Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.

Subject: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 07:24 AM

I know two, Blackflies and Wild Goose. I figure Rick must know more and maybe some more of my Canadian brothers and sisters can join in the discussion.

I learned Blackflies from a Bill Staines album and Wild Goose From Rick's album Lifeline. (Thanks for including the chords in your liner notes, Rick.) Both are great and I figure old Wade must have written more songs and some may be as good.

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Click for obituary, January 2002

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From:
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 07:41 AM

The Log Driver's Waltz, I believe, is one of his. Nice song. The McGarrigle sisters of Quebec sing that one.

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From:
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 07:48 AM

Log Driver's Waltz
Thread on the song

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 09:18 AM

Oh! Then I know two of his songs and know of three of his songs! I never knew he wrote that one! Thanks George.

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Willie-O
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 09:27 AM

Personally, I think The Wild Goose should be the Canadian national anthem. (The Blackfly Song, of course, is already the national anthem of Northern Ontario).

Wade Hemsworth is not an extremely prolific songwriter, a few years ago a CBC TV documentary (I have it on tape) on him mentioned he had written exactly 17 songs. The documentary is a great piece of work, by the way, showing the story-boarding of the famous National Film Board animated short video of "Blackfly", and featuring the McGarrigles, Murray McLauchlan and other Canadian musicians who admire Wade Hemsworth. He's an old guy now, was an influential part of the folk music scene in Montreal in the 60's--but he's never been a full-time musician/songwriter.

A couple of other songs that are in circulation are "Foolish You", also recorded by the McGarrigle sisters on their first album, and "Girls of the Town".

Good news, Brett, there is a songbook cleverly entitled "The Songs of Wade Hemsworth" (all of them). Not sure where you can get it but it's relatively recent.

If you go searching for his name on the Net, you'll probably find some references to his son, Wade Hemsworth Jr., a journalist, as well.

Black Toby.

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 10:06 AM

I should have checked th DT first. It includes the following Hemsworth songs:

THE WILD GOOSE
WHITE WATER
THE LOG DRIVER'S WALTZ
THE LAND OF THE MUSKEG (and the shining birch tree)
THE I'M ALONE
THE FRANKLIN EXPEDITION
THE BLACKFLY SONG
THE BAD GIRL'S LAMENT

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From:
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 10:22 AM

See! Just what we've been telling the NEWBIES! 8-)

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 11:55 AM

Hi Brett. Thanks for appreciating "the chords" thing. I asked Sandy to have them included in the liner notes, and he painstakingly deciphered my scribblings. You wouldn't believe how many folks have written or e-mailed me about that. Just struck me as it would make it easier for folks to learn and sing the songs.

I met Wade for the first time about four years ago. He was an early hero of mine.

Rick

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Deckman
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 07:36 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 08:42 PM

Is Wade still numbered among the living? I thought he was an old timer (as in of the tradition like Larry Gorman).

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Art Thieme
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 02:28 AM

I recorded Wade's "Shining Birch Tree a while ago on my second album for Sandy called ON THE WILDERNESS ROAD". It's available as a cassette only now from Sandy Paton at Folk Legacy Records. I, personally, still have some of the vinyl LPs if anyone is interested in souvenirs from musical antiquity.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Art Thieme
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 03:11 AM

There is a beautiful book avaiable of ALL of Wade Hemsworth's songs. (And he made a CD recently too.) I personally prefer the original record Wade made for Folkways. It's still available from Smithsonian Folkways. In the old days it was a 10 inch LP album. Songs Of The North Woods was the title.

The book is called The Songs Of Wade Hemsworth and the compiler was Hugh Verrier. There are glorious woodcuts by Thoreau Macdonald throughout this book. It's from PENUMBRA PRESS (ISBN 0921254 10 5)Waterloo, Ontario.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Hollowfox
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 09:50 AM

Only 17 songs, eh? Let's hear it for quality over quantity. Thanks for the publisher's name, etc. Art. I tried getting this on interlibrary loan a few years ago, and there wasn't a library in the USA that would/could loan it out.

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 11:26 AM

Thanks to all. I will use some of these sources and see what I can dig up.

Art, once you mentioned the Shining Birch Tree I knew exactly what you were talking about. I have a copy of that on vinyl. Now all I need is a new needle. Soon I will have FOUR Hemsworth songs!

Sorry I didn't check in sooner but I've been away from my computer at a three day gig. I came home for supper, clean up, laundry, and bed. I managed to look at email and check the 'Cat briefly but mostly I just wanted to go to bed. I still feel like I could nap but that just may be my lazy side showing through.

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: GUEST,dick greenhaus
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 01:34 PM

Wade rexorded (I think) all of them for Folkways back in the late 1940's. You can order a custom CD (dubbed from the vinyl master) from CAMSCO, but it's cheaper to get directly from Smithsonian-Folkways.

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 01:37 PM

Bob Webb included Wade's "The I'm Alone" in his new (and very nice) CD Banks Trollers. At CAMSCO, of course.

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 01:47 PM

LOL! Thanks Dick! I need to be a little sharper about what I own, what my brother calls being 100% aware of your surroundings. I have a copy of Bob's CD. If I'd only looked closer I'd have recognized the Hemsworth song.

So, let's see, in the last two days I have gone from knowing and having access to two Hemsworth songs to having access to FIVE songs without buying anything or pirating anything!

I wonder what else I already have that I've always wanted.

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 02:42 PM

" I wonder what else I already have that I've always wanted."

Hi Brett....well, let's see...ya got your health (I think), ya got your folkie friends, Ya live in New England (I'd be there too if it weren't for your Health system) and ya got a few Wade fanatics....Doesn't get better than that!

Rick

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 03:01 PM

Yeah (cough, cough) I got my (hack, cough) health. And I have my folkie friends (sister: "Brett you have the weirdest friends!"). I live in Maine, recently listed as Number One on the list of high tax states. And I know a lot of people who love Wade Hemsworth songs.

You're right! It doesn't get any better than this. *GRIN*

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: MAG
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 04:01 PM

Maine: where it's it's cold for three months, and then there are nine months of winter BG (Dad's a Downeaster)

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Aug 01 - 04:40 PM

Ayuh, you got nine months of wintah and three months of hahd sledding.

Subject: RE: Looking for more Wade Hemsworth songs.
From: Art Thieme
Date: 08 Aug 01 - 10:50 PM

The tape I have of Wade's SONGS OF THE NORTH WOODS was one I made in 1959 from the 10 inch LP I took out of the Chicago Public Library----along with one by Tom Paley.

That tape has been transferred time after time from tape to tape to tape in order to save it. I still love to hear it with all of those long ago vinyl scratches and clicks and pops. It's like hearing time passing right there on the tape along with the music.

Art Thieme