Keep It Country TV. Launch. 24 Jan 2016.

[johnherring]

Many thanks for all your comments. Please don't be shy about offering them. (As if). My own opinion on Nashville's recent output (which I keep to myself) tends to coincide with those of most people who are perhaps more experienced in life.
The show I present, Classic Country, is a small part of the Kic schedule which is produced separately from the rest of the channel and is just our idea of showing some of the older stuff. We have already featured Ray Price and Faron Young but there will be more of them, so keep watching if you can stand it.
BTW, I was told this afternoon that Classic Country is top of it's category in the BARB ratings (whatever they are) so someone must be watching.
Thanks again. All the best,

John.

[Tony Smart]

It's just clicked with me that it's actually you John, doing the show.
Keep it up, it's great seeing the older stuff. We've needed someone like you for ages.
I don't know how modern Country survives. You've just got to look at what the Irish Singers and Bands are doing and it's all in the vein of the older stuff.
They draw the crowds and it's what the fans want and have for so long, been deprived of.

Well done John, we appreciate your efforts.

[Ken Byng]

I have a fairly good grasp on what happens in Nashville these days. Have to agree 100% with Dave (Shakey) and Tony. Anytime I want to see pop/rock I can nip down to a local pub and watch it there. In the Broadway (main high street in Nashville) there are dozens of wannabe bands playing in the bars. A few are playing Bobby McGee, Okie, Cheating Heart etc, but most are playing rock music complete with wailing and distorted lead guitar. My friend plays in Mo Pitney's band, and it is guys of Mo's age who are most likely to pull the music scene in Nashville out of the rock quagmire that it's in and back onto a more purist line. Dave Seddon and I were working musicians in a time when country music was really big in the UK. I am talking traditional country, with traditional instrumentation. In England, Wales and Scotland, demand for live country music has waned considerably. These things happen unfortunately as music is very cyclical. My little granddaughter loves country music, but only because she has been made aware of it through her mum and grandparents. She also loves Elvis's music, but she found him through the internet. She is aged 7. Goes to show that children's ears are very open at that age.

There is one real traditional country band in Nashville at the moment, and that is 45RPM featuring Daryle Singletary. Their style is very 1970's. They play to packed houses, and are single handedly flying the flag for real country. Mo Pitney will do the same once he is fully established. So, in my view, to Keep It Country you first have to know what is real country. It certainly isn't country rock and roll. That's a different field completely.

[johnherring]

Hallo again. As always, thanks for your replies. More developments. Keep It Country TV will have it's own dedicated channel with reduced Teleshopping and move to Sky channel 389 transmitting 1100-0600 from Tomorrow Wednesday 17th February. Transmission via Freesat 516 will start "over the coming week" and transmission will begin on Freeview in April. There will be more programmes from around the world which might give me the chance to capture some more of the older stuff. Who knows?
Here's hoping.
John.

[Danny Mitchell]

Freeview! Huzzah!!
I await with bated breath.

[johnherring]

Hi all. Here we go again. The latest revised announcement is that Keep It Country TV will begin broadcasting on Freesat channel 516 on 1st March and on Freeview "at the beginning of April". I dare say we'll get there eventually....

[Tony Smart]

Good show tonight John as usual. - You always manage to get a featured steel player on there. Definitely my favourite programme on the Channel.
Amazing how Jerry Byrd keeps cropping up. One week he'll be playing steel, another rhythm and this week double bass. Actually saw Walter Haynes one week playing steel - he was no slouch.

If as credited at the end, Glen Rogers wrote and performed the outro, he's an exceptionally good guitarist - like his style.

Keep'em coming John, you and the team are doing a great job.

[johnherring]

Once again, many thanks for your comments. They are much appreciated by all of us who work on the show. Glad you like it Tony. We are negotiating to capture material for another series.
I am still waiting to find out where and when we broadcast on Freeview. I will post here as soon as I am told.
As for Glenn, don't tell him I told you but he is probably the most talented person I have ever worked with. Singer/songwriter/musician/ engineer/producer/director/editor, and if that wasn't enough, he still gets on ok with most of his ex-wives.....makes you sick!!!
All the best,
John.

[Tony Smart]

Classic Country
Another great programme tonight John. Jack Green and Cal Smith, both from the Ernest Tubb Band, Carl Butler with Pete Drake on steel, Bill Anderson with Sonny Garrish and a great Connie Smith with Jerry Bird on steel. Does anyone know who the guitar player was on that clip? Is it Spider Wilson or perhaps Steve Chapman?

This is a gem of a programme. I've only got Free Sat, but if you can't get it, get round to someone who's has, or has got Sky and see a piece of history.

We get plenty on here who moan and groan and shout and holler about modern country but when we get the real stuff like this, the response is absolute zero.

John, Glen and co. need our support so for Christ sake let's hear it. You're supposed to be steel guitar fans, so prove it.

This gem of a programme I believe is going to be on Freeview in May so they'll be no excuse.

Thanks again John.

[johnherring]

Many thanks Tony. Pardon me while I blush. It's nice to know our efforts are appreciated. Please allow me to shamelessly plug this week's Smith and Rogers show. It's a tribute to Merle Haggard and has material from the 60's right up to the last recordings. Catch the repeats if you can. I am hoping to "borrow" some of it if we get another series. Thanks again.
All the best,
John.