Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)

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Released
  
April 1953

Recorded
  
1953

Length
  
2:59

Format
  
7" single

Genre
  
Country

Label
  
Okeh Records

"Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)" is a country song written by Joe Maphis, Rose Lee Maphis and Max Fidler. It was originally recorded in December 1952 by the bluegrass duo Flatt & Scruggs, and later released by Joe & Rose Lee Maphis in 1953 as a single.

Joe Maphis said he started the song after moving from barn dance shows in Virginia and Chicago to playing in a honky-tonk in Bakersfield, California, in a band that included Buck Owens on back-up vocals. It is also said that Joe Maphis wrote the song one Saturday night (presumably in 1952) while driving home to Los Angeles from Bakersfield after seeing Buck Owens perform at the Blackboard Cafe.

Covers

  • Conway Twitty's 1968 album Here's Conway Twitty & His Lonely Blue Boys
  • A demo version of the song recorded by the Flying Burrito Brothers was released on the 1973 compilation album Honky Tonk Heaven
  • Flying Burrito Brothers' 1975 album "Flying again"
  • New Riders of the Purple Sage's 1972 album Powerglide
  • Vern Gosdin's 1985 album Time Stood Still
  • Jack Ingram's 1992 album Livin' or Dyin'
  • The Derailers 1995 album Live Tracks
  • Marty Stuart's 1997 album Once Upon a Time
  • Bill Kirchen's 2001 album "Tied to the Wheel"
  • Daryle Singletary's 2002 album That's Why I Sing This Way
  • Dwight Yoakam's 2012 album 3 Pears
  • John Prine's 2016 album For Better, Or Worse (feat. Amanda Shires)

    • The song was also covered by Margie Collie, Glen Glenn, Tom T. Hall, Porter Wagoner, Tennessee Ernie Ford & Molly Bee, Weldon Rogers & Willie Rogers

    References

    Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA