THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL - Lonnie Donegan

[25FIREBALL]

i love train songs

[MrFlatroofer]

Brilliant.

[jonwints]

Whenever I hear Lonnie Donegan I recall the innocent, happy days of my youth. He invited the listener like me to join him- either, grab an instrument or just hop in and hang on. You had to love Lonnie. He was always great fun!

[jonwints]

Whenever I hear Lonnie Donegan I recall the innocent, happy days of my youth. He invited the listener like me to join him either, grab an instrument or just hop in and hang on. You had to love Lonnie. He was always great fun!

[pinchold]

all of us seens to be waitin for the big shiny thing to shine on us an givs freedom that's why the sonold is still so pooular.The engine driver don't fuck up.

[walsham]

Nobody did it better!

[FoxRunMan]

I heard another interpretation of what the Midnight Special meant - that it referred to a guard who did a walk-through of the prison carrying a light that he shined in the cells to check on the prisoners in the middle of the night.

[stbricesday]

Looked for your Aunt, but this classic is only 2 1/2 mins long, poor old Aunt Cherry slips into obscurity.......

[vicpur]

Was watching this and out of the blue at 3.25 my aunts face appeared!! All these millions of vids and I spot this!!! Aunty Cherry, A Dagenham girl!!!

[northstar1950]

Cool,:) nice images as well.

[peacemanken]

I know where it came from, who wants to know?

[mikesgunsandammo]

I would like to know...thanks, in advance.

[peacemanken]

Well sorry for the late response, This may not be true but I was told a story by several distant members of family that my great grandpa wrote this while in prison.Thx...Peace

[JamesToastmaster]

Pity you can't spell Donegan

[maolchalium]

Whoops.

[peterdonegan]

@JamesToastmaster Who can't spell Donegan?

[xbjgl9e]

Brilliant - so atmospheric. I still have this on a Pye Nixa EP! That's Dick Bishop on mandolin. And congrats on using the pics by O Winston Link - published in a book called Steel, Steam and Stars. Stunning.

[retardedcore]

Leadbelly didn't write midnight special...it had been a song for years before he even went to Sugarland

[igiveupuwin]

For MIK415 Download Vuze there is a Mininova Torrent caller The Collection 24 songs 102 mb good luck great listerning

[MIK415]

Just posting to various Lonnie uploaders - where might there be a complilation or complete collection of Lonnie's skiffle work? I'd be interested in having a complete collection, but know it might be difficult. Any info greatly appreciated - thanks.

[dbbroberts]

There is a great compilation called "Rock Island Line - The Singles Anthology 1955-1967". Only the singles, but is 86 tracks enough?

[walsham]

Don't come any better than this.

Good old Lonnie - still miss you !

[HEGANVIC]

where did lonnie come from

[AngelaRed]

Hi I am putting together a Midnight Special Song Playlist, and I have to agree this is one of the better ones

[3lizabeast]

These artist's come with an algelic wit, I half to confess; this is the best version of Midnight special I have ever heard. The balance and off the cuff spin between lines,makes it soooo specail!!! Thanks for posting it.

[donandsam]

Music is food for the soul. Lonnie, Chris Barber and Otterly fed me in my youth. Don't knock bustmen it takes all sorts, you know.Just listen and have a little titter and enjoy.

[rockabillykuben]

I Love :D <3

[loveupskirts]

love lonnie donnegan,

[brijo73]

I remember this live. He was the King of Skiffle

[ampersandtay]

I feel I have come home... bought an EP in the fifties with this and "In the evening when the sun go down" on the flip side. Monty Sunshine, Chris Barber, Ken Colyer, Dicky Bishop and I think I left a couple out, but memory isn't so good now.

Shame when Colyer left the group after a bust-up. I have reason to believe it was with Lonnie but that's another story.

Ampers.

[donandsam]

Hi We have similar tastes in music. I have spent many hours trying to play the clarinet like Monty Sunshine. Please help if you can. What song had 'lay my head on a lonesome railroad line annd let the local freight train pacify my mind'. Regards Don

[ampersandtay]

Nina Simone "Trouble in The Mind"

Songwriter: Richard Jones

[biggly]

Hi Don

Ottilie Patterson also sang the song Worried in Mind and this is the version I like the best.

[cactus905]

Raw music - love it - the video construction is good too. Love the sound effects of the train and the pic of the station - Tres' cool!

Thanks.

[nemodapimpfish]

raw talent right here. this is where rock n roll owes a nodd to its roots.

[LforLearner]

Vintage Donegan, taking me back to sore fingers in the bedroom learning the chords, still playing- almost as badly- 50 years later!! The clarity on this is brilliant- Lonnie introduced a virtual generation of us to a whole new musical world. Met him in Glasgow the year before he died. My wife had arranged the meeting after his performance unbeknown to me. Told him I was a member of his fan club years before- and typical him- "And you want your money back" he quipped- RIP Lonnie- unique performer

[CoolJack2]

I've uploaded the first recorded version of this song on here if anyone is interested in making a comparison between the versions

[grabastic]

Absolutely excellent.

Hey Donegan sounds great back then....this is the first I've heard of him doing the Midnight Special.

I have the Lead Belly recording and this recording is darn good.

It has a 'rawness' to it that kinda sounds like Lead Belly's.

Thanks so much!

[maltkilnlane]

The best version of Midnight Special around.

Lonnie Donnegan was brilliant until he started recording songs like "My old mans a dustman".

[jimboturner]

odeta's version takes some beating

[grabastic]

I agree. After listening to this version it is the best.

A certain earthy quality and his voice is outstanding!

[vbassyde]

Me gusta mucho la musica de Skiffle.

[ArthurJimbo]

man this guys good!

[vlakgom]

entirely too crazy this video, very nicely this old music, thank you very mush.

Carolien.

[maolchalium]

This was taken from "Skiffle Sensation" PYE. Buy it. The sound quality is far superior to this and you will be supporting muscians.

"Digging my Potatoes" Lonnie recorded this back in the 1950's. It was banned on the BBC as being obscene !!,

I had a 78 shellac copy but sat on it after too much cider one night. I haven't heard this since then, about 1956/7. Anyone got a copy? Please.Please.

[maolchalium]

DADRENO (2 weeks ago)

Yes - I remember the banning - my cousin had it on a 78 I'll ask him. I'd just left school then.

[ArthurJimbo]

I had a Ledbetter version of that song....before it got stolen by this lunatic on a trip up in washington and oregon...you can find the song if you look hard enough...i had it on a ledbetter cd...i had about 5 of his cds so there out there / happy hunting

[browniemcgheeggallin]

@maolchalium its not supporting the musicians, only their benefactors.

[myaustriansweetie]

@maolchalium That's interesting about the BBC banning it. I wonder why they thought it obscene. I always thought it was just about some guy stealing some other guy's potatoes. Unless the potatoes refer to the other guy's wife or girlfriend. Here in Cincinnati there's a local Jug Band " Cincinnati Dancing Pigs". They do this song as well as "Sheik of Araby", Alabama Jubilee", "Miss Piggy for President". And several others.

[peterdonegan]

@myaustriansweetie

It was banned for the line "I love you in the winter I love you in the fall, but in between those blankets babe, I love you best of all".