Scholastic/Folkways Recordings-We shall overcome

Subject: Folkways Recordings-Scholastic versions
From: GUEST,Joel Bresler
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 09:55 AM

Dear friends:

I am researching a discography of the song, "Follow the Drinking Gourd". It does NOT appear on Folkways FH 5591, "We shall overcome: Songs of the Freedom Riders and the Sit-Ins." But there was evidently a Scholastic release of that LP, with different songs -- including FTDG. I believe the Scholastic LP had the following songs:

Let us break bread together, This little light of mine, Hold on, Follow the drinking gourd, Rock my soul, Your dog, I need your embrace, I hope we'll meet again, We shall overcome, I'm so glad, Oh freedom, We are soldiers in the army, There's a meeting here tonight.

I checked with one of the artists, Guy Carawan, and he wrote:

"Apparently Folkways then released a Folkways/Scholastic LP with a different listing of songs."

"It would be interesting to know what recording of that song was used on the Scholastic recording. I have the album cover, but not the album. So...That will not help you much, but is interesting."

If anyone knows about this Scholastic recording or its contents, please let me hear from you! How many of the Folkways recordings were re-released?

Best,

Joel Bresler
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Folkways Recordings-Scholastic versions
From: Little Robyn
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 02:37 PM

Have you found the Weaver's version? It's on their Carnegie Hall concert LP.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Folkways Recordings-Scholastic versions
From: emjay
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 03:54 PM

Follow the Drinking Gourd is on the album, Weavers Reunion at Carnegie Hall, Part 2. There seem to be a lot of Weavers at Carnegie Hall recordings. I have copied all of my old records to CD, so don't have album covers in front of me, but on cd I found Weavers at Carnegie Hall, 1955; Weavers at Carnegie Hall, Vol. 2, 1960; Weavers Reunion at Carnegie Hall 15th Anniversary, 1963; and Weavers Together Again (1980) at Carnegie Hall, in addition to the one I mentioned at first. I don't have a date on that one, and all of the albums are stored in the garage a couple of hundred feet and hard to get at -- so I am not running out to look right now.
I have always intended to photocopy those album covers with notes.
This hasn't added much to the discussion of the Folkways recording, but it is interesting to me when talking about different recordings with similar titles and the confusion resulting when looking for a particular song.
MJ

Subject: RE: Folkways Recordings-Scholastic versions
From: Little Robyn
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 03:18 AM

I have it on the first Carnegie Hall concert LP - the notes on the back say it was originally an old gospel hymn, 'Follow the Risen Lord', put together from 3 or 4 existing fragments by Lee Hays.
Maybe the freedom riders didn't sing this? The Underground railway and the Freedom bus were slightly different.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Folkways Recordings-Scholastic versions
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 03:08 PM

Unfortunately the Smithsonian-Folkways staff is busy moving
to their new facilities, but you could try sending an inquiry.
The Folkways release on their site lists 2 songs not in your list:
We Shall Not Be Moved, and Michael Row the Boat Ashore.
Your list includes 3 not on the Folkways (FTDG, I Need Your Embrace,
and I hope We'll Meet Again) - don't recognize the last two, are they
civil rights movement songs?
Possibly Scholastic simply listed the wrong song titles on the jacket,
unless they are also listed in the booklet - do you have the scholastic
booklet?
You might send an inquiry to the Rodgers & Hammerstein Archive (New York Public Library) which might have a copy of the Scholastic pressing.