agree that the record version's better but if I'd been there for this performance I'd have been enthralled. Nothing like live performance. Hope to see TR in Scituate MA tomorrow night! Check out Doug McLeod's "New Panama Limited" for another take on this Booker White amalgam.
I first heard this in '65. I don't know how many records, tapes, discs of it over the years I have had, and the pleasure of hearing Tom sing it a number of times. Timeless music by a timeless artist!!!
40 years later and this song still moves me to tears. Absolutely incredible. Thank you Tom for that song!!! I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Rush at a small coffeehouse performance in Monterey a few years ago, and to my surprise he plays the same guitar (Epiphone Texan) that I had as a kid. (still have it too). Just icing on the cake.
@ytdsgdjgfueyxn537 i HAd not heard this song since 1969 untilI picked it up a few months ago. Had a friend, Don Shjanklin, who played this at college coffee houses in West Virginia,Don wasa great young guitrar picker singer at the time.He turned onto early Dylan, Rush, Ochs, Von Schmidt, Baez, Collins, Paxton, all of em. I agree, Iike the slowertempo and his voice is deeper on the original. still this song is just so great to hear, I miss my friends from the 60s and this song stabs my heart.
Tom, thank you so much for being on here; have not heard Panama Ltd. by you for many years. Saw you in person many times in the old days - Phila Folk Festival, 2nd Fret, Main Point, etc. Used to be so in love w/you, (still am I guess), you and all your train whistle joins. Remember when you introduced the songs of Jackson Browne at the Main Point. But Tom you were the main point all the time. Handsome and still with a brain and talent!
What's not to like? WTG...Mr. Tom Rush. This 70 year-old great-grandmother would love to attend one of your concerts. (Think I'll go check when you're going to be in the Los Angeles area next. (Soon I hope.)
I will tell you one thing...as a lover of music, and a lover of those who are masters of their craft...Tom is a pleasure to watch play. The guitar is an extension of his body, and it shows. I hope he's around to make music for another 30 years...and I hope that one day I'll achieve the same excellence that effortlessly exudes from his being. He is the man.
Success is fleeting, talent is everlasting, anyone who has not bought Toms new album "What I know" is missing out on more of the same from this truly gifted songsmith. Anyone living stateside, you dont know how lucky you are to be able to get to a concert. I would love the chance to see him unfortunately there is a rather large pond between Ireland and the states stopping me at the moment. Teddy O'Neill Dublin.
Late reply to kjcon54- If you REALLY want to see how Tom does this, and other tunes, he has a DVD titled "How I Play 'some of' My Favorite Tunes with tuning and tricks revealed. You can obtain it via his web addy.
Saw him in Chicago recently at The Old Town School of Folk Music. After the regular show, he sat on the stage and played some requests there was no time for in the regular program.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
wow white people just can't play the blues... that wasn't blues at all, black people play better blues, especially the black musicians who first wrote/performed the songs that have been covered by whites and blacks (mostly whites) so many times, because blacks have actually had to deal with the blues (poverty, oppression, racism), and later generations of blacks/whites only have a privileged form of blues/no REAL problems
listen now. true blues is only about one thing. its the only topic on which all other blues stem from. blues is all about one boy and one girl and the problems therein. all people experience that. dont be racist. it aint worth it.
you don't have to be black to be poor, or oppressed, or suffer from racism. so nigger is racist, but pancake etc isn't?
just because some retards used to think that black people weren't as good doesn't mean it can't go the other way. besides, sab0881 is right, blues is about problems, not about being black. kk? your the kind of person that made this world the shit place it is today.
I had a cassette tape that had this song on it, recorded at a live concert. It also had a song done by someone else that was one of the coolest songs I ever heard. The song was called The Boy With The Violin, if memory serves. Does anyone know this song and who did it? I would be eternally grateful
The Boy with the Violin was performed by Robin Batteau on a Buskin & Batteau album. Somewhere, I still have that old tape and another later tape. They are great singer/songwriters. Both made a good living writing commercial jingles ("Like a Rock"...& others for McDonald's, NBC, etc.)but performing their own material was their true love. I wonder if they still book dates?..
Tom released an album around 1983 called "New Year", taped live at Symphony Hall in Boston on New Years Eve. It was also videotaped and shown on PBS. Two members of his back up band were Buskin and Batteau. They played The Boy With the Violin at that concert. It was on the video, but not the album.
Lacks the sheer primitive force and sadness of the Bukka White original but has a nice melodic sound all of its own. If you like slide guitar you must listen to Bukka White, just brutal power and emotion.
He's about 67 or so.. looks much better in person than in this video...daylight is so harsh! but you should have seen him when he was in his twenties.. made every woman's knees weak for miles around. His voice has lost some of the range, but the songs, the stories and the guitar are still breath taking and so is he..
Absolutely! I had one of his LP's in the 60's and he looked 20 something and no mustache! I was a teen and just stared at the cover for an hour! I feel in love with him and his music right then and there!
I've been listening to Tom Rush constantly since the early '60s. He's one of my guitar heros. I've spent many hours happily trying to figure out how he does the things he does--mostly unsuccessfully. This video gave me some insights. Thanks for posting.
How weird a coincidence, eh? Was also in Durham 68-70 -- though at ORHS.
Was at PSC in '72 and '73; followed by UNH (class of '75). Then off to gradual school at HU in Cambridge MA -- another favorite haunt of his.
FWIW, my wife and I met at PSC in '72, then followed the above trail together. We were listening to The Very Best of Tom Rush the other night -- what was nice was how much our two teenagers also appreciated his music on first listen!
Sorry -- typo that I was slow to correct in time: slide guitar (not steel). Cool pic, though.
Also agree with the comment further below about how great the earlier albums also are. Still have about 7 or so in the basement; have been using the new TEAC to convert them to CD's...
Yes, we live in St. Pete Fl in the winter, NH in the summer. Do you remember a band called Gunnison Brook at PSC? Drummer was a PSC student, Pete Shackett. I was the lead singer. We played there a lot and opened for Miles Davis at the field house.
First, sorry for the VERY delayed reply. Absolutely remember Gunnison Brook (!) -- spent many a great night rocking to you guys up there. Aside from some serious rocking, you also did a fine cover set medley from a certain Brit group's (arguably best) album, no? Ask me to remember two really fun bands who played PSC in that era, and it would be you guys (GB) for rocking/partying, and "The Shittons" for their very funny 50's group sendup. Any chance you remember the latter?
fantastic...great to hear someone really play an old style acoustic until it squeals.. a tour de force...now go back and hear his early albums...Duncan and Brady, Rye Whiskey etc...the man's a legend.
I first saw you play this song at Boston Symphony Hall circa 1967 and it sounded great then and just as great now. Thanks for posting this, one of the great "guitar" songs.
Great performance train songs seem hard to voice the beautiful sounds that old steamers make..on a guitar but bye Christ Tom Ya did a Beautiful Job...
Have the record with this song. I think, he´s playing a little bit to fast but nevertheless: This is one of my all time favorite songs.
SkeligMichael 5 months ago
agree that the record version's better but if I'd been there for this performance I'd have been enthralled. Nothing like live performance. Hope to see TR in Scituate MA tomorrow night! Check out Doug McLeod's "New Panama Limited" for another take on this Booker White amalgam.
krustybaguette 5 months ago
Comment removed
krustybaguette 5 months ago
"...they just stand by the track, with they hat in they hands....."
whitefeet1 7 months ago
I first heard this in '65. I don't know how many records, tapes, discs of it over the years I have had, and the pleasure of hearing Tom sing it a number of times. Timeless music by a timeless artist!!!
diptwares 9 months ago
40 years later and this song still moves me to tears. Absolutely incredible. Thank you Tom for that song!!! I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Rush at a small coffeehouse performance in Monterey a few years ago, and to my surprise he plays the same guitar (Epiphone Texan) that I had as a kid. (still have it too). Just icing on the cake.
451Andrea 9 months ago
Saw him tonight at the Iron Horse in Northampton MA. Awesome song!
Hypertsuna 11 months ago
As he plays he speeds up too much. I like the old record better.
ytdsgdjgfueyxn537 1 year ago
@ytdsgdjgfueyxn537 i HAd not heard this song since 1969 untilI picked it up a few months ago. Had a friend, Don Shjanklin, who played this at college coffee houses in West Virginia,Don wasa great young guitrar picker singer at the time.He turned onto early Dylan, Rush, Ochs, Von Schmidt, Baez, Collins, Paxton, all of em. I agree, Iike the slowertempo and his voice is deeper on the original. still this song is just so great to hear, I miss my friends from the 60s and this song stabs my heart.
47docrock 10 months ago
Tom, thank you so much for being on here; have not heard Panama Ltd. by you for many years. Saw you in person many times in the old days - Phila Folk Festival, 2nd Fret, Main Point, etc. Used to be so in love w/you, (still am I guess), you and all your train whistle joins. Remember when you introduced the songs of Jackson Browne at the Main Point. But Tom you were the main point all the time. Handsome and still with a brain and talent!
margarita6022 1 year ago
D A D F# A D, capo 2nd fret
adrianosoc 1 year ago
Great entertainer
pyrofella 1 year ago
Any idea what tuning Tom is using?
ponchatwmac 1 year ago
What's not to like? WTG...Mr. Tom Rush. This 70 year-old great-grandmother would love to attend one of your concerts. (Think I'll go check when you're going to be in the Los Angeles area next. (Soon I hope.)
Keep on keepin' on.........
Mary
072740 1 year ago
I always liked this song. I think Tom's version is better than Bukka White's. It's good to see Tom's still playing it.
woodash1 1 year ago
Wonderful song, I am working on a train in denmark, sounds really cool-feel it.
talerdudansk 2 years ago
Comment removed
talerdudansk 2 years ago
Witchcraft!!!!
how does he sustain that!
Artyfartyify 2 years ago
I will tell you one thing...as a lover of music, and a lover of those who are masters of their craft...Tom is a pleasure to watch play. The guitar is an extension of his body, and it shows. I hope he's around to make music for another 30 years...and I hope that one day I'll achieve the same excellence that effortlessly exudes from his being. He is the man.
Bartender Al from Key West.
alnelson72 2 years ago 2
WOW..I love it.....Mel
amazongift 2 years ago
Saw him do this song live at Rutgers University in 1977 in a near empty auditorium. He was great then and still is.
talerdudansk 2 years ago
Success is fleeting, talent is everlasting, anyone who has not bought Toms new album "What I know" is missing out on more of the same from this truly gifted songsmith. Anyone living stateside, you dont know how lucky you are to be able to get to a concert. I would love the chance to see him unfortunately there is a rather large pond between Ireland and the states stopping me at the moment. Teddy O'Neill Dublin.
teddyoneills 2 years ago
jacques brel 11? anyway... Tom sounds fine.
He played this in the late 60's, and it's so good to see him again.
Merci Tom, for a lot of white Northern Bostonians Tom turned us on to blues, and other stuff like Joni Mitchell, so Merci beaucoup mon ami
marthaegan 3 years ago
Is this based on Travelin' Blues by Blind Willie McTell?
JacquesBrel11 3 years ago
search youtube for "Bukka White - Special streamline"
AFC1948 3 years ago
Late reply to kjcon54- If you REALLY want to see how Tom does this, and other tunes, he has a DVD titled "How I Play 'some of' My Favorite Tunes with tuning and tricks revealed. You can obtain it via his web addy.
Saw him in Chicago recently at The Old Town School of Folk Music. After the regular show, he sat on the stage and played some requests there was no time for in the regular program.
He is a marvelous entertainer!
TheXLCHKid 3 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
wow white people just can't play the blues... that wasn't blues at all, black people play better blues, especially the black musicians who first wrote/performed the songs that have been covered by whites and blacks (mostly whites) so many times, because blacks have actually had to deal with the blues (poverty, oppression, racism), and later generations of blacks/whites only have a privileged form of blues/no REAL problems
moaningatmidnight 3 years ago
You sound like a jackass. Why should we listen to your opinion on music? If you dont know that this is good music then you dont know shit.
meteoritelight 3 years ago
listen now. true blues is only about one thing. its the only topic on which all other blues stem from. blues is all about one boy and one girl and the problems therein. all people experience that. dont be racist. it aint worth it.
sab0881 3 years ago
you don't have to be black to be poor, or oppressed, or suffer from racism. so nigger is racist, but pancake etc isn't?
just because some retards used to think that black people weren't as good doesn't mean it can't go the other way. besides, sab0881 is right, blues is about problems, not about being black. kk? your the kind of person that made this world the shit place it is today.
robdude5000 3 years ago
I had a cassette tape that had this song on it, recorded at a live concert. It also had a song done by someone else that was one of the coolest songs I ever heard. The song was called The Boy With The Violin, if memory serves. Does anyone know this song and who did it? I would be eternally grateful
bogtrotter52 3 years ago
The Boy with the Violin was performed by Robin Batteau on a Buskin & Batteau album. Somewhere, I still have that old tape and another later tape. They are great singer/songwriters. Both made a good living writing commercial jingles ("Like a Rock"...& others for McDonald's, NBC, etc.)but performing their own material was their true love. I wonder if they still book dates?..
songwoend 3 years ago
Tom released an album around 1983 called "New Year", taped live at Symphony Hall in Boston on New Years Eve. It was also videotaped and shown on PBS. Two members of his back up band were Buskin and Batteau. They played The Boy With the Violin at that concert. It was on the video, but not the album.
rocketstef 3 years ago
seriously you stole a song from a concert shame shame that doesnt seem to support you republican agenda
darkninja210 3 years ago
Lacks the sheer primitive force and sadness of the Bukka White original but has a nice melodic sound all of its own. If you like slide guitar you must listen to Bukka White, just brutal power and emotion.
vegetableswife 3 years ago
superbe.
Merci à toi Tom Rush : toute une chanson qui fait frisonner.
ferlottes 3 years ago
PANAMA!.PANAMAHA!
FudbertWine 3 years ago
A great song... Story songs like this are a dying breed... God bless the storytellers like Tom and Gordy Lightfoot!
elvisapresley68 3 years ago 2
Why does the audio and video stop and start during a performance?
gcgoldman 4 years ago
Saw Tom do this in Cambridge England 1965/66 - he had to do twice in the set as everyone was knocked out - still sounds a good a aver
Splingman 4 years ago
wow, i dont know anything about tom rush (found this when searching for van halen) but if u saw him in 65, he looks very good for whatever age he is
Branagorn 4 years ago
He's about 67 or so.. looks much better in person than in this video...daylight is so harsh! but you should have seen him when he was in his twenties.. made every woman's knees weak for miles around. His voice has lost some of the range, but the songs, the stories and the guitar are still breath taking and so is he..
janetf123 4 years ago 2
Absolutely! I had one of his LP's in the 60's and he looked 20 something and no mustache! I was a teen and just stared at the cover for an hour! I feel in love with him and his music right then and there!
MrsAriaAmour 4 years ago
I've been listening to Tom Rush constantly since the early '60s. He's one of my guitar heros. I've spent many hours happily trying to figure out how he does the things he does--mostly unsuccessfully. This video gave me some insights. Thanks for posting.
kjcon54 4 years ago
Oh, I love this song; got it on an old album. Saw him live once too. Sang Galveston.
pineraven 4 years ago 2
*snore*
niteshadow88 4 years ago
Who is the only expat in Panama who wears
old fashioned hawaiian shirts?
Answer: an american expat.They have a
Jimmy Buffet obssession.
proudpanamanian 4 years ago
Great, great stuff from (as he once described himself) "little Tommie Rush from... New Hampshire".
Many a night at PSC and UNH spent listening to his artistry, both on vinyl and -- when we were really lucky -- in person.
Terrific then, terrific still -- thanks a ton for posting this.
alphuez 4 years ago
Hey - what years were you at PSC and UNH? I was at UNH 68-70 and played music at frat parties & such at PSC till 72.
Good times, good music, good memories. Tom Rush is an American treasure!
wrkngsnwbrd 4 years ago
How weird a coincidence, eh? Was also in Durham 68-70 -- though at ORHS.
Was at PSC in '72 and '73; followed by UNH (class of '75). Then off to gradual school at HU in Cambridge MA -- another favorite haunt of his.
FWIW, my wife and I met at PSC in '72, then followed the above trail together. We were listening to The Very Best of Tom Rush the other night -- what was nice was how much our two teenagers also appreciated his music on first listen!
alphuez 4 years ago
PS -- (still as a reply to wrkngsnwbrd, below) -- I take it from your board name you've since moved further south? :-)
FWIW, still have a nice closeup photo I took of him playing steel guitar at an outdoor concert behind the Field House -- maybe spring of '70?
Great then, still great.
alphuez 4 years ago
Sorry -- typo that I was slow to correct in time: slide guitar (not steel). Cool pic, though.
Also agree with the comment further below about how great the earlier albums also are. Still have about 7 or so in the basement; have been using the new TEAC to convert them to CD's...
alphuez 4 years ago
Yes, we live in St. Pete Fl in the winter, NH in the summer. Do you remember a band called Gunnison Brook at PSC? Drummer was a PSC student, Pete Shackett. I was the lead singer. We played there a lot and opened for Miles Davis at the field house.
wrkngsnwbrd 4 years ago
First, sorry for the VERY delayed reply. Absolutely remember Gunnison Brook (!) -- spent many a great night rocking to you guys up there. Aside from some serious rocking, you also did a fine cover set medley from a certain Brit group's (arguably best) album, no? Ask me to remember two really fun bands who played PSC in that era, and it would be you guys (GB) for rocking/partying, and "The Shittons" for their very funny 50's group sendup. Any chance you remember the latter?
best, Richard B.
alphuez 3 years ago
Great to hear again,Had it on vinyl and loaned it out in 19??. never heard again till today!!!Thanks
PatWardMagic 4 years ago
It still makes me sing and cry "Daddy you know i hate to go....may never see your face no more"
YMIHERE00 4 years ago
fantastic...great to hear someone really play an old style acoustic until it squeals.. a tour de force...now go back and hear his early albums...Duncan and Brady, Rye Whiskey etc...the man's a legend.
wingandaprayer 4 years ago
This was fantastic in the 60's & it still is... 40 Years on & still as great as ever!
solitairess 4 years ago
I hope there are a lot more clips of Tom Rush on here...can't get enough.
MeredithP60 4 years ago
Saw and met Tom many many times over the years...he never fails to deliver for me, including this.
-SeamusMac
seamusmac 4 years ago
I first saw you play this song at Boston Symphony Hall circa 1967 and it sounded great then and just as great now. Thanks for posting this, one of the great "guitar" songs.
CharltonPike 4 years ago
This is magic. Has been for 40 years. We're all gone everywhere but home.
spelt 4 years ago
Can it really be 40 years that I've loved this? Can it really be 40 years that I've loved Tom Rush?
us19 4 years ago
I've loved that piece since forever. Thanks.
dietzre 4 years ago
Thanks Tom!Strong as ever.
cuddy14 4 years ago
Excellent!!
tehoracle 4 years ago
Now I'll be here for another hour watching it over and over, sigh.
kiwibridge 4 years ago
When I bought the album with this song all those years ago I just played it and played it and played it. Love you Tom for posting this.
kiwibridge 4 years ago
Great performance train songs seem hard to voice the beautiful sounds that old steamers make..on a guitar but bye Christ Tom Ya did a Beautiful Job...
DaddieRay 4 years ago