CD review: “Songs of Tucumcari” March 11, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music, Towns.6 comments
While looking over the track listing of the “Songs of Tucumcari” complication compilation CD, a thought struck me: When has such a small town as Tucumcari, N.M. (population 5,900) inspired so many songs?
Maybe it’s because the city’s association with Route 66. Maybe it’s from being the first significant town that westbound travelers encounter when they’re driving into the spectacular skies and scenery of New Mexico. Maybe it’s the city’s unusual name.
Whatever the reason, I’m glad that Bob Beaulieu, executive director of the Tucumcari-Quay County Chamber of Commerce, decided to compile 14 songs that mention Tucumcari in the title. (The chamber is selling the CD for $15, plus shipping charges, here.) The songs run the gamut from big band, weird folk, Tex-Mex, honky-tonk country and classic pop. Many of these tunes are obscure, and a fair number prove to be delights.
Dorothy Shay’s “Two Gun Harry from Tucumcari,” based on a real pistol-toting restaurant owner in town, wound up being the big find on the CD for me. The spirited big-band number shows why it was a hit in 1948.
Also worthwhile are Dale Watson’s honky-tonkin’ “Tucumcari Here I Come,” Jimmie Rodgers’ pop single “Tucumcari,” the lovely “Tucumcari Tonight” by the Colin Sphincter Band, Andy Mason’s humorous vegetarian tale “There’s Nothin’ to Eat in Tucumcari,” Michael Hearne’s western-swinging “Two Miles Out of Tucumcari,” and The Road Crew’s bright country song “Tucumcari Tonite.”
The CD contains two musical references to the dramatic but preposterous American Indian legend of Tucumcari Mountain. Jimmie Driftwood’s “Tucumcari” and Cheryl Barns and the Teen Tones’ “Tucumcari Legend” both take the tale seriously, and are as spooky as you’d expect.
The only dud I found was “This Train Will Stop in Tucumcari” by David Rubin, which is marred by wobbly singing and erratic drumming. Having just one questionable song out of 14 is a good batting average for any album, especially one that sticks to a very specific theme.
One notable omission was Little Feat’s “Willin’,” which mentions Tucumcari in the chorus. The song also was covered by Linda Ronstadt. Beaulieu said he decided to narrow the CD to songs that focused on the town. Also, he feared the licensing fees for “Willin’” would have been too steep.
Recommended for the Shay tune alone.
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Full song listing:
- “Tucumcari Tonight,” The Colin Sphinctor Band
- “Tucumcari Here I Come,” Dale Watson
- “Two Gun Harry from Tucumcari,” Dorothy Shay
- “Tucumcari Legend,” Cheryl Barns & The Teen Tones
- “Tucumcari Tonite,” The Road Crew
- “Tucumcari,” Jimmie Rodgers
- “Tucumcari Woman,” Dan Roberts
- “There’s Nothin’ to Eat in Tucumcari,” Andy Mason
- “Ride in Tucumcari,” The Tarantulas
- “This Train Will Stop at Tucumcari,” David Rubin
- “Tucumcari,” Jimmie Driftwood
- “West of Tucumcari,” Proverbial Cool Aid
- “Tucumcari,” Randy Kaplan with Brian Schey
- “Two Miles Out of Tucumcari,” Michael Hearne
(CD courtesy of the Tucumcari-Quay County Chamber of Commerce)
Reaching out across the pond March 11, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Road trips.add a comment
The Illinois Times published an interesting report about the state’s efforts to boost tourism despite a poor economy.
The article includes this excerpt on a novel way that Illinois has reached out to Route 66 travelers who live in Great Britain:
They’ve also found that the British have an interest in the 1960s and authentic American experiences like Route 66, Kostner says, so they’ve partnered with Little Chef, a chain of United Kingdom roadside diners, to bring a Route 66 ambassador to travel and promote the road back in their country.
“It’s an urban and a rural experience,” she says. “Europeans get two to three weeks of vacation, so they can take huge chunks of time to really experience it.
“We’re reaching out to different audiences to get above the noise of our competitor states — here’s something that you can get here that you can’t get elsewhere.”
The Chinese have also taken an interest in Route 66, recently sending three photojournalists to explore the route and report their experiences for two popular Chinese Web sites.
Give Illinois credit for an unusual way to reach potential tourists in Britain. Talk about a win-win situation …
As for tourism forecasts for this summer, the signs are encouraging:
“This is not the time to slow down or stop; it is the time to move onward and upward,” Kostner continued. “American Express says consumers are approaching the year with ‘an optimistic yet prudent outlook’ and that travel tops their list of ‘pursuits most valuable to their livelihood and well-being.’”
“We should be optimistic, too — this is our time to take the new landscape and plant the appropriate seeds so that we grow.”
Travel inquiries to the bureau’s office and to its Web site EnjoyIllinois.com dwindled throughout the summer, but rebounded in December, increasing by 27 percent. The end-of-the-year upswing helped boost total inquiries to EnjoyIllinois by nearly 8 percent over 2008.
Because of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth last year, many Illinois tourism sites actually saw increases in the number of visitors.
Plan your bicycle route on Google Maps March 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in bicycling, Maps, Road trips.add a comment
Today, Google announced it added bicycle routes to its Google Maps site in addition to walking, public transit, and driving routes.
Bicycle routes by Google Maps is still being beta-tested, and users can make suggestions for changes if they find an error or overlooked bike trail.
Here’s a demonstration of the technology:
According to Wired:
To create the mapping tool, Google developed an algorithm that uses several inputs — including designated bike lanes or trails, topography and traffic signals — to determine the best route for riding. The map sends you around, not over, hills. But if you really want to tackle that Category 1 climb, you can click and drag the suggested route anywhere you like, just like you can with pedestrian or driving routes. Users can suggest changes or make corrections to routes using the ever-present “report a problem” feature on Google Maps.
That “go around, not over” part explains why Google Maps produced some seemingly bizarre routes for bicyclists on Route 66.
Here’s a typical route for cars on Route 66 from Needles, Calif., to Ludlow, Calif., through the Mojave Desert:
Here’s the one of the three bicycle-route options. This one includes Route 66 and Turtle Mountain Road:
As you can see, the bicycle route tries to avoid the mountain ranges, including the Cadiz Summit on Route 66. But I have a hard time believing the primitive road that leads to Ludlow from the south would be suitable for a bicycle.
It’s not perfect, but this is a good start by Google Maps. The improvements to the basic mapping program — especially Street View — has improved dramatically in recent years. And I wouldn’t be surprised if cyclists and roadies eventually figure out a quasi-Route 66 path for two-wheelers.
Route 66 viaduct in Galena soon will be rehabbed March 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Bridges, Preservation.add a comment
Cherokee County, Kan., soon will apply for federal money to stabilize the Front Street Bridge in Galena, which carries old Route 66 over the railroad tracks north of town, according to the Joplin Globe.
The National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program awarded the grant in 2008. It includes $30,000 from the National Park Service and a $50,000 local match.
The 216-foot-long structure was built in 1922 and 1923 to serve the mining industry, and it was incorporated into Route 66 in 1926. The viaduct was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Because of a crack in the bridge’s weight-bearing columns, the weight limit of the bridge has been dropped to where tourist buses could no longer use it. Considering that 4 Women on the Route is on the other side of the bridge, there’s a lot of incentive to repair the viaduct.
(Photo courtesy of Ace Jackalope of TheLope.com.)
“Mustang Sally” March 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music.1 comment so far
One of the greatest cruising songs ever, courtesy of Wilson Pickett.
Songs about Tucumcari March 9, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music, Towns.1 comment so far
The Tucumcari-Quay County Chamber of Commerce is about to release a 14-song CD filled with songs that refer to the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M., according to the Quay County Sun.
The Chamber of Commerce will sell the CDs to tourists and the locals as a Chamber fundraiser. In the beginning of the research, Beaulieu says he located half of the songs with a simple amazon.com music search while the remainder required a little more time and effort.
Two of the songs have a similar title, “Tucumcari Tonite” and “Tucumcari Tonight,” which also happen to be the community’s motto. Dorothy Shay performs “Two Gun Harry from Tucumcari”, Andy Mason sings “There’s Nothin’ to Eat in Tucumcari”, Michael Hearne’s “Two Miles Out of Tucumcari” is also included on the album along with pop singer Jimmy Rodgers, folk singer Jimmie Driftwood, and a group called the Colin Sphinctor Band, another called Proverbial Coolaid as well as a number of others.
The project involved securing recordings to transfer to the “Songs of Tucumcari” CD, contacting artists for permission to use their music for the fund raiser, and making certain licensing requirements were met. Many of the songs are old enough to be in the public domain.
About 1,000 CDs will be available, and will go on sale March 18 at the chamber’s monthly business-after-hours event at the Main Street Project office at 207 S. Second St.
Bob Beaulieu, executive director of the chamber, says he hopes to soon have the chamber’s Web site set up so it can accept PayPal payments and post song samples.
One of the songs will be Rodgers’ version of “Tucumcari.” Here’s Rodgers hamming it up with Jimmy Durante before performing the tune:
The Book of Obadiah March 8, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Religion.add a comment
The latest entry from “Route 66: A Road Trip through the Bible.”
Blink, and you’ll miss it.
Enchanted welcome March 8, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Signs.add a comment
A few weeks ago, the state of New Mexico erected this “Welcome to New Mexico — Land of Enchantment” structure over westbound Interstate 40 near the Glenrio Welcome Center, close to the Texas border.
Many Route 66ers don’t continue into New Mexico on I-40, opting for the gravel road that was old Route 66 leading into San Jon. However, if time or weather doesn’t permit, this is what would greet roadies.
The welcome sign is reminiscent of a “Welcome to New Mexico” sign that once arched over Route 66 at the Arizona border until 1959.
Those leaving New Mexico the eastbound route also get a nice structure, but not the semi-archway:
(Photos courtesy of the state of New Mexico)
School construction puts Kingman Street Drags on hiatus March 8, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Sports, Vehicles.add a comment
The annual Kingman Street Drags event in downtown Kingman, Ariz., will be canceled this year because of the construction of a new school, reports the Kingman Daily Miner.
Typically, the grounds of the White Cliffs Middle School campus at 400 Granview Ave. served as a staging ground for racers, as well as a place for spectators to park and take to the bleachers to watch the action. Now, however, the entire campus is cordoned off as contractors prepare to build a new high school in place of the demolished middle school.
“With the school under construction there is no way to work the event in conjunction with it,” Devincenzi said. “Many people have contacted us from all over the United States asking for the event dates for this year. Plans are to come back in 2011 should the school construction allow it.”
In the meantime, organizers say they’ll redouble their efforts during the hiatus to find a more permanent location for the drag-racing event. Currently, it is held on Beale Street in the downtown area, and has drawn 15,000 spectators in the past.