Bad Axe River Valley Tapes
The Bad Axe River Valley tapes were recorded on small Panasonic tape recorders in the early Seventies. Two tape recorders were placed next to each other for multiple “tracks” or adding a harmony. John had acquired a number of instruments – a borrowed guitar, and a borrowed banjo with a bent neck – to record with. The tapes were often recorded on Kmart cassette tapes. The title of John’s song book:
“It ain’t a question of what ya do…..
It’s a question of what ya do with what ya got.”
This is the site of the 1832 Battle of the Bad Axe Massacre. The 1856 painting by Brookes and Stevenson shows where the Bad Axe and Mississippi Rivers flow together.
The Bad Axe River tapes were recorded in a small house in the Bad Axe River Valley – near the site of the Battle of the Bad Axe Massacre. The spiritual self of Chief Black Hawk is said to be in the valley at times. In the evening, the Bad Axe River valley fills with birds singing, frogs croaking and the sounds of crickets.
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Inspired by the sounds in the Bad Axe River Valley, this song, “Cricket,” is written to Bob Dylan and is played with a Bob Dylan style guitar pick.
Cricket
Song – Crickets above
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“For All Us Children” is a song about a dog and cat that ate together in the kitchen in the Bad Axe River Valley.
For All Us Children
Song – For All Us Children above
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“Crazy Casey” is a bizzare song named after a real person – Casey. He ran a filling station in the 1950s. One day the big window in Casey’s filling station cracked. He called the insurance company to file a claim. The insurance adjuster said that they couldn’t pay for the window because it wasn’t broken, it was only cracked. Casey picked up a large wrench and threw it through the window. “Now it’s broken!” he said. More than anything, Casey was a generous kind man and he did not live on top of a mountain.
“Crazy Casey” uses two small tape recorders placed next to each other to create multiple “tracks” and “harmony” in the Bad Axe River Valley.
Crazy Casey – Bad Axe River Version
Song – Crazy Casey – Bad Axe River Version above
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“Crazy Casey” was re-recorded more clearly at a school audio department. Roy, a 75 year old fiddle player who lived in the Bad Axe River Valley, added a fiddle part. Both versions are included.
Crazy Casey Fiddle School Audio Version
Song – Crazy Casey – Fiddle School Audio Version above
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Everything living in the Bad Axe River Valley gave rise to the song – “About Us.” It is played with an emotional bango style.
About Us
Song – About Us above
In case you can’t hear all the words through the “music”, lyrics from the Bad Axe River Valley Song Book are included in the pdf file below, including two additional songs – Nathan and Other Matters. Feel free to download the lyrics for your personal use.
Four songs – Crickets, About Us, Nathan and Other Matters, – served as guiding thoughts in John’s early songwriting period.
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Nathan is a song written about a new born baby’s journey through life with audio available by link at the end of the Waitin’ for the Buzzer River City Palace live performance.
“Other Matters” is in the process of being re-recorded and includes the lyric, “It don’t matter if anybody ever hears my song anyway, I’m me today.”
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The Bad Axe River Valley Song Book Lyrics.
Copyright 1970-2024
© Martin Music
P.S.