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Re: [ARSCLIST] John Hammond discovered everybody, was Community Radio
Roger and Allison Kulp wrote:
Good question.I never paid too much attention to Seeger.I mean I recognize his importantance,as a historical figure,of American dissent,but I never liked his music.(I don't particularly care for folk music as a whole.)I had always thought,he stuck with Folkways,for the same reason Decca dropped The Weavers.Meaning ,after the HUAC hearings,no other label wanted to touch him.Am I correct ?
Roger Kulp
I snapped this thread off some dozen posts back, but for some reason
picked it up again here. It's not at all clear that Pete wanted a solo
career by then. I had known of his work only slightly until 1956-57 when
the first Vanguard album of The Weavers came out. My ignorance is
evident from my taking it along - first day of sale and all - for a
Peggy Seeger hootenanny. She was very gracious but not very interested.
That summer, Pete was responsible for the entertainment at an adult camp
just down the hill from Yerkes Observatory where I had an assistantship.
We didn't get much astronomy done that week, but with the daily concerts
and evenings around the fire, there was no talk of further solo work.
(Incidentally, the concerts were not of Pete. For example, William
Warfield's conccert exposed me to my second classical singer in person.)
The Weavers had returned with success and he was clearly happy about
that. Of course, Lee's illness and then his death pretty well wrapped
that up. Ronnie Gilbert tried to go solo - I have and enjoy her hommage
to Bessie Smith on RCA LP - but I had and have the feeling that Pete
really was a private person inside and enjoyed making music with his
friends but little more. He made an occasional appearance for a cause,
but that was about it.
Mike
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