Merle Haggard Explores Another Interesting Year

[Guest guest]

How can we get in touch with Merle Haggard about the mold crisis in our

country. Sounds like he would be an excellent celebrity to speak for thousands

of

people in America!

How's your health? In November, you had to cancel your concert with

the Rolling Stones in Dallas.

I have a fungal pneumonia problem that I deal with. But I've got it

beat back in the bushes, and it's all right. It's a thing that's

going on throughout America, and people aren't aware of. There's a

lot of mold, and people's houses are being destroyed by it. People

are losing their health, and I'm one of those unfortunate people. I

live in the Northwest where it's damp and moldy, and I'm fixing to

get out and move to the desert somewhere. Get out there around the

middle of Australia or something.

Are you serious?

Yeah, I'm going to have to get where it's dry. I can't put up with

the dampness anymore as I get older.

[Guest guest]

Fri. March 31.2006 1:02 PM ESTMerle Haggard Explores Another

Interesting Year

Projects Include Strait and Singles, Dylan Tour and Capitol

Reissue Series

By: Calvin Gilbert

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1527505/20060331/haggard_merle.jhtml

Currently on the country music chart for writing Strait's

latest hit and singing guest vocals on Gretchen 's current

single, Merle Haggard recently joined longtime friends Willie

and Ray Price for a recent recording session in Nashville. Add an

upcoming tour with Bob Dylan to the schedule, and it's clear this is

shaping up to be a particularly interesting year for the 69-year-old

Country Music Hall of Fame member.

Still climbing the charts are Strait's recording of " The Seashores

of Old Mexico " and Haggard's collaboration with

on " Politically Uncorrect. " Haggard and his band, the Strangers, are

already touring heavily on their own and will be joining Dylan in

April and May for shows in 15 cities.

Last month, Capitol Records reissued 10 newly-remastered versions of

Haggard's classic albums from the '60s and '70s. Starting with

1965's Strangers and running through 1971's Someday We'll Look Back,

each CD features two entire albums and rare bonus tracks.

In a recent phone interview with CMT.com, Haggard talked about his

early recordings, the state of the nation and why he's contemplating

a move to Australia.

Over the years, how much time have you spent listening to your old

records?

As a matter of fact, I spend more time than you might think because

we vary [the music] over the years. Ever once in a while, I've got

to jerk it back to the center of the road. You know, band members

change and, there again, I have to go back and teach a particular

band member arrangements we did before they were born. (laughs)

About how many songs do your band members need to know how to play?

Most of them come on board knowing, basically, maybe 50 or 100 of my

songs. If they don't have that credibility, then they don't even get

considered. So they know the songs. ... We ad lib every show, and we

ad lib every song, so you've got to vary from where you began. You

have to go back and review once in a while.

Most country solo performers these days don't allow their road bands

to become an integral part of their creative process. With you, the

band's always been the key thing.

I was a band member. I started out as a player, and I wanted to play

lead guitar. I'm still fighting that. I'm having pain in my back and

my legs. I'm getting to be an older gentleman, and it's hard to play

the guitar anymore, but I'm doing special exercises and things to be

able to do that. I come from being a player, so I feel slighted

every time I notice what you notice -- that these young artists

don't seem to come from the same place. It's a little letdown for me

to know that they don't.

Did you listen to the specific albums Capitol prepared for the

reissue series?

Yeah. But right now, I'm preparing a new boxed set of stuff I did

before I went to Capitol. I'm recutting some songs. I own my own

masters and will be able to reissue those things. And then I'm doing

some new songs here, and we're calling the album The First and the

Last. It's some of the brand new stuff and some of the first stuff

in the same set.

Are the old tracks the earliest stuff you recorded for Tally Records?

It's the Tally stuff. There's about 12 or 13 sides that are really

good. It was published by Fuzzy Owen and is not owned by Sony.

(laughs) A lot of politics involved there. Where the money is issued

from and who makes the money means something to me now.

As you hear the old records, what are your observations?

Well, it was before tuners. A lot of us were out of tune, but people

didn't seem to be so critical of that issue back then. Now

everything is perfect, and you don't know who can sing -- and who

can't -- because they've got those electronic tuners that take care

of them if they happen to rip a note. (laughs) It's really not fair.

It's almost like steroids. It's the same thing, you know.

The Tally sides were recorded in Bakersfield. Do you remember your

first sessions at Capitol's studio in Hollywood?

Very plainly. Like yesterday. They were glorious years. It was a

time when the Beatles had just come to America. Buck Owens had just

changed country music all around and sort of went rockabilly.

was knocking a home run every time. ny Cash was the

biggest draw in the United States. It was a great time for me to

change my life around. I had been a rebel up until then. I just put

my life on track and decided I was going to try to do that. ...

Capitol -- where ny Mercer and Sinatra and all those

people had put that record company together -- was just the right

place for me because they liked me, too. The Rat Pack liked me. I

grew up in Vegas, across town from them, and they used to send

requests over to me. Certain songs that they couldn't do, and they'd

say, " There's a guy working with Wynn who can sing them

songs for you. " So we got to be friends, and I got on their label.

Did the recordings start taking on a different sound when Ken

started producing you?

A lot of things occurred. We came out of a little backroom, garage-

like studio in Bakersfield that was very inferior to what was

located at Capitol. It was the biggest, probably the most advanced

studio in the world. It went from that little dinky deal to the

biggest deal. Ken was very cooperative. He didn't step in and

say, " OK, you have to do it this way. " The only thing he said was

what was necessary, and that was, " Are you in tune? " So things

started to be closer in tune because of Ken . We hired more

credible musicians. I reached out in all directions and found the

best I could find, including Burton and Glen D. Hardin and Roy

Nichols and Glen and Ralph Mooney. Let's see, Talley.

There was a drummer then who's not around anymore -- Jimmy Gordon

[who later worked with Clapton in & the Dominos]. Just a

tremendous drummer.

You also had your band members playing on some of the sessions.

Getting back to what we talked about earlier, most of the younger

artists these days now only record with session musicians.

And you wind up with the whole [radio] station sounding alike. It's

a piece of this, then they pinch off some more. It all has the same

feel and the same energy. And it's all good. Except pretty soon,

there's too much ice cream. That's the way it affects me.

Some of the bonus tracks on the reissue series are a revelation. Was

the alternate version of " The Fugitive " a demo?

We cut it four times, in four different locations. I cut in Ohio one

time. I cut it in Bakersfield. I cut it someplace else. And none of

them came close to the cut that went out as the major cut. Some

things are magic. Some days are diamonds.

You reunited with one of your old producers, Jimmy Bowen, last year

for the Chicago Wind album. Was that a one-shot deal?

It was a two-shot deal. We have that album and another album to do

for Capitol. And then they have an option for a couple more, if they

choose.

You managed to stir up a little bit of controversy on Chicago Wind

with the songs " Where's All the Freedom " and " Rebuild America First. "

I wonder why. (laughs)

At this point, does it surprise you that people are still discussing

where you stand politically?

I'll tell you what it does: It irritates me to the point where I'm

never going to say anything about my politics again. I'm really

irritated and disappointed, in lots of ways, in this country and the

mentality that they've displayed having to do around this war. I

can't believe they're taking it so lightly and believing every lie

they're told. I just don't understand what's happening, except I do

know that the rug's being pulled out from under us. And if people

don't see it, I'm sorry for them, but I'm going to stop talking to

them about it.

In watching the morning news shows, it's amazing how emphasis is on

celebrities, rather than bigger issues. You also addressed that

subject in another song, " That's the News. " You've been in the

public eye a lot. What's your take on America's fascination with

celebrities?

Celebrities are treated different. This country is a hypocrite. It

claims to be fond of [the concept that] everyone is created equal.

That's how we base our beliefs. But look at the reality and see

who's popular and who gets the breaks -- and you're looking at

celebrities. And that's a matter of fact. As to why it is, I don't

know. That's another piece of humanity I'm not fond of.

Have you seen Walk the Line?

I was real close to ny Cash and June . The Family

were like family to me. No, I haven't. I've been afraid to. I don't

think there's anybody they could put on that screen who could

measure up to those people in my heart. They'd miss the entire point.

Do you think anybody will make a movie of your life?

That's been talked about for a long time. I hope so. I hope they do.

We've got a real interesting story. It's possible.

Have you thought about who you'd want to portray you?

Yeah, but they're all too old. (laughs) My great heroes are all

gone -- Marlon Brando, Dean or somebody like that.

How's your health? In November, you had to cancel your concert with

the Rolling Stones in Dallas.

I have a fungal pneumonia problem that I deal with. But I've got it

beat back in the bushes, and it's all right. It's a thing that's

going on throughout America, and people aren't aware of. There's a

lot of mold, and people's houses are being destroyed by it. People

are losing their health, and I'm one of those unfortunate people. I

live in the Northwest where it's damp and moldy, and I'm fixing to

get out and move to the desert somewhere. Get out there around the

middle of Australia or something.

Are you serious?

Yeah, I'm going to have to get where it's dry. I can't put up with

the dampness anymore as I get older.