Jeff Pophistory

Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge: “Help Me Make It Through the Night” (Duet of the Day)

In 1970, Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge met on an airplane flight, leading to Kristofferson getting off the plane with Coolidge in Memphis instead of continuing on to his planned destination of Nashville. The two would eventually marry. Although the marriage would not last, the two made some great recordings, including performances of Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”

In the 1972 UK live performance below, a viewer can easily see that the two are captivated by each other. Kristofferson does not take his eyes off Coolidge and the two are touching or nearly touching throughout the song.

The performance appears to capture two people intensely in love in the time leading up to their marriage the following year. Or maybe they were just acting. You be the judge.

In 1978, Kristofferson and Coolidge both appeared on an episode of The Muppet Show. During that episode, Coolidge sang her hit song “We’re All Alone.”

On the episode, Kristofferson did sing “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” But he had a new partner, Miss Piggy.

Kristofferson and Coolidge divorced in 1980 after a rocky marriage reportedly marred by Kristofferson’s alcoholism and infidelities. The two had a child, created some great music, and got through some lonely nights together.

“Help Me Make It Through the Night” originally appeared on Kristofferson’s self-titled 1970 album. The album also features other classics written by Kristofferson, who recently retired.

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Cover of the Day: Mo Pitney Sings “If Hollywood Don’t Need You”

Singer-songwriter Mo Pitney performs an acoustic cover of Don Gibson’s classic song “If Hollywood Don’t Need You.”

You may never have heard of Mo Pitney or the Don Gibson record “If Hollywood Don’t Need You.” But if that is the case, and you love a great country ballad, you need to watch Pitney’s acoustic performance of the song alone with his guitar in the woods.

I recently discovered Pitney and his wonderful voice. So I only recently ran across this pandemic video he posted on Facebook in October 2020. The young Illinois native is early into what looks to be a promising career. The singer-songwriter has released two studio albums: Behind This Guitar (2016) and Ain’t Lookin’ Back (2020). Both are worth checking out for both Pitney’s voice and his songwriting.

This performance of “If Hollywood Don’t Need You,” with nothing but a guitar and the trees behind Pitney, reveals the depth of Pitney’s talents. He takes a great song, which has been one of his favorite songs since he was a kid, and he breaks your heart.

Don Gibson released his version of the song — also known with a parenthetical as “If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey I Still Do)” — in 1982. Originally appearing on Gibson’s album Listen to the Radio, “If Hollywood Don’t Need You” went to number one on the country charts for Gibson, who passed away in 2003.

Pitney made a video for the song back in 2016. But in this 2020 performance and video, the setting in the woods highlights the aching in the song’s tale. The singer professes his love in a letter to the woman who left him to pursue her dreams. He knows he has to let her go, hoping she makes “the big time” and that her dreams come true. But, he reminds her, if Hollywood doesn’t need her, he will be there waiting for her.

The song was written by Bob McDill. The songwriter wrote country classics, including Gibson’s “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” which we previously wrote about.

Here,”If Hollywood Don’t Need You” has several layers. On the surface, the singer is wishing the best to his former lover while letting her know he misses her. But underneath it all one may hear the words as an appeal asking her to return.

And no matter how you interpret the lyrics, there also is a cool reference to actor Burt Reynolds: “Oh, and if you see Burt Reynolds / Would you shake his hand for me? / And tell old Burt, I’ve seen all his movies.” Check it out.

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Jackson Browne Covers Tom Petty’s “The Waiting”

Check out Jackson Browne covering a Tom Petty classic.

Jackson Browne recently covered Tom Petty’s classic song “The Waiting.” Browne, who last year had COVID-19, shows that he still has his great voice.

Browne recorded “The Waiting” as part of a webcast on October 23, 2020 to celebrate Tom Petty’s 70th birthday. Check it out.

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Hank Williams Live Show from July 1952 (Audio)

Listen to a live performance by Hank Williams from July 1952 in Pennsylvania.

I have been listening to the recent six-CD release of Hank Williams performances from The Mother’s Best radio shows as well as reading a biography. So, I cannot get enough Hank. There are not a lot of live performance recordings so I was happy to find this gem.

Below is the audio from Hank Williams performing on July 13, 1952 at Sunset Park in West Grove Pennsylvania. In less than six months, the great singer-songwriter, who was born on September 17, 1923, would be dead on January 1, 1953.

By the time of the 1952 performance, alcohol and heart problems were already haunting Williams, nipping at his heels. But his legendary talent was still on full display. So check out this live performance.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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I’ll See You In My Dreams: Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021

What better way to say goodbye to 2020 than with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performing “I’ll See You In My Dreams”?

As we say goodbye to 2020, which has been full of struggles, everyone will have their own way of ringing in the new year. We have lost so many people to the pandemic. But while collectively there has been so much loss and heartache, life moves on with births, marriages, and other events that have given joys too.

What better way to end the unusual year than with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s performance of “I’ll See You In My Dreams.” The song, from one of the best albums of the year, Letter to You, is a fitting coda to the year.

I’ll see you in my dreams,
When all the summers have come to an end;
I’ll see you in my dreams,
We’ll meet and live and love again;
I’ll see you in my dreams,
Yeah, up around the river bend,
For death is not the end,
And I’ll see you in my dreams.

Springsteen made a statement with his choice of songs for the show. The album Letter to You features many rousing songs, new and old. Yet, Springsteen did not choose the title song about his connection with fans. He did not choose other songs that can be interpreted as referencing our current national leadership. He did not choose songs from the 1970s that he finally released officially on this album. No, with the year and pandemic on his mind, he chose the two songs most about loss and remembering lost friends and family: “Ghosts” and “I’ll See You In My Dreams.”

Saturday Night Live performances are somewhat notorious for not having the best sound. But the rough-around-the edges performance of the E Street Band, which has not been able to perform live this year, makes this version of “I’ll See You In My Dreams” even more endearing.

Bruce’s ragged vocal chords, the lyrics of loss, and the absence of two band members who chose not to travel due to Covid concerns, help make it the perfect performance for ending 2020.