Show #27: THE MODERN FOLK QUARTET
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MEL BERNAM (ANNOUNCER): Here is Radio New York Folk Music Worldwide. A program devoted to the best in folk music throughout the world.

Showcasing the top performers and authorities in the field. Now your host for Folk Music Worldwide, Alan Wasser.

ALAN WASSER (HOST): Hello again and welcome to Folk Music Worldwide.

With us today on Folk Music Worldwide is the... well, two members of the Modern Folk Quartet [MFQ].

And as we usually do, let's get right to a sample of their music, a song called "Yes, I See".

[Song Performance: "Yes, I See", Modern Folk Quartet]:

There's a battle raging somewhere
And its thunder shakes the crowd
Terrible silence when it's over
Only death makes such a sound
And I see, yes, I see, yes, I see, yes, I see
On the last day of July
And I see, yes, I see, yes, I see, yes, I see
On the last day of July.

Clouds are gathering,
Storm is coming,
There's a tempest drawing near.
When the darkness has passed over,
Then the new day will appear.
Because I see, Oh yes, I see, yes, I see, oh yes, I see
On the last day of July
Because I see, Oh yes, I see, yes, I see, oh yes, I see
On the last day of July.

Something's moving in the shadows
What is this that's drawing nigh
It's the reaper moving silent,
Must be someone's time to die.
You know I see, you know I see, yes, I see, you know I see
On the last day of July
You know I see, you know I see, oh, I see, you know I see
On the last day of July.

And I see, yes, I see now, yes, I see, yes, I see now
On the last day of July
Now I see, yes, I see now, oh, I see, yes, I see
On the last day of July.

(end of music)

ALAN: "Yes, I See", as done by the Modern Folk Quartet. In our studios at Radio New York Worldwide today are Chip Douglas and Ted Diltz of the Modern Folk Quartet. Let me introduce them to you. First, Chip Douglas.

CHIP DOUGLAS, (GUEST): Hello Alan, nice to be here.

ALAN: And Ted Diltz.

TED DILTZ (GUEST): Hi, Alan.

ALAN: Ted, perhaps you can tell us something about the other two guys who aren't here and also about you two as well.

TED DILTZ: Okay. The two that aren't here are Cyrus Faryar and Jerry Yester. And actually, the group got together in Honolulu about a year ago.

We started with three of us, Cyrus and Chip and myself. Had met in Honolulu at Cyrus's [Greensleeves] coffee house a number of years ago, and just about a year ago we formed a trio and came over to the West Coast to California where we found Jerry and decided to make a quartet.

And then we sort of settled on the style of music that we wanted. We all sort of had an idea as to where we wanted to go with folk music. And we decided on the name and that's how we got started.

ALAN: Talking about this name, the Modern Folk Quartet, first off is there any connection between you and the Modern Jazz Quartet, which has such a similar name?

TED DILTZ: No, none whatsoever. We decided on that name because it sort of described best what we wanted to do. We wanted to do folk songs with sort of four-part modern chords to them. Something that would bring it up to date.

ALAN: Well, tell me something. What would be a good example of a modern folk song that you do this way?

TED DILTZ: Well I think probably the ballad, "It Was a Very Good Year", has some of the four-part sound we're trying to get to.

ALAN: All right, before we play that is there anything you'd want to say about it or should we just put it on now?

TED DILTZ: About "It Was a Very Good Year", well, it was written by Erwin Drake. He also wrote, "I Believe".

CHIP DOUGLAS: He's written a couple of pop tunes other than "I Believe", I think. I don't know the names off-hand, but it's an original composition. Sort of an up-to-date modern folk song, you might call it.

ALAN: Okay, thank you Chip for bailing us out of that one. And at this point why don't we play It Was a Very Good Year by the Modern Folk Quartet.

[Song Performance: "It Was a Very Good Year", Modern Folk Quartet]:

Lyrics:

When I was 17, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights
We'd hide from the lights on the village green
When I was 17

When I was 21, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for city girls
Who lived up the stairs
With perfumed hair that came undone
When I was 21

When I was 35, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for blue blooded girls
Of independent means.
We'd ride in limousines, their chauffeurs would drive
When I was 35

But now the days are short,
I'm in the Autumn of the year
And now I think of my life
as vintage wine from fine old kegs
From the brim to the dregs,
It poured sweet and clear
It was a very good year,
It was a very good year.

(end of music)

ALAN: The Modern Folk Quartet doing "It Was a Very Good Year". Chip, perhaps you can tell us something further about that song. And also one other question.

I noticed that's so much serious. Is a lot of your material serious or do you do some light material or what?

CHIP DOUGLAS: Well, "It Was a Very Good Year" is, oh, I guess one of the most dramatic things we do. Not really, we do some other things like it but a better example of a light, bouncy song would be "Sassafras" written by a fellow named Billy Ed Wheeler.

He also wrote a couple other tunes on The Hit Parade I think, lately. But Sassafras is very light and bouncy, I think you might like it. Ted, could you add anything to that?

TED DILTZ: Well, might say that Billy Ed Wheeler wrote "Sassafras"...let's see, what did he write? "Desert Pete", and he wrote "The Reverend Mr. Black" and several songs that have done fairly well.

ALAN: Would anyone like to explain just precisely what Sassafras is, for any listeners who don't know?

TED DILTZ: Sassafras is an old beverage I believe, it's the forerunner of modern pop drinks, I think. Chip?

CHIP DOUGLAS: Sassafras is a root of some kind. A root of some plant. I guess it's the Sassafras plant...I'm not sure about...Yeah, that's right. And it was ground up and made into some kind of a pop at first, soda pop,I guess like...

TED DILTZ: Sarsaparilla?

CHIP DOUGLAS: Yeah, something like that, but then it was also used in a tea form so it's called Sassafras tea, and the song is almost a play on words. It's just an almost nonsensical thing.

ALAN: Well, something tells me we better stick to music and stay away from roots and beverages. So let's get back to music. Here's Sassafras as done by the Modern Folk Quartet.

[Song Performance: "Sassafras", Modern Folk Quartet]:

Lyrics:

Way down yonder in the tall grass
A little bitty woman called Sassafras
A wiggle in her walk and a tickle in her talk
And a funny way of puttin' on the class.

They say white lightning's in a jar
Clear as a water but it's on a spire
That may be true but I'm telling you
A glass won't hold Sassafras.

So tell all the neighborhood boys
I'm the one making all the noise
Cause a little bit of tea
knocked the heart out of me
And that cup of tea was Sassafras

First time I kissed her in the city park
Bells started ringing and it got dark
The army and the navy couldn't keep the people calm
They thought it was a hydrogen bomb.

Next day I took her to the swimming hole
Kissed her in the water and dontcha know
The steam from the water rose high as the sky
And the old swimming hole went dry.

So tell all the neighborhood boys
I'm the one that's making all the noise
Cause a little bit of tea
knocked the heart out of me
And that cup of tea was Sassafras.

I'm very sorry, gotta go now
Me and my baby gonna take a vow
Gonna get married, gonna raise a family
Gonna raise 'em on Sassafras tea.

So tell all the neighborhood boys
I'm the one making all the noise
Cause a little bit of tea
knocked the heart out of me
And that cup of tea was Sassafras

A little bit of tea
knocked the heart out of me
And that cup of tea was Sassafras.

(end of music)

ALAN: "Sassafras" by the Modern Folk Quartet, and we'll be back with more music by the Modern Folk Quartet and again talking to Ted Diltz and Chip Douglas right after this message.

(Short pause for commercial)

ALAN: All right this is Alan Wasser again, back on Folk Music Worldwide. As you regular listeners to the show know, it's at this point that I usually make a pitch for more letters.

Instead, I just want to read you excerpts of two letters I've gotten that I think are so good that I want to make some mention of them. Or, at least, so flattering, one or the other. One is a letter from Bob Bailser from London, England.

Bob provides some information that some of you may have wondered about. On a show not too long ago you'll recall we had Paul Evans, and he was somewhat confused about one song he did called "Slack Your Rope Mr. Hangman". I asked him where it came from because I didn't know and Paul didn't either.

Well, Bob provides the information. He quotes from one of the books he has on it. It says, "This British ballad dates back to the 15th Century when a crime of any kind could be paid off with money even at the foot of the gallows. In this particular version, it's a girl who's being hanged for stealing the Bishop's ball and chain."

And this is his quotation. And Paul Evans didn't know and Paul Evans is doing it as though it's a guy being hanged. But anyway, now our listeners know.

The other letter is from Andy Hines in Honduras, and this one is the one I referred to as being flattering. In fact I feel a little bit embarrassed reading it but I get a great deal of pleasure out of it, and thank you very much Andy.

He says, "I immensely enjoyed your program today, that's Saturday, January 25. I haven't been able to hear it for several weeks and it was good to be able to listen to your delightful program again." Thank you.

"I get home late on Saturday afternoons now and I also think that 22:30 GMT is a better hour, at least for Honduras. I'm not sure about Europe."

He asks about my daughter Debbie and he asks how well she's doing. And yes, she's great. She's standing up now and beautiful, if I do say so myself.

He says one other thing. He says, "Many of your songs today were old favorites of mine, especially "Banana Boat" and "Tom Dulay". And performed by The Tarriers, they sounded wonderful. Keep it up."

Well thank you very much Andy Hines and Bob Bailser and we will try and get the Tarriers back on again, since Andy likes them that much. And maybe we better stay away from Paul Evans for a while for Bob Bailser, but thank you both very much.

The rest of you who want to write in, please do. Write in to me, Alan Wasser, or to Folk Music Worldwide, Radio New York Worldwide, 4 West 58th Street, New York 19, NY, USA. If you missed the address, Mel Burnam will give it to you again at the end of the program.

These letters by the way can contain complaints, praise, anything you want, I will be very pleased to get it. It's the only way we have of knowing how many people are out there listening. Well, back to the Modern Folk Quartet.

Before we run out of time, Chip, perhaps you'd like to suggest a good traditional song we can do here to go back into the music.

CHIP DOUGLAS: Well, let's see. I would think the best traditional song on the album or the one I like best is "Swing Down Chariot", which I think was originally a Negro spiritual dating way, way back and it's on band one side one, I believe.

ALAN: All right, the first song on the album, "Swing Down Chariot".

[Song Performance: "Swing Down Chariot", Modern Folk Quartet]:

Lyrics:

Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me,
Why don't you swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Rock me lord, rock me lord
Calm and easy
I've got a home on the other side.

Well Ezekiel stepped out into the middle of a field
He saw an angel workin' on that chariot wheel
Well Ol' Zeke was real musty, got working on the wheel
He just wanted to see how the chariot feel.

Why don't you swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Rock me lord, rock me lord
Calm and easy
I've got a home on the other side.

My dear ol' Mama's in the promised land
I can't wait till I can take her by the hand
And I'm particular about taking her hand
I'm going to get into the promised land.

Why don't you swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Swing on down sweet chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Rock me lord, rock me lord
Calm and easy
I've got a home on the other side.

Now, I heard such a rumbling up in the sky
Well, I thought my lord was passing on by
It was the dear old chariot drawing nigh
And it shook the ground and it swept the sky.

Why don't you swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Rock me lord, rock me lord
Calm and easy
I've got a home on the other side.

Swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride.
Rock me lord, rock me lord
Calm and easy
I've got a home on the other side.

(end of music)

ALAN: "Swing Down Chariot", done by the Modern Folk Quartet. Ted Diltz, you guys got together in Hawaii. Is there anything Hawaiian about your music?

TED DILTZ: Hawaiian, well no, not on this album. There are a couple of Hawaiian songs that we have done from time to time and Tahitian songs. We were just over there for various reasons.

Cyrus and Chip lived over there and I was going to school at the time. And we all became interested in folk music at the same time and we were all kind of isolated. Being over there in Honolulu, there weren't any other folk acts around.

There wasn't much folk music going on except of course for the Hawaiian. And we just got together through this mutual interest and learned about folk music together.

ALAN: There's one thing that surprises me here. I see a song, "Road to Freedom". I know Hawaii is the state with the most multi-racial integration in the United States and the least problems. How come you guys are doing a freedom song coming out of Hawaii?

TED DILTZ: Well we'd been on the mainland here for some time before we did learn this song. The song was written by John Stewart of The Kingston Trio, and we liked what he had to say in the song. That's why we put it on the album.

ALAN: Are you doing anything different with it than the trio does?

TED DILTZ: Yes I believe so. With four voices we're bound to do something different because that's what we're trying to do with every song.

ALAN: Well, why don't we hear your version of "Road to Freedom" as done by the Modern Folk Quartet.

[Song Performance: "Road to Freedom", Modern Folk Quartet]:

Lyrics:

I'm gonna walk that road
That we walked long before
Many years ago
And we'll walk a hundred more.

And we're comin' one by one.
You can see us two by two.
Every time you turn around
Another's comin' through.
So we'll sing it long and proud
So everyone will know
That the road to freedom
Is a long, long way to go.

Turn and look over there
Just as far as you can see
There are many more
Who have died for liberty.

And we're comin' one by one.
You can see us two by two.
Every time you turn around
Another's comin' through.
So we'll sing it long and proud
So everyone will know
That the road to freedom
Is a long, long way to go.

I'm gonna walk that road
That we walked long before
Many years ago
And we'll walk a hundred more.

And we're comin' one by one.
You can see us two by two.
Every time you turn around
Another's comin' through.
So we'll sing it long and proud
So everyone will know
That the road to freedom
Is a long, long way to go.

(end of music)

ALAN: "The Road to Freedom" done by the Modern Folk Quartet, and we are flat out of time. Ted Diltz and Chip Douglas, thank you very much for coming in.

TED DILTZ: Thank you.

CHIP DOUGLAS: Thank you Alan.

ALAN: Great music, maybe we'll do another show with you guys sometime soon.

TED DILTZ: Well, let's hope so.

ALAN: Fine. Thank you again. This is Alan Wasser saying so long for Folk Music Worldwide.

MEL BERNAM (ANNOUNCER): This has been Folk Music Worldwide. Devoted to the best in folk music throughout the world, spotlighting top performers and authorities in the field. If you have any suggestions, requests or comments.

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