The Midnight Special, January 4, 2025

By Marilyn Rea Beyer |

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Playlist

  1. Traditional: “Midnight Special”; Leadbelly; Midnight Special; RCA Victor LPV-505
  2. Jimmie Dale Gilmore: Peace in the Valley (Dorsey); Jimmie Dale Gilmore; Come on Back; Rounder Records 11661-3193-2
  3. Jake Blount: Beyond This Wall (Hyman); Jake Blount (banjo) and Tatiana Hargreaves (fiddle); Spider Tales; Free Dirt Records DIRT-CD-0097
  4. Geyer Street Sheiks: “Great Dream from Heaven” (Joseph Spence); Geyer Street Sheiks; Great Dream; BJAM CD 101
  5. Sons of the Never Wrong: If I Knew Then; Sons of the Never Wrong; The Nuthatch Suite; Gadfly 291
  6. Michael Smith: Last Days of Pompeii; Michael Smith; Love Stories; Flying Fish FFCD 70404
  7. Michael Smith: Why I’m Enjoying This (spoken); Michael Smith; Live at Dark-Thirty; Michael Peter Smith MPS3564
  8. Michael Smith: Coffeehouse Days; Michael Smith; Michael, Margaret, Pat & Kate; MPS 1 CD
  9. The Lovin’ Spoonful: Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?; The Lovin’ Spoonful; The Best of the Lovin’ Spoonful; Kama Sutra KLP 8056
  10. Emmy Bean & Ronnie Kuller: Johnny’s Brother (Converse); Emmy Bean & Ronnie Kuller; Folkstage – “Her Only Light” 11.16.2024 (excerpt); WFMT 11.16.2024
  11. John Gorka: Can’t Make Up My Mind; John Gorka; Between Five and Seven; High Street 72902 10351-2
  12. The Nudes: “Norwegian Wood”; The Nudes; Velvet Sofa; Velvet Sofa | Acoustic America Records AACD2
  13. Mouths of Babes: If I Had Known; Mouths of Babes; Brighter in the Dark; Wide Awake WAM0003
  14. Kate McDonnell: Trapeze; Kate McDonnell; TRAPEZE; katemcdonnell.com 9-6-2024
  15. Solas (Peggy Seeger): “Song of Choice”; Solas, feat. Karan Casey & Iris DeMent; Words That Remain; Words That Remain | Shanachie 78023
  16. Rees Shad, ft. Kemp Harris, Wanda Houston, Natalia Zukerman: Ain’t That the Way; Rees Shad, ft. Kemp Harris, Wanda Houston, Natalia Zukerman; Porcelain Angel; pre-release (3/12/2025)
  17. Jonas Friddle: “The Midnight Special – fretless banjo”; Jonas Friddle; Midnight Special Collection; Midnight Special Collection JFriddle | MS008
  18. Iris DeMent: “Our Town”; Iris DeMent; Infamous Angel; Infamous Angel/Philo CD PH 1138
  19. 10,000 Maniacs: “Let the Mystery Be”; 10,000 Maniacs (Natalie Merchant w/David Byrne); Campfire Songs; Campfire Songs/Rhino Elektra R2 73900
  20. (Jamie O’Reilly): “I Wish Someone Would Take Me Dancing”; Jamie O’Reilly; In Old Chicago; Jamie O’Reilly JOCD2019
  21. Mark Dvorak: If I Only Had a Match (Morris, Johnston, Meyer); Mark Dvorak; Let Love Go On; Ten Fingers 888295 985383
  22. Naomi Ashley: Keep My Secrets; Naomi Ashley and Jon Williams; Love Bug; naomiashley.bandcamp.com 2024
  23. Steve Dawson: When I Finally Let You Down; Steve Dawson; Ghosts; Pravda single
  24. Gerald Dowd: Look Back and Laugh; Gerald Dowd; Father’s Day; Pee Wee League 8.23.2023
  25. Jenny Bienemann: The Monster; Jenny Bienemann; Every Soul Grows to the Light; jennybienemann.com
  26. Warren Zevon: Life’ll Kill Ya’; Warren Zevon; Life’ll Kill Ya’; Artemis Records 751003-2
  27. Diane Coll: No Wasting Time; Diane Coll; Up From the Mud; Happy Fish Records 2025
  28. Allison Russell: Little Rebirth; Allison Russell; Outside Child; Fantasy FAN01125
  29. Son House: “Grinnin’ in Your Face”; Eddie James “Son” House, Jr.; Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Son House; Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Son House | Columbia Legacy CK 90485
  30. Rachel Drew: Life Goes On; Rachel Drew; Old Sky New; racheldrew.com 3-2024
  31. Travis, Merle: “Midnight Special” Travis picked guitar; Merle Travis; In Boston 1959; Travis Pickin’ | CMH 6255
  32. Jacob Samuel: Words (edited); Jacob Samuel; Horse Power; 800 Pound Gorilla 800pgr.lnk.to/JacobID
  33. Bob Dylan: “Talkin’ New York”; Bob Dylan; Bob Dylan; Columbia CS 8579
  34. Tom Paxton: Ramblin’ Boy; Tom Paxton; I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound: The Best of Tom Paxton; Elektra Traditions 8122-73515-2
  35. Carolyn Hester: Swing and Turn Jubilee (Trad.); Carolyn Hester; Carolyn Hester; Columbia/Legacy CK 57310 CD
  36. Reverend Gary Davis: Samson & Delilah/If I Had My Way; Reverend Gary Davis; The Reverend Gary Davis at Newport; Vanguard SRV-73008
  37. Fred Neil: Candy Man; Fred Neil; Bleecker & MacDougal; Collectors Choice Music CCM-275-2
  38. Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune; Phil Ochs; The Early Years; Vanguard 79566-2
  39. Jean Ritchie & Doc Watson: Where Are You Going?; Jean Ritchie & Doc Watson; Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson at Folk City; Smithsonian Folkways CD SF 40005/FA2426
  40. Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Rock Island Line (trad.); Ramblin’ Jack Elliott; The Lost Topic Tapes: Isle of Wight 1957; Hightone Records HCD8176
  41. Mississippi John Hurt: Avalon Blues; Mississippi John Hurt; Avalon Blues – Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings; Columbia CK 64986
  42. Judy Collins w/Jim (Roger) McGuinn: Bullgine Run (Trad.); Judy Collins w/Jim (Roger) McGuinn; Judy Collins 3 + 4, Disc 1; Wildflower WFL 1301-2
  43. Ian & Sylvia: Rocks and Gravel; Ian & Sylvia; Ian & Sylvia: The Vanguard Years, Disc 1; Vanguard 196/99-2
  44. Elijah Wald: Intro to All My Trials; Elijah Wald; The Mayor of MacDougal Street – Side Tracks; Multicultural Media MCM01
  45. Dave Van Ronk: All My Trials (Trad., arr. Van Ronk); Dave Van Ronk; The Mayor of MacDougal Street – Rarities; Multicultural Media MCM01
  46. Todd Snider: Can’t Complain (long version); Todd Snider; Best of All My Songs; Thirty Tigers/toddsnider.net 1/15/2025
  47. Laura Love: I Still Believe (Unplugged); Laura Love; She Loved Red; Laura Love 88295 68276
  48. Andrew Beyer: “The Midnight Special – cigar box slide”; Andrew Beyer; Midnight Special Collection; Midnight Special Collection AABeyer/MS 004