Paging DJs -- Progmom . . . Mr. Scorpio . . . others. Need DEEJAYS!

[bertha katzenengel]

I don't know who else around here is a DJ.

Whether or not you are an actual DJ, I need folks who really know their stuff, going back 40-50 years. You don't have to be 90 years old to know good old music. (Is Radio Lady a DJ?)

I want to compile a playlist composed of ballads, but not necessarily sad ones, not necessarily folk ones, and definitely not "love ballads" (you know the genre -- :puke:).

I'm looking for ballads that fit the meaning of the genre: they tell a story.

Songs I'm talking about would include

Ode to Billy Joe
Harper Valley PTA
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Mr. Bojangles

I am completely stuck for coming up with other titles. ?????

Thanks

Edited to say that you don't actually have to be a professional or even amateur DJ!

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Chickasaw County Jail /Tom Russell

It's on the sad side (many ballads are), but it's a great song.

Listen to a clip from the link below.

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1005851/a/Man+From+God+Knows+Where.htm

[Kire]

2. Dead or Alive (Poor Lazarus)?

Woody Guthrie?

What about Hank Williams or Rick Nelson?

I'm scared to say anything, because I'm not a DJ.

[bertha katzenengel]

6. Ah - fear not. See my edit.

Oops.

[Dora]

3. STAGGER LEE!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stagger_Lee

[Dora]

4. Rocky Raccoon n/t

[Dora]

5. Here's a big list from Wikipedia...

American Pie
Ballad of the Alamo
The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins
Ballad of Davy Crockett
The Ballad Of Easy Rider
The Ballad Of Gerda And Tore
The Ballad of John and Yoko
Ballad of the Green Berets
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Candle in the Wind
Candle in the Wind 1997
Faithfully
Frankie and Johnny
Frankie Silver
Going to California
House of the Rising Sun
Hotel California
Hurricane
I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night
In The Ghetto
Me And Bobby McGee
Morning Bell
Where Were You? (When The World Stopped Turning)
Story of Bo Diddley
Taxi Driver
Tears in Heaven
Tom Dooley
Tribute
Turn The Page
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballad

[bertha katzenengel]

17. Wikipedia has "where were you when the world stopped turning" as a ballad?

OMG. That song is a piece of oversentimental garbage. IMO it doesn't fit the genre. One thing's for sure -- it's not going on my iPod.

but thank you for the list - it has some good ones i'd forgotten like "bobby mcgee" and "edmund fitzgerald"

[Catshrink]

7. How about The Boss's "Seeger Sessions?"

And also some Dylan. Blowin' in the Wind comes to mind.

PS -- Yes I was alive back then.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley.

Kingston Trio.

[tyedyeto]

9. And then, there's the Thanksgiving classic...

Alice's Restaurant.

What would Turkey Day be like without it? Booooring.

[Chan790]

10. My brother's girlfriend hates it

He and I both know the words.

Last year, I wouldn't let anybody eat until we'd all sung the whole song in-unison around the dinner table. Then I made her eat Tofurky and mashed potatoes with lentil gravy. She said she won't come over this year unless I promise her real food and no singalongs. She can be alone for all I care.

[enigmatic]

11. Give me 24 hours

Are you talking well-known stuff or obscure?

[bertha katzenengel]

19. Either!

:bounce:

[babylonsister]

12. Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald. nt

[babylonsister]

13. The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel. Hurricane (Carter) - Bob Dylan. nt

[greatauntoftriplets]

15. Definitely Bob Dylan.

Joey, Black Diamond Bay, to think of two off the top of my head.

Kris Kristofferson, as well. Sunday Morning Goin' Down, Me and Bobby McGee.

[MrScorpio]

14. You need some DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

Check out Dusty In Memphis


Some nice classics in there for ya

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000HZEQ/104-9919573-9690347?v=glance&n=5174

[Bossy Monkey]

16. Not necessarily ballads, but story songs:

I understand that NightTrain is posting at the site that must not be named. He would be the go-to guy for that era.

I had another clever idea, but it'll have to wait until edit. Edit: One idea would be to go to Pandora (www.pandora.com) and enter the songs you already have and like and see what kind of other artists it trots out. Mind you this could take a while, but ought to fun. Also free.

List below is practically useless as I misread your post as meaning "ballads from the last 40-50 years" rather than "ballads from 40-50 years ago." Still, I compiled it, so here it is:
Norman & Nancy Blake: Little Matty Groves
Norman Blake: Lonesome Jenny
Harry Chapin: The Night That Made America Famous; Mail Order Annie; Mister Tanner; A Better Place To Be; and of course 99% of his other songs, too
Bruce: Seeds; The River; Rosalita; Thunder Road; Born To Run; Born in the USA; and upwards of 50% of his other work
Johnny Cash: A Boy Named Sue; Folsom Prison Blues; Ring of Fire; etc etc
Gordon Lightfoot: Ten Degrees & Getting Colder (though we prefer the Nanci Griffith version)
Robert Earl Keen: The Road Goes On Forever
Peter, Paul & Mary: Leaving on a Jet Plane
Peter Case: Poor Old Tom; Wilderness
Townes Van Zandt: Everything he ever did, eg Tecumseh Valley (covered well by Nanci Griffith w/ Arlo Guthrie as well as by Steve Earle)
Steve Earle: Back to the Wall; Tom Ames' Prayer; Rich Man's War
Simon & Garfunkel: America
Paul Simon: Duncan; Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Dream Syndicate: Burn; Merrittville
Kinks: Waterloo Sunset; Lola
The Band: The Weight

[bertha katzenengel]

18. excellent suggestions, U.L.

thank you :bounce:

and reading your post made me think of another: "Lawless Avenues" by Jackson Browne. Will have to search my memory -- I'm sure quite a number of his fit the bill.

[Bossy Monkey]

20. You may find this thread helpful

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=5234052 (My "Best Story Song Ever" thread w/ 102 replies)
An actual ballad, by the way, is "Billy Gray" by Norman & Nancy Blake, also covered by Robert Earl Keen.