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.....)

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.