I have a new single out called "Rattler Red." This song was written by Jim Carothers (my dad, James Carothers II).
Here’s a photo of James Henry Carothers II, also known as Jim Carothers or DAD, taken around 1984
Dad originally recorded it in 1984 at Fireside Studio in Nashville with some great pickers. That version of “Rattler Red” was in our tape player when I was three, so it’s one of my first memories.
Old tapes tend to disappear or get ruined over time, so I was thrilled to hear “Rattler Red” for the first time in 30 years when our family friend David Nutt found his copy of the cassette tape last year and gave it to me.
"Rattler Red" is about a real person named Red, an old man my dad knew. Apparently, Red was all the time fishing and snake hunting. He gave Dad a 13-beaded rattler to stick in his guitar to “make it sound good” - it's still in there today, and Dad will shake it out of the sound hole and show people when he sings the song.
Growing up playing guitar with my dad, the song “Rattler Red” morphed into a ballad, and after years of playing it slow, I had pretty much forgotten the original Nashville cut on the song, which is more up-tempo.
After hearing my Dad's old recording, I decided to re-record “Rattler Red,” and that's the version that's out today. I’ll probably always like Dad’s version better, but Mike Rogers did a great job, as usual, producing the new cut - It will "rattle" your 21st-century speakers! 🤣
You can hear my Dad's original version by clicking the audio player below, and then check out my take on it almost 40 years later by clicking the single cover below.
I hope you enjoy them, and we both appreciate you taking the time to listen!
James
