Stories about Sam the Sham

Picked up on CompuServe and the Internet.

Subject: #481957-Where is sam the sham? - Msg Number: 482094
From: Tom Martin 74147,3727
To: Barry Nos Sher 76200,3631
Forum: ROCKNET Sec: 09-Vintage Rock
Date: 31-May-95 18:49:49

At a Crosby, Stills, and Nash concert, David Crosby told a story of meeting Sam the Sham in a Texas airport a few years ago. David had built up a distaste for the man over the years because Woolly Bully had kept Mr. Tambourine Man out of the #1 position. When David saw Sam, his first words were, "You really pissed me off!". Turns out Sam was then a minister and taken somewhat aback. Don't know if that helps, but it's a cute story.

- Tom

Subject: #481957-Where is sam the sham? - Msg Number: 483709
From: Bill Nutt 74250,464
To: Barry Nos Sher 76200,3631
Forum: ROCKNET Sec: 09-Vintage Rock
Date: 04-Jun-95 13:33:02

Sam Samudio was featured on a couple of tracks of the soundtrack for the movie THE BORDER, which also has the music of John Hiatt, Ry Cooder and others.

Bill

Subject: Reply to: Re: sam the sham
From: Jay Korman INTERNET:hamish@interport.net
To: Barry Nos Sher 76200,3631
Date: 30-May-95 20:13

Nos,
>Do you suppose someone on the 'net knows where Domingo Samudio is these days?
>I've been listening to Wooly Bully and I think it's vastly underrated!

Plenty of people know where Domingo Samudio is. If he's still alive he's working the supply boat to the oil rigs gig in the gulf of Mexico like he's been doing for the past many, many years. In fact he was taking some guy out to one of the off shore rigs when Wooly Bully came on the radio & the guy said something to the effect of "I wonder where he is" to which the reply came "I hear he died." Doesn't want to be part of the music world any more.

See you tomorrow.

J

"You have to run as fast as you can just to stay in the same place" the RED QUEEN to ALICE

Subject: Reply to: sam the sham
From: Bill Nutt 74250,464
To: Barry Nos Sher 76200,3631
Date: 09-Jul-95 11:06

Hi, Barry!

I don't know if THE BORDER soundtrack is available on CD. The album came out on the new-defunct Backstreet Records label (a division of MCA) in 1982. The album's serial number is BSR-6105 - I dont know what it would be or the CD or casette.

It's a VERYcool soundtrack. Scre is by Ry Cooder, who plays guitar on every cut. Other musicians include John Hiatt on guitar, Jim Dickinson on piano, Tim Drummond on bass, the ubiquitous Jim Keltner on drums, percussion by Ras Baboo, and organ by Sam "The Sham" Samudio. (That's how it reads on the album cover.)

Here's a track listing:

Earthquake (vocal by Cooder and Willie Greene Jr.)
Across the Borderline (vocal by Freddy Fender - TREMENDOUS song)
Maria (instrumental)
Texas Bop (vocal by Dickinson)
Highway 23 (instrumental)
Palomita (vocal by Samudio)
Rio Grande (instrumental)
Too Late (vocal by Hiatt)
No Quiero (vocal by Samudio)
Skin Game (vocal by Hiatt - a KILLER cut!)
El Scorcho (instrumental)
Building Fires (vocal by Brenda Patterson)
Nino (instrumental)

Samudio is credited with writing the two songs he sings. Cooder, Hiatt and Dickinson co-wrote "Across the Borderline," "Too Late" and "Skin Game." Dickinson, Dan Penn and Johnny Christopher co-wrote "Building Fires." Dickinson wrote "Texas Bop." Everything else is credited to Cooder alone.

Though I don't think the full album has been reissued on CD, I'm pretty sure that several cuts are scheduled for inclusion on the 2-CD Ry Cooder box set that's coming out this summer. Don't know which ones, though.

The music leans heavily toward Tex-Mex, as you might expect for a movie set on the U.S.-Mexico border.

As for the movie - it's very good! Jack Nicholson stars as a Border Patrol cop in Texas, who struggles to maintain his integrity in the face of the corruption of his peers and superiors. He gets involved with a Mexican girl whose family he tries to help. It sorta reminded of the kind of morality story that Graham Green (the late British writer, not the Native American actor ) would write. Also starred Harvey Keitel, Valerie Perrine and Warren Oates (who's particularly good). It was directed by the late Tony Richardson.

Aren't you sorry you asked? See what a blabbermouth I can be once I get started?

8-)

Hope this info is of help to you.

Bill

Newsgroups: houston.music
Subject: Re: sam the sham
From: "Mark A. Luna" &ltmarkl@bangate.compaq.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 15:07:19 GMT

I saw Sam at an oldies concert in San Antonio back in 1987! He did Wooly Bully and one religious song. A few years ago he was on a TV special. He was backed by the Texas Tornados and he performed Wolly Bully. Doug Sahm frequently performs Wooly Bully in concert and I think it's on one of his live albums. Dr. Loco and the Rockin' Jalapeno Band cover it on their just released CD, "Puro Party!"

Mark

Email from Barry Hunt 
4/30/2002

I met Sam The Sham in Memphis in 1997.He was working as a DJ on a blues station run by the Blues Foundation. I was invited to a live British radio broadcast from a riverboat on the Mississippi. Sam was in tremendous health & spirits....I told him how much I enjoyed his contributions to THE BORDER soundtrack. He seemed surprised at my knowledge of those songs & then gave me 2 new cds he had made in Memphis. Later he sang a blues number live on the radio show & had us all in hysterics when he told what Wooly Bully was all about. He told me he was still involved in the Church, was proud of his achievements & had enjoyed the old days but was glad to leave all that hard livin` behind. That day was particularly memorable as I met a number of my musical heroes but Sam the Sham was the highlight. I assume he still lives & works in Memphis.

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