Utah Phillips songs with trad melodies?

Subject: Utah Phillips songs with trad melodies?
From: Marion
Date: 30 Jun 08 - 11:56 AM

Hello folks. On Utah Phillips' "songbook" CD collection ("Starlight on the Rails"), I noted that he wrote Ashes on the Sea to the tune of Lorena. Did Utah make a lot of use of traditional melodies? If so, what other of his songs, especially on the Starlight on the Rails CD set, use traditional melodies?

Thanks, Marion

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips songs with trad melodies?
From: Mark Ross
Date: 30 Jun 08 - 12:09 PM

NEVADA JANE uses Stephen Foster's GENTLE ANNIE, JOHNNY THURMAN is from MY LOVE IS A RIDER, HIRAM HUBBARD(from Jean Ritchie) is the tune for JOHN D. LEE. If I can think of any others I'll let you know.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips songs with trad melodies?
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jun 08 - 01:43 PM

Utah's "Jesse James Farewell Blues" is from "Farewell Blues," a trad-jazz tune that was done bluegrass style by Flatt & Scruggs.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips songs with trad melodies?
From: kendall
Date: 30 Jun 08 - 01:57 PM

The melody he used for Starlight on the rails is the same one Hank Snow used for Somewhere along life's highway.He was a big fan of Hank Snow, in fact he said that he learned to write songs from hank.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips songs with trad melodies?
From: Mark Ross
Date: 30 Jun 08 - 02:54 PM

The one he wrote about the killer of Viola Liuzzo(?), Collie Wilkins getting off on murder charges was to the tune of LOUIS COLLINS, a Mississippi John Hurt song.

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips songs with trad melodies?
From: Marion
Date: 01 Jul 08 - 01:40 AM

Thanks all. Of the songs mentioned, I'm especially interested in the one about Collie Wilkins - good tune, and such a simple but compelling statement of the story.

Marion

Subject: RE: Utah Phillips songs with trad melodies?
From: kendall
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 10:45 AM

His song ,Room for the poor has the same melody as Hank William's song, The first fall of snow.