I Bid You Goodnight cover

I Bid You Goodnight

Any Old Time Stringband

Album · 1996

I Bid You Goodnight (Arhoolie CD 433) is a 1996 CD that reissues, in full, the two LPs made by the Any Old Time String Band: Any Old Time String Band, issued by Arhoolie in 1978 as LP 4009, and Ladies Choice, issued by Bay Records in 1980 as LP 217. Arhoolie Productions bought the Bay Records material in 1996. The first twelve songs and the closing “I Bid You Goodnight” come from the 1978 LP, which Chris Strachwitz produced, and tracks 13 to 24 from the 1980 LP, produced by Mike Cogan.

The band came together in 1976. The 1978 line-up was Valerie Mindel, Susie Rothfield, Sue Draheim, Genny Haley and Kate Brislin; by 1980 it was Draheim, Haley, Brislin and Barbara Montoro, with guests including Will Scarlett on harmonica, Hoyle Osborne on piano, Bill Napier on clarinet, Mayne Smith on pedal steel and Don Slavin on drums. The members, in the band’s own words, had played professionally for years in other bands and as soloists.

The repertoire runs across traditional fiddle tunes, old blues, string band songs, Cajun music, popular tunes of the 1920s and 30s and some string band jazz. “Shady Grove,” track 15, comes from the 1980 sessions and takes its unusual melody from the Virginia autoharp player Kilby Snow; Haley sings it and plays banjo, Draheim fiddle, Brislin guitar and harmony vocal, and Montoro bass. The closing “I Bid You Goodnight” is a Bahamian hymn the band learned from a recording by the Pindar family.

Tracklist

  1. 1 Turkey Buzzard / Chinquapin Hunting 2:48
  2. 2 Dear Companion 4:11
  3. 3 Let Me Fall 2:16
  4. 4 I Wish I'd Stayed in the Wagonyard 2:51
  5. 5 Ma Cher Bebe Creole 3:01
  6. 6 Dixieland One-Step 2:07
  7. 7 Home in Pasadena 4:15
  8. 8 Long Lost Lover Blues 4:47
  9. 9 Valse de Orphelin 3:05
  10. 10 I'll See You in C-U-B-A 4:48
  11. 11 Free Little Bird 2:31
  12. 12 I've Got What It Takes 3:52
  13. 13 Hello Stranger alt version 3:12
  14. 14 La Valse de Bayou Teche 2:28
  15. 15 Shady Grove alt version 2:22
  16. 16 California Blues 3:34
  17. 17 Cowboy Girl 3:01
  18. 18 I Made a Big Mistake 3:17
  19. 19 Lock and Key 3:21
  20. 20 Falls of Richmond / Camp Chase 2:59
  21. 21 La Porte Dans Arriere (The Back Door) 2:51
  22. 22 Oklahoma Blues 2:53
  23. 23 Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy 2:51
  24. 24 Farewell Blues alt version 3:10
  25. 25 I Bid You Goodnight 2:42

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