Woody Guthrie discography
Encyclopedia
The discography of Woody Guthrie
is somewhat difficult to construct. The published recordings are culled from a series of recording sessions in the 1940s and 1950s, at the time they were recorded they were not set down for a particular album, so are found here and there over several albums and not exactly in chronological order. The more detailed section on recording sessions lists the song by recording date.
as it appears in the book "Hard Travelin' The Life and Legacy of Woody Guthrie".
* These recording were released on the record Talking Dust Bowl on Folkways Records
in 1950 by Moe Asch, but without RCA's licences.
All these recordings were made by RCA Records
in 1940 and released on the albums Dust Bowl Ballads
vol 1 and 2. These records have been subsequently reisuued in 1964 and 1977.
Woody Guthrie, Columbia River Collection C1036 in 1987. The 6 discs are housed in the National Archives, Washington D.C.. The catalogue numbers here relate to National Archive listings.
, only those written by or featuring Woody Guthrie are included here. Notes are Woody's parts.
* Songs that have been released on Songs for Political Action, Bear Family Records BCD 15270
in March 1944, and written by Elizabeth Lomax. Alan Lomax shopped this around but no stations were interested, eventually it was sold the BBC
.
The recordings included Woody as well as several members of the Almanac singers.
Many recordings have unknown session dates. These are included in a list available at the United States Library of Congress titled "Surviving Recordings in the Smithsonian Folklife Archive Made by Woody Guthrie for Moses Asch". Moe Asch says Woody's kids song were recorded sometime in early 1947 and the Sacco and Vanzetti ballads were recorded January 1947.
.
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
is somewhat difficult to construct. The published recordings are culled from a series of recording sessions in the 1940s and 1950s, at the time they were recorded they were not set down for a particular album, so are found here and there over several albums and not exactly in chronological order. The more detailed section on recording sessions lists the song by recording date.
Selected published discography
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Dust Bowl Ballads Dust Bowl Ballads Dust Bowl Ballads is an album by Woody Guthrie, recorded for Victor Records during Guthrie's time in New York City in 1940. It was Guthrie's first commercial recording and the most successful album he made. It is sometimes considered the first concept album.The Dust Bowl Ballads was originally... |
Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1972 | Greatest Songs of Woody Guthrie | Vanguard Vanguard Records Vanguard Records is a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. It started as a classical label, but is perhaps best known for its catalogue of recordings by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists from the 1960s; the Bach Guild was a subsidiary... |
| 1987 | Columbia River Collection | Rounder Records Rounder Records Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students... |
| 1988 | Folkways: The Original Vision (Woody and Leadbelly) | Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1988 | Library of Congress Recordings | Rounder Records Rounder Records Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students... |
| 1989 | Woody Guthrie Sings Folk Songs | Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1990 | Struggle | Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1991 | Cowboy Songs on Folkways | Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1991 | Songs to Grow on for Mother and Child Songs to Grow on for Mother and Child Songs to Grow on for Mother and Child is a collection of children's music by folk singer Woody Guthrie. Recorded in 1947 and first released in 1956, a remastered recording was issued by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 1991. Several songs in the collection are instructional, helping children... |
Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1992 | Nursery Days Nursery Days Nursery Days is the second set from a collection of children's songs by Woody Guthrie. First released in 1956, a remastered recording was issued by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 1991. Several songs in the collection are instructional, helping children learn to count... |
Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1994 | Long Ways to Travel: The Unreleased Folkways Masters, 1944-1949 | Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1996 | Almanac Singers | UNI/MCA |
| 1996 | Ballads of Sacco & Vanzetti Ballads of Sacco & Vanzetti Ballads of Sacco & Vanzetti is a set of ballad songs, written and performed by Woody Guthrie, related to the trial, conviction and execution of Sacco and Vanzetti. The series was commissioned by Moe Asch in 1945 and recorded in 1946 and 1947. Guthrie never completed the project and was unsatisfied... |
Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1997 | This Land Is Your Land, The Asch Recordings, Vol.1 The Asch Recordings (Woody Guthrie Album) Recorded in 1944 and 1945, The Asch Recordings are possibly Woody Guthrie's most famous recordings, conducted over a series of days by Moses "Moe" Asch in New York City. The songs recorded by Asch comprise the bulk of Guthrie's original material and several traditional songs... |
Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1997 | Muleskinner Blues, The Asch Recordings, Vol.2 The Asch Recordings (Woody Guthrie Album) Recorded in 1944 and 1945, The Asch Recordings are possibly Woody Guthrie's most famous recordings, conducted over a series of days by Moses "Moe" Asch in New York City. The songs recorded by Asch comprise the bulk of Guthrie's original material and several traditional songs... |
Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1998 | Hard Travelin', The Asch Recordings, Vol.3 The Asch Recordings (Woody Guthrie Album) Recorded in 1944 and 1945, The Asch Recordings are possibly Woody Guthrie's most famous recordings, conducted over a series of days by Moses "Moe" Asch in New York City. The songs recorded by Asch comprise the bulk of Guthrie's original material and several traditional songs... |
Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 1999 | Buffalo Skinners, The Asch Recordings, Vol.4 The Asch Recordings (Woody Guthrie Album) Recorded in 1944 and 1945, The Asch Recordings are possibly Woody Guthrie's most famous recordings, conducted over a series of days by Moses "Moe" Asch in New York City. The songs recorded by Asch comprise the bulk of Guthrie's original material and several traditional songs... |
Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways... |
| 2007 | The Live Wire: Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949 | Woody Guthrie Publications |
Recording sessions
The list here is organized by recording session and is mostly sourced from the discography put together by Dr. Guy Lodgson in 1990-1991 at the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
as it appears in the book "Hard Travelin' The Life and Legacy of Woody Guthrie".
- Note: A blank cell below a date indicate that the date is repeated on that row.
1940, Library Of Congress, Washington, DC sessions with Alan Lomax
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States Department of Interior, Radio Broadcasting Division, interviewed by Alan Lomax Alan Lomax Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of... |
|||
| Monologue; Boyhood of Woody Guthrie | 3407 & 3408 | March 21 1940 | |
| The Train (Lost Train Blues) | 3407-A | Guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... / Harmonica Harmonica The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... |
|
| Railroad Blues | 3407-B | Harmonica | |
| Rye Whiskey | 3408-A,B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Old Joe Clark | 3408-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Beaumont Rag | 3408-B3 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dialogue on the "Green Valley Waltz" | 3408-B4 | ||
| Green Valley Waltz | 3409-A | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Monologue on the youth of Woody Guthrie | 3409-A,B1 | ||
| Greenback Dollar | 3409-B1 | Vocals / Guitar / Harmonies Harmony In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic... |
|
| Boll Weevil Song | 3409-B2 | Vocals / Guitar / Harmonies Harmony In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic... |
|
| Midnight Special | 3410-A1 | Vocals / Guitar / Harmonies Harmony In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic... |
|
| Dialogue on Dust Storms | 3410-A2,B1 | ||
| So Long It's Been Good to Know You | 3410-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dialogue on the Dust Bowl | 3410-B3 | ||
| Dialogue on the Dust Bowl, cont. | 3411-A1 | ||
| Talking Dust Bowl Blues | 3411-A2,B1 | ||
| Dialogue on Experiences in California | 3411-B2 | ||
| Do-Re-Mi | 3411-B3 | Vocals /Guitar / Harmonica | |
| Hard Times | 3412-A1 | March 22 1940 | Vocals / Guitar |
| Bring Me Back to My Blue Eyed Boy | 3412-A2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dialogue on Love Songs | 3412-A3 | ||
| Dialogue on Outlaws | 3412-B1 | ||
| Billy the Kid | 3412-B2 | Vocals / Guitar (Fragment) | |
| Pretty Boy Floyd | 3412-B3 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Pretty Boy Floyd, cont | 3413-A | ||
| Dialogue about Jesse James | 3413-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| They Laid Jesus Christ in His Grave | 3413-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| They Laid Jesus Christ in His Grave, cont. | 3414-A1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| I'm a Jolly Banker | 3414-A2 | ||
| Dialogue on Bankers | 3414-A2,3 | ||
| I Ain't Got No Home in This World Anymore | 3414-A3B1 | Vocals / Guitar / Harmonica | |
| Dirty Overhauls | 3414-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dirty Overhauls, cont | 3415-A1 | ||
| 'Mary Fagen' and Dialogue | 3415-A2B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Chain Around My Leg | 3415-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dialogue on the Blues | 3416-A1 | ||
| The Bluest Blues (900 Miles?) | 3416-A2 | ||
| Worried Man Blues | 3416-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Church House Blues - Lonesome Valley | 3416-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dialogue on Walking Railroad Ties | 3416-B2 | ||
| Monologue Railroads and Men Out of Work | 3417-A | ||
| Railroad Line Blues | 3417-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Goin' Down the Frisco Line | 3417-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| I'm Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad | 3418-A1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Seven Cent Cotton | 3418-A2 | Vocals / Guitar (fragment) | |
| Wagon Yard Blues | 3418-A3 | Vocals / Guitar (fragment) | |
| Dust Bowl Refugees | 3418-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dialogue about man going to California for contract work | 3418-B2 | ||
| Dialogue about man going to California for contract work, cont. | 3419-A | ||
| Great Dust Storm (Dust Storm Disaster) and dialogue | 3419-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| I'm Sittin' on the Foggy Mountain Top | 3419-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Story Of Oil Booms and Dust Storms | 3420-A1 | March 27 1940 | |
| Dust Pneumonia Blues | 3420-A2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dust Bowl Blues | 3420-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dialogue about California | 3420-B1 | ||
| California Blues | 3420-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dialogue about Jimmy Rogers Jimmy Rogers Jimmy Rogers was an American Chicago blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player, best known for his work as a member of Muddy Waters' band of the 1950s.-Career:... and "California Blues" |
3421-A | ||
| Do-Re-Mi | 3421-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Living conditions in California | 3421-B1 | ||
| Dust Bowl Refugees | 3422-A | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Dialogue about Okies in California, Pride in Oklahoma, and Wil Rogers | 3422-B1 | ||
| Highway 66 / Wil Rogers Highway | 3423-A1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| New Years Flood | 3423-A2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Songs by Woody Guthrie and Guitar, Recorded in the Phonoduplication Studio by Alan Lomax and John Langenegger | |||
| Stewball | 4491-A1 | Jan 4 1941 | Vocals / Guitar |
| Stagolee | 4491-A2 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| One Dime Blues | 4491-A3 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Woopie Ti Yi Yo, Git Along Little Doggies | 4491-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Trail To Mexico | 4491-B2 | Vocals / Guitar (fragment) | |
| The Gypsy Davy | 4491-B3 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| There is a House in this Old Town | 4491-B4 | Vocals / Guitar | |
American Studio of the Air, Radio Show
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boll Weevil | Library of Congress (LOC) 4507A4 | April 2 1940 | Harmonica / Vocals / Guitar with the Golden Gate Quartet |
| It's Hard on We Poor Farmers | LOC 4507A3 | Harmonica / Alan Lomax on Guitar & Vocals | |
| Train Blues | LOC 4508A1 | Harmonica | |
| So Long, It's Been Good To Know You | LOC 4508A2 | Harmonica / Vocals / Alan Lomax on Guitar | |
| Talking Dust Storm | LOC 4508A3 | Vocals Guitar |
1940, RCA Victor Sessions, Dust Bowl Ballads
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| *The Great Dust Storm ("Dust Storm Disaster") | (26622-A) BS-050145-1 | April 26 1940 | Guitar |
| *Talking Dust Bowl Blues | (26619-A) BS-050146-2 | Guitar | |
| Dust Pnemunonia Blues | (26623-B) BS-050147-1 | Guitar | |
| *Dusty Old Dust ("So Long It's Been Good To Know You") | (26622-B) BS-050148-1 | Guitar | |
| Dust Bowl Blues | LPV-502, BS-050149-1 | Guitar | |
| *Blowin Down This Road ("I Ain't Gonna Be Treated This Way") | (26619-B) BS-050150-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | |
| *Tom Joad pt 1 | (26621-A) BS-050151-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | |
| *Tom Joad pt 2 | (26621-B) BS-050152-1 | Guitar | |
| Do Re Mi | (26620-A) BS-050153-1 | Guitar | |
| *Dust Bowl Refugee | (26623-A) BS-050154-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | |
| I Ain't Got No Home In This World Anymore | (26624-A) BS-050155-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | |
| Vigilante Man | (26624-B) BS-050156-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | |
| *Dust Can't Kill Me | (26620-B) BS-050600-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | |
| Pretty Boy Floyd | LPV 502, BS-050601-1 | Guitar |
* These recording were released on the record Talking Dust Bowl on Folkways Records
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
in 1950 by Moe Asch, but without RCA's licences.
All these recordings were made by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
in 1940 and released on the albums Dust Bowl Ballads
Dust Bowl Ballads
Dust Bowl Ballads is an album by Woody Guthrie, recorded for Victor Records during Guthrie's time in New York City in 1940. It was Guthrie's first commercial recording and the most successful album he made. It is sometimes considered the first concept album.The Dust Bowl Ballads was originally...
vol 1 and 2. These records have been subsequently reisuued in 1964 and 1977.
1941, Bonneville Power Administration, The Columbia River Songs
The masters of this session were lost, but a collection of 6 discs was collected from BPA employee copies from the time. Most were eventually released on Rounder RecordsRounder Records
Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students...
Woody Guthrie, Columbia River Collection C1036 in 1987. The 6 discs are housed in the National Archives, Washington D.C.. The catalogue numbers here relate to National Archive listings.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pastures of Plenty | 305.01 | May 1941 | Vocals / Guitar |
| The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done | 305.01 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Roll Columbia, Roll | 305.01 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Washington Talkin' Blues | 305.02 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done | 305.02 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Ramblin' Blues (Portland Town) | 305.03 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| It Takes a Married Man to Sing A Worried Song | 305.03 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Song of the Grand Coulee Dam ("Way Up in That Northwest") | 305.03 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Roll On, Columbia Roll on Columbia "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" is an American folk song written in 1941 by American folk singer Woody Guthrie, who popularized the song through his own recording of it. One of the most popular songs in the history of the United States, it glamorized the harnessing of the Columbia River in the Pacific... |
305.04 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| The Grand Coulee Dam | 305.04 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Jackhammer Blues | 305.05 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| The Grand Coulee Dam | 305.05 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Columbia Waters | 305.05 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Talking Columbia Blues | 305.05 | Vocals / Guitar |
Unissued LOC Recordings: Home Disc Recordings & 1941 Almanac Singers
Series of Discs for the Library of Congress, recorded by the Almanac SingersAlmanac Singers
The Almanac Singers were a group of folk musicians who, as their name indicates, specialized in topical songs, especially songs connected with the labor movement...
, only those written by or featuring Woody Guthrie are included here. Notes are Woody's parts.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round and Round Hitler's Grave | 6100-B | February 1942 | Guitar |
| Hulaballobalay | 6101-A | Guitar | |
| Taking it Easy | 6101-B | Guitar | |
| Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done | 6102-B | Guitar / Vocals | |
| High Cost of Living | 6103-A | Guitar | |
| Sinking of the Ruben James | 6103-B | Guitar | |
| Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad | 6105-A | Guitar | |
| Pretty Boy Floyd | 4793-A | August 1941 | Vocals |
Keynote Recordings
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Song for Bridges | QB 1548 | June 1941 | Guitar / Vocals |
| * Babe O' Mine | QB 1549 | Guitar / Vocals | |
| * Boomtown Bill | x-5000 | June 1942 | |
| * Keep That Oil a Rollin' | QB 1548 | June 1942 | Vocals |
* Songs that have been released on Songs for Political Action, Bear Family Records BCD 15270
General Records
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blow Ye Winds, Heigh Ho | 5015-A, R-4160 | July 1941 | |
| Away Rio | 5017-A, R-4161 | Harmonica | |
| Blow the Man Down | 5016-A, R-4162 | Vocals | |
| The Golden Vanity | 5017-B, R-4174 | Harmonica | |
| The Coast of Old Barbary | 5015-B, R-4176 | Harmonica | |
| Haul Away Joe | 5015-B, R-4176 | ||
| House of the Rising Sun | 5020-B, R-4163 | ||
| Ground Hog | 5018-B, R-4164 | ||
| State of Arkansas | 5019-B, R-4165 | ||
| I Ride an Old Paint | 5020-A, R-4169 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Hard Ain't It Hard | 5019-B, R-4170 | Harmonica | |
| The Dodger Song | 5018-A, R-4171 | Harmonica | |
| The Weavers Song | R-4168 | ||
| Greenland Fishing | R-4172 |
The Martins and the Coys: A Contemporary Folk Tale
Recorded by Decca RecordsDecca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in March 1944, and written by Elizabeth Lomax. Alan Lomax shopped this around but no stations were interested, eventually it was sold the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
The recordings included Woody as well as several members of the Almanac singers.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| You Better Get Ready | March 1944 | Vocal / Guitar w/Sonny Terry Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell, better known as Sonny Terry was a blind American Piedmont blues musician. He was widely known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers, and imitations of trains and fox hunts.-Career:Terry was born in Greensboro, Georgia... on Harmonica |
|
| You Fascists Are Bound to Lose | Vocal / Guitar w/Sonny Terry Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell, better known as Sonny Terry was a blind American Piedmont blues musician. He was widely known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers, and imitations of trains and fox hunts.-Career:Terry was born in Greensboro, Georgia... on Harmonica |
||
| Bound for the Mountains | Group Vocals | ||
| Run Boys Run | |||
| Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair | |||
| On Top of Old Smokey | |||
| Gonna Take Everybody (All Work Together) | |||
| When We March Into Berlin | |||
| How Many Biscuts Can You Eat? | |||
| Smokey Mountain Girls | |||
| Turtle Dove | |||
| Round and Round Hitler's Grave | |||
| The Martins and the Coys |
1944 & 1945, The Asch Recordings
Possibly Guthrie's most famous recordings, conducted over a series of days by Moses "Moe" Asch in 1944 and 1945. They were issued on a variety of labels under Asch, Asch-Stinson, Asch-Signature-Stinson, Disc, Folkways and Verve/Folkways.| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard Ain't It Hard | LM-1 | April 16 1944 | |
| More Pretty Girls Than One | LM-2 | ||
| Golden Vanity | MA 1 | April 19 1944 | Recordings on this date w/ Cisco Houston |
| When the Yanks Go Marching In | MA 2 | ||
| So Long, It's Been Good to Know You | MA3 | ||
| Dollar Down Dollar a Week | MA4 | ||
| Hen Cackle | MA5 | ||
| I Ain't Got Nobody | MA6 | ||
| Ida Red | MA7 | ||
| Columbus Stockade | MA8 | ||
| Whistle Blowing | MA9 | ||
| John Henry | MA10 | ||
| Hammer Ring ("Union Hammer") | MA11 | ||
| Muleskinner Blues ("New Road Line") | MA12 | ||
| What are We Waiting On ("Bloody Fight") | LM-2 | ||
| More Pretty Girls Than One | MA13 | ||
| Ship in the Sky ("My Daddy") | MA14 | ||
| The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done | MA15 | ||
| Stewball | MA16 | ||
| Grand Coulee Dam | MA17 | ||
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA18 | ||
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA19 | ||
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA20 | ||
| New York Town ("My Town") | MA21 | ||
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA22 | ||
| Reckless Talk | MA23 | ||
| Reckless Talk | MA24 | ||
| Last Nickle Blues | MA25 | ||
| Guitar Rag | MA26 | ||
| Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet ("Don't Need No Man") | MA27 | ||
| (Those) Brown Eyes | MA28 | ||
| Chisholm Trail | MA29 | ||
| Sowing on the Mountains | MA30 | ||
| Sowing on the Mountains | MA31 | ||
| Right Now | MA32 | ||
| Train-Harmonica | MA33 | ||
| Sally Don't You Grieve | MA34 | ||
| Take a Wiff on Me Take a Whiff on Me "Take a Whiff on Me" is an American folk song, with references to the use of cocaine. It is also known as "Take a Whiff ", "Cocaine Habit", and "Cocaine Habit Blues".-History:... |
MA35 | ||
| Philadelphia Lawyer Philadelphia Lawyer (song) Philadelphia Lawyer is a Woody Guthrie song about a divorce lawyer from Philadelphia who is shot by a jealous husband. It is a folksong version of a lawyer joke. It is also known by the title Reno Blues.-Recordings:... |
MA36 | ||
| Kissing On ("Gave Her Kisses") | MA37 | ||
| Little Darling | MA38 | ||
| Baltimore to Washington ("Troubles Too") | MA39 | ||
| Poor Boy | MA40 | ||
| Poor Boy | MA41 | ||
| Ain't Nobody's Business | MA42 | ||
| Take Me Back Babe | MA43 | ||
| Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues") | MA44 | ||
| Bed on the Floor | MA45 | ||
| One Big Union ("Join It Yourself") | MA46 | ||
| Worried Man Blues | MA47 | ||
| What Did the Deep Say? | MA48 | ||
| Foggy Mountain Top | MA49 | ||
| 21 Years | MA50 | ||
| Roving Gambler ("Gambling Man") | MA51 | ||
| Cindy | MA52 | ||
| Into Season | MA53 | ||
| Red River Valley | MA55 | ||
| Dead or Alive ("Poor Lazarus") | MA56 | ||
| Pretty Boy | MA57 | ||
| John Hardy | MA58 | ||
| Bad Lee Brown ("Cocaine Blues") | MA59 | ||
| Whistle Blowing | MA66 | ||
| Billy The Kid | MA67 | ||
| "Stagger Lee Stagger Lee (song) "Stagger Lee", also known as "Stagolee", "Stackerlee", "Stack O'Lee", "Stack-a-Lee" and several other variants, is a popular folk song based on the murder of William "Billy" Lyons by Stagger Lee Shelton... " |
MA68 | ||
| Down Yonder | 674 | April 20 1944 | |
| Guitar Blues | 675 | ||
| Harmonica Breakdown | 676 | ||
| Fox Chase | 677 | ||
| Train | 678 | ||
| Lost John | 679 | ||
| Pretty Baby | 680 | ||
| Old Dog a Bone | 681 | ||
| "Turkey in the Straw Turkey in the Straw "Turkey in the Straw" is a well-known American folk song dating from the early 19th century.The song's tune was first popularized in the late 1820s and early 1830s by blackface performers, notably George Washington Dixon, Bob Farrell and George Nichols. Another song, "Zip Coon", was sung to the... " |
687 | ||
| Give Me That Old Time Religion | 688 | ||
| Glory ("Walk and Talk with Jesus") | 689 | ||
| Hard Time Blues | 690 | ||
| Bus Blues | 691 | ||
| Devilish Mary | 692 | ||
| Cripple Creek | 693 | ||
| Sandy Land | 694 | ||
| Old Dan Tucker | 695 | April 24 1944 | |
| Bile Them Cabbage Down Boil Them Cabbage Down "Boil Them Cabbage Down" is an American folk song.... |
696 | ||
| Old Joe Clark | 697 | ||
| Buffalo Girls | 698 | ||
| Rain Crow Bill | 699 | ||
| Skip to my Lou | 700 | ||
| Lonesome Train | 701, 702 | ||
| Blues, Harmonica Breakdown | 703, 704 | ||
| Harmonica Rag | 705,706 | ||
| Crawdad Hole | 707 | ||
| Bury Me Beneath the Willow | 708 | ||
| I Ride an Old Paint | 709 | ||
| Blue Eyes | 710 | ||
| Going Down the Road Feeling Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues") | 711 | ||
| Old Dog a Bone | 712 | ||
| Having Fun | 713 | ||
| Blues | 714 | ||
| Talking Fishing Blues | MA75 | April 25 1944 | |
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA76 | ||
| Union Burial Ground | MA77 | ||
| Jesse James | MA78 | ||
| Rangers Command | MA79 | ||
| Sinking of the Ruben James | MA80 | ||
| Put My Little Shoes Away | MA81 | ||
| Picture From Life's Other Side | MA82 | ||
| Will You Miss Me | MA83 | ||
| Bed on the Floor | MA84 | ||
| 900 Miles | MA85 | ||
| Sourwood Mountain | MA86 | ||
| Hoecake Baking | MA87 | ||
| Ezekiel Saw the Wheel | MA88 | ||
| Little Darling | MA89 | ||
| Lonesome Day | MA90 | ||
| Cumberland Gap Cumberland Gap (folk song) "Cumberland Gap" is an Appalachian folk song that likely dates to the latter half of the 19th century and was first recorded in 1924. The song is typically played on banjo or fiddle, and well-known versions of the song include instrumental versions as well as versions with lyrics... |
MA91 | ||
| Fiddling Piece | MA92 | ||
| "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny Carry Me Back to Old Virginny "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" is a song which was written by James A. Bland , an African American minstrel who wrote over 700 folk songs... " |
MA93 | ||
| Step Stone | MA94 | ||
| "House of the Rising Sun" | MA96 | ||
| Browns Ferry Blues | MA98 | ||
| What Would You Give in Exchange For Your Soul? | MA99 | ||
| When That Ship Went Down | MA99-1 | ||
| Dust Bowl | MA100 | ||
| Guitar Rag | MA101 | ||
| I Ain't Got Nobody | MA102 | ||
| Going Down This Road Feeling Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues") | MA103 | ||
| Polly Wolly Doodle | MA104 | ||
| Guitar Rag | 1230 | ||
| Blowin' Down This Old Dusty Road | 1231 | ||
| Hey Lolly Lolly | MA105 | ||
| Budded Roses | MA106 | ||
| "House of the Rising Sun" | MA107 | ||
| I Don't Feel at Home in the Bowery | MA108 | ||
| Hobo's Lullaby | MA109 | ||
| Froggy Went a Courtin' | MA110 | ||
| Bad Reputation | MA111 | ||
| Snow Deer | MA112 | ||
| Ladies Auxiliary | MA113 | ||
| "This Land Is Your Land This Land Is Your Land "This Land Is Your Land" is one of the United States' most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 based on an existing melody, in response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", which Guthrie considered unrealistic and complacent. Tired of hearing Kate Smith sing it on... " |
MA114 | ||
| Hang Knot ("Slip Knot) | MA115 | ||
| Breakdown | MA116 | ||
| Go Tell Aunt Rhody | MA117 | ||
| Union Going to Roll | MA118 | ||
| Who Broke the Lock on the Hen House Door | MA119 | ||
| What Did the Deep Sea Say | MA120 | ||
| Strawberry Roan | MA121-1 | ||
| When the Yanks Go Marching in | MA122-1 | ||
| Bed on the Floor | MA123-1 | ||
| We Shall Be Free | MA124-1 | ||
| Right Now | MA125-1 | ||
| Jackhammer John | MA126-1 | ||
| Woody | MA127-1,127-2 | ||
| Keep Your Skillit Good and Greasy | MA129-1 | ||
| Home | MA130-1 | ||
| Lost You | MA131 | ||
| Slip Knot ("Hang Knot") | MA134 | ||
| Jesus Christ | MA135 | ||
| Hobo Bill | MA136 | ||
| Little Black Train | MA137 | ||
| Cannon Ball | MA138 | ||
| Gypsy Davy | MA139 | ||
| Bile Them Cabbage Down | MA140 | ||
| Woody | MA1240 | May 8 1944 | |
| Get Along Little Dogies | 860 | March 1 1945 | |
| Waltz | 861,862 | ||
| Union Breakdown | 863 | ||
| Cackling Hen | 864 | ||
| Chisholm Trail | 865 | ||
| Bed on Your Floor | 866 | ||
| Rye Whiskey | 867 | ||
| Old Joe Clark | 868 | March 23 1945 | |
| Long Way to France | 869 | ||
| Woody Blues | 870 | ||
| Down Yonder | 871 | ||
| Gal I Left Behind | 872 | ||
| Mean Talking Blues | 900 | May 24 1945 | |
| "1913 Massacre 1913 Massacre "1913 Massacre" is a topical ballad written by Woody Guthrie, and recorded and released in 1941 for Moses Asch's Folkways label. The song originally appeared on Struggle: Documentary No. 1, an album of labor songs, it was eventually re-released in 1999 on Buffalo Skinners: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 4... " |
901 | ||
| Ludlow Massacre | 902 | ||
| Buffalo Skinners | 903 | ||
| Harriet Tubman | 904,905 |
Many recordings have unknown session dates. These are included in a list available at the United States Library of Congress titled "Surviving Recordings in the Smithsonian Folklife Archive Made by Woody Guthrie for Moses Asch". Moe Asch says Woody's kids song were recorded sometime in early 1947 and the Sacco and Vanzetti ballads were recorded January 1947.
1947 Songs to Grow On
The recording dates for the Songs to Grow On series of children's song are mostly lost due to the record keeping of Moe Asch, but the tracks are included here as they are some of Guthrie's most well known tracks. In this case the Date is the release date of the original 78 recordsGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Songs to Grow On: Nursery Days issued 1947,1950,1951 | |||
| Wake Up | 5050A (D301) | 1947 | |
| Clean-O | 5050B (D302) | ||
| Dance Around | 5051A (D304) | ||
| Put Your Finger in the Air | 5051B (D303) | ||
| Don't Push Me | 5052A (D305) | ||
| Jig Along Home | 5052B (D306) | ||
| My Dolly | F52B1 | ||
| Come See | F52B2 | ||
| Race You Down the Mountain | F53A1 | ||
| Pick it up | F53A2 | ||
| Merry Go Round | F53B1 | ||
| Sleepy Eyes | F53B2 | ||