Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – July 22, 2025: Flood Water

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/71197.html

Theme: Flood Water.

There have always been floods but, with climate change, they’re happening more often and in more places. I began to think about this theme earlier this month as I watched the news coverage about the tragic floods in Texas.

Eric Bibb- Flood Water

Booker’s Guitar (Telarc)

Roomful of Blues- Texas Flood

The First Album (Hyena)

Josh White- Backwater Blues

Empty Bed Blues (Elektra)

Guy Davis- Georgia Flood

You Don’t Know My Mind (Red House)

Big Bill Broonzy- Southern Flood Blues

Big Bill’s Blues (Portrait)

Michael Jerome Browne- Louisiana 1927

That’s Where It’s At! (Borealis)

Joan Baez- Money for Floods

Gone from Danger (Guardian)

The Fairfield Four- Noah

I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray (Warner Bros.)

Joel Mabus- The Preacher & the Flood

Retold (Fossil)

Murray McLauchlan- Red River Flood

Songs from the Street: The Best of Murray McLauchlan (True North)

Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley- Manitoba Flood

Scrap Metal Blues (Electro-Fi)

Johnny Cash- Five Feet High and Rising

Change of Address: The Singles As and Bs, 1958-1962 (Jasmine)

Tom Russell & Iris DeMent- Big Water

The Long Way Around (HighTone)

Ramblin' Jack Elliott- Rising High Water Blues

A Stranger Here (Anti-)

Martin Grosswendt- Mississippi Heavy Water Blues

Call and Response (Les Moore Productions)

Bill Staines- Louisiana Storm

The Second Million Miles (Red House)

John McCutcheon- Hell and High Water

Field of Stars (Appalsongs)

Muireann Bradleu- When the Levee Breaks

I Kept These Old Blues (Decca/Verve Forecast)

Happy Traum- Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood)

Just for the Love of It (Lark’s Nest Music)

Joe Ely- A Flood On Our Hands

Streets of Sin (Rounder)

Michael Jerling- After the Flood

Halfway Home (Fool’s Hill Music)

Tom Rush, Jamie Hartford, Odetta, Emmylou Harris, Carolyn Hester, Nanci Griffith & Frank Christian- Wasn’t That a Mighty Storm

Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) (Elektra)

Next week: Remembering Robert Resnik (1953-2025).

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – April 29, 2025: “Dublin Blues” and Other Songs of Guy Clark

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/69984.html

Theme: “Dublin Blues” and Other Songs of Guy Clark.

Guy Clark – who died in 2016 at age 74 – was a great Texas singer-songwriter who began releasing albums in 1974. In the liner notes to Old No. 1, Guy’s first album, Jerry Jeff Walker referred to Guy’s songs as “the natural music of the acoustic guitar.” These songs were all written or co-written by Guy.

Guy Clark- Dublin Blues

Dublin Blues: 30th Anniversary Edition (Compass)

Nanci Griffith- She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere

Blue Roses from the Moons (Elektra)

Jerry Jeff Walker- Like a Coat from the Cold

Ridin’ High (MCA Nashville)

Rick Robbins & Ramblin' Jack Elliott- Desperados Waiting for a Train

Walkin’ Down the Line (Seeds of Man)

Guy Clark- That Old Time Feeling

Old No. 1 (Sugar Hill)

Johnny Cash- Let Him Roll

Johnny Cash is Coming to Town (Mercury)

Asleep At the Wheel- Blowin’ Like a Bandit

10 (Epic)

Rosanne Cash- Better Days

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

Ramblin' Jack Elliott- The Guitar

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

Guy Clark- Ramblin’ Jack & Mahan

Boats to Build (Asylum)

Bill Hearne- The Cape

Always Trust Your Cape (Howlin’ Dog) 

Willie Nelson- Stuff That Works

Oh What a Beautiful World (Legacy)

Guy Clark- Cold Dog Soup

Cold Dog Soup (Sugar Hill)

Terri Hendrix- The Dark

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

John Prine & Emmylou Harris- Magnolia Wind

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

Bill Staines- Lone Star Hotel Café

Old Dogs (Red House)

Emmylou Harris- New Cut Road

Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town (Warner Bros./Rhino)

Guy Clark- The South Coast of Texas

Craftsman (Philo)

Suzy Bogguss- Instant Coffee Blues

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

Doug Cox & Sam Hurrie- Old Friends

Old Friends (Black Hen Music)

Steve Earle- The Randall Knife

Guy (New West)

Guy Clark- Once More With Caution

Dublin Blues: 30th Anniversary Edition (Compass)

Next week: The Banjo Special.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – October 22, 2024: Remembering Nick Gravenites, Kris Kristofferson, JD Souther, and Billy Edd Wheeler

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/67349.html

Theme: Remembering Nick Gravenites, Kris Kristofferson, JD Souther, and Billy Edd Wheeler – four important songwriters who passed away in September.

Songs of Billy Edd Wheeler (1932-2024)

Billy Edd Wheeler – who died on September 16 at age 91 – was a singer, songwriter and playwright from West Virginia whose songs were widely covered by folk, country, pop and rock artists. Long before the environmental movement began, Billy Edd Wheeler was writing songs about the terrible effects of coal mining on the land and on the lives of coal miners.

Judy Henske- High Flying Bird

The Elektra Albums: High Flying Bird (Ace)

Judy Collins- Red-Winged Blackbird

Judy Collins 3 & 4: The Judy Collins Concert (Wildflower)

Priscilla Herdman- The Coming of the Roads

Darkness into Light (Flying Fish)

Laurie MacAllister- Coal Tattoo

The Things I Choose to Do (Laurie MacAllister)

Billy Edd Wheeler- The Reverend Mr. Black

Wild Mountain Flowers (Flying Fish)

Songs of Nick Gravenites (1938-2024)

Nick Gravenites was a blues artist, songwriter and record producer who died on September 18 at age 85. He grew up in Chicago and met Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield there when they were all students. 

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band- Born in Chicago

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Elektra)

Nick Gravenites- My Labors

My Labors (Columbia)

Amos Garrett- Buried Alive in the Blues

Off the Floor Live! (Stony Plain)

Janis Joplin- Work Me, Lord

I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again, Mama (Columbia)

Nick Gravenites- Blues Singers

Rogue Blues (M.C.) 

Songs of JD Souther (1945-2024)

JD Souther – who died on September 17 at age 78 – was a singer, songwriter and actor, known for his own albums and for writing or co-writing songs for such artists as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and The Eagles.

JD Souther- The Sad Café

Natural History (Eone)

The Eagles- New Kid in Town

Hotel California (Asylum)

James Taylor with JD Souther- Her Town Too

Dad Loves His Work (Columbia)

Linda Ronstadt with JD Souther- Faithless Love

Heart Like a Wheel (Capitol)

JD Souther- Prisoner in Disguise

Natural History (Eone)

Songs of Kris Kristofferson (1936-2024)

Kris Kristofferson – who died on September 28 at age 88 – was a singer, a highly influential songwriter, and an actor. I knew Kris a little bit. In 2007, he participated in a panel discussion that I moderated on Woody Guthrie at the Ottawa Folk Festival, and, in 2017, we had a nice visit before Kris performed at the International Folk Music Awards ceremony in Kansas City when I was inducted into the Folk DJ Hall of Fame created by Folk Alliance International. The photo of Kris was taken that night.

Kris Kristofferson- To Beat the Devil

Me and Bobby McGee (Monument)

Johnny Cash- Just the Other Side of Nowhere

Cash Unearthed Volume 1: Who’s Gonna Cry (American)

Anne Hills- Here Comes That Rainbow Again

Woman of a Calm Heart (Flying Fish)

Gordon Lightfoot- Me and Bobby McGee

If You Could Read My Mind (Reprise)

Katie Moore- Sunday Morning Coming Down

Only Thing Worse (Borealis)

Kris Kristofferson- The Pilgrim: Chapter 33

The Silver Tongued Devil and I (Monument)

Next week: Skies and Stars (CKCU Funding Drive)

--Mike Regenstreif 

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – April 23, 2024: Songs of Shel Silverstein

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/64883.html

Theme: Songs of Shel Silverstein (1930-1999)

Shel Silverstein – who died of a heart attack in 1999 at age 68 – was a renaissance man: an author, poet, cartoonist, singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright.

Shel Silverstein- Folk Singer’s Blues

Inside Folk Songs (Water)

Tom Paxton, Anne Hills & Bob Gibson- Sing for the Song

Best of Friends (Appleseed)

Bob Gibson- Whistlers & Jugglers

Makin’ a Mess: Bob Gibson Sings Shel Silverstein (Asylum)

Martin Simpson- In the Hills of Shiloh

Rooted (Topic)

Sarah Jarosz with Black Prairie- Queen of the Silver Dollar

Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein (Sugar Hill)

Shel Silverstein- Bury Me in My Shades

Inside Folk Songs (Water)

John Prine- This Guitar is for Sale

Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein (Sugar Hill)

The Irish Rovers- The Unicorn

The Best of The Irish Rovers (MCA)

Dr. Hook- Sylvia’s Mother

Gold (Crimson)

Johnny Cash- A Boy Named Sue

The Legend of Johnny Cash (American/Columbia/Legacy)

Shel Silverstein- 25 Minutes to Go

Inside Folk Songs (Water)

Gordon Lightfoot- On Susan’s Floor

Don Quixote (Reprise)

Bob Gibson- Stops Along the Way

Makin’ a Mess: Bob Gibson Sings Shel Silverstein (Asylum)

Lucinda Williams- The Ballad of Lucy Jordan

Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein (Sugar Hill)

Papa John Kolstad & Wildman Mike Turk- Beans Taste Fine

Beans Taste Fine (Wampus Cat)

Shel Silverstein- Have Another Espresso

Inside Folk Songs (Water)

The Folk Legacy Trio- The Mermaid

Homecoming (The Folk Legacy Trio)

Rosalie Sorrels- You’re Always Welcome at Our House

Be Careful, There’s a Baby in the House (Green Linnet)

Shel Silverstein- Boa Constrictor

Inside Folk Songs (Water)

Nanci Griffith- The Giving Tree

Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein (Sugar Hill)

Bobby Bare- Rosalie’s Good Eats Café

Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies (RCA)

Bob Gibson- Living Legend

The Living Legend Years (Bob Gibson Legacy).

Next week: Remembering Pete Seeger.

--Mike Regenstreif 

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday August 29, 2023: “Nebraska” and Other Songs of Bruce Springsteen

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/61669.html

Theme: “Nebraska” and Other Songs of Bruce Springsteen.

Bruce Springsteen (photo: Bell Ebbesen)

Bruce Springsteen- House of a Thousand Guitars

Letter to You (Columbia)

Erik Balkey- Born in the U.S.A.

Everything is Great (Hudson Harding)

Harry Manx & Kevin Breit- I’m On Fire

In Good We Trust (Stony Plain)

Dale Boyle- My Hometown

Small Town Van Gogh (Route 132 Productions)

Lucinda Williams- Factory

The Ghosts of Highway 20 (Highway 20)

Joy Zimmerman & Katie Dahl- If I Should Fall Behind

Where the Light Lives (Cultivate Joy)

Bruce Springsteen- Land of Hope and Dreams

Springsteen on Broadway (Columbia)

Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska

Nebraska (Columbia)

Finny McConnell- Atlantic City

The Dark Streets of Love (True North)

Aoife O’Donovan- Mansion on the Hill

Aoife O’Donovan Plays Nebraska (Yep Roc)

Tim Grimm- Johnny 99

Names (Wind River)

Johnny Cash- Highway Patrolman

Johnny 99 (Columbia)

Fafard & Schwartz- State Trooper

Borrowed Horses (Joël Fafard & Joel Schwartz)

Bruce Springsteen- Used Cars

Nebraska (Columbia)

Bruce Springsteen- Open All Night

Nebraska (Columbia)

Amy Speace- My Father’s House

Tuscon (Windbone)

The Blue Warblers- Reason to Believe

Birds (BorderBag Productions)

Bruce Springsteen- The Ghost of Tom Joad

The Ghost of Tom Joad (Columbia)

Tom Russell- Across the Border

Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary: Roots and Branches (Appleseed)

Lucy Kaplansky- Thunder Road

Everyday Street (Lucy Kaplansky)

Bruce Springsteen- Hitch Hikin’

Western Stars (Columbia)

Next week: Joni Mitchell and Others at the Newport Folk Festival.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday June 20, 2023: The Philosophy of Modern Song, Part 2

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

CKCU can be heard live at 93.1 FM in Ottawa and https://www.ckcufm.com/ on the web. 

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/60948.html

Theme: The Philosophy of Modern Song, Part 2.

Bob Dylan wrote about each of the songs on this show in his book, The Philosophy of Modern Song. Except where noted, these tracks are the versions of the songs that Dylan cites.

Dylan cites the 1956 version of “Ruby, Are You Mad at Your Man?” by The Osborne Brothers.

Carolina Chocolate Drops- Ruby, Are You Mad at Your Man?

Leaving Eden (Nonesuch)

Dylan cites the 1958 version of “Volare” by Domenico Modugno.

The Gipsy Kings- Volare

The Best of The Gipsy Kings (Nonesuch/Elektra)

The Clash- London Calling

London Calling (Epic)

Hank Williams- Your Cheatin’ Heart

40 Greatest Hits (Polydor)

Roy Orbison- Blue Bayou

In Dreams (Monument)

Dylan cites the 1970 version of “Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers.

Greg Allman- Midnight Rider

T-Bone Burnett presents The Speaking Clock Revue: Live from The Beacon Theatre (Shout! Factory)

Carl Perkins- Blue Suede Shoes

The Rockin’ Guitar Man: The Singles 1955-1962 (Jasmine)

Little Richard- Long Tall Sally

18 Greatest Hits (Rhino)

Warren Zevon- Dirty Life and Times

The Wind (Artemis)

Mose Allison- Everybody Cryin’ Mercy

I’ve Been Doin’ Some Thinkin’ (Atlantic)

Johnny Cash- Big River

The Legend of Johnny Cash (American Recordings)

Ernie K-Doe- A Certain Girl

Finger Poppin’ and Stompin’ Feet: 20 Classic Allen Toussaint Productions for Minit Records 1960-1962 (Crescent City Soul)

Dylan cites the 1964 version of “Blue Moon” by Dean Martin.

Ian Tyson- Blue Moon

Live at Longview (Stony Plain)

Waylon Jennings- I’ve Always Been Crazy

Nashville Rebel (RCA/Legacy)

Judy Garland- Come Rain or Come Shine

Judy (Capitol)

Jimmy Reed- Big Boss Man

Found Love (Vee-Jay)

Dylan cites the 1928 version of “Old and Only in the Way” by Charlie Poole.

Loudon Wainwright III- Old and Only in the Way

High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (2nd Story Sound)

Nina Simone- Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

Broadway-Blues-Ballads (Philips)

Pete Seeger- Waist Deep in the Big Muddy

Waist Deep in the Big Muddy and Other Love Songs (Columbia)

Elvis Presley- Viva Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas (RCA)

Dylan cites the 1996 version of “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” by Jimmy Webb.

Susie Arioli Band featuring Jordan Officer- By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Learn to Smile Again (Justin Time)

Frank Sinatra- Strangers in the Night

Greatest Love Songs (Reprise)

Santana- Black Magic Woman

Abraxis (Columbia)

Next week: Songs of Bruce Cockburn.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday May 16, 2023: Remembering Gordon Lightfoot

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

CKCU can be heard live at 93.1 FM in Ottawa and https://www.ckcufm.com/ on the web. 

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/60419.html

Theme: Remembering Gordon Lightfoot (1938-2023).

One of our greatest singer-songwriters – whose songs have done much to help define Canadian identity and culture – Gordon Lightfoot passed away on May 1st at age 84.

Gordon Lightfoot- Long River

The Original Lightfoot (EMI)

Bruce Cockburn- Ribbon of Darkness

Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot (Borealis/NorthernBlues)

Matthew Alexander- Steel Rail Blues

Soul River (Caravan)

Ilsey Juber- The Way I Feel

Ladies Sing Lightfoot (Sunset Blvd.)

Gordon Lightfoot- Bitter Green

Songbook (Warner Archives/Rhino)

Johnny Cash- For Lovin’ Me

The Man in Black 1963-’69, Plus (Bear Family)

George Hamilton IV- Did She Mention My Name

In the 4th Dimension (RCA)

Stephen Fearing- Early Morning Rain

Vejpoesi (Stephen Fearing)

Gordon Lightfoot- Alberta Bound

Songbook (Warner Archives/Rhino)

Murray McLauchlan- Home from the Forest

Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot (Borealis/NorthernBlues)

Katy Moffatt- Canadian Railroad Trilogy

Ladies Sing Lightfoot (Sunset Blvd.)

Connie Kaldor- If You Could Read My Mind

Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot (Borealis/NorthernBlues)

Gordon Lightfoot- Cold on the Shoulder

Songbook (Warner Archives/Rhino)

The Kennedys- Cotton Jenny

Ladies Sing Lightfoot (Sunset Blvd.)

Special Consensus- Brave Mountaineers

Great Blue North (Compass)

John McLachlan with Marc Atkinson & Scott White- The Patriot’s Dream

50 Years Since Don Quixote: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot (John McLachlan)

Gordon Lightfoot- The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Songbook (Warner Archives/Rhino)

Darling West- Sundown

Ladies Sing Lightfoot (Sunset Blvd.)

Tony Rice- Walls

Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot (Rounder) 

Quartette- Song for a Winter’s Night

Rocks and Roses (Outside Music)

Gordon Lightfoot- A Painter Passing Through

A Painter Passing Through (Reprise)

Next week: The traditional folk and blues songs of Bob Dylan.

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday March 7, 2023: Songs of Kris Kristofferson

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

CKCU can be heard live at 93.1 FM in Ottawa and https://www.ckcufm.com/ on the web.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/59628.html

Theme: Songs of Kris Kristofferson.

Kris Kristofferson performs at The International Folk Music Awards (2017)

Kris Kristofferson – who recently retired from performing and recording – had tremendous success as a singer and songwriter, and, as an actor. 

I met Kris a couple of times. In 2007, we spent an hour together onstage, and a few minutes chatting beforehand, when I moderated a panel discussion at the Ottawa Folk Festival on the enduring legacy of Woody Guthrie and Kris, along with Nora Guthrie and Jimmy LaFave, was one of the panelists. Then, in 2017, I was an award recipient at the International Folk Music Awards in Kansas City during the Folk Alliance International conference, and Kris was one of the artists who performed at the ceremony, and we had a nice chat at the reception. In both of my encounters with him, Kris couldn’t have been nicer or more humble.

Kris Kristofferson- To Beat the Devil

Me and Bobby McGee (Monument)

Gordon Lightfoot- Me and Bobby McGee

If You Could Read My Mind (Reprise)

Katie Moore- Sunday Morning Coming Down

Only Thing Worse (Borealis)

Johnny Cash- Just the Other Side of Nowhere

Cash Unearthed Volume 1: Who’s Gonna Cry (American)

The Little Willies- For the Good Times

For the Good Times (Milking Bull)

Kris Kristofferson- The Silver Tongued Devil and I

The Silver Tongued Devil and I (Monument)

I noted that Kris Kristofferson was a panelist in a discussion on the enduring influence of Woody Guthrie that I moderated at the Ottawa Folk Festival in 2007. At one point, we were talking about Woody Guthrie’s song, “Tom Joad,” which was essentially a synopsis of John Steinbeck’s book, The Grapes of Wrath, and I mentioned to Kris that one of the few parts of the book that Woody left out of his song was the scene that Kris described in his song, “Here Comes That Rainbow Again.”

Mike Regenstreif, Nora Guthrie, Kris Kristofferson & Jimmy LaFave (2007)

Anne Hills- Here Comes That Rainbow Again

Woman of a Calm Heart (Flying Fish)

Willie Nelson- The Legend

The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (American Roots Publishing)

Marta Gómez- The Circle

The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (American Roots Publishing)

Kris Kristofferson- Duvalier’s Dream

Me and Bobby McGee (Monument)

Jessica Chastain- Help Me Make It Through the Night

George & Tammy soundtrack (Sony Masterworks)

Roy Orbison- Something They Can’t Take Away from Me

For the Good Times: The Songs of Kris Kristofferson (Ace)

Joan Osborne- Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends

Pretty Little Stranger (Vanguard)

Chris Hillman- The Taker

Morning Sky (Sugar Hill)

Kris Kristofferson- Jody and the Kid

The Silver Tongued Devil and I (Monument)

Kris Kristofferson- Broken Freedom Song

The Cedar Creek Sessions (KK)

Johnny Cash- Casey’s Last Ride

Cash Unearthed Volume 1: Who’s Gonna Cry (American)

Rosanne Cash- Lovin’ Him was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)

The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (American Roots Publishing)

Russell Crowe & The Ordinary Fear of God- Darby’s Castle

The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (American Roots Publishing)

Kris Kristofferson- The Pilgrim: Chapter 33

The Silver Tongued Devil and I (Monument)

Janis Joplin- Me and Bobby McGee

Pearl (Columbia)

Next week: Gamblers.

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday August 2, 2022: The Legacy of Johnny Cash

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

CKCU can be heard live at 93.1 FM in Ottawa and https://www.ckcufm.com/ on the web.

This episode of Stranger Songs was prerecorded and can be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/57120.html

Theme: The Legacy of Johnny Cash.

In my opinion, Johnny Cash – who died in 2003 at age 71 and who drew on folk music, blues and rockabilly influences – was the single greatest figure in country music history. On this show, we’ll hear a few of Johnny Cash’s recordings and some songs from his repertoire performed by other artists.

Johnny Cash- I Walk the Line
Classic Cash (Mercury)

Johnny Cash- Red Velvet
The Man in Black, 1963-1969, Plus (Bear Family)
Ian & Sylvia- Come in Stranger
Early Morning Rain (Vanguard)
Johnny Cash- Four Strong Winds
American V: A Hundred Highways (American Recordings)
Ian & Sylvia- Big River
Movin’ On 1967-1968 (Mercury)

Rosanne Cash- Tennessee Flat Top Box
King’s Record Shop (Columbia)
John Stewart- Get Rhythm
Airdream Believer (Shanachie)
Johnny Cash- W. Lee O’Daniel (and the Light Crust Dougboys)
Johnny Cash is Coming to Town (Mercury)
Fred Holstein- Folsom Prison Blues
Live at the Earl of Old Town (Holstein)

Johnny Cash- Veteran’s Day
Wounded Heart of America (Tom Russell Songs) (HighTone)
Tom Russell- Wreck of the Old 97
October in the Railroad Earth (Frontera)
Norah Jones- Cry, Cry, Cry
The Fall: Deluxe Edition (Blue Note)
Roy Forbes- I Still Miss Someone
Some Tunes for that Mother of Mine (AKA)

Johnny Cash- Joshua Gone Barbados
Johnny 99 (Columbia)
Brendan Nolan- The Forty Shades of Green
Live at the Side Door (Ould Segosha)
Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter & Sheryl Crow- Flesh and Blood
Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash (Lucky Dog)
Johnny Cash- If You Could Read My Mind
American V: A Hundred Highways (American Recordings)

Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash- Girl from the North Country
Travelin’ Thru: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15, 1967-1969 (Columbia Legacy)
Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash- It Ain’t Me Babe

Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (Columbia/Legacy)
Bob Dylan- Train of Love
Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash (Lucky Dog)
Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash- Guess Things Happen That Way
Travelin’ Thru: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15, 1967-1969 (Columbia Legacy)

Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash- Jackson
The Legend of Johnny Cash (American Recordings)
Shel Silverstein- Boy Named Sue
Boy Named Sue and His Other Country Songs (Water)
Kris Kristofferson- Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down
Me and Bobby McGee (Monument)
Johnny Cash- Bird on a Wire
American Recordings (American Recordings)

Next week: “Acapella Stella” and other a cappella songs.

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday April 5, 2022: Remembering John Prine

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU in Ottawa on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

CKCU can be heard live at 93.1 FM in Ottawa and https://www.ckcufm.com/ on the web.

This episode of Stranger Songs was prerecorded at home and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/55771.html

Theme: Remembering John Prine (1946-2020). John died on April 7, 2020 from COVID-19 at age 73 – an early victim of the pandemic.

John Prine- Souvenirs
Souvenirs (Oh Boy)

Steve Goodman- Blue Umbrella
Jessie’s Jig & Other Favorites (Red Pajamas)
Bonnie Koloc- Clocks & Spoons
Timeless (Mr. Biscuit)
Tim Grimm- Sam Stone
Names (Wind River)
John Prine- Boundless Love
The Tree of Forgiveness (Oh Boy)

Reggie Harris- Hello In There
On Solid Ground (Reggie Harris Music)
Nanci Griffith with John Prine- Speed of the Sound of Loneliness
Other Voices/Other Rooms (Elektra)

John McCutcheon- The Night That John Prine Died
Cabin Fever: Songs from the Quarantine (Appalsongs)
Ellis Paul- Angel from Montgomery
Ellis Paul’s Traveling Medicine Show Vol. 1 (Rosella)
Leo Gillespie- Aimless Love
Leo Gillespie (Leo Gillespie)
John Prine & Iris DeMent- In Spite of Ourselves
In Spite of Ourselves (Oh Boy)

Rob Lutes- Rocky Mountain Time
Walk in the Dark (Lucky Bear)
Tim & Mollie O'Brien- Unwed Fathers
Sugar Hill Records: A Retrospective (Sugar Hill)
John Prine- Egg & Daughter Night, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone)
The Tree of Forgiveness (Oh Boy)

Bonnie Koloc- Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone
Timeless (Mr. Biscuit)
John Prine- Please Don’t Bury Me
Souvenirs (Oh Boy)
Mark Haines & Tom Leighton- That’s the Way the World Goes Round
Hand to Hand (Borealis)
Keith Sykes & John Prine- Everybody Wants to Feel Like You
Don’t Count Us Out (Syren)
John Prine- Spanish Pipedream
Live at The Other End, December 1975 (Rhino)

Folkapotamus- I Remember Everything
We’ll Dance Again (PhatCat)
John Prine- Fish and Whistle
Souvenirs (Oh Boy)
Johnny Cash- Paradise
Personal File (Columbia/Legacy)

John Prine- When I Get to Heaven
The Tree of Forgiveness (Oh Boy)

Next week: Songs and Conversation with Eliza Gilkyson

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

John Prine 1946-2020

I was devastated tonight when the news broke that John Prine, one of the greatest of the folk-rooted singer-songwriters, had died following a battle with COVID-19 at age 73.

I met John a few times over the years. I got to hang out with him a couple of times. Saw him do a few concerts, and interviewed him a couple of times – once for radio and once for the Montreal Gazette. 

I was introduced to John backstage when he came to perform in Montreal for the first time in 2001 and mentioned that we’d met once before, about 25 years earlier. John looked me up and down and said something like, “Oh yeah, Steve Goodman introduced us at Mariposa.” He was absolutely correct.

When Sylvie and I were on vacation in Florida in December, John was doing a concert nearby at Ruth Ekerd Hall in Clearwater and we went to see him. It was a fabulous show but I didn’t try and go back to say hello because I knew that John was scheduled to be at the National Arts Centre here in Ottawa this coming July, that it would be easier to connect then. But that was before this horrible pandemic hit.

My deepest condolences to Fiona Prine, their sons, and all of John’s loved ones – and to all of us who loved his songs.

Here is my Montreal Gazette interview with John, published on April 19, 2005. Prine in his prime Musician and former mailman was honoured last month at Library of Congress as ‘a genuine poet of the American people’ By Mike Regenstreif After a stint in the army in the 1960s, John Prine spent six years as a mailman in Chicago and started making up songs as a way to amuse himself as he walked his route.

 
He certainly couldn’t have imagined then that one day he’d be honoured as a major literary figure for his songwriting at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. But there he was last month, being described by Ted Kooser, the poet laureate of the United States, as “a truly original writer, unequaled, and a genuine poet of the American people.”

Prine was still a mailman when he wrote classic songs like Sam Stone, Hello in There, Angel from Montgomery and Illegal Smile and started playing them at open-mike nights at the Earl of Old Town, a Chicago folk club. Heard at the Earl by Kris Kristofferson, who became his champion, Prine was signed to Atlantic Records which released his self-titled debut album in 1971.

Prine’s songs have been covered by artists ranging from Bette Midler and Bonnie Raitt to Johnny Cash and Nanci Griffith. Prine’s last two albums were 1999’s In Spite of Ourselves, a collection of country standards sung as duets with a variety of women singers, and Souvenirs, a set of early Prine songs that he re-recorded in 2000.

On April 26, Prine will release Fair & Square, his first album of new material since Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings came out a decade ago. Though he rarely agrees to interviews, he spoke by phone last week from his home in Nashville.

Prine, who became a father at the age of 49, pointed to parenthood for a slowdown in his output of new material. “My two sons are 9 and 10. They were born when I went out on the road with Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings. The kids have a tendency to keep you busy.”

In writing songs for the new album, Prine had to make appointments with himself to find the time. “I used to sit around and wait for lightning to strike. But you can’t do that when you’ve got stuff to do all day with the kids.”

Something else that held Prine back for some time was a bout with neck cancer seven years ago. “I had a radical neck dissection and they had to do radiation across my throat for six weeks.”
Prine says he’s healthy now. “Things are going great. I go back once a year for a checkup and they tell me I don’t need to be there.”

The fact that Prine has owned Oh Boy Records, his own label, for 20 years also meant there wasn’t the typical record company pressure to keep the product flowing. After a series of albums in the 1970s and early-’80s for Atlantic and Asylum, Prine walked away from the majors to do Aimless Love in 1984.

“I didn’t think that the major labels were doing the same thing that I was doing. Mainly they want pop records that sell a lot and I could feel a lot of frustration with them trying to get my stuff on the radio. It was like working at a factory that you didn’t like so I decided to ... go directly to the people who were coming to the shows.”

By the time Prine did German Afternoons, his second indie album in 1986, he knew that he’d never go back to the majors. “I was in the studio singing the thing and people had already paid for it. It broke even before it came out. You can’t do that with a major label.”

Prine’s label has done so well that he’s signed several other artists to it including Janis Ian and Kristofferson, his early booster.

Prine has never shied away from confronting serious issues in his songs. Sam Stone, from his first album, tells the story of a soldier who fought in Vietnam and came home addicted to drugs.

“If somebody had asked me back then if I thought that 30 years later I’d be playing it, I’d probably have said no.”

Nor have politicians stopped leading the next generations of Sam Stones into war. In a spoken word passage from Some Humans Ain’t Human on the new album, Prine sings about how “some cowboy from Texas starts his own war in Iraq.”

Prine, whose wife, Fiona, is from Ireland, wrote the song when they were there on a family visit at the same time that President George W. Bush made his own visit to Ireland. “Tens of thousands of people turned out to demonstrate against him and against the U.S. being in Iraq, but they hid all those people, keeping them about 15 miles from the airport.”

Like much of Prine’s output, the songs on Fair & Square feel new and unique yet instantly familiar. Whether filled with humour like Crazy as a Loon, a send-up of ephemeral fame and stardom, or a sad love song like The Moon Is Down, Prine’s lyrics are beautifully crafted and his melodies the model of perfect simplicity.

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–Mike Regenstreif