FAMOUS MUDCATTERS

Subject: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Ian Stephenson
Date: 24 May 99 - 04:40 AM

Hi Everyone.
I was just wondering if we have any Pros from the folk circuit that are fellow mudcatters.
Might I have heard of you and/or the band you play in? I think that we'll be surprised at the number of people that we have spoken to that we have seen up on billboards for festivals and such.
Cheers,
Ian

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 24 May 99 - 05:39 AM

Wait a minute - you're not the Ian Stephenson, are you?

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Ian Stephenson
Date: 24 May 99 - 08:11 AM

You got me there!
Its kind of obvious that you are the one and only Dai. I never thought I'd get the chance to speak to you in person!
What a thrill!
Ian

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 24 May 99 - 04:09 PM

Ian,

Without speaking out of school there are several people on the 'Cat who play or have played professionally. Art is retired from the road, but he was a real road dog for many year. Could be he never held a "real job". **grin** NOI.

Rick Fielding is a Canadian performer who plays full-time for a living.

Sandy Paton and his wife Caroline have been picking and singing professionally for more years than they want me to mention. They also run Folk Legacy records. So one of them is the "day job", but probably no one knows which.

There are a few more full-time players out there, but the names don't come to mind right away. Hopefully, at least those who are already "out" will post.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Allan C.
Date: 24 May 99 - 05:02 PM

On the other hand, there may be some other really well-known performers out there who simply want to hang out here without raisin' a ruckus about who they are and who they know and such. They might prefer to quietly "lurk" or to even post an occasional remark or two without getting into the name thing. Fame can be such a worryment. --As if I knew anything about it! Just trying to see the other side of this.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Art Thieme
Date: 24 May 99 - 10:00 PM

Fame is proof that people are gullible.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Mudjack
Date: 24 May 99 - 10:48 PM

I made a few curious (nosey) contacts to several M-catters to seek out their idendity and found they were not who I thought they might be. With the curousity gone I have to say the folks I did e-mail were very nice to explain who they were. Famous or not, as Mudcat folks, they're simply the best....
Mj

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 25 May 99 - 02:11 AM

I'll have to admit it--my real name is Pete Seeger (when I'm not Kurt Vonnegut or Michael Jordan). --seed

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 25 May 99 - 03:19 AM

Paul Mills is also known as Curly Boy Stubbs and has been a mainstay on the Canadian music scene for many years.
However you said "FAMOUS" didn't you. Well this is folk music, so the only way anyone of us will get to be famous is to murder someone actually famous.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 25 May 99 - 11:25 AM

I always loved that scene in Mel Brooks' remake of To Be or Not To Be where the heroine says of her husband "He's world famous in Poland."

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Big Mick
Date: 25 May 99 - 11:27 AM

My seven year old calls me "The Famous Big Mick". Does that count??

Mick

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 25 May 99 - 11:50 AM

Mick, it's the only fame that counts! Enjoy it while it lasts!

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Ronn
Date: 25 May 99 - 07:45 PM

For what it's worth, I expect to BE famous any day now.

Thank you to those who asked, but I'm not Ronnie.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Dani
Date: 25 May 99 - 08:39 PM

Mick:

Does it count????

Boy, howdee.

Other people's 7-year-olds are much easier to impress than one's own. Congratulations.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Duckboots
Date: 25 May 99 - 08:52 PM

As he is very young and still charmingly modest, I'll introduce you to the newest Mudcatter. Folkie Song Boy, Jory Nash is bright, witty, self-deprecating, and attempting to become a household name (such as Maytag) in the music industry.

After he has accrued a few battle scars and become a famous songwriter I suspect he will still possess all those former qualities.

Duckboots (who can say "I knew him before he got famous")

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 25 May 99 - 10:15 PM

Famous Mudcatter Frank McGrath has just agreed to make his U.S. singing debut at The Blarney Star, 43 Murray Street, NYC on June 18th, 1999. Frank will be over from Ireland for a few days at that time. Co-concertizers will be likewise Famous Mudcatter Dan Milner and Andy O'Brien (Famous but not a Mudcatter) formerly of The Irish Tradition. The concert-workshop on Irish folk song starts at 9PM.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Max
Date: 25 May 99 - 10:46 PM

I'm really Alan Lomax III.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Barry Finn
Date: 25 May 99 - 10:47 PM

Hi again Dan. Will Frank be making his way towards your Northeast neighbors in Boston? Sure would like to get to hear him, we got ourselves a nice comfortable singer's session to make him feel right at home too. Barry

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: GN
Date: 25 May 99 - 11:34 PM

Still waiting for my 15 seconds.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 26 May 99 - 05:55 AM

G'day,
Here's the closest I'm ever likely to get (with apologies to Eric Bogle):-

IT'S NOT EASY

by Alan Foster

For nearly sixty years I've been a folky
Of pubs and beer and festivals I've seen plenty
And one day I'll make my name
And I'll find fortune and fame
But I've nearly made it now and it's not easy.

Well I learnt to play guitar when I was twenty
And I started writing songs when I was thirty
And I sang my songs one day
But the audience faded away
But I've nearly made it now and it's not easy.

Pretty soon I'm gonna record a great new album
Full of Aussie songs, it'll really be fair dinkum
Then one day and it won't be long
I'm gonna write the world's best song
But I've nearly made it now and it's not easy.

Teenagers today despise the folky
Say compared to rock'n roll folk songs ain't funky
They say your songs are much too long
They exceed our attention span
But I've nearly made it now and it's not easy.

For nearly sixty years I've been a folky
Of pubs and beer and festivals I've seen plenty
And I'll sing my songs once more
To an audience of four
But I've nearly made it now and it's not easy.

^^
Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Allan C.
Date: 26 May 99 - 07:33 AM

Wow, Alan. That says it all! Especially the "audience of four" part. I usually play for fewer than that.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 26 May 99 - 07:37 AM

Hi Barry!

Frank is over on a business trip and just had 1 night free. How about coming down to visit us? We've been up your way quite a bit lately.

All the best,
Dan

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: The Shambles
Date: 26 May 99 - 01:42 PM

It's all relative, ain't it?

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 26 May 99 - 02:38 PM

Nope, none of my relatives are famous folksingers.

Big RiB

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: The Shambles
Date: 26 May 99 - 02:41 PM

There's that oxymoron again. Famous folksingers?

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Bert
Date: 26 May 99 - 02:47 PM

Max is III pronounced the Irish way?

Pat got his pay packet and was surpised to find a large lump of SH** inside it.
Mick says "Sure Pat you worked overtoime last Wednesday and they paid you toime and a turd"

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Barry Finn
Date: 27 May 99 - 01:11 AM

Hi Dan again. I'm looking to drum up even the slightest excuse to make a trip towards NYC to hit one of your shanty sings & lord knows there's been many of you up here lately but on the 19th I'll be singing onboard the Ernestina & plying the New England waters so the timing isn't right now. Will see you soon though. Barry

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Art Thieme
Date: 27 May 99 - 12:17 PM

Bert,

That's a good 'un. But it's "time & a half", isn't it?

Sure, heifer joke is better than nun. (No bull!)

Art

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Bert
Date: 27 May 99 - 12:34 PM

Hey, givvus a break, it's an OLD joke.

It used to be time and a third for evenings during the week and time and a half for Saturday. That was when the normal workweek was 48 hours. Fortunately most people work less than that nowadays thanks to the efforts of union organizers. (Thanks Big Mick)

Bert

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Art Thieme
Date: 27 May 99 - 06:02 PM

Ah, a cyberspace encounter o' the turd kind.

Art

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: annamill
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 03:23 PM

Hi,

I just came back from a music store here in NY and as I was going through the folk music CD's I saw someone named Alison who play fiddle (violin) and, according the the jacket, sings like an angel. Is that by any chance our Alison??

I also read someone refer to Art Thieme's CD. Did he make one and if he did, what is it called? I'd love to get it if I can.

And did Rick ever make a CD or record, same as above...

annap

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: LEJ
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 03:41 PM

Annap- both Rick and Art have great CDs available. Get Art's from Waterbug Music and Rick's from Folk Legacy. I'm sure someone will provide their addresses for you. Liam's Bro (Dan Milner) also has a terrific CD of Irish Songs of the Sea, available at Folk Legacy.

LEJ

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: annamill
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 03:44 PM

Thank you LEJ. Can you tell me the name of the CDs and will I be able to buy them in a music store?

annap

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 04:02 PM

Well, Annap, I think you can get FOUR Mudcatteer CD's from Sandy and Caroline Paton at Folk-Legacy Records (click here), [phone], or [phone] outside the U.S. Rick Fielding's Lifeline is on this page. I found details on only two Art Thieme cassettes, but there are three in the index, and I think they also have Art's CD in stock if you call. Dan Milner (Liam's Brother) has one called Irish Ballads and Songs of the Sea. Sandy and Caroline Paton are major performers on the Golden Ring Reunion CD. Sandy also put out a wonderful selection of field recordings he collected from traditional performers on a CD called Brave Boys: New England Traditions in Folk Music.

Waterbug Records has the official Website for Art Thieme's The Older I Get, the Better I Was.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: annamill
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 06:14 PM

Thank you Joe. I just ordered Rick's CD and Art's CD and his record. annap

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Cat a Tonic (inactive)
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 09:04 PM

Hi there annap, re: Rick's CD "Lifeline" - yup, that's correct from Joe's info. And yes indeed, stay tuned as Rick has a new CD in the works to be released sometime this summer on the Borealis label! Gona be a humdinger fore sure.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 09:52 PM

Not to detract anything from the CD's from Art and Rick and Dan, but I'd like to say that the four Golden Ring CD's are some of the best traditional music you'll ever hear. "Golden Ring Reunion: All the Good People" prominently features our friend Sandy Paton and the beautiful voice of his wife Caroline. The other three CD's are gems, too. You can tell the performers are having a great time, and their enjoyment is infectious.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: alison
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 09:59 AM

Hi annap,

definately not me.. can't play a fiddle, and I'm no angel either.......

if we ever get our CD finished.. I'll let you know....... slainte

alison

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 12:12 PM

I just want to second Joe's comments re the Golden Ring series. Those earlier recordings taught me more than anything else about singing folk music and harmony; the Golden Ring Reunion is like hearing an old friend for the first time in a long time- it's a joy!
Allison (unfortunately not the one on the cd!)

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: The Shambles
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 02:18 PM

Having just met and played for four days with the young reprobate that started this thread, Ian (*Two Sessions) Stephenson and found out HOW young he is, I would not be surprised if he became very famous indeed (when he is out of nappies, that is).

*Two sessions, because he managed, somehow to appear in two sessions at the same time.

Subject: RE: FAMOUS MUDCATTERS
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 09:46 PM

OH! THE Ian Stephenson!!!