The Lost Townes Van Zandt Interview 1993 - RARE
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- Recorded Dec. 1993 this rare interview with Townes Van Zandt reveals insights into Townes life, and his adventures with Blaze Foley. I edited out songs and added a little compression to boost audio quality. I do not own copyright.
So many peole think of Townes as a sad, addicted and troubled fugure, but what a brilliant, highly educated and soulful artist he was, the likes of which will rarely if-ever be seen again.
Nothing these days
I felt like Townes was sitting a few feet away, sharing straight from the heart.
Very similar to Elliott Smith
Townes is in my Mt Rushmore of singer/songwriters, along with Dylan, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, and Warren Zevon. I know that's 5, but I cant drop any of them below any of the others. And I know you probably dont know who he is, but I actually have Elliott Smith as my 6th one.
He was all of that and more. But they prefer to exploit all the dark and/or negative aspects of his life for dramatic effect. That’s what media in general does. It’s disgusting. And fake. Believe none of what you hear and half of what ya see. Learn it. Live it. Lol
Great interview - The person doing the interview hardly ever interrupted Townes. Just let him talk. Perfect way to conduct an interview like this.
sounds like hank hill, wait a minute it IS HANK HILL
its obvious a lot of the interviews questions are edited out to keep it flowing
Larry Monroe@@andrewmiller3107
except for the fact he didnt even recognize Waiting Around To Die as his first ever "serious song" as Townes always refered to it.. And paying homage to one of his finest tracks. see for yourself at 7:45 ending at 8:15 with a annoyed Late Great Townes Van Zandt saying " Yeah i was about to do that. " not cool.
The interviewer is Larry Monroe who presented a lot of great music and interviews on the University of Texas Austin radio station KUT. Back in the day.
I had the good fortune to be introduced to Townes’ music at the age of 16 in 1971, by my high school boyfriend, later my husband. We followed his career for the next 26 years. I eventually became a magazine reporter for a national magazine and could get backstage access to his shows during the nineties. He was so down to earth and I felt an instant rapport. Over the years we attended any show he performed in Austin during college days and in Houston up until he died. His shows were unpredictable, sometimes he passed out on stage, other times he was witty and prolific. He was always witty as hell, had a sharp and quick sense of humor. I once attended a show in Houston that called itself Writers in the Round, in which Townes shared a small stage with three other well known song writers. One of the performers was David Broza, an Israeli folkie who apparently was too self-reverential for Townes. When it was Broza’s turn to perform, he gave an intro to his set by referring to a gig he had recently done at a Farm Aid event. Townes interrupted loudly and suddenly by asking, “Fire Maid?? What’s that? Like a Meter maid for fires??” Some of us in the audience burst into loud and long laughter, myself included. Visibly pissed, Broza glared at Townes, who then abruptly left the stage, saying, “See y’all!” I just learned today that when Townes died five years later, he left Broza a box of lyrics to unfinished songs, asking him to finish them. Clearly he regretted poking fun at a fellow artist.
I met him backstage at Rockefeller’s in Houston two times after that, once when he was with his former wife Frances and son JT, the second shortly before he died. He was two different men, happy and healthy with family, a frail desperate man before the end
That was better story about Towns life than the interview! Well Done.
Those last days were really rough even to witness second hand. Alcoholism is a grim end, but this interview was when we was clean for that last bit I think before. he really took a downturn (I think). He was very clear headed fr this.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this. Fantastic post! Tell us more!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I first heard his music in the early 90s when I was in college but never had the chance to see him live. If I could go back in time for a chance to see any performer it would be Townes, for sure. Stevie Ray Vaughan would be next.
A treasure for the poor to find.
Loop and Lil agree
❤️
@@lastnamefirst4035 0
Wonder what happened to loop and lil? Perhaps they flew away
I played and lived with Townes for a number of years right to the end. I was headed to Memphis to play the Blind Willie Mctell song " Dying Crap Shooter Blues" with Townes on what turned out to be his last recording session. As I was getting in my car to go to Memphis I got a call saying that they were heading back to Nashville because Townes couldn't finish the session, later that night he died. I miss him every day.
Michael Catalano
That’s amazing. Would’ve loved to seen him live
Did they get any recordings done?
HEAVY !!!!
Thanks for sharing. I've been a Townes fan for many of my 78 years. I miss him.
@@galeharoldjr7950 Some of MY favorite songs when i play my guitar,,,pancho and lefty,,dead flowers,,,snowing on ratone,,,THank YOU TOWNES,,,THANK YOU GALE
I was a songwriter in Nashville in the early 1980s and I remember seeing him several times hanging out at Springwater Bar. Happy I was in that environment at the time. One of the overlooked songwriters who is in the same line as Bob Dylan in my opinion. RIP Townes.
He really is up there with Dylan
I do believe Bobby would agree too ..
@@paulgalligan1916 He is the rare writer whose best songs match Bob's for depth and intensity, and , like bob, he can match the depth in his singing. He doesn't have Bob's range of songs, though. Marie is just beautiful. So is Tecumseh Valley and None But The Rain.
I gotta say, Townes Van Zandt tapped into things Bob Dylan can barely even imagine. Not that I dont love Dylan or think he isnt one of the greats...but there are just places Townes goes that Dylan doesn't...never has and never will.
Yes sir
It's a shame he didn't live long enough for a great biography/audio book . I could listen to him talking about his songs and his life all day.
Crazy how everyone says he wasn't with it as he got older.... It seems the only thing he wasn't in tune with was his alcoholism. What a damn shame.
Probably the best Townes interview I have heard. Thanks for posting it. Beautiful stuff.
What a treasure this is! Its been many years since I've heard his speaking voice, and here he is so lucid and funny, and tells some great song stories. thank you for posting it.
I met Townes in May 1993, I think it was Mother's Day, he did a show at a tiny club, Nicholby's in CA. I got to set the stage lights. He was such a gentleman, rough on the outside, a diamond within. A wicked sharp sense of humor, intelligent, fast with jokes and stories, and just a blast to banter with. He was in a bit of rough shape that night, but he put on a great show, just him and his guitar, he captivated the crowd.
He was so tall, didn't seem that tall until he stood up and was all legs.
I feel blessed to have met him. He had a deep, deep soul. Vodka and Snapple. That was his drink that night. He left the best part of himself in the songs.
Love his music. I live in the uk and you never hear much american country music on the radio. But i was watching some johnny cash videos here on youtube and somebody in the comments reccomended townes and ive been hooked ever since. The best songwriter i have ever heard
Here in the states, even steeped in old school and outlaw country, he never gets the credit he deserves. We aren’t keen on remembering the complicated and important parts of our history, just the shiny bullshit.
Radio 2 have a country show I think on Sunday night's and Radio cambs has a country and folk show too
Some of this music is called Americana, or folk, or roots. Couple artists: James McMurty- ‘Rachel’s Song’ , Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell, early Jimmy Buffett stuff, Stan Rogers.
Amazing I've listened to this a hundred times wish there were more of these
For someone who came to such a tragic end,he sounds totally charming and very articulate at this time what a sad sad loss.
GREAT....ALL LIFE IS LIKE THIS..........BLESS AMERICA....ALL.AMERICAN PATRIOTS!!!!!!!
Towns suffered serious trauma and addiction in his life. Like many people past present and future are and will be. The problem with society is that we think successful people look and sound a certain way, and addicts/mental health suffers look totally different. But reality is we’re all one in the same.
@tommythompsonsurfer what's that supposed to mean, clown.Go back to your circus.
Townes would hate people like you, patriot Bellshit. Humble he was, you, I'm not inhumane enough to say what I think of you. No offence stupid git.
,
Im very glad I found this interview. I could listen to him talk forever. So softspoken and he tells stories wonderfully.
It’s incredible how a person can be such a lucid genius while sober, but the same personality only writes brilliant songs while drunk. Much respect
It's wonderful to hear him so healthy, coherent, and thoughtful. It's so astounding that he could just decide to sit down and write a song and those jewels would appear.. Even though I was strongly involved in the "folk" community, working in a club that presented a vast array of national level talent, sadly, being located in the Upper Midwest neither Towns nor my other favorite Guy Clark made it up to us. I did see them both at a huge Canadian Folk Festival, Guy alone one year and both another year. Although Townes performances in workshops and on stage were excellent, behind the scenes he was struggling. It broke my heart to witness it, even though I wasn't closely connected to the escalating crisis. Townes had a very difficult history, and was poorly served by the medical community in his early years. He defeated his demons for a time, as this interview clearly shows, then something would cause him to just not be able to cope any longer, and he made poor to worse choices that only aggravated his dilemma. Then somehow he would climb out, be productive and the cycle begin again. It's a mystery why some of the most talented people, with so much to say and to offer, carry such dark pits of despair. But we see it over and over. I guess it is that sensitivity that allows them to create songs and performances that reach out and grab us on such a visceral level. I wish it could have been otherwise for Townes though.
Seems like his memory works just fine
That was a beautiful post about Townes. Thank you.
😊
Yes. He was subjected to the insane quackery of insulin shock therapy. Disastrous. Possibly affecting his brain chemistry lifelong.
Townes was always so modest and giving.
Unbelievably humble, like a true Texan.
Yes he was
Love this!! Learned a lot more about the man that was Townes Van Zandt-thank you!! RIP Townes Van Zandt....
I got lucky and got to see Townes play right around then. He was lucid and brilliant and it was one beautiful evening. Bless his soul.
Man, outstanding interview. Townes is such a gentle soul.
"You're soft as glass and I'm a gentle man"
Thank you for this. It's excellent.
It's always a pleasure listening to Townes speak.👍😀
If you can find the CD "Last Rights" it will be worth your while. It is a 1997 compilation of songs with interview clips interspersed. My former boss, the recently deceased Nick "Chinga' Chavin produced it. I worked on the packaging artwork.
Track Listings
1 Blaze's Blues
2 The Homeless- Dialog
3 Marie
4 Life-Dialog
5 The Hole
6 Cowboy Junkies Lament
7 Pancho & Lefty Story-Dialog
8 Panco & Lefty
9 Lightin' Hopkins-Dialog
10 Brand New Champion
11 Tecumseh Valley
12 Wedding Song & Hits-Dialog
13 If I Needed You
14 I'll Be Here In The Morning
15 Waitin' Round To Die
16 Seeds, Roots & Sprouts
17 One man House Band At The Jester Lounge
18 Early Influences
19 Under The Influences
20 Pancho, Lefty & Townes
21 Somebody Had To Write It
22 Exiles, Exists & Endings
23 Ghost Harp & Concertina
I was going to say - I own almost all of his albums, the songbook, and Heart Worn Highways.
To my ear, nothing hits like “Last Rights”. It is so damn good. I don’t endorse Spotify but I wish it were there for so many more people need to hear that one. Thanks for bringing it up and contributing to its existence! !
This is the first Townes Van Zandt being interviewed, I heard a lot about this man from other people but I did not get around to checking out until very recently, To me Townes Van was a highly educated and deeply thoughtful man, a great storyteller, a poet also a very great singer/songwriting artists who will be listened to and referred to forevermore
It's sad to know that this man isn't known as much as he should be. Not for fame but for the pure talent.
Don't worry my friend he is well known by a lot of people that care about good music. It's getting everyone else to know that's the trouble 😂
I fully agree with Mr Spacemen, Townes Van Zandt is known all over our world for his brilliant singing, songwriting storytelling, guitar playing and the kind and highly intelligent man he was, The full history of Townes Van Zandt has not been written yet
The real ones know. Forget about the others
Thanks to the internet he is becoming known.
Educated soft spoken gentle man - thanks for posting this
Great, Great Interview And such a tragic loss for all of us to lose an amazing Talent and Down to Earth Human Being, Townes, way before his time.
Townes was way too intense to be "down to earth."
WOW I came across this guy by a cover of the Cowboy Junkies cover. What talent, so very sad and such a loss.
Great interview! Townes Van Zandt Amazing Songwriter where still today Many People sadly don't know! "Tecumseh Valley", "If I Needed You"" "To Live is to Fly" are Complete Gem! Thank-You Townes Van Zandt resting in Peace in Heaven!
I was lucky enough to see Townes Van Zandt in 1996 at the Ashgrove West on the Santa Monica pier... a short lived homage to the original Ashgrove. I had no idea who Townes was but a musician friend told me to buy a ticket. Townes was obviously ill and not 100% but his performance was one of the most amazing and emotional things I have ever seen...
"Our Mother the Mountain" and the self titled "Townes Van Zandt" albums are really complete gems. I was listening to them a few days ago trying to decide which was better. The Townes Van Zandt album is probably my favorite because every song is great, and the random percussion instruments strewn throughout add a lot to the recordings. Both came out in 1969! Such a great year for Townes! I believe if the "Seven come Eleven" (Nashville sessions)album had been released in 1973 Townes career would have taken a different direction. Kevin Edgers not paying for the tapes, causing them to be held by the studio really hurt the momentum Townes had built. The songs on that album were recorded in the more traditional way Townes did things than the "Flying Shoes" album that eventually replaced it 5 years later. Of course Townes did very little to help his career either, other than write incredible songs.
The answer is rearview mirror is better.
@@tonym2513 Rearview mirror is great, but It's a live album of songs from his first 7 albums. It's more like a greatest hits.
@@michaelharrington75 I’m aware. But I said what I said. Ty for the engaging post!
It bothers me that musicians my age don’t even know who Townes is. It’s heartbreaking really, if I were as profound as he was, I’d love to bring his sort of approach to music again. Music is longing a brain like his to come back.
gonna be a long tine.
American folk, study american folk
I know. Friends at work who love music don't know of Townes. They heard of Willy Nelson and Merle but told me that Townes got the lyrics to poncho and lefty wrong when they heard him sing it. One is a Native American that really loves music, had never heard of Buffy Sainte Marie.
There’s a whole group of great folk songwriters coming up at the moment. Check out Benjamin Tod, The Hill Country Devil, Casper Allen, Chris Acker, Nick Shoulders, Charlie Crockett, and Matt Heckler. Ought to get you started on a good path, with the first four names I mentioned , specifically, being Townes-esque.
Some do. Check out The Hill Country Devil and Benjamin Tod, both younger guys influenced by Townes.
This is an excellent interview, Townes is so lucid and articulate and really shares some cool insight.
I've been meaning to listen to this for a while, and I just happened to tune in this morning on what would've been Townes' 80th birthday. Strange.
Thank you so much AGENTARMS. Indeed pure gold.
You're welcome! Enjoy amigo
He wrote a beautiful song while he slept. Amazing.
He is and will be missed by anyone who ever heard his songs.
what a storyteller
......Brilliant interview,....Thank you...
Pure gold!
Ivan - Steve Earle guitar town
This man speaks in earnest and a normal voice ... simply offering some insight to the interested listener .. not a series of 'Bonmots' weaved together to accomodate any myth . indeed a rare opportunity 🌹☮️
Thank you for posting this fabulous interview.
Wonderful interview. Much appreciated.
Golden words from a Texas legend.
The man could slay you just listening to him talk. When he sang, universe opened. Dead Flowers makes Stones seem like wannabees
Beautiful. Folk genius and eloquence.
Townes at the Flora Bama around this time was a life changing experience for me. Thank you Martha for introducing me to him and his music.
man towns could of been talking about me,,thanks so for putting this up
That was Kick Ass ! Thank You !
Knowing how much he devolved into alcoholism at the end of his life it’s surprising to hear how lucid and clear he is here. Idk what I expected but not this. Sad he went out the way he did but he left behind a hell of a legacy.
9:53 to roughly 13:00 when he's explaining the creation of "If I Needed You" is pretty much everything you need to know about Townes Van Zandt.
thank you.
How the hell did this wonderful interview get preserved? Thank you from Idaho!
I first heard it on a late era Townes bootleg. I believe it was called Texas Legend??
The unmistakable voice of Larry Monroe. Every Saturday he made Austin Radio worth listening to for many years. I miss him and Paul Ray from KUT Radio.
YAY & AMEN! I lived for Folkways on Saturday!🙏
Townes Van Zandt was such a tapestry of Americana, but the Texan in him always came through. Such an intelligent, gentle soul. His music and natural humor has touched so many, and will continue to do so.
Such a treasure this interview XD
A pure talent. No, a pure person, better. The talent -in spades- wouldn't be what it is without the purity of intent and character.
need a transcript of this interview so badly. so many amazing tvz quotes. cried at the end.
around 31:35... "i never got along with life very well"
I agree - definitely need a transcript of this interview!
@@geobum yeah i caught that. At that point ya kinda know he wouldnt be around long. I wasnt expecting the end. Made me 😢
Jerry Jeff, yay! Townes made you famous and you were humble enough to acknowledge it.
I'd say Jerry Jeff did that himself and with Guy Clark songs not TVZ
RIP Jerry Jeff, 10/23/2020.
Amazing interview. I first heard Townes in 1973 in the Austin area at a small festival. I was able to be introduced to him. He was pretty messed up drinking alcohol and I don't know what else but his talent was evident. I've been a major fan ever since. Thanks for sharing this.
After learning my first Townes song and playing it for a local dj he shared some more Townes songs with me which I learned in rthe middle of the night I would wake up with a song just playing in my head so many times I would force myself to get up and just c write them now. This all happene d after a concert at Lake Selmac Oregon after showing up after the show and a Banjo man asked me if I knew any Townes to whi c h I said I know a few we played al l night but after this I woke up so many nights with songs playing in my head I wrote many of them down.
Townes was an angel soul with a bad drinking and drug problem.
the story of every angel.. :)
Aren't we all?
Thanks.
John Townes Van Zandt[1] (March 7, 1944 - January 1, 1997), .
Blaze and Townes. I always thought Townes was the one who needed help and Blaze was the helper. Of course that was much later than the Alabama Hotel incident. Townes came to Blazes funeral. Big of him. I had never seen Townes so fit. Lyse Mooretold me Townes had been in an intensive 12 step program.
How do you know lyse?
From decades ago at Anderson Fair. My neighbor now.
Are you Richard and Edith's friend from Switzerland?
Thank you ✌️
Man, how does this only have 3,000 views.
Ask Jeanene and the Eggers brothers.
@@jonzotee2744 I'm almost finished reading the book harold Eggers wrote (kinda/sorta) about townes. Curious what you mean, I'm a youngin
@@Townes.VanZandt There is a lot of drama involved in the release of Townes' recordings. Some people think they own rights what they don't actually own, etc.
What a humble,talented man!
Genius.
Oh boy ..what a wonderful man.
Proving once again that there is no situation that the cops can't make worse.
He had his entire childhood erased by insulin-shock therapy. A discredited practice.
This probably helped be a songwriter, but didn't help him understand anything about life and made him depend on alcohol.
oh, Townes…miss you , those songs , stories, your were so sweet.
How fitting is it that his biggest influence was Lightin Hopkins, thats just way too cool!
thank you richly..
Robbin' Marx daammn!!
So sad at the end. I thought townes died at 58 not 52. He wrote so many beautiful songs
Big country blues man.
Love you Townes thanx
give'em hell townes ol pal of mine
I will forever hear the original dream version of "If I Needed You" with "lowed like a cow". I love this story.
So good.
RIP TOWNES xxxooo
My mother had multiple books of family history lines and told me Townes was my second cousin.
Pure Genius so Talented and one of My Songwriter Heroes
When an interview sounds like a Hunter S Thompson novel
So wonderful what a great artist
We were halfway to Nashville, at the edge of the mountains, when the tequila sunrises began to take hold.
He was very lucid on this day
Lovely recording.RIP Townes.
Greatest musician ever
No
it is very arguably a yes.
Great interview where, as others have said, he was simply allowed to tell his story. Very interested to hear of his early writing involvement with Jerry Jeff Walker and his involvement with Guy and Suzanna Clark.
Just a tragedy that the medical profession could not control his life shortening demons.
What a treasure and what a loss.
He was a good friend of Guy and Susanna, but had a very interesting connection to Susanna. I don't know if the interview mentioned it but I think they shared a regular phone call for a while when Townes would "pick Susanna's brain" for opinions and ideas on some deeper subjects. Small wonder- I saw Guy and Rodney Crowell at the original Old Quarter one night in the late 60's, early 70's and Susanna was there. She had the most beautiful dark eyes! I was smitten. She smiled at me once and I'll never forget it. I would've called her everyday too....
Yes, certainly looking at her early photos, she was a very good looking young woman. Then, Guy was a pretty handsome guy. Have read ,in various places that there may have been a closer connection between Townes and Sussanah? All history now.
What is clear is that there was an extremely close relationship between the 3 of them- excellent for Townes.
For years I wanted to ask Mark Lanegan, who was like a son of Townes's artistically, if he'd do an album of covers of Townes. Now he's gone too. Theoretically, they might have met. When Mark first became big with the Screaming Trees, Townes was still alive. He even toured with early 90s act the Cowboy Junkies. Too bad they never met. One of those missed opportunities. God they were both so great.
The interviewer is Larry Monroe, former KUT Austin and Sun Radio DJ. This likely would have been done at KUT studios. He and Townes were friends.
Great Artist
Thanks 😊
It’s pretty bad when Townes had to keep somebody “under control.” re Blaze. 😹🤠
Right. Have you seen the movie about him?
❤️
Good stuff.
Wish i new this in 93, what I know now......
A Texas treasure.....
i got to meet townes at my open mic which he played but i didnt know who it was sitting across from me most of the night i kept asking a freind whos the special guest ? lol finnaly he stuck his hand across the table and introduced himself wow!!! he played ponch o and lefty that night
38:57 - One of Townes Van Zandt's last known recordings (with Barb Donovan).
Once of my favorites songs! Well Just Townes's version Solo
Love his music
Does anybody know the identity of the interviewer? It sounds like Larry Monroe or Paul Ray from KUT FM90.5 Austin. Both those guys had great shows. I knew Blaze as David Fuller aka Blaze Foley, The DuctTape Messiah.