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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 June 5, 2012 at 12:28am

Letha, so glad to have you in this. Great job. This- waiting - waiting for the download - is like waiting for the next Beatles album circa 1967.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 5, 2012 at 2:14am

That's...a...great...idea...for...the..next...tribute!

Dr Pepper's Only Farts Club CBG Band

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 5, 2012 at 2:40am

Hey, y'all!

Coupla more uploads I found while digging through the compilation files (RTZ inspired me:-) ):

Attachments:

No Place To Fall_Jamie MacBlues.mp3, 2.8 MB
Kathleen_Russell Carlin.mp3, 3 MB

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on June 5, 2012 at 6:28pm

Glad to see Mac here! Great song for you Jamie now go make a video!

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Permalink Reply by Mr.C on June 5, 2012 at 9:53am

I can give black jack mamma a go.what format fo you want it.

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Permalink Reply by Letha Allen on June 5, 2012 at 11:39am

Hi Strat,

Is it only songs he wrote, or songs he covered too? Can someone tell me where is the track for Two Hands? I love gospel and might would like to try a harmony if I can.

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on June 5, 2012 at 12:20pm

It's on page 12 Letha it just Thorsten's slide track

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 5, 2012 at 8:50pm

Letha,

Sorry for the delay getting back to you; I'm in Saudi Arabia at my work PC, so there's an 8-hour time lag.

We've allowed Two Hands as a song he covered, because 1) Uncle John suggested it, and we all love Unc!:-) ; 2) we all thought it would be a great group sing (and it has turned out that way), 3) it is a great song to end what could have turned into a potentially depressing album, and 4) because it's another song with a message of hope (unlike many of the melancholy ones we also love and have recorded) that I know he sang when he was fighting, and losing to, his drug and alcohol demons. Because he is regarded as such a gifted songwriter, several of us would like to hear songs that he wrote, becuase his catalogue is pretty extensive. There are some covers he's associated with, though; I know he often did Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love, and was a major Lightnin' Hopkins disciple.

I personally don't mind if you wanna do one of the songs he covered that he has a strong association with; after all, many people not in the know thought Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard had written Pancho and Lefty, when they covered it.

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Permalink Reply by Letha Allen on June 5, 2012 at 1:30pm

Here is At My Window. Was a little high for me so you might not like it, but I thought I would give it a try if Tecumseh song is already spoken for.

Attachments:

At My Window.mp3, 3.4 MB

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on June 5, 2012 at 3:48pm

Great job Letha you hammered that out in no time . Here is a ruff mix of Two hands, we all just sang the whole song and then just posted the vocal track alone. It wasn't easy to post a vocal with no backing but we all did it. Hopeful Thorsten can tighten up the chorus vocals. This a internation Townes cover.

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