When Iron Horse approached this Guns N’ Roses classic, they did the unthinkable by completely forgoing the song’s iconic guitar intro. In doing so, they completely reinvented the song, taking its once epic melodrama and replacing it with a warm, nostalgic, and familial sweetness. With virtuosic instrumental performances and beautiful pitch-perfect harmonies, this cover shows Iron Horse at their best, approaching a rock classic with both creativity and admiration.
“Well, it's been a minute since 2007 and a lot of songs have been played, added and subtracted to our set list but one song has been with us through all this time, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine,’” Iron Horse’s Tony Robertson shares. “No matter the venue or reason for music to be played, this song fits every single situation. When we start into this song the crowds, no matter small or large, will erupt into approval as soon as they recognize the banjo and diamonding intro, and they will sing along until it's over. I think every person who’s ever heard this song can relate to it on some level either from memory or something they are experiencing at that moment in time. Everything ends but I don’t think this song ever will…enjoy!”
Though Pickin’ On started modestly in 1993 with the release of Pickin’ On the Movies, tributes to The Beatles and Eagles soon followed, and by 1997 the Pickin’ On Series was on fire. It continues to thrive with one hand in traditional bluegrass and the other in popular music, ready for the next chance to create innovative bluegrass music.
Recent releases featuring Iron Horse, Pickin' On Pearl Jam and Pickin’ On Nirvana, were well-received. Pickin’ On Modest Mouse and Fade to Bluegrass: The Bluegrass Tribute to Metallica both charted on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart. The series currently has nearly 200,000 monthly listeners and more than 91,000 followers on Spotify. Songs from Pickin’ On have been featured in the television series Revolution and HBO’s True Blood. Other artists that have been given the Pickin’ On treatment include Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers Band, Coldplay, The Black Keys, Jack White, The Killers and many more."
]]>The rendition creatively abandons the song's iconic guitar intro in lieu of a heartfelt rendition giving the song a whole new depth. With virtuosic instrumental performances and beautiful pitch-perfect harmonies, this cover shows Iron Horse at their best, approaching a rock classic with both creativity and admiration.
Sweet Child of Mine - Iron Horse - The Bluegrass Tribute to Guns N' Roses (youtube.com)
]]>Listen to the full album on your favorite digital streaming platform!
Read the Bluegrass Today article: https://bluegrasstoday.com/cmh-records-releases-osborne-brothers-bluegrass-concerto-digitally/
]]>After the music video release of "Nothing Else Matters" BraveWords talks about the similarities of bluegrass and metal and highlights the band's history and eclectic tribute albums.
See the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2wv_X6lRW4
Read the article: https://bravewords.com/news/iron-horse-performs-bluegrass-version-of-metallicas-nothing-else-matters-video
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To celebrate the band put together a music video for Nothing else matters and if you act fast you can purchase a vinyl copy of the album while supplies last.
A special thank you to Tony, Vance, Anthony, and Ricky for their dedication to bluegrass music and Pickin' On our favorite tunes.
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https://thelanote.com/mac-wisemans-songs-that-made-the-juke-box-play/
The album was also added to SkopeMag’s Friday news and new releases list.
See the listing and what else made last week's music news at Skopemag.com:
https://skopemag.com/2023/08/11/skopemag-news-friday-august-11-2023-3-pm-est
]]>https://bravewords.com/news/iron-horse-performs-bluegrass-version-of-metallicas-the-four-horsemen
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Today we offer 20 tracks remastered in digital format for the first time.
Find it streaming or for purchase in the links below.
"Packed with racing instrumentals (Goin’ Up On Black Mountain, Bluegrass Shuffle), old-time standards (We Don’t Care What Mama Allow, Cabin On The Hill, If You Ain’t Tried It, Don’t Knock It) and country blues (I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight), it was a fitting swansong for one of the most revered artists in bluegrass circles. Credit goes to CHM Records for continuing to release essential recordings of bluegrass, old-time, and traditional country music and ensuring that the music recorded and performed by artists such as Flatt can be enjoyed by new generations of traditional music lovers and historians of that genre."
Click here to read the review and more of Hardcore Country, Americana and Roots music from Lonesome Highway.
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Bobby’s mandolin skills and stellar voice helped the Osborne Brothers become bluegrass legends.
Although their talents go far beyond the Tennessee State song, ‘Rocky Top’ was a song so popular it was often played at the opening and closing of shows.
A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1963 and the first Bluegrass band to play at the White House, Bobby played music his entire life, with his last presence on the Opry stage earlier this year in May. We mourn his loss, but will always remember the music.
Read more from the Grundy County Herald - Bluegrass for all: Iron Horse
]]>Follow the link below to listen now:
https://liveon4legs.com/podcast/pickin-on-pearl-jam-with-bluegrass-cover-band-iron-horse/
]]>You can find the podcast and more info in the links below
State of Love & Trust: A Pearl Jam Podcast
]]>Bluegrass Musician Jesse McReynolds passed away on June 25, 2023, at the age of 94.
Along with his brother, Jim & Jesse were a harmony and strings powerhouse. Attempting to play what he heard, Jesse developed the McReynolds or crosspicking style, and created a new driving force in bluegrass music.
Jesse was a lifelong musician and master mandolin player, a veteran of the Korean War and a pioneer of television. We are sad to hear the loss of such a legendary Mandolin Man but rejoice for the music he has left us.
https://bluegrasstoday.com/cmh-to-re-issue-classic-lester-flatt-album/
Pickin’ Time includes original recordings by Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass from 1978 along with some of his old hits and will be available for streaming and download on Friday June 16th.
]]>Kansas City's The Pitch talks with CMH Record's James Curtiss (Director of A&R and Brand Manager) and Jeremy Stephenson (Manager of Digital Assets and Mechanical Licensing) about the past, present and future of the CMH Legacy Label and the future of the Pickin' On Series:
Americana Highways notes the fine walked between bluegrass and grunge:
https://americanahighways.org/2023/05/10/review-iron-horse-pickin-on-pearl-jam/ |
Blue Ridge Outdoors picks "Better Man" as one of their Favorite Songs of June
https://issuu.com/summit-publishing/docs/bro_0623_issuu/58
Music Mecca gives a full album review of Pickin' On Pearl Jam:
https://musicmecca.org/album-review-iron-horse-rifles-through-bluegrass-fueled-pearl-jam-hits-on-latest-pickin-on-series/ |
Alan Cackett has some mixed feelings about the record, thanks for the honest review:
https://alancackett.com/iron-horse-pickin-on-pearl-jam |
Blogcritics labels Pickin' On Pearl Jam as 'Also Noteworthy':
]]>Rolling Stone digs into Iron Horse's rendition of Pearl Jam's track, 'Alive' and asks mandolinist Tony Robertson about translating grunge to bluegrass.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/pearl-jam-iron-horse-alive-bluegrass-1234734297/
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https://loudwire.com/pearl-jam-better-man-iron-horse-bluegrass-cover/
Spotify has also taken notice of our new music as “Better Man” is added to the Spotify curated playlist “Bluegrass Covers”, joining several tracks from our Pickin’ On Series.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX56crgoe4TG3?si=3ac29eae480a4f9e
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Check it out: https://americana-uk.com/interview-cmh-records-release-digital-merle-travis-and-joe-maphis-albums
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GRAMMY NOMINATED LEGACY RELEASE FEATURES SPECIAL GUESTS
MERLE TRAVIS, ZEN CROOK & ARTHUR SMITH
The expansive 26-track collection features the “King of Strings” himself on guitar, fiddle and 4-string banjo, along with special guests Merle Travis, Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith, Zen Cook and Johnny Gimble.
Joe Maphis was dubbed the “King of Strings” because of his ability to handle a variety of instruments, even a double-necked guitar, with speed and accuracy. He and his wife, Rose Lee Maphis, would also earn the title of “Mr. and Mrs. Country Music.” Joe was the first known player to flat pick fiddle tunes at a time when chord accompany was standard for a guitar player and his talents would bring him to radio stations, television, and even film scores throughout his career.
Upon its initial release on CMH Records in 1981, the Flat-Picking Spectacular double LP was nominated for a GRAMMY in the “Best Country Instrumental Performance” category. Flat-Picking Spectacular offers a special and unique opportunity to experience legendary artists tackle a number of folk, bluegrass and fiddle tunes with the speed and accuracy you can expect from decades of hard work. The tracks “Memories of Maybelle” and “Carter Country” are nods to Joe’s hero, Mother Maybelle Carter. The lengthy track list even includes extended renditions of “Irish Washerwoman” and “Sailor’s Hornpipe,” and many will recognize the tune of “Cripple Creek,” “Duelin’ Banjos” and “Riders in the Sky.”
Founded in 1975 by Martin Haerle, CMH Records has released albums from artists whose monumental influence on American roots music is unparalleled. The ‘70s and ‘80s represent the foundational recordings in CMH Records’ bluegrass, old time and traditional country history, with material being put out by Merle Travis, The Osborne Brothers, Mac Wiseman, Joe Maphis, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Grandpa Jones, Lester Flatt and Eddie Adcock. Throughout the ‘90s and into the new millennium, CMH Records continued to cut records with artists such as Wanda Jackson (aka “The Queen of Rockabilly”), Raul Malo, Larry Cordle, Pine Mountain Railroad, Jimmy Gaudreau, and many others. Producing songs rich in American heritage by artists with their own distinct style created a strong backbone and history for the label.
The label remains a proud family business, now run by Martin’s son David. Described by the Los Angeles Times as a “stubborn, curious Silver Lake music company,” the label has been a strong proponent for honest music and has found success with its classic catalog and its ongoing “Pickin’ On” series, which features bluegrass interpretations of contemporary artists, including recent hit albums dedicated to the music of Nirvana and Modest Mouse. The Times piece added that CMH “meets unsung needs in the music industry” and cited its “creative diversification.”
Track List for Joe Maphis’ Flat-Picking Spectacular:
Revived from the CMH archives, Merle Travis’ album Rough, Rowdy and Blue is out today (2/10) on all digital and streaming platforms. The collection, first released on vinyl and cassette in 1986, showcases timeless and distinctive guitar picking from the Grammy award winner and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee.
Although he was known for his country music, in 1982, just before his death, Merle sat down to pay tribute to the songs and stylings he always wanted to record. These special recordings of Merle playing the blues on a 12-string guitar are now digitally available for the first time. The 12 original recordings feature Merle Travis performing some of his favorite blues standards like “Cocaine Blues” and “Jelly Roll Blues.” The songs “Key to the Highway” and “On the Outskirts of Town” pay tribute to blues guitarist Big Bill Broonzy, while songs like “Whiskey,” “Honey, Take a Whiff on Me” and “Stack O’Lee” lend character to the album’s title: Rough, Rowdy and Blue.
Raised in coal mining country in Muhlenberg County Kentucky, Merle Travis was an entertainer his whole life. He began performing at country dances and quickly moved on to radio shows, developing his distinctive style of guitar picking. The style was taught to him by Kennedy Jones, Mose Rager and Ike Everly (father of The Everly Brothers), who had in turn learned it from pioneering blues musician Arnold Shultz. Merle also owes a great debt to African-American blues guitarists Blind Blake, whose early finger picking influenced Merle’s now famous playing. The Travis style of picking would evolve to include elements of blues, ragtime and jazz, as well as country, folk and gospel. By plucking a bass line with his thumb and simultaneously picking melodies and strumming chords with a few fingers, an orchestration of sound would emerge to a delighted audience.
Track List for Merle Travis’ Rough, Rowdy and Blue:
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GRAMMY Record Winning Performer (Warren Zevon’s The Wind) Brad Davis is known in the Bluegrass circles for his original Double-Down-Up guitar technique, his songwriting, vocals and producer talents. He has worked with the likes of Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Earl Scruggs, Marty Stuart, Tommy Shaw, and Billy Bob Thornton, just to name a few. Brad has also made television appearances on Leno, Conan, The View, Good Morning America, Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel.
"I am so honored to be the producer of the CMH bluegrass tribute to the legendary hits of the 80s. I felt like these songs had such an impact on our generation that the only way to create a bluegrass arrangement was to use the original track as my pilot for the grass version. I fell in love with these songs years ago and I hope this tribute will cause everyone to fall in love again."- Brad Davis
"Of all the renditions of our song—and there are many—Brad Davis has taken it to a place I never expected in the coolest way," - Toto's Steve Lukather
Read more: http://www.guitarworld.com/artist-news/toto-africa-goes-bluegrass-steve-lukather-approves/30664
Pre-Order on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/africa-feat.-brad-davis/id1201494384?i=1201495054
Pre-Order on our website: https://www.cmhrecords.com/collections/pickin-on/products/pickin-on-the-biggest-hits-of-the-1980s-vol-2
Take a listen to Toto's "Africa"
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Tomorrow is the last day you can download this album for $7.99--> http://cmh.io/StrumminDevil
]]>Watch here --> Behind the Scenes with Iron Horse
]]>Whether you want to explore the Pickin' On catalog, dig into our classic bluegrass, or connect with us through social media, this is the place to do it!
We’ve got plenty of new, wonderful things planned for the site and our catalog. Right now, we are in the middle of a month-long celebration of the 10th anniversary of Strummin' With the Devil - The Southern Side of Van Halen (featuring David Lee Roth)! To celebrate, we've dropped the price of the album for the entire month of June. This album is truly special to us, and we’re gonna be releasing new content to give some insight into the creation of this incredible album. Discount available on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon!
So kick up your feet, stay awhile, and enjoy all the exciting new things to come!