From: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org (good-noise-digest) To: good-noise-digest@smoe.org Subject: good-noise-digest V2 #35 Reply-To: good-noise@smoe.org Sender: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk good-noise-digest Tuesday, March 16 1999 Volume 02 : Number 035 Today's Subjects: ----------------- JG the early years ["Sean Palen" ] Re: JG the early years ["Gary Bouchard" ] Re: JG the early years [ThePsyche@aol.com] Re: JG the early years ["Sean Palen" ] Re: JG the early years [Dave Howell ] Re: JG the early years [Dave Howell ] Re: JG the early years [SAbrams613@aol.com] Re: JG the early years [Dave Howell ] Re: JG the early years [Mary Larson ] Re: JG the early years ["Elizabeth A. Blake" ] Re: JG the early years [Jay Votel ] Re: JG the early years [John Richard ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 11:39:35 PST From: "Sean Palen" Subject: JG the early years Hey JGers It's been quiet, just wondering if anyone had an answer to the question I posted last week, regarding th e existence or lack there of a John Gorka early demo or independent tape. Sure I know we're all busy, bu let's try and get this list talking again, it always makes the workday go faster. Take it easy, Sean Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 16:12:14 -0500 From: "Gary Bouchard" Subject: Re: JG the early years >... regarding the existence ... of a John Gorka early demo or independent tape... Yes, I, too, am curious about non-mainstream Gorka recordings, radio broadcasts, television appearances.... JG strikes me as a perfect candidate for "Mountain Stage," "Austin City Limits," "Sessions on West 54th Street" and the likes.... yet I haven't seen or heard of any such performances.... He's got a very relaxed, polished stage presence.... Maybe the time is right for him to release a live recording...(?) Regards, gb ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 16:48:09 EST From: ThePsyche@aol.com Subject: Re: JG the early years In a message dated 3/15/99 3:17:42 PM Central Standard Time, gbouchard@norcat.org writes: > JG strikes me as a perfect candidate for "Mountain Stage," "Austin City > Limits," "Sessions on West 54th Street" and the likes.... yet I haven't seen > or heard of any such performances.... > > He's got a very relaxed, polished stage presence.... Maybe the time is right > for him to release a live recording...(?) > I in fact had my first Out-of-body Gorka experience listening to a Live From Mountain Stage compilation. The song was Gypsy Life and I can still remember the chills I felt with that voice inside my head. I have heard there are other JG songs on compilations but I don't have any of those. I heartily agree that a Gorka Live Cd would be wonderful, especially if you leave the little *Folk Song Boy* intros in there. Sorry to cut this short, but I ahve my own little *boy* troubles to attend to....it must be the bewitching hour! Adios, Bryn ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 15:04:35 PST From: "Sean Palen" Subject: Re: JG the early years Hey JGers I have numerous live Gorka compilations and compilations, KGSR Austin 107.1 volume 3 he sings Love is Our Cross to Bear" he again sings that on a Red House Records compilation "House on Fire" , another live one called "Floks: Live", it has David Wilcox, Ani DiFranco, I think Janis Ian. It would be cool to see him get some national tv coverage. So I am taking it he doesn't have a independent release or demo out that any of you know of? Thanks for keeping the thread going, Sean >I have heard there are other JG songs on compilations but I don't have any of >those. > >I heartily agree that a Gorka Live Cd would be wonderful, especially if you >leave the little *Folk Song Boy* intros in there. > >Sorry to cut this short, but I ahve my own little *boy* troubles to attend >to....it must be the bewitching hour! > >Adios, Bryn > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 18:39:20 -0500 From: Dave Howell Subject: Re: JG the early years I think that he has been on Austin City Limits. Gary Bouchard wrote: > >... regarding the existence ... of a John Gorka early demo or independent > tape... > > Yes, I, too, am curious about non-mainstream Gorka recordings, radio > broadcasts, television appearances.... > > JG strikes me as a perfect candidate for "Mountain Stage," "Austin City > Limits," "Sessions on West 54th Street" and the likes.... yet I haven't seen > or heard of any such performances.... > > He's got a very relaxed, polished stage presence.... Maybe the time is right > for him to release a live recording...(?) > > Regards, > > gb ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 18:40:57 -0500 From: Dave Howell Subject: Re: JG the early years He has been on Godfrey Daniels compilations. GD is a listening club in Bethlehem, PA. Sean Palen wrote: > Hey JGers > > I have numerous live Gorka compilations and compilations, KGSR Austin > 107.1 volume 3 he sings Love is Our Cross to Bear" he again sings that > on a Red House Records compilation "House on Fire" , another live one > called "Floks: Live", it has David Wilcox, Ani DiFranco, I think Janis > Ian. It would be cool to see him get some national tv coverage. So I > am taking it he doesn't have a independent release or demo out that any > of you know of? Thanks for keeping the thread going, > Sean > >I have heard there are other JG songs on compilations but I don't have > any of > >those. > > > >I heartily agree that a Gorka Live Cd would be wonderful, especially if > you > >leave the little *Folk Song Boy* intros in there. > > > >Sorry to cut this short, but I ahve my own little *boy* troubles to > attend > >to....it must be the bewitching hour! > > > >Adios, Bryn > > > > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 18:52:02 EST From: SAbrams613@aol.com Subject: Re: JG the early years Didn't he appear on Austin City Limits once (naturally, BEFORE I found him!!!)? If so, anybody know the details: date, year, etc.? If this performance exists, maybe we can track down the videotape. Barbara ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 19:24:42 -0500 From: Dave Howell Subject: Re: JG the early years He has also been on a TNN show hosted by Kathy Mattea. SAbrams613@aol.com wrote: > Didn't he appear on Austin City Limits once (naturally, BEFORE I found > him!!!)? If so, anybody know the details: date, year, etc.? If this > performance exists, maybe we can track down the videotape. > > Barbara ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 16:31:15 -0800 (PST) From: Mary Larson Subject: Re: JG the early years I have heard John on Mountain Stage at least once (I think twice), and I may even have a recording of same. I'm pretty sure he's also appeared on Austin City Limits, because I once tuned in to the last 2 minutes of the program only to find John (with his red sneakers) just finishing up a set. Serious bummer! Anyway, I'll check around to see if I still have that Mt. Stage recording and get back to y'all. Mary in Reno ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 21:09:28 -0500 From: "Elizabeth A. Blake" Subject: Re: JG the early years Hi, I joined this list a week or two ago and I think this is my first post, been mostly lurking. I got in John Gorka's music 6 or 7 years ago after someone included a few songs on a compilation tape for me. I was hooked immediately and bought all of the CDs that were out at the time and every one since. I've seen him live numerous times now and never get tired of his shows. I know that he has been on Mountain Stage at least twice because I have two performances on tape. I also have three World Cafe appearances, but he could have been on those shows more times than that. I also have a bunch of Fast Folk LPs/CDs that he's on. I've never heard of any early demo tape or self-released album. Several times in concert I've heard him or Richard Shindell mention being in a band together. I guess it was before either of them had a record deal. Has anyone ever seen that band? Liz mailto:poodlebone@earthlink.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 17:40:56 -0500 From: Jay Votel Subject: Re: JG the early years Hi everyone: I saw John Gorka with a band once on TV just by accident. It was in the summer, I think, shortly after "Out of the Valley" was released and he was on the Nashville Network singing, appropriately enough for this list, "Good Noise." Don't even ask me what I was doing watching "Nashville Now" or whatever the program was. If I recall, I was just hopping through channels when I heard his voice and stopped flicking through the channels in amazement. I watched the rest of the show, too, hoping for a second song, but they didn't do one. Also in the band was the woman who does the "testifying vocals" in the song. One of the hosts made some kind of crack about the term "testifying vocals" after the song was over, if I recall correctly. It was an incredible performance in front of a shimmering curtain, a la the old Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. I also obtained, from someone on this list last year, a tape of a radio broadcast from Wisconsin, I believe, which was a live Gorka concert simulcast. I'd be happy to talk over a trade with anyone who is interested in a third-generation cassette. E-mail me privately, though, since I don't want to start the old bootleg vs. concert tape discussion all over again. If you are a Gorka fan like me who likes to collect his music, you might find it interesting. But it doesn't include "The Body Parts Medley" or anything else that hasn't been recorded. The studio versions of these songs are much better than the tape. But it does offer the prattle between the songs which is interesting to the aficionado. We could ask the people at Fast Folk whether any early Gorka recordings exist in their files. In fact, I will do that personally and report my findings here. Also, there's a Web site I visited once a couple of years back with a transcription of a Gorka interview from a radio show in Pennsylvania. It might have been a link from the Godfrey Daniels site or even a Gorka site, really. Someone who is interested -- and I don't mean me -- might be able to track that one down and see if a tape exists of the interview and song performances. That might be a little more difficult if someone didn't tape it off the air. I do have a copy of a recording called "Southside Sunday Nights" issued by the Godfrey Daniels club which includes a live Gorka track. You probably can still order that one online. Proceeds benefit Godfrey Daniels, which you all know was Gorka's home at one time, and is a membership-supported folk venue in Bethlehem, Pa. Visit their site and support the place that made John Gorka's music possible. I mean that sincerely. He might still be delivering flowers in Bethlehem if it weren't for Godfrey Daniels, and I think he probably would be the first to say that. He also appears on a Kate Wolf tribute available from Red House if you're interested in his covers. I believe there's a Winter Solstice album out there that also has him doing "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." I don't have either of those recordings, so my collection still has a few holes to fill. Given the poor track record of live concert discs, I doubt seriously whether a live Gorka recording would be considered. But anything can happen and usually does, right? *s* ("Frampton Comes Alive" is the exception that proves the rule and I am not just talking out of my hat here -- Rolling Stone said the same thing and had numbers to prove it three years ago. The article came out shortly after the BoDeans issued a live two-disc set called "Joe Dirt Car" that scored a whopping 50,000 sales and made that year's "success" list. Incidentally, they are one of my all-time favorite bands, which is why I even read the article. But if the market changes and we all want to listen to guys with talkboxes on their guitars doing stadium shows again -- who knows? The most predictable thing about the music business is its mercurial nature, no?) - -- Jay Votel Gary Bouchard wrote: > >... regarding the existence ... of a John Gorka early demo or independent > tape... > > Yes, I, too, am curious about non-mainstream Gorka recordings, radio > broadcasts, television appearances.... > > JG strikes me as a perfect candidate for "Mountain Stage," "Austin City > Limits," "Sessions on West 54th Street" and the likes.... yet I haven't seen > or heard of any such performances.... > > He's got a very relaxed, polished stage presence.... Maybe the time is right > for him to release a live recording...(?) > > Regards, > > gb ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 23:42:25 -0600 From: John Richard Subject: Re: JG the early years John appeared on Austin City Limits sometime during the 1993 season, with Steve Forbert performing on the same show. Don't be fooled into thinking I'm an ACL expert, simply because I live in Austin. No, I just plugged into http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/. I sure wish I could have seen that performance. It's really hard to get tickets to Austin City Limits, and even though I've lived here for five years, I've never been. I have been tempted to heist the "Austin City Limits" sign on I-35 more than a few times. :-) Did you know that that highway sign is marked with a historical marker? Guess that shows the power of music! Cheers, JWR "Standing on a broken path, waiting for the sky to rain..." ------------------------------ End of good-noise-digest V2 #35 *******************************