Biography

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A bluegrass pioneer and a lover of country, Mac Wiseman devoted his life to music.

Born in Crimora, Virginia in 1925, Wiseman first appeared on record in 1946 and didn’t stop until 2015 at the age of 90. As a singer, his voice was cherished throughout his life. He was also accomplished on the guitar and upright bass. On top of being an artist, he was a determined facilitator of music as a festival promoter, label owner, A&R executive and co-founder of both the Country Music Association and the International Bluegrass Association. Over the course of his life, he performed regularly with bluegrass pioneers the Osborne Brothers, Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and Eddie Adcock as well as recorded collaborative records with country legends Merle Haggard, John Prine and Doc Watson.

Wiseman first recorded for CMH in 1976 and appeared on a number of original albums during his time with the label. This album, released in 1980 and never before available digitally until this brand-new remaster, is a unique gem in his work, featuring the bluegrass titan’s take on 22 classics of the once popular (but always timeless) style of Western swing. Wiseman’s voice glides over a remarkably laid-back rhythm section as he takes on both timeless numbers and deep cuts of the genre. With his one-of-a-kind delivery, Wiseman captures all the humor, wit and heart that characterizes Western swing at its best. Supported by an expert backing band (including Western swing master Johnny Gimble on the fiddle and mandolin) and captured in the warm and clear hi-fi production of its time, Songs that Made the Juke Box Play is not only an album of interest to fans of Wiseman and Western swing, but an excellent introduction to both.


Tracklist - Part 1:

1. Drivin’ Nails In My Coffin
2. Waltz Across Texas
3. It Makes No Difference Now
4. Divorce Me C.O.D.
5. Born To Lose
6. I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home
7. The Wild Side Of Life
8. Oklahoma Hills
9. (Remember Me) I’m The One Who Loves You
10. Live And Let Live
11. One Has My Name, The Other Has My Heart

Click here to go to Songs That Made the Juke Box Play Part 1

Credits:

Produced By Mac Wiseman & Johnny Gimble
Mac Wiseman – rhythm guitar, vocals
Jim Belken – fiddle
Will T. Briggs, Jr. – saxophone
Dick Gimble – bass
Johnny Gimble – fiddle, mandolin
Curly Hollingsworth – piano
Bill Mounce – drums
Herb Remington – steel guitar
Eldon Shamblin – lead guitar
Bill Stone – trumpet

Recorded at Sumet-Bernet Sound Studios, Inc., Dallas, TX
Engineer: Bob Sullivan