CD Review - WAYNE KEMP - One Song At A Time
WAYNE KEMP
One Song At A Time
Country Country Records
(10 Selections – Playing Time 28:03)
Some of the most enjoyable albums for fans of hardcore country music often come from the
songwriters who have written some of country’s all-time biggest hits…but have virtually remained
hidden in the background while their songs have done the talkin’. In recent years we’ve had albums
by Hank Cochran, Whitey Shafer, the late Dave Kirby, and many others, all of which have put new
perspective to their songs made famous by the superstars…and now we get another wonderful
collection that fits the criteria, this time Wayne Kemp, with an album featuring his own versions of
several of his biggest ‘songs’, supported by a handful of new tunes he has co-written for this project.
Wayne Kemp, now 64, enjoyed a fairly solid career himself as a recording artist, with a couple of mid-
1970’s albums on Decca / MCA, and charting some two dozen singles on the Billboard Country
charts, including two songs, Darlin’ and Listen which were written by Canada’s Ray Griff. But only
one of Kemp’s recordings, Honky Tonk Wine, cracked the Top 20; so he concentrated on his
songwriting; and scored major hits by penning tunes like George Strait’s The Fireman; One Piece At
A Time (Johnny Cash), Johnny Paycheck’s The Only Hell My Mama Ever Tried To Raise; Feelin’
Single – Seein’ Double, recorded by George Jones and by Emmylou Harris, and dozens of cuts by
everyone from Conway Twitty to Ricky Van Shelton. Wayne Kemp’s song Love Bug, was twice turned
into a Top 10 hit, by George Jones in 1965, and George Strait in 1994.
Needless to say, Wayne Kemp can write a hit song… and on this album (as in his previous
recordings) he shows he can sing ‘em with the best as well. On One Song At A Time we get Kemp
delivering tasty versions of his familiar hit songs like One Piece At A Time, The Fireman, The Only
Hell Mama Ever Raised (done slower here than Paycheck’s hit recording); and Don’t Send Me No
Angels, cut before by both George Jones and by Ricky Van Shelton.
Some of the new material here gives proof that Wayne Kemp still can write a pretty powerful
song…several of which he co-writes with his son, Robert Kemp. Cryin’ For Their Mama’s (done
recently by Texas newcomer Jason Allen); and a couple of great hurtin’ tunes; Somehow Without
You and Hole In My Heart, are particular standouts. Pretty Boy Floyd is an interesting story song, not
unlike something that Merle Haggard would have written in his heyday.
WAYNE KEMP
One Song At A Time
Country Country Records
(10 Selections – Playing Time 28:03)
Some of the most enjoyable albums for fans of hardcore country music often come from the
songwriters who have written some of country’s all-time biggest hits…but have virtually remained
hidden in the background while their songs have done the talkin’. In recent years we’ve had albums
by Hank Cochran, Whitey Shafer, the late Dave Kirby, and many others, all of which have put new
perspective to their songs made famous by the superstars…and now we get another wonderful
collection that fits the criteria, this time Wayne Kemp, with an album featuring his own versions of
several of his biggest ‘songs’, supported by a handful of new tunes he has co-written for this project.
Wayne Kemp, now 64, enjoyed a fairly solid career himself as a recording artist, with a couple of mid-
1970’s albums on Decca / MCA, and charting some two dozen singles on the Billboard Country
charts, including two songs, Darlin’ and Listen which were written by Canada’s Ray Griff. But only
one of Kemp’s recordings, Honky Tonk Wine, cracked the Top 20; so he concentrated on his
songwriting; and scored major hits by penning tunes like George Strait’s The Fireman; One Piece At
A Time (Johnny Cash), Johnny Paycheck’s The Only Hell My Mama Ever Tried To Raise; Feelin’
Single – Seein’ Double, recorded by George Jones and by Emmylou Harris, and dozens of cuts by
everyone from Conway Twitty to Ricky Van Shelton. Wayne Kemp’s song Love Bug, was twice turned
into a Top 10 hit, by George Jones in 1965, and George Strait in 1994.
Needless to say, Wayne Kemp can write a hit song… and on this album (as in his previous
recordings) he shows he can sing ‘em with the best as well. On One Song At A Time we get Kemp
delivering tasty versions of his familiar hit songs like One Piece At A Time, The Fireman, The Only
Hell Mama Ever Raised (done slower here than Paycheck’s hit recording); and Don’t Send Me No
Angels, cut before by both George Jones and by Ricky Van Shelton.
Some of the new material here gives proof that Wayne Kemp still can write a pretty powerful
song…several of which he co-writes with his son, Robert Kemp. Cryin’ For Their Mama’s (done
recently by Texas newcomer Jason Allen); and a couple of great hurtin’ tunes; Somehow Without
You and Hole In My Heart, are particular standouts. Pretty Boy Floyd is an interesting story song, not
unlike something that Merle Haggard would have written in his heyday.
Featuring the records that got the records, Wayne's original versions of classics like: One Piece At A Time, The Fireman, The Only Hell My Mama Ever Tried To Raise and More previously unreleased recordings that Wayne's World Wide Fan Base has never had a chance to hear until now...Produced By Wayne Kemp & His Son Robert Kemp, also a veteran in the business . Executive Producers Robert Kemp & Kirk Roth "This Project Is Out-Standing!!!" a Must Have If You're A Wayne Kemp fan. Visit: WayneKemp.com |
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Click Titles In Red To Download an mp3 sample 1. The Fireman 2. Somehow Without you 3. A Little Bit Weaker 4. Don't Send Me No Angels 5. Crying For Their Mama's 6. Pretty Boy Floyd 7. Hole In My Heart 8. The Only Hell Mama Ever Tried To Raise 9. Lesson In Love 10. One Piece At A Time |
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| The Legendary Wayne Kemp |
| Country Country Records |
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