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Oct 2, 2022Liked by Ray Padgett

That '79 arrangement on the Sydney tape is one my favorite recordings of anything by anyone.

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Dear Ray, I tend to disagree with you interpretation of Burma Shave. I an a 1953 model. The top of the baby boomer bell curve.

Berma Shave is every town in the Midwest and west that was pronounced to be the town of Burma Shave. Destined to dry up over the years they proudly proclaimed you were entering to the wide spot in the road. They were all the same back then!

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Dear Ray, I tend to disagree with you interpretation of Burma Shave. I an a 1953 model. The top of the baby boomer bell curve.

Berma Shave is every town in the Midwest and west that was pronounced to be the town of Burma Shave. Destined to dry up over the years they proudly proclaimed you were entering to the wide spot in the road. They were all the same back then!

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My husband and I got interested in this article be when we took route 66 from seligman Arizona to Flagstaff for 16 miles we spotted some new Burma shave signs that were erected by the side of the road. If you're in the area and have a chance go see them.

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Great!

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I don't know if there's any connection beyond that they're both about things you see on the side of the road, but I often think about the Flannery O'Connor story "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" with this song.

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I adore all the versions that feature Summertime in it. But 79 version is probably also my favorite recording ever, probably listened to that one close to a thousand times ...

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