A Taste of Yesterday's Wine

A Taste of Yesterday's Wine is an album by the American country music artists George Jones and Merle Haggard, released in 1982. They are backed by Don Markham and Jimmy Belken of The Strangers. The album includes the song "Silver Eagle", written by Gary Church, also of The Strangers. This was their first album together; their next album together, Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again, did not come until 24 years later in 2006.[1]

A Taste of Yesterday's Wine
Studio album by
George Jones and Merle Haggard
ReleasedAugust 1982
GenreCountry
Length31:40
LabelEpic/Hallmark
ProducerBilly Sherrill
George Jones chronology
Still the Same Ole Me
(1981)		 A Taste of Yesterday's Wine
(1982)		 Anniversary – 10 Years of Hits
(1982)
Merle Haggard chronology
Big City
(1981)		 A Taste of Yesterday's Wine
(1982)		 Going Where the Lonely Go
(1982)

Background

Jones and Haggard were largely influenced by the Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell tradition. They had also made no secret of how much they admired each other's work. In a Rolling Stone tribute to Jones after his death in 2013, Haggard recalled their first meeting: "I met him at the Blackboard Café in Bakersfield, California, which was the place to go in '61. He was already famous for not showing up or showing up drunk, and he showed up drunk. I was onstage—I think I was singing Marty Robbins' 'Devil Woman'—and he kicked the doors of the office open and said 'Who the fuck is that?'" Haggard added that Jones's voice was "like a Stradivarius violin: one of the greatest instruments ever made". Jones had said repeatedly over the years that, next to Hank Williams, Haggard was his favorite singer. A Taste of Yesterday's Wine includes tributes to both of them: "Silver Eagle", written by Freddy Powers and Gary Church about Haggard, and "No Show Jones", written by Jones and Glenn Martin about the wayward singer's notorious inability to arrive at concert dates. The album's first single was the Willie Nelson-penned title track, which became a number one hit. A second single, "C.C. Waterback", reached number 10. The LP was produced by Billy Sherrill and has backing vocals by Haggard's wife Leona Williams.

In the UK, Hallmark Records issued an LP with the same title, artwork and tracks, but with a different track order.[2]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]

Thom Jurek of AllMusic praises the album, marveling that the pair's voices "blend seamlessly and compliment [sic] each other in almost symbiotic fashion... Billy Sherrill in the producer's chair was swinging for the radio fences, and he got close, but even he stayed the hell out of the way most of the time here and let the music take its course, and this pair just treated each other deferentially."[1]

Track listing (Epic)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Yesterday's Wine"Willie Nelson3:15
2."After I Sing All My Songs"Leona Williams3:16
3."I Think I've Found a Way"Merle Haggard3:29
4."The Brothers"Dave Kirby4:03
5."Mobile Bay"Kirby, Curly Putman3:18
6."C.C. Waterback"Haggard3:37
7."Silver Eagle"Gary Church, Freddy Powers2:40
8."Must've Been Drunk"Max D. Barnes, Vern Gosdin2:40
9."I Haven't Found Her Yet"Haggard, Johnny Paycheck2:27
10."No Show Jones"George Jones, Glenn Martin2:26

Track listing (Hallmark)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Yesterday's Wine"Willie Nelson3:15
2."I Haven't Found Her Yet"Haggard, Johnny Paycheck2:27
3."I Think I've Found a Way"Merle Haggard3:29
4."Silver Eagle"Gary Church, Freddy Powers2:40
5."Mobile Bay"Kirby, Curly Putman3:18
6."C.C. Waterback"Haggard3:37
7."The Brothers"Dave Kirby4:03
8."Must've Been Drunk"Max D. Barnes, Vern Gosdin2:40
9."After I Sing All My Songs"Leona Williams3:16
10."No Show Jones"George Jones, Glenn Martin2:26

Personnel
  • Merle Haggard – vocals
  • George Jones – vocals
  • Don Markham – trombone, trumpet
  • Jimmy Belkin – fiddle
  • Dave Kirby – guitar
  • Freddy Powers – guitar
  • Leona Williams – backing vocals
  • Billy Sanford – guitar
  • Pete Bordonali – guitar
  • Bobby Thompson – guitar
  • Weldon Myrick – steel guitar
  • Hargus "Pig" Robbins – keyboards
  • Bobby Wood – keyboards
  • Bobby Emmons – keyboards
  • Terry McMillan – harmonica
  • Karen Taylor – backing vocals
  • Lea Jane Berinati – backing vocals
  • Hershel Wilginton – backing vocals
  • Dennis Wilson – backing vocals

References
  1. Jurek, Thom. "A Taste of Yesterday's Wine > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  2. Original copy of album #SHM 3177
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