I always turn to y’all for good advice: I’m getting married in October here in Memphis and wanted to put together a CD or two of Memphis songs to include in our guest bags. I want to avoid more standard songs – “Walking in Memphis” is only so interesting when you’ve heard it 1,000 times (or one time, depending on who you’re talking to!). I have a number of good ideas but I thought I’d see if you guys and gals had any suggestions.
I’m interested in bluegrass stuff (modern and vintage), blues (I have a lot of Sleepy John Estes, Memphis Jug Band, the Shieks, Furry Lewis, etc), jazz, folk … I want to try to relay Memphis music through music from and/or about Memphis, if that makes sense – not just songs that mention Memphis!
In a side note, the Tennessee Boltsmokers are playing at my wedding and they are an excellent bluegrass/newgrass band from here in Memphis worth checking out. Their latest record Vintage All American Dream came out in November!
Not exactly a cheery weddin’ song but the OCMS’s Motel In Memphis is a good 'un. Can’t forget Dylan’s Stuck Inside A Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again. Mott The Hopple’s All The Way To Memphis never disappoints!
For anyone curious about the outcome of this project, which I’m very pleased with, the (semi) final tracklist looks like this:
“Beale Street Mess Around” - Memphis Jug Band
“Graceland” - Paul Simon
“I’ve Been To Memphis” - Lyle Lovett
“Memphis Blues” - Merle Travis/Joe Maphis
“Memphis” - Lonnie Mack
“Carl Perkins’ Cadillac” - Drive-By Truckers
“Skippin’ in the Mississippi Dew” - John Hartford
“Memphis Yodel” - John Hartford
“The Memphis Train” - Rufus Thomas
“Memphis, Tennessee” - Mason Jennings
“Memphis Soul Stew” - King Curtis
“Memphis Flu” - Elder Curry
“Memphis, Tennessee” - Elvis Presley
“Dixie Chicken” - Little Feat
“That’s How I Got To Memphis” - Tom T. Hall
“Midtown Manic” - The Tennessee Boltsmokers
“City of New Orleans” - Steve Goodman
“Memphis Exorcism” - Squirrel Nut Zippers
“Beale Street Breakdown” - Jed Davenport
“Memphis Blues” - Ben Pollak and his Orchestra
“Elvis Presley Blues” - Gillian Welch
Currently tryin to find a place for “All The Way To Memphis” (Mott the Hoople) and “The Sins of Memphisto” (John Prine)!
Totally thinking jealous thoughts about all of y’all who are within a month to the festival!
Thank you @zack_adcock! I like listening “Beale Street Mess Around” most.
If there’s one place in America that can justly call itself not just the birthplace of rock’n’roll, but America’s premier music city, then it has to be Memphis,