is there a Doc Watson's fan club

Subject: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From:
Date: 04 Jul 00 - 02:30 AM

I a french fan of the old Doc and just try to have contacts with others amateurs. Yhanks for your answer or suggestions.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Jul 00 - 06:23 AM

Well yes there is. It's called The Mudcat Cafe.

If you type Doc Watson, in the litte search box at the top of this page, you will find quite a lot about the great man.

Congratulations on your taste and your football team.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Willie-O
Date: 04 Jul 00 - 09:23 AM

Yes there is, savariaud, and you've found it.

Doc invented modern bluegrass flatpicking, has made a tremendous contribution to music while overcoming personal hardship and tragedy, and is the true southern gentleman.

Long may he live and play!

Willie-O

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Peter T.
Date: 04 Jul 00 - 11:28 AM

To quote our esteemed presence from an earlier thread some time ago, dick greenhaus, Doc Watson doesn't just still "have it", "he owns it"! You have come to the right place.

But is there an official Doc Watson fan club? as M. Savariaud requests?

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Jul 00 - 01:18 PM

Hey Willie-O. Do you have this feeling of Deja Vu?

Is there a Doc Watson fan club?.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From:
Date: 04 Jul 00 - 09:46 PM

A related question. Is there a Doc Watson web page?

Murray

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Willie-O
Date: 04 Jul 00 - 10:32 PM

Oui, Sham. I'm just glad I didn't repeat myself word for word!

W-O

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: The Shambles
Date: 05 Jul 00 - 03:08 AM

Hey Willie-O. Do you have this feeling of Deja Vu?

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Auxiris
Date: 05 Jul 00 - 08:52 AM

Bonjour, savariaud; moi aussi, j'apprecie beaucoup la musique de Doc Watson. J'ai eu la chance de le voir sur scène il y a quelques années.

Bien cordialement,

Aux

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: The Shambles
Date: 05 Jul 00 - 01:26 PM

I did the search but did not find a fan club. ...Is there such a thing?

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: BlueJay
Date: 05 Jul 00 - 03:05 PM

Thanks, Shambles, for the thread history. Fascinating. If Doc is not God, then he has to be pretty close. Really, thanks. BlueJay

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Peter T.
Date: 05 Jul 00 - 03:12 PM

Closest thing I can find is "www.merlefest.org"

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Mrrzy
Date: 05 Jul 00 - 04:14 PM

Moi aussi j'adore Doc Watson, et c'est en trouvant ici les paroles longues-recherchées de plusieurs de ses chansons que j'ai décidé de m'y joindre.

Dis-donc, Auxiris, ne t'es-tu pas identifié(e) comme américain(e) [rackin frackin gendered languages!] quelque part? Comment ça se fait que tu parles/écrives si bien le Français?

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Big Bad John
Date: 05 Jul 00 - 10:18 PM

Doc Watson is a real hero of mine. I too my vacation this year at Merlefest and had a wonderful time listening to Doc and all the other greats.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Big Bad John
Date: 05 Jul 00 - 10:24 PM

Sorry folks. I meant to say I "took" my vacation at Merlefest. I should read my words before I push that submit message button.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From:
Date: 05 Jul 00 - 11:46 PM

Believe me, I have no financial interest in Homespun Tapes; but I recently posted something about their new Carter Family video. They also offer some videos of Doc Watson. One that interests me is called "Doc's Guitar, Fingerpicking and Flatpicking" which is produced in conjunction with Smithsonian/Folkways. Included as special guests are Pete and Mike Seeger, Jack Lawrence, and Kirk Sutphin. As I said about the Carter one, this seems to me to be a historic document,

Murray

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jul 00 - 02:16 AM

Mrrzy, it's perhaps because I've been living in France for the past 14 years. Merci pour le compliment.

cheers,

Aux

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Peter T.
Date: 06 Jul 00 - 10:53 AM

Auxiris -- total thread creep -- you might be able to help me: my French singer education stops at Jean Trenet, with an occasional Jacques Brel and some Aznavour (Piaf of course) after. Can you give us some guidance on who from the 1950's on would be the touchstones? (I am thinking songs as well as performers).
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Auxiris
Date: 06 Jul 00 - 11:27 AM

Hi, Peter T. . . are you speaking of traditional music (played acoustically or otherwise) specifically or "la chanson française" in general? I don't pay all that much attention to popular music---by that I mean what's being played on the radio---but I might be able to supply you with a few references. Sorry everyone, about the thread creep. . . maybe it's worth starting another thread?

cheers,

Aux

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Peter T.
Date: 06 Jul 00 - 04:57 PM

I am thinking about la chanson francaise -- I started a thread on this once, and got no help at all, so that is why I leapt into this. I know that there is a tradition, but everything I have ever heard (with the above mentioned exceptions) is sort of treacly junk. There must be some good stuff. I just don't know where to start.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Astorkhan
Date: 06 Jul 00 - 06:02 PM

I might beof some help. Aznavour and Brel are a good start but I would recommend the following: - Georges Brassens, "incontournable" poet a mean musician as his music sounds deceptively simple and is hell to play properly. His poems sound like the old (very auld) time poetry of the XIVth and XVth century. - Leo Ferre, the same as above, but who was involved in the 1968 revolution as soon as 1959. The anarchist in all its splendor; He dared translate Aragon and sing the result in French with great success. - Serge Gainsbourg, "un dur de dur", who dared sing the Marseillaise as a Reggae as soon as 1984. He even invented Rap in some of his 1980's works. - Marie Laforet, who tried in the late 60's to be a french version of Joan Baez. It did not work very well as it sounded like a bad scratchy version of Mariane Faithful. - Dare I say Nana Mouskouri, but i do not know of any language that she did not try... - In the folk and skiffle (or what's it) style, you should listen to Hugues Aufray. He pillaged the south american folk tradition and added north american tradition french words to it, but that's his worst work. He did a fantastic french version of Dylan's work though. He is still around and sings just as loudly as usual. - My preferred landmarks are certainly the late Malicorne work. They dared revamp french traditionnal songs and dances into rock n roll or acid rock and that as early as the late 70's. Very much in the lines of Steeleye Span. Their work is available again in the CD format. - In the same period, a group by the name of "La Bamboche" did a very good work at re arranging traditionnal music but sticking to the acoustic approach.

Today's tendencies are represented by gabriel Yacoub, who tours England once in a blue moon and goes to americay when the winds blow in the right direction...He was the heart of malicorne and remembers it at times. Alain Souchon does a good job. Francis Cabrel, Veronique Sanson, late Michel Berger, Capdeviel, Laurent Voulzy, Les Rita Mitsouko, Fatal Mambo, Gnawa, and if you are into hard stuff, M.C. Solar, the best of the french rappe(u)rs and "Nique Ta Mere" but that's a bit far fetched and violent...

That's it for tonight. See you on that thread later.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Astorkhan
Date: 07 Jul 00 - 04:19 AM

Now it is morning and a few more suggestions came to my mind..."La nuit porte conseil", they say.

Maxime Le Forestier, Jean Ferrat, Claude Nougaro, Barbara, Patricia Kaas, Michel Legrand, Michel Jonasz are voices, texts and musics that can be considered as landmarks in "la Chanson Française", regardless of personnal taste.

We are really far away from Doc Watson, who I admire and practice once in a while, using standard tuning eventhough I am a southpaw.

Salut,

JL

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Peter T.
Date: 07 Jul 00 - 09:02 AM

Thanks Astorkhan, now I am getting somewhere. Any Brassens you would recommend, Gainsbourg or Ferre?
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Mrr-about-old-French-Songs
Date: 07 Jul 00 - 10:52 AM

Allan Mills (both French and English). Georges Moustaki. Les Compagnons de la Chanson. Les Frères Jacques. And if you go back to the 40's, Fernandel. More Georges Moustaki, quel voix. De rien, Aux!

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Astorkhan
Date: 07 Jul 00 - 03:35 PM

Peter,

Since this morning, I thought of more names like Catherine Lara , Boris Vian, Bobby Lapointe, Dick Annegarn (actually, this one is Belgian, but what a musician)." Mrr about old french songs" gave good references (I saw les freres Jacques on stage and what they do NEEDS to be seen as well as heard. Maybe a video is available...My recommendations, trying to put my own taste behind the computer...

Boris Vian (Anything by him. He is a riot if you happen to have a sense of humor) Georges Brassens: anything by him is great, consistent quality and style. Amazing if you think that he ahs been active for...years Serge Gainsbourg: his early work is interesting. After 1965, he becomes boring as too provocative and so just for the sake of it... Leo Ferre: all his work is interesting and worthwhile.

All of the above are happy playing music and sharing jokes together in music heavens (are they playing harp??- see Larson for this one)

In the live part of the referrence: Maxime le Forestier : Peace-love-dope style in his early work, but a VOICE and a good musician. Claude Nougaro : the only one to my taste to have written french jazz, including in the words, that swing just as well as any Armstrong, Basie or Brubeck. He dared put words on "Rondo a la Turque" and it works. wow... Pierre Perret: very Gaulois most of the time. He cannot sing and knows it but he writes good songs, either "grivoises" or funny or plain poetic. Catherine Lara : a great lady of the french chanson. Rock n roll with french words and a violin. Deadly and worth a listen. Try her work from mid 80's to mid 90's.

For further refernce, you may want to check Radio France site, and look for "francofolies". Jean-Louis Foulquier, who runs this yearly event since 1985 or so is nobody's fool as far as chanson francaise is concerned.

Finally, there is an encyclopedic work that is available since the end of 1994 by Marc Robine, who compiled hundreds of french songs and published them on a set of CDs AND the book that goes with it. I no longer have the exact reference for that.

Et voila. Enjoy if you can lay your hand on this material.

JL

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Jul 00 - 08:56 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From:
Date: 10 Jul 00 - 01:31 AM

Merci à tous. Thanks everybody for these answer about Doc. If some of you are interested in exchanging talks about Doc Watson. I'm ok Merci encore - Yves

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Sourdough
Date: 10 Jul 00 - 02:30 AM

I was wondering if anyone would mention George Moustaki. A number of years ago, I was working in Paris and found a tape of Georges Moustaki singing with Barbara. It was a wonderful pairing with great love songs. Even when I could not translate the lyric, the songs were very moving. Unfortunately, on one of my many moves since then I lost the tape. Every so often I try to find it as a re-releaseon tape or on CD without any luck but it remains a wonderful memory.

Sourdough (whoreallyenjoysDocWatson)

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: The Shambles
Date: 10 Jul 00 - 03:07 PM

Still not too sure if there is one, maybe someone does know?

There are some LINKS here.

Subject: DOC WATSON
From: GUEST,Tammy
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 02:16 PM

This past August 30th a sister and cousin and I went to Mt Veiw Arkansas to see Doc preform. What a GREAT man. We saw him in Mt Veiw in 2006 and was awstruck. The next morniong while having breakfast at The Skillet who walks in, Doc Watson and David Holt and another nice man. Long story short I got up the nerve to speck to the nice man and he told me to come talk to Doc and tell him myself what I had just told him. He shook my hand and told me he messed up the night before but I QUICKLY told him he was GREAT. As we talked he had my hand and was patting it and told me he loved me and I told him the same. Doc you THE MAN..........

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 05:45 PM

a heartwarming post by GUEST Tammy imo.

long may the great man continue to play and inspire awe in his audiences.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Acorn4
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 06:09 PM

Two of my most prized pieces of vinyl are those classic double Vanguard albums from the seventies: "The Essential Doc Watson" and "Doc and Merle Watson on Stage".

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 23 Dec 08 - 06:44 PM

REAL musicians don't need fan clubs. Fan Clubs are something dreamed up by the commercial world of manufactured pop music.

If you have any questions about Doc there are many people on Mudcat alone that will give you plenty of answers and share their appreciation of his music.

Strictly speaking I wouldn't describe Doc as a Bluegrass Musician, he is far more than that but he was certainly a pioneer in picking fiddle tunes on guitar. However you describe him he is a treasure, a musician and a man to be much admired.

Hoot

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: topical tom
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 10:51 AM

I don't know about a fan club but I am surely an avid fan of Doc Watson's music. He is a master of guitar flat-picking and a true folk legend. Long may he sing and play.

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Midchuck
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 11:08 AM

Yes. Consists of flatpickers. All of us.

Peter

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 01:36 PM

don't forget that Doc is (or at least was in days gone by) a consummate fingerstylist as well.

Deep River Blues

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 04:12 PM

You haven't mentioned his banjo, mandolin or harminica yet.

Hoot

Subject: RE: is there a Doc Watson's fan club
From: Mary Katherine
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 06:44 PM

Mary Katherine, temporarily donning her Folklore hat to answer as Doc's booking agency and management since 1964 (www.folkloreproductions.com), says:

There is no official, sanctioned Doc Watson Fan Club. Never has been. He has never felt the need. There *are* a couple of enthusiastic-fan-generated web sites dedicated to his music.