autoharp bob
Dr_dudley
skillset is his work on the autoharp.
Rudimentary research yields the following...
When did Bob Dylan learn to play the autoharp, you ask?
http://answers.encyclopedia.com/question/did-bob-dylan-learn-play-autoharp-144800.html
Bob gave an autoharp to Michael McClure, and don't you forget it.
That said, and from the archives of ER:
}
Bob plays autoharp on several Basement Tapes songs, including See My
Grave Is Kept Clean, Coming Round the Mountain, and Wildwood Flower.
He played it in concert some time around 1979-80, I'm pretty sure on a
version of Mary and the Wild Moor. I know I have the tape somewhere.
"This here is an autoharp," he explains before playing the song.
{
We can verify the first portion of this statement by referencing our
"Genuine Basement Tapes" or "A Tree with Roots" mp3s.
The second portion intrigues me, enough to set the hounds on it;
unless you've got it and can lay it on us.
That said furthur, and to the point.
Here's "Mother" Maybelle Carter at the Ash Grove (43.69MB) [4]:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/owrzmmmezyj/MMC_AG.zip
Maybelle Carter - vocals, guitar, autoharp
20apr63, Ash Grove, Los Angeles
01_The Wave on the Sea
02_Storms Are on the Ocean
03_Pictures on the Wall
04_Lover's Farewell
05_Liberty Dance
06_Little Brown Jug
07_Rosewood Casket
08_Rubber Dolly
09_Lover's Return
10_Wildwood Flower
11_Keep on the Sunny Side
That said finally, The Lovin' Spoonful utiiised the autoharp in some
of their jug band music or rhythm 'n' blues, which clearly makes them
more stouthearted than the Monkees.
do you believe in magically yrs,
dudley
really real
But how many can play a harpsichord?
khematite
> Decidedly and without a doubt, the most underdiscussed aspect of bob's
> skillset is his work on the autoharp.
>
> Rudimentary research yields the following...
>
> When did Bob Dylan learn to play the autoharp, you ask?
>
>
> Bob gave an autoharp to Michael McClure, and don't you forget it.
>
> That said, and from the archives of ER:}
>
> Bob plays autoharp on several Basement Tapes songs, including See My
> Grave Is Kept Clean, Coming Round the Mountain, and Wildwood Flower.
> He played it in concert some time around 1979-80, I'm pretty sure on a
> version of Mary and the Wild Moor. I know I have the tape somewhere.
> "This here is an autoharp," he explains before playing the song.
> {
>
> We can verify the first portion of this statement by referencing our
> "Genuine Basement Tapes" or "A Tree with Roots" mp3s.
>
> The second portion intrigues me, enough to set the hounds on it;
> unless you've got it and can lay it on us.
Actually, according to Olof's Files, it would appear that it's Regina
McCreary Havis playing the autoharp at these concerts (see footnote
for Song #7).
http://www.bjorner.com/DSN05910%201980%20A%20Musical%20Retrospective%20Tour.htm#DSN05940
5950 Fox Warfield Theatre
San Francisco, California
12 November 1980
Dennis-King-Havis:
Let It Ride (McCoy/Dennis)
It's Gonna Rain (C Johnson)
Come On In This House (?)
Saved By The Grace Of Your Love (Willie Smith/David Palmer)
1 Gotta Serve Somebody
2. Believe In You
3. Like A Rolling Stone
Regina McCreary Havis:
Till I Get It Right (Red Lane/Larry Henley)
4. Man Gave Names To All The Animals
5. Precious Angel
6. Ain't Gonna Go To Hell For Anybody
7. Mary From The Wild Moor (trad.)
8. Girl From The North Country
9. Slow Train
Carolyn Dennis:
Walk Around Heaven All Day (Rev. James Cleveland/Cassietta George)
10. Abraham, Martin And John (Dick Holler)
11. Let's Keep It Between Us
12. Covenant Woman
13. Solid Rock
14. Simple Twist Of Fate
15. Just Like A Woman
16. Caribbean Wind
17. In The Garden
—
18. Blowin' In The Wind
19. City Of Gold
20. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Concert # 4 of A Musical Retrospective Tour. 1980 concert # 57.
Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar), Fred Tackett (guitar & mandolin), Willie
Smith (keyboards), Tim Drummond (bass), Jim Keltner (drums), Clydie
King, Carolyn Dennis, Regina Havis (background vocals).
7 Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar), Regina Havis (shared vocal & autoharp),
Fred Tackett (mandolin).
8 Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar), Willie Smith (piano).
10 Bob Dylan (piano & vocal), Clydie King (shared vocal).
11 Bob Dylan (piano) backed by the band.
20 Bob Dylan solo (vocal, harmonica & guitar).
Notes
· Live debut of Mary From The Wild Moor.
· Only known performance of Caribbean Wind.
BobTalk
Thank you. This is a new song. I don't think we played it here before.
I want to say hello to Greil Marcus, if he's here tonight. I think
he's here tonight. Greil Marcus is one of the ... , I guess he's the
top rock ‘n’ roll critic of the era. Whatever that means. (before
Ain't Gonna Go To Hell)
All right, we're gonna try something new tonight. Don't know how it's
gonna come off, but we'll try it anyway. A lot of people ask me, they
want to know about old songs, and new songs and stuff like that. This
is a song I used to sing before I even wrote any songs. But this is a
real old song, as old as I know. This here is called an autoharp. So
this is how I guess you call one of them old folk songs, I used to
sing. I used to sing a lot of these things. Well, I hope it brings you
back, I know it brings me back. This is Mary And The Wild Moor. I
guess it's about 200 years old.
I have this new song here, it's called Lets Keep It Between Us.
This is a 12-string guitar. First time I heard a 12 string guitar was
played by Leadbelly, don't know if you've heard of him? Anyway, he was
a prisoner in, I guess it was Texas State Prison, and I forget what
his real name was but people just called him Leadbelly. (shout from
the audience: "Huddie Leadbetter") He was recorded by a man named Alan
Lomax, I don't know if you've heard of him? Great man, he's done a lot
of good for music. Anyway, he got Leadbelly out and brought him up to
New York. And he made a lot of records there. At first he was just
doing prison songs and stuff like that. Same man that recorded him
also recorded Muddy Waters before Muddy Waters became a big name.
Anyway, Leadbelly did most of those kind of songs. He'd been out of
prison for some time when he decided to do children's songs and people
said oh, why did Leadbelly change? Some people liked the old ones,
some people liked the new ones. Some people liked both songs. But he
didn't change, he was the same man! Anyway, this is a song called ...,
It's a new song I wrote a while back. I'm gonna try and do it as good
as I can. there's somebody important here tonight who wants to hear
it, so we'll give it our best .... (plays Caribbean Wind) I don't know
if we did that any good. I don't know if we got off or not. I know we
can do this one. (before In The Garden)
Thank you. Carolyn Dennis. Clydie King. Regina McCreary. Tim Drummond
on bass. Willie Smith on organ. Jim Keltner on drums. And Fred Tackett
on lead guitar. (after In The Garden)
Note. It was Paul Williams who had requested Caribbean Wind when
meeting Bob Dylan backstage at an earlier show.
4 new songs (20%) compared to previous concert. 2 new songs for this
tour.
Stereo audience recording. 130 minutes.
Session info updated 19 May 2009.
Lots more information on the song itself at:
smironne
>
> That said, and from the archives of ER:
> }
> He played it in concert some time around 1979-80, I'm pretty sure on a
> version of Mary and the Wild Moor. I know I have the tape somewhere.
> "This here is an autoharp," he explains before playing the song.
It's not Bob who plays the autoharp, it's Regina McCrary.
Dr_dudley
smironne and khematite, thanks much for tracking down this
information. You've saved an old man some steps.
have to try to track this show down, sounds good; i know the series of
performances, but i'm unfamilar with mr. tackett's mandolin prowess.
thanks again, you're like the Special Forces of dylanista, or you can
choose your own nonmilitaristic but appropriate simile.
dudley
Gray Flannel Dwarf
http://static.nme.com/images/gallery/0851_155512_Dylan10cBarryFeinstein.jpg