Vinyl Record Lovers Newsletter

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Vinyl Record Memories isn't just another classic vinyl record website. It's classic vinyl straight from the heart, where original oldies, classic country, soul, and rock n' roll crash together in the kind of beautiful wreckage that brings back memories of a person, a time, or a place, and makes you feel alive again, growing up in this very special time in history.

Issue #154, March, 2026.

In This Issue:

• Our Return Visit & Interview On The Ned Ward Oldies Show!

• Stars On The Water - George Strait Live!

• Amarillo By Morning - An All Time Favorite.

• Framed Album Cover Art Of The Month.

• From Rodeo Star to Music Star, Moe Bandy Shines with Talent.

• What's Next?

• You Might Also Like These Stories.

• Pat's Country Classics - Country Music Oldies We Grew Up With.

Let's Get Started...

Vinyl Record Memories Return Visit To Ned Ward's Oldies Show!

Take a trip down memory lane with the original classic oldies show - Monday thru Saturday from 11am to 1pm, all times Pacific, on KNCP Newberry Mix 107.3 FM.  Ned Ward turns music into memories playing yesterday's country favorites and the classic hits of the 50's thru the 90's and beyond...

          Photo courtesy of LaPine.org 

DJ Ned Ward and his producer, Mr. Barney, often play memorable Country Classics, so this one was a perfect choice for our return visit to the "NEW" Oldies Show and our vinyl record memories interview with Ned. 

Our interview was all about a return to 1983 with this rodeo classic, and the song that turned George Strait into an over night star. Watch as George Strait and his band perform, "Stars On The Water," and our favorite , "Amarillo By Morning," in the last live performance at the Houston Astrodome in 2003.

George enters on a beautiful paint horse. He spoke for only a moment before he turned the horse and rode off. The camera followed him as he rode from the site of the new building into the old Astrodome, where his huge record-breaking audience awaited him.

He took the stage, waved and smiled that Strait smile, walked to his guitar, and strapped it on.

One song after another, George Strait proved why he deserved to be on that stage, and why his fans have been so fevered about him and loyal to him throughout the years. Below George Strait and his band perform our favorite song, "Amarillo By Morning," in the last live preformance at the Houston Astrodome on March 3rd, 2002.

The whining fiddle arrangement played by Gene Elders on "Amarillo By Morning" during this live performance will stay with you long after the song ends.

Framed Album Cover Art Of The Month.

A perfect follow-up to the Ned Ward Oldies Spotlight song is my 1982 original Vinyl LP Album, "Strait From The Heart," shown below.  The Album was purchased new in Austin, Texas at a local K-Mart store and it remains in near mint condition.  As you can see the LP still has the shrink wrap on the outer cover along with the price sticker. The sticker is not on the album itself but on the shrink wrap, and could be removed without damage to the album cover.

On January 14th, 1983, George Strait released "Amarillo By Morning" as the third single from his "Strait from the Heart" second album.  The album had already produced Strait’s first ever #1 song in “Fool Hearted Memory,” and he would score another #1 with the fourth single from the album “A Fire I Can’t Put Out.”

“Amarillo By Morning” was a hit as well, but surprisingly, it wasn’t one of Strait’s record number of #1s. It stalled at #4.

Framed Album Cover Art - Vinyl Records As Art.

Vinyl records are not only appreciated for their music but also for their visual appeal. The artwork on album covers can be a work of art in itself, and many vinyl collectors take pride in displaying their records as a form of decor. Some record collectors even frame their favorite album covers to showcase them as pieces of art just as I do. Examples are displayed on the pages of my vinyl record memories site and in my Newsletters...

Each record retains a unique story, whether it's the memories it evokes, the music it introduces, or the connections it fosters. Vinyl records continue to captivate music lovers with their timeless charm and the stories they hold.

From Rodeo Star to Music Star, Moe Bandy Shines with Talent.

In the early 1970’s, Moe Bandy was working as a cowboy on his grandfather’s ranch in San Antonio. While there, he began competing professionally in the rodeo, riding bareback broncs and bulls. But as is the case for most cowboys, Moe’s professional rodeo career was short-lived due to repeated injuries. But Moe’s first love had always been music, and with his rodeo days over, he had time to pursue this interest.

Moe Bandy's songs never strayed far from traditional country. It was the following year, 1975, that Moe Bandy hit the jackpot with "Bandy the Rodeo Clown" written by Lefty Frizzell and Whitey Shaffer which ended up #7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles. Should have been #1...just my opinion. The song was not only one of his own favorites but also one of his most popular recordings.

That's why I believe Moe Bandy's songs should be played two ways, a vinyl record on a turntable, or in a honky-tonk on the jukebox.  The song casts Bandy as himself in the title role, a rodeo clown who laughs through heartache and the physical pain of the job. Over the years the song has become Moe's signature song. On top of his music success he was a champion bull rider, having been inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2007!

Bandy found success singing about cheating. He once said, “There’s cheating, drinking, and divorcing going on everywhere, and that’s what hardcore country music is all about.”

I was quick to notice Hargis "Pig" Robbins, honky tonk piano, Charlie McCoy, Harmonica, and Johnny Gimble, Fiddle player on all the albums I currently have. The Jordanaires seem to be on all the great artists recordings, like Elvis, Patsy Cline, Ricky Nelson, and countless others. Now I can add Moe Bandy to the list.

I also have seven of Moe Bandy's original hits on 45rpm singles. All are in excellent condition as I had a habit of recording my records on reel-to-reel tapes and later to CDs for safekeeping.

What's Next?

How To Lose Your Wife Behind Those Swinging Doors.

Another original Framed Album Cover Art and story from our collection.

I hope you find time to visit more great stories about growing up in the 50s, 60s and 70s. You can start here.... 

You might also like these stories...

• Starting with "Room Full of Roses" in 1974, Mickey Gilley had seven #1 hit songs between 1974 and 1976. Of all his country tunes, "Doo-Wah Days" would be his final Top 10 hit, reaching #6 on the Country charts in 1986. Take a listen here...

• The song tells the story of a man who can't get over a lost love, and he uses the metaphor of a jukebox in his mind to replay all the memories and songs associated with their relationship. It's a nostalgic song that captures the emotions of heartbreak and longing. Relive your Jukebox Memories here...

• Come with me and let's relive those bygone days with the cowboy campfire songs and words to some of your favorite western classics. Polish up your spurs, Saddle up ole paint, and get ready to relive your childhood!

• The Cattle Call Campfire Song, featuring LeAnn Rimes and Eddy Arnold, blends well with the movie backdrop and the "Red River" cattle drive. Close your eyes while singing the first verse, and you can almost see a cowboy campfire dotting the nighttime plain. Saddle up here...

Golden Oldies - Follow These Links For A Fun Trip Down Memory Lane.

Fifties Doo-Wop page -  More Links To Your Classic Street Corner Symphonies.

Check Out Our Favorite Remakes Of Original Songs. 

How About those Cars of Dreams We Grew Up With.

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