Closing the Gap: Michael Parks | Eastern NC Now

    My brother was down from Tennessee visiting me last week and we were reminiscing about some of the old days and some of the songs that our Dad always played and sang. Several of the songs that came up were written in the 30 and 40s but resurrected in 1969 in a TV series starring Michael Parks.

    Depending on your age, most people who remember Michael Parks will remember him from his 1969 TV series "Then Came Bronson" or his later work on "Kill Bill." Always a man of his own, Michael Parks had creative differences with the producers of "Then Came Bronson", and the series only lasted one year.

    I became a fan of Michael Park during the 1969 series, not for the plots or the motorcycle scenes but because of the music. He released an album called "Closing the Gap" which included several of the songs of my childhood in the late forties and early fifties. My dad would sing them to my brother and I. Dad was an Irish Tenor with no musical training but he was self-taught on the Mandolin, Piano, Accordion, and Guitar. Tracks 6, 9 and 10 brought back some particularly good memories for me in 1969 (I was 24, and just back from Vietnam). His cover of track 5 was one of my favorite hymns, which we sang regularly at our Small Baptist Church during my early years. If you have ever been lonesome, then track 1 will remind you of the feeling even if you never been in Oklahoma.


    Since I know most people will not bother to follow the links, I suggest you try track 6 and 10 from the YouTube links.

    Michael Parks "Closing the Gap" Album

    1. Oklahoma Hills
    2. San Antonio Rose
    3. Little Buckaroo
    4. Midnight Wind
    5. Softly And Tenderly
    6. Tie me to your Apron Strings
    7. Treasure Untold
    8. Soldier's Last Letter
    9. Ride Em Cowboy
    10. Little Red Wagon
    11. Sneakin' In The Backdoor Of Love
    12. Pretty Piece Of Paper
    13. Wayfarin' Stranger