Jimmie Dale Gilmore - "You're Over the Line, Flatlander!"

Born May 6, 1945, Jimmie Dale Gilmore celebrates his 65th birthday today!

I've already spoken of Jimmie and his music and contribution to the legendary Flatlanders in previous posts.

Here's a little of Jimmie doing what he does best. Beautifully crafted songs sung in a haunting "High Lonesome" voice. Haunting and moving...this is Jimmie Dale Gilmore:

Jimmie is a pretty slick interpreter of classic country blues too...Here he is doing "Black Snake Moan" or "Matchbox" as it's alternately called....

My nephew Scott Michael Campbell is working hard to get an independent film he's written called "The Last Best Place" made. It deals with growing up in, leaving and coming back to small town life, more specifically his home town of Missoula, Montana. He's created a promotional film of stills to help him with this, and his Uncle Jeffy was proud to see he had chosen a Jimmie Dale song to lay in the background!



Of course some of you may know Jimmie Dale best from his memorable cameo in (IMHO one of the best 20 films EVER made) The Coen Brothers' "The Big Lebowski".

You remember Smokey don't you...the conscientious objector who put his toe over the line...

No matter how you know Gilmore, he's sure to have left an impression on you.

Happy Birthday Jimmie Dale! And thanks for all the music you've given us and continue to give us!

Musta Notta Gotta Lotta Joe Ely

Born February 9th, 1947, Joe Ely turns 53 years old tomorrow!

The rollicking, rocking third of the triumvirate who came to us from Texas known as the Flatlanders, Joe Ely has a driving rhythm and a plaintive wail to his voice that is unmistakably his.

While Jimmie Dale Gilmore became the soul, and Butch Hancock the words, Joe Ely is certainly the heart.

Joe certainly had the largest commercial success of the three, and he did it by being an ambassador to the world of the Texas rocker/songwriter. The Liner notes of his Live Shots album (first released in England, then finally back to us) a Britisher writer makes no apology for the Brits having discovered Joe first. Then he points out the irony that we understood The Clash before them with London Calling!

The only way to get Joe is with hearing him. Here goes!

"Me and Billy the Kid":



Please understand me...everything's alright...I justa "Musta Notta Gotta Lotta"...:



If you want romance...would you "Settle for Love"?:



Taking Butch Hancock's words and making them his own, "If You Were a Bluebird":

Thanks Joe, for showing us the beat and the drive of West Texas!

Flat-Land poet

Happy birthday to Butch Hancock, who tuns 64 today.

Butch is amongst the best singer-songwriters of our time, and greatly acknowledged as so in his home state of Texas. In my house too.

Butch has been singing his songs for folks since 1968. In 1972 he teamed up with 2 fiends of his, Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, to form a group called "The Flatlanders". Their one album was a critical success but tanked commercially and was soon forgotten, so the three went on to solo careers. Jimmie Dale became known for his haunting voice and great songs, Joe Ely became known as a show-stopping rabble-rouser with great songs. Butch became known as a solid Texas troubadour with great songs...and the guy who gave Jimmie Dale and Joe half of their great songs too!

They all did so well as solo artists, that their "died before it's time" band became a legend. The band with three solid leads and great songs that no one ever heard. They all did so well they got to do what a lot of folks who look back at their past never get to. They got to reform the band. On their own terms. Just for fun and to do when they wanted in between continuing their solo stuff. They got their cake and got to eat it too.

Here's the Flatlanders doing a newer song they all wrote together. I say newer because it sounds like it could've been on any bar jukebox in the late 50's-early 60's helping someone get drunk.

That's Joe Ely on your left, Jimmie Dale Gilmore in the center and our birthday boy Butch Hancock on your right.