Comments on: Friday Five: Goodnight, Irene

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:11:37 +0000

Playing the race card is a frequent ploy for leftists – I don’t actually know Jon’s politics but I can take a guess from his comments

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:11:22 +0000

I’ve heard Leadbelly and I’ve heard Jim Reeves and they’re as close to each other as monks to Monkees, or Ian Tyson to Mike Tyson.

I’ve always thought that as much of a crank as you are, the saving grace is that you at least are an expert on popular music and the business. But insisting that Jim Reeves’ oh-so-perfectly- enunciated, slow-as-molasses rendition of “Good Night Irene” “isn’t particularly far from Ledbetter’s” raises doubts about that.

Oh, and I find it amusing that the Great One has determined that my rather innocuous crack that Jim Reeves’ recording sounds like a parody (which it does) makes me a racist–and he just can’t seem to get away from that.

By: Jon

Jon — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:39:20 +0000

Actually, it’s the widespread availability of Leadbelly’s recordings – including “Goodnight Irene” – that makes your preference for racial stereotyping over actually listening to his singing all the more pathetic.

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 01:52:47 +0000

“Hard to get excited about winning a bet when it’s such a no-brainer.”

Still camped out on Alpha Centauri, the artist-formerly-known-as-the-all-knowing one is too clueless to know that Leadbelly’s recordings have been readily available on CD at dirt-cheap, no-copyright prices for many years–and nowadays, one can hear them by simply typing his name and clicking on you-tube.

Oh, and Leadbelly’s singing was as close to Jim Reeves’ as the Benedictine Monks of St. Michaels’ Gregorian chants are to the Monkees.

By: Sam G.

Sam G. — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 23:55:38 +0000

Willie also recorded it with Irish legends The Chieftains a while back. He must really be a fan of the song.

By: Leeann Ward

Leeann Ward — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:17:06 +0000

My favorite is the one off the Nitty Gritty Dirtband’s Will the Circle Be Unbroken series with Willie Nelson and Tom Petty.

By: BLL

BLL — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:06:15 +0000

I always liked the Weavers acoustic version of the song rather than the somewhat overblown Gordon Jenkins backed version they did for Decca, though I suss that was the producer’s choice. I love Ronnie Gilbert’s voice, and Pete, Fred and Lee’s harmonies are wonderful.

I think people today forget that the artists back in the 50s/60s didn’t have a huge say in what they recorded like they do now; both Pasty Cline and Jim Reeves discographies reflect that fact.

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:20:35 +0000

Leadbelly recorded the song on several occasions with some significant differences between the various recorded performance. Some of his recordings I like, others I don’t like

I don’t believe one need EVER apologize for selecting the Jim Reeves version of any song – he was that good

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 05:17:32 +0000

Hank Thompson did an answer song (of sorts)in “Wake Up, Irene”, a number one record for two weeks in 1954.

By: Jon

Jon — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:14:54 +0000

Hard to get excited about winning a bet when it’s such a no-brainer.

Luckyoldsun: “Listen? What for? He was an old black dude, I don’t need to listen to him to know how he sounded.”