Troubadour Richie Havens
Friday, April 30, 2010
Richie Havens has used his music to convey a message of brotherhood, hope, and
personal freedom for over forty years as he sings against social injustices and oppression. His platform of choice has been through roughly two dozen some odd
record releases and a never-ending touring schedule that has brought
him to stages across the globe. And through it all, Havens continues to view his chosen vocation as a higher calling stating, "I'm
not in show business. I only sing songs that move me. What I'm really
in is the communications business. That's what it's all about for me."
Blessed with one the most distinguished and recognizable voices in contemporary music, Havens
remains as honest, soulful and ageless as when he first emerged from
the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 1960s. His is a voice
that has always inspired and in some cases even electrified as it did
at the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival in 1969, and at the Clinton
Inauguration in 1993, as well as in 1999 when he came full circle
appearing at the 30th Woodstock Anniversary celebration, 'A Day in the Garden.' Fortunate to have witnessed Havens
many times throughout the years, I've observed him age with a unique
kind of splendid of grace --- losing none of his power to enchant and
enthrall --- becoming a rare and inspiring voice of eloquence,
integrity and social responsibility. Obviously, I'm captivated by the
music and spirit of Richie Havens,
and I hope that by sharing some examples with you here, they'll serve
to beguile you as well. Of course that's based on the assumption that
you're not already among the many converted.
About The Music
Havens foremost strength lays in his ability at rendering the songs of others, particularly those of The Beatles and Bob Dylan. In fact, in 1987 he recorded an entire album of Lennon/McCartney and Dylan tunes for the Ryko label. Although he's more than capable of writing many fine songs for himself, it's ultimately his interpretive skills that carry the day. In addition to the aforementioned tunesmiths, he's also covered exceptional songwriters like James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Kris Kristofferson, Joni Mitchell and CSN&Y (both collectively and individually). Likewise, similar authors such as Robbie Robertson, Fred Neil and Donovan Leitch. More surprisingly however, he's tackled such disparate writers as Sting, Marvin Gaye, The Jefferson Airplane and even The Who to name just a few. What is most astonishing however is that each of his readings are haunting, extraordinary performances that transform the originals into such personal statements that he succeeds on nearly every level at making them seem to have come from his very own pen. It's simply an astounding feat.
In arranging the songs for Parts 1 & 2 of 'The Minstrel From Bedford-Stuyvesant,' I've tried my best to keep the material in the chronological order of their release, but I've have made a few adjustments for the sake of flow. Of the featured albums, Richie's 'Mixed Bag' is presented in its entirety, while 'Richard P. Havens, 1983' is also nearly complete, as I believe these two albums are among his very best work (although his recent output is also extremely strong). His take on Quicksilver's, 'What About Me?' comes from a video clip that was taken from a BBC television performance that featured Havens with a small ensemble. 'Wonder Child,' on the other hand comes from Sesame Street where it was originally was performed back in 1975. Conspicuously absent in these sets however are selections from his late 70s A&M releases as well as his recordings from the early 80s, as these are critically considered to be among his weakest. Due to the demise of MGM Records who distributed his own Stormy Forest label, Havens lost creative control over his recorded output during this period, subsequently releasing a string of label produced, trend heavy releases that today sound overproduced and sorely dated. While they do contain some memorable moments, unfortunately there are not nearly enough to warrant their inclusion. It was only with the release of '...Sings Beatles And Dylan' in 1987 that Havens was finally able to take repossession of his authority to determine the direction of his recorded output, and he then began to reclaim the mantle that always described him best --- an acoustic soul giant --- re-emerging even more inspiring and relevant than ever before.
The Minstrel From Bedford-Stuyvesant, Pt.1
1) Sugarplums
(Something Else Again)
2) High Flyin' Bird
3) I Can't Make It Anymore
4) Morning, Morning
5) Adam
6) Follow
7) Three Day Eternity
8) Sandy
9) Handsome Johnny
10) San Francisco Bay Blues
11) Just Like A Woman
12) Eleanor Rigby
(Mixed Bag)
13) Run, Shaker Life
14) From The Prison
(Something Else Again)
15) Here Comes The Sun
(Alarm Clock)
16) Woman
(Collection)
17) Younger Men Grow Older
(Alarm Clock)
17) Stop Pushing And Pulling Me
19) For Heaven's Sake
(Richard P. Havens, 1983)
20) Something Else Again
(Something Else Again)
1) Sugarplums
(Something Else Again)
2) High Flyin' Bird
3) I Can't Make It Anymore
4) Morning, Morning
5) Adam
6) Follow
7) Three Day Eternity
8) Sandy
9) Handsome Johnny
10) San Francisco Bay Blues
11) Just Like A Woman
12) Eleanor Rigby
(Mixed Bag)
13) Run, Shaker Life
14) From The Prison
(Something Else Again)
15) Here Comes The Sun
(Alarm Clock)
16) Woman
(Collection)
17) Younger Men Grow Older
(Alarm Clock)
17) Stop Pushing And Pulling Me
19) For Heaven's Sake
(Richard P. Havens, 1983)
20) Something Else Again
(Something Else Again)
The Minstrel From Bedford-Stuyvesant, Pt.2
1) Strawberry Fields Forever
2) What More Can I Say John?
3) I Pity The Poor Immigrant
4) Lady Madonna
5) Priests
6) Indian Rope Man
7) Cautiously
8) Just Above My Hobby Horse's Head
9) Putting Out The Vibration And Hoping It Comes Home
10) The Parable Of Ramon
(Richard P. Havens, 1983)
11) What About Me?
(BBC Four)
12) Wonder Child
(Sesame Street)
13) Handouts In The Rain
14) Stardust And Passion
(Wishing Well)
15) When
16) Scarlet Flames
(Grace Of The Sun)
17) They Dance Alone
18) The Hawk
(Cuts To The Chase)
1) Strawberry Fields Forever
2) What More Can I Say John?
3) I Pity The Poor Immigrant
4) Lady Madonna
5) Priests
6) Indian Rope Man
7) Cautiously
8) Just Above My Hobby Horse's Head
9) Putting Out The Vibration And Hoping It Comes Home
10) The Parable Of Ramon
(Richard P. Havens, 1983)
11) What About Me?
(BBC Four)
12) Wonder Child
(Sesame Street)
13) Handouts In The Rain
14) Stardust And Passion
(Wishing Well)
15) When
16) Scarlet Flames
(Grace Of The Sun)
17) They Dance Alone
18) The Hawk
(Cuts To The Chase)
Source material for 'The Minstrel From Bedford-Stuyvesant, Pts.1&2' come from the following:
Mixed Bag (1967)/Something Else Again (1968)
Richard P. Havens, 1983 (1969)/Alarm Clock (1971)
BBC Four (1974)/Sesame Street (1975)
Collection (1987)/Cuts To The Chase (1994)
Wishing Well (2002)/Grace Of The Sun (2004)
Mixed Bag (1967)/Something Else Again (1968)
Richard P. Havens, 1983 (1969)/Alarm Clock (1971)
BBC Four (1974)/Sesame Street (1975)
Collection (1987)/Cuts To The Chase (1994)
Wishing Well (2002)/Grace Of The Sun (2004)
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