Gummer Beaudine - Doomed To Never Last

This new song Doomed To Never Last by Gummer Beaudine is a departure from her usual amalgamation of styles like barrelhouse juke joint, country, raunchy, boogie-woogie, a raucous style she uses to good effect in the gin mills she's played in for years.  When she first came to Big And Tall Records after a recommendation from an associate,  we took live recordings made at her gigs for release. But after a couple of cover songs of our other artists, she began to write her own songs. A lot of her development can be attributed to Big Marv, our general producer and musician. He talked to us about her after recording this song:

 

Ms. Beaudine will always have a rough edge to her, and that's a big part of her style. For years she sang in nothing but cheap gin mills, some of them so nasty there would be chicken wire in front of the stage so the musicians wouldn't get hit by beer bottles or God knows what else! So she's earned her toughness, and gave as good as she got. She's got a regular circuit now, and the crowds love her. An example of an artist playing to what the crowd likes, and there's nothing wrong with that.

But from the beginning, I saw something more to her than that. It's taken a lot of talking and coaxing for her to change things up once in a while. But when you're used to playing certain music, and confident you can play it well, it can be hard to shift gears. So I was surprised when she came to me with this song. She wrote the whole thing, music and words, as well as worked out the instrumentation. She's known for playing with basically the some group; a piano, saxophone, drums, and her guitar. Once in a while she'd have some extra guitars. But she started to get into using a few different instruments. This song is sparse, and has no piano or saxophone, and includes a violin! She instructed the violinist in what she wanted, and eschewed playing the guitar herself. It's the first time she's been just a singer and not an instrumentalist as well. 

The song is a very personal one about a love she lost years ago, something she's not done before with us. The violin sighs and cries, the guitar lays down a steady beat, and her voice! It's got a roughness to it that underlines the pain she still feels about this lost love. I've worked with a lot of other groups and artists, but I'm most proud of Ms. Beaudine's growth. My music instincts were correct; what I saw in her was a fact.  

We here at Big And Tall Records like a surprise from an artist! We've got so many talented artists that produce so much quality music! We're lucky!

The men that have been in my life
There was some good, there was some bad
But the one that I still think of
Was the best I ever had

He understood my bitchy ways
Never did hold it against me
Said that was just the way I was
And he truly, really loved me

That was such a long time ago
I think 'bout all the days done past
He captured my entire heart
But it was doomed to never last

We had a few years together
Time moved along way too damn fast
Our life was easy and loving
It makes me dwell on the past

I hold him still in my broken heart
All the way to this very day
But the memry's starting to fade
I don't want it to go away!

Was such a long, long time ago
My heart's stuck in the sweet past
The time he done captured my heart
Doin' my best to make it last

I held him, the day that he died
Tried to protect him from all harms
But I felt his life slip away
From my lovin'...carin'...arms