The Asch Recordings, recorded between 1944 and 1949,[1] are a series of albums featuring some of the most famous recordings of US folk musician Woody Guthrie. These sessions were recorded by Moses "Moe" Asch in New York City.

The Asch Recordings
Compilation album by
Released1997–1999
Recorded1944–1949[1]
Genre
LabelSmithsonian Folkways
ProducerMoe Asch
Woody Guthrie chronology
The Columbia River Collection
(1944)
The Asch Recordings
(1997)
Ballads of Sacco & Vanzetti
(1947)

Background

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The songs recorded by Asch comprise the bulk of Guthrie's original material and several traditional songs. They were issued on a variety of labels over the years under the labels Asch, Asch-Stinson, Asch-Signature-Stinson, Disc, Folkways and Smithsonian Folkways. The tracks for Guthrie's Songs to Grow on for Mother and Child and Nursery Days were from these sessions.[citation needed]

Many recordings have unknown session dates.[2] These are included in a list available at the United States Library of Congress titled "Surviving Recordings in the Smithsonian Folklife Archive Made by Woody Guthrie for Moses Asch". Moe Asch says Woody's kids songs were recorded sometime in early 1947 and the Sacco and Vanzetti ballads were recorded January 1947.[citation needed]

Folkways volumes

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Volume 1     [3]
Allmusic Volume 2     [4]
Allmusic Volume 3     [5]
Allmusic Volume 4     [6]

The Smithsonian Folkways label repackaged and arranged these sessions in a series of 4 discs between 1997 and 1999. The first volume focuses on Guthrie's original compositions,[3] the second on folk and country covers,[4] the third on topical songs,[5] and the fourth on cowboy and western music.[6]

Year Title Record Label
1997 This Land Is Your Land, The Asch Recordings, Vol.1[7] Smithsonian Folkways
1997 Muleskinner Blues, The Asch Recordings, Vol.2[8] Smithsonian Folkways
1998 Hard Travelin', The Asch Recordings, Vol.3[9] Smithsonian Folkways
1999 Buffalo Skinners, The Asch Recordings, Vol.4[10] Smithsonian Folkways

List of songs

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  • Note: A blank cell below a date indicates that the date is repeated on that row.
Title Catalogue No. Recording Date Notes / Instrument
"Hard Ain't It Hard" LM-1 April 16, 1944
"More Pretty Girls Than One" LM-2
"Golden Vanity" MA 1 April 19, 1944 Recordings on this date w/ Cisco Houston
"When the Yanks Go Marching In" MA 2
So Long, It's Been Good to Know You MA3
Dollar Down Dollar a Week MA4
Hen Cackle MA5
I Ain't Got Nobody MA6
Ida Red MA7
Columbus Stockade MA8
Whistle Blowing MA9
John Henry MA10
Hammer Ring ("Union Hammer") MA11
Muleskinner Blues ("New Road Line") MA12
What are We Waiting On ("Bloody Fight") LM-2
More Pretty Girls Than One MA13
Ship in the Sky ("My Daddy") MA14
The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done MA15
Stewball MA16
Grand Coulee Dam MA17
Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") MA18
Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") MA19
Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") MA20
New York Town ("My Town") MA21
Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") MA22
Reckless Talk MA23
Reckless Talk MA24
Last Nickel Blues MA25
Guitar Rag MA26
Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet ("Don't Need No Man") MA27
(Those) Brown Eyes MA28
Chisholm Trail MA29
Sowing on the Mountains MA30
Sowing on the Mountains MA31
Right Now MA32
Train-Harmonica MA33
Sally Don't You Grieve MA34
Take a Wiff on Me MA35
Philadelphia Lawyer MA36
Kissing On ("Gave Her Kisses") MA37
Little Darling MA38
Baltimore to Washington ("Troubles Too") MA39
Poor Boy MA40
Poor Boy MA41
Ain't Nobody's Business MA42
Take Me Back Babe MA43
Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues") MA44
Bed on the Floor MA45
One Big Union ("Join It Yourself") MA46
Worried Man Blues MA47
What Did the Deep Say? MA48
Foggy Mountain Top MA49
21 Years MA50
Roving Gambler ("Gambling Man") MA51
Cindy MA52
Into Season MA53
Red River Valley MA55
Dead or Alive ("Poor Lazarus") MA56
Pretty Boy MA57
John Hardy MA58
Bad Lee Brown ("Cocaine Blues") MA59
Whistle Blowing MA66
Billy The Kid MA67
Stagger Lee MA68
Down Yonder 674 April 20, 1944
Guitar Blues 675
Harmonica Breakdown 676
Fox Chase 677
Train 678
Lost John 679
Pretty Baby 680
Old Dog a Bone 681
Turkey in the Straw 687
Give Me That Old Time Religion 688
Glory ("Walk and Talk with Jesus") 689
Hard Time Blues 690
Bus Blues 691
Devilish Mary 692
Cripple Creek 693
Sandy Land 694
Old Dan Tucker 695 April 24, 1944
Bile Them Cabbage Down 696
Old Joe Clark 697
Buffalo Girls 698
Rain Crow Bill 699
Skip to my Lou 700
Lonesome Train 701, 702
Blues, Harmonica Breakdown 703, 704
Harmonica Rag 705,706
Crawdad Hole 707
Bury Me Beneath the Willow 708
I Ride an Old Paint 709
Blue Eyes 710
Going Down the Road Feeling Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues") 711
Old Dog a Bone 712
Having Fun 713
Blues 714
Talking Fishing Blues MA75 April 25, 1944
Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") MA76
Union Burial Ground MA77
Jesse James MA78
Rangers Command MA79
Sinking of the Ruben James MA80
Put My Little Shoes Away MA81
Picture From Life's Other Side MA82
Will You Miss Me MA83
Bed on the Floor MA84
900 Miles MA85
Sourwood Mountain MA86
Hoecake Baking MA87
Ezekiel Saw the Wheel MA88
Little Darling MA89
Lonesome Day MA90
Cumberland Gap MA91
Fiddling Piece MA92
Carry Me Back to Old Virginny MA93
Step Stone MA94
House of the Rising Sun MA96
Browns Ferry Blues MA98
What Would You Give in Exchange For Your Soul? MA99
When That Ship Went Down MA99-1
Dust Bowl MA100
Guitar Rag MA101
I Ain't Got Nobody MA102
Going Down This Road Feeling Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues") MA103
Polly Wolly Doodle MA104
Guitar Rag 1230
Blowin' Down This Old Dusty Road 1231
Hey Lolly Lolly MA105
Budded Roses MA106
House of the Rising Sun MA107
I Don't Feel at Home in the Bowery MA108
Hobo's Lullaby MA109
Froggy Went a Courtin' MA110
Bad Reputation MA111
Snow Deer MA112
Ladies Auxiliary MA113
This Land is Your Land MA114
Hang Knot ("Slip Knot") MA115
Breakdown MA116
Go Tell Aunt Rhody MA117
Union Going to Roll MA118
Who Broke the Lock on the Hen House Door MA119
What Did the Deep Sea Say MA120
Strawberry Roan MA121-1
When the Yanks Go Marching in MA122-1
Bed on the Floor MA123-1
We Shall Be Free MA124-1
Right Now MA125-1
Jackhammer John MA126-1
Woody MA127-1,127-2
Keep Your Skillit Good and Greasy MA129-1
Home MA130-1
Lost You MA131
Slip Knot ("Hang Knot") MA134
Jesus Christ MA135
Hobo Bill MA136
Little Black Train MA137
Cannon Ball MA138
Gypsy Davy MA139
Bile Them Cabbage Down MA140
Woody MA1240 May 8, 1944
Get Along Little Dogies 860 March 1, 1945
Waltz 861,862
Union Breakdown 863
Cackling Hen 864
Chishom Trail 865
Bed on Your Floor 866
Rye Whiskey 867
Old Joe Clark 868 March 23, 1945
Long Way to France 869
Woody Blues 870
Down Yonder 871
Gal I Left Behind 872
Mean Talking Blues 900 May 24, 1945
1913 Massacre 901
Ludlow Massacre 902
Buffalo Skinners 903
Harriet Tubman 904,905

References

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  1. ^ a b Cahill, Greg (September 9, 1999). "Voice of America: Singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie". North Bay Bohemian. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Santeli, Davidson, Robert and Emily (1999). Hard Travelin' the Life and Legacy of Woody Guthrie. Wesleyan, Hannover and London. pp. 247, 181–243. ISBN 0-8195-6391-9.
  3. ^ a b Burger, Jeff. "This Land Is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1 Review". allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b Burger, Jeff. "Muleskinner Blues: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 2 Review". allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  5. ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. "Hard Travelin': The Asch Recordings, Vol. 3 Review". allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b Burger, Jeff. "Buffalo Skinners: The Asch Recordings, Vol.4 Review". allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  7. ^ "This Land Is Your Land, The Asch Recordings, Vol.1". SFW40100 1997. Folkways.
  8. ^ "Muleskinner Blues, The Asch Recordings, Vol. 2". SFW40101 1997. Folkways.
  9. ^ "Hard Travelin', The Asch Recordings, Vol 3". SFW40102 1998. Folkways.
  10. ^ "Buffalo Skinners, The Asch Recordings, Vol. 4". SFW40103 1999. Folkways.