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Background info on Sundown

03 Mar 01 - 07:01 PM (#410482)
Subject: Background info on Sundown
From: GUEST,lgrace

Hello--

I am looking for some background information on the traditional song Sundown. Lyrics of chorus include "It's nearly sundown, sundown, the sun is almost down . . ." I know it has been sung/recorded by Art Thieme, Cindy Mangsen, Cathy Barton and Dave Para, Bascom Lamar Lunsford, George and Gerry Armstrong, etc., but I have never found out exactly where it comes from or what, if any, historical context it has. I would greatly appreciate any info that anyone has to share!

Thank you very much. Leela Grace e-mail replies are welcome -- leelagrace@hotmail.com

03 Mar 01 - 10:31 PM (#410547)
Subject: RE: Background info on Sundown
From: Art Thieme

Leela, Hi kid. Fun meeting you here !
First, let me tell ya right in front how much I love what you did on Dave & Cathy (Para & Barton's) new CD of river songs (Living On The River on Roustabout Records). Your harmonies on "Is Your Lamps Gone Out" are exquisite. Same with "Sweet Roseanna". I'm a fan and will be waiting for solo CDs from both you and Ellie. (Your parents are good too ! ;-)

Aside from that, "Sundown" was written by Gordon Lightfoot, wasn't it? ;-)

Love to you all,

Art
Kidding aside, "Sundown" (the one you mean) can, as you said, be traced back to Bascom Lamar Lunsford. That's the furthest back traditional link as far as I know. But I don't know where he found it---probably from some of his mountaineer neighbors in North Carolina I'd suspect. Paul Clayton sang it for George and Gerry Armstrong I'm pretty sure. Might be that Lunsford showed it to Clayton on the banjo and Paul Clayton put it on the mountain 3-string dulcimer (which he played pretty sweetly) and that's how the Armstrong's did it too---on the dulcimer. I learned it from G. & G. at a Frank Proffitt memorial concert at the Old Town School Of Folk Music (343 W. North Avenue then) in Chicago. I put it on the banjo as it sounded real good on that intrument I thought--even though I'd never heard Bascom Lunsford's muted banjo record for Riverside Records. When I did finally hear his banjo version, I was pretty amazed how close to his version my own performance of it was. Cindy Mangsen got it from me pretty much. You can ask Dave & Cathy where they got it. I'd guess "all of the above" knowing them.

04 Mar 01 - 11:40 AM (#410686)
Subject: RE: Background info on Sundown
From: GUEST,lgrace

Art--

Thanks for the kind words and info! We had so much fun doing that CD with Dave and Cathy -- they are just wonderful! I really want to do a solo CD or a duo one with Ellie. Hopefully that will be soon!

Sundown is one of my favorite songs to sing, and I do it on the banjo -- a rather upbeat version. I learned it from Cindy Mangsen and Dave and Cathy. I'd love to hear some other versions and find out where Bascom Lunsford got it. Did you record it? By the way, I'm currently out in the Boston area (until May) and I saw Scott Alarik do a couple of songs the other night. He did one that he learned from you (and told a few jokes, as well). . . Leela EVERYONE ELSE: If anyone else out there knows any more about this song, I'd love to hear it!

04 Mar 01 - 07:00 PM (#410881)
Subject: RE: Background info on Sundown
From: Art Thieme

L.

I recorded it twice. It's on my LP and cassette On The Wilderness Road (Folk Legacy FSI-105 and C-105)

It was also on an early 70s LP from Charlotte's Web---then a coffeehouse in Rockford, Illinois. Many singers were on it doing one or two songs each.

Art

01 Feb 09 - 04:23 PM (#2554739)
Subject: RE: Background info on Sundown
From: Art Thieme

On The Wilderness Road, > my album with "Sundown" is now out as a CD on the Paton's Folk Legacy Records.

Art