One of my earliest memories from childhood is my father showing me a book of song lyrics. The songs would have comprised what would later come to be known as Americana – folksy, simple, emotional and often humorous songs that were the seeds of the sixties’ acoustic folk revival. Dad would sing many of those songs to me, particularly when he wanted me to go to sleep. What he ended up doing was birthing my lifelong love for all things music and setting me on the path to my own acoustic guitar and love of folk music.
It’s especially appropriate then that disc one of When Will They Ever Learn? A Story Of U.S. Folk Music 1963-1969, a new four disc compilation from the good people at Cherry Red, opens with arguably the quintessential sixties folk song, The Kingston Trio’s Where Have All The Flowers Gone?, from which this box set draws its title. The Pete Seeger-penned anti-war song is an emotional, melodic piece of political protest that would exemplify the most heartfelt music of the decade. It’s a hard song to follow, but author Mick Houghton (who compiled and annotated the set) makes one wise choice after another. Mixing the historically significant with the hits and obscurities that defined the decade, there are gems everywhere you turn. Scene stalwarts like Odetta (Long Time Gone), Simon and Garfunkel (Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream) and Pete Seeger (The Bells Of Rhymney) made the airwaves safe for a plethora of new styles, approaches and artists. Papa John Phillips and flowers in his hair wearing Scott McKenzie teamed up in The Journeymen for a hint of the sweet harmonies to come with All The Pretty Horses. Sisters Lucy and Carly Simon as the ingeniously titled The Simon Sisters provide an a capella take on Motherless Child. Future hitmaker Hoyt Axton brings a garage rock aesthetic to Bring Your Lovin’, and The Mugwumps (featuring future members of the Mamas and Papas and Lovin’ Spoonful) turn up the rock for I Don’t Wanna Know. The New Christy Minstrels unleash their professionally happy style on Green, Green, balanced by Malvina Reynolds’ cheerless ditty about nuclear fallout, What Have They Done To The Rain?. Even the early sixties jugband craze is represented by The Even Dozen Jugband (On The Road Again) and The Jim Kweskin Jug Band (Minglewood).
A female artist-heavy disc two picks up in 1964 with Judy Collins’ cover of John Phillips’ (who was apparently everywhere) Me And My Uncle. Jackie DeShannon’s When You Walk In The Room is a direct antecedent to the sound of the Byrds. Hedy West’s claw-hammer banjo style is front and centre for her authentic take on the traditional coal miner strike song, The Davison-Wilder Blues. Even Cher offers a take on the classic See See Rider. Dylan’s iconic Mr. Tambourine Man showed where folk could go while Paul Simon’s solo version of The Sound Of Silence was later augmented with electric guitars and drums unbeknownst to the singer for the version we all know and love. Traditional songs were a large part of the folk canon, as Fred Neil’s gentle take on The Water Is Wide exemplifies, as were protest songs, represented by the mother of them all, Barry McGuire’s Eve Of Destruction. Jesse Colin Young’s debut feels almost fully formed based on the strength of Four In The Morning; not to be outdone, Richie Havens lends his gravel and silk pipes to a cover of the Fugs Morning Morning. Boz Scaggs, on the other hand, was trying too hard to be Dylan on Baby Let Me Follow You Down, but childhood friend Steve Miller would shortly open new doors for him.
Disc three represents the time when folk music exploded not only artistically but on the charts as well. The Mamas and the Papas gave a history of the movement in Creeque Alley, The Byrds showed what they could do with I Come And Stand At Every Door, and The Lovin’ Spoonful’s Rain On The Roof sets the stage for a string of hits. Gordon Lightfoot’s For Lovin’ Me was an early salvo in what would become a stellar career, yet nothing could have prepared the world for the monster hit that The Youngbloods’ Get Together would become. Fred Neil’s Everybody’s Talkin’ would later become a huge hit for Harry Nilsson. Tim Hardin’s exquisite voice makes Reason To Believe the classic it is, and his songwriting prowess gave Bobby Darin a huge hit with If I Were A Carpenter. Phil Ochs never had a chart hit of his own, but the social commentary of his There But For Fortune became a hit for Joan Baez. The Grateful Dead expose their folk roots on Cold Rain And Snow, Pre-Velvet Underground Nico lends her unique approach to Dylan’s I’ll Keep It With Mine, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are all sunshine and lollipops on Buy For Me The Rain. Artists like Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (Danville Girl) and Doc Watson (Worried Blues) did not make much of an impression on the charts, but are revered by their fellow folkies nevertheless.
Disc four covers the last couple years of the decade, where the folk seems to have lost its way; or, more likely, the record companies messed up a good thing. Johnny Cash and June Carter (Pack Up Your Sorrows) drop all pretense and go full-on country. Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton (The Last Thing On My Mind) go a step further by giving a slick countrypolitan sheen to their song. Mickey Newbury’s version of Just Dropped In lacks the psychedelic charm of the later Kenny Rogers version. Still, all hope is not lost. The Holy Modal Rounders remind us of what we loved about folk in the first place with Dame Fortune. Tom Rush’s Tin Angel and Eric Anderson’s (We Were Foolish) Like The Flowers revel in the simple beauty of the earlier portion of the decade, as does Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys’ Wings. A couple classic tunes remind the listener of the importance of storytelling to the genre: Jerry Jeff Walker’s Mr. Bojangles remains poignant today, and Arlo Guthrie’s Coming Into Los Angeles retains its political and emotional power. Townes Van Zandt’s Tecumseh Valley and Anne Murray’s Thirsty Boots round out the set in fine fashion, fulfilling the promise set forth on disc one.
When Will They Ever Learn succeeds mightily in representing a scene. By combining essential tracks with rarities and forgotten tunes, Cherry Red and their subsidiaries bring to life one of the more essential genres of music. Moving, thought-provoking, sumptuous and still relevant, the music presented over these four discs is beautifully curated and a perfect reminder that music can – and did – change the world. My dad is somewhere listening and smiling and enjoying. Thanks for introducing me to this music, Dad. I miss you.
TRACK LISTING
Disc One: Take Me For A Walk In The Morning Dew
01. The Kingston Trio – Where Have All The Flowers Gone (3:02)
02. The Brothers Four – 500 Miles (2:48)
03. The Limeliters – John Riley (3:07)
04. The Journeymen – All The Pretty Little Horses (2:40)
05. Anita Carter – Fair And Tender Ladies (2:57)
06. Odetta – Long (3:43)
07. Peter LaFarge – Ira Hayes (3:40)
08. Dave Van Ronk – Candy Man (2:36)
09. The New Christy Minstrels – Green, Green (2:08)
10. The Big 3 – Come Away Melinda (3:11)
11. Simon & Garfunkel – Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream (2:10)
12. Bob Gibson – Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song) (2:36)
13. Paul Clayton – Spanish Is A Loving Tongue (2:14)
14. Manilton Camp – Pride Of Man (2:29)
15. The Simon Sisters – Motherless Child (1:52)
16. Tom Paley – The Cuckoo (2:30)
17. Dian & The Greenbriar Boys – Cannon Ball Blues (2:34)
18. The Even Dozen Jug Band – On the Road Again (3:17)
19. The Jim Kweskin Jug Band – Minglewood (2:51)
20. John Koerner – Southbound Train (4:04)
21. Hoyt Axton – Bring Your Lovin’ (2:24)
22. The Mugwumps – I Don’t Wanna Know (2:10)
23. Dick Rosmini – 900 Miles To Go (2:35)
24. Martin and Neil – Morning Dew (4:11)
25. Malvina Reynolds – What Have They Done To The Rain? (1:53)
26. Pete Seeger – The Bells Of Rhymney (5:17)
27. Tom Paxton – I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound (2:40)
Time – 78:39
Disc Two: Where I’m Bound
01. Judy Collins – Me And My Uncle (2:55)
02. Bonnie Dobson – Country Girl Blues (3:06)
03. Hedy West – The Davison-Wilder Blues (3:52)
04. Judy Henske – High Flying Bird (2:58)
05. Jackie DeShannon – When You Walk In The Room (2:38)
06. The Modern Folk Quartet – The Bells (3:51)
07. Au Go Go Singers – Where I’m Bound (2:51)
08. Koerner Ray & Glover – Fine Soft Land (3:51)
09. Jesse Colin Young – Four In the Morning (3:25)
10. Fred Neil – The Water Is Wide (4:17)
11. Bob Dylan – Mr. Tambourine Man (5:27)
12. Paul Simon – The Sound Of Silence (3:07)
13. Barry McGuire – The Eve Of Destruction (3:37)
14. PF Sloan – Take Me For What I’m Worth (2:46)
15. Cher – See See Rider (2:42)
16. Len Chandler – Shadow Dream Chaser Of Rainbows (5:14)
17. Mark Spolestra – White Winged Dove (4:06)
18. Kathy & Carol – Green Rocky Road (2:29)
19. Richie Havens – Morning, Morning (2:19)
20. David Blue – Grand Hotel (4:04)
21. Boz Scaggs – Baby Let Me Follow You Down (2:20)
22. Time Rose – Hey Joe (You Shot Your Woman Down) (4:53)
23. We Five – You Were On My Mind (2:35)
Time – 79:23
Disc Three: Leaving The Folk Music Behind
01. The Mamas and the Papas – Creeque Alley (3:49)
02. The Byrds – I Come And Stand At Every Door (3:02)
03. Gene Clark – French Girl (2:37)
04. The Lovin’ Spoonful – Rain On The Roof (2:12)
05. Scott McKenzie – Like An Old Time Movie (3:16)
06. Bob Lind – Mister Zero (3:45)
07. M.F.Q. – Night Time Girl (2::34)
08. Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – Danville Girl (3:30)
09. Doc Watson – Worried Blues (2:50)
10. Phil Ochs – There But For Fortune (2:41)
11. Fred Neil – Everybody’s Talkin’ (2:43)
12. Gordon Lightfoot – For Lovin’ Me (2:26)
13. Tim Hardin – Reason To Believe (1:59)
14. Bobby Darin – If I Were A Carpenter (2:21)
15. Norma Tanega – Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog (2:15)
16. Pat Kilroy – Cancereal (4:15)
17. Tim Buckly – Once I Was (3:22)
18. Nico – I’ll Keep It With Mine (3:19)
19. The Grateful Dead – Cold Rain And Snow (2:29)
20. The Leaves – Codeine (3:55)
21. The Youngbloods – Get Together (4:37)
22. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Buy For Me The Rain (2:25)
23. Jim & Jean – Changes (3:49)
24. Jesse Lee Kincaid – Baby You Come Rolling Cross My Mind (2:40)
25. Billy Edd Wheeler – High Flying Bird (2:32)
26. Kaleidoscope – Banjo (3:34)
Time – 79:02
Disc Four: Take Off Your Thirsty Boots
01. John Stewart – You Can’t Look Back (2:04)
02. Johnny Cash & June Carter – Pack Up your Sorrows (2:28)
03. Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton – The Last Thing On My Mind (2:35)
04. The Dillards – Close The Door Lightly (2:55)
05. The Holy Modal Rounders – Dame Fortune (2:55)
06. Bonnie Dobson – Morning Dew (3:19)
07. Mickey Newbury – Just Dropped In (2:53)
08. H. P. Lovecraft – Spin, Spin, Spin (3:22)
09. Pearls before Swine – These Things Too (3:24)
10. Danny Kalb and Stefan Grossman – Requiem For Patrick Kilroy (6:09)
11. Taj Mahal – Corinna (3:03)
12. The Insect Trust – Mountain Song (2:55)
13. Vince Martin – Summerwind (3:45)
14. Dino Valente – Time (3:05)
15. Karen Dalton – Little Bit Of Rain (2:33)
16. Tom Rush – Tin Angel (3:22)
17. Steve Noonan – Shadow Dream Song (3:12)
18. Jerry Jeff Walker – Mr. Bojangles (3:44)
19. Arlo Guthrie – Coming In To Los Angeles (3:01)
20. Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys – Wings (2:56)
21. Eric Anderson – (We Were) Foolish Like The Flowers (5:43)
22. Townes Van Zandt – Tecumseh Valley (2:40)
23. Judy Henske & Jerry Yester – Three Ravens (3:29)
24. Anne Murray – Thirsty Boots (3:28)
Time – 79:00
Total Time – 316:04
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Strawberry | Cherry Red Records
Country of Origin: USA
Date of Release: 29th August 2025
LINKS
Cherry Red Records – Boxset Info at Cherry Red | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
