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AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM
MEMORIAL DAY
For Memorial Day, the first road holiday of the year, we speak with Red Simpson, who despite his not-quite-ready-for-the-Teamsters credentials (the only truck he’d driven was for Good Humor) was recruited by Capitol Records to sing trucking songs in the mid-60s. He went onto record great road songs like “The Highway Patrol” and “I’m a Truck.”
HOUR ONE
- Key to the Highway Dinah Washington
Back to the Blues, Roulette - Key to the Highway Clifton Chenier
Bon Ton Roulet, Arhoolie - Travelin' Mood Snooks Eaglin
The Complete Imperial Recordings, Capitol - Hitch Hike Marvin Gaye
The Master, Motown - Truckin' Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 1935-36, Classics - Everybody's Truckin Modern Mountaineers
Heroes of Country Music Vol.1, Rhino - Instrumental: Truckin' Pickin' on the Grateful Dead
Pickin' on the Grateful Dead, CMH - Truck Stop Mills Brothers
Cab Driver, Ranwood - Motivatin' Man Red Simpson
Country Western Truck Drivin' Singer, Razor & Tie - INTERVIEW: Red Simpson
Listen - 40 Miles of Bad Road Duane Eddy
Hot Rods and Custom Classics, Rhino - State Trooper Bruce Springsteen
Nebraska, Sony - Instrumental: Feelin' Bad Blues Ry Cooder
Music by Ry Cooder, Warner - Going Down the Road Feeling Bad Woody Guthrie
This Land is Your Land, Folkways - Travelin' This Lonesome Road Bill Monroe
16 Gems, Sony - Don't Let the Devil Ride Joe May
Men of Gospel, Peacock - Race with the Devil Gene Vincent
Hot Rods and Custom Classics, Rhino - Ride Into the Sun Luna
Slide, Elektra
HOUR two
- Open Bed: Born to be Wild The Moog Cookbook
Ye Old Space Bande, Restless - Folksongs for Our Time: Oh Dat Freeway System Stan Freberg
Tip of the Freeberg, Rhino - Action Packed Ronnie Dee
Hot Rods and Custom Classics, Rhino - Daddy Had a Buick Robert Earl Keen
A Bigger Piece of the Sky, - Pontiac Blues Sonny Boy Williamson
Hot Rods and Custom Classics, Rhino - Brand New Cadillac Vince Taylor & His Playboys
Loud, Fast & Out of Control, Rhino - Voodoo Cadillac Southern Culture on the Skids
Dirt Track Date, Geffen - Instrumental: Chicken Strut The Meters
Funkify Your Life, Rhino - INTERVIEW: Super Chikan
Listen - Fried Chicken Rufus Thomas
The Hi Records R&B Years, Hi - Eat that Chicken Charles Mingus
Mingus Ah Um, Columbia - Travelin' Blues Lefty Frizzell
Look What Thoughts Will Do, Columbia - All I Want Joni Mitchell
Blue, Geffen - Travelin' Light Billie Holiday
Songs of Lost Love, Verve - Long Road to Travel Lonnie Johnson
American Roots Collection, Folkways - King of the Road Wes Montgomery & Jimmy Smith
The Further Adventures, Verve - Travel the Road of Love Jimmy Rushing
Rushing Lullabies, Sony
