THANK YOU for posting this! Do you believe that I've been checking every few months hoping that someone had posted this clip? I saw it in a documentary on Guthrie years ago and never forgot it. Thank you, really.
It was a BBC documentary from 1989 which I recorded at the time and still have a copy. It's a fantastic programme about the life of Woody Guthrie and shows the 2 pieces of footage of him performing; it also includes this from Pete Seeger (plus This Land is Your Land) and Ramblin Jack Elliot playing Pretty Boy Floyd.
For those who don't know, Guthrie wrote these words to the tune of "Pretty Polly," a well known traditional folk song (Dylan does the same with his "Hollis Brown"). However, Guthrie sings it in the major mode, that is, sings the same notes over the relative major chord. It's an interesting sound and it really disguises the melody even though it's note-for-note "Pretty Polly."
Pete played it pretty true to form ever since he and Woody were singing it together back in 42. Was there a particular point to your observation? I think not, if you happened to get 9 likes (so far) for making it. At the end he had to let Tao Rodriguez, his son in law do the vocal. And now he's gone. RIP, Pete. If you want any more you better make it yourself.
@@yogione I think the point is that the video and title say 1942, but the year of the recording isn't given there. I was looking for it in the comments actually, so maybe the people who liked it also were.
@@bradlawley13 It is in a minor key. He plays it just the way Woody wrote it, if Woody indeed drones on playing a relative major chord while the harmonica plays the minor scale against it in the recording you'll find here on CZcams of him doing his own tune. That's just one recording. Woody was not the most sophisticated musician on the guitar, but he got his message across.
There's a great clip of Pete playing this song in the move "Alice's Restaurant." (Pete and Arlo are serenading (an actor playing) Woody, as Woody lies in his hospital bed.
And if you have any sort of ear, you'd also recognize that it is widely used as the soundtrack for Ken Burns' PBS series about the National Parks. I'd surmise that the tune has lasting value. Bruce Springsteen does a fine cover of it too.
@James Gallagher I know your comment was two years ago but I have been wondering it myself, and I think I finally figured it out. Unlike usual clawhammer tunes, this is in a minor version of standard open G bluegrass tuning So (g D G B D )but tune the B down to A# (In his How to Play Banjo book, Seeger later added he wished he taught the more commonly played standard G tuning first, before teaching students double C, the standard for oldtime tunes) Pete is playing his signature longneck banjo here, which had and extra three frets built in, and a lower tuning, making it easier for the average person to sing along with (which was important to him), so despite his capo being on the 6th fret in the video, you can play what he is playing on a standard banjo tuned gBDA#D with a capo on 3! Hope that helps! Sean
![Pete Seeger - "The Star-Spangled Banner" [Live at the Ralph Rinzler Memorial 1995]](/img/n.gif)
Storytelling as only Seeger could do it. Wonderful.
One of my favirots fair to say
THANK YOU for posting this! Do you believe that I've been checking every few months hoping that someone had posted this clip? I saw it in a documentary on Guthrie years ago and never forgot it. Thank you, really.
It was a BBC documentary from 1989 which I recorded at the time and still have a copy. It's a fantastic programme about the life of Woody Guthrie and shows the 2 pieces of footage of him performing; it also includes this from Pete Seeger (plus This Land is Your Land) and Ramblin Jack Elliot playing Pretty Boy Floyd.
Just brilliant.
For those who don't know, Guthrie wrote these words to the tune of "Pretty Polly," a well known traditional folk song (Dylan does the same with his "Hollis Brown"). However, Guthrie sings it in the major mode, that is, sings the same notes over the relative major chord. It's an interesting sound and it really disguises the melody even though it's note-for-note "Pretty Polly."
good to know thank you
The song is from 1942, this footage of Pete Seeger is from the late '80s.
Pete played it pretty true to form ever since he and Woody were singing it together back in 42. Was there a particular point to your observation? I think not, if you happened to get 9 likes (so far) for making it. At the end he had to let Tao Rodriguez, his son in law do the vocal. And now he's gone. RIP, Pete. If you want any more you better make it yourself.
@@yogione I think the point is that the video and title say 1942, but the year of the recording isn't given there. I was looking for it in the comments actually, so maybe the people who liked it also were.
This is pretty good! I love the banjo skills!
One of my favorites
I'd comment but I'm cracking up down this one!
I love this man
Nice clip! Thanks for posting.
Wow 👍
This is more powerful than the Woody Guthrie version. Every time I listen to this it blows my head off....
Liz Hunyadi like a 12 gauge?
Yeah. Only harder.
He plays it a minor key, it takes on a whole new meaning
@@bradlawley13 It is in a minor key. He plays it just the way Woody wrote it, if Woody indeed drones on playing a relative major chord while the harmonica plays the minor scale against it in the recording you'll find here on CZcams of him doing his own tune. That's just one recording. Woody was not the most sophisticated musician on the guitar, but he got his message across.
To me, the banjo is *the* instrument to accompany this song.
Wow.
Write to >joe@joestead.com< to read my eulogy/obituary. I worked with Pete both on stage and in the recording studio.
Peace.
My God!
This is peat seager now we miss you
Great performance of a classic song. Thanks to Stewball for sending it.
This song sounds great in a minor key...
There's a great clip of Pete playing this song in the move "Alice's Restaurant." (Pete and Arlo are serenading (an actor playing) Woody, as Woody lies in his hospital bed.
Arthur Penn's finest work.
Song is from may 1941
And if you have any sort of ear, you'd also recognize that it is widely used as the soundtrack for Ken Burns' PBS series about the National Parks. I'd surmise that the tune has lasting value. Bruce Springsteen does a fine cover of it too.
@@yogione I am very aware of that.
What tuning is this? Its very nice
It's in banjo tuning.
@James Gallagher
I know your comment was two years ago but I have been wondering it myself, and I think I finally figured it out.
Unlike usual clawhammer tunes, this is in a minor version of standard open G bluegrass tuning
So (g D G B D )but tune the B down to A#
(In his How to Play Banjo book, Seeger later added he wished he taught the more commonly played standard G tuning first, before teaching students double C, the standard for oldtime tunes)
Pete is playing his signature longneck banjo here, which had and extra three frets built in, and a lower tuning, making it easier for the average person to sing along with (which was important to him), so despite his capo being on the 6th fret in the video, you can play what he is playing on a standard banjo tuned
gBDA#D
with a capo on 3!
Hope that helps!
Sean
Any idea what chords Pete is playing here?
What year was this filmed? It looks like the 80's.
What difference does it make?
...Ленин банджо?!