David Rogers (1936-1993) was a country music second-stringer whose career took several years to really take off. His first full album didn't come out until three years after he signed to Columbia, and while he scored a couple of Top Ten hits, Rogers couldn't crack into the Nashville front line. Throughout the 1970s, he skipped from label to label, but kept a constant though modest presence in the charts. Here's a quick look at his work...
David Rogers "A World Called You" (Columbia Records, 1970) (LP)
David Rogers "She Don't Make Me Cry" (Columbia Records, 1971) (LP)
David Rogers "Just Thank Me" (Atlantic Records, 1972) (LP)
David Rogers "Need You" (Atlantic Records, 1973) (LP)
David Rogers "Farewell To The Ryman" (Atlantic Records, 1973) (LP)
David Rogers "Hey There Girl" (Atlantic Records, 1974) (LP)
David Rogers "Whole Lotta Livin' In A House" (United Artists Records, 1975) (LP)
David Rogers "I'm Gonna Love You Right Out Of This World" (Republic Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Burgess & Les Ladd)
A surprisingly engaging, effective album which also seems to have functioned as a songwriter's demo for producer Dave Burgess, Rick Klang and some other writers attached to the Singletree publishing company. It's not that this album is objectively "great," or anything -- it's just that in comparison to some of his earlier work, it feels more vigorous and involving. The backup musicians (sadly unidentified) seem to have made an actual effort, particularly the pedal steel player, who adds some licks that bring a real country feel into the mix. There's still a big countrypolitan hangover, with well-padded arrangements and songs about middle-aged guys getting laid by their loyal, compliant girlfriends... Indeed, this is one of those late-'70s records where Nashville is still adrift, waiting for the times to change. Nonetheless, a lot of it works -- highlights include Dave Burgess's "That Woman Keeps This Cowboy Comin' Home," a song about growing up, where a loyal, compliant woman whose patience and sexual availability wears down her rowdy man's wild and rambling ways. He comes home drunk, and she always "soothes" him... so what's not to like? The album's closer, "The Thought Of You," is a Ray Griff song about a regular old working man kinda guy who gives this hippie stuff a try -- he tries to "turn on" but can't dig the weird music, and even when he lights up and puffs a joint, he's still thinking about the gal he lost... Musically it's terrible, but the lyrics are kind of fun, and a little unusual for Nashville's conservative culture. Anyhoo, I was pleasantly surprised by this one... it's second-tier, but worth a spin.
David Rogers "Lovingly" (Republic Records, 1977) (LP)
David Rogers "David Rogers Country" (Hal Kat Country, 1984)
David Rogers "The Best Of David Rogers" (Music Master Records, 1983)
Dunno for sure, but I'm guessing these are re-recordings, not the original versions...
David Rogers "I Wake Up In Heaven" (Country Harvest Records, 1991)
