Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,Tambourine
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 05:43 AM

The voice during the chorus?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: oldhippie
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 05:18 PM

Guest Nick Dow posted on 07Oct21 that it sounds like It's A Beautiful Day" One of the vocalists on that LP was named Pattie Santos. Could the voice on the recording be hers?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,PyschedOutStolas
Date: 02 Feb 22 - 07:37 PM

I've sent this song met with bewilderment by a few of the internet's resident pysch folk people. I contacted to contributors to the Acid Archives (for example) which covered private press between 1959-198x and they did not recognize it but were interested should we ever source the track. My thoughts are to whether this was on a very rare distribution, be it a promo/demo only or on something like a basement label. There was one called Golden Throats (irc) in Chicago but found no evidence of it there.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,Tambourine
Date: 02 Feb 22 - 06:27 AM

@Spleencringe

When you have time, please kindly further ask your psych-folk heads why they believe it's a hoax.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,BSP
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 03:16 PM

Hello, I am the poster of the youtube video. My channel is not monetized and I do not make any money from any of my youtube videos. I just wanted to make this very clear. My channel is strictly for entertainment purposes

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,Tambourine
Date: 01 Feb 22 - 11:57 AM

We can try ig... But expecting a response is usually a miss with famous folks.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: Helen
Date: 31 Jan 22 - 09:58 PM

Good research is based on facts and not just speculation and belief.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: Helen
Date: 31 Jan 22 - 09:25 PM

So you still haven't actually contacted Tommy Shaw personally to rule him out?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,PyschedOutStolas
Date: 31 Jan 22 - 07:59 PM

I think it's incredibly unlikely a Tommy Shaw demo would get played on airwaves in the 70s and then fade completely off the face of the earth as most of this type of stuff gets rerelease as bonus tracks these days.

Also here is that Tommy Shaw track played years later but clearly not the same song

https://youtu.be/NbqXw9aloao

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: Helen
Date: 31 Jan 22 - 05:06 PM

14 years old doesn't preclude the possibility of recording the song on a home multi-track tape recorder.

So you still haven't actually contacted Tommy Shaw personally to rule him out?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,PyschedOutStolas
Date: 31 Jan 22 - 04:30 PM

I shared this here first. I've posted here before as a guest and accidently shifed my name from pyschedout to pyschedup at some point. I've floated around this forum for years. I asked about the song Doodely Doo by Eddie Cantor and how it shares the same verses as a camp song. This song was on a tape with several other obscure songs. We identified the rest.


The cover you found is by a user of the server than looks for these songs we have recordings of but no info on. Several other posted songs on that channel are similarly covers of these mystery songs.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,Tambourine
Date: 31 Jan 22 - 04:09 PM

Helen, sorry but that 'guest' argument doesn't make sense... not everybody knows how to use this site properly. Besides that, that YouTube video that you think is 'spinning money' belongs to a member of the Discord server who has no affiliation with the song, and only uploaded the song to YouTube since the original uploader never put it on there.

The OP had a bunch of mystery songs before (some of which were sought-after for years), and there were plenty of people who doubted the authenticity of the recording... until years later when they were finally identified as authentic 60s-70s songs with very little online following (hence the obscurity).

Also, nobody said the song couldn't belong to Tommy Shaws. They just ruled out the "Coming Home" single... because he was literally 14 years old at the time of releasing it.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: Helen
Date: 24 Jan 22 - 03:47 PM

No one believes anything which appears on April Fool's Day - or do they? LOL

My suspicions on this thread began when the electronic version of the mystery song recording was revealed and also when I read the related Reddit thread where Tommy Shaw's name was first proposed. In the Reddit thread and this thread the two Guests - or maybe one Guest/two names - have sidestepped contacting Tommy Shaw to confirm or deny that the recording could be his. The two/or maybe one Guest(s) repeatedly played a little sidestepping manoeuvre between themselves to divert attention from actually contacting Tommy Shaw.

That's when I started to think that there is something in it for the Guest(s) to keep the mystery going for as long as possible on as many platforms as possible. That's why I suspect the YouTube videos may be a money spinning project. Or maybe it feeds a desire for attention. Who knows?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,Spleencringe
Date: 24 Jan 22 - 03:34 PM

I did a similar thing myself 10 years ago when I had a label. We released an album (on 1st April, naturally) that claimed to be a long lost recording of a band associated with a Christian hippy commune from the early 70s. It was actually written & recorded by Bristol songwriter James McKeown. Of course, we left enough clues to indicate we were not entirely serious...

Frugal Puritan

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: Helen
Date: 24 Jan 22 - 03:23 PM

I don't know Spleencringe, I think this whole thread makes me suspicious. I also have suspicions that the supposed two Guests who started the thread are possibly one and the same person.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,Spleencringe
Date: 24 Jan 22 - 03:19 PM

Hi Helen,yes we listened to the version purporting to be from a 70s tape. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it's a (fairly benign) hoax. Although not necessarily by the OP and their friends.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: Helen
Date: 24 Jan 22 - 12:50 PM

GUEST,Spleencringe, that's an interesting theory.

Just to be clear, are you listening to what is supposed to be the original recording from the radio station some time in the 70's from the link in the first post of this thread,         GUEST,PyschedUpStolas - PM
Date: 19 Aug 21 - 03:34 PM or a later link to a recently created electronic version of it which was posted further into this thread?

(The electronic version served no purpose that I could understand. It was just confusing the issue, in my opinion.)

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,Spleencringe
Date: 24 Jan 22 - 08:02 AM

When I played it to some friends who are big psych-folk heads, they really liked it but were not entirely convinced about the date - this was especially because of the synth-y stuff happening. How clear are you about the provenance of the tape? Do you know the person it came from well enough to be sure it was a genuine 1970s radio recording rather than something mocked up to sound like one?

One of the suggestions, if it is a later recording mocked up to sound older, is that it might be something to do with the mysterious Robyn Nice, the anonymous Chicago based loner folk artist who,since the late 90s, has released multiple recordings under a series of pseudonyms, with them often coming to light via unconventional routes.

More here:About Robyn Nice

And a Bandcamp page collecting some of his releases:Robyn Nice archive

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: Helen
Date: 22 Jan 22 - 05:11 PM

As an ex-librarian and an ex-teacher, it is a strong ethical, professional principle to not do other people's homework for them. If you want to know the answer, ask him yourself. If not, don't ask other people to do your homework for you, please. And don't keep skirting around a possible answer. Either it is or it isn't Tommy Shaw. Ask him yourself. I gave you his website link on Date: 22 Aug 21 - 03:54 PM.

I am beginning to suspect that maybe getting the answer is a secondary consideration. What the primary consideration is, I'm not sure. Maybe making money from hits on a YouTube video? The longer the mystery remains, the more the question can be asked and the more people view the video??? Tell me I'm wrong. I'll be happy to be told I'm wrong if that's not the case.

There's a common saying here in Oz and in the UK: either pee or get off the pot.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,PyschedOutStolas
Date: 22 Jan 22 - 03:48 PM

I guess someone could ask a Styx superfan page about that? I'm not sold on the connection but there is nothing to go on here. Unless it's a case of loner folk, I'm got no idea where to look anymore

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,James Phillips
Date: 15 Jan 22 - 10:30 AM

Timbre, not timber obviously lol.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,James Phillips
Date: 15 Jan 22 - 10:29 AM

I'm going with Tommy Shaw. Their voices have a very similar register and timber, going off some YouTube videos I watched of him singing live.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jan 22 - 08:32 PM

Bump.... this one is still unsolved. Any ideas at all who the singer could be..?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 28 Oct 21 - 02:07 PM

Any updates on this?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,PyschedUpStolas
Date: 25 Oct 21 - 10:42 PM

One of the things that bothers me the most is I can't place an accent to it. It's no Watersons nor Copper Family, and I think at times it sounds distinctly American, but it may not be. I also tend to think the British band Writing on the Wall sounds American. It reminds me both of West Coast American folk ala CSNY and of English folk

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 08 Oct 21 - 06:54 PM

Thanks. Wouldn't hurt to try reaching out to them, I guess.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 07 Oct 21 - 01:45 PM

Is UK magazine "Record Collector" still going...???

Seems the sort of thing they'd be interested in investigating...

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 07 Oct 21 - 01:42 PM

Sounds like the band 'It's a beautiful Day'. (White Bird)

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 07 Oct 21 - 12:52 PM

@Guest, Gallus Moll

We've contacted "Whispering" Bob Harris about a week ago. He never got back to us, even though he's fairly active on social media. I don't want to continue bothering him, so is there any other person you think could also be a potential lead?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 21 - 03:51 PM

Anything new?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 09 Sep 21 - 04:48 AM

Apologies if this has been suggested already, but 'Whispering' Bob Harris is exactly the radio DJ to have played this song, know the background? I remember hearing Strawbs and other alternative bands of that era on his late night show back in the '70s.
I think he has a facebook page? (after a quick look on google)

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,PyschedUpStolas
Date: 07 Sep 21 - 04:26 PM

Any contacts from the folk club era we could find on mudcat? How about the freak scene?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: Helen
Date: 22 Aug 21 - 03:54 PM

Tommy Shaw's website

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 22 Aug 21 - 08:50 AM

"The Vagabonds" likely ruled out. Got a reply from the contributor of the page.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,PyschedOutStolas
Date: 22 Aug 21 - 01:02 AM

@Helen @Guest
Fantastic work with a new lead and then working to rule it out... I know Chicago also had quite a few folk clubs. I'm sure there are some folks on mudcat who were involved. It is my hope eventually someone will show up.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 04:05 PM

Actually, I don't think it is "The Vagabonds". It features a saxophone in it + the band formed when Tommy Shaw was only 14 years of age.

https://eu.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2021/08/05/styxs-tommy-shaw-has-heart-full-music-and-montgomery/8071428002/

http://tommyshaw.net/wp/index.php/biography/

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 03:37 PM

I've contacted the contributor along with one of the members who do have it.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 03:35 PM

Helen,

Could this be it? A garage pop band, featuring a very young Tommy Shaw. They only released one single. Track B is called "Coming Home".

I cannot find any audio of the single on the Internet, so we will, unfortunately, have to resort to contacting those who do have it, which may or may not always work.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/5684340-The-Vagabonds-14

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: Helen
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 03:01 PM

On the reddit page which Guest linked to on 21 Aug 21 - 01:15 AM, one of the people mentioned was Tommy Shaw who was in the band Styx. I listened to Boat on the River (BOTR) which was released in 1979 and TS wrote the song and also was the vocalist.

The singer's voice and the musical style and arrangement seem to have similarities to the mystery song, although the most prominent instrument in BOTR is the mandolin and not guitar and piano. The lyrics are simple and uncomplicated, very much like the lyrics of the mystery song. I would say the same of the base melodies of each song. It's the arrangements and style which makes both songs more interesting, IMHO.

Styx were from Chicago. Tommy Shaw joined the band in 1976.

The song BOTR was a bit more laid-back than some of their other songs. I never bought any of their albums, but that song always stops me in my tracks whenever I hear it.

My theory is, that *if* the mystery song was written and performed by Tommy Shaw then it has a high probability that it was a demo tape created by him in the early to mid '70's before he joined Styx which would explain why it is not showing up on searches for tracks on albums.

According to Wiki he is still alive and kicking. Can anyone contact him and ask him?


Also, thanks LM-Harbor for the list of other songs on the cassette.

And I think that the cover version doesn't help, IMHO, in trying to identify the original version because I am sticking to my earlier assertion that the vocal and musical qualities and style of the track is more useful for pinning down the identity of the performer/s.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,PyshcedOutStolas
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 12:37 PM

@PFR
I'd love to find the source of this. The idea that an acid folk band with a song like this exists and I haven't heard is exciting.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 11:40 AM

There is also that one instrumental track which was later identified on WatZatSong.com as "Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Spittin’ Image"

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 11:28 AM

These are some of the tracks which the OP asked for help in identifying. The names on the left (before the colon) are the unofficial titles we've given to these tracks before they got solved. We have the recording for each song, but I don't know where to upload them.

First Stone in a Pyramid: Gabriel Bondage - First Stone in a Pyramid
Won't Matter in a Hundred Years: Gabriel Bondage - You And The Wind
Bird of Paradise: Free Hot Lunch - Bird of Paradise
Fly Away: Henry Gross - Fly Away
State of our Union: Mariah - Reunion
Leavin' Idaho: Allen Dobb - Leavin' Idaho
Wide Eyed: Allen Dobb - Watkin's Man
Ladies & Gentlemen: Gabriel Bondage - Ladies And Gentlemen
Under Your Wings: Rare Bird - Bird On a Wing
Open Spaces: Xit - Beginning / At Peace
The Fishes: Unsolved

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 11:26 AM

.. at least it survived...

..unlike too many vintage recordings and movies carelessly lost through incompetent storage, or deliberately destroyed...

Btw.. I'm particularly keen on newly discovered 'lost' album releases...

eg.. I'm very happy the Rare Bird Live concert has finally arrived on official CD...

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,PyschedUpStolas
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 11:08 AM

Demo, Private Press, Tax Scam... all we know for sure is it's remarkably obscure and was played in Chicago. I went through Illinois private press lists on discogs and didn't find it. I went through the acid archives and did not as well.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 10:55 AM

I've not listened too forensically on my small laptop speakers..

.. If this track was taped off a radio broadcast,
could there be a possibility it was a special session recording for the radio station,
and not a track supplied on disc or tape by a record lable...???

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 10:35 AM

No worries. It's fine. Yeah, it is an excellent cover of the song, but ultimately, it is just that: a modern cover. Although, as I mentioned before, there is a chance that we are missing the intro to the song, as I think it is unlikely the song would start with such abrupt singing.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 10:27 AM

Looks like it's my screw-up. Sorry about that.

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,LM-Harbor
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 10:22 AM

LM-Harbor

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 10:20 AM

@ GUEST Date: 21 Aug 21 - 10:07 AM

Who are you?

Subject: RE: Origins: Mystery Song Recording, Sixties or 70s
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Aug 21 - 10:07 AM

GUEST,#

I'm a bit confused. Why are you taking someone's cover of the song into account? That's not the sped-up version of our mystery song. That's someone's cover of the song with an extended INTRO as a bonus.