Mel McDaniel was one of the greats. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Mel was (like many, I should think) inspired to go into music after seeing Elvis Presley perform. But Mel’s Elvis-inspired “rockabilly” style was very different than that of the King’s; more country, less rock/blues. Not so much suggestive dancing that was so scandalous in the day, but it seems pretty tame now. Interestingly, Mel’s launch to fame sprang from shows he did in Anchorage and among the Alaska oil fields.
Mel had a style all his own, and I came to appreciate it at a young age. He put his own spin on country, and while doing so, managed to tap into the popular notions of the times, from NASCAR to truck driving to the economy.
Mel passed away, sadly, in 2011, aged only 68, his trove of talent gone with him. But he left us plenty of great stuff to listen to; here are six of my favorites.
Stand On It (1987): This one might ring home with NASCAR fans, along with anyone who has seen the wonderful Burt Reynolds/Hal Needham film “Stroker Ace.” It’s a fun song, with some great advice – when life gets hard, grab a girl, go see a rockabilly band, and stand on it!
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Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On (1984): I’m tempted to evoke the recent Sydney Sweeney blue jeans controversy. I’m pretty sure that if Mel had seen Sydney in those jeans, he would have agreed that she was just what he was talking about. And boy, yeah, haven’t we guys seen more than a few examples of that kind of blue jean beauty in our time?
The fun thing about this song is that writer Bob McDill first sent it to Conway Twitty, who sent it on to John Anderson, thinking it would go better with his voice; Anderson turned it down, so Mel McDaniel picked it up and made it a number-one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for 1984-1985.
Louisiana Saturday Night (1980): This song, for me at least, evokes some visual images. I’ve never even set foot in Louisiana, but I can see it as plain as day: The swampland, the trees overhead, moonlight scattering through the branches, and a passel of kids, all cousins, playing in the yard. Good times for good people. This song wasn’t Mel’s original, having been originally recorded in 1977 by Don Williams, but I really like the way Mel did it. And best of all, to this day, this song is played before every home game of the Louisiana State University football team.Read More: Start Your Weekend Right With the King of Country: George Strait
Stand Up (1985): The video for this one is fun, taking the tone of a religious revival meeting, even though the video is set in a courtroom. Confession, as they say, is good for the soul, and this song is all about standing up and admitting the various embarrassing things you’ve done. The ones Mel names, though, might not come up at a church revival; they’re a little on the bawdy side.
And who hasn't done one or two of the things he describes? Like a Jeff Foxworthy "...you might be a redneck," most of these things, if I haven't done them, I know someone who has.
Shoestring (1986): Now this is a song about a notable old guy, with not a lot of education, but a lot of natural smarts:And the people say
Shoestring, you ain't got no money!
Shoestring, ya can't hang around here!
Shoestring, ya got your hat on back'rds!
He knows more than most folks do,
But he don't talk unless you ask him to.
I may not have known the actual Shoestring, but in my younger years, I knew a lot of good ol’ boys just like him. Their kind is, happily, still common, out in the countryside.
Lower on the Hog (1986): This one rings true to anyone who’s been through tough financial times. But then, a lot of us know how to use the lower parts of that hog, including the belly, which is where bacon comes from. And bacon, of course, is meat candy. And, of course, the real message is that you can be happy even if you're watching your nickels and dimes.Now I’m hungry.
Mel McDaniel was a singular artist with a singular style. His work made your toes tap, and it often made you smile. You can’t ask much more than that from a musician. We may have lost Mel too soon, but he left us a lot of great listening.Great music should evoke an emotional response. Some will make you sad, some will make you think, some will make you angry. But Mel McDaniel's music made you happy. One of his album titles says it all - Mel did "Just Can't Sit Down Music."
I’m sure you all have some Mel McDaniel memories and favorites of your own. The comments are once more all yours!
