Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Pop A Top



Hey! What are you doing on Friday, July 6th? Are ya gonna be in Chicago? The Mountain, in conjunction with fellow Chicago bloggers Songs:Illinois and Can You See The Sunset From The Southside are proud to present our first live show at the South Loop's finest joint, Cal's Bar. 3 fine bands (The Gunshy, Frontier Ruckus, and Satellite 66), cheap booze, and a chance to meet your favorite Chicago blogger face to face and tell them what a pretentious prick they really are. More info as we get closer (good god, it's only a week and a half away). Circle the date on your calendar.

'Til then.

We're still trying to pimp our new all things drinking mp3 site, Barstool Mountain (where we've been posting much more regularly over the past couple of weeks), so today at Big Rock Candy, we're gonna post about a feller who's true home is over at the Barstool. If you like Jim Ed Brown, then Barstool Mountain is the place for you.

Jim Ed Brown began his career in the 50's with members of his family under the creative moniker, The Browns. Eventually outgrowing the rather bland harmony-laden constraints of the vocal group, Brown set off on his own.

While his biggest successes came in the 70's, Brown hit the ground running in the mid-60's with the classic "Pop A Top", which recently placed at #61 in the world famous Big Rock Candy Mountain Top 100 Drinking Songs list. "Pop A Top" contains, easily, the best first 1 1/2 seconds in recorded history. The rest of the song is pretty gol-durned swell, too. It's a classic late night bar lament, where last call's coming, but the girl aint, if you know what I mean.

Sticking with traditional honky tonk balladry in his early solo sides, Brown created at least one other drinking classic, "Bottle, Bottle".

Jim Ed Brown is 100%, 198 proof approved.

Jim Ed Brown: Pop A Top (mp3)

Jim Ed Brown: Bottle, Bottle (mp3)

Please support your local, independent bottling factory.

3 comments:

countrygrrl said...

i had only heard the alan jackson version of pop a top,so it was great to hear this one!!! your blog is always a great stop off point and i love finding out about all the artists you post..excellent..countrygrrl

Anonymous said...

I'd never heard "Bottle, Bottle" before. What a fantastic song! Thanks for posting it. I'm always amazed at the fidelity that can still be captured from these old recordings. Once digitally remastered, they actually sound better than today's recordings. The engineers keep that "willowy" sound that came with the old albums. It's a subtle hiss that makes the old'uns sound great.

Anonymous said...

Hey! What are you doing on Friday, July 6th? -> Well, I am getting married then!

Are ya gonna be in Chicago? -> LOL, Eehm, I do not think my wife to be will appreciate it. And, in fact, I love her too much..

Hope you will have as much fun as I will have.

I bet you will.