Memories

Richard and Mimi Fariña:
Memories
Vanguard (79263) 1968.
Re-issued on CD in 1994.
Cover photo by Jim Marshall.
Running time: 43:35

Vanguard waffled for a year or two in deciding whether to release a Mimi Fariña solo album, or a Richard Fariña tribute album. They began recording a Mimi album with her back-up band of the time, The Only Alternative and his Other Possibilities. For whatever reason, this project was abandoned, and in their Fall 1968 catalog Vanguard advertised a forthcoming Richard Fariña album. What finally appeared was Memories, a collection of assorted leftovers with two of the Mimi solo tracks. Despite the seemingly hodge-podge format, all the material is great, worthy of standing beside the first two albums the Fariñas made. There were few notes to explain the date or origin of any of the songs, so I will do my best to provide some explanation in blue alongside what was printed on the album:

Richard & Mimi Fariña accompanying themselves on dulcimer and guitar
Assisted by various instrumentalists, with two songs sung by Joan Baez.

Side One:

1. THE QUIET JOYS OF BROTHERHOOD 4:17
R. Fariña; Ryerson Music Publish / BMI
with orchestra arranged and conducted by Peter Schickele A Mimi solo track. Richard borrowed the melody from "My Lagan Love," a modal tune from Ulster, Northern Ireland.

2. JOY 'ROUND MY BRAIN 3:47
R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP
with Russ Savakus, bass; Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Charles Small, piano; Al Rogers, drums; John Hammond, harmonica
Probably recorded during the Reflections in a Crystal Wind sessions, considering the presence of John Hammond. The song was had been issued as the B-side of single "Pack Up Your Sorrows" in 1966, but the version here is slightly different.

3. LEMONADE LADY 2:02
R. Fariña; Ryerson Music Publish / BMI
with Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Russ Savakus, bass
A work song or field holler that Fariña had also recorded during the sessions for the Dick Fariña & Eric Von Schmidt LP, though it wasn't used on that album. This version is a leftover track from Celebrations.

4. DOWNTOWN (Instrumental) 1:34
R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP
Sounds like Richard reworking his solo "Tuileries" and experimenting with some Wild slide-guitar-style riffs, with Mimi joining in for some driving bass grooves. Todd Everett suggests that Mimi borrowed from Bill Justis' 1957 instrumental "Raunchy."

5. ALMOND JOY 2:12
R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP
with Russ Savakus, bass; Charles Small, piano; Bruce Langhorne, guitar
Probably dating back to the Celebrations for a Grey Day sessions. Great, catchy track!

6. BLOOD RED ROSES 2:30
R. Fariña; Warner Bros.-7 Arts / ASCAP
A traditional sea shanty with only minor changes in the lyrics. This is the only a capella the Fariñas ever released. Or did they plan to add music? We'll never know.

7. MORGAN THE PIRATE 5:38
R. Fariña; Warner Bros.-7 Arts / ASCAP
with ensemble led by Grady Martin

The other Mimi solo track. This is one of the most hard-driving songs in the Fariña catalog, swamped with four or five blistering electric guitars on top of Richard's most caustic lyrics, perhaps written in response to Dylan's single, "Positively 4th Street," released shortly after his electric concert at Newport '65. It was an ad hominem attack whose target was unknown but widely speculated. Hajdu lists as likely targets Fariña, Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow (the MC at Newport), and Irwin Silber (who had publicly protested Dylan's departure from political songwriting).

SIDE TWO:

8. DOPICO; CELEBRATION FOR A GREY DAY (Instrumental) 6:40
R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP
with Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Fritz Richmond, washtub bass
(recorded at the Newport Folk Festival, 1965)
This medley, performed at the Saturday night "New Folks" concert, was foolishly left off The Complete Vanguard Recordings, which includes the Friday afternoon Dulcimer Workshop version. The notes on Memories should probably credit Bruce Langhorne with tambourine, not guitar.

9. HOUSE UN-AMERICAN BLUES ACTIVITY DREAM 3:50
R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP
with Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Fritz Richmond, washtub bass; Kyle Garahan, mouth harp
(recorded at the Newport Folk Festival, 1965)
Again, this is different from the version on Complete Vanguard Recordings. The one here is probably from the Saturday night concert; while the one on Complete, with just Richard and Mimi, is probably from the Friday afternoon Songwriting Workshop.

10. A SWALLOW SONG 6:25
R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP
JOAN BAEZ, with instrumental group; produced by Richard Fariña
Salvaged from the pop album Joan was making with Richard as producer. This was released as a single and dedicated to her brother-in-law.

11. ALL THE WORLD HAS GONE BY 3:41
Music by Joan Baez; words by Richard Fariña & Kim Chappell; Ryerson Music Publ. / BMI
JOAN BAEZ, with instrumental group; produced by Richard Fariña The B-side of Joan's "Swallow Song" single. This has a somewhat complicated history; see note below.

12. PACK UP YOUR SORROWS 3:00
Pauline Marden and Richard Fariña; Ryerson Music Publ., BMI
with Russ Savakus, bass; Charles Small, piano; Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Al Rogers, drums An alternate version re-recorded with the full backing band from Reflections. Richard's vocals are brighter and more confident on this version. There was also a single version released in 1966, slightly different from this one.

"All the World Has Gone By"

This song has a rather confusing provenance. David Hajdu reports that Richard wrote the poem and Joan and her friend Kim Chappell set it to music (see Positively 4th Street, pages 273 and 296). However, I believe that the lyrics were originally written by Kim Chappell and set to music by Joan Baez in 1964 or very early in 1965 (note that this would make it Joan's first writing credit).

Kim Chappell was a close friend of Joan and not a musician at all. She is discussed in Joan's autobiography, And a Voice to Sing With (particularly the chapter titled, "Blue Jeans and Necklaces," see p. 74 ff). She is also mentioned intermittently in Joan's first autobiography, Daybreak, very briefly in Richard's essay, "Monterey Fair," and in several Janis Joplin biographies. To the best of my knowledge, this is Ms. Chappell's only writing credit. She was something of a free spirit; she didn't have a job and hadn't learned much responsibility when she met Joan. Joan let her live in her cabin in Carmel, California, bought her clothes and things, and generally supported her.

In February of 1965, Joan signed over the royalties of "All the World Has Gone By" to Ms. Chappell, perhaps to provide her friend with some income. Note that the date of this transaction predates by a full year the collaboration of Joan and Richard on her rock album.

During the recording of Joan's rock album in early 1966, Fariña must have revised the lyrics. A copyright filed November, 1968 (presumably by Mimi) credits Fariña with "new & rev. lyrics," and the credits on Memories finally appear as "Music by Joan Baez; Words by Richard Fariña and Kim Chappell."

On Sunday, the first of May

an Autograph Party will be held for

RICHARD
FARIÑA

He will sign copies of his new novel

BEEN DOWN SO LONG
IT LOOKS LIKE UP TO ME

published by Random House

7:30 to 10:30 pm

at the Discovery Bookshop

245 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco

YUkon 6-3872

Other Notes:
The original LP of Memories had a photo of Richard & Mimi at Newport by David Gahr (which also appeared on the back of the hardcover edition of Long Time Coming and a Long Time Gone as well as Gahr's photo book, The Face of Folk Music) that was not included in the CD re-issue.

The LP back cover also showed a flyer announcing a second autograph party (not to be confused with the one he actually attended, hours before he died). Fariña had planned this second party to be a discussion of the book, as he had announced in an essay intended for a local paper (this essay, "The Writer as Cameraman," is included in Long Time Coming and a Long Time Gone.) At left is a facsimile of the flyer (re-typed).

There was also a movie Morgan the Pirate (1961). I don't know what connection it might have with Fariña's song.

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	Side One:
1.	THE QUIET JOYS OF BROTHERHOOD 4:17 R. Fariña; Ryerson Music Publish / BMI with orchestra arranged and conducted by Peter Schickele	A Mimi solo track. Richard borrowed the melody from "My Lagan Love," a modal tune from Ulster, Northern Ireland.
2.	JOY 'ROUND MY BRAIN 3:47 R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP with Russ Savakus, bass; Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Charles Small, piano; Al Rogers, drums; John Hammond, harmonica	Probably recorded during the Reflections in a Crystal Wind sessions, considering the presence of John Hammond. The song was had been issued as the B-side of single "Pack Up Your Sorrows" in 1966, but the version here is slightly different.
3.	LEMONADE LADY 2:02 R. Fariña; Ryerson Music Publish / BMI with Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Russ Savakus, bass	A work song or field holler that Fariña had also recorded during the sessions for the Dick Fariña & Eric Von Schmidt LP, though it wasn't used on that album. This version is a leftover track from Celebrations.
4.	DOWNTOWN (Instrumental) 1:34 R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP	Sounds like Richard reworking his solo "Tuileries" and experimenting with some Wild slide-guitar-style riffs, with Mimi joining in for some driving bass grooves. Todd Everett suggests that Mimi borrowed from Bill Justis' 1957 instrumental "Raunchy."
5.	ALMOND JOY 2:12 R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP with Russ Savakus, bass; Charles Small, piano; Bruce Langhorne, guitar	Probably dating back to the Celebrations for a Grey Day sessions. Great, catchy track!
6.	BLOOD RED ROSES 2:30 R. Fariña; Warner Bros.-7 Arts / ASCAP	A traditional sea shanty with only minor changes in the lyrics. This is the only a capella the Fariñas ever released. Or did they plan to add music? We'll never know.
7.	MORGAN THE PIRATE 5:38 R. Fariña; Warner Bros.-7 Arts / ASCAP with ensemble led by Grady Martin	The other Mimi solo track. This is one of the most hard-driving songs in the Fariña catalog, swamped with four or five blistering electric guitars on top of Richard's most caustic lyrics, perhaps written in response to Dylan's single, "Positively 4th Street," released shortly after his electric concert at Newport '65. It was an ad hominem attack whose target was unknown but widely speculated. Hajdu lists as likely targets Fariña, Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow (the MC at Newport), and Irwin Silber (who had publicly protested Dylan's departure from political songwriting).
	SIDE TWO:
8.	DOPICO; CELEBRATION FOR A GREY DAY (Instrumental) 6:40 R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP with Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Fritz Richmond, washtub bass (recorded at the Newport Folk Festival, 1965)	This medley, performed at the Saturday night "New Folks" concert, was foolishly left off The Complete Vanguard Recordings, which includes the Friday afternoon Dulcimer Workshop version. The notes on Memories should probably credit Bruce Langhorne with tambourine, not guitar.
9.	HOUSE UN-AMERICAN BLUES ACTIVITY DREAM 3:50 R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP with Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Fritz Richmond, washtub bass; Kyle Garahan, mouth harp (recorded at the Newport Folk Festival, 1965)	Again, this is different from the version on Complete Vanguard Recordings. The one here is probably from the Saturday night concert; while the one on Complete, with just Richard and Mimi, is probably from the Friday afternoon Songwriting Workshop.
10.	A SWALLOW SONG 6:25 R. Fariña; Witmark Music / ASCAP JOAN BAEZ, with instrumental group; produced by Richard Fariña	Salvaged from the pop album Joan was making with Richard as producer. This was released as a single and dedicated to her brother-in-law.
11.	ALL THE WORLD HAS GONE BY 3:41 Music by Joan Baez; words by Richard Fariña & Kim Chappell; Ryerson Music Publ. / BMI JOAN BAEZ, with instrumental group; produced by Richard Fariña	The B-side of Joan's "Swallow Song" single. This has a somewhat complicated history; see note below.
12.	PACK UP YOUR SORROWS 3:00 Pauline Marden and Richard Fariña; Ryerson Music Publ., BMI with Russ Savakus, bass; Charles Small, piano; Bruce Langhorne, guitar; Al Rogers, drums	An alternate version re-recorded with the full backing band from Reflections. Richard's vocals are brighter and more confident on this version. There was also a single version released in 1966, slightly different from this one.