Jimmy Bryant - Southern California Earthquake
Jimmy Bryant's Southern California Earthquake tells the story of the February 9, 1971 San Fernando earthquake, also commonly known as the Sylmar earthquake due to the fact that the city of Sylmar was the location of some of the quake's most intense damage.
What makes this release a bit more interesting than most topical records detailing various disasters is that it was written and recorded by one country music's most spectacular guitarists ever, Jimmy Bryant. Bryant made a name for himself playing guitar in various country and hillbilly bands on the Los Angeles bar circuit in the early 1950s. This led to his status as a sought-after session musician, one who cut some of his most memorable work playing alongside the great steel guitarist Speedy West.
As for the Sylmar earthquake, it was, as are most earthquakes in heavily populated areas, a complete disaster. Sixty-five people lost their lives, but hundreds of thousands of residents of the San Fernando Valley suffered the disruption of electricity, telephone service, gas, and water. According to one source, one-third of all buildings in the San Fernando Valley were damaged by the quake and thirty schools were so badly damaged they had to be demolished and rebuilt.
The documentary video below, sadly plagued by egregious re-enactment scenes, memorably describes the quake as "shaking most of Southern California like an angry parent shaking a screaming child." Now there's a phrase I'll wager you won't hear again any time soon.
Wow, thanks!!!! Greg, I never expected you to post a disaster country record about a disaster I actually lived thru. I'm a native Valley boy, but I was too young to remember this event. Had no idea this record existed, tho I do have a copy of this album:
http://www.houseplantpicturestudio.com/HPS11/february91971/february9.html
Letterman featured it on his Dave's Record Collection segment.
Posted by: MrFab | June 29, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Glad to help you relive terrible tragedies from your childhood, Mr. Fab, even if they happened before your memory bank opened for business.
Posted by: Listener Greg G. | June 29, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Johnny Carson had just begun doing THE TONIGHT SHOW from Hollywood when the Sylmar quake hit, and he opened his monologue on the first post-quake show with: "Tonight's 'God Is Dead' rally has been cancelled."
Posted by: Andrew | July 01, 2011 at 08:30 AM
Johnny Carson wasn't taping at 6:00 in the morning. Nice urban legend though.
Thanks for posting this, what a rarity. I found the KGIL record from a year later which ultimately led me here.
Posted by: CP | August 09, 2012 at 02:12 PM