Leadbelly

[totamus]

The recent post about the Crossroads movie got me thinking about the Leadbelly movie and reminiscing. Those of you old enough will remember that in the days of Vinyl, many stores carried "cut out" bins. Cut outs were albums that had the top corner cut and sold for dirt cheap. They were albums that did not sell at regular prices and the record company would firesale them. Cut-outs didnt receive royalties. I always would look through the cut out bins and got some really good music that way. There were a number of artists that many people had not heard of, but that were very good.

 

That is how I found the Leadbelly soundtrack. I still have the album, and it looks like this:

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK RECORDING From The Paramount Motion Picture LEADBELLY

Arranged and Conducted By FRED KARLIN

Hi Tide Harris (Leadbelly vocals)

Art Evans (Blind Lemon vocals)

Dick Rosmini (12-string guitar)

David Cohen (6-string guitar)

 

This album is one the best in my collection, and I paid 99 cents for it in the late 70s. All the cuts are good, if you are not familiar with Rosmini and Cohen, they are spectacular. There is one cut in particular that was one of my favorites, called the challenge. Think "Dueling Banjos", except the duel is between a 12 string and a 6 string (Leadbelly and Blind Lemon as I recall) and it is all fingerpicking blues.

 

I found a one minute audio, but unfortunately in Real Audio format:

http://www.wirz.de/music/rosmini/sound/challen.ram

 

After listening to the soundtrack for years, I finally got a chance to watch the movie on VHS (God I'm old), and it was a treat. Without a doubt, the soundtrack is the best part of the movie, but the movie is decent also.

 

For movie info: Leadbelly Movie

[Terry Allan Hall]

Saw that movie in late '76 or early '77...great flick!

 

I was the only "sorta white" young guy in the audience, surrounded by older black folk...one gentleman leaned over and said "You must play guitar" and when I answered to the affirmative, he said "Pay attention then, 'cause this music must go on!"

 

Need to find a DVD of it!

[Freeman Keller]

I would love to hear that album. Any chance you know anyone with a USB turn table who could digitize it?

 

I have no Leadbelly music in my collection, altho I have heard a lot of it over the years. One of my first introductions to the whole roots music thing was when I was in high school in the early sixties - I used to take my date (who is now my wife and last night was our 43rd) to a little beatnik coffee house in Portland OR called "the Way Out" - we would sit and drink strong coffee and play chess and plot revolution and other cool stuff.

 

There was a guy that played songs like Good Night Irene and Betty and Dupree and Keep on Truckin' on this great big thumping guitar the likes of which I had never seen (had to be a Stella). It wasn't Heddy Leadbetter but it was his music and it made a lasting impression on me.

[totamus]

I would love to digitize also. Alas, I dont know anyone woth the capability to do it. I dont know if you can get the sound track as a CD or not. The DVD is still available and all of the songs are on it though.

 

Terry - that is a great story - One of those defining moments you never forget

[OldGuitarPlayer]

When I was a kid they used to show that movie late at night...like 3am.

I remember actually video taping it in the early 80's. (I had a beta machine in 1981) There are a lot of his original recordings reissued now I think by the Smithsonian. He was an amazing guitar player and singer. I think he was a big influence on Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and all of the NYC folk scene in the 1940's. I have no idea if the soundtrack is on CD.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Terry - that is a great story - One of those defining moments you never forget

 

 

Absolutely!

[mrmoe]

I've digitized a bunch of my old vinyl lp's by simply plugging the low level output of my receiver into the high impedance inputs of a tascam dp01 fxcd...the result is just 2 tracks - side one and side 2, but I'm told that with roxio spin doctor (comes with toast) you can separate and name tracks....the digital recordings come out extremely well, provided you start with a good turntable, stylus, and (of course) a good vinyl record....

[Terry Allan Hall]

When I was a kid they used to show that movie late at night...like 3am. I remember actually video taping it in the early 80's. (I had a beta machine in 1981) There are a lot of his original recordings reissued now I think by the Smithsonian. He was an amazing guitar player and singer. I think he was a big influence on Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and all of the NYC folk scene in the 1940's. I have no idea if the soundtrack is on CD.

 

I recorded in (VHS) off of (I think) Turner Classic Movies in the early 90s I think, but no longer have it or a VHS machine...

 

OTOH, look what I just found on (and bought off of) Ebay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200190496676&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=010

 

3 left!

[Samilyn]

I'm definitely going to search and find the DVD and buy it. I never did get to see the movie back in the '70s, though I'd heard about it.

[totamus]

I looked on the internet, and it appears that this soundtrack was never released as a cd. Pity. Truly a great album. However, there are two on Ebay (one new and unplayed)

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/LEADBELLY-SOUNDTRACK-EX-EX-LP_W0QQitemZ230177777841QQihZ013QQcategoryZ306QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

http://http://cgi.ebay.com/LEADBELLY-Soundtrack-LP-1976-Orig-UNPLAYED_W0QQitemZ110197501643QQihZ001QQcategoryZ306QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Terry Allan Hall]

I looked on the internet, and it appears that this soundtrack was never released as a cd. Pity. Truly a great album. However, there are two on Ebay (one new and unplayed) http://cgi.ebay.com/LEADBELLY-SOUNDTRACK-EX-EX-LP_W0QQitemZ230177777841QQihZ013QQcategoryZ306QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Say, the buyer of this one seems familiar... http://http://cgi.ebay.com/LEADBELLY-Soundtrack-LP-1976-Orig-UNPLAYED_W0QQitemZ110197501643QQihZ001QQcategoryZ306QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Freeman Keller]

 

I looked on the internet, and it appears that this soundtrack was never released as a cd. Pity. Truly a great album. However, there are two on Ebay (one new and unplayed)

 

 

no, there is only one. I just bought the other. According to the instructions with my digital recorder I should be able to plug my old Pioneer turn table into it, record the vinyl, up load it to the PC, make an mp3.... Sounds like a lot of work but I have a number of vinyl records that have not be released (Kottke's Greenhouse, a bunch of early Fahey) - this might be a project.

[totamus]

Well, I would love a digital copy (strong hint!). There are a few songs that were beyond my skill level in the 70s but are now within reach...

[Freeman Keller]

 

Well, I would love a digital copy (strong hint!). There are a few songs that were beyond my skill level in the 70s but are now within reach...

 

 

Things like that have been know to happen. Why don't you PM me your snail mail addy and I'll tuck it away for if/when I get it done. By the way, I have a great book of Leadbelly songs - and noodle around playing a few simple ones. But so much of his unique sound was that guitar and that tuning (and of course, that incredible musician)

 

http://www.fraulini.com/leadbelly.html

 

http://www.fraulini.com/setup2.html

[totamus]

I got caught up in my own reminiscing - Just ordered the movie on Ebay (thanks for the tip Terry!). Cant wait to see it again...

[T.B.]

I would love to hear that album. Any chance you know anyone with a USB turn table who could digitize it? I have no Leadbelly music in my collection, altho I have heard a lot of it over the years. One of my first introductions to the whole roots music thing was when I was in high school in the early sixties - I used to take my date (who is now my wife and last night was our 43rd) to a little beatnik coffee house in Portland OR called "the Way Out" - we would sit and drink strong coffee and play chess and plot revolution and other cool stuff. There was a guy that played songs like Good Night Irene and Betty and Dupree and Keep on Truckin' on this great big thumping guitar the likes of which I had never seen (had to be a Stella). It wasn't Heddy Leadbetter but it was his music and it made a lasting impression on me.

 

 

Freeman you may be interested in this.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Collectables-Classics-4-CD-Box-Set/dp/B000EOTFFS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1200095858&sr=8-1

 

or this

 

http://www.amazon.com/Leadbellys-Last-Sessions-Leadbelly/dp/B000001DJD/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1200095858&sr=8-4

 

Trina

[T.B.]

The recent post about the Crossroads movie got me thinking about the Leadbelly movie and reminiscing. Those of you old enough will remember that in the days of Vinyl, many stores carried "cut out" bins. Cut outs were albums that had the top corner cut and sold for dirt cheap. They were albums that did not sell at regular prices and the record company would firesale them. Cut-outs didnt receive royalties. I always would look through the cut out bins and got some really good music that way. There were a number of artists that many people had not heard of, but that were very good. That is how I found the Leadbelly soundtrack. I still have the album, and it looks like this: ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK RECORDING From The Paramount Motion Picture LEADBELLY Arranged and Conducted By FRED KARLIN Hi Tide Harris (Leadbelly vocals) Art Evans (Blind Lemon vocals) Dick Rosmini (12-string guitar) David Cohen (6-string guitar) This album is one the best in my collection, and I paid 99 cents for it in the late 70s. All the cuts are good, if you are not familiar with Rosmini and Cohen, they are spectacular. There is one cut in particular that was one of my favorites, called the challenge. Think "Dueling Banjos", except the duel is between a 12 string and a 6 string (Leadbelly and Blind Lemon as I recall) and it is all fingerpicking blues. I found a one minute audio, but unfortunately in Real Audio format: http://www.wirz.de/music/rosmini/sound/challen.ram After listening to the soundtrack for years, I finally got a chance to watch the movie on VHS (God I'm old), and it was a treat. Without a doubt, the soundtrack is the best part of the movie, but the movie is decent also. For movie info: Leadbelly Movie

 

I remember well. Some inaccurately name Motown as the first incorporated Black owned music label. When in fact it was VeeJay Records founders wife and husband team Vivian Carter and James C. Braken of Gary IN. My brothers and I found a lot of VeeJay's artist/musicians (some well known some not yet) "cut-outs" in the store: Jimmy Hendricks, Staples Singers, Memphis Slim, Jimi Reed, Little Richard, Billy Preston, The Four Seasons etc. The Beatles - "Introducing the Beatles" - was their first album in the United States that was released on 15th February, 1964; it was released by the record label Vee-Jay. Oh, what might have been!

 

Trina

[Terry Allan Hall]

I got caught up in my own reminiscing - Just ordered the movie on Ebay (thanks for the tip Terry!). Cant wait to see it again...

 

No, THANK YOU for reminding me of a great movie...had you not, I might've never bothered to see if it might be available on DVD!

[totamus]

Woo Hoo, Mine just came - watching now...

[Terry Allan Hall]

Woo Hoo, Mine just came - watching now...

 

My copy arrived today, too.

[Freeman Keller]

My copy arrived today, too.

 

I got an e-mail that my record shipped today. Sniff...

[Cozmo]

I tried to find this on Netflix, but even they don't have it. I thought they had everything...

 

I'll try to find the soundtrack on eBay though. Sounds like it's worth every penny I'll pay for it.

[missedmyexit]

 

I've digitized a bunch of my old vinyl lp's by simply plugging the low level output of my receiver into the high impedance inputs of a tascam dp01 fxcd...the result is just 2 tracks - side one and side 2, but I'm told that with roxio spin doctor (comes with toast) you can separate and name tracks....the digital recordings come out extremely well, provided you start with a good turntable, stylus, and (of course) a good vinyl record....

 

 

With the DP01 you can set the "In" and "Out" markers for each song then do a "Mix down like you are mixing down multiple tracks. Name the "Master" what ever you like. Then switch the Ins and outs to the 2nd Track, Repeat.. as needed.

[Freeman Keller]

 

With the DP01 you can set the "In" and "Out" markers for each song then do a "Mix down like you are mixing down multiple tracks. Name the "Master" what ever you like. Then switch the Ins and outs to the 2nd Track, Repeat.. as needed.

 

 

I was planning to plug my old Pioneer into the line in on my Boss and just record each track. When I upload to the PC I should be able to add title, artist, album, and save as an mp3. I've been planing to do this with a bunch of old Kottke and Fahey that was never released in cd, as well as the Leadbelly sound track when it arrives.