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Kern River (song)
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Wikipedia article
"'Kern River'" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard backed by The Strangers. It was released in July 1985 as the only single and title track from his album 'Kern River'. The song peaked at number 10 on the 'Billboard' Hot Country Singles chart.
Content
The song grimly recounts the story of the singer's girlfriend drowning in the Kern River, California.Vain, Madison. [http://www.ew.com/article/2016/04/06/10-essential-merle-haggard-tracks?iid=sr-link1 "The Essential Merle Haggard,"] 'Entertainment Weekly' (Apr. 22/29, 2016). In the 2013 biography 'Merle Haggard: The Running Kind' writer David Cantwell calls the track "a scary record" that "screamed quiet and startled you alive."
Personnel
*Merle Haggard vocals, guitar, fiddle
The Strangers:
*Roy Nichols - guitar
*Norm Hamlet - steel guitar
*Tiny Moore - fiddle, mandolin
*Mark Yeary - keyboards
*Dennis Hromek - bass
*Biff Adams - drums
*Jim Belkin - fiddle
Chart performance
Covers
"Kern River" was covered by Dave Alvin on his 2006 album 'West of the West', and by Emmylou Harris on her 2008 album 'All I Intended to Be'.
References
Category:Merle Haggard songs
Category:Emmylou Harris songs
Category:1985 singles
Category:1985 songs
Category:Epic Records singles
Category:Kern River
Category:Songs written by Merle Haggard
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