—seems a tad late coming from a woman who launched her career by marrying Duane Eddy in 1966, yet its earnestness seems to suggest a song that’s been kept inside her for forty years. And the star-studded “Out of the Rain” (featuring Tony Joe White and a ghost named Waylon) is much too soggy for a desert record like this.

On the whole, though, these are great, simple tunes that haunt us with their lust, sadness, and freedom (for that can be a joy of widowhood). That’s the concept this widow’s putting across, and I dig it. Just pray that your own momma can turn over enough glowing coals to sing a line like this when she hits retirement age: “When that canyon’s getting narrow, seems there’s room for one, that’s all”.

Yes, Indeed ... a Classic Colter Capitol "Three-Fer" is being Reissued and is Available for Pre-Order on Amazon

It only took a little digging, and it seems a tad strange, but two sets of significant Jessi Colter classic album reissues are indeed at our fingertips. The Raven Records "twofer" release of Jessi's I'm Jessi Colter and Diamond in the Rough albums is already out there, but totally beating them/competing with them (and we'd have to say probably "winning") is the Bgo/Ka label's "three-fer" reissue of Jessi's first three Capitol albums (on two audio CDs) on September 27. Have a looky-loo over at Amazon and pre-order.

The Bgo/Ka set is actually less expensive than the Raven product, and boasts the advantage of three complete albums, in the chronological sequence of their appearance in Jessi's mid-1970s heyday, with the crucial inclusion of her masterpiece Jessi album. 30 tracks in total, compared with 23 tracks on the Raven package (the latter threw-in a smattering of tracks from That's the Way a Cowboy Rocks and Rolls).

Read the posts of previous days for more background on these releases. We don't know what has occasioned this sudden efflorescence of Jessi Colter "classic" reissuing, but we like it! Unless Jessi signed-away the rights to her wonderful Capitol back-catalogue long ago, then she must have had some say in the licensing of these works for import remasterings and releasings now.

A bit of a mystery.

In any event, I know that I'll be purchasing the digitally remastered "three-fer" (which promises new album notes, etc.) just as I purchased the Raven Records offering. Dare we hope that someone will next appear with a "four-fer" (I'm Jessi Colter, Jessi, Diamond in the Rough, and the equally glorious Miriam)? Stay tuned for more info as it may be gathered and shared. All sorts of things are on the way, otherwise: the massive Jessi Colter "blog bio" I am crafting, lyrics to all of Jessi's songs (!), and links to various sites (Jessi's official site, Shooter's site, Waylon's site, etc.). We're gonna get all "Jessied-Up" without a doubt.

A Veritable Avalanche of Jessi Reissues? Now There Appears to be a "Three-Fer" as 1976's 'Jessi' Enters the Mix

Raven Records in Australia got the ball rolling a couple of weeks ago with their release of the Two-for-One CD featuring Jessi's classic Capitol albums I'm Jessi Colter (1975) and Diamond in the Rough (1976), but I'm stumped as to the source for the release you'll find available for pre-order here. The packaging certainly looks very reminiscent of the Raven Records offering (see previous blog entry for more details), only this time we have an "album cover" dominated by the muy sexy Roy Kohara shot of Jessi in the woods putting on her bling -- the shot used on the back cover of I'm Jessi Colter. This product, however, promises not two but three "digitally remastered" Jessi albums (a total of thirty songs) on two CDs. No longer is Diamond in the Rough a sonic bookend, as it is in the Raven Records twofer; Jessi's early 1976 Capitol bestseller, Jessi, is part of the line-up and here fills-in a crucial chronological gap.

Jessi was, of course, positioned as the follow-up to the hugely successful I'm Jessi Colter and, for many reasons and in many respects, Jessi was considered by numerous critics and fans to be an even superior work. That is saying something, given the splash she made critically and commercially with I'm Jessi Colter and the expectations that must have been in the air for an appropriate "sequel". Stamped indelibly (as were the first four of Jessi's Capitol albums) with the red-hot, on-target production of Ken Mansfield, Jessi still stands -- in my own opinion -- as her artistic apex, just slightly edging I'm Jessi Colter and Out of the Ashes. We'll be delving into deep discussion about all of her records soon enough, but for now let it be noted that 1976's Jessi pushed some astonishing new boundaries in terms of raw stylism, soulful authoritativeness, and originality. This was no "pop" record ... and no "country" record, for that matter.

It was Jessi Colter music, up at the sharp-end.

10 more entirely self-written compositions shine on this collection, each tune exploring the sensual, spiritual, and passionate journey of the heart in love's labyrinth. The brilliance of this particular record seems to rest in the fact that Colter managed to underscore the femininity of her perspective (as she did so well on I'm Jessi Colter) while simultaneously expanding the scope of her music's universal relevance -- a jaw-dropping trick if ever there was one. This was a record women and men could love equally. Again, every track on Jessi is a slice of brilliance, with churning album-opener The Hand that Rocks the Cradle being, arguably, the best song song she ever wrote and sang in her life ... a country-rock anthem that still makes the hairs on your neck stand up and salute. The big hit off this album was the radiant, almost mystically declarative It's Morning (And I Still Love You), but one wonders whether, by this time, Capitol was beginning to experience a real conundrum when it came to promoting the genuinely uncategorizable genius they had been sort of shuffling back-and-forth between pop/rock, AOR, MOR, and country markets for over a year. With the Outlaws album craze only a few months away, the label's last chance to establish, pinpoint, develop, and/or fine-tune Colter's distinctive and independent marketing "identity" for posterity may have been compromised. Ironic, indeed.

Whatever the case may be, Jessi proved to be another mammoth hit for Colter, equalling the No. 4 peak of her previous album on the country chart in Spring 1976, climbing high into the Billboard Pop Top 200, and forcing a few hold-out critics (who may have remained a tad skeptical of the uber-pop appeal of I'm Not Lisa) to eat a bit of crow. Therefore, it makes much more sense for any current company bent on reissuing "classic" Jessi Colter albums to do so with the inclusion of Jessi, if only because there is such a palpable gap in style when I'm Jessi Colter and Diamond in the Rough are considered in sequence without it. Whomever is releasing this triumvirate of essential Colter albums is to be commended, but the name of the label eludes us at this juncture (it is not given at CDUniverse) and we will have to see from whence, exactly, this intriguing new configuration is slated to emerge. Jessi Colter's "people" are apparently not saying much in the way of publicity. Let's hope The Great Lady herself is aware that her work is being reissued so she can take some well-deserved pride in the process. Stay tuned. My Jessi "bio for the blog" is coming relatively soon, as well.

Timely New Release/Reissue: 2 Jessi Colter Classic Capitol Albums

There will be much to write and to explore about the superb Jessi Colter, including imminent work on her bio for this particular website, but priority must be given to some excellent recent news regarding the pioneering "outlaw" singer-songwriter.

Namely, Australia-based Raven Records has just released a "2-for-1"reissue of Jessi's classic Capitol albums I'm Jessi Colter and Diamond in the Rough on one audio CD! Both albums are featured in their entirety, along with three bonus tracks from Colter's underrated 1978 Capitol offering, That's the Way a Cowboy Rocks and Rolls. Available now at Amazon. com, the 23-song collection marks the most comprehensive (and extensive) collection of Jessi Colter's back-catalogue ever, for a number of reasons. No solo Jessi Colter album* has ever been remastered and reissued for official sale heretofore, and this effort by Raven Records provides fans (old and new) with the opportunity to revel in the glory to two pristine, complete collections. It is a pleasure to note that the record has been selling well at Amazon, hovering in the Top 1000 throughout the first two weeks of its release. That's not bad at all for an import that is not receiving any significant press or publicity, but for those who know anything about Jessi Colter's career, the brisk sales are not necessarily a surprise.

I'm Jessi Colter was unquestionably a landmark album in what has since become known as country music's "outlaw" movement, but the enduring success of this record actually transcended a number of genres following its release in Spring 1975.

Having been signed to Capitol's pop division in Hollywood within the framework of Ken Mansfield's Hometown Productions in 1974, Colter hit the studio with 10 completely self-written tunes and the rest, as they say, is history. With former Beatles manager Mansfield at the board and a stellar assemblage of musicians from Nashville, Los Angeles and beyond, Colter crafted a studio masterpiece that sounds as if it was recorded in the funkiest, most welcoming, most fun swampland honky-tonk the world has ever known. Weaving a seamless tapestry of roots, spiritual, blues, pop, rock, and country influences on the loom of her authoritative and gorgeously bittersweet voice, Colter unfurled a powerful set of tracks that explored a woman's journey through love, loss, heartbreak, unbridled freedom, and hope.

Perhaps wisely (and perhaps not; more about that on another day), execs at Capitol decided to launch the haunting lead single, I'm Not Lisa, through their country music division in hope that it might "cross over". Though the record definitely had some ideal country flourishes (thanks mostly to the yearning slide-guitar of the late, great Ralph Mooney), the song (and indeed the entire album) was really uncategorizable; Colter was a stunning original, perhaps best described as some kind of deep-in-the-west, swampy "earth-mother-in-heels" counterpart to Carly Simon or Bobbie Gentry, but without the wry Hollywood affectations of Simon or the barefooted, Mississippi angst of Gentry. Soulful, sensual, and eminently poetic, Colter came across as a world-wise tour de force songwriter and stylist; Capitol's cross-over dreams were not to be dashed.

I'm Not Lisa became one of the biggest success-stories on the 1970s musical landscape -- an almost instant multi-format smash, million-seller, and unforgettable American classic. Shooting to the No. 1 spot on the country charts and to No. 4 on the pop lists, the aching-but-irresistible ballad captivated the nation and made Colter an overnight superstar. It also secured an enormous audience for her extraordinary album. I'm Jessi Colter blasted its way to the No. 4 spot on the country chart and into the Pop Top 50 -- the latter an amazing and rare achievement for an artist who had been launched primarily through country markets. Moreover, the quality of the record guaranteed regular spins for the entire collection on MOR and Album Rock stations.

It is a credit to Colter's talent and to the uniform superiority of the album's material that I'm Jessi Colter exhibited considerable staying-power -- remaining on the charts for over a year and easily pushing past the 500,000 "gold" sales mark. Reviewers from Rolling Stone to Billboard lauded the strength of the disc, enamored of everything from the radiant talent exhibited in each song to the now-legendary cover artwork by photographer Roy Kohara. Another big country and Billboard Top 100 hit followed in summer 1975 as What's Happened to Blue Eyes stormed the charts, but any of the 10 tracks on this winner could have been a single: For the First Time, I Hear a Song, Come On In, Storms Never Last, Who Walks Thru Your Memory (Billy Jo), etc. In fact, Storms Never Last was covered with some success that year by artists as diverse as Dr. Hook and Dottsy, but Capitol missed the boat on that count, because Colter's original (the album's closing track) was a knockout and would have easily been another million-seller.

A boatload of Grammy and CMA nominations ensued for Colter after her magic year, along with endless placements on year-end "Best Of" lists and awards as "Best New Artist of 1975" from both Billboard and Cashbox. Today, the album has been given new life by Raven Records and is available in all of its shimmering, jaunty, rollicking splendor for memories to be rediscovered ... and new memories to be made.

No less significant regarding this reissue is the inclusion of Colter's late 1976 album, Diamond in the Rough, also produced by Mansfield and his Hometown team, along with Colter's husband, a certain gent named Waylon Jennings. While Diamond in the Rough came perhaps a bit too swiftly on the heels of Colter's seemingly unstoppable momentum following her 1976 masterpiece follow-up album, Jessi, and her participation in the earth-shattering Wanted: The Outlaws collection with Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Tompall Glaser, the tracks on Diamond stand strong and remain stylistically distinctive, representing authentic "Colter" in the midst of her heady career peak. Sultry, more playful, and perhaps more introspective, the lady shines as wonderfully as the gem noted in the title track. It is little surprise that Diamond in the Rough also broke into the Top 5 country albums list and vaulted high onto the Billboard pop albums chart as well -- yet another big-seller for Capitol's mystique-enshrouded "Miss Jessi".

Both albums and their respective histories will be reviewed and discussed in even greater detail on this site in the coming weeks, but for now it is most important to note that two classics from an incomparable artist have been resurrected for the pleasure of the public! Sound quality (as far as the remastering) is lovely and the liner notes well-written and detailed (save for a few scattered errors). I'm Jessi Colter, in particular, holds up astonishingly well almost 40 years after its initial release. Fans of Colter, the "outlaw" movement, alt-country, Americana, 1970s pop, or roots rock would be well-advised to make a beeline to Amazon and purchase this long overdue, nicely priced, and exceedingly welcomed reissue.

Get 'em while they last, friends. Get 'em while they last. In the meantime, stay tuned for more news and views, including the aforementioned, upcoming, full Colter bio.

*Colter's work has appeared on countless compilation albums (country and pop) since the '70s, most notably the fine "best of" collection, An Outlaw ... A Lady on Capitol.