Spent some time with Pete Seeger

[TommyK]

The last, local, video rental store is selling out, so I bought some previously viewed DVDs and VHSs. Among them, what the box proclaimed was some vintage footage of Johnny Cash and June Carter-Cash, and some cat I'd never heard of but from the looks of his flat-top box I figured it would be a treat.

 

Alas, what was on the disk was not what was on the label.

Fortunately, what was on the disk was not what was on the label.

 

It was one disk with, apparently, two episodes of a Pete Seeger show which featured folk songs and live musicians. It appears it was a public station offering with Pete Seeger as the moderator. The series was called Rainbow Quest. The first episode featured The Stanley Brothers, Carter and Ralph with their back-up Clinch Mountain Boys.

 

The last half of this episode added to the mix and female banjoist who billed herself as "Cousin Emmy". She was kind of Minnie Pearl, Grandpa Jones and Uncle Dave Macon, all rolled up under a white bouffant hairstyle, into a knee length skirt, standing on high heels. Claimed to be in her 70s and the mother of 9. However, she said she had 7 what was raised and 5 still at home. Not sure where the others came from. :unsure:

 

I can't find out much about "Cousin Emmy". She said she haled from Missouri.

 

The show was part discussion, mostly music. Sometimes Seeger joined in, sometimes not. The Clinch Mountain Boys' Bassist, his name currently escapes me, even did some fancy mountain dancin' to one tune.

 

"Cousin Emmy", while the banjo was her first instrument, played her mouth to the tune "Chicken in the Straw". Key of G I think. That's where you open your mouth and slap your cheeks and vary the note by changing the shape of your mouth, of moving your tough. Then she played a tune on a blowed up latex glove. It was the durnedest of thing.

 

 

The second episode featured Doc Watson with Clint Howard (not Ronnie's brother), and Fred Price. Doc was his usual unassuming self. The other two were even less assuming than old Doc. Just a couple good ol' boys who loved music. We learned that Clint and Fred farmed tobacco and cattle next door to each other in the Carolinas, not too far from Doc. Music to them was just a way to keep busy over the winters.

 

I've never had an mental image of Seeger though I'd heard his music. His speaking voice has a Carl Sagan quality to it. He has an interesting way of singing. He raises up his head and kind of looks down his nose at you. But whatever way he does it, I really like his style. That and he seems to have a preference for pullover sweaters. Yes he was playing the long necked banjo, usually capoed at the 4th or 5th fret. That and an odd 12 string guit tar I'd never seen before. It's sound hole was oval on top, then the bottom half came together in a blunt point, like a squat flat pick. He also used a capo on that 12 wire that looked as hefty as a modestly size "C" clamp. It was a two piece affair with a wedge that locked it in place. The wedge handled was about the size of a #2 Phillips head screw driver handle. When he shoved that wedge in it locked in with a satisfying snap.

 

The nice thing is that he ended his shows with an invitation for the viewers to sing along. He said something about music needing to be a participatory sport. I agree. Yes, I sung along.

 

These two episodes were recorded in about 1965.

 

I thought it cute that his producer wife was credited as "Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, Toshi Seeger" :)

 

Thanks Pete.

 

I wonder if the entire series is available on DVD?

[rar]

I wonder if the entire series is available on DVD?

 

Unfortunately, no. All 37 (or 38, or maybe 40 -- I've seen all of these number quoted by various sources) episodes of Rainbow Quest were available on video from Norman Ross Publishing at one time, but only six DVDs with two episodes each have been released by Sanachie on DVD. You've got the first Sanachie disc in a package saying it's the second.

 

Much of the RQ footage can be found on YouTube (at considerably sub-DVD-quality). I'd especially recommend that you check out RGD doing Children of Zion: it's a fine performance, and watching/listening to Pete trying to get the Rev to stop before he's good and ready to stop is priceless. The look on Donovan's face while this is going on is pretty amusing too.

 

-- Bob R

[zombywoof]

I remember the show. Pete's rainbow Quest was aired on UHF Channel 47 out of Newark, NJ. That was the first time I had ever seen Rev. Gary Davis. The show is what made me go find him. The station also carried Zacherley's (the cool ghoul) Disc-O-Teen show.

[Rambler]

TK-- here's what's on DVD. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=rainbow+quest&x=17&y=18

 

Too bad the RGD, Rev gary Davis session is not n DVD--it's priceless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_90D1RzApts

Davis examines a sitar by touch [different clip]then plays Oh Glory How Happy I Am while Donavan l cringes, Shawn Phillips get's into it, Pete morphs into his ernest slightly hammy sing-along mode while Davis goes deep. Priceless

[rar]

Too bad the RGD, Rev gary Davis session is not n DVD--it's priceless.

 

The Rev's Rainbow Quest performances are available on DVD, on Stefan Grossman's RGD video collection. (You don't get the sitar examination though.)

 

-- Bob R

[Rambler]

The Rev's Rainbow Quest performances are available on DVD, on Stefan Grossman's RGD video collection. (You don't get the sitar examination though.)

 

-- Bob R

Aha-thanks Bob (blame the narrow RBQ focus)

[TommyK]

... watching/listening to Pete trying to get the Rev to stop before he's good and ready to stop is priceless...

-- Bob R

 

Sometimes when the spirit gets a holt of you it just won't let go. Artificial time constraints Caused by a 12" 78rpm disk just don't matter.

 

B)

[bigshot]

The Johnny Cash episode is the twitchiest, druggiest Cash I've ever seen. This PBS show was Seeger's first toe back into the media after the McCarthy era. Cash made a point of being on Seeger's show and later insisted that Seeger be a guest on his ABC series.

[TommyK]

That Seeger ep on Cash's show is out on YouTube. He's wearin' a hippie flowerdy shirt and is present with, and plays, a fretless banjo. True to form, he has the audience singing.