Mother's Best Flour
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- Publication date
- 2010-07-01
MOTHER'S BEST FLOUR
From late 1950 to late 1951, you could hear Hank Williams on WSM every morning at 7:15 singing and selling Mother's Best Flour, as well as self-raising Cornmeal and Pig & Sow Feed. During the 15 minute show Hank and the announcer Louie Buck would pitch the flour in between Hank's songs. Hank even wrote a theme song for the show.I love to have that gal around Her bicuits are so nice and brown Her pies and cakes beat all the rest Cause she makes them all with Mother's BestHank was paid $100 a week for five shows. Often times, they were pre-recorded due to Hank's touring schedule. These shows are among Hank Williams most popular, if not his best, work. Perhaps the most well known, most sought collection in the Hank Williams catalogue are the Mother's Best radio shows. This collection of radio shows is considered by many to be Hank's best work and were done at the peak of his career in 1951. The show was broadcast live between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. on WSM out of Nashville, Tennessee. Some of the shows were pre-recorded to be played on the air when Hank was out on the road. Hank was paid $100 a week for recording the shows that usually consisted of one country song, one instrumental and a gospel song to close the show, but that's not all they have to offer. The Mother's Best Shows capture Hank's personality better than anything else known to exist and they don't paint the picture of a sad, lonesome, forlorn man hell bent on drinking and death as many books and other publications try to portray him as. In fact, it is probably the in-between song chatter that makes these recordings so great, you get a glimpse of what Hank Williams was like as a person. The Mother's Best shows also featured a surprising variety of hymns, since there was at least one in every early-morning broadcast. A lesser-known Hank-penned uptempo jubilee number, "I'm Gonna Sing", is a highlight -- but so is his surprising three-part harmony singing with Drifting Cowboys Jerry Rivers and Cedric Rainwater on the likes of "I Hear My Savior Calling Me". Those expecting all lonesome barroom ballads and joking marital complaints should know that there's a lot of the gospel side of Hank on these discs. He shows a particular appreciation for songs by his Louisiana Hayride and Opry buddies the Bailes Brothers â "Dust On The Bible" and "I've Got My One-Way Ticket To The Sky", for instance. The Bailes' influence on Hank may have been as potent as that of Roy Acuff and Ernest Tubb. For all of the solemn spirituality, there's plenty of joking, in any case. We still hear Williams inform his female audience, "Hey good lookin', if you've got anything cookin', just make sure you're cookin' it with Mother's Best Flour." This is a Hank very much in the world of his moment; he mentions the current pop hit version of "On Top Of Old Smoky" (it was by the Weavers) before launching into a great hard country version himself as an answer. (Some material for this series synopsis is from www.nodepression.com, and www.geocities.com/mothersbestshows. )
OTRR Certification Information: Series Name: Mother's Best Flour Certification Status: OTRR Certified Accurate Certification Date: May 21, 2009 Certification Version: Version 1 Number of CDs: 2 From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR.
Notes
OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHER'S GROUP
This is a production of the Old Time Radio Researchers Group located at Old Time Radio Researchers Website and the Old Time Radio Researchers Group.
It contains the most complete and accurate version of this series in the best sound possible at the time of creation. An updated version will be issued if more episodes or better sounding ones become available.
If you are interested in preserving old time radio, you may wish to join the Old Time Radio Researchers Group at Yahoo.
Relax, listen, and enjoy!
OTRR Definitions:
OTRR Certified Accurate -- A series that is Certified Accurate indicates that all the episodes are properly identified and labeled but that the series does not contain all known extant episodes.
OTRR Certified Complete -- A series that is Certified Complete is the highest level of certification available under the OTRR Certified Standards. This certification level implies that all the files in the series are Certified Accurate but also indicates that the series is as complete as possible – it includes all extant episodes.
OTRR Non-Certified -- A collection of shows that has not gone through the OTRR Certification process.
- Addeddate
- 2010-07-01 20:37:42
- Boxid
- OL100020404
- Identifier
- OTRR_Certified_Mothers_Best_Flour
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Reviews
Reviewer:
Argyle D'Chauffer -
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
March 17, 2016
Subject: Thanks to the guy that saved these shows from the WSM trash!
Subject: Thanks to the guy that saved these shows from the WSM trash!
These shows are a listening essential.
Check them out. You'll be glad you did!
Check them out. You'll be glad you did!
Reviewer:
PopsLane
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
September 28, 2013
Subject: Awesome!
Subject: Awesome!
I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate you providing this show. Hank Williams is my all-time favorite and I hope to create a similar show in my local area. This is Awesome. Thank you.
Reviewer:
johnlguay
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
October 5, 2011
Subject: positive
Subject: positive
so unusual for a fan to discover such wonder of Hank Williams.
Reviewer:
mockdog1
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
December 4, 2010
Subject: You Only Thought You Knew Hank Williams
Subject: You Only Thought You Knew Hank Williams
The Hank Williams you'll hear is relaxed, funny, completely at ease and at the top of his musical form. Even if you aren't a country/Williams fan, you'll appreciate the atmosphere of the show itself. It's easy to imagine a 1951 southern farm kitchen with this playing in the background.
The sound quality is excellent. There are a couple of scratchy ones, but by and large, they sound like current broadcasts.
This is what Archive.org is supposed to be-a way for us to glimpse how things were in an earlier time.
The sound quality is excellent. There are a couple of scratchy ones, but by and large, they sound like current broadcasts.
This is what Archive.org is supposed to be-a way for us to glimpse how things were in an earlier time.
Reviewer:
Eklectic1again
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
September 29, 2010
Subject: A terrific surprise for Hank Williams (Sr) fans!
Subject: A terrific surprise for Hank Williams (Sr) fans!
I was so delighted to find this uploaded. Thank you for this.
The only clunker is Audrey, Hank's then wife, who was as lousy a singer as I'd read in one of Hank's biographies. Her yodeling is pretty bad...but Hank Williams (Sr) is pure gold, as usual.
But man, I can't really complain! This is such a treat. Thank heavens for fans back then who recorded these things off the radio. (I'm assuming that such recording is the source for this material.)
The only clunker is Audrey, Hank's then wife, who was as lousy a singer as I'd read in one of Hank's biographies. Her yodeling is pretty bad...but Hank Williams (Sr) is pure gold, as usual.
But man, I can't really complain! This is such a treat. Thank heavens for fans back then who recorded these things off the radio. (I'm assuming that such recording is the source for this material.)