Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 08:46 PM

G'day all,

I gather that the (~ 1948 ... ?) song "The Man Who Never Returned" (a 'parody' of the 19th century "The Ship That Never Returned" was a political song ... aimed at the Boston authorities who had doubled the price for their underground railway system by adding to the 10 cent ENTRY turnstiles a set of 10 cent EXIT turnstiles. 'Charley' set off with his 10 cents ... and couldn't get out at the other end.

There was a fuss when early "Folk Revival" groups recorded it as a 'folk song' - on the ground that it was political ...

... What isn't?

Regard(les)s,

Bob

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 05:16 PM

Unfortunately I don't really know the song, but surely this is rife for a parody of "Charlie on the M.T.A."

                        Did he ever return,
                        No he never returned
                        And his fate is still unlearn'd
                        He may ride forever
                        'neath the streets of Boston
                        He's the man who never returned.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Bert
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 05:06 PM

There are some items that were never meant to be owned like lighters and capos. You hold them for a while, then they travel on.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 04:56 PM

I think Mr. Rundgren did it because he was still young and gullible.
You know, when you're a kid you'll do anything anybody tells or asks you to do.
They don't teach you a damned thing about standing up for yourself in school.
You do what you're told or they'll beat you with a board.
(:-( ))=

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: GUEST,sturgeon
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 01:13 PM

I was down at the crossroads the other night and some dude (he stank somewhat of fire and brimstone) offered to lend me his guitar. I've never looked back and I'm keeping the guitar.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 01:11 PM

I lent the devil my soul. He still hasn't taught me to play concertina.

You just can't trust some dieties.

DtG

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: GUEST,999
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 12:50 PM

The nine-pound one?

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 12:45 PM

John Henry never returned my hammer!

RtS

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 05:30 AM

> The guy told Mr. Rundgren that he had a gig to play that evening and could he please borrow his guitar?

Figured that much. What it doesn't answer is why TR gave it to him! It's such an obvious con.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 03:31 AM

The guy told Mr.Rundgren that he had a gig to play that evening and could he please borrow his guitar? I don't loan things as a rule. Some punk kid and his thug pals wanted to borrow my phone Sunday. Gave me some B.S.
(:-( D)=sob story. I told him I didn't have one. They threw a big chunk of wood at me. Hit my truck. I ran after the bastards with a steel pipe in my hand.
I called the cops on the punks.They wanted to steal my phone.
(:-( P)=

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 12:07 AM

I lent a tent to a friend 35 years ago.

He's still got it in his garage and still keeps saying he'll return it one day. It's become a joke now.

But I've NEVER not had returned anything musical that I've lent out. I've lent guitars, amps, tuners, cords, straps and got them all back.

Last timne I was in Sakhalin for 5 weeks (I'm there again now) I lent my Martin to a friend of a friend who I didn't know. He was having an operation which would immobilise him for several weeks and decided to use the time off his feet to learn the guitar.

The day after I got back from Sak, unasked (and having not specifically told him I was back) his wife turned up with the guitar in perfect nick, new set of strings on it and a dozen bottles of assorted real ale as a "thank you" from him.

A few months ago I gave a spare string to a guy I didn't know who broke one at the Axminster Open Mic I go to. The next time I was there he gave me a whole set in return.

So my experiences are different to yours!

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: GUEST,David E.
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 08:17 PM

I never loan instruments except to my son. If someone wants an otherwise unavailable recording, I offer to make a copy. (No thread drift please.) I don't loan books unless I have two copies. Sometimes people are rude, sometimes just forgetful. Asking for the return of the item will let you know which they might be. My motto: Never loan anything you can't afford to lose. Good luck!

David E.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 08:09 PM

To a stranger on a bus?? Did he give any reason as to WHY he did such a weird thing?

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 05:34 PM

I remember an interview with Todd Rundgren. He loaned his Japanese acoustic to a stranger on the bus. Surprise!!!!!! He never saw either again.
(:-( 0)=

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: GUEST,indiana guest
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 04:27 PM

I once lent a 25 yr old Alvarez acoustic to a friend. We'd known each other for about 7 years, he stayed at our place all the time...etc. Then one day he shows up, asks to borrow this guitar (that he'd played many times) So, I lent it to him along with the only case I had. never gave it a second thought.

A few weeks later, another friend of ours called me to ask if I'd seen Steve (the borrower), with the warning, "Stay away from him if you do see him, he's hooked on coke again and has been acting shady"

I never saw him or my guitar again.
Not a Martin or Gibson, but the only halfway decent guitar I had at the time.. I've been lucky to have acquired much nicer guitars in the years since, but I still have a secret hope of finding the Alvarez someday

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 03:43 PM

My granddad lent his motorbike to T E Lawrence ...

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 01:34 PM

I lent the fiddler in our band one of those round-backed Neapolitan mandolins that I had hanging on the wall. The band band broke up soon after, and I forgot all about it. About two years later, he brought it back, and now, twenty years on, I've still got the damned thing hanging on the wall. It goes both ways.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 12:29 PM

Somewhere I've got an old mate's heavy metal distortion pedal
which he lent to a mutual friend who subsequently lent it to me..

This thread has jogged my memory sufficiently to think about it
for the first time in at least 15 years.

As it's nearly 2 decades since the initial lending,
I can only deduce it was such a rubbish sounding pedal
none of us cared enough for it to give a shit it ever existed...???

..and it's too hot now to be bothered rummaging through dusty boxes.
Maybe I'll look for it when the weather cools down......


On the other hand I now recall one of them has an amp of mine,
someone else has the pedal owners bass amp;
nobody remembers what happened to my 100watt combo after I moved away from home 30 odd years ago.
Anyone seen a black telecaster copy that went astray from a party in 1994,
and a red one that disapeared a few years later ?
..and anyone know who that 4x12 cab left in the back of the pub for years belongs to ?
Also while we're at it, that young singer borrowed the lead guitarists girlfriend
but left them with a baby, sort of fair exchange..???

Yep, life in provincial no hope bands can get a bit haphazard over time...

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: GUEST,999
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 09:33 AM

I once lent a flat pick (plectrum) to Charlie just before he rode the Metropolitan Transit Authority train. You know the rest.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: John P
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 09:20 AM

Being a musician has nothing to do with this. Some people don't return things: books, tools, money, etc. I deal with it by never loaning anything to anyone I haven't known and trusted for years.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Owen Woodson
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 08:46 AM

One of the Brehon laws, which were designed to bring peace and stability to ancient Ireland, prescribed a harsh penalty to anyone borrowing a harp key and not returning it.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Leadfingers
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 08:39 AM

My Stock Reply if any one at a session asked to play my D 35 has always been " IF you want to play a Martin at a session , then buy one!"

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: GUEST,Paul
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 07:43 AM

I read stories here all the time about the D 18's, J-45's, D'Angelico's, '59 Les Pauls you folks have loaned to acquaintances

Really? Can you point us towards these threads?

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 07:33 AM

1. I read stories here all the time about the D 18's, J-45's, D'Angelico's, '59 Les Pauls you folks have loaned to acquaintances.
2.I never saw them again.
They ran off.

3. And I do say no.
Just ask the punk kids who tried to mug me yesterday afternoon.
(:-( P)=

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 07:16 AM

Who in their right mind is going to loan out a wonderful old Gibson or Martin? And I still don't see an answer to "Have you tried asking for whatever it is, back?"

I'm not as unsympathetic as I probably sound. But this is a problem you actually have control over. You can always Just Say No.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 06:55 AM

I'm wanting to know about all those wonderful old Gibsons and Martins that got loaned and never made it back home.
I loaned out a guitar cord. Big deal......
(:-( ))=

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Leadfingers
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 06:51 AM

Sorry Henry , but if you loan something to someone you dont know , and let them take it away at the end of the session , what can WE do ??

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 06:37 AM

1. It's a screaming monkey's head.
2. They borrowed it at an open mic night.
(:-( D)=

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: BobKnight
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 06:29 AM

Have you tried asking for whatever it is, back?

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: GUEST,loki
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 06:10 AM

wot's that daft symbol at the bottom supposed to be???
Are you pregnant with a football?

Subject: Musicians Who Borrow And Never Return
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 05:24 AM

Why is it there are so many musicians ( or that's what THEY call themselves) who think it's ok to borrow instruments, amps, music books and accessories and keep them without ever returning them? What has someone borrowed from you and kept? What have you borrowed and kept? I think it's shameful.
It makes my blood boil.
I could just scream!
(:-( O)=