In honor of Phil Ochs

Subject: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 03:25 PM

I was driving home from a gig Saturday night and was listening to the Midnight Special. Rich Warren announced that today (April 9) was the 25th anniversary of Phil Ochs' passing. I started playing guitar when I was 14 with Phil's "The War is Over" song book and a page of xeroxed chords from the library. Just thought mention should be made. His music certainly meant a lot to me.

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: bradfordian
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 03:34 PM

Phil, I sing his evocative THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE. Classic stuff. I think the current generations need to dip into the likes of Phil and Alex Campbell and many more who made significant contributions in the 60s & 70s Regards Baz.

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Big Tim
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 03:42 PM

Saw Dick Gaughan on stage in Glasgow last year and he told the audience that he had just returned from the induction of Phil Ochs to the, I think it was , Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. In his honour Dick sang "So I Guess I'll Have to do it While I'm Here". It was very moving for those of us who recall Phil from the old days.

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 06:00 PM

I saw Phil Ochs once in 1973 at the Earl of Old Town in Chicago for a Sunday afternoon Matinee. Great show, he started with "The Bells" and ended with "The Highwayman."

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Philibuster
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 06:18 PM

I owe all my current interest in Folk to Phil. "Toast For Those Who Are Gone" was the first rythym part I learned. By ear...

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Lanfranc
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 06:37 PM

I spent 20 years trying to replace my (stolen) copy of "Pleasures of the Harbor" - my efforts were one of the things that drew me to Mudcat. I now have the CD, and a handful of other albums by Phil Ochs. They are treasured items in my collection of musical memories.

From time to time I sing "Flower Lady", "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends", "There but for Fortune" and "When I'm Gone", and raise a glass to his memory.

Truly one of the great singer-songwriters of the last century. I would have loved to have met him, and dearly wish that someone had been there to stay his hand.

What would he be writing now?

Can it really be 25 years!

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 06:48 PM

First heard his stuff on a tape by Holly Near; she sang No More Songs. I learned it and sing it once in a while in Paltalk. Beautiful song. Just found a website for him the other day and was very moved by his bio and tragic end. Thanks for noting this day.

kat

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Chicken Charlie
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 07:57 PM

Nobody mentioned "Changes," an outrageously excellent tune.

C.C.

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: GUEST,Sarah2 (at work)
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 08:29 PM

"Draft Dodger Rag," still a fave, along with "Changes," "The Party" -- oh, so much good stuff. Phil Ochs was the writer whose works showed me songs could Say Something. I was so angry when I heard . . . such a loss.

Sarah

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 11:26 PM

"Tape From California" was one of the first albums I ever bought. That would have been, what, 1968? (Remember albums?) I too still have the songbook, "The War is Over", and play songs from it frequently. He was brilliant, no question.

My recollection from 25 years ago is that Phil tried a new style and it was not well received, and that may have been a factor in his sad decision. I remember that my friend went to see him in concert in Philadelphia on what may have been his last tour, and was very upset that Phil had come out wearing gold lame and doing songs that were very different from his previous stuff. Of course, I'm not trying to place blame; suicide is never simple, and never fully explained or understood by those who remain behind.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: LR Mole
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 12:45 PM

...protest they say protest; it is your diamond duty
Ah but in such an ugly time
The only true protest is beauty.---P.O.

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Jim Krause
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 01:22 PM

Regarding Phil's sad end, I have a friend who was pretty close, he said, to Phil. From the sound of it, I guess my friend and Phil used to go out drinking together and get pretty sloshed. My friend went to AA, and Phil didn't. I don't think my friend has ever forgiven Phil for that. Too bad, for both of 'em.

Some of my favorite Phil Ochs songs are

What's That I Hear?

Draft Dodger Rag

I Ain't Marching Anymore

Outside a Small Circle of Friends

One I never did quite understand is No More Songs. I don't quite understand what the apology was all about.
Jim

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: zander (inactive)
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 01:53 PM

In the end Phil was too good for this world. Very ,very sad, Dave

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 02:03 PM

Mark,

Tape From California was also the first album I ever got. I read Mark Elliott's "Death of a Rebel" which went into some of the issue of the audience not accepting some of the directions Phil wanted to go.

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Sarah2
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 03:43 PM

In 1997, Elektra put out a 3-CD collection of his recordings, called "Phil Ochs" Farewells & Fantasies." Their catalog number is R27358, ISBN 1-56826-839-4, and the set is in the jacket of a book with tons of great photos and a forward by daughter Megan Lee Ochs, with some good "reflections on" stuff written by Michael Ventura, Mark Kemp and Ben Edmonds.

It has:

What's That I Hear
The Bells
Morning
Bound for Glory
The Highwayman
Power and the Glory
That's What I Want to Hear
Links On the Chair
Love Me, I'm a Liberal
Too Many Martyrs
In the Heat of the Summer
Here's to the State of Mississippi
I'm Goint to Say it Now
One More Parade
Draft Dodger Rag
I Ain't Marching Anymore
We Seek No Wider War
Ringing of Revolution
When I'm Gone
There But For Fortune
Song of My Returning
The War is Over
White Boots Marching in a Yellow Land
Is There Anybody Here?
Santo Domingo
Song of a Soldier
Cops of the World
Bracero
Canons of Chritianity
I Kill Therefore I Am
The Confession
William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed
A Toast to Those Who Are Gone
Changes
The Doll House
When In Rome
Pretty Smart On My Part
The World Began in Eden and Ended in Los Angeles
Tape from California
Chords of Fame
Gas Station Women
Miranda
Outside of a Small Circle of Friends
Flower Lady
The Scorpion Departs but Never Returns
Pleasures of the Harbor
Jim Dean of Indiana
Rehearsals for Retirement
Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore?
No More Songs
Crucifixion

There's a web address on the back: www.rhino.com, if anyone's interested.

I do not work for them...but I adore his stuff.

Sarah

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Sarah2
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 03:44 PM

In 1997, Elektra put out a 3-CD collection of his recordings, called "Phil Ochs" Farewells & Fantasies." Their catalog number is R27358, ISBN 1-56826-839-4, and the set is in the jacket of a book with tons of great photos and a forward by daughter Megan Lee Ochs, with some good "reflections on" stuff written by Michael Ventura, Mark Kemp and Ben Edmonds.

It has:

What's That I Hear
The Bells
Morning
Bound for Glory
The Highwayman
Power and the Glory
That's What I Want to Hear
Links On the Chair
Love Me, I'm a Liberal
Too Many Martyrs
In the Heat of the Summer
Here's to the State of Mississippi
I'm Goint to Say it Now
One More Parade
Draft Dodger Rag
I Ain't Marching Anymore
We Seek No Wider War
Ringing of Revolution
When I'm Gone
There But For Fortune
Song of My Returning
The War is Over
White Boots Marching in a Yellow Land
Is There Anybody Here?
Santo Domingo
Song of a Soldier
Cops of the World
Bracero
Canons of Chritianity
I Kill Therefore I Am
The Confession
William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed
A Toast to Those Who Are Gone
Changes
The Doll House
When In Rome
Pretty Smart On My Part
The World Began in Eden and Ended in Los Angeles
Tape from California
Chords of Fame
Gas Station Women
Miranda
Outside of a Small Circle of Friends
Flower Lady
The Scorpion Departs but Never Returns
Pleasures of the Harbor
Jim Dean of Indiana
Rehearsals for Retirement
Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore?
No More Songs
Crucifixion

There's a web address on the back: www.rhino.com, if anyone's interested.

I do not work for them...but I adore his stuff.

Sarah

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Sarah2
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 03:50 PM

oops...

Sarah

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 08:15 PM

Tom Paxton said it best.

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jun 14 - 09:59 PM

Hate to revive a 13-year old thread, but Phil stood in the trenches and gave everything he had for what he believed in. I think of Phil daily and I know I am not the only one. He is still a beacon in a world of instant gratification and me first. I would like to share my favorite of his verses, it was from the original version of Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore. Phil wrote it soon after Lenny Bruce's death in 1966 and performed it for a couple of years until the Rehearsals album was made. Phil introduced it as a study of various levels of depression.

The deep sea diver ignores the shark-skinned warning
And the empty mailbox chews on your hand every morning
The buzzards bend to fly, and you don't know why
And the tears cannot appear so you can cry....

RIP Phil

Subject: RE: In honor of Phil Ochs
From: Sourdough
Date: 14 Oct 15 - 03:19 AM

I didn't know him well but I did get to hang out with him at the Unicorn, a Boston Folk CLub that he played at a couple of times. I had worked on a television program that had been shot on location there and had become friendly with the owner, George Papadopoulo and I was always welcome there. Passing time with the performers between sets was one of the perks. People write of his drug addiction and problems with alcohol but I don't recall anything about those.
The main memory I have of him is his intensity. Although he had a sense of humor, there was something burning in him that was consuming his ability to enjoy life, I felt the same depth of passion in Peter LaFarge whom I knew, far less well, from Gerde's Folk City in the NYC Village. With hindsight, there may have been an inevitability i their premature deaths.

The odd thing is that what I remember most about Phil Ochs' performances are his renditions of The Highwayman and The Tintinnabulation of the Bells. They are masterpieces of performance.

Now that I think of it, I felt a similar resonance from Townes van Zandt whom I did not know personally at all. He died in a slower form of suicide. I think they may have shared something very basic.