Radio Songs
Encyclopedia
Radio Songs is an album of duo Robin and Linda Williams
on the Red House Records
label, released in 2007.
Radio Songs consists of recordings made when performing on Garrison Keillor's
NPR radio program A Prairie Home Companion
. Although Robin and Linda first appeared on the show regularly in 1976, the selections on this compilation only reach as far back as 1993. Many of the tunes were not otherwise recorded by the duo and are only available on this collection. Included are collaborations with the Hopeful Gospel Quartet, Mountain Heart
, Mike Seeger
, Peter Ostroushko
, and house musicians, Guy's All-Star Shoe Band.
Robin and Linda Williams
Robin and Linda Williams are a husband-and-wife singer-songwriter folk music duo from Virginia. They began their musical association in Nashville, TN in 1971, performing in local clubs....
on the Red House Records
Red House Records
Red House Records is an American independent record label specializing in folk music and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.The label was originally created in 1981 by Greg Brown as a method to distribute his own music, and is named for a farmhouse in Iowa where he was living...
label, released in 2007.
Radio Songs consists of recordings made when performing on Garrison Keillor's
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality. He is known as host of the Minnesota Public Radio show A Prairie Home Companion Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (born August 7, 1942) is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio...
NPR radio program A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
. Although Robin and Linda first appeared on the show regularly in 1976, the selections on this compilation only reach as far back as 1993. Many of the tunes were not otherwise recorded by the duo and are only available on this collection. Included are collaborations with the Hopeful Gospel Quartet, Mountain Heart
Mountain Heart
Mountain Heart is an American folk/rock/country band. The current lineup is:-Awards and recognition:The group's entertainment, instrumental, and vocal prowess are widely acclaimed in bluegrass and other acoustic music circles...
, Mike Seeger
Mike Seeger
Mike Seeger was an American folk musician and folklorist. He was a distinctive singer and an accomplished musician who played autoharp, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, guitar, mouth harp, mandolin, dobro, jaw harp, and pan pipes. Seeger, a half-brother of Pete Seeger, produced more than 30 documentary...
, Peter Ostroushko
Peter Ostroushko
Peter Ostroushko is an American violinist and mandolinist.-Background and career:Of Ukrainian ancestry, Ostroushko grew up in northeast Minneapolis...
, and house musicians, Guy's All-Star Shoe Band.
Track listing
- "Blue Ridge Cabin Home" (Louise Certain, Gladys Stacey) – 2:52
- "By the Touch of Her Hand" (Carter) – 3:29
- "The Other Side of Town" (Jerome Clark, Robin Williams, Linda Williams) – 3:20
- "Things I've Learned" (Clark, Williams, Williams) – 2:48
- "50, 000 Names" (O'Hara) – 4:04
- "Feed My Sheep" (Traditional) – 2:41
- "We'll Meet Again" (Hughie Charles, Ross Parker) – 2:44
- "So It Go" (Clark, Williams, Williams) – 3:42
- "I'll Twine Mid the Ringlets" (Maude Irving, J. P. Webster) – 4:18
- "If the River Was Whiskey (Hesitation Blues) " (Poole) – 3:08
- "So Long, See You Tomorrow" (Clark, Williams, Williams) – 3:40
- "Restless One" (Jerry Clark, Dave Hull) – 4:07
- "Home Sweet Home Medley:"
- "Introduction" – 0:24
- "Home Sweet HomeHome! Sweet Home!"Home! Sweet Home!" is a song that has remained well-known for over 150 years. Adapted from American actor and dramatist John Howard Payne's 1823 opera Clari, Maid of Milan, the song's melody was composed by Englishman Sir Henry Bishop with lyrics by Payne...
" (Henry Bishop, John Howard PayneJohn Howard PayneJohn Howard Payne was an American actor, poet, playwright, and author who had most of his theatrical career and success in London. He is today most remembered as the creator of "Home! Sweet Home!", a song he wrote in 1822 that became widely popular in the United States, Great Britain, and the...
) – 0:58 - "A Mother's Prayer" (Traditional) – 1:47
- "Daddy and Home" (Elsie McWilliams, Jimmie RodgersJimmie Rodgers (country singer)James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...
) – 1:24 - "Mom and Dad's Waltz" (Lefty FrizzellLefty FrizzellLefty Frizzell , born William Orville Frizzell, was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s, and a proponent of honky tonk music. His relaxed style of singing was an influence on later stars Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones and John Fogerty...
) – 1:40 - "Precious Memories" (Traditional) – 3:32
- "Marvin & Mavis Smiley/Down Home Diva" (Capurro, DiCapua, Keillor) – 4:07
Personnel
- Linda Williams – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Robin Williams – vocals, guitar, background vocals
- Barry Abernathy – banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
- Pat DonohuePat DonohuePatrick Donohue is an American fingerstyle guitarist born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a Grammy nominated, National Fingerpicking Guitar Champion and a songwriter. Donohue has several albums to his credit and his songs have been recorded by Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss, and Kenny Rogers...
– guitar - Richard DworskyRichard DworskyRichard A. Dworsky is a pianist, a composer, and appears weekly on the A Prairie Home Companion public radio variety show from American Public Media as the resident pianist and band leader...
– organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, arranger - Gary RaynorGary RaynorGary Raynor is a bassist best known for his appearances in the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band in the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion." He has also played with Sammy Davis, Jr.'s backing band, and a host of other jazz artists, including Count Basie. Although he plays a jazz pizzicato double bass, he...
– bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Arnie Kinsella – percussion
- Andy SteinAndy SteinAndy Stein is a saxophone and violin player in the United States best known for his appearances with the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. He is also known for the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band on the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" and the movie. He has played on a...
– fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music... - Peter OstroushkoPeter OstroushkoPeter Ostroushko is an American violinist and mandolinist.-Background and career:Of Ukrainian ancestry, Ostroushko grew up in northeast Minneapolis...
– mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single... - Jimmy Gaudreau – mandolin
- Steve Gulley – guitar
- Greg Hippen – bass
- Clay Jones – guitar
- Garrison Keillor – vocals
- Kate MacKenzie – vocals
- Kevin Maul – dobro
- Jason Moore – bass
- John Niemann – fiddle, mandolin
- Mike Seeger – autoharpAutoharpThe autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
- Adam Steffey – mandolin
- Jim VanCleve – fiddle
- Jim Watson – bass, vocals
Production notes
- Produced, mixed and mastered by Chris Frymire
- Engineered by Scott Rivard
- Photography by Dan Zimmerman and Melinda Sue Gordon
- Liner notes by Linda Williams