Red River Music Company

NOTE: SOLD
Martin D12 Road Series nearly new and unplayed. Solid wood construction, beautiful Sitka Spruce top, extra nice.
$850

Red River Music Company updated their address.

Red River Music Company updated their phone number.

Red River Music Company updated their business hours.

Seems quite a few of you are uke-crazy today so I got another deal, only have one of these so you better grab it fast - I got one (1) Makala Baritone Ukulele, retail value of $89.99, I've got one (1) Kala UC-B Baritone Foam Hard Case, retail value of $53.99 and we will throw in a Kala Clip-On Tuner, retail value of $9.00 - total retail value of $152.98. We will mark it down to $75.00. If you are interested, don't wait, give us a call or text - 501.270.1893 or 501.250.6395.

We have several soprano and concert ukuleles left that would make great beginner instruments for the youngsters (or the young-at-heart)! These typically retail for $45 to $60, we have them on sale for $25 (sopranos) and $30 (concert) AND we will include a Kala clip-on tuner at no cost! Perfect gift for quarantining! Give me a call at 501.250.6395 or 501.270.1893, we will fix you up. Hurry, they won't last long!

When COVID-19 shut everything down, we closed our retail doors along with other retailers. We have decided to permanently close down our retail operations here at 210 W Main Street in Heber Springs. Charlie White will continue to operate as Red River Music, offering luthier repair at his new location in Concord.

We have a few items left in stock, I'll be posting things for sale over the next few weeks.

I would like to thank everyone who supported us over these past thirteen years. It has been a great run. If you need guitar or other instrument repair, give Charlie a call at 615.717.7012.

THANK YOU!

CASE SALE!
Fender style guitar and bass cases.
While they last.
$75
(guitar or bass not included😉)

Guitars and Ukeleles for Christmas !!

A thought from The College of Rock and Roll Knowledge for a Sunday.

Here's a decision to make. Be the drummer for The Beatles or drive a forklift.

On June 11, 1960, Tommy Moore, who at that time was the drummer for The Beatles was faced with the choice of staying in the band or going back to driving a forklift. Tommy choose to drive the forklift and not the beat.

The Beatles replaced him with Norman Chapman who only lasted for only 3 shows. The band then found Pete Best, and they were off to Germany the next day.

We have to wonder if Tommy ever kicked himself for the decision? But in honesty, at that point, who knew?

Here is a picture of Tommy on drums with John and Paul.

School was out for the summer. You could take it anywhere.

We know you had one so the questions is, what color was your's and what radio station was it turned to?

This is an official question from The College of Rock and Roll Knowledge.

On May 31, 1961, Jimi Hendrix became Private James Hendrix.

It all started when Law enforcement authorities caught Hendrix riding in stolen cars twice and when given a choice between spending time in prison or joining the Army, he chose the latter and enlisted.

After completing his basic training at Fort Ord, California, the Army assigned him to the 101st Airborne Division and stationed him at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

In November 1961, fellow serviceman Billy Cox walked past the service club and heard Hendrix playing guitar inside. Cox, intrigued by the proficient playing, which he described as a combination of "John Lee Ho**er and Beethoven", immediately checked-out a bass guitar and the two began to jam. Soon after, they began performing at the base clubs on the weekends with other musicians in a loosely organized band called the Casuals.

That's Private Hendrix, 57 years ago today.

It is too bad there is not another solution for downtown Heber Springs but this looks like a great idea to at least reduce the amount of water that gets in our stores

Yes, it was that important of an album...

The Beach Boys released their 11th album "Pet Sounds" on May 16, 1966. At first it met a lukewarm critical and commercial reception in the United States, but received immediate success abroad, where British publications declared it "the most progressive pop album ever". It charted at number two in the UK but only hit number ten in the US, a significantly lower placement than the band's preceding albums.

It took some time but the album garnered enormous worldwide acclaim by critics and musicians alike, and is regarded as one of the most influential pieces in the history of popular music. One of the first big fans of the LP was Paul McCartney who has said many times how much he liked the album, citing "God Only Knows" as his favorite song of all-time. He acknowledged that it was the primary impetus for The Beatles' 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

The album included the songs "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Sloop John B", "God Only Knows" and "Caroline, No" plus more.

Do you remember what your thoughts of this album were when you first heard it?

Happy 52nd Birthday to one of the most influential albums in the history of Rock and Roll, "Pet Sounds"!!

Neil Young released his second album "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" on May 14, 1969. It was his first with his longtime backing band Crazy Horse. The album is on the list of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The album contains three songs that became standards in Young's performance repertoire: "Cinnamon Girl", "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand". Something you may not be aware of it that Neil had a 103º fever when he wrote those songs.

Do you remember where you were when you first heard this LP or at least some of the songs off of it?

Happy 49th Birthday to "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere"!!

Steve Winwood turns 70 years old today. While he was still a pupil at the Great Barr School, Steve was a part of the Birmingham rhythm and blues scene, playing the Hammond B-3 organ and guitar, backing blues singers such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Ho**er, T-Bone Walker, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Eddie Boyd, Otis Spann, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley on their United Kingdom tours, the custom at that time being for US singers to travel solo and be backed by pickup bands.

He joined the Spencer Davis Group at age 14, along with his older brother, M**f, who later had success as a record producer. Steve's distinctive high tenor, singing voice and vocal style drew comparisons to Ray Charles. In 1965 the group had their first number one single with "Keep On Running" and the money from this success allowed Winwood to buy his own Hammond B-3 organ.

During this time Winwood joined forces with guitarist Eric Clapton as part of the one-off group Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse. Songs were recorded for the Elektra label, but only three tracks made the compilation album, What's Shakin'. Winwood co-wrote and recorded the hits "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man" before leaving the Spencer Davis Group. Winwood met drummer Jim Capaldi, guitarist Dave Mason, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Woods when they jammed together at The Elbow Room, a club in Aston, Birmingham. After Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group in April 1967, the quartet formed Traffic.

He then went on to form Blind Faith and then to have a great solo career.

What is you favorite part of Steve's career?

A. The Spencer Davis Group
B. Traffic
C. Blind Faith
D. his solo work

Happy Birthday Steve!!

The soundtrack LP from the movie "Woodstock" was released on May 11, 1970.

The album was titled "Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More." It was a live album of selected performances from the 1969 Woodstock festival. It was originally released on Atlantic Records' Cotillion label as a set of 3 LPs in 1970 and later reissued on the Atlantic label. Veteran producer Eddie Kramer was the sound engineer during the three-day event.

The movie was released on March 26th of that year. How many of you saw the movie before you got to listen to the soundtrack? And prior to either, had you ever heard of Santana?

Happy 48th Birthday to the soundtrack from "Woodstock"!!

When a stereo was a stereo. We guess there is some truth in the advertising too.

The College of Rock and Roll Knowledge actually has this stereo system in the Chancellors office. We think he is thinking of finding a way to give it to somebody….

Donovan (Donovan Philips Leitch) turns 72 years old today.
His most successful singles were the early UK hits "Catch the Wind", "Colours" and " Universal Soldier" in 1965. "Sunshine Superman" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart (number two in Britain), and "Mellow Yellow" reached US number two the following year, with "Hurdy Gurdy Man" in the Top 5 in both countries in 1968. He was the first artist to be signed to CBS/Epic Records by the new administrative vice-president, Clive Davis. He became a friend of other musicians including Joan Baez, Brian Jones and The Beatles. He taught John Lennon a finger-picking guitar style in 1968.

Donovan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014.

Do you have a favorite song by Donovan?

Happy Birthday Donovan!!

The band was originally call Chicago Transit Authority. They released their self-titled debut LP on April 28, 1969.

It is listed in the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" book.

Terry Kath's playing as a guitarist was so strong on this album that even Jimi Hendrix became a major fan of his playing. According to the album's original liner notes, the solo performance of Kath on "Free Form Guitar" was created without the use of any pedals. In a nod to Hendrix's guitar expressionism (Hendrix most notably used wah and fuzz pedals), Kath instead plugged directly into his studio amplifier and improvised the entire track in one take for the purpose of pure tone. "Free Form Guitar" is also noted as being another influence on the genre of noise music.

When the LP was released, it proved to be an immediate hit, reaching #17 in the US and #9 in the UK. While critical reaction was also strong, the album initially failed to produce any hit singles, with the group seen as an album-oriented collective. In 1970 and 1971, after their 2nd LP was out and had hits, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" ( #7), "Beginnings" ( #7) and "Questions 67 and 68" ( #71) proved to be belated hits. The album stayed on the charts for a then-record 171 weeks.

Happy 49th Birthday to one of the greatest debut album ever released, Chicago Transit Authority.

You still have your copy?

It was 6 years ago today that we lost Levon Helm. Levon gained fame as the drummer and regular lead vocalist for THE BAND. Helm was known for his deeply soulful, country-accented voice, multi-instrumental ability, and creative drumming style highlighted on many of the Band's recordings, such as "The Weight", "Up on Cripple Creek", and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down".

He also had a successful career as a film actor: appearing as Loretta Lynn's father in the Coal Miner's Daughter, as Chuck Yeager's friend and colleague Captain Jack Ridley in The Right Stuff, and as an iconic, Tennessee fi****ms expert in Shooter.

In 1998, Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer, which caused him to lose his singing voice. After treatment, his cancer eventually went into remission, and he gradually regained the use of his voice. His 2007 comeback album "Dirt Farmer" earned the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in February 2008, and in November of that year, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 91 in the list of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

In 2010, his LP "Electric Dirt", his 2009 follow-up to Dirt Farmer, won the first Grammy Award for Best Americana Album, a category inaugurated in 2010. In 2011, his live album "Ramble at the Ryman" won the Grammy in the same category.

On April 17, 2012, his wife and daughter announced on his website that he was "in the final stages of his battle with cancer" and thanked fans while requesting prayers. Two days later, on April 19th, Levon died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

RIP Levon. Return If Possible. You are missed by so many.

A founding member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jack Casady has 74 candles on his birthday cake today. (from his web site): "Casady’s full driving tone and innovative melodic bass work has defined the role of bass guitar in Rock and Roll for decades. Liberating the bass from its traditional role as part of the rhythm section, Jack s pioneering approach has brought the instrument to the forefront. With sweeping chords and stormy melodic lines Jack’s bass distinguished not only Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna but also a variety of side projects and recordings with artists including Jimi Hendrix, David Crosby, Warren Zevon, Country Joe and The Fish, SVT, Rusted Root and Gov’t Mule.

“The main issue is I love to play the bass guitar,” says Jack. “The craftwork in really learning the subtleties of the instrument is a lifelong project.”

Happy Birthday Jack!!! Thanks for the music!

This is a handy review to see if you need a guitar or another guitar

Hard to argue with this logic.

Canned Heat's legendary front man Bob "The Bear" Hite passed away on April 5, 1981. Bob was the lead singer of the blues-rock band, Canned Heat, from 1965 to his death in 1981.

Canned Heat came together when Bob was introduced to Alan Wilson by Henry Vestine and the two of them helped convince blues pianist Sunnyland Slim (1906-1995) to get back into the recording studio to record. In 1965, aged 22, Hite formed a band with Wilson. Vestine joined soon after and this trio formed the core of Canned Heat. The trio were eventually joined by Larry Taylor (bass) and Frank Cook (drums).

We don't know how many of you will remember, or are old enough too, when Canned Heat appeared on a November 1969 episode of Pl***oy After Dark. Bob was invited to talk with Hugh Hefner after the performance, along with other guests Sonny and Cher, Vic Damone, Dick Shawn and Larry Storch. A 20-year-old Lindsay Wagner, playing the part of one of Hefner's party guests, sat on Hite's lap and played a party game. When asked by Hefner what kind of animal Hite would be if he were an animal, Wagner claimed he'd be a bear. Hite told her she got it right, that people called him "The Bear." It was also on this episode that Hite informed Hugh Hefner that he had over 15,000 78s.

Hite performed with Canned Heat at Woodstock in August 1969. The performances were not included in the original (1970) film Woodstock, but are in the 1994 "Director's Cut" version.

Bob produced the John Lee Ho**er/Canned Heat album, Ho**er 'N Heat in 1971..

On April 5, 1981, during a break between sets at The Palomino Club in North Hollywood, CA, Hite was handed a drug vial by a fan. Thinking it contained co***ne, Hite stuck a straw into the vial and snorted it. The drug turned out to be he**in and Hite turned blue and collapsed. Some roadies put Hite in the band's van and drove him to a nearby home where he died.

We lost one of the greats, 37 years ago today. We do wonder if the person who gave him the he**in got in any trouble for that. We would think you would want someone to know. It is possible that the person who handed Bob the vile didn't know, but not likely.

RIP Bob. Thanks for the music. One day we'll all see you again up in the country.

Over the past few days we seem to have collected a variety of banjos...we will feature these two soon...and also obtain the proper permits from the local authorities

This performance features Noam Pikelny playing a 4 string Tricone National Guitar from the 1920s-30s. Come by the shop and see one of these guitars for yourself cause we've got one.

Aoife O'Donovan & Noam Pikelny - Don't That Road Look Rough and Rocky Aoife O'Donovan and Noam Pikelny cover "Don't That Road Look Rough and Rocky." See Aoife and Noam on tour this November (with Shad Cobb and Barry Bales round...

They had played together in the past and had worked on each other's solo projects. So, on April 3, 1988, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison got together in Malibu to record an all-star single called "Handle With Care." The session went so well that the group, calling itself the Traveling Wilburys, decided to records an album together. They even did a second one.

We're not sure if this picture is from April 3, 1988, but it is such a cool picture of the Traveling Wilburys that we had to use it.

Happy 30th Birthday to the Traveling Wilburys!!!!

Think we should charge Gretsch Guitars for the mention?

On April 2, 1971, Janis Joplin's LP "Pearl" became the #1 record in the US. It was her first #1 solo album but she never got to see it go to the top as she had passed away before its release.

Do you remember the first time you heard this record?

If he were still with us, the legendary Leon Russell would have been celebrating his 76th birthday today. Leon was a musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling pop music records over the course of his 60-year career. His genres included pop, rock, blues, country, bluegrass, standards, gospel and surf records. He was awarded six gold records.

His collaborations rank as some of the most successful in music history, and as a touring musician he performed with hundreds of notable artists. He recorded 33 albums and at least 430 songs. He wrote "Delta Lady", recorded by Joe Cocker, and organized and performed with Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour in 1970. His "A Song for You", included in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018, has been recorded by more than 200 artists, and his "This Masquerade" by more than 75.

As a pianist, he played in his early years on albums by the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. On his first album, Leon Russell, in 1970, the musicians included Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. One of his biggest early fans, Elton John said Russell was a "mentor" and "inspiration". They recorded their album The Union in 2010, which earned them a Grammy nomination.

Russell produced and played in recording sessions for Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Ike & Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, and others. He wrote and recorded the hits "Tight Rope" and "Lady Blue". He performed at the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 along with Harrison, Dylan and Eric Clapton. In 2011, he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

We lost Leon on Nov. 13, 2016.

Happy Birthday Leon. Music owes you so much. Thank you.