Susan Reed - Available Recordings

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 28 Apr 11 - 03:09 PM

THE HARVARD CRIMSON October 23, 1947
Susan Reed Peers Over Zither at Networkers, Calls Them Shy Wolves
NO WRITER ATTRIBUTED
Ballad singer Susan Reed smiled prettily yesterday over her slither-like "ever" lovin," pointed through a glass window to the cluster of WHHV official standing shyly in their control booth, and complained that although Harvard men are "fine," they always "hide in the next room."

A Hollywood and Cafe Society star, the 21-year-old redhead is in the Hub area for a Radcliffe Alumul-sponsored concert in Arlington tomorrow night. A bevy of concert usherettes escorted her to the Network studies to record a program for broadcasting tonight.

English I reading lists now include some of the hill country ballads and Negro folk songs 'Suve" learned during a. South Carolina childhood. Her speech still has traces of Dixie.

Singing a Hobby

In New York, where she migrated with her family, the shy and by her own word "plan" girl, aspired to be a painter but carried on her singing encouraged by friends and teachers. It wasn't long before Cafe Society spotted her and a hobby became a inerative venture.

Publicity-wise and sophisticated now the little freckle-faced kid who liked to sing folk songs still finds audiences with her clear-voiced renditions of such ballads as "Melly Malone" and "Barbara Allen."

Singing is her only love. "I have no beau." Susie sighs. "Men are wonder full but they always run the other way." One of the songs the successful vocalist sings these days is an old melancholy lament, 'I'm sad and I'm Lonely.

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 11:41 PM

"...her singing is very nice."

I'll certainly drink to that, but not playing an instrument, myself, I wouldn't know about the instrument tuning. One singer I knew claimed that he played a guitar which he purposely had slightly out of tune because it suited his voice better. But then again, he might have been stretching my leg to make both even.

"Ever-Lovin'" is certainly a strange name for a musical instrument, so much so, that I was hesitant to ask about it.

Thanks for your response.--John

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp
From: Little Robyn
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 11:15 PM

I've just listened to my Susan Reed LP - EKL-116, and the one track that lists "Ever-Lovin'" sounds just like an autoharp to me. But the ones that say Zither sound more like a guitar. In the photos, she has a rather beautiful instrument that looks like it should be an autoharp and she's also holding an instrument very similar to my Hohner lute - a 6 string, guitar tuned, lute shaped instrument. Is that what she called a zither?
Incidently, both instruments are slightly out of tune but her singing is very nice.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 08:36 PM

Thanks, Maeve, and thanks to Texas Olaf. The only pic that seems like something different is 4th down in the 5th column of pictures. That instrument appears to have two ports (perhaps 3 if the whole instrument were shown). I appreciate your time in finding that material.
John

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp
From: maeve
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 06:35 PM

John, I see an interesting instrument I can't quite identify among the beautiful photos on this Flickr page: Susan Reed photos. See what you think.

Maeve

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp -- Instrumentation(?) Question
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 07:02 PM

Yesterday I bought two used Susan Reed LPs from 1957, one a 12", the other a 10" disc. Both are in surprisingly good, playable condition. Each track has a notation as to the instrument she is playing, be it harp or zither. Three of the tracks indicate "Ever-Lovin'" where an instrument should be noted.

What is an "Ever-Lovin'"? The accompanying instrument sounds something like a harpsicord to me.

Anybody know about this?

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp
From: Algy
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 12:50 PM

It's a coincidence that Susan Reed is "near Brooklyn." She had a joint concert with Josh White at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1947 or '48. What a great evening that was!

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp
From: sharyn
Date: 16 Feb 09 - 01:10 PM

I have several Susan Reed albums (my grandparents had one and I found a few more), I do not have Songs for Wee Folk, unfortunately. My very favorite is "Songs of the Auvergne" on Columbia, which features French songs on one side and miscellaneous folk songs on the other ("Zebra Dun, " "Molly Malone," etc.

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp
From: Rifleman (inactive)
Date: 15 Feb 09 - 04:16 PM

some of her songs appear on the following compilation
Here

Subject: RE: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST,Olaf
Date: 15 Feb 09 - 04:09 PM

I have known Susan Reed for many years and have collecting stuff about her,I even had to copy some photos of her she didn't have herself.
I posted them on flickr...and have all her recordings.
Susan lives now in a house for old people,around Brooklyn.

Subject: RE: 2 Susan Reed CDs at Crit.Choice sale
From: Art Thieme
Date: 05 Aug 08 - 02:40 PM

re-fish

Subject: RE: 2 Susan Reed CDs at Crit.Choice sale
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 03:59 PM

Damn! I paid a lot more for them. Good CD's, though. I do worry when I see good recordings go on sale. Collectors Choice has been slowly reissuing Elektra folk albums, and I hope they're making enough on the reissues to continue.
I want the whole Elektra folk catalogue.

-Joe, greedily-

Subject: 2 Susan Reed CDs at Crit.Choice sale
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 01:33 PM

Folks, I figured you good trad folkies'd like to know: From Critics Choice Overstock Sell--Out Sale catalogue

SUSAN REED: SINGS OLD AIRS from Ireland, Scotland and England---1954 LP-----CD = $7.98

SUSAN REED---19 songs CD---$7.98

1-800-923-1122 anytime

or ccmusic.com

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST,newjazz
Date: 22 Mar 08 - 04:34 PM

I just picked up an original copy of Susan Reed's "Wee Folk". White label mono. Anybody want any info on it, or interested in purchasing?

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: open mike
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 04:42 PM

There is a book and accompanying c.d. called Follow the Music which chronicles Jac Holzman's Elektra years. There is info about a failed attempt to convert a mountain lodge into a recording studio. Well,
not completely failed, Jackson Browne did manage to record some tracks
there, but as I recall none have been released as everyone on board was so spaced out that the results were disasterous. Susan is on there singing Foggy Dew.

This lodge, Paxton, is near me, and I got the book out of curiosity about the Paxton Lodge recordings.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 03:23 PM

I have what ya' call a guilty pleasure. Specifically, I read old, old comic books. Mostly I read them for stamp collecting ads that were prevalent in comic books of the '40s and '50s, printing the ads to show at the local stamp club.

But today I was surprised to find Susan Reed in a Wonder Woman comic book from 1951! No Lie! Therein I found a feature called 'In The Groove', containing brief profiles on four young musicians of the day.

"Tiny Susan Reed wanted a night club act so she learned to play the zither, an almost extinct instrument, then dug up some ancient folk songs. Now she's such a sensation that there's a run on zithers. There's a big demand" A drawing of a girl playing a zither accompanies that text.

I'd bet (not very much, tho') that she's the only folk singer to be featured as herself in such medium.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed LP, CD's, & info
From: Mudlark
Date: 12 Sep 06 - 02:52 PM

Synchronicity is a marvelous thing! Boreens of Derry came into my head this morning, haven't thot of it in years, tho I have Susan Reed's LP. Searched here first, no luck in DT or Forum using that name, so Googled...and came up with this thread! Very glad to hear LPs reissued as CDs...will def. order. And great to hear that she's (I hope) still going strong.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed LP, CD's, & info
From: bill kennedy
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 09:32 AM

just got my two cds yesterday and have been listening to them, they sound great, my hope is that some radio programs will get them and re-introduce Susan to the current audience. She deserves air play, I have played from her lps on my programs occasionally, now it will be easier.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed LP, CD's, & info
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 23 Aug 06 - 10:58 PM

Wow! Thanks, Bill. I had no idea she was still around. And she still sounds good!

~ Becky

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed LP, CD's, & info
From: bill kennedy
Date: 23 Aug 06 - 10:34 AM

there's a recent interview with Susan here:

http://radiogreenwich.com/interviews.shtml

thanks to David Schwartz for sharing it with me.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed LP, CD's, & info
From: cetmst
Date: 23 Aug 06 - 09:40 AM

I was fortunate to hear Susan Reed in concert at Swarthmore College in 1948 with her brother Jerry who died shortly after. At a college reunion in about 1998 she gave another concert, voice and harp still lovely. The college radio archives may have some recordings of Jerry's who apparently never recorded professionally. I have two 78 albums of Susan Reed's on Victor labels which may or may not have survived twenty years in the attic. Information I have on reissue of some of the Elektra recordings on, of all places the Best Buy website, give an issue date of 29 August 2006. I'm looking forward to obtaining these

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed LP, CD's, & info
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 20 Aug 06 - 01:59 PM

Ooh, a blast from the past. I may have to keep a look out for these.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed LP, CD's, & info
From: pdq
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 07:57 PM

No company can send the CD until the release date no matter when it was ordered.

And thanks to Elektra. They had some great artists and often had extremely good recording quality.

BTW, the record "Dian and the Greenbriar Boys" is also due for an AUG 29 release date so people might want to order it at the same time.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed LP, CD's, & info
From: bill kennedy
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 07:45 PM

Yes, Joe, I knew about the Collector's Choice cds, and I have had them on order for a month or more already, they are supposed to be shipped to me in early September. I have these both on lp, but it will be nice to listen to them in the car. Thanks to someone who's name I can't remember right now, I have a copy of the children's album I was asking about burned to a cd, once again Mudcat works wonders. Glad you enjoyed them.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 02:04 PM

I hadn't known anything about Susan Reed, but I picked up a couple of Collectors' Choice CD reissues of her Elektra albums, and I really enjoyed them. What a beautiful voice!
The CD's are available now from Collectors' Choice Music. They will be released for general distribution August 29. Here are the two albums that are currently available:

Susan Reed Sings Old Airs

1. At The Foot Of Yonders Mountain
2. Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow, The
3. Leprechaun, The
4. He Moved Through The Fair
5. Bendemeer's Stream
6. Irish Famine Song
7. Wraggle Taggle Gypsy
8. Seventeen Come Sunday
9. Foggy Dew, The
10. I Know My Love
11. Must I Go Bound
12. Boreens Of Derry, The
13. Wailie, Wailie

---

Susan Reed

1. Black Is The Color
2. Old Woman, The
3. I'm Sad And I'm Lonely
4. Drill, Ye Tarriers
5. Greensleeves
6. Go Away From My Window
7. Mighty Ship, A
8. Mother, I Would Marry
9. Barbara Allen
10. Michie Banjo
11. Zelime
12. Gue, Gue
13. Soldier And The Lady, The
14. Molly Malone
15. Three White Gulls
16. Venezuela
17. If I Had A Ribbon Bow
18. Miss Bailey
19. Danny Boy

---

This Elektra discography has a track listing for Songs for the Wee Folk:

Songs For The Wee Folk: Susan Reed

Elektra EKL 163 (Mono)

Lolly Too Dum Baa Baa Black Sheep The Fox Widdicomb Fair Frog's Courtshp Springfield Mountain Courting Song Song Of Twelve Waltzing Matilda Sourwood Mountain Arkansas Traveler Jimmy Crack Corn The Devil And The Farmer's Wife Lavender's Blue Turk In The Murkadurk Schlofe Bobbeli Schlofe

Subject: AUCTION: Susan Reed, 1945
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 09:41 AM

I just placed a "Life Magazine" from 1945 in the auction. It has a feature, two page article on SUSAN REED in it, complete with photos. Go to the "auction" to read more about Reed. (sorry, I couldn't help myself) Bob

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 09 Sep 02 - 01:11 PM

thanks, as well from me, good for you. I tried to write her, call her previously, but it was summer, she may have been away, I'll try again.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: Don Firth
Date: 09 Sep 02 - 12:51 PM

Thank you, DonD! And thank you for the address. I'm now about to write the first fan letter I have ever written to anyone.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: Orac
Date: 09 Sep 02 - 05:20 AM

If you go to http://www.gemm.com/ and put her name in the search engine you will find that there are about 5 or so lps out there for sale by various folks. Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: DonD
Date: 08 Sep 02 - 08:42 PM

Well, I had a pleasant experience today that I'd like to share with you all.

My wife asked if I'd like to spend the afternoon at what used to be the annual Nyack Antique and Craft show and since it was a beautiful afternoon and Nyack is just across the Hudson from our Westchester County, I said sure. (They now have such weekends in Nyack about a half dozen times a year.)

We walked the streets and checked out the booths, and then I spotted a store on the corner that said 'Susan Reed'. I thought I was kidding when I asked the elderly lady behind the counter if she had an Irish Harp. (Back in the 40's, Susan Reed was known and parodied for climbing on a tall stool and saying with her innocent soprano girlish voice, "This is an Irish Harp."

To my surprise, she replied. "No, but you've found an Irish harper," and she pulled out an LP which I recognized as an antique itself. since she's not on the 'Net, it's safe to say that she's a nice old lady; she makes no bones about being in her mid seventies. I told her about theMudcat and her contemporaries who are om it ("Jean Ritchie! She's years older than I am!")

We had a delightful chat about the good old days, when she started as a girl of sixteen (sixty years ago), interrupted by her pitching to customers and keeping her eyes open for shoplifters. She said she still sings, but mostly in the local park, recalls her most recent gigs at some folk festival in or near Philadelphia ("I love the people in Pennsylvania"), and expessed some regret that a three-CD compilation of the early days in Greenwich Village that someone sent her ignores both Burl Ives and herself. She also proudly showed me the album covers she's painted for Tom Chapin's CD's.

I left her to her immediate concerns of making a living selling 'folk clothing, jewelry and art" with thanks for happy memories and wishes that we would see each other again in years to come.

Her business address is 50 South Broadway in Nyack, NY 10960, and her business phone is [phone], Tuesday through Sunday Noon to 5:00PM. Maybe a call will get better results than a letter.

I hope that Bill Kennedy, Don Firth and others will find this helpful and/or of interest.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 10:31 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 10 Jun 02 - 02:01 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 01:24 PM

any further info?

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: Don Firth
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 02:26 PM

Bill, thanks for the information. I have always liked Susan Reed. Unfortunately, I have only one of her records, a 10" LP, Old Airs from Ireland, Scotland, and England, Elektra EKL 26, 1954. Wish I had more. Sorry I can't help you with the children's record. Googling through Cyberia turns up references to the record, but no info beyond that. Undoubtedly you've already tried that.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 12:31 PM

Well, I would disagree with all of you about Susan's folk credentials. It is true she did a movie, it was called Glamour Girl, released in 1947 (AKA Night Club Girl) where she played a singer/ zither player named Jennia Higgins from Tennessee, discovered and brought to New York, & it was a primarily a vehicle for Gene Krupa & his band. (I'd like a VHS copy of this if it ever plays on cable somewhere, have never seen it.) Susan herself was from North Carolina, had a brother Jared, who was also a singer/actor, her parents were theater people, and she grew up around theater people, learning songs, especially Irish songs, from actors & actresses. She started singing in New York in 1947 or 48 I think, though started earlier recording on 78s in the 40's and later on vinyl, straddled the border between Folk and Interpreter of Folk, I guess, but I think her versions of some Folk songs are the best ever recorded. That gets me BACK to my original question about the Children's album. I have e-mailed Jac Holzman, but got no response. I'd like to keep trying to find a copy if it was ever released, and can give up if it wasn't, though it is listed in the Elektra catalog. I would at least like to know what the songs were, even if it wasn't released. thanks

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: Suffet
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 08:07 PM

I believe the reality was somewhere in between what Don and John wrote. Susan Reed certainly was a folksinger before 1950, and she was bringing folk music to the night club scene in the same manner as Josh White and Burl Ives. But before Susan Reed went off to study traditional ballads, she had been appearing in night clubs as a pop jazz singer. But that was in the forties rather than the fifties. I wouldn't say "she was too pop for the hard core folkies and too trad for the Kingston Trio crowd." Rather, I would say she was too suave for either group.

--- Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: Don Firth
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 06:37 PM

Well, now, I don't know about that, John. Susan Reed was singing folk songs way back in the Forties. Although they were not anywhere near the Hit Parade, she and Burl Ives were fairly well known as "folk singers" by a lot of people, not just folkies. She actually appeared in a movie in the mid- to late-Forties where she portrayed a young mountain girl with a headful of songs whom some handsome young entrepreneur brought to New York to feature in his night club. I forget how the romance worked out, but she was unhappy in the city and returned to the mountains. I can't remember the name of it, but it was a good movie at the time. In the light of what happened a decade or so later, it would be "kinda quaint" now, if not outright weird.

I heard her on the radio back then, too. Mind you, this was before The Weavers! She was something of a ballad scholar and knew quite a bit about the songs she sang. I really doubt that she was as opportunistic as you imply.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST,John Hernandez
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 04:00 PM

Susan Reed tried making it as a singer in several different genres in the 1950's, including jazz and pop, before settling on folk. Unfortunately, she was too pop for the hard core folkies and too trad for the Kingston Trio crowd. Nice voice, though.

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 09:16 AM

yes, I know she has a shop in Nyack, but she has not responded to my letters. I think she has distanced herself from her singing career, does still do shapenote singing with a group, they appear on Jean Ritchie's None But One release. Thanks for the concern, though

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: Rasta
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 01:13 AM

susan reed has a botique in nyack NY, its probabbly listed unless she closed the shop, good luck maybe shes has a led for ya--rastaaaa

Subject: RE: Help: Susan Reed lp
From: khandu
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 09:33 PM

So far, all I have found is this.

It is not what you seek but it is going in the right direction.

I will continue to look! khandu

Subject: Susan Reed lp
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 01:13 PM

has anyone ever seen &/or heard this recording and/or know where I might find a copy?

Elektra EKL 163 [Mono]
Songs For The Wee Folk - Susan Reed

It was mentioned in the Folk Songs & Singers book of 1957 as being soon to be released, and it is listed in Jac Holzman's Elektra discography. Would love to find it, or at least know what the songs are, or know that it was never released if that is the case. It seems that children's albums are the hardest to track down, especially Folk artists.
Thanks