I had no friends in high school, in the early 70s, so I hung out at the local spoon with the factory workers and farmers. Sylvia's hit was a jukebox phenomenon. Queen waitress Sharon (I was her young pet) would slip me quarters from the till to keep it playing, along with whatever else I liked. To this day, "Trucker's Cafe" fills me with a sense of warmth and belonging.
Greatest working class Canadian song ever. It goes beyond the typical country lyrics: the gal has a troubled psychology, which Sylvia sings in character.
Let's none of us forget that Sylvia Tyson wrote one of the most bizarre folk rock hits of the 60s, "You Were on My Mind" by We Five. It sounds like a nervous breakdown.
Bob Lucier on pedal steel rocks ok here , ... but Buddy Cage who recorded the song w Great Speckeled Bird in 70 totaly made his bubbley steel and made the song,,and raised it to the best country rock sound of the time . After Festival Express Buddy went on to the New Riders of the Purple Sage thru Garcia and never looked back .
I know! I know! It's a crime that our generation never heard of people like this until YouTube. I saw "Festival Express" when it came out and her warbling, mushroom-psychedelic version of "Cee Cee Rider" blew me away. Little was I to know that she and Ian are apparently a tad embarrassed about that episode.
@pinz2022 - Of the two, Sylvia did not smoke nor do drugs of any type (except for an occasional drink); my money on who of the duo would have done mushrooms on that '70 Festival Express tour, if at all, was Ian (who in the recent bio by John Einarson admitted to being rip roaring drunk the whole time of they and the Great Speckled Bird being part of the tour). That may partly explain why even a "warbling" Sylvia sounded clearer of voice than, say, Janis Joplin.
Yup, I remember the documentary where they basically admit most of them were rip-roaring drunk the whole time. But the best part of "Festival Express" was the way all these great talents were cooped up together on that train, jamming together and artistically cross-pollinating.
I used to know Ian, and contrary to others, yes , they still liked each other, and I so do like Ian and Sylviea, both lovely people, wow, do I miss the Riverboat caffee, where I first saw them
I think the line "he found another, told me he loved her, climbed in his rig, and was gone" should win a prize for the most action ever condensed into a single lyric.
Ian wrote Someday Soon. Ian and Sylvia were...IMO...the best folk duo to come out of Canada period. I loved them then and I love them both now...even though they've been divorced many years. Such wonderful talent.
I love Sylvia's voice - and would love to hear her yodel, which I bet she can do too!! Having viewed several videos now, I never realized before that she wrote the song "Someday Soon" that Judy Collins made famous.....
well, there seems to be differing opinions on the true author (for some reason) - a comment by "mboyler" on the Judy Collins, Steven Stills "Someday Soon" video posted by betahifi votes for Sylvia.......?
Being an I&S fan since '63 I always loved the version of You Were On My Mind on Northern Journey and couldn't tolerate the We Five version. Autoharp and 12 string guitar versus "whoa oooh"
You have a unique voice that needs to be heard. I love it when you hit the notes!
Ian does OK fluffin' cow poop with his baratone cow stories but you are the winner of the duet if you did some Joni Mitchel, Joan Baez. Linda Ronstadt, Marie Bottrell (Candadian girl, extremely talented and good looking from the early 80's)
yes, sorry, it must be my computer sound card being below standard?, i'm not a computer wizard, but I'm actually 1/2 norwegian!, yes, she's one of my favorites.
Besides her original recording on the Great Speckled Bird album, Sylvia rerecorded this on her solo record, YOU WERE ON MY MIND. thanks for posting it. Could this be a little speeded up? It seems awfully fast tempoed.
hi, no, tis is the original speed on this tv show. sorry for the insynch between voice and image, my computer video card or something is obviously substandard, maybe next computer, but that won't be for some time. Probably to maximize the music into the 52 or so minutes in the show, but i like it at this speed.
Is that her real voice?? Or has it been altered? I can't imagine anyone has a voice like that.
flomurdock 1 week ago
great gal and song
menofthedeep 1 month ago
I had no friends in high school, in the early 70s, so I hung out at the local spoon with the factory workers and farmers. Sylvia's hit was a jukebox phenomenon. Queen waitress Sharon (I was her young pet) would slip me quarters from the till to keep it playing, along with whatever else I liked. To this day, "Trucker's Cafe" fills me with a sense of warmth and belonging.
gorgonique 4 months ago
Greatest working class Canadian song ever. It goes beyond the typical country lyrics: the gal has a troubled psychology, which Sylvia sings in character.
Let's none of us forget that Sylvia Tyson wrote one of the most bizarre folk rock hits of the 60s, "You Were on My Mind" by We Five. It sounds like a nervous breakdown.
gorgonique 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
How can one not help but fall in love with Sylvia ... she is beautiful and has such a gorgeous voice!
Emjay1950 8 months ago
How can one not help but fall in love with Sylvia ... she is beautiful and has such a gorgeous voice!
Emjay1950 8 months ago
sylvia tyson i like this as much as anything as good like gram parson.
danocable 1 year ago
Beautiful lady, beautiful song, is there really any justification for the WAY ouf of SYNC video/audio?
c7i6abc 1 year ago
@c7i6abc
i'ts my computer, it didn't have enough memory at the time to handle the upload without synching it. i could try reuploading at some point..
rutebeuf2 1 year ago
Bob Lucier on pedal steel rocks ok here , ... but Buddy Cage who recorded the song w Great Speckeled Bird in 70 totaly made his bubbley steel and made the song,,and raised it to the best country rock sound of the time . After Festival Express Buddy went on to the New Riders of the Purple Sage thru Garcia and never looked back .
pwea1 1 year ago
Wow! What a talented lady. I just discovered her and Ian on the Festival Express videos. What a voice.
magprob 1 year ago
@magprob
I know! I know! It's a crime that our generation never heard of people like this until YouTube. I saw "Festival Express" when it came out and her warbling, mushroom-psychedelic version of "Cee Cee Rider" blew me away. Little was I to know that she and Ian are apparently a tad embarrassed about that episode.
pinz2022 4 months ago
@pinz2022 - Of the two, Sylvia did not smoke nor do drugs of any type (except for an occasional drink); my money on who of the duo would have done mushrooms on that '70 Festival Express tour, if at all, was Ian (who in the recent bio by John Einarson admitted to being rip roaring drunk the whole time of they and the Great Speckled Bird being part of the tour). That may partly explain why even a "warbling" Sylvia sounded clearer of voice than, say, Janis Joplin.
wmbrown6 3 weeks ago
@wmbrown6
Yup, I remember the documentary where they basically admit most of them were rip-roaring drunk the whole time. But the best part of "Festival Express" was the way all these great talents were cooped up together on that train, jamming together and artistically cross-pollinating.
pinz2022 3 weeks ago
Ian and Sylvia, were, are, the best.
gwmacdonald 1 year ago
It could be a sync totally since Sylvia used to do songs in both French and English and it was harder to sync a long time ago
TheEttingoff 1 year ago
this was great!
went to see Ian in berkeley last night, and today had a hankering for some of sylvia's solo work.
msmirkat 1 year ago
I used to know Ian, and contrary to others, yes , they still liked each other, and I so do like Ian and Sylviea, both lovely people, wow, do I miss the Riverboat caffee, where I first saw them
fubar50cat 1 year ago
I think the line "he found another, told me he loved her, climbed in his rig, and was gone" should win a prize for the most action ever condensed into a single lyric.
MaryDeanDotCom 2 years ago 8
Ian wrote Someday Soon. Ian and Sylvia were...IMO...the best folk duo to come out of Canada period. I loved them then and I love them both now...even though they've been divorced many years. Such wonderful talent.
skilski2003 2 years ago
Sylvia has such a unique and beautiful voice. Love it! She never achieved the level of fame she richly deserved.
wdstirner 2 years ago 5
i played bass for the great speckled bird, trust me Ian wrote the song some day soon.
Reservoir1951 2 years ago
MARIE BOTTRELL ARE THERE ANY VIDOEO s OF HER VOICE SO SWEET LIKE AN ANGEL-LONDON ONT CAN.
v6n4m0d4 2 years ago
I love Sylvia's voice - and would love to hear her yodel, which I bet she can do too!! Having viewed several videos now, I never realized before that she wrote the song "Someday Soon" that Judy Collins made famous.....
cowpiemt 3 years ago
hi cowpiemt, Ian wrote Someday Soon, not Sylvia.
rutebeuf2 3 years ago
well, there seems to be differing opinions on the true author (for some reason) - a comment by "mboyler" on the Judy Collins, Steven Stills "Someday Soon" video posted by betahifi votes for Sylvia.......?
cowpiemt 3 years ago
She also wrote "You were on my mind" that the We Five had a hit with
Bultaco15 3 years ago
Being an I&S fan since '63 I always loved the version of You Were On My Mind on Northern Journey and couldn't tolerate the We Five version. Autoharp and 12 string guitar versus "whoa oooh"
Different strokes, I guess.
MaabudZ 2 years ago
Just now saw your posting. I, too, have been a fan since 1963, and I agree with you 100%
tompillion 2 years ago
@cowpiemt - To add to what 'rutebeuf2' wrote, Sylvia's big composition was "You Were On My Mind."
wmbrown6 1 month ago
Sylvia : Please record some more!
You have a unique voice that needs to be heard. I love it when you hit the notes!
Ian does OK fluffin' cow poop with his baratone cow stories but you are the winner of the duet if you did some Joni Mitchel, Joan Baez. Linda Ronstadt, Marie Bottrell (Candadian girl, extremely talented and good looking from the early 80's)
DJGideon 3 years ago
i don't know when this was done, but her voice sounds really good, tho the synch could be better
piratejenny37 3 years ago
hi, this is from March, 1989. Saw here in concert in November 2007, still a gorgeous, full, unique voice.
rutebeuf2 3 years ago
Looks like to me she went downhill after Ian.
wtbowden 3 years ago
Too bad about the sync.... needs to be fixed. Great song, though.
BitHprod 3 years ago
yes, sorry, it must be my computer sound card being below standard?, i'm not a computer wizard, but I'm actually 1/2 norwegian!, yes, she's one of my favorites.
rutebeuf2 3 years ago
1/2 Norwegian? OK, we'll forgive you then. LOL! JK!
Thanks for this!
cjthemusicman 3 years ago
@rutebeuf2 Which half of you is Norwegian?
alan4sure 1 year ago
@alan4sure
on my mother's side
rutebeuf2 1 year ago
Besides her original recording on the Great Speckled Bird album, Sylvia rerecorded this on her solo record, YOU WERE ON MY MIND. thanks for posting it. Could this be a little speeded up? It seems awfully fast tempoed.
davidlenander 3 years ago
hi, no, tis is the original speed on this tv show. sorry for the insynch between voice and image, my computer video card or something is obviously substandard, maybe next computer, but that won't be for some time. Probably to maximize the music into the 52 or so minutes in the show, but i like it at this speed.
rutebeuf2 3 years ago