European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse George Strait the gentleman Cowboy by Joe Edwards associated press country music Singer George Strait has a Crisp Tenor a lean Frame and a career that is rolling like the Tumbleweed in his native Texas. The 36-year-old performer has recorded nine Gold albums incorporating a blend of ballads about broken hearts and happier times. In seven years of entertaining he has helped revitalize hard Core country music while maintaining a family tradition As a fourth generation cattle rancher in the Lone Star state. Strait has twice been voted male vocalist of the year by the country music association but says of his singing i feel that i m just getting with More than 20 no. 1 records to his credit the gentleman Cowboy has established himself As a top concert draw treated much like pop Star Tom Jones. The handsome Strait finds boots Flowers room keys Cowboy hats women s underwear and various other items thrown on stage. It surprises me he said. People Are so generous. I get Nice gifts like quilts afghans artwork. I know it took them a lot of time to make he has performed for almost 50,000 at the Houston Astrodome and says singing for that Many people can be intimidating. It s very scary and exciting " he said. You can t see them but you can feel he believes his audiences appreciate his concert mixture of old country songs plus his own material such As All my sex s live in Texas Ocean front property and his most recent no. 1 hit famous last words of a fool. I just go out and do my songs and Don t Tell jokes or do a lot of talking Strait said. Strait was born in Poteet Texas and grew up in Pearsall Texas As the son of a Junior High school math teacher who was a part time rancher. He went into the army after High school where he taught himself to play the guitar by Reading some Hank Williams song books. After the army he earned a degree in agriculture from Southwest Texas state University in san Marcos and Sang in Small bars and clubs throughout Texas. He enlisted his band the Ace in the Hole band by putting up a flier on a Campus bulletin Board. Three of them Are still with him. He went to work As a rancher and for two years was Foreman of a 1,000-head cattle ranch. At night it was off to sing. I d have about half an hour to get cleaned up and get to that night s gig he said of his crowded schedule. Two self financed records went unnoticed. He visited Nashville in 1976 and 1978, hoping to sign a recording contract. He was not successful and instead took a full time Job designing barns and other ranch facilities. But at the last minute he decided to try music for one country Singer Strait still Riding High. Up More year. He was finally signed by Mca records in Nashville in 1981. Strait is noted for his White Cowboy hats pressed jeans and starched Button Down shirts that All accent his trim athletic appearance. During my career i be always tried to project a clean look he said. I feel this is important to my fans even though i be been criticized. For being too he writes few of the songs he records but does make most of the decisions about picking album material. I think what i look for first is the Melody he said. I look for something a Little different. Then i listen to the lyrics and if it will fit me. I Don t look for any specific Type of song but if i have a lot of ballads picked i Start looking for up Tempo material for balance. I have always gone into the studio to make it better than the last one. Each time i feel i Many of his songs have Texas cities in their title such As Amarillo by morning and does fort Worth Ever Cross your mind. It s pure coincidence he said. Those were Strong songs. Amarillo by morning was one we d been doing for a Long time before i recorded it. That s Why we released his current album which has been no. 1 on the country charts is if you Ain t lovin you Ain t Livin. He s also completed a 60-minute concert video George Strait live. But he s had to Cope with tragedy. His 13-year-old daughter Jennifer was killed in an automobile Accident in june 1986. That october he dedicated his Cha award to her. As he prepared to set out recently on a concert tour he said about his Success i would like to think Talent had a lot to do with it. The material has been Good and the timing had a lot to do with top of the charts top pop singles 1. Roll with it Steve Winwood 2. Hold on to the nights Richard Marx 3. Hands to heaven breathe 4. Pour some sugar on me def Leppard 5. Make me lose control Eric Carmen 6. Sign your name Terence Trent d Arby 7. New sensation inns 8.1-2-3 Gloria Estefan & Miami sound machine 9. Rush hour Jane Wiedlin 10.1 Don t Wanna go on with you like that Elton John top in s 1. Hysteria def Leppard 2. Appetite for destruction guns n1 roses 3.0u812 Vanhalen 4. Dirty dancing soundtrack 5. Roll with it Steve Winwood 6. Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 7. Faith George Michael 8. Open up and say Ash Poison 9. Stronger than Pride Sade 10. More dirty dancing soundtrack top country singles 1. Don t we All have the right Ricky Van Shelton 2. Baby Blue George Strait 3. Don t close your eyes Keith Whitley 4. Bluest eyes in Texas restless heart 5. Sunday kind of love Reba Mcentire 6. The wanderer Eddie Rabbitt 7. I la give you All my love tonight Bellamy Bros. 8. Give a Little love the judds 9. She does t cry anymore Shenandoah 10.1 could t leave you if i tried Rodney Crowell top Black singles 1. Don t be cruel Bobby Brown 2. Sign your name Terence Trent d Arby 3. Off on your own Al b. Surel 4. If it in t love new edition 5. Tamacita troop 6. Groove me Guy 7. Loosey s rap Rick James & Roxanne Shante 8. Knocked out Paula Aboul 9. Off the Hook . S latest arrival 10. The Colour of love Billy Ocean top pop cd s 1. Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 2. Roll with it Steve Winwood 3. Stronger than Pride Sade 4. Scenes from the Southside Bruce Hornsby & the Range 5. Ou812 Vanhalen 6. Appetite for destruction guns n roses 7. Reg strikes Back Elton John 8. Hysteria def Leppard 9. Faith George Michael 10. Outrider Jimmy Page polkas parodies and Vintage Rock associated press he synthesizer sounds just like an accordion As the band swings into a traditional polka rhythm. Young women on stage swirl and stomp in step to the music singing along in polish. But the women Are in miniskirts the Lead Singer wears a leather jacket and the song they sing is not exactly Standard polka i went out Friday night with you know who that Baboid with the size 12 Bowling shoe. She feeds me Kielbasa and makes me drink that wine. And then she likes to dance that love polka number irreverent you bet. Offensive not to the people on the crowded dance floor bopping to the beat of the polish muslims As they do their version of the 1959 clovers hit love potion no. 9. For six years the group has tried to break into the big time while building a following As one of the Detroit area s most popular bar bands. They like to blend standards chiefly motown dance tunes with parodies celebrating life among poles. At the same time they retain the music and spirit of the songs. It s All for fun said Dave Uchalik the eight member band s 33-year-old Lead Singer. We want to come across As a Cross Between Poison and Frankie not so says guitarist Ken Kondrat we re like weird Al Yankovic with the polish muslims version of the 1963 Beach boys hit surfing ., is Bowling The lyrics were revised to Laud the popular sport if everybody had a Bowling Ball across the ., then everybody d be Bowling like at play drum lanes. They d All be bringing their Rosin bags and their numbered shoes. They shuffle lyrics to make room for polish phrases and references to Progi Kielbasa Bowling the Catholic Church a Little bit of everything. Prince s let s go crazy became let s Golamb i a tribute to stuffed cabbage Rolls. Where an original hit climaxes with a wailing guitar Solo the band will insert a Riff from Peanut polka or some other polka classic. Our humor does t go Over anyone s head. We try to stare right about Eye level nothing too Subtle or forget it said Kondrat 30, who like six others in the band is a Catholic of polish descent. In Honor of the polish pontiff the beatles of la i of la a was rewritten As John Paul two John Paul one and Ricky Nelson s travel in Man became travel in Pope. Their blend of Rock and polka puts the polish muslims into a tiny musical subset according to California record producer Ron Goudie. The polish muslims Are one of eight bands in North America that is playing Rock polka or Punk polka said Goudie who sought out the bands for polka is now a Sampler up to be released oct. 7 by restless records. Goudie identified the genre s leading group As Brave combo which works out of Denton Texas and treats polka Rock much More seriously than do the muslims. San Francisco has the 20-piece polka Side los Angeles a group called Rotondi Minneapolis boasts the wallets Milwaukee the Black holes Edmonton Alberta the romanians and new York is Home to the All female polka.,Punk band Das Furlines. The most successful bands create original music layered on a polka base Goudie said. The muslims Bowling Is a godhead but As Cool As those Little covers Are they can t make Money off them he said. They need original the problem he said is that the original composer collects the profits when a parody becomes a hit. Of course that s if the music publisher gives permission for the parody in the first place. Bowling ., to the tune of surfing ., which itself was to the tune of Sweet Little sixteen got the thumbs Down from Chuck Berry s publishing company and Michael Jackson who owns the rights to dance to the music would t let the muslims record dance to the polka Uchalik said. For Goudie s compilation the group wrote an original song that s Why god invented the polka. It will be their first National exposure. Wednesday july 27, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 17
