Sister Sage's Musings

Posts Tagged ‘folkie music’

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Saturday Nite Nostalgia edition, hasn’t it? And I’m a doin’ it on Wednesday to boot!

After that terrible week and even much worse week-end in Toronto for Steve’s expensive photo op to push world leaders to yet another Great Depression (because, misery does love company), I think we can all use some comforting music. Ok, I can use it!  Besides, I have a feeling most won’t even know who Woody Guthrie even was.  Here is a bio of this legendary folk singer if you’re interested.

I chose Woody Guthrie to comfort me this fine evening because folk music can be soothing. An added bonus is that his ‘machine kills fascists’; a phrase that was printed on his guitars, as you will notice in all three videos I will post.

The first one, to warm us up is spiritual in nature. I know, this blog is supposed to be secular and it still is, but I have played “Jesus Christ” before; the Merle Haggard version, as it was played during end credits of Michael Moore’s last effort, “Capitalism, A Love Story” (If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for to rent the dvd??). Anyhoo, this is the original “Jesus Christ”. Here, you will notice the prominence of “This Machine Kills Fascists”.

If you want to hear the Merle Haggard version click here. I may repost that video at a later time.  I haven’t decided which version I like better; you be the judge.

Words used like “Austerity”,  “Deficits” , “Police State” and of course, “Fascism”.  Our worries: jobs, the future, freedoms, etc.  The following video is a vignette of what the hardships of 1941 looked like, roughly when Guthrie sang “Do Re Mi” (not sure if I have song title right; correct me in comments if I’m wrong, please).

Now, something we all need; a motivational tune. And Woody Guthrie has a fitting one for what happened and what we must fight.Pale, I think you’re especially going to appreciate this one.

Enjoy!

It’s a hot and humid holiday. This of course, would make for a slow blogging day.

Robert Allen Zimmerman was born on this day in 1941.

He would later call himself Bob Dylan after the poet Dylan Thomas, who along with Woody Guthrie, was a great influence on him. More here about his life and career.

“The Hurricane”,  a song about the story of Reuben “Hurricane” Carter.  Performance in 1975

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhfWU335aGA

Like a Rolling Stone” is another favourite.   I like the lyrics; they remind us how bad luck can happen to anyone and thus, how  arrogance toward the unfortunate and the marginalized is a bad idea.  This video is of  Dylan’s performance at the Newport Folk Festival of 1965.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl2a6Bbyads

Oh what the hell, a party song sure to make the Socons of the Blogging Romper roomies and outside like Pacheco and Suzy ALLCAPS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmpv7BcAo4U

Happy Birthday Bob Dylan! Happy Victoria Day to those outside of Quebec! Pour les Quebecois, Joyeuses Fetes des Patriotes!

I was looking for some old Eric Clapton classics on Youtube for a future Clapton tribute for Saturday Nite Nostalgia and came across a few videos of Delaney and Bonnie and Friends.   I was thinking to myself, unless one is a baby boomer and/or someone who followed Eric Clapton and/or others such as George Harrison, Leon Russell, Duane Allman.  The fact is, he had influenced so many musicians of the time and it is impossible to talk about Delaney Bramlett or his ‘friends’ without dropping any famous names at all. Yet, so many of his friends became more famous than he and his wife, Bonnie ever were.

It has been said that Delaney Bramlett  was the one who taught Eric Clapton to sing and it was Bonnie who co-wrote Clapton’s  Let It Rain. Delaney had also taught George Harrison how to play slide-guitar.

INn 1969, Delaney and Bonnie open are the opening act for the Blind Faith (the band Eric Clapton was playing in at that time) Tour.  It was said that Clapton preferred playing Delaney and Bonnie songs and did play with them when they opened.  Below is the song, Poor Elijah with Eric Clapton and George Harrison in a  tribute performance to Clapton’s influence, blues’ legend, Robert Johnson.

Funny, up until a few years ago the only song I knew from Delaney and Bonnie and Friends was that honky tonk-ish (to me it was just, well,  hokey), Never Ending Song of Love in 1970.  Below is a slide show tribute to Delaney and Bonnie with  of course, Friends and/or family, to the Honky Tonk-ish song: deal with it; play it without the sound. I believe it was submitted by their daughter Michele.. I thought it was touching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_gOw27cgj8

Below, Delaney and Bonnie with Duane Allman.

Unfortunately typical of many of these rock stars, Delaney treated Bonnie badly and they would divorce in 1973 and of course, their musical collaboration ended. Both would have solo careers with varying degrees of success.

Delaney died in 2008. Bonnie is still performing. She is currently supporting her daughters, who are trying to lobby to get Delaney into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Enjoy!

Happy Saturday Nite, all!!

Funny how I always consider the Sunday when the St-Paddy’s day parade is held here in Montreal. Yes, I spent the afternoon getting soaked.

However, today is the official day, so I shall play a couple of oldies here. Balbulican over at Stageleft has commemorated the occasion with some good ol’ Irish music, some recipes, some folklore, some memories.

There isn’t that much for me to add.  I can’t drink beer due to health reasons, so JJ and Balbulican will have to take that beer for me.

My contribution will be a few of my favourite tunes from “The Dubliners”, a group my mom introduced me to a few years back. I send these two tunes out to her.

Both are faves

I don’t know about you, but I have found that there is something comforting about  Irish folk music. I hope you do too.

Happy St-Paddy’s Day to All!

Yeah, we’re stickin’ with the ‘what’s old is new again’ them to cap off a Saturday.

I’m goin’ to send this out to St-Stevie, Jason Kenney,  Helena Guergis, Rahim Jaffer, Jim Flaherty, Vic Toews, Reverend Stock; oh hell! All the Harpercons, cause if they do gets their majority, I think many of us will need to ‘get out of town’ indeedy.

A classic out of Woodstock and obscure too.

Below is Merle Haggard’s version of Woody Guthrie’s “Jesus Christ”. This version was one of the songs at the closing credit roll on Michael Moore’s latest movie, “Capitalism: A Love Story”, which was just released on DVD, by the by. I highly recommend it! Great movie.

Listen to the lyrics; Woody Guthrie’s original was released in 1940. Amazing foresight he had about today’ s morality of greed and self-centeredness, not to mention, that pathological unexplainable fear of soshalism; and that unfortunately, anything pertaining to helping your fellow man is soshalism. According to him and yes, the bible stories from where this songs inspiration more than likely came from, Jesus was a soshalist,  if we were to use that loose meaning in today’s North American culture of fear, greed and ignorance. Most American  neo-cons even know this, otherwise, why would the likes of Andy Schlafly et al be rewriting the bible? Funny how these neo-cons from the Evangelical Christian far right would probably crucify Jesus themselves once the truth finally smacked them silly.

Happy Saturday Nite All!