The Asch Recordings, recorded between 1944 and 1949, are a series of albums featuring some of the most famous recordings of US folk musician Woody Guthrie. These sessions were recorded by Moses "Moe" Asch in New York City.

Background

The songs recorded by Asch comprise the bulk of Guthrie's original material and several traditional songs. They were issued on a variety of labels over the years under the labels Asch, Asch-Stinson, Asch-Signature-Stinson, Disc, Folkways and Smithsonian Folkways. The tracks for Guthrie's Songs to Grow on for Mother and Child and Nursery Days were from these sessions.

Many recordings have unknown session dates. These are included in a list available at the United States Library of Congress titled "Surviving Recordings in the Smithsonian Folklife Archive Made by Woody Guthrie for Moses Asch". Moe Asch says Woody's kids songs were recorded sometime in early 1947 and the Sacco and Vanzetti ballads were recorded January 1947.

Folkways volumes

The Smithsonian Folkways label repackaged and arranged these sessions in a series of 4 discs between 1997 and 1999. The first volume focuses on Guthrie's original compositions, the second on folk and country covers, the third on topical songs, and the fourth on cowboy and western music.

YearTitleRecord label1997This Land Is Your Land, The Asch Recordings, Vol.1Smithsonian Folkways1997Muleskinner Blues, The Asch Recordings, Vol.2Smithsonian Folkways1998Hard Travelin', The Asch Recordings, Vol.3Smithsonian Folkways1999Buffalo Skinners, The Asch Recordings, Vol.4Smithsonian Folkways

List of songs

Note: A blank cell below a date indicates that the date is repeated on that row.

TitleCatalogue No.Recording DateNotes / Instrument"Hard Ain't It Hard"LM-1April 16, 1944"More Pretty Girls Than One"LM-2"Golden Vanity"MA 1April 19, 1944Recordings on this date w/ Cisco Houston"When the Yanks Go Marching In"MA 2So Long, It's Been Good to Know YouMA3Dollar Down Dollar a WeekMA4Hen CackleMA5I Ain't Got NobodyMA6Ida RedMA7Columbus StockadeMA8Whistle BlowingMA9John HenryMA10Hammer Ring ("Union Hammer")MA11Muleskinner Blues ("New Road Line")MA12What are We Waiting On ("Bloody Fight")LM-2More Pretty Girls Than OneMA13Ship in the Sky ("My Daddy")MA14The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever DoneMA15StewballMA16Grand Coulee DamMA17Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine")MA18Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine")MA19Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine")MA20New York Town ("My Town")MA21Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine")MA22Reckless TalkMA23Reckless TalkMA24Last Nickel BluesMA25Guitar RagMA26Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet ("Don't Need No Man")MA27(Those) Brown EyesMA28Chisholm TrailMA29Sowing on the MountainsMA30Sowing on the MountainsMA31Right NowMA32Train-HarmonicaMA33Sally Don't You GrieveMA34Take a Wiff on MeMA35Philadelphia LawyerMA36Kissing On ("Gave Her Kisses")MA37Little DarlingMA38Baltimore to Washington ("Troubles Too")MA39Poor BoyMA40Poor BoyMA41Ain't Nobody's BusinessMA42Take Me Back BabeMA43Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues")MA44Bed on the FloorMA45One Big Union ("Join It Yourself")MA46Worried Man BluesMA47What Did the Deep Say?MA48Foggy Mountain TopMA4921 YearsMA50Roving Gambler ("Gambling Man")MA51CindyMA52Into SeasonMA53Red River ValleyMA55Dead or Alive ("Poor Lazarus")MA56Pretty BoyMA57John HardyMA58Bad Lee Brown ("Cocaine Blues")MA59Whistle BlowingMA66Billy The KidMA67Stagger LeeMA68Down Yonder674April 20, 1944Guitar Blues675Harmonica Breakdown676Fox Chase677Train678Lost John679Pretty Baby680Old Dog a Bone681Turkey in the Straw687Give Me That Old Time Religion688Glory ("Walk and Talk with Jesus")689Hard Time Blues690Bus Blues691Devilish Mary692Cripple Creek693Sandy Land694Old Dan Tucker695April 24, 1944Bile Them Cabbage Down696Old Joe Clark697Buffalo Girls698Rain Crow Bill699Skip to my Lou700Lonesome Train701, 702Blues, Harmonica Breakdown703, 704Harmonica Rag705,706Crawdad Hole707Bury Me Beneath the Willow708I Ride an Old Paint709Blue Eyes710Going Down the Road Feeling Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues")711Old Dog a Bone712Having Fun713Blues714Talking Fishing BluesMA75April 25, 1944Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine")MA76Union Burial GroundMA77Jesse JamesMA78Rangers CommandMA79Sinking of the Ruben JamesMA80Put My Little Shoes AwayMA81Picture From Life's Other SideMA82Will You Miss MeMA83Bed on the FloorMA84900 MilesMA85Sourwood MountainMA86Hoecake BakingMA87Ezekiel Saw the WheelMA88Little DarlingMA89Lonesome DayMA90Cumberland GapMA91Fiddling PieceMA92Carry Me Back to Old VirginnyMA93Step StoneMA94House of the Rising SunMA96Browns Ferry BluesMA98What Would You Give in Exchange For Your Soul?MA99When That Ship Went DownMA99-1Dust BowlMA100Guitar RagMA101I Ain't Got NobodyMA102Going Down This Road Feeling Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues")MA103Polly Wolly DoodleMA104Guitar Rag1230Blowin' Down This Old Dusty Road1231Hey Lolly LollyMA105Budded RosesMA106House of the Rising SunMA107I Don't Feel at Home in the BoweryMA108Hobo's LullabyMA109Froggy Went a Courtin'MA110Bad ReputationMA111Snow DeerMA112Ladies AuxiliaryMA113This Land is Your LandMA114Hang Knot ("Slip Knot")MA115BreakdownMA116Go Tell Aunt RhodyMA117Union Going to RollMA118Who Broke the Lock on the Hen House DoorMA119What Did the Deep Sea SayMA120Strawberry RoanMA121-1When the Yanks Go Marching inMA122-1Bed on the FloorMA123-1We Shall Be FreeMA124-1Right NowMA125-1Jackhammer JohnMA126-1WoodyMA127-1,127-2Keep Your Skillit Good and GreasyMA129-1HomeMA130-1Lost YouMA131Slip Knot ("Hang Knot")MA134Jesus ChristMA135Hobo BillMA136Little Black TrainMA137Cannon BallMA138Gypsy DavyMA139Bile Them Cabbage DownMA140WoodyMA1240May 8, 1944Get Along Little Dogies860March 1, 1945Waltz861,862Union Breakdown863Cackling Hen864Chishom Trail865Bed on Your Floor866Rye Whiskey867Old Joe Clark868March 23, 1945Long Way to France869Woody Blues870Down Yonder871Gal I Left Behind872Mean Talking Blues900May 24, 19451913 Massacre901Ludlow Massacre902Buffalo Skinners903Harriet Tubman904,905Lindbergh106

References