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I' Ide-* toate.of*ildmidSitting On TheFRONTROWpci‘■»vWith Bob SmithTubLocal Man's DiskMay ProveHit*om?rn--omaidtheore*•X-i it-nis-con* astjca*tra-iplyrat-iuchols.ITTAlready, we've had a couple ofpolicemen releasing records— maybe it was inevitable that the fire department would get into theact.And an unusual act it is. Fireman John Minnick’s first platter has just enough of a new touch that it might possible prme to bo a seller. Even if the Minmck disk fails to go over, at least one of the songs he composed may be picked up by a professional artist.The record is on Minnick’s own J E. M label. The two sides are Cold Blue Water” and Sitting and Wonder ng. both in the country and western vein.Minnick described his inspiration this way:“About two months ago, I was just sitting at home strumming on my guitar and the tune just came to me I thought. Now that's pretty good music. All I need issome words to go w ith it.’ ”And where did he get the ideafor the lyrics'*“No particular reason, they)fthe words* just f;t the tunc Iwas sitting and wondering what1 was going to write, and that gave me a title. ‘Sitting and Won-t • •deringIt took Minnick about a weekto work out what he believed tobe tho main song, plus anothertune and set of lyrics for the flipside. Then, he took himself and his guitar to Ben Hall s studio totape them. He took the tape home and worked out the rough spotsby himself.“When I thought it was fit for recording. 1 got some of my friend musicians and asked them to help me record it. After 1 got the band together, we took just one hour rehearsing, and then we went down to the studio and spent an hour and a half recording.”Most of the time since the idea was conceived, however, Minnick spent waiting for the platters to he manufactured in and shipped from Nashville.The result is better generally expects from ent. “Cool Blue Water” to be the better of the melody and lyrics ofthan onelocal tal-turns outtwo, witha naturethat can be utilized by popular as well as country and western artists “Sitting and Wondering” probably will never he anythingbut country.“Cold Blue Water” is in walli time, with a slow introduction, and a meshing of traditional and minor-key styles. Some of the passages are pretty, and the lyrics make sense.“Sitting and Wondering,” like its twin song, is not loud and clashing. Although it is strictly in the so-called hill-billy style in Ivoth words and music, the arrangement was deliberately muted. As a result it is more soothing than clangor, and is definitely danceable.Minnick played with Hoyle Nix for nearly 10 years, and then joined the local fire department six years ago. Music has remainedin the family, however—Minnick still plays for the hospitals; son Edwin is a drum major at Runnels Junior High School, and daughter Sheila is the Runnels band sweetheart.Helping Minnick on the record were Lewis Tierney, fiddle; Don Toll, lead guitar; Weldon Myrick, steel guitar; Larry Nix, bass;Kenneth Lane, drums; and Ace Ball, rhythm guitar.JOHN MINNICK AND RECORDHe was just sitting and wonderingfor the graduate . . .Ship 'n Shore*Lovely
Newspaper Details
Big Spring Daily Herald
Big Spring, Texas, US
Fri, May 24, 1963
Page 20
Full Page
Clipped by
Kevin C.
GB 22 Apr 2020
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