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Townes Van Zandt CBG Tribute Album - Your Submissions needed

Hey, y'all!

Townes Van Zandt (1944 - 1997) was a Texas singer-songwriter-poet, whose music has touched a deep chord (pun intended) amongst many of us here at CBN. No, he's not related, except perhaps very distantly, to those other musical Van Zandt boys many of us also love. Townes was hailed, back in 1985 by none other than another gifted songwriter, Steve Earle, as "the greatest songwriter in the world, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that!" Whether or not you agree with ol' Steve, there is a deep knowledge of the blues, heartache, pain and melancholy in Townes' songs. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, please visit his estate's website to get to know him better (all proceeds go to support his children and his second wife, Jeanene):

https://townesvanzandt.com/

Several of us here at CBN (myself, Uncle John, Turtlehead, and maybe some others I haven't seen or heard - I know the owner of Diamondbackguitarshop and beStillroy are also huge fans) have done videos of us playing our versions of Townes' songs, many of which came out nearly 40 years ago. We realized that the CBG may be the perfect instrument on which to reinterpret and breathe new life into Townes' songs. In fact, we've been kicking the idea around in the Comment section of Uncle John's video rendition of "Flying Shoes" for the last coupla weeks (check it out), and came up with the idea for a tribute album, using only CBGs (I know, I know: Townes never played one, to my knowledge, and I and perhaps many others of you learned "Pancho and Lefty" on a 6-stringer, but still...).

So, if you're still with me, we're looking for MP3 submissions from those who play Townes' songs, wanna try 'em on CBG, may have never heard of him but like what they hear - any and all are welcome. His catalogue is pretty deep, so I'd like to lay claim to "If I Needed You" right here, right now! (hmmm. Jesus Jones...nah) ;-) We're also looking for someone willing to create some original cover art. The idea behind this is not to make money. We wouldn't want to charge for these songs or this album. We just wanna get 'em out to the larger CBN audience. As currently envisioned, it would be of a similar nature to the free download Robert Johnson tribute album, or the various CBN Christmas albums. It is not designed to detract from, or compete with, the Blues Album Dan Sleep is currently putting together for CBN, which many of us here are also contributing to. All we ask, like the judges on American Idol, is that you make your submitted TVZ song your own.

For those who are interested, you can add MP3 files using the Attach Files or Upload Files link at the bottom left to this Discussion. Record 'em however y'all feel comfortable: lo-fi, hi-fi, wi-fi, or in-fi, doesn't matter. You can PM me here at CBN for any offline technical or otherwise discussions. I will, eventually, get back to you.

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on April 2, 2012 at 1:48pm

Ron, still trying to upload - will contact you if this one fails.

Attachments:

Flying Shoes - Townes Van Zandt blues on cigar box guitar - YouTube.mp3, 2.5 MB

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 2, 2012 at 7:32pm

John,

Success! Got it!

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Permalink Reply by Busyhands Slim on October 18, 2012 at 4:33pm

Definitive.

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Permalink Reply by Russell Carlin on April 3, 2012 at 5:34am

I wouldn't mind having a go at this, has anybody uploaded Kathleen,if not I'll post it sometime over the Easter break.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 3, 2012 at 8:24am

Russell,

Please give it a go.

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Permalink Reply by Vinylhed on April 3, 2012 at 7:14am

Russell - I'm glad someone's going to tackle Kathleen, it was the first Van Zandt song I heard (albeit a version by Tindersticks). I had a go at it myself, but made a real pig's ear it it.

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Permalink Reply by Russell Carlin on April 6, 2012 at 6:45am

Hi Guys, here's my Lo Fi version of Kathleen recorded on my Webcam, played on my Revalator 3 string wine box tuned to open A,sorry vocals are a bit muddy, if i manage to record a better version i will upload again.I tried to play it slower and bluesier but it just wasn't workin,hope the Townes purists don't mind. so i rocked it up a little,

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Permalink Reply by turtlehead on April 6, 2012 at 4:28pm

Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold. Take #527 - The greatest song about poker that has ever been written. The Gambler is probably second.

I went hi-fi and spent hours just to be able to play this on the 4 string. I have blisters on top of blisters and have learned quite a bit about the 4 string CBG. Percussion is through Fruity Loops. I wish I could play it, sing it and do the kick drum all at the same time, but that is beyond my abilities at this point. I also spent way too much time on the mixing/mastering process. I'm not proud. Or tired.

Things I learned:

1) Townes is a master wordsmith. And I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table and say it.

2) Playing with the drum track (metronome) is the best thing you can do as far as practice is concerned. And it's also a humbling experience.

3) I recorded and mixed through Audacity and then imported it to the free demo of Fruity Loops to "master" Took me a while to figure out how to do it, but it's a pretty good deal for zero dollars.

4) The CBG is the most funnest instrument ever.

Uncle John has the soul. Thorsten has the spook. I don't know what I have. OCD I guess. Oily has the sweetness methinks. Can't wait to hear all the other interpretations/facets of Townes.

I'm not sure this upload will work....

Attachments:

Mr Mudd and Mr Gold.mp3, 6.3 MB

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 6, 2012 at 5:51pm

Turtle,

Yes! Yes! Yes! Nailed it! You got....ummm...The Golden Spike! That was so clean, and so spooky, and so soulful, and so suuweeet! That had cinematic flair written all over it. You should be able to do that in any coffeehouse, bar or open mic in the world, and people should sit up and take notice.

I'd be interested to learn more about Fruity Loops. You did not spend too much time on mastering; you just showed me where I need to up my game.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 6, 2012 at 7:42pm

Just wanted to add, the little rattle / oscillator percussion worked - sounded like rattling dice in a cup - and odd image, given that this is a poker song, but effective nonetheless

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on April 7, 2012 at 8:42am

Wow. Turtle's Mudd & Gold is just wonderful. Way to go, Todd! Be good and proud of that one.

I knew just a bit of Townes' stuff before last week. We rented the movie about his life - name slips my mind right now, and just got a greatest hits album and listened to it last night. Some would say that album was 'over-produced' for what someone thought was more of a Nashville sound back in the day. True, but still excellent.

He was certainly one of true best few singer songwriters.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 7, 2012 at 5:33pm

John,

Yeah, I need to grab me copies of the various documentaries and biographies this summer. Was the movie "Be Here To Love Me?"

Yeah, the production values on his first 3 or 4 albums were standard for the Nashville of the day. Listening to him sing those songs so sweetly during the mid-late 60's contrasts greatly with his rawer style during the 70's; but the poetry shines through all the rhinestone layers.