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#851185 05/04/25 09:28 AM
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Hot off the press...as the saying goes.

This is full on guitar driven song. With the Kill Branch Studio band, of course.

This is very reminiscent of one of the style of one of the road bands I was in. Wide open, guitars up front, and looking for a good time. This song gave me a good excuse to do what I enjoy doing. And that was simply playing the guitar and piano in a creative way and making no excuses.

So, turn it up and let a couple of minutes slip by in a blink.

Outlaw Music

The Band:
Bass 539
Drums Nashville Sw 8ths
Steel 370
Fiddle 2222

Vocals, all Guitars, and piano: Yours truly.
The guitar was my Modern Tele with the bridge and middle humbuckers depending on the part. Quilter amp with CL-80 speakers in an open back cab with Fender doing the tone. Clean settings and reverb on 6ish.

Lyrics:

They Don't Play Outlaw Music Anymore


There's dust on the jukebox, the records don't turn,
Memories of old songs, PBR sign don't burn.
The stories of drifters, rogues, and thieves,
Have faded from airwaves like whispers in a breeze.

[Chorus]
They don't play outlaw music anymore,
No Waylon or Willie, Hank Jr or Coe.
The rebels and ramblers aren't welcome anymore
They don't play outlaw music anymore.


The radio plays, but it’s all polished shine,
Three chords and the truth are, getting harder to find
They turned out the lights, put a lock on the door.
That Silver Eagle ain't rolling through midnight anymore.

CHORUS

SOLO

So I’ll pour some whiskey, drop a needle on black
Put on a record and let Merle take me back.
To when a man would sing, tell the truth in his song
A six string sinner in the spotlight all alone.

CHORUS & TAG

As always, comments and thoughts are welcome.

In case you're wondering..... or maybe you're not..... Organically home grown. Pure country from the heart.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Herb, that was spectacular. You are right they don't play outlaw music anymore.
I have a number of "outlaw" records and this song would fit perfectly with them.
Everything about this is outstanding.
Loved it!

PS - I'd like to hear you do more list this song.


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Really cool song Herb. Top notch write, arrangement, production and spot on outlaw guitars and vocals. Enjoyed this a lot.

Charlie


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Herb,

This is a great country song. Outstanding vocals and that telecaster sounds tremendous. Awesome mix as well.

Really great stuff!

Bob

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Great song all around - instrumentation, etc. ! Love the lyrics and totally relate!


Some favourite Waoist Adages:
#1: Play on the Way.
#13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you.
#58: Bring consciousness to it.
#63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made.
#92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
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Hi Herb! This song is a fine example of ‘less is more’ and subtlety …
- the odd tinkle on the ivories at key points and variations in arrangement from one verse to the next
- good use of alliteration in verse 3: ‘six string sinner in the spotlight’
- the guitar on the 3rd line of the chorus changing from open-ringing strums to staccato strums
- the guitar solo played to support the style of the song but with a variety of phrases that adds so much interest

Really enjoyed listening to it!

Andrew D

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Herb, this is def my fav or all your songs to date! This is so well written, sung, and produced. It takes me back to the days when they did play all the classic outlaw songs. This one would have been a hit back in the day!!

Dewey

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Wow, six-string sinner! Worth writing and producing a song, just to get that line in there. I'd copyright that song if I were you.


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MarioD #851224 05/05/25 03:20 AM
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Originally Posted by MarioD
Herb, that was spectacular. You are right they don't play outlaw music anymore.
I have a number of "outlaw" records and this song would fit perfectly with them.
Everything about this is outstanding.
Loved it!

PS - I'd like to hear you do more list this song.


My collection of outlaw music is rather extensive and was a predominant part of the set list of several bands I was in. That was just some of the best music on the radio.

There's a good possibility of getting more of this style in the future.... And of course my all over the spectrum approach to genre boundaries

Thanks


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
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Spectacular. Fabulous. Loved every second of this, from every perspective. If the radio did play this kinda song any longer, it should DEFINITELY be on it. It's that good. Bravo.

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Ha! Perfect song, Herb! Definitely fun for the listener, and sound like you were having a ton o' fun, too. Super vocals, guitar and piano. That BiaB bass sets a nice beat. Nice!!


DC Ron
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Originally Posted by Charlie Fogle
Really cool song Herb. Top notch write, arrangement, production and spot on outlaw guitars and vocals. Enjoyed this a lot.

Charlie
Thanks Charlie.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
rsdean #851302 05/06/25 05:41 AM
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Originally Posted by rsdean
Herb,

This is a great country song. Outstanding vocals and that telecaster sounds tremendous. Awesome mix as well.

Really great stuff!

Bob

The funny thing is I have put humbuckers on the tele and they have a sound that I wasn't feeling on this.... so I used the only remaining original PU which is, coincidentally, a bucker too. But it is brighter being in the bridge position. I'm glad you liked this.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
WaoBand #851304 05/06/25 05:43 AM
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Originally Posted by WaoBand
Great song all around - instrumentation, etc. ! Love the lyrics and totally relate!


Thanks.... except for a local radio station which does have an oldies show....... it's hard to find Outlaw Music con the radio very often these days. The most you can expect from the mainstream is a couple of days of airplay when one of those icons passes away.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Andrew Dee #851305 05/06/25 05:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Andrew Dee
Hi Herb! This song is a fine example of ‘less is more’ and subtlety …
- the odd tinkle on the ivories at key points and variations in arrangement from one verse to the next
- good use of alliteration in verse 3: ‘six string sinner in the spotlight’
- the guitar on the 3rd line of the chorus changing from open-ringing strums to staccato strums
- the guitar solo played to support the style of the song but with a variety of phrases that adds so much interest

Really enjoyed listening to it!

Andrew D


Thanks for noticing the "less is more" aspect. It's something I try to keep in mind when playing and especially when I'm mixing. Surgical, extreme, volume edits.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Hi, Herb.

Really good! Toe-tapping and well written classic country.

Nice guitar work as well!


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When you said outlaw music I thought you meant music by long haired hippie freaks pretending to be country. Maybe some old dude with long hair and ponytails and a red bandana smoking a joint who couldn't even afford to buy a real guitar without a hole in the front of it.

Or something like that.

But I had no idea you meant music that literally was outlawed, like no one should ever play this, or this music had been banned, and should never be played on the Internet or the radio or anywhere else.

Man that one caught me by surprise.

Naw just kidding man.

This really sounds like Willie and Waylon and the vocals are actually pretty good!

You always sound real happy when you're doing songs like this!!

😄😄

You're probably dreaming of the good old days when you were standing behind that chicken wire.

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Ain't no dust on a jukebox with this one on it. Perfect, Herb. Love the lyrics, and the vocals. Great playing too, and I like you choice of bandmates. I'd outlaw is the only law in the country. Well said, well played, well sang, well dang, that's a good one, Heb.


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

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Lyrics with "They don't ... anymore" are a sure sign of the 'get off my lawn'’ generation grin

That being said, it's a really good song, that's the cool stuff we we Europeans associate you US guys with.
Toe-tapping goodness.
Enjoyed my listen.
A lot [Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]

Dewey_MI #851383 05/07/25 03:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Dewey_MI
Herb, this is def my fav or all your songs to date! This is so well written, sung, and produced. It takes me back to the days when they did play all the classic outlaw songs. This one would have been a hit back in the day!!

Dewey


30 years too late I reckon. Dewey, Glad you enjoyed this.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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