Favorite Art Thieme Songs

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 Jul 09 - 11:25 PM

Billy Vanero was a poem written by Eban Rexford---the same fellow who wrote "Silver Threads Among The Gold." Originally called "The Epic Ride Of Paul Venerez" it was printed, first, in Boys Life magazine. As a recitation of sorts, it moved west to the cattle trails and cow camps where the cowboys put it's tune to it. There were a few 78rpm records of it issued. My favorite recording of it was Arkansan, Glenn Ohrlin's---which gave me the idea of singing it. I put the A minor chord in it---and I feel it adds a nostalgia to it that fairly makes the song.

Art

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 Jul 09 - 11:27 PM

If that's true, I couldn't be more elated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep us posted.

Art

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Jul 09 - 11:41 PM

Me, too!! I love Craig's songs that you did, Art and, of course the WAY YOU did them!

olddude, there is more about Billy Venero HERE. Also, if you want copies of THESE, please let me know. Lots of old treasures on there!

I never could choose just one song by Art. I love them all.

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Mark Clark
Date: 02 Jul 09 - 12:29 AM

Don't know why I popped in here just now but I'm sure glad I did. I had never seen this thread either.

I was extremely fortunate in that I got to see Art on stage often enough that I was well aware how many times he told the same jokes and stories. But the great thing was, I never got tired of them even when I knew what the next line was going to be.

Art had a way with an audience and a way of presenting a song or story that let you know you were in the presence of the real deal. I've never given any thought to choosing a “favorite” song that Art did and if I did choose, I'm guessing my answer would be different every time I thought about it.

But I admire Art not only for his musicianship and stage manner (which he worked very hard to perfect) but also for his scholarship. Art always knows where a song comes from, how many ways it's been performed, the conditions under which it was written or simply evolved and values the song---in all it's permutations---far more than the accolades. It's that love of the song and of the story that has shone through Art's work all these many years.

Thank you Mr. Thieme.


      - Mark

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: olddude
Date: 02 Jul 09 - 08:24 AM

My beautiful daughters range in the ages of 26-31. They like most young people listen to modern music, rap and pretty much everything else. I sent them my version of "blue mountain" Katie wrote me and said "I love it daddy, but I still like the way Art Thieme does it better" LOL.   They listen to their music but on their Ipod lives, Art, and Frank, Jerry, and Kendall, and the list goes on and on. Because they grew up with the music and love it. You see you guys , this was your work, but more than that you left a legacy. One that will live on for generations. Ron Bankley told me once that you can never underestimate the power that music has on a person's life. All of you guys get a little embarrassed when we praise you too much, but you cannot know how many people you reached. In High School I was a rocker, that was the "cool" music. I grew up with country but rock was the thing. Then I heard a song that a neighbor was playing on his record player that was sung by a guy named "Frank Hamilton". Afterwords, I started listening to folk that was my music. You see you guys influenced me, you influenced my kids, when my grandson is born he will know the music and the generations go on. Jerry nailed it with his "handful of songs" that is what you Art and the other masters left us for our kids, grand kids and so on.

Your work was far more than work, you influenced new songwriters, taught new people the old songs, taught other musicians how to play them, showed us the correct way to pick or flail a banjo, how to phrase the old songs. This is what you and others have done. It left behind a legacy that others will follow for generations.

Thank you

Dan

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Elijah Browning
Date: 03 Aug 09 - 02:49 PM

I was in a room filled with Jehovah's Witnesses. They were talking about the recent funeral for Mayor Richard J. Daley. I was five-years-old at the time, and thought that I might take a stab at being both witty and topical.

"It's a good thing they laid him out face down so everyone could kiss him goodbye," I said. I had no idea what that meant. I just knew everybody laughed when Art said it.

I remember that heat creep up the back of my neck as the gray suited men stared down at me, slack-jawed in disbelief. That was the first bump on a very rocky road out of that religion.

One of his most controversial jokes and one of my favorites.

As for songs, I'd say "Hot Buttered Rum" sung in the winter of '79 at the No Exit, freezing or boiling deepending on whether or not the industrial heater hanging from the cieling had kicked in, sharing hot chocolate with Mom, the only Jehovah's Witness I knew who got his jokes.

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Rex
Date: 03 Aug 09 - 03:32 PM

I missed this the first time around. And yet no one has mentioned
"The Big Combine". I sure like that one and it is pure Art Thieme. Some of us make an effort to know a song's place in time. Art takes this idea further to know its actual place as well. I will always be grateful for Art introducing us all to "Cowboy's Barbara Allen". Were it not for him, that song would have vanished and no one would have known. Keep singing them Art!

Rex

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Amos
Date: 03 Aug 09 - 03:48 PM

Elijah, thanks for a great guffaw!! I can imagine what you felt like!!!


Art, I join in the fgeneral cacophony of gratitude and celebration, but I ain't naming no favorites because it is too long a list.


A

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 03 Aug 09 - 04:06 PM

Pokegama Bear, and Is Your Lights Gone Out. And the Robin Hood one.

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 03 Aug 09 - 11:13 PM

I'm amazed that you keep finding this thread and bringing it back. Thanks again for your support, and for favoring some of the songs that were the most transporting for me whenever I sang them. In my head I would see the action in vivid technicolor. In "The Big Combine" I think I got to know those fellows pretty well over the years. And the horses: Limp, and Dude, and Dolly---and Buster. Those were huge hitches of thirty or fifty horses pulling the combine through the wheat. It's a huge wonder that they didn't trample the grain all to hell. And the song was just filled with pride these fellows had in being good at what they did. There was a pride in doing a job well that isn't very evident in modern workplaces at all.
It is grand to know. Thanks again for telling me.

Art

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: DonMeixner
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 12:45 PM

I can't think of one I don't like.

Don

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Leadbelly
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 03:12 PM

That's exactly what I felt, Don, when listening to a lot of songs for the first time in my long life and some follow-ups recently. I cannot qoute for an absolute favorite because all of them are so good and some of them are really fascinating.
Many thanks again, Art,

Manfred from Germany

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: GUEST,Anita Best
Date: 05 Aug 09 - 02:44 PM

Thanks for the great story.
I was looking at an earlier thread of yours about Mrs. Annie Walters performing at Newport in 1965 and your correspondence with her daughter.If you get a moment, could you e-mail me. I'd love to chat with you about Mrs. Walters and the CDs you sent to her daughter, and the tapes she sent to you. I am working on a project about the (now mostly deceased) singers from this area of Newfoundland. [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 05 Aug 09 - 05:35 PM

Manfred,
I'm glad what I sent got there without being broken. It was my pleasure to do it.

Anita Best,
I will be in touch.

Art

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 02:20 AM

I guess I'd say "State of Illinois" is my favorite Art Thieme song, maybe because that't the one I'm listening to now.
Over the years, Bruce Kallick has been developing a Website called Art's Place. There are all sorts of Art Thieme treasures to explore there.
I just discovered a new one today - Art Thieme interviewed by Studs Terkel in 1990, a program that was never aired. Click here and then enter mudcat for both user name and password.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 09:30 PM

Joe, I grew up in Chicago, but then I moved to Illinois.
Thanks.

Art

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: BK Lick
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 11:29 PM

There's also this thread which I mentioned upthread -- prolly should be a link to it on the Art's Place page too.

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: GUEST,Larry
Date: 05 Mar 11 - 09:57 PM

If I remember correctly, there is a statement on the cover of "outright, Bold-Faced Lies" that the written-out music was available - does anyone know if it still is ?

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 06:28 PM

arry, Back when that album came out there was a TABLATURE book with all the songs done in tab. I believe Marsha Boardwell and John Roost worked it out from the album. But there was no sheet music done for those songs---only tablature.

That said, the label, Kicking Mule, was sold by Stephan Grossman and ED Denson to Fantasy Records. It was never issued on a CD. And those tab booklets are long gone.

Fantasy Records sold all of it's thousands of holdings to a whole other outfit.

I was never able to read tablature, or play from seeing it. I was told that Marsha and John did a good job.

Hoe this helps.
Sincerely,
Art

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: olddude
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 06:31 PM

Have a listen to Art doing Diamond Joe while you are searching
one of my favorites
diamond Joe

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Art Thieme
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 06:34 PM

That ought to read John ROOS (not Roost.)

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 09:23 AM

Thanks for putting up Diamond Joe, Dan. Art, that's a master class in how to sing a folk song!

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: olddude
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 10:04 AM

The big combine (casey jones)
Big Combine

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: olddude
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 10:11 AM

Billy Venero
Billy Venero
Santa Fe Trail

Santa Fe Trail

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: BK Lick
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 09:54 PM

Here's a link to another recording of Art talking about and singing Diamond Joe on a radio interview with Studs Terkel.
(BTW, the link to Art's Place in that post contains a typo.)

Subject: RE: Favorite Art Thieme Song
From: frogprince
Date: 10 Mar 11 - 10:28 PM

Haven't had a good chance to catch up with this for awhile. Somehow I got this far in life without ever hearing The Santa Fe Trail, or hearing Art sing it. Add it to my list of songs, and performances that strike me as just abolutely melt-down sweet.
Those Youtubes of Art "At the No Exit, Circa 1982" ? There's a real good chance they're from a night that I was in the audience. I was in an apartment less than two blocks away at the time.