Hank Williams's posthumous duet with his son in "Tear in My Beer," showed even legends can use digital help to reach high notes from beyond. The song, penned by Williams, was initially recorded by Big Bill Lister and subsequently reinterpreted by his son in 1988.
Hank Williams recorded the original around 1950 in Nashville, but it wasn't released due to producer Fred Rose's dislike for alcohol references. Williams then passed the demo to Lister, seeking a drinking song. Lister recorded and released it with Capitol Records in 1952. Over 40 years later, he gave the demo back to Williams' son.
Using electronic merging technology, a duet was created between Hank Williams Jr. and his father from an original acetate disc transferred to audio tape. With the original demo featuring only Williams' guitar, his son and band added instrumentation and vocals to complete the track.
The Music Video for Hank Williams's "Tear in My Beer" Also Uses Impressive (For the Time) Technology
Of course, the music video for the track also used cutting-edge tech. Directed by Ethan Russell, the music video debuted in early 1989. It features Hank Williams Jr. performing the song solo in an old house during a stormy night. After the first chorus, he hears vocals and spots a familiar silhouette from behind a nearby door.
Hank Williams Jr. performs alongside the silhouette of his father in the "Tear in My Beer" music video. (Image via YouTube / Curb Records)
In sort of a reverse Wizard of Oz moment, Hank Williams Jr opens the door leading to the silhouette of his father. The color footage goes to black and white, as Bocephus sees his dad playing like it was the 1950s again. Hank Jr., now also in black and white, strides. He steps up right beside his dad to sing the rest of the tune together.
The footage looks pretty primitive by today's standards. However, it blew folk's minds at the time.
Cutting-edge technology (of the era) allows Bocephus to sing beside his father. (Image via YouTube / Curb Records)
The footage of Hank Sr. was digitally enhanced from a kinescope of his 1952 performance of "Hey, Good Lookin'" on the Kate Smith Evening Hour. The editing team meticulously made hundreds of minor adjustments to superimpose a new mouth—belonging to an actor emulating Hank Sr.—over Hank's original mouth in the footage.
The video achieved remarkable acclaim. It secured the title of Video Of The Year from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. Hank Williams Sr. and Jr. further cemented their legacy by jointly winning a Grammy in 1990 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.
