*************POSTCARD FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) LIST************* VERSION 1.0, June 18, 1996 Hello there! You have subscribed to Postcard, the Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt Internet mailing list. **Please read this message carefully, and save it for future reference.** What you'll find below is a list of questions and answers that were compiled for two main purposes; 1) to try and ensure that the people on this list are at a relatively even plane of knowledge, and 2) to avoid boring hundreds of people with the same questions over and over. This might sound authoritarian, but the intent is NOT to limit the range of topics discussed on Postcard; if the answer to a question here doesn't completely satisfy you, or if you have something you want to add to the answer, by all means post your questions/comments. This document is the result of the considerable efforts of quite a few people. The individuals who contributed to each question are listed at the end of each answer, and a full list is given at the bottom of this document (buy 'em a beer if you see them). All of the information included here is accurate as far as we know, but we won't make any absolute statements of infallibility. Let us know if and where we've slipped up. Special thanks to Tony Margherita and Bob Andrews for taking the time to look over this. You can get another copy of this FAQ at any time by sending an email message to: postcard-faq@listserv.servtech.com (leave the subject and body of the message blank) Feel free to forward this document to others, as long as you: 1) Send the *entire* document, from the byline to the credits at the end 2) Do not place this document (or any part of this document) on any web page, ftp site, BBS, CD-ROM, or anywhere else without receiving permission from me (Michael Pemberton). 3) Do not receive any money for doing so Thanks, Michael Pemberton (michael_pemberton@unc.edu) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST-RELATED INFORMATION 1.1 What is Postcard? 1.2 List commands/addresses 1.3 Do the people in Wilco and Son Volt know about this list? 1.4 Are there any "restrictions" on what can/should be sent to Postcard? 1.5 Do people on Postcard like to discuss whether Wilco or Son Volt is "better"? 1.6 Is it okay to post info/questions about other bands to Postcard? 1.7 Are there any other places I can read about these bands? BAND HISTORY / VARIOUS RELATED MUSICIANS 2.1 Who and what was Uncle Tupelo? 2.2 Why did Uncle Tupelo break up? 2.3 Where are the members of Uncle Tupelo now? 2.4 What do the names Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, and Son Volt mean? 2.5 Who and what is Golden Smog? 2.6 Who and what was Coffee Creek? 2.7 Who is Brian Henneman? REFERENCES 3.1 Where can I find tour dates for Wilco and Son Volt? 3.2 Where can I find a detailed discography of Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt? 3.3 Can I still find Uncle Tupelo's LP's and 7" singles? 3.4 Where can I find the chords and lyrics to UT/Wilco/SV songs? 3.5 Are there any WWW pages dedicated to these bands? MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION 4.1 Does anyone know anything about the various geographical/historical references in UT/SV/Wilco songs? 4.2 Does anybody know the history behind the cover songs UT has put on their albums? 4.3 What cover songs have Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt played live? 4.4 Why do some of the _Anodyne_ tour t-shirts list two songs that are not on the album? 4.5 Are there any live recordings of Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt? Can I find them on Postcard? 4.6 Can I record Wilco or Son Volt shows? 4.7 How can I contact Wilco and Son Volt? From mrpember@gibbs.oit.unc.eduTue Aug 27 19:13:33 1996 Date: Thu, 27 Jun 96 16:49 GMT From: Michael Pemberton Reply to: postcard@listserv.servtech.com To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: FAQ (answers) *************POSTCARD FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) LIST************* ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {1.1} WHAT IS POSTCARD? Postcard is a listserv (an electronic-mail based forum) for discussion of Uncle Tupelo and it's descendant bands Wilco, Son Volt, and Golden Smog, plus any others that might come along. Like any listserv, Postcard works as follows: * Any mail message sent to the main listserv address is forwarded to all currently-subscribed members of the list. * Replies to this message are likewise posted to all subscribers. There are over 500 people on this list, so remember that if you reply to a Postcard email message by pressing the Reply button in your email program, your reply also goes out to those 500 people. You are NOT replying by private email. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {1.2} LIST COMMANDS/ADDRESSES --------------------------------------------------------------------------- To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE to Postcard, do EITHER 1) or 2) below. 1) Point your World Wide Web browser to: http://www.servtech.com/ddewey/postcard *Fill in the boxes with your name and Email address. *Click the 'Send Request!' button. If UNSUBSCRIBING, check the "unsubscribe" button in addition to the above. *OR* 2) Send Email to: postcard-request@listserv.servtech.com LEAVE THE 'SUBJECT' LINE BLANK! In the body, write: SUBSCRIBE POSTCARD Your Name (Of course, substitute your real name in the above line.) If UNSUBSCRIBING, write UNSUBSCRIBE POSTCARD in the body of the message If neither of these methods work for you, please send email to ddewey@servtech.com and I will help you. Please try both of the above before mailing me, thanks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- To POST, or SEND, a message to the list, send your mail message to: postcard@listserv.servtech.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you would prefer to receive the messages in DIGEST form (one message a day with all of that day's list traffic), use the form at: http://www.servtech.com/ddewey/postcard or send mail to: postcard-request@listserv.servtech.com LEAVE THE SUBJECT LINE BLANK! In the body of the message, type: SET POSTCARD MAIL DIGEST Also, feel free to contact me directly if you need any assistance. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {1.3} DO THE PEOPLE IN WILCO AND SON VOLT KNOW ABOUT THIS LIST? Yes they do, and they have for some time. Their reaction to the list seems to vary between indifference and slight hostility/annoyance; members of both bands have referred to this list and the AOL "No Depression" folder (see Question 1.7) in much less than complimentary terms. So if you're looking for a topic to help you strike up a conversation with band members after a show, I wouldn't advise bringing up the Internet; they seem to be quite sick of hearing about it. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {1.4} ARE THERE ANY "RESTRICTIONS" ON WHAT CAN/SHOULD BE SENT TO POSTCARD? First off, Postcard is not moderated, so there is nothing to stop you from posting whatever you want to the list. However, to promote focused dialogue, and to ensure that the relationship between this list and the artists on which we focus stays somewhat healthy, please consider the following: --Posting private information from or about the bands and band members: If you have access to information about or from a band or artist that was delivered in a private conversation without permission to spread it instantly across the globe, please think twice before doing so. The thought of having hundreds of people huddled around computers discussing you is spooky enough (think about it) without having to worry that anything you say to anyone might be spread from New York to Outer Mongolia in seconds via the Internet. The members of the bands have complained about this in the past, and it would be awful for both the people in the bands and for us if these folks feel they feel they have to treat everybody they talk to like journalists. --Personal flames: Disagreement/debate is definitely encouraged on Postcard, but if you feel it is necessary to call someone an ass in response to their post, please do so via e-mail. If someone is really being an ass, everyone will know already, you won't need to tell us. --Posting setlists: If you include a setlist in a show review include something like "setlist included" or "spoiler" in your subject line as a warning, and then have the setlist be the very last thing in your post. This way setlists can be easily avoided by those who prefer being surprised at what get's played when they see these bands live. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {1.5} DO PEOPLE ON POSTCARD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WHETHER WILCO OR SON VOLT IS "BETTER?" When members of Son Volt/Wilco have been asked what they thought about Postcard, this topic, and their annoyance with it, is almost always the first thing mentioned. It's inevitable that fans who are familiar with Uncle Tupelo, or who are getting familiar with them through Wilco and Son Volt, will want to talk about the differences between the bands, or talk about the evolution of the new bands and why they might prefer one over the other. The "Jeff/Wilco vs. Jay/Son Volt" discussion has been done to death, and generally you'll find that the readership is unwilling to engage in these "who's better?" arguments; it's a little like trying to decide who's the best Beatle, or whether the Stones are better than Dylan: in the end it comes down to your personal opinion, and how dogged you are in trying to convince others to see things your way. So buy the music yourself, go see the bands live for yourself, and share whatever you like, or don't like, here on Postcard; for now, we can take it all. There's no need to choose sides. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {1.6} IS IT OK TO POST INFO/QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER BANDS ON POSTCARD? The best answer is "it depends." This list is devoted to UT/Wilco/SV related information, so if the info/questions about the other bands are related, however tangentially, to these three than post it here. It is usually best to post information and questions about other bands, especially other "insurgent country" bands, to "Postcard2" (also called "Passenger Side") which is a mailing list devoted to this kind of music. "Passenger Side" was developed specifically to discuss other bands that interest fans of UT, and to limit traffic on Postcard; it can get heavy enough just with UT/Wilco/SV stuff. So if you see Blue Mountain open for Son Volt and want to talk about their set in your review of the show that you send to "Postcard", or if you want to talk about the influence you feel Doug Sahm had on Uncle Tupelo or the influence Uncle Tupelo had on any number of bands, please do. But if you have some Blue Mountain tour dates you want to share, or are looking for recommendations of Townes Van Zandt cd's, or want to tell people how much you like or dislike Richard Buckner or Whiskeytown, post to Passenger Side, that's what it's there for. Here's an edited version of the greeting message from Passenger Side. Postcard2/Passenger Side focuses on bands that mix indie-rock aggression with country twang, including (but my no means limited to) Uncle Tupelo and it's offshoots Son Volt and Wilco, Blue Mountain, Old 97s, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, the Schramms, Richard Buckner, Blood Oranges, Tarnation, the Waco Brothers, 16 Horsepower and the Cartwrights. The list generates a healthy amount of discussion concerning renegade country types, such as Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Kelly Willis, Dale Watson, Don Walser, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Kevin Welch, Iris DeMent, Junior Brown, Lucinda Williams, Joe Ely, Wayne Hancock and others deemed too country for modern corporate Nashville. Folks on the Postcard2 list also are happy to discuss all kinds of classic country music, Nashville wickedness, retail, radio and record-label practices, and anything else that relates to their passion for honest and innovative country music. To subscribe to the list, send e-mail to: listproc@u.washington.edu with your e-mail address AND your name in the BODY of the message If you have any questions, please contact the list owner at: lal@drizzle.com (Laura Levy) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {1.7} ARE THERE ANY OTHER PLACES I CAN READ ABOUT THESE BANDS? As mentioned above, one place is the Postcard2/Passenger Side mailing list. If you are a member of America Online (AOL), check out the No Depression folder, where UT/SV/Wilco are often brought up. Yes, the name was inspired by Uncle Tupelo's first album. To access No Depression from AOL after logging in: Go to 'Keywords' and select 'mmc' (stands for music message center). Then select 'Alternative Rock,' 'Topics,' and 'No Depression.' There is also a magazine that is popular among Postcarders called _No Depression_ that often features these bands as well as other "insurgent country" bands from around the country. Subscriptions are available at $12/year (four issues). Individual issues $5. Send subscription orders, with checks payable to No Depression, to: No Depression P.O. Box 31332 Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 547-5952 or (206) 545-1805 e-mail: NoDepress@aol.com Due to the popularity of the AOL folder and the magazine, some have taken to referring to the recent wave of youngish, rockin' country bands as "No Depression (or 'ND')" bands. You'll also hear "alternative country," "insurgent country," "indie country," "twang core" and other terms used to describe this fuzzily defined "genre." ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {2} BAND HISTORY / VARIOUS RELATED MUSICIANS ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {2.1} WHO AND WHAT WAS UNCLE TUPELO? Uncle Tupelo was a very influential rock/country/folk/punk band who put out four albums in the early '90's before breaking up in the Spring of 1994. The members of Uncle Tupelo are currently spread out amongst the bands Wilco and Son Volt. Uncle Tupelo began in the early 1980s as a garage rock band in Belleville, Illinois called The Primitives. Comprised of high school pals in their mid-teens, the band played covers of three-chord '60s tunes like "Midnight to Six," "Diddy Wah Diddy," and "Louie, Louie," as well as a few of their own songs. Jay Farrar played guitar, Jeff Tweedy played bass, and Mike Heidorn played drums. Jay Farrar's brother Wade did most of the singing. THE PRIMITIVES (1984? - 1987) Jay Farrar - Guitar, vocals Wade Farrar - Vocals, harmonica Mike Heidorn - Drums Jeff Tweedy - Bass, vocals In 1987, the group changed their name to Uncle Tupelo (see question 2.4) because a British new wave band called the Primitives was slightly popular at the time. Wade Farrar left the band and Jay and Jeff took over the principle singing duties. With the change in name and line-up, the trio began playing more original songs composed by Farrar and Tweedy along with a slew of covers (see question 4.3). The sound of the band changed as well. As Uncle Tupelo, the group began to combine elements of punk rock and country music, showing the influence of artists as diverse as Gram Parsons, Neil Young, Doug Sahm, Buck Owens, the Minutemen, the Meat Puppets, Husker Du and Black Flag. Their first show as Uncle Tupelo was at the Corner Tavern in Edwardsville, IL, opening for the semi-legendary punk band Das Damen. UNCLE TUPELO #1 (1987 - April, 1992) Jay Farrar - Guitar, Vocals Mike Heidorn - Drums Jeff Tweedy - Bass, Vocals UT quickly developed a following around the Midwest, especially in St. Louis and Columbia, MO. They played quite often at Cicero's Basement Bar, a tiny venue in St. Louis, which became their home base during their early years (they're pictured playing there on the inner sleeve of _No Depression_). The band put out three self-released demo cassettes in the late '80's; _Colorblind and Rhymeless_ which came out in 1987, _Live and Otherwise_ which came out in '88, and _Not Forever, Just for Now_ which came out in 1989. Sometime in 1989 they met up with manager Tony Margherita, and with his assistance they signed a recording contract with the indie label Rockville Records. They went to Boston to record with Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade at Fort Apache Studios, and their first full length, called _No Depression_, came out in the Summer of 1990. Though often referred to as a "punk" album, Jay and Jeff are quick to point out that the name came from a Carter Family song they covered on the record and that the record does contain some banjo, fiddle, and pedal steel guitar. Still, it's their hardest rocking record, and captures their live sound from that period very well. UT started to tour extensively at this point, and word started to spread about them. Rolling Stone did a brief story on them in November of 1990 (they called _No Depression_ a "stunning debut"), and they were voted the best unsigned band at the 1990 New Music Seminar. Peter Buck of REM reportedly was interested in working with them on their second record, but the band chose to return to Fort Apache to record with Kolderie/Slade in June of 1991. Their second album _Still Feel Gone_ came out that Fall, and is arguably the best document of the full range of the band, with a mix of punkish rockers, country shuffles, and acoustic ballads. Uncle Tupelo continued to tour through the end of 1991 and into 1992. In March of 1992 the band, including guitar tech/extra guitarist Brian Henneman (see question 2.7), went to Athens, GA to record their third LP at John Keane's studio, this time with Peter Buck producing. Saying they were tired of loud amplifiers from their non-stop touring, the band decided that these sessions would be all acoustic, and almost everything was recorded live in the studio. The record which came out of these sessions, titled _March 16-20, 1992_, was split almost evenly between new Farrar/Tweedy originals and covers, many of which were old, traditional folk songs (see Question 4.2). Soon after the _March_ sessions, the recently married Heidorn left the band due to family considerations (he didn't want to be away from his family for long stretches). He was replaced in the summer of that year by Bill Belzer, formerly of a Kansas City band called Mongol Beach Party. In the fall of 1992, Uncle Tupelo was joined by multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston on fiddle, dobro, and mandolin. Johnston began playing with them on the ill-fated Arkansas Traveller Review tour, on which Uncle Tupelo was the opening band on a bill consisting of headliner Michelle Shocked (who is Johnston's sister), The Band and Taj Mahal. Although the tour fell apart after only a few shows, Johnston continued to play with UT occasionally, eventually becoming a permanent sideman. UNCLE TUPELO #2 (July 1992 - December 1992) Jay Farrar - Guitar, Vocals Jeff Tweedy - Bass, Vocals Bill Belzer - Drums and occasionally Max Johnston - Fiddle, Dobro, Mandolin (from Sept. 1992 on) Brian Henneman - extra guitar, mandolin, t-shirt sales This band toured quite a bit in late '92, including Uncle Tupelo's first tour of Europe, opening for Bob Mould's band Sugar. Bill Belzer left the band in December of 1992, and was replaced by Nashville native Ken Coomer, formerly of Clockhammer (Ken also did a brief stint with Jason and the Scorchers). Coomer's first show with UT was on the Mountain Stage radio show in Charleston, WV on January 23, 1993. This version of the band toured through March of 1993, and in May of 1993 they went to Austin, TX to record their major label debut, _Anodyne_, with producer Brian Paulson. They brought in John Stirrat, formerly of The Hilltops (which also featured Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirrat, currently of Blue Mountain) to play bass and rhythm guitar during the recording of _Anodyne_. On that record, and on the subsequent tour, John would alternate bass and rhythm guitar duties with Jeff Tweedy, with John normally playing bass on the new songs Tweedy had written. _Anodyne_, which was recorded completely live in the studio with no overdubs, came out in October of 1993. UNCLE TUPELO #3 (Jan 1993 - May 1, 1994) Jay Farrar - Guitar, Vocals Jeff Tweedy - Bass, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals Ken Coomer - Drums plus Max Johnston - Fiddle, Lap Steel, Dobro, Mandolin, Banjo John Stirrat - Guitar, Bass (from June, 1993 on) UT toured extensively in support of _Anodyne_, starting in Europe during the Summer of '93 and continuing in the US through Spring of '94. Sometime near the end of 1993 Jay Farrar decided to quit the band (see Question 2.2), and after a grueling "lame duck" tour in the Spring of 1994 the band played it's last show on May 1, 1994 at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {2.2} WHY DID UNCLE TUPELO BREAKUP? This has been one of the most frequently asked question on Postcard, and it's a tough one to answer. All that is known for sure is that Jay Farrar decided to leave the band in late '93 or early '94. If you listen to Jeff and Jay's respective tracks on _Anodyne_ separately, or listen to _A.M._ and _Trace_ back to back, it becomes pretty clear that Jay and Jeff were going in different musical directions. By most accounts there were also some personal differences between them. Speculation about these 'personal differences' have come up on Postcard quite a few times in the past and most people on the list are quite tired of the topic. This kind of semi-public speculation also annoys the band members (they are at least somewhat aware of what happens on this list), so please try and keep this off Postcard. When asked in interviews why they broke up Jeff often says "Jay quit," and Jay says "It just kind of ran out of gas," so as tempting as the subject might seem let's try to leave it at that. Jay and Jeff both seem quite happy (and busy) with their new bands, and while Jay has said he would not rule out doing something with Jeff in the future there do not seem to be any plans for this. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {2.3} WHAT ARE THE MEMBERS OF UNCLE TUPELO DOING NOW? After Jay Farrar left Uncle Tupelo, the other members of the band formed Wilco, under Jeff Tweedy's leadership. The band recorded an album just months after UT's breakup, with Brian Henneman of the Bottle Rockets filling in as the temporary lead guitarist. After the recording of the album, Jay Bennett, formerly of the Champaign-Urbana based Titanic Love Affair, was brought on board as lead guitarist. Wilco played its first show, a special appearance at Cicero's in St. Louis under the fake name Black Shampoo, on Nov. 17, 1994, and they toured extensively that Winter and into the Spring of 1995. Their only album to date, _A.M._, was released in March of 1995. The band continued a very rigorous touring schedule to support the record through November of 1995, including a stint on the 1995 H.O.R.D.E. Festival tour. WILCO Jeff Tweedy - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar Jay Bennett - Lead Guitar Ken Coomer - Drums Max Johnston - Fiddle, Dobro, Mandolin, Banjo John Stirrat - Bass, Vocals After leaving UT, Jay Farrar moved from St. Louis to New Orleans, LA, and said he was going to take some time off before starting a new project. In the summer of 1994, he got together with bassist Jim Boquist and pedal steel guitarist Eric Heywood (both of whom he had met when they played with Joe Henry's band who opened for UT on much of the Spring '94 tour), along with Jim Boquist's multi-instrumentalist brother Dave and Jayhawks drummer Tim O'Reagan, to record some demos in Minneapolis. To the delight of old fans of UT, Farrar was able to lure Mike Heidorn out of retirement from the music business to play drums in the new band which Jay called Son Volt. They finished the recording of their first LP _Trace_ by the end of 1994, but some mixing problems and other delays prevented it from coming out until September of 1995. Son Volt made it's live debut on June 16, 1995 at 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, MN, and have toured extensively since then. Eric Heywood has traveled with them as a guitar tech/pedal steel player since October of '95. SON VOLT Jay Farrar - Vocals, Guitars Dave Boquist - Guitars, Fiddle, Lap Steel Guitar, Banjo, Dobro Jim Boquist - Bass, Back-up Vocals Mike Heidorn - Drums plus Eric Heywood - Pedal Steel Guitar ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {2.4} WHAT DO THE NAMES UNCLE TUPELO, WILCO, AND SON VOLT MEAN? There are several stories about the origins of the name Uncle Tupelo. Legend #1 is that when the band was trying to decide on a name they made two columns of words they liked and randomly selected one word from each column; "Uncle" and "Tupelo" were the two that were chosen. Legend #2 is that a friend of the band painted a picture of Elvis (who was of course from Tupelo, Mississippi) in a bathrobe, and titled the picture "Uncle Tupelo." Different band members have told variations of both stories over the years, and both of these, of course, may be completely false. Jay and Jeff have denied the oft-mentioned theories that the name came from Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey," John Lee Hooker's "Tupelo," or Nick Cave's "Tupelo." By all accounts of those involved the name was just an after-thought, so I wouldn't spend too much time digging for meaning. Wilco is a radio term, slang for "will comply," as well as the name of a chain of gas stations in the South. Jeff has said in interviews that people shouldn't read too much into the name, they just liked the way "Wilco" sounded. The name Son Volt is pretty much a mystery. Some have hypothesized that it's meant as a tribute to the Sun and Stax Volt record labels of yore (denied by the band). Some have seen the "family" connection between "Uncle" Tupelo and "Son" Volt as being more than coincidence. Jay has said more than a few times that it is just two words that he thought sounded good together as a name, and that "any connections people want to make with it is fine." ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {2.5} WHO AND WHAT IS GOLDEN SMOG? In their present incarnation, using silly pseudonyms for contractual reasons, the not-quite-supergroup Golden Smog consists of Dan Murphy (aka David Spear) on guitar and vocals; Gary Louris (Michael Macklyn) on guitar and vocals; Kraig Johnson (Jarrett Decatur) on guitar and vocals; Marc Perlman (Raymond Virginia) on bass; Noah Levy (Leonardson Saratoga) on drums; and Jeff Tweedy (Scot Summitt) on guitar and vocals. To create your own Golden Smog name, take your middle name as your first name and the street you grew up on as your last name. Golden Smog formed around 1990, having grown out of an occasional series of mock-tribute shows that Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum and assorted other Minneapolis musicians put on throughout the late 1980s. The original lineup varied slightly from show to show but generally featured Dan Murphy, Jayhawks Marc Perlman and Gary Louris, Run Westy Run's Kraig Johnson and ex-Replacement Chris Mars, with Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner putting in frequent appearances on guitar, vocals, and sometimes sax or drums. This lineup recorded an EP of covers (including Bad Company's "Shooting Star" and Three Dog Night's "Easy to Be Hard," among others). The EP was entitled _On Golden Smog_ and came out on Minneapolis's tiny Crackpot Records in 1992. Chris Mars soon became too busy with his solo career to remain as a member of the Smog, and Dave Pirner got way too famous. The remaining members were busy enough with their day-job bands to keep Golden Smog on the back burner for a while, though they would still play an occasional show in Minneapolis. One show in December of 1993 included a cover of Uncle Tupelo's "New Madrid," with none other than Dave Boquist on banjo. They resurfaced with new members Jeff Tweedy and Noah Levy of the Honeydogs in the fall of 1994, under the temporary name Circle the Drain. They quickly reverted to the name Golden Smog and recorded an album that fall in Minneapolis. They also did a few shows, one of which was a showcase at the South by Southwest convention in Austin, TX in the spring of '95. Their record _Down by the Old Mainstream_ was delayed for quite awhile, but was finally released on Rykodisc in January 1996. The record featured new material from all the songwriters in the band, including two by Jeff Tweedy and one co-written by Tweedy/Louris, indicating that Golden Smog had evolved from a semi-joke band into a more serious side project for its members. They confirmed this with a short tour, including a return appearance at South by Southwest, in the spring of 1996. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {2.6} WHO AND WHAT WAS COFFEE CREEK? Coffee Creek was an occasional side project of Uncle Tupelo, consisting of Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn, and Brian Henneman (see Question 2.7). Coffee Creek was a country cover band which played out only four times; once in December 1991, once in June of 1992, and twice in July of 1993, each time at Cicero's Basement Bar in St. Louis. The use of the name Coffee Creek was in large measure a way to give UT the opportunity to play the tiny Cicero's after the band's popularity in St. Louis had made it difficult for them to play there under their own name. People around St. Louis quickly figured out who Coffee Creek were, however, and all the shows after the first one were sold out in advance. COFFEE CREEK Jay Farrar - Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitars Brian Henneman - Vocals, Electric and Lap Steel Guitars Jeff Tweedy - Bass, Vocals Mike Heidorn - Drums, goofy grins The Coffee Creek shows were simply amazing. The band obviously had an enormous amount of fun playing country and country rock tunes by Doug Sahm, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Neil Young, The Byrds, George Jones and others. Brian Henneman acted as the 'emcee' of the shows, aping Doug Sahm's song introductions word for word and keeping everything real loose. Jay and Brian did most of the singing, with Jeff generally singing only one song per show, CCR's "Wrote a Song For Everyone." For a list of some of the songs Coffee Creek (and Uncle Tupelo) covered, send an email message to postcard-covers@listserv.servtech.com (leave the subject and message body blank). It was rumored at one point that the band was considering recording an album, but the Uncle Tupelo breakup unfortunately appears to mean the end of Coffee Creek. Coffee Creek is credited with producing Brian Henneman's 7" single "Indianapolis" and the cover of Merle Haggard's "Movin' On" on the _20 More Explosive Fantastic Rockin' Mega Smash Hit Explosions!_ compilation, but that is the extent of their recorded output. Jeff Tweedy had this to say about the effect Coffee Creek had on him in the Winston-Salem Journal, 7/28/95: "People talk about how I must have studied folk and country, but all the records that I really pored over were punk," Tweedy said. "My uncles all played acoustic guitar, so I guess our family gatherings revolved around folk and country songs." He laughed. "So my only exposure to that music was restricted to holidays. For me, the real turning point was Coffee Creek, a band that Jay and I had with Brian Henneman of the Bottle Rockets. We only played covers of old country songs - and we had fun doing it. "The vibe of that band has carried over to (Wilco); Just get up there and play, and if it goes good - that's great; if not, well, we still had fun." ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {2.7} WHO IS BRIAN HENNEMAN? Brian Henneman is best known as the lead guitarist, principal singer/songwriter, main guy in the Bottle Rockets. He and his bands have been associated with Uncle Tupelo for a long time. Some time in the mid-to-late '80s, UT helped Henneman's band Chicken Truck (which included 3/4 of the Bottle Rockets) get their first gigs in St. Louis. The bands were good friends and a frequent double bill until Chicken Truck broke up in 1990. Henneman then played occasional shows as a solo acoustic act and began working as a roadie for UT, and occasionally playing extra guitar or mandolin with them (he was the guy with the beard and goofy hats if you remember that era). He played on _Still Feel Gone_, extensively on _March 16-20, 1992_, and also on a couple of the UT tracks that ended up on various compilations ("Blue Eyes," "Movin' On"). In 1992 he recorded a solo single "Indianapolis," backed by Jeff and Jay, that was released on Rockville. He was also a member of Coffee Creek, UT's cover-band side-project alter-ego (see Question 2.6). Somewhere along the line, Brian signed on with UT's manager, Tony Margherita, who helped secure him a contract with East Side Digital. He reformed his old band (with a new bass player) and in 1993 the Bottle Rockets released their self-titled debut, which featured some backing vocals by Jeff and Jay. Next came _The Brooklyn Side_ in the fall of '94, which got them signed to Atlantic, who rereleased it in '95. The Bottle Rockets opened many UT shows, including the last one on May 1, 1994. That final show ended with all the members of both bands playing together. Brian played lead guitar on Wilco's debut album _A.M._, because they had not yet found a permanent guitarist. The Bottle Rockets have continued to be closely associated with both Wilco and Son Volt; opening shows, jamming onstage, etc. While there is quite a bit of overlap in the fans of The Bottle Rockets and UT/Wilco/SV, their music is quite different than any of those bands. They play a mixture of hard driving, Neil Young w/Crazy Horse/Lynyrd Skynyrd-ish rock-n-roll and twangy country shuffles and ballads, all of which are highlighted by Henneman's amazing guitar work. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {3} REFERENCES ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {3.1} WHERE CAN I FIND A DETAILED DISCOGRAPHY OF UT/WILCO/SV? You can receive a very detailed discography (all known releases of everybody associated with UT/Wilco/SV complete with track info and all credits) by sending a message to postcard-discog@listserv.servtech.com (leave the subject and body of the message blank). It can also be found on Honma Sakiko's web page: http://www.ask.or.jp/~saki/Discog/ut_discog.html Here is a less detailed version of that discography. BRIEF DISCOGRAPHY ====================================================================== UNCLE TUPELO FULL LENGTH LP/CD/CASSETTES 1990 album No Depression (Rockville) 1991 album Still Feel Gone (Rockville) 1992 album March 16-20, 1992 (Rockville) 1992 LPx2 Still Feel Gone & March 16-20, 1992 (Rockville) - re-release on vinyl; different packaging, same content 1993 album Anodyne (Sire/Reprise) SINGLES 1990 7" I Got Drunk/Sin City (Rockville) 1991 7" Gun/I Wanna Destroy You (Rockville) 1991 Cass Gun/I Wanna Destroy You/Still Be Around(demo) (Rockville) 1992 7" Sauget Wind/Looking For A Way Out(acoustic)/Take My Word (Rockville) 1993 CD5 Long Cut + 5 Live (Sire/Reprise) - promo only 1993 7" Fifteen Keys (live) - very limited split 7" with three other bands, put out by the German magazine What's That Noise PRE-ROCKVILLE SELF-RELEASED DEMO TAPES (sold out and impossible to find) 1987 Cass Colorblind & Rhymeless 1988 Cass Live And Otherwise 1988 Cass Not Forever, Just For Now COMPILATIONS/SOUNDTRACKS/ETC (song title is in quotes) 1990 comp:Cass "Before I Break"(demo) - Out Of The Gate (Go Fish Records) 1991 sndtrk "Won't Forget" - A Matter Of Degrees (Atlantic) 1992 comp "Movin' On" - a Merle Haggard cover performed with Brian Henneman. From "20 More Explosive Fantastic Rockin' Mega Smash Hit Explosions!" (Pravda/re-released in '95 through BMG) 1992 album "Shaking Hands (Soldier's Joy)" - Michelle Shocked : Arkansas Traveler (Mercury) 1992 comp "Wait Up"(LP version) - Stolar Tracks, Vol 1. - promo CD put out by Stoli vodka. Seriously. 1993 comp "Blue Eyes" -Commemorativo: A Tribute to Gram Parsons (Rhino) 1993 comp "Effigy" - No Alternative (Arista) 1993 comp "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" w/ Joe Ely - Trademark Of Quality, Vol. 2 (Warner Bros) - promo only 1993 comp "Sauget Wind"(7" version) -Buy This Used CD(Dutch East India) 1994 comp "Moonshiner" - Best Of Mountain Stage Vol.7(Blue Plate Music) ====================================================================== WILCO FULL LENGTH ALBUM/CD/CASSETTES 1995 album A.M. (Sire/Reprise) 1996 album Being There (Reprise) 1998 album Mermaid Avenue (with Billy Bragg) (Reprise) SINGLES 1995 7" Childlike And Evergreen/Someone Else's Song - Soil Samples 19 (Sire/Reprise) - promo only 1995 Cass Box Full Of Letters/Casino Queen/Pick Up The Change (album versions) (Sire/Reprise) - promo only 1995 CD5 Box Full Of Letters/I Am Not Willing/Casino Queen (live)/ Who Were You Thinkin' Of (live)"(Reprise) -European release COMPILATIONS/SOUNDTRACKS/ETC (song title is in quotes) 1994 comp "The TB is Whipping Me" Red Hot + Country (Mercury) 1994 comp "Passenger Side" (demo) - Pointessential, Vol. 1 (Reel George Productions) 1994 comp "Passenger Side" (demo) - Trademark Of Quality, Vol. 3 (Warner Bros) - promo only 1995 comp "Childlike And Evergreen" - Monitor This! (Record Exchange - Mach 1) - promo only 1996 sndtrk "Burned" - I Shot Andy Warhol (TAG/Atlantic) ====================================================================== SON VOLT FULL LENGTH ALBUM/CD/CASSETTES 1995 album Trace (Warner Bros) 1996 album Straightaways (Warner Bros.) 1998 album Wide Swing Tremolo (Warner Bros.) SINGLES 1995 Cass Drown/Tear Stained Eye (Warner Bros) - promo only 1996 flexi:7" "Looking At The World Through A Windshield" - Pop Culture Press #37 (Evatone Soundsheets) COMPILATIONS/SOUNDTRACKS/ETC (song title is in quotes) 1996 comp "Drown" (acoustic) - Pointessential, Vol. 3 (Reel George Productions) 1996 CD5 Kelly Willis : Fading Fast (A & M) - Son Volt backs KW on 3 of the 4 tracks - promo only ====================================================================== WORKS BY FARRAR/TWEEDY OUTSIDE UT/WILCO/SV 1991 7" Dazzling Killmen : Ghost Limb/Torture (Crime Life) - Production/additional guitar by Jeff Tweedy 1991 7" Dazzling Killmen : Killing Fever (Skin Graft/Sluggo) - Production/sound effects/additional guitar by Jeff 1991 Cass Atomic Fossils : Atomic Fossils (self released) - Production and "whammy feedback" by Jeff 1992 Cass Small Ball Paul : Hate Mail (self-released) - Produced by SBP, Jeff Tweedy, and M. Burkeit 1993 album Dazzling Killmen : Dig Out the Switch (Intellectual Convulsions) - produced by Jeff (recorded by Steve Albini) 1993 7" Brian Henneman : Indianapolis (Rockville) - Jay and Jeff play and sing 1993 album Bottle Rockets : Bottle Rockets (ESD) - background vocals by Jay and Jeff 1994 7" Ithica Gin : Kentucky (Red Dirt Records) - production/guitar by Jay 1995 comp:10" Jay Farrar + Kelly Willis : Red Hot + Bothered 2 (Kinetic) 1995 comp Jay Farrar + Kelly Willis : Red Hot + Bothered (Kinetic) - Townes Van Zandt's "Rex's Blues" 1996 album Golden Smog : Down By The Old Mainstream (Rykodisc) - 2 Tweedy songs and one he co-wrote w/ Gary Louris, he plays and sings throughout |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {3.2} CAN I STILL FIND UNCLE TUPELO'S LP's and 7" SINGLES? As of now (January of 1999) all four of UT's full length CD's are still in print. If you can't find them on store shelves, you should be able to order them from almost any independent record store. You should also be able to find the vinyl release of _No Depression_ if you so desire, as well as the double-LP release of _Still Feel Gone_ and _March 16-20, 1992_. The 7"'s have suddenly became fairly hard to find, especially the "I Got Drunk" single. I've heard that people have been able to order the "Gun" and "Sauget Wind" singles recently (early '96), but even those might require some digging. Don't forget that the song "Sauget Wind" is on the Dutch East India sampler _Buy This Used CD_, which is widely available and quite cheap. The "Long Cut + 5 Live" promo cd single has gotten very hard to find, you might try to find one through _Goldmine_ magazine, though it might be a bit pricey. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {3.3} WHERE CAN I FIND TOUR DATES FOR WILCO AND SON VOLT? Right here on Postcard, tour dates for these bands normally get posted to the list. Try the Pollstar web site at http://www.pollstar.com. It's a nifty site where you can search for tour dates for almost any band. You can also check the official Wilco and Son Volt web sites: Wilco: http://www.RepriseRec.com/Wilco Son Volt: http://www.wbr.com/Sonvolt To get Wilco tour dates sent to you via snail-mail, write to: Tony Margherita Management 4753 N. Broadway, Suite 1025 Chicago, IL 60640 (NOTE: this address for Wilco will probably change when Wilco's next record comes out, the new address will be included in the liner notes) To get on Son Volt's snail-mail lists (they send postcards with tour dates and merchandise information) write to: Black Park Management 400 W.Morgan St., Suite 200 Raleigh, NC 27603 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {3.4} WHERE CAN I FIND THE CHORDS AND LYRICS TO UT/WILCO/SV SONGS? For a near complete jumpstation to Uncle Tupelo song lyrics and guitar tabs, as well as Son Volt/Wilco lyrics and some SV/Wilco tabs, point your WWW browser to: http://www.gumbopages.com/uncle-tupelo.html You can also get the lyrics by sending email messages to the following addresses (leave the subject and body of the message blank): All Uncle Tupelo lyrics at once: postcard-ut@listserv.servtech.com No Depression: postcard-nodepression@listserv.servtech.com Still Feel Gone: postcard-sfg@listserv.servtech.com March 16-20, 1992: postcard-march@listserv.servtech.com Anodyne: postcard-anodyne@listserv.servtech.com Singles, etc.: postcard-singles@listserv.servtech.com (This last one is a bit skimpy, it will expand in the future) All Wilco lyrics: postcard-wilco@listserv.servtech.com All Son Volt lyrics: postcard-sonvolt@listserv.servtech.com If you have not seen the lyric files in awhile, take another look; we have pored over them, and (we think) improved them considerably. They're still not perfect, but they should get you started. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {3.5} ARE THERE ANY WWW PAGES DEDICATED TO THESE BANDS? Chuck Taggart's Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt/Wilco/Insurgent Country on the Gumbo pages: http://www.gumbopages.com/uncle-tupelo.html Chief Rocka's Uncle Tupelo page: http://theory.physics.missouri.edu/~georges/Josh/pages/ut.html The official Warner Bros Son Volt page: http://www.wbr.com/Sonvolt The official Wilco Page: http://www.RepriseRec.com/Wilco |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {4} MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {4.1} DOES ANYBODY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE VARIOUS GEOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL REFERENCES IN UT/WILCO/SV SONGS? Here is some of what we know about some of the more commonly asked about references. **Sandusky** The Sandusky I know is a medium sized town in northern Ohio, about an hour west of Cleveland, right on an inlet of Lake Erie called Sandusky Bay. It's probably best known for the huge amusement park Cedar Point, which juts out between the Lake and the Bay. There is also a Sandusky River that empties into the Bay. It's unclear whether the title of the song on _March_ is referring to this particular Sandusky, but that's our best guess. ***New Madrid*** Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 14:17:42 PDT From: Margaret Lang New Madrid is the earthquake fault that runs through southern Illinois and Missouri. There's also the town of New Madrid, MO. Local lore has one of the main faults going through the fountain in downtown Belleville, IL. Mr Browning is the kook that predicted the huge quake on the New Madrid fault a couple of years ago. Sounds like the song is about this incident and the media attention it attracted. From: "Johnny S'traction" Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1993 12:11:47 -0400 (EDT) The New Madrid earthquakes (1811 and 1812) were supposedly enormous. One supposedly made the Mississippi River flow BACKWARDS - that might be the reference Jeff is making. A few years ago there was this named Browning who had predicted a tremendous earthquake of New Madrid's size to hit that area of the country (Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois). He had supposedly predicted the big earthquake in SF a few years before. He predicted the exact day and of course it never happened! But a lot of people did evacuate the area, etc... **Chickamauga** The Battle of Chickamauga, September 19-20, 1863 "Chickamauga" a Native American word, has been translated to mean "river of blood" but I've also heard other less dramatic translations "The Battle of Chickamauga, fought between the Army of Tennessee and the Army of the Cumberland in Northern Georgia, was one of the bloodiest and most significant battles of the Civil War. Chickamauga represented the last opportunity for the Confederacy to win the war....The furious 2 day battle cost 4,000 lives and 35,000 casualties in all." Geoffery C. Ward with Ric Burns and Ken Burns **Times Beach, MO** (the 'beach there known for cancer' from Son Volt's "10 Second News") From: Clauss, Tim Subject: Times Beach, Missouri --- Vacation Paradise ....in the early 80's Times Beach, MO became poisoned by a chemical known as "dioxin." It was placed there by this guy named Russell Bliss who was paid by the citizens of Times Beach to drive around the town's hard packed dirt streets spraying them with a light layer of oil to keep the dust down in the summertime. Well, old Russell didn't want to pay top dollar for this oil, so he bought a whole bunch of dirty used stuff from a chemical company. This is where the story goes bad, real bad. The oil contained dioxin, which is a by-product from the production of Agent Orange (You know that nasty defoliant from the Vietnam era), and is highly carcinogenic (it causes cancer). The EPA suddenly showed up in Times Beach in these bizarre radiation/space suit looking things, and told everyone that they have to leave. The Feds were salivating over the idea that they could run out all of the residents, and put a toxic waste incinerator there. So, these people, who were possibly exposed to dangerous levels of carcinogens already, were given next to nothing for their property (they were supposedly given "market value," but the ongoing EPA investigation had reduced this to a joke) and told to get out. The Feds...then went on a systematic destruction spree that lasted for about 5 or 6 years. It was really eerie for a while because as you drove through western St. Louis County on Interstate 44, there was suddenly this barren wasteland right along the Meramac on the north side of the highway. Hazardous waste signs everywhere. Hulking shells of homes that had been gutted stood with unexplainable 4 foot high orange numbers spray painted across the front. All the while, EPA clean up crews were driving bulldozers around while wearing those freaky white suits. And no one knows how dangerous the whole situation really ever was. Well, the EPA finally declared the area cleaned, but that doesn't mean that they are going to let anyone move back in there; they used eminent domain to take the land, and decided to place that waste incinerator right there on the existing land of Times Beach....All of the dioxin tainted material found in 26 sites throughout eastern Missouri will come to the "Beach known for cancer" to hopefully be blighted from the world forever. Enough, I making myself depressed...... Addendum: There was another scare in Times Beach recently (April 28, 1996) when a storm related power outtage led to the release of an untold amount of partially treated dioxin from the incinerator's smoke stacks. The project coordinator for the company overseeing the burning called the incident "unfortunate." On a more upbeat note, the burning of dioxin tainted material at Times Beach is expected to be complete by the Fall of '96, and there is talk of eventually making the area into a park. **Sainte Genevieve** (from Son Volt's "Tear Stained Eye") Sainte Genevieve, MO is a small town about 50 miles south of St. Louis, right on the Mississippi River. It was originally settled around 1735, making it one of the oldest European settlements west of the Mississippi. During the massive flood in the summer of 1993, the town's historic district was threatened, and people came from miles around to help build a wall of sandbags to "hold back the water." It was a close call, but they ended up being successful, at least in the downtown area. The story got quite a bit of national attention at the time, Jay Farrar said he heard about it on CNN. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {4.2} WHAT IS THE HISTORY BEHIND THE COVER SONGS THAT UNCLE TUPELO HAS RELEASED? No Depression - Traditional This was recorded by the Carter Family as part of their sessions for the Victor Talking Machine Company. A.P. Carter arranged and copyrighted the song from various versions he heard sung where he lived. The arrangement is his but the song is from the oral tradition. John Hardy - Traditional The liner notes to _No Depression_ state that Leadbelly copyrighted this song, but he did not write it. It is a traditional song that Leadbelly says he learned from Woody Guthrie. The best known recorded version is "John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man" by the Carter Family, which can be found on Vol. 2 of Rounder Records collection of Carter Family songs _Anchored in Love_. The liner notes say "Though early folk song collectors sometimes confused John Hardy with John Henry, they were in fact two different men, with two different legends. John Hardy was a West Virginia outlaw who was hanged in 1894; the Carters' reference to the "Keystone Bridge" [changed to Tombstone Bridge in UT's version] refers to the town in McDowell County, WV, not far from where Hardy worked and, supposedly, killed a man over a 25-cent gambling debt. During the early days of the century, dozens of versions of the Hardy ballad circulated, but after the Carter recording, everyone from Johnny Cash to Bob Dylan used this version." Sin City - Gram Parsons/Chris Hillman Blue Eyes - Gram Parsons "Sin City" was recorded with the Flying Burrito Brothers and is on their classic _Gilded Palace of Sin_ LP, which Jay and Jeff have said was the record that really 'legitimized' country music for them. It's also on _The Best of the Flying Burrito Brothers_ on A & M, which is a nice compilation of FBB stuff from the Parsons era. "Blue Eyes" is an early Parsons song recorded with the International Submarine Band, you can find it on the cd _Safe At Home_. I Wanna Destroy You - The Soft Boys The Soft Boys featured Robyn Hitchcock who you might know from his long, semi-successful solo career. "I Wanna Destroy You" is on the Soft Boy's _Underwater Moonlight_ LP. Coalminers - traditional A version of this called "Come All Ye Coal Miners," sung by Sarah Ogan and recorded by Alan Lomax in 1937, can be found on the out of print New World Records album, _Oh My Little Darling: Folk Song Types_ (liner notes written in 1977). Sarah was the wife of a coal miner, and her version is sung from that perspective ("I am a coal miner's wife and I sure wish you well"). The liner notes of the New World Records lp say "... Sarah regards "Come All Ye Coal Miners" less "as a polemical or protest song" than "as a personal statement of her deepest feelings and sorrow." As such, the song combines personal experience and observation with traditional elements (such as the "Come all ye" opening) in a manner that exemplifies the finest of American folk songs - shy, perhaps, on economic theory, but bold and assertive in richly earned anger and righteous outrage." Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down - Traditional I Wish My Baby Was Born - Traditional Warfare - Traditional It is rumored that Uncle Tupelo learned the previous three songs off of an album called _High Atmosphere_ that has recently been re-released on cd by Rounder. It was originally recorded in the 60s in the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina by John Cohen of the New Lost City Ramblers. Atomic Power - The Louvin Brothers This oft-covered Louvin Brothers song can be found on their Razor and Tie reissue of tunes from 1952-1962 called _When I Stop Dreaming_. For those in the UK it can be found on a Louvin Brothers cd called _Capitol Country Music Classics_. Lilli Schull - Traditional Lilli Schull was actually named Lillie Shaw, a woman from near Mountain City, TN who was murdered in October, 1903, by Finley Preston of Saw Mill Creek, TN as a consequence of a sexual triangle. Preston was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to be hanged, which was carried out on November 7, 1905. This old murder ballad was recorded for the Library of Congress by sisters Mrs. Lena Bare Turbyfill and Mrs. Lloyd Bare Hagie in April 1939 in Elk Park, NC by Herbert Halpert. It can be found on the same New World Records album as "Come All Ye Coal Miners." The liner notes say "Mrs. Turbyfill and her sister, Mrs. Hagie, learned the song as teenagers from their sister Sabra, who learned it from a Tennessean named Glenn Crosswhite about 1914.... As the "Ballad of Finley Preston," this song is still sung in eastern Tennessee, and appears performed by Clint Howard and Fred Price on an LP, _The Ballad of Finley Preston_ (Rounder 0009)." Moonshiner - Traditional This is a famous drinking song that has ties that go way back. Alan Lomax's "Folk Songs of North America" says that this song is a member of the "Waggoner's Lad" family and kin to "Old Smokey", "Rye Whiskey", and others. The song's origins seem to date back to the Irish drinking song also called "Moonshiner"; the chorus of the Irish version is quite similar to the first verse of the North American version. It seems likely that Uncle Tupelo learned their version from Bob Dylan off of his _Bootleg Series_ box set, as their version is quite similar to his. Movin' On - Merle Haggard This is the theme to the NBC TV series of the same name, it topped the C & W charts in 1975. It can be found on a number of Haggard's "Best of" collections. UT's version features Brian Henneman on lead vocals. Give Back the Key to My Heart - Doug Sahm Doug has been around for 30 or so years as a solo act and in the Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornadoes, among others. He plays country, blues, Tex-Mex, rock and whatever else suits his fancy. Jay, Jeff, and Brian Henneman have mentioned many times that "Sir Doug" is one of their heroes --there was even some talk about organizing a tribute record at one point-- and they have covered many of his songs over the years. There are a couple of best of's out there, including an excellent one on Mercury that you should be able to find cheap. "Give Back the Key to My Heart" isn't on those best of's, and can only be found on his out of print _Texas Rock for Country Rollers_ LP from 1976. Doug, of course, plays and sings on UT's version on _Anodyne_. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? - Waylon Jennings UT recorded this classic Waylon Jennings tune with Joe Ely (who does the lead vocals) during the _Anodyne_ sessions in Austin. The original can be found on most of Waylon's 'best of' collections. Effigy - John Fogerty John is the ex-Creedence Clearwater Revival singer and songwriter. The original, which is a bit heavier on the vocals and lighter on the guitars than UT's version, appears on CCR's album _Willie and the Poor Boys_. Truck Drivin' Man - Terry Fell This song was written by Terry Fell in the mid-50's, and has been recorded by Buck Owens and Willie Nelson, among others. Suzie Q - Hawkins-Lewis-Broadwater Many people know this song from CCR (they released it as a single, and on _Chronicle_), and UT's live version is similar to their version. Dale Hawkins original can be found on _Suzie Q: The Best of Dale Hawkins_ on Chess. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {4.3} WHAT SONGS HAVE UT/COFFEE CREEK/WILCO/SON VOLT COVERED LIVE? This is a big question, since these guys have always been fond of playing other people's material. For a list of all the covers that we've heard about Uncle Tupelo/Coffee Creek playing live, send an email message to: postcard-covers@listserv.servtech.com Here's are some of the songs Wilco/SV have covered as of May '96: WILCO/JEFF TWEEDY SOLO Dead Flowers (Rolling Stones) Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young) Give Back the Key To My Heart (Doug Sahm) Henry and the H Bomb (Mott the Hoople) Listen To Her Heart (Tom Petty) Love and Mercy (Brian Wilson) Reincarnation (Roger Miller) Too Far Gone (Neil Young) (What's So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding (Nick Lowe) Who Loves the Sun? (Velvet Underground) Who Were You Thinking Of? (Doug Sahm, written by Glaser/Gaubin/Pelletier) SON VOLT Ain't No More Cane (traditional) Apartment #9 (Tammy Wynette) Come on Baby Let's Go Downtown (Danny Whitten w/ Neil Young) Give Back the Key To My Heart (Doug Sahm, performed with Doug 12/5/95) Going, Going, Gone (Bob Dylan) Looking At The World Through A Windshield (Del Reeves) Love's Gonna Live Here Again (Buck Owens) Rex's Blues (Townes Van Zandt, done with Kelly Willis at several shows) Shake Some Action (Flaming Groovies) She's More to Be Pitied (Ralph Stanley, AKA "Ruby Rakes") Sing Me Back Home (Merle Haggard) Tulsa County (The Byrds) You're Still On My Mind (Byrds, George Jones, written by Luke McDaniel) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {4.4} WHY DO SOME OF THE T-SHIRTS SOLD ON THE _ANODYNE_ TOUR LIST TWO SONGS THAT ARE NOT ON THE RECORD? _Anodyne_ originally was going to include two more excellent songs; "Stay True," a driving rocker by Jay, and "Wherever," a beautiful ballad by Jeff. The songs were omitted for some reason, and they have never been released. It was rumored for awhile that the songs would be included on the European release of _Anodyne_, but that didn't happen. Then there was some talk of an EP with those two songs and "Did Hank Really Do It This Way," which they recorded with Joe Ely during the _Anodyne_ sessions, but that didn't happen either. The songs have circulated among tape collectors, and shouldn't be too hard to find (they are on one of the "Rarities" tapes that has been treed several times on Postcard). "Wherever" has shown up occasionally as a highlight of Wilco's live shows. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {4.5} ARE THERE ANY LIVE TAPES OF UNCLE TUPELO, WILCO, OR SON VOLT? CAN I FIND THEM ON POSTCARD? Yes, there are quite a few live tapes of Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt, and yes, Postcard is a good place to find them. Postcard is NOT the place to try and SELL tapes of these bands, please don't try to do this. The people in these bands support tape trading to some extent, but they all get ticked off when folks try and sell tapes of their shows. The best way to go about finding tapes is to post to the list describing what you have and asking if anybody wants to trade with you. If you don't have anything to offer people will sometimes tape shows for you if you send them blank tapes, and sometimes people will make offers to send copies of shows to anyone on the list who wants them. Trading can be a bit frustrating at first because people who have tapes sometimes won't copy things for you if you don't have anything to offer them in exchange (mainly due to time constraints). Be patient and alert to tape offers and your collection will grow. Occasionally people on the list run "tape trees," which are a way to distribute tapes to whoever wants them quickly without putting the burden of dubbing all on one person. Somebody "seeds" the tree (provides a tape), the seed makes copies for several tree "branches", each of whom then make copies for several "leaves" (people who want the tape but won't/can't make copies for others). It's understood that no one is making money off of this, the tape is either traded for another tape in the branch's or leaf's collection, traded for a blank tape and postage, or bought for the cost of the blank tape and postage (usually around $3-$4). For a fairly complete list of known Uncle Tupelo live audio and video tapes, including set lists, source and quality information for most of them, send an email message (w/ the subject line and message body blank) to: postcard-tapes@listserv.servtech.com |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {4.6} CAN I RECORD WILCO OR SON VOLT SHOWS? Wilco usually allows people to record their shows, you can set up microphones, and sometimes even patch into the soundboard. Get there early and ask one of the guys in the band or their sound engineer. They also ask that you clear this with the venue before approaching them. They seem to be a bit more hesitant about taping when they have a new record about to come out, so don't assume they will let you tape them next time you see them even if they have let you in the past. Son Volt sometimes allows people to record them, but Jay Farrar is leery of having low quality tapes, or tapes of shows he feels are below-average performances, circulating. What they have done in the past is allowed people to record, either with mics or through the board, if they then give the tape to their sound engineer immediately after the show. They will then listen to the tape when they get a chance, and (supposedly) mail the tape back to the taper, possibly edited, if the sound and performance are up to their standards. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| {4.7} HOW CAN I CONTACT WILCO AND SON VOLT? You can write to them (through their management) at the addresses given in Question 3.3. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| The following folks helped during the creation of the Postcard FAQ and the accompanying documents; many thanks to each of them, and I'm sorry if I forgot anybody. I'd like to thank Steve and Barry Kelley especially for their contributions and their patience. Matthew Benz Tim Clauss Rick Cornell David Dewey Steve Gardner #1 (Indiana Steve) Steve Gardner #1a (N. Carolina Steve) Amy Haugesag Paul Hilcoff Sakiko Honma Barry Kelley Steve Kelley Tom Krueger Eric Labow Margaret Lang Laura Levy Tim McGinnis Brian Poole Jake Roberts Chise Soeno Chuck Taggart Stacey Taylor Jud Warren Marcus Winfree Send any questions/comments/corrections/etc. to me at michael_pemberton@unc.edu or mrpember@gibbs.oit.unc.edu Thanks for reading, Michael Pemberton |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| End of Postcard FAQ