Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?

Subject: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Deckman
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 07:12 PM

This might be an interesting thread? The question is: who has the oldest "Sing Out" magazine in captivity? In my collection, I also have several duplicates. I would be very willing to pass my duplicates on to someone who wants to fill in their collection. How do we do that? CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 07:25 PM

Auction

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Deckman
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 07:31 PM

I think I would rather keep my collection intact and pass it on in a few years. Bob

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 08:05 PM

Earlest for me is 1978, which I thought had age to it until I saw Bill D's. Can't remember how far back his goes but it was quite a ways older than mine. I think I remember something about Joe Offer's being of some age too. Barry

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Deckman
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 08:29 PM

I also have four "CARAVAN" magazines ... two from 1959, from 1960. These I WOULD be willing to place in auction. But if I do so, I want them to bring the highest possible dollars to support MUDCAT. As I re-read them, I realize that "CARAVAN" was started by non other than Billy Fair. Many of the conributers are legendary: Pete Seeger, Archie Green, Roger Abrahams, Dick Rosmini, Barry Olivier, Israel Young, Guy Cawawan, etc. I await your imput on how best to do two things: bring the highest possible dollars to support MUDCAT, put these four magazines in the hands of serious folksingers who will always value them for their import. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Sorcha
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 08:33 PM

It won't be mine. The only issue I have is already in the auction......no bids.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 08:16 AM

G'day Deckman,

Merely by way of mentioning ... down here in the Antipodes, the earliest copy on my shelf seems to be vol. 14 no. 5, November 1964. I have a broken set of copies over the next 15 years or so ... by no means complete.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: kendall
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 08:32 AM

I have it on good authority that Big Mick has a 1961 edition.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Midchuck
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 08:40 AM

I have April-May '62 here. Has a picture of a very youthful Earl Scruggs on the cover, and the original printing of the lyrics to The Friggin' Falcon (attributed there to Theodore Cogswell, who was a Sci-Fi writer.)

Peter.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Deckman
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 09:06 AM

My oldest original is Spring of 1959. It is vol, 8, No. 4. It has a very youthful Richard Dyer-Bennet on the cover. There is a letter from Roy Guest in England, as well as the first printing of Pete's "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread. (By the way, he wrote the last verse of that song while staying at my house in 1958.) There is also a very interesting article by Harry Belafonte. It really interesting reading these article and ads today.CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 10:14 AM

I have several from 61-62...plus 6 from before 1960!....I put volume 1, #2 in the auction a couple of years ago...where WAS everyone?.....

I do have vol 1, #3,(July, 1950) vol 1, #11, vol.2, #1.,(1st anniv. issue), vol 2, #9, and vol 7,#3, (fall 1957, with Jean Ritchie) ans vol. 8, #1, (spring, '58, with Odetta)....

why?....well, I used to haunt old book stores, and about 1978, I found one where someone had happened onto the collection of Sophie Salpeter, one of the early staff members. I spent every $ I could on old issues, and could have had 'most' of the early ones if I'd had a few more bucks...*sigh*

Vol 11, #1, Feb-Mar, 1961 is the 10th anniv. issue, and shows Pete Seeger sitting against a tree playing babjo for some kids.

Vol 12, #3, Summer 1962 has Peggy Seeger. Vol 11, #3, summer 1961, has Memphis Slim....I also have the Earl Scruggs issue that Mid Chuck mentions.

oh..April-May 1961 has the Clancy Brothers and Dec-Jan, 1962 has freedom singers in Albany Ga.

(I also have 1st editions of High Times and the National Lampoon...what are old bookshelves FOR?)

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 10:31 AM

Volume I, No. 1 -- May, 1950. Sing Out! A Peoples (sic) Artists Publication Cover price 25¢ and with "The Hammer Song" by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger on the cover.

"Hold the Line"
"Banks of Marble"
"La Borinquena"
"No More Reds in the Union"
"It's Almost Done"
"Miner's Doom"

Nope, I was pretty young at the time (not quite a year old) and even Curmudgeon had only been reading a few years and was, I think, yet to embark on his musical career (singing an American folk song at a talent contest at a fairly young age -- he'll have to fill in the details; we've only been married for 20 years).

We found and bought a cache of early Sing Outs at an antiquarian bookshop in Newburyport, MA in the early '80s. I really should catalog our collection (of reference books, too, and not just Sing Outs and English Dance & Song and Broadsides, etcet etcet), but I'm pretty sure we have a complete set of at least the first 5 years or so.

I don't think I acquired current copies until the '70s and didn't subscribe until the mid-'80s.

Linn

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 10:39 AM

I don't have any really old ones, but I have twenty or so from the mid-sixties, maybe early seventies. They come in three different sizes as SingOut! seemed to be trying to find what worked best promotionally. They are in fair to poor condition, but readable. I have just gone through copying everything I might want to keep. I have been trying to decide how to unload them. I didn't want to throw them in the trash. They are a part of unburdening my life right now. A few even have the floppy plastic record which samples the songs in that issue.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 10:40 AM

well...I was in 1st place for 16 minutes..*grin*

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Deckman
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 10:45 AM

I also have Vol. #1, May of 1950, but mine is a reprint!

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 11:02 AM

Tom and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time when someone unloaded a collection. We bought all that were left -- there had been more. And we bought them for a very, very good price -- the book seller seemed pleased to find someone who who was interested.

Linn

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Midchuck
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 11:15 AM

Has anyone got the one from '65 with the letter to the editor asking for advice on getting started as a folk performer - from someone named Harris...Emmylou or something like that..?

Peter.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Deckman
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 11:52 AM

Looks like the year 1965 would be Volume #15. I have only the first issue for that year and I did NOT find the letter you described. maybe someelse can find it. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 06:51 PM

Okay -- I just went through all the Volume 15s (1965) that we have (Numbers 1, 2, 3, 6 -- missing 4 & 5) and couldn't find any such letter. I went back through each issue to make sure it wasn't someplace other than in "Correspondence." So I guess that narrows it down to Vol. 15, Nos. 4 or 5, eh?

Linn

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Deckman
Date: 12 Jan 02 - 08:46 PM

Why doncha' get in touch with Emmy Lou? I'll bet she has it! (hee hee) Bob

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 13 Jan 02 - 10:05 AM

Well, I have a microfilm of 1948-1949 "Peoples Songs"--Sing Out's immediate predecessor. BTW, Billy Faier did NOT start "Caravan"; Lee Hoffman did, and later gave it to Mr. Faier.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: curmudgeon
Date: 13 Jan 02 - 10:39 AM

A few more thoughts to augment the previous posts from Bat Goddess.

In addition to the many fine songs contained in these old treasures, the articles and commentaries make for a fascinating bit of social history, especially thosee of Irwin Silber's column, "Fan the Flames." While most folk publications these days tend to be apolitical, this could not be said of the old Sing Out!

Some half-dozen years after we got this trove, I was conversing with a friend about old music books and records. He allowed as to how he'd bought some good material in the same shop where we had bought the Sing Outs. A thorough examination of both our finds revealed that they had been from the same estate. We never found out any more about the woman, except that she had good taste in music and was of a very left political persuasion.

-- Tom

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: bob schwarer
Date: 13 Jan 02 - 12:32 PM

The oldest I have found in a hurry is June/July 1967. I'll look see if I have any older.

Bob S

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Jerry Dingleman: The Boy Wonder(inactve)
Date: 13 Jan 02 - 06:25 PM

I don't have the issue with Emmylou's letter, my own collection only goes back to 1970. However, back in my performing days, I played at the Chelsea House, a coffeehouse in Brattleboro, VT and Carol Levin, the woman who owned it had a complete set of Sing Outs and, over time, I read every old issue from cover to cover. I remember coming across the letter from the young Emmylou.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: enkd
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 01:22 PM

Excerpts from a letter to the editor of SingOut magazine, featured in Vol.15, number 4, September 1965:

Just one more thing. How can I go about getting honest criticism on my singing and playing style? I am not interested in becoming professional, but I do enjoy performing and would appreciate honest help or advice from someone who knows.

Sincerely yours,
Emmylou Harris (age 18) Woodbridge, Va

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bennet Zurofsky
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 04:53 PM

Sing Out's first issue, described above, was recently reprinted by Sing Out! along with a good article on Sing Out's history by Roger Deitz. Unless you look at the cover closely it looks genuine.

I believe that you can still purchase that reprint from Sing Out, which also has many of its other back issues available for sale at a reasonable price.

As to what to do with old Sing Outs, if they are in decent shape for possible resale and you do not want to donate them to the Mudcat Auction I expect that Sing Out would be happy to get them, as well as any other old folk music publications or recordings.

Sing Out now maintains an archive which accepts donations and also operates Legacy Books which sells new and old books related to Folk Music.

Sing Out, of course, still publishes and now provides subscribers with a cd containing all of the songs in each issue. I assume everyone reading this already subscribes, but if you don't - you should.

Check Out the Sing Out! website:

www.singout.org

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Midchuck
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 05:00 PM

Excerpts from a letter to the editor of SingOut magazine, featured in Vol.15, number 4, September 1965

Some wiseass always shows up with all the answers.

Peter.

Subject: Sing Out Magazine - Songfinder?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 07:42 AM

I've always enjoyed the "Songfinder" column in Sing Out!, most recently written by Shelley Posen. I didn't see it in the latest issue - has the column been discontinued? I think we do a better job of songfinding here, and I enjoyed reading the column and imagining how much better we could do with the requests. -Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 12:11 PM

If you've got the issue with Nanci Griffith on the cover, then you've also got a nice article Scott Alarik did on me.

Ah, nostalgia.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bennet Zurofsky
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 02:33 PM

The Songfinder column is being re-imagined. I hope that you enjoyed the rest of the issue. The article on Sam Hinton should certainly be of interest to Mudcatters.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 04:27 PM

Thanks, Bennet. Thanks for the information on Songfinder. I've always enjoyed the column, even if I do believe we're better songfinders here.
The article on Sam Hinton is worth a whole year's subscription.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 10:50 PM

Bennett- Is Ian Robb's column also being re-imagined (whatever that means?)

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: 53
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 10:53 PM

I have some old Peavey Monitor cataloges, would there be a use for these in the auction? Bob

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 12:48 AM

I read Ian's column the moment the mag comes through the door, but I'm sorry to say that the rest of the magazine saddens and ultimately depresses me - particularly when I look back at the older issues (we've got in the VFSS a fairly good collection satrting in 1959).

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bennet Zurofsky
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 10:27 AM

Ian should continue to appear with some regularity, but he felt that he was not always writing as good a column as he would like and asked that he no longer be in every issue. We may be interested in retaining a new regular columnist of Ian's high quality. Anyone interested or with a suggestion should contact our Editor-in-Chief, Mark Moss through the Sing Out! website, www.singout.org.

I am sorry to hear that much of the magazine "saddens and ultimately depresses" Jon Bartlett and I would be interested in hearing more about why that is.

Sing Out! presently publishes more pages of content and more songs per year than it ever has in its history. We also now offer a CD with every song in each issue to our members at no extra cost and we cover a broader range of music, particularly from other countries, than we ever have before. While still left-leaning, the magazine is much less political than in the past, particularly the Irwin Silber years. We often lost subscribers who felt we were too political, but that no longer seems to be a problem. The magazine is over fifty years old now, but we try to keep it fresh and I personally think we do a great job.

Nevertheless, any comments on what you would like to see in Sing Out! would be appreciated and I will pass them on to Mark. (I am a member of the Board of Directors and I do not have any direct input as to editorial content, only kibitzing rights).

I urge all to take Art Thieme's advise and subscribe if you do not already.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 10:36 AM

I'm just re-reading Pete Seeger's "The Incompleat Folk Singer". Interesting book, a lot of is reprints of articles he wrote for Sing Out. He also mentions its' predecessor "People's Songs", which went broke. I believe it pre-dated Sing Out by four or five years.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Tiger
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 10:50 AM

Vol 1, No 2, June, 1950

Bought it in the Mudcat Auction (thanks, Bill D).

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 10:57 AM

*smile*...you got a good deal, Tiger!

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: KatyBob
Date: 22 Jul 11 - 02:36 PM

I'm selling my Singout collection and I was thinking maybe someone here might be interested. They range from '61 to '07. It's not complete but they could certainly fill some holes in someones library or music resource centre. I can be contacted at [e-mail]
I would love them to go to someone who would appreciate and value and use them as I have but no longer can.
Thanks,
Katy.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: GUEST,jpjenks1
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 08:49 AM

Looking for early Sing Outs from the 50s and 60s. Have some spares to swap or will gladly buy. Contact [e-mail].

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: Stringsinger
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 12:22 PM

I have some Sing Outs and have to look at the dates. One has a cover of Cisco Houston, another Jerry Silverman. Alan Arkin wrote his first song in one called "The Klan".

Irwin Silber was the editor in those days. I miss his style which was highly controversial, sometimes combative but always interesting, particularly his feuds with Izzy Young. Sing Out in those days was highly politicized and for me made exciting reading. It was smaller and you could get through it quickly, throwing it into your guitar case.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 12:35 PM

I have been honored to see some of my articles in print in recent issues of Sing Out, including the current issue where I wrote the cover article on the David Wax Museum.

It is sad to see that some people find that recent editions of the magazine "saddens and ultimately depresses", but when I look at my collection, I see the magazine has ALWAYS covered the living folk process and continues to live up to that tradition. In this day and age where the Internet and e-readers are making print publications obsolete, Sing Out! has been working hard to reach audiences and continue to teach and inform about the music we love.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: PHJim
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 08:46 PM

My oldest copy is from 1961 with Memphis Slim on the cover.

I'm sure that I read somewhere that the letter from Emmylou Harris was not the same Emmylou Harris that we all know. I believe I read it in a Ragtag column.

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: GUEST,from Tokyo
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 09:55 PM

forever Sing Out.
folk process .....

kiyohide

Subject: RE: Sing Out Magazine - Oldest?
From: PHJim
Date: 02 Oct 14 - 12:54 PM

From an interview with Emmylou Harris in Sing Out!:

"I can't believe I'm talking to Sing Out!," Emmylou exclaimed. "When I was in high school, that was like my Bible! I might be one of those few people who had a five-year subscription. I actually wrote a letter to the magazine, praising them. [laughs enthusiastically] Sing Out! was kind of like my connection out to the bigger, real world."