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Hi, I'm Scott Brocato with KRWG Public Media, and I'd like to welcome you to this episode of Music Spotlight.

The Rockabilly Strangers are a local trio featuring two Michiganders guitarist, singer songwriter C. L. Smith and bassist and vocalist Tim McKeller, and Salt Lake City native Red Whiting on drums.

They formed in an earlier incarnation in 2006, and in addition to rockabilly, the musical genres they span include blues, surf, rock and roll, and old country.

We are pleased to welcome th Rockabilly Strangers and C. L. Smith to KRWG Music Spotlight.

Well, Chris, talk about what brought you to Las Cruces and Wynn from Michigan.

My wife was interested in leaving Michigan.

Get warmer, warmer climate.

And we vacationed out here and we really loved it and said, let's do it.

What part of Michigan do you originally hail from?

Well, several parts but we were living in Farmington Hills at the time.

Okay, so your wife brought you here and growing up, who were some of your musical influences?

Were there any you know, when you think o Michigan, you think of Detroit?

Oh, yeah.

We're a lot of Detroit influences.

Oh, yeah.

All the Motown music and the rock music.

Ted Nugent, Bob Seger and all that stuff and that was big.

So what was in the what in the water, so to speak, about, you know, Michigan bands so those like the kind you just mentioned, why was it such a big music state, especially that Detroit, such a musical city?

I don't know, I mean, just I think Motown really just gave us, a boost.

And then people came to that city before that for jazz and blues and just was always a music city.

And when did you pick up the guitar?

Was that your first instrument?

Yeah, guitar was my first instrument.

How old were you?

I was about ten.

Ten?

Yeah.

And when did you start, performing professionally as a musician?

Well, I was performing, like most people just for free for a long time.

But I, started performing professionally around 18.

18.

Well, let's fast forward quite a few decades, to 2006 and the Rockabilly Strangers talk about the formation of it.

Tim and Red weren' your original, bassist and drums You went through several, band members ove the past several years, correct?

That's true.

Yes.

So how did you form them?

well, I was touring with a band prior to that that got me into rockabilly.

They were the twisted tarantulas out of Detroit.

Twisted tarantulas?

Yeah.

Okay.

So that's where I learned all about rockabilly and music like that.

And, that lasted about a year and a half, and I really wanted to keep on doing it.

So I just decided to form my own group.

And Rockabilly Strangers was the name.

Yeah.

You had in mind.

I felt, the people, we're all strangers to that music that I brought into it.

One was, orchestral player, and the other guy played more classic rock, and I was pretty much a stranger to it as well so.

And I wanted to make sure I played rockabilly so I always put that in there.

So.

And when did, Tim and Red join the picture?

Were they at the same time or separate times?

Oh, that was many, many years later.

Yeah.

So we had several different bass players and drummers every it seemed like every 4 or 5 years I'd have a new rhythm section, I guess.

Well you have a good rhythm section.

Now let's let you guys set up and play your music for us.

talk about the first song that, you're going to sing.

You should be walking.

You should be walking.

I actually wrote that song in the 90s, and I had a band called The Real Imposters, and we were kind of like, all original music and it was more of like a Doorsy song.

It sounded more like The Doors and I always liked the song, and I rewrote it so it sounded more rockabilly and it always kind of had a Johnny Cash feel to it.

So I just, I just kept that song and it's my favorite song.

All right, well, let's let you perform it right now.

C.L.

Smith the Rockabilly Strangers on our KRWG Music Spotlight.

If you're gonna drive slow keep off the road.

If you're gonna drive slow get off of the road.

If your gonna drive slow You should be walking.

This road wasn't made for a slow driving man.

Never came to mind.

Never put end the plan.

Only one pace in this fast movin land.

If you're gonna drive slow You should be walkin.

Wasting all our lives on a phony dream Struggle to stay a float on a acid sea.

Sacrifice your children for a home and a car.

Success isnt close Couldn't be more far.

Pick it up.

Pick it up your falling behind.

Pick it up, pick it up.

Your falling behind.

If you can't keep it up you should be walking.

Walking, walk it Tim.

This road wasn't made for a slow driving man.

Never came to mind.

Never put in the plan.

Only one pace in this fast moving land.

If we gonna drive slow you should be walking.

You should be walking.

You should be walking.

If you gonna drive slow.

You should be walking.

All right.

So you guys want to do hummin?

Lets do it.

Sweet ride hot little honey, Guitar riffs are why I make money Nothin you can say gonna change my tune.

Im diggin to the sounds called rhythm and blues.

So fine in the sun, so cool in the shade.

Give us some sugar and we got it made Nothin you can say gonna change my tune Im diggin to the sounds called rhythm and blues.

Rhythm and Blues, and booze and money Hotrod Ford with you in it honey Rhythm and Blues, and guitars strummin Give up some sugar hummingbirds be hummin.

There be humming.

Rhythm and Blues, and booze and money Hotrod Ford with you in it honey Rhythm and blues and guitar strummin.

Give up some sugar hummingbirds be hummin They be humming.

All right.

Let's do, Gas in the tank.

My timings off, so slow to spark, my paint jobs fading and I still got heart.

Shakes and rattles on every turn still got speed, takes more to burn.

So many miles good times we drank, miles to go still got gas a little gas in the tank.

Gas in the tank.

Let's go for a spin What do you know?

Put your pedal to the medal and away we go.

She shakes and rattles on every turn she got speed it takes more to burn.

So many miles good times we drank, miles to go still got gas a little gas in the tank.

Gas in the tank.

A little rattle here and I stall at the light; clutch is slipping, but my engines tight.

She shakes and rattles on every turn.

Still got speed takes more to burn.

So many miles, good times we drank, miles to go still got gas A little gas in the tank.

Gas in the tank.

Gas in the tank.

Gas in the tank.

Well, she gets up in the morning.

Fills my coffee cup.

Brings it to me in my room.

Says, come on, get up.

Then she whispers in my ear.

Let's make a little love.

Will I tell her that I'm tired.

Then she gives me a hug.

She takes me to the summit brings me back down Im flying through the stratosphere when I hit the ground.

Shes a devil with angels wings makes me feel all kinds of crazy things.

Takes me to heaven puts me through hell the only thingI know for sure which way I'm going.

Well, I get home from my slaving job.

I'm resting for a spell.

He says it's all right, honey.

I'll ring your dinner bell here in the other room.

He's making lots of noise, banging on them pots and pans, singing with the boys.

Go into the kitchen, ‘cause its been awhile She ain't wearing nothing but an apron and a smile guitar.

Devil with angels wings makes me feel all kinds of crazy things.

Takes me to heaven, puts me through hell.

The only way I know for sure Devil with angels wings makes me feel all kinds of crazy things.

Takes me to heaven puts me through hell The only thing I know for sure just cant tell.

Which way I'm going, which way I'm going, which way I'm going, which way I'm.

Going.

All right.

Shouldnt be so hard to live your life.

It shouldn't be so hard to get things right.

Shouldn't be so hard to find our way.

Shouldn't be so hard to find the light of day.

Oh, we try, we try and get by these hard times.

These hard times.

Try to go for a drink, and share a few laughs.

On the drink Police arrive.

Given the shaft.

Used to be so simple to have a good time.

So much fuss and worries on our mind Well, we try.

We try and get by in these hard times these hard times.

We struggle and scrape just to get by.

Work harder for less and make a dime.

There's no time to live no time to die.

Not the American dream I had in mind.

Well, we tried, we tried to get by with these hard times.

These hard times.

Oh, we tried.

These hard times.

I think that'll do.

All right.

Alright.

Awesome job.

Rockabilly Strangers featuring, guitarist songwriter C. L. Smith.

Let's let's talk about the other members.

We kind of hinted at them earlier.

Tim McKeller and Red Whiting.

How long have you known Tim?

Tim, I've known close to ten years now but I've been playing with them about eight years and different settings and he's a great musician is playing with a lot of people.

At the time he was playing bass for Chris Baker and Doctor Floyd.

Those were his two main groups and some other groups aswell.

But.

And when did Red join the band?

Red Whiting, the drummer.

Red he joined up in ‘23 2023 towards the end of the year.

Well, let's talk about your songwriting and your your songwriting process.

When you write, you put out solo or have put out solo stuff under C. L. Smith and you put out Rockabilly Strangers.

The songs, for the most part that you write.

You know, Tim just performed the song that he wrote.

But when you write songs, do you come out of the songwriting process?

Okay, this is going to be for my solo side or it's going to be a Rockabilly Stranger song or what what is your process?

Well, I did that solo music, just like during the shut down 2020.

It was just me, you know they weren't really hiring bands and I thought it was a good opportunity to write music.

So I did.

But your main concentration is with the band.

I always think of writing music for a band, not solo, but the stuff I put out was basically acoustic stuff that didn't need a band.

Well, it does is does seem to have, a definite rhythm and blues or blues influence.

Were those genres of music very influential to you?

Oh of course.

Yes.

Yes.

I love all those rhythm blues music's the best, I think.

Yeah.

Why?

And do you have favorite artist?

Well, I like music that has a swing, a bop you know some some kind of groove to it.

Especially since I played a lot of different styles of music.

Music that has a swing to it is the best to me.

And you're fond of the, the semi semi hollow body guitar that you usually play that gives you that unique sor of like a surf music sound too.

Yeah it gives me a different sound.

And so I mean, I play solid body guitars too, but yeah.

Well, what advice of your, professional musician have been for several decades now?

Somebody who's up and coming these days in the music industry they want to turn professional.

What sort of advice would you give to them?

Stay true to the music that you love.

Don't try to follow trends of what's hot at the time.

You gotta do what's natural for you and try to do it your way.

That's the only thing I can say.

I mean, it sounds cliche, but you can't sound like other people.

You can't try to imitate other people.

You have to give them wh you are and hope they like it.

Okay, anything you'd like to add?

as far as the Rockabilly Strangers performing?

Well, we play all mainly in New Mexico.

So do.

You have any new music coming out.

Now?

Yeah, we we have a coupl songs we've been toying around.

I posted a couple just amateur recordings, and I really hope to get in the studio and record new stuff with this band.

Well, this band sounds fantastic.

Rockabilly Strangers, C. L. Smith, we'd like to thank you and the band for coming out and joining us today on KRWG Music Spotlight.

Thank you.

Be sure to catc our past performances on YouTube and like us on Faceboo to keep up with future episodes for KRWG I'm Scott Ricardo and thank you for joining us for KRWG Music Spotlight.