Comments on: Jim Ford :: Harlan County (1969)

By: Unsung Country Funk Soul Genius: The Back Story On Singer Songwriter Jim Ford - #Crasstalk

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:01:26 +0000

[...] to this article about Jim on Aquariumdrunkard.com, after those initial years of living in the fast lane, came a story we’ve all heard before, [...]

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:03:50 +0000

Exellent review of an amazing artist. My major beef with this man was that he spent the last decade of his life claiming he wrote Bobbie Gentry’ Ode to Billie Joe without a single shred of proof.It never held water in my view because the song had many autobiographical elements from Gentry’s childhood(TheTallahatchie Bridge and Choctaw Ridge were her childhood surroundings) and Gentry had donated her rough drafts of the song to The Un. of Mississippi( The Faulkner room) forty years ago. Posted on their web site, they show the construction of the song and missing verses edited from the original recording all written in Gentry’s own hand. Nick Lowe has continued to spread this rumor after Ford death. According to Lowe, Ford claimed sole authorship, according to Jim Fords famiy, he claimed he co-wrote it with her. Regardless, he never came to close to a legal or ethical burden of proof that was on him and he challenged the reputation of a very gifted artist.

By: Rex Hump

Rex Hump — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:39:29 +0000

I found a copy of Dr. Handy’s Dandy Candy and played it to death, did a web search and found this article… what a shame

By: Pete

Pete — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:08:28 +0000

I know this record only as a part of the Sounds of Our Time compilation and its a regular on my iPod for last three months, I hardly listen to anything else. Its fusion of soul funk and country is really unresistable. And when you count in the playing on that record which is just amazing, oh man! The “Harlan County” part of that compilation is great but I spin far more those songs beginning with Big Mouth USA and ending up with Mixed Green, i.e. the other part of the compilation. Those are truly gems. Also check out the Point of No Return compilation for some outstanding songs more in a country vein, but nevertheless great, with probably his greatest song I’m Ahead If I Can Quit While I’m Behind. I mean, writting songs titled like this one, we can only regret that coke took him down…

Great blog, great review! Thank you!

Pete

By: Bodine “Bodine” | therisingstorm.net

Bodine “Bodine” | therisingstorm.net — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:39:28 +0000

[...] It Back satisfies but teeters near television theme schmaltz. But the boys do manage to approach Jim Ford’s country funk on clear winners like Keep Lookin’ Through Your Window. If you give it a chance, you’ll [...]

By: brendan

brendan — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:35:12 +0000

Yeah I’ve been waiting to see this posted over here. There are a couple of excellent CD reissues released in the last two years, seen it featured on the shelf at Other Music even.

By: Gigahaw

Gigahaw — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:42:16 +0000

Peaches in the summer – bananas in the fall
Aw Let me hear ya gimme dat ca-a-a-andy call

Sweet

By: cosmic cowboy

cosmic cowboy — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 06:05:25 +0000

bonus tracks may not be as good as a whole… but Gossip County USA is better than anything on the original album in my opinion. this is a rad album that i play over and over, but its definitely worth picking up the bonus stuff from the CD release.

long time reader, first time commenter… love this lost nuggets, i’ve got loads of LPs like this and have been meaning to start a blogging these cosmic, post hippie, back-to-the-country, 70s stagflation, outlaw, folky-hippie-hillbilly gems… thanks for doin’ it here!

By: spacewolf

spacewolf — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:28:20 +0000

What?! This is funky as hell! Sick!

By: herohill

herohill — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:16:32 +0000

This album is ridiculously amazing. Although the extra tracks aren’t quite as good, are just still sweeter than yoo-hoo and worth whatever you’d have to pay to get it.

By: m

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:34:00 +0000

Damnation… that’s some funky ass country. Totally dig it.