Ir looks like the photo of Barry Corbin and myself did not make Part 1 so it’s included here. It’s not often I get a picture with a movie star!
I decided to edit down my normal 90 minute Lomax on Lomax Show to present half the show devoted to Townes.
Just to let anyone know I perform solo, singing acapella and telling stories, all drawn from the Lomaxes 147 year history of fin ding ,recording, preserving, protecting and presenting unique American music and musicians.
Here’s an edited lis of the songs in the first half of the program: Buffalo Skinners, Git Along Little Dogies (first found and recorded by my grandfather in the nearby Stockyards) for which i used a recorded intro from my dad, mentioning the gypsy woman who taught him the song! Cowboy’s Lament, Streets of Laredo, Home on the Range, followe3 land then I moved into the Lead Belly section and sang Cotton Fields, Picks Bale of Cotton, Ain’t N o More Cane on ‘Dis bravos, The Midnight Special, Good Night Irene, then Sloop John B 9first recorded by uncle Alan Lomax in 1935), M.T.A.. co-written by my aunt Bess Lomax Hawes in 1949,
Here’s the rest, Sweet Betsy From Pike (with added original verse), The Ballad of Aimee McPherson, and then on to my father, John Avery Lomax Jr.’s erepertoire, featuring Froggie Went a’ Courtin’, Tee Room (The Farmer’s Curst wife), I was Born 10,000 Yearss ago (with special added verse), the Virgin sturgeon. i usually close with Ed McCurdy’s classic Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream, but not on this night.
While I sang Texas River Song (The only song I knew that Townes and my father both recorded), I ripped off my snap button western shirt to reveal a brown long sleeved t-shirt from the cover of his Live in Amsterdam dvd. Then I toldTownes stories, jokes all working on the theme of countering the perception of a man eternally depressed. He had a wicked sense of humor and was seemingly happy at least some of the time.
My first example was to talk about and then sing “Shrimp Song” aka “Song of the Shrimp” a funny ditty Townes learned from Elvis Presley’s performance from the movie King Creole.
As if that weren’t enoght punishment to inflict on the audience, I then recruited Bobbv Davis who revealed himself as a cousin and and ?? to assist me in delivering “he Silver Ships of Andilar.
Many Towns fans feel Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold is the hardest of his songs to learn to sing, all 361 words. Townes told me back in the day that “it came to me as fast as I could write it down
Andilar was a mere 279 workds but there are no rhymes and no chorus. Yes, Mudd & Gold also lacks a chorus but there are rnymes aplenty, have a look. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=lyrics+Mr.+Mudd+%26+mr.+gold&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
The song has always fascinated me, seven eight-line verses that tell the story of a doomed fleet. And WTF does the ending mean? For that matter, what does the ending of Mudd & Gold mean?
Townes said to took him “36 solid hours and an entire yellow legal pad to get it on paper. I hope Tiny Tim records it.”
Maybe you can figure it out:
I cosed the proceedings with “Heavenly Houseboat Blues”, a rare light and funny song Susanna Clark wrote with him. The version above features Rodney Crowell ,Emmylou Harris and Hall of Fame member Cowboy Jack Clement.
It seemed like a fitting closing song for the event.
Thank you Bruce Payne - this ws a thrill and the i=highlight of my performing career as well as being such an honor to be included in this salute to this songwriter whose music continues to amaze and confound all who explore his works!
I hope to add a third chapter to this later but Next Tuesday I have a special surprise for you.
And , free subscribers, c’c/mon, I work hard to put these together there. Best, John
Thanks Rob, some dah I'll get a show lined up in Austin. Be great to visit and exchange "sar" stories Best, John
A show I would love to see as I love all the songs!