A whaling song and a good guitar" are not the ONLY THINGS I understand but, they are amongst the three or four things I do understand.......and here and there......while considering all the above... I have had the opportunity to play a few good guitars, as well as write a few good songs and a quite a few that smelled like (bad) fish. But fish is good on Fridays, so its all music to me.

I'd like to share two songs with you. These songs are Christmas folk songs that I have written and performed a few years ago on a compilation disc on Pristine Records from Waco, Texas. Originally, both songs were recorded at Airplay Recording Studios in Bryan, Texas in 1992. They were produced by Kevin Bomar. Kevin's studio is now located in Friendswood, Texas south of Houston. Now called South Coast Recorders, his studio has the largest SSL console in the state of Texas. Kevin helped tremendously in stretching my otherwise northern approach to folk music.

I have to also say that publishing goes partly to Kevin's publishing company KMB and to Bob Mercer's Right Hemisphere Productions, Hollywood, CA. Bob a former A and R man with Fantasy records now successfully represents groups all over Europe. He has been a real friend with lots of encouragement along the way.
The songs below should play as quick time files and should run on a variety of browsers. All the songs are here for your enjoyment., all the songs are published and are registered with BMI. TO HEAR THESE SONGS YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO PLAY MP3 FILES.

The Story on Christmas Eve On Highway 83
In 1997 Christmas Eve on Highway 83 made it to the number 4 position on the national air play charts for holiday songs on independent labels. This was the first song I ever had played on the radio and it was an amazing experience. Although the song is a fictitious tale of a truck driver....Highway 83 does exist. US highway 83 begins at the border of Mexico at Brownsville, Texas and ends north of Minot, North Dakota at the Canadian border. The highway continues into Manitoba, Canada as Provincial Route 83 and ends at Swan River, Manitoba. Today, this highway is a vital link in the evolving NAFTA program. This song is a story about a close encounter of the reindeer kind. However, one person in the Dallas area who heard the song on KSKA, wrote to say that one snowy winter, a similar circumstance happened to her and she was rescued by someone in similar fashion to the truck driver in the song. In the 2008 a music video was produced around Highway 83. Christmas Eve on Highway 83 won an award at the (Nashville) Music City Song Festival in 1986.

As a result of the release of Highway 83, I have had the honor to come in contact with some amazing radio personalities and talent. These folks on radio have really helped this song along. When the song was originally released (initially in 1993) I was a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M. Larry Scott (Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame) was working at KWKH in Shereveport, LA., they received the cassette (yes it was in a cassette format!) and started playing it. I couldn't believe it! I was singing on the station that started the Louisiana Hayride! I talked with Larry and was interviewed on KWKH, and I was honored to hear that he thought 83 was a great truck driving Christmas song! Larry is all over the airways these days and working with historic Texas Swing music. A few years latter, Highway 83 was released in CD format on Pristine Records, an independent out of Waco, Texas and received airplay all over the world. Then, in the winter of 2000, while I was working as a professor of geography for UTPB in Odessa, TX I ran across another incredible radio talent.

I was on a geology field trip with students in the Horse Rustler Hills in west Texas sleeping in the back of my truck and tuning in my radio when I ran across WWL (New Orleans, LA) and Dave Nemo's Road Gang Show. Dave was playing an great mix of music, folk, country, everything, and I thought, maybe I should send him one of the new CDs for the up coming holiday season. Well I did and a little while later, one night my wife was getting ready for a long winters nap back home in Omak, Washington, and to much to her surprise, on KSL Salt Lake City, she heard the old man on the radio singing her to sleep! Dave is another incredible radio talent with an amazing history. From network AM radio, Dave's show has now gone to XM Satellite. I am happy to say that Dave took Highway 83 with him, and he was the first to launch my song into the satellite age. So if you really want to hear Christmas Eve On Highway 83, the way it's supposed to sound, (from outer space) you just might hear it during the holiday season on Dave's show. The Dave Nemo show can be heard on XM Satellite Radio Channel 171. 6 am to 11 am every morning.

CHRISTMAS EVE ON HIGHWAY 83 is now on Sunshine Records, Canada! Please check the great folk and international music catalog Sunshine has to offer.

You can also hear Christmas Eve on Highway 83 and lots of other great truck driving songs at: VIRTUAL TRUCK ROUTE sponsored by my friend Brian Stein in Edmonton Alberta Canada. Brian's company Summit Solutions operates this site that features truck driving music and information about truck driving media. I have to mention the musicians playing with me on this song. These folks really make this song roar! Listen to the awesome dobro of Steve Palousek, the great drum work of Kevin Cooley, and solid bass with Steven Humphreys; not to mention my kids on the sleigh bells.

 

Give a Listen to Christmas Eve On Highway 83 Tap Below Words and Music © by M. Mustoe BMI Published By: KMB Freindswood, TX /RIG Publishing Canada Recorded at Airplay Recording Bryan, TX 1992. Musicians: Track 1 and 2 Dr. M Vocals, Banjo, and 12 String, Steve Palousek Dobro Steven Humphreys Bass Kevin Cooley Drums my two kids: Margaret and Timothy on Sleigh bells	Christmas Eve On Highway 83 On Vimeo Also Tumbleweed Smith and Highway 83 The Making of Highway 83 The Video

Give a Listen to
The Wooden Frog For Christmas
Tap Below

Words and Music © by M. Mustoe BMI
Published By Right Hemisphere
Hollywood, CA
Recorded at Airplay Recording Bryan, TX 1993.
Dr. M Vocals, Banjo, and 12 String,
Kevin Bomar Bass