Gimme that old-time music

February 21, 2010 10:42 AM

Folk America: Excellent BBC 3-part documentary tracing folk music from the '20s to the folk revival of the '60s, encompassing the depression and the civil rights era. part 1: Birth of a Nation (59.21) part 2: This Land is Your Land (59:30) part 3: Blowin' in the Wind (58:49)

Clips and commentary about or by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charlie Poole, Fiddlin' John Carson, Dock Boggs, Mississippi John Hurt, Judy Collins, Steve Earle, Pete Seeger, Honeyboy Edwards, Slim Bryant, Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Rambling Jack Elliot, Anna Lomax, Mary Travis, Tom Paxton, Roger McGuinn, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Stephen Stills, Country Joe McDonald, Odetta, Tom Paxton and more.

Featured music:
part 1
part 2
part 3

More interviews, performances & outtakes from the series - alas, not available in my area.

posted by madamjujujive (13 comments total)

Folk America

Hey! Folk you, you limey bastards!

Oh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:53 AM on February 21, 2010 [4 favorites]

Nice find. Thanks so much.
posted by sleepy pete at 10:58 AM on February 21, 2010

I love that Google Video makes these videos available in iPod/iTunes format for download. This is fascinating stuff and I'm looking forward to watching it on my TV. Thanks for posting it.
posted by immlass at 10:59 AM on February 21, 2010

Damn, and I thought I was going to get work done today.
posted by sallybrown at 11:01 AM on February 21, 2010

Dear BBC,

Birth of a Nation is just not the best title you could have picked. In unrelated news, I am looking forward to your next documentary on the American civil rights movement entitled Triumph of the Will.
posted by griphus at 11:25 AM on February 21, 2010 [14 favorites]

America, folk yeah!
posted by codswallop at 11:44 AM on February 21, 2010

It ends with the 1960s? Parts 4, 5, and 6 must still be in production.
posted by headnsouth at 12:01 PM on February 21, 2010 [2 favorites]

BBC4 has done several of these type of documentaries on American musical genres. Most recently a look at the influence of latin music on the US.

This has unfortunately lead to having a cheesy 80s latin pop tune stuck in my head for several days. Though they do interview/show clips of Santana so I suppose that's a form of atonement.
posted by Erberus at 12:28 PM on February 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

I wonder how long these will stay up
posted by A189Nut at 12:41 PM on February 21, 2010

Excellent BBC 3? Shurely not!

Sorry, I misread.

The title is unfortunate, but the series is excellent.
posted by tigrefacile at 2:13 PM on February 21, 2010

I just need 1000 people to join my group "Let's stop paying our licence fee" and we'll put a stop to this deep and ongoing research into our culture.
posted by dash_slot- at 4:02 PM on February 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Erberus: BBC4 has done several of these type of documentaries on American musical genres. Most recently a look at the influence of latin music on the US.

For Americans who want to watch this, here's a link to it on PBS.
posted by joedan at 4:51 PM on February 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

CKUA played selections from Dust Bowl Ballads today, and then this...I have gotten none of my Sunday chores done. Thanks!
posted by faineant at 6:01 PM on February 21, 2010