For the past few weeks I have been going through many boxes and files of music trying to make space for proper storage of just the things I need in my file cabinets. I have been trying to be very deliberate about what to keep and what should go. (I confess that when it comes to music, I think it is all important. So this has been a real challenge!)
Janie Thompson But as I have gone through this process, there have been some real surprises. For example, I inherited several boxes of my aunt Janie Thompson's music. I discovered that I have many of her tendencies. She was rather meticulous about saving many tens of copies of the "Vocal Parts Only" for entire shows in file packages, carefully dated and labeled. Sometimes she'd have 25, 50, to 100 performers in a show. No wonder she only gave them the vocal parts of the songs. (Obviously, that was much more economical, hence why she saved them -- just in case she'd need them again.)
Then she also saved the working director copies/accompaniments of those shows in three-ring binders -- complete with lists of performers, line ups, stage directions, and cues. It was like she just closed the binder and stuffed it in the box to come back and sort it later. (I hate to admit it, but I do that, too.)
Yet in reality, those have been the most important finds out of all of her files. We have thought for years that Janie rarely wrote out accompaniments to her zillions of "Vocal Parts Only" copies that the performers got. Come to find out, she actually has a few originals of the handwritten arrangements with PIANO ACCOMPANIMENTS. (Much abbreviated with sections of just chord symbols and perhaps the bass line, but still it's enough to be understandable to a pianist.) To me, that is GOLD!
Then she also saved the working director copies/accompaniments of those shows in three-ring binders -- complete with lists of performers, line ups, stage directions, and cues. It was like she just closed the binder and stuffed it in the box to come back and sort it later. (I hate to admit it, but I do that, too.)
Yet in reality, those have been the most important finds out of all of her files. We have thought for years that Janie rarely wrote out accompaniments to her zillions of "Vocal Parts Only" copies that the performers got. Come to find out, she actually has a few originals of the handwritten arrangements with PIANO ACCOMPANIMENTS. (Much abbreviated with sections of just chord symbols and perhaps the bass line, but still it's enough to be understandable to a pianist.) To me, that is GOLD!
One song in particular was quite the find. Late in her career, Janie was once again asked to perform often as a guest artist. One song became her most requested out of all her vast repertoire, "I've Been Everywhere." Apparently that novelty song had been around since the early 1960s. It was written by an Australian writer named Geoff Snow and was popularized by various singers including Johnny Cash. It started off by mentioning (in rapid fire) place names of towns only in Australia. Then other performers created versions mentioning places names in the areas they lived, like the United States and Canada.
Janie could top them all, because her version mentioned places ALL OVER THE WORLD where she had performed!!!!!! She had to include EIGHT VERSES to contain them all. I am delighted to have found the original.
Janie could top them all, because her version mentioned places ALL OVER THE WORLD where she had performed!!!!!! She had to include EIGHT VERSES to contain them all. I am delighted to have found the original.
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