Friday, August 07, 2015

Oldtime Country Music at archive.org

The Internet Archive may not be the first place you look for old-time country sounds, but some old-time radio and 78 rpm record collectors have digitized an amazing amount of 20th century American  culture.

I'll come back and edit this, but wanted to put a few links out where new old-time music friends can find them today.

Sorry if there are spelling errors, and if you have to cut and paste the links into a browser. The first draft of this was done with my left thumb on a smartphone during a singing class at Augusta Heritage Center. (https://augustaheritagecenter.org)

Most of these are radio. Some are 1950s TV. The Delmore brothers sell their gospel song book, the Willis Brothers  swing "Hillbilly Heaven." All Star Western Theatre combines accordion and guitar western harmonizing with short dramatic productions with cowboy movie stars of the forties. Pat Daniels Hillbilly Boys sold Hillbilly flour with Texas Swing, while Hank Williams sold Mother's Best flour with his country blues. Plenty here to explore.

https://archive.org/details/otr_countrymusictime

https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Delmore_Brothers_Singles

https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Certified_Delmore_Brothers

https://archive.org/details/GrandOldOpry-28april1956

https://archive.org/details/HankPennyHisRadioCowboys-01-10

https://archive.org/details/charlottecountry00holt Booklet PDF

https://archive.org/details/RanchParty1957

https://archive.org/details/0029OldTimeRadioReunion

https://archive.org/details/otr_countrymusictime

https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Mothers_Best_Flour_Singles

https://archive.org/details/OTRR_The_Hillbilly_Boys_Singles (Pat O'Daniel & the...), 74 episodes

https://archive.org/details/OTRR_All_Star_Western_Theatre_Singles

https://archive.org/details/otr_geneautry

https://archive.org/details/RoyRogers01-10

Tuesday, August 04, 2015

Some songs from Augusta

After singing along with these songs in Paul Brown's workshops at Davis & Elkins College's Augusta Heritage old-time music week,  I compulsively went off looking for alternative versions, additional lyrics,  and YouTube videos.

Cumberland Gap
https://youtu.be/t4Jawe-M2yc

Deadheads and suckers
https://youtu.be/N1byRXjV2LU

Tempy Roll Down Your Bangs
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=18014

Railroad Bill (with brakemans vest, nancy hanks verse)
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/riley-puckett-railroad-bill-information.html

Trouble in Mind
https://youtu.be/8a54Nz6aYYY

My home is across the blue ridge mountains
https://youtu.be/Z7i1CQv74aE

Walking in my sleep
https://youtu.be/LoRFJd47rtU

Poor Ellen Smith
murder case, Winston Salem c.1897

http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2010/07/poor-ellen-smith.html

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/us/02land.html?pagewanted=all&referrer=