55 years ago tonight, February 9, 1964! It was a Sunday night, at 8:00 PM, on The Ed Sullivan Show. In just one hour everything changed! America met John, Paul, George and Ringo. While over 700 fans screamed inside the Ed Sullivan Theater, 73 million viewers watched the broadcast live at home on their black and white televisions.
This page is dedicated to the traditional American folk song This Train, also know as, This Train Is Bound for Glory. Here we will attempt to chronicle the origin and history of this song, it’s importance and influence in American culture —and music as a whole—and the many people who have been involved over the past 100 years.
Origins
The origins of This Train are unknown, but we know this song has been sung and handed down in the American South for over 100 years. The earliest known recording was made by the Florida Normal and Industrial Quartette in 1922, and it was recorded in the field for the United Stated Library of Congress by folklorists and musicologists John A, Lomax and Alan Lomax in the 1930’s.
Dis Train by the Florida Normal and Industrial Institute Quartette, circa 1922, is the oldest known recording of the song.
This Train Is Bound for Glory by Wood’s Famous Blind Jubilee Singers (ca. 1925).
This Train by Big Bill Broonzy (ca. 1925).
This Train by Sister Rosetta Tharpe (ca. 1939).
This Train by Sister Rosetta Tharpe (ca. 1959).
This Train by the Staple Singers (ca. 1965).
Land of Hope and Dreams by Bruce Springsteen (written 1998; performed live 2000).
This Train performed by Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Old Crow Medicine Show (ca. 2012).
Other Artists
Other artists that recorded the song are: Brothers Four, Hylo Brown, Alice Coltrane, Delmore Brothers, Sandy Denny, D.O.A., Lonnie Donegan, Jimmy Durante, Snooks Eaglin, Bob Gibson, Joe Glazer, John Hammond, Jr., Cisco Houston, Janis Ian, Mahalia Jackson, Ella Jenkins, Sleepy LaBeef, The Limeliters, Trini Lopez, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Ziggy Marley, The Alarm, Ricky Nelson, Peter, Paul & Mary, Utah Phillips, Pete Seeger, The Seekers, Roberta Sherwood, Hank Snow, David Soul, Staples Singers, Billy Strange, the Tarriers, Hank Thompson, Bradley Nowell of Sublime, Randy Travis, The Verlaines, Bunny Wailer, Nina Hagen, Girls at Our Best!, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Jools Holland. (source: Wikipdeia)
SOLD! This Beatles-signed ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ album sold at auction today for $290,500.00. This copy of the 1967 ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ album, acclaimed by most as the greatest of all Beatles’ albums, was signed by all four Beatles.
Today’s final bid exceeded the original estimated value by more than $260,000. The auction was held in Dallas, Texas by Heritage Auctions.
Forty-nine years ago today, The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the third consecutive Sunday night. They performed Twist and Shout, Please Please Me, and I Want to Hold Your Hand.
We enjoy receiving blog comments and emails from readers who are as passionate about music and guitars as we are here at Tone Gems. Recently, Ray Clearwater – who incidentally publishes 25 Years of Sears Musical Instruments on CD – shared a old photograph of his 1961 Junior High talent show.
Eli “Paperboy” Reed blasts out his song Pick a Number, on his amplified 1960′s Silvertone 604 acoustic guitar. Check out the vintage DeArmond Hershey Bar pickup. Looks like he grabbed it off an old Harmony, Kay, or Silvertone electric.
Clarence Clemons, the great saxophone player synonymous with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band passed away today at age 69. He had suffered a massive stroke on June 12. He played with Springsteen and the band for 40 years, and was described by Springsteen as the soul of the band. He will be sorely missed.
The Beatles album Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released on this day in 1967, forever changing rock and roll, and music as a whole. Tracks like A Little Help from My Friends, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Lovely Rita, When I’m Sixty-Four, Good Morning Good Morning, A Day in the Life, and the album’s title song, are now timeless classics. Listening to the album’s Side Two is an experience within itself, that must be enjoyed from beginning to end without interruption. The songs on Side Two were carefully woven together so that the music flowed seamlessly, and almost endlessly.
Rock music had reached a pinnacle. Mick Jagger once said in a radio interview, that after hearing a early pre-release tape of Sgt. Pepper’s on cassette, “We’re done! No one is going to top that.”
So enjoy the day, and spin the vinyl if you have it. Because somewhere in the universe (pun intended), that magnificent final E chord is still fading…!
Long before iPods, CD’s and Walkmans there was the transistor radio.
The advent of the transistor radio is integral to the history of rock and roll. The first transistor radio, the American-made Regency TR-1, arrived on the scene in 1954 about one year before the Sony transistor. In this video Roger McGuinn, founding member of The Byrds, tells how he received his first transistor radio and how it inspired him to become a musician. The rest of course is history, as The Byrds became one of the biggest groups of the 60′s and transformed rock music with their own style called folk-rock.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.