Pete Seeger’s Rainbow
Quest – Johnny Cash with June Carter and Roscoe Holcomb with Jean Redpath + The
Stanley Brothers with The Clinch Mountain Boys (with Cousin Emmy) and Doc
Watson with Clint Howard and Fred Price (1965/66 Season)
Picture: C
Sound: C Extras: D Episodes: B each
Pete Seeger hosted a television show and that show, Rainbow
Quest, is a surprisingly fine program that is exceptionally laid back and
takes its time focusing on music. In
some profound way, it is like no show you have ever seen before or since. Shanachie has issued some double-episode
DVDs of the hour-long time-slotted shows.
He makes a great host and his guests are most impressive, none more so
than Johnny Cash and June Carter.
We have covered Cash in action on DVD before, but this is
both much earlier and more obscure. The
songs are by Cash as follows, except where noted:
I Am A Pilgrim
Worried Man Blues (Carter)
There’s Always A Mother Waiting
Five Feet High & Rising
Pickin’ Time
Ki-Yo-Ti (Seeger)
Al Long As The Grass Shall Grow
Little Birdy/Cripple Creek
(Seeger)
I’m Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes
(Carter)
This all becomes very personal and candid unlike anything
you will see from just about any star at any time. With Cash gone, it has a sadness to it that comes with a
reminder of what an amazing figure in music he really was. As for the Roscoe Holcomb segment, it is
stunning to see the skill this man could play banjo and guitar with, and he was
older here. As well, Scotsman Gene
Redpath delivers some great traditionals himself. Holcomb offers:
Little Birdie
Graveyard Blues
Little Gray Mule
Rocky Mountain
Redpath offers:
The Beggar Laddie
Skye Fisher’s Song
I Lost Ma Love
And to think that is just the first DVD. The second set includes The Stanley Brothers,
one of the great bluegrass bands, who are joined by fellow bluegrass band The
Clinch Mountain Boys and Cousin Emmy.
Emmy is an amazing, daring, bold performer with energy to spare and real
heart. The songs from this set are as
follows, by The Stanley Brothers and Clinch Mountain Boys, unless otherwise
noted:
It Takes A Worried Man
Clinch Mountain Backstep
Chicken Reel
Jacob’s Vision
Goin’ Down That Road Feelin’ Bad (Emmy,
followed by medley)
Ten Brook (Emmy)
I’m Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes (all)
I Will Never Marry (Seeger)
Single Girl
Knick Knack Song (Emmy)
Down In The Valley (all)
That is a show filled with quite a bit of personality and
entertaining all the way. Clint Howard
& Fred Price are present with Seeger for all the songs in their program as
follows:
Late Last Night When Willie
Rude & Rambling Man
Daniel Pray
Lee Highway Blues
Sweet Heaven When I Die
St. James Infirmary
Cackling Hen
Fly Around
Careless Love
It should also be said that Seeger begins each show with
his own talk and music medley, but he is particularly integrated into this show
and the results are good. Though the
Country genre and its subgenres may not be your cup of tea, the quality of the
showmanship and presentation also deserve note. Rainbow Quest is just another key pre-MTV music show from
television long forgotten. It’s nice to
have it on DVD. Hope they issue more.
The full frame monochrome show was shot on early videotape
and will remind one of early public television, all holding up well here. The tape has some streaks on occasion, but
it’s not bad. The Dolby Digital 2.0
Mono also shows its age, but is clear enough to enjoy the music. Maybe some kind of remastering could be done
down the line, but that depends on the condition of the masters. There is text on the back of each DVD, but
the discs are completely void of extras.
Maybe something on Seeger would be nice next time.
- Nicholas Sheffo
