Was a fan of Tennessee Ernie Ford. This is the song that pulled me to Geoff. I came across this and had to hear how this young man covered it. I've always been a push over for a rich bass voice. He led me to VoicePlay and they led me to PattyCake Productions.
My dream is five Geoffs (Ghost Riders in the Sky). This song was originally sung by Merle Travis and was originally released in 1947. The most famous version, from 1955, was performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford.
I do love this one, but then I even loved Tennessee Ernie Ford’s version. I was SO excited when I first saw this! I don’t know about the original, but Ford’s version also was a bit swingy. And it is where the finger snaps became such an integral part of the song. But those tools as percussion? All Geoff. I believe he said he raided his dad’s tool shed so they wouldn’t look too new. Ford was known for his deep rich voice and yet Geoff goes even lower. Neat trivia - this is one song where Geoff stays in chest voice (IIRC), no subs.
PS, not carry, but dig. To get paid a full day, a mine expected 8 tons of coal per man, and if it was less, the whole crew would be shorted for the day. New workers would be told 16 tons, because that would take the load off the rest of the crew a little. Say you have 8 men in the mine on a branch, that one man digging 16 tons means the others can each slack off a whole ton and still be over.
This is a protest song from a time when people were waking up to employers victimizing workers, which resulted in the creation of unions. The coal mine company towns paid the workers in company scrip instead of real money. The workers bought housing and everything else from the company store because no one else would take the scrip. This was usually in very remote locations where there wasn't much or perhaps any other commerce around in the first place. The company store would slowly jack up the rates, so the workers would go into debt as they worked. "you move 16 tons, what do you get? another day older and deeper in debt". Now that he owes the company store, he can't even quit and leave. So the grim joke is that he can't even go to heaven when he dies, because he owes the company store too much. "St. Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store." I don't think they sang it in the mines. It probably came afterwards during the fight to start the unions. They drew on these abuses and made songs to stir up support for the unions. Another similar protest song was about railroad workers called Drill Ye Terriers Drill. In that song one of the workers gets caught in an explosion and gets blown up into the sky and somehow miraculously survives. But the straw boss docks his pay for slacking off while he was off in the sky after the explosion. Dangerous work and then they punish you when you get hurt. An exaggeration, but they make a strong point with the black humor.
Was a fan of Tennessee Ernie Ford. This is the song that pulled me to Geoff. I came across this and had to hear how this young man covered it. I've always been a push over for a rich bass voice. He led me to VoicePlay and they led me to PattyCake Productions.
My dream is five Geoffs (Ghost Riders in the Sky). This song was originally sung by Merle Travis and was originally released in 1947. The most famous version, from 1955, was performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford.
Thank you for the insights and for watching :)
There ARE five in a number of his performances. Ain't no sunshine comes to mind... but there are many others. Keep watching!
I do love this one, but then I even loved Tennessee Ernie Ford’s version. I was SO excited when I first saw this! I don’t know about the original, but Ford’s version also was a bit swingy. And it is where the finger snaps became such an integral part of the song. But those tools as percussion? All Geoff. I believe he said he raided his dad’s tool shed so they wouldn’t look too new.
Ford was known for his deep rich voice and yet Geoff goes even lower. Neat trivia - this is one song where Geoff stays in chest voice (IIRC), no subs.
Thankyou for the informative reply :)
You would like “Big Bad John” He really hits a low note it that one! I enjoyed your reaction.
I will check it out
The original was made popular by Tennessee Ernie Ford, in the 2950s and 1960s.
If you'd like to see him really show off his range, check out his cover of I See Fire.
Excellent!!
Glad you like it!
I am looking forward to once Geoff loads his new one on here... it is another one like this.
PS, not carry, but dig. To get paid a full day, a mine expected 8 tons of coal per man, and if it was less, the whole crew would be shorted for the day. New workers would be told 16 tons, because that would take the load off the rest of the crew a little. Say you have 8 men in the mine on a branch, that one man digging 16 tons means the others can each slack off a whole ton and still be over.
Thank you for the additional info
You must listen to ZZ TOP AND JEFF BECK LIVE, they do a jam up cover of this song!!
One of my favourites!
Geoff has about 5 octaves of range.
This is a protest song from a time when people were waking up to employers victimizing workers, which resulted in the creation of unions.
The coal mine company towns paid the workers in company scrip instead of real money. The workers bought housing and everything else from the company store because no one else would take the scrip. This was usually in very remote locations where there wasn't much or perhaps any other commerce around in the first place.
The company store would slowly jack up the rates, so the workers would go into debt as they worked.
"you move 16 tons, what do you get? another day older and deeper in debt". Now that he owes the company store, he can't even quit and leave.
So the grim joke is that he can't even go to heaven when he dies, because he owes the company store too much.
"St. Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store."
I don't think they sang it in the mines. It probably came afterwards during the fight to start the unions. They drew on these abuses and made songs to stir up support for the unions.
Another similar protest song was about railroad workers called Drill Ye Terriers Drill. In that song one of the workers gets caught in an explosion and gets blown up into the sky and somehow miraculously survives. But the straw boss docks his pay for slacking off while he was off in the sky after the explosion. Dangerous work and then they punish you when you get hurt. An exaggeration, but they make a strong point with the black humor.
Wow, what an insightful comment, thank you so much