Stories and ‘Stretchers’

Everybody loves a good story…and this week on Deeper Roots we’ll be spinning a few of them. Tall tales, fables, murder ballads, historical yarns, talking blues and outright stretchers are all part of the American musical tradition, and we’ll be digging into that tradition this Friday morning. Our stories come mostly from the years between 1925 and 1960, when an old tale might travel from a front porch to a 78, from a newspaper headline to a country ballad, or get passed from singer to singer until fact and folklore became pretty hard to separate. We’ll hear tales of outlaws and drifters, sinners and saints, disasters and deeds of questionable truth from the likes of Mississippi John Hurt, Woody Guthrie, the Golden Gate Quartet, Tex Ritter, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins and more. There’ll even be a few whoppers along the way.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumYearStart At
1Ma RaineyStack O'Lee BluesThe Rise & Fall of Paramount Records Volume 1 (1917-1927)192500:00
2Furry LewisBilly Lyons And Stack O'LeeThe Return Of The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of201206:21
3Mississippi John HurtStack O' LeeAvalon Blues: The Complete 1928 OKeh Recordings192808:58
4Lloyd PriceStagger LeeBillboard Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1959195911:52
5Mississippi John HurtFrankieAvalon Blues: The Complete 1928 OKeh Recordings192814:09
6Jimmie RodgersFrankie And JohnnyThe Essential Jimmie Rodgers192917:30
7Lead BellyJohn HardyClassic African-American Ballads (Smithsonian Folkways)194526:06
8Bill Frisell & Petra HadenJohn Hardy Was A Desperate Little ManPetra Haden And Bill Frisell200328:47
9The Carter FamilyJohn Hardy Was A Desperate Little ManAmerican Roots- A History Of American Folk Music: [Disc 2]031:19
10The WeaversThe Frozen LoggerThe History Of American Folk195134:10
11Cisco HoustonThe Frozen LoggerThe Folkways Years: 1944-1961195436:40
12Merle TravisDark As A DungeonHot Pickin' [Disc 1]194644:52
13Mr. Connie DycusDark As A DungeonBirth / Work / Death – Work Money And Status In Country Music (1950-1974)197047:53
14Grandpa JonesDark As A DungeonAn American Original199850:38
15Vernon DalhartThe Wreck Of The Old '97American Roots- A History Of American Folk Music: [Disc 1]192453:22
16Roy AcuffThe Great Titaniccompliments of grimriper2u@yahoo.com056:28
17Rory BlockTitanic (When That Great Ship Went Down)Confessions of A Blues Singer199859:35
18Tony RiceWreck of the Edmund FitzgeraldChurch Street Blues19891:01:38
19The Plainsmen QuartetJack O'DiamondsCowboy Crooners Sing Songs Of The West Cd 201:12:28
20Michael Martin MurpheyJack Of DiamondsCowboy Songs19901:15:07
21Tex RitterRye WhiskeyCattle Call-Early Cowboy Music And It's Roots19451:16:10
22Johnny HortonThe Battle Of New OrleansAmerican Originals19591:19:18
23Jimmie DriftwoodThe Battle of New OrleansSix Classic Albums Plus Bonus Singles19591:21:45
24Chubby Parker & His Old Time BanjoKing Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-OAnthology Of American Folk Music Vol. 1A: Ballads19281:25:07
25Woody GuthriePretty Boy FloydWoody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection19441:31:06
26The ByrdsPretty Boy FloydSweetheart of the Rodeo19681:34:01
27Merle Haggard And The StrangersThe Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde (2006 Digital Remaster)Hag: The Best of Merle Haggard20061:36:30
28Marty RobbinsEl PasoA Lifetime of Song (1951-1982)19831:38:30
29Lefty FrizzellLong Black VeilColumbia Country Classics Vol. 3: Americana19901:43:08
30The Kingston TrioTom DooleyAbsolutely the Best19581:46:07
31Johnny HortonJohnny RebClassic Country: More Great Story Songs19591:52:18
32Johnny CashRock Island LineGet Rhythm [Sun]19691:54:38
33Hart Valley DriftersHandsome MollyFolk Time20161:56:45

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