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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 RTZGUITARS on April 25, 2012 at 3:18pm

Two Hands This is not a submission dont know if i can upload a vocal without a backing track

until some else does. Great job on the slide track Thorsten I'll put a 6string on it later.

This was Uncle Johns idea i hope we can get him on this. Vinyl if she gives you a bad time

tell her she sounds like Carrie Underwood if that don't work tell her she looks like

Carrie Underwood If that don't work run.

Attachments:

Two Hands TVZ.mp3, 3.8 MB

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Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on April 25, 2012 at 6:47pm

Wow!

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Permalink Reply by Vinylhed on April 25, 2012 at 11:09pm

I had to Google Carrie Underwood as I had no idea who she was! I think that woman has blonde teeth.

Great vocals, your recording is going to be really handy to teach Louise the song and a great guide to sing along to.

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on April 25, 2012 at 11:45pm

RTZ, Good job on that track and singing. Hey, when I heard the backing track without vocals I didn't want to do it thinking I would mess it up. Gees, now I hear it with those good vocals and feel the same way. I don't want to mess up a good thing.

And I'm kind of clueless about how to record it. Any simple instructions? I don't have a mike, but could likely go down to Radio Shack and get one.

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Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on April 25, 2012 at 6:40pm

Super. Hey, this is a chance to test your relationship under extreme conditions.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 25, 2012 at 7:54pm

Gents ( and lady, assuming Vinyl ain't dead yet;-)),

Per Thorsten's request, let's try to all make a hard deadline for Two Hands vocal tracks of May 15. Thanks for all your hard work and cooperation. This is just toooooo gooooood!

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Permalink Reply by Jimi Z on April 26, 2012 at 10:13am

don't know if anyone did this one yet ?

Attachments:

buckskinstallionblues.mp3, 2.3 MB

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Permalink Reply by Vinylhed on April 26, 2012 at 12:27pm

Brilliant, I love it! A superb addition to the album, which is already shaping up to be something special.
It sounds so much like a banjo, which of your lovely guiatrs did you play it on?

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Permalink Reply by turtlehead on April 26, 2012 at 1:23pm

It does sound like banjo which is a sweet sound to my ears. Glad to have you aboard Jimi Z.

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Permalink Reply by Jimi Z on April 29, 2012 at 9:25am

thanks guys!!! i played my 4 string "brojo" tuned DGBD with capo on the 4th fret, it was built by roger wendover http://www.artisanguitarcreations.com

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Permalink Reply by Vinylhed on April 26, 2012 at 12:09pm

Okay folks, here're my vocals for Two Hands. There's also special appearance from my girlfriend Louise, who I badgered to sing for us. I think she's done a great job, and I hope you'll all like the results as well. It's been a nice change to share the music making with Louise, and I hope I might be able to rope her in again soon.

Whoops! Just realised that I'll have to post Louise's vocals in another post.

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