Any John Gorka fans out there?

Subject: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From:
Date: 03 May 00 - 06:48 PM

In the early - mid l990's John Gorka was an ascending star of the US folk scene. I have not heard about him in 4-5 years. Can anybody fill me in?

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Allan C.
Date: 03 May 00 - 06:56 PM

He had a song called "Thorny Patch" which was making the singer/songwriter (now called "folk" by some) radio stations. I bought the CD it appears on because I really liked something about that song. For me, the one song was about the only redeeming thing about the CD. I have been told that Gorka has a sort of "downer" tone to his repertoire. This CD kept up that image, in my opinion.

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Stewie
Date: 03 May 00 - 07:23 PM

You could start here. I had a better site, which I thought I had bookmarked, but alas not.

Click Here

Search engines like dogpile and altavista will give you lots of links.

I have most of his CDs. I love the first three, but find the later ones to be a bit curate's eggish.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Margaret V
Date: 03 May 00 - 07:40 PM

"Land of the Bottom Line" and "Jack's Crows" have some really beautiful, powerful songs on them that made me listen to the tapes over and over and over again. But I found "Temporary Road" less interesting, and after I heard "Out of the Valley" I guess I kind of gave up hope. Haven't heard anything by him since then. But I still love to sing several of his earlier songs, especially "Love is Our Cross to Bear" and "Houses in the Field."

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Margaret V
Date: 03 May 00 - 07:44 PM

Sorry, that should have said "Houses in the Fields," not "Field."

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From:
Date: 03 May 00 - 08:24 PM

Thanks for replying to my inquiry about J. Gorka and the review of Richard Shindell. I just found this newsgroup and am enjoying the variety and the quality of participation. -- Harold from Hawthorne

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Paul G.
Date: 03 May 00 - 08:35 PM

Gorka's most recent recording "After Yesterday" is quite a bit more upbeat than his earlier stuff -- most of it being written during his wife's pregnancy and after the birth of his son -- some very good stuff, some not.

pg

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 May 00 - 09:06 PM

Never heard of him - but I've just been listening to him singing a Stan Rogers song on the Mudcat Radio, and he's all right!

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Margaret V
Date: 03 May 00 - 09:58 PM

Hey, Harold, you're welcome, and welcome on board! Shall we assume you mean Hawthorne, NY?

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Peg
Date: 04 May 00 - 11:56 AM

i like some of his earlier songs alot, especially "Raven in the Storm" (co-written with Geoff Bartley)

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Wesley S
Date: 04 May 00 - 12:09 PM

He's still touring - he was just through here { Texas } about a month ago. He pokes fun at his downer persona. I've enjoyed his dry wit in concert.

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 04 May 00 - 12:22 PM

No body writes songs like Johnny G... his turn of phrase is simply wonderful!

I wish FlemTam would spread him around a little more.. I'd love to see him live...

{~`

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From:
Date: 04 May 00 - 11:24 PM

Hey, thanx for the support. It's Hawthorne NJ--nice little town 20 mi. N of NYC.

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From:
Date: 04 May 00 - 11:27 PM

Well, thanks for a response. I and my folk gang have seen him 2wice in concert in early 90's. He was a knockout. Like to see him again.

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 05 May 00 - 12:11 AM

I just got "Temporary Road" and I think he's great. In fact I like everything I've heard by him. I'm surprised so many people seem to think less of him. . .Oh well.

Writing really good songs is tough. He just seems to make it seem so easy. I admire that.

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: momnopp
Date: 05 May 00 - 01:53 PM

I actually learned about him in a blurb from BMG music when I used to get CDs from them - they were promoting his then-new CD called something like "From 5 to 7" (in reference to the number of dreams one typically has during a "normal" night's sleep). I like some tunes on it and others are marginal (I don't have it handy). But my favorite is "Always Going Home" from the "Out of the Valley" tape - I think EVERYONE has someone like that character in their lives. . .

I saw him at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA a couple of years ago - he was a lot of fun.

JudyO

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Wesley S
Date: 05 May 00 - 02:51 PM

Judy O - Not to dispute your explanation of the title for "Between 5 and 7 " but when we saw him in concert he made a joke out of that CD being his 6th, so it was between 5 and 7. My guess is both stories are correct.

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 04:14 PM

www.johngorka.com

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: GLoux
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 04:41 PM

I saw him at the Philadelphia Folk Festival last August (2003). He was wonderful. In referring to what is going on in Iraq while introducing his next song, he said the timing for this (his next song) seems about right, and sang Let Them In to a hushed crowd that really got it. A truly magical moment...

-Greg

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 13 Apr 04 - 04:59 PM

Wow.... refreshed after 4 years...

I almost shudder to imagine how much space the Message Board archive must eat...

Hopefully there's a filter built in somewhere and not everything is kept....

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 30 May 05 - 08:05 AM

I think this guy's great! I've just been listening to some sample tracks from his "Old Future's Gone" album on Amazon. Sounds terrific!!
p.s. I already have a number of his albums!

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: GUEST,celtaddict at work
Date: 30 May 05 - 09:41 AM

I have to admire anyone who started a song with
"The cows in the mooyard are making their plans
For the long winter nights and the cold . . . winter hands."

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 30 May 05 - 12:08 PM

or

"When her sweet summer love had turned and gone
He put a big time, Moses lonesome on"

I don't even know what that means, but it sure sounds like it sucks!

LOL

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Sep 05 - 02:18 AM

Do any of you have the lyrics to his War Makes War?"

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: Steve-o
Date: 23 Sep 05 - 01:27 PM

My little old-timey group frequently sings his "Jailbirds", a great song with some of his most "perfect" turns of phrases....like, "his face was waiting for a number, his fate was aching to be sealed". Very fine songwriter.

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 23 Sep 05 - 03:40 PM

Been a fan of his music ever since a I saw a very out-of-place music video of his "Houses in the Fields" on Country Music Television, in the early '90s, and thought "wow, this sure doesn't belong on CMT but he's wonderful!"

But I became a fan of the man himself when I was catering the Kate Wolf Festival a few years ago. The festival director insisted on introducing me to JG (the Major Act for the day) because I was such a fan; this is something I find mortifying in the extreme because I never know what to say and neither do they. He seemed nice enough; commented on how pretty it was out where the festival was (on a farm about 60 miles from San Francisco), how good the vibe was, and how he wished he could come back for the rest of the weekend but he had a show to do in SF that night...OK, yeah yeah, all normal make-nice stuff anyone would say who was on the spot and talking to a nameless fan.

But, the next morning as I was taking bagels out to the backstage area at about 8am, who should say hello but John Gorka, who actually HAD come back the next day to enjoy the festival (and remembered me, bnut that's not the point)! I have never once seen a headline act go so far out of his way (120 miles) or get up so early just to hear other people perform.

Now I am a huge fan of the man himself AND a huge fan of his music.

Claire

Subject: Lyr Add: I SAW A STRANGER WITH YOUR HAIR (J Gorka)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Sep 05 - 09:49 PM

Here's one I like:

I SAW A STRANGER WITH YOUR HAIR
(John Gorka)

I saw a stranger with your hair,
Tried to make her give it back
So I could send it off to you,
Maybe Federal Express,
'Cause I know you'd miss it.
I saw another with your eyes.
The flash just turned my head.
I went to try them on for size,
But they looked the other way,
And they wouldn't listen.

CHORUS: But you're never hard to find in a crowd,
People around you smiling out loud.
Their feet don't touch the ground.
No, their feet don't touch the ground.
No, their feet don't touch the ground.

I heard a stranger with your voice.
It took me by surprise.
Again, I found it wasn't you,
Just an angel in disguise,
In for a visit.
By the way, how is my heart?
I haven't seen it since you left.
I'm almost sure it followed you.
Will you sometime send it back?
I'll buy the ticket. CHORUS

I saw a stranger with your hair.
I saw another with your eyes.
I heard an angel with your voice.
By the way, how is my heart?
By the way, how is my heart?

[Sung by John Gorka on his album "I Know," Red House #18, 1987. You can hear an archived radio program containing this song by going to Minnesota Public Radio's Morning Show and clicking on "Listen to the show" under "Wednesday, January 12, 2005." The song begins 9 minutes and 24 seconds from the beginning of the program. (RealPlayer lets you skip right to it.) John Gorka was a guest on this program so you can hear him chat with Dale Connelly, the host.]

John Gorka's web site: http://www.johngorka.com/

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: jimmyt
Date: 24 Sep 05 - 08:44 PM

we do his song, "Let them In, Peter" which is very very evocative. I think he is very talented

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: GUEST,binky
Date: 09 Oct 11 - 07:02 PM

Someone lent a friend of mine a john gorka cd and we listened to it one evening. We found his lyrics laughably insipid to the point that after a short while we made up the game "guess john gorka's next rhyme". I don't know why anybody would bother with him but to each his own as is said.

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 03:57 AM

John's lyrics can seem forced and a bit obvious at times but we ( The John Gorka Appreciation Society members ) forgive for that, because even dodgy lyrics - when sung by John - sound marvelous.
And if you're talking great voices, then John's got to right up there with the best.
To quote the old cliche, if John were to release an album of himself singing "the telephone directory" then I'd buy it!

Subject: RE: Any John Gorka fans out there?
From: GUEST,Azoic
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 04:01 AM

Yes,I am a fan.JG is a very talented singer/songwriter.