'Arkansas Stories' Tell History in Songs

January 9, 2004

'Arkansas Stories' Tell History in Songs

Craig Ogilvie, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

MOUNTAIN VIEW -- Three years after releasing "Arkansas Stories," Charley Sandage has released a second volume to complement the first CD. Like the first volume, the new edition continues the tale of the state's colorful history, including a Louisiana Purchase song, which became popular during the bicentennial celebration in 2003, "Starting Here."

From the hot and healing springs
to where the eagle spreads his wings
There's land enough to build a dream upon
Red and White are on the move, farms to settle, claims to prove
Mark a starting place and we will carry on

Starting Here...we will measure all our prairies
Starting Here...we'll take stock of all our hills
From the marshes to the mighty Teton Mountains
Chain by chain, we'll mark our future...Starting Here

The tune, penned by Sandage, tells the story of the initial point for the Louisiana Purchase survey, located between Brinkley and Helena in eastern Arkansas. "Starting Here," is one of a dozen original songs on the new CD written by Sandage and recorded by the musical group Harmony.

"Starting Here" had its television debut this spring as the theme song for the Arkansas Educational Television Network's special, "It Started Here: Early Arkansas and the Louisiana Purchase." Other selections on the release include a railroad song called "Nellie' Apron," a bit of rock 'n' roll history in "Up on Highway 67," and one about the peaceful 1955 integration of schools at Hoxie, Ark.

At 60, Sandage is no stranger to the Arkansas music scene. He performed with groups called "Sugarhill," "Edgar Allen Po' Boys" and "Wildflower" before settling down to write about Arkansas' diverse history. Born in Donaldson, Ark., Sandage graduated from Henderson State University and he completed graduate studies at the University of Arkansas.

He became a college instructor, school administrator, the first program director at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, and worked in several capacities at AETN in Conway. But music and songwriting has always been an important part of Sandage's life -- from attending singing schools and leading congregational hymns to playing rock 'n' roll and 1960s folk music. His songwriting career was boosted when his tunes were performed on the Grand Ole Opry and the Hee-Haw television show.

"Working for AETN was among my greatest experiences," Sandage said. "Writing, producing and serving in the learning services department opened a new world for me." He started writing "Arkansas Stories" while commuting from near Mountain View to his AETN job in Conway. The songwriting continued during spare time while Sandage worked at Ozarka College in Melbourne.

"The power of music is in the performance," Sandage said, "and one of the smartest moves I've ever made was asking Harmony to record my songs." Composed of Robert and Mary Gillihan, plus Dave Smith, the trio from Stone County has performed together since the late 1980s.

In addition to being part of the music scene in Mountain View and the Ozark Folk Center, Harmony has appeared at events and concerts across Arkansas and in several other states. In 1997, they performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, as part of a series of musical salutes to the states. A year later, they were first runner-ups in their division on Minnesota Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion national contest. A Sandage tune called "Neighbors" carried the group into the finals.

With the support of Archeological Assessments, Inc., a cultural resources management firm, Sandage and Harmony recorded the first volume of "Arkansas Stories" in 1999. As is true of the second volume, Sandage sprinkles a few historical tidbits as an introduction to each of the 12 songs on the first volume. "Cahinnio" tells about the forgotten Caddo tribes of southwest Arkansas and their sacred places lost in time. One emotional song recalls the tragic sinking of the federal steamboat Sultana near Marion in 1865, and "The Walk" chronicles the journey of a Civil War veteran returning home to Arkansas. "The Great Earthquakes of 1811" is a catchy tune about the weird events reported after the New Madrid earthquake.

The red man said it was Manitou walking
Shaking the ground like thunder
I think it might have been the devil himself
Trying to pull us all under

Other songs on the compact disc include "They Sang On," a tribute to Arkansas' legendary female folksingers, and "I Don't Believe the Levee's Gonna Hold," a spirit-filled melody about the Great Flood of 1927 that inundated about one-fourth of the state.

"Arkansas Stories" has blossomed into a wide range of activities that include workshops, field projects, live concerts, radio productions and educational programs. The musical group is listed with the Arkansas Arts Council, making schools and nonprofit organizations eligible for grants to help sponsor performances.

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Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com

May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"