Topic: Multi track recording 1996

[rbuniv]

Hello again;

In 1996 I bought one of those four track tape recorders and proceded to record myself, overdubbing tracks with various self accompanied instrumentation. These tracks (seventeen in all)were the sum of a whole lot of work which went nowhere; I made one extra copy and gave it to a friend. Well today, ten years later I recorded the tape onto a CD and converted it to MP3 files so I could post some of these numbers on "Weenie". The material is a mixed bag of hillbilly and blues songs with me doing the vocals, guitar, banjo,ukulele and kazoo. Some of the pieces probably sound a little too busy and I'm not sure of the MP3 Quality but here it goes.

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[Dr. G]

Bravo, RB!

Not too "busy" for me. Thoroughly enjoyable, spirited stuff that just plain feels good to listen to.

Many of us, like you, doubtless have miles of reel-to-reel tapes, casettes, and CD's with some real -- if unheard -- treasures on them.

Just last evening I rummaged through my piles of old "working" casettes (you know, listen-in-the car downloads of transitional versions, masters, and the like) to grab a "recyclable" casette ('cause who has fresh ones any more?) to record -- on my trusty old Marantz -- Cronic's cool guitar hooks on "Deep River Blues". I popped a couple into my machine to look for a little blank space, and was astonished at what surprisingly listenable stuff jumped out at me: it sounded kind of like me playing the banjo or guitar, but the arrangements and technique seemed fresh and original...and some of them were much fancier than I play now, and with passages or whole repetitions that I labored over years ago...but have dropped out of my "active vocabulary" and repertoire. Some of them I would love to have back...but I'm on to different projects and inspirations now.

Likewise, I have -- as I am sure many others do -- hours and hours of contemporary (i.e., '60's onward), unreleased  "field recordings" (on sound tapes and video, after it was invented) of some pretty wonderful musicians...who, to my knowledge, have rarely -- if ever -- isued any of their own material. (These artists include, e.g., the legendary clawhammer banjoist Peter Hoover, the nonpareil Henrie Brothers, the utterly original Peter Acevas [playing manic guitar compositions and the best blues mandolin I have ever heard], and '60's folk/blues icon Greg Hildebrand).

It is a crime that some of these performances have been relegated to the dustbins of our collective musical history; in my eyes, and to my ears, they can be every bit the equal in relevance to the "classic" field recordings of blues and stringband music of the first half century.

I am sure weenies would love to hear some of the stuff in my private "field recording" archives; I know, sure as heck, that I would like to have access to some of the stuff that I just KNOW is in y'all's archives!

What say we establish either a virtual -- or a true -- forum column on "archival" (say, 10 years old or greater?) material and performances that need to see the light of day, but never will, unless we make the effort?

Just my Sunday morning musings....

Dr. G

[Stuart]

What say we establish either a virtual -- or a true -- forum column on "archival" (say, 10 years old or greater?) material and performances that need to see the light of day, but never will, unless we make the effort?

Doc:
Take a look at this site re: structure. (You'll have to get a password from Norm to access the second link.)

http://juneberry78s.com/

http://juneberry78s.com/bluessounds/index.htm

Its a solid suggestion that is going to take some work.

[Dr. G]

Hi Stuart

Just emailed Norm as you suggested. Thanks for the tip.

[rbuniv]

Dr. G; Sounds like a great idea!
 
  I have some tapes of myself and others that date back 30 years, this would be a good time to dust them off and give a listen. In particular! Chuck Rundle, a very dear friend from Toronto was a wonderful Guitar player and obsessed with the blues. In The 1970s & early 80s He and I would spend weeks together listening to and playing country blues. Chuck stood 6' 6" and was left handed, a gentle giant who was one of the best slide players I have ever heard. He would have loved this site, "a place to share his music" but he was killed in a car wreck about fifteen years ago. I do have some great recordings of Him and will make an effort to post some of them.

RB

[Dr. G]

I look forward to them, RB.

[Johnm]

Hi fellas,
I think the Back Porch has historically been intended to function as a place to post and get critiques on amateur works in progress (not previews of commercially released CDs).  With that set-up, it has drawn focus to works that are in the here-and-now and maybe not altogether worked out yet.  There has also been an understanding, at least implicitly, that the works being posted are played by the Weenie member posting them.  There are a couple of reasons for this; first, there may be issues with obtaining permission to post works by third parties who are not Weenie members and who are not doing the posting themselves.  Even when you're sure that the person whose work is being posted would not object, this issue has the potential to come back and bite you and us in the butt.  Secondly, the past is huge, and many of us are of a time in life when the past figures to be longer than the future.  Space is an issue.  Maintaining a guideline that posts to the Back Porch be music currently in the pipeline will keep us focused on the present and perhaps be an inducement to less experienced players to participate with postings of their own current efforts.
This is not to make value judgements at all with regard to the music people have played, heard played, and recorded in the past.  We've all heard stuff that never made it on to a recording that was terrific.  And people trading recordings via mp3s attached to personal email is encouraged--go for it.  The Back Porch, though, is not the right place to post performances by persons other than the member posting, or to serve as an archive of recordings from the past.
All best,
Johnm