Janet Greene ... the "Anti-Joan Baez"

[Andy Volk]

"The Anti-Joan Baez". The story of Janet Greene's recordings is a fascinating piece of forgotten American musical history.

Check out the sound clips: http://tinyurl.com/3otmtu

The whole history of music as a vehicle to influence politics is a really interesting sidebar to popular music from union songs to post-atomic bomb country tunes to right-wing propagandizing folk singers.

[Don Drummer]

Was Joan Baez a Left Wing prpogandizing folk singer? Don D.

[Andy Volk]

Beats me. I couldn't stand her vibrato long enough to find out.

[Don Drummer]

Andy, that was funny. Don D.

[Gordy Hall]

What a dumb concept. Janet Greene seems to be a no-talent whiner, used by rightwing fools who have no concept of freedom of speech nor any concept of anything other than 'rightwing Christian' pap for the masses. She represented no real thought nor any real political movement based on actual thought.

Joan Baez was never a 'communist', and she has much more talent than Janet Greene could hope to have.

What a waste of time such people's tired attacks are.

[Charles Davidson]

I'm one of those right wing FOOLS,choise to be RIGHT than WRONG. The difference is I will listen to both sides,the left wing FOOLS will try to shut me down,Will NEVER happen. DYKBC.

[Jerry Hayes]

Andy, is she still around? I did a steel session somewhere between 1980 and 84 in southern California for an LP by a female vocalist named Janet Greene. She'd be older than the girl pictured and a little heavier but had a very nice voice. We did it at Red Hill Records (Clark Rohn's Studio). This Janet was hooked up with a latino guy who's name I can't remember, Jose' something or other, and he painted a portrait of her for the album cover. Like I said, other than being a little older and heavier, she really resembled the photos of Janet the folk singer. I have a copy of the album around here and I'll see if I can post a shot of the cover for comparison...JH in Va.

[Doug Beaumier]

...a fascinating piece of forgotten American musical history.

...and best left forgotten. It's pure political propaganda.... a contrived imitation of the real, grassroots folk of the 1960s. Unlike the Real music/movement which came from the people themselves, this stuff was dreamed up by a right-wing organization that recruited this woman to sing the stuff. Sorry Andy, throw it back.

[b0b]

<bump>

[Andy Volk]

For what it's worth, Doug, I agree with you - yes, it's manipulative drek. Some of the music on the opposite side of the isle - like a few of Phil Ochs songs - were equally awful, though they came from a far less cynical and manipulative intent.

But if we take emotion out of the equation and just look at it as a historical document it's a fascinating minor sidebar to a turbulent period in American history. I find it fascinating in kind of the same way that the appalling racist cartoons used in 1940s war propaganda were once somebody's notion of a great idea. You have to wonder about some of the bonehead ideas that people come up with while seated around a conference table.

[Doug Beaumier]

I find it fascinating in kind of the same way that the appalling racist cartoons used in 1940s war propaganda were once somebody's notion of a great idea.

Music propaganda is still around. Remember the ugly song that was played on right-wing hate radio during last year's campaign and distributed to RNC members... "Barack the Magic Negro"

CLICK

I don't find this stuff fascinating, just sickening.
I think b0b will be putting the Lock on this post soon!

[David Doggett]

A singing Sarah Palin!

[Leslie Ehrlich]

I guess the Dark Side has to have a voice in folk music too. Never underestimate the power of the Dark Side of The Force.

[Charles Davidson]

Mr. Doggett,Was Sarah doing a song by your favorite All American group the ACLU ?,Maybe MSNBC could use it for their theme song. DYKBC.

[b0b]

Too many hot buttons to push in this topic. Closed.