Tom Cantrell & The Newettes – Bum’s Promise
(Houston Oilers #1, 1979)
In keeping with the theme of football, let’s shift our attention across the pond for a moment and take a look at its brutish American cousin. The NFL season is getting ready to start, and though we at ponytone couldn’t care less where Brett Favre is playing or whether Pac Man Jones ditches his nickname or not, we are vastly interested in the goings-on of defunct teams from a bygone century.
In the late 1970s the Houston Oilers were one of the best football teams in America, due in large part to the strong coaching of Bum Phillips and the brilliant playing of Earl Campbell, a “one-man demolition team” widely recognized as one of the best running backs in NFL history.
In 1979, Bellaire Records put out an LP to honor and celebrate the Oilers’ success. The album contains mostly original songs of a wide range of artists and styles, including “Houston Oiler Polka” by the Janicek Polka Band, and “I’m Proud To Be A Houston Oiler Fan” by Mike Boyd and 5000 Oiler Fans. Personally, I had high hopes for the “Houston Oiler Disco” by Donna & the Dolls, but it proved to be a disappointment. The standout tracks are two songs written and performed by Tom Cantrell. The first is a tribute to Earl Campbell, and the second is the gritty tale of a grueling battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tom Cantrell with Dink & The Ootes – Big Bad Earl
A sad footnote to the Oilers saga: Earl got injured, Bum got fired, and the franchise moved to Tennessee and changed its name to the Titans in 1997.