Pete Seeger

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 31 Jan 2014 8:57 pm

Here's to you Pete Seeger. Your lyrics will not be found in these modern times on modern hit radio because they are being hidden.

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 4 Feb 2014 2:58 pm

bOb- I doubt if Pete had any animosity towards steel guitar players. He loved all kinds of music. I am however rather disappointed in the fact that I see on the Forum steel players who have animosity towards banjo players. That's really sad.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 4 Feb 2014 3:02 pm

I have no animosity towards banjo players. I just don't like the sound of the thing. Personal preference.

I imagine that Pete Seeger didn't like the sound of electric instruments. Personal preference.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 4 Feb 2014 4:08 pm

I don;t think there's any real animosity toward banjo players. It's more of an in-joke, in the same vein as black steels sounding better than other colors.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 4 Feb 2014 4:53 pm

Mike Perlowin wrote:...It's more of an in-joke, in the same vein as black steels sounding better than other colors.

Gosh, it's not true?

And here I was ready to cover my Sho-Bud in black formica.

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 19 Feb 2014 12:00 pm

Joachim Kettner wrote:
I read once that Libba Cotten, the folk singer, was their nanny at one time. She was the composer of "Freight Train", amongst many others.
Alan here she is talking to and playing with Pete Seeger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI39CeOy_Us

Nope. Elizabeth Cotton was the Charles Seeger family's maid. Mike, Peggy and their sisters grew up with her. When Mike learned "Freight Train", she remarked that she had written it when she was younger, proceeded to turn Mike's guitar upside down, and played the song left handed, adding verses that Mike hadn't heard. This led to her second career as a performer. I saw her at the first McCabe's concert back in 1968 (or maybe 9), along with Mance Lipscomb. Mike was producing the tour.
I'm pleased to say that I met Mike, Pete and Charles on several occasions over the last half of the 20th century. They were great folks.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 19 Feb 2014 2:49 pm

Libba is short for Elizabeth. I didn't realise there were two singers with the same name. Thanks for the link. I always used to enjoy Pete's Rainbow Quest programme.

Gregg Laiben · Post by **Gregg Laiben** » 21 Jun 2014 5:10 am

b0b wrote:As far as I know, he never recorded with a steel guitarist. Maybe he shared the stage with a dobro player now and then. I doubt that he had any animosity towards steel players; we probably just weren't on his radar.

I just watched an American Masters episode on Pete Seeger last night. Near the very end is a clip of Pete, his son Tao and Arlo Guthrie playing an annual concert at Carnegie Hall. Pete was 84 at the time. Lo and behold, behind Pete is a black mica PSG with a flip-top Ampeg amp. The only other instruments on stage were a grand piano and several keyboards. Unfortunately, the episode did not include any other songs from that concert, so I don't know who was playing steel with him that night.

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 21 Jun 2014 5:32 am

Gordon Titcomb worked with Arlo for years so that's my guess. Most pics show him with an Emmons. No fliptop that I can see---PVs.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 21 Jun 2014 12:22 pm

b0b wrote:
I imagine that Pete Seeger didn't like the sound of electric instruments. .

Rumor has it that he wanted to take an ax and sever the lines to the sound system during Dylan's electric set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

I don't think Seeger and Dylan ever worked together again after that.

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 22 Jun 2014 11:28 pm

what a life, what a legend, thanks for the thread Mike...

Db

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 23 Jun 2014 9:12 am

Mike Perlowin wrote:
b0b wrote: I imagine that Pete Seeger didn't like the sound of electric instruments. .
Rumor has it that he wanted to take an ax and sever the lines to the sound system during Dylan's electric set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival...

That's a myth. Watch this interview with Pete Seeger where he talks about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXbf7o8HGv0
According to Pete he wasn't concerned about the electric instruments, in fact Howling Wolf had appeared earlier in the festival with an electric guitar, he was concerned that the technicians who were controlling the electrical system had turned up the instruments to such a volume that you couldn't hear the words that Dylan was singing, and the words were crucial to the song. Pete reckoned that Bob Dylan was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. There was no feud between them. That was made up by the press.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35PIACyCkyY
There's also no truth that they never worked together again after the Newport Folk Festival. Here's a video of Bob singing at Pete's 90th birthday celebration, and it wasn't the only time that they were together.

Stan Knowles NC · Post by **Stan Knowles NC** » 23 Jun 2014 10:36 am

Whether it's spelled with a little "c" ...or a big "C"...I Can't handle it...as a U.S. military Veteran!

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 24 Jun 2014 10:31 am

Sorry Stan, but I don't understand your comment. Could you be a bit more explicit? $:\$

Stan Knowles NC · Post by **Stan Knowles NC** » 24 Jun 2014 12:58 pm

Alan....

I'm referring to the original piece under this
topic where, at one time, Pete Seeger belonged to the
Communist party, and where, later on he backed off of
the party for awhile, and when confronted as to whether or not he was a communist...he replied that maybe he
was just a communist with a small "c" instead of a
communist with a big "C!"

My reply to this post was, that, as a Veteran of the
United States Air Force, as a person who was
in the military to protect our country from communism,
despotism, naziism, and all the other ism's that are
against our freedoms and against our way of life...
I personally am against ALL COMMUNISTS....whether
they are involved to the hilt...or whether they consider themselves a communist who just doesn't want
to let people know that they are! So, Alan,
without going into a tirade about it, just saffice
it to say... I really didn't care for Pete Seeger at
all.....

But, I HATE COMMUNISM....and ALWAYS WILL! PERIOD!

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 24 Jun 2014 1:32 pm

Stan Knowles NC wrote:..or whether they consider themselves a communist who just doesn't want
to let people know that they are! !

Stan, "a communist" is singular, but "they" and "themselves" are plural. You might want to edit your post.

Stan Knowles NC · Post by **Stan Knowles NC** » 24 Jun 2014 1:40 pm

Sorry I failed your english class....but....it makes no difference to me.

I HATE COMMUNISM.....AND COMMUNISTS!

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 24 Jun 2014 1:50 pm

Yeah the brouhaha over Dylan's electric set was a myth. There's actually film of Pete Seeger sitting behind Dylan on stage with a big smile on his face.The way Al Kooper who was Dylan's B3 player at the gig and on a lot of his first few albums tells the story: The electric band was under-rehearsed and only had 20 minutes of music. When they ran their short set and left the stage,the audience booed the band because they wanted more music. Once the anti-electric folk-purist myth was established,Dylan let it propagate because it was controversial and therefore beneficial to his career as a rebellious artist at that time. BTW every Dylan and 60s folk fan should read Dylan's memoir "Chronicles Volume 1". He covers all his inspirations including Pete Seeger,Mike Seeger,Guthrie,Van Ronk and much more - a really great read.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 24 Jun 2014 1:51 pm

Grammar lessons are provided according to my ability, to be used by anyone according to his need.

Rick Schacter · Post by **Rick Schacter** » 24 Jun 2014 1:51 pm

Stan Knowles NC wrote:Sorry I failed your english class....but....it makes no difference to me.

I HATE COMMUNISM.....AND COMMUNISTS!

I'd be curious to see how many Chinese products you've purchased from stores like Wal-Mart.

Rick

Susan Alcorn · Post by **Susan Alcorn** » 24 Jun 2014 4:45 pm

Pete Seeger was a good soul, and he was one of the most sincere musicians I think I have ever come across, so it pains me to see him put down in this forum because of his politics (much of which I agree with - will steel guitarists hate me too?) as well as his lifelong activism for the poor and dispossessed. And it pains me to see this remembrance turn political (from all sides).

Remember Rodney King's words, "Can't we all just get along?". It would be a shame for a heartfelt obituary of a renowned musician (or anyone else, for that matter) get closed down because politics are entering it (and there's a lot I could, but won't say concerning the opposite side of this increasingly Great Divide). Let's all try to get along, be respectful of other human beings because we're all human beings - we all have hopes and dreams, none of us want to suffer, and we are only here on this planet for a short time. Let's not let things like this get in the way of sharing what we all truly love - banjos! No, just kidding - steel guitars and music.

Thanks.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 24 Jun 2014 5:45 pm

Closed because of political content. So sorry it came to that.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Pete Seeger

Seeger....

Big C or Little c?

Re: Big C or Little c?

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