What are Tom's newest CDs?

TROLLING FOR OWLS is Tom's latest CD. It contains stories and songs from Tom's live performances. His previous album, THE VERY BEST OF TOM RUSH: NO REGRETS was released in 1999 on the Columbia/Legacy label. In addition to the classics, there is the stunning "River Song" with backup by Shawn Colvin. It is available online on this site from Tom. See the complete DISCOGRAPHY for complete details on every album.

Does Tom have a songbook available?

The TOM RUSH: WRONG END OF THE RAINBOW songbook is no longer in print. We hear stories, however, of people finding it in used bookstores, and even for sale on eBay. It was published by Warner Bros. in 1970.

How can we get Tom to play at our school/club/venue?

Contact Andrea Sabata at Skyline Music 561.790.4843. Skyline handles Tom's bookings.

Will any of Tom's old recordings be re-released?

Most albums have been re-released on CD except "Tom Rush: Live at the Unicorn," and "Late Night Radio." All CDs are available at the store except for a couple of double-album imports from England, which can be bought from Amazon.com.

The album "Classic Rush" doesn't seem to be available on CD. Do you know if it is available anywhere? And if not - is there a way to know if the specific versions of those songs contained on "Classic Rush" are available elsewhere?

"Classic Rush" was a compilation drawn from the three albums that Tom made for Elektra Records, all of which are now available on CD ("Tom Rush," "Take a Little Walk," "Circle Game"). Elektra/Warner Bros, in their infinite wisdom, never saw fit to release "Classic Rush" on CD.

I remember watching one of Tom's performances from Symphony Hall on PBS in the early 1980's. Were any of those performances saved on videotape? If so, is there a DVD or VHS tape available anywhere?

There are tapes existing of that show at WGBH in Boston. It hasn't been released for home use because of complex issues with the performing rights to that material. We do keep asking them.

Where is Tom performing during the next few months?

As soon as we confirm Tom's dates, they are put on the website. It is the best source available for Tom's schedule.

Photo: Bruce W. Bedford

It looks like you're playing an Epiphone Texan guitar, though I figured that you'd probably playing some new, designer guitar made by a pony-tailed craftsman out of yak wood, imported from the Maldive Islands (craftsman completes one every eight years, inlaid with father and mother of pearl).

Tom: "Yes, it's a Texan, two of them, actually. My old favorite (called "The Naked Lady" because of the inlay on the neck), burned up in my fire in NH many years ago, and since then two people have come forward to give me replacements (although nothing can ever replace the Lady). I like the guitars. Both mine have been worked on by the Music Emporium in Lexington, MA, which might be why they sound better than production run Texans. Actually three guys gave me Texans (technically, one sold me a Texan for $300 – pretty close to a gift)."

How did Rockport Sunday come about? Is it about Rockport, MA?

Tom: "I wrote the piece as a sound impression of a generic small seaport town, was going to call it Newport Sunday but decided that Newport carried too much baggage, switched to Rockport. I did have Rockport, MA in mind, but almost any Rockport would do, as long as it has ocean."

What guitar are you playing in the "Remember Song"" video?

Tom: "Handmade guitar by Don Musser. Now luthier to the stars, he was just starting out when I bought it at McCabe''s in Santa Monica in (I think) '74."

What equipment did you use to get such a good laptop recording of "What I Know"?

It's ProTools with an "Mbox" both by DigiDesign.

I just saw the movie "Festival Express". Just a great movie with some fine performances. I was wondering if that's Mr. Rush seen in a couple of scenes in the movie.

Tom: "Yes, that was me. And Trevor. Best party I've ever been to. And that's saying something, even if it does end with a preposition." (The DVD is available here in our online store.)

Does a recorded rendition of Duncan and Brady 'extended version' exist anywhere and can I get it?

'Duncan & Brady' was recorded for the CD "Trolling for Owls", which is available at Tom's shows and online.

I'm trying to find out some information as to whether John Sebastian played harmonica on the album Take A Little Walk With Me.

Tom: "Yup, he does."

I was wondering: where can I get the lyrics for the song "Panama Limited"? I'm aware that the song is a compilation of sorts of some of Bukka White's music. Could you possibly elaborate on that?

As far as I know nobody has ever transcribed the lyrics to my version of Panama Limited - maybe you could be the first! Booker T. White ("call me Bukka"") was a Memphis bluesman who is now buried there in an unmarked grave in the Potter's Field section of the municipal graveyard there. He had a few train songs, and my "Panama Limited" is a commingling of his version along with some stuff from "Special Streamline." (I have been busted by a train buff who pointed out that the Panama Limited actually ran to Panama City, Florida, hence the name, not New Orleans - that would have been the Special Streamline.) In those days the train steam-whistle was like a giant one-note harmonica, and the engineer could "bend" that note by letting more or less steam pressure through the valve, and play with cadence. Most long-run engineers had a signature whistle blast, so you really could "tell by the way that the whistle moan, the man at the throttle was Casey Jones," for instance.

I'm a guitar player. Is there tablature available for Tom's songs?

There is nothing officially available at the moment. There is an instructional DVD on the Homespun label, available at the web store. It is occasionally possible to find earlier Tom Rush songbooks for sale on e-Bay auction site. In addition there is a website, Cowboy Lyrics, specializing in tablature, and a number of Tom's songs have been included. We have not checked them for accuracy. We also found a TAB of "Moles Moan" at http://www.fretplay.com/tabs/r/rush_tom/moles_moan-tab.shtml

I hear Tom is available to do voice-over work for advertisers.

He is in demand as a voice-over talent at Los Angeles' International Creative Management (ICM), represented by Jeff Danis.

What happened to Buskin and Batteau?

David Buskin's latest CD, Heaven Is Free Tonight, has been released. He is also part of the marvelous group Modern Man. He was recently presented with the 1999 Kate Wolf Award by the World Folk Music Association. Buskin and Batteau performed together at that event on January 15-16, 1999.

How about Trevor Veitch? Is he still playing?

Tom: "Trevor is indeed still playing, although he mainly works as a producer these days. He's living with his wife and son in CA, and I see him almost every time I go through the area, and we e-mail each other jokes on a regular basis."

What's that song about 50/50? Is it on an album?

Tom: "All a Man Can Do" will be on the next studio album. I think that's the tune you mean, featuring the line, "Take your chances, take your shot / fifty-fifty's all you got."

I always wondered what the "rainbow circle" meant in my favorite song, Merrimack County

There is sometimes a faint rainbow circle around the moon, and the mariners of old used to say this was a predictor of bad weather. They were right. The phenomenon is caused by ice crystals in the troposphere (you can calculate the altitude by the diameter of the circle) and represents the leading edge of a low pressure system. When I was writing the song there was a verse about the weather on the day I was born. That verse was dropped, but the rainbow circle survived.

What guitars have you played?

Tom replies: "My first real guitar was a Martin 00-18 that my dad bought me. My first "professional" one was an Epiphone FT 79N that I bought new in Cambridge, MA for $179. I had it fancied up over the years with inlay, and it became known as the "Naked Lady," because of the figure that adorned the fingerboard. She burned up in a house fire in '90, and three different fans came out of nowhere and gave me Epiphone Texans. I still have 2 of them. The other guitar I use on stage is a handmade instrument by Don Musser, which is very similar to a Martin D-28, but has a few modifications. Also, I lost a Guild 212 12-string in the fire. Just found one on eBay after looking for 16 years, and am having a wonderful time with it."

If you could play "Rockport Sunday" on any new guitar, which one would you choose?

Tom: "I don't know how to answer the question. I don't know that much about guitars - my MO has always been to try to find one who's sound and feel I like (and that I can afford). I'm not brand-loyal, and have found that there's enough variation between individual instruments that, even though I might love on particular Martin D-35, for instance, I wouldn't love all of them. On top of that, I've found that my playing style evolves to fit the instrument, so that when I get a new guitar (which hardly ever happens - I'm happy with the ones I've got) I have to adapt to it, and the old familiar material comes out a little differently. I know that doesn't answer your question, but it's the best I can do."

Any chance of getting the tuning Tom uses for "The Dreamer?

It's a standard tuning with the bottom (bass) E string dropped to D.

What's the open guitar tuning Tom uses on "River Song"?

Tom replies: "It's a D, capo at the third fret to yield an F. "

I am looking for the TAB and tuning of Tom Rush's "Rye Whiskey".

Tom answers: "Sorry, no tab. But the tuning is an open D (starting with the bass string, D,A,D,F#,A,D). I used to tune my guitar down a half, or even a full step, so the recording might be lower than D. Then I put the guitar face-up on my lap and use the handle of a table knife as a slide, holding it by the blade. Do not use a sharp knife. "

What's the tuning on "Drift Away"?

Tom: "D tuning, capo 3rd fret (so it comes out in F)"

What's the name of the song about the old guy?

Could be Murray McLauchlan's "Old Man's Song," "Desperados Waiting for a Train" by Guy Clark, or "Old Blevins" by Steve Walters. There are probably others. There are a lot of old guys out there.

What's the name of the song about losing your memory?

"The Remember Song", is about a guy who can't. Steve Walters wrote it. Tom recorded it on his own album "Trolling for Owls", and a concert version is on the Judy Collins Wildflower Festival CD (not the DVD). Both are available from our store.

Who wrote Hobo's Mandolin and what key is it played in?

Mike Smith, from Chicago, wrote Hobo's Mandolin; it's in C-sharp with the capo on the 3rd fret, so it comes out in E-flat (I think - I haven't played it in a while.).

Who Wrote Jazzman?

Ed Holstein wrote the song. GOOGLE him for more information.

Who is the girl with you on the cover of "Circle Game"?

There are rumors that that woman was Linda Eastman (who later married Paul McCartney), but Linda was the photographer on that shoot. The woman in the picture was my then-girlfriend Jill Lumpkin.

Can you tell me the tuning on "Mobile-Texas Line"?

That would have been in a G tuning (D,G,D,G,B,D, starting with the bass string), but in those days I was tuning a half-tone low. It has also been pointed out to me that I occasionally throw in a gratuitous extra beat or two - in the turn-arounds at the ends of the verses. I never did learn to count properly!

What's the name of the song Tom sings about coyotes? Is it on an album?

Tom replies: "The Coyote Song is properly called 'A Cowboy's Paean on a Coyote'". It's been recorded on 'Trolling for Owls', a live CD of Tom's whimsical stuff which is available at shows and online.

What's the tuning on "Rockport Sunday"

Tom replies: "It's a C tuning: Starting with the bass string it goes C,G,C,G,C,E with the first three being tuned down from "regular" tuning, the G and high E strings being left alone, and the B string being tuned up to C. It's a nice tuning."

Can you give me an idea of the slide technique you use on "Galveston Flood?"

I used to play it in a C tuning (C,G,C,G,C,E - starting with the bass string), but have recently switched to the key of A (a G tuning capo'd at the 2ned fret). All the recordings are (I think) in C. I'm sliding a kitchen knife - held by the blade, using the handle as the slide - up and down the strings. 5th fret and 12th fret are the only stops on the route.

What's the tuning on "No Regrets"

Again, it's a C tuning.

Enjoying learning how to play some of Toms songs on the Homespun DVD after listening to them for 30 years. Can someone tell me what brand of thumb pick he uses? All of the ones I've tried have been too stiff to play in his style?

Dunlop.

Tom Rush had an guitar piece that was played every Sunday night as the theme song for a folk music show on Boston radio in the 60"s. Can you tell me the name of the piece and what album I can get that will have it?

Tom replies: "Most likely it's 'Mole's Moan,' by Geoff Muldaur. Jefferson Kaye used it, I think, on his WBZ show. It's on the Fantasy CD "Blues, Songs and Ballads," available on this website.

I remember a video by Tom on MTV in its first couple years. It was a sparse, gentle version of Lousiana Eyes. The video portion was set on a bare sound stage---no audience, just Tom and the other performers. I can't find a single reference to it anywhere online. Is it available anywhere? Was it another performer? Am I losing my mind?

Tom: "I'm happy to tell you that your mind is not lost, just wandering a bit. I think the footage you're referring to was on a PBS special from Symphony Hall in Boston in, I believe, 1982. I don't recall ever having done anything for MTV, but that doesn't mean I didn't."

How do I get permission to record one of Tom's tunes?

The proper way to get permission is to contact Bug Music in LA (they administer his publishing) and get them to issue a license. (323) 466-4352.

I once heard you sing "Making the Best of a Bad Situation." Who wrote it? Has it been recorded?

"Making the Best of a Bad Situation" was written by Dick Feller. It was recorded by Ray Stevens. Tom includes it in his show once in a while and has recorded it on his 'Trolling for Owls' CD, available at shows and online.

Tom was standing in New Jersey. Manhattan is across the Hudson River.

Tom replies: "Originally I used an "E" tuning, where the strings are tuned exactly as they would be if you played an E chord (E,B,E,G#,B,E) but I found I was breaking strings a lot, especially the G string. I quit doing the song for years until it finally occurred to me that I could tune a full tone lower and capo on the second fret to achieve the same effect with less string tension. So I now use a "D" tuning: D,A,D,F#,A,D. Go to it!"

I'm guessing you've had a few guitars long enough for the frets to wear out. What do you do at that point? Is it possible to replace just the frets? If so how? Do you have to replace the whole neck? Or do you just hang it up on a wall and admire it? Inquiring minds want to know!

Frets can be replaced, but you'll need a grownup to do this. Luthiers replace frets all the time. They have a weird looking pair of pliers that they use to wiggle the old ones out, and then they have an assortment of new fret wire that they match up to your particular situation.
The wire has a "T" shaped cross section with the top of the T being the fret you see, and the bottom going down into the slot in the fingerboard. Typically, they only replace the ones that need it, down at the bottom third of the neck. There can be problems if the neck has extensive inlay (as my old customized Epiphone, the ""Naked Lady," did), since removing the old fret can pull up chips of the inlay material. Hope this helps!

What's the tuning on 'Galveston Flood'?

Tom replies: "The tuning is C and, starting with the bass string, it goes C,G,C,G,C,E. So you tune the E, A and D strings down, leave the G and high E alone, and tune the B string up half a tone. "

What tuning do you use on 'Barbry Allen'?

Tom replies: "It's an open D: starting with the bass string - D,A,D,F#,A,D. Back when I recorded it I seemed to be tuning my guitars down either a half or sometimes a whole step from A=440, so the recording may be pitched lower than D."

And what's the tuning on "Circle Game"?

Tom: "'Circle Game' is in G tuning capo'd on the 4th fret, though I used to tune down a half (sometimes a full) tone so I'm not sure what key the recording was in."