Music and Samples Thereof

The Music

The 1976 Country Volunteers LP has been converted!

The 2001 Cadillac Cowboy CD

Other bands

The Music

Mike Smith and His Cadillac Cowboys play a mix of Western Swing, Classic Country, Boogie Woogie and Rock 'n' Roll. This conglomerate style, as served up by this band, has been referred to as Swing 'n' Roll. As the story goes: Once, Anton Scalia rolled his eyes when he heard 'Swing and Roll.' "Those Cowboys are so cool," he said, they must be synthesizing the emotion, the time and the beat into what I would call Adult Saloon music for the discriminating adult with a beer in his or her hand.

The 1976 LP

In 1976, Mike Smith and the Country Volunteers (what was to become the Cadillac Cowboys) cut a record, with guest appearances by various great players (including the famous Bill Keith on banjo and pedal steel guitar). Here are the tunes:

The 2001 CD

The Cowboys' "latest" CD is available online at CDBaby, www.cdbaby.com/cadillaccowboys, at the bricks and mortar Borders Books & Music in Ann Arbor, and of course through the band itself. Email us or talk to us at a gig.
BUY IT NOW!

This CD has many of your favorite tunes. In an effort to recreate the typical Cadillac Cowboys experience, the tunes were recorded with no overdubbing, no punch-ins, no re-dos, no separation. It's amazing, but the CD actually sounds like us. Recorded the first week in April, 2000, at 40 oz. Sound in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Thanks Drew), mixed by Solid Sound, and duplicated by World Class Tapes. Great people all.

Here's the cover and the list of tunes. Click on those with links to download their mp3's (file sizes are shown to help you estimate download time)


left to right: Pete, Gary, Hugh, Kelly, Alan, Michael
  1. San Antonio Rose (5.2M)
  2. Seven Nights to Rock (6.3M)
  3. Always Calling Your Name (3.4M)
  4. Going Away (4.7M)
  5. Cherokee Maiden (3.8M)
  6. Coal Tattoo (4.8M)
  7. Old Fashioned Love (3.4M)
  8. C'est la Vie (4.6M)
  9. Blueberry Hill (5.8M)
  10. Six Pack To Go (3.5M)
  11. Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar (5.6M)
  12. Last Kiss (4.6M)
  13. Save the Last Dance For Me (4.8M)
  14. Ghost Riders in the Sky (4.7M)

Are you one of the 1/2 of 1% of the people who wonder, when they look at the CD cover photo, "Why is Alan the only one not looking at the camera?" If you are, first, don't be so anal. Second, click here for an explanatory note.


Some of these guys play in other bands too:

Piano Pete performs solo putting out high-energy good times in the form of blues, rock, oldies, swing, bop, and ... what have you.

Hugh has also been the drummer for the Blue Rays for several years. The band has one CD out, entitled Shake, Shuffle and Grind. The Blue Rays are a blues band with a tilt toward the music of T-Bone Walker and anything resigned, discouraged or depressed about money. Personnel: Hugh Huntley (drums); Dave Kaftan (guitar, vocal); Jim Neal (keyboard); Ralph McKey (bass, vocal). The CD includes former band member Mark Robinson (harmonica, vocal) and a guest performance by Al Hill (Hammond B-3 organ).

Alan played his steel for about three years with another band known as Corndaddy which, for lack of a bettter term, is in the "alt country" vein. Perhaps "roots, rock" also works as a label as does the new, and in my opinion terribly misguided "Americana." Personnel: Jud Branam (rhythm guitar, vocals), Kevin Brown (lead guitar, vocals), Jerry Hancock (bass), Will Stewart (drums). Corndaddy also has a CD. Check the Corndaddy's website for info, reviews, clips, and links, up-coming gigs.