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Here are a few songs that feature Route 40.

Tanya Savory: Town to Town40, 80 or 10. (Tanya Savory). Recorded by:

Tanya Savory. Available on her CD Town to Town (Philo, 1999). Real Audio sample.

Contemporary folk. Tanya e-mailed me and says the song is actually about I-40, I-80 and I-10. But since I-80 is the successor highway for Route 40 out west, this song needs inclusion here. Of all of the Route 40 songs listed here, this is my absolute favorite. The CD filled with tunes about finding yourself someplace other than where you really want to be. For the past year, this is the one CD I've been recommending to everyone. To learn more about Tanya, visit her web site.

Ellery Eskelin: Jazz Trash40 West. (Ellery Eskelin). Recorded by:

Ellery Eskelin. Available on his CD Jazz Trash (Songlines, 1997). Real Audio sample.

Cool jazz instrumental. Ellery acknowledges that the song is a salute to Route 40 in West Baltimore. Eskelin was raised in Baltimore where the highway on the west side of town is called Baltimore National Pike (BNP for short) or more simply, 40 West. To learn more about Ellery, visit his web site.

Amazing Delores: Stop Messin' With My MindGoing Over 40. (Amazing Delores). Recorded by:

Amazing Delores. Available on her CD Stop Messin' with My Mind (Upstart, 1994). Real Audio sample.

Even though I would bet dollars to donuts that this song has absolutely nothing to do with Route 40, the title caught my attention. This rockabilly song may be more about one's age or perhaps a speed limit than about a highway. Delores takes some getting used to. Her record label describes her singing style as "hillbilly-psycho-blues-rock from a woman who sings like the illegitimate spawn of Phyllis Diller & Capt. Beefheart." Fair enough. Dr. Demnto is also a fan. Delores' style and certainly her cover photo make her look like she'd be perfect for the next John Waters film. (Hey John, get Pat to cast Delores in your next flick!)

If someone knows how to get in touch with Delores, please contact me. I'd love to get her take on the song.

Highway 40 Blues. (Larry Cordle). Recorded by:

Cherokee Wind. Available on their CD Cherokee Wind (2001).

Larry Cordle and Glen Duncan. Available on their CD Lonesome Standard Time (Sugar Hill, 1992). Real Audio sample.

Countdown Country. Available on their CD Lonesome Blues (Madacy, 2001). Real Audio sample.

Ricky Skaggs. Available on his CDs Super Hits (Sony, 1993), Country Pride (Sony, 1995), Country Gentleman (Sony, 1998), Ricky Skaggs (Platinum, 2000), Highways & Heartaches (DCC, 2000), 16 Biggest Hits (Sony, 2000). Real Audio sample.

OK, OK. Before anyone has a cow, I'll admit this song is really about I-40, not Route 40. Cordle obviously wrote about journeying between L.A. and Nashville. But hey, if you close your eyes and pretend you're on Route 40, it works. Of all of the songs listed here, this one has the most infectious melody. Cordle's verions is pure bluegrass. I like Skaggs' version for its crystal clear old timey C&W feel; his version will live forever on jukeboxes everywhere. Of course, I've been a fan of Skaggs since his early recordings with the Seldon Scene and Linda Ronstadt.

Larry Cordle & Greg Duncan: Lonesome Standard Time Countdown Country: Lonesome Blues Ricky Skaggs: Super Hits Ricky Skaggs: Country Pride
Ricky Skaggs: Country Gentleman Ricky Skaggs: Ricky Skaggs Ricky Skaggs: Highways & Heartaches Ricky Skaggs: 16 Biggest Hits

Bona Fide: Royal FunctionHighway 40 West. (Tim "Slim Man" Camponeschi). Recorded by:

Bona Fide. Available on their CD Royal Function (N-Coded, 1999). Real Audio sample.

Contemporary jazz instrumental. Bassist Tim "Slim Man" Camponeschi tells me that the title is a tongue in cheek salute to Baltimore's Route 40 which is lined with strip malls, seedy motels and a non-stop parade of fast food joints. (Along with Ellery Eskelin's 40 West, this makes two Baltimore-based jazz tunes saluting the highway. There must be something in the water in Balmer.)

When I was growing up in Baltimore in the 1960's and 1970's, we knew Route 40 West as the Furniture Freeway from all of the furniture stores near the intersection of Route 40 and Rolling Road. This CD is filled with all kinds of references to Baltimore (The Avenue, Divine, The Two o'Clock Club, Natty Boh, The Hippo). Their second CD, The Poe House, features even more salutes to Balmer (Club Charles, Willie Don, The Poe House, Blaze, The Horse You Came in On, The Block, Schmoke, Blaze, Tio Pepe). The title track from Royal Junction is a spin on Mount Royal Junction. Very nice recording! To learn more about Slim Man and Bona Fide, visit Slim Man's web site.

Let's Go Jiving to Rock and RollIdaho Red. (Larry Sullivan & Frank Kauzlaric). Recorded by:

Wade Ray. Available on the compilation CD Let's Go Jivin' to Rock and Roll (Bear Family, 1991).

Chuck Miller. Available on the compilation CD Boogie Blues (Bear Family, 1999).

Probably the greatest song about Route 40. Many towns are mentioned in the lyrics. The song is a ballad telling the tale of a long haul trucker going from San Francisco to Atlantic City. Read more about the background of this song.

The Wade Ray recording is classic 1950's C&W. It has a great slightly rock and roll feel to it. The Chuck Miller recording is a jazzy boogie woogie rendition; makes me think Miller (or his record company) was trying to cross the song over to the jazz or pop music charts. If you buy just one recording, go with Wade Ray's.

Highway 40 (authors unknown). Recorded by:

Brak. Available on Space Ghost's Musical Bar-B-Que: Featuring 25 Hickory-Smoked Harmonies (Rhino, 1997). In this rendition ("Highway 40 Unplugged"), Brak goes it alone. Goes to show you anyone can cut a record. Real Audio sample.

Brak. Available on Space Ghost's Surf & Turf: With 22 Tiki-Torched Tunes (Rhino, 1998). In this rendition ("Highway 40 Revisitied"), Brak once again solo. This may be the original version of the song. Real Audio sample.

Brak & Freddie Prinze, Jr. Available on Brak Presents The Brak Album Starring Brak (Rhino, 2000). In this rendition ("Highway 40"), Brak and Prinze sing the song as if they were underwater, monsters, pigs and even Tom Brokaw. Real Audio sample.

OK, now its time to get downright silly. Brak, the cartoon character from the classic 1960's series Space Ghost, offers up these gems. They are spoofs on C&W highway songs and I'm glad they chose Route 40.

For some time I was never really sure if the song was about U.S. Route 40 or I-40. When the music video with Freddie Prinze, Jr. came out (yes, there is a music video), it left no doubt. Brak's old red pick up truck is clearly shown carrying the two down a non-Interstate highway. The song has to be about U.S. Route 40!

Space Ghost's Musical Bar-B-Que Space Ghost's Surf & Turf The Brak Album Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Brak driving down Highway 40

U.S. 40. (Jim Tolles and Kenny Kosek). Recorded by:

Country Cooking. Available on the compilation CD 26 Bluegrass Instrumentals (Rounder, 1989).

Kenny Kosek tells me that the song was written while traveling from New York to Indiana along Route 40. Tolles wanted to capture the feeling of a streamlined bus or truck flying down the highway. It does!

Legend:

The symbols next to each recording indicate the following:

Part of my CD collection.

Part of my vinyl collection.

Part of my tape collection.

Important note: Please do not ask me to send you recordings of any of the songs you see listed here. No exceptions!

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