Ever smilin' ever gentle - John Hartford

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: Clifton53
Date: 12 May 00 - 09:21 PM

Anyone remember?

" Make my bed, with a crease in the middle,

Well I wrote this song, with a vamp in the middle,

Play fiddle play all night long I hear you screamin at me, way far away in the yard"

Very old John Hartford, these are a few pieces I recall. Anyone know the album it was on? The song is called, I think, "Vamp in the Middle". Not positive on that.

Clifton53

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: simon-pierre
Date: 12 May 00 - 07:12 PM

I would like to thanks you folks here for your knoweldge and love of folk music. I've never heard about John Hartford before this thread (excuse my ignorance, but I'm little far from these great things) and now I'm listening to the album «Retrograss» (with David Grisman and Mike Seeger) - the only one availble at my record store - and I love it! I didn't know it, but that's what I was looking for!

SP

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: northfolk/al cholger
Date: 04 May 00 - 07:00 PM

I've had the pleasure of seeing John Hartford many times, and that inspired me to take a long weekend trip on the Julia Belle Swain. I wasn't too fortunate on that trip...got to hear a lot of college students, do perfunctory "folk songs", and other riverboat skits.

But John did a show in a small church hall in northeastern michigan, in front of a crowd of less than 200. It was one of the nights I will never forget. The people in the audience were for the most part not diehard folk music fans, but as the night went on a palpable connection between the musicians and the audience developed. By the time the show was over, the chairs were pushed against the walls, and Hartford, fiddle in hand was playing and do si do'ing up a storm. (I square danced with some people that I thought would never let their hair down that far.)

It's a shame that too much music happens in big venues, for big money...but that is one of the differences that makes folk music that much more enjoyable to me.

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 04 May 00 - 06:26 PM

I have had the privilege of working with John on many occasions, and I can certainly second everything that Art has to say about him. Some of the 'catters who are looking for that particular old-time clunky sound on the banjo should visit the Deering Banjos site and check out the JOHN HARTFORD model, with the special wooden tone ring!

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 00 - 12:50 PM

"Captain Way, I'm sorry, my hat is off to you. You been hangin' out by the ol' cookstove, and the Steamboat Whistle Blues"....

And my hat is off to you Art,

Mac

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 May 00 - 11:13 AM

Right now I am looking up on the wall above my desk. There is a photo I took, in a frame there, of the lower half of the back of one of John's fiddles. It's a beautiful fiddle that was lovingly made for him by a fan and friend. A multicolored, inlaid wooden riverboat is pictured there. Below and around the bottom half of the picture are these words from John's mentor, Captain Fred Way: "NOTHING IS REAL BUT THE RIVER AND ALL ELSE IS SHAM".

All around the sides of the fiddle are the words:"EVER SMILIN' EVER GENTLE ON MY MIND".

The tuning stock is the carved figure of John wearing his nearly ever-present derby.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 00 - 11:00 AM

I started out to be a Tow Boatin' man
but I never got the hang of a rachet bar..
I was growin' up a deckhand in the Illinois trade,
with coal dust in my ear.

Got stuck in the ice on Christmas Eve,
and I froze my ass it's true.
Shiverin' and a shakin' with a down south case
of those Steamboat Whistle Blues......

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 May 00 - 10:59 AM

Mac,

You are correct, sir. I really think that John is a musical genius. I've been able to watch him out on his (and my) beloved rivers over a bunch of years and most of the time, at least four fifths of the audience wasn't *his* audience---they were folks who had never heard of John Hartford and were just taking an excursion for a couple of days. But they rarely, if ever, left his shows for the comfort of sunny days on deck in a lounge chair. (Conversely, I often had to swallow my pride and be content to do my shows to an empty room and have the folks out on deck hear me through a stupid little 3-inch speaker.) You're makin' me want to give him a call right now to see how he's been feeling lately. I know he's been on tour more with a band (friends) as he has been ill in rectnt times. If any of you get to be around John, please give him and Marie my fondest regards and good wishes.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: Wesley S
Date: 04 May 00 - 10:12 AM

I just got my turntable working again and relistened to Aeroplain after many years. Great stuff - and it holds up well over the years. John was the best reason to watch the old Glen Campbell show.

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 May 00 - 11:45 PM

Say, Mac - have you ever been to http://www.johnhartford.com? I think you'll enjoy it.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 May 00 - 11:43 PM

ART THIEME....damn typos....Sorry Art.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 May 00 - 11:42 PM

Nice words Mac....and I think you'll find that a few 'Catters know him and that Art Yhieme worked with him and they've known each other a long time. Art played the 'Swain when John worked as a pilot...right Art?

I'm sure Art will pass through here with a tale or two.

Spaw

Subject: Ever smilin' ever gentle
From: mactheturk
Date: 03 May 00 - 11:27 PM

I've been a John Hartford fan since 1968, that's when I first heard "Gentle On My Mind". Over the years I've enjoyed his music, seen him perform a time or two and have even tried to imitate his sound(without much luck).

Many loved ones, both living and passed on, remain gentle on my mind.

I hope that Mr. Hartford, and other artists like him, realize the importance of their good work.

Mac