Yesterday was like Christmas for Packers fans, given the first day of the NFL draft.
Today is like Christmas for my dad. This is the weekend for the annual Titletown Train Show. He’s an old railroad man and still passionate about it all. At 81, he’s good from the knees up, not so good from the knees down, so we take our time to look at the books, DVDs, videos and old photos. Sort of like crate digging.
Sleepy LaBeef, American treasure, knows a few train songs. This is one.
“Night Train to Memphis” was written by legendary country producer Owen Bradley, along with Marvin Hughes and Beasley Smith. It was a hit for Roy Acuff in 1942, and he starred in the Republic Pictures musical of the same name in 1946. It’s also been covered by Bobby Hebb, Jerry Lee Lewis and Dolly Parton.
Sleepy recorded this version at Blue Jay Studio in Carlisle, Massachusetts, in January 1996. The solos are by Duke Levine on guitar and Lisa Pankratz on drums.
So hop on board.
“Night Train to Memphis,” Sleepy LaBeef, from “Rockabilly Blues,” 2001.
AM, Then FM 