Woody Guthrie Sings Folk Songs, Vol. 2

With Cisco Houston and Sonny Terry

Folkways Records FA-2484

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1964
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, & Struggle
[Tracklist]
A1 Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy (02:36)
A2 Talking Hard Work (03:16)
A3 Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo, Get Along Little Dogies (02:50)
A4 A Picture from Life's Other Side (02:56)
A5 Hen Cackle (02:49)
A6 Danville Girl (02:49)
A7 Put My Little Shoes Away (02:33)
B1 Sally Goodin' (02:13)
B2 Hard, Ain't It Hard (02:45)
B3 Poor Boy (02:18)
B4 The Wreck of the Old 97 (01:53)
B5 Take a Whiff on Me (02:36)
B6 Bed on the Floor (01:59)
B7 Buffalo Gals (02:30)
B8 Going Down the Road Feeling Bad (02:55)
[Credits]
Woody Guthrie (guitar/vocals)
Recorder and Producer: Moses Asch, Liner Notes: Pete Seeger, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
Woody Guthrie was one of America's most prolific songwriters, and of the thousand-odd songs he wrote between 1932 and 1952, some have become classics, recorded by countless musicians all over the world. This album presents some of the folk songs that inspired Woody.

Asch Recordings / 1939-1945 Volume 2

Asch Recordings – ASCH AA 3

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1967
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 On a Monday: Lead Belly (02:17)
A2 Wayfaring Stranger: Burl Ives (01:16)
A3 The Bold Soldier: Burl Ives (01:30)
A4 Mama, Mama / Once I Knew an Old Lady: Alan Lomax (03:06)
A5 Old Woman and the Devil: Pete Seeger (02:36)
A6 House of the Rising Sun: Woody Guthrie (03:01)
A7 Cryderville Jail: Cisco Houston (03:24)
A8 Betty and Dupree: Brownie McGhee (04:07)
A9 Go Tell Aunt Nancy: Folk Group with Pete Seeger, and Bess and Butch Lomax (02:43)
B1 Polly Wolly Doodle: Folk Group with Pete Seeger, and Bess and Butch Lomax (01:34)
B2 Down in the Valley: Folk Group with Pete Seeger, and Bess and Butch Lomax (02:34)
B3 Number 12 Train: Josh White (03:45)
B4 Born to Lose: Les Paul and Mary Ford (03:18)
B5 Johnson Boys: Frank Warner, Pete Seeger, and Bess Lomax Hawes (01:02)
B6 Down in the Valley: Ralph Page (02:55)
B7 Cowboy Waltz: Woody Guthrie (02:08)
B8 Country Dance Music: Tiny Clark and Mr. and Mrs. Siller (02:33)
B9 Bile Them Cabbage Down: Pick-Up Band (03:00)
[Credits]
Producer and Recorder: Moses Asch, Producer and Liner Notes: Charles Edward Smith, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
This compilation of folk ballads from the Moses Asch archives samples songs from many of his favorite singers: Lead Belly, Burl Ives, Alan Lomax, Brownie McGhee, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Volume 2 continues on FW00AA4.

Cisco Houston: The Folkways Years, 1944-1961

Smithsonian Folkways – SF CD 40059

Format: CD, Compilation, Repress
Country: US
Released: 1994
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 I Ain't Got No Home in This World Anymore (01:47)
02 Hard Traveling (01:30)
03 Rambling Gambling Man (02:36)
04 Hobo Bill (02:15)
05 Better World A-Comin' (02:01)
06 Strawberry Roan (03:15)
07 The Great American Bum (01:45)
08 Intoxicated Rat (02:05)
09 The Cat Came Back (02:16)
10 The Frozen Logger (02:11)
11 Pat Works on the Railroad (02:14)
12 Dark as the Dungeon (02:35)
13 Diamond Joe (02:26)
14 The Girl in the Wood (03:03)
15 Ship in the Sky (01:49)
16 The Fox (01:56)
17 What Did the Deep Sea Say? (02:40)
18 St. James Infirmary (03:04)
19 Born 100,000 Years Ago (01:10)
20 The Preacher and the Slave (Pie in the Sky) (03:12)
21 Mysteries of a Hobo's Life (01:13)
22 900 Miles (03:37)
23 Great July Jones (02:25)
24 Picture from Life's Other Side (02:55)
25 Farmer's Lament (02:15)
26 The Killer (04:41)
27 I Ride an Old Paint (02:00)
28 Zebra Dun (02:49)
29 Passing Through (02:34)
[Credits]
Cisco Houston (guitar/vocals)
Producer, Compiler and Liner Notes: Guy Logsdon, Recorder: Moses Asch, Mastering Engineer: Joe Gastwirt, Designer: Visual Dialogue
[Notes]
Houston (1918-1961) was a vital figure in the folk music movement of the 1940s and 1950s. These 29 songs (including two with Woody Guthrie) feature material Cisco learned while working and traveling across the country: cowboy songs, railroad songs, hobo songs, union songs, work songs, protest songs, children's songs, and love songs. Guy Logsdon's notes about Cisco's life provide a rich background and complement this collection. Includes A Better World A Comin', I Ain't Got No Home, and Rambling, Gambling Man. Compiled by Guy Logsdon. "An exhilarating romp through the classic American folk repetoire." — NY Daily News

This Land is my Land: American Work Songs

Songs to Grow On Volume 3

Folkways Records - FC 7027

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1951
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 This Land is Your Land: Woody Guthrie (2:35)
A2 Lumberman's Alphabet: Sam Eskin (3:07)
A3 Down the Hatch: Bill Bonyun (1:26)
A4 Jerry, Go and Oil That Car: Harry "Haywire Mac" McClintock (2:38)
A5 The Young Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn: Pete Seeger (1:14)
A6 Talking Columbia: Woody Guthrie (2:38)
B1 Old Blue: Cisco Houston (2:08)
B2 Dark as the Dungeon: Cisco Houston (2:38)
B3 Whoopie Ti-Yi-Yo, Get Along Little Dogies: Cisco Houston (1:37)
B4 Old Man: Lead Belly (2:33)
B5 Haul Away Joe: Lead Belly (2:28)
[Credits]
Producer and Recorder: Moses Asch, Cover Artwork: Irwin Rosenhouse
[Notes]
Six of the best known American folksingers — Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bill Bonyon, Sam Eskin, "Mac" McClintock, Cisco Houston and Lead Belly — come together to sing work songs, including a miner's song, a cowboy song, a lumbermen's song, a fishermen’s song and a farmer’s song.

Classic Railroad Songs from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40192

Series: Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2006
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 An excerpt from "Rail Dynamics": n/a (0:24)
02 Train 45: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:18)
03 Kassie Jones: Furry Lewis (2:56)
04 Jay Gould's Daughter: Pete Seeger (2:38)
05 Railroad Bill: Walt Robertson (2:08)
06 Linin' Track: Lead Belly (1:15)
07 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:43)
08 Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill: Cisco Houston (2:30)
09 Zack, the Mormon Engineer: L. M. Hilton (2:02)
10 Lost Train Blues: Virginia Mountain Boys (2:57)
11 The FFV: Annie Watson (3:52)
12 He's Coming to Us Dead: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:15)
13 The Train That Carried My Girl from Town: Doc Watson (2:18)
14 Rock Island Line: Lead Belly (2:03)
15 Lonesome Train: Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, and Cisco Houston (3:31)
16 John Henry: Sonny Terry, Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston (2:42)
17 The Wreck of the Number Nine: Rosalie Sorrels (1:36)
18 Freight Train Blues: Brownie McGhee (3:36)
19 The New Market Wreck: Mike Seeger (3:39)
20 Jerry, Go Oil That Car: Harry "Haywire Mac" McClintock (2:37)
21 Way Out in Idaho: Rosalie Sorrels (3:34)
22 Old John Henry Died on the Mountain: Henry Grady Terrell (1:55)
23 Casey Jones: John D. Mounce (0:20)
24 Wreck of the Old 97: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:51)
25 Midnight Special: Lead Belly (2:03)
26 Wabash Cannonball: Doc Watson (3:17)
27 Lost Train Blues: Vernon Sutphin (1:13)
28 New River Train: Iron Mountain String Band (4:26)
29 Excerpt from "Three Little Engines and 33 Cars": n/a (0:25)
[Credits]
Compiler and Liner Notes: Jeff Place, Photographer: Jack Delano, Designer: Communication Visual, Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
As 19th-century America expanded, so too did the "ribbons of iron" that crisscrossed the vast landscape and sparked the imagination of music-makers. Work songs, ballads recounting riveting exploits, and instrumental echoes of the once familiar sounds of the steam locomotive have enshrined the railroad in our musical memory. Classic Railroad Songs mines the Smithsonian Folkways archives to create this tribute to a favorite American source of inspiration. 36-page booklet. 71 minutes.

Cowboy Songs on Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SF 40043

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Honky Tonk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Morning Grub Holler: Harry Jackson (0:18)
02 Round-Up Cook: Harry Jackson (0:48)
03 Chisholm Trail: The Tex-i-an Boys (3:00)
04 Whoopie Ti-Yi-Yo, Get Along Little Dogies: Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston (3:01)
05 Little Joe, the Wrangler: Cisco Houston (2:39)
06 Little Joe, the Wrangler's Sister Nell: Harry Jackson (3:28)
07 Utah Carl: Harry "Haywire Mac" McClintock (1:30)
08 Put Your Little Foot: The Tex-i-an Boys (1:25)
09 Trail to Mexico: Peter La Farge (2:27)
10 Las Chapparreras: Peter Hurd (1:21)
11 Buffalo Skinners: Woody Guthrie (3:15)
12 Zebra Dun: Ray Reed (3:51)
13 Some Cowboy Brag Talk: Harry Jackson (1:34)
14 Horse Wrangler: Roger Welsch (3:07)
15 Strawberry Roan: Harry Jackson (4:55)
16 The Tex-I-An Boys: John A. Lomax, Jr. (1:52)
17 Out on the Western Plains (Cow-Cow Yicky Yicky Yea): Lead Belly (1:33)
18 Jesse James: Woody Guthrie (3:00)
19 Home on the Range: Pete Seeger (1:51)
20 Empty Cot in the Bunkhouse Tonight: Rosalie Sorrels (2:12)
21 Springtime in the Rockies: Lead Belly (3:04)
22 Lone Star Trail: Dave Fredrickson (2:54)
23 Rodeo Hand: Peter La Farge (1:47)
24 Philadelphia Lawyer (Reno Blues): Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston (2:31)
25 The Dying Cowboy: Cisco Houston (3:01)
26 Devil Made Texas: Hermes Nye (2:08)
[Credits]
Producer: Guy Logsdon, Designer: Joan Wolbier, Photographer: Luis Alfonso Jimenez
[Notes]
Fifteen performers sing, boast, tell stories, holler, and recite poetry on 26 tracks that portray the life and times of honest, hard-working cowboys. Features performers from many backgrounds with a wide variety of musical styles. Includes Pete Seeger's Home on the Range, Cisco Houston's Little Joe and the Wrangler, Woody Guthrie's Get Along Little Dogies, several old tales from the range, including Chisholm Tale and Jesse James, and Rosalie Sorrells's version of Gene Autry's 1943 hit There's an Empty Cot in the Bunkhouse. "Abundant evidence of the rich legacy...of real cowboys provided by their music and poetry." — Dirty Linen

Classic Folk Songs for Kids from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW 45080

Series: Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US Released: 2016
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Froggie Went a-Courtin’: Elizabeth Mitchell (3:49)
02 Polly Wolly Doodle: Pete Seeger, Bess Hawes, and Tom Glazer (1:51)
03 Skip to My Lou: Lead Belly (2:15)
04 I've Been Working on the Railroad: Ella Jenkins (1:27)
05 She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain: Sarah Lee Guthrie and Family (2:44)
06 John Henry: Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry (4:08)
07 Brown Girl in the Ring: Lord Invader (1:49)
08 Old King Cole: Jean Ritchie (1:11)
09 Green Grass Grows All Around: Sam Hinton (2:25)
10 La rana (The Frog): Suni Paz (2:05)
11 I Had a Rooster: Pete Seeger (3:55)
12 Go Tell Aunt Rhody: The Ritchie Family (1:45)
13 Miss Mary Mack: Ella Jenkins (1:59)
14 Yankee Doodle: Pete Seeger (1:41)
15 Rock Island Line: Snooks Eaglin (2:06)
16 Big Rock Candy Mountain: Tom Glazer (3:10)
17 On Top of Old Smoky: Pete Seeger (2:19)
18 Crawdad Hole: Cisco Houston (2:17)
19 Oh Susannah: Pete Seeger (1:18)
20 Goober Peas: Tom Glazer (2:03)
21 Arroz con leche (Rice and Milk): Young Mexican girls (0:37)
22 Riding in My Car: Elizabeth Mitchell (2:49)
23 Whoopie Ti-Yi-Yo, Get Along Little Dogies: Cisco Houston (2:05)
24 Home on the Range: Pete Seeger (1:51)
25 Shenandoah: Alan Mills (2:45)
[Credits]
Compiler and Liner Notes: Jeff Place, Mastering Engineer: Pete Reiniger, Production manager: Mary Monseur
[Notes]
In Classic Folk Songs for Kids, curator Jeff Place culls a cross-section of 26 classics from the Smithsonian Folkways vaults to tell an intriguing story of American signature sing-alongs. The songs' origins are as fascinating as the songs are fun: centuries-old European ballads, an American Revolutionary tune, 19th-century American folksongs, African-derived game songs, a sea chantey, a railroad jingle, camp songs, and even an opera song! And the singers themselves are a who’s who of American folk music artistry—Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Cisco Houston, Suni Paz, Tom Glazer, Lord Invader, and many more. 56 minutes, 40-page booklet with lyrics.

900 Miles and other R.R. Songs sung by Cisco Houston

Folkways Records – FA2013

Format: Vinyl, Album
Country: US
Released: 1953
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A01 900 Miles (3:41)
A02 Gettin' Up Holler (1:26)
A03 The Roamer (0:45)
A04 The Wreck of the Old 97 (1:21)
A05 Hobo Bill (1:29)
A06 The Great American Bum (1:55)
A07 The Brave Engineer (1:54)
A08 The Gambler (1:42)
A09 The Rambler (1:30)
A10 Railroad Bill (1:47)
A11 Worried Man Blues (3:01)
B01 Chisholm Trail (2:00)
B02 Diamond Joe (2:29)
B03 Old Paint (2:02)
B04 Little Joe, The Wrangler (2:41)
B05 The Dying Cowboy (3:03)
B06 Stewball (2:26)
B07 Trouble in Mind (3:30)
B08 Sweet Betsy from Pike (2:04)
B09 Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail (2:21)
[Credits]
Cisco Houston (guitar/vocals)
Producer: Moses Asch, Introduction: Charles E. Smith, Photographer: Association of American Railroads
[Notes]
Railroaders and cowboys share a need for music to bolster their spirits during long days and to celebrate night's freedom. Cisco Houston sings ballads from the range and from the lonesome track, where "the drivers are still rolling, and the gamblers and work gangs, boomers and bums, are highballing it out of nowhere, nine hundred miles from home." CD combines original LP release along with FW02022 Cowboy Ballads.

Classic American Ballads from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40215

Series: Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2015
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country Style: Folk, Country [Tracklist}
01 Banks of the Ohio: Doc Watson and Bill Monroe (3:32)
02 Blue Mountain Lake: Pete Seeger (2:47)
03 Claude Allen: Hobart Smith (3:50)
04 Cole Younger: Dock Boggs (1:50)
05 Cowboy’s Lament (Streets of Laredo): Buck Ramsey (3:21)
06 Boll Weevil: Sam Hinton (2:12)
07 Duncan and Brady: Lead Belly (1:08)
08 Floyd Collins: Paul Clayton (3:27)
09 Frankie and Johnny: Rolf Cahn and Eric Von Schmidt (6:39)
10 John Henry: John Jackson (3:22)
11 Jesse James: Sis Cunningham, Mike Millius, and Wes Houston (3:51)
12 Billy the Kid: Woody Guthrie (2:04)
13 The Death of the Lawson Family: Glen Neaves (1:54)
14 Naomi Wise: Doug Wallin (3:06)
15 Pearl Bryan: Bruce Buckley (2:54)
16 Sam Bass: Hermes Nye (1:59)
17 Springfield Mountain: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (2:31)
18 Tom Dooley: Glen Neaves, Roscoe Russell, Ivor Melton, Warren Brown, Ted Lundy (2:11)
19 Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail: Cisco Houston (2:14)
20 Young Charlotte: Pete Seeger (4:05)
21 Wasn't That a Mighty Storm?: The Tex-i-an Boys (2:41)
22 Zebra Dun: Joan O'Bryant (2:32)
23 The Titanic: Pink Anderson (2:52)
24 The Louisville Burglar: The Iron Mountain String Band (3:09)
25 The F.F.V. (Engine 143): Annie Watson (3:56)
[Credits]
Compilers: Jeff Place, Katie Ortiz and Max Smith, Editor: Carla Borden, Designer: Joe Parisi
[Notes]
Born of the British ballad, its American offspring was the blank canvas for all type of tale, the more calami­tous or scandalous, the better. Jesse James and Billy the Kid, train wrecks and hurricanes, the Titanic and Tom Dooley, fatal lovers' quarrels and foiling the devil, all and more were normal fare, served up in a song. Classic American Balla

Woody Guthrie: Poor Boy

Folkways Records - FTS 31010

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1968
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Baltimore To Washington (2:58)
A2 Little Black Train (2:30)
A3 Who's Going To Shoe Your Pretty Feet (2:29)
A4 Slip Knot (2:34)
A5 Poor Boy (2:25)
A6 Mean Talking Blues (3:27)
A7 Stepstone (2:57)
B1 Bed On The Floor (2:27)
B2 Little Darling (2:13)
B3 Miner's Song (2:14)
B4 Train Blues (3:19)
B5 Danville Girl No. 2 (3:23)
B6 Ride Old Paint 3(3:04)
[Credits]
Woody Guthrie (guitar/vocals) Cisco Houston (vocals) Sonny Terry (harmonica)
Recorder: Moses Asch, Designer and Photographer: Craig Mierop
[Notes]
Woody Guthrie was perhaps the most important folk musician of the twentieth century, inspiring a generation of singers and musicians such as Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and many more. Guthrie sang about many topics, but he was particularly known for being a voice of the poor and downtrodden, and the recordings on Poor Boy showcase this side of his work. The recordings were made in the mid-1940s and were originally released under the name Bed on the Floor. he liner notes feature an excerpt from Born to Win, Guthrie's book of drawings, letters, lyrics, and stories. Six tracks feature additional singing by Cisco Houston, and two feature harmonica accompaniment by Sonny Terry.

Cowboy Ballads sung by Cisco Houston

Folkways Records – FA 2022

Format: Vinyl, LP, 10", Album
Country: US
Released: 1952
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Chisholm Trail (1:50)
A2 Diamond Joe (2:20)
A3 I Ride An Old Paint (2:00)
A4 Little Joe, The Wrangler (2:35)
A5 The Dying Cow-Boy (2:50)
B1 Stewball (2:15)
B2 Trouble In Mind (3:20)
B3 Sweet Betsy From Pike (2:00)
B4 Tying A Knot In The Devil's Tail (2:05)
[Credits]
Cisco Houston (guitar/vocals)
Producer: Moses Asch, Liner Notes: J.D. Robb, Illustrator: Ben Shahn
[Notes]
Cisco Houston's first solo album on Folkways Records represents a small portion of the artist's repertoire of American folk music. Extensive liner notes (complete with a glossary of cowboy slang such as "dogie: a calf that lost its mammy and whose daddy has run off with another cow") accompany this collection of tunes of the lonely cowboy and his guitar.

Cisco Houston: Hard Travelin'

Folkways Records – FA 2042

Format: Vinyl, 10", Album
Country: US
Released: 1954
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Hard Traveling (1:30)
A2 Stagolee (Stagger Lee) (1:52)
A3 The John B. Sails (Sloop John B.) (1:52)
A4 The Frozen Logger (2:12)
A5 Turtle Dove (2:28)
B1 True Love on My Mind (1:18)
B2 Dink's Song (2:22)
B3 Hound Dog (2:37)
B4 Gypsy Dave (Gypsy Davy) (1:42)
B5 Intoxicated Rat (1:52)
B6 The Girl in the Wood (3:08)
[Credits]
Cisco Houston (guitar/vocals)
Producer and Liner Notes: Kenneth S. Goldstein
[Notes]
Woody Guthrie described singer and actor Cisco Houston as a man who "likes hard hitting songs and hard hitting people. He likes to meet and to sing with the people." This album features both traditional and recently composed songs, as well as extensive liner notes by folklorist Kenny Goldstein.

Folk Music U.S.A.: Volume One

Compiled by Harold Courlander With by Charles Edward Smith

Ethnic Folkways Library – FE 4530

Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1959
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Field Recording, Country, Cajun, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 John Henry: Virgil Perkins and Jack Sims (4:10)
A2 Grizzly Bear: Negro Prison Camp Worksong (3:31)
A3 Blowing the Train: Percy Randolph (2:52)
A4 Six Thousand Miles from Nowhere: Snooks Eaglin (3:06)
A5 Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson (3:24)
A6 Amasee: Children's Ring Game Song: Unspecified (1:34)
B1 Spooky Drums: Baby Dodds (2:19)
B2 Black Jack Davy: Mary Jo Davis (3:09)
B3 Drunken Sailor: Unspecified (1:19)
B4 Ellen Smith: Pete Steele (1:38)
B5 Run, Run: Elizabeth Cotten (0:57)
B6 Mole in the Ground: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (2:49)
B7 Rolling River: Murph Gribble, John Lusk & Albert York (2:45)
C1 Allons Danser Colinda: Roy Brule (1:51)
C2 Sourwood Mountain: Hobart Smith (1:22)
C3 Diamond Joe: Cisco Houston (2:24)
C4 Siete Leguas: Peter Hurd (2:24)
C5 Matachines Dance: Unspecified (1:33)
C6 Moonlight Song: Unspecified (2:08)
D1 War Dance Song: Unspecified (1:28)
D2 Esta Navidad: Unspecified (3:06)
D3 Aguinaldo Cagueño: The "Trobador" De La Montana & the Puerto Rican Quartet (4:17)
D4 If We Never Meet Again: Children of Diamond Rural School, St. Croix, Virgin Island (0:55)
D5 Rocky Road: Alabama Sacred Harp Singers (2:43)
D6 Inviting-In Dance Song: Otis Ahkivigak (1:05)
[Credits]
Producer: Charles Edward Smith and Harold Courlander, Designer: Donald Clyne
[Notes]
This wide-ranging anthology of American folk music was compiled by noted folklorist Harold Courlander from recordings, many of them field recordings, made in the 1940s and ’50s. Almost all the performers on the collection—who include Cisco Houston, Elizabeth Cotten, and Snooks Eaglin—learned their music from oral tradition. Selections represent a broad spectrum of American folk music, from Puerto Rico to the north coast of Alaska. Extensive liner notes, written by Charles Edward Smith, delve into the characteristics of American folk music and provide detailed information, with lyrics, for each of the 25 selections.

Lonesome Valley: A Collection of American Folk Music

Folkways Records – FA 2010

Format: Vinyl, LP, 10"
Country: US
Released: 1951
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist] A1 Down In The Valley: Pete Seeger, Bess Lomax, Tom Glazer, Butch Hawes (2:35)
A2 The Rambler: Cisco Houston (3:18)
A3 Arthritis Blues: Butch Hawes (3:23)
A4 Polly Wolly Doodle All Day: Pete Seeger, Bess Lomax, Tom Glazer, Butch Hawes (1:55)
B1 Lonesome Traveler: Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, Dock Reese, Hally Wood, Bess Lomax (1:55)
B2 On Top Of Old Smoky: Cisco Houston (1:35)
B3 Black Eyed Suzie: Pete Seeger (2:12)
B4 Cowboy Waltz: Woody Guthrie (2:06)
B5 Sowing On The Mountain: Cisco Houston, Woody Guthrie (2:29)
[Notes]
This album of "second takes" by Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and others is a collector's gem. The original liner notes—which include lyrics for each song—write, "On re-hearing, the spirit of the performances was so good that Folkways felt that it would be a shame not to have its many friends hear them."

Cisco Houston: Nursery Rhymes, Games and Folk Songs

Folkways Records – FC 7606

Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1963
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Children's
[Tracklist]
A1 London Bridge (1:35)
A2 My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean (1:30)
A3 Pumpkin Eater (0:39)
A4 Three Blind Mice (1:12)
A5 Humpty Dumpty (0:41)
A6 Peas Porridge Hot (1:13)
A7 Mulberry Bush (1:54)
A8 What Are Little Boys Made Of? (1:55)
B1 Yonder Tree (1:56)
B2 Frog Went A-Courting (1:31)
B3 My Daddy (2:00)
B4 Clickety Clack (1:11)
B5 Cape Cod (1:07)
[Credits]
Cisco Houston (guitar/vocals)
Cover Artwork: Irwin Rosenhouse
[Notes]
Cisco Houston (1918–1961) was a vital figure in the early years of the Folk Music Revival, despite the reservations of some that he had "too good" a voice to be successful as a folksinger. He frequently traveled with Woody Guthrie, adding mellifluous harmony to Woody's melody line. On this recording, he directs his attention to young children, singing a variety of standard and lesser known songs for children. In some cases, he performs rhymes that are ordinarily recited but for which he has provided some simple tunes. Houston recorded six solo albums for Folkways Records; an anthology, The Folkways Years, 1944-1961, was released in 1994.

That's Why We're Marching: World War II and the American Folksong Movement

Smithsonian Folkways SF CD 40021

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1996
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Freedom Road: Josh White (2:20)
02 Talking Sailor (Talking Merchant Marine): Woody Guthrie (3:03)
03 The Ballad of October 16: Almanac Singers (2:49)
04 Billy Boy: Almanac Singers (2:23)
05 Plow Under: Almanac Singers (2:27)
06 I'm Gonna Put My Name Down: Tom Glazer (3:04)
07 What are We Waiting On?: Woody Guthrie (2:09)
08 Citizen C.I.O.: The Union Boys (2:31)
09 The Sinking of the Reuben James: Woody Guthrie (3:01)
10 You Better Get Ready: The Union Boys (2:32)
11 If You Want to Do Your Part: Lead Belly (2:56)
12 Move Into Germany: The Union Boys (3:00)
13 So Long, It's Been Good to Know You: Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston (2:47)
14 The Martins and the Coys: The Union Boys (3:01)
15 Hitler Song: Lead Belly (4:34)
16 Sally Don't You Grieve: Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston (2:25)
17 Jimmy Longhi Story: Vincent "Jimmy" Longhi (6:05)
18 When the Yanks Go Marching In: Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston, and Sonny Terry (2:46)
19 Round and Round Hitler's Grave: Almanac Singers (1:10)
20 Fuhrer: Josh White (3:11)
21 Miss Pavlichencko: Woody Guthrie (2:30)
22 National Defense Blues: Lead Belly, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Willie Smith & George Foster (3:14)
23 Gee, But I Want to Go Home (Army Life): Lead Belly (1:47)
24 Looking for a Home: Pete Seeger (3:10)
25 Now That's It's All Over (He'll Go Back to Selling Shoes): Pete Seeger (2:10)
[Credits]
Producer and Liner Notes: Guy Logsdon and Jeff Place, Recorder: Moses Asch, Mastering Engineer: David Glasser
[Notes]
Artists include Woody Guthrie, Almanac Singers, Lead Belly, Tom Glazer, Cisco Houston, Pete Seeger, Josh White, Burl Ives, and others. Few people have heard these songs composed and sung from 1940 to 1945 by artists primarily known for their influence on American folk music after 1945. Both the protest songs and the pro-war songs are assembled for the first time in this historic compilation; they present the conflicts, the hopes, and the way songs were used to raise morale during World War II. 25 tracks, including Mr. Hitler, Talking Sailor, Ballad of October 16, and Sinking of the Reuben James. Notes include artist biographies and bibliography. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon. "A great slice of history...also a great musical performance." — Daily News

Long Ways To Travel: The Unreleased Folkways Masters 1944-1949: Woody Guthrie

Smithsonian Folkways SF CD 40046

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1994
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Hard Travelin' (2:13)
02 Talking Centralia (3:24)
03 Farmer-Labor Train (2:49)
04 Harriet Tubman's Ballad (6:31)
05 Warden In The Sky (2:46)
06 Train Narration (2:29)
07 Seattle To Chicago (3:03)
08 Rain Crow Bill (2:38)
09 Along In The Sun And The Rain (2:28)
10 Budded Roses (3:02)
11 Train Ride Medley (Part 1) (6:32)
12 Girl I Left Behind Me (2:14)
13 Wiggledy Giggledy (1:10)
14 Kissin' On (2:58)
15 Rocky Mountain Slim And Desert Rat Shorty (3:07)
16 Train Ride Medley (Part 2) (4:39)
17 Long Ways To Travel (2:35)
[Credits]
Woody Guthrie (guitar/harmonica/vocals) Cisco Houston (guitar/vocals) Sonny Terry (harmonica) Butch Hawes (guitar) Bess Lomax Hawes (mandolin)
Producer and Liner Notes: Guy Logsdon and Jeff Place, Recorder: Moses Asch, Mastering Engineer: Joe Gastwirt
[Notes]
These 17 powerful songs by Guthrie, some sung with his comrade Cisco Houston, were carefully selected from dozens of unreleased Guthrie masters. Extensively annotated by fellow Oklahoman and Guthrie scholar Guy Logsdon, this collection reaffirms Guthrie's unique place in American music. Includes Harriet Tubman's Ballad, Along in the Sun and the Rain, and Talking Centralia. Compliled by Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon. "The breadth of Guthrie's ability to entertain and enrapture his audience is clearly represented on these 17 tracks." — Sing Out

Cisco Houston Sings Songs of the Open Road

Folkways Records FA 2480

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1960
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Mule Skinner Blues (6:32)
A2 Git Along Little Dogies (1:58)
A3 The Erie Canal (1:47)
A4 Hobo's Lullaby (1:54)
A5 East Virginia Blues (1:39)
A6 Travel On (1:37)
B1 Pie In The Sky (3:05)
B2 Mysteries Of A Hobo's Life (1:09)
B3 Soup Song (1:36)
B4 Beans, Bacon And Gravy (2:22)
B5 Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (3:11)
B6 Cryderville Jail (3:16)
B7 I Ain't Got No Home (1:42)
[Credits]
Cisco Houston (guitar/vocals)
Producer and Recorder: Moses Asch, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
In the liner notes, Cisco Houston writes that he's been from coast to coast at least thirty times and has traveled a "good part" of the world as well. This album presents thirteen songs about the tribulations and joys of life on the road.

Classic Folk Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40110

Format: CD, Album, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2004
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Pastures Of Plenty: Woody Guthrie (2:25)
02 We Shall Overcome: Pete Seeger (4:39)
03 Rock Island Line: Lead Belly (2:02)
04 No More Auction Block: Paul Robeson (2:09)
05 Deportees (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos): Barbara Dane (5:44)
06 John Henry: Doc Watson (3:41)
07 John Hardy: Mike Seeger (2:40)
08 Betty And Dupree: Brownie McGhee (3:58)
09 Gallis Pole: Fred Gerlach (3:43)
10 Polly Von: Paul Clayton (3:09)
11 Butcher Boy: Peggy Seeger (2:17)
12 Duncan And Brady: Dave Van Ronk (3:00)
13 Railroad Bill: Hobart Smith (2:35)
14 Wayfaring Stranger: Burl Ives (1:12)
15 Big Rock Candy Mountain: Haywire Mac (2:06)
16 Born 100,000 Years Ago: Cisco Houston (1:07)
17 Sugar Babe, It’s All Over: Mark Spoelstra (1:58)
18 Changes: Phil Ochs (4:16)
19 Black And White: Earl Robinson (2:56)
20 Most Fair Beauty Bright: Jean Ritchie (2:17)
21 Cielito Lindo: Pete Seeger (2:31)
22 Tom Dooley: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:52)
23 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:43)
24 Down On Me: Mary Pickney And Janie Hunter (3:02)
25 This Train (Bound For Glory): Big Bill Broonzy (2:58)
[Credits]
Compiled and Liner Notes: Jeff Place, Designer: Communication Visual, Photographers: Diana Davies, Galen Lawson and David Gahr, Engneer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
We often take for granted the supremacy of artists such as Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, and other folk music legends. Classic Folk sheds new light on the success of the urban intellectual-driven movement that made rural white and African-American artists and their music favorites of audiences everywhere. This recording features classic performances by classic artists doing some of their classic songs during the great folksong revival of the 1940s through 1960s. It features some of the great performances from the vaults of Folkways Records. (Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place)

Cisco Houston: Cisco Sings

Folkways Records FA-2346

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1958
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Pat Works On The Railway (2:16)
A2 Blowing Down That Old Dusty Road (3:05)
A3 Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill (2:34)
A4 The Killers (4:42)
A5 Rambling, Gambling Man (3:34)
A6 The Zebra Dun (2:52)
A7 Old Reilly (4:05)
B1 Old Howard (3:31)
B2 Make Me A Bed Right Down On Your Floor (1:55)
B3 John Hardy (2:38)
B4 The Boll Weevil (3:07)
B5 The Midnight Special (2:47)
B6 St.James Infirmary (3:06)
B7 Great July Jones (2:29)
[Credits]
Cisco Houston (guitar/vocals)
Cover Artwork: J. Simon
[Notes]
Cisco Houston's smooth, spirited voice croons songs from the railways, mines, and the open range on this collection of his favorite ballads. In the tradition of composing songs to tell stories, Houston also includes a tall tale he wrote, "Great July Jones."