Sing Out! magazine

Subject: Sing Out mag
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 22 Jun 03 - 02:32 PM

I used to love "Sing Out" magazine in the mid-60s. The articles on singer/songwriters in particular used to excite my imagination. There was one particular issue ( circa 63/64 ) with a feature called ( I think ) " Something new is Happening", and was devoted to Dylan, Paxton, Ochs etc. I loved that article. Heavens knows where my copy went to, but I'd love to see that article again. Back then I was a big fan of Mark Spoelstra's, -remembered now mainly as a Greenwich Village buddy of Dylan's - but I think he was an outstanding artist in his own right. I wrote to him a couple of years back, and got a lovely, friendly reply.

Subject: RE: Sing Out mag
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 22 Jun 03 - 04:04 PM

Don't have the Sing Out issue in question, but also like Mark Spoelstra. Great 12 string guitarist. Caused me to go out and buy one and then get rid of it because I never did get that clean a sound from it.

Subject: RE: Sing Out mag
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jun 03 - 04:54 PM

Sing Out still sets the standards for folk music magazines. And now they include a CD with all of the songs that are published.

Subject: RE: Sing Out mag
From: Art Thieme
Date: 22 Jun 03 - 05:42 PM

Phil,

That Muddy sound that often goes with a 12-string was one of the reasons I went to a 9-string. My hands were going numb back in the 1980s from MS (undiagnosed then) and I thought I would be strumming more and picking less---more sound for less work sort of I thought. With three single bass strings 6,5, and 4 and double unison 1,2 and 3 I did what Big Joe Williams had done to his guitar (sort of). Well, it "sort of" worked for me. Later I went back to 6 strings when I couldn't push 'em down at all hardly.------------ But I know what you're saying. (Sorry for the thread creep.)

SING OUT! is a must read for me now as it was in the 1960s. I love the CD of all the songs featured in a given issue that comes with each issue now for an extra nominal fee. I do wish there was less mod singer/songwriter navel gazing music there-----as well as less World Music. That's not wrong. Just not to my taste. (I prefer folk music ! ;-) **LARGE SMILE** Uniquely, another magazine I subscribe to, THE OLD TIME HERALD, is seemingly more open these days to revival singers that did trad. type music. I can point to a feature article on the late banjo picker and singer Derroll Adams in the last issue. Very nice to see.

But MARK MOSS, editor of Sing Out, is doing an amazing job of juggling the myriad styles, egos and personalities as well as the many expanded definitions of this thing we call "the folk world" now.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Sing Out mag
From: cetmst
Date: 23 Jun 03 - 07:00 AM

Article "Something New Has Been Added" by Gordon Friesen is in Sing Out v.13,#4, October-November 1963 (75 cents). I have all issues beginning with volume 11 and would be happy to search them. E-mail [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Sing Out mag
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 23 Jun 03 - 05:47 PM

Reading this thread just gave me a jolt of reality. I, like Art, am generally not fond of some of the modern "folk" music.

But, when I read about the wanted Sing Out story, featuring all the young whippersnappers who were being lionized then - Dylan, etc., I realize it really is generational discrimination. I was willing to accept them when they were my age - but probably wouldn't give them a second listen now! Yep, my broad mind and narrow waist have certainly changed places !! Oh, I got the Geritol Blues.

Subject: RE: Sing Out mag
From: Art Thieme
Date: 24 Jun 03 - 11:33 AM

Me too !! Now, a pill that does lip-o-suction----that'd be something good. Even better than Viagra.

Art

Subject: RE: Sing Out! magazine
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 05:13 AM

Apparently, at least part of Sing Out! is now available online. Check findarticles.com.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Sing Out! magazine
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Mar 23 - 09:15 PM

Archive.org has several (74 as of March 2023) back issues of Sing Out! Magazine. I wonder if it's enough to complete my collection.
https://archive.org/details/pub_sing-out

Subject: RE: Sing Out! magazine
From: Felipa
Date: 02 Mar 23 - 10:02 AM

I may as well ask. Circa 1972-1973, I sent Pete Seeger - care of Sing Out - a letter about contemporary children's song in Belfast. These songs were very much a reflection on the sectarianism and military presence at the time. Seeger did mention the letter in his column, only quoting the less offensive lines of songs. I'd like to see what I wrote; would the letter be likely to be archived anywhere? Where/who else should I ask?

I'm afraid ethnologists and folklorists lost a great opportunity at the time to research song transmission and the folk process, as songs apparently spread from one community to another. There were more pressing matters on people's minds at the time of course. Well, as the children's ditties were parodies of popular songs, different children could have come up independently with similar ideas but often the only difference was a place name.

Subject: RE: Sing Out! magazine
From: GUEST,Thebarleymow
Date: 05 Mar 23 - 09:43 PM

I bought a few Sing Out books in the early 70s in Belfast when I was starting to build up my repertoire. I still have those books. They were and are a fantastic source of material. I’m just sorry I didn’t buy more of them. They should reprint and rerun the whole set!!!!