Bob Gibson, new book

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 11:55 PM

Well, I was wrong. The song "Butternut Hill" IS on the G. & C. At The Gate Of Horn CD. I guess, this being the new millenium, they decided we were enlightened enough to be able to take a little joke.

Art

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Art Thieme
Date: 02 Jan 02 - 02:44 PM

Try

www.folkera.com

That should get you the one that has the CD I suspect. The higher price probably indicates the CD is included.

COLLECTORS CHOICE MUSIC is selling the BOB GIBSON AND BOB CAMP LIVE AT THE GATE OF HORN in their current catalogue and from their website

www.collectorschoicemusic.com.

They also have the best cabaret era LP Bob ever made (just my opinion) on CD: BOB GIBSON--WHERE I'M BOUND (Bob Gibson And His 12-string Guitar). It ain't trad like his earlier albums, but it's still great Gibson after he went through some heavy changes.

The later re-creation of the G. and C. At The Gate Of Horn LP that Folk Era issued was done in the 80s at Holstein's in Chicago and was not as good as the original by a long shot. It did contain a few songs not on the original. (ONE SONG from the Original LP on Elektra Records was left off the CD after a lawsuit forced a re-issue of said LP minus the song "Butternut Hill". It was an unfunny anti-gay joke(?) song about a local TV car salesman's singer-sister who, in the 50s, was joked about in Chicago.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Jan 02 - 03:16 AM

Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have the book listed. In both cases, the author is listed as Carole Bender and Bob Gibson. Neither book mentions a CD. The Amazon book is $29.95 and is the earlier publication. The Barnes & Noble is $ 15.00 and was published by Pelican in July of this year. Hope this helps. Bob

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 11:13 PM

Bob, Do you recall if this is by Carole Bender with Bob Gibson? And was the companion CD mentioned? Mr. G. does a great in-concert version of "No More Cane On The Brazos" that made whatever price they charge doable.

art

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 09:58 PM

At Barnes and Noble, I just found "I come For To Sing", published July of 2001 by Pelican, priced @ $15. Bob

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 03:24 PM

Art, I was e-mailed about this book by a friend in Califonia. She claimed the book was by Pelican, but you do have the author right. So maybe this book is not new, just unknown out here in the hinterlands! Bob

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 02:32 PM

Bob & Jo & Frank Hamilton (I think) did some trio stuff for a bit in Chicago---but there were tons of nights when the only reason there was an audience was because we'd listen to ANYTHING Bob did. If it was Gibson, it was great. We'd remember those early years and, when he'd hit his 12-string or banjo, we were enthralled all over again. We'd stay until 4:00 AM and in the morning it was (as I'm fond of sying) day-job vu all over again.

Rick, I suspect that the set you heard was impromptu and there had been no rehersal at all---maybe for several years. Jo had been there to kisten I'd bet, and come up from the audience. I doubt/hope it was never issued on a record.

Too many keep going past the point where what we do is something to be proud of. I'd never want to become a bad parody of myself. I owe that to the songs I've found over the years.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 01:39 PM

Wow! Perhaps one of you can clear up a mystery for me. I have a generic cassette given to me by a friend many years ago that has Bob playing at a (folk?) nite club in Chicago. He's in friendly mode and keeps asking the bartender to replenish him. He talks about a new album called "Funky in the Country"...has someone (maybe Paul Butterfield) join him on harp (and then proceeds to do a song with LOTS of chords in an odd key) and is finally joined by Jo Mapes for a really loose (and at times painful) rendition of a song they wrote together. He talks about Hamid (Hamilton Camp) being snowed in and not able to join him that night.

Does this sound familiar? Is it from a live album or something? I still listen to it. He's pretty pissed, but his odd style (almost archaic by that time) really comes through.

Cheers for the New Year guys.

Rick

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 01:09 PM

Nice to see this---but on Pellican you say???

A book by Bob and Carole Bender was issued with this title, I COME FOR TO SING, by Kingston Corner, Inc. (A Folk Era Book) out of Naperville, Illinois in 1999. It was o.k. as far as it went. But much was missed. I was mailed a requst for an essay on Bob and I sent that back. It was short and in no detail since I was recovering from one surgery or another during that stretch. But I've thought there should've been a few personal interviews where we could talk to Ms Bender off the cuff--and on the record.

Bob was an old friend and a huge musical influence on this ol' folksinger. (See the liner notes to my CD, "The Older I Get The Better I Was" for some of it.)

Best part of the book was that it came with a great CD that had some tracks recorded at Mother Blues (Lorraine Blue's folk nightclub at 1305 North Wells St. in Chicago). Bob and Paul Butterfield were jammin' late one Saturday night on Sleepy John Estes' "Goin' Down To Brownsville". Most of that tape was great but useless 'cause Gibson was too falling-down-drunk (or whatever) to even tune his 12-string---but that jam was pretty great nonetheless. Jeff Chenard(sp.?) made those tapes and I had a copy for a long time -- but somehow, it's gone now. ----- Bob is gone now too and it's nice to have this book. (Might be I just gave the reel o' tape away because it was too sad to hear how far down Bob had gone from the days in the 1950's when he a young man with a banjo and an absolutely HUGE following at Albert Grossman's GATE OF HORN.

If this new one is another book, I'll be looking forward to it too. And I hope it comes with that CD !!!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 11:28 AM

Hi Rick. I met him several times in the fifties and again a few times in the sixties. I didn't know him well, but he sure had a strong influence on me. And all the impact was not necessarily positive or just about music. I've heard that this book is very good. I've also heard that it's brutually honest and somewhat painful at times. I think his greatest positive impact on me was watching his performance style up close ... very charismatic. He was in Seattle area frequantly in the early years. Stories here are told of how he and brother would walk into small taverns. His brother would unplug the juke box and Bob would start singing songs with his banjo and the four chords he knew then. Usually about half way into the first song, the patrons would start to holler on him and try to plug the juke box in again. He told me once that that was how he learned to control an audience and also how to run like HELL!. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 11:05 AM

Can't wait to read it. I never met him, but from talking to those who knew him...he sounded fascinating.

...And of course he was that 'transition guy' melody and chord wise. He used diminished, augmenteds, circle of fives, the three chord etc. I'd put him up there with the Beatles as far as showing more complex ways to harmonize songs.

Rick

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 04:05 AM

Gee Don ... I hope that no one notices the hours we keep! Bob

Subject: RE: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Don Firth
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 03:32 AM

Just ordered it this afternoon. Should get it within five days.

Don Firth

Subject: Bob Gibson, new book
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 03:29 AM

A friend just contacted me about a new book about the life of Bob Gibson. It is titled "I Come For To Sing," and is published by Pelican. Has anyone read it yet? She says that it quite good!. Bob