Summer Concert Series: The Big TNT Show (1966)

This semi-sequel to The T.A.M.I. Show (1964), is a great follow up and an excellent concert film.

The musical selection in this movie is as good as it gets. Artists including Ray Charles, Petula Clark, The Lovin' Spoonful, Bo Diddly, Joan Baez, The Ronettes, Roger Miller, The Byrds, Donovan and Ike and Tina Turner. Any movie that features a live performance of Ray Charles performing Georgia on My Mind (no matter how many singers sing this song, Ray's version will always be the best) is definitely worth recommending. All the artists are at the top of their gang here. After country music being completely left out of The T.A.M.I. Show it is a joy to see Roger Miller here and his unique style of country music as well as his quirky sense of humor. His performance of London Swings features the best use of background dancers in either of these films. The Ronettes give a high energy and fantastically choregraphed performance that is corny as all get out but so much fun. Joan Baez's voice as always is beautiful as ever, especially on her first two song, which are in the folk tradition that she upheld so well. Unfortunately You've Lost That Loving Feeling doesn't seem to fit her all that well. Ike and Tina Turner are so energetic and tons of fun to listen to. Donovan's performances of slower, sad songs don't quite fit in with the film's mostly high energy fast paced acts, but he is still fantastic here. Before this movie I was really only familiar with Donovan for the Bob Dylan movie, Don't Look Back (1967) and I have to say, I am very impressed. Bo Diddly is here much too brief of a time, but gives a fantastic performance. The Byrds are also at the top of their game here and show just why they were so important to folk-rock.

The biggest fault of this movie was simply the fact that the teenage girls in the audience scream a lot, like all 93 minutes. It is very annoying at first but to be honest, you get used to it pretty dang quickly. This film luckily does away with the awful comedy of Jan and Dean and the use of Go-Go dancers is minimized. Though to be fair, the climax of this film is an all Go-Go dancer spectacular. Personally part of me wanted to see Go-Go dancers behind Donovan, just for how little that would fit.

Like The T.A.M.I. Show if you like 1960's music this movie is a must watch.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Ray Charles: "I See You With My Heart"

If you like music than you like Ray Charles. I love music, therefore I love Ray Charles. The man could do any type of music (Country, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Rock, Classical) and do it all extremely well. It is sad that he fell into that horrible trap that gets too many great entertainers, drugs. These things can mess up the life anyone who takes them and they certainly did that with Ray. Though his drug addiction was in many ways a focus of the following 1962 article from TV Radio Mirror, it is not the only thing it talks about. My favorite parts of this article are about how Ray never let his blindness stop him from anything, despite that people kept telling him that he couldn't do it. This is an inspiring and very uplifting message story about not letting other people get you down. However that does make the drug part of this article much sadder.

If you have trouble reading any of this pages click on them and zoom in with your touch screen.


As a bonus here is Ray perfroming a very soulful rendition of the country music classic, You Don't Know Me.










-Michael J. Ruhland

Cowboy Church #23

Hello my friends and welcome to another addition of Cowboy Church.

We start our musical selection off with The Sons of Pioneers 1937 recording of Heavenly Airplane. This is an original song written by the Son's own Bob Nolan. This song was from the last year Roy Rogers was a member of the group. Next comes Johnny Cash and Ray Charles with a duet of Kris Kristofferson's Why Me Lord. Next is Gene Autry singing The Angel Song in a clip from his Cinecolor feature film, The Strawberry Roan (1948). Gene co-wrote this song with Curt Massey and Mary Millard. After this comes Rex Allen's 1959 recording of Sleep Little Moses. This song came from his album Mister Cowboy. Next comes Hank Williams performing Thank God. This song was written by Hank's producer Fred Rose. Though Hank recorded this song in either 1948 or 1949, it would not be released until 1955, after Hank had passed away. This song does not feature his famous backing band, The Drifting Cowboys. Instead this is just Hank and his guitar. We end our musical selection with Loretta Lynn singing the gospel classic In The Garden.

Below is a 1935 advertisement from The Motion Picture Herald advertising the early HopaLong Cassidy movies. You may notice that this advertisement states that James Gleason will be playing Hopalong, instead of William Boyd. The part was originally offered to Gleason and various advertisements for the movie stated he would be in the title role. However when negotiations could not be worked out, the part would go to William Boyd who was originally offered the role of the lead villain.



I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Habakkuk 3:19

 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10

Thanks for joining me for another service of Cowboy Church. Come back next week. Happy trails to you until we meet again.

-Michael J. Ruhland