What a throwback Thursday.
My ongoing passion for old Turnpike Troubadours videos has led me to this badass performance of “Gin, Smoke, Lies” from the group back in 2012, on Ray Benson’s “Texas Music Scene” series.
At the time, the band was fresh off their release of the groundbreaking album, Goodbye Normal Street, which really caught the attention of country music fans across America, following their breakout album, Diamonds & Gasoline.
In the beginning of the video, a 28-year-old Evan Felker tells the funny story about how he wrote “Gin, Smoke, Lies:”
“‘Gin, Smoke, and Lies,’ I was at my mom and dad’s house down in Southeast Oklahoma, and I was sitting on the front porch and playing a banjo.
And anyways I realized I couldn’t keep one woman, and the rooster in the backyard had 20, so the whole song’s based around that.
It’s just a song about birds, it’s about birds really.”
Them damn roosters man, they’ll make ya feel bad about yourself.
Anyways, the group then performed a rowdy rendition of the song, and I have to say, this is the most fired up I’ve ever seen Felker while playing a song.
I’ve never been fortunate enough to see them play live, and it’ll probably stay that way considering how expensive these reunion tickets are, but it’s easy to see that this is one of their favorite songs to play at shows.
Speaking of Evan Felker, it’s also the man’s 38th birthday today… Happy Birthday Evan.
Are The Turnpike Troubadours Back In The Studio?
Now I’m not saying it is… but I ain’t saying it isn’t.
David Spreng, who’s a producer, songwriter/composer, mixer, and engineer, and has done a lot of work with some world renowned musicians and bands like American Aquarium, Tanya Tucker, Steve Perry, Lucinda Williams, Shooter Jennings, Motley Crue, The Who, and so many others, posted a picture on his personal Instagram today.
Now, I may be crazy. I may just be incredibly hopeful. Or I might just have horrible eyesight…
But in one of the pictures, there’s a band recording in the FAME Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
And I have to say, if you squint and look real close, it looks like the Turnpike Troubadours.
Now I can’t say for certain, but that looks like Hank Early in the left hand corner on steel, and kinda looks like Evan Felker sitting behind the drum kit. And on the third photo, that looks like it could be Kyle Nix.
Rumors have been swirling that Turnpike could possibly record two albums (one being an Evan Felker solo album) with Shooter Jennings producing, and since Spreng works with Jennings quite often… this could be the makings of a Turnpike album right here.
Of course, the band is officially back together (thank god), so it was practically inevitable that they would start to record again at some point.
All I gotta say is, God I hope so.
