Så hørte jeg forleden australske Clelia Adams, som jeg ikke kendte i
forvejen, men hun er faktisk ret spændende. Her med Uncle Tony's Utel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4bP_PIRoUU
Og så har jeg har i det seneste par dage lyttet til ca. 25 eller flere
varianter af The Wreck of the Old 97, der handler om en togulykke i
Danville, Virginia den 27. september 1903. Jeg har været rundt om mange
tidsaldre, fra den allerførste indspilning med Henry Whitter fra 1923 til
udgaver fra 2010. Sangen har egentlig 10 vers, men jeg har aldrig hørt
indspilninger, der har dem alle med. De fleste nøjes med fem; versene 3, 4,
5, 6 og 10. Her er fem versioner, og jeg lægger ud med Vernon Dalharts
version fra 1924, som blev den første plade i USA, der solgte over 1 million
eksemplarer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr3afP13L3k
I 1958 blev nummeret indspillet af Carolyn Hester, der ellers var mest kendt
som folkesanger. I følge nogle kilder spillede Buddy Holly guitar på
indspilningen, mens andre kilder mener at han medvirkede på andre numre på
pladen, men ikke på dette. I slutningen af 60'erne og begyndelsen af 70'erne
forsøgte Hester sig i den psykedeliske genre, men uden større held. Her er
hun så med sin, lidt specielle version af klassikeren:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_YU26RT4PY
Hank Williams III, søn af Hank Williams Jr. og sønnesøn af Hank Williams
indspillede sin version af nummeret i 2002 på Dressed in Black, a Tribute to
Johnny Cash album, hvor også 20andre kunstnere gav deres bidrag. En noget
anderledes version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjGTr3soMeM
Den næste version, som jeg valgt at bringe, er med en countrymusikkens store
navne. Nej ikke Johhny Cash, som også har lavet en fremragende version af
denne sang, men derimod Charlie Louvin, der desværre døde i januar i år.
Selv om Louvin har været med i countrymusikken siden 50'erne, var han
allerede aktiv som sanger omkring 1935, hvor han sang gospel med sin bror.
Selv om han var en ældre herre (83 år), var han aktiv til det sidste, og
denne indspilning er fra 2008. Stemmen er blevet lidt slidt, men det er
stadig god musik:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w2Gz-OOzw0
Her er hele teksten, hvis nogen ønsker den. Den sidste version kommer effter
denne.
On one cloudless morning I stood on the mountain,
Just watching the smoke from below,
It was coming from a tall, slim smokestack
Way down on the Southern railroad.
It was 97, the fastest train
Ever ran the Southern line,
All the freight trains and passengers take the side for 97,
For she's bound to be at stations on time.
They gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia,
Saying, "Stevie, you're way behind time.
This is not 38, but it's Old 97,
You must put her into Spencer on time."
He looked 'round and said to his black greasy fireman,
"Just shovel in a little more coal,
And when I cross that old White Oak Mountain
You can just watch Old 97 roll."
It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville,
And the lie was a three-mile grade,
It was on that grade that he lost his air brakes,
And you see what a jump that she made.
He was going down the grade making 90 miles an hour,
When his whistle began to scream,
He was found in that wreck with his hand on the throttle,
He was scalded to death by the steam.
Did she ever pull in? No, she never pulled in,
And at 1:45 he was due,
For hours and hours has the switchman been waiting
For that fast mail that never pulled through.
Did she ever pull in? No, she never pulled in,
And that poor boy must be dead.
Oh, yonder he lays on the railroad track
With the cart wheels over his head.
97, she was the fastest train
That the South had ever seen,
But she run so fast on that Sunday morning
That the death score was numbered 14.
Now, ladies, you must take warning,
From this time now and on.
Never speak harsh words to your true loving husband.
He may leave you and never return.
PS! Nummeret er også indspillet i et dansearragement af Carl Fenton i 1931.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ydojap32q0
Jan