Sam McGee webpage

Subject: Sam McGee webpage
From: Bsondahl
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 11:07 AM

I'm a fan of Tennessee guitar picker Sam McGee, found there's little info on him here at Mudcat, and no webpages devoted to his memory on the web, so I put together a page assembling useful info about him and links to some of his music, including some of my versions of his tunes.
Sam McGee website

Brad Sondahl

Subject: RE: Sam McGee webpage
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 12:19 PM

The info on the page looks interesting, but I'm still waiting for the pictures to load up. They seem to be taking forever - don't know why. We're on broadband, so things are supposed to arrive quickly.
If it ever finishes loading up I'll have a proper look.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Sam McGee webpage
From: Bsondahl
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 01:46 PM

Thanks for pointing that out. I've corrected it so it should load quicker.
Brad

Subject: RE: Sam McGee webpage
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 06:43 PM

Very nice, Brad. What a good picker he was. I sort of learned Sam's "Railroad Blues" after hearing Tom Paley do it (solo) with the New Lost City Ramblers in '61. There was one section I never did get right. But for better or for worse, I stuck it on my first LP. One question though: What was it with Sam wagging his tongue all over? It made some videos I have of Sam quite difficult to watch.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Sam McGee webpage
From: Bsondahl
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 08:17 PM

That must be why he never hit the big time. That and the ministry of silly walks will do it to you every time.
Brad

Subject: RE: Sam McGee webpage
From: Bsondahl
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 12:21 AM

Reflecting on this a little more, when I was a kid I'd watch my Dad work, and whenever he'd do something hard he'd stick his tongue out while doing it. So I knocked over my tricycle, and a local news photographer took a photo of me lifting it back up. I was imitating my dad, sticking my tongue out for the photo.
So I think Sam McGee was just doing stuff that was hard.
Brad

Subject: RE: Sam McGee webpage
From: Ebbie
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 12:41 AM

JustaPicker does some Sam McGee beautifully. Hope he comes into this thread.

Subject: RE: Sam McGee webpage
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 07:59 AM

Art,

I believe that the video clip to which you refer comes from a great TV series that was made and shown in the UK many years back called "The Friendly Invasion" regarding the movement of music back and forth across the Atlantic.It contained much really interesting material, if my memory is correct the series was made by John Jeremy.

In that programme Sam was demonstrating the way that Uncle Dave Macon would act up and mug while playing the banjo and at the end of the number "seed his whiskers to the audience".

A hold-over from a much simpler world when entertainers had to pull out all the stops. I don't feel that it spoils watching him at all, he didn't do this normally in his own playing.

Subject: RE: Sam McGee webpage
From: GLoux
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 11:35 AM

Thanks for doing this, Brad. I always thought it was such a shame that so much of the McGee Brothers early work was not recorded. I've always wondered if their work with Arthur Smith on the Grand Ol' Opry was different than what they recorded with him later.

-Greg