Hillbilly Heaven – Blues Stay Away From Me

“Mmmmm-mmmm-mmm-mmm-mmmmm”. You’ll understand after you hear the first 5 seconds of this song. Now, I’ve always liked Dire Straits, but I had no clue, until I heard this song a few years ago, that Mark Knopfler had a little side project called the Notting Hillbillies.

He formed this band after the smashing success of Straits’ ‘Money for Nothing’ album in 1984. He pulled a few fellas together: Brendan Croker, Steve Phillips, and Guy Fletcher, and hit the road in 1986. Their only album, ‘Missing…Presumed Having a Good Time’ wasn’t released until 1990. I was in college at the time immersed in my studies (*cough cough*), so I guess I totally missed it. But I’m glad I finally found it, especially this song, which is a cover of a Delmore Brothers-penned tuned originally done by Les Paul & Mary Ford back in 1952. Since then, a whole laundry list of artists have covered this song, from Jeff Beck to The Band, the Everly Brothers, NRBQ, and Sleepy LaBeef. Damn, I like saying Sleepy LaBeef.

So enjoy this gorgeous, lazy & loping, delightfully melancholy song.

And buy the album on Amazon for less than $8.00!