JOHN PRINE
Thursday 23 August, 2018
BBC Radio 2 FM broadcast
Bob Harris Country show
John Prine is in session
Bob Harris Intro 0:27
John Prine – Summers End (session) 3:14
Interview pt. 1 6:40
John Prine – Crazy Bone (session) 3:26
Interview pt. 2 5:02
This short session was recorded by me over a year and a half ago.
John bravely fought and conquered cancer twice, here he talks candidly to
legendary & influential BBC DJ & OGWT presenter, Bob Harris and performs two songs from his latest album ‘The Tree Of Forgiveness’
Lineage: Denon FM tuner > WAVLAB 6 > FLAC 8
Recorded: thebasement67
Earlier this year (2018) legendary singer/songwriter John Prine released his first album for 18 years. Tonight he plays songs from it and discusses his 50 year career with Bob.
Back in 1970, Prine was playing at the Chicago folk club The Fifth Peg when the young journalist Roger Ebert dropped in for a set. At the time, Prine was a 23-year-old mailman who had been singing his original songs every Thursday night for about two months. Ebert wrote a glowing review for the Chicago Sun- Times , essentially launching Prineís music career. Kris Kristofferson became one of his earliest advocates; their friendship has lasted decades and they have toured together extensively over the years. In turn, Prine has invited a new generation of songwriters, such as Jason Isbell and Margo Price, to open his concerts. His 2018 tour schedule includes select dates with Sturgill Simpson.
Prine still remembers the first three songs he performed on any stage: ìSam Stone,î ìHello in There,î and ìParadise.î With humility, he recalls, ìI sang those three songs and people just sat there and looked at me. I thought, ëWow, those are really bad.í They wouldnít even applaud.î
Of course, the opposite is true today. Those three songs are Prine signatures. His songs have been recorded by iconic singers like Johnny Cash (ìSam Stoneî), Bette Midler (ìHello in Thereî) and Bonnie Raitt (ìAngel from Montgomeryî).