New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, Omnivore Recordings announced I Can
Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy
Glenn will be released on January 20, 2023. It marks the first-ever collection of songs from "The Singing Fireman." Available on CD, the album collects all the recordings and reexamines the importance and legacy of Howdy Glenn, containing all 8 of his singles, plus 6 newly-mixed, previously unissued tracks from the Warner Bros. vaults, plus an outtake from his Fire Records sessions. The original album, I Can
Almost See Houston, will also be available digitally with bonus tracks.
The 23-track collection was produced for release by Grammy nominee Scott B. Bomar (The Bakersfield Sound) and Grammy winner Cheryl Pawelski (Hank Williams - The Garden Spot Programs, 1950). With Restoration and Mastering by Grammy winner Michael Graves, the packaging contains photos, ephemera, and new liner notes from Bomar, outlining not only a brief history of
Black artists in country music, but Howdy Glenn's rightful place in the story.
There is a very short list of
Black country performers who made a splash on the national charts or the public consciousness in the 20th century.
After winning the 1974 "Trucker's Jamboree" at the Hollywood Palladium, Inglewood, California firefighter Howdy
Glenn began a recording career that not only gained him regional hits on an independent label, but found him appearing to rapturous crowds whenever and wherever he performed live. After singing at the Academy of Country Music's general meeting, he was signed to Warner Bros. Records by Andy Wickham (who had also signed Joni Mitchell, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Buck Owens, and more). Warner Bros. released his first Wickham-produced single in 1977. His second, a cover of Willie Nelson's "Touch Me," spent six weeks on the charts.
Glenn headlined at Gilley's in Pasadena, Texas, and found himself nominated for the ACM's Top New Male Vocalist award. It appeared as though country music had a possible new star on the rise.
But, as happens inexplicably for some artists, after a few singles, and more material left in the can, a new album from "The Singing Fireman" (as he was dubbed by Warner Bros.) never materialized. Glenn's early singles were compiled on the Indian Head label LP I Can
Almost See Houston, and he recorded another single, released on his own Fire Records imprint. Both failed to land further success, and
Glenn continued on with his career in firefighting.
I Can
Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy
Glenn CD Tracklist:
1. I Can
Almost See Houston
2. You'll Remember Me
3. Old Dogs, Children And Watermelon Wine
4. I'm Here To Drink It All
5. Where Did The Years Go
6. Has Been Honky Tonk Queen
7. Who Makes A Wino's Bed
8. Lucy Ain't Your Loser Looking Good
9. Don't Take Pretty To The City
10. Touch Me
11. White Line Fever
12. That Lucky Old Sun
13. You Mean The World To Me
14. When You Were Blue And I Was Green
15. Hello Out There
16. Tucson
17.
America (Medley: The
Battle Hymn Of The Republic/America The Beautiful)
18. Cowboys Ain't Supposed To Cry
19. Mule Skinner Blues
20. You Ought To Hear Me Cry
21. Touch Me (Take 4)
22. White Line Fever (Take 2)
23. Tucson (Alternate Version With Strings)
I Can
Almost See
Houston Digital Tracklist:
1. Who Makes a Wino's Bed
2. I Can
Almost See Houston
3. You'll Remember Me
4. I'm Here to Drink It All
5. Looking At The World (Instrumental)
6. Lucy Ain't Your Loser Looking Good
7. Where Did the Years Go
8. Has Been Honky Tonk Queen
9. Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine
10. I Can
Almost See
Houston (Instrumental)
11. Mule Skinner Blues (Bonus Track)
12. You Ought to Hear Me Cry (Bonus Track)
13. Cowboys Ain't Supposed to Cry (Bonus Track)
