Oh, Steve Goodman...

[chitz]

RIP Steve.

[Rob W]

Thanks Larry! A treasure indeed.

[martingitdave]

I play Steve's and John Prine's music in nearly every set I do. I wish I could have seen him live. One of the great performers. And, by all accounts, a wonderful human being.

[BBWW]

Originally Posted by Sain't

He owned the stage - only performer who could open for Steve Martin w/o being eaten alive. Truly legendary.

Michael

I saw Jim Croce open for Woody Allen's stand up routine in 1972, Jim could be as funny as the best comedians as well. The guitar sound of Jim and Murray were equal to Steve Goodman. Sometimes it takes two!

[PhilFish]

For us baby boomers, his song My Old Man

[Tim1958]

Just watched an interview about Steve with John Prine , Arlo and Kristofferson on youtube yesterday and Kristofferson was tearing up talking about Steve.

[Gemini11]

Originally Posted by Misifus

Since it's a guitar forum, what's he playin'? It's not a Martin, or a Gibson, is it?

I see Gibson on the headstock but I wouldn't know the model.

[Mking]

I'm thinking a Gibson LG-2???

[UncleJoe]

Originally Posted by DanPanther

One of the GREATEST songs ever written.

"City of New Orleans",
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ0JgqoF2W4


Though I do prefer Arlo Guthrie's version,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMS_ykiLiQ

Dan

I wasn't fortunate enough to see him but I was in NYC when he did an interview on Pete Fornatale's Mixed Bag program on WNEW radio. City of New Orleans was one of the songs he did that day and it became the basis for my rendition of it.

[cpmusic]

Goodman played at my college three times during the four years I was there, and won more fans with every appearance.

I didn't see him again until 1980, I think, when he played at McCabe's after one of his go-rounds with chemotherapy.

There was no one else quite like him.

[cpmusic]

Originally Posted by Lacks Focus

I'll have to look for one tonight when I get home. I may not be able to find one. It appeared on his "Aerie" album, and he made one or two minor changes, including changing "old black men" to "old gray men."

He changed a lot more than that, replacing the third verse for the following bridge, which I remember better than I'd like:

It's twilight on the City of New Orleans
Talk about your pocketful of friends
Halfway home and we'll be there by morning
With no tomorrow waitin' 'round the bend

...and going into the chorus from there. The "pocketful of friends" line is pure Denver (I could swear he used the word "pocketful" in another song), and I remember thinking it was cloying even before I knew the story of the song.

I found a story online several years ago about the Goodman-Denver business. I can't find it now, but as I recall, Denver did ask Goodman if he could record the song and make some changes, and that he got Goodman's approval. Whether Goodman liked the changes or having Denver's name added to the credit, I don't remember, but in the story, I think it was written that Goodman let it go. The author noted, however, that Arlo Guthrie was ticked off and stewed about it for quite a while, until his wife convinced him to talk to Denver. I don't recall how that went, but I'm glad that Denver's recording has faded into obscurity.

Goodman had a habit of tossing off the song in performance as if it were no big deal (he always struck me as genuinely modest) but it's still one of the best folk songs ever written, and I prefer singing it in his style, with his chord progression.

[cpmusic]

I was just looking for Denver's recording and came across this re-recording Denver made in the 90s, indicating that he saw the error of his ways (if that's not too grandiose a phrase) before he died. He follows Guthrie's arrangement generally and sings the song as Goodman wrote it. This is good to know.



If you want to hear Denver's first recording, it's at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xzzw0UZebE. It turns out he also changed part of the second verse back then.

[MissouriPicker]

Johnny Cash used to take Goodman on tour with his show. He said that Goodman was so good that it made him (Cash) nervous to follow him on stage. Willie Nelson said similar things about Goodman opening a show for him.

[J Patrick]

...in addition to being a singularly talented musician Steve also produced what is for me John Prines greatest album.."Bruised Orange".... it stands as one of the most brilliantly produced folk recordings of all time....

[Lacks Focus]

Originally Posted by cpmusic

He changed a lot more than that, replacing the third verse for the following bridge, which I remember better than I'd like:

It's twilight on the City of New Orleans
Talk about your pocketful of friends
Halfway home and we'll be there by morning
With no tomorrow waitin' 'round the bend

...and going into the chorus from there. The "pocketful of friends" line is pure Denver (I could swear he used the word "pocketful" in another song), and I remember thinking it was cloying even before I knew the story of the song.

I found a story online several years ago about the Goodman-Denver business. I can't find it now, but as I recall, Denver did ask Goodman if he could record the song and make some changes, and that he got Goodman's approval. Whether Goodman liked the changes or having Denver's name added to the credit, I don't remember, but in the story, I think it was written that Goodman let it go. The author noted, however, that Arlo Guthrie was ticked off and stewed about it for quite a while, until his wife convinced him to talk to Denver. I don't recall how that went, but I'm glad that Denver's recording has faded into obscurity.

Goodman had a habit of tossing off the song in performance as if it were no big deal (he always struck me as genuinely modest) but it's still one of the best folk songs ever written, and I prefer singing it in his style, with his chord progression.

Thanks for that. I forgot to dig up the Denver recording last night, so I appreciate the info you provided here, especially the Goodman/Denver/Guthrie background. Fascinating stuff.