TWEET


NOTE: THIS ALBUM IS OUT OF PRINT

White Tree Productions 0001
On tape cassette only


Arizona Road Song

Click on the song title for an MP3 version!

Side One

  • Arizona Road Song
    (12:20 © copyright 1977 W.J. Bethancourt III)

    Sometimes I get in a good, crazy mood and let my mouth run off on it's own. This is an example of what happens then ........ this is a little dated, but still funny. Full of stupid puns. The reference to Dolan Ellis is to our "Arizona's Official Balladeer." Nice guy, used to be with the New Christy Minstrels, and I poke fun at him a lot.

  • Dogs

  • Murder Ballad
    ( 0:3.1416 PD)

    A classic example of mountain humor.

  • Old Monk Daniels/Sand Mountain Holler
    (5:70 © Jim Conner)

    There's not much to say about Jim other than he's the best damn clawhammer banjo player in the world and a good friend.

  • Sassafras
    (2:10 © Billy Edd Wheeler)

    Billy Edd Wheeler writes songs that instantly become classics. This is just one of his that I do. I love it.

Side Two

  • Saddle Up Your Horse
    (2:40 © copyright 1977 W.J. Bethancourt III)

    This is a Zen Hawg Song. It's a Zen Hawg song because there ain't no hawgs in it.

  • Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down
    (2:70 PD)

    This is one of those songs that have a lot of verses to 'em, and many of those verses are not suitable for polite company. I tried to keep this version pretty clean.

  • Up On The Mountain
    (2:00 © copyright 1977 W.J. Bethancourt III)

    I wrote this one while I was living in Lost Angeles, wandering the streets of Hollywierd and having a good time. I dunno what it means, if anything.

  • 'Nuther Dog

  • Leatherwing Bat
    (5:80 PD)

    A pretty strange little banjo tune with some stranger words. This is the traditional version of my song "Celtic Circle Dance." I guess this arrangment started something percolating in my brain.

  • Peace of Mind
    (3:60 © 1974 Dan Glenn)

    Dan Glenn ("Igor") is one of the best slap-bass players I have ever heard, and a true Southern Gentleman, except when he's fooling around with owls. He's pretty looney at times. This is an absolutely beautiful set of words.

  • Amazing Grace
    (1:70 PD)

    The definitive hymn. Everyone knows it and I figured this was a good way to end this recording.

This tape was originally recorded back in 1978. Listening to it, I can hear everything I've learned about recording and arranging since then, (and a lot of what I've learned about music!) but it's still a middling good tape.

One of the interesting things about this recording is that it's one of few I've made (other than on other people's albums) where I actually Scruggs pick the banjo! Clawhammer's still more fun.

I owe Marie and Ed Ravencroft of Chaton Recordings a debt that I can never repay. They were good friends when I needed them, and never asked why. They've gone on to bigger things than just itinerant banjo players, and that's a wonderful thing to see indeed.


Recorded at Chaton Recordings, Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Engineer: Ed Ravenscroft
All instruments and voices by Joe Bethancourt ..... We used the Martin D12-20S, the Sitar, the Ome XXX banjo, Harold the Dog, Mouthbow, Bicycle Horn, Martin mandolin, Tama Renaissance 6-string guitar (a scary creature indeed!), various percussion, Tambourine, Guild F-50Bl 6-string guitar, Guild F412 12-string guitar, Wind, Wind Chimes and Big Creaky Door. And yeah, there's too much reverb, but we live and learn!