Sunday, January 11, 2009

Hard Times - 1/11/2009

A few weeks ago a listener, probably digesting the daily news, requested we do a show about "hard times." We didn't want to make such a show the last of the year or the first of the year, so this second show of the year seemed to be a good time to do it. Of course hard times tend to bring out many songwriting talents, and the many economic trials of the early-to-mid 20th century -- in particular the great depression of the 1930s -- coincided with the blossoming of recording technology to leave quite a musical legacy.

We had many songs to choose from, but picked the following tracks to illustrate hard times as depicted by early recorded songsters.

Thanks for listening.

Jim & Marti

Title / Artist / Album / Label

  • Aunt Hattie Dalton "Old Red Rooster Party" Introduction (1994)
  • Job (1937) / Golden Gate Quartet / Complete Recorded Works Volume 1 / Document
  • Blue Harvest (1928) / Mississippi John Hurt / 1928 Sessions / Yazoo
  • How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live (1929) / Blind Alfred Reed / Complete Recorded Works / Document
  • How Can A Broke Man Be Happy (1937) / Dixon Brothers / Complete Recorded Works Volume 2 / Document
  • All I Got's Gone (1934) / Ernest Stoneman / The Unsung Father Of Country Music / 5-String
  • The Tramp (1927) / Sam & Kirk McGee / Uncle Dave Macon - 1928 - 1936 / JSP
  • The Railroad Tramp (1926) / Walter Morris / Complete Recorded Works / Document
  • The Georgia Hobo (1927) / Cofer Brothers / Georgia String Bands / Document
  • Waiting For A Train (1928) / Jimmie Rodgers / The Early Years, 1928-1929 / Rounder
  • Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister (1925) / Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers / Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers / JSP
  • Remember The Poor Tramp Has To Live (1928) / Ernest V. Stoneman / Edison Recordings - 1928 / County
  • What Will I Do When My Money Is All Gone (1927) / Uncle Eck Dunford / Serenade In The Mountains / JSP
  • The Farm Relief Song (1929) / Vernon Dalhart / Volume II On The Lighter Side / Old Homestead
  • One Old Shirt (1938) / Roy Acuff / His Earliest Recordings / Recall Records
  • Work In 1930 (1933) / Fisher Hendley & His Aristocratic Pigs / Fisher Hendley & His Aristocratic Pigs / B.A.C.M
  • Bread And Gravy (1953) / Grandpa Jones / You're Never Too Old For Love / B.A.C.M

Mayberry Corner Trivia: How was Barney related to Andy in the early episodes of The Andy Griffith Show? Answer: Barney was Andy’s cousin

  • Prosperity And Politics - Part 1 & Part 2 (1934) / Gid Tanner and The Skillet-Lickers / Complete Recorded Works Volume 6 / Document
  • Bread Line Blues (1931) / Slim Smith / Mountain Blues / JSP
  • N. R. A. Blues (1933) / Bill Cox / Mountain Blues / JSP
  • Bad Time Blues (1928) / Barbecue Bob / Hard Times Come Again No More Vol.2 / Yazoo
  • One Dime Blues (1927) / Blind Lemon Jefferson / Hard Times Come Again No More Vol.1 / Yazoo
  • Times Is Tight Like That (c.1928-31) / Bo Carter & Walter Vinson / Hard Times Come Again No More Vol.2 / Yazoo
  • No Dough Blues (c.1928) / Blind Blake / Complete Recorded Works / Document
  • Eleven Cent Cotton (1928 or 29) / Vernon Dalhart / Volume II On The Lighter Side / Old Homestead
  • Price Of Cotton Blues (1930) / Allen Brothers / Hard Times Come Again No More Vol.2 / Yazoo
  • Cotton Mill Colic (1930) / Dave McCarn / Hard Times Come Again No More Vol.2 / Yazoo
  • Serves 'Em Fine (1931) / Dave McCarn / Hard Times Come Again No More Vol.1 / Yazoo
  • The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore (1975) / June Carter Cash / Keep On The Sunny Side: Her Life In Music / Columbia
  • Things Are Getting Rough All Over (1952) / Hank Penny & His California Cowhands / The Penny Opus #1 / Jasmine
  • Poor Boy Blues (1974) / Doc & Merle Watson / Then And Now/Two Days In November / Sugar Hill
  • Hard Times Come Again No More (c.1932) / Graham Brothers / Hard Times Come Again No More Vol.1 / Yazoo
  • Waitin' For The Hard Times To Go (1993) / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Waitin' For The Hard Times / Sugar Hill

No comments: