Category Archives: folk

Today: James Taylor is 66

james-taylor

When people use the term “singer/songwriter” (often modified by the word “sensitive”) in praise or in criticism, they’re thinking of James Taylor.
~William Ruhlmann (allmusic.com)

That’s the motivation of an artist – to seek attention of some kind.
~James Taylor

In concert – BBC Studios 1970 (ca 50min):

Continue reading Today: James Taylor is 66

The Lumineers plays Bob Dylan

lumineers

The Lumineers are a folk rock band, based in Denver, Colorado. The two founding members and songwriters of the Lumineers are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing together in New Jersey in 2005. Neyla Pekarek (cello, vocals) joined the band in 2010. Stelth Ulvang (piano), and Ben Wahamaki (bass), joined the band as full-time members in 2012. Their self-titled debut album was released on Dualtone Records on April 3, 2012, eventually peaking at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in January 2013. As of December 2013, their debut album has been certified Platinum in the US and Ireland, with Gold certifications in the UK, Australia and Canada.

We did a write-up on Lumineers prior to the release of their self-titled debut album in 2012.

We have dug up three very fine interpretations of Bob Dylan songs from The Lumineers.

The Lumineers do “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (Bob Dylan Cover) at Mountain Jam at Hunter Mountain on 6/8/13.

The Lumineers – Subterranean Homesick Blues:

Wesley Shultz, talks about how he managed to learn Subterranean Homesick Blues (nola.com):

“Hard to say. That one felt like it happened quickly. It helps if I write it all down. But I learned it in chunks. I love Dylan, but I learned that song kind of as a bar trick, because it was something that would immediately grab people – what is this guy doing?

We had a funny thing happen at a couple of festivals, where there were sign-language people who actually had to sign the song on the side of the stage. I think that’s a lot more difficult. But they nailed it each time.”

The Lumineers – “when the ship comes in” at Beantowne Gourmet in Allendale on 4/14/08.

The Lumineers – When the Ship comes in:

Wesley Schultz covering “Boots Of Spanish Leather”, Video by Andrea Alseri. Taken from the Look Sessions.

The Lumineers – Boots of Spanish leather:

– Hallgeir

Today: 16 Horsepower released Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes in 1996


16h

“Well, at first the band were simply called Horsepower, but a lot of people thought that was something to do with heroin. That really pissed me off, so I decided to put something in front of it to distract them. “I got ’16’ from a traditional American folk song, where a man is singing about his dead wife and 16 black horses are pulling her casket up to the cemetery. I liked the image of 16 working horses.”
– David Eugene Edwards (NME, 1996)

16 Horsepower originated out of the “Denver scene” around 1992. Edwards teamed up with bassist Keven Soll and drummer Jean-Yves Tola (yeah he is French), and the trio soon discovered a common love for country music, traditional music (from all corners of the world), and the darker bands of the ’80s, like Joy Division, the Gun Club, and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.

They toured extensively the first years, sometimes as opening act for bands like MorphineLos Lobos and the Violent Femmes.

Edwards said at the time that he regularly checked out Library of Congress records, old Appalachian music, and that he just listen to it for hours and hours. He expressed his for love Irish and Cajun music too, and how he saw it as all interconnected. All this seeped into Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes.

When Edwards was writing about early America, he was referring to the darkest aspects of USA’s past: the slavery, the war with native americans and the rape of a fertile land. He’s also thinking of the moral decline and violence of the Wild West that found sinners having to answer to a form of justice much higher than that of Man’s. He writes about a young and more primitive country, he write about the punishments for wrong-doing that were much more severe and eagerly executed than today. The word of God was also the word of the state and the executioner. Edwards and the songs he wrote with Sixteen Horsepower existed in that world.

16 Horsepower – Haw (official video):

“The music of the church was the most important thing to me , that’s where I learned the doctrine, where it came to me. That was how I was spoken to.”
– Edward Eugene Edwards (grandson of a Nazarene minister)

Continue reading Today: 16 Horsepower released Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes in 1996

Video of the day: Pete Seeger The Power of Song full documentary


pete_seeger

We were very saddened by the news of Pete Seeger’s passing just a few days ago. He was a huge influence on many of our singer-/songwriting favorites. We have dug up a very fine documentary from 2007, it’s a mix of interviews, archival footage and home movies illuminating his life and work.

It was shown on PBS ass part of their American Masters series, and Pete Seeger certainly fits the description of an American Master.

“Pete Seeger’s greatest gift was shepherding songs of peace and justice.”
– Bonnie Raitt

pete-seeger-the-power-of-song-movie-poster-2007-1020446099

In Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, Director Jim Brown documents the life of one of the greatest American singer/songwriters of the last century. Pete Seeger was the architect of the folk revival, writing some of its best known songs including Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Turn, Turn, Turn and If I Had A Hammer. Largely misunderstood and criticized for his strong beliefs he was picketed, protested, blacklisted, and, in spite of his enormous popularity, banned from commercial television for more than 17 years. Musicians including Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Brice Springsteen, Natalie Maines, and Peter, Paul and Mary appear in this intimate portrait and discuss Seeger s lasting influence on the fabric of American music.
– from Amazon

Rest in Peace Pete Seeger, American Master.

Pete Seeger – The Power of Song (full documentary)

– Hallgeir

Videos of the day: Johnny Cash 1960s live TV appearances


60sJC

Today we’ve found two fantastic collections, almost every live appearances done by Johnny Cash in the 60s!

Our gratitude goes out to JohhnyCashfan66  who uploaded these great videos, as he says: “for the educational purpose of following one of the world’s greatest figures, I present Johnny Cash, 1960 – 1965”. Thank you!!

Part 1 1960-1965:

Track list part 1:
1960 – The Rebel Johnny Yuma (Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Show)
1960 – Ballad of the Harp Weaver (Jubilee USA)
1960 – Chaw ‘n’ Chewing Gum (Jubilee USA)
1960 – Snow in His Hair (Jubilee USA)
1960 – Don’t Take Your Guns to Town (The Ford Show)
1960 – Pickin’ Time (The Ford Show)
1961 – Big River (Star Route, USA)
1961 – Pickin’ Time (Star Route, USA)
1961 – Cry, Cry, Cry (Star Route, USA)
1961 – Five Feet High and Rising (Star Route, USA)
1961 – I Got Stripes (Star Route, USA)
1961 – God Has My Fortune Laid Away (Star Route, USA)
1962 – Big River (Grand Ole Opry)
1962 – Bonanza (Grand Ole Opry)
1962 – Five Feet High and Rising (Grand Ole Opry)
1962 – Were You There (Grand Ole Opry)
1963 – Ring of Fire (Unknown?)
1963 – Streets of Laredo (Hootenanny)
1963 – Frankie and Johnny (Hootenanny Hoot)
1964 – I Walk the Line (Barn Dance)
1964 – Big River (Barn Dance)
1964 – Busted (Barn Dance)
1964 – Busted (Hootenanny?)
1964 – I Walk the Line (Jimmy Dean Show)
1964 – Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (Newport Folk Festival)
1964 – I Walk the Line (Newport Folk Festival)
1965 – Amen (Shindig)
1965 – Orange Blossom Special (Shindig?)

Missing Song:
1960 – Big River (Jubilee USA)

Part 2 1966-1969:

1966 – Orange Blossom Special
1966 – I Still Miss Someone (Sofia Gardens)
1966 – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (Sofia Gardens)
1967 – Five Feet High and Rising
1967 – I Walk The Line (Roy Drusky Show)
1967 – I Guess Things Happen That Way (Roy Drusky Show)
1967 – Ballad of a Teenage Queen (Roy Drusky Show)
1967 – I Still Miss Someone (Roy Drusky Show)
1967 – Ring of Fire (Roy Drusky Show)
1967 – We’re Gonna Sing (Johnny Cash Show Demo)
1967 – It Takes a Worried Man (Johnny Cash Show Demo)
1967 – I Walk the Line (Johnny Cash Show Demo)
1967 – Fourth Man in the Fire [The Statler Brothers] (Johnny Cash Show Demo)
1967 – Foggy Mountain Top [June Carter] (Johnny Cash Show Demo)
1967 – I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight [Luther Perkins] (Johnny Cash Show Demo)
1967 – Were You There? (Johnny Cash Show Demo)
1967 – Were You There? (Road to Nashville)
1967 – The One on the Right is on the Left (Road to Nashville)
1968 – Folsom Prison Blues (Grand Ole Opry)
1968 – Folsom Prison Blues (Grand Ole Opry)
1968 – Ring of Fire (Grand Ole Opry)
1968 – Jackson (Grand Ole Opry)
1969 – A Boy Named Sue (Andy Williams Show)
1968 – I Walk the Line (Andy Williams Show)
1969 – A Boy Named Sue (Tom Jones Show)
1969 – I Walk the Line (Tom Jones Show)
1969 – Don’t Take Your Guns To Town (Tom Jones Show)
1969 – Dark As A Dungeon – Sixteen Tons – Legend of John Henry (Tom Jones Show)

Missing:
1967 – I Walk the Line (Road to Nashville)

Wow! Right?!

– Hallgeir