A collection of links to video clips, music shops, tutorial clips, etc.
Mostly . . . US country / old time/rock and roll(a bit); Blues; English, Irish folk; humour and curiosities; sixties stuff
This song, In 1983 a Merman I Shall Turn to Be (or something like that), is on Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album. It's over 13 minutes long and it's great. This version seems almost acoustic.
Young brother, young brother hey? although you are crying to me Your father has left us He has gone to the place of the dead Protect the head of the living, protect the orphan child
Interpreting the Song:
This interpretation and lyrics come from one very old lady, living in Fataleka (one of the Solomon Islands), as translated by her grandchildren. The song is said to be very old and hence the new generation does not understand every word.
The song is about a young child crying because he does not see his father with the family. In response his elder sister sung this song to comfort as well as tell him the reality, with an appeal for their deceased father to protect this child in the land of the living (local ancient belief is that the dead care for loved ones they left behind).
This guy, Eden Ahbez, was a bohemian type living in California in the 40s. Apparently he lived for a long while behind the "L" in the big Hollywood sign. He wrote the song Nature Boy that was a hit for Nat King Cole. These clips show him meeting up with Nat King Cole for the first time.
He rides his bike on stage and seems to speak from a pre-arranged script about how he likes to live simply and close to nature. He says he's staying in the best hotel - Central Park. I initially thought he meant he was really staying in a grand hotel, but I think he means he was sleeping in the park.
One thing that sounds a bit weird these days is his saying that he'd like a jeep so he could "get to nature more quickly".
Eden Ahbez died in the mid-90s aged 85 when he was run over by a lorry while riding his bike.
Other Hollywood sign curiousities: In 1932, Welsh actress Peg Entwistle committed suicide by jumping from the letter "H" when she thought her career was on the slide. Ironically, when she jumped there was already a letter in the post offering her a big part in a film. Even more ironically, the character they wanted her to play was a woman who commits suicide.
Lonnie Donegan singing Whoa Buck. Lonnie Donegan was a skiffle performer in the UK in the 50s. He copied a lot of songs from American blues artists, particularly Lead Belly, and, so I've heard, claimed them as his own.
This song was recorded by Lead Belly but also features on a very early recording of prison chain gangs in Mississippi.
Dock Boggs recorded these songs in the 20s or 30s. He gave up music and went back to mine working - he'd also had a spell as a bootlegger during Prohibition. Like a lot of those old guys, he was "rediscovered" in the folk and blues movement of the 60s and took up music again.