Frocktober Day 20!!! The Higher the Hair......

The closer to Jesus.

Have you ever noticed the correlation between country singers hair in the 70's and their christianity? The higher the hair, the closer to Jesus? Yes I know - I should do a phd on it. Check out Wanda Jackson here!

So I'm doing my best to match HIGH HAIR with my 'Loretta Lynne Dress'. That's what my partner has always called this dress. And it's true. Loretta was a fan of the long sleeve dress with spangles.

 But I call it my "Gayle dress" because Gayle gave it to me. She was the vice principal where my kids went to primary school. They used to call her "Skeletor" - yeah kids! So mean! She was very thin and never smiled and we were all a bit scared of her. One day she called me over for a chat and I thought the kids were in trouble. But in fact, she wanted to give me 3 amazing bridesmaid frocks from 1971! The hot pink one I wore on day 8 was one, there was a white one with 3d flower sleeves that has since been given away in an over generous moment to a young friend who looked so amazing in it and this one. The BRIGHT LUMINOUS RED BEADED AMAZINGLY MADE LONG SLEEVED BUTTON BACK Loretta Lynne dress. And you know - poor Gayle was thin and unhappy because she was going through a really tough time. She came out the other side and blossomed again - got rosier cheeks and we all got to see her generous soul.

I know there are many a generous soul out there too so donate to the ovarian cancer research foundation if you can. As my friend Kylie said - it's a no brainer! Donate here. Ovarian cancer kills a woman in Australia every 10 hours and developing an early detection test is the key to beating it.

Don't forget the Mexican stuff you can buy and the proceeds will go to frocktober. Make an offer - no offer too small so don'e be shy! I will cover the postage.

Now here's Loretta Lynne singing "Fist City". What song and what singer!

 

Wanda! Wanda!

Last week the wonderful Wanda Jackson was in Melbourne town for two gigs and I must say I am very pleased that I accidentally bought tickets to both nights. Wanda Jackson is truly a musical legend. I’ll try not to gush my brains out but it’s so hard to contain myself when I think back to watching this tiny septuagenarian woman growl and sing and rock out songs that span her 59 year career as a recording artist. My lord, she even yodeled. 

Wanda Jackson’s voice belies her years and her sweet nature. It has been said that she was a nice girl with a mean voice. It’s a voice that is so well suited to traditional Country (as witnessed by her wonderful rendition of “Big Iron Skillet.” ) but when it crosses over to rock n roll, as she did in the 50’s, on the advice of her friend Elvis Presley, her voice just seems to become infused with energy and expression. And off the scale on the cool factor.

Wanda tells us at her gigs that she is taking us on a musical journey. Interspersed with witty anecdotes (she was chattier on the first night) about Elvis and his suggestion to her to play a “style of music  that had no name”, about touring with her Daddy as chaperone because she never thought about getting paid because she was having too much fun,  wearing Elvis’s ring and falling in love with her husband of 51 years, Wendell (she said “I have a t-shirt that says “I’m the girl who dated Elvis” and he has one that says “I’m the man who beat Elvis”). He appears on stage to deliver her a cup of tea – a trick for soothing the vocal chords she learnt from Adele. 

Wanda tells all of these stories with genuine humility; surprised and  incredulous at her influence on such artists as Adele and the fact that producers like Jack White and Justin Townes Earl want to make records with her. Well who wouldn’t admire her? Her wonderful songs like “Funnel of Love” and “Riot in Cell block Number 9” are classics. She also sang “Fujiyamamama”, “Rock ya Baby”,  “Mean Mean Man” and “Let’s Have a Party”.  From her later recordings she sang  ”Shakin’ All Over” and  from her latest album, “Unfinished Business”, she sang the gorgeous ballad “Am I even a Memory?”. But she topped it all with  a spine tingling rendition of the Amy Winehouse song “You Know That I’m No Good” – just so tender. It was a song that Jack White made her record. She thought it wasn’t “age appropriate”. But she describes Jack White as “a velvet covered brick” that always got his own way. And I’m glad he did. The song is a heart breaker.

Wanda shows that talent, hard work and polished musicality makes her an artist of such calibre that age cannot dim her sheen – in fact I would say she was better this time than the last time I saw her.  The backing band (she only had one rehearsal with them!) really matched her energy and together they seemed to have a great rapport for this first lady of rock n roll. The guitarist in the band was just 15 years old! On the stage was a 75 year old lady singing and rocking out with a 15 year old up and coming musician as her lead guitarist. Two degrees from Elvis Presley! It was really special.

On the second night she didn’t talk so much but she rocked even harder – she spontaneously started to sing “Let’s have a party” again because she found it irresistible. As did we. We could have listened to her all night long. The crowd were young and she greeted them with such warmth, reaching out and touching their outstretched hands and complimenting them.

After the gig on the first night we hung around the back door like sad old groupies, for just a glimpse of Wanda and maybe an autograph  - but we had no joy. On the second night we managed to get back stage for a private audience with her. She was tiny, beautiful, sparkly and gracious. We gave her a photo of our little girl Wanda and her twin sister Pepper.... 



Wanda Jackson with the photo we gave her of our twins, Wanda and Pepper.

and she signed this record for our "little Wanda". She told us to tell Wanda that when she was her age she got her first guitar and knew she was going to be a girl singer. Wanda seemed genuinely touched that we named our daughter after her. She also liked my frock!

The week's playlist

wearing:
my new Swedish handmade hasbeens with bright tights...

  
reading: Well actually I'm re-reading...

"Persuasion" by Jane Austen...because I just love it! I also love the 1995 adaptation...

making:
going to try and knit this chevron baby blanket pattern from purl bee

 
discovering: The wonderful Kate Jenkins of the Cardigan blog. Her crochet illustrations and creations just blow my mind...I love the anatomical bling and crochet vegetables. She is a woman after my own heart.

listening to: Wanda Jackson! Wanda is performing on Wednesday and Thursday night here in Melbourne. In my excitement to buy tickets I accidentally (?) bought tickets to both nights! Yay! Now if I could just find a way for my little daughter Wanda to meet THE Wanda...

 

 

Waiting for Wanda!

Wanda Jackson's new album "Unfinished Business" is released Tomorrow! One more sleep!

As you may have guessed, I like Wanda Jackson. With her growly high voice, firecracker presence and a blend of country and rockabilly, she is a singer after my own heart. In fact, I named my fourth daughter after her.
 
For many, many years rumors abounded in Melbourne that Wanda Jackson was going to tour. My hopes would be raised and I'd be eagle eyed on the look out for information. My ears would prick up as whisperings out and about at gigs went like this:
 "Is she going to tour?" "I heard she was coming this Spring!" "Oh can you imagine seeing Wanda Jackson sing?"

And then one year, 2007, Wanda Jackson actually DID tour!!! She was almost 70 years old and I was 35 weeks pregnant with twins. Perhaps not the best moment in time for us to intersect.

But nothing was going to stop me from going to that gig! I pushed my swollen feet into some high heels, hid my cankles under trousers  and s...t....r....e....t....c...h....e...d a mini dress over my ridiculously huge belly that was sticking out perpendicular from my torso.I clipped in my rockabilly fake hair pony tail and went to the gig. 

To make it even harder, it was an all standing pub gig at the Corner Hotel in Richmond. It was a big crowd and many people there I knew.  And there she was, Wanda Jackson, all shaking tassels, huge droplet diamond earrings and massive big high country singer hair ("The higher the hair, the closer to Jesus"!)

I don't think I have EVER been more uncomfortable in my life! 

Firstly, everyone kept talking to me! Throughout the gig, people kept asking about the babies, how I was, when they were due etc. I wanted to scream "It's Wanda Jackson! I've been waiting for decades!! Just let me hear her!" Yes. Pregnancy hormones are fun, aren't they? 

Instead of going ballistic I kept waddling around to find a peaceful spot where I could a)see the stage and 
b)not be pestered by people I knew 
and c) not have anyone use my belly to rest their beer on.

Standing there all evening with throbbing feet and a pelvic floor that felt like a  trampoline with a herd of elephants on it(okay...too much information)I thought, if I survive this, I'm calling one of these babies Wanda.

And one week later I did just that. Fortunately, for my little Wanda, she was girl.

Wanda Jackson came back the next year when I was physically more able to enjoy her brand of country rockabilly(although I still wore uncomfortable shoes. What is wrong with me?)

I waited until the end of the gig and joined the queue for autographs. I had something for her  - a little photo of our Wanda. It was a long queue and the ever gracious Wanda Jackson was a tiny pretty lady perched on a bar stool while her handsome gallant husband Wendell sold the merchandise. He saw me in the queue holding the photo and asked,
"Have you got something for Wanda?" So I told him. "Wanda!" he shouted out, grabbing her her arm and pulling her off the stool. "This lady called her baby after you!". 

So yes, I jumped the queue and gave her the photo of our little Wanda and she signed these pictures of herself for our Wanda. I told them about the twins and the last gig and Wanda asked what we called the other baby. When I replied "Pepper" old Wendell and Wanda said in perfect synchronicity "Aww.....cute".

I have a few reservations about this album produced by Justin Townes Earle but I just love that Wanda is still rockin', still growling out those songs and still touring at 75 years old. Still that firecracker.