Interesting albums from the folk and roots music history, by Marius Roeting.
In this broadcast: Erik Vandenberge – Tent & Oily Smoke.
The American punk-folk singer Michelle Shocked became world-famous with a field recording of a gig around the campfire on the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. Her set was recorded by Pete Lawrance, owner of Cooking Vinyl, on a simple walkman. Field recording did not come out of the blue. Since the early years of sound recording, researchers, ethnomusicologists and musicologists, travelled through the country to make field recordings of old songs that were sung or played. The most well-known example is Alan Lomax, who collected a treasure trove of traditional songs. Shocked’s field recordings counterbalanced the clean and techno society at that point of time and the resulting digital dead music. And sometimes, necessity knows no laws. As a musician you then want to continue following your dreams, continuing your career, but circumstances are not in your favour.
This happened to Dutch musician Erik Vandenberge. After a break-up, his girlfriend changed the locks of the house and he was forced to find shelter somewhere else. And that was not very easy… For months, Vandenberge lived in an army tent on a field of heath. His only item of luxury was an oil heater. It was nice and cosy, sometimes even comfortable, sometimes it was sultry, and sometimes it was freezing cold. But Vandenberge did not let the break-up or circumstances discourage him. With an old tape recorder, he recorded many songs that came to his mind. The chirping of birds, the bleating of livestock, the conversations with the farm cat or with guests… the magnetic tape captured it all.
The bare, uncomplicated recordings give us a warm impression of a man who struggles with his feelings and thoughts and who captures this all in honest, bare, and free songs. No faked emotions, but the bitter and hard reality. The fact that the registration and sometimes the play of the musicians are not perfect, only makes it more real and credible. The eventual recordings were released as Tent & Oily Smoke. It did not receive the same attention as the Texas Campfire tapes who were recorded and released by a record label. Tent & Oily Smoke was in all ways independent: from compositions, performance, cover design, and prints, up to the distribution. The Tent & Oily Smoke CD can be considered the Dutch equivalent of the Texas Campfire tapes, even though it would not be out of place if it was the other way around.
Erik Vandenberge during a performance with Rommelhond (picture Reinier van Olderen)
Rommelhond – Eindelijk vrij – own management
1. Meisje Loos (trad) 2.40
Erik Vandenberge – Tent & Oily Smoke – own management
2. Start All Over Again 2.03
3. Shoes 2.17
4. Big Whole Moon 2.46
5. Warmth Of The Sun 1.55
6. Blue Sky Fallin’ 3.58
7. Rain 2.09
8. Ain’t Nobody’s Fault 1.33
9. Don’t Give Up On Love 4.24
10. Sitting By My Myself 1.20
11. Fun In The Barn 2.13
12. In Your Eyes 2.09
13. Morning Light 2.33
14. Good For Nothing 2.15
15. APK 2.56
16. Why I Don’t Know 3.14
17. Hello, Goodbye My Friend 2.13
18. Workin’ Man’s Blues 2.12
19. Candy Store Stomp 3.02
20. Feeling Good 6.49
Rommelhond – Eindelijk vrij – own management
21. Lekker rustig in je graf 2.00 All compositions: Erik Vandenberge, except track 1 (Trad)
Produced by: