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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 Thorsten Hinrichsen on June 19, 2012 at 5:07am

Hey Turtle - I love the voices, instruments, and your mix of Pancho but there's one thing I'd appreciate you to think over again, if possible (I do hope it will be). The bass is not in the correct position - it comes one or two beats too early. Don't think i'm pedantic but for me the bass sounds definitely wrong.

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Permalink Reply by turtlehead on June 19, 2012 at 10:48am

I couldn't quite get a feeling for where you came in. Will look at it later tonight and fix it.

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Permalink Reply by turtlehead on June 19, 2012 at 5:04pm

You're right - I was off by a beat. I have it synced up now and it sounds much better. I'll work on it some more tomorrow and get it fine tuned again.

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Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on June 19, 2012 at 6:45pm

Thank you, turtlehead. I thought I started the complete file with Vinylhead's guitar file but I have possibly cut the beginning - if you want I can send it again tonight.

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Permalink Reply by Lindo Cortez on June 19, 2012 at 6:46pm

Cant wait to hear everyones take on TVZ...VIVA Townes Van Zandt!...

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 19, 2012 at 11:42pm

While the final tweaking is getting done this week on the tribute album, here's a great discography / song resource for all you Townies:

http://uspest.org/coopl/tvzguide.html

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on June 20, 2012 at 8:52am

Thanks Mr. Oily, That's a good list. Hey let me know how the boobie bobbi bobby pins work on that S.W. It sounds like it frets well I may try them.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 20, 2012 at 10:12am

RTZ,

Aaaaaccccchhhh!! Ssssssss! Nooooo, my preciousssss!

Not you, too, with the Mr. thang! Won't be able to tell you for another month and a half how the booby bobbys bounce. By that time, though, I'm thinkin' it should be good for the Neil Young tribute. You're in for that, right?

Whew! Gotta rack; just got back from a going-away party, my heid's none tae stable onna shoulders, my left upper molar hole has woken up after surgery this mornin', and I fancy some shut-eye.