Townes Van ZandtA Lone Star Webstation Central | Blue Sky | Covers | Insurgent Country | Record Collection Please be sure to visit Jeanene's Townes Van Zandt Central (for more official news, notes, and shopping links) and Len Coop's TVZ Blue Sky Homepage for research and archived material about our favorite Texas music legend. SUMMER 2009 - RANDOM NOTES/LINKS This page last changed June 6, 2009. Townes Van Zandt - interview in Oslo (NRK Lydverket) now posted on YouTube. Talking about early influence of Elvis, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Bob Dylan. A-Z list of Townes Van Zandt songs covered by others now posted at TvZCentral. "We here at TvZCentral wish to thank and express our appreciation to Franz B. & Hanz G. for their many long years of work collecting information on over two thousand recordings of Townes' songs by other artists. Thanks so much guys! You Rock!" TOWNES by STEVE EARLE Steve's album of fifteen songs written by Townes Van Zandt has been released by New West Records and is in stores now. Featured guests include Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine/The Nightwatchman, Steve's wife and acclaimed singer-songwriter Allison Moorer, Dennis Crouch, Tim O'Brien, Darrel Scott, Shad Cobb, and Steve's son, Justin Townes Earle. Steve will be touring this summer in support of TOWNES with tour dates now being announced. TOWNES is available as a deluxe two-CD set as well as a double limited edition LP on 180 gram heavy vinyl. Click here for more information at www.steveearle.com AND/OR here to order from TvZCentral (?) Related note: See/Hear Steve Earle singing "Ft. Worth Blues," a song he wrote for Townes. No, we don't know photographers' names, but nice pics : ) Related link: TEXAS OBSERVER -- Review by Brad Tyler, June 12, 2009. Vacation link to OQAC/Galveston Calendar. Random link to Nacho Vegas (YouTube video) singing a Spanish language cover of a Townes Van Zandt song. Click here to see/hear trailer from Margaret Brown's documentary film about Townes Van Zandt. WINTER 2008/09 - NOTES/LINKS WRECKS BELL REOPENS OQAC/GALVESTON ...with a little help from his friends : ) Note: Townes recorded what is generally considered his best live album in 1973 at the original OQAC/HOUSTON. 12TH ANNUAL TOWNES VAN ZANDT WAKE THURSDAY, NEW YEAR'S DAY JANUARY 1ST, 2009 All Townes songs all night in this annual celebration of the music of Townes Van Zandt (1944-1997). Everyone gets to play, so bring your guitars and fiddles and maybe a pizza or covered food dish to share. Reservations highly recommended, especially if you're riding in on a Greyhound bus all the way from the GREAT Pacific Northwest. Rolland? Anyway, contact Wrecks Bell through the OQAC homepage if you plan to attend and want him to save a place for you. Related note: Wrecks (above photo) used to play bass for Lightnin' and Townes. He's also a pretty good finger-picker, has a nice voice and several of his own CDs available from mytexasmusic.com where you can also hear song samples. AUTUMN 2008 - RANDOM LINKS & NOTES Above photos: Davide Ravera playing "Colorado Girl" at the 4th Annual International Townes Van Zandt Memorial Tribute Concert in Figino Serenza, Italy, on October 20, 2008. Click here for more concert pics from this year's show and here for Davide's notes and other related links. SPRING 2008 The June 2008 edition of PICKING UP THE TEMPO features a Townes Van Zandt story written by Roxy Gordon. Here's an excerpt: "Judy and I borrowed my parents’ pickup in the summer of 1967 and took it to New Mexico. We put a tarp on the back like a covered wagon and roamed from Roswell to Taos. We weren’t too sure we wanted to go back to Austin and getting back was depressing. The next day we went to a folk festival at Zilker Park. A skinny guy who looked Indian play­ed. Listening to him, we felt a lot better about being in Austin. He reminded me of Hank Williams. His name was Townes Van Zandt..." LISTEN TO ANOTHER SONG FOR TOWNES: "MONTANA" - MP3 Written a few years ago by Theo van der Linden and just now making its way to us. "It was recorded in Holland with some of my friends but it never was released." Special thanks to Theo for sending MP3 with permission to post. Added to this page Friday, May 30, 2008. TEXAS MUSIC HISTORY: TAKE THE TOUR Click here for TMO's list of Texas Music Pioneers, including Townes Van Zandt (1944-1997), and here for TMO's calendar of annual Texas music events. DAVID BYBOTH'S SONG FOR TOWNES "New Year's Day" (a tribute song written for Townes by performing songwriter David Byboth) is the #8 track on David's first and new cd, MY MIND'S EYE, released by Spygoat Music (March/2008). Available from CDBaby and wherever you find David Byboth playing. Byboth is a long-time favorite at live music events in the North Texas area and almost always seems to work in a nice cover of at least one or two songs by Townes. Notes: February 19, 2008 TOWNES VAN ZANDT COVERS & TRIBUTES Although Townes (March 7, 1944 - January 1, 1997) is no longer with us the Record Collection continues to grow, and he lives on in the songs we play. Now we have some new translations in three different Dutch dialects. TVZ TRIBUTE RECORDING BY THREE DUTCH ARTISTS This tribute to Townes by three Dutch artists contains 6 tracks in 3 different Dutch dialects and was released December 2007...only 700 copies. Click here for more information. Playlist: 1. Gerrit Breteler - St.Jan de Doarmer (St.John the Gambler) 2. Gerrit Breteler- Sjong en Flaen (To live is to fly) 3. Martin Korthuis - Als ik die wil zain (If I Needed You) 4. Martin Korthuis - Wachten op t in (Waitin around to die) 5. Egbert Meyers - An mien venster (At My Window) 6. Egbert Meyers - Niks meer (Nothin') 1&2 in Frisian dialect, 3&4 in Gronings dialect, 5&6 in Drents dialect. Cover (above) added as pic. Not yet added to main covers page. Thanks to Patrick in Cologne, Germany, for sending this news. SCROLL DOWN FOR PREVIOUS NOTES & LINKS. Please be sure to visit Townes Van Zandt Central for more related information and shopping links. Remembering Townes 11th ANNUAL TVZ WAKE New Year's Day Night Tue., Jan. 1, 2008 @ The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe 413 - 20th Street, Galveston, TX 77550 Phone: 409-762-9199 * 409-737-4915 Email: wrecks@wt.net All Townes' songs all night, hosted by Wrecks Bell. Reservations recommended. AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION HONORS TOWNES VAN ZANDT The Americana Music Association's 2007 award recognizing outstanding achievement by an artist or industry contributor who is no longer with us goes to Townes. THIRD ANNUAL TVZ TRIBUTE Fast link: Click here for big pic w/multiple concert images & related video links. The 3rd Annual Townes Van Zandt Italian Tribute Concert took place at Teatro dell’Oratorio in Figino Serenza, Como, Italy, on October 29, 2007. Click here to read an account of that evening by performing songwriter Davide Ravera (aka "Hazydavey") and here for related video links. More audio/video links: "Nothin'" - (video) Eric Taylor "Where I Lead Me" - Eric Taylor "Tower Song" - Renzo Cozzani "Flyin' Shoes" - Tarantula Waltz Band "Flyin' Shoes" - Flyin' Roads (Luke Day and Milena Piazzoli) "Delta Momma Blues" - Veronica Sbergia "Waitin' 'Round to Die" - Davide Ravera "Hazydavey" Romi Mayes (titles not yet known) OTHER COVERS & TRANSLATIONS OF SONGS WRITTEN BY TOWNES (Some not yet added to covers page.) ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS COVER "NOTHIN'" ON RAISING SAND Clarification: This collaborative effort by Plant & Krauss includes a cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Nothin'" as well as "an intriguing selection of songs" by others. Release date: 10/23/2007 Label: Rounder Compact Disc:(CDROUN9075 / 0 11661 9075 2 2) Long Playing Vinyl:(LPROUN9075 / 0 11661 9075 1 5) Listen...this is soooh cool... DAVIDE RAVERA TRANSLATES "BLACK CROW BLUES" Click here to read lyrics in Italian (scroll down left hand column of Davey's blog). Other TVZ titles translated into Italian by Ravera: "Sanitarium Blues," "Rake," & " To Live's To Fly." ANOTHER GENERATION DIGS VAN ZANDT'S MOUNTAIN BAND: NAVEL (Swiss Alt/Rock/Punk band) Our Mother the Mountain/Live @ Usine Geneve (Part.1, 08:59) Click here to see/hear video or here to listen to this and other Navel songs now posted on the band's MySpace site: www.myspace.com/navelofswitzerland A note from the band: Townes Van Zandt, 1969, "Our Mother The Mountain," a song like a feverish dusty dream of stone. "Our Mother The Mountain" was recorded by Townes Van Zandt for his 2nd album, so titled on Tomato Records. Townes died on New Year's Day 1997... The Navelgang has recorded this Townes-song because it is more than just a yesterday, and maybe forever in our lungs...Will be B-side of our new single...Navel is on Townes' side or on no-one's side. RECADO THE NEW CD BY VINCE BELL. All songs written by Vince Bell except for "Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold," written by Townes Van Zandt. In his journal, Bell says these recados (messages) "wind like alleyways" through the years of his writing. Click here to listen to cool sound collage of 30-second clips from the 11 songs on Recado and see slideshow of photographs from various Vince Bell performances. From Bill Lavery's Village Records Catalogue: Bell has pretty much had a stealth type career, but it doesn't seem to have any impact on the quality of his music. On this new recording he's still at the top of his game... RHONDA HARRIS ALBUM OF TVZ COVERS The Danish group Rhonda Harris released an album of covers called "Tell The World We Tried - The Songs Of Townes Van Zandt" in 2006. Five of the tracks are on myspace.com: www.myspace.com/norlund (Lungs, Waitin' Around To Die, Two Girls) www.myspace.com/rhondaharriscph (Kathleen, Rake) "ST. JOHN THE GAMBLER" Covered by Texas in Paris - LISTEN@ http://www.myspace.com/texasinparis Lyrics/music by Townes BOB DYLAN'S PAGE OF LIVE PERFORMANCES AND RARE RECORDINGS: INCLUDES ONE OF OUR FAVORITE COVERS OF "PANCHO & LEFTY" Listen to El Bob singing "Pancho & Lefty" at the Bonnaroo 2004 Music Festival, Manchester, Tennessee (6/11/04). Related note: Townes recorded several Dylan titles for ROADSONGS. A COUPLE OF SONGS AND A POEM ABOUT TOWNES A SONG FOR TOWNES "New Year's Day" Written & performed by David Byboth. (MP3 courtesy of David Byboth, a fine performing Texas songwriter aka "The White Collar Redneck." Another very nice version recorded ten years later will be on David's soon-to-be-released debut album, MY MIND'S EYE.) Related songwriter's note: "That recording...brings back some great memories...was actually recorded live in room 544 of the Driskill Hotel with Vince Pawless playing lead guitar not long after I wrote it (1997). It was recorded with a miniDAT and two microphones with about 5 or 6 people in the room by a fellow named Michael Shaw..." Related artist link: Click here to listen to more songs by David Byboth posted on his MySpace site. ANOTHER SONG FOR TOWNES VAN ZANDT: THE SONGWRITER'S SONGWRITER “The Townes You Left Behind,” written by Kenny Butterill, has been hailed by many TVZ fans as the song that best speaks for them about how they felt about Townes. Click here to listen now and/or here for more information, lyrics, and free mp3 download. Kenny recorded it as a pre-release single from his "Just A Songwriter" CD. Thanks again to Kenny for writing and sharing it. Collector CD Single Cover Painting (image, right) of Townes Van Zandt by Melene Marie Brown. Note from Kenny's site: The Townes song originally took shape during the last week in May of 1997, approximately five months after legendary Texas songwriter Townes Van Zandt had passed away on New Year's Day... In his usual fashion, Kenny worked on the tune, off and on, for a few years until it was ready. Then in the studio he got a couple of terrific players to join in... TOWNES VAN ZANDT'S JACKET A Poem by Peter O'Brien I saw Townes Van Zandt play in Dallas. He offered me a ride back to the motel. Out in the parking lot his pick-up had a flat. Townes Van Zandt took off his jacket, rolled up his shirtsleeves and changed the tire. An extraordinary man doing what an ordinary man does. Years later in Brighton on the south coast of England Townes Van Zandt walked onstage, strapped on his acoustic guitar, then spent several minutes trying to take off his jacket. An impossible task when you think about it. An ordinary man doing what an extraordinary man does. I told this story to the man who wrote "Daydream Believer." He knew Townes Van Zandt. The man who wrote "Daydream Believer" laughed and laughed.     If I were the man who wrote "Daydream Believer" I would laugh and laugh      all            the                   way                            to                                   the bank. PETER O'BRIEN'S NOTE TO JUDY GORDON, EDITOR-PUBLISHER OF PICKING UP THE TEMPO IN WHICH THIS POEM (ABOVE) FIRST APPEARED (AUGUST 2007): A true story, of course. You [editor] and Roxy were there for the first verse. Went on ahead in your pick-up and probably wondered what was keeping us. Let me know what you think. -- Peter LSW editor's note: Peter O'Brien is an author and publisher (Omaha Rainbow 1973-1988) and under his Sun Storm Records label launched the music and poetry of Roxy Gordon. Special thanks to Judy Gordon for permission to reprint. MORE RELATED LINKS: John Stewart wrote "Daydream Believer," a big hit for The Monkees. Click here for more about John Stewart (1939-2008) and Omaha Rainbow [2]. ELEVENTH ANNUAL TOWNES VAN ZANDT WAKE TUESDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 1, 2008 At The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe in Galveston. All Townes songs all night, hosted by Wrecks Bell. Note: Townes recorded what is generally considered his best live album at the original Old Quarter, Houston, in 1973, so if you can't make it down to Galveston, maybe you can take that old double album off the shelf and listen to Townes. Please be sure to visit TownesVanZandt.com and Len Coop's Blue Sky Townespage. We also like this interview/video of Townes covering Springsteen's RACING IN THE STREETS. © 1995-2009. All names, images, music, text, etc., contained within are copyrighted material of the respective artists and/or their representative agents, unless otherwise specified (where known). All material presented is strictly intended to honor and create a higher awareness of the music of Townes Van Zandt and related artists. 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