Doug Sahm (and The Sir Douglas Quintet) -- see artist profile

Ed Sanders "Sanders' Truckstop" (Warner Brothers, 1970)

Ed Sanders "Beer Cans On The Moon" (Warner Brothers, 1973)

Ray Sawyer "Ray Sawyer" (Capitol, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Haffkine)
This is one of those only-in-the-Seventies, off-the-radar albums that has about a zillion-to-zero chance of ever being reissued... In this case it's not because it's a golden gem that the Nashville fatcats were too lame to appreciate, but really because this is a third-string production, with some Nashville studio dudes backing up Ray Sawyer -- the eye-patched frontman of the rock band Dr. Hook -- providing lush, oversized arrangements to his thin-voiced, almost whiny performance. There is some interesting stuff on here, though. mainly a handful of well-scuplted Hazel Smith songs that include the issue-oriented "Crazy Rosie" (about a teen pregnancy that results in the baby being murdered by its uptight, status-obsessed grandfather, which in turn drives the mother insane...) Equally over-the-top is "(One More Year Of) Daddy's Little Girl," wherein a small child is dying from an undisclosed terminal illness... and her daddy tries to enjoy her final days... The other primary songwriter here is someone named Joel Jaffe, who I've never heard of. Mostly Jaffe's stuff doesn't do much for me, though "Maybe I Can Use That In A Song" is a nice slow, sad shuffle. This ain't great, but it has its moments.

Billy Joe Shaver -- see artist profile

Sammi Smith - see artist discography

J. D. Souther "John David Souther" (Asylum, 1972)

J. D. Souther/Chris Hillman/Richie Furay "The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band" (Asylum, 1974)

J. D. Souther/Chris Hillman/Richie Furay "Trouble In Paradise" (Asylum, 1975)

J. D. Souther "Black Rose" (Asylum, 1976)

J. D. Souther "You're Only Lonely" (Columbia, 1979)
One of Linda Ronstadt's key songwriters and author of several smashes by the Eagles, songwriter John David Souther was an early part of LA's slick, studio-oriented country-rock scene. Of his records, thsi is one of the best... Most of the tracks on here are favorites in my repertoire, particularly the upbeat "The Moon Just Turned Blue" and the mopey, broken-love ballad, "If You Don't Want My Love," which is one of the rare, masterful triumphs of cheesy overproduction -- whiteboy soul packed with enthusiasm and immediacy. Oh, yeah -- the title track also hit the Top Ten Pop charts... That's why you used to see so many copies of it floating around on vinyl. Great record, still stands up.

J. D. Souther "Home By Dawn" (Warner Brothers, 1984)

J. D. Souther "Natural History" (Entertainment One, 2011)

Joe South "Classic Masters" (Capitol, 2002)
A handy 12-song summation of the hippie-era recording career of songwriter Joe South, a twangy, soul-drenched pop genius who wrote a remarkable string of radio hits, ranging from Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden," one of the defining moments in the 'Seventies countrypolitian scene, to the thunderous hard rock anthem, "Hush," which put the band Deep Purple on the map. South's own versions of these songs are markedly different than the hits -- his "Rose Garden" is cluttered and compact, while his "Hush" is wildly funky and fun. Also included here are "Games People Play," a top Pop hit for South himself in 1969, as well as "Walk A Mile In My Shoes," which was one of his few actual country entries, and several lesser well-known gems from his back catalog. It's more rock than country, but still funky and down home, and worth checking out to see how these great songs found their genesis.

Red Steagall - see artist discography

Gary Stewart -- see artist profile

Stone Country "Stone Country" (RCA, 1968)
Before he moved to Texas to become a charter member of the outlaw scene, songwriter Steve Young was in LA, working with folks like Van Dyke Parks and Stephen Stills... He also formed this hippiedelic country-rock band that put out one album, then folded up. The 2008 reissue on Rev-Ola records (linked to here) has a couple of bonus tracks.