JOE AND ROSE LEE MAPHIS ‘COLD HEART OF STEEL’ (media)

The career of Joe and Rose Lee Maphis was always overshadowed by Joe Maphis’ status as a stylish guitarist (known as “The King Of The Strings”) and one of quite simply the innovator of country music. Joe Maphis and his customised twin neck Mosrite guitar were utilised behind such greats as Rose Maddox, Rick Nelson, Johnny Burnette and Wanda Jackson in the 1950s and ‘60s and he’s roundly acclaimed as an inspiration for Merle Travis and indeed Johnny Cash. Drawing his original inspiration from the Mother Maybelle Carter’s (Johnny’s Mum-inlaw) style of picking, he found himself being taken deeper into the Carter /Cash family fold as his career began to un fold, so much so, on his death in 1986 on the behest of the Johnny and June, he was buried directly above the graves of Maybelle herself

This wonderful collection features a handful of instrumental sides by Joe, some with Rose Lee, it’s the first ten which are pure country heart felt heart break harmony tracks that really shine and resonate with this listener. Joe and Rose Lee were married in 1948 and through the ‘50s their duets examined the troubled side of relationships. The first ten tracks are subtitled “The Aching And Yearning Country Tearjerkers” the next 5 “The Guitar Artistry Of Joe Maphis” and finaly encoured by one more “The Rockabilly Rose Lee” telling the story of how she finaly found a picking man who took her for his wife, wonderful a happy ending who woul;d have thought it.

If you, like myself, melt at the sound of George and Tammy, and even stop what your doing to tune into the re-runs of 70s Porter Wagoner Show’s (Rural TV Channel 279 on your Sky box every Tuesday night in europe 11pm)
in the hope of Porter and co star Dolly Parton doing a sad song duet, then in the spirit of needing to find the real deal, you need to find and own this album.

Further more on a wider subject whoever picks the songs out at Righteous Records for these compilations, is to be complimented for his/her ears, man oh man ever cd and tune is an exploration of genre, form and a delight to the ear, this one companies output is fast becoming the core of the Medicine Shows playlist.
Rob Ellen

JOE AND ROSE LEE MAPHIS ‘COLD HEART OF STEEL’ get it here http://www.righteous23.com/page_35.html
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TRACKLISTING

The Aching And Yearning Country Tearjerkers
1 Cold Heart Of Steel 2:44 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
2 I Love You Deeply 2:40 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
3 I’m A Stranger In My Home 3:12 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
4 The Parting Of The Ways 3:04 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
5 Let’s Fly Away 2:40 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
6 Please, Mr Mailman 3:04 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
7 I’m Willin’ To Try 2:35 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
8 Let’s Pull Together 2:24 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
9 Dream House for Sale 3:15 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
10 You Can’t Take the Heart Out of Me 2:38 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis

The Guitar Artistry Of Joe Maphis
11 Sweet Rosie 1:45 Joe Maphis
12 Moonshot 2:37 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
13 Del Rio 2:26 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
14 Short Recess 2:03 Joe And Rose Lee Maphis
15 Pickin’ and Guitin’ 1:41 Joe Maphis

The Rockabilly Rose Lee
16 Country Girl Courtship 2:17 Rose Lee Maphis

Dim Lights, Thick Smoke – 1959

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