Please provide updates, additions, corrections! THANKS!
Best wishes, Thomas.

WILLIAM BARRY WOOD

Bill Wood's name will probably long be remembered in folk circles
for his association with Joan Baez - at CLUB 47, and on the recording
FOLKSINGERS 'ROUND HARVARD SQUARE (Veritas, 1960). This legendary
seminal LP, which is the first released recording of Joan Baez
(NOT her first recording, June 1958 in San Francisco) showcased
the active folk music scene at Harvard University, Cambridge
MA. included Bill Wood and Ted Alevizos.

Bill Wood was host to Harvard radio station WHRB's BALLADEERS
broadcasts, and a regular at famed CLUB 47 (now Club PASSIM).

Less well known is Bill's participation in the group THE RAUNCH HANDS, which released one album privately, and two on EPIC.
Members of the group, all Harvard students based at KIRKLAND HOUSE, are: Bill Wood, Larry Reeder, Al Goldman, Cam Fordyce, Raph Henderson, Fritz Donovan. They performed at regional colleges, and on campus.

Three of the members, Bill Wood, Al Goldman, and Cam Fordyce, grew up
together in St.Louis, where Bill also knew and played bluegrass with
John Hartford (then Harford) in high school when they were both
learning to play.

Bill Wood, Chemistry
Al Goldman, Chemistry
Cam (Cameron P.) Fordyce, History
Larry Reeder, from Topeka, Kansas, Social Relations
Raph Henderson, from Kent, CT., Social Relations
Fritz Donovan, from Longmeadow, MA., Economics


Can anyone shed light on the origin of the name RAUNCH HANDS ???

Liner notes state: "Adopting button-down red shirts as their trade
mark and "The Raunch Hands" as their name (which they had been labelled in jest by a classmate)..." A 1956 STEVE CANYON (by Milton Caniff)cartoon strip contained the caption "WELL THUMBS, SINCE YOU AND I DON'T EXACTLY QUALIFY AS MEMBERS OF SHANTY TOWN'S OLD RAUNCH HANDS, SUPPOSE WE-UNS 6ET SOME SLEEP." perhaps remembered by the classmate.


WHERE ARE THEY NOW:
Bill A.B., Chemistry, Harvard College, (Cambridge, MA), 1959
    Ph.D., Biochemistry, Stanford University, (Palo Alto, CA), 1963
since 1960 an impressive career as Scientist and teacher,
now retired as distinguished professor emeritus.

Bill's two sons, Oliver and Chris, have pursued careers in music - see:
website: http://www.thewoodbros.com/bio/oliver-wood/
wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wood_Brothers
Aspen Times June 1 2006:
    http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20060609/AE/106090033


Can anyone provide updates on the other Raunch Hands ??????


THE RECORDINGS
===========================================================================


FOLKSINGERS 'ROUND HARVARD SQUARE
recorded May, 1959 in Boston by Stephen Fassett
VERITAS Folksong Series Vol.1, No.l [XTV 62202/62203]             LP 1960

Lemuel Marshall Wells - producer
Album notes Manuel Greenhill

JOAN BAEZ
A1 On The Banks of the Ohio
A2 O What A Beautiful CIty
A3 Sail Away Ladies
A4 Black is the Color
A5 Lowlands
A6 What You Gonna Call Your Pretty Little Baby

JOAN BAEZ and BILL WOOD
A7 Kitty
A8 So Soon In The Morning
A9 Careless Love

BILL WOOD
B1 Le Chaval Dans La Beignoire (The Horse in the Bathtub-Stephen Goldman)
B2 John Henry
B3 Travelin' Shoes
B4 The Bold Soldier

TED ALEVIZOS
B5 Walie Walie
B6 Rejected Lover
B7 Astrapsen (The Sun is Risen)
B8 Lass from the Low Country

JOAN BAEZ, BILL WOOD, TED ALEVIZOS
B9 Don't Weep After Me


The VERITAS album was a "limited edition", had a hand-written number on the liner. no indication of how many copies were pressed, possibly 2-3 thousand.
I first became aware of the album through notice in the folk magazine LITTLE SANDY REVIEW - at that time copies were difficult to find, those seen numbered below 2000.

in 1963 SQUIRE records re-released 14 SELECTIONS from the album as THE BEST OF JOAN BAEZ SQ/SSQ 33001,
retaining the 6 Baez solo tracks, 2 of the 4 Bill Wood solos, the 5 duo-trio tracks with Joan Baez, andm1 of the 4 Ted Alevizos tracks.
A1 Joan Baez - On the Banks of the Ohio 2:33
A2 Joan Baez - Oh What a Beautiful City 3:15
A3 Joan Baez & Bill Wood - So Soon in the Morning 2:05
A4 Joan Baez - Lowlands 2:42
A5 Joan Baez & Bill Wood - Kitty 1:57
A6 Bill Wood - Travellin' Shoes
A7 Ted Alevizos - Astrapsen (The Sun Is Risen) 1:37
B1 Joan Baez - Black Is the Color 2:37
B2 Joan Baez - What You Gonna Call Your Pretty Little Baby 2:26
B3 Joan Baez & Bill Wood & Ted Alevizos- Don't Weep After Me 2:46
B4 Joan Baez - Sail Away Ladies 2:44
B5 Joan Baez & Bill Wood - Careless Love 2:10
B6 Bill Wood - John Henry 4:10
B7 Ted Alevizos - Walie Walie 1:53

further re-releases issued only 12 tracks, then further cut to only the 10 tracks with Joan Baez.
re-issues on CD also retain only the 10 Joan Baez tracks.

IF ANYONE KNOWS OF reissues which contain the original 18 tracks, PLEASE LET US KNOW !!!



THE RAUNCH HANDS
------------------------------------------------------------------

(private issue) F-RH-I/F-RH-I                                          LP c.1959
[plain jacket, 2"x3.5" sticker with title]
Pickin' and Singing with the Raunch Hands
red paper disc label:
Pickin' and Singin' with the Raunch Hands
Bill Wood, Larry Reeder, Al Goldman, Cam Fordyce, Raph Henderson, Fritz Donovan
Recorded by Stephen B. Fassett, BOSTON.
F-RH-I
A1 The Wreck of the "John B"
A2 Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
A3 Swing Down
A4 Run Come See
A5 Cool Water
A6 Tell Old Bill
A7 Drunken Sailor
A8 Santy Anno
A9 Banua
F-RH-II
B1 Puttin' On The Style
B2 Hillbilly Medley
B3 Rollin' Down The Mountain
B4 Smoke That Cigarette
B5 Zombie Jamboree
B6 Rock and Roll Medley



EPIC LN 3698                                    LP 1960
THE RAUNCH HANDS: Pickin' and Singin'
liner notes: John R. Adler, Harvard '61 (columnist for The HARVARD CRIMSON)
A1 The Wreck of the "John B"
A2 Hillbilly Spectacular
A3 Let Me Ride
A4 A Study of Rock and Roll:
    Hard Headed Woman; Little Star; Betty Lou Got a New Pair of Shoes; This Little Girl of Mine
A4 Run, Come See, Jerusalem
A6 Rollin' Down the Mountain

B1 Tell Ol' Bill
B2 Puttin' on the Style
B3 Santy Anno
B4 Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette
B5 Banua
B6 Zombie Jamboree


IS THE ABOVE EPIC RELEASE the SAME recording as the private issue, or did EPIC re-record the album ???
The track lists differ in sequence and content -
Private issue (15 tracks) Kisses Sweeter Than Wine, Swing Down, Cool Water, Drunken Sailor NOT on Epic
Epic (12 tracks) Let Me Ride NOT on private issue.
We have NOT heard the private issue, if anyone has a copy please let us know.
We've found NO Stereo version of this album - anyone know if there is one ???



recorded in New York City
EPIC LN 3750 / BN 586                           LP 1960 Billboard Apr 4, 1960 Apr 11 release
COLUMBIA SPECIAL PRODUCTS CSRP 586             LP 19??
THE RAUNCH HANDS: AGAINST THE WORLD
REVIEWS: Billboard Jan 16, 1961
            HI FI/STEREO REVIEW, MAY 1961
liner: John R. Adler, Harvard '61
A1 Doctor Freud
A2 Michael, Row the Boat Ashore
A3 The Folk Take Over (I Gave My Love A Cherry)
A4 A Horse Named Bill
A5 The Old H.U.A.C.
A6 A Roving

B1 Jordan River
B2 My Good Man
B3 Yes, Yes, Yes
B4 Bloody Well Dead
B5 Hillbilly Medley (Thank you, Dear God, for Victory in Korea;
                     My Tears have washed 'I Love You' from the Blackboard of My Heart)

many tracks can be heard on Youtube.com