Origins: Noah Lewis and Gus Cannon

Subject: RE: Origins: Noah Lewis and Gus Cannon
From: Severn
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 07:33 PM

Sebastian's last J-Band album is called "Chasin' Gus' Ghost" and features Yank Rachell on some live cuts.

Subject: RE: Origins: Noah Lewis and Gus Cannon
From: GUEST,Grateful Fred
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 06:36 PM

I cannot tell a lie, this whole thing about credit is mostly what record companies do cause they don't want to split up the money more than they have to. This is why so many artists have balied out of the big labels.
But Gus got some money as well as recognition he justly deserved. But
when he died, John Sebastian, Fritz Richmond and several others who made
money while keeping the music alive did a benefit concert in Memphis to
buy a stone for Gus that his family couldn't afford. G Fred

Subject: RE: Origins: Noah Lewis and Gus Cannon
From: Mary Katherine
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 05:25 PM

The Rooftop Singers (Eric Darling, Bill Svanoe and Lynne Taylor) had the #1 pop hit with "Walk Right In."
They thought it was traditional, which is why they copyrighted it themselves; later, when they learned that Gus Cannon had actually written it, they transferred the copyright over to him. Not sure how the finances were handled; I think he got some kind of lump sum payment for the back royalties he was owed.

Subject: RE: Origins: Noah Lewis and Gus Cannon
From: PoppaGator
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 05:13 PM

Nice handle! And, welcome!

(First Mudcat post from this new member...)

I was reading Sam Charters' new book (actually, a compilation consiting mostly of stuff already published here and there), and he mentions how Gus Cannon was ripped off for his authorship of a song that became a #1 pop hit sometime in the 60s. Sam doesn't identify the song, which was driving me crazy, so I'm glad to learn here and now that it has to have been "Walk Right In." (What was the name of that pop-folk group that made the record? Nice 12-string playing along with the vocal harmonies.)

Your fellow Deadhead,
PoppaGator

Subject: Origins: Noah Lewis and Gus Cannon
From: Grateful Fred
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 05:02 PM

Gus and Noah had a giantic influence on American folk music. Gus most likely wrote Stealin' and certainly Walk Right In. Noah wrote Viola
Lee and Minglewood Blues. Gus lived long enough to know he was famous, Noah was gone by then. I was over in W. Tennessee Aug 9 looking for traces of Noah, relatives, acquaintences. Alex Haley's
boyhood home is in Henning, which is Noah's birthplace. About 6 mi
west of Dyersburg is (or was) Mengelwood. Nothing there now but a crossroads with four houses. Ashport is west of Ripley and has a store and some cotton related buildings. Need to find out whether Noah died in 1937 or 1961. I just wish they had a sign or something
there, that although Noah was poor all his life that his song about
that little place was recorded by Doc Watson, Bob Dylan, the Dead,
Jim Kweskin, and I'm sure there's a lot more. I'd appreciate any help
I can get. Fred