Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDLIV--The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Will the Circle Be Unbroken

 I'm not a religious man, but every now and again a performer or group will put out a nice rendition of a gospel song (Rod Stewart's version of "Amazing Grace" on Every Picture Tells a Story and the Band's impromptu version of "Old Time Religion" from The Last Waltz come immediately to mind) and it will knock me out--much like this week's tune.  I came across this one while watching a concert of theirs featured during a PBS fund drive some years ago and I still enjoy the many different versions the band has produced through the years....

I wrote about the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in Volume CCC, and the band's history has not added much in the last couple of years.  However, I should mention that they did release an album of Bob Dylan covers in 2022, and I saw another concert of theirs for a PBS fund drive which featured the said cover versions (as well as a liberal sprinkling of their greatest hits), and it was another fine show.

"Will the Circle Be Unbroken" appeared on the band's seminal work melding pop music with classic country/bluegrass, the ever so cleverly entitled Will the Circle Be Unbroken.  The song was not released as a single, and the album peaked at #68 on the Billboard 200.

Fun Fact:  "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" has been covered by at least thirty-one different artists, most of which released the song with the title as I've featured it.  The song, though, is actually entitled "Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)."  Fascinating stuff, I know.

If you're looking for Americana in your music, you've got just about everything you need in "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"--guitars, banjo, harmonica, fiddle, autoharp, and dobro.  It also has a host of bluegrass/country greats--Mother Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, Merle Travis, and Vassar Clements to name a few.  It tells the tale of a mother, through the eyes of her child (possibly adult child), being taken to be buried, and the sorrow attendant with the loss of one's mother.  The artists take turns on the verses singing vocals, with some wondrous harmonies on the chorus from a virtual army of singers.  There's a few really nice instrumental breaks, and a nice closing verse with the mother's children singing the hymns that she'd taught them to celebrate her life.  Just a stellar piece of American music.

Lyric Sheet:  "Will the circle be unbroken/By and by, Lord, by and by/There's a better home a-waiting/In the sky, Lord, in the sky..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCC--The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Mr. Bojangles

 Can you believe we're up to three hundred of these posts?  [One of two Friday Night Jukebox fans snaps awake in front of his computer screen, drool dribbling down chin, says "Wh-wha?"]

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (known only as The Dirt Band from 1976-81) formed in Long Beach ("Long Beach--yeah!"--ah, my youngest son will get it), California in 1966 and have had one hell of a run over the last fifty-four years (recently saw them on one of those PBS cash drive specials and they still sounded fantastic, even in their twelfth--give or take--incarnation).  Through the years they have become known as distinguished purveyors of Americana, which started with their seminal LP, Will the Circle Be Unbroken  in 1972 (they've since released two more volumes).  The band has won four Grammys and and one CMA Award.  For their career, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has released  26 studio albums (with a best #28 on the Billboard 200 and a #4 on the Country charts), three live albums, and five compilations.  They've also released 41 singles with one top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.  Surprising to me, they are not in any major music Hall of Fame (thought for certain they'd at least make the Country Hall of Fame), but they do have a plaque on the Nashville StarWalk, so at least there's that.

Fun Fact:  The band appeared as the Toot Uncommons, backing Steve Martin on his hit single "King Tut".  It was either that or the fact that they're the only band I've ever known whose drummer was also their harmonica player....

"Mr. Bojangles" was released as a single in 1970 from their marvelously titled LP, Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy  It was the biggest single of their career, reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album peaked at #66.

"Mr. Bojangles" will always have a warm place in my heart because a) it was a favorite of my father's (who also loved when Sammy Davis, Jr. did his version), and b) my sister could play a mean version of it on her acoustic guitar. Written by the much respected singer/songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, the song is actually based on a true story--Walker was once arrested for public intoxication and met the fabled Mr. Bojangles in jail.  As for the song itself...acoustic guitar?  Check.  Banjo?  Check.  Mandolin?  Check.  Piano?  Check.  Drums?  Check--and that's pretty much all an old fart folkie like me needs (other than a wonderfully told tale).  A bittersweet song of how the drink and a loss can waylay the best of intentions, and the grace it takes to let your talents fly anyway.

Lyric Sheet:  "He said I dance now at every chance in honky tonks/For drinks and tips/But most the time I spend behind these county bars/'Cause I drinks a bit/He shook his head, and as he shook his head/ I heard someone ask him please...Mr. Bojangles, dance..."

Enjoy:

214,000+ Dead Americans

Fuck Donald Trump,

emaycee