Slim Dusty [at the Olympic Games, Sydney]

Subject: Slim Dusty
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 01 Oct 00 - 11:50 PM

What a kick to see Slim Dusty close out the Olympic Games. After all the high tech and the razzle dazzle, a old folk singer doing an old song has the whole place singing along. made me smile for quite a time.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 01:58 AM

Don, while some may argue about how you define folk we were actually treated to Tommy Emmanuel (albeit briefly in acoustic mode) plus Christine Anu, Midnight Oil and Yothu Yindi who play regularly at the annual Woodford Folk Festival over Christmas/New Year. Peter Garrett (the shaved head lead singer of 'The Oils') was an independent Greens Senator in Federal Parliament and is a great 'folk' song writer in a rock genre. I note that he co-wrote the Yothu Yindi song.

There's sure to be some ballyhoo here from the Right in the next few days about singing political songs at a supposedly apolitical event. Or for that matter portraying Aussie males as gay in front of the world's media.

It's probably gauche in the folk community to like Slim, but I've loved him since talking to him as a kid at one of his side-show performances when I was a kid in the bush in the late 50's.

Thanks for the thread. Regards, John

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 03:48 AM

When Slim Dusty is hot and tired, does he sit down in the Slim Shadey?

{~`

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 12:34 PM

I too loved seeing Slim Dusty at the Olympics (as a die-hard sports fan I loved the Olympics too)and thought it good to have him there. I well remember his 'Pub with no beer' which I believe was more of a satire in Australia than the simply comic song it appeared to be to us Brits. Am I right?

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: JulieF
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 01:53 PM

I loved the entire closing ceremony - which seemed to be done with a glorious tongue in cheek abandonment. Great to have the crowd singing to Waltzing matilda and even better was the inclusion of Midnight Oil. - I didn't think the authorities would dare.

One good thing - now the olympics are over I'm actually getting to work on time.

Julie

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 10:43 PM

G'day all,

Burl: The original: a poem, published 1 January 1944 in northern Queensland, was by Paddy Sheehan and commemorated the fact that all the pubs were drunk dry (back in rationing days of WWII) celebrating the success of the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Gordon Parsons, in the late 1950s (~), just reworked the verses into a 4-line stanza, added a few references to his local pub and pinched the first half of Stephen Foster's Beautiful Dreamer as a melody ... (pretty standard folk pedigree, really!).

I guess that it is neither "satire" nor "comic song" - it is dry humour.

regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: Mbo
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 10:48 PM

Dang, I can't believe I missed the closing ceremony! I SO wanted to see Midnight Oil. The folks who were with me when we watched the opening ceremonies will remember me complaining that they should have sung. What song did they do? Forgotten Years?

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: Bugsy
Date: 03 Oct 00 - 01:49 AM

I've been away for a few days vacation, and watching Tommy Emmanuel playing his Maton BG808 on that rigid stand, I said to Annie. "I'll bet you 10 bucks there'll be a thread about that stand on Mudcat when I get home." Looks like I owe her $10.

It was a good little gizmo though wasn't it?

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 03 Oct 00 - 01:54 AM

I guessyou're right Bob. 'Dry Humour' fits exactly

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 03 Oct 00 - 03:54 AM

Bugsy, I expected that ,too, normally I'm the resident ignoramus who asks about things like that, I'd never seen anyone play like that. Some 'Catters must have tried one.
RtS (I enjoyed listening to Slim Dusty and watching Kylie!)

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: JulieF
Date: 03 Oct 00 - 04:47 AM

MBO

Midnight Oil did "Beds are Burning" while wearing oufits emblazened with the word "Sorry" .

Julie

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: Mbo
Date: 03 Oct 00 - 11:42 AM

YES! Awesome!

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: richlmo
Date: 03 Oct 00 - 11:28 PM

Have an old "Slim Dusty" tape given to me by a friend , years ago, if I can find it, I really want to listen to it again. That closing ceremony was really something. Would have loved to have been there for the fireworks!!

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 04 Oct 00 - 07:00 AM

Bugsy, I presume Tommy was miming, like everyone else. Whence his haste to switch guitars, to be SEEN to be playing the acoustic. The stand was a prop, like everything else.

Which is not to say that I did not enjoy the whole thing ENORMOUSLY. I did.

Especially Reg Mombasas's outrageous creations.

cheers, Garry

(Oh, and I wish Slim had sung "When the rain tumbles down in July" - especially given what he was wearing.)

(Oh, and it's nice to be talking about Aussie stuff. I suppose that moment's nearly past.)

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 04 Oct 00 - 10:51 PM

G'day Gaz,

When the rain tumbles down in July would have been beaut, wouldn't it! I have done one that many times with Bush Bands and it is a song that shows that (contrary to current trends) you can sum up the bush without mentioning motorised transport. However, I reckon the SOCOG apparatchiks would have vetoed anything that mentioned rain.

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 10:45 PM

G'day again,

I just had a query from a fellow mudcatter (UK), via another forum, as to what Slim Dusty recordings are still available. I suspected enough to fill the back tray of a Holden ute, but I don't know of a good site to check this. Appropriate URLs would be appreciated.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From:
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 06:07 AM

I have never thought of Slim Dusty as a folk singer. He did write one good folksong or folksong-to-be called "When the Rains Come Down ??????" The question marks are the name of a place. I can't recall it, and he sung a good one--"The Pub With No Beer". Other than that Most of his stuff is (pseudo)American Cowboy music.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: Slim Dusty
From:
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 03:59 AM

My last posting makes it sound like I don't like Slim Dusty. Actually I do when its just him and his guitar. He tends to perform here a lot with a band--feh!

Murray