ndlxs - Posted - 11/18/2022:  09:44:56

This spritely tune was written by the author of “Waiting for Nancy”, Curtis Carlisle Bouterse of San Diego County, California.  I first heard of him in the late 1970s when I was in college at UC Riverside and saving myself from a miserable career in medicine by spending my study time practicing fingerstyle guitar and banjo learned from my mentor, Pete Roehling who was at one point a presence here on Banjo Hangout.  When I finished in 1978, I went to the San Diego Folk Festival either in 1979 or 1980, and there was a banjo workshop featured Stu Jamieson and Mr. Bouterse with a nice collection of home made banjos. 



This tune was written for obvious reasons in August, 1974.  I was between high school and college and working along with my sister at a chart clerk at Kaiser Hospital Fontana when I heard the news. I did not play banjo then.  A few years later, after college, I had a banjo and I ran across his charming booklet of fiddle tunes, most likely either at McCabe’s in Santa Monica or at the Folk Music Center in Claremont.  It was a small run publication; the original used for duplication was all nicely handwritten in music notation. This tune is included.  He appeared on “Folk Scene”, which was a legendary Sunday radio program on KPFK that always included a live segment; it was hosted  by Howard and Roz Larman. He would have appeared in September or October, 1980; I have a cassette copy of this in my archives somewhere, I think.  He did this tune, but also did a nice mountain dulcimer version of two hymns from the Sacred Harp, “Promised Land” and “Parting Friends” which I worked on banjo and still play. Perhaps you will see this in a future TOTW. 



There was a time in the past that some would be offended by a tune making fun of this man’s failure.  Much water though has flowed under the bridge since then.  I am 66; I was only 18 then, and perhaps 75% of you banjar players out there reading this have no memory of Nixon as a background presence in your lives, so the case could be made that those who don’t know the backstory may think of this as a fond farewell to beloved person. 



My banjo tab is here:

banjohangout.org/tab/browse.as...p;v=25837



Here is Steven Rapp, Paul Kirk and friends playing it:

youtube.com/watch?v=GYTytVm-bvo



Here is Curt Bouterse playing it (note he is up-picking the banjo…), which has some nice melodic variation in the second part:

youtube.com/watch?v=4dzu9x7KqlU

There are many banjo players playing this tune on Youtube so I will not add my own.

youtube.com/results?search_que...ell+banjo



One of note: Howard Caine, the actor who played Major Hochstetter in Hogan’s Heroes playing this tune:

youtube.com/watch?v=FPe2x2QcRr8



Here is President Nixon’s own farewell which is worth watching:

youtube.com/watch?v=4zrU5GHyp4U



 

JanetB - Posted - 11/18/2022:  14:28:43

An interesting background here, Andy. We had some similar experiences with banjo in Southern California. In 1974 I was two years into my UCSB college career and none other than Howard Caine helped me understand the clawhammer technique. My first banjo was purchased at McCabe's and I still have it.



I used the link to Curt Bouterse's version. He sure sounds like he's playing dulcimer! He says on his site that he only plays fretless banjos. He's in the key of G, but hits a very low note where the fourth string is tuned down to a G note, so I'm curious as to his tuning. I used his playing plus the fiddle to arrange something this morning and thought to memorize it because the 10th fret note would be a hit-or-miss if I was looking at my new tab.



The instrumental B part caught me for a loop in the 13th measure. I thought it was crooked, but it's not, though it's hard to unravel the two instruments, and it's played this way only in the original recording from what I hear. In the 9th measure the downbeat note begins the phrase, but in the 13th measure it begins on the offbeat. Is this what you meant by the melodic variation? When Curt sings the B part it sounds quite regular.  You solve my dilemma quite easily in your tab.

VIDEO: Nixon’s Farewell (TOTW)
(click to view)

Nixon's Farewell (CH) tab

ndlxs - Posted - 11/18/2022:  19:44:41

I was only really around McCabes (a long drive from San Gabriel Valley) in 1979 and 1980; I moved up here in Dec 1980.  I took several group classes there, included Rick Ruskin's guitar class and Jack Aldrich's Clawhammer banjo class and got a lot out of both.  I started out with a Japanese banjo and by 1980 I bought a AE Smith Northampton banjo at McCabes.  



In 1983, a guy brought in the AE Smith model I have now, the Shelburne II to the Fifth String in Sacramento.  Despite some big car repairs then, I somehow found enough to buy it.  The serial number on it is just one past the Northampton I bought at McCabes; I talked to the guy who put it on consignment at the Fifth String and he bought it at McCabes too.  I sold the Northampton to a friend who still has it, I think. 



There seems to be considerable latitude in how the second part is played.  In my mind, I think I heard Bob Carlin play it somewhere the way I do it; it is not on any of his recordings, though.  I haven't re-located the little book Bouterse wrote; it is in my file cabinets somewhere. 

Jack Baker - Posted - 11/19/2022:  19:50:33

Hi Janet,

I know I've asked this before but my students keep asking what chords to have their friends backup this tune with. Do I just tell them put in whatever chords you like? I'm never sure what to tell them. I've never heard most of the Clawhammer tunes you post so I'm never sure which chords go where. I always include chords to eliminate that question. Do today's clawhammer players just let the player decide which chords?...Nice tabs Janet as always....Jack

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Originally posted by JanetB

 

Edited by - Jack Baker on 11/19/2022 19:53:26

ndlxs - Posted - 11/19/2022:  19:52:42

That's a good point; I'll update the tab tomorrow and add the chords to the music notation.  I use Musescore (free!) for the music/tab. 

Jack Baker - Posted - 11/19/2022:  20:02:31

Thank you Andy, just the chords would be great...Jack

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Originally posted by ndlxs

That's a good point; I'll update the tab tomorrow and add the chords to the music notation.  I use Musescore (free!) for the music/tab. 

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Edited by - Jack Baker on 11/19/2022 20:02:50

Jack Baker - Posted - 11/20/2022:  07:31:28

Some people seem offended that I ask for chords. Well, the Pros on BHO don't need them they just play their song and that's that--the "elites" are in the "know"; But, people new to Clawhammer do need them if their friends want to join in the fun. Don't wet your diapers over this folks...Jack

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Originally posted by Jack Baker

Thank you Andy, just the chords would be great...Jack

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Originally posted by ndlxs

That's a good point; I'll update the tab tomorrow and add the chords to the music notation.  I use Musescore (free!) for the music/tab. 

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Edited by - Jack Baker on 11/20/2022 07:35:33

JanetB - Posted - 11/20/2022:  09:26:25

Here's a tab in the key of G with chords.

Nixon's Farewell (tab w/chords)

 

Jack Baker - Posted - 11/20/2022:  10:23:39

Excellent Nancy and thank you...Jack

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Originally posted by JanetB

Here's a tab in the key of G with chords.

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Jack Baker - Posted - 11/20/2022:  11:08:05

Hi Janet,

I like your version a lot. I would have never guessed where all those nifty chord popped in there....HA....thanks Nancy....Jack   p.s. what a strange but fun little tune....pps. I also watched Nixon's little talk. He certainly had charisma...

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Originally posted by Jack Baker

Excellent Nancy and thank you...Jack

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Originally posted by JanetB

Here's a tab in the key of G with chords.

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Edited by - Jack Baker on 11/20/2022 11:24:05

ndlxs - Posted - 11/20/2022:  11:45:14

Yes, Nixon did have charisma; that farewell speech was a pretty good one, really.  Too bad he couldn't channel those feelings a year earlier. 

ndlxs - Posted - 11/20/2022:  11:46:12

Sorry that I haven't responded with the chords...we have a visitor for dinner and we are madly scrambling to clean up.  Tomorrow AM for sure. 

banjukebox - Posted - 11/21/2022:  07:30:13

Nixon's Farewell is one of my favorite tunes. It's interesting that Janet plays it in G. I've only encountered it as a D tune in jams. I went to the link to Curt's version above and can't figure out which tuning he is in - must be detuned on a fretless to some in-between tuning.

I learned the tune about 10 years ago. It was one of the first more notey tunes that I tried to figure out. Here's a link to what I came up with (played slowly)-I play it a bit differently now.

Nixon's Farewell played slowly The Tab is at the bottom.

And for those who are interested, A short interview posted by JWalk: 

How to pronounce.

Nixon's Farewell - TAB

 

ndlxs - Posted - 11/21/2022:  07:43:03

quote:

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Originally posted by ndlxs

Yes, Nixon did have charisma; that farewell speech was a pretty good one, really.  Too bad he couldn't channel those feelings a year earlier. 

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A recent visit with a friend gave me the thought that some people are at their best when life turns against them, or if they feel that way.  Whom the Gods would destroy the first raise on high....but I think that only applies to these people. 



Maybe. Food for thought. 

JanetB - Posted - 11/21/2022:  17:11:44

quote:

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Originally posted by banjukebox

It's interesting that Janet plays it in G. 

 

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Never having heard the tune before, I used the link provided by Andy for the composer's recording. youtu.be/4dzu9x7KqlU Curtis played it in G. Perhaps other times he played it in another key. 

Thanks for your video and the tab, Pat.

Edited by - JanetB on 11/21/2022 17:12:06

Jack Baker - Posted - 11/21/2022:  17:24:52

Hi Janet,

Did you happen to see that I put your arrangement into Tabledit with the chords you put into your arrangement....Nice tune for sure and thank you for putting the chords in there....Jack

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Originally posted by JanetB

quote:

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Originally posted by banjukebox

It's interesting that Janet plays it in G. 

 

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Never having heard the tune before, I used the link provided by Andy for the composer's recording. youtu.be/4dzu9x7KqlU Curtis played it in G. Perhaps other times he played it in another key. 

Thanks for your video and the tab, Pat.

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Edited by - Jack Baker on 11/21/2022 17:36:23

Tamarack - Posted - 11/23/2022:  19:13:00

A memorable tune from a memorable time. I was between my freshman and sophmore years in college, working as a camp counselor. Herded the kids to the dining hall to hear the resignation speech, then spent the rest of the evening explaining to 8 to 10-year-old campers what was going on.

cbcarlisle - Posted - 12/09/2022:  13:16:39

I only today discovered this thread - sorry. The fairly simple (sorry Janet, not crooked) melody was composed on the (fretless) banjer so there are no "chords" per se [a troublesome and modern "classical" invention, deadly for most traditional music, here and abroad] and strictly melodic.
The CD recording of the tune features the inimitable Ray Bierl on fiddle [the liner notes reflect that but YouTube doesn't include them] who consistently plays a more ornamented version and I come in with the hammered dulcimer at the end through the marvels of modern technology.