A friend

Wow we made it to 100 Editions, nearly 500 Facebook followers (only 268 my FB friends), and this post will click us over 10,000 views. I sat back and thought it's because all my music becomes my constant friends.  Some actually I've met, some are digital only yet, and some I would dream to meet and have a beer or conversation with.... This blog could have taken the approach I used in posts I did with friends I've met or just digital back in Editions #6 and #7  but I was hearing two songs in my head when I thought of this playlist, JT's "You've Got A Friend" and Randy Newman's "You Got a Friend in Me"  JT's song closes this one, but Randy's will wait until the next edition.  Friends are another HUGELY popular song theme.  I guess if I have learned anything in these posts it's about what I should write more about them.  I did find a post from 2017 to share from my Zeman's Musings blog.

A friend

It’s a friend and 

Respite from solitude

In the clutter of 

People all around 

And no accident 

It’s you I found

The Game of Thrones 

A Netflix binge

A new board game 

A sushi cringe 

If there were 

people around 

I don’t think

I heard sound

Of course just then

we were interrupted

A party grand

Had just erupted

You can find me

Anywhere tonight

Smiling ear to ear

And within eyesight

by Dave Schipper (c) 2017 Rose Riversongs

 So let's get to some music.  Again, I love making these playlists so that I can revisit favorites and discover gems in my library I haven't listened to in a while that may be pretty rare to you too.

1) All My Friends - Greg Allman

Yes this is the second time this song is in the blog, so we'll post the studio version this time.  It just feels like it was written after one or both of the funerals of band members:

It's all gone, for the last time it seems
And it's a shame, all the feelings were lost in our scheme

The things we had were fine, yeah
If we had to have them all the time
Someday we'll find, we should have relied on time

All my friends came to see me this year, oh yeah
And I was glad to have them here, whoa

2) All My Friends - Dan Elixir

Dan is a digital friend I had a chance to interview for the Great River Folk Fest Songwriting contest in 2021.  Dan wraps himself everyone tongue in cheek that everyone are his friends, and you wait thinking he'll end up up saying NOT... but he doesn't so he's your friend too.

Look at that.. I found a live video of Dan doing the some.. You just never know what's out in YouTube.

3) Be My Friend Tonight - John Prine

Can you believe I didn't own "Aimless Love" until after John died, and bought it on Bandcamp. Oh Boy Records works great with Bandcamp... they are a great label.  I actually didn't know this one that well, now it's more solid

4) Circle of Friends - Sofia Talvik 

A lonely song with a deep love for a single person has Sofia watching others while loving one in this 2011 release.

Here she is solo and acoustic in the woods, love her guitar work on this piece.  I also know her husband Jonas, I don't know if she wrote it for him but I can attest since I've hosted them for a house concert; he's officially a lucky dog.

5) Brilliant Friend - Lola Kirke

I'm almost surprised that I have not posted a song from Lola yet, but she doesn't have a ton of songs in the library yet.  When I found out the woman I loved on Mozart in the Jungle had released music, I instantly became a fan and she has a wide range of genres in her music; including this country ballad that actually never mentions the word friend.

I don't wanna go with her but I'm sad to see her go Her mind's so far away But I'd still like a hand to hold There are some things I can never un-know The way you wrote my name And the way you changed your own I've wanted to write you a song for so long But I couldn't say what I knew all along Tried to catch it before it had gone Tried to catch it before it had gone all wrong I had a thought or was it a memory? About the way it's not, and it was supposed to be Do I hear the train whistlin' or is the kettle just callin' me Either way I'm listening for where I'm supposed to be Did I leave it up high in some forgotten cupboard in the kitchen I'm just buying some time in the house that I no longer live in Part of me is just tryin' to find the part of you that's missin' I've wanted to write you a song for so long So I could keep playin' along Tried to catch it before it had gone Tried to catch it before it had gone all wrong

Now I have to pause here and say a few things about her acting career.  Amazon stole my heart from me by cancelling this show too early.  Lola did have to learn how to fake play the obo, and she played it with "Blood" as Rodrigo would say.  She has posted she thinks she not getting asked to play other parts because she's not a thin starlet.  All I can see when I look at her is talent in a wide range.  I just love her, and would watch anything she's in.. just like I buy any of her music she puts out.  If you want to pass this 8 minuter video, fine; but if you watch it I believe there are two seasons still out in Amazon Prime.  Warning it will steal your heart. 

6) False Friends at the Bar - Jim Ringer with Mary McCaslin

Oh buying old vinyls and importing them... Jim's liner notes say this short song got him into trouble.  Amazingly it didn't get me into trouble... Mary had it on her YouTube channel.

7) Company of Friends - Danny Schmidt

A folk hymn shows itself for the 2nd time in the blog. after being in #28 Peace, Love, & Unity.

So we'll do a different video this time.

8) Friend of Mine - Nanci Griffith cover of a Kate Wolf tune.

Sorry all I can find is Kate's version, but I own both.

9) Friends we leave behind - The Whitmore Sisters.

From their album I reviewed Click here.

Oh as luck would have it... a live video.  Love these sisters and I'm lucky to have seen them twice this year.

10) My Friend - Jimi Hendrix

I can not find a decent YouTube video of Hendrix studio song that has a such a great party feel with harmonica; so I'm posting my cover from way back in 2011.  I dust it off sometimes and relearn it; I absolutely love this song.  I should record it in Garage Band and add the harmonica and other layers... maybe try my best to emulate the party with clinking glasses.

11) You've Got a Friend - James Taylor

What a great video of James & Carole... sigh.  Just another hymn; love that he could highlight Carole's writing so many people likely think he wrote it.

12) Old Friends - Simon and Garfunkel

I brought this song to the Lucky Dog band and they thought it was boring and slow, but as I age it even means more to me, I'm not quite 70 but at Paul's age when he wrote it 70 must have sounded strange ... Such a fine song.  Weird I have a demo version in my playlist with just Paul's voice, it so needs Art. Here they are as pups too.

YouTube Playlist :

Yes my new tradition... all the above songs in a one click YouTube Playlist: