OLD JOE CLARK & TERRY

Saturday, November 15, 2008

This recording comes from an 8-track tape my friend Andy gave me one year as a Christmas present. He had found it in his travels and thought it looked promising. It is a very home-made production by the late Renfro Valley comedian and banjoist Manuel "Old Joe" Clark and his son. The recordings sound like someone put a portable tape recorder on a table in front of the stage and pressed "record". Despite being extremely low-fi, these recordings are enjoyable, featuring Old Joe telling jokes and stories, many ribbing Terry, who mock-argues with his pa. Terry also contributes some more modern, "Scruggs-Style" banjo picking, and they all sing some songs. There's even a dobro solo by Cotton Gaylon, who is best remembered for having played with Carl Story. The only information given on the tape is "Recorded at Various Times and Locations With Live Audience. Produced by JimAnn Music, P. O. Box 178, Danville, Kentucky".
I did my best to make these very rough recordings more listenable. There were no track names, so I have listed them as I think they were intended.

Some links about Old Joe Clark:

Renfro Valley website article

Johnson City Press article

Tracks:

1. Intro
2. Baby Son
3. Mountain Dew
4. Soda Tablet
5. New Highway
6. Lady Killer
7. Post Office
8. Let Me Be Your Salty Dog
9. Corn Crop
10. Foggy Mountain Breakdown
11. Mail Order Diploma
12. Lost Indian
13. Mother-In-Law
14. Pig In A Pen
15. Dobro Solo, Cotton Gaylon
16. Keep My Skillet Good And Greasy All The Time
17. Poetry Contest
18. City On The Hill
19. Bill Cheathum, Closing

*download here*