In The Shadow of Cold Mountain

[John Flynn]

I just watched this punk, Jack White, from the "White Stripes" the most ludicrous rock bank I have ever seen, absolutely butcher one of my favorite old-time tunes, "Wayfaring Stranger" on this A&E special. It was as bad as Rosanne Barr singing the national anthem. Even more ridiculous is that he was backed up by the great Mike Compton on mando and a couple other serious traditional musicians. Jack White was obviously trying for "high and lonesome" but it came out like nails on a chalkboard. And where is this guy's traditional music credentials that he gets to do this great hymn on the soundtrack? This is like some kind of musical version of "The Simple Life" with Paris Hilton on the farm.

This is especially ironic and aggregious considering that one of the great, great renditions of this song was done on the "Songs From the Mountain," CD, which was also inspired by the book, "Cold Mountain." On that CD, Tim O'Brien really did that tune justice. Why didn't the suits at the studio have Tim do it? Or any number of other great OT voices? I was all set to see this movie...not now.

Who issues those "traditional music credentials"? #

"We brought Jack in because he's a great rock & roll singer," Burnett explains. "There's no one who comes close in the breadth of his knowledge, soul, generosity and courage."

Burnett also points out that White has a history with the American roots spirit and sounds of Cold Mountain. "He's not a kid who comes to this in this moment," Burnett says. "He's been singing this music for a lot of his life."

Quote is from the Rolling Stone review of Cold Mountain soundtrack.

There's a simple solution, don't buy the soundtrack. #

The "suits" had Jack White do it because he'll sell more copies of the soundtrack than Tim O'Brien and because he's in the movie.

The "punk" with the "ludicrous rock band" has sold a lot of CDs. #That means that there are lots of people out there that like him. #They don't have bad musical taste, they have different musical taste than you.

BTW - I've never bought a White Stripes CD.

[John Flynn]

Tim:

Did you even see the performance in question?

[J. Mark Lane]

This is like some kind of musical version of "The Simple Life" with Paris Hilton on the farm.

Now that I would like to see.

No, I didn't see the performance. #I was responding to your ten sentences about the show. #One talked about the quality of his performance, the other nine were on why other people should have been selected. #

It seems to me that following the reasoning of your logic, only the person who does the "best" version of a song will be allowed to sing it and no one will be able to perform in a genre in which they aren't already established.

Just my opinion. I probably over reacted.

[John Flynn]

Tim:

I was probably in the overreaction mode in my original post also, but I had just seen the performance minutes before. My nine-sentence diatribe was just an "after-shock" reaction to how bad the performance was. I would challenge you to see it, I think there is one more off-time opportunity on the A&E schedule where you could tape it. I'd really like to see if you think he did even a barely credible job. Then check out Tim O'Brien's rendition of "Wayfaring Stranger." I think if you do, you will at least appreciate my level of visceral reaction to Jack White's performance.

If Jack White came from another genre and did even a credible job of singing the tune, I would think that was great. I love good cross-overs! But he didn't. He not only didn't sing it well, his stage presence sent the non-verbal message that he wasn't even trying and perhaps he wasn't even "all there."

[LeftCoastMark]

I don't think any of this is surprising. Movie studios, like most record companies, aren't about art or authenticity or talent. The bottom line is all that counts, and the lowest common denominator will get you there.

Over-the-hill artists and authentic song renditions don't resonate with the young masses. The entertainment industry doesn't care about the soulful beauty of traditional mountain music, it's curb appeal baby -- $ $ $.

With mass media, lower your expectations. Then you won't be disappointed. Oh, and by the way, I sure am thankful that the "O Brother" phenomenon is over. It sure was tiresome to be trendy...

[John Flynn]

I sure am thankful that the "O Brother" phenomenon is over. It sure was tiresome to be trendy...

Mark: LOL! I agree. BTW, you may be amused to know that a guy from "the left coast," Troy "Rakun" Wiednehiemer, is teaching an "O Brother Jam Class" in St. Louis. Wiedenhimer is from California, now living in Missouri, and is listed in the biography of the Grateful Dead as being the leader of "The Zodiacs," supposedly one of the first professional bands that Jerry Garcia was in. Garica played bass, BTW. Anyhow, Wiedenhimer's "O Brother" class just learns and jams on music from that movie for six weeks. Go figure.

[GBG]

What Mark said! It's always about $$$$$$$$$$. I have spent over half of my life avoiding pop music, pop culture.

A&E is scheduled to show "Cold Mountain Music Special" again on Sunday at 10:30 am EST. #They also have "In the Shadow of Cold Mountain" on Saturday at 4:00 pm EST which is described as "going behind the film and comparing it to history".

[LeftCoastMark]

As John Prine said in his wonderful song "Spanish Pipedream":

BLOW UP THE TV

[mandofiddle]

I wonder if any of us will be hearing requests at gigs now...

"Do you know that song by Jack White? You know, Wayfaring something-or-another?"

[earthsave]

T-Bone Burnett did this soundtrack. Same as O'Brother... was a bit of news on it earlier today. Allison Kraus in on it and some others.

For those who saw the show, one article I read talked about a group that does shaped note singing in the movie. Were they one the tv show?

[earthsave]

Here is a snippet I found out their in cyberland.... #Ironic that Tim O'Brien was mentioned earlier and he is part of the soundtrack.

<Other contributing artists include Tim Eriksen, the Reeltime Travelers, Riley Baugus and Tim O'Brien.
"These artists are all true to the sound and spirit of this music," Burnett says. "They cross decades, and centuries, to create traditional music that lives in the moment and reveals the old, coarse truths.">

Reeltime Travelers are an excellent selection to convey the feeling from Civil War era music. Love their banjer picker/frailer and fiddle player and although they are young they sound old.

[John Flynn]

Tim:

I am not familiar with shape note singing, but a large group did come out and sing in an interesting and unique acappella style, so that must have been it. It was very nice!

One thing that was kind of weird, though, is that they they had the actors from the movie mixed in with the real singers, including Nicole Kidman in the front row, and they kept focusing the camera on the actors. I kept thinking, "No, I want to see the real singers! This is interesting stuff! Nicole is pretty, but I can see her anytime!"

jflynnstl-

I don't know much about it but shaped-note or Sacred Heart singing is a four part acapella style. #The notes on the music staff have shapes that correspond the notes in the fa-sol-la... scheme. #The most common book is titled Sacred Heart. #It is especially common is some of the Appalachian Baptist denominations like Primative Baptists and Free Will Baptist. #Most of my information comes from trying to find out more after hearing a reference in passing.

[SteveW]

The presence of Mr. White in the movie probably has more to do with nepotism than with trying to sell more tickets or soundtracks. #He happens to be Renee Zellweger's current squeeze. #

I haven't seen the movie, of course, but if his character's name is Georgia and he is a travelling musician, then it sounds like they've made a few changes to the novel. #In the book, if memory serves me correctly, Georgia is the young soldier from that state who finds his way to Cold Mountain and takes up with Ruby and Ada. #Ruby eventually marries him. #It looks like for the movie he is now associated with Ruby's father Stobred (the fiddler) and his banjo-playing companion Pangle. #I would assume Ruby and Georgia get married in the movie, but his character has been changed to give Jack a change to sing.

Sacred Harp singing is amazingly powerful music. #See this web site for more information:

http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~mudws/harp.html

The movie seems to have lots of changes or has misleading previews. I don't remember very many battle scenes in the book but the TV ads are nothing but battles.

In this case, the movie is the reason for the White-Zellweger relationship not the other way around - I have a teenager in my house who is a White Stripes fan.

Apparently there is a big Sacred Harp event near DC each April. I'll have to check it out.

[Moose]

Among my Louvin Brothers' "archives" is an article/interview given by Charlie Louvin in which he mentions attending and/or listening to much Sacred Harp Singing when he and Ira were youngsters. They were "raised-up" in Northeast Alabama - Henegar(sp.), Ider, Flat Rock (AL). - an area of fertile and spawning-ground of "Sacred Harp Singing"... Go figure... One of my long-standing "projects" has been to research this most profound and beautiful music/art "form" - Thanks to the several posters on this "thread" for the additional info...- Regards, Moose.

[SteveW]

Thanks for the clarification on the White/Zellweger relationship. BTW, from the photos I've seen of the movie, Mr. White plays a bowl-back mandolin in a few scenes.

Yes, in the book the battles happen "off stage," in Inman's memories. I guess the drama of depicting the horrors he witnessed were too irresistable, and they make for a more exciting trailer than shots of a guy trudging through Appalachia.

Here are two recordings of Sacred Harp singing I can highly recommend, recorded, I believe in the Sand Mountain area of Northeast Alabama, which is indeed a center of Sacred Harp singing:

"Harp of a Thousand Strings: All Day Singing from The Sacred Harp," and "And Glory Shone Around: More All Day Singing from The Sacred Harp." Field recordings by Alan Lomax of the 1959 United Sacred Harp Musical Association Convention. These CDs released in January, 1998, are Vols. 9 and 10, respectively in the 13-CD series Alan Lomax's "Southern Journey." on Rounder Records. They are 20-bit digital remasterings of Lomax's recordings of the 1959 United Convention. There are notable closing remarks by Sacred Harp composer A.M. Cagle. Each album includes Lomax's detailed liner notes and photographs of a 1941 singing in Tennessee. Order from record stores or Rounder mail order at 800-443-4727.

[Moose]

Steve : Much Thanks for this information!!

[Coy Wylie]

When I was a kid growing up in the deep piney woods of East Texas, we would go every year to the old Pine Grove cemetery day. There is an old Presbyterian church and a cemetery where many of my pioneer anscestors are buried. But I digress, the point of my post is the Sacred Heart or shape-note singing they would do in the church building on Sunday afternoon. My dad remembers as a child how they had the singing schools to teach the people the shapes or notes so they could learn to sing all the parts of the hymns. It was a wonderful experience and a truly unique sound of vocal harmonies.

[ToneDeaf]

I loved the book so much I read it twice. I loved the Tim O'Brien, Dirk Powell, John Hermann tribute album, too. I still listen to it frequently. I do plan on seeing the movie, but do not have high expectations. It's a Hollywood movie, fercryinoutloud. The nature of the beast dictates that a big budget Hollywood film absulutely must appeal to the broadest possible segment of the public. I understand that the vast majority of movie-goers around the globe don't have the same interest in Appalachian history and culture that I, a native Appalachian and self-professed history buff, do. If the movie bothers me too much, I'll leave, swing by the library to check out the book, and read it again. I've wasted too time and money on plenty of other things to get too worked up about a movie or soundtrack that doesn't suit me. I do understand Johnny's disappointment and am not trying to marginalize it. I've just come to expect to be disappointed by these affairs.

Part of the what draws me to old time music is cultural, it's my heritage, and part of it is that I'm drawn to less commercial forms of music. If old time fiddle and dance music did become the flavor of the day, like roots country and bluegrass did during the OBWAT craze, I'm not sure how happy I'd be.

Respectfully,

[Jon Hall]

I saw the performance in question. I didn't think it was bad at all. The singer had some "grit" in his performance, which I prefer in any folk music. I've heard many renditions of "Wayfaring Stranger" that were so smooth and slick that they were boring.

Sacred Harp singing is happens in east Texas. What makes it unique are the arrangements and the fervor and intensity of the singing.

Shaped notes are used in a lot of published music other Sacred Harp. The "Heavenly Highways" hymnal is still published with shaped notes. Shaped notes were used to teach singing schools. Each shape represents each note of a scale 1 thru 7. When a song is sung acapella, the leader "toots" the 1st note on a pitch pipe.

Jon Hall