The Cowsills vs The Partridge Family

This is like a bottomless well. Just found yet another video of Billy singing incredibly well, starting with “Blue Bayou” then “Devil Woman” and I don’t know what comes next.
RIP Billy Cowsill

Ahem. Sorry. Meant to post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXxZYUOiJTs

It’s presumably just some brunch gig but still

That striped strung-out Sunday sound

Billy sings Bob (not his brother):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QUNo_eRppk

Billy sings Merle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNQo4sComus

Billy sings Hank:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGhFOMxqWCs

Listening to what he does with his voice in some of this stuff, quite convincing imitations of various country styles, has made me go back to the earliest MGM stuff and listen with new ears. Even if he is singing in a more pop-rock style, one can hear or imagine hearing a certain melancholy in his voice that translated well when he went country.

I was a friend of Billy Cowsill over the last ten years of his life, and even was honoured to sing one of his Blue Shadows songs at his memorial wake here in Calgary, which was attended by 850 people. Billy was beloved here. In 1997 a group of his Calgary pals rescued Billy from Vancouver, where he had sunk into drug and alcohol dependency after the breakup of the Blue Shadows. They paid for him to get into rehab for an extended period (that brunch gig JR and the Bs linked to above was early on in the process when Billy started leaving the facility for the occasional afternoon gig, just to keep his chops up) and set him up in an apartment afterward. Billy took on a trio of younger local musicians to do mostly early 60s covers and called it the Co-Dependents. He stayed sober, mentored a lot of younger musicians, played extensively in hospital wards, seniors homes and long term care facilities and attended community college. Unfortunately the long term damage he'd done to his body led to his early death in 2006. I miss him a ton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_QgvUS-wfY&frags=pl%2Cwn

Thanks so much for that. Think I read that when he passed he was working on a psychology degree.

Also, were you trying to post a video? There is an embed but it is not showing up properly.

Okay. Couldn’t see it in zing but do see it in Chrome.

"love's a hurtin' thing" is good and all but unfortunately gloria ann taylor recorded the definitive song with that title

Near the end of this clip he is singing and playing on another Arthur Alexander song.
https://youtu.be/ErjqWzROMaM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErjqWzROMaM

Really dig Billy’s song “Vagabond”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHKTSt4RZp8

Billy used to love telling the story about how he first recorded Vagabond as a demo in an NYC studio one night in 1972. His own guitar wasn't staying in tune so the engineer pulled a Gibson Everly Bros Flattop out from a closet, that had been left in the studio by the daytime occupant (recording "Sometime in New York City"), John Lennon. He couldn't believe he was playing Lennon's axe. Later in the Blue Shadows he wrote a song about the experience called "Johnny's Guitar".

Thanks. Love these Billy stories you are providing.

Just found the first Blue Shadows album on Spotify. Still kind of amazed at what a convincing country and rockabilly singer he became. Maybe I am a bit of fool on that point but the fool is the last one to know.

Two notes on songwriting credits:

• Interesting that “You’re Not the Same Girl” was written by another guy in Blue Northern, Ray O’Toole, not Billy, but it ended up in the Cowsills repertoire.
• Guy who wrote “Covered Wagon,” Danny O’Keefe, also wrote “Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues.” (cf recent Elvis poll) Still don’t know anything else about him.

Just found this great live performance of “Deliver Me” with the Blue Shadows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E47DEbOiYTo

Oh, just noticed the latest Super Hits poll

Miranda Lambert, er, covered "Covered Wagon" on her last album.

The Blue Shadows album really holds up

Like how the harmonies lean a little more towards the Louvins than most

Was referring to the first album. Here is the title track of the second album, which I just came across and enjoyed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqtXWrB4xm4

cowsills free at port washington library 11/9 (long island). for nyc folks you can walk there from the port washington lirr stop.

https://pwpl.org/events/

Cool. But No tickets required, but please note that Port Washington residents will receive priority entry

If I can’t make that, might try to go to this one on December 8th: https://tickets.thecuttingroomnyc.com/event/1755325-cowsills-new-york/

last time i saw them there it was well-attended but not a full house. they'll usually squeeze folks in.

cowsills ruled at the library. rain kept some folks away, but the faithful came out. they were giddy because this was the last day of a long tour, and happy to be playing as a three-piece without the backing band. new news: they are recording a new cd!

here's the youtube of the event. they mixed the guitars too high, but that improves somewhat. there's a q&a at around 40 minutes where the run through some obscurities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxpRDXfF4fA&fbclid=IwAR309xrDs0mE9orMFIL1ctgjWcsbV2xzAdSuxzJyfkS4LqQft8dX5yoTevM

Ended up not going last night. Maybe will watch Family Band again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic6uELZD5zg

Guiltily thinking of this storm as Hurricane Barry Cowsill.

Rewatched the Sullivan show video and some of that Rhode Island reunion and man, John is a great drummer.

Down to here
Down to there

https://youtu.be/PLBvPQAPl7w

Watch what happens when they start in the wrong key:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqwsBq9yeW0

And the other one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-fQTetggZ4

I love them all but it always amazes how good baby brother John is.

I love them all but it always amazes how good baby brother John is.

This came up today and made me really happy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foepOwQlXpI

i heard Hair the other day & it put me in such a good mood

:)

I was transfixed as a kid when one of the teenagers who worked in my dad's milk store (either Vince or Roman, I believe) had the radio on and knew all the words to "Indian Lake."

But did he know all the words to “I Think I Love You”?

I probably knew those myself at the time--we all did.

This one just popped into my head, “You’re Not the Same Girl.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL1vbKD6Ry0

NOW AND THEN: The Smithereens with The Cowsills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyl8GyB0jU8

From Omnivore:

http://omnivorerecordings.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cowsills-Rhythm-Of-The-World-OV-503.jpg

The Cowsills
Rhythm Of The World
Release date: September 30, 2022

Description
First new music from the band in nearly 30 years, includes 11 brand new songs written by the band.
...Now, nearly 30 years after their last recordings as a group, The Cowsills are returning with new music for the new world! Omnivore Recordings is proud to announce the release of Rhythm Of The World. Eleven brand new songs written by the band. The ambassadors of goodwill and love will be on the road through 2023 thrilling fans with their classic hits and soon to be new favorites!

CD / DIGITAL TRACK LIST:
YA GOTTA GET UP!
LEND A HAND
HAWKS ON THE LINE
EVERY LITTLE SECRET
NUCLEAR WINTER
RHYTHM OF THE WORLD
LARGO NIGHTS
GOODBYE’S NOT FOREVER
THE LONG RUN
TRY TO BELIEVE IT TOO
KATRINA

Cat: OV-503

http://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/rhythm-of-the-world/

nice!