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Jim on the radio

Posted by David MacBeth <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=David+MacBeth' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on August 9, 2015, 4:17 am

Jim was played on 'Steve Wrights' Sunday Love Songs' this morning,singing the 'alternate' recording of 'Welcome To My World'.

Re: Jim on the radio

Posted by David MacBeth <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=David+MacBeth' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on August 9, 2015, 4:20 am, in reply to "Jim on the radio"

On BBC Radio 2.

Re: Jim on the radio

Posted by Larry Jordan <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Larry+Jordan' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on August 9, 2015, 1:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Jim on the radio"

Jim hated that alternate version and recorded it only under protest because the powers that be at RCA didn't like the original string-laden version. Instead, on the second recording, the Anita Kerr singers substitute for the strings. It doesn't have a "complete" sound. Reeves was correct, and after fighting with them (including cursing Chet Atkins out on the phone), the label finally relented and released the first he had cut.

I cannot talk about "Welcome To My World" without bringing up the matter of Ray Winkler. In my book, "Jim Reeves: His Untold Story," I tell you the name of the guy who actually wrote the song, but who never received a dime for it (nor did his impoverished widow who was left to raise young children on her own, after her husband died in the crash of a commercial airliner in Texas).

Eddie McDuff was the real writer, but Ray Winkler got rich off the song, as it has been covered by many artists after Jim. Mr. McDuff confronted Winkler about this shortly before perishing in the plane crash. I interviewed his widow.

I'd first been tipped off to this travesty by several well respected songwriters who knew the story and were appalled.

In short, the late Mr. Winkler was a phony who never even helped Eddie's widow who was LITERALLY cleaning toilets to make a living.

I have a lot of the details in my book. Even the man who was asked to record a demo on the tune had trouble doing so because Ray couldn't sing him a song he supposedly wrote!

It is a travesty that Mr. Winkler is even in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame as the supposed writer of "Welcome To My World." Carthage was informed of who really wrote the song but instead of honoring the man who did, they chose to ignore the truth and deceive the fans, and others went along with it. It's shameful. Winkler's heirs are still cashing royalty checks on that song while the McDuff family struggles along.

The most that could be said for Ray is that he presented the song to Jim. But for him to claim credit for WRITING the song, and cling to this falsehood for years, is beyond the pale.

Eddie's picture below.

Re: Jim on the radio

I really find it hard to understand why Jim hated the 'alternate' version,I thought it was a beautiful recording,the arrangement was stunning and restrained at the same time,but I agree,the version that was eventually released was more commercial (peaking at #6 here in the UK and on the chart for 15 weeks from 13/06/63).
If Jim hated it so much why did he record it?What would RCA have done,dropped him?In my own opinion that may have been a good thing,then he (and everyone else) wouldn't have been in Elvis' shadow,RCA didn't really need anyone else,and by the amount of records and CDs out there of Elvis,they probably still don't.
The record stores here have the same four or five CDs by Jim,if you look in the Elvis section at least treble that,there are also books galore on Elvis,NOTHING on Jim,I used to listen to the music of Elvis,but now when his songs come on the radio,I turn it off,there's just too much.I've bought all the Voice Masters recordings of Jim,I also have 'The Divine Miss Cline',but I won't be purchasing the Elvis set.
Did Jim know the truth behind 'Welcome to My world'?Wonder if that is why he was reluctant to record the 'alternate' version.

Re: Jim on the radio

Posted by Larry Jordan <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Larry+Jordan' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on August 11, 2015, 12:38 pm, in reply to "Re: Jim on the radio"

I don't think Jim had a clear picture of "Welcome To My World" but Ray Winkler sure did, and after Mr. and Mrs. McDuff drove to Ray's town and confronted him angrily, he appears to have made at least a token gesture of trying to get Jim interested in some of the other songs Eddie had written.

There is correspondence from Jim to Ray indicating he likes a couple of songs of Eddie's that were given to him, thinks one has possibilities and feels that Eddie has never sounded better. (McDuff also sang, and had hung around the Big D Jamboree in Dallas, where Winkler first approached him about taking an idea he and his partner, John Hathcock had, and turning it into a song). Winkler subsequently wrote a tribute to John claiming he was such a talented lyricist when the lyrics were actually from the Bible! Eddie polished the words but wrote the captivating melody.

Jim believed in the song so he re-recorded it at RCA's insistence. However, he had the last laugh because he was so ticked off at the label for a lot of things (such as their lack of promotion and the way they pressed his records too softly so listeners on radio had to turn up the volume to hear him), that he boycotted sessions for about five months and only re-signed his contract shortly before his death.

That's why he went into the studio in May 1964 to resume recording (some singles) and completed work on a new album on July 2nd. Had there not been an impasse between him and RCA, we likely would have had more material by Jim to enjoy.

His vocal performance of the alternate version is also lackluster in comparison to the one with the cascading strings.

BTW, Mary told me the first time I visited her in Nashville, and we were sitting in Jim's Cadillac in the RCA parking lot, overlooking the Nashville skyline (I will never forget this setting), that Jim had wanted to start a label (and of course had launched Shannon). She said she had dreams of carrying out his wishes but that it would take too much money to really compete with the major labels as they had so much clout with distributors in the marketplace. Fabor Robison ran up against that problem years earlier when he tried to get stores to carry his products, and it was only when he scored a breakthrough with Jim's "Mexican Joe" that major vendors started taking Abbott seriously.

Re: Jim on the radio

I prefer to think of Jims' vocal on the 'alternate' version to be 'laid back' rather than lacklustre,like I mentioned previously,even though I liked it,it wasn't the right version for commercial release.
If Mr.Winkler & Mr. Hathcock had an ounce of decency they could have at LEAST given Eddie McDuff a credit,maybe even the prophet Matthew!
It is irrelevant now,but I still think Jim would have faired better at either MCA or Decca.

Re: Jim on the radio

Posted by Larry Jordan <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Larry+Jordan' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on August 11, 2015, 6:25 pm, in reply to "Re: Jim on the radio"

Jim would not have fared better at Decca, with Owen Bradley at the helm in Nashville and a quonset hut studio vastly inferior to RCA Studio B from a sonic, engineering and equipment standpoint! Owen also described himself as "musically ignorant" in a published interview, Decca was using an inferior tape for masters in those days, there was too much leakage into mics so the three tracks were not as clean as they should have been (due to poor isolation and the fact everybody was crammed in the studio like sardines), and Bradley admitted he only got Patsy on the right path when he started to pay attention to what Jim Reeves and Chet Atkins were doing at RCA.

Re: Jim on the radio

Posted by Anita Cooper <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Anita+Lee+Cooper' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on August 14, 2015, 5:48 am, in reply to "Re: Jim on the radio"

The U.S. Postal Service is adding"insult to injury"by issuing a SECOND stamp honoring Elvis Presley, when they still haven't given Jim Reeves that honor even once. I guess they expect to make more money with an Elvis stamp.I won't buy it.I plan to write them about it and complain.The USPS stinks. Usually you have to have been a president or someone like MLK to get more than one USPS in your honor.Two stamps for Elvis is absurd.

Anita L. Cooper

Re: Jim on the radio

Posted by Larry Jordan <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Larry+Jordan' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on August 14, 2015, 4:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Jim on the radio"

I'll tell you what is even more preposterous: The U.S. post office is also SELLING AN ELVIS CD for $9.99. Since when did they get in that business? That's a dirty deal and certainly an affront to other labels and artists.

Re: Jim on the radio

They know that Elvis is like a 'Milk-cow',and anything they release will make money,I seriously doubt if Jim will be treated as well,he wouldn't make them as much money,after all how many @Jim Reeves' calendars,books,posters,mugs,key-rings etc. etc. are out there?Not a lot,if any!It is sad,but I doubt if that will change!

Re: Jim on the radio

Posted by Allen Chandler <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=cibaperson' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on August 15, 2015, 1:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Jim on the radio"

I doubt that anybody in the post office knows who Jim Reeves was. Besides they think rock and roll sells better than country.

Re: Jim on the radio

Posted by Anita Cooper <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Anita+Lee+Cooper' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on August 15, 2015, 6:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Jim on the radio"

Earlier this year I received a letter from the Manager of Stamp Development at the USPS,Krista Becker,on Feb.12,2015,and it said Jim Reeves was being considered for a stamp.I think they don't know that JR was more than just a country artist.The second Elvis stamp is an insult not only to Jim,but to many other worthy artists who have yet to be given this honor.I knew they were also selling it with a CD.There's their real motivation:money.There is even a Harry Potter stamp with the images or a photo of the young British actors from that movie series.I thought the USA didn't put the images of still living persons on postage stamps.I guess that's not the case anymore.I realize they are portraying fictional characters from the films,but their faces are recognizable as still living actors today.Ms.Becker's address is: 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300 Washington,DC 20260-3501 In case you all want to write her your displeasure in this greedy decision.

Anita L. Cooper

Re: Jim on the radio

As I said before,Elvis is like a 'cash cow',people know what ever they release,publish,produce in various guises,like posters,books,key rings,I even saw an 'Elvis' perpetual motion novelty (solar powered)yesterday,it will sell,so Why would they need to concentrate on anyone else?

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