The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #139989 Message #3801760
Posted By: BrooklynJay
23-Jul-16 - 11:34 PM
Thread Name: Tune Req: 'Here Comes Woody and Lefty Lou'
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Here Comes Woody and Lefty Lou'
I have a copy of Bound For Glory (the film), and here's what I found:
The first two verses of "Woody & Lefty Lou's Theme Song" are sung word-for-word, except that "Lefty Lou" is changed to "Memphis Sue." In the film's end credits, oddly, credit for the lyrics is given to Robert Getchell (who was also credited with the screenplay) and no mention is made of Woody. In addition, credit for the music went to well-known guitarist Guthrie Thomas, so I would have some doubt that the tune is the actual one from 1937.
However…
Two days ago I purchased the new book 26 Songs in 30 Days – Woody Guthrie's Columbia River Songs by Greg Vandy and Daniel Person and found this in a footnote on page 57:
Guthrie's first-ever recordings, however, were done at the radio station KFVD in Los Angeles in 1937 and 1939. These 78 rpm "air-checks" were recently discovered by Peter LaChapelle and are housed in Southern California's Library of Social Studies and Research.