What If Lonnie Donegan had not existed?

Subject: RE: What If Lonnie Donegan had not existed?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 09:26 PM

Why limit this to the UK? I still have several 45 rpms of Lonnie's and his first lp. issued in the country. In a couple of weeks I'll be jointly-leading a workshop on Folk music influences at the Getaway and one of the songs I'll do is Whoa Back Buck which I first heard by Lonnie. I could talk a long time about the influence that Lonnie had on my music. If you heard my music you might not make the connection, but at the heart of his music was rhythm, exuberance and humor. He was clearly having a lot of fun, not by making fun of or diminishing the music. If NOTHING else, folk music should be fun. Nobody could top Lonnie on that.

Subject: RE: What If Lonnie Donegan had not existed?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 08:17 PM

"Who had the biggest hit with Mr Tambourine man? Not the guy who wrote it!"

The Byrds had the biggest hit with Mr Tambourine Man. However, the original version of the song by "the guy who wrote it" considerably surpasses their version, in my opinion, as well as surpassing anyone else's cover of that song. That's just my own opinion, of course. Feel free to disagree with it all you want. Opinions are the spice of life, right? ;-)

Subject: RE: What If Lonnie Donegan had not existed?
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 07:09 PM

Donegan was one of the first British musicians to perform the music of Leadbelly. Donegan was a fine musician and, if he piggybacked on the shoulders of Leadbelly, so what? As far as the Kingston Trio and Burl Ives are concerned, Donegan's performances were alive, forceful and electrifying. And, of course, fashion passed him by, but he he was a great singer, guitarist and banjo player.

And let's not forget that it was the influence of Chris Barber - the first English guy to get people like Broonzy over here - that helped Donegan along his chosen path.

Subject: RE: What If Lonnie Donegan had not existed?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 06:58 PM

Lonnie Donegan was a banjo player in Chris Barner's Jazz Band, and more of a musician than a lot of people gave him credit for.
I can't really agree that the people you mention would have inspired as many people to take up guitar, as he did.
He made it look easier than it was, that's what made people think they could do it.
Yes he covered the hits of others, it was very common in those days, and many of the covers were a lot better than the originals anyway.
Who had the biggest hit with Mr Tambourine man? Not the guy who wrote it!

Subject: RE: What If Lonnie Donegan had not existed?
From: MikeofNorthumbria
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 06:50 PM

Tunesmith – to answer your question as to whether LD "had any positive and lasting impact on the UK folk music scene" would require a lengthy article, which I don't have time to write tonight. But please give some consideration to the following points.

1) There is ample testimony that LD's early records opened up the ears and minds of a great many people – directly to various kinds of American roots music , and indirectly to the roots music of their own home countries. Without this stimulus, the folk revival would certainly have been different – and it might not have happened at all.

2) More importantly, LD persuaded a great many people that music did not have to be a commercial product, churned out for them by the entertainment industry.    Thousands of them went out and bought instruments, learned how to play them, and started making their own music in their own way. This undoubtedly had a considerable impact on the development of the folk revival in the UK.

Perhaps if LD may had been run over by a bus in 1954, the course of musical history would not have changed all that much. Maybe someone else (Alexis Korner?) would have stepped in to fill the vacancy. Possibly the Kingston Trio (or Burl Ives?)would have sold a few million more records on this side of the pond. And perhaps the worthy efforts of Lloyd, MacColl, Seeger, Kennedy and the EFDSS would still have kick-started the folk scene of the 1960s, even if skiffle had never happened.   But personally, I doubt it.

Wassail!

Subject: RE: What If Lonnie Donegan had not existed?
From: RWilhelm
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 05:52 PM

We would have had to invent him.

Subject: What If Lonnie Donegan had not existed?
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 04:45 PM

I've always been underwhelmed by Lonnie Donegan! Well, actually that's not exactly true because I think I was a fan for a couple of weeks back in 1956.
Lonnie did get thousands of UK lads to take up the guitar back in the mid-50s but, if Lonnie hadn't existed, those same lads would have taken up the guitar as soon as Elvis, Buddy, Eddie etc appeared. And, as it happens, those lads - almost to a man - ditched
Lonnie in favour of Elvis, Buddy and friends as soon as they hit the charts.
And, let's not forget, that Lonnie dented - severely, the impact of The Kingston Trio in the UK with his cover versions of their U.S. hits.
Indeed, has he had any positive and lasting impact on the UK folk music scene at all? Well, no!