[78-L] Bad news on record

NORM COHEN ncohen at teleport.com
Fri Jul 10 16:23:25 PDT 2009


Regarding "The Moore Girl" (see below)--I don't think the Baxter recording
has anything to do with such an event--it's about a train (probably the
Mogull), and has very few lyrics; certainly not a ballad.
Harter's LC recording of the Mtn Meadows massacre is, I believe, the only
(traditional) recording of that song.  It was pretty much taboo in Mormon
land for a long time.
Norm Cohen

> [Original Message]
> From: Margaret Still <mgstill at bellsouth.net>
> To: <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> Date: 7/9/2009 10:55:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Bad news on record
>
> More disasters and bad news:
>
> ====
> Andrew & Jim Baxter	The Moore Girl
> -Seattle, c. 1911: swimming instructor changes clothes before diving in to
> save a girl from drowning in Puget Sound (this synopsis may not be
entirely
> accurate)
>
>
> Mountain Meadows Massacre - recorded by George Harter in 1952, and more?
> -the story of Mormons who dressed and acted as Indians and killed settlers
> from Arkansas in 1857 (this synopsis may not be entirely accurate)
>
>
> Galveston Flood by Tom Rush & others
> ======
>
> >>> From: "Gregg Kimball" <gdkimball at cox.net>
> >>> For my money the best version of "Ommie Wise," is by G . B. Grayson,
> Victor 
> 21625. Tom Ashley also did a version of it.
>
> Good ones, but Roscoe Holcomb's version makes my neck hairs stand.
>
>
> >>>From: David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
> >>> Where's Ray Stevens' "I Saw Elvis in a U.F.O."?
>
> >This is probably the most tasteless genre of music outside of KKK songs.
>
> >dl
>
> The '69 Moonwalk unleashed some wretched songs, too.
>
>
>
> > From: soundthink at aol.com
> >>> These are cumulatively known in the folklore world as "event ballads."
> Writers/musicians such as the Rev. Andrew Jenkins used to hang out on
> courthouse steps, waiting to get the verdict for controversial trials so
> that they could get the jump on finishing off a song and getting it
> published. This was the paparazzi of their day.
>
> Interesting. The rush job explains why so many of these songs are pretty
> ordinary.
>
> Best,
> Margaret G. Still
>
>
>
>
>
>
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