It’s been months since I had a Pickin & Grinnin In The Kitchen Spot. The spots got put on the back burner as over the course of last summer-leading into the fall we were enjoying the musical posts from the Spotlight On Music In Appalachia.
For today’s Pickin & Grinnin In The Kitchen Spot-I have an old song for you-Don’t Laugh. It’s a toe tapping number that moves right along-and Paul and Pap’s harmony is perfect. The title is ironic to me due to a behind the scenes story Paul told me about the song. The Louvin Brothers had a hit with the song during the late 1950s. Most of the songs recorded by The Louvins Brothers were written by them-but not this one.
Rebe & Rabe another popular duet style group also hailed from Alabama-like The Louvins. Paul read the following in a book about The Louvins-he has 2 but thinks the story might have been in the book In Close Harmony: The Story of The Louvin Brothers written by Charles Wolfe.
Charlie said him and Ira (his brother) would put out a new song they’d written-and by 12:00 that day Rebe & Rabe would have it down pat and be singing it in the next town-drawing in a crowd. Charlie said then him and Ira would go to a venue where Rebe & Rabe had performed recently-and folks would accuse them of stealing songs from Rebe & Rabe-when they were acutally The Louvin Brother’s songs. It happened so often that The Louvins began to get a little irritated.
Charlie and Ira had the chance to hear Don’t Laugh-a song Rebe & Rabe were singing-and decided to be sneaky and give the other duo a taste of their own medicine. The Louvins recorded Don’t Laugh in 1957.
One other humorous story about the song: To say we are fans of The Louvin Brothers is an understatement-we adore their music-they are our heroes. Of course Pap has been a number one fan of theirs since he was young-much longer than Paul or me. One day Paul and Pap were discussing the song Don’t Laugh-and Pap said he just knew they wrote the song. When Paul finally proved to him that they didn’t-Pap said with great disappointment “Well it looks like they could’ve if they’d tried.”
Did you tap your toes?
Drop back by tomorrow for more about making do recipes.
Tipper
Very cool! I’ve never heard that before!
I’m there-just hiding : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Music, Giveaways, Mountain Folk
All at http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
Bill-thank you for the kind words : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Music, Giveaways, Mountain Folk
All at http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
What a cute song! You know I was tapping my toes. Can’t help it!
And a funny story to go with that song. I wonder what Rebe & Rabe were thinking when they heard that the song was recorded by the Louvin Brothers?!
The Stanley Brothers sang a song called “Cold Icy Fingers.” Do Pap and Paul know that one? My Dad used to sing it with his guitar a lot when we were kids. He also sang “Lemon Tree” by Peter, Paul, and Mary. I know that’s not their style of music, but I’ll bet they could easily make it sound like it was, and I can just hear Pap’s voice singing it now.
This song was great, as usual. You’re so lucky to be able to pull up a chair and listen.
Great way to end my evening. Love watching them in the kitchen when I get a chance. Hope your new year is looking to be a good one–many blessings to your family!
Oh, I loved it!!! I was tapping and swaying too!! I don’t recall ever hearing that song, but I sure did enjoy it!
Tipper I loved the music video. I had never heard the song before and enjoyed hearing your family sing it.
Tipper ,loved the video and the song, really enjoy your music, just wish I could hear Pap and Pauls voices better the music kind of drowns them out, my hearing is not real good and it’s hard to pull the voices out, this happens anytime there is louder background noise,I still enjoy what part of it I do hear though. Heep up the good work, a;so love all your other stuff .
I’ve never heard it before, but I love that song! They sound good singing everything, but I especially enjoyed this one!
I loved the story about the song, too:)
Tipper,
I’ve been reading a Christmas present book (from Jim), “The Spirit of the Mountains” by Emma Bell Miles. There’s a passage in there about a traveling preacher that reads:
“…for no amount of education ever quite rids the mountaineer of bull-headed contrariness – he is certain to be, first of all, sincere, a man among men, fearlessly expounding the gospel as he knows it.”
The minute I read that part about bull-headed contrariness in spite of education, it me think of a couple of folks in the Casada family 😉 I’m glad to see we’re in good company.
Good for Pap – although I already thought mighty highly of him, as you know. This story just raised him up a few notches in my eyes.
How beautiful!! Reminds me of growing up singing with Daddy. He knew all the older songs like that. Pickin and Grinnin was a way of life growing up here in the West Virginia mountains. Sadly, it’s disappearing.
Just after a long day at work, I enjoyed the video and the song. All three of them are amazing and have great voices.
That was great! Growing up in a city with few ties to country music before the era of George Jones, a lot of the earlier music is new to me. The Louvin Brothers are one of the acts I know more from later copies of their songs by other people. I learned Freight Train Boogie from the Don Reno Family And Friends album, as an example. But every time I hear one of their songs, I’m more aware of what I missed and need to look for. Thanks for helping keep their music alive. It’s stuff I can play when we visit my wife’s family in West Virginia. They remember and like the old songs. Here in Cleveland, Rock music dominates.
Tipper,
Great harmony and wonderfully done
as usual. I was listening to you
all singing “Just a Touch of the
Past” the other day on your radio
player up in the corner,and my
daughter in Raleigh was on the phone with me, and she noticed
the music in the background and
said it was such a pretty song.
I told her “Oh, thats just my
friends over in Brasstown”…Ken
I like the song and the music was great, but the comment is the best: “Well it looks like they could’ve if they’d tried.”
Proving him wrong didn’t impress him a bit! I’m enjoying all the “make do” stuff. I thought we had it rough, but some of that stuff’d make me sick!
Your Pap’s comment made me laugh.
Tipper, I hear the bass, but I don’t see you! This is a new song to me, but I love it, like I love all Louvin Brothers songs. By the way, talking about your family’s harmony singing and saying perfect in the same sentence is redundant. They are always perfect.
Honey I did tap my toes-I love the Louvins nd I love Paul and Pap’s music too.
Great tune! I was tapping my toes at work!!
Stacey
SWPA
They always do such a great job of picking and singing. I believe good music is like medicine for the soul. Like the Louvin’s singing too.
Tipper,
When you use the phrase “Pap and Paul’s harmony” and the word “perfect” in the same sentence, aren’t you repeating yourself?
You already know my thoughts about how Louvin-like they are, and I can’t think of a better compliment.
Hey Tipper,
I loved the song…They did such a great job…You know you can tell how much pleasure playing and singing music brings to them. Just by watching their finger expressions on the guitars,etc..and facial expressions and body movements as they play…and of course they play and sing so well together..
Thanks Tipper.. another great musical post…so funny about the Louvin Brothers trick..couldn’t get away with that today, I don’t think…for either side..LOL
I would like to hear them sing “Wreck on the Highway”. Or have they already done that?