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Thread: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passed

  1. #1
    Registered User tjmangum's Avatar
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    Default Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passed

    Smith wrote many wonderful songs over the years and was a member of the Chicago folk scene of the 1970s that included John Prine and Steve Goodman. Goodman's version of Smith's "The Dutchman" became a classic.
    https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/8/...ictory-gardens
    " Give me some words I can dance to and a melody that rhymes" - Steve Goodman

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    That's very sad news. Michael Smith was a great songwriter, not just for The Dutchman but for many other songs that never became hits. The 2-for-1 CD of his two solo albums for Flying Fish was on constant rotation in my car radio for a while (I think it's still in my glove box), ahead of many more highly acclaimed albums. "Panther In Michigan", "Demon Lover", "Sister Clarissa", "Crazy Mary" and "Ballad Of Dan Moody" are great songs, and his autobiographical concept album "Michael, Margaret, Pat and Kate" is very moving in an low-key way.

    Martin
    Last edited by Martin Jonas; Aug-04-2020 at 6:36pm.

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    I've been a fan for decades. I was sorry to hear of his passing. There's actually a Facebook group devoted to Michael if anyone is interested.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  7. #4

    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    His Spoon River is great for mandolin.

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    Registered User tjmangum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    His friend, Jamie O'Reilly, several weeks ago posted on his FB page "No joke. Michael says, if you play his songs after he's gone, get the chords right. (This is not a suggestion.)
    - Jamie
    " Give me some words I can dance to and a melody that rhymes" - Steve Goodman

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    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    Sad to hear this. The Dutchman is a favorite song.

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    Registered User mandowilli's Avatar
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    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    willi

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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    A GoFundMe page was set up to help with his medical expenses; like many a folk/acoustic musician, he was a bit short in the health insurance department.

    Also, let us remember one of his last quotes, from his FaceBook page: "Michael says, if you play his songs after he's gone,
    get the chords right. (This is not a suggestion.)"


    All I can add is, "Good luck with that..."
    Allen Hopkins
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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    Someone else wrote on FB that they had purchased one of his songbooks and asked if Michael even got his own chords right! I agree with Allen. Good luck.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  16. #10

    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    It sure sounds like a suggestion!

    Wonderful brilliant writer of so many great, great songs. Aside from Dutchman and Mandolin, I always come back to Roving Cowboy (Ballad of Dan Moody) and Spoon River—but there are so many more.

    On the last day of Pompei, Thought I heard some poor boy say, Oh wow, man, if I knew then what I know now....

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  18. #11

    Default Re: Michael P Smith, songwriter of "This Old Mandolin", has passe

    Quote Originally Posted by GDAE View Post
    His Spoon River is great for mandolin.
    That got me thinking, so I tried it. Thanks GDAE.

    https://youtu.be/HYlK-PYM_BA

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