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Avg: 3.5 (38 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1979
- Genre: Country/Folk
- Label: Epic/Legacy
- Copyright: (P) 1990 Warner Bros., 1992 Freeland Recording Co., Inc., 1992, 1993 1994 MCA Nashville, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc., 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1997, 2002, 2005 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
George Jones gets together some of the biggest names in the business on this classic
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We Say...
As George Jones puts it in the booklet of Legacy's reissue of 1979's My Very Special Guests — which nearly quadruples the original album, ballooning it from 10 tracks to 37 — "I just thought it would be fun to sing some songs with some of my good friends — and some new friends." Sure, George. That's why these ten items were recorded in February 1977 and November 1978 and not released until October 1979 — because it came out so damn spontaneously. Isn't it great when life is that simple?
Of course, My Very Special Guests was nothing like simple. For one thing, it's the hardcore honky-tonker's first attempt to cross over to a non-country audience since the '50s. (When Jones played New York's Bottom Line in 1980, it was a big deal, because he so seldom showed up in the live-music capitol of America.) For another, it was pulled together while Jones was in the pits of his raging twin habits of drugs and booze. The latter doesn't show up on the album except in its haphazard quality, but either way, nearly two years is a long time for any album to gestate in Nashville, the most efficient major studio center in pop.
What made My Very Special Guests "crossover" was, yep, the guests. No surprises from fellow hell-raiser Waylon Jennings ("Night Life"), ex-wife Tammy Wynette ("It Sure Was Good"), the ubiquitous Willie Nelson (the fabulous "I Gotta Get Drunk"), ramalama Johnny Paycheck (a "Proud Mary" to make you go "oof"), and folky Emmylou Harris ("Here We Are"). Singer-songwriter James Taylor (a felt "Bartender's Blues") wasn't too much stretch; nor were country-rocker Linda Ronstadt ("I've Turned You to Stone"), or, in its way, a closing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" with Pops and Mavis Staples that's wonderfully performed, however obvious it might be.
The two eyebrow-raisers were buried in the middle of side two. Dennis & Ray of Dr. Hook (that's how they're billed; apparently some people don't have last names, only bands) sit in on "I Still Hold Her Body (But I Think I've Lost Her Mind)," the requisite novelty number. And Elvis Costello, the most classicist of the punk generation (whether he was a punk or not), appears on his own "Stranger in the House." Jones' quick, bullfrog-voiced "Thank you, Elvis" at the end is worth the rest by itself.
So are the bonus tracks on this "Legacy Edition." These constitute the kind of compilation an obsessive fan would make: 27 duets post-dating the original album, through 1997, from all over the Sony vault. This has advantages — for one, it's a tour of 20 years' worth of subtle changes in Nashville music: starts relatively sweet, grows sturdier. The more important is that we get to hear one of the greatest singers on earth on his best behavior: Jones showed out when he worked with other vocalists, and while there's stuff as forced on the later cuts as the blatantly scripted conviviality that mars the album's Paycheck-CCR run-through, a lot of it is genuinely buoyant. Something you might figure no cop — who remembers Janie Frickie? — sneaks up on you ("All I Want to Do in Life"), especially fun-first stuff like the Charlie Daniels duet "Fiddle and Guitar Band" and especially his Ray Charles and Chet Atkins feature "We Didn't See a Thing," on which they sound, truly, like good friends. -
They Say...
When George Jones recorded his duets album My Very Special Guests in 1977 and 1978 with producer Billy Sherrill, he was a legend, but his reputation for carousing and blowing off gigs was overshadowing his talent. This album and its successor, I Am What I Am, changed Jones' fortunes professionally even if his personal life didn't come under control until later. This document is a testament to Jones' virtually indestructible voice and his ability to stay true to his vision as the fortunes and focus of commercial country music were rapidly changing. Sony Legacy's reissue is a double-disc set containing a sprawling 38 tracks from the 1970s through the '90s that showcases the album in the context of other duets Jones recorded for various projects -- his own albums, his appearances on other artists' recordings, and compilations. This remaster of the original album is glorious. Duets with Tammy Wynette, Linda Ronstadt, Elvis Costello, James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, and Pops and Mavis Staples are among the finest of his career. Disc one gets rounded off with an additional eight cuts including "A Few Ole Country Boys" with Randy Travis from the latter's Heroes and Friends set, and "Wonderful World Outside" from Ralph Stanley's Saturday Night & Sunday Morning. And the simply awesome "You Don't Seem to Miss Me" with Patty Loveless was a smash form her Long Stretch of Lonesome offering in 1997. Disc two's standouts include Jones with Alan Jackson ("A Good Year for the Roses"), Loretta Lynn ("We Sure Make Good Love"), Johnny Cash ("I Got Stripes"), Merle Haggard ("Yesterday's Wine"), and Travis Tritt ("The Race Is On"). All of what is here has been released before, and some of it doesn't hold up. Still it's good to have it all collected as a-mostly-superlative document of Jones as a continuous power and creative influence on other vocalists. The CD is packed with session photos, and features a great set of notes by Holly George-Warren.
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| 01. |  |
Night Life (With Waylon Jennings)
|
3:41 |
|
| 02. | |
Bartender's Blues |
3:45 |
|
| 03. | |
Here We Are (With Emmylou Harris)
|
2:50 |
|
| 04. | |
I've Turned You To Stone (With Linda Ronstadt)
|
2:38 |
|
| 05. | |
It Sure Was Good (With Tammy Wynette)
|
2:43 |
|
| 06. | |
I Gotta Get Drunk ( With Willie Nelson)
|
2:11 |
|
| 07. | |
Proud Mary (With Johnny Paycheck)
|
2:51 |
|
| 08. | |
Stranger In The House (With Elvis Costello)
|
3:36 |
|
| 09. | |
I Still Hold Her Body (But I Think I've Lost Her Mind) (With Dennis & Ray of Dr. Hook)
|
2:32 |
|
| 10. | |
Will The Circle Be Unbroken (With Pop And Mavis Staples) |
3:01 |
|
| 11. | |
A Few Ole Country Boys |
3:38 |
|
| 12. | |
It Hurts As Much In Texas (As It Did In Tennessee) |
2:22 |
|
| 13. | |
You Never Looked That Good When You Were Mine
|
2:35 |
|
| 14. | |
All I Want To Do In Life |
2:43 |
|
| 15. | |
Wonderful World Outside |
2:58 |
|
| 16. | |
You Can't Do Wrong And Get By
|
2:42 |
|
| 17. | |
You Don't Seem To Miss Me
|
4:07 |
|
| 18. | |
Patches |
6:14 |
|
18 Total Tracks, 57:07 Total Length
This album includes one or more tracks available only with a full album download.
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 24 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 24 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. | |
A Good Year For The Roses |
3:38 |
|
| 02. | |
Yesterday's Wine
|
3:13 |
|
| 03. | |
Our Love Was Ahead Of Its Time |
2:51 |
|
| 04. | |
We Sure Make Good Love |
2:34 |
|
| 05. | |
Size Seven Round (Made Of Gold) |
2:56 |
|
| 06. | |
I Got Stripes
|
2:16 |
|
| 07. | |
Fiddle And Guitar Band |
2:26 |
|
| 08. | |
We Didn't See A Thing
|
2:12 |
|
| 09. | |
The Love Bug |
2:27 |
|
| 10. | |
Love's Gonna Live Here |
1:58 |
|
| 11. | |
If I Could Bottle This Up |
3:11 |
|
| 12. | |
If You Can Touch Her At All |
3:28 |
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| 13. | |
All That We've Got Left |
2:58 |
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| 14. | |
This Bottle (In My Hand)
|
2:50 |
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| 15. | |
Talking To Hank
|
2:46 |
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| 16. | |
Never Bit A Bullet Like This
|
2:21 |
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| 17. | |
The Race Is On
|
2:27 |
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| 18. | |
I've Been There |
2:23 |
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| 19. | |
Traveller's Prayer |
3:01 |
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19 Total Tracks, 51:56 Total Length
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Credits
- Jerry Douglas - Dobro // Buddy Emmons - Guitar (Steel) // Ricky Skaggs - Fiddle // Ricky Skaggs - Fiddle // Ricky Skaggs - Fiddle // Ricky Skaggs - Fiddle // Ricky Skaggs - Fiddle // Ricky Skaggs - Vocal Harmony // Ricky Skaggs - Vocal Harmony // Ricky Skaggs - Vocal Harmony // Ricky Skaggs - Vocal Harmony // Ricky Skaggs - Vocal Harmony // Marty Stuart - Mandolin // Chet Atkins - Guitar // Chet Atkins - Guitar // Chet Atkins - Guitar // Chet Atkins - Guitar // Chet Atkins - Guitar // Johnny Cash - Guitar // Johnny Cash - Guitar // Rodney Crowell - Guitar // Johnny Gimble - Fiddle // Emmylou Harris - Guitar // George Jones - Author // George Jones - Author // George Jones - Author // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Willie Nelson - Guitar // Buddy Spicher - Fiddle // Randy Travis - Author // Dickey Betts - Guitar (Electric) // Dickey Betts - Guitar (Electric) // Dickey Betts - Guitar (Electric) // Elvis Costello - Author // Elvis Costello - Author // The Jordanaires - Vocals (Background) // The Jordanaires - Vocals (Background) // The Jordanaires - Vocals (Background) // The Jordanaires - Vocals (Background) // Albert Lee - Guitar // Albert Lee - Guitar // Leon Russell - Piano // Tommy Allsup - Guitar // David Briggs - Piano // Pete Drake - Dobro // Pete Drake - Guitar (Steel) // Steve Gibson - Guitar (Electric) // The Memphis Horns - ? // Sweet Pea Atkinson - Vocals (Background) // Phil Baugh - Guitar // Bobby Wood - Keyboards // Don Potter - Guitar (Acoustic) // Mickey Raphael - Harmonica // Steven Berkowitz - A&R // Mark Morris - Percussion // Kenny Aronoff - Drums // Earl Poole Ball - Piano // Eddie Bayers - Drums // Barry Beckett - Piano // Jimmy Belkin - Fiddle // Ken Bell - Guitar (Acoustic) // Ken Bell - Guitar (Electric) // Benmont Tench - Organ (Hammond) // Richard Bennett - Guitar (Acoustic) // Lea Jane Berinati - Vocals (Background) // Junior Blankenship - Guitar // Pete Bordonali - Guitar (Acoustic) // Pete Bordonali - Guitar // Sir Harry Bowens - Vocals (Background) // Tony Brown - Executive Producer // Dennis Burnside - Piano // Larry Butler - Piano // Larry Byrom - Guitar (Acoustic) // Buddy Cannon - Producer // Jimmy Capps - Guitar // Jerry Carrigan - Drums // Mark Casstevens - Guitar (Acoustic) // Boomer Castleman - Guitar (Acoustic) // Boomer Castleman - Guitar (Electric) // Jack Clement - Guitar // Curley Ray Cline - Fiddle // Tommy Cogbill - Bass // Jack Cooke - Bass // Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion // Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion // Terry Crisp - Guitar (Steel) // Glen D. Hardin - Piano // Chalmers Davis - Keyboards // Hank DeVito - Guitar (Steel) // Shane Keister - Piano // Dan Dugmore - Guitar (Steel) // Stuart Duncan - Fiddle // Bobby Emmons - Keyboards // Paul English - Drums // Jimmy English - Guitar (Electric) // Chris Ethridge - Bass // Ralph Ezell - Bass // Pat Flynn - Guitar (Acoustic) // Paul Franklin - Guitar (Steel) // Charles R. Freeland - Producer // Sonny Garrish - Guitar (Steel) // Gregg Geller - Compilation Producer // Vince Gill - Guitar (Electric) // Mark Goldenberg - Guitar // Emory Gordy - Bass // Emory Gordy - Producer // Marshall Grant - Bass // Doyle Grisham - Guitar (Steel) // Rob Hajacos - Fiddle // Owen Hale - Drums // Jerry Hensley - Guitar // Karl Himmel - Drums // John Hobbs - Piano // Fritz Hofmann - Photography // Sherilyn Huffman - Vocals (Background) // John Hughey - Guitar (Steel) // David Hungate - Bass // Jim Isbell - Drums // Wayne Jackson - Trumpet // Glenn Keener - Guitar // Dave Kirby - Guitar // Mike Lawler - Keyboards // Kyle Lehning - Producer // Paul Leim - Drums // Andrew Love - Sax (Tenor) // Mac McAnally - Guitar (Acoustic) // Kenny Malone - Drums // Brent Mason - Guitar (Electric) // Terry McMillan - Harmonica // Jonell Mosser - Vocals (Background) // Weldon Myrick - Guitar (Steel) // Steve Nathan - Piano // Steve Nathan - Keyboards // Mark O'Connor - Fiddle // Mark O'Connor - Fiddle // Mark O'Connor - Fiddle // Mark O'Connor - Fiddle // Bobby Ogdin - Keyboards // Cliff Parker - Guitar // Danny Parks - Guitar (Acoustic) // Jody Payne - Guitar // Lynn Peterzell - Percussion // Freddy Powers - Guitar // Ron Reynolds - Percussion // Hargus "Pig" Robbins - Piano // Hargus "Pig" Robbins - Keyboards // Jack Routh - Guitar // Brent Rowan - Guitar (Acoustic) // Brent Rowan - Guitar (Electric) // Billy Sanford - Guitar (Acoustic) // Billy Sanford - Guitar // Billy Sherrill - Producer // Lisa Silver - Vocals (Background) // Tommy Spurlock - Guitar (Steel) // Art Stamper - Fiddle // Harry Stinson - Drums // Henry Strzelecki - Guitar (Steel) // Karen Taylor - Vocals (Background) // Ernie Thacker - Guitar // Ernie Thacker - Mandolin // Bobby Thompson - Guitar // Mark Tucker - Photography // Diane Vanette - Vocals (Background) // Jim Vest - Guitar (Steel) // Pete Wade - Guitar // John Ware - Drums // Don Was - Producer // Biff Watson - Guitar (Acoustic) // Willie Weeks - Bass // Jack Williams - Bass // Dennis Wilson - Vocals (Background) // Lonnie Wilson - Drums // Norro Wilson - Producer // Bob Wootton - Guitar (Electric) // Glenn Worf - Bass // Bob Wray - Bass // Mark Wright - Producer // Reggie Young - Guitar // Reggie Young - Guitar (Electric) // W.S. Holland - Drums // Arnold McCuller - Vocals (Background) // Charlie McCoy - Harmonica // Hershel Wigginton - Vocals (Background) // Bobbie Nelson - Piano // Holly George-Warren - Liner Notes // Norman Seeff - Photography // Vic Anesini - Mastering // Kathy Nelson - Executive Producer // Mike Chapman - Bass // Lib Hatcher - Executive Producer // Waring Abbott - Photography // Slick Lawson - Photography // Stephanie Chernikowski - Photography // Al Teller - Executive Producer // Charlyn Zlotnik - Photography // Sherry Rayn Barnett - Photography // Butch Lee - Organ (Hammond) // Robert Matheu - Photography // Lily Lew - Packaging Manager // Liz Reilly - Photo Research // Ryn Maartens - Art Direction // Ryn Maartens - Design // Brian Ahem - Guitar (Acoustic) // Brian Ahem - Guitar // Brian Ahem - Producer // John R. "Ricky" Jackson - Project Director // Millie Krikham - Vocals (Background) // David Shafer - Photography // Dale "Oldest Son" Siegfried - Guitar (Acoustic) // Dale "Oldest Son" Siegfried - Guitar (Electric) // J. Clark Thomas - Photography // Bobby Turner - Guitar (Steel) // Theresa Werner - Photography
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Performers
Ray Charles // Merle Haggard // Johnny Cash // Waylon Jennings // Willie Nelson // Ricky Skaggs // Mark Chesnutt // Sammy Kershaw // Patti Page // Johnny Paycheck // Emmylou Harris // Bill Anderson // David Allan Coe // Linda Ronstadt // Tammy Wynette // Chet Atkins // Elvis Costello // Travis Tritt // George Jones with Patty Loveless // Pop & Mavis Staples // Dennis & Ray // George Jones (duet with Shelby Lynne) // George Jones (duet with Lacy J. Dalton) // George Jones (duet with Sweethearts Of The Rodeo) // George Jones (duet with Vern Gosdin) // George Jones (duet with Tim Mensy) // George Jones (duet with Deborah Allen) // George Jones (duet with Buck Owens) // George Jones (duet with Loretta Lynn) // George Jones (duet with Charlie Daniels) // George Jones (duet with Ricky Van Shelton) // George Jones (duet with Randy Travis) // George Jones (duet with Janie Frickie)
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