STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - HARGUS "PIG" ROBBINS - COUNTRY INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR

[maggot]

Good morning Wednesday warriors and welcome back to Groundhog's Day and Stuck In The Vinyl Again. With a little over a month into the new year, it's suffice to say that we've already lost to many musicians and celebrities.

Here is a short list : 

Peter Robbins. the original voice of Charlie Brown

Comedian Louie Anderson

Meatloaf

Musician Ronnie Spector

Bob Saget

Actor Sidney Poitier

Director Peter Bogdanovich

Comic Book Men star, Robert Bruce

Ventures guitarist Don Wilson

Saxophonist  Ray Gaskins

Disc Jockey Ralph Emerson

Ohio Players drummer Greg Webster

Country musician Dallas Frazier

Platters singer Sonny Turner

Five Satins member Fred Parris

Parliament-Funkadelic vocalist Calvin Simon

Friday (01/29/22) brought us the sad news that actor Howard Hesseman, best known for his role as DJ  Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati had died and the very next day Tennessee born country music pianist, Hargus "Pig" Robbins passed away at age 84, after suffering multiple health problems. Hargus was a prolific session musician, playing for the likes of  John Stewart, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Patti Page, Loretta Lynn, Kenny Rogers, George Jones, Charlie Rich, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, J.J. Cale, John Hartford, Mark Knopfler, Ween, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, David Allan Coe, Moe Bandy, George Hamilton IV, Sturgill Simpson, and Conway Twitty. That's really just the tip of the iceberg. It's Hargus' 6th studio album that we are studying today. Country Instrumentalist Of The Year was released in 1977 on Elektra Records and was self produced. It peaked at #46 on the Top Country Albums. Some don't know, but Hargus was blind, after a knife accident as a child. Our copy of this record actually has braille on it, something I've never seen on a record ....

A1 Diggin' In 2:36

A2 Torn Between Two Lovers 2:32

A3 Cool Whip 2:22

A4 Sweet And Warm 2:16

A5 Near You 2:32

B1 Get Up And Get It 1:57

B2 Sweet Dreams 2:45

B3 Muskrat Love 2:26

B4 Another Lonely Night Ahead 2:28

B5 She Never Knew Me 2:54

Acoustic Guitar – Glenn Keener, Ray Edenton

Art Direction – Tony Lane 
Bass – Bob Moore

Cover – Bob Simmons 
Drums – Buddy Harman, Kenny Malone
Engineer – Freeman Harris, Lou Bradley, Ronnie Dean

Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar [Flat Top] – Dave Kirby

Mastered By – Glenn Meadows
Photography By – Slick Lawson

Piano, Synthesizer – Ron Oates
Piano, Synthesizer, Clavinet – Hargus Robbins
Producer – Hargus Robbins

Remix – Lou Bradley, Ronnie Reynolds

Steel Guitar – Buddy Emmons
Steel Guitar, Dobro – Lloyd Green