Discussion:
The Number Ones: The Highwaymen's "Michael"
(too old to reply)
Bob Roman
2018-12-25 11:41:58 UTC
Permalink
Merry Christmas, everyone. Have some Breihan in your stocking.

The Highwaymen – “Michael”
HIT #1: September 4, 1961
STAYED AT #1: 2 weeks

Anytime a folk song shows up in this column, I suddenly turn into John Goodman in Inside Llewyn Davis.

That’s because most of the folk music that crossed over in the late ’50s and early ’60s was absolute bullshit mediocrity. You certainly could make something powerful and inventive and fiery out of this music. Bob Dylan did. But Dylan never hit #1, at least not as a solo artist. And the folk musicians who did make it to #1, at least during this era, were bloodless patricians who sang slave spirituals and Appalachian murder ballads like they were sweet little lullabies. And so: “Michael.”

“Michael” was a slave spiritual, first heard on St. Helena Island, off the coast of South Carolina, around 1863. Pete Seeger and Harry Bellafonte both recorded their own versions of it. Lonnie Donegan took it to #6 in the UK in 1961. But the version that made it to #1 in America came from the Highwaymen, and not the outlaw-country supergroup of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings. (That could’ve been great.) This Highwaymen started out as a collegiate group at Wesleyan, and they sounded like it.

The Highwaymen hadn’t yet graduated when their version of “Michael” hit #1. Their version is soft and strummy, built on whistling and white-church harmonies. It does not sound like the song of desperate people, working to stave off death while dreaming of the moment when they could finally rest forever. It sounds like college kids attempting to impress girls by being deep.

The Highwaymen only stuck around for a couple of years after graduation. (Tim Robbins’ father Gil joined a later version of the group.) By 1964, they broke up when the members all went off to various Ivy League grad schools. They were hobbyists. Hobbyists with a total snore of a #1 song.

GRADE: 3/10
Dean F.
2018-12-25 11:59:42 UTC
Permalink
I might have been charitable enough to give "Michael" a 5/10, but beyond that, Breihan are on the same page. It's a toothless campfire singalong that happened to reach #1.
Dennis C
2018-12-25 12:02:10 UTC
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Toothless campfires led to the invention of Smores, baby!!
SavoyBG
2018-12-25 13:12:21 UTC
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Post by Dean F.
I might have been charitable enough to give "Michael" a 5/10, but beyond that, Breihan are on the same page. It's a toothless campfire singalong that happened to reach #1.
I like it, it gets a 7.
Jim Colegrove
2018-12-26 04:12:36 UTC
Permalink
Post by SavoyBG
Post by Dean F.
I might have been charitable enough to give "Michael" a 5/10, but beyond that, Breihan are on the same page. It's a toothless campfire singalong that happened to reach #1.
I like it, it gets a 7.
Around that same time I'd heard an album by Terry Gilkyson and the
Easy Riders, the same guy that wrote "The Cry of the Wild Goose" and
"Marianne." On that LP titled "Rollin'" there is a cut titled "Far
From the Lights of Town" which has a line in the chorus that goes
"Michael row the boat ashore, day will soon light..." Wonder if anyone
in this group heard that one. It always made me wonder if he got the
line from the Highwaymen or vice versa (or none of the above) because
I think his LP was out in 1960.
It isn't the same song. His is a murder ballad.


Roger Ford
2018-12-25 12:43:49 UTC
Permalink
On Tue, 25 Dec 2018 03:41:58 -0800 (PST), Bob Roman
Post by Bob Roman
Merry Christmas, everyone. Have some Breihan in your stocking.
The Highwaymen – “Michael”
HIT #1: September 4, 1961
STAYED AT #1: 2 weeks
Most of the folk music that crossed over in the late ’50s and early ’60s was absolute bullshit
mediocrity.
Bravo Breihan!! He's certainly in agreement with me with the above
statement----with the boring "Michael" by The Highwaymen being a good
example.

But as usual he missed a couple of important points about the record
itself. By the time it reached #1 it was already a YEAR old** (first
released in September 1960). It laid around for more than six months
doing zilch---until Dick Smith a deejay at WORC in Worcester,Ms.
started playing it----helping it to finally limp onto the Billboard
Hot Hundred on July 10 1961 in the #100 position.

Two months later it climbed the chart to #1----and repeated that feat
here in Britain where it topped the NME chart (for just one week) on
October 7 1961 (which was pretty impressive considering it was up
against a version by our own Lonnie Donegan here in the UK)
Post by Bob Roman
GRADE: 3/10
Ditto grade for me too!

**"Michael" obviously featured in the 1960 Singles Battle---but if you
blinked you'd have missed it!

R1
Post by Bob Roman
16 The Clovers - Lovey - United Artists 209
11 The Highwaymen - Michael - United Artists 258
Merry Christmas to everyone!

ROGER FORD
-----------------------

"Spam Free Zone" - to combat unwanted automatic spamming I have added
an extra "m" in my e-mail address (***@mmail.com).
Please delete same before responding.Thank you!
SavoyBG
2018-12-25 13:13:24 UTC
Permalink
Post by Roger Ford
On Tue, 25 Dec 2018 03:41:58 -0800 (PST), Bob Roman
Post by Bob Roman
Merry Christmas, everyone. Have some Breihan in your stocking.
The Highwaymen – “Michael”
HIT #1: September 4, 1961
STAYED AT #1: 2 weeks
Most of the folk music that crossed over in the late ’50s and early ’60s was absolute bullshit
mediocrity.
Bravo Breihan!! He's certainly in agreement with me with the above
statement----with the boring "Michael" by The Highwaymen being a good
example.
Except unlike you, he would say that some of the non commercial folk music is great.
Roger Ford
2018-12-25 15:57:39 UTC
Permalink
Post by Roger Ford
On Tue, 25 Dec 2018 03:41:58 -0800 (PST), Bob Roman
Post by Bob Roman
Merry Christmas, everyone. Have some Breihan in your stocking.
The Highwaymen =E2=80=93 =E2=80=9CMichael=E2=80=9D
HIT #1: September 4, 1961
STAYED AT #1: 2 weeks
Most of the folk music that crossed over in the late =E2=80=9950s and ea=
rly =E2=80=9960s was absolute bullshit
Post by Roger Ford
Post by Bob Roman
mediocrity.
Bravo Breihan!! He's certainly in agreement with me with the above
statement----with the boring "Michael" by The Highwaymen being a good
example.
Except unlike you, he would say that some of the non commercial folk music =
is great.
I'll lay awake all night tonight pondering that

ROGER FORD
-----------------------

"Spam Free Zone" - to combat unwanted automatic spamming I have added
an extra "m" in my e-mail address (***@mmail.com).
Please delete same before responding.Thank you!
md
2018-12-25 17:40:08 UTC
Permalink
If you mean, for example, Leadbelly, he was great. And this version of “Michael” is pure crap. You sure have some peculiar tastes

Happy holiday, everyone!

—md
Dennis C
2018-12-25 17:50:18 UTC
Permalink
Grossberg has found the pedestrian crosswalk and has blithely sauntered over, baby!!!
SavoyBG
2018-12-25 18:01:16 UTC
Permalink
Post by md
If you mean, for example, Leadbelly, he was great.
No, I meant like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.
md
2018-12-25 20:03:10 UTC
Permalink
How about Cisco Huston?
SavoyBG
2018-12-25 20:16:33 UTC
Permalink
Post by md
How about Cisco Huston?
Never heard of it.
Dennis C
2018-12-25 21:18:26 UTC
Permalink
Hahahaha!!!

Da' Berg!!!!
Bob Roman
2018-12-25 23:15:18 UTC
Permalink
Here's to Cisco and Sonny and Leadbelly too
And to all the good people that traveled with you
Here's to the hearts and the hands of the men
That come with the dust and are gone with the wind

--
BR
Dennis C
2018-12-25 23:56:25 UTC
Permalink
Here's to Wilhelms and Bloomie and Gunhawk as well

Who posited,posted,and passed through this hell

Here's to the striving souls to bs most heard

All blown to shit by that prick Grossberg.
SavoyBG
2018-12-26 00:16:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dennis C
Here's to Wilhelms and Bloomie and Gunhawk as well
Who posited,posted,and passed through this hell
Here's to the striving souls to bs most heard
All blown to shit by that prick Grossberg.
Who is Gunhawk?
Dennis C
2018-12-26 00:19:22 UTC
Permalink
You know where Tim Keefe, Mickey Welch, and Robert Johnson last took a shit and you don't remember a former 50's poster?

Dememtia kills, baby!!
SavoyBG
2018-12-26 01:57:45 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dennis C
You know where Tim Keefe, Mickey Welch, and Robert Johnson last took a shit and you don't remember a former 50's poster?
Dememtia kills, baby!!
Diane does not remember any Gunhawk either.
Dennis C
2018-12-26 09:28:27 UTC
Permalink
Dammit,Grossberg he existed!!

As a matter of fact, you owe one of your green jackets to him!! He pathetically and melodramatically left with a letter of righteous indignation when he couldn't handle the argumentative tumult anymore!!

I remember making a comment how ironic for a Gunhawk to quiver and quake at the militant tenor of the forum!!

Now you ruin my poem be cause of your lame-ass limbic system!!

Thanks a lot!
Bill B
2018-12-26 11:48:40 UTC
Permalink
Post by SavoyBG
Post by Dennis C
Here's to Wilhelms and Bloomie and Gunhawk as well
Who posited,posted,and passed through this hell
Here's to the striving souls to bs most heard
All blown to shit by that prick Grossberg.
Who is Gunhawk?
Probably Ed Bielcik.
Ken Whiton
2018-12-27 09:41:01 UTC
Permalink
*-* On Wed, 26 Dec 2018, at 03:48:40 -0800 (PST),
*-* In Article <20323779-9528-449b-9075-***@googlegroups.com>,
*-* Bill B wrote
*-* About Re: The Number Ones: The Highwaymen's "Michael"
Post by Bill B
Post by SavoyBG
Post by Dennis C
Here's to Wilhelms and Bloomie and Gunhawk as well
Who posited,posted,and passed through this hell
Here's to the striving souls to bs most heard
All blown to shit by that prick Grossberg.
Who is Gunhawk?
Probably Ed Bielcik.
That's who I thought of too, and we were right. He started using
that name here in October, 2007, and continued with it through his
last post here in September, 2009.

Ken Whiton
--
FIDO: 1:132/152
InterNet: ***@surfglobal.net.INVAL (remove the obvious to reply)
Dennis C
2018-12-27 11:45:13 UTC
Permalink
From Bielcik to Gunhawk to Fuckyall, baby!!

SavoyBG
2018-12-25 21:26:47 UTC
Permalink
Post by md
How about Cisco Huston?
Looks like you spelled his last name wrong.
Ken Whiton
2018-12-27 09:11:22 UTC
Permalink
*-* On Tue, 25 Dec 2018, at 12:43:49 GMT,
*-* In Article <***@news.virginmedia.com>,
*-* Roger Ford wrote
*-* About Re: The Number Ones: The Highwaymen's "Michael"
Post by Roger Ford
On Tue, 25 Dec 2018 03:41:58 -0800 (PST), Bob Roman
Post by Bob Roman
Merry Christmas, everyone. Have some Breihan in your stocking.
The Highwaymen - "Michael"
HIT #1: September 4, 1961
STAYED AT #1: 2 weeks
Most of the folk music that crossed over in the late '50s and early
'60s was absolute bullshit mediocrity.
Bravo Breihan!! He's certainly in agreement with me with the above
statement----with the boring "Michael" by The Highwaymen being a
example.
But as usual he missed a couple of important points about the record
itself. By the time it reached #1 it was already a YEAR old** (first
released in September 1960). It laid around for more than six months
doing zilch---until Dick Smith a deejay at WORC in Worcester,Ms.
That's Worcester, MA (MAssachusetts, not MiSsissippi).
Post by Roger Ford
started playing it----helping it to finally limp onto the Billboard
Hot Hundred on July 10 1961 in the #100 position.
Ken Whiton
--
FIDO: 1:132/152
InterNet: ***@surfglobal.net.INVAL (remove the obvious to reply)
Tony
2018-12-25 12:54:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bob Roman
Merry Christmas, everyone. Have some Breihan in your stocking.
The Highwaymen – “Michael”
HIT #1: September 4, 1961
STAYED AT #1: 2 weeks
Anytime a folk song shows up in this column, I suddenly turn into John Goodman in Inside Llewyn Davis.
That’s because most of the folk music that crossed over in the late ’50s and early ’60s was absolute bullshit mediocrity. You certainly could make something powerful and inventive and fiery out of this music. Bob Dylan did. But Dylan never hit #1, at least not as a solo artist. And the folk musicians who did make it to #1, at least during this era, were bloodless patricians who sang slave spirituals and Appalachian murder ballads like they were sweet little lullabies. And so: “Michael.”
“Michael” was a slave spiritual, first heard on St. Helena Island, off the coast of South Carolina, around 1863. Pete Seeger and Harry Bellafonte both recorded their own versions of it. Lonnie Donegan took it to #6 in the UK in 1961. But the version that made it to #1 in America came from the Highwaymen, and not the outlaw-country supergroup of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings. (That could’ve been great.) This Highwaymen started out as a collegiate group at Wesleyan, and they sounded like it.
The Highwaymen hadn’t yet graduated when their version of “Michael” hit #1. Their version is soft and strummy, built on whistling and white-church harmonies. It does not sound like the song of desperate people, working to stave off death while dreaming of the moment when they could finally rest forever. It sounds like college kids attempting to impress girls by being deep.
The Highwaymen only stuck around for a couple of years after graduation. (Tim Robbins’ father Gil joined a later version of the group.) By 1964, they broke up when the members all went off to various Ivy League grad schools. They were hobbyists. Hobbyists with a total snore of a #1 song.
GRADE: 3/10
Grade: 8/10
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