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Another fizzer from Humphead! When it comes to larger than life personalities in possession of such extraordinary talent they don’t come any bigger than singer-songwriter— actor Hoyt Axton.
Onetime folk act, hit songwriter Axton was the son of one Mae Boren Axton, best known for her co-write “Heartbreak Hotel” (Elvis Presley), by the time Hoyt had hit stride recording his own work he had already seen purposeful, and lucrative versions of which by Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf and The Kingston Trio with the likes of Waylon Jennings, Anne Murray, Jessi Colter and Ringo Starr no less.
Signed to Capitol, MCA and A&M (some of the latter not too easy to find back in the day when vinyl was your only option) Axton’s rich baritone and happy style of performing warmed the hearts of countless souls. Plus, with Renee Armand, Linda Ronstadt, Ronee Blakley, Mimi Farina, Nicolette Larson and Tanya Tucker helping out on different occasions and performing at their peak Axton was never short of quality support. As for pickers the list of top class sessionmen is endless, as you had James Burton, Leland Sklar, Ralph Mooney, Red Rhodes, Doug Dillard, Byron Berline, Hank DeVito, Jeff Baxter, Jim Keltner and countless others join this mercurial recording artist.
For highlights the 50-song compilation is over loaded with them, when it comes to career songs Hoyt had a bunch of them; not only were the hits for others in “Never Been To Spain”, “The Pusher” and “Joy To The World” but a huge assembly of feel good material that never fail to lift my mood to brighten my day. He was a genius, plain and simple (unique too). “Boney Fingers”, “When The Morning Comes”, Lion In The Winter, “Nashville”, “Evangelina” and such rare gems as ”Speed Trap (Out Of State Cars)” and children’s tune “Pet Parade” (its lyrics ‘it was a great day, it was a fun day’ pretty much sum up the joy his music transferred to all and sundry. Genius comes nowhere close!
Axton was also capable of writing such heartfelt fare as vivid tale “Snowblind Friend” to go with rousing ode “Funeral Of The King”. Throw in a cover or two by way of Mel McDaniel’s’ “Roll Your Own”, Townes Van Zandt “Poncho & Lefty” and Bob Dylan’s “Lay, Lady Lay” and a dynamic, what other way could one perform it, Hank Williams’ perennial “Jambalaya”. Plus there is another of his career songs, and its arguably the best recording he ever recorded Michael Martin Murphy’s “Geronimo’s Cadillac” to give you one the finest sets of work one could wish for.
Like a good few more country acts of his era he was championed by the one and only, BBC’s Terry Wogan.
Maurice Hope