Jason and The Scorchers – White Lies

In the mid eighties I had a friend who were into Jason and the Scorchers so I gave them a listen. They were big on college radio and they had many ties with Nashville and played here quite often.

I first heard them do a live version of “The Race Is On”…the old George Jones song and it won me over. They were really a big deal in the southeast in the middle eighties and should have spread more. Their music seemed to have a kinship to the Georgia Satellites but they were a little more country. They did have some MTV play with this song and  Golden Ball and Chain.

The band was formed in 1981. They were together through the 80s till the drummer Perry Baggs was diagnosed with diabetes and could not finish a 1990 tour. They have regrouped since then off and on and altogether have released 15 albums with the last one being in 2010. In 2012 Perry Baggs passed away because of diabetes.

They played a mixture between country and rock and fell into the cracks. They seemed too rock for country and too country for rock. Live they were unbeatable.

This song was released in 1985 on the album Lost and Found.

AllMusic’s Mark Deming called Lost & Found “the best record this fine band would ever make.”

Below is the reunited band on the Conan show in 1998…promoting a live album.

White Lies

White lies
Every evening when I walk through the door
I hear the same old lies that I’ve heard before:
You’re going out for the evening, going out with a friend.
Do you really want me to believe that again?
You’re telling white lies, you’re telling white lies.
I can see right through that this disguise.
Can’t you tell I can tell when you’re telling white lies?
Take these chains and set me free,
Release me from this misery.
Now, don’t you waste my time with your alibis
’cause your heart can’t hide what I see in your eyes.
You’re telling white lies, you’re telling white lies.
I can see right through that thin disguise.
Can’t you tell I can tell when you’re telling white lies?
Every evening when I walk through that door
I get the same old lies that I’ve heard before:
You’re going out for the evening, going out with a friend.
Do you really want me to believe that again?
You’re telling white lies, you’re telling whire lies.
I can see right through that thin disguise.
Can’t you tell I can tell when you’re telling white lies?
You’re telling white lies, you’re telling white lies.
I can see right through that thin disguise.
Can’t you tell I can tell when you’re telling white lies?
White lies
White lies
White lies

…

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

27 thoughts on “Jason and The Scorchers – White Lies”

      1. Oh, man, I’m so ready for live music, especially when I see many of my Facebook friends resuming going to concerts. At the same time, I’m still skittish, especially when it comes to indoor events. I’m banking on outdoor shows during the summer.

        Various townships in my neck of the woods traditionally offer nice summer concert programs. In the past, these events featured some pretty decent acts, including great tribute bands.

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      2. I am ready also…I’m going to see much more than I saw before this all happened…I do plan to get out much mor.e

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      3. Over the previous four to five years pre-pandemic, I guess I had become a bit of a live music junkie. I did four to six big ticket shows per year, complemented by multiple small concerts with tribute and other bands – at least two per month or so. Going from this level to zero was really tough!

        I don’t think I’ll get back to the previous intensity anytime soon. At this point, I’d be happy catching a few smaller outdoor shows over the summer.

        My Steve Winwood/Steely Dan and Ringo Starr and All Starr Band concerts have been rescheduled until next year, while The Temptations/Four Tops have been pushed back until November.

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      4. I hope you get to go to those… I’m waiting for them to really open everything.

        The biggest music thing I know I’m going to this year…and it’s not concert is the “Get Back” film that opens in August.

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  3. I particularly enjoyed the earlier video – it has so much in it that is both entertaining and irrelevant! It seemed to be typical of the videos of the time. There was a skit on the UK comedy program “Not the nine o’clock news” (at least I think it was that) in which they sang “Loved the video, shame about the song”.

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  7. Remember the name well but not any of their specific music. A little heavier than I would’ve guessed, but like several of you point out , also look like a fun one to see live. I’m guessing for them, same old story – didn’t fit any regular radio genre (plus their look was bit confusing – country? metal?) so they slipped through the cracks

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    1. Golden Ball and Chain was their really big hit. They did slip through because of that. Too country for rock and too rock for country. They were kinda a loud rockabilly.

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  8. This is excellent. I have a friend who has recommended these guys to me once or twice but for one reason or another I just haven’t gotten to them yet.

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    1. That live performance was someething else. I remember them in Nashville playing outside in the 80s and I caught a little bit of it.

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