New Phil Ochs documentary

[JenniferJuniper]

Here's filmmaker Ken Bowser talking about it:

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/video/phil-ochs-documentary-bowser-kenneth-singer-folk-12552051

[frogmarch]

1. Thanks. I'd never heard

of Phil Ochs until I heard a recording of him on You Tube singing, "Here's to the State of Mississippi."

[JenniferJuniper]

2. YouTube has done wonders

for keeping alive the works of brilliant but half-forgotten artists like Phil. When he died, he was sure his songs had long since passed into oblivion.

[abq e streeter]

3. Thanks , didn't know this film was being made.......a personal remembrance of Phil Ochs:

I saw him in 1968 during my freshman year of college (Knox, in Galesburg, Ill.) It was not long after the infamous Democratic convention of that year in Chicago. For the first half of the concert, he did his usual political folk music. I don't recall if he did this solo or with a band (I'm thinking solo/acoustic, but this is of course over 40 years ago, and I'm amazed I remember this much even). Either way, there was an intermission and he returned with a full electric band, and wearing a gold lame jumpsuit. He explained that contrary to news reports that there had been no fatalities at the convention protests, that in actuality, he had been killed. He said that when he got to heaven, God told him that since the human race's time was just about up anyway, that he was going to be allowed to come back to earth for what little time was left. Further, since there was so little time, he could come back as anyone he wanted to. He said he told God he wanted to come back as Elvis, and then proceeded to do nothing but 50's rock and roll for the second half of the concert (and did it energetically and without a hint of irony if I recall) .
There was a party for him afterwards. I and some friends , um, uh, "hashed" things out with his band, but I remember Ochs sitting by himself in the corner the whole time, drinking a bottle of wine, and wrapping and rewrapping some gauze and tape around his hand, which apparently he had cut pretty badly sometime shortly before, when he supposedly punched his fist through a ticket window (or something like that) at a show in, I think New York (possibly someone more knowledgeable than myself can confirm, debunk, or elaborate on that ).

[JenniferJuniper]

4. Yes, the hand injury happened

at his Gold Suit concert at Carnegie Hall. The concert itself is captured on his Gunfight at Carnegie Hall album.

Thanks for your story. Phil was beginning his tragic decline then. Gold lame and chardonney.....

[teevoz]

10. Carnegie Hall

Yes - in 1970. My husband (then boyfriend) and I were at the second show - the one that went on for many hours with Phil's hand bandaged up - and it was fabulous. I saw him numerous times at rallies, concerts, small benefits, and this new film is what we have been waiting for. GO see it.

[JenniferJuniper]

11. Another hand injury

Here's a 1974 Midnight Special appearance with Jim Glover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsRHeBS0L6w

I see they've added some more dates. I'll see it in Boston.

[WinkyDink]

5. LUCKY YOU!! I was a sophomore in college then, and IDOLIZED PO!! "Outside of a Small Circle

of Friends." "I Ain't Marching Anymore." Etc.

(That DN Convention was on my 19th Birthday.)

[abq e streeter]

6. For a small college in a small town in western Illinois, we got some amazing music there

Just in the 2 and 1/2 years I was there, I saw ,besides Ochs... Doc Watson (a couple of times) the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band (also multiple times), The Outsiders, Arthur Conley (Sweet Soul Music...and he was IN-CREDIBLE), The Balfa Brothers (the legendary kings of Cajun music) and Alice Cooper, just a few months before they became famous,just to name some of them. They also have, in recent years, gotten amazing commencement speakers; again this is a school of maybe 1400 students in the middle of nowhere. Just in the past 5 or 6 years, they've included Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Stephen Colbert.

So yes, I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to see Phil Ochs even though it became apparent after the concert, that he was depressed, morose, and/or an alcoholic. And as much as I loved those same songs you mentioned, it was also an unexpected treat to have seen him rocking out to the music he grew up with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5pgrKSwFJE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOqpvsJJEmk

(forgot that Colbert had mentioned John Podesta at 3:44....John was in the class of '71 and was instrumental apparently in getting these commencement speakers.)

[WinkyDink]

8. Why do I think your "small college..." was a pretty darn excellent one? ;-)

[teevoz]

9. Gold suit

Memory plays tricks - it had to be 1970, not 1968 - Phil's gold suit tour was after "Phil Ochs' greatest Hits" album and the infamous and wonderful Carnegie Hall concerts.

Go see the movie - anyone who wants to understand the 60s and one of its greatest treasures.

[rurallib]

7. Here is a piece DemocracyNow did last week w/Ochs brother

and Bowser.
Transcript below video:
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/1/6/phil_ochs_the_life_and_legacy

[Highway61]

12. Memories

Reading these posts brought back fond memories of Phil. He was wonderful. I have all his "albums".