It’s night time in the big city
A hotdog vendor drains water from his cart
There’s a low cloud cover
“We’ll be talking about love letters, pen pals, going postal, ransom notes, letters to dear John, and Dear Abbey, Miss Lonelyhearts…we’ll be returning things to sender, and we’ll be telling you that your check’s in the mail.”
(Played in background)
“You know, when we come up with these themes, we try to stay away from the obvious choices. But occasionally there are some that you just have to play, like this one.”
“You got to wonder, why don’t piano players play like that any more?!”
“The 2nd shortest single to reach #1”
“Our next artist joined the Hy-Tone label, where he first recorded this song; but we’re gonna play the version of 1949 that he recorded for King. I’ve always been partial to the band he had around that time…I’m sure all you jazz fans recognized that after Slim sings, ‘Things ain’t like they used to be’ the saxophone players play the riff from the Duke Ellington song of the same name.”
(Clip played)
“He took up the piano at age six and also played the Hammond organ and the pipe organ, which he called the God Box. He was a great singer as well as a piano player.”
“He grew up listening to his father and grandfather performing Cajun songs, but when he formed his first band, the Cool Cats, in the mid 50’s he was doing straight ahead country and western songs. But the rock and roll bug bit him and he started playing louder and faster.”
“The longest active professional brother duet in country music history…55 years.”
(1st Pony Express route)