Ernest Tubb & The Texas Troubadours – The Complete Live 1965 Show

This live recording of Ernest Tubb captures the country music legend well past his commercial peak of the 1950s, but still completely in charge of his distinctive voice. A year later he would be diagnosed with emphysema, a disease that took his life in 1984.

Originally released in a shorter version on Rhino in 1989, the recording has been restored in its entirety on this double-disc reissue from Lost Gold. Captured at the Spanish Castle in Seattle, Washington, in the summer of 1965 by Jan Kurtis, a former Texas Troubadours drummer who had moved on to play with Ray Price, this is a wonderful document of Tubb and his band at the time. The 1965 model of the Troubadours included Leon Rhodes, Jack Drake, Buddy Charlton, Jack Greene and Cal Smith (The last two take a few excellent vocal turns during the show as well.)

The show is a far cry from the polished, overdubbed releases that masquerade as live albums these days, but it still sports spotless sound quality and a crystal-clear mix. Tubb is loose and constantly cracking jokes with the audience and his band, such as when he explains that Leon Rhodes can’t sing as someone requested because of a hoarse voice. Rhodes croaks out a word or two over the microphone to prove that he really can’t sing that night. His playing isn’t affected, however, as he throws out tasty licks all over the set.

All the expected hits are represented here, including two performances of “Walking The Floor Over You”, once as the ending of the first set, then as the show-closer in the encore. Hits from all phases of Tubb’s career up to that point are played, including “Slipping Around”, “Seaman’s Blues”, “Soldier’s Last Letter”, “Drivin’ Nails In My Coffin” (complete with percussive ‘nails’ sound effects that elicit laughter from Tubb), “Pass The Booze”, and “Driftwood On The River”. Judging from commentary by Tubb, it seems the set was heavily influenced by audience requests — or at least that’s what he wants the audience to believe, as he trots out one after another that “someone requested earlier tonight.”

Tubb’s music has been repackaged, reissued and compiled many times since his death, with varying degrees of success. This single live show does more to showcase why he is such a beloved country music star than any number of “Essential” or “Super Hits” collections.