Tom Rush anyone ?

[Ian]

Hi all,

I've recently got into Tom Rush when I picked up one of his LP's in a second hand shop (It had a cool looking cover, and had San Francisco Bay blues on it, which we play as our closing song every Tuesday jam session...). Since then I have picked up a few of his other albums, all of which are excellent (circle game is very Nick Drake), and I cant believe that I'd never heard of the guy before, and how come he didn't make it huge ?

Any info on the guy (or if anyone has any spare LP's about...) would be appreciated !!

Cheers, Ian

 

[pickoid]

Tom Rush is awesome - a true musical hero of mine, though I didn't hear any of his music until about 5 or 6 years ago. I don't have a whole lot of his stuff - some of his albums are out of print on CD. I've picked up several on vinyl when I can find them. I highly recommend the DVD he did for Homespun Video - it's called "How I Play (Some Of) My Favorite Songs." I just got it recently, and learned his versions of "Urge For Going" and "Child's Song" from it. Interestingly, he has a new album out - his first studio album in years. It's called "What I Know," and it's great. My advice would be to get all of his material that you can. Some of it is better than others, but it's all worth having IMO.

 

[Ian]

The ones I have are "Born to Ramble", "The Circle Game", "Tom Rush" (an early one with a photo of him standing beside a railway yard by a river), and later one also called Tom Rush which has Driving wheel on it. These are all on vinyl. It's CD's are impossible to get here, and from what I can find out, none of his stuff has been re released on vinyl. It simply baffles me how in 30 odd years or interest in music and collecting all sorts of interesting and underground stuff that I had never even heard of the guy. I've played these LP's to my guitar buddies so I've started the resurgence !! Maybe if the guy had died after his third or fourth album it would have been a better career move.... I'll definately be trying to find more of his stuff.

Was he any more well known in the States ?

 

[Brad Little]

It's CD's are impossible to get here....Was he any more well known in the States ?

I can't speak to all the US, but he was always well known in the Northeast. He had a brief fling with bigger success in the 70s. I think his recording of the Circle Game made some charts. As to CDs, Amazon (US) lists 16 CDs in their "Tom Rush Store."
http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Rush/e/B000AQ ... tc_img_2_0
Brad

 

[Scratch]

My wife and I got into Tom Rush in the mid-seventies along with Harry Chapin, Dave Mason, Jimmy Buffett, and, for some reason, Cheech and Chong...

Always liked his rendition of 'Biloxi' (better known via Jimmy Buffett) from his 'Wrong End of the Rainbow' album, and JT's Riding on a Railroad': http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/window/ ... 61,00.html

 

[5thumbs]

I agree with all the above. I don’t know if he was ever “well known”, but he has long been a favorite of mine. He was quite popular in the seventies, but does seem to have flown under the radar for the last few years.

Brad’s Amazon link is a good one; they seem to have pretty much all of his releases. If you are just getting into his material, the “No Regrets: The Very Best Of” CD would be a good start. I have several of his albums on vinyl, but when it came time to put his music on my server I chose this CD rather than ripping all the old LPs. The “Tom Rush” CD (with “Driving Wheel”) that you have is also one I like a lot.

I see quite a few of his CDs available on eBay too.

 

[killdeer43]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32xZThFPixA

Try this on for size.

Joe

 

[Ian]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the links, esp enjoyed the you tube one, man my fingers dont even make it up that end of the neck.

Cheers, Ian

 

[Dr. Spivey]

Tom was popular in the midwest in the 70's and early 80's. I've always liked his music. Saw him once, around 78 or 9. Here's his website: http://www.tomrush.com/

 

[killdeer43]

Hi Guys,Thanks for all the links, esp enjoyed the you tube one, man my fingers dont even make it up that end of the neck. Cheers, Ian

Ian,

Just use a capo and you can spend entire days/nights up there. Tom's using regular chord shapes and a capo on the fourth fret to get that great sound. Easy enough.

Joe

 

[Bill Ashton]

Hey, I don't know how you could have missed him either, as he was part of the "great folk scare" of the sixties, but maybe he was just a New England thing. A regular player in the Club 47 days of Cambridge along with the Butterfield Band and many others. Of course growing up during that time probably sheds a light on why I know him. I have several of his much older albums, I'll have to look up the labels...

 

[zzrider]

One of my first records was the Fantasy two-fer reissue of "Blues songs and ballads" and another early album with washtub bassist Fritz richmond of Jim Kweskin fame - still some of my favorite interpretations of folk classics such as "Rag mama", "Nine pound hammer" and "Diamond Joe" among others - even though he was an Ivy League folkie he really feels the pulse of traditional music. I saw him a few years ago here in Oregon and his rendition of Childs Song is as perfect as ever. He also did a wonderful version of Mentor Williams' "Drift Away". His interpretations of others work is second to none IMO. He had radio show in Cambridge in the 60's and shared some great stories about Jesse Fullers' on air performances.

Currently living in Wyoming with his wife who works with wolves - still touring, catch him if you can!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3EyA2WWfpY

 

[taabru45]

He used to come to Toronto on a regular basis in the 60s too, Great performer and musician, funny too. makes the song 'stories' real. He used to turn a stone-ring around and use is to slide up and down the high e string, in one of his train songs....Yep, part of our musical history and influence, either directly, or indirectly... :wink: Steffan........and that was t h e time to catch live performances......wow...Paul Geremia, Odetta, Joni, Sonny and Brownie, Josh White.....and on and on,,,,,,and the best part, the coffee house settings, where you were right next to them, and they could see you too.... :shock:

 

[zzrider]

Even some of the old stuff on You Tube - amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J8p...5FC521B5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=15

 

[taabru45]

Here is a great song, we can learn it if we can remember the words........ :lol: :lol: Steffan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yN-6Pbq ... 5&index=16

 

[5thumbs]

Here is a great song, we can learn it if we can remember the words........ :lol: :lol: Steffan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yN-6Pbq ... 5&index=16

I'm going to try playing that one!

...If I can find my guitar. :wink:

 

[killdeer43]

Here is a great song, we can learn it if we can remember the words........ :lol: :lol: Steffan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yN-6Pbq ... 5&index=16

I'm going to try playing that one!
...If I can find my guitar. :wink:

I think many of us can relate.
Great song for the ages (aged?).

Joe