Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle "Well I Guess I Told You Off"

[@eddieboggs8306]

Back when Country music was still Country.

[@jameshagan558]

Next to Anitas duet with Hank Williams this is the most charming thing on the internet and I mean the whole internet.

[@ronaldbrantley6795]

Fun

[@bobbeck5866]

Have you heard them do Dixie Darlin?

[@AbeFroman-zx5hs]

Who is playing the bass violin? RelAted ?

[@sarahrussell3219]

That was one of the songs my mother would sing as she was quilting.

[@rgbaguswarsono8889]

If brains were thousand dollar bills I'd tell you what we'd bet You wouldn't have enough To buy a cup of coffee yet Well, that ain't the way I heared it But here's a though for you Your's might as well be coffee grounds For all the thinking they'll do Well I guess I told you off That ought to hold you for a spell Furthermore if you don't like it You can pack tonight, get out of sight And go jump in the well! Sometimes you make me so darn mad That here's what I could do I'd pick you up and shake you up And bite you half in two Well that ain't the way I heared it And sister if you do You'll learn right quick that you done Bit off more than you can chew Well I guess I told you off That ought to hold you for a spell Furthermore if you don't like it You can pack tonight, get out of sight And go jump in the well! If common sense was ice cubes You can take it straight from me You wouldn't even have enough To cool a glass of tea Well that ain't the way I heared it You're just a wasting breath Huh, if them ice cubes was ignorance You'd done be froze to death Well I guess I told you off That ought to hold you for a spell Furthermore if you don't like it You can pack tonight, get out of sight And go jump in the well!

[@barleben48]

I can't get enough of looking at Anita Carter. If you're looking for the most beautiful 1950s women, she's on top of the list.

[@jameshagan558]

My dear Stefan,you are so right and when you think that the 1950s gave us Jean Simmonds,Grace Kelly and Virginia Maskel thats saying a lot

[@waldemarakrapsata8406]

To je June

[@bobbeck5866]

Sorry, she cannot hold a candle to her sister Helen

[@adrianfewster8391]

@@bobbeck5866 Very true, June looks great here too.

[@prettybitchescry3780]

@@bobbeck5866that’s a hot take my friend

[@Sue-h8k]

A blessed and talented family of the 20th Century!

[@TonySkyRush]

Wow Helen can really play that accordion 👍👍👍😊💕

[@bobbeck5866]

Helen was the best of them all in every way.

[@adrianfewster8391]

She is a Doll.

[@wjm41259]

she didn't know what to do with her hands-- so adorable

[@cityzen2717]

At none point, Anita was married to the fiddler.

[@TahtahmesDiary]

I swear it was part of the act for her to be cute and childish? The facial expressions were excellent in my opinion and it all went together….

[@elemmayo2602]

@@cityzen2717 diddling the fiddler

[@MrAschiff]

@@TahtahmesDiary She was doing an imitation of June who normally sounds and acts like this.

[@MrAschiff]

@@TahtahmesDiary kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGqoY5eKbMx-bck

[@tomwagner1764]

What a fun song!

[@glendahamer5422]

Becky Bowman does a phenomenal job on the bass!

[@carmenhardy2629]

Where was June? This looks pretty early for her to be with Johnny Cash yet.

[@MrAschiff]

@@carmenhardy2629 What makes you think she was with Johnny?

[@tjoelfoster]

@@carmenhardy2629 1955 was when she was in acting school in NY I believe.

[@sjoldtimer]

The person who introduced them was country singer Carl Smith. He was married to June Carter. They obviously divorced and a few years later, June would rescue Johnny Cash from his issues with substance abuse and they would have loving marriage until "death do us part".

[@111JenA]

Yes!! No editing out scenes. Thank you so much!

[@tonylupo1764]

Yea that's exactly why I made this video because I saw that chopped up video with someone messing with this great classic performance and dubbing in his own piano smh . Isn't it great how they kick off the show? They were top stars on the biggest Country show in the nation.

[@111JenA]

Agreed!

[@mikebartek3592]

@@111JenA hello Jennifer. How are you?

[@davidpreston7819]

@@111JenA Hello , how're you doing, I hope you are doing fine. I'm David from Houston, Texas. Where are you from? You seems like a real Country girl😊🌹

[@amywhite9972]

I'm reminded of my favorite video of june carter saying "You had to sing in key cause if you didn't mama would look at you like you were a snake or give you a snake eye or something like that... 🙃

[@mikebartek3592]

Hello Amy. How are you?

[@christgordon8083]

Great foot tapping tune from yesteryear by the greatest family ever

[@TonySkyRush]

Christ Gordon Agree love it!

[@1952banjo]

Wonderful ! enjoyed very much !

[@mikebartek3592]

Hello Virginia. How are you?

[@dedubh8016]

If I'm not mistaken that Fiddle player that stepped up was a young Dale Potter who was married to Anita from 1950-53

[@tonylupo1764]

Dale Potter and Anita Carters marriage was annulled weeks after they married in 1950 and Anita married one of Potters friends Don Davis on Anita's birthday March 31 in 1953 Don was a steel guitar player that worked with George Morgan on the Opry and these Gannaway shows Also he had worked on Hank Williams early MGM recordings and a lot of other studio recordings over the years. He wrote a book titled "Nashville Steeler" that you can find on Amazon.

[@steveendicott1855]

@@tonylupo1764 Both Dale and Don worked on Hank recordings

[@charles5596]

June was always so playfull . Real cute song

[@tonylupo1764]

That is Anita Carter messing with her sister Helen playing the accordion.

[@adrianfewster8391]

@@tonylupo1764 Yes I thought it was June at first due to the naughty behaviour, however woke up it was Anita, what a stunner, this really shows her at her prime.

[@impassable]

But she sounds like June here@@adrianfewster8391

[@deborahg2407]

Love those dresses.

[@geoffhennessy275]

The recoloring makes it look great!

[@Interandd]

7 Heaven

[@Aleksandr55881]

Beautiful song! Bravo performance! Thanks for video! 😄 Valentina.

[@tonylupo1764]

Aleksandr55881 Aren't they fun?

[@mikebartek3592]

Hello Aleksandr. How are you?

[@Aleksandr55881]

@@mikebartek3592 Thank you! Good.🎶

[@mikebartek3592]

That's good. Where are you from?

[@Aleksandr55881]

@@mikebartek3592 Russia.🙋 Valentina is my name.😁All the best for you!🐧💝😊

[@mercifulhorror4935]

Lol I love how anita tryed to mess with her instrument the look she gave her and they stared Lol

[@MrAschiff]

She was imitating June.

[@MrAschiff]

See this performance with June and you'll see the imitation that Anita is doing not only with her hand movements but the voice, too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGqoY5eKbMx-bck

[@MrAschiff]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaupo3ihe65jopo

[@chuckschillingvideos]

I guess June was off on a tour at the time this show was recorded, forcing Anita into the comical role that June might otherwise have done.

[@stewartfenton7660]

That's what I was thinking

[@maryfizer9030]

🌷Oh that wicked sweet girl!Picking on her sister like that! Bet she told her off later!🌻😇🎶💙💚

[@mikebartek3592]

Hello Mary. How are you?

[@michaelolder8848]

June,ever the comedian. ❤

[@shawni321]

Helen gives her that long look, it lets on some friskiness we don't get to see when Junie's there.

[@timwhitmore7]

Shawni Ysais the song is called I guess I told you off, see the link between their acting... Do you also think that’s Anita’s completely natural voice too lol

[@cross_fire935]

To me it seems that Anita is doing June's role.

[@MrAschiff]

@@cross_fire935 Exactly. Anita's definitely impersonating June, and she does an excellent job.

[@ErichOverhultz]

Helen was a very good accordionist!

[@johnduggan5790]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ am your lost brother you are my big sisters ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ xxxxxx my kin folk my family my duggan famerly duggans my baby sissers🎉 ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤xxx

[@AbeFroman-zx5hs]

❤️❤️❤️. Someone help me. Who is playing the bass violin?

[@atheling1066]

Why does Helen say Sorry at 0:42 any ideas? Anita was certainly in a mischievous mood in the rest of the performance. I would guess Mother Maybelle had something to say afterwards. Thank you Tony, for posting this

[@tonylupo1764]

Very astute observation, I never noticed that before , I sure would like to ask them. They were so close, especially Anita and Helen .

[@Peregrin27]

I think it's part of the act. Being appalled about the mean things the other one says.

[@onions8777]

At 0:42 Helen doesn't say sorry, she calls Anita a smarty. Due to that little line in the song that Anita had just sang.

[@peggymarsheck4926]

@@onions8777 I agree, it was "smarty".

[@joluttringer4450]

Where on string Bass ?

[@dankdank7088]

YE OLD HABA DASHA!

[@christianlacheze3323]

I want the same tie

[@tonylupo1764]

Here is the studio version of "Well I Guess I told You Off" Enjoy , all 3 girls sing on it I believe kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGLbonuVnLepfrc

[@111JenA]

Tony Lupo wow thank you so much for the post and sharing!

[@tonylupo1764]

@@111JenA, You're very welcome

[@pubcheese5045]

Whoops, Anita messed up. She sang, If "common sense" was ice cubes, you done be froze to death. She should have said, If them ices cubes was ignorance, you done be froze to death. I forgive her. Tidbit "That ain't the way I heer'd it" was previously made popular by the Old-Timer( Bill Thompson) on the Fibber McGee and Molly radio.

[@Rockyasmr]

nope in the studio recorded version June says the same , so i guess it aint no mistake :)

[@tonylupo1764]

Bill Thompson did do a skit where the go to phrase was "That ain't the way I heard it" The Girls took that phrase and skit idea and wrote this song. They named the song "I Guess I told You Off"

[@39thala]

Actually, it makes sense the way Anita sang it. She's answering Helen's previous verse. Helen sings just before that, "If Common sense was ice cubes, you can take it straight from me, you wouldn't even have enough to cool a cup a tea." (Indicating Anita doesn't have much common sense.) So Anita answers, "That ain't the way I heared it, you're just a wasting breath, 'cause if common sense was ice cubes, you'd done be froze to death". (Meaning Anita says she has so much common sense, that if it was ice cubes Anita would be froze to death just being near her.)

[@pubcheese5045]

@@39thala If you search websites for the lyrics of this song, you will find each one of them write "If them ice cubes was ignorance you'd done be froze to death". If common sense = ice cube, and you have no common sense, then you would be warm. If ignorance = ice cube, and you are ignorant, then you would be frozen. Neither is one bragging about themselves, they are belittling the other. Each line, like the other lines in this song, is a dig at the character of the other and not a comparison to one another.

[@39thala]

@@pubcheese5045 , But that's just it, she did not sing the "Ignorance" lyric,. She changed it, which was my whole point of explaining what she could only have meant by changing the lyric as she did. It still ended up with the same result, that the other person (Helen) would be 'froze to death'. Anita just took a different path lyrically to make that point.

[@stevechester4726]

Great...was that June in front of Mother Maybelle?

[@tonylupo1764]

June is not in this video. From left to right Maybelle Anita Carter, Becky Bowman (bass) and Helen Carter (accordion)

[@MarkS1356]

Man they were so entertaining. Even without June

[@pubcheese5045]

Who's the woman on bass?

[@tonylupo1764]

Pub Cheese That is Becky Bowman a family friend ,she took over on bass when Anita decided that playing bass wasn't lady-like and was singing a lot of solo and duet songs in the mid 50s

[@pubcheese5045]

Thanks Tony.

[@joijaxx]

Tony Lupo thanks was wondering the same thing!

[@timwhitmore7]

Tony Lupo no that one was mother Maybelle’s mistress, Violet Scheinringer.

[@glendahamer5422]

Her name is Becky Bowman. She is my second cousin.

[@VirusForPrez]

Was that June pokin' at Helen's accordion @ 1:03 and Anita on Bass telling her to stop ? lol

[@tonylupo1764]

Anita Carter is singing lead and poking at Helens accordion, and that is family friend and bandmate Becky Bowman playing bass and telling Anita to stop messing with Helen

[@VirusForPrez]

@@tonylupo1764 Oh that Anita ,.. thanks for clearing that up Tony !

[@karlpiepenburg3157]

What’s with the whistle at the beginning?

[@tonylupo1764]

Blowing the whistle by the solemn old judge George Hay was a tradition that he started to start the Opry.

[@gregorflea]

How about those bass chops!

[@Jesussaidhewillreturn]

Who is playing the bass?

[@tonylupo1764]

Becky Bowman , she joined the Carters when Helen was pregnant with her 2nd child in 1952

[@Jesussaidhewillreturn]

@@tonylupo1764 Thanks!!!. Can not understand why she was anonymous or actually introduced as one of the Carter Sisters.

[@tonylupo1764]

@@Jesussaidhewillreturn They were recording and were billed on the Opry tours under the name The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle so Becky was part of the band. She was with the Carters for about 6 years 1952-1958/9 She is standing in for June in this video who was studying acting in New York at times. So their group was introduced as the Carter Sisters or Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters or even the Carter Family

[@TheEddiethekid]

Janette Carter, A.P.'s daughter. I asked that question too, & I almost went crazy before I figured it out.

[@TheEddiethekid]

I was wrong. It was Becky Bowman.

[@MrAschiff]

Is that Anita imitating June?

[@tonylupo1764]

It's just Anita having fun with the song with her sister Helen and friend Becky Bowman on bass.

[@MrAschiff]

@@tonylupo1764 No, she's imitating June. Here's June acting with her sisters and her mannerisms are the same as Anita's in the video above. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGqoY5eKbMx-bck

[@MrAschiff]

@@tonylupo1764 Here's June talking: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qF6tg5-bZ9mZd9E

[@MrAschiff]

@@tonylupo1764 Here's June singing the song. Notice how her voice sounds. You can tell Anita was doing her imitation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHO8pWSthtB1pdU

[@tonylupo1764]

Andrew on the studio recording that you posted June and Anita alternate on the lyrics with Helen chiming in as well. They all 3 sing on the studio version.

[@flautalee3090]

I’m a little confused. I’m thinking that the sister playing accordian is Helen (often seen as a blond); June (the one pretending to pick on Helen), and that another lady is playing bass. I don’t see Anita. Does someone know the name of the lady playing bass (filling in for Anita)?

[@tonylupo1764]

June is not in this video, Anita is the one singing and messing with her sister Helen (accordion) Family friend Becky Bowman is playing the bass.

[@flautalee3090]

@@tonylupo1764 Thank you, Tony, for explaining this to me!

[@29081965ful]

*******

[@TheEddiethekid]

This is one of my favorite Carter songs because Anita is so out of character. She's acting like June.

[@tonylupo1764]

You're correct as June sang that part on the studio recording I believe. I'm impressed with your intimate knowledge of the Carter Sisters and their personalities. You're going to like the book I've been working on about the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle band era (1943-1956) going on 8 years with research going back 11 years. They really were "The Fab Four of the 40s" drawing record crowds to their personal appearances.

[@TheEddiethekid]

@@tonylupo1764 Thanks. I'm absolutely obsessed with the Carters. They are the greatest singing group of all time. I was wrong about who the bass player was. I thought it was Janette Carter. I'll be waiting for your book.