Lonnie Donegan

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 01:32 PM

I think Lonnie recorded the two versions just because he felt like it Scrump. I don't think the USA market was a consideration as the track was never intented as more than an album filler or b-side. In fact both versions were issued by Pye at that time in that manner, both for the UK market. The backing was just one acoustic guitar. The number was originally a hit in States for Ernest Tubb some years earlier though many other versions exist- eg it was rewitten with a rock & roll slant as "All American Boy" which was again a hit in the USA in the fifties and which Marty Wilde used to perform here.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 11:31 AM

I think I have both versions somewhere. I had the UK version on an LP, and when I got a CD with it on I was surprised to hear it was a different take, before I discovered there were two intentionally different versions.

I don't have the Bear Family set, but I think I have all of Lonnie's stuff from the very first recordings up to at least the early 1960s, in one format or another. Sounds as if the BF set is well worth having though.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 11:19 AM

I think both versions are included on the Bear Family Records set of CD's. His UK version is not very different from the "American" version. Lonnie is an all-time favorite of this Missouri, USA, fan. I play him often on my radio show (as mentioned above under the name Big Jim).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 10:04 AM

I believe Lonnie recorded two different versions of "Talking Guitar Blues", one sung in a sort of American accent, and another "cockney" type version. There is a reference above to a "UK version" of the song which seems to support this. Was this because back in the 1950s, US listeners would have had difficulty understanding the UK lyrics, does anyone know?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Tom Hamilton frae Saltcoats Scotland
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 08:04 AM

he was born in Scotland and move to England. he came from Glasgow, Bridgeton or Brigton as it is known

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 09:22 AM

Roger, thanks for that. Sorry to hear about Rick, although I didn't know him. I was merely responding to his original post (I did say it was 8 years ago).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 09:18 AM

Scrumo,
Alas, Rick Fielding died some years ago and is still sadly missed by all his Mudfriends. I sent him a copy of the Peter Sellars musical spoofs before he died.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 04:17 AM

To rick fielding (if you're still around after nearly 8 years!): the Peter Sellers Lonnie Donegan spoof (featuring a character called "Lennie Goonegan") was called "Puttin' On The Smile". It's currently available on a budget-priced EMI CD (at least, here in the UK). ("Puttin' On The Style" was of course the title of one of Lonnie Donegan's 1950s hits.)

The track was originally issued on Sellers' 1959 12" vinyl album "Songs For Swingin' Sellers".

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: eddie1
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 03:02 AM

Thanks for reviving this thread – I found it for the first time and read all the way through at one sitting.
Lots of happy memories!
I first heard "Rock Island Line" on a 78 then "LD Showcase" with "Wabash Cannonball" & "Nobody's Child" and was well and truly hooked. Got myself a double bass (nearly my height and definitely shaped like me) and found myself in great demand with skiffle groups wanting to move on from a teachest.
From Lonnie, I developed an interest in Woodie Guthrie and other American artists then country, bluegrass and old time. From there I moved into British folksong.
I always reckoned a lot of people travelled a similar road to myself but found my ideas being mocked by many of the more academic of the traditional folkies. Even Cyril Tawney, a man I loved, said that crediting Lonnie with any part in the folk revival was like giving Goering credit for the new Coventry cathredal! Later, however, I did let Cyril hear Lonnie singing "Sammy's Bar" and, after he had phoned Rosemary to check out royalties, he admitted it was a great version!
I was chuffed beyond measure when I was approached for an interview by a girl from Milan University for her thesis on British Folk Music. She was put on to me by Hamish Henderson from the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University. Hamish was another Lonnie fan!
Nobody has had Lonnie's influence in popularising folk music – and pop/rock at the same time. Before him, a guitar was just another musical instrument and suddenly, people found that with a few chords they could have a whole repertoire!
A few more memories were brought back by this thread:-
I had an EP (remember them?) with Laggan Love, Kevin Barry, Bewildered and She Moved through The Fair.
A few Donegan records came out from Nixa on kind of vinyl,. unbreakable 78s just before 78s vanished.
Denny Wright, Lonnie's first guitarist after he left Barber, went on to play with "Johnny Duncan and His Bluegrass Boys" who did a lot to popularise Bluegrass in the UK.
On leafing through one of these massive Rock & Roll anthologies, the only person with more space devoted to them than Lonnie, was Elvis!

Thanks again for the thread.

Eddie

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 08:14 PM

Yes indeed Captain ... most interesting. I often wondered about Pete Seeger's 12, which never seemed to square with any sort of common sense answer.

keep em coming!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 08:08 PM

Well I'm new to this site but have enjoyed all the Donegan threads. Roger- If you are thiking of the 12 string with the "D" shaped soundhole I believe it was made for him by Stan Francis of Liverpool.He also made some for Pete Seeger. It self destructed, as did Pete's. Lonnie also imported a Gretsch in the 1950s- shipped over by boat and was photographed with it sometimes (I have a picture on an album sleeve) On the Sundown Album he is holding his "spare" Martin 000, rather spoilt by the oversize pickguard and, I think, new bridge. The Abbott guitar surfaced for sale in the Melody Maker in the mid seventies. Lonnie originally sold it to Dickie Bishop. The banjo used later was a mongrel- the neck was Clifford Esseex but I don't know what the pot was. Hope this is of interest to somebody, if so I'll try to add a little more

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 01:09 PM

Ooops, my english was much better on other occasion than in my last post, sorry! ;-)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 01:07 PM

Thanks, Roger. Regarding the banjos this is what I had watched, too. But I am wondering why he never took care to have a better banjo sound or instrument. I have had a very cheap italian tenor banjo since christmas 1982, and it sounds similar like his ones. He should have spent a bit money for a better banjo. I remember that Sean Moyses told me once that Lonnie asked to buy Sean´s banjo when Sean was member of Bob Kerr´s Whoopee Band = anytime between 1990 and 1996, but Sean refused to sell. I will ask Sean again because will see him tonight at JfK´s birthday session&party in Bonn tonight.

But please continue to discuss about the guitar matter! I will pay much attention and interest to it.

I guess you´re have probably heard right that it was his idea to have the guitar like it is.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 09:21 AM

Naturally, Lutz, it's just my personal dislike (the LD model) - what struck me as a youngster when I first saw a Martin was its understated appearance. Martin have alays made more-ornate models for those that want it (the 41s and 45s, for example); Lonnie was known for the '21' and '28' series, so I was surprised that he asked Martins to embellish the LD to such an extent.

Again, this is only my feeling - others will disagree. My friend in England (he founded 'Hank's Guitars' on Denmark Street in the West End) was horrified when he first saw the LD - he 'phoned me to say, "It looks like a Christmas tree!!!!!".....

I'm sorry - I know almost nothing about his banjos. He played a Vega many years ago, and a recent picture showed a Gibson Mastertone. He really only played guitar-chords on banjo, choosing to tune it to the top four strings of a standard guitar tuning. He did have a terrific right-hand technique, though, even if he never learned the banjo's tuning.

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 07:49 AM

Again.

So if anybody could or want to say more about Lonnie´s banjos, too, I would be interested in, too.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 07:27 AM

Well, I had the chances to play along a bit on the signature LD model in August 2003 during a jam on a private barbecue with Twins and Paul Leegan in Essen/Germany, and again in December 2004. It sounded ok. The things you hate, Roger, depend, of course, on individual taste.
Paul told us on various occasions that he received his one ( No.6 ) on the date of Lonnie´s last concert in October 2002 where he met Lon in the hotel as well as backstage later, and he was proud that Lonnie was first person ever played on this No.6 ( before Paul! ).
Paul played it on our recordings in August 2003 and in our Skiffle concerts in December 2004, too, and the guitar did a good job in this contexts. He recorded "Worried Man Blues" on it ( just vocals&guitar ) when we filmed an interview with Paul in a studio near Cologne for a Skiffle documentation on Dec 7, 2004, and it was great. So I can say only positive things about the sound as far as I know this model.

Regarding other guitar models I am definetly to young to say much about it. Of course, I know most of Lonnie´s recording by memory, but the guitar sounds there often depended on the mixing and of course on the style of playing, not only on the choice of model, so I do not want to make a final judgement about it. Others have better abilities and competence to do that.

But I guess Martin guitars have been principally a very good choice for all Skifflers, Blues and Folk Men, so I really like them.

I am not satisfied with the banjo Lonnie used on stage when I saw him live between 1996 and 2001, it sounded very "cheap". Maybe I had too much privileges to have always damned good banjos ( OME, Pietsch etc. ) in my own bands ( and have collaborated with excellent banjoplayers, too, like Peter"Banjo"Meyer, Sean Moyses, Udo Jägers etc. ). I like Lonnie´s banjo sound on most of the elder recordings of fifties, sixties and seventies, but was wondering about the "thin" sound of his banjo in recent years.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 05:29 AM

(The lyric is - '...get your ticket - not chicken - at the station for the Rock Island Line.')

Lonnie's first Martin guitar was a mahogany-bodied 0-17 model. This guitar is seen in the very earliest photos. Lonnie talked of paying six pounds for this guitar from a stall in Walthamstow. Possible, I suppose, 'though Lonnie was guilty of telling different versions of some events...

After that he always had Martin '000' models. As he went to the States in '56, it's probable that he acquired his next one there. This was a herringbone 000-28 - certainly pre-war. The cover of 'Lonnie Donegan Showcase' has him playing a 000-21 - this guitar can be seen on the cover of 'Lonnie' as well (fitted with a DeArmond sound-hole pick-up). Then he had another 000-28 (non-herringbone). This was a highly visible guitar - it's in the 'Six Five Special' film, and in many publicity shots. It's distinguished by the white binding at the top and bottom of the instrument.

He told me that he gave one of his '000s' to Adam Faith, but it was destroyed when it was in Faith's car during an accident. (?)

For whatever reason, Lonnie got another 000-28 (this was a 1967 model) and this is the guitar he used principally until his death. The last two weeks of his final tour saw him playing his new LD 'signature' model (000-28LD). He always used to say to me - 'Martins should give me a bloody guitar after all this time!' Well, they finally did.

There's no question that Martin's visibilty in the UK was considerably enhanced by Donegan's brand-loyalty. His devotion to them was probably more to do with his hero-worship of the various US blues/folk artists that used a Martin. Big Bill Broonzy always had his 000-28 - I believe this led Donegan to favour this particular model.

Martins weren't imported into the UK until 1960 - but I managed to find an old 000-18 in Lew Davis' shop on Charing Cross Road in 1959. It cost me sixty four Pounds! That was a lot of money then.

Johnny Duncan ('Last Train...') had a Martin D-28 (same general appearance, but a different body-shape to the 000s) and Elvis' first publicity shots showed him with first a D-18, then a D-28. He went to Gibson J200s in '57.

Wally Whyton managed to acquire a 000-28 in the '50s - I think he got that in the States, too.

Is nyone else out there as interested in the guitar side of things as much as I (obviously) am?

I play pedal steel guitar for a living, but I still have a 1927 0-18, a 1947 000-18, and a brand-new Martin Custom Shop '000-28' - I had them make me an exact replica of a 1950 one. I'm afraid that, as proud as Lonnie was of his signature model, I hated it; all that inlay, with 'King of Skiffle', etc, etc. And why sunburst!!!!!?

I'm told that it's exactly as Lonnie asked for it......

Roger Rettig

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 01 Nov 03 - 04:31 AM

The tour dates are mentioned HERE but no venues listed. Good review of oneof LD's last concerts on same site.

RtS

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,donegan3
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 02:15 PM

Does anyone know details of the tour by Lonnie's Sons Peter and Anthony?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 05 Nov 02 - 02:00 PM

Lonnie gone but never forgotten . Thanks for the music and memories. A trully Legendary Performer

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Texas Rog
Date: 04 Nov 02 - 02:54 PM

RIP Lonnie - part of my life when I was young.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,bluearrow
Date: 14 Sep 02 - 06:07 PM

require musical score for putting on the style

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 05:13 PM

Alot of the dates for Lonnie's tour are now taking bookings so get phoning!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 10:46 AM

First song I learned all the words to was "Golden Vanity" by LD. I was about seven and didn't know about Folk, Rock, Blues, Skiffle etc, at the time, but now I'm an old folkie and I know why.

Pete J

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Bert
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 04:30 AM

Well, Gor Blimey Peter G me ol' china. F*** my old boots, I was born in Canning Town. Wheren the bloody 'ell are you in the USA? I live in Pennsylvania, but I'm in Colorado for a while now.
Send me a PM y'ol fart.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 04:25 AM

Didn't LD get into a barney with the Leadbelly Newsletter a while back? I seem to recall reading an interview. Stan Freburg has a great parody of the recording of Rock Island Line which my kids love (never having heard the original) - the producer can't make out what the words are, asks him "Get your "chicken" at the station...?" A trivia quiz - what's on the back of "My Old Man's a Dustman"? (parenthetically, it just occured to me that CD's don't have a "back side"). The answer is "The Golden Vanity" (Child 286). The only version I know where the captain shoots the cabin boy (the shots are on the disc, too!).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Nemesis
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 04:04 AM

Sorry, this hasn't cut and pasted quite how I expected:

They should be in columns side by side

http://www.artists2events.co.uk/artists/lonnieevents.html

Cheers

13/09/02 14/09/02 16/09/02 18/09/02 20/09/02 24/09/02 27/09/02 29/09/02 01/10/02 03/10/02 05/10/02 19/10/02 21/10/02 22/10/02 27/10/02 28/10/02 30/10/02 03/11/02 04/11/02 06/11/02 07/11/02 10/11/02 11/11/02 14/11/02 15/11/02 27/11/02 28/11/02

THE DE LA WARR PAVILION THE CITY HALL THE HALL FOR CORNWALL PLAYHOUSE THEATRE THE TOWN HALL THE OPERA HOUSE THE CORN EXCHANGE THE MEDINA THEATRE THE PAVILLION THEATRE REGENT THEATRE THE ASSEMBLY ROOMS THEATRE BRYNHENOG THE ALEXANDRA THEATRE THE GUILDHALL THE MUSIC HALL THE MUSIC HALL THE ROYAL CENTRE THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE VICTORIA HALL THE ALBERT HALLS THE OPERA HOUSE ROYAL COURT THEATRE THE CITY VARIETYS THE WOODVILLE HALLS ASHCROFT THEATRE THE CLIFFS PAVILLION THE SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE

BEXHILL ON SEA SALISBURY TRURO. WESTON SUPER MARE CHELTENHAM JERSEY KINGS LYNNE ISLE OF WIGHT BOURNEMOUTH IPSWICH TUNBRIDGE WELLS BRECON BIRMINGHAM PRESTON (T.B.C.) SHREWSBURY SHREWSBURY NOTTINGHAM YORK STOKE ON TRENT BOLTON NEWCASTLE LIVERPOOL LEEDS GRAVESEND CROYDON WESTCLIFF ON SEA LONDON.

01424 787949 01722 327676 01872 262466 01934 645544 01242 227979 01534 511115 01553746846 01983 527020 01202 456456 01473 433100 01892 530613 01874 611622 0870 607 7544 01772 203456 01743 281281 01743 281281 0115 9895555 01904 678700 01782 213800 01204 334400 0191 2320899 0151 709 4321 0113 2430808 01474 337774 0208 6889291 01702 351135 020 8354 3300

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Old & Grey
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 02:09 PM

I believe Lonnie is touring again this Autumn 2002 anybody know if he gigs anywhere near Brighton saw him last year at Worthing BRILLIANT

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Peter G.
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 10:21 AM

I've been a fan of Lonnie since I was 14 years old and "Rock Island Line" was all the rage. He lived a mile or so away from me in Woodford (actually it was Manor Park but Woodford sounded better!) Me and some mates found out where he lived in St.Margarets Road and went knocking on his door. His wife, Maureen, answered it and Lonnie came downstairs and signed some photos for us. The next day he was off to the States to promote the record. We were in 7th heaven! I now live in America yet still love hearing his music. I flew over in 1999 for the Royal Albert Hall concert and my sister arranged for me to get front row seats and also to go backstage after the show.

I've got the Bear CD set and it's well worth the money, especially the great book with so much detail about the man and his recordings. I've also got the last CDs he made with Van and Chris and love 'em. I had planned to go to England for the latest tour but the September 11th stuff put all that on hold and I never made it. Mel Roberts, Lonnie's biographer(?), keeps in touch and lets me know what's happening. He told me about the Martin Signature guitar and I have all the specs and the prices but at $3000 and $4000+ it's probably a bit out of my range.

Last year I started my own skiffle group, the LonDon Skiffle Band, and played a few local gigs in Portland, Maine up here in New England. It's a great town for music but I've found it hard to get regular gigs as most club owners haven't heard of skiffle and are unwilling to gamble on an "unknown" style of music unless, of course, it's free. But I keep promoting with mail-outs and personal calls and hope this summer might prove to be the "summer of skiffle!" Everyone who heard the band play last year keep asking when we'll play again as they enjoyed it so much so that's an incentive to keep trying. Meanwhile I keep my hand in with a local 50's to 70's rock 'n roll band "The China Plates" (Cockneys will recognise the rhyming slang) and I introduce a few skiffle songs throughout the set. We always finish with "Sloop John B". I like to throw in a couple of Chas 'n Dave songs too (anyone remember them?)like "London Girls" and they are also popular. Chas 'n Dave started in a skiffle group too in a pub in Canning Town, East London.

I'm so glad I found this site and got to read all the comments here. Sorry I took up so much space but you got me on a roll!

Best wishes to all you skifflers.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 30 Mar 02 - 10:11 AM

Lonnie is touring the UK later this year starting in Bexhill on 13/09. Can't wait

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Jeff Howe
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 12:13 PM

I saw Lonnie at 2 of his concerts last year . Absolutely fantastic !! Who'd think he is now 70 !! Managed to meet him too, at last.

What an entertainer.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 16 Feb 02 - 11:04 AM

No Lonnie Donegan ,No Beatles?? All roads lead to Lon!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Nemesis
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 06:41 PM

I saw Lonnie on his 50th Anniversary tour a couple of months ago and it was an exhilarating experience. Fabulous band backing him - he had loads of energy and well, I just felt like standing up and cheering after every number - it was that good!!!! Anybody who sneers at the thought of the man should have seen and/or heard that gig - absolutely brilliant. The CD doesn't do him justice...

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,SloopJohnB
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 03:47 PM

Yes, Guest Donegan 3, LD's music is as exciting now as it was in the 50's when we were young (I think) There was a programme presented by Wally Whyton, now sadly no longer with us, a whyle ago (OK several years, but you know how it is) on the Skiffle Craze. LD really stood out from the mundane stuff that was produced at that time; time hadn't changed it. So I was right all along. Sloop John B

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 01:14 PM

Re Tracey Dragonsfriend ,there are of course some good value CD's available and I believe all Lonnie's albums were released on CD in a series called LONNIE 2000 all the orginal tracks plus bonus tracks EXCELLENT

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Tracey Dragonsfriend
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 01:16 PM

If you look around the £3.99 CD racks in discount shops in the UK, (and many European countries too - definitely Germany & Sweden) you will find (inexplicably) many fine Lonnie Donegan CD's. I've recently bought 3 this way, all excellent, including Talking Guitar Blues. So check out the local Poundstretcher, Supersaver, QD, Booksale, Quidland, County Bookshops, etc - you'll be surprised what a range of great CD's turn up there.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Deckman
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 04:46 AM

That's a nice story. Over the years, I have managed to meet just about all of my heros. It's great when they turn out to be nice people, as well as heros. I have met a few that have dissapointed me, but what the heck ... life's a crap shoot, eh?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: BanjoRay
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 05:59 AM

My summer was totally made at Sidmouth last August. I was playing some Old Time tunes on my banjo in the Bedford hotel when I became aware of someone standing behind me enjoying the music - it was Lonnie. We talked banjos for a while. I asked him where he found all those great old tunes, Cumberland Gap, etc - he said "same place you do!". He'd dug up a lot of old records and listened to them.
The guy totally changed my life back in the late fifties and it was great to finally meet him - a really nice bloke.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,ta2
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 04:03 PM

lonnie donniegan................british 50's skiffle,,,,,,,summer hols at blackpool and brighton...........greasers on promenade with guitars singing................elvie flicks on brylcreamed hair......fish and chips and motor bykes

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan 3
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 01:37 PM

Listening to Lonnie I find the music as exciting as when I first heard it as a kid, hope you others feel the same

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Big Jim
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 04:15 PM

As a disk jocky on a small public radio station in the middle of the USA, I regularly play Lonnie Donegan, The Vipers, and a number of other off-beat (in the USA, at least)artists. The Wurzels, Shag Connors and the Carrot Crunchers, et al. And I play stuff that is more tradional like the Copper Family and more modern like Gary and Vera Aspey. Johnny McEvoy, Sweeney' Men, Martyn Wyndham-Read, Ian Campbell Folk Group, and a bunch of others have a place on my show. But, of them all, Lonnie remains my favorite. The audience seems to appreciate these performers, and I am constantly trying to find material by them. Needless to say, I search eBay often since none of the stuff is available in the USA!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 10:26 AM

Merry New Year all you L.D. fans. You might appreciate this bit. Here I am, living in Washington state, USA, a half days drive from the Grande Coulee Dam, and today I still sing the version that L.D. recorded years ago. He made a strong influence over here also. I well remember his version of Rock Island line. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Chris Davis
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 12:28 PM

Donegan3, I belive you were speaking to my post. Regardless, thanks for the info. Truly, there is a magic in that era that will forever be tapped into, musically speaking, that is.

"Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road

The Rock Island Line is the road to ride"

Happy New Year to all

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan 3
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 11:13 AM

Re Fifties Skiffle there are 2 sets of double CD's available in a series called As Good As It Gets . There are about 60 tracks in each set.Lonnie, Chas and the Vipers etc good listening , good value.Think they are from a Dutch company but got mine in the UK.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Will Bakker
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 08:52 AM

After I visited the Hastings concert (which was great) I ordered the 8 CD box "More than 'pye in the sky' at Bear Family Records in Germany. It has everything you always wanted to know about Lonnie... A big book with hundreds of photos, a discography, biography, carefully edited and printed.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Chris Davis- USA
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 10:31 PM

I only know skiffle from what I have read of British Invasion bands and their roots. About twenty years ago, or so, the oldies channels were playing "Rock Island Line", and "Does your Chewing Gum lose it's flavor" by Lonnie Donegan, so I know those two songs.

I heard Paul Mac's version of the Viper's "No Other Baby". I don't know if that counts as true skiffle or not, but I loved the slow, brooding quality of the tune. I looked up the Viper's Skiffle Group(??) on Allmusic.com, and one of their CD's looked very interesting. They seemed to have no trouble mixing skiffle with American R and R. After all, they have some of the same roots.

One day I will get a compilation of fiftie's British skiffle, because I am intrigued by this period musically, both in the states and in the UK/Ireland.

And Heck, Lonnie is only one year older than Johnny...

Cash, that is.

Skiffle on!!!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: fat B****rd
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 01:34 PM

Hello, Happy New year. If you want to know all about the Skiffle Scene in England and elsewhere then read SKIFFLE by Chas McDevitt published by Robson Books.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 01:26 PM

Yes I must admit to being of the LD vintage myself, I learned "Great Grand Coulee Dam" from his singing long before I ever heard of Woody. In the 60s I used to go to a folk club in Hounslow, at a pub called either The White Bear or The Brown Bear I think. Anyway the residents were "The Strawbs", who had previously been "The Strawberry Hill Boys", but were obviously trying to get away from bluegrass. They had a big hit with "Part of the Union", which some trade unionists adopted as a theme tune, obviously they hadn't really listened to the words. They also backed Noel Murphy on his LP "Nyaaaah", this recording session lasted from 8:00 pm, till about 3:00 am and the amount of alchohol consumed became an industry legend. Anyway to get back to the point, LD used to turn up regularly at this club, and do the occasional spot, I was awe struck, to actually meet the great man. Glad to hear that he's still blowing them away.
Failte.....Jock

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 11:57 AM

Moe Asch used to tell a great story about how Lonnie Donegan once tried to sue Folkways for royalties on the songs he wrote in the fifties that Leadbelly recorded in the forties.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Mr Red
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 10:46 AM

GUEST,Upstreeter
Welcome to the Mudcat, and your first lesson in Mudcatiquette
It is so much less embarrassing to find out what is usuall here it saves you the displeasure of not feeling welcome. You are welcome, of course.
register and no one else can use your name.
tell us about yerself.