Song:Roll On, Columbia
Album:The Best Of Country Joe McDonald
Country Joe McDonald is best known as leader of Country Joe and the Fish. They became famous because of their performance at Woodstock. McDonald has recorded and toured solo for many years usually paying tribute to Woody Guthrie and other folk music legends along with political protest songs. Roll On, Columbia is historically significant because Guthrie's original recording was lost for many years. McDonald was born Jan. 1, 1942 in Washington, DC but her grew up in El Monte, CA. After three years in the US Navy, McDonald busked and played coffee houses in Berkeley. And that's where he met Barry Melton and formed Country Joe and the Fish in 1965. McDonald began recording solo before the band's 1970 split. His solo debut was Thinking Of Woody Guthrie in 1969. The album was produced by folk music historian Samuel Charters with Nashville session musicians Grady Martin, Ray Edenton, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Harold Bradley, Norbert Putnam and Buddy Harman. He recorded mostly Guthrie standards. But Roll On, Columbia was one of 26 songs Guthrie wrote and recorded for a documentary about the Columbia River in Washington in 1941. When the producers of the film had second thoughts about using Guthrie, his recordings were shelved. They were discovered and released by Rounder Records in 1987. Roll On, Columbia is now Washington's official folk song. The song is Leadbelly's Goodnight Irene with new lyrics. This comp has Country Joe and the Fish songs and McDonald solo songs. McDonald retired in 2017 but he still performs occasionally. Here's Country Joe McDonald performing Roll On, Columbia at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio 2012.
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