Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2

Subject: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: Leadfingers
Date: 09 Dec 09 - 04:28 PM

Fascinating stuff EXCEPT Billy Bragg saying that Donovan was a Major Influence in the Folk Revival . Any other Comments ?

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: peregrina
Date: 09 Dec 09 - 05:12 PM

great stuff but would have been nice to have more archival footage of Pete himself singing his songs, and other songs, himself and with others, at various times. Sure, the Springsteen stuff gets people jumping, but there's plenty of Pete to play too.

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 09 Dec 09 - 05:21 PM

Why do they (the BBC) always drag out tame leftie Billy Bragg for programmes such as this. There are far more knowledgeable people around who could do the job.
I was once unfortunate enough to see part of a programme where the bard of Barking sang Woody Guthrie songs to which Woody hadn't put any music. I found it quite amusing when he sang a well known song that pre-dated Woody to a tune that he - Bragg had composed himself.

As for Donovan what has his 1960s pop song noodling got to do with folk music?

Well, you did ask for comments

Hoot

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 09 Dec 09 - 05:54 PM

Billy Bragg? TAME leftie? :-)
Derek

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: Folknacious
Date: 09 Dec 09 - 06:20 PM

The Young Folk doing Pete Seeger hits were struggling with the limp datedness of some of the songs in this day and age, though Jim Moray was genius on Turn Turn Turn and Jackie Oates & Alaistair Roberts got as much as you can out of Where Have All The Flowers Gone.

I thought Billy Bragg was pretty good considering he was tiny when a lot of that was going on: you have to bear in mind that Donovan has an ego the size of a planet, I once heard him on radio or TV claiming that he influenced Dylan and not the other way round, so the 60s info probably came from him! And re Billy Bragg putting tunes to Woody Guthrie words, remember it was Woody's daughter Nora who invited him, he didn't just muscle in. I think he's a good bloke with his heart in the right place. Rather him than Mike Harding.

So Pete Seeger finally admitted the axe story was sort-of-true after all! Interesting to hear the story behind Waist Deep In The Big Muddy and the TV show - thought they might play a bit of Dick Gaughan's classic version..

As for Springsteen: over-rated.

All in all though, it's the sort of thing our licence fees rarely get used for. Now, about that Carthy/Watersons season on BBC4 TV . . .

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 07:12 AM

Ok Derek, poor choice of word, should have been pet leftie.

Hoot

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 07:18 AM

I found it puzzling that when Pete Seeger responded to the Un-American Activities committee under the terms of the First Amendment to the Constitution which, from what I can gather, guarantees the right to freedom of association etc., he was still found guilty of "contempt of court". Perhaps one of our American friends can explain the judges decision.

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 07:31 AM

Un-American Activities Committee? What's that?

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 07:36 AM

Un-American Activities Committee

Have you never heard of Google????

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 08:18 AM

Folknacious, don't you listen ? Pete said ' IF ' he had an axe, which he didn't.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: MikeofNorthumbria
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 09:26 AM

While enjoying last night's Radio 2 broadcast of Springsteen's "Seeger Sessions" concert, I was puzzled to hear a sort of moaning sound coming from the audience on several occasions. Were some of them actually booing the Boss? And if so, why? He was giving an excellent performance,albeit in his own distinctive style.

Admittedly, that style is not to everyone's taste - but surely people who dislike it can arrange to be elsewhere when he's playing? Why turn up just to bellow disapproval?

Were they Folk purists who objected to some of his more elaborate arrangements? Or was there a political agenda lurking in the background? I heard no shouts of "Judas!", or any other insults which might explain this apparent hostility.

Could that strange mooing noise be a new way of expressing audience appreciation which has escaped my notice until now? Or was it all a hallucination? Nurse ...where's my medication?

Wassail!

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 10:23 AM

I was caught off by that in the birthday show here, and then I realized/was told it was fans going "Bruuuuuce" in a way known to be typical to such fans.

HUAC was not a court, but congressional hearings, so the conclusion was "contempt of congress", something that is not necessarily such a burning charge...

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 10:33 AM

As his sister suggested, he could just about get a stone to sing!

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: GUEST,BanjoRay
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 10:54 AM

I've heard this "Bruuuuuce" story before. I think it's a folk tale put about to make you think people weren't booing Springsteen, which I'm certain they were - the whole concert was a dreadful thing to do to Pete Seeger's songs, and if I'd been there, I'd have booed as well.
What there wasn't enough of in the evening was Pete's wonderful banjo playing, and singing of good old folk songs. His touch on the banjo was world class, and inspired me and many others to take it up, and should have been more featured.
Ray

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: breezy
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 01:02 PM

What would be worth seeing again would be Pete Seeger's appearances on Sunday night at the London Palladium when he sang 'We Shall Overcome'

he appeared twice as far as I can recall

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 01:09 PM

I enjoyed the programme, but couldn't help but think that I've never heard our BBC present anything on the Amerindians/Native Americans/First Nations who are fighting, against perhaps even greater odds, to maintain their cultural heritage..? There are a couple of such groups on my myspace Top Friends, if anyone would care to check.

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: Mavis Enderby
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 03:02 PM

Ray, it's obvious you don't share this view, but firstly they are shouting "Bruuuce" and not booing, and secondly Springsteen has brought Pete Seegers songs to a wider audience and may in turn inspire others to play them. Pretty much like Pete Seeger did with you?

Pete.

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 11 Dec 09 - 05:39 AM

Another thing the BBC should look at is why they also had past Young Folk Award winners, form here, performing Pete Seeger's AMERICAN songs...why not let Americans be Americans? There's more on this here.

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: Folknacious
Date: 11 Dec 09 - 05:58 AM

Mostly YFA non-winners actually. Yes, I thought they were rather demeaned by being required to play such inane material largely designed for American 60s kiddywinkies in summer camps. All made of "ticky tacky" indeed. Only the Oates siblings really came out of it with honour, and Doug's one didn't have words written by the old Petester. Next week, Chris Wood sings "Puff The Magic Dragon" and Eliza gets her teeth into "A Might Wind" . . .

Subject: RE: Pete Seeger Evening on BBC Radio 2
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 11 Dec 09 - 10:03 AM

I can explain the booing sound at the Springsteen circus. It was almost certainly the ghosts of my numerous ancestors that were baptised buried and sent on their merry way in that studio when it was a church. Like me they didn't enjoy amplified street busking either.

Hoot