The Complete Folk Den Recordings (1995-2011)
192 Historic Folk Songs (Over 9 Hours) Courtesy Of The Former Byrd
EXPANDED & UPDATED: Each month, for 16 years, Roger McGuinn has been sharing free downloads of his personal recordings of mountain music, sea shanties, chain gang songs, cowboy tunes and southern spirituals on his website, The Folk Den. Essentially, the project is his own history of folk music’s evolution over the last few centuries. Each post features personal anecdotes about the composition’s history and/or his first introduction to it – often with lyrics and chord progressions. It’s a mighty impressive project – both musically and personally – though, it should be noted that the bit rate is a bit wanting (usually 128 to 192) and the fidelity is not always studio quality. But… who cares? You can download all 192 songs from The Folk Den… one at a time, or you can conveniently grab them all here. I hate to say this, but you’re better off getting them here. The tags on Roger’s original files are a total mess; unnumbered, unorganized and sometimes misnamed (one file was even posted twice). We’ve spent some time fixing all that and we’ve included all the artwork (when available) and Roger’s recollections with each file. NOTE: If you’ve downloaded this before from us (in April, 2009), this is a better and much more complete version. We’ve fixed Roger’s comments and updated all his lyrics and chords – and they all fit snugly in the “lyrics” section of the file. McGuinn would later re-record much of this material for a 4CD box set in 2005, The Folk Den Project, to mark the project’s 10th anniversary. There’s also a 2001 single CD version called Treasures From The Folk Den. This complete, web-only collection brings you up to date to now, August 2011. Visit The Folk Den for future releases.
1995-1998
Old Paint (2:42)
Virgin Mary (1:51)
The Argoanut (2:17)
John Riley (3:49)
To Morrow (1:59)
Easter (1:55)
Springfield Mountain (2:28)
Buffalo Skinners (4:15)
New York Girls (2:14)
Cold Coast Of Greenland (1:59)
Boatman (3:01)
Lost Jimmy Whelan (2:14)
Golden Vanity (2:34)
What Child Is This (2:31)
Bobbi From Chi (Tribute To Bob Gibson) (1:53)
In The Evenin‘ (2:26)
Alberta (2:57)
Sailor Lad (1:45)
Brisbane Ladies (3:02)
Wayfaring Stranger (3:08)
East Virginia (2:48)
This Train (1:30)
South Australia (3:15)
Go To Sea Once More (3:28)
Wild Goose (1:36)
Wagoner’s Lad (3:04)
Mary Had A Baby (2:04)
Cold Cold Coast Of Greenland (1:59)
Brandy Leave Me Alone (2:14)
Finnegan’s Wake (2:32)
Bound To Australia (3:14)
Handsome Cabin Boy (3:23)
James Alley Blues (3:11)
Pushboat (3:09)
John Henry (1:42)
Home On The Range (3:28)
Mighty Day (2:31)
John The Revelator (2:27)
Bonny Ship The Diamond (2:37)
1999-2002
Brazos River (2:18)
900 Miles (2:48)
Old Texas (2:04)
Blood Red Roses (3:26)
Alabama Bound (2:31)
Liverpool Gals (3:06)
Get Along Little Dogies (3:03)
Trouble In Mind (2:34)
Sail Away Lady (2:10)
Fair Nottamun Town (3:34)
Ain‘ No Mo’ Cane On De Brasis (3:43)
I Saw Three Ships (2:06)
Auld Lang Syne (2:18)
Greenland Whale Fisheries (1:57)
Dink’s Song (3:01)
Lilly of the West (3:13)
Kilgary Mountain (3:02)
Willie Moore (3:33)
Star Spangled Banner (3:52)
The Cruel War (4:17)
Cumberland Mountain Bear Chase (4:10)
Coffee Grows On White Oak Trees (2:43)
Makes Long Time Man Feel Bad (3:14)
The Twelve Days of Christmas (4:01)
Stewball (2:14)
The Riddle Song (1:24)
Catch The Greenland Whale (2:35)
The Colorado Trail (2:44)
House Of The Rising Sun (2:36)
The Water Is Wide (2:19)
Nancy Whiskey (3:00)
Bring Me A Little Water, Sylvie (3:10)
Streets Of Laredo (2:14)
American For Me (4:17)
Battle Hymn of the Republic (3:38)
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (2:00)
Waltzing Matilda (4:44)
Spanish Is The Loving Tongue (2:44)
Roddy McCorley (3:52)
Rock Island Line (1:57)
Michael Row The Boat Ashore (2:41)
Tarrytown (2:52)
All My Trials (3:33)
Delia’s Gone (3:02)
Railroad Bill (2:43)
Wildwood Flower (3:03)
I Am A Pilgrim (3:21)
Away In A Manger (2:49)
2003-2006
When The Saints Go Marching In (4:03)
St James Infirmary (3:34)
Pretty Saro (2:11)
Wild Mountain Thyme (2:52)
12 Gates To The City (3:17)
Squid Jiggling Ground (3:02)
He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands (2:53)
Go Tell Aunt Rhodie (1:34)
Shenandoah (4:27)
Banks of Ohio (4:13)
Heave Away (2:37)
We Wish You A Merry Christmas (1:57)
The Gallows Polls (2:43)
Silver Dagger (3:50)
Drunken Sailor (2:38)
Ezekiel Saw A Wheel (3:21)
Whistling Gypsy (3:20)
Salty Dog Blues (1:47)
Down By The Riverside (3:14)
Haul Away Joe (3:30)
Oh Freedom (3:43)
Spanish Ladies (3:10)
The John B’s Sails (3:28) w/ The Rock Bottom Remainders
The First Noel (3:20)
Cindy (1:47)
Let the Bullgine Run (3:06)
Follow The Drinking Gourd (2:46)
Wanderin’ (3:28)
So Early in the Spring (3:29)
Old Riley (1:50)
On Top Of Old Smokey (2:52)
Erie Canal (3:09)
Red River Valley (2:55)
There’s A Hole In The Bucket (3:01)
Oh Mary Don’t You Weep (2:12)
Children Go Where I Send Thee (5:40)
Ruben Ranzo (2:19)
St. Clair’s Defeat (4:53)
Mary Had A Little Lamb (3:30)
Wade In The Water (3:07)
Greensleeves (5:13)
Molly Malone (3:42)
Pretty Polly (2:29)
Katie Morey (2:40)
Every Time I Feel The Spirit (2:42)
Perry’s Victory (2:37)
Whup Jamboree (2:40)
Housewife’s Lament (3:27)
Joy To The World (3:08)
2007-2011 (up to August)
This Little Light Of Mine (3:43)
House Carpenter (3:17)
The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry (3:13)
Glory Glory (2:42)
The Butcher’s Boy (2:54)
King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O (4:10)
The Coo Coo (2:45)
Sugar Baby (3:23)
Fair And Tender Ladies (2:56) – w/ Gene Clark
The Ballad Of The Boll Weevil (4:16) – w/ Barry McGuire
Old Blue (2:34)
O Come All Ye Faithful (4:15)
Away Rio (3:21)
Old Joe Clark (3:25)
Blow The Man Down (3:07)
Cripple Creek (2:00)
Come And Go With Me (2:55)
I Know Where I’m Going (2:30)
Going Down The Road Feeling Bad (3:48)
Skip To My Lou (2:43)
Darlin’ Corey (2:57)
Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho (3:05)
500 Miles (3:39)
Go Tell It On The Mountain (3:19)
No Payday In Detroit (2:00)
Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out (3:27)
My Home Across The Smokey Mountains (3:38)
Old Plank Road (2:44)
Dry Bones (3:01)
A Roving (2:17)
Old Chisholm Trail (2:24)
When I First Came To This Land (2:44)
Drill Ye Tarriers (3:02)
I’ll Fly Away (3:39)
Frozen Logger (3:22)
Christmas Is Coming (2:10)
Take This Hammer (2:44)
Randy Dandy Oh (2:50)
She Never Will Marry (3:47)
Black Mt. Rag / Soldier’s Joy (1:59)
Big Rock Candy Mountain (2:49)
All The Pretty Little Horses (2:59)
I’m On My Way (2:14)
Whoa Back Buck (2:44)
Rolling Down To Old Maui (3:06)
Pay Me My Money Down (2:07)
The Bears Went Over The Mountain (2:04)
Back To Sea (2:44)
Barbara Allen (2:31)
Henry Martin (4:02)
Polly Vaughn (3:04)
The Squirrel (1:27)
To Welcome Poor Paddy Home (2:48)
Leave Her Johnny Leave Her (2:41)
Paul & Silas (2:20)
The Coast of Peru (2:43)
20 Comments
unf*xxcking believable post
many thx
Wow! That's a lot of listening! Thanks to Roger of course, and to you for making these easily available.
Newelectricmuse
Great collection. I'm going to need a day or two to download & appreciate it all. Any material from Roger's 1970 Byrds conglomeration? That's the "Untitled" period & one of my favorite line-ups from McGuinn & Co. Such good stuff (and thanks for mentioning his website. I'll be a'visiting that also.)
No pj, this material is far removed from The Byrds. The streaming players should give you a good idea. This is almost all folk roots stuff.
Understood & appreciated. I'm just an old Byrds fan from way back.It's not like I don't have six versions of "Chestnut Mare", but, damn, they all sound good. I'm just glad to see Roger up & kickin'.
many many thanks for all your labours – few years back tried to down all these from the very generous McGuinns site, got into a bit of a mess and to cap it all my hard drive died!
qef
brilliant
That was a lot of work for you getting the comments and the art included in the files. Thank you so much for this. I've listened to about 20 of these songs at McGuinn's site over the years.
They are much more accessible in my mp3 player than listening to them piecemeal at his site.
I do dare suggest that McGuinn's collection is as worthy as Harry Smith's Anthology.
Another amazing post.
Thanks Muddy,
I agree… this project is really something special and obviously a labor of love for Roger – as he's been at it, every month, for 16 years. Thanks for commenting.
The Bonus track from october 1996 is called BOBBI FROM CHI (not Bob Gibson Tribute).
Many thanks.
Many thanks for this post. The samples that I've heard over the years made me want very much to hear more.
Many thanks for this treasure trove: wonderful stuff.
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Thanks for posting this. Whew, what a collection. Before and after his life as a pop visionary, McGuinn was/is a folkie of the old school, a simple balladeer with a sweet voice and a desire to entertain. Plus he was one of the first musicians to use the internet to share his love of music. Peace on him.
AP
… and continuing every single month for 16 years. This collection includes a couple of his old school 50s/60s folk recordings, too.
An accomplished folk musician who became a genuine electric guitar innovator. This is possibly his greatest project. Thanks for your hard work on this one, Willard.
Rog did most of it, thanks.
Missed the site for some time for obscure reasons. Thanks for all including this one!
Nice to see you, Casper.