Tennessee Birdwalk

DO YOU LIKE CRITTERS?

Gayle Noble of Koko'sUniverse.com has put up a website
with a whole flock of our funny animal songs.
She calls it BlazingSquirrel.com.
please click the squirrel button above.

July 17, 2008...
And now, a message about today's column from Jack...

SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

Today's column "THE TEAR" is for listening rather than the usual reading.
We're considering an audio book in which I read some of our favorite original stories.
This is a test.

To hear this true story "THE TEAR" just click one of these links:
HI-fi URL for faster connections: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=6727546&q=hi
or...
LO-fi URL for dial-up connections.: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=6727546&q=lo

Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoy it.

Jack Blanchard

July 15, 2008...
Just when you thought things couldn't get sillier, we have a
new song from Jack! Or is it a column? Well, actually, it's
both. It's called "I'm Thin And I'm Rich And I'm Tall
(a short song about power)" and you can just click
on the title to check it out. Enjoy.

More to come soon.
Jerry

June 20, 2008...
It's the first day of summer, and to celebrate, we'd like to
welcome a new friend to the honored ranks of FOJAM (Friends
Of Jack And Misty)... The Voice of the Mountains, Mike Rowe!
You'll find his website at www.mikerowe.oldworld.com
and his radio site at www.kwes.net.
Welcome aboard, Mike!

Oh, before I forget, recently I had trouble with the audio link to the
new Jack & Misty single "There Must Be More To Life (Than Growing Old)".
Thanks to Jack (and our friends at Soundclick), that has now been remedied.
(But then, if you got here through the front page, you knew that, right?)

Have a great summer, folks.
More to come.
YFNW™, Jerry.

June 12, 2008...
Here's an oldie but a goodie from Chairman Jack. Enjoy:

FRIDAY, THE 13TH: THE OLD MAN.

I woke up old this morning.

I don't mean that metaphorically,
or figuratively,
or any of that.

It's just a fact:
I went to bed young and woke up old.
As I write this it is Thursday, the 12th.

Yesterday, on Wednesday the 11th,
I was a strong young man with big dreams and ambitions.
It all went by in a day!

The day before yesterday was Tuesday the 10th,
and I was a child.
I looked at the powdery stuff on flowers,
the veins in a leaf,
paint blisters and bent nails in a fence.
I could follow a particular ant all around the yard.

By Wednesday I was grown up.
The sounds and smells,
and the touch of things
seemed less important.
Wet sidewalks,
the outdoor faucet where the hose connects,
crumbly earth,
tools in the garage,
still had their distinctive aromas,
but I didn't notice.

I was too busy to listen to distant traffic.
I had even stopped lying on my back
and looking for faces in the clouds.

Wednesday was all adult "reality":
Money, status, success, entertainment...
The important stuff.
I had to learn fast, having only three days, and no warnings,
or time to prepare for the big changes.

I dreamed that I got up out of this wheelchair
and ran right out across that field!
But here it is Thursday,
I'm old, and can barely get around.

I don't like being called a Senior Citizen.
It's a euphemism.
It's condescending, like calling a black person "colored".
Don't cushion it, my friend. I'm OLD.

I leave my turn signal on because I can't hear it,
not because I'm senile.
And at this age, I eat my dessert first.
You never know.

I'll tell you what...
Today I'm going to sit here on my ancient tailbone
and listen to squirrel talk.
If you listen a while to their sounds
you'll see they have a language of nuances.

I'm going to enjoy the warmth of this old wool sweater,
and pay attention to that leaf blowing across the lot.
I don't know when,
or if,
I'll get to do it again.

Time is on Fast Forward,
so I offer this advice to all who pass this way:
PAY ATTENTION!
LIFE IS IN THE DETAILS.

And, tomorrow is Friday, the 13th.

Jack Blanchard

June 1, 2008...
Hi again, friends. Jerry here letting you know about the biggest expansion
on our site in almost a year... (drum roll, please...)

WE'VE PASSED THE 100 LYRICS MARK!!!

Yes, to celebrate the release of "NASHVILLE SPUTNIK: The Deep South/Outer
Space Productions of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan 1956-2004", I've added
13 lyrics to the lyrics page, which brings the total to 106! (Thank goodness
for nights off.) Go to the lyric page and enjoy. (Trust me... you'll have
absolutely no trouble finding them.)

More to come soon.
YFNW™, Jerry.

May 24, 2008...
Hey there, everybody. YFNW™ Jerry on behalf of all of us hard-working
types at the best nest in the west (or anywhere), hoping you all have
a safe 3-day weekend, and (a reminder I can't stress often enough) if
you see a veteran... thank them. Enjoy your Memorial Day, and I'll see
you again next week. In the meantime, here's some thoughts on the
subject from Jack...

FOR MEMORIAL DAY.

I subscribe to a couple of history groups
and I’ve seen some comments by younger people about World War Two.
They go along this line:
“People back then were suckers
to let the government get away with rationing things.”
“I would have been in a protest line.”
”Drafting people into the armed services... How awful!”

They are appalled to hear that you couldn't get butter,
or rubber tires, or nylon hosiery, etc.,
and that the buses had plywood stand/sit seats
to carry more workers to defense plants.

At first I thought they were idiots,
and I’m still not sure,
but I've come to accept this:
People who weren't actually there during WW2
have no real 3-D concept of the time.
World War Two: You had to be there..

I was just a kid,
but I can tell you that you wouldn't have been in a protest line.
They didn't have protest lines.

WW 2 was not a police action or a "preemptive" strike
as you've seen in your lifetime.
It was a giant classic war between good and evil...
like a video game,
but with real torture and death.

Maniacs were committing genocide
and trying to take over the world.
Our country and way of life were in real danger.
It wasn't a matter for political discussion.

The wartime mindset didn't allow for gray areas.
You were a patriot or a traitor
because your neighbors' kids were being slaughtered
to defend freedom.
You could see the stars hanging in the windows
of the families who had lost a son or daughter.
Sometimes more than one star.

I can understand how all this could sound corny
to those who have never experienced anything remotely like it.

It's like trying to describe your hair color to a blind man.
He can learn the words,
but he can't get the picture.

People WANTED to do what they could for the war effort.
they sacrificed because it was right,
and they wanted the damn thing to be over.

This kind of mass effort and spirit of unity
is what has left a country
where we can join protest lines,
ride buses with cushioned seats
and buy all the butter and gasoline we can afford.

I've been against virtually every war since,
so, I'm not a hawk.
Just trying to tell it like it was.

You had to be there.

Jack Blanchard, May 23, 2008.

May 23, 2008...

SEE ANYBODY YOU KNOW?
May 23
Birthdays

Friedrich Anton Mesmer 1734
Margaret Fuller 1810
Arabella Mansfield 1846
Douglas Fairbanks 1883
Herbert Marshall 1890
Artie Shaw 1910
Scatman Crothers 1910
John Payne 1912
Betty Garrett 1919
Helen O'Connell 1920
Alicia de Larrocha 1923
Mac Wiseman 1925
Nigel Davenport 1928
Rosemary Clooney 1928
Julian Euell 1929
Barbara Barrie 1931
Joan Collins 1933
Robert Moog 1934
Charles Kimbrough 1936
General Johnson (Chairmen of the Board) 1943
Lauren Chapin 1945
Misty Morgan 1945
Judy Rodman 1951
Anatoly Karpov 1951
"Marvelous" Marvin Hagler 1952
Luka Bloom 1955
Drew Carey 1958
Shelley West 1958
Linden Ashby 1960
Karen Duffy 1961
Phil Selway (Radiohead) 1967
Noel Gallagher (Oasis) 1968
Lorenzo 1972
Maxwell 1973
Jewel 1974
Adam Wylie 1984

Happy Birthday, Honey.
All my love,
Jack

May 22, 2008...
We interrupt this website for an important announcement...

NASHVILLE SPUTNIK HAS LANDED!

30 TRACKS. 28 page full color booklet. All cd's autographed.
Order here: http://birdwalk1.tripod.com/jandmorder.htm
Or here: http://elvinsystems.com/jm/catalog.htm

EARLY REVIEWS:

Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan will forever be remembered for the novel pathos of hits like
Tennessee Birdwalk and Somewhere In Virginia In The Rain. But before the bright lights of
stardom found them Jack and Misty were busy working underground, writing and producing superb
cuts for a fascinating cast of characters and talents who are today, unjustly, largely forgotten.
Hear Jacqueline Hyde And The Moonfolk take a rocket ship into outer (and inner) space,
Rusty Diamond have an existential moment on the battle-front, Brad Wolfe
investigate reincarnation and Joel Mathis evaporate into the past on his Time Machine
amidst a carnival of other sonic wonders.
Once heard this disc will inspire sounds you've never heard before
and thoughts you never thought before.
Remastered with exclusive liner notes and many previously unreleased tracks all cuts make their
definitive first appearance on CD here.
It's kind-a-country, kind-a-pop, kind-a-weird - so strap in... another world awaits!
David Thrussell, Omni Recording Corporation

A wild collection of extraterrestrial country, pulp, pop, r&b and even some doo wop influenced tunes from the
outerspace fringes of 60s & 70s Nashville & beyond -- largely from the brain bananas of Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan!
We knew that Jack & Misty recorded some fairly far out country gems as a duo -- but this crazy set really opens our minds
to how wild they were as writers, producers & arrangers! It truly rivals Joe Meek's productions when it comes to pulpy
themes and unpredictable stylistic range -- while carrying a weird, earthier rustic & rural groove. Jack & Misty sing and play
often throughout, as themselves and under pseudonyms -- and they recruited friends and peers as singers and players for the others.
Far more than just an exercise in strangeness -- the songs are good enough to stand out as more than novelties, and some of the most
respected Nashville session players of the past half century can be found in the notes. You get electrified banjo, sax, and organ
in the same wild tunes -- any questions? The majority of songs were cut between the fertile period between 1965 and 1974 --
with a few going back earlier & later -- a whopping 30 tracks in all! "Strange New World" by Jacqueline Hyde & The Moonfolk,
"Time Machine" by Joel Mathis, "Skellykins" by Rusty Diamond, "I'm Hung Up On You" by Rusty Diamond, "Hit Me One More Time"
by Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan, "Let's Have A Hayride" by Maryanne Mail, "New World" by The Jack Blanchard Group, "Monkey See, Monkey Do"
by Brad Wolfe, "Dance Of The Living Dead Chickens" by Jack Blanchard, and more!
© 2008, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

SONGLIST.
(Note: Misty Morgan is also Jacqueline Hyde and Maryanne Mail.)

1. Strange New World* - Jacqueline Hyde & The Moonfolk (1965) (2:25)2.
2. The Lonely Sentry* - Rusty Diamond with guest star Maryanne Mail+ (1965) (2:54)
3. We Walked This Road Before - Brad Wolfe (1971) (3:05)
4. Time Machine - Joel Mathis+ (1971) (2:24)
5. Skellykins - Rusty Diamond (1966) (2:04)
6. Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker - Hank Malcolm (1972) (2:12)
7. Gemini* (instrumental) - The Jack Blanchard Group (1965) (1:47)
8. Lonely Bell - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan (1967) (2:20)
9. Mary Turn Around - Hank Malcolm (1965) (2:36)
10. Changin' Times - Brad Wolfe (1972) (3:42)
11. I'm Hung Up On You - Rusty Diamond, the Country Nut (1965) (2:28)
12. Boy With The Be-Bop Glasses (And The Suede Shoes) - The Dawn Breakers (1958) (2:39)
13. Hit Me One More Time - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan+ (1967) (2:46)
14. Let's Have A Hayride* - Maryanne Mail (1965) (1:24)
15. Cadillac - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan (1968) (2:34)
16. Little Orphan Annie - Joel Mathis (1971) (2:23)
17. Midnight Greyhound - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan (1967) (2:20)
18. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow - Donel Austin+ (1973) (2:56)
19. New World* (instrumental) - The Jack Blanchard Group (1965) (2:07)
20. Runaway* - Jacqueline Hyde and the Moonfolk (1965) (1:37)
21. The King Of Hearts - Jackie Blanchard & The Rockin' Impallas (1960) (2:00)
22. Journey's End - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan+ (1967) (2:44)
23. Monkey See Monkey Do - Hank Malcolm (1972) (2:50)
24. The Love Habit - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan+ (1973) (2:38)
25. I'm Feelin' A Change In My Life** - Donel Austin+ (1973) (3:22)
26. The Look Of Nothing - Tom Carlile+ (1974) (3:08)
27. Somewhere In Virginia In The Rain (Disco Version) - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan+ (1974) (2:56)
28. Don't It Look Like Georgia*** - Tom Carlile+ (1974) (3:31)
29. Dance Of The Living Dead Chickens (Demo) - Jack Blanchard+ (1993) (2:05)
30. A Weird Little Christmas - Jack Blanchard+ (2004) (3:16)

PERSONNEL:
Billy Sanford, Lloyd Green, Hargus Robbins, Bobby Thompson, Henry Stzrelecki,
Larrie Londin, Charlie McCoy, Music City Recorders, Starday Studios, Jerry Shook,
Pete Drake, Tommy Hill, Jerry Smith, Junior Huskey, Willy Ackerman, The Hardin Trio,
Hank Malcolm, Mercury Studios, Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan, Woodland Studios,
Don Tweedy, Kelso Hurston, The Anita Kerr Singers, Ray King, Manon's Dream,
The Dawn Breakers:Jack Blanchard, Don Fronczak, Jim Warne, and Buddy Baker.
Donel Austin, The Leah Jane Singers,The Jack Blanchard Group, The Rockin’ Impallas,
Frank Linale, Frank Kennedy, Angie Gillette, The Sensational Dellos, Roger Clark,
Kenny Bell, Skip Rogers, Chip Young, Tom Carlile, The Muscle Shoals Singers,
Dale Sellars, Johnny Gimble, Buddy Spicher, The Nashville Edition,
Jacqueline Hyde and the Moonfolk, Steve Fenner, Criteria Studios, Miami,
Doug Tarrant as Doug Wayne, John Abate, Ronny Caban, Jackie Raye, Joel Mathis,
Rusty Diamond, Maryanne Mail, Henry Cook, Paul McLaughlin, Brad Wolfe.

At the moment, they only have 20 copies, so supplies are limited, but Jack and
Misty hope to get more soon. So, if you want bragging rights (plus one far-out
album, even by Jack and Misty standards!), order NOW! $22.95 + S&H. (See our
friendly order form.)

We now return control of the website to the regular squirrels...

May 21, 2008...
Hi, folks. YFNW™ Jerry here again with a bit of an update - and a correction.
The price on the new CD "NASHVILLE SPUTNIK: The Deep South/Outer Space
Productions of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan 1956-2004" is $22.95 (plus
shipping and handling), not $18.95 as previously reported on our order form
(and possibly elsewhere). Every copy will be autographed by Jack and Misty!
Sorry for the mistake. More to come soon... (I just realized how that sounds...)

May 18, 2008...
Hi again, folks. Well, there's been a lot of catching up to do around the
site, so let's get to it. First, as you may have noticed on our front page,
we've now added a "Contact Us!" button. Second, there'a a (relatively) new
column from Jack, dealing with things from "A Writer's Perspective".
(Including, but not limited to, a photo of Jack in a tree.)
Finally, the new Omni collection "NASHVILLE SPUTNIK: The Deep South/Outer Space
Productions of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan 1956-2004" has been added to
the "Albums At A Glance" section of the Discology (How on earth did I miss
that before now?). Once you get there, click on the album cover to read
more liner notes than you can possibly take in in an afternoon (or whenever
you happen to be reading this).

More to come soon...

May 10, 2008...
Well, it's finally happened. Eight years on the net, and NOW we present
our first VIDEO!! Enjoy...

(Let us know if it works...)

In other news, look shortly for "NASHVILLE SPUTNIK: The Deep South/Outer Space
Productions of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan 1956-2004" to appear on
our order form. Very shortly...

May 4, 2008...
It's me again. How's this for a birthday present? Jack just informed me
that this week, "NASHVILLE SPUTNIK: The Deep South/Outer Space Productions
of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan 1956-2004" will be available from this
very site! (I can't wait to edit the order form! [grin]) Thanks for the
heads up, Jack!

More to come...

May 3, 2008...
Hey there, folks. Well, as you may have already noticed by the calender, it's
that time of year again: BIRTHDAY MONTH!! Not only do Jack and Misty have
them, but so do we. It's been eight years since I started this li'l enterprise
as a simple discography (or Discology, as Jack calls it), and look how far
we've all come since! Go on, look. We'll wait.

Okay. Now that you've looked, have a look at Jack's newest column. The title
kind of speaks for itself: "Why I Never Got A Pickup Truck".
In just a few more days, the new Omni CD, "Nashville Sputnik: The Deep South/
Outer Space Productions of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan 1956-2004" comes in
for a splashdown. If I remember correctly, (and forgive me for being terribly
lax in announcing this!) you can order it now at places like amazon.com,
Target, and City Hall Records. (IF I remember correctly...)

And remember, Jack and Misty's alternate nest on the web is at www.myspace.com/jackandmisty,
where you can always find more columns, pictures, and the latest batch of six
songs for your listening pleasure.

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm gonna have a slice of birthday cake this
month, and all month. I suggest you do the same.

More to come, Jerry.
(YFNW™ since May 2000!)

April 24, 2008...
Hi everybody.

My sister Val just called to tell us that her husband Walt is in critical condition,
after falling from a roof.
Val asked us to send a request to all our friends for prayers for him.
His name is Walter Malec, and he is in Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Thank you so much.

Jack & Misty

April 19, 2008...
Hey there. YFNW™ Jerry here. Jack has a new column about dreams and
musicians and the like. It's called "A Musician's Dream World", and you
can read all about it by clicking on that title.
And remember, if I'm not nagging too much, you can always check up
on Jack and Misty's doings away from here by visiting their myspace
site at www.myspace.com/jackandmisty.
The latest pack of songs, columns, pictures and the usual stuff from
our heroes. Can't beat it with a stick. You might break that monitor.

More to come. See you next week.
Jerry

April 14, 2008...
Yes folks, it's that time of year again... Boo. To ease the nausea
of filling out those forms, we bring you a couple of the latest
non-taxing missives from Chairman Jack.
One from March that we managed to miss concerns itself with, of all
things, forgotten celebrities: "Mister X".
And bringing us up to speed, oddly enough, a rumination on time and
stuff called "Fast Forward".

Okay. Time for a slight correction here. The actual release date for
the next great Omni collection, "Nashville Sputnik - The Deep South/
Outer Space Productions of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan 1956-2004" is
May 20th. (Apologies for jumpin' the gun. You know how we webmeisters get
when it's new CD release time.)

And speaking of May... that's right... it's going to be our 8th Birthday
Month (all year)! Not only that, it's also Jack and Misty's birthdays as
well! And, of course, the release month for that new CD I just mentioned.
(David Thrusell - we love you, but can't you come up with a shorter title
for these things next time? :) ) [Boy, I hope I can remember all that!]

Well, that's it for now. Have fun testing the laws of physics by throwing
your cell phone through a brick wall [tax time does that to folks, you know]
and we'll see you soon.

Enjoy
YFNW™, Jerry

March 15, 2008...
Yes, folks, it's that time of year again, the dreaded Ides of March
Madness, and you know what that means... it's the webmeister's
birthdays! Another year of outliving our enemies [grin]... ahem...
and to celebrate, we have a new column from Jack in which he pays
tribute to all those unsung folks who helped make him and Misty sound
terrific... "The Studio Musicians".
(We're not at liberty to say how old we are... but we were born on the
exact same day that The Chords recorded "Sh-Boom"... generally acknowledged
(by General Lee) as the first doo-wop single. Why we should care that
the Dukes of Hazzard's car would even consider it is beyond me.)

Anyway, enjoy your weekend, and we'll have more soon.
YFNW™, Jerry.
(Sh-Boom, Sh-Boom, yadadadadada yadadadadada...)

March 6, 2008...
Well folks, politics may make for strange bedfellows, but it also makes
for interesting observations from Chairman Jack. For evidence, here's
his latest observation: "Friends Talk Politics".

In other news, we're still keeping out chipmunk-powered telescope trained
to the skies over Australia for word of the splashdown of satellite OMNI-115,
informally referred to music scientists as "NASHVILLE SPUTNIK - The Deep Space/
Outer Space Productions of Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan 1956-2004". We'll let
you know the minute we sight it.
And of course, for more Jack and Misty news, music, columns and stuff, check
out their year-round second nest at www.myspace.com/jackandmisty
Always open, always entertaining.

More to come
YFNW™, Jerry.

February 19, 2008...
Hi again, sports fans! Well, the waiting is over... here's your first
look at the new NASHVILLE SPUTNIK album!

I'm busy updating all the album files as I speak... er, type... so please
be patient while I work out the kinks (or any other British Invasion
group). More to come shortly.

Part 2...

As I already noted, I'm having a bit of trouble updating all the album
files, so some of the links (especially to "Weird Scenes Inside The
Birdhouse") might not work yet. Again, please be patient. Also, most of
the lyric links to Nashville Sputnik are inoperative (a word we haven't
heard since the Watergate era). To avoid frustration, just don't click
them until I can get it reloaded tomorrow.

And people think running a website is easy. [insert devilish grin here!]

See you tomorrow!
Jerry.

February 15, 2008...
Hey again, fellow travelers. At last, it can finally be revealed!
"What?" you may ask, and well you might. The title and tracklist of
the [gasp!] THIRD(!) dazzling import collection from
our Australian compadres over at The Omni Recording Corporation...
"NASHVILLE SPUTNIK: The Deep South/Outer Space Productions of
Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan"! Before they hit the big time with "Tennessee
Birdwalk," Jack and Misty put in a lot of time (and we do mean a
LOT!) honing their craft and sowing the seeds of what we now know
as Jack and Misty music. This compilation gathers the best of those pre-
Birdwalk recordings, dating all the way back to 1956 and Jack's first
single on Coral with The Dawn Breakers, and beyond (a Jack and Misty
disco record? It's not only within the realm of probability... it's
on here!). In other words... the only thing you can expect from Jack and
Misty is the unexpected - and this collection proves it!
Okay. Enough talk. Here's the tracklist:

1. Strange New World - Jacqueline Hyde and the Moonfolk
2. The Lonely Sentry - Rusty Diamond, with guest star Maryanne Mail *
3. We Walked This Road Before - Brad Wolfe
4. Time Machine - Joel Mathis *
5. Skellykins - Rusty Diamond
6. Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker - Hank Malcolm
7. Gemini - The Jack Blanchard Group
8. Lonely Bell - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan
9. Mary Turn Around - Hank Malcolm
10. Changin’ Times – Brad Wolfe
11. I’m Hung Up On You – Rusty Diamond, the Country Nut
12. Boy With The Be-Bop Glasses – The Dawn Breakers
13. Hit Me One More Time – Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan *
14. Let's Have A Hayride - Maryanne Mail
15. Cadillac - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan
16. Little Orphan Annie - Joel Mathis
17. Midnight Greyhound - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan
18. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow - Donel Austin *
19. New World - The Jack Blanchard Group
20. Runaway - Jacqueline Hyde and the Moonfolk
21. The King Of Hearts - Jackie Blanchard and The Rockin’ Impallas
22. Journey’s End - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan *
23. Monkey See Monkey Do – Hank Malcolm
24. The Love Habit - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan *
25. I'm Feelin’ A Change in My Life - Donel Austin *
26. The Look Of Nothing - Tom Carlile *
27. Somewhere In Virginia In The Rain (Disco Version) -
Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan *
28. Don’t It Look Like Georgia - Tom Carlile *
29. Dance of the Living Dead Chickens - Jack Blanchard *
30. A Weird Little Christmas - Jack Blanchard *
All titles mono except those marked * are stereo.

We'll have more info available as it comes in. For now... let the
celebration begin!

More later, YFNW™ Jerry.

February 9, 2008...
Hi folks, YFNW™ Jerry again, getting around to updating the best
website in the Western Hemisphere (okay, maybe that's a bit of an
exaggeration?). To commence, all of the old news from last year
has FINALLY been moved to the new "Old News 2007"
page (to which co-webmeister Lee says, "About time!"). Until I get
all the links worked out for that one, you can find it right here. Enjoy and reminisce.

More new news to come later...

February 8, 2008...
In 1973 we produced a very unusual recording session in Nashville.
The musicians were all double A session pickers,
and among the back-up singers were Janie Fricke and Sandy Posey.
The musicians were really inspired, as you will hear.

Donel Austin, the lead singer, was the front man with the Rockin’ Impallas,
a band that had a nightly radio show from a busy Miami nightspot, the King of Hearts Club.
I played keyboard with them for a year or two, and we became lifelong friends.

The song was titled "I'M FEELING A CHANGE IN MY LIFE",
about changing our lives for the better,
and was written by a young friend named Skip Rogers.
He spent time at our house, and we tried to do what we could to help him in the music business.
He never got to achieve his potential because he died in his mid-twenties.
We heard that he was killed by a frying pan to the head, in a domestic argument.
We all had fun recording this song, and we dedicate it to him.
Click here to listen: http://tinyurl.com/2w6dbb

I'm Feelin' A Change in My Life Artist: Donel Austin. (Skip Rogers)
Woodland Studios, Nashville/ MSK Records.
Lead guitars- Billy Sanford, Chip Young/ Steel guitar- Lloyd Green/
Piano- Hargus Robbins/ Harmonica- Charlie McCoy/
Rhythm guitar- Bobby Thompson/ Bass Henry Stzrelecki/ Drums- Larrie Londin/
Backup singers- The Leah Jane Singers/ Pub: NA.
Produced & arranged by Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan.

January 23, 2008...

Hey there, everybody. Your Friendly Frozen Neighborhood Webmeister
Jerry here asking, "Global warming? What's THAT?!?"

In the meantime, Jack has a reminiscence about an early recording
session with him, Rusty Diamond, Marianne Mail (Who's SHE? [grin]),
Henry Cook and his pedal banjo... well, read it for yourselves here
at "The Lonely Sentry".

More news to follow...

B-R-R-R-R!!!

YFFNW™, Jerry.

January 14, 2008...

Hi again and a great big OOOPS!!! from your webmeister, folks! In
uploading Jack's recent column "Music Keeps Me Young", I forgot one
important detail. The column itself. That has now been corrected.
Thanks for the heads-up, Jack! (Oh well, you can't say I didn't try.)

Speaking of which... that's the name of the next J&M single - "You Can't
Say I Didn't Try", on Stardust International. We'll have audio and lyrics
on the front page in the next couple of days.

See you when I get my infusion of coffee-flavored coffee.
Jerry

January 12, 2008...
It's a little late, but Happy 2008 one and all from everyone here at
the birdnest. 12 days and we've already got a lot to catch up on, so
here goes...

The first-ever Jack and Misty CD, "Back In Harmony" is now back in the
webstore. Why pay upwards of $40 buckazoids or more on Amazon and eBay
when you can get it from us for $16.95, hmm? Makes sense to me.

Also, in new music news, there's the first Stardust single of the year
coming up shortly. We'll tell you more when we learn all the details.

And, finally, Chairman Jack lets fly with his first official column of
2008, "Music Keeps Me Young".
(I knew it had to be something...)

Have a happy new year, everyone, and we'll see you later!
Best wishes, YFNW™, Jerry.

Now, if you're just getting in, here's some stuff you mighta missed from
last year...)

ANNUAL NEW YEARS THOUGHTS.

Time clicks by...faster and faster,
like a cheap watch.

Misty and I make the same resolutions every year,
and will do so until we actually live up to them..

* * *

OUR RESOLUTIONS.

Never stop for a cop who talks with a hand puppet.
Try not to kill people who offer constructive criticism.
Never approach a chicken with a crazy look.
Never try to explain our career to a wino.
Never yodel at a funeral.
Never hit a chiropractor without a reason.
Never wear helmets while skateboarding.
Always wear helmets during sex.
Never tango.
Never carry a rose in our teeth.
Never carry a rose in any body cavity.
Never turn our turn signal off.
Never take Viagra before a business meeting.
Never buy a pacemaker from a guy in a pickup truck.
Never glue sequins to a squirrel, except as evening wear.
Always smile and wave to drivers who give us the finger.
Always lie about our age, weight, and height.
Never hate an elephant for having round feet.
Never take the car in for a free inspection.
Remember AAMCO stands for "All Automatics Must Come Out".
Remember: Near death experiences often happen while at the ice Capades.
Always refer to younger people as "Junior Citizens".
Never have a hole in your pocket while it is being picked.
Never yell "Freeze!" in a biker bar.
Never wear a tutu in a biker bar.
Never sing "Granada" to an imaginary herring.
Never play hip-hop dance music for nudists.
Never ask opinions of our work.
Never reply to opinions of our work.
Never try to explain who we are.
Never book a gig that doesn't look like fun.
Never play for ballroom dancing.
Never go to bed mad.
Never use an alarm clock.
Never use a big word where a small word will do.
Never buy an extended warranty.
Always call people by their first names,
especially if they refer to themselves as Mister.
Always play the music we do best...
our own.

* * *

LOOKING BACK.

It was a year of contrasts...
There were some laughs between the troubles.
We made some new friends, and made up with some old ones.
We mourn those who died,
and celebrate those who were born

Misty and I are still together,
and we have a chance at 2008.

Jack Blanchard, Dec. 30, 2007.

CHRISTMAS PAST.

Nothing is over like Christmas.

Months of anticipation,
and then it's gone.
Try to hold on to it and it slides away like this morning's dream.

It's hard work up the spirit here in Florida,
but we give it a shot every year.
Misty decorates a tree, and puts Christmas stuff all over the place.
We listen to Christmas music with the air conditioning on
and with palm trees lurking in the front yard.

I get very sentimental about Christmas,
probably because I had real Christmasy holidays years ago,
with folks who are no longer with us,
and my childlike subconscious thinks it will happen again sometime.

I toss up futile prayers for snow here in the subtropics,
but this is the time of year when we just get a cheap imitation of early autumn.
A couple of trees around here have a touch of red,
and I go look at them.

Television doesn't help,
with reports of all night sales,
talking heads urging us to be good consumers,
stranded travelers sleeping in airports,
and carolers singing "Happy Honda Days".

The people who tell us that it's a pagan holiday,
just because it's near the winter solstice,
may not realize what an intrusion that is upon our enjoyment.
I think we can each bring our own spirituality and memories to the season,
and make it our personal non-pagan celebration.
It's in the spirit of the beholder.

Christmas Eve and Day at my sister Val's house
is a fleeting taste of "old Christmas" that saves the day,
with turkey, eggnog, and all the trimmings.

I think I'll write a letter to Santa,
and ask him for one more snowy Christmas in Buffalo,
where the night is silent, the homes are warm,
and the feeling is strong in the air.

Jack Blanchard, Dec. 27, 2007

Our good friend Gayle Noble of Koko's Universe

made this beautiful card for us,

so we're sharing it with our other friends.

Thank you, Gayle!

Love,

Jack & Misty

WHEN I WAS A DEPARTMENT STORE SANTA CLAUS.

Jack as Santa with nephew Wesley.

Misty was the photographer.

(The music business must have been a little slow that year.)

The My Kind Of Country SiteRing