Tommy Thompson tribute

Subject: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 03:54 AM

While nosing around looking for the words to the beautiful song "Hot Buttered Rum", which I'd just heard on FolkScene.com, I found this wonderful articleabout the author of the song, Tommy Thompson, one of the founders of the Red Clay Ramblers, and the retrospective musical show in his honor, "A Tune for Tommy". I remember some time ago Bryan Bowers dropped by the Mudcat to remind people that he did not write "Hot Buttered Rum", Tommy Thompson did, and that Tommy was very ill with Alzheimer's. This article was from April 2001; I wonder if there is any followup info, if the show is still touring, etc.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: Jerry Dingleman: The Boy Wonder(inactve)
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 10:04 AM

I don't understand why Mudcat has never responded to Bryan's request and given Tommy his proper credit fot "Hot Buttered Rum" in the DT.

I knew Tommy before he got sick. He was a wonderful guy and a wonderful musician. "Hot Buttered Rum" is a wonderful song, he certainly deserves credit for it.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 01:08 PM

Jerry, you're absolutely right, it would be good if the mistakes in the DT were corrected. The reason they aren't is that there are about 47,000 songs out there, and only a handful of volunteers "harvesting" them for the DT. That's not an excuse, or an accusation, just a fact. (I think that, at the moment, adding new songs has priority over correcting old ones, which may be why errors like those in "Hot Buttered Rum" have not yet been corrected.) It's good for us to remember that "Mudcat" is just the people who make this site work, like Max and Dick and Susan and Pene Azul and Joe Offer, and a few others whom I won't mention because I don't know who they are. I know I'm not one of them. I wish I had the time to do more than just send money (which I don't do enough, considering how often I use this site, and how much it's done for me and others), but I'm sure that if anybody has the time and inclination to volunteer to help maintain the Digital Tradition they would be welcomed. A personal message to Dick Greenhaus should do the trick.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: GUEST,Guest Janie
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 11:21 PM

Hi Mark. "A Tune for Tommy" was done as a local tribute to this great musician, and to my knowledge did not go on tour at all. As far as I know he is still alive in a long-term care facility here in the Triangle area of North Carolina. As he is locally quite well-known I think I would have heard of his death and would have remembered it, but I could have somehow missed the news.

Although I don't know him or his daughter personally, I had the honor of meeting him years ago when I was still in West Virginia (He was from WV and "Twisted Laurel" quoted in the article is about WV) I have been a big fan of his and the Red Clay Ramblers for a long time. He ranks up there among the top of the long list of "greats". Thanks for posting this thread. I would love to hear the thoughts of others who are familiar with his music.

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: Stewie
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 11:51 PM

Information can be had on the Tommy Thompson page at the Red Clay Ramblers site. His daughter Jesse has ongoing letters about her father.

Tommy Thompson page

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 11:53 AM

Mark,

Unfortunately, a personal message to Dick Greenhaus will not do the trick.

Both Dick Greenhaus and Max Spiegel have been contacted numerous times over at least two years about the "Hot Buttered Rum" mistake in The Digital Tradition. The problem has also been mentioned several times in Mudcat threads. However, neither Dick nor Max has ever bothered to respond or fix the problem.

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 12:33 PM

guest...as usual, you post without understanding how it works. The database is not constructed in the same way as the forum. It cannot be updated and altered simply by some elf plugging in and typing a few things. It seems to require a different type of compiling and re-uploading of the entire set. ...could it be done more often? Perhaps.....

There are LOTS of things that need editing, but at least the information and credit ARE here, more than once, in the forum, giving Tommy Thompson credit.

But it sure is easy and fun to sit and anonymously point out others' faults and shortcomings, hmmm?

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 01:06 PM

BillD,

As usual, it didn't take long for an unquestioning member to jump to the defense of the undefendable. How many YEARS should it take to correct such a significant mistake.

And why should I believe YOU about what a huge job it is to correct a mistake? Why don't Max or Dick have the decency to respond to the many personal messages and e-mails that theu have been sent on the subject?

Because of the situation that Tommy has been in these last few years, Max and Dick should have had the decency to jump through hoops to fix the mistake. Particularly after several requests from Bryan Bowers himself.

What I will tell you is that this has impacted directly on Dick's pocketbook. In Wally Macnow's day, I used to spend a lot of money buying CD's from Camsco. I now take my CD business anywhere but there.

Subject: Memo to Guest
From: GUEST,Pete's Cigar
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 01:54 PM

Fellow Guest,

Take my advice, do not let members like Bill D intimidate you into not posting as an anonymous guest.

If you had posted your messages criticizing the Great Max or the Holy Dick using your silly Mudcat name, you would have been hauled in front of Senator Spaw McCarthy's Un-Mudcat Activities Committee. From there it would be the blacklist and we know how many Mudcat careers have been destroyed by the blacklist.

Pete's Cigar

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: GUEST,Uncle Sam at the library
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 10:40 AM

My Mudcat right or wrong!

Mudcat: Love it or leave it!

God Bless Mudcat!

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 02:13 PM

"And why should I believe YOU " ...it doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. It is simply a problem that such changes cannot be done on a daily basis, like fixing HTML in posts. I have no disagreement that it would be good to fix the attribution error, only with the petty attitude and anonymous sniping.

As to Dick's pocketbook...I'm sure it will survive your misguided attempt to punish him for not jumping thru the hoops in the order YOU specify. It is sad, but volunteer efforts are often critcized this way....It sounds very much like the guy who keeps calling the city about pothole "X" on HIS street, demanding that IT be fixed, no matter what the weather or schedule....(I have no reason to suppose that Dick OR Max is reading this thread...perhaps I can find out and get a clear explanation posted.)

I know I have seen explanations of how and under what constraints the database is updated...I am unable to think of the right supersearch term to find them right now.

Subject: RE: Tommy Thompson tribute
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 12:14 AM

And, dear Guest, if you go back and read my post, I said that "a personal message to Dick Greenhaus should do the trick" if you were interested in volunteering some time and effort to help update the DT. Not that it would magically correct the problem.

Yes, I agree that it would be good if Tommy were given credit for his song. One of the reasons I started this thread was to call attention to this fine musician (whom I never knew), and perhaps to elicit some other recollections of him and his music. And I'm grateful to Jerry and Guest Janie and Stewie for helping in that regard. Unfortunately, it's turned into another "When is somebody [else] going to correct the Digital Tradition?" gripe session. Thank you for sharing.

Aloha,
Mark