White Squall by Stan Rogers (cover)

[started with 1]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I learned of this song, released in 1984, from my daughter and my grandson just recently and decided to cover this song in honor of my grandson's birthday. So this song is dedicated to Henry! This is quite a dramatic song about the dangers of commercial shipping on the Great Lakes in North America from the white squall, a meteorological phenomenon of a sudden violent gale out on the lakes generated in the midst of a very warm calm.

I used a standard tuned guitar (it shows up on the left) and a Nashville high-strung guitar (which shows up on the right) for this song and also added some single note lines for the instrumental sections to get close to the sound that Stan Rogers achieved in the studio. Stan Rogers' music was well loved in Canada, his home. He was born a year later than I was, but died young at age 33 in a tragic loss.

If you are interested in either the chords or lyrics here is a link: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab...chords-1744854 Stan Rogers played this song with a capo on the 2nd fret; I played it with capo on the 4th fret to suit my voice a little better.

By way of background, I grew up on the southern edge of Lake Erie just west of Cleveland, OH. So I grew up watching the huge ore boats and lake freighters going back and forth on the lake. The town Wiarton referenced in the chorus of the song is in Ontario on the east side of Lake Huron, straight north of where I grew up. My mother's uncles (my grand uncles) were all engineers on the ore boats of the Great Lakes. When Stan Rogers referred to "the Sault" in the first and last verses of the song, he was referring to Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan, along the water passage between Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

I think this is a beautifully crafted song. I hope you like this; thanks for listening.

- Glenn

Gkenn,
Another great cover. And I love the back story. You have commented about the back drop of a few of our videos. That location is on the St Lawrence River and one of our main activities there is chasing, tracking and learning about the iron ore and other type of lake and ocean freighters that sail right by us. Both my son's-- from a very early age --have been enthralled with watching and chasing and photographing these magnificant ships. If you are interested, my son's instagram account for ships is called St Lawrence Ships. There are dozens of shots of the ships as they pass by.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by started with 1

Glenn,
Another great cover. And I love the back story. You have commented about the back drop of a few of our videos. That location is on the St Lawrence River and one of our main activities there is chasing, tracking and learning about the iron ore and other type of lake and ocean freighters that sail right by us. Both my son's-- from a very early age --have been enthralled with watching and chasing and photographing these magnificant ships. If you are interested, my son's instagram account for ships is called St Lawrence Ships. There are dozens of shots of the ships as they pass by.

Hi Started!

Well, that's cool. I was able to see a fair number of the ships before Instagram told me I had to sign up, which I was not going to do. What a cool site! Good for your son! And how nice to have a place like that (not Instagram) to go to escape the big city!

And thanks for watching and for your kind comments!

- Glenn

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Mobilemike

Nice rendition! Really enjoyed hearing it.

I learned this song from an Alex Beaton record before I had even heard of Stan Rogers and so Alex's version is always stuck in my mind first, but this is a fantastic song and one of my favorites to play too.

-Mike

Hi Mike,

Thank you for listening and for your thoughts and comments. I did not realize that Alex Beaton had covered this song. I guess that shows the appeal of this song. That's terrific that you already play this!

Thanks again -- I hope all is well for you!

- Glenn

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Railroad Bum

Thanks for the response, my friend. Yeah, you know that the world is a lot smaller than we often think it is, and the people to whom we gravitate are often the ones we are supposed to know, I believe.

Yes, I am a huge folk music nut. I was listening to Dylan when I was 14, and that opened me up to so many other artists. Then I gravitated toward The Grateful Dead, and their influences, especially Garcia's, were heavy into folk and traditional music. And I grew up surrounded by bluegrass, old-time country, and traditional country music. My grandmother fingerpicked a mean version of the Spanish Fandango, and the Carter family lived about 40 miles from where I mostly grew up. My great uncle was an accomplished guitar player and was in the Grand Old Opry stage band in the 1950s, so music runs deep in my family, I suppose. I have always been drawn to it, and it's always in my head, which is sometimes annoying, lol.

As far as the Cleveland connection, that is pretty much a synchronicity. I immediately recognized you as a kindred soul, and the videos you release are like a greatest hits of my consciousness. It's very weird how people connect, but as Shakespeare wrote, "There are more things in Heaven and Hell, Horatio, than are dreamt in your philosophy."

Beautiful version of a great song, my friend. Thanks again. And Jack, my son, is doing pretty well and is becoming a wonderful musician.

Thanks again for your kind thoughts and comments, Tim.

I must be 20 or 25 years older than you are, so it's interesting that there is such a connection. Fascinating.

My 15-year-old grandson on the other side of the country likes folk music and sea chanties. He's into the kind of music I was into when I was his age, but of course with YouTube today, all kinds of music are accessible. Who knows why people like what they like, but they do.

Thanks again for your support, Tim! And I'm glad Jack is doing well, too!

- Glenn

[Laughingboy68]

Thanks Glenn for this rendition of one of Stan's great songs.

For those of you looking for more check out:

Barrett's Privateers
Northwest Passage
Forty-five Years
Harris and the Mare
Giant
Lies
Last Watch
Canol Road
Night Guard

[pmichael]

Absolutely lovely!

[Railroad Bum]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Thanks again for your kind thoughts and comments, Tim.

I must be 20 or 25 years older than you are, so it's interesting that there is such a connection. Fascinating.

My 15-year-old grandson on the other side of the country likes folk music and sea chanties. He's into the kind of music I was into when I was his age, but of course with YouTube today, all kinds of music are accessible. Who knows why people like what they like, but they do.

Thanks again for your support, Tim! And I'm glad Jack is doing well, too!

- Glenn

I will be 52 in December. I have a sister who's probably about your age, and I have always been close to her, and her musical taste is very similar to ours. So I grew up soaked in folk music--Dylan, Paul Simon, Lightfoot, etc. That probably explains a lot. I actually turned her onto people like Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Jorma Kaukonen, Richie Havens, etc.

Your grandson is about Jack's age. I try like heck to get him into bluegrass, but he just doesn't like it. He does like some of the instrumental stuff, especially Tony Rice's jazzier material with Grisman and then the couple albums he did subsequent to leaving the DGQ. Hey, it's a start.

These kids don't understand how hard it was to find music before the Internet, lol. It was like a research project, reading magazines and books, listening to radio, seeking out people with knowledge. Now it's a few Google searches, and everything you could think of is right there.

Anyway, it's an honor to get to know you a little and explore all the music you've created on your YouTube channel. You also must have the most tasteful guitar collection I have ever seen. Thanks for the conversation and all the wonderful tunes.--Tim

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Laughingboy68

Thanks Glenn for this rendition of one of Stan's great songs.

For those of you looking for more check out:

Barrett's Privateers
Northwest Passage
Forty-five Years
Harris and the Mare
Giant
Lies
Last Watch
Canol Road
Night Guard

Thank you Mike!

Those are great suggestions! And thanks for watching!

- Glenn

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by pmichael

Absolutely lovely!

Thank you PM!

It's great to know you are listening. Thanks for taking the time to comment, as well!

Be well out there!

- Glenn

[Groovin' Geo]

Lovely version of White Squall. I play it on a 12 string, not as cleanly as you do. I like how the upper registers come though with the Nashville tuned guitar. Nice singing too! Stan had a wicked vocal vibrato that he made liberal use of on many of his songs, including a drawn out squaaaaaalllll at the end of each chorus. Saw Stan live once at a festival. Some excellent live recordings of he and his band have appeared on YouTube. They are well worth seeking out. I live about an hour’s drive south of Wiarton and go snorkelling in Lake Huron regularly. Have yet to experience a “white squall” on the lake though winter white-outs are common.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Groovin' Geo

Lovely version of White Squall. I play it on a 12 string, not as cleanly as you do. I like how the upper registers come though with the Nashville tuned guitar. Nice singing too! Stan had a wicked vocal vibrato that he made liberal use of on many of his songs, including a drawn out squaaaaaalllll at the end of each chorus. Saw Stan live once at a festival. Some excellent live recordings of he and his band have appeared on YouTube. They are well worth seeking out. I live about an hour’s drive south of Wiarton and go snorkelling in Lake Huron regularly. Have yet to experience a “white squall” on the lake though winter white-outs are common.

Hi George,

Thanks for your kind comments! Sounds like you know a lot more about Stan Rogers than I do, which is very cool! And welcome to the AGF. I see you have only a few posts, so I assume you are a new member.

Yes, Stan had a rather unique kind of vibrato and he really sang White Squall low down.

I am not sure I have ever experienced a white squall, but maybe I have. I grew up in Lakewood, OH, just west of Cleveland and just on the south edge of Lake Erie. One hot July 4th weekend, maybe 1968 or '69, people were gathering at Lakewood Park for Independence Day fireworks -- the park is right off the lake -- when a horrendous gale came blowing in off the lake and knocked over scores of huge old oak trees on top of people in the park. Many were hurt, my younger brother's girlfriend's sister was killed. That storm tore south across Cleveland down towards the southeast where my girlfriend lived in Bedford, OH at the time (she is now my wife of 53 years). She said it was frightening even way down there, 40 miles away from where I lived. The storm passed quickly maybe in only 10 minutes.

Nobody called that gale a white squall, but nobody saw it coming, either. It's the kind of vicious storm that just blew up out of nowhere on a hot day, which of course provides the energy for that kind of squall. The winds hit about 100 mph. So, it could have been. I found an article online about the storm HERE.

Take care George.

- Glenn

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Railroad Bum

I will be 52 in December. I have a sister who's probably about your age, and I have always been close to her, and her musical taste is very similar to ours. So I grew up soaked in folk music--Dylan, Paul Simon, Lightfoot, etc. That probably explains a lot. I actually turned her onto people like Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Jorma Kaukonen, Richie Havens, etc.

Your grandson is about Jack's age. I try like heck to get him into bluegrass, but he just doesn't like it. He does like some of the instrumental stuff, especially Tony Rice's jazzier material with Grisman and then the couple albums he did subsequent to leaving the DGQ. Hey, it's a start.

These kids don't understand how hard it was to find music before the Internet, lol. It was like a research project, reading magazines and books, listening to radio, seeking out people with knowledge. Now it's a few Google searches, and everything you could think of is right there.

Anyway, it's an honor to get to know you a little and explore all the music you've created on your YouTube channel. You also must have the most tasteful guitar collection I have ever seen. Thanks for the conversation and all the wonderful tunes.--Tim

Hi Tim,

I'm age 75, so you are 23 years younger than I am. But how cool that we both like so much of the same music. As Tommy Emmanuel says, music brings people together. I really do think that's the truth.

I do agree that music is so much more accessible these days, which is very cool. And thank you, too, for your kind comments about the guitars I own. I have been very fortunate over the years, I know that and I'm very grateful.

You and Jack stay well.

- Glenn

[Railroad Bum]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Hi Tim,

I'm age 75, so you are 23 years younger than I am. But how cool that we both like so much of the same music. As Tommy Emmanuel says, music brings people together. I really do think that's the truth.

I do agree that music is so much more accessible these days, which is very cool. And thank you, too, for your kind comments about the guitars I own. I have been very fortunate over the years, I know that and I'm very grateful.

You and Jack stay well.

- Glenn

My sister is about 5 years younger than you, so that does make sense. I was an unexpected late baby for my parents, so most of the people I was around growing up were quite a bit older than I was. And great music defies time and space and definitely brings folks together. I have seen that lesson taught over and over in life. When I used to play out, I always covered "Friend of the Devil," by The Grateful Dead. I had a guy come up to me after a little show I did at some restaurant; with tears in his eyes, he thanked me for playing that tune, and it reminded him of his late father, who had loved the song. That pretty much makes it all worth it as a musician, as a human, to be able to emotionally connect with someone and provide a small bit of comfort. Music can definitely be a healing force, I guess.

Yeah, I love your guitar collection that I have seen in your videos. If you have a list, I would love to see it.

Thanks for the conversation, Glenn, and the always kind words about my son.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Railroad Bum

My sister is about 5 years younger than you, so that does make sense. I was an unexpected late baby for my parents, so most of the people I was around growing up were quite a bit older than I was. And great music defies time and space and definitely brings folks together. I have seen that lesson taught over and over in life. When I used to play out, I always covered "Friend of the Devil," by The Grateful Dead. I had a guy come up to me after a little show I did at some restaurant; with tears in his eyes, he thanked me for playing that tune, and it reminded him of his late father, who had loved the song. That pretty much makes it all worth it as a musician, as a human, to be able to emotionally connect with someone and provide a small bit of comfort. Music can definitely be a healing force, I guess.

Yeah, I love your guitar collection that I have seen in your videos. If you have a list, I would love to see it.

Thanks for the conversation, Glenn, and the always kind words about my son.

Hi Tim!

You have an interesting story! Thanks again for taking time to reply. Be well out there and take care of yourself and your son.

- Glenn

[Groovin' Geo]

Hi Glenn,
Thanks for the welcome. I’m not really new here but seldom post. That was quite the storm you weathered! I read the article about that storm - it sounds like the type of squall that Stan sang about. This article https://admiralcloudberg.medium.com/...7-7ea7923e76d8
describes the horrific plane crash and fire that took 23 of 46 passenger’s lives, including Stan on June 2, 1983.
I first learned 45 years and Field Behind the Plow back in 1982, the year I got married. Still sing it with my wife now, almost 45 years later.
I’m currently reading “Night Guard” by Stan’s brother Garnet Rogers. It’s about their time together, as brothers and as touring musicians.
George